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The
Meaning of Rabitu [To Guard]:
by Imam
Kalamazad Mohammed
Ya ayyahal-ladhina
amanus-biru wa sabiru wa rabitu wattaqul-Laha la
‘allakum tuflihun (O you who believe, be
steadfast and try to excel in steadfastness and guard
(the frontiers). And keep your duty to Allah that you may
be successful (3:199).
Wa a’iddu lahum
mastata’tum min quwwatinw-wa mir ribatil khaili
turhibuna bihi ‘aduwwal-Lahi wa ‘aduwwakum
(And make ready for them whatever force you can and
horses tied at the frontier, to frighten thereby the
enemy of Allah and your enemy (8:60).
According to Lane’s Lexicon,
rabata, from which ribat is derived, means: he
tied or bound a beast with a rope that he might not run
away; his heart became strong and firm and resolute so that
he did not flee on account of fear; he strengthened or
fortified his heart; he stuck patiently to a particular
affair; and the imperative rabitu carries the
meanings: tie horses at the frontier and remain at
one’s post; be patient in endurance of what one’s
religion requires; vie in patience with one’s enemy; be
mindful of the times of prayers; or apply self constantly,
perseveringly or assiduously to prayer; wait (expectantly)
for prayer, for it ties one from acts of disobedience and
restrains from forbidden deeds; and rabitul khaili
signifies two (hostile) parties each tying their horses at
their frontier, and each in preparation for the
other.
Imam Raghib, in his Mufradat,
explains the various meanings of the word rabata as:
to keep watch in order to guard the frontiers of Islam; to
protect the inner self from unworthy desires and not to fall
short, for the reward for striving to protect one’s
soul from evil desires is the same as jihad for the
sake of Allah; and he quotes 8:11 and 28:10 of the Holy
Quran to show that it also means strengthening and
fortifying the heart.
In the following hadith, the
Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gives an insight into the
identity of the "frontier" and furnishes us with guidance on
how to protect it from satanic assaults:
"God’s Messenger said:
‘Shall I not guide you to something for which God
blots out sins and raises men’s ranks?’ When
his hearers expressed their desire that he should tell
them, he said: ‘Performing complete ablution
although circumstances make it difficult, travelling far
to mosques, and looking expectantly to the next time of
prayer after prayers have been said. That is the defence
of the frontier.’" (Mishkat al-Masabih, vol.
1, p. 64).
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Mujaddid of
the 14th Century Hijrah, has also
given his explanation of the word ribat. He
says:
"Look at the noble Companions
(rta) of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and ask yourself whether
it was their love of the luxurious life that gave them
victory over their enemies. No, certainly not so. Even in
the former scriptures it was prophesied that these people
would worship their Lord during the night and fast during
the day. They spent their nights remembering their God
and reflecting deeply on Him. And if we inquire as to how
they spent their lives, then the following verses of the
Holy Quran provide full details of their
existence:
Wa min ribatil khaili
turhibyana bihi ‘aduwwal-Lahi wa
‘aduwwakum’ (And keep your horses tied
at the frontier to frighten thereby the enemy of Allah
and your enemy.) (8:60)
Ya ayyahal-Ladhina amanusbiru
wa sabiru wa rabitu (O you who believe, be
steadfast and try to excel in steadfastness, and guard
(the frontiers).) (3:199)
The word ribat is used for
those horses which are stationed on the frontiers in
order to repel an assault from the enemy. Allah, Most
High, commands the believers to keep themselves in
readiness in order to defend themselves from the attack
of the enemy and this word ribat is used by Him to
warn them they have to be perfectly alert.
There were two duties that had been
assigned to them – to confront the visible enemy and
to fight for spiritual advancement. The lexicons tell us
that ribat means one’s self as well as the
human heart. There is a subtle point here in that the
horses can only perform that task if they are
well-trained and well-taught. Nowadays, these horses are
trained in the same way as children are nurtured, that
is, with great care and attention. If they are not
properly trained, not only will they prove to be
completely useless, but more than that, they will become
harmful and dangerous.
It also points to the fact that the
ribat (inner selves) of human beings should be so
educated and that their powers and capacities should be
such as would be totally subservient to the laws of
Allah, Most High. For, if they are not like this, they
would not prove useful on the battlefield – that
battlefield where man has to come up against Satan, his
mortal foe, and this is an ever continuous
battle.
Just as in a fight or on the
battlefield, besides bodily strength, bodily training is
also a necessary prerequisite, in the same way, for the
sake of this internal war and jihad, training for
man’s inner self and pertinent knowledge are
indispensable requirements, and if these are lacking,
then Satan will gain the ascendancy over man and his will
be an evil end of ignominy and abasement.
For example, if a person possesses
guns, muskets, rifles and other weapons of war, etc., but
he is unskilled in the use of them, then he can never
gain victory in a battle against his enemies. Another
person may also possess arrows and muskets and other
provisions of war and he may know how to use them
efficiently, but his arm may be weak. He, too, will
suffer defeat. It is evident from this that mere
knowledge of the manner and method of using weapons
cannot bring victory and success unless the arm is
strengthened by rigorous practice and exercise. For, if a
person knows how to use a sword, but is deficient in the
matter of exercise and practice, then he will enter the
battlefield, wield his sword a few times and cut off a
head or two, but then his weak arm will become worthless,
for his arm will tire quickly and become totally useless,
and he himself will end up as the prey of the enemy"
(Malfuzat, vol. 1, pp. 54-56).
He continues:
"If you desire to be of
service to Islam, then you must first choose the path of
self-purification and taqwa (righteousness). I
shall now revert to my original topic, that is, sabiru
wa rabitu (have patience and guard the
borders).
Just as in opposing the enemy it is
important to station horses at the frontier, so that the
enemy may not be allowed to cross the border, so, too,
should you always be in a state of preparedness. You
should not allow the enemy to cross the frontier and
launch an attack on Islam.
I have already mentioned above that
if you wish to serve and support Islam, you should first
adopt the path of self-purification and righteousness
through which you yourself may enter the sanctuary of
Allah’s impregnable fortress, and that you may
acquire dignity and merit for such a service. You can see
for yourself that because of the external weakness of
Muslims, other nations look upon them with scorn and
contempt. Now, if your inner spiritual power should also
become weak and abject, then you can consider yourself as
good as dead. You should cleanse your heart so that the
holy power of Allah may penetrate it and that it may
become strong and powerful. Allah’s grace has always
attended the pious and righteous ones. Do not assume such
morals and conduct as would put a blot on the escutcheon
of Islam. Those Muslims who commit evil deeds and do not
act upon the teachings of the religion bring disgrace to
Islam. A person who consumes alcoholic beverages becomes
intoxicated and vomits all over the place. His turban
hangs inelegantly on his neck, he falls into drains and
dirty canals, and he even suffers the kicks of the
police. Hindus and Christians laugh at him. Such a
flagrant violation of Islamic law not only makes him a
laughing-stock, but its influence insidiously penetrates
the heart of Islam itself. When I hear these things or I
read the Prison Reports, it makes me very dejected. When
I see how Muslims are being punished for evil deeds, my
heart becomes perturbed that these people who are blessed
with the straight path, because of their lack of
discipline, not only cause harm to themselves but bring
ridicule to Islam itself. It was for this reason that
Ibatshan Sahib, on the occasion of a previous census,
wrote so much on this matter in his report.
My point is this – that Muslim
people call themselves Muslims and yet indulge in those
things that are prohibited in Islam, thereby bringing
into doubt not only themselves but the religion of Islam
also. Therefore, shape your conduct and manners in such a
fashion that the unbelievers will be left with no
opportunity to find fault with you, for this, in reality,
applies to Islam" (Malfuzat, vol. 1, pp.
77-78).
Finally, he advises us:
"True insight and profound
knowledge cannot be attained without turning to Allah,
Most High, in deep humility and submission. For this
reason, people have been advised to fear the insight of a
believer, because he sees through the light of Allah.
As I have just said, genuine perspicacity and insight and
true knowledge cannot be obtained unless a person
possesses taqwa (righteousness).
If you wish to be successful, then
use your intellect, meditate, and ponder. The Holy Quran
repeatedly laid emphasis on the practice of deliberation
and reflection in our affairs. Meditate on the precious
Book and let your nature become pure. When your heart is
purified and your intellect is sound and you tread the
path of taqwa, then the marriage of these two
(intellect and piety) produces the condition where the
following words are uttered from the depths of your
heart:
Our Lord! Thou hast not
created this in vain! Glory be to Thee! Save us from
the chastisement of the fire! (3:190)
Then in your intellect will be born
the realisation that this creation is not in vain but
rather it provides proof and evidence and signs of the
truth of the real Creator, so that all kinds of knowledge
and science that support the truth of religion will
become manifest" (Malfuzat, vol. 1, p.
66).
May Allah help us to heed the
invaluable advice and teaching given to us above, so that
our hearts may be fortified and be filled with love for Him.
May this help us to face up to and triumph over whatever may
befall us in life and yet be of use to mankind, thereby
fulfilling the mission for which Allah, Most High, has
created us. And may we never become like those unfortunate
ones who reject religion and go so far as to oppose it and
of whom it is mentioned in the Holy Quran:
And think not Allah to be
heedless of what the unjust do. He only respites them to
a day when the eyes will stare (in terror), hastening
forward, their heads upraised, their gaze not returning
to them, and their hearts vacant (14:42-43).
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> The Meaning of Rabitu [To Guard] by Imam
Kalamazad Mohammed
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