What is Yaqeen (Certitude)?!
By: Laila Ali
One of the most important
lectures from the School of Imam
Mahdi (a.s), which I was Blessed
with attending when I was in Egypt,
is the lecture about Yaqeen, called
"Yaqeen (Certitude) is the Key to
Miracles by Imam Ahmad al Hassan (a.s)". This lecture is now available online, with some additional
content. SubhanaAllah, I have to
say, some of the lectures by Abdullah Hashem in the School are like
extended TADS episodes for me.
And this lecture is for sure right up
there.
The reason why this lecture
spoke to me was because, Yaqeen
is something that I have been pondering a lot about recently. Are we
born with the seed of Yaqeen within us or is it something that is
gained through trials or is it something that is built through knowledge? This has been swimming
around in my head.
it is in that moment that it comes
racing to the forefront and drowns
the human being.
Yaqeen being built through
knowledge - I can see this. I have
witnessed this. Coming from a Sunni background, when you come to
the Truth of Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and
the Purity of Ahlul Bayt (a.s), this
Blessing alone adds to the Yaqeen.
Imam Ali (a.s) (from one of his
long sermons), "There are four pillars for faith: perseverance, certitude, justice and unity."
Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s) has said,
"Faith is superior to submission (to
God), and certitude is superior to
faith. Nothing is more superior than
certitude." Meshkat al-Anwar,
Chapter 3, Hadith 18 and 19.
The more we learn about
Ahlul Bayt (a.s) and the Hujjah of
Allah (swt) the closer we get to the
Truth. And it is the Truth that is the
Strong Base of Yaqeen.
If we go one step further
and look deeper into things, we will
find that our faith, Islam, is based
on Yaqeen and that is Yaqeen of
the Unseen.
If our Certitude is based on
a Lie, then guess what? It will
crumble. We will Crumble. May
Allah (swt) Protect us from the Lies
of the Decievers, InshaAllah, Mola
Ali Waaris.
In Islam we believe that we
cannot see God with the Physical
eyes. God is not an Idol that can be
carved or carried around, He is Ever Present and is All Knowing, All
Seeing.
Also, those of who were
born after the death of the Prophet
(s.a.w) and during the Greater OcPerhaps through the believcultation of Imam Mahdi (a.s), we
ing Clay we have the Seed of
have not seen Prophet Muhammad
Yaqeen embedded within us, but if
(s.a.w) nor any of the Imams (a.s),
our acts are not God Concious and
we have only gone by what we
are not Directed towards seeking
have read and found. So, our
the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and the
Yaqeen in their Successorship,
Darkness of the Ego Monster takes
Prophethood or Imamate has not
over, then that level of Yaqeen is
been through seeing them as
lessened and the human being is
Yaqeen is not based on that. I have
walking around in a thick fog.
heard people ask about Imam AhImam Sadiq (a.s) added that mad (a.s) and argue that "I cannot
Yaqeen being gained
the Commander of the Faithful used believe because there is no picture
through trials is a Great Blessing
to do such things often. That is
of Ahmad! If he is truly a Sayyed or
but it is through trials that Yaqeen
what is called Yaqeen (Conviction). from the lineage of Muhammad
itself is TESTED. That is the time
(s.a.w), I will know just by looking
when the true essence of the human
In al-Mohasen it is narrated
at him!" To which I always answer
being comes out. If there is an
that Imam Muhammad al-Baqir
that if the criteria to recognizing the
ounce of uncertainty or doubt then (a.s) quoted on the authority of
There is a report in al Kafi, Vol. II.
According to it Imam Sadiq (a.s) is
reported to have said, “One day
Imam Ali (a.s) was sitting with
some people under a dilapidated
wall. Someone asked him not to sit
under that wall because it was tottering. The Commander of the
Faithful said that one’s appointed
time (time appointed for his death)
guards him. No sooner he left the
place than the wall fell down”.
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