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Last Updated: 2010/09/05
Summary of question
What is the meaning of "اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیْکَ یا ثارَ اللَّهِ وَ ابْنَ ثارِه وَ الْوِتْرَ الْمَوْتُورَ "? Isn't seeking vengeance on one's murderer something that stems from grudge and hatred?
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Please explain what "اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیْکَ یا ثارَ اللَّهِ وَ ابْنَ ثارِه وَ الْوِتْرَ الْمَوْتُورَ ِ" means. Doesn’t seeking vengeance on one's murderer stem from grudge and hatred? Isn't the heart of a believer purified of hatred and grudge?
Concise answer

According to the different meanings the words "Thar" and "Witr" have, the phrase " السلام علیک یا ثارالله و ابن ثاره و الوتر الموتور " can have different meanings, but the most appropriate meaning would be: "Greetings to you! Oh martyr who Allah seeks vengeance on his murderer, and son of the person who Allah seeks vengeance on his murderer, and Oh lonely one who's relatives were killed." Taking revenge and having a grudge against someone, can be either good or evil; sometimes it is good or even Wajib, because one of the most important Furo' Din (Branches of religion) is Tawalli and Tabarri.  Tawalli means loving all good deeds and good individuals, and Tabarri means hating all bad deeds and wrongdoers. Tawalli and Tabarri is of such essence that some Ahadith mention it as the firmest handle of one’s faith. Even though a believer should not resent other believers and have a grudge against them, but being enemies with the adversaries of Allah and those who deprived previous generations of prosperity through avoiding the promotion of Allah's commands is one's religious and human responsibility. Seeking vengeance on the murderers of these people is not a personal matter, but rather it is a means of getting revenge from all bad deeds and wrongdoers in the world. It is a type of Amr Be Al Ma'ruf and Nahy An Al Munkar. In religious sources and especially in the Quran, the term "Montaqem" (One who gets revenge) has been mentioned as one of Allah's qualities and the Quran itself has commanded us to resent some sinners and not to take them as our friends.

Detailed Answer

In order to answer the two abovementioned questions we must shed light on some points:

A: "Thar" can have the following meanings: blood, a blood that has been shed and entails "Qisas" (Compensation), to seek vengeance on one's murderer, the individual who seeks vengeance on one's murderer or the individual who executes the "Qisas".[1]

B: "Witr" can have the following meanings: lonely, the one, blood, deficiency, atrocity or a person who's relatives were killed and their revenge has not been taken.[2]

C: In correspondence with the many meanings of "Thar", the phrase "السلام علیک یا ثارالله و ابن ثاره" may have one of the following meanings: 1- One whose avenger is Allah (swt) himself. 2- One who Allah will seek vengeance on his murderers. 3- The person who sought vengeance in the path of Allah. 4- The slain one that Allah will get revenge for. 5- The blood of Allah. 6- A shed blood that Allah is the guardian of. 7- A shed blood that Allah can do "Qisas" for.

D: Considering the different meanings of "Witr", the phrase “الوترالموتور” can have one of the following meanings:

1- One who he and his close ones who have been transgressed and made subject to atrocity. 2- The slain one whose close ones were killed. 3- The lone one whoe close ones were killed. 4- The lonely one whose close ones have been killed and their revenge has not been taken. 5- The greatest of his time in terms of human values and human perfection.[3]

E: One of the most cardinal Furo'o Din is Tawalli and Tabarri. Tawalli means loving all good deeds and good individuals, and Tabarri means hating all bad deeds and wrongdoers. Tawalli and Tabarri is of such essence that some Ahadith have mentioned it as the firmest handle of faith.[4] Even though a believer should not resent other believers and have a grudge against them, but being enemies with the adversaries of Allah and those who deprived previous generations of prosperity through preventing the promotion of Allah's commands is one's religious and human responsibility.

Seeking vengeance on the murderers of such people is not a personal matter, but rather it is a means of getting revenge from all bad deeds and wrong doers in the world. It is a type of Amr Be Al Ma'ruf and Nahy An Al Munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil). In religious sources the term "Montaqem" (One who gets revenge) has been mentioned as one of Allah's qualities[5] and the Quran itself has commanded us to resent some sinners and not to take them as our friends.[6]

F: It is understood from the fact that Allah got revenge from the Pharaoh and his lot, sinners, the deniers of the prophet and others, that it is Wajib to believe in this issue and act accordingly.

G: It is also understood from the curses and disassociations mentioned in the Quran and Ahadith and even Ziyarat Ashura, which is narrated from Allah, that not only it is not wrong to resent and have animosity towards the adversaries of Islam and faith and the ones behind the the tragedy of Karbala, but it is also approved of and is considered one of Islam's Sha’a’ir (Cardinal Sacraments), the same way the main slogan of Islam, which is Tawhid, means to disassociate oneself from the enemies of religion.

Therefore seeking vengeance on the murderers of Imam Hussein is advocated by Islam and it is wrong to claim that seeking vengeance in any form is not accepted in Islam.

H: The fact that an Infallible (the one who issued the ziyarat of Ashura) declares Imam Hussein to be "ثارالله" and " الوتر الموتور",  and that Allah will take revenge from the murderers of Imam Hussein through Imam Mahdi[7], and that the Infallible himself prays to be among the people who get revenge for Imam Hussein's blood[8], and also curses and the murderers of Imam Hussein all show us that that not willing to get revenge or resent or hate the people cursed in Ziyarat Ashura is something against Allah’s will.



[1] Al-Jawhari, Ismail ibn Hammad, Al-Sihah, vol. 2, pg. 603; Al-Razi, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Abdul-Qader, Mukhtar Al-Sihah, pg. 51; Ibn Al-Athir, Al-Nihayah fi Gharib Al-Hadith, vol. 1, pg. 199; Tarihi, Fakhruddin, Majma’ Al-Bahrain, vol. 1, pg. 306; Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 10, pg. 151, quoted by Asadi, Hasan, Barresi va Tahlili Piramune Ziyarate Ashura, pg. 82.

[2] Tarihi, Fakhruddin, Majma’ Al-Bahrain, vol. 3, pg. 508; Al-Jawhari, Ismail ibn Hammad, Taj Al-Lughah wa Sihah Al-Arabiyyah, vol. 2, pg. 842; Al-Sihah, vol. 2, pg. 83; Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 101, pg. 154, quoted by Ibid.

[3] For further analysis of each of these possibilities, please refer to Barresi va Tahlili Piramune Ziyarate Ashura, pg. 82 an on; HeydariFar, Majid, Madreseye Eshq, pg. 137; Tehrani, Abul-Fazl, Pasokh be Porseshaye Daneshjouyi (the section on the rise of Imam Husein (as)), the question about what is meant by the blood of Allah (swt); Shifa’ Al-Sudur, pg. 162.

[4] Mahdavi Kani, Mohammad Reza, Noqtehaye Aghaz dar Akhlaqe Amali, pg. 90.

[5] A’raf:136; Rum:47; Zukhruf:25-55; Hijr:79; Ma’idah:95; Ibrahim:47; Zumar:37; Sajdah:22; Zukhruf:41.

[6] Animosity towards the Jews and Christians: Ma’idah:51; Animosity towards pagan brothers and fathers: Tawbah:23; Animosity towards the enemies of the believers: Mumtahinah:9; Animosity towards the disbelievers and mockers of divine verses: Nisa:135.

[7] Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 45, pg. 221 and 222.

[8] Nouri, Mustadrak Al-Wasa’el, vol. 10, pg. 415, The Jame’ Al-Ahadith software.

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