About Hu 121

The writings of Hazrat Majzoub Ali Shah
regarding "Hu 121"
2005-12-22

Hu
121

Greetings. In response to the questions you have asked, I offer the following explanation:

  1. Pay attention to what the phrase Hu 121 (or Hoo 121 ) means. Certainly, this is not a new invention. Unfortunately, in addition to the cultural invasion that is currently being discussed by officials, we ourselves have contributed to this invasion. For instance, we Iranians, since about seventy or eighty years ago, have been accustomed to creating historical years as a single word using Abjad numerology. The Abjad letters are: Abjad, Hawwaz, Hutti, Kalaman, Sa’fad, Qarshat, Thakhadh, Dhaghagh. Each of these letters corresponds to a numerical value starting from one. For example, in Abjad, Alef = 1, Ba = 2, Jim = 3, Dal = 4, and so on up to 10. From there, it progresses by tens (10, 20, 30, 40, up to 100) and hundreds (100, 200, 300, 400, up to 1000). Using this system, experts would create a word to preserve a number, often choosing a word that had meaning and was relevant to the subject being recorded. For instance, in the poetry collection of Hafiz, all events of his time are recorded with historical words, not numerical years. Similarly, the lives and histories of religious figures have often been documented using Abjad. For example, regarding the martyrdom of Hazrat Sultan Ali Shah, Haj Naib al-Sadr, author of "Tara’iq al-Haqa’iq," writes: "Jawad li 'Ash Sa’idan wa Mat Shahidan." When the letters of this phrase are summed, they form the year of martyrdom. Similarly, for other figures like Haj Sheikh Fazlullah Nuri, it is said: "Pi Tarikh in Baliyyah za Gheib Gufteh Shod al-Shahid Fazlullah," and the sum of "al-Shahid Fazlullah" yields his year of passing. For the late Jalveh, it is said: "Dahr bi Jalveh Kard Hikmat Ra," and the numerical sum of the letters in this phrase gives the year of his demise. Learning Abjad was so important that until recent years, it was taught in Persian literature classes in schools. In fact, the term "Abjad Khwan" referred to someone who had just started school. This is documented in Dehkhoda's dictionary. When calculated using Abjad, the word "Ali" equals 110 (Ayn = 70, Lam = 30, Ya = 10), and "Ya Ali" (Ya = 10, Alef = 1, Ali = 110) equals 121. Thus, instead of "Ya Ali," the number 121 is used according to the old Iranian culture. The word "Hu" refers to the divine essence of God. In the Quran, the phrase "La Ilaha Illa Hu" is used. In writing, rather than removing the name of Allah, which would be disrespectful, "Hu," referring to the divine essence, is written instead. This use of Abjad and the pronoun "Hu" has been customary for hundreds of years and is not, as some uninformed individuals claim, associated with a group called "Hu 121" or any similar group.
  2. Regarding information on mysticism and the Gonabadi order: The Gonabadi Sufi order is a Twelver Shiite group. Sufis or mystics believe that after the occultation of the Twelfth Imam, his duties and guidance were divided into two parts. The first part pertains to Sharia, the outward rules and practices of Islam, such as how to pray, fast, perform pilgrimage, and so on. These duties were not assigned to a specific person but rather entrusted to individuals with the qualities described by the Imam, who said: مَن كانَ مِن الفقهاءُ صائناً لِنَفسه حافظاً لِدينه مخالفاً علَي هَواه مطيعاً لامرِ مولاه فَلِلعَوام اَن يقَلِّدوُه ("Whoever among the jurists is watchful over himself, a guardian of his religion, opposing his own desires, and obedient to the command of his Master—such a one is to be followed by the common people."). Those who possess these qualities must be followed by the masses in outward actions, but this does not extend to beliefs. This point is noted in all books of religious jurisprudence. This responsibility has been left to the intellectual and rational faculties of Shiites. As for allegiance, it existed during the Prophet’s time and the time of the Imams and has not been abrogated. The Imam delegated allegiance to specific individuals because the oppression and pressure of the caliphs, who were essentially kings, posed a danger to the Imam and Shiites if it became known that the Imam was taking allegiance. Thus, the Imam appointed representatives for this task. After the occultation, this responsibility was given to specific individuals, starting with Junayd Baghdadi, who appointed successors down to the present day. Therefore, we believe that allegiance and the Imam’s educational role, i.e., Wilayat, are not matters of personal choice but must be entrusted to someone authorized by the previous guardian or representative. Various orders have emerged, and the Gonabadi order is one of them. For further study, refer to the treatises "Introduction to Mysticism and Sufism," "Sharia and Tariqat and Reason," "Revocation of Witness," and the book "Pand-e Saleh."
  3. For those residing in Europe or America, it is customary to say "Thursday night" and "Sunday night" instead of "Friday night" and "Monday night." However, this causes misunderstanding because Thursday and Sunday do not have the same significance. It should be called "Friday night" and "Monday night," as Friday night is based on Quranic verses and Monday night on the sayings of the Imams.
  4. Regarding divine rights, such as Khums and Zakat, which for simplicity are sometimes referred to as a tenth, you may spend them in your own country. However, the expenditures must be noted according to the instructions in the books of religious treatises and spent accordingly.
  5. Additionally, note and remind others that in matters of Wilayat, there is no concept of propagation. Therefore, we do not engage in propagation. If certain individuals maintain websites, they are not for propagation, nor does the order bear any responsibility for them. However, some people’s research and studies are more extensive, which inadvertently plays a role in enlightening people’s minds. Wassalam.