Moment by Moment: Expectation The advent of Al-Qa’im- Part 2-3

In the Name of Allah the Compassionate the Merciful

Part 2: How Can We Become a Person Expecting al-Qa’im (PBUH)?

2-3- Educating others about the religion

As persons living in constant expectation, we should also teach what we know from Ahl al-Bait (PBUT) to other qualified individuals, narrate their traditions to people who are willing to hear us, and transfer what has been conveyed to us from their knowledge:

عَن الهروي قال: سَمِعتُ أَبَا الحسنِ عَليَّ بنَ مُوسَى الرّضا (ع) يقول: رَحِمَ الله ُ عَبداً أَحيا أَمرَنا. فَقلتُ له: وَ كَيفَ يُحيي أَمرَكُم؟ قال: يتعلَّم عُلُومنا وَ يُعَلِّمُهَا الناسُ، فَإنَّ الناسَ لَو عَلِموا مَحاسِنَ كَلامِنا لاتَّبَعونا.

Imam al-Ridha (PBUH) said, “May Allah bless he who revives our matter/kingdom.” He was asked, “How is your matter revived?” The Imam (PBUH) replied, “To learn our knowledge and to teach them to the people. Verily, if people know the beauty of our sayings, they will follow us.”[[1]]

Those who wish to see the kingdom of al-Qa’im (PBUH) in a near future, should learn and act upon the instructions of Ahl al-Bait (PBUT) first, and then teach them to those who are willing to know. There is a series of enlightening traditions from the Prophet (PBUH&HF) and the Imams (PBUT)—one from each in consecutive order—narrated by Imam Hasan al-Askari (PBUH) in his Tafsir, which are known as the traditions of “The Orphans of Family of Muhammad (PBUH&HF)”. Below is the first one, which belongs to the Apostle of Allah (PBUH&HF):

وَ قالَ الإِمام (ع): وَ أَمّا قَولُه عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: وَ الْيَتامى‏، فإنَّ رَسولَ اللهِ (ص) قال: حَثَّ الله ُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلى بِرِّ اليَتامى لِانقِطاعِهِم عَن آبائِهِم. فَمَن صانَهم صانَهُ اللهُ، وَ مَن أَكرَمَهَم أَكرَمَهُ اللهُ، وَ مَن مَسحَ يَدَهُ بِرَأسِ يَتيمٍ رِفقاً بهِ جَعلَ الله ُ لهُ فِي الجنةِ بِكلِّ شَعَرةٍ مَرَّتْ تَحتَ يَدهِ قَصراً أَوسعَ مِنَ الدّنيا بِما فيها، وَ فيها ما تَشتَهِي الأنفسُ وَ تَلَذُّ الأَعينُ، وَ هُم فيها خالِدونَ. وَ قالَ الإمامُ (ع): وَ أَشَدُّ مِن يُتمِ هذَا اليَتيم، يَتيمٌ يَنقَطِع‏ عَن إِمامهِ لا يقدِرُ عَلَى الوصولِ إِليهِ، وَ لا يَدْري كيفَ حُكمهُ فيما يَبتلي بهِ منِ شرائعِ دينهِ. أَلا فَمن كانَ من شيعَتِنا عالماً بِعُلومِنا، وَ هذَا الجاهلَ بِشريعَتِنا المنقطِعَ عَن مُشاهَدَتِنا يَتيمٌ في حِجرهِ، أَلا فَمن هَداهُ وَ أَرشدَه وَ عَلَّمَهَ شَريعَتَنا كانَ مَعَنا فِي الرَّفيقِ الأَعلى. حَدَّثني بِذلكَ أَبي، عَن آبائهِ، عَن رَسولِ اللهِ (ص).

The Imam al-Askari (PBUH) said, “As for Allah’s saying ‘and the orphans,’ (4:36) indeed the Apostle of Allah (PBUH&HF) said, “Allah, the Glorious, has urged (people) to be kind towards the orphans, due to the severance of their links with their fathers. Therefore, he who protects and shields them, Allah shall protect him. He who honors them, Allah shall honor him. He who touches his hand over the head of an orphan—out of kindness toward him—Allah places for him in Paradise for every strand of hair that passed under his hand, a castle more expansive than what the universe encompasses, and within which is whatsoever the souls desire and the eyes cherish and therein shall they remain forever. (Referring to chapter 43, verse 71 of the Quran).’“

Then the Imam (PBUH) continued, “More severe than the orphancy of this orphan is that of the one who has been orphaned from his Imam, (whose link with his Imam has been severed,) who is unable to reach him and does not know his commandments on those of religious laws that he is in need of them. Behold! For any of our followers who possess knowledge of our sciences, this (other) person—the one ignorant of our path, who is severed from seeing us—is thus an orphan under his guardianship. Then, behold! Whosoever (of our followers) guides and instructs him, and teaches him our path, he shall be with us in the loftiest companionship (a special degree in Paradise where the prophets and the Imams reside). My father reported this to me, from his forefathers, from the Apostle of Allah (PBUH&HF).”^[[2]^]