Amir-ul-Mumineen, Molana Ali (a.s.) is the mathal of the surah – Qul
huwallaho ahad. This surat, when recited once, gives sawaab equivalent to the sawaab of
reciting one third of the Qur’an. Recited twice it gives the sawaab of two-thirds of
the Qur’an and three times is equivalent to one whole Qur’an.
The meaning of this was explained to us as being that a person who has mohabbat in his
heart for Molana Ali (a.s.) receives the sawaab of one third of Islam, if he has mohabbat
and also speaks of Molana Ali’s virtues then he receives the sawaab of two thirds of
Islam. Finally, if he actively assists Molana Ali, then he receives the sawaab of Islam in
its entirety.
By reciting this surat ten times whilst sitting on one’s masallah after fajr
namaaz, before sunrise, we are safeguarded from sinfulness in that day. Aqamola told us
that we should all do this, he did so, reciting it 100 times meant yet more sawaab but to
do so ten times is very simple. However, whilst one gets the sawaab of reciting the whole
Qur’an from this surah alone; it does not mean that one should recite this surat as a
substitute for tilawat-ul-Qur’an.
Molana completed the zikr of the conquest of Misr in today’s w`aaz. When Qaid-Johar
had begun to leave, Imam Mo`iz waved salaam from a distance with his handkerchief.
Qaid-Johar turned his horse and did sajda upon its neck before taking raza to leave.
At each station along the route to Misr the local governors were under strict
instructions to pay respect to Qaid-Johar, they were all to meet him and dismount before
him. One governor asked either that he be excused from this or that he be allowed to go
elsewhere when Qaid-Johar arrived and in return he offered 50 000 dinars as a ransom. The
Imam refused, insisting that he do as instructed.
When Qaid-Johar reached Misr the people initially asked for sanctuary, offering a quiet
surrender. Qaid-Johar told them that Imam Mo`iz had not sent him to fight, he had sent him
to protect them from the attack of the Christians who were lying in wait as they saw the
Banu Abbas regime in Misr crumbling.
However, trouble-making elements blocked the main bridge into the city to prevent
Qaid-Johar’s army from crossing over and the shops in the city, which numbered 25
000, began to be looted. In the chaos people remained in their homes and Qaid-Johar sent a
division. They crossed the Nile by swimming across a narrower section of it and, upon
seeing this remarkable feat, the trouble-making elements realised that they were no match
for this army. Qaid-Johar also instructed that all the traders should open their shops and
any that were looted after this instruction would be compensated for by him.
Then the Misris asked the four negotiators who had originally arranged the truce with
Qaid-Johar to meet him again. The negotiators felt that he would hardly listen to them now
but one amongst them was a Husaini and he said, “I have seen Qaid-Johar, he is a
mountain of gentility.”
Molana Qaid-Johar did listen and in all of this we can see the greatness of Imam
Mo`iz’s general, his humility near the Imam, his power and his humanity. Neither he
nor his Imam was a warmonger out to conquer for the sake of glory. Instead here was a man
who inspired faith and trust even in those who he had come to conquer. Such qualities in a
subject, so what of the Imam who was his master?
The conquest of both Makkah and Misr were bloodless but achieved through a demonstration
of overwhelming strength in terms of the size and preparation of the armies. It is a
long-standing accusation against Islam that it is a creed that encourages war, something
not helped by the endless number of groups involved in some jihad or another in the
world today. That accusation is perpetrated primarily by Christians who claim the high
ground of peace and pacifism; this on the basis that Christ never created a kingdom except
one over hearts.
No doubt Eesa nabi’s (a.s.) actions were correct for his time but this does not
preclude the idea of Allah’s apostle having an empire; indeed, before him Ibrahim
nabi (a.s.) was the first to take up arms in defence of his realm. If the need arises he
should take up arms and if in truth there is no need for God’s men to have a state
then why does the Vatican have one?
What we learned from the recounting of the conquest of Misr was that the Imam’s
first inclination is towards peace and that his reason for sending a force at all was for
the protection of Misr, (ironically enough from the Christians). Rasulallah’s force
of ten thousand men entered Makkah in similar fashion, without a drop of blood being shed.
Imam Mo`iz was following the example of his great- grandfather.
Then, many years later, Imam Aamir prepared for satr when he saw that the people were
straying towards materialism, at this point the reason for having the empire –
establishment of the d`awat – no longer applied and the empire was allowed to
disintegrate. The d`awat would now be continued by the Du`aat, whilst the Imam went into
seclusion.
In this same vein, during the recorded w`aaz of Syedna Taher Saifuddin (r.a.), we heard
him speak about the chancellery of Aligarh. Dr Zakir Husain, then Vice President of India
said that previously the chancellery had always been given to political leaders; this time
however they were offering it to a man towards whom the hearts of Musalmaan were drawn.
Today we see how Aqa Burhanuddin Mola has created a state where Mumineen religiously
follow all the regulations and stipulations of the Shar`iah even when they are so
contradicted by the cultural climate around us. And at the same time he has taught us and
successfully guided us away from creating friction within any community in which we live
anywhere in the world. If there is a kingdom of hearts in true Eesavi shaan today
it is that if Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (t.u.s.) and yet it is so resplendent that
learned observers have often said that it is as if the Imam were out of seclusion and his
empire flourishing.
May Allah t`aala grant Aqa Burhanuddin Mola long life for him to witness the zuhuur of
the Imam as he has so often expressed his desire to do.
