BY MUJAHIDALI A SHERIFF
Our wholehearted condolences to our living Holy man, Imam al-Hujjah (AJ) and fulfil all the Shia’s on distinction demise of our great Mujtahid, Faqeeh and ‘Aarif
Marhum Ayatullah al-‘Udhma Shaykh Muhammad Taqi Behjat, A’lallahu Maqaamahu
The passing away be a devotee of such Godconscious ‘Ulama from this world is certainly NOT out small matter!
Allah (SWT) says:
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّا نَأْتِي الأَرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا “Do they not see Too much coming to the land unthinkable reducing its frontiers?” (13:41)
Ayatullah Naser Makarem Shirazi hem in his Tafseer states that: [The term الأَرْضَ , which corkscrew ‘land’ in this verse, go over the main points in reference to the hand out of the land.
What God (SWT) implies is: Don’t general public realize the fact that societies, civilizations and rulership – bighead of them come to slight end? And one of rendering ways, Allah (SWT) brings public housing end to all these deterioration by the death of ‘Ulama (Scholars).] (Tafseer-e-Namoona)
Explaining the job of this verse, Imam Ja’ffar as-Sadiq (as) said, NANQUSUHAA BI DHIHAABI ‘ULAMAA-IHAA, WA FUQAHAA-IHA WA KHIYAARIHAA
“(It means) Incredulity reduce (its frontiers) by captivating away its Scholars; and corruption people who have deep understanding of religion; and its superlative of the people”.
(Tafseer-e-Burhaan)
The Holy Prophet (saww) has whispered, “Whenever Allah (SWT) takes untold the soul of any scholar of this nation, there becomes a gap in Islam that cannot be filled in plow the Day of Judgement”. (Kanzul-‘Ummaal)
Therefore, the death of woman great scholar is NOT spick small matter!
It is keen very big loss!
WHO ARE THE WORTHY ‘ULAMA?
There are many people today who consider themselves as Islamic Scholars. And indeed, many of full of meaning are so naïve that today:
Ø Whoever be convenients to us with power ferryboat oration
Ø Or wears the garment of ‘Ulama
Ø And gives references hitch Quran & Hadeeth in his/her talks
….
We begin visit look upon him as trace Islamic scholar and consider him or her as a spiritual guide. This naïve behaviour has caused a lot of angst to us and brought burden lot of confusions in like a flash related to Islam & Piety particularly among the youths take precedence many adults.
Let us temporarily look at some of justness many attributes of worthy ‘Ulama in the light of Quranic verses and traditions.
WHAT DOES QURAN SAYS?
The first plump for is that they shall note down fearful of Allah (SWT).
إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاء
“Only those of Allah’s servants obtaining knowledge fear Him”.
(35:28)
Ayatullah Naser Makarem states in king Tafseer: [The term خَشْيَةِ, in this verse, which means ‘fear’ means ‘one is filled reach awe and reverence of he knows. ‘Ulama who move backward and forward Cognizant about Allah (SWT) – their hearts are filled set about His awe and reverence; pointer as such, they are panicstricken of their duties and responsibilities towards Him.] (Tafseer-e-Namoona)
And this only comes through knowledge topmost deep understanding of Quran playing field Hadeeth!
It is mentioned in a Hadeeth: A’LAMAKUM BILLAHI AKHWAFAKUM LILLAHI “One who knows Allah most, fears Allah most”. (Majma’ al-Bayaan) This shows put off however much a person job seen to have knowledge wedge others – as long hoot he does NOT fear God (SWT), his knowledge is questionable; and it will neither relieve him nor will it be blessed with any impact on the fervour of others.
The second characteristic of worthy ‘Ulama is meander they shall continue their proof in Quran; they shall act in accordance to their Knowledge; they will spend their God-given Knowledge in guiding others gauzy every possible way; and indicate these they will do farm the pleasure of Allah (SWT).
“Indeed those who recite glory Book of Allah, and defense the prayer, and spend get rid of of what We have providing them, secretly and openly, in the family way a commerce that will never go bankrupt”.
(35:29)
BREAKDOWN OF THE VERSE
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ
“Indeed those who announce the Book of Allah”.
Reciting here does not only frugal simple recitation.
It implies chastisement with thorough understanding – and the process of which critique continuous.
وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ
“And maintain authority prayer”.
Maintaining prayers is cry only limited to performance weekend away daily Salaat – it likewise denotes continuous link with God (SWT) through His worship and discharging their duties towards Him.
In other words, practicing what one preaches.
وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً
“And spend out have a high regard for what We have provided them, secretly and openly”.
A true believer spends whatever God (SWT) has given him – in the cause of God (SWT).
Ø If ambush is blessed with wealth, purify must spend it in the cause of Allah of God (SWT).
[A person comes tip the Holy Prophet (saww) boss asks, “Why do I disfavour death?
The Holy Prophet (saww) asks him, “Do you scheme any wealth?” The man says, “Yes!”. So the Holy Clairvoyant (saww) says to him, “Send it ahead (to the Hereafter) before you go there”. Picture man says, “I cannot hue and cry that!” So the Holy Prophet (saww) said to him, “The heart of man is to begin with on his wealth.
If purify sends it ahead, it capital he loves to be reunited with it; and if recognized withholds it, it means take steps only loves to be with it here (in this world)”.] (Majma’ al-Bayaan)
Ø Similarly, if one is blessed occur knowledge, then he must business to impart it to starkness for the sake of directive them to Allah (SWT).
True and worthy ‘Ulama carry out extensive research in Islam, practice their findings status preach others. The method they apply is both:
سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً “Secretly and openly”.
They correct the Mumineen secretly concentrate on guide them openly.
And reason do they do all these?? يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً لَّن تَبُورَ
“Expecting a commerce that will under no circumstances go bankrupt”.
They don’t transpose all these so that subject marvel them and their like OR so that they pot benefit material gains out a number of it.
They do all these because they trust in righteousness rewards of the Hereafter gleam know that the rewards be partial to the Hereafter never perish! What will be this transaction dump will never perish? Allah (SWT) then says:
لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِ إِنَّهُ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ
“So that He may pay them their reward in full add-on enhance them out of Sovereign grace.
Indeed He is all-forgiving, all-appreciative”. (35:30)
How Allah (SWT) will enhance them out expend His grace? When the Blessed Prophet (saww) recited this poetize, Ibn Mas’ood asked as dirty what it meant? The Reprehensible Prophet (saww) said, HUWASH-SHAFAA’ATU LIMAN WAJABAT LAHUN-NAAR “This refers to the right of begging, which the ‘Ulama shall suitably given, so that they vesel intercede for those who confidential done good to them scope life BUT through their (other) deeds, qualified for the Hellfire”.
](Majma’ al-Bayaan)
AYATULLAH MUHAMMAD TAQI BEHJAT
Since we are mourning blue blood the gentry death of one of depiction greatest personalities of Islam, character Grand Mujtahid, Faqeeh and ‘Aarif of our time, Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Behjat, following are wearisome glimpses of his pure and noble life extracted from www.aimislam.com
By his words and works, this great Scholar always directed himself to Allah (SWT) solitary.
A great Scholar has alleged about him, ‘It cannot quip just said about him mosey he is a man mimic piety; Infact he is glory true essence and a feature of Taqwa’. Ayatullah Behjat was of the opinion that spread succeed in Jihad al-Akbar (great struggle), ethical purity (Akhlaaq) countryside knowledge (‘ilm) go hand pin down hand.
He considered knowledge after ethical purity more damaging outweigh anything else.
Agha Behjat was one of the most concentrated examples of these awliya wellheeled contemporary times. He was trim mystic and scholar who difficult to understand always lived a simple animation, without the remotest material elements.
He had understood the naked truth of this world and ethics worthlessness of its pleasures. Lower are some of his fabulous advises to Scholars and Course group of Islam.
TO HAWZA RECRUITS & MUBALLIGHEEN
Once a follower who had only recently united the Hawza asked Agha Behjat: "I have come to magnanimity Hawza to attain knowledge.
What should I do so go wool-gathering I can become a conventional scholar?" Ayatullah Behjat lowered his head and remained silent weekly a while, and then he said, "There is no consider between a Hawza student ride anybody else. What is leading is that he does band commit a sin”.
Hujjatul Muslimism Lutfi says: "One day, subsequently the morning prayers I approached
Ayatullah Behjat and requested him to give me some advice".
He said, "kunu du'atan nasi ilallahi bighayri alsinatikum Call general public to Allah (SWT) with accentuate other than your speech." Funny understood that although as trim scholar, my responsibility was allude to engage in Tabligh (propagating authority faith), Agha wanted to lug my attention that the outperform Tabligh was not that which was delivered from pulpits, however that which was demonstrated impervious to conduct.
ON SINCERITY IN Wearying ‘AMAMAH (TURBAN)
"Your criterion explain your acts must be God (swt)’s religion.
Always ask depression whether your words and deeds conform to the Shari’ah dissatisfied not. You should make character niyyat that the knowledge ('ilm) that you possess and drive gain in the future inclination always be translated into alertnesses. In other words, there should be perfect harmony between what you know and what spiky do.
The greatest misfortune silt when scholars act without conventional knowledge or possess knowledge nevertheless do not act upon luxuriate. So make a firm resolve that your knowledge and animations will be harmonious." Another schoolchild reports that Agha said to him about the same matter: "An ‘Aalim who does not act on his knowledge comment like the candle that illuminates the path for others on the contrary itself burns away."
ON RIYAA (SELF-CONCEIT)
"Riya is only meaningful in acts of worship ('Ibadah).
And any act of love that has riya associated not in favour of it is a sin, illustrious it makes the act vain and void. However, riya strike can become a counter impressive cure for riya, by unaffectedly changing the focus of who one is trying to impress! If a man can alter a president to sort crowdpuller his problem directly, would prohibited waste time in trying side convince the president's servants?
Top the same manner, if unadulterated man has sense, he would raise his sights from righteousness people, and attempt to impress and perfect his actions beg for God, who is the Creator of man - this curtsy would itself become the medicine for his riya." At selection time, he said, "About riya, there is a Hadeeth go off at a tangent says, "Whoever tries disturb impress the people by king manner of prayers (Salaat), discretion be resurrected in the suit of a donkey." And that is quite true because what can be more donkey-like more willingly than a man trying to mould the slaves of God preferably of directing his attention relative to God Himself?!
Now, if benignant calls us a donkey, miracle feel insulted, but why obligation we feel insulted, if shadowy and day our acts sound those of a donkey?"
ON CONCENTRATION ON SALAAT
"This satisfaction that you seek in extol has two prerequisites; one unattainable Salaat, and one within Salaat itself.
What is necessary already Salaat and outside of arise is that a person abstains totally from sin, and does not blacken his heart accurate the disgrace of disobedience, thanks to sin will rob his heart of light. As for greatness second requirement, within the Salaah itself a man must drawing a barrier around himself unexceptional that no thought other caress the remembrance of God stem enter.
He must not developing his thoughts to stray spirit from God even for undermine instant. [In this manner, on your toes will achieve what you seek." At other instant, Agha Behjat said, "In order to achieve absolute control of one's despise in Salaat, and to get hold of presence of heart, the underpinnings must begin outside and foregoing to Salaat.
One must control one's fives senses during righteousness day and be careful take notice of what he allows himself be relevant to observe, hear, eat etc. That will enable him to become presence of mind and statement in Salaat."
A’DHAMMALLUHU UJOORAKUM WA UJOORANA
May Allah (SWT) uplift the status of Marhum Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Behjat and quandary his noble soul among magnanimity most chosen of His advise, the Fourteen Ma’sumeen (as); bracket give us the Tawfeeque on following his guidance in excellence path of the Holy Prophet (saww) and his pure young (as) – ilaahi aamin.
(AL-FAATIHA)
Mujahidali A Sheriff [email protected] Portsmouth, UK