Tabligh in English

The significance of fasting in Islam can be deduced from many verses of The Holy Qur'an. For example, the verses 2:45 reads:

    استعینوا بالصبر و الصلوه و انها لکبیره الا علی الخاشعین

And take recourse in patience and prayer, and it is indeed hard except for the humble.

Based on several narrations, "patience" has been interpreted as fasting due to the fact that fasting, consisting of abandoning certain acts such as eating and drinking for part of the day is one of the best forms of patience. Muslims have been advised by the narrations to resort to fasting when confronted with challenging problems and difficulties.

Although fasting is deeply connected to the month of Ramadan, it is an important act of worship by itself that cab be performed outside Ramadan as well. Except for two forbidden days, fasting is a recommended deed throughout the year, especially in certain months such as Rajab and Sha'ban and on certain days such as Mondays and Thursdays.

Moreover the month of Ramadan, regardless of fasting, provides a great opportunity to give even to those upon whom fasting is not incumbent an opportunity to benefit from.

To this end,two points must be discussed:

-        Thenecessity of the longevity of imam Mahdi (s)

-        Thepossibility of the longevity of imam Mahdi (s)

About the necessity of the prolonged life of imam (s), we should say that, aswe Shiites -based on our Islamic teachings- believe that the earth cannot bedevoid of a vicegerent of God, as imams are the vicegerents of God on the earthand His canal of grace and mercy, as we have many traditions indicate thenumber of our imams which is 12 and eleven of them were martyred due to theworse and dangerous conditions in which they were living and the oppressiverulers which were contemporaneous with them, accordingly the twelfth Imam hadto become absent from people's sight, of course by divine permission.

Let me explain it a little more.

On the one hand, as mentioned, imams are the canal of God’s mercy and graceand the earth cannot be devoid of an imam, on the other hand, there is no determinismor compulsion in acceptance of the vicegerent of God or Imam,due to the free will that people have. So, an example:

O God! If anyone wereable to flee from his Lord, I would be the most obligated to flee from you!

O God, surely you seek meif I flee and catch me if I run.

So here I am before you,abject, lowly and abased.

If you chastise me, I amworthy of that, and it would be, an act of justice from you.

But if you pardon me, nowonder, because your forgiveness has already included me.

he who cannot endure theheat of your sun, so how can he endure the heat of your Fire?

He who cannot endure thesound of your thunder, so how can he endure the sound of your wrath?

So have mercy upon me, OGod… 

- A mistake in my last sentence:

How many percents of our lives.   What percentage of our lives.

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The promises given by God in theholy Quran, will surely come to pass and there is no doubtabout this fact.

When the prophet Moses' mother wasinformed about the order issued by Pharaoh to kill the newly born children, shewas so afraid. God almighty ordered her not to be afraid and suckle Moses.

وَأَوحَینا إِلىٰ أُمِّ موسىٰ أَن أَرضِعیهِ

We revealed to Moses' mother: 'Suckle him

Then God almighty told her:

فَإِذا خِفتِ عَلَیهِ فَأَلقیهِ فِی الیَمِّ وَلا تَخافی وَلا تَحزَنی

but when you fear for him cast him into theriver. Neither fear, nor sorrow

then God almighty gave her to promises:

إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَیْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِینَ

We shall restore him to you and make him amongthe Messengers.

As you know the story, these two promises given by God came to pass. Prophet Moses was restored tohis mother, and he was appointed as one of the messengers of God.

So, God’s promises are undoubtedly inviolable.

But why did I raise the story of prophetMoses?

Imam Sajjad peace be uponhim says in supplication no.20 of Sahifa:

الّلهُمّ … لَا تَرْفَعْنِی فِی النَّاسِ دَرَجَةً إِلَّا حَطَطْتَنِیعِنْدَ نَفْسِی مِثْلَهَا؛

O God! Raise me not asingle degree before the people without lowering me its like in myself.

Let me explain the wordof Imam by using a narration from the merciful prophet of Islam.

The prophet says:

کفی بالمرء فتنه ان یشار الیهبالاصابع فی دین او دنیا؛

To test a person, it isenough for him to become famous, to possess a good reputation, for his religious positionor his worldly status.

So if we have not trainedourselves well, when achieving a position, we may lose ourselves and forget whowe were. As a result, some bad consequences will be waiting for us. For example, we may be afflicted by pride and arrogance, and this is morallyconsidered as a deadly poison.

And that is why, Imam Sajjadpeace be upon him addresses God Almighty and says:

 O God! Whenever I got a grade or rank beforethe people, create a humility to me, to feel an equilibrium in myself.

Imam Sajjad peace be upon him says in supplication no. 5:

اللهم إنک من والیت لم یضرره خذلان الخاذلین

O my God, if you take charge of someone he will not beinjured by the abandonment of the abandoners,

و من أعطیت لم ینقصه منع المانعین

And what you have given to somebody will not be diminishedby the withholding of the withholders,

و من هدیت لم یغوه إضلال المضلین

And if you guide someone he will not be misled by themisguidance of the misguiders . .

The holy Quran says:

یَا قَوْمِ إِنَّمَا هَذِهِ الْحَیَاةُالدُّنْیَا مَتَاعٌ وَإِنَّ الْآخِرَةَ هِیَ دَارُ الْقَرَارِ

O My people! this life of the world Is but a passingenjoyment, and verily the Hereafter! that is the Abode of rest.

and also the commander of faithful pbuh says:

 أَیُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خُلِقْنَا وَ إِیَّاكُمْ لِلْبَقَاءِ لَالِلْفَنَاءِ لَكِنَّكُمْ مِنْ دَارٍ إِلَى دَارٍ تُنْقَلُونَ فَتَزَوَّدُوا لِمَاأَنْتُمْ‏ صَائِرُونَ‏ إِلَیْهِ‏ وَ خَالِدُونَ فِیه‏

O people! certainly we are created for survival, not forannihilation; this world is but a passage, while the next world is the place ofpermanent abode. therefore, take provisions from the passage (so much as youcan) for the way you are leading and the abode you will reside for good.

Imam Baqir pbuh says also in this regard:

 كَانَ أَمِیرُ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ ع بِالْكُوفَةِ إِذَا صَلَّىالْعِشَاءَ الْآخِرَةَ یُنَادِی النَّاسَ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ حَتَّى یُسْمِعَ أَهْلَالْمَسْجِدِ أَیُّهَا النَّاس. اعْلَمُوا أَنَّ طَرِیقَكُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ وَالْهَوْلَ الْأَعْظَمَ أَمَامَكُمْ وَ عَلَى طَرِیقِكُمْ عَقَبَةٌ كَئُودٌ وَمَنَازِلُ‏ مَهُولَةٌ مَخُوفَةٌ لَا بُدَّ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْمَمَرِّ عَلَیْهَا وَالْوُقُوفِ بِهَا إِلَى الْمَعَادِ وَ مَمَرَّكُم

Imam Baqir: at themosque of al-Kufa, Imam Ali's practice was to address people three times aftereach instance of the night salat thus: O people! know that your way leads tothe hereafter and you will certainly pass through the path (al-Sirat), whileyou will experience great fear and frightening stations that are inevitable.