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Chapter 3: Appreciating The Secrets Of Wudhu’- On Washing The Face (Ghasl Al-Wajh)

In the aforementioned meaningful tradition of Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a), he teaches his son Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah that when one washes the face in Wudhu’, one should recite the following supplication:

اَللّهُمَّ بَيِّضْ وَجْهِيْ، يَوْمَ تَسْوَدّ فِيهِ الْوُجُوْهُ، وَلاَ تُسَوِّدْ وَجْهِيْ، يَوْمَ تَبْيَضّ فِيْهِ الْوُجُوْهُ

O Allah, brighten my face on the Day when some faces are dark, and do not darken my face on the Day when some faces are bright.1

In order to understand this supplication better and apply its practical implications, we must try to understand some of its vocabulary first.

The Meaning Of Wajh

The Holy Qur’an says:

يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ أَكَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ

On the day when [some] faces will turn bright and [some] faces will turn dark. As for those whose faces turn dark [it will be said to them], ‘Did you disbelieve after your faith? So taste the punishment because of what you used to disbelieve.’ (Surah aal-‘Imraan, 3:106).

وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ابْيَضَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ فَفِي رَحْمَةِ اللهِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

But as for those whose faces become bright, they shall dwell in God’s mercy, and they will remain in it forever. (Surah aal-‘Imraan, 3:107).

The word wajh which we conventionally render as ‘face’2 lexically means ma yutawajjahu bi-hi3 (that by which one pays attention).

Therefore, we should not limit its extensions (masadiq) to the conventional physical faces that we know. Its conceptual umbrella embraces the higher realms too, and includes the hearts, which see4 Allah on the Resurrection Day. Some scholars like Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-‘Arabi (d. 543/1148) translate wajh as the essence (dhat) of an entity. In his magnum opus al-Futuhat al-Makkiyyah, when discussing the secrets of washing the face in Wudhu’, he says:

ووجه الإنسان، وكل شيء، حقيقته وذاته وعينه. يقال: وجه الشيء، ووجه المسالة، ووجه الحكم،- ويريد بهذا الوجه: حقيقة المسمى، وعينه، وذاته. قال تعالى: وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ ناضِرَةٌ إِلى رَبِّها ناظِرَةٌ. وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ باسِرَةٌ. تَظُنُّ أنْ يُفْعَلَ بِها فاقِرَةٌ.- والوجوه التي هي في مقدم الإنسان، ليست توصف بالظنون وإنما الظن لحقيقة الإنسان

…And the face (wajh) of the human being and of every [other] thing, is its reality (haqiqah), essence (dhat) and entity (‘ayn). It is said ‘the wajh of a thing’, ‘the wajh of the problem’, and ‘the wajh of the decree’ and what is meant thereby is their realities, entities and essences. Allah the Exalted says: Some faces (wujuh) will be fresh on that day, looking at their Lord, and some faces (wujuh) will be scowling on that day, knowing that they will be dealt out a punishment breaking the spine. [75:22-25] and the faces that are situated in the front of the human being are not characterised with zann [which is translated in the verse as ‘knowing’], since that is only a characteristic of the reality (haqiqah) of the human being.5

In his enlightening treatise on the secrets of prayer, al-Tanbihat al-‘Illiyyah, the esteemed Shi‘ah scholar Zayn al-Din al-‘Amili, well-known as al-Shahid al-Thani (d. 1011/1602), subtly alludes to this reality when he says:

فأمر في الوضوء بغسل الوجه لأن التوجه والإقبال بوجه القلب على الله تعالى به، وفيه أكثر الحواس الظاهرة التي هي أعظم الأسباب الباعثة على مطالب الدنيا، فأَمر بغسله ليتوجه به وهو خال من تلك الأدناس

So, He ordered in Wudhu’ for the face to be washed, because attention (al- tawajjuh) by the face of the heart is through the physical face, and it also contains most of the human senses which consist of the greatest causes that drive one to worldly endeavours. So He ordered that it should be washed, so that one may pay attention by it while he is free from those impurities…6

Observe the phrase ‘…because attention by the face of the heart is through the physical face’. This is because the entity which really pays attention is the heart and the soul of the human being. Hence, when we pray for our faces to become resplendent, our minds should not merely consider the physical face. We should rather pray for the reform of our hearts and their brilliance.

A similar meaning of wajh can be observed by the man of deep insight, the collector of intellectual and narrative sciences, the sage of his time, Mulla Hadi Sabzawari (d.1289/1873), in his poetical masterpiece on the secrets of Islamic Law - Nibras al-Huda. When discussing the secrets of Wudhu’ he says:

إذْ لاَزِمٌ تَطْهِيرُكُمْ خَواَدِمَا فَالطُّهْرِ لِلاِسْفَهْبُدِ جَا اَلْزِمَا

إِذْ وَاجِبٌ تَطْهِيْرُ قِشْرٍ أقْرَبُ وَأبْعَدُ فَطُهْرُ لُبٍّ أَوْجَبُ

When it is incumbent on you to purify the servants [of the intellectual soul], then you must purify the isfahbud (commander in chief [i.e. the intellectual soul]);

When it is compulsory to purify the near-most and furthermost shells, the purification of the core is more compulsory;7

In short, Mulla Hadi Sabzawari would like to say that the members of the body are servants in comparison to the heart, which is the sovereign and commander in chief. It is therefore very unbecoming for the servants to be clean when the sovereign himself is dirty. If a great person therefore were to be in the presence of the sovereign and find him dirty, it would be a great shame.

The apparent washing therefore must act as a catalyst to transport the human being to his core and help him clean his heart and spirit.

The Meaning Of Yawm

The word yawm is translated as zarfu zuhur al-ashya8 (the realm where things appear). Hence when we say yawm al-qiyamah which we normally render as the Day of Resurrection, we mean the moment when the kernel of all things will appear. This meaning is also indicated in the following verse of the Holy Qur’an:

يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَائِرُ

On the day when the secrets are unveiled. (Surah at-Taariq, 86:9).

One who is endowed with sharp inner vision (basirah) acknowledges that the human being in his inner reality is either in Hellfire or enjoying the gardens of Heaven, even while he or she still resides in this worldly plane. This is because the Hereafter is the kernel of this world and its inhabitants. The qiyamah would be realised when the kernel (batin) of this world would be unfolded:

The Holy Qur’an describing the disbelievers says that they are encompassed by Hell-Fire right now:

وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ

…and indeed, Hell is surely encompassing the unbelievers. (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:49).

No wonder, in the well-known supplication of the Big Armour (al-Jawshan al-Kabir), we always repeat the following sentence:

سُبْحَانَكَ يَا لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ الْغَوْثَ الْغَوْثَ خَلِّصْنَا مِنَ النَّارِ يَا رَبِّ

Free from imperfections are You, O One other than whom there is no God, help us, help us, and free us from the Hell-Fire O Lord!9

The phrase ‘free us from the Hell-Fire O Lord’ means that we are entangled in the Hell-Fire now. Otherwise it would make no sense to say ‘free us’.

There are many other supplications that allude to the reality that the human being due to his misdeeds is entangled with the Hell-Fire in the higher realms. Observe the following examples:

In a well-known daily supplication of the holy month of Ramadan we say:

فَيَا ذَا الْمَنِّ وَلا يُمَنُّ عَلَيْكَ مُنَّ عَلَيَّ بِفَكَاكِ رَقَبَتِي مِنَ النَّار

O the Benefactor upon whom favour is not bestowed, favour me by releasing my neck from the Hell-Fire10

During the nights of Qadr of the holy month of Ramadan, we recite the following famous supplication when we open the Holy Qur’an:

أَنْ تَجْعَلَنِي مِنْ عُتَقَائِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ

…that you make me from among those whom you have freed from Hell-Fire.11

In the well-known supplication of ‘Arafah, it is narrated that a time came when Imam al-Husayn (‘a) lifted his head and eyes toward Heaven. Tears were flowing from his blessed eyes as if they were two waterskins, and he said in a loud voice:

صَلِّ عَلى مُحمَّدٍ وَّآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، السَّادَةِ الْمَيامِيْنَ، وَأَسْألُكَ اللَّهُمَّ حَاجَتي الَّتِيْ اِن أعْطَيتَنِيهَا لَم يَضرُّني مَا مَنَعتَني، وَإِن مَنَعتَنِيهَا لَم يَنفَعني مَا أعْطَيْتَني، أسألُكَ فَكَاكَ رَقَبَتي مِنَ النَّارِ

Shower Your mercy on Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad, the chiefs, the fortunate. And, I ask of You, O God, my need. If You grant it to me, what You hold back from me will cause me no harm; and if You hold it back from me, what You grant me will not profit me. I ask You to deliver my neck from the Fire12

In the well-known ziyarah called Ziyarat al-Ta‘ziyah normally recited on the Day of ‘Ashura’, we are taught to say:

يَا مَوْلايَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ أَنَا ضَيْفُ اللهِ وَضَيْفُكَ وَجَارُ اللهِ وَجَارُكَ وَلِكُلِّ ضَيْفٍ وَجَارٍ قِرًى وَ قِرَايَ فِي هَذَا الْوَقْتِ أَنْ تَسْأَلَ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى أَنْ يَرْزُقَنِي فَكَاكَ رَقَبَتِي مِنَ النَّارِ إنَّهُ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ قَرِيبٌ مُجِيبٌ

O my Master, O Aba ‘Abdillah, I am the guest of Allah and your guest, and Allah is my shelter and you [too] are my shelter. And for every guest there is a banquet; and the banquet I seek in these moments is that you ask Allah, the Immaculate and Exalted, to provide me with the freedom of my neck from the Hell-Fire; Indeed He is the Hearer of prayer, the All-Near, and Responder [of those who call unto Him].13

Notice that all the above quotations allude to the situation of a person who is already entangled with Hell-Fire. This explanation is how the phrase ‘release from Hell-Fire’ can make sense; otherwise, a different expression would have been employed.

Observe the following tradition:

رُوِيَ عَنِ النَّبِيّ (صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ): اَنَّهُ كَانَ قَاعِدًا مَعَ أصْحَابِهِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، فَسَمِعُوْا هُدَّةً عَظِيْمَةً فَارْتَاعُوْا، فَقَالَ (صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه): ((أَتَعْرِفُوْنَ مَا هَذِهِ الْهُدَّة))؟ قَالُوْا: ((اَللهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ اَعْلَمْ)) قَالَ: حَجَرٌ أُلْقِيَ مِنْ أعْلى جَهَنّم مُنْذُ سَبْعِيْنَ سَنَة، الآنْ وَصَلَ إِلى قَعْرِها، وَمِنْ سُقُوْطِهِ فِيْهَا، هَذِهِ الْهُدَّة)) فَمَا فَرِغَ مِنْ كَلاَمِهِ اِلاَّ وَالصّراخُ فِي دَارِ مُنَافِقٍ مِنَ الْمُنَافِقِيْنَ قَدْ مَاتَ، وَكَانَ عُمْرُهُ سَبْعِيْنَ سَنَة، فَقَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ): ((اَللهُ أَكْبَر)) فَعَلِمَتِ الصَّحَابَةُ اَنّ هَذَا الْحَجَرِ هُوَ ذَلِكَ وَاَنَّهُ مُذْ خَلَقَهُ اللهُ يَهْوي فِيْ جَهَنَّم فَلَمَّا مَاتَ حَصَلَ فِيْ قَعْرِهَا قَالَ تَعَالى: اِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِيْنَ فِي الدَّرَكِ الاَسْفَلِ مِنَ النّارِ

It is reported from the Prophet (S) that he was [once] sitting with his companions in the mosque, and they suddenly heard a great sound, and they became frightened; so the Prophet (S) said: Do you know what this sound is? His companions said: Allah and His Messenger are more knowledgeable. The Prophet (S) said: It is a stone that was thrown from the top of Jahannam (Hell) seventy years ago, and now has reached its bottom; and this noise is due to its fall in it. The Holy Prophet (S) had not yet finished his speech when there was a cry of weeping in the house of one of the hypocrites who had just died, and he was aged seventy. So, the Messenger of Allah (S) said: Allahu Akbar! Consequently, the companions understood that the stone spoken about was that very hypocrite, and that he was falling in Jahannam ever since Allah created him, and when he died, he reached the bottom of the pit. Allah has said: Surely the hypocrites are in the lowest stage of the Hell-Fire…(4:145)14

Therefore, when reciting the aforementioned prayer of washing the face, the supplicant should not only seek a resplendent heart on the final day, but should seek the same at that very moment. In reality, the supplicant seeks for an immediate change in himself so that his inner self is transformed into brightness. He also seeks aloofness from having a dark complexion in the higher levels of his existence, which those who are endowed with a sharp inner vision, due to their purity, can easily behold while they still reside in this world of darkness.

Factors That Darken Or Illuminate One’s Wajh

It is important for us to realise that while we wash our faces, we must not suffice ourselves with supplications. We must try to understand the elements that darken or brighten the face or heart of a human being in the higher levels of reality.

Various verses and traditions allude to the factors that darken or brighten one’s wajh on the Judgement Day. Consider the following references:

The Holy Qur’an says:

يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ أَكَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ

On the day when [some] faces will turn bright and [some] faces will turn dark. As for those whose faces turn dark [it will be said to them], ‘Did you disbelieve after your faith? So taste the punishment because of what you used to disbelieve.’ (Surah aal-‘Imraan, 3:106).

وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ابْيَضَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ فَفِي رَحْمَةِ اللهِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

But as for those whose faces become bright, they shall dwell in God’s mercy, and they will remain in it forever. (Surah aal-‘Imraan, 3:107).

The Holy Qur’an says:

وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تَرَى الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ وُجُوهُهُم مُّسْوَدَّةٌ أَلَيْسَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِّلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ

On the Day of Resurrection you will see those who attributed lies to God with their faces darkened. Is not the [final] abode of the arrogant in Hell? (Surah az-Zumar, 39:60)

The Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said:

يَا عَلِيٌّ إِياّكَ وَالكِذْبُ فَاِنَّ الْكِذْبَ يُسَوِّدُ الْوَجْهَ ثُمَّ يُكْتَبُ عِنْدَ اللهِ كَذّاباً وَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يُبَيِّضُ الْوَجْهَ

O ‘Ali, beware of lies; for verily a lie darkens the face, and thereafter, [the one who has lied] is recorded as a liar with Allah; and surely truth brightens the face15

In one of his sermons, the Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said:

وَإِنَّ تَقْوَى اللهِ تُبَيِّضُ الْوُجُوْهَ، وَتُرْضِي الرَّبَّ، وَتَرْفَعُ الدَّرَجَةَ

Indeed God-wariness brightens the faces and pleases the Lord, and elevates the station…16

Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) is reported to have said:

صَلَوةُ اللَّيْلِ تُبَيِّضُ الْوُجُوْهَ

The Night Prayer brightens the faces17

Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) is reported to have said:

اَيُّماَ مُؤْمِن مَنَعَ مُؤْمِنًا شَيْئًا مِمَّا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ، وَهُوَ يَقْدِرُ عَلَيـهِ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ، أَوْ مِنْ عِنْدِ غَيْرِهِ، أَقَامَهُ اللهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مُسْوَدًّا وَجْهُهُ

Whosoever among the believers deprives a believer from something that the latter needs, while he is able to avail him with the same from himself or other than him, Allah would resurrect him on the Judgement Day while his face would be dark18

The Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said:

إِنَّ شَارِبَ الْخَمْرِ يَجِيْءُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مُسْوَدًّا وَجْهُهُ

Indeed, one who drinks wine will arrive on the Judgement Day while his face shall be dark19

In a conversation with Imam ‘Ali (‘a), the Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said:

وَاِنَّ شِيّعَتَكَ عَلىَ مَنَابِرَ مِنْ نُوْرٍ مُبْيَضَّةٌ وُجُوْهُهُمْ حَوْلِيْ أَشْفَعُ لَهُمْ وَيَكُوْنُوْنَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ جِيْرَانِيْ

…and your followers shall be besides me on pulpits of light, their faces being resplendent; and I shall intercede on their behalf; and they would be my neighbours in Paradise.20

In one of the supplications taught to us after bidding farewell near the luminant tomb of Imam ‘Ali (‘a), we say:

اَللَّهُمَّ تَجَاوَزْعَنْ سَيِّئَاتِيْ وَأبْدِلْ ذَلِكَ بِالْحَسَنَاتِ وَلاَ تُخَفِّفْ بِذَلِكَ مِيْزَانِيْ، وَلاَ تُسَوِّدْ بِهِ وَجْهِيْ

O Allah, overlook my misdeeds and transform them into virtues and do not make my scale light thereby, nor darken my face with the same21

Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) was once asked:

أَيُّ شَيْءٍ مِمَّا خَلَقَ اللهُ أَحْسَن؟

What is the most beautiful thing that Allah created?

And the Imam (‘a) said:

اَلْكَلاَم

Speech

Then he (‘a) was asked:

أَيُّ شَيْءٍ مِمَّا خَلَقَ اللهُ أَقْبَح؟

What is the ugliest thing that Allah created?

And the Imam (‘a) said:

اَلْكَلاَم

Speech

Then he said:

بِالْكَلاَمِ ابْيَضَّتِ الْوُجُوْهُ، وَبِالْكَلاَمِ اسْوَدَّتِ الْوُجُوْهُ

It is by speech that faces turn bright and it is by speech that faces turn dark22

Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin (‘a) in a whispered prayer to Almighty Allah says:

فَارْحَمْ تَضَرُّعَنَا، وَكَبْوَناَ لِوَجْهِكَ وُجُوْهُنَا الْمُسْوَدَّةَ مِنْ ذُنُوْبِنَا

…and have mercy on our humility and our falling before Thy face; our faces have been darkened with our sins…23

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) is reported to have said:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (ص) إِنَّ عَنْ يَمِينِ الْعَرْشِ قَوْماً وُجُوهُهُمْ مِنْ نُورٍ عَلَى مَنَابِرَ مِنْ نُورٍ يَغْبِطُهُمُ النَّبِيُّنَ لَيْسُوا بِأَنْبِيَاءَ وَلَا شُهَدَاءَ فَقَالُوا يَا نَبِيِّ اللهِ وَمَا ازْدَادُوا هَؤُلَاءِ مِنَ اللهِ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُونُوا أَنْبِيَاءَ وَلَا شُهَدَاءَ إِلَّا قُرْباً مِنَ اللهِ قَالَ أُولَئِكَ شِيعَةُ عَلِيٍّ وَعَلِيٌّ إِمَامُهُمْ

The Holy Prophet (S) said: Indeed, on the right-hand side of the Divine Throne there are a people whose faces are of light, stationed on pulpits of light; the Prophets are envious of them, although they neither are Prophets nor martyrs. They [the companions nearby] asked: O Apostle of Allah (S), what then increased them to the divine proximity, if they were neither Prophets nor martyrs? He said: They are the followers of ‘Ali (shi‘atu ‘Ali) and ‘Ali is their Imam.24

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) is reported to have said:

اَلْمُتَحَابُّوْنَ فِي اللهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلىَ مَنَابِر مِنْ نُوْرٍ، قَدْ أَضَاءَ نُوْرُ وُجُوْهِهِمْ أَجْسَادَهُمْ وَنُوْرُ مَنَابِرِهِمْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى يُعْرَفُوْا بِالْمُتَحَابِّيْنَ فِي اللهِ

On the Resurrection Day those who mutually love each other in the way of Allah will be stationed on pulpits of light, and the light of their faces would have illuminated their bodies, and the light of their pulpits would have brightened everything, so that they are known as those who possessed mutual love in the way of Allah.25

Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) is reported to have said:

يَخْرُجُ أَهْلُ وِلاَيَتِنَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ قُبُوْرِهِمْ مُشْرِقَةً وُجُوْهُهُمْ

The people of our guardianship will come out of their graves on the Resurrection Day, while their faces shall be radiant26

If we carefully study the abovementioned traditions, we will realise that the fundamental factor of darkness in the Hereafter is disbelief and sin whereas the fundamental factor of brilliance is genuine belief27 and taqwa (God- wariness). Therefore, it is by resolving to undertake the path of taqwa that a person can achieve what he prays for while washing his face.

Washing the physical face therefore always serves as a reminder for cleansing one’s heart and spiritual face. Apart from its ontological and causal advantage mentioned in different traditions, it is a reminding force for whosoever performs the ablution.

Our Aim Should Be Wajhullah

The genitive construction wajh Allah is literally rendered as ma yutawajjahu bihi ila Allah (that with which one pays attention to Allah) or the means of attention to Allah. Since the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) are known to guide and lead toward Allah through their character traits, words, and deeds, they are wajh Allah. Furthermore, in a subtler sense, since they are the intermediaries of divine grace (wasa’it al-fayd al-ilahi), attention to Allah also is ontologically through them. Hence, they serve as wajh Allah.

In an interesting conversation, a companion of Imam al-Rida (‘a), ‘Abd al- Salam al-Herawi, asks him some questions and the Imam (‘a) responds in a very beautiful way. One of the questions he asks is as follows:

قَالَ: فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: يَا بْنَ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ، فَمَا مَعْنَى الْخَبَرِ الَّذِيْ رَوَوْهُ: أَنَّ ثَوَابَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ اَلنَّظَرُ إِلَى وَجْهِ اللهِ؟ فَقَالَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ): يَا أَبَا الصَّلْتِ، مَنْ وَصَفَ اللهَ بِوَجْهٍ كَالْوُجُوْهِ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ، وَلَكِنَّ وَجْهَ اللهِ أَنْبِيَائُهُ وَرُسُلُهُ وَحُجَجُهُ (صَلَواتُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِمْ)، هُمُ الَّذِيْنَ بِهِمْ يُتَوَجَّهُ إِلَى اللهِ

He [al-Herawi] said: I asked him [The Imam (‘a)]: O son of the Apostle of Allah (‘a), then what is the meaning of the narration they quote that [states] the reward of La ilaha illa Allah (other than Allah, there is no god) is to look at the face of Allah? Thereupon he [the Imam (‘a)] said: O Aba al-Salt, whosoever describes Allah with a face like the conventionally known faces, has indeed covered the truth. Rather, wajh Allah are His Prophets, Apostles, and Proofs (upon whom be Allah’s abundant mercy). They are the ones through whom Allah is paid attention to (hum alladhina bihim yutawajjahu ila Allah)…28

In the well-known Ziyarat al-Jami‘ah al-Kabirah, Imam ‘Ali al- Naqi (‘a) teaches us to address the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) as follows:

مَنْ أَرَادَ اللهَ بَدَءَ بِكُمْ… وَمَنْ قَصَدَهُ تَوَجَّهَ بِكُمْ

Whosoever seeks Allah, begins through you… and whosoever intends Him pays attention through you…29

Hence, they are the wajhullah and through them others pay attention to Allah.

A Subtler Meaning Of Wajhullah

Sometimes the genitive construction wajh Allah instead of being rendered as the means of attention to Allah (ma yutawajjahu bihi ila Allah), is translated as the means of attention of Allah (ma yatawajjahu bihi Allah). The difference comes about due to the difference in meaning of the link between the first term (mudaf)30 and the second term (mudaf ilayhi) of the genitive construction.

In the previous interpretation, by saying wajh Allah we meant that the object of attention is Allah, just like when we say ‘ilm Allah (knowledge of Allah) we mean that the object of knowledge is Allah. In this present interpretation however, by wajh Allah we mean ‘the wajh that belongs to Allah’.

In other words, it is through the wajh that Allah pays attention. As explained earlier, such a meaning is never taken literally, for Allah is beyond anthropomorphic limitations. Wajh Allah rather refers to the perfect human being who has realised the fact that everything is a locus of manifestation of His attributes.

Those who have been successful in traversing the spiritual journey to Allah, reach a point where every member of their body is attributed to Allah. They become mere instruments of Allah. The real doer is Allah, and they are His intermediaries. This should however not mislead one to think that Allah needs them to carry out His actions, for they themselves are the very actions of Allah. Perhaps the following verse speaks about this station:

فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللهَ قَتَلَهُمْ وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللهَ رَمَىٰ وَلِيُبْلِيَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُ بَلَاءً حَسَنًا إِنَّ اللهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

You [O Prophet] did not kill them; rather it was Allah who killed them; and you did not throw when you threw, rather it was Allah who threw, that He might test the faithful with a good test from Himself. Indeed, Allah is All- Hearing, All- Knowing. (8:17).

Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a), having attained heights of perfection, says about himself:

اَناَ وَجْهُ اللهِ تَعالى فِي السَّمَاواتِ

I am the face of Allah in the heavens…31

Since Imam ‘Ali (‘a) is a locus of manifestation of Allah’s attributes, he serves as wajhullah, or a representative of Allah who attends to His creatures. In fact, Allah attends to His servants through the infallible Prophets, and the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a).

Imam Abu Ja‘far [al-Baqir] (‘a) is reported to have said:

وَنَحْنُ لِسَانُ اللهِ، وَنَحْنُ وَجْهُ اللهِ، وَنَحْنُ عَيْنُ اللهِ فِي خَلْقِهِ

…and we are the tongue of Allah, and we are the face of Allah, and we are the eye of Allah among His creation…32

The gnostics say that this station is acquired by observing the obligatory deeds and attaining the proximity of Allah. In their terminology it is referred to as qurb al-fara’id (proximity attained through obligatory deeds).33

With regard to the Holy Prophet (S) and the infallible Imams of the Ahl al- Bayt (‘a), it is beyond the scope of our limited understanding to judge the loftiness of their status.

In conclusion, as we wash our faces and recite the Alawite prayer under discussion, we must not limit ourselves with the periphery. We should struggle to soar to attain the heights.

  • 1. Ali bin Babawayh al-Qummi, Fiqh al-Rida (‘a), p. 69.
  • 2. The noun ‘face’ does not accurately correspond to the word wajh if the etymology is considered. According to one opinion, the word face is derived from the Latin word facies, which means form and appearance. [Ref: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/face [23-6-2013]].
  • 3. Mustafawi, al-Tahqiq fi Kalimat al-Qur’an; ‘Allamah Tabataba’i, al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, v.8, p. 74.
  • 4. This must not be taken literally for Allah is beyond the senses of sight as well as the visions of the hearts. Seeing or visioning Allah refers to a transcendent vision of the hearts which is not a complete encompassment of the divine essence whatsoever. It is a vision of divine attributes according to the limited comprehension of the wayfarer to Allah. In this meaning, such vision can transpire while one is in this world, and also when one is in the Hereafter. However, in order for one to achieve that, one should undergo self-discipline and undertake a spiritual journey guided by those who have themselves covered the journey and have the ability to take others to the same path.
  • 5. Ibn al-‘Arabi, al-Futuhat al-Makkiyyah, v.5, p. 188.
  • 6. Shahid al-Thani, al-Musannafat al-Arba‘ah, p. 237; al-Shahid al-Thani, Rasa’il al-Shahid al-Thani, p. 113
  • 7. Mulla Hadi Sabzawari, Nibras al-Huda, p. 91; In expounding on the above couplet, he says: (Idh lazimun tathirukum khawadima - When it is compulsory on you to purify the servants): Servants here refer to the members of the body, for they and the faculties they contain and are related to, are all the servants of the intellectual soul (al-nafs al-natiqah). (fattuhru lil isfahbud - Then the purification of the isfahbud [lit. commander in chief]): which [here] is the heart (fu’ad); (ja alzima - adhere to it!).
    This is because it is a most unpleasant thing that a great person comes to a sovereign and discovers the sovereign’s servants and special dependents are clean, whereas the sovereign himself is dirty. And also (Idh - when) (wajibun ‘alaykum - it is compulsory on you) (tathiru qishrin aqrabu - purification of the nearmost shell); Here aqrabu (nearmost) refers to the body of the human being which is a shell of the soul; wa ab‘adu (as well as the furthermost): refers to the clothes of a human being which is the shell of the shell, must be clean for being honoured to serve the Real Sovereign. (fa tuhru lubbin - so the purity of the core) therefore, (awjabu –is more compulsory).
  • 8. Ayatullah Hasan Zadeh Amuli, Sharh al-Manzumah, v.5, p. 311.
  • 9. Du’a al-Jawshan al-Kabir, Shaykh ‘Abbas Qummi, Mafatih al-Jinan, p. 163.
  • 10. Shaykh ‘Abbas Qummi, Mafatih al-Jinan, Supplications for Ramadan, p. 312.
  • 11. Shaykh ‘Abbas Qummi, Mafatih al-Jinan, Supplications for Ramadan, pp. 398-399
  • 12. Shaykh ‘Abbas Qummi, Mafatih al-Jinan, Du‘a ‘Arafah.
  • 13. ‘Allamah Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.98, p. 224.
  • 14. Mulla Hadi Sabzawari, Sharh al-Asma’ al-Husna, v.1, p. 30.
  • 15. ‘Allamah Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.47, p. 67.
  • 16. Allama Al-Majlisi, Bihar Al-Anwar, v. 86, p.233.
  • 17. Shaykh Huwayzi, Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn, v.3, p. 204.
  • 18. Shaykh Ihsa’i, ‘Awali al-La’ali, v.1, p. 360.
  • 19. ‘Allamah Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.7, p. 217.
  • 20. Shaykh Saduq, al-Amali, p. 156.
  • 21. ‘Allamah Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.97, p. 296.
  • 22. ‘Allamah Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.57, p. 55.
  • 23. ‘Allamah Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.19, p. 125
  • 24. Al-Barqi, al-Mahasin, v.1, p. 181.
  • 25. Al-Barqi, al-Mahasin, v.1, p. 265.
  • 26. Al-Qummi, Qurb al-Isnad, pp. 101-102.
  • 27. This is an allusion to one that has firm belief in the wilayah (guardianship) of the infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), without which belief is incomplete.
  • 28. Shaykh Saduq, al-Amali, p. 545.
  • 29. ‘Allamah Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, v.99, p. 131
  • 30. In a genitive construction (idafah) the first term which is called mudaf (the thing added) governs the second term which is called mudaf ilayhi (the thing added to).
  • 31. Sayyid Hashim Bahrani, Hilyat al-Abrar, v.2, p. 123.
  • 32. Al-Shahrudi, Mustadrakatu ‘Ilmu Rijal al-Hadith, v.1, p. 679.
  • 33. Those acquainted with discussions on theoretical gnosis can refer to the the exposition of Tamhid al-Qawa‘id writted by the contemporary sage - Ayatullah Jawadi Amuli.