Titles of 'Nabuwwat' and 'Resalat'

                      

  In my article “ Patterns of Spiritual Elevations”, we have seen that various spiritual levels mentioned in Quran can be broadly divided into five levels i.e. saleh, shaheed, siddique, Nabi, and rasool; the first three are cultivable (based on person’s efforts) and the last two are divine (based on Allah’s will) but granted to ones standing on the top at first three levels. All these levels are vertical. All these levels are associated with degrees of accomplishments attained in respect of various virtues mentioned in Quran and sunnah; some virtues are relating to apparent deeds e.g. virtues pertaining to Aabid, Zahid, Aalim, Zakir, munfiq, muttaqi, khasheh; some virtues are relating to hidden deeds e.g. virtues pertaining to mumin, sabir, mutahhir, muhsin, mutawakkil. 

The first level of spiritual elevation is pertaining to ‘saleheen’. When a person has attained a certain degree of apparent and hidden virtues, as contained in Quran and sunnah, he is graced with first level of spiritual elevation i.e. level of saleheen. Saleheen are those people who do their deeds for Allah’s sake (following Nabi (saw).  

The second level of spiritual elevation is relating to ‘shaheed’. A shaheed is always a ‘saleh’ as well, and has attained apparent and hidden virtues which are qualification for a saleh. But a shaheed is different from saleh in the sense that a shaheed always does the job of ‘ amr bilmaroof wa nahi anel munkar’- he always commands for good things and forbids from bad things. When a ‘saleh’ attains a certain degree in the job of commanding for the good and forbidding from the bad, he is graced with the level of ‘shahadat’.

The third level of spiritual elevation is associated with ‘siddique’. A ‘siddique’ is always a saleh and shaheed as well and has attained apparent and hidden virtues which are qualifications for a saleh or shaheed. A siddique is different from ‘saleh’ and ‘shaheed’ in the sense that a ‘siddique’ testifies intellectually what is mentioned in the revealed knowledge (Quran and Sunnah). When a shaheed obtains a certain degree in the job of testifying the revealed knowledge intellectually, he is bestowed with level of ‘siddiqiat’.

As for as titles of ‘nabuwwat’ and ‘resalat’ are concerned, these titles are not attainable on the basis of good deeds; these are divine in their nature. But, of course, 'Nabis' and 'rasool' are only the best persons occupying the top most positions at all first three levels.  In other words, every Nabi and every Rasool is also a saleh, a shaheed and a siddique.

 The basic difference between a ‘Nabi’ and ‘Rasool’ is that a ‘Rasool’ receives revelation in the form of ‘Allah’s Words’ (kitaab); but a ‘Nabi’ receives revelation in the form of Allah’s Ideas translated into words by ‘Nabi’ himself or by Hazrat Gabriel. The second most important difference is that a ‘Rasool’ gets through revelation a complete Book in the form of Allah’s Words; but  ‘Nabi’ gets through revelation an incomplete Book in the form of Allah’s Ideas translated into words by ‘Nabi’ himself or by Hazrat Gabriel. A prophet may be a ‘Nabi’ and ‘Rasool’ combined; such a prophet gets through revelation not only  complete Book in the form of Allah’s Words (e.g. Quran) but also Allah’s Ideas translated into words by Hazrat Gabriel (e.g. Hadith-e-qudsi) or by the prophet himself [e.g. Hadith-e-Rasool (saw)]. The third most important difference is that a ‘Rasool’ always constitutes an ummah consisting of people he is sent to; in other words, ‘Rasool’ has always one ummah, and one ummah has only one ‘Rasool’. ‘Rasool’ is sent to one ummah but a ‘Nabi’ is sent to one nation; one ummah may have more than one nations and more than one ‘Nabis’ ( in case of the Ummahs passing before our Nabi's (s.a.w.w) Ummah; after our Nabi (s.a.w.w) no nabi can come. for details plz see my article ‘Universality of Resalat, Ummah and Qadyaniat’).

As mentioned earlier, ‘nabuwwat’ and ‘resalat’ are not cultivable titles; these titles cannot be claimed by anyone on the basis of his good deeds. These are divine titles and Allah bestows these titles to whom HE likes. Now the question arises if grant of these titles is totally Allah’s Sweet Will, why holders of these titles are superiors to others who have attained levels of ‘saleheen’, ‘shaheed’, and ‘siddiqueen’ on the basis of good deeds. In fact   Nabuwwat and Resalat can be called more appropriately as titles. The spiritual level of every ‘Nabi’ and ‘Rasool’ is determined by his levels attained as a saleh, shaheed and siddique; the higher levels as a saleh, shaheed and siddique he attains, the greater spiritual level he possesses as a Nabi or Rasool. In fact, Allah appoints only such person as a ‘Nabi’ or a ‘Rasool’ who occupies top most positions among his nation or ummah in respect of virtues pertaining to saleheen, shuhuda and siddiqueen. Because Allah knows through His knowledge which soul will attain such top most positions after coming into world, He appoints such soul a Nabi or Rasool even before his coming into this world.    

In Quran, hazrat Ibrahim (as) and hazrat Idrees (as) have been called ‘siddique’; whereas hazrat Isa, Noah, Ishaque, yaqoob, Ismaeel, Alyas, Zulkifal, Zakria, Yahya, Loot (as) all have been called Saleheen. Hazrat Ibrahim and Hazrat Idrees (as) have also been called saleheen.

A saying of our Nabi (saw) also substantiates this fact that the spiritual level of Nabi and Rasool is determined by his levels attained as saleh, shaheed and siddique. Our Nabi (saw) states that “ ulemas of his ummah will be equal to ‘Israeeli Nabis’ in spiritual levels.  If spiritual level of a Nabi or rasool is to be determined by his nabuwwat or resalat, no non-prophet can be equal to a prophet in spiritual level. In fact this saying of our Nabi (saw) endorses the viewpoint that spiritual level of a 'Nabi' or 'Rasool' is determined by his levels attained as saleh, shaheed, and siddique. 'Nabuwwat' or 'Resalat' is just titles; though this title is also a spiritual level in itself, but that spiritual level is the same in case of all prophets, as has been mentioned in Quran (al-baqra-136). The real difference among the spiritual levels of prophets is determined by the spiritual levels attained by them as 'saleh', 'shaheed' and 'siddique', as has been mentioned in Quran (al-baqra-253).

'Jabr-o-Qadr' and Freedom of Choice

                

‘Jabr’ is imposition of Allah’s Will, without attaching to a person any responsibility regarding an event faced by him. ‘Qadr’ is imposition of Allah’s Will,  attaching to a person a responsibility relating to an event faced by him. ‘Jabr’ does not relate to freedom of choice but ‘Qadr’ relates to freedom of choice.

Allah determines everything in terms of kind and time.  Whatever capabilities, experiences and mental states an individual observes in his life, are in fact presented to him/her by Allah at a pre-determined time. Among other things which Allah pre-determines for human being is that human being will use his/her intellect at each and every moment of his/her life; it is not possible for human being to spend a single moment of her/his life without utilizing his/her intellect. We cannot take even a single step forward without utilizing our intellectual capabilities consciously or unconsciously; we fall down while taking a foot-step, if our concerned intellectual capabilities are not working properly.  In other words, it is not possible for a human being whose intellectual capabilities are working properly that he/she may not utilize his/her intellectual faculties in the face of any event/moment of his/her life. Every person uses his/her intellect to deal with everything he /she faces in life. In other words, nobody is exempted from responsibility of his/her actions and inactions in the face of any eventuality he/she meets with in his/her life.

Allah determines every event to be faced by a person in life, sometimes on the basis of that person’s action/inaction, and sometimes NOT on the basis of that person’s action/inaction. In both cases, what should be the shape of event to be faced by a person is wholly solely Allah’s Will, but the concerned person is bound to utilize his intellect to formulate his action/inaction to shape that event according to his/her choice. A person is enforced by Allah to utilize his/her intellect in the face of any event he/she faces with; this is what has been determined by Allah; this is what is fate of every person whose intellectual faculties are working properly. Only mad people are exempted from this fate. In short, a person is not exempted from responsibility to shape events according to his own choice/intellect, whether or not, result occurs according to his choice. Barring a few exceptions, all events experienced by a person in his/her life fall under this category of events which the person has to shape according to his/her own choice/intellect through action/inaction; all such events relate to ‘Qadr’- in which Allah determines events but assigns responsibility to the person concerned to shape the events according to his/her own choice/intellect through action/inaction, and it is in the nature of every person to assume such responsibility.

There is another category of events which are determined by Allah without attaching any responsibility to the person concerned to shape the events according to his/her choice/intellect; such events are only a few in a person’s life, and relate to ‘Jabr’.  In such cases the person has no choice to shape the events, and is exempted from responsibility to shape events according to his/her choice/intellect.

Accountability of Emotions (Traits)/ 'Shaakilah'

              

We know that human being is granted with various kinds of emotions/ traits-pleasures and sorrows, liking and disliking, excitements and shocks, sadness and happiness, love and hate, affection and aversion, hope and frustration, trust and distrust, self-respect and lack of self-respect, courage and cowardliness, patience and impatience, resilience  and lack of resilience, meanness and charity, mercy and cruelty, anger and joy, shallowness and profoundness etc. Out of these emotions/traits, every individual is granted by Allah with  a fixed   composition/set of emotions/traits in terms of kind and magnitude/degree, which may vary from person to person. This fixed composition of emotions/traits is called ‘shakilah’.

 Allah says: "Everyone acts according to his own disposition/ ‘shaakilah’: But your Lord knows best who it is that is best guided on the Way" (Isra-84).

 Once granted to human being, fixed composition of emotions/traits is never changed. (plz see my article ' Determined Psyche of Human Being'). Every person acts in his/her life according to this composition of emotions/traits he/she is bestowed upon. Actually emotions/traits are the basic tool through which a person is judged by Allah in this worldly life.  These human emotions/traits are neither good nor bad in their essence; it is the human choice of the situations, and kind and magnitude of these emotions/traits to manifest in those situations, which makes a human deed good or bad. A human deed based on each kind of emotions/traits (e.g. love or hate, anger or lack of anger, lust or lack of lust, courage or cowardliness etc) may be either good or bad, depending upon the situation chosen and the magnitude of emotion to display in such situation. For instance lack of anger shown in a situation which requires anger to be shown would be a bad act; similarly showing anger in a situation which requires lack of anger to be shown would be a bad act. Similarly lesser degree of charity shown in a situation which requires greater degree of charity to be displayed would be a bad act; similarly greater degree of charity in a situation which requires lesser degree of charity to be shown would be a bad deed. (e.g. a Muslim cannot bequeath more than one third of his property through his will). 

Whatever is presented to an individual in his/her life by Allah is actually to test how he/she utilizes his/her emotions/traits, capabilities, knowledge and environment. Because a person is granted with fixed set of emotions/traits in terms of kind and magnitude/degree, it means person is liable to utilize his/her emotions only to the extent he/she is granted with them. In other words, no person is liable to utilize an emotion/trait he/she is not granted with; similarly no person is liable to utilize an emotion/trait with a degree greater than he/she is granted with. This is what has been mentioned in Quran: “No person is charged with more than his capacity” (al-baqra-233).   In other words every person is liable to choose the degree of emotions/traits to be utilized in a situation  upto the extent of degree he/she is granted with.  It means determined human psyche does not mean human personality cannot grow and develop; human personality can grow and develop positively depending upon how much natural emotions/traits are tamed positively to be displayed rightly in kind and magnitude in the right situation, and how much knowledge, skills and conducive environment have been provided and utilized positively.

One implication of the foregoing is that emotions/traits are not something to be crushed or destroyed for achieving higher spiritual levels; emotions /traits are only to be tamed so that right type and magnitude of emotion/trait may be used in the right situation. In other words there is no room for undergoing long and tough physical ‘chillas’/meditation aiming at destruction of emotions/traits to achieve higher spiritual levels. Higher spiritual levels have nothing to do with suppression/ destruction  of emotions/traits; nor can emotions be destroyed. Spiritual elevation is all about channelizing of human emotions/traits. 

Another implication of foregoing is that spiritual elevation has nothing to do with racial traits. Because each trait/emotion can be used for the good or the bad, no set/composition of racial traits/emotions  can be considered as better than any other set/composition of traits for the purpose of spiritual elevation. 

All qualities, skills, knowledge developed/attained by human being are actually based on utilization of human emotions/traits. Human emotions/traits are the basic raw material and the basic asset which is used by human being to construct whole edifice of his/her life achievements.  Therefore on Day of Judgment every person will be questioned how he/she has utilized the treasure of emotions/traits he/she had been granted with. Every person will be held accountable for his/her emotions/traits. The person utilizing her/his emotions/traits in obedience to Allah will be declared successful otherwise he/she will be unsuccessful.

"The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail. But only he that brings to Allah a submissive 'qalb' ” (al-shuara-88-89).

Afghanistan Diplomacy- impact on South Asia

              

The USA is leaving Afghanistan. Like every defeated state, it is trying to secure as many gains as are possible out of the exit scenario. Pak-India rapprochement is to be seen as a part of this exit scenario. The USA may try to achieve through Pak-India rapprochement what it has failed to achieve through Afghan war.

It would not be reasonable to believe that the USA’s objective behind   Afghan war was just to rein and destroy ‘Alqaida’; the massive scale of NATO Operations in Afghanistan does not warrant such an objective though this objective may make a tiny part of whole plan.  In fact USA and its allies wanted to crush Taliban’s Islamic government and install in its place such a pro- USA  government which would support  USA in its efforts to put a check, generally, on the regional states (CAS, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, China and Pak) from coming closer economically and politically, and, particularly, on China’s economic and political expansion in the region. The USA’s presence in Afghanistan could also be used to keep an eye on Iran and initiate a war against Iran, if required. But heroic and miraculous resistance put up by Afghans has foiled all nefarious designs of USA and its allies. Thanks to Afghan’s resistance, Afghanistan is not a safe land to be used against Iran nor is it conducive to be used to put a check on China’s political and economic expansion in the region; rather USA’s presence in Afghanistan has drawn Pakistan, Iran, China, Russia and  Central Asian states (CAS) closer to each other. Pak-Iran gas pipeline project, and recently reinvigorated relations between Pakistan and Russia are evidence in this connection. 

Having failed in Afghanistan to secure and  propagate USA’s regional  interests, the USA may find in Kashmir a new avenue to secure such interests; Kashmir issue may be manipulated by USA  to win over Pakistan’s support to achieve what USA has failed to gain in Afghanistan. Pakistan has to be very cautious about the terms and conditions of Pak-India rapprochement.  Such terms and conditions should not include a military role for India in Afghanistan. Any such role for India would mean that USA and India want to continue with efforts to make Afghanistan a hurdle in the way of regional states (Pak, Iran, Afghanistan Russia, China, CAS) coming closer economically and politically. Similarly such terms and conditions should not include option of independence of Kashmir under auspices of UN. Such an independent Kashmir state may be more likely to safeguard USA’s and India’s interests in the region than to be a part of regional states' (CAS, Pak, Iran, China, Russia and Afghanistan's) economic and political integration, because of kind of dependence such an independent state would have on India and UN. However whole regional scenario would be changed if India declines to be watchdog of USA’s regional interests and starts associating its interests with regional states instead with USA. But there is lesser chance of it because India needs western capital, technology and markets which may lead to kind of prosperity and development which cannot be offered to India by regional states like China, Pakistan, Iran, and Russia. Most probably India would maintain a balance between its pro-west and pro-east policies. Even in that case, an independent Kashmir given under UN's protection would be serious security threat for  regional states particularly Pakistan.

Similarly in any case, whether or not , India remains protector of USA’s regional interests, India’s military role in Afghanistan should be unacceptable to Pakistan because such a role would mean a hurdle in the economic and political integration at least between Pakistan, Iran, CAS, and Afghanistan, if these states opt to keep India out of this regional alliance.

Pakistan has sacrificed a lot in Afghan war, and now that USA is leaving Afghanistan, Pakistan should not help USA and India in achieving through rapprochement what they have failed to achieve through war.

Concept of Life and Death in Quran

                  

Quran describes concept of ‘life and death’ which is different from what is commonly understood. In Quranic terminology, life is not merely biological functioning of human body, nor is ‘death’  merely end of biological functioning of human body; life and death are more than merely relating to biological functioning of human body. Quran  describes also life as a capability of human being to obey Allah and His Messenger (saw), and death as lack of such capability in human being.

Quran says:

“O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger (saw) when he calls you to that which gives you life/ ‘yuhyeekum” And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart/brain and that to Him you will be gathered. (al-anfal-24).

This verse, while addressing the Muslims, states that Muslims should act accordingly when Allah and His Messenger (saw) calls them to what gives them life. In other words, Muslims should act upon the injunctions contained in Quran and Sunnah, as such obedience on the part of Muslims gives them life. Now obviously this command is being given to Muslims who are already alive in terms of biological functioning; it means in this verse ‘life’ does not mean ‘alive body’  rather it means capability to obey Allah and His Messenger (saw). In other words, when a Muslim acts upon directions of Allah and His Messenger (saw), he shows his capability to obey Allah and His Messenger (saw); and such capability is called ‘life’. The more a person acts upon the directions of Allah and His Messenger (saw), the greater ‘life’ he owns. Similarly more a person violates directions of Allah and His Messenger (saw), the lesser ‘life’ he owns. If a person continues violating directions of Allah and His Messenger (saw), ultimately he becomes totally devoid of capability of obeying Allah and His Messenger (saw) and ultimately he becomes ‘dead’ (not physically dead).

This concept of ‘life and death’ has been mentioned at many places in Quran. Sura al-anaam-122 states: “: And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge there from? Thus it has been made pleasing to the disbelievers that which they were doing”. Sura al-rum-52 states: “So indeed, you will not make the dead hear, nor will you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs, retreating”. At all such places life and death has been described as capability or lack of capability respectively to obey Allah and His Messenger (saw).

This Quranic concept of ‘life and death’ holds equally good for Muslims as well as non-Muslims. I mean non-Muslims are also bestowed upon the capability of obeying Allah and His Messenger (saw). If a non-Muslim continues violating directions of Allah and His Messenger (saw), ultimately he becomes dead. Quran says about Israelis:

“Indeed, you will not make the dead hear, nor will you make the deaf hear the call when they have turned their backs retreating” (al-naml-80). In this verse Israelis who did not listen to Allah’s Messenger (saw) have been called ‘dead’; who have become devoid of capability of obeying Allah and His Messenger (saw) have been declared as ‘dead’.

This Quranic concept of ‘life and death’ also holds good for non-living things. Quran says: “And [in] the alternation of night and day and [in] what Allah sends down from the sky of provision and gives life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and [in His] directing of the winds are signs for a people who reason” (al-jathiyah-5).  In this verse mention has been made about rainfall which brings ‘life’ to earth after its death. When earth is devoid of capability to bring forth vegetation according to Allah’s direction, earth is called ‘dead’; and when earth regains its such capability, it is called ‘alive’. It does not mean that earth can disobey Allah’s command; it only means that earth is first given capability to act upon Allah’s direction, and after that earth obeys Allah’s direction by bringing forth vegetation. This concept of life and death relating to earth has been described at many places in Quran e.g. al-rum-19, 50; fatir-9. 

It may be noted that many times Quran says Allah brings the living out of the dead, and vice versa (al-imran-27; al-anaam-95; yunus-31;al-rum-19).  From the present tense used in these verses, one may infer that Allah is still doing it (sometimes past events are described in present tense; we have to look into the context with which a tense is used). At all such places the living and the dead should not be taken as biologically living and biologically dead respectively. Quran clearly mentions all living things have been made out of water (al-anbiyah-30); it means origin of all biologically living things is water. Once first biologically living thing was created out of water, afterwards every biologically living thing was/is created out of previous biologically living thing. In other  words Allah is not still creating biologically the living from the dead and vice versa. At all such places the meaning of the living and the dead is having capability and lacking  in capability respectively to obey Allah and His Messenger (saw). 

This Quranic concept of ‘life and death’ holds good not only in apparent earthly life but also in life after this apparent earthly life. Some People remain alive even after physical death. Quran says: “And do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah , "They are dead." Rather, they are alive, but you perceive [it] not (al-baqra-154).  It does not mean physical death does not occur to ‘shuhuda’; it does occur to them, but despite physical death they are blessed with capability of obeying Allah and His Messenger (saw); that is why they are called ‘alive’. In the ranking of blessed people ‘shuhuda’ come after ‘siddique’, ‘Nabis’, and ‘rusul’ (al-nisa-69); it means all of them are alive even after passing through this apparent earthly life. Quran says about such people: " It is Allah that takes the souls  at death; and those that die not (He takes) during their sleep. Those on whom He has passed the decree of death, He keeps back (from returning to life), but the rest He sends (forward for second life) for a term appointed verily in this are Signs for those who reflect (al-zumar-42).

  This verse describes that Allah takes souls of all persons who die. He also takes souls of those who do not die during their sleep. He withholds (from second life) souls of those who have been decreed as dead; and those who have not been decreed as dead are sent (forward for second life).   It may be noted that after earthly life, human soul is moved into 'uqba' (for details plz see my article ' Journey of Human Soul'); all souls in 'uqba'  live according to natural laws existing in the world of 'uqba'. Some souls in 'uqba' are declared alive and others are declared as dead. The souls which have compensable pious deeds in uqba are declared 'alive' in uqba; the souls which do not have compensable deeds in 'uqba' are declared dead in 'uqba' (for details plz see my article 'Non-Muslims' Paradise'). Out of such souls which are declared alive, some souls are allowed to interact with this earthly world. But all alive souls in 'uqba' are not allowed to interact with this earthly life/world.  Such alive souls out of 'uqba world' which are allowed to interact with this apparent earthly life/world are called 'Aulia Allah'; these are souls of 'saleheen', 'shuhuda', 'siddiqueen' 'Nabis' and 'Rusul'.  (for details plz see my article ' Aulia Allah').