ভূমিকা

(Qur’an, Surah Fatir 35:15) Commentators of Qur’an state that ‘helping Allah’ means helping the Holy Prophet and the Imams (as). Issue 2: Also, helping them means taking every step that is in compliance of their commands. Therefore the method of helping them depends upon the time and place. There is a difference between the help at the time of reappearance and help during his Ghaibat.

If he is present among us we help him by fighting Jihad in his company and when he is in Ghaibat we sometimes help him by praying for his reappearance, sometimes by mention of his excellence and qualities and miracles and signs; sometimes by helping his friends and devotees, sometimes by compiling and distributing books. There are many ways of rendering help as is clear to every enlightened person.

Issue 3: In the discussion of the value of helping Allah, it is mentioned that it is a part of helping the Awliya of Allah, helping His religion and His prophets on the basis of what traditions have mentioned. I say: As evident from traditions it is possible that Allah helps His creatures in ease and in difficulty, in trials and prosperity by keeping them safe from those things that distance him from His Mercy.

However, in this life their success over their enemies depends upon the time and circumstances. Thus sometimes our friends are in power and sometimes they are overpowered.