المُستَضعَفُ

THE ABASED PEOPLE*

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2– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Assist me in seeking out the weak people, for verily you are given sustenance and succour only because of the presence of the weak among you.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 6019]

3– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Verily Allah gives succour to this community only as a result of
[the presence of] the weak among them, their supplication, their prayer and their sincerity.’
[al-Durr al-Manthur, v. 2, p. 724]

4– Imam Ali (AS), with regards to the Qur’anic verse: “And we desired to show favour to those who were abased…” said, ‘This refers to the progeny of Muhammad. Allah will send them their rightly guided Saviour
[the Mahdi] after their struggle, and he will raise their status and abase their enemy.’
[Nur al-Thaqalayn, v. 4, p. 110]

5– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The term ‘weak’ cannot be applied to those whom the divine proof has reached, whose ears have heard it and whose hearts have heeded it.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 189]

6– Imam al-Baqir (AS), with regards to the Qur’anic verse: “Except the ones who are deemed weak…”, said, ‘This refers to one who is not capable of disbelieving that he may be considered a disbeliever, though neither has he been guided the path of faith that he may have faith.
[It also refers to] children, and those people from among men and women who have intellects of children and who are therefore not accountable for their deeds.’
[Ma`ani al-Akhbar, p. 201, no. 4]

7– Imam al-Kazim (AS) said, ‘The
[spiritually] weak person is one whom the divine proof has not reached, and who would not be able to differentiate
[even if it did reach him]. If he is able to differentiate
[between truth and falsehood] therefore, then he is not considered weak.’
[al-Kafi, v. 8, p. 125, no. 95]

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* al-mustaz`aafin: people who are abased, deemed weak, or downtrodden by others. People who are spiritually ‘weak’ are those who are unable or exempt from carrying out religious obligations due to mental or physical incapacity (ed.)