Sermon of Muttaqin, Part 9 — They are people of certainty
The Ninth Characteristic of the God-Conscious (Muttaqīn), Based on the Sermon of Muttaqīn by Amir al-Mu’minin (pbuh)
They are people of certainty (Yaqīn):
“They are like those who have seen Paradise with their own eyes and are already enjoying its blessings; and they are like those who have seen the Fire before them and are already suffering its torment.”
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“No! If only you possessed the certainty of true knowledge, you would surely see the Hellfire. Then you would most certainly see it with the eye of certainty.”
It is narrated:
One day, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) led the people in the Fajr prayer. Afterwards, while sitting in the mosque, he noticed a young man whose head repeatedly nodded from exhaustion. His complexion was pale, his body had grown thin, and his eyes were deeply sunken.
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) asked him:
“How are you this morning?”
The young man replied:
“O Messenger of Allah, I have awakened this morning possessing certainty (yaqīn).”
The Prophet (PBUH&HP) said:
“Every certainty has a reality. What is the reality of your certainty?”
The young man replied:
“O Messenger of Allah, it is this certainty that has filled me with sorrow, kept me awake throughout the night, and caused me to endure thirst during the hot days. It has made me detached from this world and everything within it.
It is as though I can see the Throne of my Lord established for the Reckoning, with all mankind gathered for judgment, and I am among them.
It is as though I behold the people of Paradise enjoying its blessings, reclining upon their couches and recognizing one another.
And it is as though I see the people of the Fire suffering its punishment, crying out for help.
Even now, it is as though I hear the roaring flames of Hell.”
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) then said:
“This is a servant whose heart Allah has illuminated with the light of faith.”
He then advised him:
“Remain steadfast upon this state.”
The young man said:
“O Messenger of Allah, pray that Allah grants me martyrdom while fighting alongside you.”
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) prayed for him.
Not long afterward, the young man participated in one of the battles alongside the Prophet (PBUH&HP). He attained martyrdom after nine others had already been martyred, becoming the tenth martyr.
References
- Surah al-Takathur (102), verses 5–7.
- Usul al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 53.