In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
In the previous article, I wrote that there were two major faults in the Jewish nation that caused them to stray from the true religion.
The first fault was the lack of religious knowledge and understanding, which kept them away from the truth. They did not even act upon the book brought by their Prophet.
The second fault was their love for worldly wealth, power, and position, which made them enemies of the last Messenger, whom they had been eagerly awaiting for a long time. In anticipation of his arrival, they had left their homes, settled in Medina, and were preparing the way for him.
One example is the story of Abu Amir. Before the coming of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Abu Amir loved him deeply. He would sit under a tree, gather the people of his nation, explain the qualities and perfections of the last Prophet, and encourage them to believe. Out of love for the Prophet, he would wear no fine clothes and covered his body with a simple sackcloth.
People did not call him by his name; they called him the pious monk or the holy one. They respected him, listened to his words carefully, and believed in him. Abu Amir had succeeded in making his entire nation a devotee of the Messenger of Allah.
But what happened?
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) appeared, Abu Amir himself became his enemy. He thought, “I have prepared so many people for the Prophet; now he will give me a special position.” But when the Prophet did not pay him special attention, he turned against him.
The people he had guided believed in the Prophet upon seeing his qualities, but Abu Amir denied him and claimed, “This is not the Messenger.” He left Medina, joined Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab in conspiring against the Prophet, and even went to Syria to incite the Christians there.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked the people of Medina who had informed them about him. They said, “O Messenger of Allah, Abu Amir, the monk.” The Prophet said:
“Do not call him a monk. He is a sinner. His desire for position made him a sinner.”
The Prophet also said that in the future, some people would behave similarly when the last Imam appears. Those who eagerly wait for him and prepare the way for him may become enemies due to greed for position and power.
We pray to Allah Almighty, by the grace of Zahra (peace be upon her), that our faith remains firm until our last breath and that we are counted among the sincere followers of the Imam of the Age (peace be upon him). Amen, O Lord of the Worlds.
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
