Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon 21st November – 2025
Sermon 1: Taqwa in Sexual Affairs (16) – Treatment of Nushuz (nonfulfillment of sexual rights by spouse)
Sermon 2: The Fitnah of Exaggeration (Ghuluw): Imam Ridā’s (a.s.) Condemnation of Abū’l-Khaṭṭāb
ٱلرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى ٱلنِّسَآءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ وَبِمَآ أَنفَقُوا۟ مِنْ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ ۚ فَٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتُ قَانِتَٰتٌ حَافِظَٰتٌ لِّلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَٱلَّٰتِى تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَٱهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِى ٱلْمَضَاجِعِ وَٱضْرِبُوهُنَّ ۖ فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلَا تَبْغُوا۟ عَلَيْهِنَّ سَبِيلًا ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّا كَبِيرًا
“Men are the managers of women because of the advantage Allah has granted some of them over others, and by virtue of their spending out of their wealth. So righteous women are obedient, guarding the intimate areas in the absence (of their husbands), as Allah has guarded. And as for those (wives) whose rebellion (nushūz) you fear, admonish them, and keep away from them in the bed, and beat them. If they obey you, then do not seek any course of action against them. Indeed, Allah is All-exalted, All-great.”
1. Taqwa, Marriage (Nikah) and Iffat (Chastity)
Taqwa in sexual affairs can be achieved through marriage and chastity (Iffah). Taqwa and Iffat (chastity) are general for other fields as well, but marriage (Nikah) is specific to this field of sexual affairs. Without marriage, Taqwa is impossible, and if someone claims to possess Taqwa without marriage, then this is a false claim as he has not enacted the principles of Taqwa. He is insecure and such a life is destructive.
2. Concept of “Safah” vs. Nikah
Against Nikah, the subject which Quran has discussed is “Safah,” which also means misguidance and corruption in sexual affairs. Nikah terminologically meant to get absorbed in each other so that identity becomes one of both. “Safah” means to waste something by throwing it out, like throwing water or things lying in utensils which are not to be used. In our life we throw many useful and beneficial things, like someone has eaten some part of food, we throw it away. Quran has used this term in human relationships. Quran says some people establish relationship and in this relationship they waste all their virtues, which in our terminology is illegitimate relationship. In such type of relationship there are more emotions and he is wasting his emotions; then he won’t be able to express these even with children. Anyone in illegitimate relationship has wasted his emotions somewhere else, so now when he comes home he is not willing even to listen them. The emotions which he has to express with his wife he is expressing it somewhere else. The scholars have interpreted word Safah as adultery (Zina), but Safah applies to every relationship which are getting wasted, whereas Zina is a pre-requisite of Safah.
3. Illegitimate Relationships and Their Consequences
Man fills the gaps in marital relationship through illegitimate relationship with some Na-Mahram. Nowadays it comes very often in news that people have illegitimate relationship with Mahram members as well. This is because they have not adapted the legal system following its principles. They do not get married at right time, or not do right spouse selection. If for some genuine reason Nikah is not possible or getting delayed then do not jump towards Safah but instead acquire Iffat and control. But this is the most toughest state of Iffat in sexual affairs. He needs high strength like when a tasty food is presented in front of a hungry person. For a poor person, Iffat is that he does not raise his eyes on others’ wealth, such a person is Afeef.
4. Example of Prophet Yusuf (a) and Iffat
In case of Yusuf though he was beautiful no one was purchasing him when he was being sold. The Emir bought him because they did not had children. The thing which the Egyptian women like about Yusuf and they cut their fingers was his Iffat (chastity). He is getting opportunity for sin but he did not even raise his eyes. They were always seeing his face, but first time they saw his character. Yusuf got the opportunity of Safah but he did not succumb. His character impressed everyone and this got nurtured when he got the public treasury of the nation he presented his chastity further. He secured the nation from crisis using public treasury. The ruler was Firaun and the people were also idolterers and he presented his chastity there. This chastity was seen on several instances in the character of Prophets and Imams. Iffat means when there is a need and no legitimate means are present, then also you should not go towards illegitimate means.
5. Jurists (Fuqaha) and Illegitimate Justifications
There are such Jurists (Fuqaha) present who find and present justifications for illegitimate things. They have written books to answer questions on how to handle situations when mixing up with Na Mahram, how can you legitimize it. You cannot go towards Safah in any situation, the only way is Nikah or Iffat.
6. Marriage Does Not Automatically Ensure Sexual Discipline
When marriage is done then also it does not means that he is getting sexually organized. Like even after marriage they are into financial problems could be due to no job etc. This means one dimension of married life got impacted. Then other issues could be like both or one are not possessing behavioural ethics, so life gets disturbed. Similarly the sexual discipline does not gets established despite of marriage, this Quran terms this as “Nushuz”.
7. Definition of Nushuz and Shiqaaq
If one is not delivering his/her rights this is Nushuz, but if both are not doing it then Quran terms this as “Shiqaaq”. Nushuz means to stand, rise leaving obligations and responsibilities. As presented in the verse of Surah Nisa, where Quran says that if husband has the fear of Nushuz from wife, which means they are not prepared (Qaanit) to deliver the rights of marriage.
8. Quranic Steps for Treating Nushuz in Wife
Now this kind of woman should be prepared. This is first done by counselling (Waez) on the threats, consequences of this behaviour. If this is also not effective then you should do “Hajr e Mazja” means husband should do Hijrah, that is to separate bed (Mazja) for making her attentive. Then also if Nushuz does not end, then the last treatment is “Zarb” (striking, hitting). Here the Jurists have interestingly said that not to hit hard because the enlightened people have said that this is against woman rights. Quran has clearly expressed for Naasheza woman after counselling, separation of bed, then there is Zarb which has faced objections.
9. Misuse of Violence and Its Boundaries
We can see in our society that mostly husband are violent on woman and in some cases woman are also but not for Nushuz instead for other ethical reasons, ego, family problems etc. Religion has not permitted man to be violent on woman for making them deliver those tasks which are not their religious obligations. It is inhuman act to be violent on housewives. If woman have not delivered other tasks except for sexual obedience, it is not permissible. If woman is not delivering her sexual duties towards man without any acceptable justification then you can hit her (Zarb) but not to the extent that you break her bones. Zarb means a strictness which is the rights of man if she is doing Nushuz. This is also subject to societies whereby in certain societies it’s a culture to not obey husband. But in certain tribal society like Pushtun women are more obedient in every affair.
10. Materialistic Marriages and Social Misconduct
In certain societies woman consider man not as husband but an ATM machine. She has demand for new dresses every day. One believer was telling me that she got three dresses for one day function. He was considering this as rights of wife because she came from higher class family. Some women marry such kind of man because they want to only get gains. In our society it is very common that husband get married and then leaves for work outside country, return back after one year. This is one fundamental mistake which is done. You might be controlling yourself there but your wife might not be controlling herself. The outcome of such mistakes are highly disgraceful.
11. Real Life Examples of Safah in Society
One married woman from Sindh ran away with her children to India through Nepal in relationship with an Indian person who was not good at all. This is because her husband was in Saudi and sending good money everything. But their relationship was online; she wanted on-ground relationship which she found somewhere else and went there. She mentioned in her interview that my need was not just money which does not gets fulfilled. If you have long duration travel then travel with wife.
12. Responsibilities of Husband in Hardships
Certain men from day one tell their wives that I had a tough life before and there are hardships in my life and now you have to tolerate this. So why you got married to her? If there are hardships then you take on your own and not ask your wife to bear. There would be hardships in married life to which both contribute, but those hardships which are planned are not meant for woman, and then man starts to become violent. Though there are certain women who arouse man by provoking him to become violent. The punishments are also different for both cases of violent.
13. Quranic Limitation on Violence
Quran only permits violence on one instance of Nushuz. If after this she returns back to deliver her rights then man should not proceed further to continue with any hardships. Then after this verse says, if there is Shiqaq then what should be done, which I will express later.
14. Nushuz of Man — Surah Nisa 4:128
In Surah Nisa, verse 128 there is a mention of Nushuz of man as well, then what should be done. If man does not deliver the rights of man, which is not just sexual rights but also maintenance:
وَإِنِ ٱمْرَأَةٌ خَافَتْ مِنۡ بَعۡلِهَا نُشُوزًا أَوۡ إِعۡرَاضٗا فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡهِمَآ أَن يُصۡلِحَا بَيۡنَهُمَا صُلۡحٗاۚ وَٱلصُّلۡحُ خَيۡرٞۚ وَأُحۡضِرَتِ ٱلۡأَنفُسُ ٱلشُّحَّۚ وَإِن تُحۡسِنُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرٗا
“If a woman fears her husband’s ill-conduct or disregard, there shall be no blame upon the two should they reconcile between themselves with a settlement, and reconciliation is better. And souls are prone to avarice; but if you are good and are God-wary, indeed Allah is well aware of what you do.”
15. Shuhv (Extreme Miserliness) and Reconciliation
If man does not fulfill the essential needs of life specific to the class they belong or if he is depriving woman of sexual rights, then solution is to do reconciliation. Man does this because of “Shuhv” that is miserliness. Man should not be miser but woman should be miser. If man is doing “Shuhv,” which is next category of miserliness. A miser is one who does not give others but spends on his own. Shuhv is one who does not spend on his own self as well.
16. Sexual Capacity Issues and Quranic Solution (Mutah)
Sexual distraction or orientation reduction in man is low as compared to woman. It can happen due to some medical problems, one member loses sexual potential or desire but the other still possesses. In our culture we keep a big gap in age whereby woman is much lesser in age. So when man becomes old and she is young. We should be careful and not have such low age, so that both get retired at the same time. So in this situation one loses ability then what should be done? Here Quran refers to the solution as “Istimta,” that is Mutah. There are various conflicts on Mutah because it has moved from Quran to Fiqh. We will discuss about the Quranic dimension of Mutah as Allah has provided this facility. Mutah has various conditions of permissibility and one of those conditions is this case which we will discuss later.
SECOND SERMON
The most distinct, firm, and unshakable voice of Taqwa is the personality, character, life, teachings, wisdom, and governance of Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.). In Hikmah 117 he says:
حَلَكَ فِي رَجُلَان مُحِبٌ غَالٍ و مُبغِدٌ قَال
“Two kinds of people will be destroyed because of me:a lover who exaggerates,and a hater who carries malice.”
Regarding me, two types of people will perish:
(1) the ghālī — those whose excessive love destroys them,
and (2) the mubghid — those with hatred and hypocrisy who perish because of their hostility.
Their destruction will be both in this world and in the Hereafter.
We began explaining this Hikmah in detail because the danger Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) wanted to save the Ummah from is the same danger that arose during his own time with intensity, then persisted throughout the era of the Imams (a.s.), and afterwards grew even more severe, and today it is at its peak. Today Shi’ism — especially in Pakistan — is caught in the grip of this danger: the danger of ghulūw.
Ghuluw exists in other parts of the world as well — for example among some Turkiye “Alawis/‘Ali-Allahis,” in Syria among the Alawis connected to Bashar al-Assad, in Iran and Iraq among certain small groups — but in those places they are not dominant. They are hidden, socially insignificant, or non-influential.
But in Pakistan, the entire Shi’a identity has come under the intense impact of ghuluw. It is so strong that the true identity and essence of Shi’ism is being lost, and Shi’ism is taking on the face of ghuluw. Therefore, explaining this fitnah is essential, because this is the fitna of today, and today’s generation is trapped in it.
In Bihār al-Anwār, volume 25, the late Allāmah Majlisī (r.a.) collected all narrations of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) on this subject. These narrations show that in every era of every Imam, ghuluw existed, and the Imams (a.s.) fought it continuously. They had many fronts — the oppressive rule of Banū Umayyah, then Banū ‘Abbās, the Nawasib who hated Ahl al-Bayt, deviants, atheists, the ignorant — but the most important battlefield, even more than against Banū Umayyah and Banū ‘Abbās, was the battlefield against the ghālīs.
Although our books contain this history clearly, Shi’ism today has again fallen prey to ghuluw. This is because of the negligence of scholars who, out of fear of ghālīs, hid these teachings of the Imams and instead turned ghuluw into a product — something to be sold from the pulpits. Because people enjoy exaggerated praise, many speakers — even those who are not ghālīs themselves — perform ghuluw to entertain and excite audiences.
In the 21st narration of volume 25, Allāmah Majlisī transmits a narration from Muhammad ibn Zayd al-Tabarī:
He says:
قَالَ قُنتُ قَائِمًا عَلَى رَأْسِ الرَّزَى عَلِي ابنِ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَام
“I was standing before Imam ‘Alī ibn Mūsā al-Ridā (a.s.) in Khurasan. With him sat a group of the Banū Hāshim. Among them was Ishāq ibn ‘Abbās, an ‘Abbāsid.”
Imam Ridā (a.s.) said to him:
یَا اِسْحَاق … بَلَغَنِي اَنَّكُمْ تَقُولُونَ اِنَّ النَّاسَ عَبِيدٌ لَنَا
“O Ishāq, news has reached me that you people say: ‘People are our slaves, the slaves of Ahl al-Bayt, not the slaves of Allah.’ Is this what you have been spreading?”
The Imam said:
لَا وَقَرَابَتِي مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ … مَا قُلْتُهُ
“No — by Allah, and by my kinship with the Messenger of Allah — I have never said that people are our slaves.”
وَلَا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ اَحَدٍ مِنْ عَبَائِي
“Nor have I ever heard this from any of my forefathers.”
وَلَا بَلَغَنِي اَنْ اَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ قَالَهُ
“And no report has ever reached me that any of the Imams ever said such a thing.”
Imam Ridā (a.s.) then explained:
People are our followers because we convey Allah’s message to them. They obey us in religion, they love us, and they follow us — but they are not our slaves, nor do we possess lordship over them. Tell everyone who is not present here today that this is our belief, not what the Banū Hāshim have been claiming.
In the 22nd narration, Allāmah Majlisī quotes a narration of Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz:He says Imam al-Sādiq (a.s.) told him, “Bring water for me to perform wudu.”He brought the water, and Imam went to perform wudu.Ismā‘īl thought in his heart:
“What do we believe about them, and what are they doing? They are performing wudu like ordinary people. We believed they never needed wudu or ghusl because Allah had purified them.”
When Imam returned, he said:
“یا إسماعیل، لا تُقِمْ الأَمَارَةَ فَوْقَ أَسَاسِهَا —
O Ismā‘īl, do not build a structure larger than its foundation.”
Meaning:
We are servants of Allah — do not raise us above our created status. After affirming our humanity, describe whatever virtues you wish — but do not exceed the boundaries of creation.
Then the narration of Abū’l-Khaṭṭāb appears. Imam Ja‘far al-Sādiq (a.s.) says:
لعناللہ ابالخطاب
“May Allah curse Abū’l-Khaṭṭāb.”
ولعناللہ من قتل معاہو
“And may Allah curse those who were killed with him.”
ولعناللہ من باقیہ منہم
“And may Allah curse those from his group who remained alive.”
ولعناللہ من دخل قلبہ رحمت لہم
“And may Allah curse the one who has even an ounce of sympathy for them.”
He was a leader of the ghālīs, and the Imams were extremely displeased with him. His exaggerations were so severe that Imam al-Sādiq (a.s.) said he would be resurrected with Pharaoh in the most painful punishment.
Another narration (no. 24) describes how someone expressed surprise about individuals who were once with the Imams but later separated from the path — and Imam, upon hearing the name “Abū’l-Khaṭṭāb,” sat upright, raised his finger toward the sky, and said repeatedly:
عَلَىٰ عَبِالْخِطَابِ لَعَنَةُ اللَّهِ …
“Upon Abū’l-Khaṭṭāb is the curse of Allah… he is a disbeliever, a polytheist, a corrupt one.”
The Imam expressed joy that such people would be thrown into Hell.These individuals did not insult the Imams; instead, they exaggerated, raising the Imams from the level of created beings to divinity. This is why the Imams showed such severity — because ghuluw destroys the foundation of Shi’ism, the foundation of Tawhid, and the entire religion.Therefore, the Imams warned the Banū Hāshim themselves not to use ambiguous statements that would help the ghālīs. The same ambiguous exaggeration exists today on modern stages and pulpits — crafted in a way that listeners interpret it as ghuluw.The Imams condemned this, and they cursed the instigators who inflame exaggeration. Yet today many scholars have ignored these clear teachings, and instead promote vague, embellished, exaggerated content because it sells.This fitnah is extremely dangerous, deep, and powerful — and Shi’ism today is caught in its grip. Therefore, our present generation must be warned.
May Allah protect all believers from every form of evil and corruption —
فتنۂ ناصبیت، فتنۂ تکفیریت، فتنۂ غلو، فتنۂ خوارج، فتنۂ شیعاتین —
and keep the believers and their generations safe.
May Allah remove these mischief-makers from this world, and protect the Ummah from their evil.
O Lord, grant freedom to the oppressed people of Gaza and Palestine; destroy the tyrants; eliminate America and Israel; disgrace the rulers who collaborate with Zionists; grant victory to the Mujahideen of Hezbollah, Hamas, and Ansarullah; extend the shadow of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution; protect the Islamic Revolution from internal and external enemies; connect it with the Revolution of Imam al-Zaman (a.t.f.s); protect Pakistan; protect it from enemies; disgrace those who betray the nation; grant unity and awareness to the Muslim Ummah; and hasten the reappearance of Your Wali, ولی اللہ الاعظم صاحب العصر والزمان.And include us among his helpers and supporters.
