According to Islamic thought, value is\nbased on deeds. This is the person who builds up his\/her own character. Every\nperson is judged, gains superiority, and reaches salvation based on his\/her\ndeeds and actions. No one can rely on his\/her family ties (even someone related\nto a Prophet or Imams), social level ethnicity, etc and give up work and\neffort. Similarly, it is against Islamic thought that one expects a good\ndestiny for himself\/herself and considers himself\/herself superior to others in\nthis world by relying on the mentioned factors. Islam has taught that the only\nway towards spiritual progress for a person is through his\/her deeds and\nefforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In their teachings, our religious\nLeaders have always introduced people to this principle; they have even taught\ntheir own family members not to rely on family nobleness to assume that they do\nnot have to perform good deeds and not to create myths concerning religious\nleaders and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam Ali bin Musa al-Reza (PBUH) was\nno exception to this rule. He would judge people based on their piety and good\ndeeds. He never discriminated between white and black, rich and poor, and\npeople from different tribes and races. He recognized piety, belief in Allah\n(SWT), and good deeds as the criteria for superiority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once a man told Imam Reza (PBUH), \u201dI\nswear to God that there is no one superior to you in terms of ancestry and\nlineage.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam (PBUH) replied, \u201dPiety made them\n(my ancestors) superior, and obedience to Allah (SWT) made them reach such a\nhigh status (1).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another time a man told the Imam, \u201cI\nswear to God that you are the best of the people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam Reza (PBUH) replied, \u201dDo not\nswear! Better than me is the person who is more obedient to Allah (SWT) and\nmore abstinent from His disobedience. By Allah (SWT) this verse has not been\nvoided: \u201d…and (we have) made you tribes and families that you may know each\nother; surely the most honorable of you with Allah is the one among you most\ncareful (of his duty) (pious)… (2)(3)\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The example of Imam Reza\u2019s (PBUH)\nbrother is one in which one can see clearly why family ties do not give one an\nautomatic spiritual superiority over others. \nHis brother \u201cZayd\u201d, due to his greed for position, did not accept Imam\nReza\u2019s (PBUH) Imamate and called people to himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One day Zayd was brought to Imam Reza\n(PBUH). Imam Reza (PBUH) said to him, \u201dO Zayd! It seems that the ignoble people\nof Kufa have deceived you by saying that Allah (SWT) has saved the children of\nFatimah (PBUH) from the fire of Hell because He has purified her womb. What you\nhave heard is only true for Hassan and Hussain (PBUT)… If you believe that\nyou and Musa bin Ja\u2019far (PBUH), who obeyed Allah (SWT), will both enter\nparadise, you have to be more honorable than him in the eyes of Allah (SWT). By\nAllah (SWT), no one would reach the Divine awards except by obedience to Allah\n(SWT); however, you assume that you can gain reward by disobeying Allah (SWT)\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zayd said,\u201d I am your brother and the\nson of your father.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam Reza (PBUH) replied, \u201dYou are my\nbrother as long as you obey the commandments of Allah (SWT). Remember when Noah\n(PBUH) said (to his Lord), \u2018My Lord! Surely my son is of my family, and your\npromise is surely true, and you are the most just of the judges (4)\u2019, but Allah\n(SWT) replied, \u2018O Noah! He is not of your family, his conduct is unrighteous…\n(5)\u2019 Therefore, disobedience to Allah (SWT) excluded him from the family of\nNoah (PBUH) (6).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this Hadith we see that Imam Reza\n(PBUH) considers obedience to Allah (SWT), good deeds, and piety as the\ncriteria for his and the other Imams\u2019 superiority. Furthermore the Imam informs\nus that the award or punishment from Allah (SWT) is solely based one one\u2019s\ndeeds and actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In our day and age how do we judge\npeople, and what do we consider as the criteria for superiority? Wealth? \nBeauty? Power? Fame? \nOr do we even have a criterion at all when we judge someone\u2019s\nsuperiority?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And most important of all, what do we\nconsider as our virtues? What kind of behavior do we choose for ourselves? What\nare our criteria in life? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Roshd website congratulates all\nthe Muslims, especially you dear friend, upon the 11th of Dhi al-Qa’dah, the\nbirthday anniversary of the helper of the weak and the friend of the poor, Imam\nAli ibn Musa al-Reza (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Uyun Akhbar\nal-Reza, vol. 2, p. 236<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. The Holy\nQuran, (49:13)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Uyun Akhbar\nal-Reza, vol. 2, p. 236<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. The Holy\nQuran, (11:45)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. The Holy\nQuran, (11:46)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Uyun Akhbar\nal-Reza, vol. 2, p. 234<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
According to Islamic thought, value is based on deeds. This is the person who builds up his\/her own character. Every person is judged, gains superiority, and reaches salvation based on his\/her deeds and actions. No one can rely on his\/her family ties (even someone related to a Prophet or Imams), social level ethnicity, etc and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28248],"tags":[22191,22190,17778,18854,18465,22163,22192,18418,18536,17966,18522,19683],"class_list":["post-4509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","tag-2006-11-22","tag-a-divine-criterion","tag-allah","tag-families","tag-good","tag-imam-reza","tag-judges","tag-occasion-letters","tag-prophet","tag-reach","tag-social","tag-value"],"yoast_head":"\n