Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon 18th April – 2025
Sermon 1 : Various ways by which Fitnah destroys the society
Fitnah can have lasting effects across generations. A clear example is the British colonial rule over the subcontinent—its legacy of mental and cultural slavery still persists across all religions and communities, many of whom unknowingly take pride in it. This has brought both worldly and spiritual ruin. While diseases may affect only one member of a household, some seditions are so severe that they devastate entire generations.
To protect against such Fitnah, Allah has established a system of Taqwa, outlined in Surah Al-Anfal, verse 25.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ۖ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَأَنَّهُ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ {24}
O you who believe! answer (the call of) Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life; and know that Allah intervenes between man and his heart, and that to Him you shall be gathered.
وَاتَّقُوا فِتْنَةً لَا تُصِيبَنَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْكُمْ خَاصَّةً ۖ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ {25}
And fear an affliction which may not smite those of you in particular who are unjust; and know that Allah is severe in requiting (evil).
Although oppressors may initiate Fitnah (sedition), its consequences are not limited to them—it ultimately affects the oppressed as well. Only the Quranic Muttaqee (God-conscious individuals) remain safe from such Fitnah, though not from its ethical dimension, as they may unknowingly become its victims or even fuel it. Imam Khomeini (r.a) remarked that before the revolution, simple-minded, naïve religious people—lacking even common sense—were often seen as the most Muttaqee. This distorted perception of Taqwa (piety) spread widely. True Muttaqee are aware, intelligent, and understand both the path and the enemies. Since Taqwa is a form of protection, it cannot be achieved without insight. Fools, as Imam Ali (a.s) noted in the first saying of Nahjul Balagha, become vehicles for Fitnah, unable to provide stability or nourishment—like a young camel that cannot be ridden or milked. Today, on social media, ignorant scholars spread their folly widely.
In Sermon 149 of Nahjul Balagha, Imam Ali (a.s) explains how Fitnah emerges. This offers a sociological insight into how environments nurture seditions that grow into destructive Fitnahs. Politicians often claim the Middle East is being “reborn”—a process driven by forces known to some and analyzed by others. In Pakistan, political actors have sown the seeds of Fitnah in the minds of the youth, which will eventually result in its birth. Sometimes, these plans fail, like the U.S.’s past failures in the Middle East or the collapse of the “Deal of the Century.” But now, they seem more confident. This is not limited to one region—it applies to Pakistan and the broader Muslim Ummah. The sociological principles that govern Fitnah transcend religion; they are divine laws that apply to all societies. Some societies are barren, incapable of producing anything; others, like Pakistan, are fertile ground for nurturing Fitnah.
Imam Ali (a.s) continues in the sermon, stating that one Fitnah gives rise to another, much like how one illness makes the body vulnerable to more. He warns of an earthquake-like Fitnah that will shatter even the strongest structures. This Fitnah creates “zaig”—doubt and confusion—in people’s hearts. Even those with strong convictions will become uncertain. Beliefs will fragment; individuals won’t agree even with themselves—thinking one way in the morning and another by evening. As the Fitnah matures, truth and falsehood will become indistinguishable, with wrong appearing right and vice versa. Even showing a soft spot toward the agents of Fitnah is dangerous, as the Quran warns against inclining toward oppressors. Like being impressed by indecent behavior, this inclination (ishraf) can lead to destruction. Anyone trying to act within Fitnah risks being uprooted.
Imam Ali (a.s) says people join Fitnah by “Kaadama”—biting one another—like donkeys under stress. When pressured, those involved in Fitnah turn on each other. He describes Islam as a rope (Hablullah) connecting Allah’s will to human effort through Etesam (clinging for protection). We are meant to seek protection through this rope. However, during Fitnah, the knots of this rope unravel, making it ineffective, even though it remains among people. Society then descends into confusion, unable to distinguish truth from falsehood. In such a state, people often say, “What’s happening?”—a clear sign of societal affliction.
In a guided society, right and wrong are clear. Fitnah blinds people, drying up the springs of wisdom (Hikmah) and replacing it with ignorance. Hikmah, as taught by the Prophet (s), is firm, rational knowledge backed by argument and evidence. Imam Ali (a.s) says when Fitnah rises, people stop turning to intellectuals and scholars. As a result, ignorance spreads, and the foolish begin to control religious, social, political, and spiritual matters.
A stark example occurred in the recent Ramadan, where TV programs featured immodestly dressed women—wearing scarves for show—discussing fasting laws alongside Muftis and Maulanas. Their discussions, often irrational and absurd, guide the public. Imam Ali (a.s) describes such Fitnah as an earthquake that ruins everything, bringing the most unqualified individuals to the forefront—on pulpits, stages, and screens.
The era of Imam Ali (a) was marked by intense Fitnah, and he provided deep insight into its origins, spread, and how believers can remain protected. In the final part of his sermon, he identifies Taqwa as the key to safeguarding oneself from Fitnah.
SERMON 2
Imam Ali presented the threat from Fitnah’s of Kuluw and Ghuluw.
.وَ قَالَ عليه السلام: هَلَكَ فِيَّ رَجُلَانِ مُحِبٌّ غَالٍ وَ مُبْغِضٌ قَالٍ
Two categories of persons will face ruin on account of me: he who loves me with exaggeration, and he who hates me
Ghuluw has distorted the image of the Shiite faith, just as Nasb (Nasibi tendencies) have engulfed the Sunni sect. Extremism on both sides has altered the standards of identity: among Shias, one who does not engage in Ghuluw is often not considered a true follower; among Sunnis, anyone who does not show hatred toward the Ahlulbayt (a) is labeled a Rafidhi. For some, being a Sunni now means praising the enemies of Ahlulbayt (a), including Banu Umayyah and the progeny of Marwan. These two Fitnahs—Ghuluw and Nasb—have trapped both major sects of Islam and demand deeper discussion.
The Imams of Ahlulbayt (a), from the Prophet (s) to Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s), consistently warned against the evils of Ghuluw.
Tradition from Imam Rida (a):
Hamadani asked Imam Rida (a) about the false claims people associate with the Imams, particularly the idea that people are servants of the Imams rather than Allah. The Imam firmly denied ever making such a claim, stating that both he and his forefathers always affirmed servitude to Allah alone. He reasoned that if the Imams viewed people as their slaves, there would be no need to seek allegiance—which is proof that they are not divine, but divinely appointed leaders. He emphasized that accepting the Wilayah of the Imams must not lead to elevating them beyond their status.
This is highly relevant today, as some Zakirīn continue to falsely attribute exaggerated claims to the Imams.
Further Narrations:
• Tradition 11: Imam Sadiq (a) cites Imam Baqir (a) and the Prophet (s), stating that two groups will never receive the Prophet’s intercession: tyrant rulers and Ghulat (those who exaggerate the status of the Imams).
• Tradition 12: Imam Sadiq (a) instructs to uphold Taqwa, respect Allah’s greatness, honor the Prophet (s) without placing anyone above him, and love Ahlulbayt (a) justly. One should not claim for the Imams what they themselves have not claimed. If one does, they will be raised apart from the Ahlulbayt on the Day of Judgment.
• Tradition 13: Reinforces the message of Tradition 12.
• Tradition 14: Imam Sadiq (a) states that even attending a Majlis of Ghulat is enough to expel someone from the religion. He quotes the Prophet (s) again: two groups are outside Islam—Ghulat and those who believe in absolute predestination.
• Tradition 15: Imam Ali (a) warns, “Do not exaggerate about us. Say: we are servants of Allah and remain under His Lordship.”
• Tradition 16: Imam Sadiq (a) names known Ghulat of his time—Mughira ibn Sa’id, Baya, Sa’id, Hamzat ibn Barwari, Haris, Abdullah ibn Haris, and Abul Khitab—highlighting that they fabricated thousands of traditions in the name of the Imams to promote their agenda. These fabricators are often found as narrators in hadith books.
The Imams have made it clear: Shiite belief is not accepting every hadith blindly. A narration must be tested against the Qur’an, and the credibility and sincerity of its narrator must be evaluated. Any narration that contradicts the Qur’an must be discarded. Unfortunately, many people today ignore this principle and selectively promote hadiths of Ghuluw, even from known fabricators.
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