Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 17
Malfuzat - Volume I Prophets which can also be proven. Allah the Exalted has stated: نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَؤُكُمْ فِي الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ 17 This means, We are the friends of those who are righteous, both in this world and in the next. As such, this verse refutes the notion of those foolish people who deny the descent of angels in this life. If angels only descend when man is to depart from this world, how is God Almighty a friend in this life? A Righteous One Beholds the Hereafter in the Present Life So, one bounty that the saints are blessed with is that they see the angels of God. The life of the hereafter is based completely on faith. However, a righteous person beholds the hereafter in the present life. It is in this very life that they find and witness God, and He speaks with them. So if a person is not blessed with such a state of affairs, his death and passing on from this world is not a promising prospect. A certain saint is reported to have said that a person who has not been blessed to experience even one true dream all their life is to be met with a perilous end. The Quran also says that this is the hallmark of a believer. Take heed! One who does not possess this sign is bereft of righteousness. So, we all ought to pray that this condition is fulfilled in us. May Allah the Exalted bless us with the grace of revelation, dreams and visions. For these are characteristic of a believer, and thus, should exist in us. There are many other blessings that are also conferred upon a righteous person. For example, at the beginning of the Quran, in Surah Fatihah, Allah Almighty instructs the believers to supplicate: اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ Meaning, show us the straight path of those upon whom thou hast bestowed thy favour and bounty. This prayer has been taught so that human beings develop a high resolve and understand the will of their Creator. God does not desire to see the people of this community live their lives like beasts, but rather, He wishes to see all the veils that obstruct their path to be removed. The Shias believe that the institution of sainthood (walayat) ended after the twelve Imams. Contrary to this, however, the prayer just mentioned demonstrates that God has decided Ha Mim As-Sajdah, 41:32 al-Fatihah, 1:6-7