Lantern of the Path

Transl by S. Fadhlalla Haeri, &

by Muna Bilgrami,
Originally translated by Aisha Bewley,

*Published by Zahra Publishers.

 

 

Description :

 

The Lantern of The Path comprises ninety-nine chapters. Each one is a threshold to the next, guiding the reader through the broad spectrum of ageless wisdom, like a lantern along the path of reality. The author illuminates the inner meanings of outer practices which range from practical everyday acts of behaviour, to the practices of worship, morals and ethics, and the pillars of religion.


Practical and profound, this concise volume is a useful guide for those who wish to cultivate their inner being. accompanying commentary, students and adepts alike can now gain a profounder understanding of these timeless teachings from the wellspring of the heart of Islam.

 

About Imam Jafar as-Sadiq :

Sayyadina Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq : He is the son of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, son of al-Imam Zain al-`Abidin, son of Sayyadina Imam al-Husayn, son of Sayyadina Imam `Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with them all.  Ja`far as-Sadiq was born on the eighth of Ramadan in the year 83 H. His mother was the daughter of al-Qassim whose great grandfather was Sayyadina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, radi Allahu anhu.


He spent his life in worship and acts of piety for the sake of Allah. He rejected all positions of fame in favor of `uzla or isolation from the lower world. One of his contemporaries, `Umar ibn Abi-l-Muqdam, said, “When I look at Ja`far bin Muhammad I see the lineage and the secret of the Prophet Muhammad, ﷺ, united in him.”


He received from the Prophet, ﷺ, two lines of inheritance: the secret of the Prophet, ﷺ, through ‘Ali, radi Allahu anhu, and the secret of the Prophet, ﷺ, through Abu Bakr. In him the two lineages met and for that reason he was called “The Inheritor of the Prophetic Station (Maqam an-Nubuwwa) and the Inheritor of the Truthful Station (Maqam as-siddiqiyya).” In him was reflected the light of the knowledge of Truth and Reality. That light shone forth and that knowledge was spread widely through him during his lifetime.


Imam Ja'far narrated from his father, Muhammad al-Baqir, that a man came to his grandfather, Zain al-`Abidin, and said, “Tell me about Abu Bakr!” He said, “You mean as-Siddiq?” The man said, “How do you call him as-Siddiq when he is against you, the Family of the Prophet, ﷺ,?” He replied, “Woe to you. The Prophet, ﷺ, called him as-Siddiq, and Allah accepted his title of as-Siddiq. If you want to come to me, keep the love of Abu Bakr and `Umar in your heart.”


Imam Ja`far said, “The best intercession that I hope for is the intercession of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq,” From him is reported also the following invocation: “O Allah, You are my Witness that I love Abu Bakr and I love `Umar and if what I am saying is not true may Allah cut me off from the intercession of Muhammad, ﷺ.”


He took the knowledge of hadith from two sources: from his father through `Ali, and from his maternal grandfather al-Qassim. Then he increased his knowledge of hadith by sitting with `Urwa, `Aata, Nafi` and Zuhri. The two Sufyans, Sufyan ath-Thawri and Sufyan ibn `Uyayna, Imam Malik, Imam Abu Hanifa, and al-Qattan all narrated hadith through him, as did many others from later hadith scholars. He was a mufassir al-Qur’an or master in  exegesis, a scholar of jurisprudence, and one of the greatest mujtahids (qualified to give legal decisions) in Madinah.


Imam Jafar as-Sadiq passed away in 148 AH/765 CE. He was buried in Jannat al-Baqi, in the same graveyard as that of his father, Muhammad al-Baqir, his grandfather, Zain al-Abidin, and the uncle of his grandfather, Hasan ibn Ali. He passed the secret of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain to his successor, Tayfur Abu Yazid al-Bistami, more commonly known as Bayazid al-Bistami.



NB: Although this translation was originally done by one of the foremost Ahl al-Sunnah translators Aisha Abdurahman Bewley, and what this book is based upon, the publishers are in fact from the shi'ah madhhab and there are references to this fact in the preliminary pages. However we feel it is still a useful book of guidance and for reference purposes.


 

 

 

 

Table of Contents :

 

---Publisher’s Note
---Translator’s Note and Acknowledgements
---Introduction
 

 

---[1]. Bondage ('Ubudiyah)
---[2]. More on Bondage,
---[3]. On Lowering the Gaze,
---[4]. On Walking,
---[5]. On Knowledge,
---[6]. Giving Judgement,
---[7]. Enjoining what is Good and Forbidding what is Evil,
---[8]. How the Men of Knowledge are Ruined,
---[9]. Guarding Oneself (Ri'ayah),
---[10]. Thankfulness,
---[11]. On Leaving your Home,
---[12]. On Reciting the Qur'an,
---[13]. Dress,
---[14]. Showing Off,
---[15]. Truthfulness,
---[16]. Sincerity,
---[17]. Precaution,
---[18]. Fearing Allah,
---[19]. Social Interactions,

---[20]. Sleep,
---[21]. Pilgrimage,
---[22]. Charity,
---[23]. Intention,
---[24]. Remembrance,
---[25]. The Ruin of the Reciters,
---[26]. Clarification of Truth and Falsehood,
---[27]. The Gnosis of the Prophets,
---[28]. The Recognition of the Imams,
---[29]. Recognition of the Companions,
---[30]. The Honour and Sanctity of the Believers,
---[31]. Dutifulness to Parents,
---[32]. Humility,
---[33]. Ignorance,
---[34]. Eating,
---[35]. Evil Whispering,
---[36]. Pride,
---[37]. Generosity,
---[38]. Self-Reckoning,
---[39]. Opening the Prayer,
---[40]. Bowing in Prayer,
---[41]. Prostration in Prayer,
---[42]. The Tashahhud,
---[43]. Salam,
---[44]. Repentance,
---[45]. Retreat,
---[46]. Silence,
---[47]. Intellect and Passion,
---[48]. Envy,
---[49]. Greed,
---[50]. Corruption,
---[51]. Well-being,
---[52]. Worship,
---[53]. Reflection,
---[54]. Rest,
---[55]. Avarice,
---[56]. Clarification,
---[57]. Judgements,
---[58]. Siwak,
---[59]. Using the Lavatory,
---[60]. Purification,
---[61]. Entering the Mosque,
---[62]. Supplication,
---[63]. Fasting,
---[64]. Abstinence,
---[65]. A Description of this World,
---[66]. Reluctance to Act,
---[67]. Delusion,
---[68]. A Description of the Hypocrite,
---[69]. Proper Social Transaction,
---[70]. Taking and Giving,
---[71]. Brotherhood,
---[72]. Consultation,
---[73]. Forbearance,
---[74]. Following Another's Example,
---[75]. Pardon,
---[76]. Exhortation,
---[77]. Advice (wasiyah),
---[78]. Trustful Reliance,
---[79]. Respect for One's Brothers,
---[80]. Striving and Discipline,
---[81]. Contemplation of Death,
---[82]. Good Opinion,
---[83]. Entrusting Oneself to Allah,
---[84]. Certainty,
---[85]. Fear and Hope,
---[86]. Contentment,
---[87]. Affliction,
---[88]. Patience,
---[89]. Sorrow,
---[90]. Modesty,
---[91]. Gnosis (ma 'rifah),
---[92]. Love of Allah,
---[93]. Love for the Sake of Allah,
---[94]. Yearning,
---[95]. Wisdom,
---[96]. Making Claims,
---[97]. Taking Heed,
---[98]. Contentedness,
---[99]. Slander.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More books on Tasawwuf (Sufism).

More books on the Ahl al-Bayt.

 

*_{NON ASWJ Publisher}.

 

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*Dimensions : 21 x 14cm.