المؤمنون الأوفياء وغير الأوفياء

[1] This saying of the Prophet is a definite proof of the view that the life of any one from among the Ahlu’l-bayt (Household of the Holy Prophet) does not come to an end and that apparent death makes no difference in their sense of living, although human intelligence is unable to comprehend the conditions and happenings of that life. There are many truths beyond this world of senses which human mind cannot yet understand. Who can say how in the narrow corner of the grave where it is not possible even to breathe replies will be given to the questions of the angels Munkar and Nakir? Similarly, what is the meaning of life of the martyrs in the cause of Allāh, who have neither sense nor motion, can neither see nor hear? Al-though to us they appear to be dead, yet the Qur’ān testifies to their life. And say not of those who are slain in the path of Allāh that they are dead; Nay, (they are) living, but ye perceive not. (2:154) At another place it says about their life : Reckon not those who are slain in the way of Allāh, to be dead; Nay! alive they are with their Lord being sustained. (3:169) When restriction has been placed on mind and tongue even in respect of the common martyrs that they should not be called dead nor considered dead, how would not those individuals whose necks were reserved for sword and palate for poison be living for all times to come. About their bodies Amīr al-mu’minīn has said that by passage of time no signs of oldness or decay occur in them, but they remain in the same state in which they fell as martyrs. There should be nothing strange in it because dead bodies preserved through material means still exit. When it is possible to do so through material means will it be out of the Power of the Omnipotent Creator to preserve against change and decay the bodies of those upon whom he has bestowed the sense of everlasting life? Thus about the martyrs of Badr, the Holy Prophet said : Shroud them even with their wounds and flowing blood because when they would rise on the Day of Judgement blood would be pushing out of their throats.

[2] “athaqal al-akbar” implies the Qur’ān and “ath-thaqal al-aṣghar” means Ahlu’l-bayt (the Household of the Holy Prophet) as in the Prophet’s saying: “Verily, I am leaving among you (the) two precious things (of high estimation and of care),” the reference is to Qur’ān and Ahlu’l-bayt. There are several reasons for using this word. Firstly, “thaqal” means the kit of a traveller, and since the kit is much in need, it is protected carefully. Secondly, it means a precious thing; and since this is of great importance, one is bound to follow the injunctions of the Qur’ān and the actions of Ahlu’l-bayt. So they have been called ‘precious things.’ Since Allāh has made arrangements for the protection of the Qur’ān and Ahlu’l-bayt till dooms day so they have been called “thaqalayn.” So the Prophet before leaving this world for the next, declared them to be his valuable possessions and ordered people to preserve them. Thirdly, they have been called “thaqalayn” (precious things) in view of their purity and high value. Thus Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī writes : The Prophet has called the Qur’ān and his Descendants as “thaqalayn” (two precious things) because “thaqal” means a pure, chaste and preserved thing, and either of these two were really so, each of them is the treasure of Divine knowledge and a source of scholarly secrets and religious commandments. For that reason the Prophet desired the people to follow them and to stick to them and to secure knowledge from them. Among them the most deserving of attachment is the Imam and Scholar of the family of the Prophet namely ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (Allāh may honour his face) because of his great insight and copiousness of knowledge which we have already described. (aṣ-Ṣawā‘iq al-muḥriqah, p. 90) Since the Prophet has with regard to apparent implication attributed the Qur’ān to Allāh and the descendants to himself, therefore in keeping with the natural status the Qur’ān has been called the bigger weight while the descendants, the smaller weight. Otherwise from the point of view of being followed both are equal and from the point of view of utility in the development of character there can be no question in the status of the speaking party (the Ahlu’l-bayt) being higher than the silent one (the Qur’ān).