Minhaju-l-Maseeh

Written by: Mikhayah

‫بسم ال الرحن الرحيم‬

Throughout the Muslim Ummah there is the unfortunate and prevailing belief that
with the advent of the life and mission of the Prophet Muhammad, every word, deed
and example of Prophets and Messengers who came before him were spiritually
obliterated; with the ashes thereof blown away by the wind, (only to be foolishly
scooped up by the Ahlu-l-Kitab). Yet we are told that this was not the case with
prophets before Muhammad. One prophet came manifesting signs which appealed and
spoke to their specific cultural and historical context, whilst others came doing
the same thing, speaking to the contexts specific to their own people and nations.
All of this occurred, with some prophets emerging in more similar contexts, and
others in less similar contexts. Accordingly, there were many manaahij relative to
specific contexts within which the prophets emerged.

It is written that a disciple of Imaam ..Aliyy, Nuf al-Bukaliy, said, "I spent a
night with the 'Amiru-l-Mu'minin, ..Aliyy ibn Aboo Talib. I saw that he often left
his room to go outside and look at the sky. Once when he came back in, as usual,
he said to me, 'Are you asleep or awake?' I said, 'I am indeed awake, Ya 'Amiru-l-
Mu'minin! From the beginning of the night I have been watching you to see what you
are doing.' He said, 'Ya Nuf! Blessed are the ascetics in this world, those who
yearn for the other world, the people who spread Allah's Earth beneath them [to
sleep on], who lean against its dust, whose motto is Kitabahu (Hu's Book), whose
maxim is supplicating Hu, whose perfume is water and who takes the world on loan
in the Minhaju-l-Maseeh (the 'Way,' or 'Manhaj' of the Messiah). Verily, Allah the
Exalted revealed to ..Iysaa, 'Ya ..Iysaa! Keep to the Minhaj al-Awwal (the First
'Way' or 'Manhaj'), keep to the manner of the Mursalin (Deliverers of the
Message), say to your people, 'O brother of the Munzhirin (warners), 'Do not enter
any of My houses except with pure hearts, clean hands and lowered eyes. I will not
hear the prayer of any who supplicate Me if any of My servants is oppressed by
him. And I will not answer the prayer of any who has not fulfilled and of My
rights over him.'"

Bihar al-Anwar 67, 316

Here we see the great Imaam ..Aliyy, who was himself likened to ..Iysaa, in
numerous ahadeeth, and was an awakened manifestation of the Primordial Maseeh, as
stating the Manhaj, or "Way" of ..Iysaa was the Minhaju-l-Awwal, the "First Way."
In other words, it was the ..Edenic ideal laid down for the prophet Adam and his
community before the corruption of latter civilizations, driven by thanatopic
human pathology, external jinni influence, and other forces of deviation from the
original design. That is, through it all, there was still the potential to embody
the First Way, the ..Edenic ideal, and this was in fact the Manhaj of the only
prophet to be given the title of "Rooh Allah;" ..Iysaa-l-Maseeh. Thus in seeking
awakening to this Universal Rooh we must reflect upon this "Minhaju-l-Awwal," and
strive to follow it in whatever ways possible. For it is from this Rooh which
manifests as the Soul from which we all derive our illusory nufoos.

"To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth; surely Allah - Hu is
the Self-sufficient, the One Worthy of All Praise. If all the trees on the Earth
were pens, and the sea - seven seas after it to replenish it, yet would the Words
of Allah would not come to an end. Allah is All-mighty, All-wise. Your creation
and your rising are as but as a single soul. God is All-hearing, All-seeing." Al-
Qur'aan, Sura Luqman 31:26-28
‫ِن‬
‫ُ م‬
‫ّه‬‫ُد‬
‫ُ ي‬
َ ‫ْر‬‫َح‬
‫ْب‬‫َال‬
‫ٌ و‬
‫َم‬‫ْل‬
‫ٍ أق‬
‫َة‬‫َر‬
‫َج‬‫ِن ش‬
‫ِ م‬
‫ْض‬‫َر‬
‫ِ ال‬
‫َا ف‬
‫ْ أن‬
ّ ‫َو‬‫َل‬
‫ُ و‬
‫ِيد‬
‫َم‬‫ّ ال‬
ْ ‫َن‬
ِ ‫ْغ‬
‫َ ال‬
‫ُو‬‫َ ه‬
‫ّ ال‬
ّ ‫ِ إن‬
‫ْض‬‫َر‬
‫َال‬
‫ِ و‬
‫َات‬
‫َاو‬
‫ّم‬‫ِ الس‬
‫َا ف‬
‫ِ م‬
‫ل‬
ّ

‫ٍ إن‬
ّ ‫َة‬‫ِد‬
‫َاح‬
‫ٍ و‬
‫ْس‬‫َف‬
‫َن‬‫ّ ك‬
‫ْ إل‬
‫ُم‬‫ُك‬
‫ْث‬‫َع‬
‫َ ب‬
‫َل‬‫ْ و‬
‫ُم‬‫ُك‬
‫ْق‬‫َل‬
‫ّا خ‬
‫ٌ م‬
‫ِيم‬
‫َك‬‫ٌ ح‬
‫ِيز‬
‫َز‬‫َ ع‬
‫ّ ال‬
ّ ‫ِ إن‬
‫ُ ال‬
ّ ‫َات‬
‫ِم‬‫َل‬
‫ْ ك‬
‫َت‬‫ِد‬
‫َف‬‫ّا ن‬
‫ٍ م‬
‫ُر‬‫ُ أب‬
ْ ‫َة‬‫ْع‬
‫َب‬‫ِ س‬
‫ِه‬‫ْد‬
‫َع‬‫ب‬

‫ِي‬
‫َص‬‫ٌ ب‬
‫ِيع‬
‫َ س‬
َ ‫ال‬
ّ

Thus, as we see the "Fanaa'" of these illusory Nufoos, within the pure Reality of
Allah, we must first reduce all illusory "things" to their common root, and in so
doing, reflect upon the only "real" Rooh, which was awakened to in the flesh of
Al-Maseeh.

In reflecting upon this manhaj, and contemplating variance from it, we see that
with the advent of the prophet Muhammad, the context of his day and age was that
men were marrying vast harems of women, with absolutely no regard for the rights
and needs of the individual women who they used merely as tools for their own
sexual and egoistical satisfaction. So the Qur'aan laid out specific rights that
must be granted to women, knowing that men being the naturally stronger and
dominant gender (on average), would be the gatekeepers of these rights, having the
physical and (for most of human history), the political power to grant or deprive
such rights to or from our sisters.

Thus it is written: "Marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if you
fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with them, then only one or one
that your right hands possess. That will be more suitable, to prevent you from
doing injustice." Qur'aan 4:3

‫ُم‬
ْ ‫ْت‬
‫ِف‬‫ْ خ‬
‫َإن‬
‫َ ف‬
‫َاع‬
‫ُب‬‫َر‬
‫َ و‬
‫َث‬‫ُل‬
‫َث‬‫َ و‬
‫ْن‬‫َث‬
‫َاء م‬
‫ّس‬‫َ الن‬
‫ّن‬‫ُم م‬
‫َك‬‫َ ل‬
‫َاب‬
‫َا ط‬
‫ْ م‬
‫ُوا‬
‫ِح‬‫َانك‬
‫َى ف‬
‫َام‬
‫َت‬‫ْي‬
‫ِ ال‬
‫ْ ف‬
‫ُوا‬
‫ِط‬‫ْس‬
‫ُق‬‫ّ ت‬
‫ْ أل‬
‫ُم‬‫ْت‬
‫ِف‬‫ْ خ‬
‫َإن‬
‫و‬

‫ُوا‬
ْ ‫ُول‬
‫َع‬‫ّ ت‬
‫َ أل‬
‫ْن‬‫َ أد‬
‫ِك‬‫َل‬
‫ْ ذ‬
‫ُم‬‫ُك‬
‫َان‬
‫ْ أي‬
ْ ‫َت‬‫َك‬
‫َل‬‫َا م‬
‫ْ م‬
‫ً أو‬
‫َة‬‫ِد‬
‫َاح‬
‫َو‬‫ْ ف‬
‫ُوا‬
‫ِل‬‫ْد‬
‫َع‬‫ّ ت‬
‫أل‬

Thus, we see here that if one cannot fulfill their moral and financial obligations
to two, three or four women and deal justly with them, then they are to marry only
one. Why is this the prescription of the Qur'aan? Because, it says, "that will be
more suitable to prevent you from doing injustice," to women. It is this which is
the underlying Qur'aanic concern. Thus, it is written in Hadeeth that: "It is
reported in true narrations that getting married without limit [to the number of
wives] was permitted in the revealed law of Moosaa for the sake of men's affairs;
and in the revealed law of ..Iysaa only one was permitted for the sake of women's
affairs. So this revealed law [of the Qur'aan] came for the sake of both."

..Awali al-La'ali, 1, 446

Yet the Minhaju-l-Awwal, was neither to marry four women, nor to marry many beyond
that. Neither was it for a woman to marry many men. The original way was expressed
in the Injil by prophet ..Iysaa-l-Maseeh: "The P'rushim (Pharisees) also came to
him, testing him, saying: 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce a wife for every
cause?' And he answered them saying: 'In some nations, one man has many wives, and
divorces whom he will for a just cause; and in some, a woman has many husbands,
and divorces whom she will for a just cause; and in others, one man is joined to
one woman, in mutual love, and this is the First and the better Way. For have you
not read that Elohim - made them at the beginning, made them male and female - and
said, 'For this cause shall a man or a woman leave father and mother, and shall
cleave to his wife or her husband, and the twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore
they are no more twain, but one flesh. Therefore what Elohim have joined together,
let not man put asunder.'
"They said unto him, 'Why did Moshe (Moses) then command to give a writing of
divorcement?' He said unto them, 'Moshe because of the hardness of your hearts
suffered you to put away your wives. even as he permitted you to eat flesh, for
many causes, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, whosoever
shall divorce a wife, except it be for a just cause, and shall marry another in
her place, commits adultery.'

"His disciples say unto him, 'If the case of the man be so with his wife it is not
good to marry.' But he replied to them 'All cannot receive what you are saying,
save those to whom it is given. For there are some who were born from their
mother's womb destined to remain celibate, and there are some, which were made
eunuchs by men, and there be some, who have made remained unmarried (for a time)
for the sake of the Malkhut Ha'Shamayim (Kingdom of Heaven). He that is able to
receive it, let him receive it."

Thus, ..Iysaa repeatedly stuck to the position that what was "tayyib" was
determined by context in many cases. Certainly some things are ALWAYS bad in ALL
cases, and certainly some things are ALWAYS good in ALL cases. However, many of
the things in between these two extremes are subjective to the context specific to
them. Such is the case with halaal food, which is not always tayyib, and was not
permitted in ..Eden as the "Minhaju-l-Awwal." For in the desert, in past ages
before sufficient nutrients could be imported, eating a camel would have been
"tayyib." In the arctic eating a fish or even a seal would be tayyib for their
context. Yet in an industrialized nation, or in a context where sufficient food
could be produced to avoid unnecessary killing of sentient creatures, then this
should be avoided in favor of the "First Way."

Yet despite this shift of "permitting" men to marry up to four wives, the Qur'aan
warns that the reality is: "You will never be able to deal justly between wives
however much you desire (to do so). But (if you have more than one wife) do not
turn altogether away (from one), leaving her in suspense..." Qur'aan 4:129

‫َإن‬
‫ِ و‬
‫َة‬‫ّق‬
‫َل‬‫ُع‬
‫َال‬
ْ ‫َا ك‬
‫ُوه‬
‫َر‬‫َذ‬
‫َت‬‫ِ ف‬
‫ْل‬‫َي‬
‫ّ ال‬
ْ ‫ُل‬‫ْ ك‬
‫ُوا‬
‫ِيل‬
‫َ ت‬
َ ‫َل‬‫ْ ف‬
‫ُم‬‫ْت‬
‫َص‬‫َر‬
‫ْ ح‬
‫َو‬‫َل‬
‫َاء و‬
‫ّس‬‫َ الن‬
‫َي‬
ْ ‫ْ ب‬
‫ُوا‬
‫ِل‬‫ْد‬
‫َع‬‫ْ أن ت‬
‫ُوا‬
‫ِيع‬
‫َط‬‫ْت‬
‫َس‬‫َن ت‬
‫َل‬‫و‬

‫ًا‬
‫ِيم‬
‫ّح‬‫ًا ر‬
‫ُور‬
‫َف‬‫َ غ‬
‫َان‬
‫ّ ك‬
‫ّ ال‬
‫َإن‬
‫ْ ف‬
‫ُوا‬
‫ّق‬‫َت‬
‫َت‬‫ْ و‬
‫ُوا‬
‫ِح‬‫ْل‬
‫ُص‬‫ت‬

Thus, the Qur'aan is acknowledging the existing sociological context of ..Arabia,

and many human societies at that point in time and for ages before it. The Qur'aan
thus limits the number of wives a man can marry, emphasizing that the first wife
cannot be treated like last year's vehicle model, nor like a tool which has been
used until it has been dinged up, at which time it is set aside for a newer,
shinier tool.

For history shows us that the Sunnah of Muhammad in terms of Nikah was of two
types. This was later mirrored by Imaam ..Aliyy who at first, it is reported, did
not understand and was instructed by Muhammad not to make Nikah with another woman
simultaneously with Fatimah. Buloosiy (Paulian Christian), missionaries often
attack this as hypocrisy on Muhammad's part. However, this is because they are
purposefully averting their eyes from the common ideal maintained with the "first"
type of marriage.

The reality is that Muhammad for years was married to Khadijah who was his true
love and friend. He did not make nikah with anyone else. This would not only have
compromised his relationship with his friend and love Khadijah, but would also
compromise his relationship with his children. Thus, this was as ..Iysaa-l-Maseeh
said, "...the First and the better Way."
It was only AFTER Khadijah died Muhammad took on a totally different type of nikah
with multiple women, and also multiple muta wives. Yet the difference was clear,
he was NOT having children with them, and if he were (as Imaam ..Aliyy), the
nature of said children was secondary to that of those with his first wife and
friend who was raised in the same Household as he. This "second" type of marriage
was clearly more cultural in nature, and while permitted was neither to be
followed universally, nor was it the Minhaju-l-Awwal.

We know that Allah does not make mistakes, so when the "First Way" is changed to a
second or third way, we know that it is in response to the hearts of the PEOPLE
changing; turning towards deviation of the original mandates and desire of our
Creator.

For ..Aliyy desired to have another Nikah and Muhammad instructed him not to. It
was only later after Fatimah that ..Aliyy also took a different approach to
marriage...

In short, the Qur'aan and religious law in general, was send down to effect as
sort of sociological damage control, not to necessarily legislate out of existence
any bad choice or negative consequence. Thus, something can be "halaal" or
"permissible," and yet not be "tayyib" or "good." We know this since the Qur'aan
tells us in Ayah 168 of Surah Al-Baqarah: "Eat of what is Halaal and Tayyib..."

Why on Earth would the Qur'aan say halaal, "and" tayyib, if the two were mutually
exclusive? Clearly something can be halaal, but NOT tayyib. Looking back in time,
the Hebrew equivalent of "tayyib" found in the Torah is "tob" (pronounced with a
hard letter "beyt" as "tov" such as in "mazel tov"). We see this term used again
and again in Sefer Ha'Berasheet, the first book of the Torah, when the creation in
..Eden is described. Again and again, we read that it was declared of the ..Edenic
Ideal: "It is good."

So this emphasis on the tayyib, or "tov" is the focus of the ..Edenic Ideal,
before the deception of the "Nachash" the "Serpent" Iblis, who enticed mankind
away from this perfect state, and towards romance with the Dunyaa'. This is
emphasis is the underlying theme, and the root of the holistic approach to life
itself, which is the "Minhaju-l-Awwal."

"It is reported that there was retaliation in the revealed law of Moosaa and blood
money (Ad-Diyah) was necessary in the revealed law of ..Iysaa. So the true and
tolerant religion came down permitting both of them."

..Awali al-La'ali, 1, 387

Thus, as the Torah only permitted "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" in
retaliation for harming those around us, the Injil permitted also ad-Diyah, or
blood money to be paid in those cases when forgiveness could be given. For all
contexts and all cases cannot be treated alike. Certainly there are some contexts
of illegal killing where one might not be justified, but there could also be room
for forgiveness depending on the state of repentance of the killer and the
likelihood of recidivism. Thus the Qur'aan followed suit, neither abrogating one
or the other, nor introducing anything new:

"O you who believe! Retaliation is prescribed for you in the matter of the slain,
the free for the free, and the slave for the slave, and the female for the female,
but if any remission is made to anyone by his (aggrieved) brother, then
prosecution (for the blood money) should be made according to usage, and payment
should be made to him in a good manner; this is an alleviation from your Lord and
a mercy; so whoever exceeds the limit after this he shall have a painful
chastisement."

‫َى‬
‫ِالنث‬
‫َى ب‬
‫َالنث‬
‫ِ و‬
‫ْد‬‫َب‬
‫ْع‬‫ِال‬
‫ُ ب‬
‫ْد‬‫َب‬
‫ْع‬‫َال‬
‫ّ و‬
‫ُر‬‫ِال‬
ْ ‫ّ ب‬
‫ُر‬‫َى ال‬
ْ ‫ْل‬‫َت‬
‫ْق‬‫ِ ال‬
‫ُ ف‬
‫َاص‬
‫ِص‬‫ْق‬
‫ُ ال‬
‫ُم‬‫ْك‬
‫َي‬‫َل‬
‫َ ع‬
‫ِب‬‫ُت‬
‫ْ ك‬
‫ُوا‬
‫َن‬‫َ آم‬
‫ِين‬
‫ّذ‬‫َا ال‬
‫ّه‬‫َا أي‬
‫ي‬

‫َن‬
ِ ‫َم‬
‫ٌ ف‬
‫َة‬‫َح‬
ْ ‫َر‬
‫ْ و‬
‫ُم‬‫ّك‬
‫ّب‬‫ّن ر‬
‫ٌ م‬
‫ِيف‬
‫ْف‬‫َ ت‬
َ ‫ِك‬‫َل‬
‫ٍ ذ‬
‫َان‬
‫ْس‬‫ِإح‬
‫ِ ب‬
‫ْه‬‫َي‬
‫َاء إل‬
‫َأد‬
‫ِ و‬
‫ُوف‬
‫ْر‬‫َع‬
‫ِال‬
ْ ‫ٌ ب‬
‫َاع‬
‫ّب‬‫َات‬
‫ٌ ف‬
‫ْء‬‫َي‬
‫ِ ش‬
‫ِيه‬
‫ْ أخ‬
‫ِن‬‫ُ م‬
‫َه‬‫َ ل‬
‫ِي‬‫ُف‬
‫ْ ع‬
‫َن‬‫َم‬
‫ف‬

‫ِيم‬
ٌ ‫ٌ أل‬
‫َاب‬
‫َذ‬‫ُ ع‬
‫َه‬‫َل‬
‫َ ف‬
‫ِك‬‫َل‬
‫َ ذ‬
‫ْد‬‫َع‬
‫َى ب‬
‫َد‬‫ْت‬
‫اع‬

Thus, again, we see the HIGHEST standard the Qur'aan holds us to is that in cases
of remission, where the killing is of a nature less egregious than others, that
forgiveness be emphasized. This also, is the First Way.

Finally, perhaps the least known, and least understood facet of the Holistic
approach of the Minhaju-l-Awwal, is that of what has come to be called by some
"Vegetarianism" or an "Ital" diet by others still. Many Muslimoon around the world
today would still maintain the false belief that this peaceful diet is haraam
(prohibited), when this was not only never made haraam, it was the Sunnah of many
prophets, and Ahadeeth records this and the permissibility of us following suit if
we so desire (if our contexts allow).

While many Prophets were vegetarian, the one that Muslimoon should most closely be
aware of is ..Iysaa al-Maseeh. So without delving into what literally dozens of
Christian and pre-Christian Gospel accounts of ..Iysaa say about him abstaining
from flesh consumption, allow us to view several of the Islamic Ahadeeth (Recorded
Oral Traditions) that record the dietary habits of ..Iysaa - the one who will
Return and slay Maseeh ad-Dajjal (Antichrist), according to the beliefs of all
Muslims across the globe.

"..Iysaa used to tell his followers, 'Take masaajid (mosques) to be your homes,
house to be stopping places. Eat from the plants of the wilderness and escape from
this world in Peace.' Sharik said, 'I mentioned this to Sulayman, who added, 'and
drink pure water.'"

Notes: Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak )d. 181/797), al-Zuhd, p. 198 (no. 563). Cf. Ibn
Abd Rabbihi, al-..Iqd, 3:143; Ibn Asakir, Sirat, p. 138, no. 128 (Asin, p. 541,
no. 111; Mansur, no 9; Robson, p. 73).

"..Iysaa used to say, 'Truly I say to you, to eat wheat bread, to drink pure
water, and to sleep upon dunghills with the dogs more than suffices him who wishes
to inherit paradise."

Notes: Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241/855), al-Zuhd, p. 98 (no. 326). Ibn Qutbayba, Uyun
al-Akhbar, 2:363; Ibn Abi al-Dunya, Kitab Dhamm al- Dunya, in Mawsu'at Rasa'il,
2:275, excerpt no. 138: Ikhwan al-Safa', Rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa', 3:34; and al-
Ghazali, Ihya', 4:180 (Asin, p. 400, no. 70; Mansur, no. 152; Robson, p. 70).

"..Iysaa was a constant traveler in the land, never abiding in a house or a

village. His clothing consisted of a cloak made of coarse hair or camel stub and
two hairless shirts... In his hand he carried a club. Whenever night fell, his
lamp was the moonlight, his shade the blackness of night, his bed the earth, his
pillow a stone, his food the plants of the fields. At times, he spent whole days
and nights without food. In times of distress he was happy, and in times of ease
he was sad."

Notes: Aboo Rifa'a al-Fasawi (d. 289/902), Kitab Bad' al-Khalq, p. 333. Cf. Ibn
..Asakir, Sirat, p. 133, no. 120.

"If you want to fast as ..Iysaa did, he would fast all the time and lived on
nothing but barley. He always wore [garments of] coarse hair, and wherever he
would be at nightfall he would plant his feet and keep praying until he saw the
break of dawn. He would never leave a particular place before praying two raka'at.
If, however, you want to fast as his mother, the Virgin did, she used to fast for
two days at a time then eat for two days."

Notes: Aboo al-Layth al-Samarqandi (d. 373/983), Tanbih al-Ghafilin, p. 125 (Asin,
p. 557, no. 139; Mansur, no. 39; Robson, pp. 74-75).

"Maseeh (the Messiah) said, 'Flesh eating flesh? How offensive an act!'"

Notes: Al-Raghib al-Isfahani (early fifth/early eleventh century), Mahadarat al-

Udaba', 1:610.

"If you wish, you may repeat what the Possessor of the Word and the Rooh (Spirit),
..Iysaa Ibn Maryam (Jesus the son of Mary), used to say: 'Hunger is my seasoning,
fear [of Allah] is my garment, wool is my clothing, the light of the dawn is my
heat in winter, the moon is my lantern, my legs are my beast of burden, and the
produce of the earth is my food and fruit. I retire for the night with nothing to
my name and awake in the morning with nothing to my name. And there is no one on
earth richer than me."

Notes: Aboo Nu..aym al-Isbahani (d. 430/1038), Hilyat al-Awliya', 6:314 (Asin, pp.
374-375, no. 44; Mansur, no. 80; Robson, pp. 67-68.

Particular attention must be paid to the last Hadeeth, where it is stressed "If
you wish, you may repeat what the Possessor of the Word and the Rooh, ..Iysaa Ibn
Maryam, used to say… the produce of the earth is my food and fruit…" Thus it is
Islamically impossible for any Muslim to say that one "may not" say "the produce
of the earth is my food and fruit" when here permission is granted.

"And (appoint ..Iysaa) a Messenger to the Children of Israel, (with this Message):
'I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of
clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird
by Allah's leave: And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the
dead, by Allah 's leave; and I declare to you what you should eat, and what you
should store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if you are
Believers.'" - Qur'an, Sura 3:49

‫ُخ‬
ُ ‫َأنف‬
‫ِ ف‬
‫ّي‬
ْ ‫ِ الط‬
‫َة‬‫ْئ‬
‫َي‬‫َه‬
‫ِ ك‬
‫ّي‬‫َ الط‬
‫ّن‬‫ُم م‬
‫َك‬‫ُ ل‬
‫ُق‬‫ْل‬
‫ّي أخ‬
‫ْ أن‬
‫ُم‬‫ّك‬
‫ّب‬‫ّن ر‬
‫ٍ م‬
‫َة‬‫ِآي‬
‫ُم ب‬
‫ُك‬‫ْت‬
‫ِئ‬‫ْ ج‬
‫َد‬‫ّي ق‬
‫َ أن‬
‫ِيل‬
‫َائ‬
‫ْر‬‫ِ إس‬
‫َن‬‫َ ب‬
‫ً إل‬
‫ُول‬
‫َس‬‫َر‬
‫و‬

‫َا‬
‫َم‬‫َ و‬
‫ُون‬
‫ُل‬‫َأك‬
‫َا ت‬
‫ُم ب‬
ِ ‫ُك‬‫ّئ‬
‫َب‬‫َأن‬
‫ّ و‬
‫ِ ال‬
‫ْن‬‫ِإذ‬
‫َى ب‬
‫ْت‬‫َو‬
‫ِـي ال‬
ْ ‫ْي‬‫َأح‬
‫َ و‬
‫َص‬‫ْر‬
‫َ والب‬
‫َه‬‫ْم‬
‫ُ الك‬
‫ِئ‬‫ْر‬
‫َأب‬
‫ّ و‬
‫ِ ال‬
‫ْن‬‫ِإذ‬
‫ًا ب‬
‫َي‬
ْ ‫ُ ط‬
‫ُون‬
‫َك‬‫َي‬
‫ِ ف‬
‫ِيه‬
‫ف‬

‫ِي‬
َ ‫ِن‬
‫ْم‬‫ّؤ‬
‫ُم م‬
‫ُنت‬
‫ْ إن ك‬
‫ُم‬‫ّك‬
‫ً ل‬
‫َة‬‫َ لي‬
‫ِك‬‫َل‬
‫ِ ذ‬
‫ّ ف‬
‫ْ إن‬
‫ُم‬‫ِك‬
‫ُوت‬
‫ُي‬‫ِ ب‬
‫َ ف‬
‫ُون‬
‫ِر‬‫ّخ‬
‫َد‬‫ت‬

The Qur'aan tells us that ..Iysaa told people what to eat, and these Ahadeeth tell
us that what he ate and told others to eat was plant based food alone. We can see
exactly what he did tell people to eat in the original Injil (Sefer Ha'Basar):
"And on another day, the question of eating dead things was again presented, and
some of Yashua' newer talmidim (disciples) gathered around him and asked: 'Rabbi,
you do indeed know all things, and your chokhmah (wisdom) of the Torah excels all
others. Therefore tell us, is the eating of sea creatures lawful as some say?' And
Yashua looked upon them with sad eyes, for he knew they were yet unlearned men and
their hearts were yet hardened by false doctrines of satanim (adversaries); and he
said unto them: 'Look at the fishes of the sea, as we stand beside the seashore
and look upon the waters of many lives. The water is their world, even as the dry
land belongs to man. I ask you, do the fishes come unto thee and ask of you for
your dry land or of its foods? No! Neither is it lawful for you to go into the sea
and ask for things which belong not unto you. For the Earth is divided into three
kingdoms of nefeshot (souls); one of the land, one of the air, and one of the sea,
each according to its kind. And sent down to them - for the Eternal Being has
given unto them - each the Ruach Ha'Chayyim (Spirit of Life) and the Ruach
Ha'Qodesh (Holy Spirit), and what Hu gives freely unto Hu's creatures, neither men
nor Malakhim have authority to take back or claim as their own."

Yes, brothers and sister, there is much that is permissible, but this does not
mean that what has been permitted is automatically to our benefit. Much of what is
halaal is relative in "goodness" to the context specific to the time and place at
hand. This is why the Qur'aan is the Revelation to ALL the worlds, to Jinn as well
as Human beings, because it is broad enough to cover the minimum requirements for
social harmony, justice and peace. But this does not mean that one should not go
above and beyond the minimum, it simply means that this is the minimum. Certainly
there is much more beyond the minimum which is mustahab. For just as we know that
Mu'minoon are encouraged to make 51 Raka'at daily, just as we are encouraged to
give Sadaqah to the poor within our means above and beyond the Fardayn of Zakaat
and Khums, just as we are told many, many things that are mustahabbaat for us, so
too can it be seen clearly through the pages of Ahadeeth, and Kutoob of the
Prophets, that the First Way is the best way, and the idyllic way laid forth for
mankind since the days of ..Eden.

The Deen is to be an easy thing for people, not a burdensome "yoke of slavery" as
Buloos (Paul), the antagonist of ..Iysaa-l-Maseeh, termed it. We are told in
..Usulu-l-Kafiy that Imaamu-l-Baaqir, quoting the Muhammad, said: "Surely this
deen is firm, so go deep in it with mildness, and do not cause Allah's servants to
hate worshipping Him; otherwise, you will be like the one whose mount was too
tired to go on, so he neither finished the journey nor preserved the mount."

..Usulu-l-Kafiy, vol. 3, p. "Book of Faith and Disbelief', chapter on "Economy in

Worshipping", hadith 1

Thus, we see our approach is to be mild, and not harsh. We are not supposed to
bully people into "going deep" into the deen, into practicing the mustahabbaat.
Rather, we are to naturally, following the course of mildness, continue to learn
more, experience more, and yearn for more as time goes on. When we do, the
mustahabbaat will naturally attract the Mu'minoon, not out of fear of Jahannam,
for they will not necessarily incur damnation by not following them, nor out of
yearning for Jannah, as they will not necessarily be barred from it by not
partaking in these things, but rather out of pure Love of Allah, and desire to
manifest Hu's perfect and divine will, unbridled by desire, fear, ego, difficulty
or lack of discipline.