As in previous years, on the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), a large gathering of religious groups from Iran and other countries assembled on Thursday, at the residence of the Supreme Marja of the Shi’a world, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadeq Hosseini Shirazi (may his shadow remain), in the holy city of Qom to listen to his guidance.
He began by expressing his deep condolences on the painful martyrdom of the noble Messenger of Islam (peace be upon him and his family), his eldest grandson Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (peace be upon him), and Imam Reza (peace be upon him), to the sacred presence of Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) and to all followers and mourners of this pure family.
He said: “I thank all those who, during the two months of Muharram and Safar, especially during the days of Arbaeen, across various parts of the world—in Islamic and non-Islamic countries—particularly those who served to hold the sacred rituals of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) in Karbala to the best of their ability. I pray that this great success and service to the institution of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) remains continuous and enduring for themselves and their generations.”
He continued: “At the beginning of Islam, God Almighty, in a verse addressed to the Prophet, commanded: ‘And warn your closest relatives’ (Surah Ash-Shu‘ara, 26:214). Following this command, the Prophet prepared a meal and invited his relatives, most of whom were idolaters. It is reported in numerous commentaries, hadiths, and histories that the Prophet said to his guests: ‘I have come to you with the best of this world and the Hereafter’.”
Thus, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) began delivering his message, but was met with ridicule by those present at that very gathering.
In this statement, the Prophet’s meaning of the “good of the Hereafter” was to be safe from fear and terror of the Day of Judgment, to find comfort in the Barzakh (interim realm between death and resurrection), and ultimately to be under the shelter of Muhammad and his pure family (peace be upon them). The “good of this world” referred to being free from all economic, political, social, familial, and livelihood difficulties, and for everyone to enjoy comfort and well-being in society.
Of course, during the brief period the Prophet resided in Mecca, due to the severe pressure and persecution from the polytheists, he and the Muslims were living in hardship and thus did not possess great power or wealth. Moreover, God’s will was not for miracles to occur at that time, since miracles serve only to complete the proof, not to be used anywhere and anytime. Furthermore, God’s plan is to test people, and that period was a time of trial for the people to be tested.
It was only after the Prophet’s migration to Medina that he gained power, and as the head of the government, whatever he said, did, or approved became the law of true Islam.
The Supreme Marja further said: “I advise everyone to study the history and conduct of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) in Medina, whether through transmitted narrations, writings of opponents of the Ahl al-Bayt, or records of non-Muslims, so that they become fully acquainted and informed about his governance and the condition of the people.”
I say with certainty that the "good of this world" mentioned in the words of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) is unparalleled throughout all history until today. If we examine the countries of the world, whether Islamic or non-Islamic, no country has provided the "good of this world" in the way that the Prophet of God (peace be upon him and his family) promised and practiced for its people and nation. Even if one refers to modern media, they will not be able to introduce a government similar to the government of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) and his conduct with the people. The only government that aligned with and resembled the government of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) was the government of Amir al-Mu'minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).
It should be clear that from the very beginning, the Holy Quran referred to Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) as the "self" (or "soul") of the Prophet, as in the verse of Mubahala, where God Almighty instructed the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to say: "...and our own selves" (wa anfusana).
Keep in mind that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) was the master and lord of Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (peace be upon him), and the Master of the God-fearing (Ali himself) said: "I am a servant among the servants of Muhammad." However, despite this description, his style of governance was exactly the same as the governance method of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family).
In this regard, consult historical sources from the past and present about the biography and conduct of that Merciful Messenger, as well as the spoken and written media.
Here, I briefly mention a very, very important statement—equivalent to an encyclopedia in significance—which is this: When, by the order of Marwan, Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) was to be killed in the city of Medina in the house of the governor appointed by Yazid, the Imam left Medina and headed towards the honored city of Mecca, then moved towards Karbala. This period lasted six months until the day of Ashura.
Before leaving Medina, Imam Husayn wrote a will in which he said: "I want to follow the path of my grandfather and my father, Ali ibn Abi Talib."
This was while, for twenty years prior to that day, insults and curses against Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (peace be upon him) were recited from tens of thousands of Friday prayer pulpits in every city and village. It has been recorded that the number of such pulpits used for cursing Amir al-Mu'minin reached seventy thousand.
That group and their lineage did not hide their enmity toward Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him). On the day of Ashura, they said to Imam Husayn (peace be upon him):
"We fight you out of hatred for your father, and we hold enmity in our hearts against him."
Ayatollah al-Uzma Shirazi (may his presence be honored) explained this by saying:
Truly, why did Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) say that he wanted to follow the path of his grandfather and father? It should be said that his intention was that both (the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, and Amir al-Mu'minin Ali, peace be upon him) are one and the same essence — “Anfusna” — as the Holy Quran has explicitly stated. The people of that time were Muslims and accepted the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and acknowledged his prophethood in their calls to prayer (adhan), yet Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) insisted that the name of his noble father be mentioned alongside the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), given that the two are one soul and being.
From this short statement come hundreds of lessons, including the declaration of the oneness of these two noble figures and the unity of their path and method — matters that Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) pursued and had as part of his program.
He continued:
It is incumbent upon everyone in every corner of this world to study and research to see and know how the trustworthy Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) fulfilled his first promise regarding the realization of the "good of this world and the hereafter." Certainly, none of the promised economic, social, political, agricultural, or other achievements that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) pledged exist today. For example, in the economic sphere, a brief glance at newspapers and other media shows that tens of thousands of people die daily from hunger.
It should be clear that unlike thirst, which a person can endure for at most 2-3 days, hunger is different; a person can survive a month or so without food, but the hardships and sufferings endured during this time are immense until death finally comes.
In contrast, during the government of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), there is not even one recorded case of death due to hunger. Truly, who currently manages the global economy, and what kind of economy is it where tens of thousands of people die from hunger every day? Surely, in such an economy, the "good of this world" cannot be found; rather, only the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) was the pioneer of the "good of this world" for the people, and following him, Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (peace be upon him) provided such blessings for the people.
Here, as an example, it must be said that everyone, wherever they may be, has the religious duty—and it is a collective obligation that, if no one undertakes it, becomes an individual obligation—to seek understanding of this matter and convey it to others.
During the time of the government of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) and Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), no one remained alone or unemployed due to poverty or lack of financial means. This was despite the fact that during the ten years of the Prophet’s governance, numerous wars were imposed upon him; internally, hypocrites caused trouble and even conspired to kill him, spying against him and aiding the enemies. These instances were not isolated; as historical sources agree, the Prophet did not die a natural death but was killed, and the Holy Quran alludes to this matter in the verse:
"Then if he dies or is killed..." (Al-Imran 3:144).
His Eminence continued:
Despite all these details, during the government of these two noble figures, not a single person remained in poverty. Unfortunately, a few years ago, a newspaper published in one of the Islamic countries reported that eighty percent of the people in that country live below the poverty line. Can such a country truly be called Islamic?
An economy under which tens of thousands of people die daily from hunger is not an economy and brings no good at all. All the "good of this world" was found in the economy during the time of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) and his rightful successor, Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him). In that era full of justice and blessing, there were homeless and poor people, but it was not destined that they live in poverty and helplessness forever. Neither girls nor boys were deprived of marriage due to hardship.
It is noteworthy that the poor people of Medina were mostly those who had been expelled from Mecca or had fled the persecution and torture of the polytheists and sought refuge in Medina. The highest estimates place their number at about four hundred. These people, known as the "Ashab al-Suffa" (the People of the Bench), were settled in a corner of the mosque and each of them gradually found work and order in Medina through the help of the Muslims.
The Messenger of Mercy and his family would overlook their own needs in order to meet the needs of the poor, orphans, and prisoners, as Allah Almighty says about this:
"And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive." (Surah Al-Insan, 8)
It is clear that those who struck at the door of Divine mercy, like others, eventually became self-sufficient.
The essence of the matter is that in the era of those great figures, no one remained unemployed, homeless, and poor until the end of their life — everyone was taken care of. This is a healthy economy, not capitalism, socialism, or any other system. This is what is meant by the "good of this world" that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) spoke of.
Regarding social affairs, I point to the example of youth marriages so that not only Muslims but the entire world may learn from our Prophet and seek the "good of this world and the hereafter." During his government and that of his cousin (Imam Ali), there was not a single young man or woman who reached the age of marriage and was unable to marry. But now, what do we see and hear around us? How many young girls and boys need to marry but cannot due to poverty? Where will these youth be led and what fate awaits them? Either, God forbid, they fall into sin and corruption and thus cause societal decay, or they endure mental and emotional pressure from not marrying, leading to various illnesses, which again harms the Islamic society.
I read in a newspaper from one Islamic city that four thousand young girls spend the nights on the streets. Are these girls not Muslims? Are they not human beings? Shouldn't help be provided to these young girls to rescue them from this situation? What will happen to society if these four thousand young girls fall into corruption? How did the Prophet eliminate such disgraceful and shameful statistics from his government? Everyone has heard from preachers and scholars or read in books how the Prophet and Amir al-Mu'minin organized the lives of young men and women and facilitated their marriages.
History records many instances where the Prophet spoke to young men and women and encouraged them to marry. It is narrated that some young men and women from among the companions’ children were unmarried. The Prophet spoke to them and gained their consent to marry. The young man had nothing to give as dowry. The Prophet instructed him to go and prepare something. After some time, the young man returned with a piece of metal. The Prophet fashioned it into a ring without any precious stone and set it as the girl's dowry. After the marriage contract was pronounced by the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), the couple went to their new home.
Another example is that a young man and woman wished to marry, but the man was penniless and had no worldly possessions. The Prophet said to him, "Do you know any surah (chapter) of the Qur’an?" When the answer was yes, the Prophet asked him to teach the girl some surahs she did not know as the dowry. Thus, the two were married.
Was this not better than having the young man and woman become corrupt or ill? Nowadays, marriages come with many conditions, and fathers, mothers, girls, boys, and society worry. Every marriage is accompanied by thousands of concerns and fears. Unfortunately, the rate of divorce is very high. I read some years ago that in one Islamic country, one in every three marriages ends in divorce before the first year.
Where is the Islamic society heading? Is this the meaning of Islam? It has been written that 65 percent of the marriages held in a wedding hall in one of the cities end in divorce. This is not what the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) had promised. We should pay attention and see who or which parties have designed and arranged these plans for the Muslim community. Why should Muslims surrender to these plots and conspiracies? Everyone has responsibility according to their capacity; all of us are responsible for these problems and must strive to resolve them.
Elders, fathers, and mothers should reduce and, if possible, remove the restrictions and conditions governing the marriage environment, and in this regard, they should only consider the teaching of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) as the standard, who commanded:
“If someone comes to you whose character and religion you are pleased with, then marry (your daughter) to him.”
It should be noted that the audience of this teaching is the fathers and mothers, not the daughters. Moreover, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) did not set wealth, house, business, or heavy dowries as the criteria for marriage, but commanded Muslims to marry their daughters to someone whose ethics and religion they approve of and see as complete.
His Eminence spoke about the corruptions resulting from deviating from the teachings of Islam, the Quran, and the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), saying:
Nowadays, throughout the world—and unfortunately even in Islamic countries—kidnapping of girls occurs; a phenomenon that not even one single case was seen or recorded during the government of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family). It should be clear that the youth of the time of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) were not all like Salman and Abu Dharr; there were also hypocrites and disbelievers among them, yet not even one case of kidnapping girls happened, because there was no need—both young men and women were all married.
That was the economic aspect and this the social aspect. But politically, some try to justify the current situation by saying that today’s world is a world of politics. Yes, but politics have changed, not human nature. God Almighty has endowed humans with different levels of intellect, understanding, and desires, and He says:
“And Allah has preferred some of you over others in provision.” (An-Nahl 16:71)
But amid this, there is the matter of trial and test to which everyone is subject.
He continued: The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), during his ten years of governance, faced various political, economic, and military problems (both internal and external), and despite more than eighty imposed wars, not even one political prisoner is recorded in the history of his government. I announce to the world that if anyone knows of even one case, let them present it.
Today, the situation is completely reversed, and there is no place in the world—whether Western countries, Islamic countries, or others—that does not have political prisoners. They all shout slogans loudly about their so-called freedom. Although the enemies of Islam have written the history of Islam, they have not mentioned a single case of a political prisoner or political killing during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family).
In contrast, during the so-called Islamic government of Muawiyah, according to historical records, he ordered the killing of more than thirty thousand people in one day on political charges. Unfortunately, today’s world is afflicted with such conditions, and people have no peace or security, living constantly in fear and terror—circumstances that also prevailed before Islam.
Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her), in her famous sermon referring to this very situation, said:
“You fear that the people around you will seize you.”
Unfortunately, this state dominates today’s world as well. Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) continued:
“Then Allah saved you by the means of my father, Muhammad.”
In any case, none of what has been mentioned occurred during the government of the Honorable Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family). However, during the rule of the Umayyads and Abbasids—who called themselves Muslims and their rule Islamic—thousands of cases of terrorizing society and disturbing the peace of the people took place, which are well recorded in history.
The Grand Marja then mentioned an example of the tragedies and hardships that existed under these so-called Islamic governments and said:
As an example, one can mention Dibbel al-Khuza’i, a poet whose verses and statements are thoughtful and intellectual, to the extent that he and his ideas are unparalleled in Muslim history. He lived during the times of Harun al-Rashid, his son Al-Amin, another son of Harun named Al-Ma'mun, and during the reign of Al-Mu'tasim al-Abbasi—all of whom claimed to be caliphs and successors of the Messenger of Allah and ruled under this title.
Dibbel was constantly living in fear of being killed by the agents of these self-proclaimed caliphs, and he expressed this with a phrase that supporters of Harun and Ma’mun have reported. He said:
“For forty years I have carried my own gallows on my shoulders.”
Dibbel’s statement clearly shows that for forty years he lived in fear, anxiety, and terror of execution—not because of any crime he had committed, but because of political reasons and his criticism of the caliphate. No one among the contemporaries of the government of the Prophet of God (peace be upon him and his family), nor during the rule of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), whether Muslim or non-Muslim, believer or hypocrite, ever uttered such a sentence or had it recorded anywhere.
During the vast government of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), which extended from Europe to Africa and included about fifty modern countries, is there any claim that someone was ever afraid of the ruler and spent a sleepless night? This is the “good of this world and the hereafter” that became manifest through these two great leaders’ Islamic government. Today, rulers of both Islamic and non-Islamic countries should learn from these two great men.
Grand Ayatollah Shirazi (may his status be exalted) recounted a memory from the past: About sixty years ago, when Abdul Karim Qasim came to power through a military coup, he established the ministerial post of “Land Reform,” which did not exist before, and spent millions of the nation’s money on this matter.
There was a university professor named Dr. Abdul Sahib Alwan who was appointed by Abdul Karim Qasim to this position. He wrote a thick, extensive book on the benefits of land reforms, which was entirely full of misguidance.
In contrast, a young 21-year-old seminary student (referring to the Grand Marja himself) wrote a small book entitled Land Reform in Islam, in which he referred to the words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and wrote that the Prophet said four words on this matter:
“The land belongs to God and to the one who cultivates it.”
The aforementioned minister stood firmly against this forty-to-fifty-page book, and in an angry and aggressive reaction, issued a decree forbidding the printing, publication, purchase, and possession of the book Land Reform in Islam written by so-and-so (Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq Hosseini Shirazi), with legal punishment for violation. This order was also published in the newspapers of that time.
He added: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) came so that logic would prevail and speech would be met with speech, not so that punishment would be imposed for speaking out. We have read and you have read and heard that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) responded to false accusations against himself with words, not with branding, torture, or intimidation. This was one of the innovations of the Prophet of Islam—that the response to speech and words was speech and words, not punishment or retribution. He did not even punish those who lied about him. As he said:
“Many have lied against me.”
Yet, the Prophet did not punish anyone for lying about him. Is this not the “good of this world”?
A historical example related to land reform from long ago is worth mentioning. Historians from a thousand years ago or more, such as Estakhri, wrote:
“Egypt has 36 million feddans of land, of which 30 million feddans are under cultivation.”
Presumably, the remaining six million were residential areas. Whatever the case, this is in line with the statement of the Prophet, who said:
“The land belongs to God and to the one who cultivates it.”
It is astonishing that in our time it has been written:
“Egypt has six million feddans of land under cultivation,”
and this despite advancements in agricultural technology—something that was not even one-thousandth available over a thousand years ago.
The Grand Ayatollah further stated: During the time of Gamal Abdel Nasser, under his orders, a dam was constructed called “The High Dam” which had significant global impact. Hundreds of millions of capital were spent on it. In the news about this project, I read that: by the blessing of this dam, Egypt’s agricultural land increased from six million feddans to a little over seven million feddans.
The old name of Iraq was “Ard al-Sawad” (the Land of the Blacks) because all of Iraq was lush and cultivated, and therefore it was called by this name. According to the records, in Iraq (exaggeratedly) there was not even an inch of uncultivated land.
Naturally, with the growth of agriculture and cultivated lands, many problems such as unemployment, diseases, air pollution, and so forth will be resolved, and clean air, employment, and health will take their place.
What was mentioned about the progress and expansion of cultivation is the outcome of the “good of this world” that the honorable Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) spoke of. At that time, everyone was engaged in work and business, so there was not even a single poor person.
We, as Muslims—especially Muslims living in non-Islamic countries—must all demonstrate true Islam and its benefits to a world full of problems and disorder.
He (the Grand Ayatollah) spoke about the responsibilities in the face of global problems, saying: Although solving all problems is beyond the capacity of one or even a few people, every individual can make an impact with a phrase, a sentence, or a powerful speech. Of course, the officials of Islamic countries, scholars, seminary students, and intellectuals have a very heavy and important responsibility: to introduce to the world the phrase “جئتكم بخير الدنيا والآخرة” (“I have come to you with the best of this world and the hereafter”) and to remind everyone that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) fulfilled His promise regarding the “good of this world.”
Although the Prophet is no longer among us, the laws He established and His teachings remain—those which embody the “good of this world,” such as “الأرض لله ولمن عمّرها” (“The earth belongs to God and to those who cultivate it”) and the teaching “إذا جاءكم من ترضون خلقه ودينه فزوجوه” (“If someone comes to you whose character and religion you approve, marry him/her off”).
Grand Ayatollah Shirazi then related a story from the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) about how the Prophet dealt with a spy. He said: The Prophet was in one of the worst and most difficult situations. A man named Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah was spying against Him. He was caught and brought before the Prophet, but the Prophet did not imprison him or deprive him of his social rights. This behavior reflects true wisdom and rationality. Based on this example, the jurisprudential texts of both Shi’a and Sunni scholars have issued rulings.
The world must learn from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), and certainly Muslims and Islamic governments should follow Him before others and adhere firmly to His teachings, knowing how He realized the “good of this world.”
Let us always remember the saying of Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him):
“Allah, Allah in the Qur’an; do not let others precede you in acting upon it.”
All of us Muslims are addressed by this statement, and we must never allow non-Muslims to act upon the Qur’an while we lag behind and forget our duties and responsibilities in this regard.
The essence is that every social, economic, political, and familial advancement is the result of the blessing of the “good of this world” brought by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), and every disorder and problem is due to turning away from it and deviating from the path of the Prophet and his pure family.
Those who have served in any way during the two months of Muharram and Safar, God willing, should continue their efforts throughout the year and act in accordance with what the infallible Imams (peace be upon them) have desired and expressed, where they said:
“Our Shia are created from the residue of our clay; they rejoice in our joy and grieve in our sorrow.”
God willing, in times of happiness of the pure family of the Prophet, we celebrate, and in times of their mourning, we grieve, striving to remain within this framework—the “good of this world”—and invite others to it.
Peace and blessings be upon Muhammad and his pure family.
