Sheikh Mateen Charbonneau Imam Mahdi (atf)

When the people of Yunus saw the divine punishment coming they went out collectively wearing coarse clothing, put ropes around their necks and dust on their heads in a display of humility. They cried and wailed seeking Allah’s forgiveness and promised to follow the one God sent to them: Yunus (as). God pardoned them and averted their punishment as is mentioned in the Holy Quran 10:98

فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّا آمَنُوا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ

“Then has there not been a [single] city that believed so its faith benefited it except the people of Jonah? When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in worldly life and gave them enjoyment for a time.”

This is similar to what must take place with us. We must cry and beg God for his forgiveness to end this punishment of occultation and to hasten the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (aj).

Let us ask ourselves how often do we mention the Imams name, cry for his absence and pray for his reappearance?

 

Sheikh Mateen Charbonneau Ahadith

Ibn Faddhal reported that Imam Ridha ع said “Anyone who builds relationships with someone who disregards us, disregards someone who builds good relations with us, praises someone who reviles us or honors someone who dissents from us he is surely not one of us and we are surely not from him.”
Sifat ush Shia by Sheikh Saduq

Sheikh Mateen Charbonneau Ahadith

Predestination?

Imam Sadiq (as)  speaks about the beliefs in Compulsion (Jabr) and Freewill (Tafwidh) which will show us that both of these beliefs are incorrect and actually one who believes in them is a disbeliever (Kafir).

عن أبي عبداللّه عليه‌السلام قال: «الناس في القَدَر على ثلاثة أوجه : رجل زعم أنّ اللّه عزوجل أجبر الناس على المعاصي فهذا قد ظلم اللّه عزوجل في حكمه وهو كافر ، ورجل يزعم أنّ الأمر مفوّض إليهم فهذا وهن اللّه في سلطانه فهو كافر، ورجل يقول : إنّ اللّه عزوجل كلّف العباد ما يطيقون ،  ولم يكلّفهم ما لا يطيقون، فإذا أحسن حمد اللّه ، وإذا أساء استغفر اللّه فهذا مسلم بالغ»[ 1

 [1] بحار الأنوار : (ج 5 ص9  ب1  ح 14  and Aqaed Haqqa by Ayatollah Sayed Ali Hussaini as-Sadr page 190

Imam Sadiq (as) said: “People in regards to predestination are of 3 categories: The first is a man who assumes that Allah the Mighty and Glorious compels man to sin. This is certainly injustice towards Allah in regards to His ruling over His Kingdom and he who believes in this is a disbeliever. The second is a man who assumes that Allah gave him absolute free will over His actions without anyone being able to interfere in his actions, then this is lessening of Allah in His kingdom and he who believes this is a disbeliever. Thirdly, there is a man who says that Allah Mighty and Glorious obligated His servants what they are capable of doing and did not obligate them to do things that they are incapable of doing. Then when he does good he praises Allah and when he sins he seeks forgiveness of Allah. This is a Muslim.”