What does “Dawlah” mean?

Question:

Does the term “Dawlah” ( دولة ) mean a state?

Answer:

The Arabic word dawla is derived from the root D-W-L, meaning: “to turn, alternate, or come around in a cyclical fashion.”

Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi writes: “Dawlah with the vowel Fathah means to overcome and to turn.“ Al-Jawhari said: “Dawlah is used in war to refer to the fact that one party overcomes the other.” [Mir’at-ul-Uqul, Volume 11 page 339]

قال محمد باقر المجلسي: دولة بالفتح أي غلبة أو نوبة قال الجوهري الدولة في الحرب أن تداول إحدى الفئتين على الأخرى

Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (s.) said: “Cautiousness (Taqiyyah) is from the religion of God, and for him there is no religion for whom there is no caution. By God, if there were no caution, then God would have by the turn in favor of the devil not been worshipped in the land.” He was asked: “What is the turn (Dawlah) towards the devil?” He said: “If a misguiding Imam became the close one (Wali) to the people, it is the turn towards the devil against Adam (a.) and if a rightly guiding Imam became the close one (Wali) to the people, it is the turn towards Adam (a.) against the devil.” Then Ali (a.) Ammar and Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr whispered to me while i heard it: “Ever since your Prophet (s.) died, I have been exposed to the turn (dawlah) towards the devil because you have abandoned me and followed someone other than me.” [Kitab Sulaim of Al-Hilali, page 416]

عن الحسن البصري عن الإمام علي عليه السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: إن التقية من دين الله، ولا دين لمن لا تقية له. والله لو لا التقية ما عبد الله في الأرض في دولة إبليس فقال له رجل: وما دولة إبليس ؟ قال عليه السلام إذا ولى الناس إمام ضلالة فهي دولة إبليس على آدم، وإذا وليهم إمام هدى فهي دولة آدم على إبليس ثم همس إلى عمار ومحمد بن أبي بكر همسة وأنا أسمع فقال: ما زلتم منذ قبض نبيكم في دولة إبليس بترككم إياي واتباعكم غيري

Abdullah Ibn Sinan reported that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “The turn (Dawlah) towards the falsehood was ongoing for a long time and the turning towards the truth was rather short.” [Al-Kafi of Al-Kulaini, Volume 8 Page 224 Hadith 284]

عن عبد الله بن سنان عن الإمام الصادق عليه السلام قال: لم تزل دولة الباطل طويلة ودولة الحق قصيرة

Aban reported that Isma’il Al-Ju’fi said: “Someone came in to Muhammad Al-Baqir (a.) carrying a paper, whereupon he said to him: ‘This is the paper of a enemy who asked about the religion through which an action is accepted.” The person said: “God have mercy on you, that is what i am concerned about.” He said: The confession that besides God alone, Who has no associate, there is no God and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger and you confess to that, what he has proclaimed of God and the closeness (Wilayah) to us and the distance (Bara’ah) from our enemy and the submission to our matter and piety and humility and awaiting for the Rising one (Qa’im), because for us there is a turn (Dawlah) that God will cause, if it was His will.” [Al-Kafi of Al-Kulaini, Volume 2 Page 23 Hadith 13]

عن أبان عن إسماعيل الجعفي قال: دخل رجل على أبي جعفر عليه السلام ومعه صحيفة فقال له أبو جعفر عليه السلام هذه صحيفة مخاصم يسأل عن الدين الذي يقبل فيه العمل فقال: رحمك الله هذا الذي اريد، فقال أبو جعفر عليه السلام: شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأن محمدا صلى الله عليه وآله عبده ورسوله وتقر بما جاء من عند الله والولاية لنا أهل البيت والبراءة من عدونا والتسليم لامرنا والورع والتواضع وانتظار قائما فإن لنا دولة إذا شاء الله جاء بها

Abu Basir reported that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “Those who dissagree with us have no part in the turn (Dawlah) towards us. God allowed us to shed their blood in the Rising of our Riser (Qa’im), but today both we and you are forbidden (haram) to do so, so do not let anyone deceive you. When our Rising one (Qa’im) rises up, he retaliates for God and His Messenger (s.) and all of us.” [Al-Bihar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 11 page 339]

عن أبي بصير عن الإمام الصادق عليه السلام قال: ما لمن خالفنا في دولتنا من نصيب إن الله قد أحل لنا دماءهم عند قيام قائمنا فاليوم محرم علينا وعليكم ذلك فلا يغرنك أحد، إذا قام قائمنا انتقم لله ولرسوله ولنا أجمعين

Abd-ul-Hamid Ibn Abi Dailam reported that Imam Al-Baqir (a.) about the verse: “The truth has come and the falsehood has departed.” (17:81) said: “When the Rising one (Qa’im) rises, the turn (Dawlah) towards the falsehood will vanish.” [Al-Kafi of Al-Kulaini, Volume 8 Page 287 Hadith 432]

عن عبد الحميد بن أبي الديلم عن الإمام الباقر عليه السلام في قوله عز وجل وقل جاء الحق وزهق الباطل قال: إذا قام القائم عليه السلام ذهبت دولة الباطل

Al-Hasan Al-Wasiti reported that he wrote to Imam Ar-Rida (a.): “I bring to your attention my complaint about the rudeness of the people of Wasit and their pressure on me and about a gang of the followers of Uthman who used to cause me grief.” He replied with his signature: “God made a covenant, with those who are guided by us, to be steadfast in the turn (Dawlah) towards the falsehood. so be patient with the decision of your Lord. Had the master of the creation (a.) risen already, they would have said: “Woe to us! Who woke us up from our resting place! This is what the Most Gracious One promised and the Messengers found themselves confirmed.” [Al-Kafi of Al-Kulaini, Volume 8 Page 247 Hadith 346]

عن الحسن الواسطي أنه كتب إلى الإمام الرضا عليه السلام: أشكو جفاء أهل واسط وحملهم علي وكانت عصابة من العثمانية تؤذيني. فوقع بخطه: إن الله تبارك وتعالى أخذ ميثاق أوليائنا على الصبر في دولة الباطل فاصبر لحكم ربك، فلو قد قام سيد الخلق لقالوا: يا ويلنا من بعثنا من مرقدنا هذا ما وعد الرحمن وصدق المرسلون

Al-Hasan Ibn Ali reported that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said:“If the turn (dawlah) is towards the injustice, then go and greet the one you are wary of with the greeting, because whoever resists the turn, will kill himself and the one he targets. God says: “Do not throw yourselves into destruction with your own hands.” (2:195) [Tuhaf-ul-Uqul of Al-Harrani, page 309].

عن الحسن بن علي عن الإمام الصادق عليه السلام قال: إذا كانت دولة الظلم فامش واستقبل من تتقيه بالتحية فإن المتعرض للدولة قاتل نفسه وموبقها إن الله يقول ولا تلقوا بأيديكم إلى التهلكة 

Sulaim Ibn Qais reported that Imam Ali (a.) said: “Leave the people alone with what they are content with and bind yourselves to silence in the face of the turn (Dawlah) towards your enemy, for he will not eliminate you as long as you stick to your cause, while the enemy spans the bow and is filled with enmity. There are three kinds of people: one kind was illuminated by our light, one kind nourishes himself through us and one kind was guided through us and let himself be guided by our matter. They are the minority among the kinds. These are the followers, the noble, the wise, the knowledgeable, the understanding, the God-fearing and generous. To them belongs blessedness and a beautiful return.” [Kitab Sulaim of Al-Hilali, page 463]

عن سليم بن قيس عن الإمام علي عليه السلام قال: دعوا الناس وما رضوا لأنفسهم وألزموا أنفسكم السكوت ودولة عدوكم، فإنه لا يعدمكم ما ينتحل أمركم وعدو باغ حاسد الناس ثلاثة أصناف صنف بين بنورنا وصنف يأكلون بنا وصنف اهتدوا بنا واقتدوا بأمرنا، هم أقل الأصناف. اولئك الشيعة النجباء الحكماء والعلماء الفقهاء والأتقياء الأسخياء، طوبى لهم وحسن مآب 

It was reported to Abu Ishaq Al-Khaffaf that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “Our honest followers do not own anything except for the livelihood at the time of the turn (dawlah) towards the falsehood. Go east if you want to or go west, you will not be given anything except for the livelihood.” [Al-Kafi of Al-Kulaini, Volume 2 Page 261 Hadith 7]

عن أبي إسحاق الخفاف عن رجل عن الإمام الصادق عليه السلام قال: ليس لمصاص شيعتنا في دولة الباطل إلا القوت شرقوا إن شئتم أو غربوا لن ترزقوا إلا القوت

Abu Sabbah Al-Kinani reported that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) was told: “O Abu Abdillah, i bring to you my complaint about my children and their ingratitude and about my brothers and sisters and their rudeness despite of my old age.” He said: “O you, there is a turn (Dawlah) towards the truth and a turn (Dawlah) towards the falsehood, and both of them are subjugated at the turn of his companion and the least of which the believing man is afflicted by the turn of the falsehood is the ingratitude of his children and rudeness of his brothers and sisters, and there is no believing man to whom anything of prosperity is given by the turn towards falsehood except that he was tested before his death: Either by his body, or by his children, or by his possessions, until God releases him from what he acquired by the turn towards the falsehood, and keeps his share at the turn towards the truth, so be patient and proclaim the good news.” [Al-Kafi of Al-Kulaini, Volume 2 Page 447 Hadith 11]

عن أبي الصباح الكناني عن الإمام الصادق عليه السلام قيل له: يا أبا عبد الله أشكو إليك ولدي وعقوقهم وإخواني وجفاهم عند كبر سني، فقال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: يا هذا إن للحق دولة وللباطل دولة وكل واحد منهما في دولة صاحبه ذليل وإن أدنى ما يصيب المؤمن في دولة الباطل العقوق من ولده والجفاء من إخوانه وما من مؤمن يصيبه شيئا من الرفاهية في دولة الباطل إلا ابتلي قبل موته، إما في بدنه وإما في ولده وإما في ماله حتى يخلصه الله مما اكتسب في دولة الباطل ويوفر له حظه في دولة الحق. فاصبر وأبشر

Abu Khalid Al-Kabuli reported that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “God made religion into two turns (Dawlah): the turn towards Adam (a.), which is the turn towards God, and the turn towards the devil. So if God wanted people to worship Him in public, it was the turn towards Adam (a.), and if God wanted people to worship Him in secret, it was the turn towards the devil, and the one who makes public what God has concealed is someone who leaves the religion.” [Al-Kafi of Al-Kulaini, Volume 2 Page 372 Hadith 11]

عن أبي خالد الكابلي عن الإمام الصادق عليه السلام قال: إن الله عز وجل جعل الدين دولتين دولة آدم وهي دولة الله ودولة إبليس فإذا أراد الله أن يعبد علانية كانت دولة آدم وإذا أراد الله أن يعبد في السر كانت دولة إبليس والمذيع لما أراد الله ستره مارق من الدين

Hisham Ibn Salim reported that Ammar As-Sabati said: “I said to Abu Abdillah (As-Sadiq): “Is the service (Ibadah) in secret with the concealed leader of you during the turn (Dawlah) towards the falsehood more excellent or the service during the appearance of the truth and its turn towards the appearing leader of you?” Then he said: “O Ammar! by Allah! almsgiving in secret is more excellent than in public. Likewise, your service in secret with your hidden leader during the turn towards the falsehood, for fear of your enemy during the turn towards the falsehood and the circumstance of the ceasefire, is more excellent than that which serves God during the appearance of truth with the appearing leader during the turn towards the truth. The service of fear during the turn towards the falsehood is not like the service in security during the turn towards the truth. Know that to the one of you who performed a compulsory prayer alone and hidden from his enemy in his time, so that he completed it, God wrote down for it twenty-four compulsory prayers which one performs alone. Whoever of you performed a supplementary prayer in his time, so that he completed it, God wrote down ten supplementary prayers for him. If any one of you did a good deed, God wrote down twenty good deeds for him, and God multiplies the good deeds of the believers among you, if he did his deeds in a good way, and believed in God through mindfulness for his religion, his leader, and himself, and kept his tongue in check, to a manifold extent. God is good.” I said: ” May my life be sacrificed to you. You have motivated me to be active and inspired me to do so. But I would like to know how we have come to do more excellent deeds than the companions of the appearing leader of yours during the turn towards the falsehood, while they and we belong to one and the same religion, which is the religion of God?” He said: “You have forestalled them in joining the religion of God, prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, all understanding (fiqh), goodness, and worship in secret from your enemy with the hidden leader, while you obey him, are steadfast with him, wait for the turn towards the truth, to fear for your leader and yourselves before the rulers, to see the right of your leader and your right in the hands of the wrongdoers, who denied you this and forced you to the temptation of the worldly and to the demand for sustenance, you insisted on your religion, your service, the obedience to your Lord and the fear of your enemy. Through this, God multiplied your deeds. Bless you.” I said: “May my life be sacrificed to you. Then why should we desire to be among the companions of the Riser (Qa’im) during the manifestation of the Truth when today, under your leadership and obedience to you, we are doing more excellent deeds than the deeds of the companions of the turn (Dawlah) towards the Truth?” Then he said: “Praise be to God. Do you not care that God will bring truth and justice to the local communities, change the situation of the general public for the good, and unite God into one word and reconcile the divided hearts? That one does not disobey God on His earth, that the boundary punishments of God (Hadd) are carried out among His creatures, and that justice is given back to one’s relatives, so that nothing of the truth remains hidden for fear of a creature? Behold, by God, O Ammar. None of you died in the state you are in except that he is more excellent with God than many of those who experienced badr. So now be of good cheer.” [Al-Bihar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 52, Pages 127-128, Hadith 20]

عن هشام بن سالم، عن عمار الساباطي قال: قلت لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام: العبادة مع الامام منكم المستتر في السر في دولة الباطل أفضل أم العبادة في ظهور الحق ودولته مع الامام الظاهر منكم فقال: يا عمار الصدقة في السر والله أفضل من الصدقة في العلانية، وكذلك عبادتكم في السر، مع إمامكم المستتر في دولة الباطل أفضل، لخوفكم من عدوكم في دولة الباطل وحال الهدنة، ممن يعبد الله في ظهور الحق مع الامام الظاهر في دولة الحق وليس العبادة مع الخوف في دولة الباطل مثل العبادة مع الامن في دولة الحق. اعلموا أن من صلى منكم صلاة فريضة وحدانا مستترا بها من عدوه في وقتها فأتمها كتب الله عز وجل له بها خمسة وعشرين صلاة فريضة وحدانية، ومن صلى منكم صلاة نافلة في وقتها فأتمها كتب الله عز وجل له بها عشر صلوات نوافل، و من عمل منكم حسنة كتب الله له بها عشرين حسنة، ويضاعف الله تعالى حسنات المؤمن منكم إذا أحسن أعماله، ودان الله بالتقية على دينه، وعلى إمامه وعلى نفسه، و أمسك من لسانه. أضعافا مضاعفة كثيرة إن الله عز وجل كريم. قال: فقلت: جعلت فداك قد رغبتني في العمل، وحثثتني عليه، ولكني أحب أن أعلم كيف صرنا نحن اليوم أفضل أعمالا من أصحاب الإمام منكم الظاهر في دولة الحق ونحن وهم على دين واحد، وهو دين الله عز وجل؟. فقال: إنكم سبقتموهم إلى الدخول في دين الله وإلى الصلاة والصوم والحج وإلى كل فقه وخير، وإلى عبادة الله سرا من عدوكم مع الامام المستتر، مطيعون له، صابرون معه، منتظرون لدولة الحق، خائفون على إمامكم وعلى أنفسكم من الملوك تنظرون إلى حق إمامكم وحقكم في أيدي الظلمة، قد منعوكم ذلك واضطروكم إلى جذب الدنيا وطلب المعاش، مع الصبر على دينكم، وعبادتكم وطاعة ربكم، والخوف من عدوكم، فبذلك ضاعف الله أعمالكم فهنيئا لكم هنيئا. قال: فقلت: جعلت فداك فما نتمنى إذا أن نكون من أصحاب القائم عليه السلام في ظهور الحق؟ ونحن اليوم في إمامتك وطاعتك أفضل أعمالا من أعمال أصحاب دولة الحق فقال: سبحان الله أما تحبون أن يظهر الله عز وجل الحق والعدل في البلاد ويحسن حال عامة الناس، ويجمع الله الكلمة ويؤلف بين القلوب المختلفة، ولا يعصى الله في أرضه، ويقام حدود الله في خلقه، ويرد الحق إلى أهله، فيظهروه حتى لا يستخفي بشيء من الحق مخافة أحد من الخلق أما والله يا عمار لا يموت منكم ميت على الحال التي أنتم عليها إلا كان أفضل عند الله عز وجل من كثير ممن شهد بدرا واحدا فأبشروا

محمد بن علي عن علي بن الحسين عن سعد بن هبة الله عن اليقطيني عن القاسم بن يحيى، عن جده الحسن بن راشد عن أبي بصير، ومحمد بن مسلم عن جعفر بن محمد عن محمد بن علي عن علي بن الحسين عن الحسين بن علي عن علي بن أبي طالب عليهم السلام قال: إذا لقيتم إخوانكم فتصافحوا وأظهروا لهم البشاشة والبشر تتفرقوا وما عليكم من الأوزار قد ذهبت إذا عطس أحدكم فسمتوه قولوا: يرحمكم الله، ويقول الله تبارك وتعالى: وإذا حييتم بتحية فحيوا بأحسن منها أو ردوها صافح عدوك وإن كره فإنه مما أمر الله عز وجل به عباده يقول: ادفع بالتي هي أحسن فإذا الذي بينك وبينه عداوة كأنه ولي حميم وما يلقها إلا الذين صبروا و ما يلقها إلا ذو حظ عظيم ما تكافي عدوك بشيء أشد على من أن تطيع الله فيه، و حسبك أن ترى عدوك يعمل بمعاصي الله عز وجل. الدنيا دول فاطلب حظك منها بأجمل الطلب حتى تأتيك دولتك

Someone reported to Muhammad Ibn Ziyad that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “All people have a turn (Dawlah) that they keep an eye on and our turn will come out in the end of times.” [Al-Amali of As-Saduq, page 578, Hadith 790]

محمد بن موسى بن المتوكل عن علي بن إبراهيم عن إبراهيم بن هاشم عن محمد بن زياد بن عيسى عمن سمع أبا عبد الله جعفر بن محمد الصادق عليهما السلام يقول: لكل أناس دولة يرقبونها ودولتنا في آخر الدهر تظهر