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A Brief Analysis of Ne’mat (Bounty) in the Holy Quran
By: Jerrmein Abu Shahba
Praise be to Allah Who is Manifest before His creation because of themselves. Who is apparent to their hearts because of clear proof; Who created without meditating, since meditating does not befit except one who has thinking organs while He has no thinking organ in Himself. Praise is due to Allah whose worth cannot be described by speakers, whose bounties cannot be counted by calculators, whom the height of intellectual courage cannot appreciate. He for whose description no limit has been laid down, no eulogy exists, no time is ordained and no duration is fixed.
Our goal in this discourse is to better understand a certain reality which we as humans as well as other creatures enjoy everyday of our lives in different ways and forms, though we may be aloof of its importance and significance. We will attempt to analyze the Arabic word äÚãÉ / Ne’mat and its derivatives which are used frequently in the Holy Quran, so that we can better appreciate this concept and thereby give more appropriate thanks to our Lord to the best of our ability even though we will forever be indebted for His endless blessings.
There is no one word which perfectly conveys the meaning of Ne’mat in English, however the common words used interchangeably are bounty, blessing, favour, grace, or mercy. The general meaning of Ne’mat in the people's eyes is every good, enjoyment, happiness, and desired thing. Ne’mat can be relative since one Ne’mat can stand as pleasure to one person yet pain to another. Another word that is used interchangeably with the term Ne’mat is ÝÖá / Fadl. It is from the divine attributes that the Almighty Creator is the ãõäÚöã / Mun'em and ãõÝÖöá / Mufdel who generously showers His bounties, blessings, and favors upon all His creation.
Ne’mat (Bounty) versus Neqmat (Calamity)
One way to understand a word or concept is to comprehend it's opposite meaning. For example, if we'd like to understand what is light, we need to understand what darkness is. And if we desire to comprehend the meaning of heat, then we need to experience what cold is. Likewise, we can better understand the significance of Ne’mat by understanding what Neqmat / calamity is.
By definition, Neqmat means calamity, indignation, retaliation, or misfortune. Neqmat could affect us as a result of our unjust actions to ourselves or to others and the presence of Neqmat is equivalent to the absence of Ne’mat. Hence, we beseech Allah (SWT) at the end of Dua Kumail and call out to him "íÇ ÓÇÈÛ ÇáäöÚóã íÇ ÏÇÝÚ ÇáäöÞóã..."You who perfects all bounties and who wards off all misfortunes!
We acknowledge that Allah (SWT) is the one who blesses us with bounties and He (SWT) is also capable of preventing calamities from reaching us. In the beginning of this beautiful supplication, we seek the forgiveness of Allah (SWT) from different types of sins. Among the categories of sins that are highlighted are the sins that change or reverse the Ne'am (bounties). So we implore our Lord and pray, "Çááåã ÅÛÝÑ áí ÇáÐäæÈ ÇáÊí ÊõÛíøöÑ ÇáäöÚóã" Oh Allah! Forgive me those sins that change divine blessings.
Committing certain sins alter Allah's blessings for human being and replaces them with calamities and adversities. As cited in the Commentary of Kumail Supplication according to Imam Al Sajjad (AS), one of these sins is being ungrateful and unthankful. True happiness is to enjoy bounties without calamities and the reversal of divine favours into disfavours is in essence the existence of Neqmat (calamity).
It's important to note that even though a Neqmat which Allah (SWT) is capable of bringing forth has no limit, the mercy which He (SWT) possesses is enough to drown the most severe types of Neqmat, as expressed in the prayer recited on Saturdays,
 æÇÊÓÚÊ ÑÍãÊß Ýí ÔÏÉ äöÞãÊß æÇÔÊÏÊ äÞãÊß Ýí ÓÚÉ ÑÍãÊß 
Your mercy is widespread even in the most toughest of Your calamities and Your calamities is severe in the presence of your endless mercy.
It is not the course of the Creator to change or transform the Ne'am (bounties) nor to hasten in bringing about the Neqam (calamities), as we call out Him in the Friday supplication in Saheefa Al Kamela by Imam Zainul Abideen (AS) " íÇ ãä áÇ íõÛíöÑ ÇáäÚãÉ æáÇ íõÈÇÏÑ ÈÇáäÞãÉ" Oh He who changes not favours and rushes not to vengeance!
However, if the bounties we enjoy changes into Neqmat, it is due to our own actions and faults and that's why we pray in Dua Kumail to forgive those sins which changes the bounties.
Manifest (ÙÇåÑ) versus Hidden (ÈÇØä) Bounty
The bounties and blessings of Allah (SWT) can either be of the apparent / Dhahir type which is obvious to us, or it can be of the hidden / Batin type which requires contemplation and reflection on our part to identify and recognize such bounty. We often fail to realize that Ne'am are not only what our senses detect, what our eyes see, or what we feel. Allah (SWT) makes this distinction in the Quran when He says,
æÃÓÈÛ Úáíßã äÚãå ÙÇåÑÉ æÈÇØäÉ
And He has completed and perfected His Graces upon you, both apparent and hidden. [31:20]
Examples of the apparent Ne'am that are related to our senses are what we eat and wear, our shelter, health, appearance, and lawful pleasures of this world. According to Tafseer Bayan Al-Sa'ada fi Maqamaat Al 'Ibadah by Al-Janabedhi, the most honorable of such bounties is one which brings forth the permanent blessings of the Hereafter, related to prophethood, the message, its acceptance by general pledge of allegiance (bay'a), the apparent invitation towards Islam, and the laws of the divine revelation. As for the hidden bounties, examples are knowledge, wisdom, guidance to doing righteous deeds, recognition, the intellect, and also the pleasures and delights of Paradise in the Hereafter.
And the most honorable of such type according to this exegesis is the divinely appointed Wali / guardian and the belief in his Wilayah / guardianship, its acceptance by giving the oath of allegiance to Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), accepting the unseen invitation to Islam and the laws of Wilayah. It is narrated that Imam Al-Baqir (AS) used to say, “The apparent bounty is the Prophet (SA) and the message of Tawheed (Oneness) and Ma'refatullah (recognition of God). As for the hidden Ne’mat, it is our Wilayah (AhlulBayt) and our Mawada (love).”
And according to Imam Al-Kadhem (AS), “The apparent bounty is ÇáÅãÇã ÇáÙÇåÑ (the manifest leader) and the unseen bounty is ÇáÅãÇã ÇáÛÇÆÈ (occulted Imam).” In the words of Imam Ali (AS) as cited in Majma' Al-Bayan fi Tafseer Al Quran by Sheikh Tabarsi, “There are six types of bounties (Ne'am): Islam, Quran, Prophet Muhammad (SA), Satr / protection, 'Afeya / good health, and needlessness of what is in people's hands.”
Who Are The Blessed Ones (ãõäÚöãíä) with the Divine Bounty?
It is a known fact which no creation can deny that the Almighty Creator has blessed all His creation with bounties and sustenance. However, Allah (SWT) speaks to us in the Holy Quran about specific individuals whom He has blessedÃäÚã Çááå Úáíåã with His bounties. He (SWT) identifies “them” to be the prophets from the progenies of Prophet Adam, Nuh, Ibraheem, and Israel (AS) and those who are guided and chosen by Him, as cited in verse 58 of Surat Maryam:
ÃæáÆß ÇáÐíä ÃäÚã Çááå Úáíåã ãä ÇáäÈíøíä ãä ÐÑíÉ ÃÏã æããä ÍãáäÇ ãÚ äæÍ æãä ÐÑíÉ ÅÈÑÇåíã æÅÓÑÇÆíá æããä åÏíäÇ æÇÌÊÈíäÇ...
These are they whom Allah hath favoured, from among the prophets, of the progeny of Adam and of them whom We bare with Nuh, and of the progeny of Ibrahim and Israel, and of those whom We have guided and chosen…
This verse displays the different levels of honor which prophets have in their relation to other prophets before them. So Prophet Idrees has an honorable lineage to Adam, Nuh has an honorable lineage to Idrees, and Ibraheem has an honorable lineage to Prophet Nuh (peace be upon all of them), etc. Each prophet has a ship of salvation which its followers have great pride to have that prophet as a divine guide.
According to Tafseer Tebyan Al-Jami' Li 'Uloom Al Quran by Sheikh Al-Toosi, the word "ãöä" in this verse indicates that not all prophets receive that special divine blessing from Allah (SWT); only the chosen ones who hold an exceptional high rank attain that privilege. In Tafseer Al Safi by Fayd Al-Kashani, he points out that the sons of daughters are included in the “progeny” just like Prophet 'Isa (AS). If this is the case, then we can surely consider Imam Hasan (AS) and Husain (AS) who are the sons of Lady Fatima (AS) the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (SA), to be from the progeny of Prophet Ibraheem (AS).
Furthermore, Seyyid Muhammad Hussain Tabatabai in his exegesis Mizan fi Tafseer Al Quran highlights the fact that the above verse indicates that there are other guided and chosen ones besides the prophets who have also attained these special blessings from Allah (SWT). They are among the truthful / sidiqeen, the martyrs / shuhadaa, and the righteous ones. Tababatai correlates this verse with verse # 7 of Surat Al Fatiha to point out that these special individuals whom Allah (SWT) has granted His special bounties have a straight path which they tread and follow,
ÕÑÇØ ÇáÐíä ÃäÚãÊ Úáíåã
The path of those whom You have favoured.
Allah (SWT) has made it incumbent on every Muslim to beseech Him in their daily obligatory prayers to guide them to this straight path which belongs to these divinely chosen guides. They are those whom Allah (SWT) blessed with His obedience. It is cited in Tafseer Al Safi regarding this verse that Imam Jafar Al Sadiq (AS) stated that those who have received the divine blessings (Ne’mat) are none other than the Seal of Messengers Prophet Muhammad (AS) and his purified progeny.
In another tradition, Ahmad Al Halbi narrates from Abi Abdillah (AS) that he recites "ÅåÏäÇ ÇáÕÑÇØ ÇáãÓÊÞíã" Guide us to the straight path, in reference to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). Moreover, Sheikh Al Tabarsi explains in his Tafseer Bayan that the “straight path” mentioned in Surat Al Fatiha not only includes the laws of religions and jurisprudence, but we ask in this prayer to take as role model those whom Allah (SWT) has made their obedience (the Imams) obligatory on us.
Once it comes to our attention that Allah (SWT) has servants whom He (SWT) chose over creation and designated them as divine proofs, it is only natural for us to desire their proximity, tread their path, and seek protection from being among the misguided and those who are blinded from the right path.
In another verse, Allah (SWT) warns the sons of Adam (AS) not to follow the devil, and to follow the straight path which leads to Him,
,Ãáã ÃÚåÏ Åáíßã íÈäí ÃÏã Ãä áÇ ÊÚÈÏæÇ ÇáÔíØÇä Åäå áßã ÚÏæñ ãÈíä. æÃäö ÇÚÈÏæäí åÐÇ ÕÑÇØñ ãÓÊÞíã .
Did I not enjoin upon you, O children of Adam, that you not worship Satan - indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. And that you worship Me? This is a straight path. [30:60-61]
Allah (SWT) clearly points out that the only appropriate way to worship Him is to follow that Siraat Al Mustaqeem which is a path that is opposite of the devilish path. It is interesting to note that He (SWT) says “åÐÇ” (that) to indicate a specific path, or rather a special someone. Another characteristic of these divinely blessed personalities is that they are not among those who are ãÛÖæÈ Úáíåã (earned your anger), nor are they from the ÖÇáíä (misguided).
Ali ibn Ibrahim Al Qummi states in his Tafseer Al Quran that those who have earned the divine anger are the Nawaseb - those who have shown animosity towards the Prophet's household and have neglected their Wilayah (guardianship). As for the misguided ones, they are those who doubt and do not know who their real Imam / leader is.
How Can We Join The Ranks Of Those Who Have Been Blessed With the Divine Bounty?
So if we are interested in treading the straight path (Siraat Al Mustaqeem) which belongs to these luminous personalities whom Allah (SWT) has blessed with Ne’mat, how can we accomplish that? Well, Allah (SWT) gives us the answer in the Quran when He (SWT) says,
æãä íõØÚ Çááå æÇáÑÓæá ÝÃæáÇÆß ãÚ ÇáÐíä ÃäÚã Çááå Úáíåã ãä ÇáäÈííä æÇáÕÏíÞíä æÇáÔåÏÇÁ æÇáÕÇáÍíä æÍÓä ÃæáÆß ÑÝíÞÇ .
And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Sidiqeen (those followers of the Prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them), the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent are these as a company! [4:69]
So the key to joining these blessed individuals in their straight path is to obey Allah (SWT) and His Prophet, and the Quran verifies to us that the Prophet (SA) does not speak out of his own will or desire. Tafseer Bayan Sa'ada explains that in this verse the obedience to Allah (SWT) and His Prophet (SA) is specifically in reference to the order of Wilayah to Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). Whoever accepts the Wilayah of Ali (AS) will return and resort to him, and whoever sincerely resorts to him will be accepted by him, and whoever becomes accepted by him will attain his mercy.
Hence, the servant's pledge of allegiance and covenant with Allah (SWT) will be accepted and he will enter the domain of his Wilayah. And whomever Ali (AS) welcomes in his realm of Wilayah, they will then be in the company of those whom Allah (SWT) has bestowed His Grace. It follows that whoever reached the stage of prophethood did not reach its perfection except by the Wilayah of Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). Thus, we can understand Prophet Muhammad's proclamation in Ghadeer Khum when he declared, “Whomsoever I am his Mawla (master/guardian), then Ali is his Mawla.”
Here, the Prophet (SA) is telling us that anyone who takes him as his master, whether human or jinn, should also take Ali (AS) as his guardian. We know that all the other prophets and messengers consider the Seal of Messengers Prophet Muhammad (SA) to be their guardian and superior to them. Hence, they also take Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) to be their master and believe him to be superior over them, and they also believe in his Wilayah.
According to reliable sources as cited in Volume 1 of Hayaat Al Qulub, Abu-Sa'id narrates that he heard Prophet Muhammad (SA) say to Imam Ali, “O 'Ali! Allah did not send any Prophet but ordered him of your love and Wilayah whether he liked it or not.”
According to another authentic tradition, the Prophet (SA) said “I asked Allah whom I should nominate and He revealed to me, 'Nominate your cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib, whose name I have mentioned in the previous divine Books and stated that he is your successor. I have also obtained the oath of fealty for My Lordship, your Prophethood and Imamate and Wilayah of 'Ali ibn Abi-Talib from all the creatures and Prophets.'”
When analyzing the above verse [4:69], we will observe that Allah (SWT) states that He (SWT) granted his special divine blessings to those among the prophets, the Sidiqeen (truthful), the martyrs, and the righteous. Interestingly in his exegesis, Ali ibn Ibrahim Al Qummi identifies the “prophets” to be in reference to Prophet Muhammad (SA), and the “sidiqeen” to be Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) as he was the first to believe in the message of Prophet Muhammad (SA).
Also, in the book of Uyoon, it is narrated that the Prophet (SA) said, “Every Ummah has a Sideeq (truthful) and Farooq (separator), and the Sideeq of this Ummah and its Farooq is Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS).” Furthermore, Al Qummi states that “martyrs” in this verse is in reference to Al-Hasan and Al-Husain (AS), while the “Saliheen” or the righteous ones are the Infallible Imams from the progeny of Imam Husain (AS). This verse concludes with æÍÓä ÃæáÆß ÑÝíÞÇ"” And how excellent are these as a company. Al Ayaashi in Tafseer Safi states that the “best companionship” is represented in Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS).
If we analyze the autobiography of the Prophet (SA) as well as Imam Ali (AS), we will realize the strong bond that they cherished with each other which exceeded the relation of brotherhood to the level of them representing the Nafs/self of each other.
Historians write that Ali (AS) used to always accompany the Prophet (SA) even when he would go to the desert or mountains. It was this unique relationship that Imam Ali (AS) describes in these words in Nahjul Balagha: ßäÊ ÃÊÈÚå ÇÊÈÇÚ ÇáÝÕíá ÃËÑ Ããå íÑÝÚ áí Ýí ßá íæã ãä ÃÎáÇÞå ÚáãÇð æíÃãÑäí ÈÇáÇÞÊÏÇÁ Èå. I followed him [Prophet Muhammad (SA)] step by step as a baby camel follows its mother. He used to place a fresh code of behavior before me daily and order me he to follow it.”
In the same speech Imam Ali (AS) continues, æÞÏ ÚáãÊã ãæÖÚí ãä ÑÓæá Çááå (Õ) ÈÇáÞÑÇÈÉ ÇáÞÑíÈÉ æÇáãäÒáÉ ÇáÎÕíÕÉ ¡ æÖÚäí Ýí ÍÌÑå æÃäÇ æáíÏ ¡ íÖãäí Åáì ÕÏÑå ¡ æíßäÝäí Ýí ÝÑÇÔå ¡ æíãÓäí ÌÓÏå ¡ æíÔãøäí ÚÑÝå æßÇä íãÖÛ ÇáÔÆ Ëã íáÞãäíå."
You know that due to my close relationship, and my special rank I enjoyed with the Messenger of Allah (SA), I have a distinguished position with him. He took me in his lap when I was a baby. He often kept me embraced to his heart. He used to make me sleep next to him. We used to be so close to each other that I felt the warmth of his body and smelled the fragrance of his odor. When I was a baby, He fed me from his mouth, chewing hard bits for me.”
Hence, it follows human logic that we refer to the closest personality who is the “gate of knowledge” and has inherited the teachings of the pure Islam from the city of knowledge - the Holy Prophet (SA).
Perfection (ÅÊãÇã) of the Ne’mat
The pleasure and joy of the recipient of divine blessings ãõäóÚøóã reaches its peak when the blessing itself has reached the stage of perfection. As Allah (SWT) is the Absolute Perfection who brings completion to things, it is also His course of action and will to bring perfection to His bounties. The Quran speaks numerously about the perfection of Ne’mat (bounty), most notably in verse
Çáíæã ÃßãáÊ áßã Ïíäßã æÃÊããÊ Úáíßã äÚãÊí æÑÖíÊ áßã ÇáÅÓáÇã ÏíäÇð .
Today I have perfected for you your religion, and have completed My favour upon you, and am well-pleased with Islam as your religion. [5:3]
Most exegesis testify that this verse was revealed to the Prophet (SA) on the journey back from the Farewell Pilgrimage on the year 10 A.H. It was revealed immediately after the Prophet (SA) appointed Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) as his successor on the Islamic state at a place called Ghadeer Khum. Indeed this is one of the most critical verses of the Holy Quran as it announces the completion of the message, the perfection of the bounty and the divine approval and satisfaction of this religion.
Without this verse being present in the Quran, one may question whether the message has fully been conveyed, or whether Allah (SWT) is pleased with the religion as it was relayed. The above verse clearly states that the religion was completed and the bounties perfected on a specific day; history tells us that day was on the event of Ghadeer Khum on the 18th of DhulHijjah, 10th year A. H. Indeed, the final message to humanity was completed with the Imamate and successorship being a condition to its completeness. According to Majma' Al Bayan, when this verse was revealed the Prophet (SA) exclaimed:
Çááå ÃßÈÑ Úáì ÅßãÇá ÇáÏíä æÅÊãÇã ÇáäÚãÉ ÈÑÓÇáÊí ææáÇíÉ Úáí Èä ÃÈí ØÇáÈ ãä ÈÚÏí. ãä ßäÊ ãæáÇå ÝÚáíõ ãæáÇå Çááåã æÇáí ãä æáÇå æÚÇÏí ãä ÚÇÏÇå æÇäÕÑ ãä äÕÑå æÎÐá ãä ÎÐáå .
God is Great for the completion of religion and perfection of bounty by my message and by the Wilayah/guardianship of Ali ibn Abi Talib after me. Whomever I am his Mawla, then Ali is his Mawla. Oh God, be the friend of him who is his friend, and be the enemy of him who is his enemy. Help him who helps him and forsake him who forsakes him.
It is interesting to note that the verse mentions the Ne’mat in the singular form as opposed to plural to indicate that Allah (SWT) is referring to a specific bounty, and not just any bounty.
Islam is built on five pillars and the last pillar is the Wilayah and giving the pledge of allegiance for Imamate of Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). The five pillars are not completed except by completion of its parts, and the bounty (Ne’mat) of Islam is not completed without its 5th pillar. Al-Kafi narrates that Imam Al Baqir (AS) has said, “A Fareeda (obligatory action) is issued after another Fareeda. And the Wilayah is among the last obligations to be revealed.”
Tafseer Safi interestingly points out that Allah (SWT) did not state that He (SWT) has completed the Fara'ed (obligatory deeds) ÃßãáÊ áßã ÇáÝÑÇÆÖ; rather Allah (SWT) declares that He has completed the religion .ÃßãáÊ áßã Ïíäßã The last obligation that was revealed is the obligation of Wilayah in Ghadeer Khum which was followed by the revelation of the verse of completion of religion.
Furthermore, Allah (SWT) says in verse [5:6] which was revealed in the context of ablution and purification that He (SWT) desires to complete His bounty perhaps we may be thankful for His favour upon us.
æáßä íÑíÏ áíØåÑßã æáíõÊöã äÚãÊå Úáíßã áÚáßã ÊÔßÑæä .
But He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful.
Once again, the term Ne’mat is used in the singular form. The exegesis of Tafseer Bayan Sa'ada reveals that the latent meaning of the Ne’mat mentioned in this verse is in reference to the bay'a (pledge of allegiance) of Wilayah which is the essence of perfection of the Ne’mat of Islam. Perhaps after appreciating that greatest bounty from Allah (SWT) we would be sincerely thankful to Him. In another verse which mentions changing direction of Qibla towards Mecca, Allah (SWT) says:
ÝáÇ ÊÎÔæåã æÇÎÔæäí æáÃÊöã äÚãÊí Úáíßã æáÚáßã ÊåÊÏæä .
So fear them not, but fear Me! And so that I may complete My Blessings on you and that you may be guided. [2:150]
In this verse, Allah (SWT) mentions His specific Ne’mat in reference to Imam Ali (AS) but one may wonder what correlation exists between the bounty of Wilayah and the changing of Qibla which is the context of the above verse. If we reflect on the meaning of this verse, we'll understand that the new direction of Muslims has been changed to the Holy Kaaba. With that in mend, let us also remember that the Holy Kaaba happens to be the birthplace of Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) which is a unique gift and virtue for him.
Hence, Allah (SWT) wants to lift our attention that the essence and core of our direction is to the Wilayah of Imam Ali (AS) which is symbolized by his birthplace in the Holy Kaaba. This change of direction towards the Kaaba by the heart is equivalent to the perfection of Ne’mat. Perhaps we can be guided by him who is the representation of Siraat Al Mustaqeem (the Straight path) as discussed earlier.
If we wanted to summarize the state of affairs between the Creator and creation in regards to bestowal of bounties, we will not find better words than the supplication of Imam Husain ibn Ali (AS) on the day of Arafah where he says:
Ëã ÅÐ ÎáÞÊäí ãöä ÎíÑ ÇáËÑì áã ÊÑÖì áí íÇ Åáåí äÚãÉ Ïæä ÃÎÑì æÑÒÞÊäí ãöä ÃäæÇÚ ÇáãÚÇÔ æÕäæÝ ÇáÑöíÇÔ Èãäß ÇáÚÙíã ÇáÃÚÙã Úáíøó æÅÍÓÇäß ÇáÞÏíã Åáíøó ÍÊì ÅÐÇ ÃÊããÊ Úáíøó ÌãíÚ ÇáäöÚóã æÕÑÝÊ Úäí ßõá ÇáäÞã áã íãäÚß Ìåáí æÌõÑÃÊí Úáíß Ãä ÏááÊäí Åáì ãÇ íÞÑÈäí Åáíß ææÝÞÊäí áöãÇ íõÒáÝäí áÏíß ÝÅä ÏÚæÊß ÃÌÈÊäí æÅä ÓÃáÊß ÃÚØíÊäí æÅä ÃØÚÊß ÔßÑÊäí æÅä ÔßÑÊß ÒöÏÊäí ßá Ðáß ÅßãÇáÇð áÅäÚÇãß Úáíøó æÅÍÓÇäß Åáíøó ÝÓÈÍÇäß...
“Then, since You created me from the best soil, You were not satisfied, my God, that I should have one blessing with another. You provided me with varieties of sustenance and kinds of garments and Your tremendous, most tremendous, graciousness to me and Your Eternal goodness towards me.
And finally, when You had completed for me every blessings and turned away from me all misfortunes, You were not prevented by my ignorance and audacity from guiding me towards that which would bring me nigh to You or from giving me success in that which would bring me close to You. For if I prayed to You, You answered; and if I asked of You, You gave me; if I obeyed You, You showed Your gratitude; and if I thank You, You gave me more. All of that was to perfect Your blessings upon me and Your goodness towards me. So glory be to you…”
If we briefly analyze this excerpt from the beautiful supplication of Husain (AS) on the day of Arafah which speaks volumes of the level of ma'refat / recognition and knowledge that he possesses, we can conclude the following points. From His great generosity and goodness, Allah (SWT) created us from the best material and chose to bestow a cocktail of bounties and blessings to the point of its perfection and protection from calamities and misfortunes.
But unfortunately, this perfection of bounties coupled with protection of calamities did not remove the ignorance and audacity from us and despite that, Allah (SWT) provided us lights of guidance towards His proximity. Furthermore, His absolute mercy was obvious in His response to our call, His gratitude to our obedience, and He (SWT) gave us more than that as a sign of perfection to His bounties!
Remembrance (ÐößÑ) of the Ne’mat
Remembering a Ne’mat means that a human is conscious that it is a blessing, a favor; it is something that is conferred by the Master, and the Master has honored us with it. Allah (SWT) also emphasizes the importance of remembrance (dhikr) of His bounties. For example, He (SWT) says:
æÐßÑæÇ äÚãÉ Çááå Úáíßã æãÇ ÃäÒá Úáíßã ãä ÇáßÊÇÈ æÇáÍßãÉ íÚÙßã Èå .
And remember Allah's favour upon you, and that he has sent down unto you the Book and the wisdom whereby He exhorted you. [2:231]
In reference to this verse, Tafseer Bayan Sa'ada explains that the more a believer treads the path of Wilayah Mutlaqa (absolute guardianship), it becomes a Ne’mat to him, and when he actually reaches that stage, the Ne’mat is completed and perfected on him. Rather, the believer himself becomes a Ne’mat! Anything that is associated with Wilayah whether derived from it or refers back to it is also a Ne’mat due to its association to it. In another verse where Allah addresses Bani Israel, He (SWT) says,
íÇ Èäí ÅÓÑÇÆíá ÇÐßÑæÇ äÚãÊí ÇáÊí ÃäÚãÊ Úáíßã æÃæÝæÇ ÈÚåÏí ÃæÝí ÈÚåÏßã æÅíÇí ÝÇÑåÈæä .
O Children of Israel! Remember My Favour which I bestowed upon you, and fulfill (your obligations to) My Covenant (with you) and fear none but Me. [2:40].
The Jews of Medina opposed the prophethood of Muhammad (SA), betrayed him, and said that they know Muhammad (SA) is prophet and Ali (AS) is his Wasi (guardian), but they refuse to believe in either of them. Ayaashi narrates that Imam Al Sadiq (AS) explained that the above verse is in reference to fulfilling the obligation of Wilayah to Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) and that He (SWT) will grant Paradise in return for fulfillment of this divine obligation. Moreover, in his exegesis, Fayd Al Kashani asserts that the instruction of ÃæÝæÇ ÈÚåÏí (fulfilling the covenant) is in relation to that pledge which the Prophet (SA) took on their ancestors - their prophets.
The Jews were ordered to believe in the prophethood of Muhammad (SA) - the Arab, Quraishi, Hashemi whose characteristics is clearly described in their books. They were ordered to support he who is supported by miracles and who among his signs is Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), his brother and companion who shares the same intellect, knowledge, and clemency as him and is the supporter of the religion by his sword. In the last part of this verse æÅíÇí ÝÇÑåÈæä (And fear none but Me), Allah (SWT) is instructing to fear Him and exercise Taqwa in regards to disobeying His Prophet in what he orders them, specifically the order of the Wilayah of Imam Ali (AS).
The divine instruction to remember His bounty is emphasized once again here:
æÇÐßÑæÇ äÚãÉ Çááå Úáíßã æãíËÇÞå ÇáÐí æÇËÞßã Èå ÅÐ ÞõáÊã ÓãÚäÇ æÃØÚäÇ æÇÊÞæÇ Çááå Åä Çááå Úáíã ÈÐÇÊ ÇáÕÏæÑ .
And remember Allah's Favour to you and His Covenant with which He bound you when you said: “We hear and we obey.” And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Knower of that which is in (secrets of your) breasts [5:7].
The Mithaaq / covenant mentioned in this verse is the covenant of successorship taken on the journey back from the Farewell pilgrimage. Al Qummi states in his exegesis that when the Prophet (SA) took the covenant of Wilayah, the people answered “We hear and we obey”, but they broke their covenants afterwards. Hence, Allah (SWT) is reminding the people to beware lest they forget the Ne’mat and break their allegiance to Imam Ali (AS). After all, He (SWT) knows the secrets of the hearts and the thoughts of disobedience which is being entertained in the minds of some companions regarding the successorship of Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS).
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