Doctrine of Election in Shi`a Islam
Edited by: Engineer Afsaneh Cooper
Sayings of Imam Husayn (a.s.) about Guidance O’ Tabit (a Muslim man)! What concern have you got with the people? Leave them alone and call no one towards your matter (over-zealously). I swear by Allah that if all the people of the heavens and the earth join hands in guiding a person who Allah decides to leave in misguidance, then, they all are powerless to give him guidance. Contrarily, if all the people of the heavens and the earth join hands in misguiding a person whom Allah wants to guide, then, they all are powerless to misguide him. Hands off the people and no one among you should say, `He is my uncle, my brother, my cousin and my neighbour (so, I must guide him because of my kinship with him, since none has any power to guide except by the will of Allah).
Verily, when Allah means well by a person, He purifies his soul. Then he listens to no good but that he recognises (accepts) it and listens to no evil but that he rejects it. At this stage Allah puts into his heart such words (of wisdom) that all his affairs are put right.’
Verily when Allah, the Almighty, the Great, wishes well of a person, He leaves in his heart a luminous speck and flings wide open the ears of his heart and posts an angel as his guardian to direct him (towards the right path). And when Allah wishes ill of a person He leaves in his heart a dark speck and renders the ears of his heart duly closed and posts a Satan as his guardian on him to lead him astray. Then the Imam recited this verse (from the Qur’an)
6:125 “Whomsoever Allah desires to guide him aright, He expands his breasts to Islam; and whomsoever, He desires to lead him astray, He makes his breast narrow, tight, as if he were climbing to heaven.”
Call people to your religion for the sake of Allah and not for the sake of people. Since whatever has been done for the sake of Allah is for Allah, and whatever is done for the sake of people’s (pleasure and applause) never ascends towards Allah. Never quarrel with people for your religion, since such quarrel impairs the hearts. Verily, Allah, the Sublime, has told His Prophet (In the Qur’an),
28:56 “surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases, and he knows best the followers of the right way.”
And Allah has also said,
10:99 “.... will you then force men till they become believers?”
Leave the people alone since people have received their religion from other people, whereas you have received your religion from the Messenger of Allah (himself - peace be upon him and his progeny). I have heard my father saying,
verily, when Allah, the Almighty, the Great, decrees a person to embrace this matter, he flies to it faster than the bird which flies towards its nest`’
Edited by: Engineer Afsaneh Cooper
Sayings of Imam Husayn (a.s.) about Guidance O’ Tabit (a Muslim man)! What concern have you got with the people? Leave them alone and call no one towards your matter (over-zealously). I swear by Allah that if all the people of the heavens and the earth join hands in guiding a person who Allah decides to leave in misguidance, then, they all are powerless to give him guidance. Contrarily, if all the people of the heavens and the earth join hands in misguiding a person whom Allah wants to guide, then, they all are powerless to misguide him. Hands off the people and no one among you should say, `He is my uncle, my brother, my cousin and my neighbour (so, I must guide him because of my kinship with him, since none has any power to guide except by the will of Allah).
Verily, when Allah means well by a person, He purifies his soul. Then he listens to no good but that he recognises (accepts) it and listens to no evil but that he rejects it. At this stage Allah puts into his heart such words (of wisdom) that all his affairs are put right.’
Verily when Allah, the Almighty, the Great, wishes well of a person, He leaves in his heart a luminous speck and flings wide open the ears of his heart and posts an angel as his guardian to direct him (towards the right path). And when Allah wishes ill of a person He leaves in his heart a dark speck and renders the ears of his heart duly closed and posts a Satan as his guardian on him to lead him astray. Then the Imam recited this verse (from the Qur’an)
6:125 “Whomsoever Allah desires to guide him aright, He expands his breasts to Islam; and whomsoever, He desires to lead him astray, He makes his breast narrow, tight, as if he were climbing to heaven.”
Call people to your religion for the sake of Allah and not for the sake of people. Since whatever has been done for the sake of Allah is for Allah, and whatever is done for the sake of people’s (pleasure and applause) never ascends towards Allah. Never quarrel with people for your religion, since such quarrel impairs the hearts. Verily, Allah, the Sublime, has told His Prophet (In the Qur’an),
28:56 “surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases, and he knows best the followers of the right way.”
And Allah has also said,
10:99 “.... will you then force men till they become believers?”
Leave the people alone since people have received their religion from other people, whereas you have received your religion from the Messenger of Allah (himself - peace be upon him and his progeny). I have heard my father saying,
verily, when Allah, the Almighty, the Great, decrees a person to embrace this matter, he flies to it faster than the bird which flies towards its nest`’
