LETTER 21: THE FAULTS OF THE PROPHETS

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate!

Brother Shamsuddin may God grant you increase! It should be known that there are conflicting opinions concerning the faults of the prophets. The traditional opinion says that they are in fact capable of faults, but only slight ones, not grave! There is complete agreement that the prophets are not capable of infidelity. Abraham said, O God, preserve me and my descendants from idol worship! (Q4:35) Since he was incapable of committing faults, this prayer appears to be absurd. What is the answer to the difficulty? This prayer was for his children and not for himself. Although he experienced no personal anxiety in the matter of idol worship, he still included himself along with his children that the prayer on behalf of his children might be answered because of him. Remember, too, that the Apostle was commanded: Intercede for your own sins and for those of believers!

The Sufis have this to say about idols: The idolatry of tying the sacred thread or prostrating oneself before some idol is not an issue here, but that of coveting something other than God. It could also re- fer to fearing something other than God or relying on something other than God. These are just by way of examples, not real cases, and yet they can be compared to the idols that infidels covet or fear Though these idols provide no profit or loss for them, they still trust in them and thus destroy the very foundation of faith in God's unity To turn to this faith, a person must put his whole trust in God Al- mighty and acknowledge that neither in heaven nor on earth is there anything profitable or harmful apart from Him. When He made correct belief obligatory, no rest remained except in Him, no faith, except in Him; nor was there anything else to fear, except Him. In fact, there should be no recourse to anything other than God! If someone were to do such things as the infidels do even though no doubt might arise about the authenticity of his faith it would still be like polytheism. Anything at all should be considered as an idol, whether it be profitable or harmful, if fear or hope is associated with it, even though, in and of itself, it is not an idol. This is what Abraham, the Friend of God, meant when he said: Look at me! I cannot take any rest except with You, nor do I see anything but You, nor do I hope in anyone except You, nor do I fear anyone except You!

Since, apart from Him, no one exists in either world, Who, apart from Him, can be the object of love and desire

This is the meaning of the prayer: God's Friend does not repent of infidelity, which is the opposite of faith. It is futile, moreover, to compare such a friend with the mass of believers. Infidelity is the abode of enmity, but faith is the abode of love. Although the infidel, because of his infidelity, is an enemy of God, it has not been made clear to him that God is his enemy. His condition is ambiguous. If he leaves this world with the burden of infidelity upon him, let it be known that the Lord is his enemy. If, however, infidelity has lost its grip upon him, it means that the Lord loves him. On the other hand, although one of the Faithfuls is a lover of the Lord due to his faith, it is still not certain that the Lord loves him! This means that his condition too is somewhat ambiguous. His fate is left in the lurch: Either he leaves this world with faith, in which case the Lord really loves him, or-God forbid-if his faith has declined, the Lord will have become his enemy. Such oscillation between love and enmity is altogether impossible for prophets, since they are dear to God, and special in His sight. There is no stage higher than theirs. As God's favorites, they experience the completeness of His love. They have no fear of infidelity for, while change and alteration are possible in creatures, they are not as far as the divine attributes are concerned.

It must not be thought that every lover becomes an enemy, or every enemy, a lover. Still, God can effect a change. Consider Satan, whom God brought down from the high state of friendship to the rank of archenemy.

Who knows whether, in this deep ocean, Gravel is prized, or cornelian? Here we have to understand that both God's love and His enmity have no eternal dependence on any cause, because both have always existed. It is the opposition or acquiescence of God's slaves that is temporal. Love and enmity must precede, while acceptance of rejection is added afterwards. Moreover nothing, which is supplement tarry, can become the cause of what precedes it.

Hence you should realize that opposition and acquiescence are nothing-simply nothing'

The firmament whispered secretly in the ear of the heart, From me you will learn whatever God commands!

Had/control over my own fate,

Would I not have spared myself this end?

But the group that maintains that the prophets were capable of committing serious sin illustrates its point with the story of Joseph's brothers who, like him, were prophets, and yet committed great sins The traditional group of Sunnis, on the other hand, claims that the prophets are incapable of committing serious sins, especially infidel it, which is the most heinous of all' All other great sins as well should be impossible. The reason is that, if someone is capable of committing one serious sin, then he could commit any of them. Proof of this is found by considering the mass of believers. By way of reply, adversaries might say: Whatever emanated from the brothers of the prophet Joseph occurred before revelation descended upon them and this, in turn, resulted in repentance and correction.

It is possible for prophets to commit unintentional venial sins known as faults. Now a fault means that, before falling into it, there was no intention of committing it, and afterwards, there is no lingering in it. It is like a person who is walking on a slippery road and suddenly falls down. Immediately he gets up. Before he fell, he did not intend to fall, nor did he delay in getting up again. The faults of the prophets are of this nature. Nevertheless, they are reprimand- ed. On account of the greatness of their rank and their exited state, the great are taken to task for trifling matters, while lesser people are not even scolded for notable offenses. The mystery contained in this explanation is that the sincere ones are in grave danger. Not being taken to task for notable offenses is a proof of one's spiritual inferiority, while chastisement for even slight offenses is a proof of one's spiritual stature! It serves as an object lesson for others, since, if those well advanced in virtue are reprimanded, imagine what will happen to others! They ought to learn from the example of the great not to become God's enemies. One group says that this chiding is done out of an excess of love, so that love might find its full expression through chiding. Among friends, chiding is an ongoing process, as the poet has said:

Where there is no chiding, there is no love: As long as love remains, so will rebukes.

Have you not heard the story of David? When he committed a fault, for forty days, night and day, his head was bowed in prostration. The result was that the abundance of tears that he shed caused so much grass to sprout that it concealed him, and he was lost to view. Still, no news of divine forgiveness reached him. In his pain, he afflicted himself so that all the grass withered from his sighing. He placed both hands over his eyes and went on weeping until both palms became covered with blood. He raised his hands to heaven and said: O God, even if You do not pardon me, at least show compassion for my tears! O David, came the reply, do you remember your tears, but forget your fault? You must know that because the faults of the great are more serious, they will be dealt with more severely, as the poet has attested:

Those killed by the Beloved's bloodthirsty lips Remain till Resurrection Day with bloodstained shrouds!

Note that for those who visit cemeteries whether they visit the tombs of renowned spiritual persons or those of the ordinary faithful there are many benefits. As the Apostle of God has said, Visiting tombs causes tenderness to take root in hearts; tears flow freely; and one is reminded of one's last end. Once a man asked for advice about his hardness of heart. He was told to look at cemeteries and to take them as examples, weeping and wailing the whole time. It is profitable to make a visit each week, as Muhammad was commanded O Prophet, visit the graveyard every Friday! And God alone knows what benefits derive from such visits and what they really mean.

[Times to visit and prayers to say are then recommended.] When you arrive at the cemetery, take off your shoes and, with your back to the west and your face turned toward the tomb, recite the prayers recommended for the dead. O Muslim men and women who live in the abode of peace, may God bless those who have preceded us and those who will follow us! God willing, we shall one day meet you. We seek peace for you and for ourselves. If it be a martyr's tomb, then say: Peace be upon you, for you have endured! How good is the world to come! (Q13:24). And if there be graves of both Muslims and infidels, say: Peace be upon him who follows the path of guidance! (Q20:47). Afterwards sit down and pray: In the name of God and in accordance with the community of God's Apostle [Traditions referring to the benefits of such visits are then mentioned.]

It has been noted that the most difficult night for the dead person is the very first one. Hence it is necessary to give something to charity in his name. If this is not possible, perform two prostrations. Each time, after the introductory prayer, recite the Throne verse (Q2:255) and ask God to apply the merit of your recitation to the dead person. A thousand angels will bear light to his grave, and he will receive the merit of a thousand martyrs.

Peace!

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate!

Brother Shamsuddin may God grant you increase! It should be known that there are conflicting opinions concerning the faults of the prophets. The traditional opinion says that they are in fact capable of faults, but only slight ones, not grave! There is complete agreement that the prophets are not capable of infidelity. Abraham said, O God, preserve me and my descendants from idol worship! (Q4:35) Since he was incapable of committing faults, this prayer appears to be absurd. What is the answer to the difficulty? This prayer was for his children and not for himself. Although he experienced no personal anxiety in the matter of idol worship, he still included himself along with his children that the prayer on behalf of his children might be answered because of him. Remember, too, that the Apostle was commanded: Intercede for your own sins and for those of believers!

The Sufis have this to say about idols: The idolatry of tying the sacred thread or prostrating oneself before some idol is not an issue here, but that of coveting something other than God. It could also re- fer to fearing something other than God or relying on something other than God. These are just by way of examples, not real cases, and yet they can be compared to the idols that infidels covet or fear Though these idols provide no profit or loss for them, they still trust in them and thus destroy the very foundation of faith in God's unity To turn to this faith, a person must put his whole trust in God Al- mighty and acknowledge that neither in heaven nor on earth is there anything profitable or harmful apart from Him. When He made correct belief obligatory, no rest remained except in Him, no faith, except in Him; nor was there anything else to fear, except Him. In fact, there should be no recourse to anything other than God! If someone were to do such things as the infidels do even though no doubt might arise about the authenticity of his faith it would still be like polytheism. Anything at all should be considered as an idol, whether it be profitable or harmful, if fear or hope is associated with it, even though, in and of itself, it is not an idol. This is what Abraham, the Friend of God, meant when he said: Look at me! I cannot take any rest except with You, nor do I see anything but You, nor do I hope in anyone except You, nor do I fear anyone except You!

Since, apart from Him, no one exists in either world, Who, apart from Him, can be the object of love and desire

This is the meaning of the prayer: God's Friend does not repent of infidelity, which is the opposite of faith. It is futile, moreover, to compare such a friend with the mass of believers. Infidelity is the abode of enmity, but faith is the abode of love. Although the infidel, because of his infidelity, is an enemy of God, it has not been made clear to him that God is his enemy. His condition is ambiguous. If he leaves this world with the burden of infidelity upon him, let it be known that the Lord is his enemy. If, however, infidelity has lost its grip upon him, it means that the Lord loves him. On the other hand, although one of the Faithfuls is a lover of the Lord due to his faith, it is still not certain that the Lord loves him! This means that his condition too is somewhat ambiguous. His fate is left in the lurch: Either he leaves this world with faith, in which case the Lord really loves him, or-God forbid-if his faith has declined, the Lord will have become his enemy. Such oscillation between love and enmity is altogether impossible for prophets, since they are dear to God, and special in His sight. There is no stage higher than theirs. As God's favorites, they experience the completeness of His love. They have no fear of infidelity for, while change and alteration are possible in creatures, they are not as far as the divine attributes are concerned.

It must not be thought that every lover becomes an enemy, or every enemy, a lover. Still, God can effect a change. Consider Satan, whom God brought down from the high state of friendship to the rank of archenemy.

Who knows whether, in this deep ocean, Gravel is prized, or cornelian? Here we have to understand that both God's love and His enmity have no eternal dependence on any cause, because both have always existed. It is the opposition or acquiescence of God's slaves that is temporal. Love and enmity must precede, while acceptance of rejection is added afterwards. Moreover nothing, which is supplement tarry, can become the cause of what precedes it.

Hence you should realize that opposition and acquiescence are nothing-simply nothing'

The firmament whispered secretly in the ear of the heart, From me you will learn whatever God commands!

Had/control over my own fate,

Would I not have spared myself this end?

But the group that maintains that the prophets were capable of committing serious sin illustrates its point with the story of Joseph's brothers who, like him, were prophets, and yet committed great sins The traditional group of Sunnis, on the other hand, claims that the prophets are incapable of committing serious sins, especially infidel it, which is the most heinous of all' All other great sins as well should be impossible. The reason is that, if someone is capable of committing one serious sin, then he could commit any of them. Proof of this is found by considering the mass of believers. By way of reply, adversaries might say: Whatever emanated from the brothers of the prophet Joseph occurred before revelation descended upon them and this, in turn, resulted in repentance and correction.

It is possible for prophets to commit unintentional venial sins known as faults. Now a fault means that, before falling into it, there was no intention of committing it, and afterwards, there is no lingering in it. It is like a person who is walking on a slippery road and suddenly falls down. Immediately he gets up. Before he fell, he did not intend to fall, nor did he delay in getting up again. The faults of the prophets are of this nature. Nevertheless, they are reprimand- ed. On account of the greatness of their rank and their exited state, the great are taken to task for trifling matters, while lesser people are not even scolded for notable offenses. The mystery contained in this explanation is that the sincere ones are in grave danger. Not being taken to task for notable offenses is a proof of one's spiritual inferiority, while chastisement for even slight offenses is a proof of one's spiritual stature! It serves as an object lesson for others, since, if those well advanced in virtue are reprimanded, imagine what will happen to others! They ought to learn from the example of the great not to become God's enemies. One group says that this chiding is done out of an excess of love, so that love might find its full expression through chiding. Among friends, chiding is an ongoing process, as the poet has said:

Where there is no chiding, there is no love: As long as love remains, so will rebukes.

Have you not heard the story of David? When he committed a fault, for forty days, night and day, his head was bowed in prostration. The result was that the abundance of tears that he shed caused so much grass to sprout that it concealed him, and he was lost to view. Still, no news of divine forgiveness reached him. In his pain, he afflicted himself so that all the grass withered from his sighing. He placed both hands over his eyes and went on weeping until both palms became covered with blood. He raised his hands to heaven and said: O God, even if You do not pardon me, at least show compassion for my tears! O David, came the reply, do you remember your tears, but forget your fault? You must know that because the faults of the great are more serious, they will be dealt with more severely, as the poet has attested:

Those killed by the Beloved's bloodthirsty lips Remain till Resurrection Day with bloodstained shrouds!

Note that for those who visit cemeteries whether they visit the tombs of renowned spiritual persons or those of the ordinary faithful there are many benefits. As the Apostle of God has said, Visiting tombs causes tenderness to take root in hearts; tears flow freely; and one is reminded of one's last end. Once a man asked for advice about his hardness of heart. He was told to look at cemeteries and to take them as examples, weeping and wailing the whole time. It is profitable to make a visit each week, as Muhammad was commanded O Prophet, visit the graveyard every Friday! And God alone knows what benefits derive from such visits and what they really mean.

[Times to visit and prayers to say are then recommended.] When you arrive at the cemetery, take off your shoes and, with your back to the west and your face turned toward the tomb, recite the prayers recommended for the dead. O Muslim men and women who live in the abode of peace, may God bless those who have preceded us and those who will follow us! God willing, we shall one day meet you. We seek peace for you and for ourselves. If it be a martyr's tomb, then say: Peace be upon you, for you have endured! How good is the world to come! (Q13:24). And if there be graves of both Muslims and infidels, say: Peace be upon him who follows the path of guidance! (Q20:47). Afterwards sit down and pray: In the name of God and in accordance with the community of God's Apostle [Traditions referring to the benefits of such visits are then mentioned.]

It has been noted that the most difficult night for the dead person is the very first one. Hence it is necessary to give something to charity in his name. If this is not possible, perform two prostrations. Each time, after the introductory prayer, recite the Throne verse (Q2:255) and ask God to apply the merit of your recitation to the dead person. A thousand angels will bear light to his grave, and he will receive the merit of a thousand martyrs.

Peace!