Sometimes in the ups and downs of\nlife, all doors seem to close on a person. \nAnd no matter what we do or think it is as if none of the locks seem to\nopen. What can be the solution? Can there be a master key to open the locks\nof life and lead a person out of dead ends?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam Jawad (PBUH) introduces a golden\nkey to his followers that can be a problem solver for both material and\nspiritual dead ends. The Imam says, \u201cIf\nthe doors of the heavens and the worlds close on a person, acting upon divine\npiety opens a way for his saving\u2026.\u201d1 In reality Imam Jawad (PBUH) sees piety,\nor separation from sins and acting upon divine obligations as the golden key to\nfree one from life\u2019s dead ends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The saying of Imam Jawad (PBUH) can be\ntraced into the verses of the Holy Quran. \nThe second verse of the chapter entitled Divorce, the Kind Lord says, \u201c\u2026\nAnd whosoever kept his duty to Allah, Allah will appoint a way out for him.\u201d2\nThe saying of Imam Jawad (PBUH) when put beside this verse is quite promising,\nfor which attention towards it blesses the heart and gives light to the soul,\nit tears the layers of hopelessness and despair, gives hope to the heart, and a\npromise to save and solve the problems of the pious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abouzar al-Ghaffari has reported the\nProphet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) to have said, \u201cI know a verse in which if all\nhumans approach it, it is enough to solve all their problems.\u201d Then he recited\nthe verse and repeated it several times.3 In another narration from Prophet\nMuhammad (PBUH&HP) it has been reported that regarding the interpretation\nof the verse, \u201cAllah will free the righteous from the world\u2019s doubts and\ndeath\u2019s hard states, and the hardship of the day of judgement.\u201d4 This\ndescription is proof that the solution to the affairs of the pious is not\nlimited to this world but also to the Day of Judgment. In another narration from the Prophet we\nhave, \u201cHe who repents a lot (and washes the page of his heart from the stain of\nsin) Allah will free him of all sadness, and (will put from) any tightness an\nalleviation.\u201d5<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A group of interpreters have said that\nthis verse is about \u201cOwf bin Malik\u201d, who was a companion of the Messenger of\nAllah (PBUH&HP). Enemies of Islam\nhad captured his son. He went to the\nProphet (PBUH&HP) and complained of the situation and of his financial\nsituation. The Prophet said, \u201cObserve\npiety, be patient, and recite this phrase \u201cthere is no power nor might except\nwith\/by Allah\u201d many times. He did such. \nOne day when Owf was in his house, his son came in. It became obvious\nthat his son had fled the enemy\u2019s army, even taking one of their camels and\nbringing it with him. It was here that\nthe above verse was revealed, giving news of the alleviation of this pious\nperson\u2019s problem and the providing of his daily sustenance (all from a place he\nwas not expecting).6<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is noteworthy to mention that this\nverse and the narration of the ninth Imam (PBUH) in no way implies for man to\nleave hard work and effort for his life, and to say that he will sit at home\nand be pious to have his problems solved. \nNo indeed. The verse most certainly does not imply such, rather the goal\nis piety intertwined with righteousness mixed with hard work. If one feels stuck, feeling as though all\ndoors have been closed upon him, Allah (SWT) has promised to open them\nfollowing such. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thus we read in a hadith that Umar bin\nMuslim, one of Imam Sadiq\u2019s (PBUH) companions did not come to the Imam for some\ntime. Imam Sadiq (PBUH) asked how he was\ndoing. The companions said, \u201c He has\nleft business and turned to worship.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Imam said, \u201cWoe on him, does he\nnot know that he who leaves hard work and means of sustaining his life, his\nprayer is left unanswered?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then the Imam said, \u201cSome of the\ncompanions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) closed the door on\nthemselves and decided to sit and worship when the verse:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd whosoever\nfears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out\n(from every difficulty).\u201d (Quran 65:2) was revealed. They would say, \u2018Allah has taken charge of\nour sustenance!\u2019 When this matter\nreached the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP), he sent someone to them to ask why they\nhave done so. They said, \u2018O Messenger of\nAllah! Because Allah has taken charge of our sustenance, we have occupied\nourselves with worship.\u2019 The prophet\n(PBUH&HP) said, \u201cHe who does so, will not have his prayer answered. Be it upon you to both work hard and\nrequest.\u20197\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indeed acting on divine obligations\nand leaving what is prohibited, which the ninth Imam (PBUH) refers to these as\n\u201cpiety\u201d is a golden key in life for which according to the clear promise of the\nLord is cause for alleviation in affairs and dead ends8 both in this world and\nin the hereafter.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Selection taken\nfrom Tafsir e Nemone by Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi, with minor changes)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roshd Website sends its condolences\nduring the final days of the month of Dhil Qa\u2019dah to all Muslims, namely you\ndear friend, for the martyrdom of Imam Mohammad ibn Ali al-Jawad (PBUH), the\nmanifestation of magnanimity, generosity, and pure piety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Kashf al\nQammah, vol. 2, p. 346<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Holy quran,\n65:2<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Tafsir Majma\nal-Bayan, vol. 10, p. 306<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Tafsir Noor\nal-Thaqalayn, vol. 5, p. 356, hadith # 44<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Ibid, vol. 5,\np. 357, hadith #45<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Tafsir Majma\nal-Bayan, vol. 10, p. 306; this narration has also been reported in Tafsir\nFakhr e Razi and Rouh al-Bayan with minor differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. Usul e Kafi,\nvol. 5, p. 84<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. Although\nGod\u2019s promise regarding alleviation in works and the freedom from dead ends\ndoes not necessarily imply the happening of man\u2019s desires will go according to\na person\u2019s desires; when sometimes man\u2019s desires are not what is best for\nhim. Therefore, the taking place of this\ndivine promise mainly implies a person\u2019s alleviation from dead ends and the\nopening of a path to solution, whether this alleviation is according to his\ndesires or be a totally different path. \nAlso some of the hardships in our lives which we see as a dead end,\nthings like death, sickness, etc. according to spiritual truthfulness are not\nconsidered dead ends, rather proper handling of them is considered a rich\nopportunity or a different path in the life of man.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sometimes in the ups and downs of life, all doors seem to close on a person. And no matter what we do or think it is as if none of the locks seem to open. What can be the solution? Can there be a master key to open the locks of life and lead a […]<\/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":[22845,22844,22663,18391,17890,18418,22846,19723],"class_list":["post-4607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","tag-2015-09-12","tag-a-golden-key","tag-imam-jawad","tag-judgment","tag-life","tag-occasion-letters","tag-save","tag-way"],"yoast_head":"\n