The chapter begins with a recitation of ayat number 8 from surah Maida. It emphasizes the importance of being fair and just, even in the face of hatred and injustice. The chapter also includes a prayer for the Wiladat anniversary of Imam Hassan Al-Askari and an important advice from the Imam.

Introduction and Principles

This chapter discusses the crisis in Gaza Strip and the impact it has on a local and global level. It highlights the importance of not being indifferent to the suffering of others and the need for Shia Muslims to react based on their faith and the teachings of the Imams of Ahlulbayt.

The Crisis in Gaza Strip

In this chapter, the concept of Muslim, Mu'min, and Nasibi is discussed. It clarifies that anyone who says the Shahada Tain is considered a Muslim and their life, honor, and property are sacrosanct. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of maintaining fairness and justice in dealing with others, regardless of their beliefs.

The Concept of Muslim, Mu'min, and Nasibi

This chapter highlights the opinions of Ayatollah Sistani and Ayatollah Waheed Khurasani regarding the status of Sunnis and the importance of maintaining good relations with them. It emphasizes the need to behave with good manners, visit the sick, participate in funerals, and fulfill the rights of other Muslims.

The Opinion of Ayatollah Sistani and Ayatollah Waheed Khurasani

The chapter discusses the advice of Imam Hassan al-Asqari. It emphasizes the importance of being conscious of Allah at all times, being cautious in matters of faith, struggling for the sake of Allah, and prolonging sujood in prayers. It also highlights the importance of being truthful in speech, fulfilling trust, and being a good neighbor.

Imam Hassan al-Asqari's Advice

Imam emphasizes the importance of good character and how it reflects on the followers of Ahlul Bayt.

The Importance of Good Character

The Imam encourages the improvement of akhlaq (moral character) as a gift for the Wiladat of the 11th Imam.

Improvement of Akhlaq

The Imam advises to fear displeasing Allah and to be a mark of gracefulness in the community.

Fear Displeasing Allah

The Imam emphasizes attracting love towards the Ahlul Bayt through good behavior and exemplary akhlaq.

Attracting Love through Good Behavior

The Imam urges to dispel every evil and asserts that the good said about the Ahlul Bayt is deserved.

Dispelling Evil and Deserving Good

The Imam asserts the right of closeness to Rasulullah and advises to increase remembrance of Allah and death.

The Right of Closeness to Rasulullah

The Imam advises to increase recitation of the Quran and sending salawat (blessings) on Muhammad.

Increase Recitation of Quran and Salawat

The Imam concludes by reminding the listeners of his advice and conveys his salams.

Concluding Advice

The speaker highlights the importance of reciting salawat on the Prophet and the people of Muhammad.

Importance of Salawat

A scenario is described where good deeds become heavier on the scale through prayers recited to the Prophet and the people of Muhammad.

The Weight of Good Deeds

The speaker emphasizes the elevated status of the Ahlul Bayt and their protection by God.

The Status of Ahlul Bayt

The importance of reciting salawat on the Ahlul Bayt is discussed, even though it is often forgotten by some.

Reciting Salawat on the Ahlul Bayt

The speaker reflects on the rank given to the Ahlul Bayt and their protection by God.

The Rank Given to the Ahlul Bayt

An incident is shared involving the brother of the Imam and the recognition of the rank of the Ahlul Bayt.

An Incident with the Brother of the Imam

The speaker acknowledges that it is God who protects and elevates the Ahlul Bayt, not their own efforts.

God's Protection and Our Service

The speaker emphasizes the importance of sympathizing with the oppressed and prays for their protection.

Sympathy for the Oppressed

The speaker concludes with a prayer for acceptance and forgiveness.

Conclusion and Prayer

- The speaker quotes a verse from the Quran about being fair and just, even towards those who have wronged you.
- The speaker acknowledges the crisis in Gaza and emphasizes the importance of not being indifferent to it.
- The speaker discusses the reaction of Shia Muslims to the situation in Gaza and emphasizes the teachings of the Imams of Ahlulbayt.
- The speaker mentions the provocation faced by Shias in Iraq but highlights the wisdom of Ayatollah Sistani in controlling emotions and not blaming all Sunnis.
- The speaker discusses the concept of who is considered a Muslim in Shia Fiqh and emphasizes the acceptance and respect of someone who says the Shahada.
- The speaker explains that the concept of imamat and wilayat of the Ahlulbayt is a condition of iman (faith), not just Islam.

- The third shahada grants the assurance of salvation in the hereafter.
- Nasibi is someone who openly expresses hatred towards the Ahlul Bayt and is considered a kafir.
- Not all Sunnis are Nasibi, as many respect the Ahlul Bayt but do not believe in their Imamate.
- Wahhabis can also be extremists who express hatred towards the Ahlul Bayt.
- Ayatollah Sistani and Ayatollah Khurasani both clarify that denial of the Imamate does not harm one's Islam, and the majority of Sunnis are considered Muslims.
- It is the religious duty of Shia to behave with good manners towards anyone who says the Shahada Tain, even if they call Shia kafir.

- The religious duty towards anyone who says the Shahada Tain is to behave with them in good manners, even if they call you a kafir.
- If they behave unjustly, maintain your moral standard and do not stoop down to their level.
- Ayatul Awaid Khurasani advises visiting and helping those who are ill, participating in funerals, and submitting to Allah's command.
- The suffering and plight of civilians in Gaza Strip should not be ignored, and it is important to have sympathy and support them within the laws of the land.
- Imam Hassan al-Asqari's advice includes maintaining consciousness of Allah, being cautious in matters of faith, struggling for the sake of Allah, and prolonging sujood in prayers.
- Socially, be truthful in speech, fulfill entrusted trusts regardless of the owner's status, and be a good neighbor to all, regardless of their religion or relationship.
- These values are brought by Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, and when dealing with other Muslims, it is advised to pray with their community if living in their neighborhood.

- Ayatollah Waheed Khurasani advises Muslims to pray with their community, participate in their funerals, visit their sick people, and fulfill their rights.
- Imam emphasizes the importance of good character and behavior, and being recognized as a Shia through one's actions.
- Imam encourages attracting love towards the Ahlul Bayt through exemplary behavior and dispelling evil.
- Imam asserts the rights and closeness of the Ahlul Bayt and emphasizes the remembrance of Allah, death, recitation of the Quran, and salawat on Muhammad.
- The significance of reciting salawat on the Prophet is highlighted, and the importance of including the family of Muhammad in the salawat is emphasized.
- The advice of the Imam applies to all Shia Muslims.

- The speaker emphasizes the importance of remembering the family of Muhammad along with Muhammad when talking about the testimony of faith.
- An incident is mentioned where the brother of the Imam of the time tried to become the Shia Imam, but the Khalifa refused and acknowledged the elevated rank and respect of the Imam's brother.
- The speaker acknowledges that it is God who keeps them proud, not their own actions.
- The speaker mentions the importance of staying on the right path and sympathizing with the oppressed, especially in the Gaza situation.
- A prayer is made for forgiveness, increased abilities, and the protection of Muslims, particularly the civilians in Palestine.

- The speaker discusses the importance of fairness and justice, even towards those who have wronged you, quoting a verse from the Quran.
- They acknowledge the crisis in Gaza and emphasize the need to not be indifferent to it.
- The speaker discusses the reaction of Shia Muslims to the situation in Gaza and highlights the teachings of the Imams of Ahlulbayt.
- They mention the provocation faced by Shias in Iraq and the wisdom of Ayatollah Sistani in controlling emotions and not blaming all Sunnis.
- The concept of who is considered a Muslim in Shia Fiqh is explained, emphasizing acceptance and respect for someone who says the Shahada.
- The concept of imamat and wilayat of the Ahlulbayt is discussed as a condition of faith, not just Islam.
- Nasibi, someone who expresses hatred towards the Ahlul Bayt, is considered a kafir.
- Not all Sunnis are Nasibi, and many respect the Ahlul Bayt but do not believe in their Imamate.
- Wahhabis can also be extremists who express hatred towards the Ahlul Bayt.
- Ayatollah Sistani and Ayatollah Khurasani clarify that denial of the Imamate does not harm one's Islam, and the majority of Sunnis are considered Muslims.
- It is the religious duty of Shia to behave with good manners towards anyone who says the Shahada Tain, even if they call Shia kafir.
- The speaker advises maintaining moral standards and not stooping down to the level of those who behave unjustly.
- The suffering and plight of civilians in Gaza should not be ignored, and sympathy and support within the laws of the land are important.
- Imam Hassan al-Asqari's advice includes maintaining consciousness of Allah, being cautious in matters of faith, and struggling for the sake of Allah.
- Socially, being truthful in speech, fulfilling entrusted trusts, and being a good neighbor regardless of religion or relationship are emphasized.
- The importance of praying with the community, participating in funerals, and visiting the sick is advised.
- The Imam emphasizes the importance of good character and behavior and attracting love towards the Ahlul Bayt through exemplary actions.
- The rights and closeness of the Ahlul Bayt are emphasized, along with the significance of reciting salawat on the Prophet and including his family in the prayer.
- The speaker mentions an incident where the Imam's brother tried to become the Shia Imam, but the Khalifa acknowledged the elevated rank of the Imam's brother.
- The importance of staying on the right path and sympathizing with the oppressed, especially in the Gaza situation, is mentioned.
- A prayer is made for forgiveness, increased abilities, and the protection of Muslims, particularly civilians in Palestine.

- Reviewing the current crisis in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the importance of faith-based responses over considerations of sectarian differences.
- Highlighting fundamental concepts, including the definition of a Muslim, belief in the Imams of Ahlul Bayt, and the status of Nāṣibi.
- Not all Sunnis are considered Nāṣibi, as many respect the Ahlul Bayt.
- Prominent scholars like Ayatullāh Sistāni and Ayatullāh Khurāsāni have expressed that denial of the Imams doesn't necessarily make someone a kāfir.
- We encourage praying for and supporting Palestinians, even if they are Sunni Shāfi‘i.
- Referencing advice from Imām Ḥasan al-‘Askari on matters like faith, truthfulness, fulfilling trusts, and good behavior towards others, regardless of their beliefs.

Wiladat of 11th Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.)
October 25th, 2023

Donate towards our programs today: https://jaffari.org/donate/

Jaffari Community Centre (JCC Live)

the principles, Allah Almighty says in His Noble Book, I am recited ayat number 8 from surah Maida which is surah number 5.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, O you who believe, Kun qawwamina lillahi shu'ada bil-qist.

That O you who believe, be the bearers of justice and be witnesses for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and Do not let the hatred of any people push you towards being unfair and unjust with them.

Even if they have done wrong to you and you are angry with them, you might even have hatred towards them.

Allah says it shouldn't push you to abandon justice and fairness in dealing with them.

Be fair and just, that is closer to the piety and righteousness and fear displeasing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala Because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is aware of all what they that you do.

I will recite this for the team that I have About the current situation, but before that You know, let me pray to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to bless you all on this celebration of the Wiladat anniversary for 11th Imam, Imam Hassan Al-Askari alayhi salatu wasalam And in the light of this ayat, I would like to, at the end, present an important advice from the 11th Imam to us.

But before I go that, let me come with the theme that we have for tonight.

The crisis in Gaza Strip has occupied everyone's mind.

You know, despite the numbers and the powers, the Muslims are not able to do anything.

You know, there was 1 picture somebody sent to me, although just a drawing.

They said, you know, we have more than a billion Muslims around the world, but they cannot even send 1 bottle of water to Gaza.

Look at the unfortunate situation of the Muslims.

And this is where we had to realize that, you know, although we live very far away from that, it has an impact.

Whether you like it or not, it has an impact on a local level.

Whether it is the school, workplace, legislation, media, everywhere you will see there are repercussions of what is happening there, thousands of miles away from Canada.

And so we cannot be, you know, indifferent to what's going on.

And we need to realize that as Shia Muslims, we are also going through a test and trial.

What should be our reaction to what is happening in Gaza Strip?

You know, sometimes when you talk about this issue, sometimes, and I'm not saying everyone, but sometimes we hear this sound saying, well, you know, they are Sunnis, what is we to do with them?

You know, yes, it is true that the Palestinians are Sunni Shafi'i.

And so the question is, you know, why should we bother about them?

And this is where we have to look at this issue.

Should our reaction depend on what the other party is doing?

Or should our reaction be based on what our faith and mazhab and our imams are saying?

Maybe the other party is unjust to you, unfair to you.

Or do you maintain your own, our upper level of akhlaq according to the teachings of the Imams of Ahlulbayt.

Sometimes provocation is there, you know you look at the situation you know when sectarian flames basically offend.

It's not very far away from us time-wise.

And it was the fatherly and wise figure of Ayatollah Sistani who prevailed over the mischief makers.

You know, look at the attack that ISIS and the extremists Wahhabis had on the shrine of Imam Hassan al-Asqari alayhi salam in Samarra.

The Shias would have reacted very angrily and started attacking the Sunnis.

But it was the wisdom of this fatherly figure there of Ayatollah Sistani which controlled their emotions.

And he said no, this is not done by Sunnis, this is done by the extremists.

And don't blame the majority of Sunni for what the extremists have done.

So let me talk about, you know, what would be our duty and our take on this issue, although I already talked about it at length in the 2 Friday khutbas, but I thought it's appropriate to link this with the advice of Imam Hassan al-Askari, alayhi salatu wassalam.

Let us have some clarity on the concepts.

Even the Madrasa children know about it, but we need to you know Go back to it just to make sure our thoughts and concepts are clear Muslim is somebody who says the Shahada Tain Ash hadu an la ilaha illallah wa ash hadu anna muhammadan Rasool Allah As soon as a person says the shahadatain, that's it.

We don't have any right to question his shahadatain.

We don't have a duty but to accept that person as a Muslim.

His life, his honor, his property becomes a muhtaram, sacrosanct.

We cannot violate his life or his property or his honor.

And all the rules which apply on the Muslims would also apply on that individual.

The issue of taharat and najasat, the issue of marriage, the issue of being eligible for zakat or sadaqa, you know, the issue of zabeeha if they do the slaughtering, you know, it will be halal.

The funeral rites, it is wajib on us when a Muslim dies.

If there is nobody to take care of that body, collectively the Muslim community is obliged to take care of it.

That would apply even to somebody who says the Shahadatain and they will also have a right to inherit from their family members.

And so this is where the question comes up.

What about the concept of imamat, about the imams of Ahlulbayt?

And that's where it's important to realize that imamat and wilayat of the Ahlulbayt is not the condition of Islam, it is the condition of Iman.

When you talk about a Muslim, in the world all these rules will apply.

When you talk about the third shahada where you now add ash-hadu anna aliyan wa liullah and then we salawat wa alaikum wa rahmatullah Then you as a Muslim now you become a mu'min.

Now you have fulfilled that condition of iman.

In the name of Amirul Mu'mineen can I ask you to stand up and move on this side so we can accommodate the late comers?

So when a person says the third shahada, all the Rights and duties which were there on Muslim already now is with this person also but in addition to that now this person also has the assurance of Najat and salvation in the hereafter Iman is a condition for that and that's a elaborate discussion.

I'm just going through the you know definition of the terms Muslim, Mu'min Then there is a third term in The list of kafir we have something known as a Nasibi.

Nasibi is somebody who openly expresses his hatred towards the Ahlulbayt.

Anyone who publicly expresses bogus and hatred towards the Ahlul Bayt, that person is Nasibi And even if he says the shahadatain, he's considered to be kafir.

And so you're a Muslim, mu'min, then you have nasibi.

And this is where I come to the question.

There is a difference between a Sunni and a Nasibi.

Nasibi is somebody who openly expresses hatred towards the Imams of Ahlul Bayt.

You know people are ignorant when they think that all Sunnis are Nasibi.

Most majority of the Sunnis respect the Ahlul Bayt.

Rather, the Sufi Sunnis go to the extent of saying that, you know, when we come to the issue of succession to Rasulullah, we divide that into 2.

Abu Bakr was the political successor, Ali was the spiritual successor.

So my point is that you cannot consider every Sunni to be Nasibi.

They don't believe in the Imam and the Wilayat of Ahlul Bayt, but nor do they harbor or express hatred towards the Ahlul Bayt.

This is what they have been taught from their childhood.

So not believing in the Ahlul Bayt as the Imam and the first successor of Rasulullah is 1 thing, and to have Hatred towards them is something else.

And this is where we come to the issue because if you'll see, there are many, many Sunnis.

They have written in the past and even present.

They have books on the Fadhal of Ahlulbayt.

Of course then we have to hold them and say, okay, if you believe in this Fadhal of Ahlulbayt, what is your problem then?

But then, you know, they have been taught, well, to be a Khalifa, you don't have to be the best.

So Ali was the best but that is not a condition for khalafat.

We can argue on that issue, it doesn't make sense.

You know even for leadership you need somebody who is at the top.

There is an ayat of Quran where Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, you know, is the 1 who is guiding you to the truth more worthy to be followed or somebody who before guiding you needs a guidance.

Ali never went everywhere anywhere to say so you know please guide me.

But still they do not deny the virtues and the qualities of the Ahlul Bayt.

So let us have this clarity in mind that Sunnis by definition are not Nasibi.

Even the Wahhabis, they are some we would call them extremists among the Wahhabis who express that hatred towards the Ahlulbayt.

And so we have to be very clear on this issue and this is where you know we'll come to the 2 examples from the verdicts of 2 very senior Shia Mujtahideen of our time.

About 14 years ago, in Ramadan of 1431, there was a Shia website, a very prominent Shia website from Qom.

There is somebody, a scholar, was responding to a question and he ended up saying that you know anyone who doesn't believe in the imamate of Ahlulbayt is a kafir.

Interestingly that website right under the title it says under the patronage of ayatullah, Gran Ayatollah Sistani.

People started you know writing to Ayatollah Sistani, is this your opinion?

Let me just read to you some parts of it where they respond by saying By considering the fact that the majority of our brethren from Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah who deny the imamate of the 12 imams, believe that imamate is not part of deen.

It is not something which has been brought by the Prophet.

This is their aqeedah and therefore their denial does not harm their Islam.

Remember there's a difference between Islam and Iman.

It doesn't harm their Islam according to the views of the Honorable Sayyid, Sayyid Sistani here.

The answer is coming from the office of Ayatollah Sistani in Najaf.

At the end he says, وَبِالْجُمْلَ أَنَّ كُلَّ مُطْطَلِعَ عَلَىٰ فَتَاوَةِ سَمَاحَةِ السَّيِّدِ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَا يَرَى عَنَ عَامَّةَ أَهْلِ السُّنَّ وَالجَمَاءَ أَنَّهُ يَرَى عَنْ عَامَّةَ أَهْلِ السُّنَّ وَالجَمَاءَ هُمْ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ He says, if in short, anyone who is familiar with the fatawa of the Honorable Sayyid Sistani knows that he considers the majority of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah as Muslims whose lives and properties are sancrosanct, muhtaram, and all other laws regarding the Muslims apply upon them.

So this was just to clarify that what an individual alim had written does not reflect the opinion of Sayyid Sistani and actually not the opinion of any of the Shia marajah.

But let me share with you, so that was Ayatollah Sistani from Najaf.

1 of the top marja in Qom at the moment is the Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Waheed Khurasani.

He also actually received a question in a different context and it is there in his website, even today I double-checked it today, where the person was talking that he lives in an area where the majority is Sunni.

He says we live in the area where Ahlus Sunnah reside and they consider us as kafir.

The Sunnis consider us to be kafir and they say Shia is kafir.

In such a situation can we retaliate in kind and consider them as kafir the way they consider us as kafir?

And this is Ayatollah Waheed Khurasani who is very well known to be a very vilay marja.

So they say we request you to clarify our religious duty in such a situation.

Ayatullah Waheed Khurasani responds by saying, anyone who gives testimony to the oneness of Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala and the prophethood of the last prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

His life, his honor, his property are sacrosanct as the life, honor and property of a follower of the Ja'fari Shia mother.

Then he says, Your religious duty towards anyone who says the Shahada Tain even if he calls you a kafir is to behave with them in good manners.

And if they behave with you unjustly, And if they behave with you unjustly, you should not deviate from the rightful straight path and justice.

Maintain your moral standard of being a Shia and follower of Ahlulbayt.

He says if someone from them becomes ill, go and visit him.

If someone dies, participate in the funeral.

If someone seeks help from you, help him.

This is where I go back to the ayat that I recited.

He recites, he writes that ayat there, The hatred for a people should not ever lead you to be unfair.

They are calling you kafir, yes, you are angry, You might even have hatred towards them because of what they do to you, but do not abandon the fairness and justice.

And do not say to anyone who greets you with salaam that you are a kafir.

And he relates that to the ayat from Surah Nisa, ayat 94.

So this is the end of his, you know, response to this question.

And this is where we have to realize that when we look at the situation in the Middle East at the moment.

We are not talking about the political entities.

But you cannot ignore the suffering and the plight of the civilians in Gaza Strip.

The men and women, the children who are suffering.

They are a victim of what is known as collective punishment for what some people have done.

And this is a collective punishment imposed on them, inflicted upon them by the State of Israel.

Everyone is saying this is against international laws.

But this is not first time that the international law has been violated by the State of Israel.

This is where we have to realize that there is absolutely no problem in having the sympathy for the civilian Palestinians to feel the pain for their suffering.

It is according to Qist and Adl to pray for them that may Allah relieve them from their suffering and to support them in whatever way that we can according to the laws of the land.

Even if they are Shia, they are not Shia and they are Sunni Shafi.

Because we have to maintain the level of akhlaq and ethics and morality which the Ahlul Bayt have taught to us.

Let me go Back to the words of the Grand Ayatollah Waheed Khurasani, you know what he says, do not deviate from the path of justice and Sirat al-Mustaqim even if they are being unfair to you.

Then he says, if someone from them becomes ill, go and visit him.

When I look at those words, and this is a very good segue for me, I realized those words are actually coming from the advice that Imam Hassan al-Asqari alayhi salam gave to the Shias.

And I would like to like to share that you know in that context for myself and you I have divided the advice into 3 different segments into different categories actually where he says where he says, Usikum bitaqbal la wal wara fi dhinikum wal ijtihad lillah wa tul al-sujood.

The items in this advice of the Imam are the way it has come, except 1 item, I'll just change the order of it.

In the first part you know the Imam is talking about personal level, some advice that he's given to us as individuals, what you should do.

So the first thing he says I advise you to be bitaqwa Allah, to be conscious conscious of Allah at all the times Our biggest problem is whenever we commit sins at that moment Allah was not in our consciousness If Allah's consciousness was there we would not be committing that sin.

So that is the first point and this is a personal issue that Imam is saying.

As a Shia, as my Shia, I would like you to maintain this consciousness of Allah at all times.

Number 2 he says, to be extra cautious in the matters of your faith.

You know we cannot take Islam and the teachings of Islam, you know, lightly and say, okay, this suits me so I will act on it.

This doesn't suit me so, okay, I'm living in Year 2023 in Canada.

No, Islam is Islam and Islam is there for the end.

And so the issue here is not only being a practicing Muslim, You had to be extra cautious in the matters of your religion.

Third thing he says, struggle for the sake of Allah.

Whenever you are doing your individual prayers, especially naafilah prayers, if you can prolong the sajda, that is the best thing for you on a personal level for your spiritual development.

Then he comes to 3 items which are more on a social level.

Wasadqil hadith, wa'ada'il amana, wa'uslil jawar.

He says number 1, when it comes to your social interaction with the people, the very first quality that he is emphasizing is Sidqul Hadith, be truthful in your speech.

Number 2, you know, fulfill the trust of those who have entrusted you with their items.

See all Jaffari Community Centre transcripts on Youtube

Unity Beyond Sectarian Lines; Faith & Compassion in Challenging Times - Maulana Syed Muhammad Rizvi