Thursday, March 29, 2012

Imam Sadiq wearing fine clothing?


In Ayatollah Mutahhari's book A Survey into the Lives of the Infallible Imams, he goes deep into this subject and relates a story involving Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him). We shall end with this story as the Imam beautifully explains the superficial differences in the lives of the Infallibles and what we should really be focusing on in terms of religion.
Sufyan al-Thawri visited Imam Sadiq and objected to the Imam wearing fine clothing, since the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) did not wear such garments. The Imam said, "Are you inferring that since the Prophet used to live in that way, everyone else should o the same until the end? Do you not know that this is not a part of the Islamic commandment? You must act and think upon wisdom. You must use your intellect and take time and place into consideration. The Prophet used to live a middle class lifestyle appropriate to his time. Islam commands equality and compassion. We must observe that this was the lifestyle of the majority at that time. Of course, as the Prophet was the leader, people used to give up their wealth and their life for him, and it was possible for him to have all kinds of lifestyles. However, he never took advantage of that, even though it was all available to him. Islamic commandments denote sympathy compassion and equality. They stand for justice and fairness. It is the soft and delicate methods which stop the frustration in the soul of the poor and prevents a friend or a neighbor, or whoever may be watching your acts, from becoming upset. If the luxurious lifestyle that is available now were possible during the time of the Prophet, then he would not have conducted his life in that way. People are given personal choices on the aspect of dressing up, and may choose whether to wear old or new clothes, in whichever material or style they prefer. Religion does not pay attention to such matters. What is important in religion are issues such as sympathy, compassion, equality, justice and fairness." The Imam then added, "And as you see me now, I am aware of the responsibilities towards my possessions; thus, there is no logical or spiritual difference between my method and the Prophet's." (A Survey into the Lives of the Infallible Imams by Ayatollah Mutahhari, page 8)

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