that he was better than a mangy
diseased dog, whereas Moses (a.s),
it did cross his mind. So this shows
the rank of Imam Ahmad (as),
especially for those who have read
the junction of the two seas, and if
you have not, it is very important
you do so and it can be downloaded
at www.thearrived.com
This is that small dot of darkness
with the Uli al-Azem (a.s) and the
Imams (a.s), and this is why Imam
Ahmad (a.s) signs every letter with
the "Guilty short-comer", and
SubhanAllah, Astaghfir'llah...what
are we in comparison? So this is the
level we are wanting to reach, and
yet Imam Ja'far Al Sadiq (a.s) is
saying the “LEAST of his degrees (of
the believers) are achieving
perfection in the apparent of
Prayers and Fasting and Pilgrimage
and Charity and Jihad and other
than that of the Religious Laws and
Duties.”
SubhanAllah, how many of us can
say that we have even reached this
first degree to any extent, let alone
perfection? May Allah (swt) increase
our dedication and knowledge, and
inspire us with what He wants.
Imam Ja'far Al Sadiq (a.s) is telling
us that if we can reach this level, we
are just now reaching the first
degree, let us continue with the
hadith. Imam Ja'far Al Sadiq (a.s)
said that doing these things is, "At
the Brink of Slavery until he reaches
the Degree of the Free."
Mufaddel asked: "And what is the
Degree of the Free my Master?"
Imam Al Sadiq (a.s) replied: "If he
knows Allah His True Knowing, and
Completed in Knowing, he is then
Free, he is released and the Chains
are dropped off him, and he comes
out of the Labyrinth."
Let us stop here, because we have a
very interesting connection with
what Imam Ja'far Al Sadiq (a.s) is
saying in Door # 47 of "The Secret
Manuscript of Imam Jafar Sadiq
(a.s)", and what Imam Ahmad alHassan (a.s) is saying in the book,
“The Labyrinth or Path to Knowing
Allah (swt).” First of all, we know
that the Imams from the Ahlul Bayt
(a.s) do not come with anything that
was not sent with the Prophet of
Allah (s.a.w). Everything that you
find Imam Ahmad (a.s) teaching us
in his books can be found from
traditions of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s).
The mentioning of “The Labyrinth”
in the Hadith from Ja'far Al Sadiq
(a.s) and the title of the book of
Imam Ahmad Al Hassan, is just a
quick connection and one that drew
attention, but let us re-read what the
sixth Imam Jafar Al Sadiq (a.s) said,
and let us take an excerpt from "The
Labyrinth" from Imam Ahmad (a.s),
and the English translation of this
book has been released for you to
read for yourself, All Praise is Due
to Allah (swt).
Narrated by Muffadel ibn Omar,
Imam Ja'far Al Sadiq (a.s) said:
".....And the Least of his Degrees is
that which is incumbent upon him
in the apparent of Prayers and
Fasting and Pilgrimage and Charity
and Jihad and other than that of the
Religious Laws and Duties."
And Imam Ahmad Al Hassan (a.s)
says in "The Labyrinth" in one of
the last chapters titled, 'The Path to
Get Out of The Labyrinth':
“On the path of getting out of the
Labyrinth, there is prayer, and
zakat, and fasting, and the
propagation of virtue, and the
prevention of vice, and the Jihad for
the sake of Allah, and love for the
sake of Allah, and hate for the sake
of Allah, and on the path of getting
out of the Labyrinth, there is the
commitment to all of the Islamic
laws and the devotion to Allah, and
to work for Him (swt), and on the
path of getting out of the Labyrinth,
there is spilled blood and discharged
sweat."
Subhan'Allah wal Hamdulillah!
Allahuma salle ala Muhammad, wa
ala Muhammad, al A'Emma, wal
Madiyeen, wa salam Tasleeman
Katheera.
This is very interesting indeed, as it
is not a parallel concept, but in fact
it is saying the exact same thing, it is
one and the same. But the
comparison continues.....
Mufaddel said: "O' Master, describe
to me Knowing Allah His True
Knowing and Completing in
Knowing?"
Imam Al Sadiq (as) said: "If he
knows Allah Purely without any
Suspicion or Doubt, and Confesses
that His Lord is High, Most High,
and admitted His Godhood and
Oneness and that He is Rich and
Noble....."
Mufaddel ibn Omar asked: "And
what is the meaning of Rich and
Noble?"
Imam Al Sadiq (as) said: "Rich with
Himself....not in need of anyone of
His creations and all of creation
needs Him, lacking His Power,
Greatness, Pride, and Strength."
Here is one more example, where
we know that Imam Ahmad Al
Hassan (a.s) is teaching us the same
thing in the "Book of Tawheed", as
Imam Ja'far (a.s) is saying in this
Hadith.
Imam Ja'far (a.s) is saying, “If he
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