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The “Imam” who Killed al-Kadhim [as]

Islamic Salvation

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إذا وصلته وقطعني قطع الله أجله

If I maintain my ties with him and he cuts me off then Allah will cut off his life-time [Imam al-Kadhim about Muhammad b. Ismail]

 

Introduction

We all know of the summons of Imam Musa al-Kadhim to Baghdad in the year 179 by Harun al-Rashid, his subsequent imprisonment and ultimate death in the year 183. But what is less well known is the role of one of the relatives of the Imam, specifically his nephew Muhammad b. Ismail in bringing this tragic event about.

 

Who was Muhammad b. Ismail?

Muhammad is the seventh “Imam” of the Ismailiyya about whose life very little is known even in their pitiable sources. Muhammad was the eldest son of Ismaıl b. Ja’far [who died in the lifetime of al-Sadiq]. The Ismailiyya claim that he left Iraq after the recognition of the Imamate of Musa al-Kadhim by the majority of al-Sadiq’s followers, and went into hiding, henceforth acquiring the epithet al-Maktum, the Hidden. He is supposed to have continued to maintain close contacts with the Mubarakiyya, a radical Shı’ı group which followed him. According to the later Ismaılıs, this emigration marks the beginning of the period of concealment (Dawr al-Satr) in early Ismaılism, with no apparent Imam, until the Fatimi Da’wa came and re-established it.

 

What happened to the followers of Muhammad b. Ismail?

Most of the followers of Muhammad b. Ismail refused to acknowledge his death. For these immediate predecessors of the Qarmatıs, Muhammad b. Ismaıl was regarded as the last Imam and expected to reappear as the Mahdı or Qaim, ‘riser’. They were also called Sab'iyya [seveners i.e. believed in seven Imams] and Waqifiyya [stoppers i.e. who halted at Muhammad b. Ismail].

Later Ismailis claim that that there was another obscure group of followers of Muhammad b. Ismail who accepted his death and traced the Imamate in his descendants. However, the separate existence of this group is not recorded in any contemporary source, until Abd Allah, the future leader of the movement, publicly claimed the Imamate of the Ismaılıs for himself and his ancestors in the year 297. It is hard to conclude this to be anything other than a back-projection of the Fatimid Imams wishing to to place themselves in one continuous chain of Imams back to Muhammad b. Ismail and the early 'Aimma.

 

His Role in Sending al-Kadhim to his Death

The picture that emerges in a reliable narration in al-Kafi shows Muhammad b. Ismail to be quite a worldly and ambitious fellow who was instrumental in heightening Harun’s suspicion towards Musa al-Kadhim. This acts as another reminder that mere blood relation with the purified personalities is not enough to safeguard one from evil inclinations.

 

The Narration 

الكافي: علي بن إبراهيم، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن موسى بن القاسم البجلي، عن علي بن جعفر قال: جاء ني محمد بن إسماعيل وقد اعتمرنا عمرة رجب ونحن يومئذ بمكة، فقال: يا عم إني أريد بغداد وقد أحببت أن اودع عمي أبا الحسن - يعني موسى بن جعفر عليه السلام - وأحببت أن تذهب معي إليه، فخرجت معه نحو أخي وهو في داره التي بالحوبة وذلك بعد المغرب بقليل، فضربت الباب فأجابني أخي فقال: من هذا فقلت: علي، فقال: هوذا أخرج - وكان بطئ الوضوء - فقلت: العجل قال: وأعجل، فخرج وعليه إزار ممشق قد عقده في عنقه حتى قعد تحت عتبة الباب، فقال علي بن جعفر: فانكببت عليه فقبلت رأسه وقلت: قد جئتك في أمر إن تره صوابا فالله وفق له، وإن يكن غير ذلك فما أكثر ما نخطي قال: وما هو؟ قلت: هذا ابن أخيك يريد أن يودعك ويخرج إلى بغداد، فقال لي: ادعه فدعوته وكان متنحيا، فدنا منه فقبل رأسه وقال: جعلت فداك أوصني فقال: اوصيك أن تتقي الله في دمي فقال مجيبا له: من أرادك بسوء فعل الله به وجعل يدعو على من يريده بسوء، ثم عاد فقبل رأسه، فقال: يا عم أوصني فقال: اوصيك أن تتقي الله في دمي فقال: من أرادك بسوء فعل الله به وفعل، ثم عاد فقبل رأسه، ثم قال: يا عم أوصني، فقال: اوصيك أن تتقي الله في دمي فدعا على من أراده بسوء، ثم تنحى عنه ومضيت معه فقال لي أخي: يا علي مكانك فقمت مكاني فدخل منزله، ثم دعاني فدخلت إليه فتناول صرة فيها مائة دينار فأعطانيها وقال: قل لابن أخيك يستعين بها على سفره قال علي: فأخذتها فأدرجتها في حاشية ردائي ثم ناولني مائة اخرى وقال: أعطه أيضا، ثم ناولني صرة اخرى وقال: أعطه أيضا فقلت: جعلت فداك إذا كنت تخاف منه مثل الذي ذكرت، فلم تعينه على نفسك؟ فقال: إذا وصلته وقطعني قطع الله أجله، ثم تناول مخدة أدم، فيها ثلاثة آلاف درهم وضح وقال: أعطه هذه أيضا قال: فخرجت إليه فأعطيته المائة الاولى ففرح بها فرحا شديدا ودعا لعمه، ثم أعطيته الثانية والثالثة ففرح بها حتى ظننت أنه سيرجع ولا يخرج، ثم أعطيته الثلاثة آلاف درهم فمضى على وجهه حتى دخل على هارون فسلم عليه بالخلافة وقال: ما ظننت أن في الارض خليفتين حتى رأيت عمي موسى بن جعفر يسلم عليه فالخلافة، فأرسل هارون إليه بمائة ألف درهم فرماه الله بالذبحة فما نظر منها إلى درهم ولا مسه

al-Kafi: Ali b. Ibrahim from Muhammad b. Isa from Musa b. al-Qasim al-Bajali from Ali b. Ja’far who said: Muhammad b. Ismail [b. Ja’far] approached me when we were in Makka and had just completed the Umra in the month of Rajab - he said: O uncle, I want to travel to Baghdad but  first I wish to bid farewell to my uncle Aba al-Hasan - that is Musa b. Ja’far. I would like it if you accompany me to meet him.

I came out with him heading towards my brother who was in his house in Huba. We reached a little after Maghrib. I knocked the door and was answered by my brother who said: who is that? I said: Ali, he said: I am just coming - he was someone who took long in making the ablution - so I said: make haste, he said: I will. Eventually he came out wearing a lower garment [waist-wrapper] dyed in an earthish hue, knotted at his neck and proceeded to sit at the threshold [step] of the door.

Ali b. Ja’far said: I bent towards him, kissed his forehead and said: I have come to you concerning a matter, if you find it to be appropriate then it is Allah who facilitated it, and if it is not [if you find it disagreeable] then how often do we err [as humans]. He said: what is it? I said: this is the son of your brother, he wishes to bid you farewell and depart towards Baghdad. He [the Imam] said to me: call him [Muhammad b. Ismail]. I called him and he was close by.

He [Muhammad b. Ismail] came near him, kissed his forehead and said: May I be made your ransom, advise me, he [the Imam] said: I advise you to fear Allah concerning my blood, he replied to him: May Allah do such to whoever wishes ill for you, and he began supplicating against the one who harbors ill-feeling towards him. Then he kissed his forehead a second time and said: O uncle, advise me, he said: I advise you to fear Allah concerning my blood, he said: May Allah do such and such to whoever wishes ill for you [and He has already done so]. Then he kissed his forehead a third time and said: O uncle, advise me, he said: I advise you to fear Allah concerning my blood, so he supplicated against the one who wishes ill towards him, then he turned away from him [to depart], I too began walking away with him, but my brother said to me: O Ali, [stop] where you are.  

I halted, he called me and I entered [the house]. He outstretched a pouch which contained a hundred gold coins and handed it to me and said: tell the son of your brother [nephew] to make use of it on his journey. Ali said: I took it and twisted it around the hem of my cloak, then he handed me another hundred and said: give it to him, then he handed me another pouch and said: give it to him also.

I said: may I be made your ransom, if you fear him doing what you described then why are you aiding him against yourself [by helping him]? he said: If I maintain my ties with him and he cuts me off then Allah will cut off his life-time. Then he took to hand a tanned leather pillow [hollowed out to store money] in which were three thousand fine silver coins and said: give this to him as well.

He [Ali b. Ja’far] said: I came out and gave him the first hundred whereupon he became extremely delighted and supplicated for his uncle, then I gave him the second and the third. He became so happy that I thought he will turn back and not depart [for Baghdad]. Lastly I gave him the three thousand silver coins.

Nevertheless, he departed on his mission until he went in to see Harun [the Abbasid Caliph] and greeted him by acknowledging his Caliphate [said: peace be upon you O Commander of the Faithful]. Then he said: I never thought that there could be two Caliphs on earth [at the same time] until I saw my uncle Musa b. Ja’far being greeted with the Caliphate [people referring to him as the Caliph when greeting him]. Harun sent him one hundred thousand silver coins [as a reward for his reporting about his uncle] but Allah afflicted him [Muhammad b. Ismail] with an ailment [in which an ulcer grows and chokes the passage in the throat] and he did not get the chance to even take a look at a single silver coin [that he had been gifted] let alone touch it.

 

Conclusion

The death date of Muhammad b. Ismail can be fixed to be the year 179, the year in which he betrayed his uncle to the authorities and was punished immediately by Allah for it. Muhammad sold his Akhera for the Dunya, despite the Imam supporting him from his own wealth to repel his evil and fulfill the ties of kinship. Such a person hardly meets the base requirements of a supposed Imam and the adulation that his followers direct towards him.

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Hyderabadi shia

Hyderabadi shia 6

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I hope the ismailis research atleast their own religious personalities to whom they conferred the titles of imam, but I never read about a religious ismaili practicing at least some islamic activities, they seem to be easy-going, and cool-type mindset people mainly concentrating just on the business and worldly affairs from what I have seen.

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      ﴾All the prophecies covered above in [1], [2] and [3] — Kitab al-Fitan Dar al-Fikr Print pp. 188-192, 216, 229, 230﴿
       
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      Prophetic traditions stating «اسمه اسمي» ("His name is my name") refer to the Mahdi's well-known personal name, Muhammad. By contrast, traditions using «يواطئ اسمه اسمي» ("His name resembles my name") point to his second, end-times name—one connected to his public identity during the events preceding the Greater Reappearance. There are hints of this identity in several hadiths e.g. he will be called «خَلَفٌ صَالِحٌ»—"a righteous successor" (or it can also be something similar, like «صالح بعد صالح»—"a righteous one after a righteous one"). Reports indicate that his second name is close in meaning to Ahmad ("the highly praised one"), conveying the sense of one who is distinguished, special, preferred, and divinely favored rather than necessarily sharing the exact wording of the Prophet's name.
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      [Interpretive Note: Most reports don't mention the place, while a few mention the outskirts of Kufah or Haram al-Ka'bah as the place, where he's killed (+70 righteous people in the Kufah outskirts report). These contradictions can be reconciled. The Imams indicated that some prophecies originate from truthful dreams or visions and may therefore require interpretation e.g. they explained that their prophecy about a person may be fulfilled through his son or grandson (common in dreams). In a vision-based prophecy, the outskirts of Kufah could refer to the region around the Shia religio-political centre of those times. Likewise, Haram in a dream-based prophecy may not always mean Mecca alone; it may also refer to the foremost state governed by an Islamic system, as illustrated by Qasem Soleimani's description of Iran as a haram. In the context of the murder of al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah, it could also imply that the custodians of Haram al-Ka'bah in those times would facilitate that crime.]
      It is narrated from the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (عليه السلام):
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      [Al-Kurani, Sheikh Ali, Dictionary of the Hadiths of Imam Al-Mahdi (may God hasten his appearance), Vol. 5, p. 238]
       
      ➡️ (1) The Syrian Civil War, (2) the Shia Iran-led Axis of Resistance and (3) the 2026 Ramadan War that began with the tragic martyrdom of Imam Ali Khamenei.
       

       
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      Similarly, al-Nu'mani records the narration:
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      ★The prophesied heavenly call (Nidāʾ al-Samāʾ) on the night of the 23rd of Ramadan falling on the eve of Friday—in which the Mahdi's second name and his father's name would be announced (hinting at Raj'ah), identifying the Mahdi as the leader and proclaiming that the Shia of Ali will ultimately prevail—was to be heard by everyone in their own language, to the extent that even women in seclusion inside their homes would hear it. Likewise, the pro-Umayyad satanic counter-call, prophesied to occur at the end of that same day in opposition to the heavenly proclamation, has also taken place. These signs, too, were fulfilled during the same Ramadan. However, due to the sensitivity of the matter, and because people are still largely unprepared to accept it and lack the necessary scholarly maturity to evaluate it properly, it is not being discussed here.
       

       
      ★Six days or months or years in concealment 
      Al-Asbagh ibn Nubatah reported: Imam Ali (عليه السلام) said, “I thought about a lineal descendant of mine, the eleventh of my sons (in line of succession). He will be the Mahdi who will fill the earth with justice and fairness after its being filled with suffering and injustice. He will disappear from the public sight and in confusing conditions. Certain people will deviate and others find the path of guidance.”
      I then asked, “O Amir al-Mu’minin (عليه السلام), how long will be the duration of confusion and the disappearance?” He said, “Six days or six months or six years.”
      I said, “Will this indeed come to pass?”
      He said, “Yes, as surely as his being created. But how can you comprehend this matter, O Asbagh? Those are the best of this community, together with the best of the righteous ones from this Bloodline (ʿItrah).”
      I said, “Then what will happen after that?”
      He replied, “Then Allah will do whatever He wills. Indeed, He has new manifestations of His decree (badāʾ), wills, purposes, and endings.”.
      [Al-Kafi Book 4, Chapter 80, The Issue of the Disappearance (of the Twelfth Imam (عليه السلام) from Public Sight) Hadith #7]
       

       
      ★The warning of Imam al-Baqir (عليه السلام) 
       remains as relevant today as ever. The greatest danger is not merely rejecting the Imam (عليه السلام) when he appears, but rejecting the very manner in which Allah chooses to fulfill His promises. A biblical parallel and an earlier precedent for ghaybah-then-zuhoor is Elias (عليه السلام), who was taken away and whose return was long awaited before the coming of the Messiah (عليه السلام) and of ‘that Prophet’ (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). Yet he came through rebirth* as Zechariah's son (himself initially unaware) John (عليه السلام) the Baptist (the Qur'an's uniquely named "Yahya"—he lives on! Who?), preparing the way for Christ (عليه السلام). Jesus (عليه السلام) later told his disciples that Elias (عليه السلام) had indeed come and that John (عليه السلام) was he—showing how divine fulfillment can differ from human expectations.
      _________________________________________________________
      *A fundamental premise of this matter is that ordinary earthly existence presupposes an earthly, biological body. When an individual is no longer living among humanity or physically participating in the normal affairs of the physical world, a transition to a non-earthly, non-biological mode of existence becomes a coherent possibility. This provides a conceptual framework for understanding the occultation of Elias (عليه السلام), whose return to the earthly realm would accordingly require re-entering the biological order through a normal human birth, culminating in his manifestation as John the Baptist. By the same principle, the transition of the Twelfth Imam (عليه السلام) from the Minor Occultation to the Major Occultation may likewise have involved a transition from an earthly biological body to a non-earthly mode of existence, since the Major Occultation does not constitute ordinary worldly life among people. The narration concerning the ascension of Jesus (عليه السلام) reinforces the plausibility of such a model.
      According to the report, Jesus ascended wearing a "rabbinical garment" before being commanded to cast off the adornments of this world. In Jewish mystical tradition, this expression has been associated with an ethereal or intermediary body that bridges the physical and spiritual realms. If this interpretation is accepted, it demonstrates that mystic/prophetic ascension and occultation need not entail the perpetual continuation of ordinary biological existence, but may instead involve transitions between distinct modes of embodiment, with a return to earthly life necessitating a corresponding return to biological existence.
      __________________________________________________________
       
      Perhaps the real test of the believers is not whether they know the prophecies, but whether they can recognize their fulfillment when it unfolds through the ordinary language of history rather than the extraordinary language of fantasy.
      If the signs do indeed arrive differently from what we had imagined, may we remember the Imam's timeless counsel:
                                    ﴿★★★★★★★﴾
      "Because you expect that it comes to you in a certain way, do not deny it if it happens in another way."
                                          ﴿★★★★★★★﴾
    • ServantOfMahdi
      The Prophesied Flag Of The Mahdi (عليه السلام)
      By ServantOfMahdi in The Science of Signs
         0 comments
      |★|The Flag of the Mahdi (عليه السلام): One Design, Multiple Meanings — and Iran’s Banner as Its Clear Fulfillment|★|
       
      It is narrated in reliable sources that on the flag of Imam al-Mahdi (عليه السلام) these words appear:
      Allegiance is for Allah, the Almighty  
      — Kamal al-Din, vol. 2, p. 654
      Other versions recorded in Bihar al-Anwar and Ithbat al-Hudat state: Glory is for Allah (or Highness/Exaltation is for Allah).  
      From Nuf al-Bakali: On the flag of the Mahdi (عليه السلام), ‘Allegiance is for Allah’ is written.  
      — Tashrif al-Mannan, p. 144 (Sunni source)
      From Abdullah ibn Ajalan: … On the flag of the Mahdi (عليه السلام), ‘Allegiance is for Allah’ is written.  
      — Al-Adad al-Qawiyah, p. 66
      At first glance the wordings differ. How can one flag carry all these meanings at once?
      The answer lies in the nature of Arabic calligraphy and sacred design. When the single word Allah (الله) is written in a highly stylized, geometric, or symbolic form — especially one that incorporates visual elements of power, sovereignty, and submission — the surrounding context and the viewer’s understanding can legitimately yield all of these readings. The core is always the same: everything — allegiance, glory, exaltation, authority — belongs exclusively to Allah. The different narrations are not contradictions; they are complementary descriptions of the same reality expressed through a multi-layered visual-linguistic design.
      This is precisely what we find on the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
       
      ★The Central Emblem: “Allah” Written in a Way That Contains All Meanings
      At the heart of Iran’s flag stands a red emblem designed by Hamid Nadimi and approved in 1980. It consists of four crescents arranged symmetrically around a central vertical stroke that ends in a sword-like form, topped by a shadda (the diacritical mark that doubles a letter).
            
      Read right to left in the classical manner, the four crescents and the central stroke form the letters of the Arabic word Allah (ا ل ل ه). The overall shape simultaneously evokes a tulip (the ancient Persian symbol of martyrdom, said to grow from the blood of those who die for truth) and a globe (the universality of Islam). The five elements of the design also represent the five pillars of Islam.
      The central vertical stroke — the sword — carries particular weight in the context of bay‘ah. In Islamic tradition, the sword is not merely a weapon; it is the classic symbol of legitimate authority, the power to enforce justice, and the readiness to defend divine order. When this sword rises through the very word “Allah” and is crowned by the shadda that intensifies its force, it visually declares that all true authority and all right of command belong solely to Allah. The act of pledging allegiance (bay‘ah) is precisely the recognition of that exclusive authority. Thus the same design that writes “Allah” also writes the meaning of bay‘ah li-llāh: allegiance is given only to the One whose sovereignty the sword represents. The upright blade becomes a silent but unmistakable call to submit and to transfer every claim of power back to its rightful Owner.
      Because the word “Allah” is rendered in this abstract, geometric, multi-layered style, the eye and the heart can legitimately draw from it:
      - The pure affirmation that Allah alone is the focus.  
      - The implication of bay‘ah (allegiance): the entire composition, crowned by the sword of authority, is a visual pledge that sovereignty and obedience belong only to Him.  
      - The sense of glory and exaltation: the upright sword-like stroke rising through the word, intensified by the shadda, visually proclaims that all glory and elevation belong to Allah alone.
      In other words, the very design that writes “Allah” simultaneously writes the meanings reported in the different narrations. One stylized inscription yields every reported reading.
       
      ★The Repeated Takbir: A Public Act of Allegiance
      Along the edges where the green and red bands meet the white band, the phrase Allahu Akbar (“Allah is the Greatest”) is written twenty-two times in white Kufic script — eleven times on the lower edge of the green stripe and eleven times on the upper edge of the red stripe. The number twenty-two commemorates the 22nd of Bahman 1357 (11 February 1979), the day the Islamic Revolution triumphed.


      This continuous border of takbir is far more than a historical marker. The very cry that rose from the rooftops of Tehran on that night — “Allahu Akbar” — was itself an act of bay‘ah. By declaring that Allah is greater than the Shah, greater than any earthly throne, greater than every claim to absolute power, the people transferred their allegiance from human rulers to the only true Sovereign. Embedding that same cry twenty-two times along the flag’s borders turns the banner into a permanent, public renewal of that pledge. Every time the flag is raised, it reenacts the moment when a nation said, in the language of the narrations: “Allegiance is for Allah.” The date of the Revolution is therefore not an incidental detail; it is the historical embodiment of the very principle written on the Mahdi’s flag.
       
      ★Colors and Overall Symbolism

      - Green: the color of Islam, growth, and the Ahl al-Bayt.  
      - White: purity, peace, and sincerity of intention.  
      - Red: martyrdom, courage, and the blood of those who sacrificed for truth.
      Together with the central “Allah” (containing the sword of divine authority) and the surrounding Allahu Akbar (the living declaration of exclusive allegiance), the flag becomes a complete visual theology of tawhid in action: allegiance, glory, and exaltation belong solely to Allah.
       
      ★Conclusion: The Misdaq of the Prophetic Descriptions
      The narrations describe a banner whose essential inscription centers on Allah in such a way that the meanings of exclusive allegiance and exclusive glory both emerge naturally.  
      Iran’s national flag fulfills this description with remarkable precision. Its central emblem is the word “Allah” written in a stylized form that simultaneously conveys sovereignty, strength, martyrdom, and universal monotheism — the sword at its heart being the visual seal of divine authority to which bay‘ah is due. Its borders continuously proclaim “Allahu Akbar,” the same cry that marked the historical transfer of allegiance from earthly power to Allah on 22 Bahman. Its colors and geometry reinforce the same message.  
      No other national flag on earth places the word “Allah” at its absolute center in this layered, calligraphic-symbolic manner while surrounding it with the repeated declaration of His greatness. In the language of the traditions, this is the flag on which “Allegiance is for Allah,” “Glory is for Allah,” and “Allegiance is for Allah, the Almighty” are all written — because the design itself makes every one of those meanings visible.
      May Allah grant us the success of recognizing the signs He has already placed before our eyes.
       

    • shadow_of_light
      When there was no TIME?!
      By shadow_of_light in From Earth to Heaven
         1 comment
      Once upon a time, there was no "time"...
       
      به یاد کردگارِ زندگی‌بخش
      که هر جزء جهان دارد از او نقش
      خدایی که فراتر از زمان است
      کسی که مالک کل جهان است
      به یاد آور چه پیمان بستی، ای دوست!
      به هر سو بنگری، آنجا خودِ اوست!
      به یاد عهد و میثاق الستی
      به راهِ روشنِ یکتاپرستی
      به یاد ذره‌ای که منفجر شد
      به یاد لحظه‌ی آغاز هستی
       
      مقدمه
      از دیرباز، ذهن پرسشگر و کنجکاو آدمی با مرزهای پنهان عالم هستی و شناخت آفرینشگر آن درگیر بوده است؛ با این وجود، محدودیت دانش و ساختار ذهنمان، مانع بزرگی در برابر درک پاسخ این معماهاست. ذهن ما اصولا پدیده‌هایی را میفهمد که پیشتر آن‌ها را تجربه نموده‌ایم. به عنوان مثال، تجسم جهانی با بیش از ۳ بعد مکان برای ما غیر ممکن است زیرا هرگز فراتر از این پوسته زندگی نکرده‌ایم. درست مثل یک نابینای مادرزاد که هیچ درکی از دیدن ندارد چون آن را تجربه نکرده است. این عدم درک منحصر به پدیده‌هایی نیست که وجود دارند یا ممکن است وجود داشته باشند ولی ما تجربه‌یشان نکرده‌ایم؛ بلکه گاهی قادر به درک «عدم وجود» برخی پدیده‌ها نیز نیستیم. مثلا تصور جهانی فاقد زمان یا مکان برای ما تقریبا محال است. ممکن است کسی بگوید دنیای فاقد مکان یعنی خلأ. اما خلأ هم خود یک مکان است: مکانی خالی از جسم. پس عدم معادل خلأ نیست. مثال دیگر میتواند درک «نابینایی» باشد. ما بینایان، تا زمانی که نابینایی را تجربه نکرده‌ایم، نمی‌توانیم بفهمیم نابینایی دقیقا چگونه است. خیلی از مردم فکر میکنند که نابینایان دنیا را سیاه یا تاریک میبینند در حالی که آنها اصلا نمی‌بینند چه برسد به این که بخواهند رنگ سیاه را ببینند. این که ما فکر کنیم با بستنِ آگاهانه‌ی چشمانمان می‌توانیم نابینایی را تجربه کنیم هم اشتباه است. چرا که در این حالت، چشمان ما هنوز کار میکنند اما چون نوری به آنها نمی‌رسد، رنگ داخل پلک‌هایمان را تیره می‌بینیم. حال کافی است با چشمان بسته وارد فضایی پر از نور شویم، آنگاه با وارد شدن کمی نور به چشمانمان، رنگی که می‌بینیم به سمت سرخی می‌رود و این یعنی اگرچه پلک‌هایمان بسته است ولی ما همچنان در حال دیدنیم!
      برای این که بتوانیم تا حدی نابینایی را درک کنیم، می‌توانیم فرض کنیم که یک چشم سوم در پشت سرمان داریم که قادر به دیدن نیست. آیا ما با این چشم نابینا، محیط پشت سرمان را سیاه یا تاریک می‌بینیم؟! مسلما خیر! ما اصلا با این چشم سوم، هیچ چیزی را نمی‌بینیم. پس ملاحظه می‌کنید که گاهی عدم وجود یک پدیده هم برای ما قابل درک نیست!
      ...
       
    • shadow_of_light
      Poem
      By shadow_of_light in From Earth to Heaven
         0 comments
      رخشنده صورت و تابنده سیرتی، حتی
      پرنورترین ستاره‌ی کیهان حریفت نمیشود
       
      سرسخت و پایدار، چون کوه استوار
      اما صلابت کوهستان حریفت نمیشود
       
      دلسوخته پر کشیدی ای یادگار حسین
      در حزن و اندوه، انسان حریفت نمیشود
       
       قدر همتت به بلندای آسمان
      در علم و تدبیر هیچ کس حریفت نمیشود
       
       عرصه‌‌ات نیست جولانگه شاهزاده‌ی حقیر
      آن بی‌بخار با کل خاندانش حریفت نمیشود
       
      سروده شده در ۱۶ مرداد ۱۴۰۵
    • ServantOfMahdi
      Signs of Rajʿah (the Return)
      By ServantOfMahdi in The Science of Signs
         0 comments
      Dedication

      This blog entry is dedicated to Imam Ali Khamenei (عليه السلام), on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hasan ibn Ali (عليه السلام), 28 Safar.
      A tribute to a life of steadfastness, sacrifice, and unwavering resolve in the path of the Ahl al-Bayt (علیھم السلام).
       
      A Very Important Note on the Sources Behind This Entry
      This entry presents a number of points derived from the traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (علیھم السلام). However, the conclusions discussed here are not based on the narrations alone. There are also further confirmations of a spiritual, mystical and unseen nature behind these observations, the details of which are neither appropriate to disclose here nor necessary for the purpose of this entry.
      Perhaps the most important point is that the fullest clarification of these matters belongs to the Qāʾim (عليه السلام) himself. After his Greater Reappearance, he will be in the best position to unveil the realities behind these signs and, ultimately, to make clear who is who among those who have returned in Rajʿah—who has returned, and under what identity they have returned. Until then, these matters can only be approached through the signs, parallels, and indications available to us.
       
      ★Signs of Rajʿah: When the Past Returns, but the Outcome Changes
      In my previous blog entry, I pointed towards the possibility that we are already witnessing the Lesser Reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (عليه السلام).
      If the period of Ẓuhūr has indeed begun, then it raises another important question: could the signs of Rajʿah also begin to manifest during this same period?
      According to the traditions of the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (علیھم السلام), Rajʿah is not simply a return of certain individuals, it is also a period in which the Ahl al-Bayt (علیہم السلام ) will receive a form of support and victory that they did not receive in their previous lives. In other words, some of the circumstances of the past may appear again—but this time, the outcome will be different.
      This gives us an interesting way of recognizing the signs of Rajʿah.
      If the same kind of situation that once left an Imam (عليه السلام) without sufficient support appears again, but this time the Imam (عليه السلام) receives the support that was previously missing, then that changed outcome itself can become a sign.
      The past becomes the pattern; the changed result becomes the sign.
       
      ★Imam Hasan (عليه السلام): From Abandonment to Complete Support
      One of the clearest examples to consider is the life of Imam Hasan (عليه السلام).
      When Imam Hasan (عليه السلام) confronted the political and military circumstances during his rule, the people around him did not provide the steadfast support that was necessary. Even some of his own commanders and followers became unreliable. The situation became so difficult that continuing the struggle under those circumstances would have endangered the very community he was trying to protect.
      As a result, Imam Hasan (عليه السلام) had to relinquish political authority through the treaty with Muʿawiyah (لعنہﷲ).
      But the traditions concerning Rajʿah describe a future in which the Imams (علیھم السلام ) will receive the kind of support that they did not receive previously.
      Therefore, if Imam Hasan (عليه السلام) returns, we should expect the same essential test to be reversed.
      The Imam (عليه السلام) should no longer stand surrounded by a weak or divided community. Instead, there should be a people firm enough to stand with him and commanders courageous enough to carry his cause forward. If the same demand to abandon authority or compromise with the ruling power were ever presented to him again, the crucial difference would be that this time he would not be left alone and would not step down.
      The circumstances would resemble the past, but the result would be different.
      And this reversal would not necessarily be limited to the political and military sphere.
      During his previous life, Imam Hasan (عليه السلام) was even subjected to painful words and taunts from his own people. Those closest to him did not always recognize the magnitude of his resolve or the wisdom behind his decisions. In Rajʿah, however, the world itself would witness a reversal of the response to Imam Hasan (عليه السلام); his own and others alike would be compelled to acknowledge his excellence and salute his unparalleled resolve.
      The same Imam, the same truth, but a completely transformed response from the people.
      There is also a striking symbolism in the incident that occurred during his sermon. An attack against Imam Hasan (عليه السلام) while he was delivering his address came at a time when his political position was declining and the atmosphere around him was marked by discontent and instability. In that sense, the attack became almost a symbol of his political descent.
      In Rajʿah, the reversal of this scene would carry an entirely different meaning.
      If an attack were to occur against him while he is delivering a sermon during a period of his political ascent, the same outward event would now symbolize the opposite trajectory. Then, there was an atmosphere of dissatisfaction and weakness surrounding him; this time, there would be massive support surrounding him. Then, he was taunted with the title “ʿĀr al-Muʾminīn”—a disgrace to the believers; this time, he would be recognized as the pride of the believers.
      The event may resemble the past, but its meaning would be completely reversed.
       
      ★The Funeral of Imam Hasan (عليه السلام)
      There is an even more striking example.
      When Imam Hasan (عليه السلام) passed away, his funeral was not allowed to proceed with the honour that his position demanded. His bier was subjected to hostility, and arrows were shot at it.
      If Rajʿah is a period in which the Ahl al-Bayt (علیہم السلام) receive the support that they were denied before, then the opposite of this event would be a powerful expression of that support.
      Instead of a funeral marked by hostility, imagine a funeral that becomes one of the greatest demonstrations of love and honour in human history: a funeral attended and honoured by people from across the world, with hearts filled with love, and with flowers of affection falling upon the bier rather than arrows.
      The contrast could not be greater.
      The same Imam whose funeral was once met with opposition would, in Rajʿah, receive a funeral befitting his rank—a public manifestation of the love, recognition and honour that had been denied to him.
      This is why the concept of “the support that never happened before” becomes so important.
      Rajʿah would not merely repeat history. It would answer history.
      Where there was loneliness, there would be companionship.
      Where there was weakness, there would be strength.
      Where there was misunderstanding, there would be recognition.
      Where there was opposition, there would be support.
      And where there was disrespect, there would be unparalleled honour.
       
      ★The Reversal of Death
      There is another fascinating detail found repeatedly in the traditions concerning Rajʿah.
      The reports describe a reversal in the manner of death: those who previously died from an illness while on their beds will, in Rajʿah, be killed in battle by the sword; while those who were previously killed by the sword in battle will, in Rajʿah, die upon their beds.
      This makes the death of Imam Hasan (عليه السلام) particularly significant.
      His previous death was associated with illness caused by poisoning. If poisoning is included within the broader category of an illness or ailment—as I understand the wording in this context—then the Rajʿah pattern would point towards the opposite: the Imam (عليه السلام) who previously died on his bed would this time meet his death on the battlefield, by a weapon.
      Again, the point is not merely that the Imam (عليه السلام) returns.
      It is that the circumstances surrounding his previous life are reversed.
      His previous life contained a particular kind of trial; Rajʿah brings the corresponding victory. His previous death occurred in one manner; Rajʿah brings its opposite. His people once failed to give him the support he needed; Rajʿah gives him that support in its fullest form.
      This is what makes these parallels so important when looking for the signs of Rajʿah.
      The return of the past may be recognizable precisely because the ending is no longer the same.
      And Allah knows best.
    • Haji 2003
      Raising Maryam - Exam boards
      By Haji 2003 in Contemporania
         2 comments
      Next year, inshallah, Maryam takes her GCSE exams in the United Kingdom, those are taken at 16 years of age.
      Just a heads up for anyone else with kids/relatives of that age. I have been looking at the websites of the exam boards for her different subjects. Googling the name of the board, the subject and the year of the exam will usually get you to the right page.
      There are a lot of free resources they offer, e.g. subject specifications and examiner commentaries. The latter are very useful to get an idea where students typically make mistakes, for example and to understand what examiners are looking for.
      Kids/parents who are at better schools with more clued up teachers may likely not need to do all this themselves. But although Maryam's school is pretty good, there's no harm in using those specification books for example to keep an eye on progress.
    • Moalfas
      Regarding Iran. For the Record.
      By Moalfas in Regarding Iran. For the Record.
         0 comments
      Salam Alaikum wr wb everyone,
      It’s been a few years.. and I pray InshAllah you’ve all been well.
      There’s an issue that’s been on my mind for a while now, and I find it pertinent to share, in this current geopolitical climate; where the line had been distinctly drawn in the sand since the Gaza Genocide which we all witnessed live on our screens.
      This also particularly relates to ShiaChat, and some of the discussions that were held in the days I’d been active, years ago.
      There were a lot of discussions happening back then around Iran, WF, Shia leadership/representation, demonstrations in Iraq etc
      To cut to the chase,
      With the exception of Palestine, and Iran’s support for it, I personally didn’t have the best of views on Iran back then, as some might recall recall.
      And whilst we’re all entitled to our opinions and can change our minds or positions to varying degrees, on matters large or small, without the need to vocalise it; but because I was previously very vocal here with my question marks over certain aspects of Iranian policies and conduct, I believe it's very important to be Just, and fair by putting my hand up to say, for the record:
      Iran isn’t a perfect country, far from it.
      But Iran is the ONLY country and government standing in the face of the baby killing Genocidal Zionists and their supporters. 
      Iran is the only country that continuously helped the Palestinians & Lebanese in their legitimate struggle against the barbaric Zionist occupation from the outset of the Islamic Revolution.
      This unwavering stand against the most wicked mass murderers of our time, on its own, is enough of an indication to us that any, and all attempts to demonise Iran in this climate is certainly propaganda and Hasbara.
      Iran in its recent face-off with the baby killing Zionists & the Imperial US bullies wasn’t only rightfully defending itself against an illegal war of aggression; Iran is the only man standing and is defending us all from the servitude and dark future that awaits us, should the Zionists and the US bullies get their way. 
      Iran is standing up for humanity.
      I ask Allah Ta’ala to protect Iran by the love and blessings of the Guarantor Imam الإمام الضامن, Ali Bin Musa Al Ridha and his blessed sister, Fatima Al M’asooma; and I ask Allah Ta’ala to forgive me for any wrong I had assumed of Iran. 
       
      وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ
      And above every man of knowledge is The All Knowing.
      12.76

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