The Objective View
The objective view is that of the Twelver Shia and other Islamic schools of thought. We assert that love does have substantive worth and value. In support of this, we provide three arguments.
First, within our Twelver Shia heritage, we do not distinguish between the Prophet’s (s) personal and prophetic life. We assert that the Prophet (s) in all his actions, omissions, and character is a semblance of God. His character cannot be dissected and analyzed in this way. We assert that any prophet and divinely appointed guardian of faith cannot be said to have a private life and a public life. In support of this, we can cite multiple passages of the Holy Quran that speak of Prophets and righteous servants without making a distinction between their private and apostolic life. The Holy Quran addresses their character with expressions that connote absolute purity in all aspects and facets of life. When the Holy Quran speaks of some of the Prophets, it says,
And remember Our servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, men of strength and insight. Indeed We purified them [i.e. made their persons purely for God] with exclusive remembrance of the abode [of the Hereafter]. Indeed they are surely with Us among the elect of the best.[41]
And when it speaks of Prophet Moses (a) specifically, it says, “Mention in the Book Moses. Indeed he was purified [i.e. chosen], and an apostle and prophet.”[42] This does not only mean that he was purified and chosen in his role as prophet, but in all aspects of his life.
Speaking of Prophet Joseph (a), the Holy Quran says,
She certainly made for him; and he would have made for her [too] had he not beheld the proof of his Lord. So it was, that We might turn away from him all evil and indecency. He was indeed one of Our chosen servants.[43]
This confirms that there is no distinction between a prophet’s personal and apostolic life. Every prophet is chosen because of the totality of his pure character.
In another verse, God uses a different expression and says, “And I made you [Moses] endearing, and that you might be nurtured under My [watchful] eyes… And I nurtured you for Myself.”[44]
God nurtures these individuals. He chooses them. He purifies them. When it comes to the Household of the Prophet (s), God says, “Indeed God desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and purify you with a thorough purification.”[45] God says that He purified these individuals from any and all faults and errors – a thorough purification. These souls were therefore purely for God and chosen by Him.
The persons of the Prophet (s) and his Household (a) were thus purified and chosen by God. That is why the Twelver Shia school asserts that you cannot differentiate between their private and apostolic lives. The Prophet (s) is, in all aspects, is a sign of God. The same goes for our Immaculate Imams (a). That is why God says about the Prophet (s), “Nor does he speak out of [his own] desire. He is naught but revelation.”[46]
Second, love for the Prophet (s) is an innate love and cannot be said to be valueless. The scholars of mysticism divide love into three types:
Desirous Love which revolves around lust and appetite. As God says,
The love of [worldly] allures, including women and children, accumulated piles of gold and silver, horses of mark, livestock, and farms has been made to seem decorous to mankind. Those are the wares of the life of this world, but the goodness of one’s ultimate destination lies near God.
Human Love which revolves around companionship, such as love for one’s family and friends.
Innate Love which is the love of perfection. Every human is born with a natural instinct to love perfection, excellence, and beauty. The Holy Quran says in describing mankind, “Indeed he is an avid lover of good.”[47] Man is an avid lover of good because good represents a form of perfection and beauty.
So why does an individual love God? Because God is the All Perfect and mankind by innate nature loves everything that is perfect. Why would an individual love the Prophet (s) and his Household (a)? Because they are perfect human beings and mankind by innate nature loves this perfection. Therefore, an individual loves God and His Prophet (s) because his innate nature drives him towards that love. Mankind, by innate nature, loves perfection and beauty. Therefore, the assertions of the Salafis that love for the Prophet (s) is meaningless does not pass muster under review. It is our innate nature that calls us to the love of the Prophet (s) and his Household (a), and that love therefore holds the value of its purity and innocence. That is why this innately driven love does not stop with the Shia. Any individual who comes to learn of the life and character of the Prophet (s) and his Household (a) will surely come to love them. That is why Paul Salamy, a Christian who read the biography of Imam Ali (a), declared in verse,
Truth has rung within the Christian so that, due to his excessive love, he became called an Alawite. I am the lover of virtue, inspiration, justice, and all good qualities. So if Ali (a) was not a prophet, then surely his character was prophetic.
Third, as we said before, the Salafis assert that love for the Prophet (s) and his Household (a) holds no substantive value. They claim that an individual may follow the Prophet (s) and enter Paradise without feeling any affection towards the Prophet (s).
In reality, however, love has a substantive value just as good work and deeds hold substantive value. Just as good deeds may be a means to salvation, so too is love. And we can support this by a number of Quranic verses.
God says in the Holy Quran, “Say [O Prophet (s)], ‘I do not ask you any reward for it except the love of [my] relatives.’”[48] If love had no substantive value, God would have told the Prophet (s) to ask for obedience rather than love. The fact that God tells His Messenger (s) to ask the believers to love his Household (a) means that there is a fundamental value for love.
Again, the Quran relays these words of Prophet Abraham (a), “So make the hearts of a part of the people fond of them, and provide them with fruits, so that they may give thanks.”[49] If love had no value, why would Abraham (a) pray for it? This supplication of Abraham (a) is evidence that love does hold substantive value in the eyes of God. Otherwise, Abraham (a) – a grand prophet who surely knows what God wants and values – would not pray for it.
In a third verse, God speaks to Moses (a) and says, “I made you endearing, and that you might be nurtured under My [watchful] eyes.”[50] This means that love towards Moses (a) has value. Otherwise, God would not have regarded this as a blessing to His prophet.
Prophetic traditions also indicate that love has a substantive value. Al-Tha’labi narrates in his exegesis of the Holy Quran the following tradition attributed to the Prophet (s),
Whoever dies on the love for the Household of Muhammad (s), he has died a martyr. Indeed, whoever dies on the love for the Household of Muhammad (s), he has died while forgiven. Indeed, whoever dies on the love for the Household of Muhammad (s), he has died penitent. Indeed, whoever dies on the love for the Household of Muhammad (s), he has died a believer of full faith. Indeed, whoever dies on the love for the Household of Muhammad (s), he shall receive glad tidings of paradise from the Angel of Death, then from [the angels of judgment] Munkar and Nakeer. Indeed, whoever dies on the love for the Household of Muhammad (s), he has died while forgiven. Indeed, whoever dies on the love for the Household of Muhammad (s), God will make angels of the All Merciful be the visitors of his grave. Indeed, whoever dies on the love for the Household of Muhammad (s), two doors from paradise will open into his grave.
Indeed, whoever dies on the hatred for the Household of Muhammad (s), he will come on the Day of Judgment with an inscription on his forehead, ‘Despair of God’s mercy.’ Indeed, whoever dies on the hatred for the Household of Muhammad (s), he will die a disbeliever. Indeed, whoever dies on the hatred for the Household of Muhammad (s), he will never smell the fragrance of paradise.[51]
The Holy Quran says, “Those who believe in [the Prophet (s)], honor him, help him and follow the light that has been sent down with him, they are the felicitous.”[52] What does it mean that the belie
vers should ‘honor’ the Prophet (s)? To honor someone is to express love and admiration for the individual. And if this expression of love and admiration was not valuable, the Holy Quran would not have commanded that it be shown toward the Prophet (s). To celebrate the joyous occasions and commemorate the tragedies of the Prophet (s) and his Household (a) are all forms of honoring them. We conclude that love does have a considerable value unlike the opinion that is preferred by some Muslim scholars.
The Value of Love to the Holy Household
There is a misconception that we must address at this point. Some claim that Twelver Shia heritage teaches its followers to be emotionally charged due to feelings of oppression and persecution. One may reach this conclusion if he sees the rituals of mourning that are more pronounced than the joyous celebrations. Even in the supplications and the Visitations, there is an emphasis on oppression and sorrow. The claim is that the scholars and preachers of the Shia teach every follower of the school of thought to constantly feel that they are oppressed and persecuted.
For example, this is a supplication that the Shia recite every night in Ramadan. They say,
O God, we complain to You for the loss of our Prophet (s) – Your blessings be upon him and his Household (a) – the absence of our leader, the profusion of our enemies, our few numbers, widespread disorder, and the vicissitudes of time amongst us. So send Your blessings upon Muhammad (s) and his Household (a) and help us overcome all this with a victory that You expedite, an injury that You relieve, a triumph that You confirm, a righteous authority that You establish, a mercy that You expand over us, and wellness with which You cover us. By Your mercy, O Most Merciful![53]
This passage teaches the Shia to feel as though they are a group that is oppressed, persecuted, and downtrodden. This could be a very dangerous phenomenon. Social psychologists warn that if someone is conditioned to believe that they are oppressed and downtrodden, they will develop an inferiority complex which would lead to isolation and misanthropy.
Because the large majority of Shia are taught to feel oppressed and persecuted, they develop this inferiority complex. Thus, they become isolated and do not participate in the advancement of their communities. If the opportunity were to arise for them, they would seek retribution for historic injustice and allow this hatred to spill into action.
In debunking this misconception, we offer two comments.
First, it is true that Shia heritage does include these complaints to God for the ills of the world. However, complaining to God does not create an inferiority complex or foster a vengeful spirit. Instead, it teaches the individual to be patient and resilient in the face of trials and tribulations.
When an individual goes through some tough times, who should he complain to? He complains to his Lord because this inspires him to regain his energy and face adversity with renewed vigor. Complaining to God nurtures a spirit of patience, resilience, and vigor and does not nurture a spirit of hate and vengeance. And the best proof of this are the actions of Jacob (a) as relayed in the Holy Quran,
He turned away from them and said, ‘Alas for Joseph!’ His eyes had turned white with grief, and he choked with suppressed agony. They said, ‘By God! You will go on remembering Joseph until you wreck your health or perish.’ He said, ‘I complain of my anguish and grief only to God. I know from God what you do not know.’[54]
Prophet Jacob (a) did not complain to God seeking retribution from his sons. Rather, he looked toward God with certainty that He will give him the patience and the resolve to face the challenges of life.
The same is true with Prophet Muhammad (s). Historical accounts tell us that the Prophet (s) went to Ta’if, east of Mecca, to call its people to God. When they heard his call, the people of the city rushed to him and attacked him. At that moment, he raised his hands to the heavens and said,
O Lord! I complain to you of my weakness and my meekness amongst these people. O Most Merciful! You are the Lord of the downtrodden! You are my Lord, so to whom do you surrender me? To a stranger that will sneer at me? Or to an enemy whom You have given power over me? Yet, if You are not enraged for my sake, I would not mind [any of this].
At that moment Archangel Gabriel came to him and said,
God has heard the words of your people to you and how they answered you. He has sent to you the angel of the mountains so that you may command him as you wish in their matter.
The angel of the mountains added,
O Muhammad (s), I have been sent by God. God has heard the words of your people to you. I am the angel of the mountains. Your Lord has sent me to you so that you may command me as you wish. If you wish I would [strike them with the adjacent mountains].
The Prophet (s) replied, “I pray that God would draw from their loins people who would worship God and not associate anything with Him.”[55]
The Prophet’s (s) protestations to God became a cause for hope and optimism, and not a cause for vengeance and pessimism.
When we Twelver Shia complain to God of the abundance of our enemies and our few numbers, this is a source of strength not of pessimism. It is not a way to foster a vengeful spirit. Rather, it fosters a determination to move forward despite adversity.
Second, no one can ask the Shia to forget the long history of oppression and persecution that we have faced, especially under Umayyad and Abbasid reigns. It is only natural that the Twelver heritage emphasizes this sorrow. In fact, there is a verse of poetry attributed to Imam Sajjad (a) that says, “Mankind are joyous for their holidays, but our holidays are our commemorations.”[56]
There are also traditions that instill this sorrow in our character, such as one attributed to Imam Rida (a) –
Whoever remembers our tragedies and cries for what was done to us, he will be at our level on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever remembers our tragedies, cries, and makes others to cry, he shall not cry on the day when all eyes will cry. Whoever sits in a gathering where our issue is remembered, his heart will not die on the day that all hearts will die.[57]
Is the goal of this sorrow and grief the promotion of hatred towards the followers of other Islamic schools of thought? Is it an incitement for the Shia to react with vengeance against other Islamic sects?
That is absolutely not the case. Rather, the heritage of grief and sorrow – which extends from the time of Imam Ali (a) up until, now, in the time of the Awaited Imam (a) – is meant to teach the Shia that they must reject tyranny, injustice, and corruption. Our Imams (a) did not mention these narrations frivolously. They did teach us to be sorrowful, remorseful, and passionate. If one were to survey all the traditions of the Twelver Shia, they would not find even one passage or any accurate narrations that incites hatred, animosity, or vengefulness towards the rest of the Muslim nation.
In fact, we read in the narration attributed to Imam Sadiq (a),
I advise you to be wary of God, reverent in your faith, vigorous in God’s way, truthful in speech, trustworthy with what is entrusted to you, extensive in your prostrations, and good to your neighbors. This is the message of Muhammad (s). Keep the trust of whoever entrusts you, whether he is righteous or wicked, as the Messenger of God (s) would command keeping the trust whether it was a thread or a sewn garment. Associate with their tribes, attend their funerals, attend to their ill, and safeguard their rights. Indeed, if an individual was reverent in faith and honest in speech, kept the trust, and had an upright character amongst people, they would say, “He is Jafari.” That would please me and I would be gladdened by him. They would say, “these are the ethics of Jafar (a)…”[58]
Such narrations command us to treat all Muslims as our brothers, regardless of sect or school of thought.
Our Relationship with the Awaited Imam
There was once an article published that spoke of our emotional connection with the Awaited Imam (a). It said that whoever reads Dua Al-Nudba – a well-known supplication amongst the Shia – would see that this supplication and its likes teach the Shia to be preoccupied with emotions a
nd sorrow and disregard values and principles. The article said that indulgence in grief is principally a reprehensible mode of behavior. This excerpt from the supplication was exhibited as proof for the article’s claims,
Until when must I [search and] remain baffled at [not finding] you, Master, until when? [With] what words must I cry out and what must I whisper [to ask God] about you [so that He hastens your return]? It pains me that I receive every answer except [news of] you [returning], and I am [merely] consoled [for your continued absence. It pains me that I should cry for you while [most of] humanity deserts you. It pains me that you should be afflicted with such hardships rather than they [who caused you these hardships by deserting you]. Is there anyone who will help me to prolong my sobs and cries [for you]? Is there anyone overwhelmed with grief in whose grief I may share when he finds himself alone? Is there anyone whose eyes cannot bear his grief so that my eyes may come to their aid [to relieve them of some of their burden]?[59]
Therefore, it would seem that these supplications teach the Shia that grief is given a high priority, and other values are not emphasized.
Again, this is a mistaken view.
First, we were not commanded by God to simply love the Prophet (s) and his Household (a), but to show passionate affection toward them – “I do not ask you any reward for it except the love of [my] relatives.”[60] “Love” in this verse is translated from the Arabic mawadda, which connotes not only love but an active expression of that love.
All Muslim sects love the Household of the Prophet (s), but that is not enough. What the Holy Quran asks for is an active expression of that love. The recitation of supplications like Dua Al-Nudba is a form of active expression of love for the Prophet (s) and his Family (a). It teaches us to always feel the presence of the Imam (a), knowing that he lives amongst us. It teaches us to acknowledge that he is amongst us and that he knows us and our faults and struggles. Even though he is in a state of occultation, he hears our pleas and prayers.This supplication teaches us to actively express our love for him as we are commanded in the Holy Quran.
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