Al-Huda
Foundation, NJ U. S. A
the Message Continues ... 8/133
Newsletter for September 2012
Article 1 - Article 2 - Article 3 - Article 4 - Article 5 - Article 6 - Article 7 - Article 8 - Article 9 - Article 10 - Article 11 - Article 12
SERMON 181 OF
NAHJUL-BALAGHA
The Sermons of Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (a)
(Edited by Yasin T. al-Jibouri)
An account of bygone peoples, and learning
from them
“I admonish you, servants of Allah, to fear
Allah Who clothed you well and bestowed on you an abundance of
sustenance. If there was anyone who could secure a ladder to
everlasting life or a way to avoid death, it was Sulayman ibn
Dawud (ع) [Solomon son of
David] who was given control over the domain of the jinns and
men along with Prophethood and a great status with Allah. But
when he exhausted his appointed ration (of this world), when his
(fixed) term expired, the bow of destruction shot him with an
arrow of death. His mansions became vacant and his habitations
became empty. Another group of people inherited them. Certainly,
the bygone centuries have a lesson for you.
“Where are the Amalekites[1][1] and the sons of the Amalekites? Where are the
Pharaohs?[2][2]
But when his empire in the end was destroyed in a few moments,
neither his position nor his servants could come in the way of
its destruction, nor could the vastness of his kingdom prevent
it. Rather, the waves of the very river of which he was
extremely proud, wrapped him in and dispatched his soul to hell,
throwing his body on the bank in order to serve as a lesson for
all creation. Where are the people of the cities of ar-Rass[3][3] who killed the prophets, destroyed the
traditions of the holy messengers and revived the traditions of
the despots? Where are those who advanced with armies, defeated
thousands, mobilized forces and populated cities?”
Part of the same sermon about Imam al-Mahdi
(عج)
“He will be wearing the amour of wisdom,
which he will have secured with all its conditions, such as full
attention towards it, (complete) knowledge of and exclusive
devotion to it. For him, it is like a thing which he had lost
and which he was then seeking, or a need which he was trying to
fulfill. If Islam is in trouble, he will feel forlorn like a
traveler and like a (tired) camel beating the end of its tail,
with its neck flattened on the ground. He is the last of Allah’s
proofs and one of the vicegerents of His prophets.”
On the method of his ruling, grieving over
the martyrdom of his companions
“O people! I have divulged to you advice
which the prophets used to preach to their peoples, and I have
conveyed to you what the vicegerents (of the prophets) conveyed
for the benefit of those coming after them. I tried to train you
with my whip, but you could not be straightened. I drove you
with admonition, but you did not acquire proper behavior. May
Allah deal with you! Do you want an Imam other than me to take
you on the (right) path and show you the correct way? Beware,
the things in this world which were forward have become things
of the past, and those which were behind are going ahead.
“The virtuous people of Allah have made up
their minds to leave, and they have traded, with a little
perishable (pleasure) of this world, a lot of such (reward) in
the Hereafter that will remain forever. What loss did our
brothers, whose blood was shed in Siffin, suffer by not being
alive today? Only that they are not suffering from choking on
swallowing and not drinking turbid water. By Allah, surely they
have met Allah and He has bestowed on them their rewards; He has
lodged them in safe houses after their (having suffered) fear.
“Where are my brethren who took the (right)
path and trod in righteousness? Where is `Ammar (ibn Yasir)?
Where is ibn at-Tayyihan? Where is Dhul-Shahadatayn? And where
are others like them from among their comrades who had pledged
themselves to remain steadfast till death and whose (severed)
heads were taken to the wicked enemy (Mu`awiyah)?”
Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع) wiped his hand
over his auspicious and honored beard and wept for a long time,
then he went on to say:
“O brothers who have recited the Holy Qur’an
and strengthened it, thought over their obligation and fulfilled
it, revived the Sunnah and destroyed the innovation! When they
were called to jihad, they responded and trusted in their
leader then followed him.”
Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع)
shouted the following at the top of his voice:
“Al-Jihad! Al-Jihad! O servants of Allah! By
Allah, I am mobilizing the army today. Whoever desires to
proceed towards Allah should come forward.”
Nawf says the following: “Imam Ali ibn Abu
Talib (ع)
put Hussain (ع) in charge of (a force of) ten thousand,
Qays ibn Sa`d (mercy of Allah be on him) over ten thousand, Abu
Ayyub al-Ansari over ten thousand and others over different
numbers, intending to return to Siffin. But on Friday, the Imam
(ع) did not appear
in public again; the damned Ibn Muljim (may Allah curse him)
killed him. Consequently, the armies came back and were left
like sheep who had lost their shepherd while wolves were
snatching them away from all directions.”
`Ammar ibn Yasir ibn Amir al-Madhhaji al-Makhzumi
(Madhhaj being an ally of Banu Makhzum) was one of the earliest
converts to Islam and the first Muslim to build a mosque in his
own house in which he used to worship Allah, as we are told by
Ibn Sa`d, Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Part 1, p. 178;
Usd al-Ghaba, Vol. 4, p. 46; Ibn Kathir, Tarikh, Vol.
7, p.311.
`Ammar accepted Islam along with his father
Yasir and his mother Sumayya. They suffered great atrocities at
the hands of the tribesmen of Quraish due to their conversion to
Islam to such an extent that `Ammar lost his parents, and they
were the first martyrs in Islam.
`Ammar was among those who migrated to
Abyssinia and the earliest immigrants (Muhajirun) to Medina. He
was present during the Battle of Badr and all other battles as
well as places of assembly by the Muslims during the lifetime of
the Holy Prophet (ص). He demonstrated
his mighty support in all Islamic struggles in the best way.
Many traditions are narrated from the Holy
Prophet (ص)
about `Ammar regarding his virtues, outstanding traits and
glorious deeds such as the tradition which `Aisha and others
have narrated that the Holy Prophet (ص) himself had said that `Ammar was filled
with faith from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet.
(Ibn Majah, Sunan, Vol. 1, p. 65; Abu Nu’aym, Hilyat
al-Awliya’, Vol. 1, p. 139; al-Haytami, Majma` az-Zawa’id,
Vol. 9, p.295; Al-Isti`ab, Vol. 3, p. 1137; Al-Isaba,
Vol. 2, p. 512).
In another tradition, the Holy Prophet (ص) said the
following about `Ammar:
“`Ammar is with the truth, and the truth is
with `Ammar. He turns wherever the truth turns. `Ammar is as
close to me as an eye is close to the nose. Alas! A rebellious
group will kill him” (Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, part
1, p. 187; Al-Mustadrak, Vol. 3, p. 392; Ibn Hisham,
Sira, Vol. 2, p. 143; Ibn Kathir, Tarikh, Vol. 7, pp.
268-270).
Also in the decisive and widely known
tradition which al-Bukhari (in his Sahih, Vol. 8, pp.
185-186), at-Tirmithi (in Al-Jami’ lil Sahihain, Vol. 5,
p. 669); Ahmed ibn Hanbal (in Al-Musnad, Vol. 2, pp. 161,
164, 206; Vol. 3, pp. 5, 22, 28, 91; Vol. 4, pp. 197, 199; Vol.
5, pp. 215, 306, 307; Vol. 6, pp. 289, 300, 311, 315) and all
narrators of Islamic traditions and historians transmitted
through twenty-five sahaba, ompanions that the Holy
Prophet (ص), said the
following about `Ammar:
“Alas! A rebellious group which swerves from
the truth will murder `Ammar. `Ammar will be calling them
towards Paradise and they will be calling him towards Hell. His
killer and those who strip him of arms and clothes will all be
lodged in hell.”
Ibn Hajar al-`Aasqalani, in his book
Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, Vol. 7, p. 409; Al-Isaba, Vol. 2,
p. 512 and al- Sayyuti in Al-Khasa’is al-Kubra, Vol. 2,
p. 140 say: “The narration of this tradition is mutawatir
(i.e. consecutively reported, that is, narrated
successively by so many people that no doubt can be entertained
about its authenticity).
Ibn Abdul-Barr, in Al-Isti`ab, Vol.
3, p. 1140, says the following:
“A narration followed uninterrupted
succession from the Holy Prophet (ص) says the
following: ‘A rebellious group will murder `Ammar,’ and this is
a prediction of the Prophet’s knowledge and the sign of his
Prophethood. This tradition is among the most authentic and the
most rightly ascribed traditions.”
After the death of the Holy Prophet (ص), `Ammar was one
of the closest adherents and best supporters of Imam Ali ibn Abu
Talib (ع) during the reign
of the first three caliphs. During the caliphate of `Othman,
when the Muslim population protested against `Othman’s policy
regarding a number of issues, including the distribution of the
Public Treasury (baytul-mal), `Othman said at a public
assembly, “The money which was in the treasury was sacred and
belonged to Allah,” and that he (`Othman) (as successor of the
Prophet [ص])
had the right to dispose of it as he deemed fit. He (`Othman)
threatened and cursed all those who presumed to censure or
murmur at what he said. On this, `Ammar ibn Yasir boldly
declared his disapproval and began to charge him with inveterate
propensity to ignore the interests of the general public. `Ammar
accused `Othman of reviving the pagan customs abolished by the
Prophet (ص),
whereupon `Othman ordereded him to be beaten. Imediately, some
Umayyads, close relatives of the caliph, fell on the venerable `Ammar
beating him. `Othman himself kicked `Ammar’s on the testicles,
afflicting him with hernia. `Ammar became unconscious for three
days and was taken care of by Umm al-Mu’minin [mother of the
Faithful] Umm Salamah in her own house. Read more details in
these reliable references: al-Baladhiri, Ansab al-`Aashraf,
Vol. 5, pp. 48, 54, 88; Ibn Abul-Hadid, Sharh Nahjul-Balagha,
Vol. 3, pp. 4752; Al-Imamah wal-Siyasa, Vol. 1, pp.
35-36; Al-`Iqd al-Farid, Vol. 4, p. 307; Ibn Sa`d, Al-Tabaqat
al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Part 1, p. 185; Tarikh al-Khamis,
Vol. 2, p. 271.
When Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع)
became caliph, `Ammar was one of his most sincere supporters. `Ammar
participated fully in all social, political and military
activities during this period, especially in the first battle
(the Battle of Jamal) and in the second (the Battle of Siffin).
However, `Ammar was martyred on the 9th
of Safar, 37 A.H., which coincided on Thursday, July 27,
according to the Julian or 30 according to the Gregorian
calendar, of the year 657 A.D., in the battle of Siffin when he
was over ninety years old. On the day `Ammar ibn Yasir achieved
martyrdom, he turned his face to the sky and said the following:
“O Lord! Surely You are aware that if I know
that You wish I should plunge myself into this River (the
Euphrates) and be drowned, I will do it. O Lord! Surely You know
that if I know that You will be pleased if I put my scimitar on
my chest (to hit my heart) and press it so hard that it comes
out of my back, I will do it. O Lord! I do not think there is
anything more pleasant to You than fighting this sinful group...
If I knew that any deed at all is more pleasing to You, I will
do it.”
Abu Abd ar-Rahman al-Asalami narrates the
following:
“We were present with Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib
(ع)
at Siffin when I saw `Ammar ibn Yasir did not turn his face in
any direction, or towards any valley of Siffin, except that the
companions of the Holy Prophet (ص) were following him as if he was a sign for
them. Then I heard `Ammar say the following to Hashim ibn Utbah
(al-Mirqal): ‘O Hashim! Rush into the enemy’s ranks, for
Paradise is under the shade of the swords! Today, I shall meet
the beloved one, Muhammed (ص) and his
party.’
“Then he said the following: ‘By Allah! If
they put us to fight (and will pursue us) to the date-palms of
Hajar (a town in Bahrain [i.e. if they pursue us along all the
Arabian desert]), nevertheless, we know for sure that we are
right and they are wrong.’
“Then he (`Ammar) continued (addressing the
enemies) thus: ‘We struck you so that you may (believe in) its
(Holy Qur’an’s) revelation. Today we strike you to (believe in)
its interpretation, such a blow as to remove heads from their
resting places, to make a friend forget his sincere friend,
until the truth returns to its (right) course.’”
The narrator says the following: “I did not see the Holy
Prophet’s companions killed at any time as many as they were
killed on that day.”
Then `Ammar spurred his horse, entered the
battlefield and began fighting. He persistently chased the
enemy, launching one attack after another, raising challenging
slogans till at last a group of mean-spirited Syrians surrounded
him from all sides. A man named Abul-Ghadiyah al-Juhari (al-Fazari)
inflicted such a wound on him that `Ammar could not withstand
it. `Ammar returned to his camp and asked for water. A tumbler
of milk was brought to him. When `Ammar looked at the tumbler,
he said the following: “The Messenger of Allah (ص) had said the
right thing.” People asked him what he meant by those words. He
said, “The Messenger of Allah (ص) informed me that my last sustenance in the
life of this world would be milk.” Then he took that tumbler of
milk in his hands, drank the milk and surrendered his soul to
Allah, the Almighty. When Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع) came to know of
his death, he came to `Ammar’s side, put
his (`Ammar’s)
head on his lap and recited the following elegy to mourn his
death:
“Surely any Muslim who is not distressed at
the killing of the son of Yasir and is not afflicted by this
grievous misfortune does not at all have a true faith. May Allah
shower His mercy on `Ammar the day he embraced Islam; may Allah
shower His mercy on `Ammar the day he was killed, and may Allah
shower His mercy on `Ammar the day he is raised to life.
Certainly, I found `Ammar (on such a level) that three
companions of the Holy Prophet (ص) could not be named unless he was the
fourth, nor could four of them be mentioned unless he was the
fifth...”
There was none among the Holy Prophet’s
companions who doubted this: Not only was Paradise once or twice
bestowed on `Ammar, but he gained his claim to it a number of
times. May Paradise give enjoyment to `Ammar.
Certainly the following was said by the Holy
Prophet (ص): “Surely, `Ammar is with the truth, and
the truth is with `Ammar; he turns wherever the truth turns; his
killer will certainly be lodged in hell.”
Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع) stepped forward
and offered the funeral prayers for `Ammar and with his own
hands he buried him with his clothes still on.
`Ammar’s death caused a good deal of commotion
among the ranks of Mu`awiyah, too. A large number of prominent
people there who were fighting on the side of Mu`awiyah were
under the impression that they were fighting Imam
Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع) for a just cause. These people were aware
of the saying of the Holy Prophet (ص) that `Ammar
would be killed by a group that will be on the wrong track. When
they observed that `Ammar had been killed by Mu`awiyah’s army,
they became convinced that they were on the wrong track, that
Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع) was definitely
on the right track. This agitation thus caused among leaders as
well as in the rank and file of Mu`awiyah’s army was quelled by
the latter who argued that it was Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع) who brought `Ammar
to the battlefield and, therefore, he was the one responsible
for `Ammar’s death. When Mu`awiyah’s argument was mentioned
before Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع), the Imam said that it was as if the
Prophet (ص) was responsible for killing [his brave
uncle] Hamzah, since he himself had brought him to the
battlefield of Uhud! Here are some references for you if you
wish to research it further: al-Tabari, Tarikh, Vol. 1,
pp. 3316-3322; Vol. 3, pp. 2314-2319; Ibn Sa`d, Al-Tabaqat
Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Part 1, pp. 176-189; Ibn al-Athir, Al-Kamil,
Vol. 3, pp. 308-312; Ibn Kathir, Tarikh, Vol. 7, pp.
267-272; al-Minqari, Siffin, pp. 320-345; Ibn Abdul-Barr,
Al-Isti`ab, Vol. 3, pp. 1135-1140; Vol. 4, p. 1725; Ibn
al-Athir, Usd al-Ghaba, Vol. 4, pp. 43-47; Vol. 5, p.
267; Ibn Abul-Hadid, Sharh Nahjul-Balagha, Vol. 5, pp.
252-258; Vol. 8, pp. 10-28; Vol. 10, pp. 102-107, al-Hakim,
Al-Mustadrak, Vol. 3, pp. 384-394; Ibn Abd Rabbih, Al-`Iqd
al-Farid, Vol. 4, pp. 340-343; al-Mas`udi, Muruj al-Dhahab,
Vol. 2, pp. 381-382, al-Haytami, Majama` az-Zawa’id, Vol.
7, pp. 238-244; Vol. 9, pp. 291-298; al-Baladhiri, Ansab al-Ashraf
(in his biography of Amir al-Mu’minin [ع]), pp. 310-319.
Abul-Haytham (Malik) ibn at-Tayyihan al-Ansari
was one of the twelve chiefs (naqibs) of the Ansar who
attended the event and met at al-Aqabah the first and the second
times. It was there and then that he swore the pledge of
allegiance to the Holy Prophet of Islam (ص).
He was present also during the battle of Badr and all other
battles in addition to all places of assembly by the Muslims
during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (ص). He was also among the sincere supporters of
Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع) on whose side
he fought during the Battles of Jamal and of Siffin where he was
martyred; read: Al-Isti`ab, Vol. 4, p. 1773; Siffin,
p. 365; Usd al-Ghaba, Vol. 4, p. 274; Vol. 5, p. 318;
Al-Isaba, Vol. 3, p. 341; Vol. 4, pp. 312-313; Ibn
Abul-Hadid, Vol. 10, pp. 107-108; Ansab al-`Aashraf, p.
319.
Khuzaymah ibn Thabit al-Ansari [who is
referred to above] is known as “Dhul-Shahadatayn” (the man with
the two testimonials) because the Holy Prophet (ص) considered his
testimony to be equivalent to that of two witnesses... He was
present in the battle of Badr and in other battles as well as in
the places of assembly of the Muslims during the lifetime of the
Holy Prophet (ص). He is counted
among the earliest of those who demonstrated their adherence to Imam Ali
ibn Abu Talib (ع). He was also present in the Battles of
Jamal and of Siffin. Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abu Layla narrated that
he saw a man in the battle of Siffin fighting the enemy
valiantly, and when he protested against his deed, the man said
the following:
“I am Khuzaymah ibn Thabit al-Ansari. I have
heard the Holy Prophet (ص) saying, ‘Fight, fight, on the side of
Ali’”, according to al-Khatib (orator) al-Baghdadi, Muwaddih
Awham al-Jam` wal-Tafriq, Vol. 1, p. 277.
Khuzaymah was martyred in the battle of
Siffin soon after the martyrdom of `Ammar ibn Yasir.
Sayf ibn `Omar al-Usaydi (the well known
liar) has fabricated another Khuzaymah and claimed that the one
who was martyred in the battle of Siffin was this one and not
the one titled “Dhul-Shahadatayn”. Al-Tabari has quoted this
fabricated story from Sayf either intentionally or otherwise,
and through him this story has affected some other historians
who quoted from or relied on al-Tabari. For further reference,
see pp. 175-189, Vol. 2, of Khamsun wa mi’at sahabi mukhtalaq
[one hundred and fifty fabricated companions] by Sayyid Murtada
al-`Askari.
After having rejected this fabrication, Ibn
Abul-Hadid adds (in Sharh Nahjul-Balagha, Vol. 10, pp.
109-110) that: “Furthermore, what is the need for those who, in
order to defend Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع),
boast of an abundance of statements by Khuzaymah, Abul-Haytham,
`Ammar and others? If people treat this man (Imam Ali ibn Abu
Talib [ع]) with justice
and look at him with healthy eyes, they will certainly realize
that should he be alone (on one side) and all other people (on
the other side) fighting him, he will still be on the side of
the truth while all the rest will be wrong”. Here are other
references for you: Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Part 1,
pp. 185, 188; Al-Mustadrak, Vol. 3, pp. 385, 397; Usd
al-Ghaba, Vol. 2, p. 114; Vol. 4, p. 47; Al-Isi`ab,
Vol. 2, p. 448; al-Tabari, Vol. 3, pp. 2316, 2319, 2401; Al-Kamil,
Vol. 3, p. 325; Siffin, pp. 363, 398; Ansab al-`Aashraf,
pp. 313-314).
Among the people who were present during the Battle of Jamal on
the side of Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع)
were one hundred and thirty Badris (those who participated in
the Battle of Badr with the Holy Prophet [ص]) and seven hundred of those who were
present in the Pledge of ar-Ridwan (Bay`t al-Ridwan)
which took place under a tree (al-Dhahbi, Tarikh al-Islam,
Vol. 2, p. 171; Khalifah ibn Khayyat, Tarikh, Vol. 1, p.
164). Those who were killed in the Battle of Jamal from among
the supporters of Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع)
numbered about five hundred (some said that the number of
martyrs were more than that). But on the side of the people of
the Jamal, twenty thousand were killed, as we are told on p.
326, Vol. 4, of Al-`Iqd al-Farid.
Among those who
were present in the Battle of Siffin on the side of Imam Ali ibn
Abu Talib (ع) there were
eighty Badris and eight hundred of those who swore to the Holy
Prophet (ص)
the Pledge of al-Ridwan (Al-Mustadrak, Vol. 3, p. 104;
Al-Isti`ab, Vol. 3, p. 1138; Al-Isaba, Vol. 2, p.
389; Tarikh, al-Ya`qubi, Vol. 2, p. 188).
On the side of Mu`awiyah, forty-five
thousand were killed, and on the sides of Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib
(ع), twenty-five
thousand. Among these martyrs (from the camp of Imam Ali ibn Abu
Talib [ع]),
there were twenty-five or twenty-six Badris and sixty-three or
three hundred and three of the people of the Pledge of ar-Ridwan
(Siffin, p. 558; Al-Isti`ab, Vol. 2, p. 389;
Ansab al-`Aashraf, p. 322; Ibn Abul-Hadid, Vol. 10, p. 104;
Abul-Fida’, Vol. 1, p. 175; Ibn al-Wardi, Tarikh, Vol. 1,
p. 240; Ibn Kathir, Vol. 7, p. 275; Tarikh al-Khamis,
Vol. 2, p. 277).
Besides the distinguished and eminent
companions of Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع), such as `Ammar,
“Dhul-Shahadatayn” and Ibn al-Tayyihan, those who were martyred
in Siffin were:
i.Hisham ibn `Utbah ibn Abu Waqqas al-Mirqal.
He was martyred on the same day when `Ammar was martyred. He was
the bearer of the standard of Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib’s army on
that day.
ii.
Abdullah ibn Budayl ibn al-Warqa al-Khuza`i.
Sometimes, he was the right wing’s commander of Imam Ali ibn Abu
Talib’s army and sometimes commander of the infantry.
Notes: (Edited on August 7, 2012)
[1][1]History
shows that quite often, the ruin
and destruction of peoples has
been due to their oppression,
open wickedness and profligacy.
Consequently, communities which
had extended their sway over all
corners of the populated world
and flown their flags in the
east and west of the globe
disappeared from the surface of
the earth like a wrong word, on
disclosure of their vicious
actions and evil deeds. The
Amalekites were ancient nomadic
tribesmen, a group of tribes, described in the Old
Testament as relentless enemies
of Israel, even though they were
closely related to Ephraim, one
of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Their name is derived from
Amalek, who is celebrated in
Arabian tradition but cannot be
identified. The region over
which they ruled extended from
southern Judea and probably into
northern Arabia. The Amalekites
harassed the Hebrews during the
latter’s exodus from Egypt,
attacking them at Rephidim (near
Mt. Sinai), where they were
defeated by Joshua. They also
filled out the ranks of the
nomadic raiders defeated by
Gideon and were condemned to
annihilation by Samuel. The
Amelekites, whose final defeat
occurred in the time of
Hezekiah, were the object of a
perpetual curse. (See The New
Encyclopedia Britannica [Micropedia],
Vol. 1, p. 288, ed. 1973 -
1974]; also see [for further
reference] the Encyclopedia
Americana [International
Edition], Vol. 1, p. 651, ed.
1975).
[2][2]“Pharaoh”
is a Hebrew word form of the
Egyptian “per-Ao”, the great
house, signifying the royal
palace, an epithet applied in
the new kingdom and after, as a
title of respect, to the
Egyptian king himself. In the 22nd
dynasty, this title was added to
the king’s personal name. In
official documents, the full
titulary of the Egyptian king
contained five names. The first
and the oldest identified him as
the incarnation of the falcon
god Horus. It was often written
inside a square called ‘serekh”,
depicting the facade of the
archaic palace. The second name,
“two ladies”, placed him under
the protection of Nekh-bet and
Buto, the vulture and Uraeus
(snake) goddesses of Upper and
Lower Egypt. The third, “golden
Horus”, originally signified
perhaps Horus victorious over
his enemies. The last two names,
written within a ring or
cartouche, are generally
referred to as the praenomen and
nomen and were the ones most
commonly used. The praenomen,
preceded by the hieroglyph,
meaning “King of Upper and Lower
Egypt”, usually contained a
reference to the king’s unique
relationship with the sun god,
Re, while the fifth, or nomen,
was preceded by the hieroglyph
for “son of Re”, or by that for
Master of the Two Lands (perhaps
a reference to Egypt and the
Sudan). The last name was given
to him at birth, the rest at his
coronation. For more
information, refer to Micropedia
section of The New
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Vol. VII, p. 927, ed. 1973-1974;
also see [for further reference]
the Encyclopedia Americana,
[International Edition], Vol.
21, p. 707, ed. 1975.
Among the Pharaohs was the one
who was contemporary to Prophet
Musa (ع).
His pride, egotism, insolence
and haughtiness were such that
made him thus claim: “I am your
supreme god.” He deemed himself
to be holding sway over all
other powers of the world. He
was confused into
misunderstanding that no power
could wrest the realm and
government from his hands. The
Holy Qur’an has narrated his
claim of “I and no one else” in
the following verse: And Pharaoh
proclaimed to his people: O
my people! Is not the kingdom of
Egypt mine, and these rivers
flow below me?! What?! Behold
you not?! (Holy Qur’an 43:
51).
[3][3]Who
were the people of the cities of
ar-Rass? In the same way as
above, the people of ar-Rass
were killed and destroyed for
disregarding the preaching and
the call of their prophet and
for their rebellion and
disobedience. About them the
Holy Qur’an says the following:
And the (tribes of) `Ad and
Thamud, and the inhabitants of
ar-Rass, and generations between
them, in great number: To each
of them We did give examples and
everyone (of them) We did
destroy with utter destruction
(Holy Qur’an 25: 38,39).
Belied (also) before them were
the people of Noah and the
dwellers of ar-Rass, Thamud, `Aad
and Pharaoh, and the brethren of
Lot, the dwellers of the Wood
and the people of Tubba`; all
belied the Messengers, so My
promise (of the doom) was proven
true (Holy Qur’an 50:
12-14).
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