Bismillah.
Ibn Abī Nasr narrates that he asked Abul Hasan al-Ridā (a): in which month should we visit [and perform the ziyārah of] Imam al-Husayn (a)? He said in the middle of Rajab and in the middle of Sha‘bān. (al-Tūsī, Tahdhīb 6:48; taken from Forty Hadīth: Rajab and Sha ‘bān, Hadith 5)
For our Quranic Arabic course ALI 695 see the details at the end.
وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مُّؤْمِنٌ مِّنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَانَهُ أَتَقْتُلُونَ رَجُلًا أَن يَقُولَ رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ وَقَدْ جَاءَكُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ
Said a man of faith from Pharaoh’s clan, who concealed his faith, ‘Will you kill a man for saying, ‘‘My Lord is Allah,’’ while he has already brought you manifest proofs from your Lord?
(Sūrat al-Mu’min, No.40, Āyat 28)
This verse begins a story from the life of Prophet Mūsā ‘alayhi salām. It is the story of Mu’min of Āli Fir‘awn, also known as Hizqīl. He was from the relatives of Fir‘awn. Some commentators say he was the chief of the police force of the time. When he heard Prophet Mūsā calling people towards the worship of One God he accepted faith but did not reveal it to anyone.
Hizqīl was surrounded by corruption in many forms. But he managed to retain his purity and was receptive to the truth. He was also wise enough to hide his faith and reveal it when he felt it was his duty to assist Prophet Mūsā (a). The above verse is the beginning of his speech in the court of Fir‘awn, when Fir‘awn threatened to kill Prophet Mūsā. Hizqīl asks why Fir‘awn would kill a person just because he believes his Lord is Allah ‘azza wajall. That too after he has brought miracles to prove his point. Hizqīl’s speech continues in this verse and the verses after it. He reasons with Fir‘awn and tells him to leave the Prophet alone. In later parts of his speech, Hizqīl changes his tone and talks to the people. He tells them to think about what the Prophet has said and take lessons from their history. He also warns the people about the Day of Judgment.
The words of Hizqīl affected the listeners and made Fir‘awn put a halt to his decision to kill Prophet Mūsā or at least delay it. He could not ignore Hizqīl’s speech nor be oblivious to the sentiments of the people. The courageous and firm speech at a sensitive time had maximum impact in the court of Fir‘awn.
The bravery of Hizqīl has come down in history as exemplary. The Holy Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa-ālihi wasallam mentioned Ali b. Abi Talib (a), the believer of Pharaoh’s people (Mu’min Āl Fir‘awn), and Habīb al-Najjār as “al-Siddiqūn” (The truthful One). These were the truthful people who supported the Prophets of their times. The story of Hizqīl reminds us of the need for courage and strength in the face of tyrants. May the Almighty help us to resist the different forms of attacks of the tyrants of our times.
Sources: Āyatullāh Nāsir Makārim Shirāzī (Ed.), Tafsīr-e Namūneh.
https://en.wikishia.net/view/Truthful_One
ALI 695: Quranic Arabic Level 4 (Online)
In this ONLINE course via Zoom, we will cover a few Lessons on nouns (اسم) in Unit 1 of the text Quranic Language Made Easy Hafiza Iffath Hasan. Students are encouraged to keep an English translation of the Holy Quran with parallel Arabic text during the class. The instructor will use The Qur’an, With a Phrase-by-Phrase English Translation by Ali Quli Qarai.
Eligibility: Any Muslim 16 years and over who can recite the Holy Quran and has attended Quranic Arabic classes with any institution can register.
- This is an interactive online course, and the participants are required to login through video.
- Attending all sessions on time is essential.
- Please email the instructor at [email protected] in advance if you are unable to attend due to some emergency.
- Class assignments and homework should be emailed to the instructor on time.
- Past lessons can be revised from https://academyofislam.com/quran/quranic-arabic/
Instructor: Sh Hasanayn Kassamali.
Fees: $40.00; College & Uni students get coupons to register for free.
Schedule: For five Tuesdays from Jan 14 to February 11, 2025, from 7:45 – 9:00 pm Toronto/NY times.