Four Things for Success in Life: The Example and Teachings of our Awliya Kiraam on the Milad of Imam-uz-zaman

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ*

“… resolve, and put your trust in God.”

(Surat Aal Imran: 159)

This article is written by Mazoon-ud-Dawatil-Gharra' Syedi wa Maulaya Abdeali Bhaisaheb Saifuddin in 2017.

It is a happy coincidence that the eve of the mubarak day of the Milad of Imam Tayyib AS was the same day as the Gregorian New Year, 1 January 2017. I look at this as a harbinger for a very happy, prosperous and good year ahead for Mumineen. A new beginning. We must approach the next year with optimism, enthusiasm and resolve, in spite of challenging times ahead. On the 4th of Rabiul Akhar we look at 4 instances from our history which teach us how to be optimistic and how to succeed in our resolutions and in life. I then distil the lessons gleaned from this history into 4 points based on the teachings of our Awliya.

Four Historical Examples of Optimism, Resolve, and Vision

1. Mohammed Rasulullah SA.

His singularity of purpose, clarity of vision, and unwavering resolve lead to the establishment of Islam. For the first 8 years, it was only Maulana Ali SA who prayed namaaz beside Rasulullah SA. The 13 years in Mecca were full of hardships and the few who had the courage and conviction to follow Rasullulah SA faced persecution by boycott - it was so severe that even food and water was hard to come by. Rasulullah SA sent many Mumineen away to Ethiopia, where a Christian king provided refuge.

2. The Imams

• The 10th Imam, Maulana Husain al-Mastoor SA, the father of Mehdi Imam SA, prepared the ground for Imam Mehdi’s SA victorious arising from seclusion (zuhur). His planning was immaculate, detailed, and visionary - and it was all executed from a place of seclusion - proof of the Imam’s tayyid from Allah Ta’ala. The Imam selected and prepared key people who went out and tilled the ground, and made it ready for the zuhur of Mehdi Imam SA. Dai Abil Qasim RA went to Yemen, Dai Abi Abdillah RA went to North Africa, and virtually without raising the sword, they created the foundations for an empire, the Fatimid empire, which reigned for more than two hundred years.
• Syedna Idris Imaduddin RA, the 19th Dai al-Mutlaq, says that upon the mubarak birth of Imam Tayyib AS, his father, the 20th Imam Amir AS, wrote a letter called the Sijill ul-Bisharat (the letter of good news) to Maulatuna Hurratul Malika RA, the very loyal Hujjat of the Imam and Queen of Yemen. In the Sijill he informed Maulatuna Hurratul Malika RA of the happy news of the birth of this blessed child, and in the Sijill itself performed nass by indication on Imam Tayyib AS. In the Sijill Imam Amir says describing his son Imam Tayyib AS says that, Allah Ta’ala has connected the rope of Imamat by him, that he is the proof against those who deny the truth, that he is the refuge for the destitute and the persecuted, that he is the success and the victory for those who know and accept him, that the world will partake of his good fortune, happiness and prosperity in the largest measure. Amir Imam, instructed Maulatuna Hurratul Malika RA to appoint the Dai al-Mutlaq in the name of, and as vicegerent of Imam Tayyib AS. The Duat who enlighten the world with the light of the Imam, even in his seclusion, for the next thousand years. Even on the eve of the seclusion (satr) of the Imam, Imam Amir AS is full of happiness and optimism for the birth of Imam Tayyib AS. The Duat of the Imam are the ones who will hold aloft the banner of Dawat in this long night of winter. We, as Mumineen, can learn: take great heart from this, that in spite of difficult and challenging times ahead, the Imam only gushes forth with tidings of good days to come.

3. The Duat Mutlaqeen.

• There are so many shining examples. One which stands out is Syedna Dawood bin Qutubshah RA, the 27th Dai al-Mutlaq. Sulaiman made false claims of being the Dai against Syedna Dawood RA. Some of the children of the previous Dai, Syedna Dawood bin Ajabshah RA, who appointed Syedna Dawood bin Qutubshah RA, joined hands with Sulaiman. They allied with the Sultans of Gujarat, and inflicted much persecution on Mumineen. Syedna RA was forced into hiding, and lived in an underground cave for three years. Even in these circumstances, Syedna Dawood’s RA resolve, clarity, and vision was such that he guided his Hudud, the senior officers of his Dawat, to make representations in the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, who then convened a council to look into the matter. Syedna Dawood RA appeared in Akbar’s court, and Akbar ultimately ruled in favor of Syedna Dawood RA, whereby security and prosperity was restored to Mumineen.
• Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin RA. When the earth shook and the storm gathered force, after the wafaat of our beloved Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin Aqa RA, Syedna Qutbuddin RA was the epitome of steel resolve, steadfastness, clarity of vision, decisiveness, planning, and trust in God, Imam, and the duty that both the 51st and 52nd Dais had entrusted him with. He left Saify Mahal, his home for more than 70 years, risked everything, including his life and his family, to establish the call of Dawatul Haqq, and raise the banner of truth against those who would mislead Mumineen away from it. This voice of truth now resonates around the whole world, despite the efforts of those who have usurped the Dawat infrastructure.

4. Dai-z-Zaman

• Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS. When Syedna Qutbuddin RA passed to his heavenly abode, Mumineen were shaken by the loss of their beloved leader, the lion of the pulpit and the battlefield, in the midst of this battle for truth. With the tayyid of the Imam and with steadfastness, Syedna Fakhruddin TUS decisively took the reins of Dawat and all matters in his hands with such strength that we felt not a shudder in the ship of Dawat.

The Four Points for Success in our Endeavors and Resolutions

1. Develop Your Vision and Ideas Through Reflection and Deep Thought.

Rasulullah SA said, “one hour of deep thought is the equivalent of one year of worship.” Thought and reflection is necessary not only to maintain a perspective on life, but also to maintain clarity of vision and direction so that we don’t lose sight of our overall purpose in the day-to-day grind of modern life. Maulana Qutbuddin RA often used to say that, “you must take out even a short time everyday where you reflect, without distracting yourself with anything else.”

2. Have Resolve, Determination and Trust in God.

The Quran says, “… resolve, and put your trust in God.” Reflection and thought must lead to a resolution, a firm decision to embark in a certain direction. Only by arriving at a firm decision based on careful consideration and reflection can resolve be achieved. Decision and resolve is necessary, half measures and undetermined plans do not work. Maulana Ali SA said, “to sleep with certainty is better than to pray with doubt.” Certainty leads to resolve, which gives a singularity of purpose, which is a key ingredient for success. Resolve must be buttressed by trust in God - trust in His wali Imam and his Dai. We must take the wasila of our Awliya Kiram, as the Quran says, “O believers, fear Allah, and take wasila towards Him.”

3. Plan (Tadbir)

Mauana Ali SA said, “planning (tadbir) is half of life.” Planning is absolutely essential for success in any endeavor. Maulana Ali SA also said, “strategy and planning before the bravery of the brave ones; that is first, and bravery is second.” Our Awliya’s planning has resulted in the continued success of Dawat even after 1400 years after Rasullulah’s SA wafaat, in spite of severe and innumerable headwinds, storms and challenges.

4. Take Action

Imam Sadiq SA said, “Faith is all action.” Action (amal) is the culmination of thought, resolve, and planning. Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA said in his nasihat, “Take action every minute and every second, for action is the bridge to salvation (success); intend to fully jump into action, for faith is all action; only by action can all wishes be achieved.”

Today, even in the khidmat of Dai of Imam-uz-zaman and Dawat, we remember these lessons that our Awliya Kiram have taught us, and know that success and victory will come. May Allah Ta’ala and his Wali Imam-uz-zaman give fateh mubin and nasre aziz to their Dai Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS very soon, and may He give us the strength to stand steadfast and unflinching behind him always. May Allah Ta’ala give our Aqa Syedna Fakhruddin TUS longest life till the day of Qiyamat, and keep Mumineen safe, happy and prosperous under his cool shade always.