Can the Imams provide Rizq?

Introduction:

[al-Kafi volume 2 page 180]

Imam al-Baqir says:

“O' Malik, you Shi’a do not see that you perform excess in our matter?

[On the opposite], just like nothing can ever fully describe Allah’s status (thus you cannot perform excess). 

Nothing can fully describe our status.."

6 - علي بن إبراهيم، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن يونس، عن يحيى الحلبي، عن مالك الجهني قال: قال أبو جعفر (عليه السلام): يا مالك أنتمشيعتنا [أ] لا ترى أنك تفرط في أمرنا إنه لا يقدر على صفة الله فكما لا يقدر على صفة الله كذلك لا يقدر على صفتنا وكما لا يقدر علىصفتنا 

Our Imams have been granted a high status by Allah. As such, their status isn't easily fathomable to the human minds, as the Imam says: "nothing can fully describe our status".

As long as one does not attribute divinity to the Imams, and accepts that they are slaves of Allah, then they can say whatever they want about the virtues of the Imam, but they will never truly understand the virtues and status.

[al-Ihtijaj by al-Tabrasi, volume 23, page 2] 

“Do not exceed in [your interpretation] of our traits anything except slavery (to Allah). 

Then say whatever you want in us and you will never reach [the true extent].” 

فعن أمير المؤمنين (عليه السلام) أنه قال: ((لا تتجاوزوا بنا العبودية ، ثم قولوا فينا ما شئتم ولن تبلغوا

With this principle, God Willing today we aim to expand on one such virtue of the Imam: to provide sustenance and lighten hardship of the believer, when one performs istagatha with the Imam to God.

Let us begin!

Narration 1:

[al-Kafi, volume 4 page 575]

Narrated al-Hussain ibn Thuwayr:

“I and Yunus ibn Dhubyan, al-Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar, Abu Salama al-Sarraj were sitting in the presence of Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq). Among us Yunus, who was the eldest did the speaking and he said, 

[Yunus speaks with the Imam]

"I (Yunus) then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I very often speak of al-Hussain (peace be upon him), what I should say?"

He (the Imam) said, "Say 'the blessings of Allah be upon you O' Abu 'Abdullah, I appeal before Allah to grant you salawat, three times. The Salam (greeting) reaches him from nearby as well as distant places."

He (the Imam) then said, ‘When Abu 'Abdullah passed away, the seven heavens and the seven earths wept. Everything between them, those who move in paradise and in hell, all that our Creator has created, all that can be seen and those that cannot be seen wept for Abu 'Abdullah al-Hussain.

[..]

I then said, "I want to visit him. What should I do?"

He (the Imam) said, "When you want to visit Abu 'Abdullah, take a bath in al- Furat canal, then dress up in clean cloths, walk bare-foot.

[the Imam prescribes a method for Ziyara]

(the Imam continues) "Whomever Allah wants He begins with you. Through you, falsehood becomes clear where falsehood is, through you Allah keeps away the difficult times, through you Allah commences and with you Allah ends a task. Through you Allah deletes whatever He wills and through you He establishes whatever He wills. Through you He opens up humiliation from around our necks and through you Allah brings to justice the murderers of every believer.Through you the earth grows its trees. Through you the trees yield their fruits. Through you Allah sends down rain and sustenance from the sky. Through you Allah removes hardship and through you Allah sends down heavy rain. Through you the earth, which carries your bodies, stands solid and mountains remain firm against swirling. The will of the Lord about the measurements of affairs descends before you and comes out from your homes as well as the decisions about rules dealing with affairs of servants (of Allah)..." (till the end of the narration).

الكليني (رضي الله عنه) عن عدة من أصحابنا عن أحمد بن محمد عن القاسم بن يحيى عن جده

الحسن بن راشد عن الحسين بن ثوير قال: كنت انا ويونس بن ظبيان والمفضل بن عمر وأبو سلمة السراج جلوسا عن أبي عبد الله (عليهالسلام)، وكان المتكلم يونس بن ظبيان وكان أكبرنا سنا، فقال له:

جلعت فداك إذا أردت زيارة الحسين (عليه السلام) 

[..] من أراد الله بدأ بكم وبكم يبين الله الكذب، وبكم يباعد الزمان الكلب، وبكم فتح الله وبكم يختم، وبكم يمحو ما يشاء وبكم يثبت، وبكم يفكالذل من رقابنا، وبكم يدرك الله ترة كل مؤمن تطلب، وبكم تنبت الأرض أشجارها، وبكم تخرج الأشجار أثمارها، وبكم تنزل السماء قطرهاورزقها، وبكم يكشف الله الكرب، وبكم ينزل الله الغيث، وبكم تسبح الأرض التي تحمل أبدانكم وتستقل جبالها عن مراسيها، إرادةالرب في مقادير أموره تهبط إليكم وتصدر من بيوتكم، والصادر عما نقل من أحكام العباد

Evaluation:

A) Firstly, the Imam says "your greeting reaches al-Hussain from a long distance".

Signifying how Imam al-Hussain can hear, by the Permission of Allah, what is in our hearts, and this is from the knowledge of the Unseen which the Imam is given by Allah. To understand it further, let's look at the following Qur'anic analogy.

"“They will make excuses to you when you have returned to them. Say, "Make no excuse - never will we believe you. Allah has already informed us of your news [i.e., affair]. And Allah will observe your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger." (9:94) 

Allah gives knowledge to the Prophet of what is in the hearts of the munafiqeen (that they will remain kuffar at hearts and have no genuine intentions). 

And Allah instructs him to publicly tell them he will never believe them (the Munafiqeen) - because Allah has already informed him of their “news” (their true intentions). 

What is in the hearts of munafiqeen is recorded by angels, who are aware of all our deeds (see Qur'an 6:59 and 83:21).

And Allah shared of knowledge from what is written with the Prophet [..] 

As such, Imam al-Sadiq says: 

[al-Kafi, volume 1, page 255]

“I have knowledge of what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. I know what is in heaven and what is in hell. And I have knowledge of what was and what will be.”" (1)

Thus God Willing it is now clear that Imam al-Hussain can hear what is in our hearts, and our words reach him despite our distance from him, by the permission of Allah.

B) The Imam continues: " Through you the earth grows its trees. Through you the trees yield their fruits. Through you Allah sends down rain and sustenance from the sky. Through you Allah removes hardship and through you Allah sends down heavy rain."

This is an interesting portion of the narration. It describes the reality of the status of the Imam, such that the World runs through Him (Imam al-Hussain). Through the Imam, the earth grows its trees and yields fruits, and the sky sends down rain. Through the Imam, Allah sends down "sustenance from the sky" !

Allahu Akbar, how high is the station of the Imam! It displays how the Imam is the medium that Allah utilizes to bestow Sustenance and other blessings such as rain, trees, justice etc. upon the people. 

This is reminiscant of the verse:

"If only they had been satisfied with what Allah and His Messenger gave them and said, "Sufficient for us is Allah ; Allah will give us of His bounty, and [so will] His Messenger; indeed, we are desirous toward Allah," [it would have been better for them]." (9:59)

C) The Imam continues: "Through you Allah removes hardship"

Meaning, one may perform istagatha (seeking help from the Imam) to Allah through al-Hussain.

As He can hear what is in your heart by the Permission of Allah, and He can bestow upon you sustenance and aid you in your hardships, by the Permission of Allah. So one may place Imam al-Hussain as a wasila (means) between him and Allah to fulfill his needs.

This idea is corroborated in the following narration:

Narration 2:

[al-Kafi, volume 4, page 587]

“Abu ‘Abdullah (al-Sadiq) said, "if you wish to visit al-Hussain, peace be upon him, you should visit him when you feel sad, faced with hardship, in an untidy physical condition, hungry and thirsty. Ask him to help you for your wishes, then move away and do not adopt it as your place of residence."

عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن علي بن الحكم، عن بعض أصحابنا عن أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام) قال: إذا أردت زيارة الحسين(عليه السلام) فزره وأنت حزين مكروب شعث مغبر جائع عطشان وسله الحوائج وانصرف عنه ولا تتخذه وطنا.

Here the Imam demonstrates that we should ask Imam al-Hussain to help us with our wishes/needs. After all, the Imam enjoys a praiseworthy station مقام المحمود with Allah, thus being a perfect vessel for our dua'a to Allah. (2)

May Allah grant us ease in our hardship through the means of the Messenger of Allah and His Purified Family.

Wa Allahu 'Aalam.

Footnotes:

(1) For a detailed discussed on the extent of 'Ilm al-Ghaib of the Imams, see Fatima, Hearing What’s In Our Hearts 💙

(2) For a detailed citation of sources on seeking aid from the Imams, see Allama al-Majlisi Revived My People - Part 3: Content of Dua al-Tawassul