Embracing the “Rope of Allah” (Hablullah)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا

'And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves.'

(Surat Aal-Imran: Ayat 103)

This article was written by Ra'sul Hududil Mayameen Janab Syedi Aziz Bhaisaheb Qutbuddin in 2016.

The Qur’an Majeed insists that we hold fast onto the Rope of Allah (hablullah). It is narrated that a Bedouin (a’rabi) asked Rasulullah SA about this rope mentioned in the Qur’an and how he could hold onto it. Rasulullah pointed towards Amirul Mumineen AS and the Bedouin simply went and embraced Maulana Ali AS.

This anecdote expresses a fundamental concept in our faith. Each Imam, from Amirul Mumineen till Imam-uz-Zaman AS, is the physical manifestation of the Rope of Allah (hablullah). By embracing the Imam of our age (Sahib-uz zaman) we embrace the Imams before him - the 21^st Imam Tayyib Imam AS, the 21 Imams before Tayyib Imam AS, Amirul Mumineen AS and Rasulullah SA.

We embrace the Imam-uz-Zaman AS by following his example, by following his guidance and by giving Misaaq to him. By placing our hand in his hand in safaqat – physically and spiritually – we join the hablullah.

Imam-uz-Zaman AS is the hablullah that bonds us with all the Imams before him and ultimately with Allah Ta’ala - this is the hablullah that the Qur’an Majeed insists we hold on to.

In the seclusion of the Imam the Du’at Mutlaqeen are the hablullah that Mumineen hold on to. By embracing the Dai of the Age (Dai-z-Zaman) we embrace the 53 Dais before him and embrace our Imams through them. In his heartfelt marsiya in remembrance of Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA (bawajisaheb guzri gaya), Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin RA refers to the 51^st Dai’s successor, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA: “Our Maula Mohammed Burhanuddin RA, the clear Burhaan (proof) of Syedna Taher Saifuddin RA, he is the hablullah al-mateen” (Maula Mohammed Burhane-deen, Saiful Huda ni Burhan Mubeen, Yej-che hablullahil-mateen – Bawajisaheb guzri gaya).

In the coming week, on the 27^th of Zil-Hijja is the Urus of the 49^th Dai Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin RA. Referring to those who believed in the sequence of Dais (tasalsul) till the 47^th Dai but not after that, the 49^th Dai often said in his waaz that “we – by the grace of Allah Ta’ala – are embracing the hablullah. Those who say that it is broken, it is they who have broken away from it” (hamay behamidllah hablullah-il-mateen si mu’tasimeen chhe anay je ehne munqati’ kahay ye munqati’ che).

Following the example of the 49^th Dai, we offer praise and thanks that by the grace of Allah Ta’ala – bihamdillah – we continue to holdfast onto the hablullah – the 54^th Dai al-Mutlaq Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS. Through him we are connected to the 53^rd, 52^nd and 51^st Dais and all the Dais before them. Through him we are connected to Imam-uz-Zaman AS and all the Imams before him. Through them we are connected to Rasulullah SA and ultimately Allah Ta'ala. Alhamdolillah we are firmly embracing the hablullah.