Fourth Means -Crusade (Jihad) and Martyrdom
(Shahadat)
Crusade waged for the way of
God-Almighty, extension of Islamic rule, proclamation of Monotheism (Towheed),
defense of Islamic lands and governance of Quranic commands, combating against
oppression and arrogance, and for the defense of deprived and oppressed -is
considered as one of the great worship, which results in a crusader's achieving
self-perfection and spiritual ascension towards God-Almighty. There are plenty
of traditions and Quranic Verses which describe the special importance attached
to crusade. e.g. : God-Almighty says in Holy Quran:
"Those who believe and have left their homes and
striven with their wealth and their lives in God's way are of much greater
worth in God's sight. These are they who are triumphant.” -the Holy- Quran (9:20)
And said:
"But he has bestowed on those who strive a great
reward above the sedentary." -the Holy- Quran (4:95)
The Holy Prophet (S) has said:
"There is a gate in the Paradise
called as the "Gate of Crusaders." When the crusaders walk towards
the Paradise, the gate opens and the crusaders with their swords hanging enter
into Paradise passing through a grand welcome by angels, while the other people
remain being held up for accounting of their deeds." -Wasail
al-Shi’a, vol. 11, p-5.
The Holy Prophet (S) said:
"For every virtue, there is an another higher virtue
except when a human being sacrifices his life for the sake of God-Almighty. And
in that case there exists nothing superior than that." -Wasail
al-Shi’a, vol. 11,p-l0.
The Holy Prophet (S) said:
"That God-Almighty bestows upon a martyr the following seven blessings;
1. "When the first drop
of blood comes out his body all his sins are pardoned.
2. After martyrdom his head
is placed upon the laps of two heavenly maids, who clean off dirt from his face
and say -greeting to you, and he too reciprocates their greetings.
3. They dress him in Heavenly
clothes.
4. The store keeper of
Paradise present him different kinds of perfumes and good smells, so that he
may select whatever desires.
5. At the time of martyrdom
his place in Paradise is shown to him.
6. After the martyrdom his soul
is addressed -you are free to move in the Paradise wherever you
desire.
7. A martyr is allowed to
witness God's Beauty, which brings a special sort of comfort for every prophet
and martyr." -Wasail
al-Shi’a, vol., 11,p-9.
God-Almighty says in Holy Quran:
"Lo! God hath bought .from the believers their lives
and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs: They shall fight in the way
of God and shall slay and be slain. It is a promise which is binding on Him in
Torah, the Gospel and the Holy Quran. Who fulfilleth his covenant better than
God's? Rejoice in your bargain that you have made, for that is the supreme
triumph." -the Holy- Quran (9:111)
The above mentioned verse is one
of the most beautiful and tender verses of the Holy Quran in which the people
have been encouraged to participate in struggle, with special delicacy and
tenderness. In the beginning the verse says:
"God has purchased of the believers their persons
and their goods, and in return gives them Paradise."
What a beautiful deal? The buyer
is God-Almighty -the Lord of the Universe and Absolute Owner of all the riches.
The believers are the sellers who believe in God-Almighty and Hereafter. And
the thing being traded is -the eternal Paradise.
Then says:
God Almighty in Torah, Bible and
Holy Quran -the three great Heavenly scriptures, has registered such promise.
Then says:
Do you know anyone else ?
Who is more faithful to his
covenant than God ?
In the end God-Almighty gives
glad tidings to believers about such a worthy deal and says:
That is the most supreme
achievement.
The Holy Quran for a human being
martyred in God's path confirms the highest position and says:
“Think not of those who are slain in God's way as dead.
Nay they live finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord.” -the Holy- Quran (3:169)
The sentence in the presence of
their Lord describes the supreme position assigned to a martyr. Human soul's
remaining alive after death is not reserved for martyrs only, rather is
applicable to all human beings. But the distinction of martyrs is the sentence:
in the presence of their Lord. i.e. they will continue life -at the most
superior positions, and will receive their sustenance at these positions, and
naturally the sustenance received by them, will not be similar to the
sustenance received by others.
Struggle in God's path and
martyrdom are the most greatest and worthiest worships and a martyr through
this distinguished means may attain the most subtle spiritual positions. What
distinguishes this worship from other worships is its two dimensions, which may
be described as follows:
A. First Dimension -The supreme
Goal of the crusader:
The aim of a combatant is not to
safeguard his own interest as well as the interest of his relatives. He is not
a selfish or shortsighted person rather he is dedicated to achieve the
objectives and goals desired by God-Almighty.
B. Second Dimension -The
magnitude of sacrifice:
A combatant in order to
undertake his spiritual journey, and for the sake of achieving his cherished
goal i.e. the God-Almighty, invest his most valuable and dearest assets. If a
human being offers some donation for a charity it does not mean more than that
he has overlooked a certain portion of his wealth; similarly in case he
worships, it does not mean more than that he has spent a certain amount of his
time and energy; but a crusader overlooks every thing belonging to him; above
every thing else he over looks his own life and surrender his entire existence
to the God-Almighty with absolute sincerity. He closes his eyes from wealth,
power, position, wife, children, and relatives, thus, suddenly surrendering his
soul to God-Almighty.
The work done by gnostics and
devoted individuals during their entire span of lives, may be accomplished by a
crusader either all of it or even may be more than that in a very short time.
The matter and materialistic world is too much confined for the exalted and
enlightened spirit of a crusader, because of the same reason, like a formidable
lion breaks his material cage, as a light winged pigeon flies over the vast
illuminated Upper Heavens and from the most superior exalted positions ascends
towards their beloved God-Almighty.
If other God's saints,
gradually, during entire span of lives were able to attained the most
distinguished spiritual positions namely - position of desire, love, witnessing
a combatant martyr travels this one hundreds years distance in one single night
and, thus, attains the most distinguished spiritual position of
God's-countenance (laqa).
If other God's servants by means
of invocations, incarnations, sitting and standing seek God's Nearness, a
struggler of God's way through tolerance of wounds, pains, hardships, bullets,
fragments of mortar shell, and ultimately by sacrificing his own soul attains
God’s Nearness; although, there is vast difference between these two.
The battle field possesses a
special sort of purity, spirituality, and illumination; it is field of love,
sacrifice, action, and enthusiasm; it is a field of competition for getting
sacrificed in the beloved’s path, and becoming alive for eternal life. The
humming warm communications of the dwellers of trenchement with their beloved
possess a special fervor of purity, illumination, and attraction whose examples
cannot be seen even inside the mosques and temples.
Fifth Means -Benevolence and Service to Humanity
According to Islamic doctrine,
God's worship and nearness neither can be summarized simply performance of
prayer, fasting, Hajj, pilgrimages, invocations, and supplications, nor is
limited to presence in mosques, temples, and tombs; instead, discharging social
responsibilities, compassion, goodness, and serving God’s servants, if done
with the intention of God's nearness, are considered as most superior worships
and could become a means for self-building, self-purification, and God’s
Nearness.
In Islam, devotion and
undertaking spiritual journey towards God-Almighty do not necessarily require
living in seclusion, rather could be done together with acceptance of social
responsibilities as well as living a perfectly normal social life. Cooperation
in righteous deeds and benevolence; goodness, endeavors in fulfilling the needs
of believers and making them happier; defense of oppressed and deprived; taking
care of the affairs of Muslims; solving their problems and extending a helping
hand towards God's servants, from the Islamic point of view are considered a
great worship whose reward is ten times higher than performance of a Hajj
pilgrimage. Their exist hundreds of traditions narrated by the Holy Prophet (S)
and Infallible Imams (A) which emphasize the importance of this matter. e.g.:
the following has been narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (A) that God-Almighty said:
"My servants are my children, therefore, the most
beloved persons before me are those who are kindest towards them and do their
best in taking care of their needs." -al-Kafi, vol. 2, p-l99.
The Holy Prophet (S) has said:
"The people are God's children, therefore, the most
beloved persons before God-Almighty are those whose benevolence reach to God's
children, thus, making their families happier full of joy.” -al-Kafi,
vol. 2p-164.
Imam al-Baqir (A) said:
"Smiling of a believer while encountering a fellow
brother believer as well as solving his problems are accounted as righteous
deeds. There is no worship more beloved before God-Almighty than making a
believer joyful." -Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 2, p-188.
Imam al-Sadiq (A) said:
"Whoever makes a believer happy has made me happy;
whoever makes me happy has made the Holy Prophet (S) happy,. whoever has made the
Holy Prophet (S) happy has made the God-Almighty happy; and whoever has made
God-Almighty happy will enter into Paradise." - Bihar
al-Anwar vol. 74, p-413.
And said:
"Fulfillment of a believer's need before
God-Almighty is more beloved than performance of Hajj pilgrimage for ten times
each time spending ten thousands.” -al-Kafi, vol. 2, p-193.
And said:
"To strive for fulfillment of Muslim's need is
better than circumambulating around the Holy Kaba seventy times." -Bihar
al-Anwar vol. 74, p-311.
And said:
"God-Almighty has created some of His special
servants, that at the time of their needs, people take shelter in them. These
are the ones who will be immune from God's Punishment on the Judgment
Day." -Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 74, p-318.
Therefore, as described above,
according to Islamic point of view -benevolence, goodness, helping God's
servants and to solve their problems are considered as great worships. And if
they are done with the intention of God's pleasure will become means for
nourishment and perfection of self, spiritual migration and ascension towards
God's Nearness.
Unfortunately, a majority of
people lack the proper understanding of true Islam, and therefore, have been
deprived from benefits of such a large and important part of Islamic worship.
In their opinion worshipping and undertaking spiritual journey towards
God-Almighty is not possible, except, through prayer, fasting, pilgrimage,
supplication, invocation, and incantations.
