67. A Strange Calculation
Late Aga Mirza Mahdi Khalusi (r.a.), whose companionship was bestowed to me for around twenty years, narrated:
During the period of the pious scholar, Aga Mirza Muhammad Husayn Yazdi, who passed away on 28th Rabi ul-Awwal 1360 A.H., a magnificent celebration was held, in which traders, who posed to be religious and pious, also participated. Different sinful entertainments were provided in it, including songs and music.
People described that program to late Mirza, who became extremely uncomfortable. On Friday, he mounted the pulpit after Asr Prayers in Masjid Wakil, wept a great deal, then after stating some words of good counsel, said:
O traders (Tujjar), who have become sinners (Fujjar). You were of those who walk abreast scholars and spiritual persons, but now you have attended a sinful program, in which divinely prohibited acts were committed openly; and instead of restraining, you took part in it? You have shattered my heart. You have set fire to my feelings and you are responsible for my death.
After that he dismounted and went home. When he did not appear for the evening prayers, we went to his house and inquired about him. We came to know that he was unwell. His fever worsened by the day. So much so that physicians admitted helplessness and said that he needed a change of climate.
Thus, he was taken to Salari Garden near Dar us-Salam cemetery. At that time a person from India had arrived in Shiraz. Regarding whom it became famous that he was perfectly honest in his dealings and whatever he predicts definitely happens. By chance he passed before our shop one day. My father (Late Abd ul-Wahab) said: Call him, so that I may ask him about Mirza.
I brought that Indian into the shop. My father, in order to keep the name of Mirza confidential, said: I have some trade goods. I want to know if any danger or hardship is going to occur regarding it; and whether it would remain safe till the end. Please tell me about it through Jafr or Ramal1 or whatever means you have and I will pay your charges. Though he said this, but made an intention if the Mirza would recover from that illness or not. That Indian made a long calculation and remained quiet and astonished.
My father said: Please tell me if you are able to understand; otherwise don't waste your and my time. You can go wherever you like.
He said: My calculation is all right and there is no mistake in it. but you have confused me, because your intention is different from that, which you asked about.
My father asked: But what have I intended? He replied: At this time. the most pious person on the earth is unwell and you want to know what his end would be. I can tell you that he is not going to recover and he will die in six months.
My father expressed displeasure and stoutly denied that; so that the secret is not revealed. He gave him some money and bid farewell, but after six months the Mirza passed away from the world.
Enjoining Good And Forbidding Evil
Along with this story, we would like to mention a few points here as well. The first is that among the divine obligatory duties, the great obligatory duty regarding which, there is strong emphasis in the Holy Qur’an and traditions and severe condemnation and warning against leaving it and not acting on which, is a greater sin, is enjoining good and forbidding evil. It is explained in detail in the book of Greater Sins.2
The first stage of forbidding evil is denying by the heart and mind in such a way that the signs of that denial should become apparent. It is obligatory on every Muslim that when he sees anyone involved in an unlawful act, he should not be satisfied with it. Instead, he should consider it bad from his heart, and that also in such a way that his mental distaste should be clearly visible.
When he comes face to face with one who has committed that unlawful act, he should not meet him with a smile. On the contrary, he should behave with him in a caustic manner. In other words, the signs of mental denial should be seen in actions and body language of man. As much strong the faith of a person is, and as much his spirituality is, his denial would be in accordance to the intensity of the sin.
The faith of Late Mirza was extremely strong. His blessed soul was extremely subtle and his illuminated heart was extremely soft and sentimental to such an extent that in those days its equal was rare, as the Indian person, through his calculation had understood this reality. Thus, when he heard that some people who were apparently well behaved and pious, had committed unlawful acts, he could not bear it and he fell ill. So much so that at last he passed away from this temporal abode and left the company of sinners and joined the righteous servants.
It is also necessary to mention that there were two causes why this gentleman was so affected: One was open transgression and blatant sin, due to which the sin becomes light and easy in the view of others and their daring increases.
Secondly was the apparent piety of those traders. It is so, because those who are apparently pious, in the first stage are scholars and sermonizers who guide the public; secondly are those attached to scholars and who attend daily congregational prayers and adopt other religious signs and follow matters of faith. If they commit a sin, it is definitely due to common people's weakness of faith, lightness of laws of religion and daring of other people on sin. This is explained in detail in Greater Sins3 that the sin of apparently righteous persons is of the category of greater sin.
Moreover, the knowledge of unseen of that Indian or other people and finding of secret matters, do not prove their being on truth, or correctness of their belief or religion or their proximity to the court of Allah, because it is possible that his powers of finding the unseen may have become possible by learning it from an expert or by adopting a life of extreme penance to purify the self. While in fact he might be involved in wrong beliefs and practices and may even be having inclination to satanic rituals.
Although regarding knowledge of pious scholars about unseen matters and traditional reports, which are present about the news of unseen, it is necessary to know that they were not something, which one learns. On the contrary, they were divine gifts and divine words. If someone asks: How is it possible to discriminate between truth and falsehood? We would say that persons of intellect understand from the acts and speech of man, whether he is spiritual or satanic and the qualities he is having, whether they are divine gifts or a result of learning and practice?
Secondly, if someone claims spirituality and through his special expertise wants to deceive the public, the Almighty Allah would definitely expose him. And according to the rule of grace and blessings, it is impossible that Allah should not display His proof and leave people in deviation.
If those who have learnt such sciences try to deviate people from religion, the Almighty Allah makes truth evident as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an:
بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَاطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ
"Nay! We cast the truth against the falsehood, so that it breaks its head, and lo! it vanishes." (Surah al-Anbiyaa 21:18).
A study of books of traditions and science of narrators informs us that from the time of the advent of Islam till the third century A.H. the Almighty Allah through the Holy Imams ('a) had always made the truth triumphant and exposed falsehood. Thus, in the remaining centuries also, till the present time, whenever a claimant of some falsehood appeared, the Almighty Allah clarified his invalidity through scholars of religion and supporters of the holy law of Islam and numerous examples of this matter are there, but it is beyond the scope of this book to mention them.
Here we will only relate one story. It is mentioned in the book of Asraarush Shahadat of Darbandi and book of Qasas ul-Ulama of Tankabani that during the reign of Shah Abbas, the British King sent a person from Britain to Iran and wrote to Shah Safavi:
Tell the scholars of your religion to debate with this messenger of mine. If they can defeat him, we will also adopt your faith, and if he defeats them, you will have to join our religion.
The extraordinary expertise of that messenger was that if a person held something in his fist, he was able to say what it is exactly. Thus, the king summoned the scholars, their chief being Mulla Mohsin Faiz. Mulla Mohsin asked the European envoy: Did your king not have any scholar that he sent a commoner and an ignorant to debate with scholars of community?
The envoy said: You cannot escape from me. Take up something in your hand and I will tell what it is. Mulla Mohsin took a rosary of the clay from the grave of Imam Husayn (‘a) and concealed it in his fist. The envoy fell deep into contemplation and considered the matter much.
Why have you become helpless? asked the Late Faiz. He replied: I have not become helpless, but according to my calculations, you are holding the dust of Paradise, and I am wondering how you managed to get it?
Mulla Mohsin said: You are right. I am really holding the dust of Paradise, and it is a rosary made from the pure clay of the son of our Prophet. And he is our Imam. Our Prophet said: Karbala [place of burial of Imam Husayn ('a)] is a part of Paradise and you have testified to the veracity of our Prophet, because you said that your method is failsafe.
Also you have accepted the truth of our Prophet in his claim of prophethood, because no one, except the Almighty knows about it and except for His Prophet no other person conveys it to the people. Moreover, the son of our Prophet is buried in this land.
Thus, if the Prophet of Islam (S) had not been a rightful prophet, a person born in his progeny and a follower of his religion, would not have been in Paradise.
When that Christian observed this and heard the absolute argument, he embraced Islam.
