Ya Baqiyatullah. . .

'Plunge into the depths until you reach the truth'

2009-07-05T21:27:00.000+01:00

We live in a world where the media helps shape our lives; be it for social, economical, political or entertainment purposes the importance of media cannot be underestimated. It is something which builds our personalities due to the information it feeds us. We are in many ways attached to this source and make it our comfort zone. Today, where the World has reached a critical stage in every aspect due to the economical situation as well as the political situation, the Media has become a very important tool. A tool which has replaced religion as the opium of masses in many ways. Today there are millions of people who are addicted to it by being hooked through the slim line flashy television sets in their homes. Our personalities are defined through the programs that are aired, our views and perceptions are built upon the reports that are broadcasted and our lifestyle is based around the characters of a certain hit series. The Media has become this comfort zone for people who do not wish to delve to see the true reality and are happy with what is being fed to them through their television set.

In most recent example of Iranian elections, the Media became the force of this election for the Reformists, who used the internet as a tool for their campaigning. The Mousavi Group on Facebook boasts 89,000 users, many of them from Iran, who update the rest of the world with the latest news on the happenings in Iran as well as the speeches of Mr Mousavi himself. On the other hand, the social networking site Twitter is being used to get information regarding the aftermath of the elections. Then there are the Western Channels and their reporting stories on the elections and different groups that are competing in it. One thing that stood out from this recent episode is how easy it is for the Media to manipulate and present a totally different perception to that which is reality.

Let us cast our minds back to early this year when the Israel siege was happening around Gaza. Israel barred Foreign Media reporters from Gaza, instead they were reporting from the 'Hill of Shame', as Jon Snow called it. There was no widespread condemnation of the Israeli policy then by either US analyst or British reporters as there is now to Iran's policy of restricting the Foreign reporters. In US, the Congress voted 405-1 condemning the approach Iran had taken. I wonder if the Israelis received such a strong protest too as they barred the reporters from the Gaza strip and slayed hundreds of civilians?

In the UK, the Iranian Ambassador was summoned to explain the remarks of the Wilayatul Faqee, Ayatollah Ali Khamenai regarding the BBC coverage. The remarks were nothing short of what the BBC deserved for their half baked reporting and their manipulations, the BBC were guilty of much more than what they got told. One such example is that during the Friday Sermon of Ayatollah Ali Khamenai the BBC Radio Service indicated a number of times that the slogans being shouted during the sermon are anti-Khamenai. In reality the slogans were actually supporting the Wilayatul Faqee and the system of Iran. One can accept that a mishap happens once but for it to happen a number of times in the same coverage is far from a mishap. Another example of BBC misinformation is the report by Jon Leyne who offered his interpretation of the blast at the Shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini to be the work of the Iranian government, in order to help their cause. What followed was a swift action by Iran in asking the reporter to leave the country and rightly so. These are only certain example of how BBC were guilty as charged however the masses rejected it calling it a weak attempt by the Iranians to cover up their shortcomings.

Mr Brown went a step further in his statement stating that "The whole of the world is speaking out." One has to ask how does Mr Brown come to this conclusion? Many countries of the world congratulated Ahmedinijad and accepted the result of the elections. Many of them have actually condemned the view of the Western powers regarding their rhetoric towards Iran and there was no comment from China or Russia. However the point to note here is that why was the world quiet as the Palestinians died in Gaza? Why did Mr Brown fail to say such a statement then? Is it easy to condemn an nation because their ideology is not conformed with his ideology?

January 2009 witnessed the oppression and tyranny of the Israeli forces in Gaza killing over 1400 civilians and damaging the strip by attacking the infrastructure, yet there was no public outcry as bodies laid of innocents. There was no condemnation of this aggression nor on the restrictions of reporting by the US President Mr Obama nor there was there criticism by UK Prime Minister Mr Brown. June 2009 saw the Iranian people go to the polls and re-elect Ahmedinijad. The propoganda machines came into work in distorting the will of the people who chose Ahmedinijad by indoctrinating people with constant reports of 'stolen elections', 'rigging' and 'fraud'. The manipulations and the spin by the Western Media continued to weave a particular image into the minds of the people around the World regarding Iran. They portrayed an image that displayed Iran to be an oppressive dictatorial regime which had rejected the 'rightful' choice of the people by endorsing Ahmedinijad. The platform of misinformation provided the Politicians of the Western countries to take advantage and add their rhetoric too. The minds of people accepted it all as they were blinded to reality, their perception was based on what the Media reported and showed.

In leaving no stone uncovered, the Western Media jumped at the tragic death of Neda Soltan. A lady who had allegiance to neither camps and was tragically killed on the streets of Tehran, but what followed afterwards was a trail of exploitation of her death. The Western Media symbolized her as the Martyr of the Reformist Revolution. Her death was aired again and again to incite the emotions of people all over, to display how brutal the Iranian Government is in dealing with its own people, to portray how the Iranian Government oppresses women. The reality was left aside as emotions bought the propaganda coming from the box set. The Media acted as the judge, jury and the executioner in her case without stopping to consider or in certain aspects reporting the unaswered questions surrounding her death. One has to ask where was this added coverage when 500 children died in the assault on Gaza? Where was such emotion when the bombs dropped on civilians in the Gaza strip? What happened to humanity when BBC refused to air the Gaza appeal commercial? Where did this garb of judge, jury and executioner disappear to in the light of these crimes? The answer will come with a dose of self righteousness. What you see in this article are two situations with an air of similarity in some aspects around it but what you also see are two vastly different reactions and perceptions from both the Media and the Western Governments, the question remains; why has the aspect of justice and equality been lost? Why the differentiation in responses when both; friend and foe are guilty of the same act of censure?

We live in a world which is connected to the Media, we seek and are content with the surface of everything that is given to us. We refuse to devlve further because we fear. We fear that we may not be comfortable anymore if we find the truth and it does not conform to our beliefs. We fear that we may not fit into the society anymore if we know the truth. Let me finish with a quote from the first Shi'ite Leader Ali ibn Abi Talib [a] who has said 'Plunge into the depths until you reach the truth'.

Vineyard Saker

Elements of Unity

2009-04-04T19:34:00.002+01:00

On the outside, we are confronted by imperialist powers, on the inside, by our rebellious ego. So by what ways can we secure the unity of the world of Islam? What are the obstacles? These are questions we must clarify.

We must bear in mind that from disbelievers, we will receive no gain. More fundamentally, unity is not a quality that the material world could cultivate.

Only God, the creator of hearts, holds the keys to rapport. Addressing his Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny), God says, "Had you spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but God united them together." (8:63)

Materiality is unable to bring hearts together; materiality is incompatible with the soul. Should the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran convert the entire Alborz Mountains to gem and distribute it among the people in order to please and unify them, it would only be the beginning of conflict. Material resources can never serve as a unifying element.

In an Islamic state, injustice to our private rights is sufferable. We must, however, prevent at all costs any harm to the state itself. In a letter addressed to Abu Musa, the Master of the Faithful (peace be upon him) writes, "There is not a man – heed this – more anxious to preserve the integrity and union of the community of Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him and his household) than I." Imam Ali asserted the truth – that his rights had been violated – with reasoning but was nevertheless careful to prevent faction within the community of Muslims.

"But they fragmented their religion among themselves, each party exulting in what it had." (23:53)

Imam Ali strove to prevent such a conclusion. "Verily, you are brothers in faith. Nothing can separate you but the wickedness of your intention, and the evil of your hearts." For identifying the cause of disunity, we must introspect, and on introspection we will realize that the cause of disunity is our evil-naturedness, which consumes our hearts: "the fire…which overspreads the hearts." (104:6-7)

Our religion is one; our book is one; our Qiblah is one; our prophet is one; the heaven and hell we strive for are the same. So it is our inner evil that instigates conflict and splits the community of the faithful into factions. We must reform ourselves in order to bring about unity: neither submission to the West nor invoking the East could unite us. (And most certainly it would be useless to work with a regime that slaughters several hundred Hajj pilgrims without second thoughts.) It is only through heeding the directions of Islam that we can secure unity.

Imam Ali says, "Beware of subjecting God's religion to vagaries. Indeed, unity in regard to a just cause you dislike is better than disunity in an unjust cause you like."Obviously for group work to succeed, one must humble oneself. This may be unpleasant, but it is necessary. Coming together in a group may be disagreeable, but its collective reward is worthwhile.

"Conform to the great majority, for indeed God's hand is with the community." "Great majority" doesn't mean merely a big city; rather, it refers to manifestations of brotherhood in the Islamic community, such as the elections.

We must adhere to the Islamic community, "for indeed God's hand is with the community." Just as the sheep that stray away from the flock are prey to wolves, so those who distance themselves from the community of Muslims for preserving their status are prey to satanic deceptions. It is folly to think that solitary action could produce any good: "Verily God (immaculate is He) does not grant any good to anyone, from nations past or nations to come, through disunity."

Imam Ali informs us of this truth not as a historian who has studied the annals of history but as God's viceroy with knowledge of Divine Norms. He tells us that this truth holds not only for nations past but also for nations that are yet to come. "God does not grant any good" means that He has ordained that a disunited nation should not receive any good. If we desire to secure any good, even personal good, we have no choice other than unity.

And it is no excuse to claim that elements of unity are lacking. Elements of unity are aplenty. Elements of unity are essential, whereas those of disunity are accidental. The principle that preserves the individual and the society alike exists within us, and it is so firm that it withstands any attempt at bending it. It is neither alterable nor bendable.

In describing the "upright" book (the Qur'an), God says, "[He] did not let any crookedness be in it." (18:1)

Only a book thus "upright" can serve to guide mankind to the right path. The human being's spiritual nature (Fitra) is likewise upright and a source of guidance. As such, these two are unalterable elements of unity. So where conflict in words and deeds arises, we should know that it is in violation of our spiritual nature and on account of our evil intentions.

By traversing this inner path of unity, we will succeed in resolving many theological and jurisprudential problems. There are naturally certain differences among various groups. The Asharites (asha'irah) have differences among themselves, and so do the Mutazilites (mu'tazilah) and the Adliites ('adliyyah). Just as there are external differences that define the boundaries of a group, so there are also internal differences within a group. But such differences are a potential source of blessing. (Although it should be pointed out that the laudable difference is that which is prior to knowledge.)

These differences are like the imbalance between the two trays of a balance, both of which work together to yield just apportionment. When the weight of a weighed item differs from that of the weights, the two trays do not meet; one is higher and the other lower; they disagree but the purpose of each one is right and towards the establishment of a balance. Thus, disparity before the final leveling-out is sacred. The differences that God – immaculate is He – has embedded in human nature are of this sort. Such differences are inevitable.

But it is those differences that remain after one gains knowledge that are nothing but the fruits of egotism: "And none differed in [the Book] except those who had been given it, after the manifest proofs had come to them, out of a desire to violate [the rights of] one another." (2:213)

"But they did not differ except after knowledge had come to them, out of a desire to violate [the rights of] one another." (45:17)

God warns us that this desire to violate the rights of others harms, first and foremost, ourselves: "O mankind! Your violations are only to your own detriment." (10:23)

We beseech God that He purify our soul and restore it to its pristine state and grant us firm faith: with a pure soul and a firm faith, we can achieve unity in all spheres.

Written by Ayatollah Jawadi Amouli

Lost thoughts. . .

2009-03-16T20:09:00.003+01:00

Sometime has passed since I have penned a formal entry on my blog. I have posted articles, interviews, analysis and different things but I have never related anything to my life. Since Muharram this year I have felt that sometimes it is better to express your thoughts so the people may formulate your personality according to your thoughts. And this entry is that only, my thoughts on a subject which I have been thinking about deeply for sometime.

It is unfortunate that we Shias today find ourselves in a very bad shape, divisions amongst us have caused us to be so fragile and our spirit of brotherhood has become non-existent. But the question is where does the blame lie? Those who add fuel to this flame of division? Those who ignite this flame? or those who burn from this flame? In many ways the blame lies in all three situations but in different magnitude. The one who ignite the flames of division does so to create discord and to sow the seeds of fitna, he has an agenda by which he wishes to remove the harmony between two believers or two parties. The one who fuels this flame and the one who is burnt from this flame are to be blamed for their lack of knowledge. The lack of knowledge is ignorance and this ignorance is what causes one to escalate a separation and to divide the parities further and the one who is burnt has fallen in that trap because he has failed to distinguish between a good doer and an evil doer again stemming from his ignorance. However this might not always be the case sometimes people do genuinely make mistakes and repent but in majority of the causes where you see divisions remember there is always a force behind it and that force is either those who have ignited this fire or those who are adding fuel to this fire.

Today in our communities we see this aspect clearly. Our communities are split down the lines of ethnicity, culture, race and even political stances. We have forsaken the aspect of Islam and compromised it with these aspects. Islam made every one equal and even where there is difference between one another Islam has given ways to solve that. Try to reconcile if not then tolerance should be the method adopted. We are quick to point fingers without knowing the full story of a certain situation, to judge others in a moment without knowing him or her. Where did the importance of 70 excuses go? Islam has preached brotherhood in many aspects but we as an Ummah have always looked beyond it and have justified our doings using our own rationality. We are eager to talk about the differences of the marjiyyah and how so and so is against so and so while failing to realise that our knowledge is like a drop in a ocean compared to them. We have not even understood our leaders so I ask why the need to go on such a line where by you have to taste the flesh of your brother tomorrow? Why the need to go on such a line where by you have to pay with your good deeds tomorrow?

Truth stands out from falsehood, there is no need for the truth to be shoved down people's throat. Our Imams [a] never did this, we claim to be their followers but we have failed to adapt to their seerah. So let us tolerate and propagate what is our duty and our responsibility alone to others, let us do what we are capable of and let us unite together for a future that will be beneficial for us. Intezar is not smoking sheesha and passing time with idle talk where by one discusses the differences of the marjiyyah or where by one talks about how apolitical is a certain group or how a certain group is doing political desensitisation. Intezar is doing everything which takes you near to Allah, brings you closer to the Imam of your time [aj] and submitting to the commandments of Allah.

We have a test tomorrow and if we fail that test then it is nothing but the death of jahilliya for us.

The massacre the world ignored: Parachinar

2009-03-04T22:07:00.002+01:00

by 'Ya Baqiyatullah'

Very few open crimes against humanity are as disregarded as the assault against Shia Muslims in Parachinar, an area west of Islamabad. Many European and American media outlets have completely ignored the onslaught against Shia civilians at the hands of the Taliban and Sunni extremist militants. Parachinar is a town of 20,000 individuals, with almost all being exclusively Shiites and belonging to the Turi and Bangash tribes.

Extremist Sunni tribesmen from the North Waziristan agency along with militants from the Arab countries and the Caucasus have been attacking the Shia civilians for he past two years. Hundreds if not thousands of Shias have already been killed, and the important supply routes are also controlled by the militants. The supply of food and medical equipment has been badly affected, consequently doctors have had to operate without anesthesia. Power and water supplies are sparse and subject to sabotage and lack of functionality.

Interview of a native of Parachinar by 'Ya Baqiyatullah'

YB: To begin with, can you please give a brief introduction about yourself?

SZ: My name is Sayed Zeeshan, I am currently residing in Islamabad but occasionally visit my village in the North West Province of Pakistan, where the conflict is going on. I have a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and am currently working as a Research Engineer in a research organization in Islamabad.

YB: To understand the situation at hand in Parachinar one needs to look at the historical aspect of the situation to see the current situation, can you summarize for how this struggle began and what have been the major events of this struggle?

SZ: Indeed, the historical perspective to every conflict is very important. Instead of focusing on the conflict in Parachinar, I must deal with it as a problem which affects the whole area of North West Frontier Province including Parachinar, Hangu, Kohat, Orakzai and Dera Ismail Khan. Except for Dera Ismail Khan the other regions are loosely interconnected geographically. Prior to 1980s the Shia-Sunni conflict was muted if even existent. Orakzai was the only area where there are known instances of hostilities before 1980. In 1977, Army Chief Zia-ul-Haq overthrew democratically elected President, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, in a coup d’état and later hanged him in 1979. USSR invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and the Afghan war started which lasted ten long years from 1979-1989. Being a Military dictator, Zia, sidelined the popular parties and backed Islamist Parties, which were rather unknown till then, prime among them were Jamat Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulama Islam (JUI). These parties were used to prepare militias for the Afghan war which primarily consisted of Islamist Jihadists. This war was funded by Arab oil money and the US. It was a part of the ongoing cold war between USSR and the US which US has vowed to win no matter what forces they had to support. With the coming of Saudi and Arab money a mushroom growth of Doebandi madrasas (religious seminaries) was witnessed in the North West and Baluchistan provinces in the areas adjoining Afghanistan.

At around the same time another group called Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) was emerging in South Punjab lead by Haq Nawaz Jhangvi, the ex- provincial vice chief of JUI. Their sole agenda was to declare the Shia population of Pakistan as non Muslim as was done to Ahmedis in 1974. With the emergence of SSP and LJ (Lashkar Jhangvi, a splinter group of SSP) a wave of Shia target killings began. Most of the operatives of these terrorist groups had directly/indirectly taken part in Afghan War and had very good working relations with other jihadist organizations that were active in Kashmir and Afghanistan. This all was ignored by the government and the security agencies (primarily ISI) because of the strategic partnership with the Jihadist Organization for their agendas in Kashmir and Afghanistan to gain “strategic depth”. These organizations were sectarian up to the hilt. Although only a few of them saw Shias as their prime enemies they all thought of Shias as antagonists up to a certain degree. In Hangu and Parachinar the war affected Afghans settled their throughout 80s and 90s. SSP and LJ started recruiting them and then used them to attack Shia targets. This is the backdrop in which this conflict started.

The important incidents were the attacks on Shia Turi tribesmen of Parachinar by the Afghans in 1986. Another significant incident was the tribal war that started in Hangu and Orakzai in 1998 after a clash over flag rising on the event of Nauroz (Spring Solstice celebrations). Taliban from Orakzai attacked Shia village of Shahu Khel and razed it to ground; killing scores of Shia men, women and children. Hundreds of families were dislocated and took refuge in neighboring Shia villages. Army intervened afterwards to calm the situation. Since 2005, when a suicide bomber attacked Ashura Procession in Hangu and managed to kill 40 people, every year the local Shia and Sunni tribes clash with each other using heavy weapons to target each others’ positions and at times civilian population. Usually it’s because of the intransigence of the radical local Sunni groups, inspired by SSP, that the Ashura processions are not allowed to be taken out.

External forces, like Taliban from the nearby areas like Douaba and Orakzai and some tribesmen from Parachinar also took part in this conflict. In fact, in 2008, the ceasefire was only enforced when the Army provided a safe passage to the external Taliban forces that were adamant to continue hostilities. In Kurram, the capital of which is Parachinar, gunmen attacked a Shia procession and killed several people. This kick started a series of events that gave rise to a full blown tribal war between Turi (Shia) tribesmen on one side and Bangash (Sunni) tribesmen on the other side, whom were also helped by the Taliban from Waziristan and Orakzai. The road links were closed for all kinds of traffic and a severe shortage of food and medicine started. This conflict was escalated by a particular gory incident. Army wanted to transport some foodstuff in trucks to Parachinar, which was blockaded for months, but Taliban attacked the convoy, the Army marooned the convoy and absconded; the truck drivers were taken by the Taliban. They executed them in a very brutal fashion, reminiscent of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, severing the heads and limbs of the victims in an animalistic fashion.

This exacerbated the situation still further and the Turi tribesmen went on offensive taking several of Bangash villages. It ensued in a deadlock situation and after several rounds of talks between the tribal elders of both sides in Islamabad a ceasefire agreement was reached in October, 2008. This fragile agreement is holding on by thin strings. There have been several killings and kidnappings after the agreement. The roads are open but people travel on these roads with throbbing hearts, waiting for something gory to happen. Shias from Parachinar and Hangu areas have also been killed in Dara Adam Khel, a lawless town connecting Kohat to Peshawar. People were stopped and based on the ID card information (name, residence etc.) decapitated. The situation is particularly difficult for Shias who are killed indiscriminately for the only reason of being Shia.

YB: Do you have an estimate for the population within the affected region?

SZ:The figures I am providing are rather crude and are used here to give an idea of the population. The population of Kohat is roughly about a million people. That of Orakzai and Parachinar will add another million to this figure.

YB: What is the demographic makeup in the North-West region of Pakistan, with particular emphasis on the sectarian composition of the population?

SZ: Quite a few villages in Kohat consist of a majority Shia population; they are mainly located between the districts of Kohat and Hangu and a few in Orakzai. Upper Kurram also consists of mainly Shia villages and the town of Parachinar is primarily Shia. There is a zone separating Kurram from Hangu populated by primarily Sunni population. Towards the south of Parachinar is the restive North Waziristan which is the stronghold of Taliban.

YB: How would you describe the nature of sectarian relations over the years?

SZ: There wasn’t any big conflict going on in this region prior to the Zia’s Jihad campaign. This question has been dealt with in detail in the answer to the second question.

YB: Militant terror groups like the Tehrik-e-Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba are said to operate in the region, and are blamed for the ongoing violence. Did these groups receive any support from regional and international players; would you care to kindly elaborate on the local and regional context of the developments within the region?

SZ: This question is a bit tricky and the information regarding the financial aspect of these organizations is a bit hazy. Although it is well known that the Arab oil money and the CIA money played a big role in arming and maintaining the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan but the sectarian phenomenon, which although intertwined with the global Jihad, is relatively recent. It is concurrent with the advent of Taliban in Afghanistan, which drew its force from Pakistani madrasas. Taliban were helped financially by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as asserted in the famous book Taliban by Ahmed Rashid. They were also helped by the drug money that came to Afghanistan through the poppy and heroin trade. Some of the groups like SPP and LJ were helped by local and Middle Eastern traders. After 9-11, Pakistan joined the war against terror but didn’t stop supporting the jihadist groups completely. Now this strategy has backfired and TTP, which consists of a plethora of Jihadist groups, sectarian or otherwise, has gained significant clout in regions bordering Afghanistan and several settled areas like Swat Valley. These groups operate by looting weapons from security forces and NATO convoys, getting money from local population and Middle Eastern traders under charity organizations and kidnapping wealthy people, especially Shia. Some of the money comes from Arab countries which they give to madrasas to export Salafism. It is asserted by some political analysts that some rouge elements of the ISI are still backing these groups but the validity of this claim is still unverified.

YB: Do they still receive support from these quarters? And what is the nature of this support?

SZ: They still receive support from these quarters. They mainly receive money from wealthy businessmen in Arab countries. Some of the money comes from drug trade and some from Arab countries that use this money to gain support for Salafism.

YB: Are there any Shia groups operating in the area to ensure safety of the Shia residents there and around that area?

SZ: There are several groups operating in the area but they usually have local roles. These groups aren’t very organized and lack command and control structure and therefore aren’t too much effective. Although, they successfully defend their areas in time of conflict and provide a buffer between the attackers and the civilian population, they still lack leadership. They consist of local people who have some knowhow of the warfare and are supported by small donations from the locals in form of defense funds.

YB: According to experts, the central policy of the former government in Pakistan was said to have unleashed a "violence-accommodation cycle". What is your assessment and do you think the present administration will treat these militant groups any differently?

SZ: This is a very old policy of cozying up to jihadists to achieve the ends in Afghanistan and Kashmir. Although a certain level of reversal of this policy has been witnessed in recent days but it’s too little too late. For instance, the radical madrasas which spread sectarian hatred are thriving with impunity. Maulvis have been given free hand to preach sectarianism from mosque pulpits. The target killings of Shias have risen exponentially since the arrival of the democratic government. All these factors indicate that there is no serious effort going on to eradicate these ills from the society.

YB: As we speak today, many towns in the Kurram Agency have been under virtual siege from early 2007 - a period of two years. Can you describe the humanitarian situation on the ground? Additionally, have humanitarian aid organizations, particularly international ones, played any significant role in dealing with the humanitarian situation?

SZ: Things are a bit better now since the ceasefire that came in effect in October, 2008. But this agreement is very fragile. It’s waiting like a time bomb to blast any day. It is because the root problem has not been addressed. The monster has been put under the carpet for now but it will raise its head again with much ferocity than previously witnessed. As for the international aid agencies, there has been no significant help. One reason is the closure of the transportation routes heading towards Parachinar from Pakistan but the routes from Afghanistan were open. International aid agencies were in a better position to help because of their presence in Afghanistan, but they chose to ignore this problem or weren’t well informed.

YB: What is the reason for the muted coverage of the crisis in the region by Western media outlets? Can anything be done to place the spotlight on the grave human costs and tales of sorrow from the region?

SZ: The local media covered this event somewhat, although insignificantly, without divulging any details about the sectarian aspect of this problem and made it look like a tribal war between warring factions. In fact this is the case with any sectarian event. The logic they give is that this issue is too sensitive to be discussed publicly. It would flare conflict in other parts of the country. This is the kind of apathy we are dealing with in Pakistan. As for the international media, the tribal areas are too remote and restive for the international journalists to operate. But that is not a good reason for them to ignore such significant events. There are other ways in which these events could be covered. BBC Urdu did cover the event in somewhat detail but it doesn’t have an international outreach.

YB: Any final words, particularly to the Shias situated in the West?

SZ: I would say that the apathy has gone for too long and if something significant is not done a massacre is in waiting. It has happened before in Mazar Sharif (Afghanistan) in 1998, it could happen in any of these areas again. Hundreds of people have been killed; scores of children died of lack of medicines and this conflict is far from over. The Western Shias should put pressure on the Government of Pakistan through demonstrations and lobbying and by writing to different news agencies, informing them of the scale of the atrocities. This is the least that anyone can do. They could also help by donating for the orphans of the conflict which number in hundreds if not thousands.
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Commentary: I am deeply grateful to 'Ya Baqiyatullah' for offering this amazingly interesting and important information on my blog. Many topics touched upon here (the role of Pakistan, Sunni extremism, ISI, the Taliban, etc.) are, I believe of immense importance not only to the region, but to the entire world. As my readers already know, I strongly believe that the kind of extreme Sunni Islamism (Wahabism, Salafism, Deobandism, Qutbism, etc. - they all have a common root) which is now growing in influence in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and much of the Sunni Muslim world is a major threat to, literally, the entire planet. Likewise, I believe that the opposition that many feel to the 'imperial' policies of the elites which have now taken control of the USA should not obscure the fact that there are other, equally dangerous, foes out there, some even possibly harder to defeat than the "last superpower" (since the latter is well on its way to deafeat itself having become a de-facto Israeli colony and client state).

'Ya Baqiyatullah's' interview clearly shows that Sunni extremists make absolutely no difference between the infidel kafirs and their fellow Muslims if the latter dare to confess a different type of Islam. Nor will they make any distinction along ethnic lines: they will murder anyone, including their fellow Pakistanis, just like they murdered Daniel Perl or Russian conscripts in Chechnia: by slitting their throats and cutting off their heads. In their mind, just like in Dubya's, you are "either with us or against us" and if you choose the latter, well, then murdering you is a pious act.

From the many comments to my recent piece on Afghanistan (I thank you all for sharing them with us!!) I get a strong sense that many are still dubious about the reality of the threat presented by this type of Sunni Islamism. I will therefore try to regularly post articles here which describe some important feature of this phenomenon.

The Saker

A Letter to the IDF

2009-01-29T00:23:00.003+01:00

Dear IDF,

I want to see you call this a case of human shields. I definitely don't have the imagination for it.

Investigations are pending*, but on January 5th, 2009, IDF soldiers shelled a house in Gaza City, killing 30 people. That's not an unusual occurrence; in the course of this brief conflict, over 770 Palestinians have been killed, a third of them children. Every time I check the news, the death toll seems to have jumped by another hundred human souls. But the house they shelled this time was not an ordinary house. It was different from the countless abodes the IDF has inexcusably bulldozed since its inception, or fired into in recent days with allegations of hidden weaponry.

According to the UN and the Red Cross, witnesses say that this is a house where civilians were actually sent BY the IDF for the purpose of seeking shelter. Every time any organization has questioned the IDF thus far regarding the unthinkable death toll in Gaza (including the 250% rise in child deaths since the ground offensive began), it's been the same bland story: Hamas was using them as human shields, blame it on Hamas. I'm not even going to get into how absurd and hypocritical that assertion is. I'm not even going to get into how stupid you have to be to think that you can fire into one of the world's most densely populated regions- barely twice the size of Washington D.C.- where 1.5 million people are stuffed into a cradle of poverty and desolation because YOU walled them up there- and not expect that you might end up with some civilian casulaties on your hands that are in fact YOUR fault, especially when you allow no resources for shelters to protect those civilians from your attacks, nor ample medical care to treat them in the aftermath. And if I don't run out of imagination, I'm going to pretend that in 2005, when the Israeli supreme court passed a ruling banning the use of civilian shields, the IDF didn't object and argue for the right to maintain practices which involved sending innocent Palestinian civilians, often children, to negotiate with or demand a surrender from suspected militants. I'll even pretend that some of those 'shields' weren't harmed or killed in the process.

But what I cannot deceive myself about is the fact that for FOUR days after the Jan. 5th incident, the IDF prevented Red Cross ambulances from coming through to help the 100+ victims of the shelling, that it stood by and allowed dozens of those innocent people to die. What I cannot dismiss with my imagination is the knowledge that not only is it Palestinian civilians who are being murdered and maimed left and right, but even the international aid organizations that are trying to help them; so much so that Gaza-area UN, Red Cross, and other humanitarian workers are actually halting their operations for security reasons after being shot at by IDF soldiers.

I cannot pretend, and every reasonable human being with any degree of respect for the sanctity of life cannot pretend, that there is any rationalization that can justify 257 CHILDREN being killed in a conflict in which the other side has a showing of 14 total casualties.

The Jan. 5th reports are not yet confirmed and the IDF's guilt in the situation remains unclear to 'objective investigators'. The IDF, of course, has flatly denied the allegations. If the endurance of this conflict hadn't already rendered me pretty cynical, I might be praying right now that the situation has not gotten so bad that the IDF can seriously get away with firing into a self-designated shelter full of innocent people, killing 30 of them, without the global community being up in arms beyond the typical empty condemnations- but I know that it has gotten away with much worse... I would pray that there's an explanation for this that will not lead me to believe that this is turning into another easy genocide the world will look away from and only have the courage to bemoan ages after the fact... but it's already getting there, and only our objections can steer history in a different direction.

"He died hungry," said Masouda al-Samouni as she spoke of her infant child, a victim of the Jan. 5 shelling. This was the same lament of Lady Rubab (sa), the wife of Imam Hussain (as), as she wept 1400 years ago for Ali Asghar: her 6-month old child who the enemy forces murdered as he withered from thirst and hunger. As commemorators of that tragedy, it is incumbent upon us and Muslims worldwide to oppose the brutalities in what Syed Nasrallah has called 'the Karbala of today.'

Therefore, I am praying for an end to the silence, to the tearless eyes, to the apathy.

I am praying for the child who asked his mother: “Mama – why don't the Israeli soldiers think before they shoot people?”

To that little boy, and to every oppressed soul in the Gaza Strip and elsewhere, I have this to say:
'Labbaik. I am here. The IDF's fascist restrictions might be keeping foreign journalists as far from reporting on its brutalities as possible, but we- the ordinary peace-lovers of the world, those of us who regard your right to life as precious as our own- hear you, and we will make sure that your cries do not go unheard by the world at large.'

written by Rubab

My Youtube Channel. . .

2009-01-15T23:00:00.000+01:00

As the World Burns

2009-01-03T03:31:00.002+01:00

Today, as we live and breathe and carry on with our lives, 450 people and counting lie dead from one of the worst direct Israeli attacks ever perpetrated against the Palestinian people.

As we sign on to news sites and tune in to the latest broadcasts, in the pursuit of the guilty we are invariably met with mentions of beginnings and firsts, as is the custom whenever a conflict occurs. We see it in children- "she started it!"- and we see it in politics, especially from the current mouthpieces at the White House. We see journalists raving about how the *beginning* of the current conflict was the incessant launching of rockets into Israel by Hamas, how that was the *first* breach of the peacefire and thus justified Israel's atrocious response. If I had the patience to play it their way, I might inquire about the *beginning* of the viral poverty that has driven 1 in 2 of the Gaza Strip's 1.5 million inhabitants below the poverty line. I might then inquire about what *begins* to happen to the psychology of an oppressed people as they are forced to watch their loved ones perish for lack of food, sanitation, and medical care, and then wonder how the deprivation of these most essential needs could possibly never have crossed anyone's mind as the *first* violation of a supposed peace.

In light of my personal political views, if you want to get right down to it, this cannot be a question of who threw the first stone because stones and physical weaponries are not the only, or the worst, mediums of warfare. It should be a question of who made the man so desperate and hungry and so deprived of every essential human necessity that he was driven to throw it... of who walled up 1.5 million human beings Warsaw Ghetto-style and refused to even allow food from international aid organizations to be distributed to the 1 in 2 human beings living in abject poverty, and how such circumstances could have ever been considered meeting the conditions of a 'PEACEfire'. I don't know any human being whose idea of peace constitutes watching your children teeter on the brink of starvation or living in deplorable filth and unchecked sewage that fosters the spread of communicable diseases for the prevention of which no medical resources exist or are allowed in.

I began this piece talking about the media and general public's fascination with beginnings. So I know that even though the aforementioned conditions in Gaza will sound absolutely horrendous and deplorable to all who read about them, there are still going to be those hesitant to shed a sympathetic tear or call into question the brutal forces that allowed these atrocities to persist. Because there will be people wondering- whether subconsciously or blatantly- what the Palestinians must have done *first* in order to garner such inhumane treatment as the harsh blockade, because surely, were it undeserved, it would not be happening.

So I'll address that question. What malicious crime did the Palestinians commit?
Well they had the glaring audacity to uh... exercise their democratic right to vote.
They had the guts to choose the people they knew would stave off the corruption that consumed their opposition, who would refuse to barter the interests of the Palestinian people. But in the eyes of Israel and the United States, who actually gave weapons and money to Hamas's opposition to keep the *democratically-elected* group out of power and murder its key leaders, they made the wrong choice.

As I conclude, I am not saying that this objectively justifies Hamas's rocket attacks so finitely that I expect any rational being who doesn't have my political and humanistic biases to agree on. But I would most definitely expect any rational being to be appalled at 400+ deaths in repayment for fewer than five.

Right now, as I pray with millions of peace-loving human beings around the world for an end to the unimaginable suffering in the Gaza Strip, I want to remind people that at this moment, this isn't primarily an issue of politics, of whose land is what, of who started it all, or who's been right all along, this is an issue of an unjustifiably disproportionate military response leading to the slaughter of over 400 human beings- at least a fourth of them civilians, over 50 of them children, and more wounded than all the area's hospitals can even begin to accommodate. It's an issue of a four year old child whose playtime in his home's courtyard turned in to the hour of his death, of a mother beholding the corpses of her five dead daughters.

So as the world burns, won't you weep a few tears and douse the flames?

Understanding the SOFA

2008-11-23T12:30:00.000+01:00

Five years after the invasion of Iraq by the Allied Forces, the people of Iraq find themselves at a crossroad; to accept the SOFA and legalize an occupation or reject it and live indefinitely under the shadows of the US forces. The Iraqi people, after being promised so much in the name of liberation are now left in a dilemma in which either choice will adds to their sufferings.

An indicator of the mainstream Iraqi opinion can be found amongst the religious figures who have opposed deal. The highest ranking cleric in Iraq, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Sistani has openly objected to this and has imposed certain conditions for it to be accepted by the Iraqi Government. He has called for any deal to safeguard: the common interest of the Iraqi people, national sovereignty, national consensus, and obtain a parliamentary approval.

This sort of objection is not surprising given the history. Previously the US had concluded similar deals in Japan and South Korea, both of which allowed the US troops to be stationed there until now. Moreover, this deal is not detrimental for the Iraqis but also for the rest of the neighboring countries. Having permanent military bases in the region could become a catalyst to launch an attack on neighboring countries such as Iran and Syria. This is part of the reason as to why there has been strong objection from the two leading Shia clerics; Ayatollah Sistani and Ayatollah Sayyed Kazem Haeri with the latter going as far as issuing a fatwa to make it impermissible to vote in the favour of such a deal. Both these clerics consider it a moral and religious obligation to prevent this deal from taking place as it would only endanger the Shias further, not to mention many more innocents too.

The implications of the second part of the SOFA are equally dangerous as the first part and present a more serious issue for the Iraqi people. The fact that US is calling for immunity for its citizens from prosecution in Iraq sends out a strong message as to how ‘mutual’ this agreement really is. In the past it is well known that US has put this condition on a number of their deals with other government most notably the one concluded by the Shah in Iran, prior to the 1979 Revolution, which was met with fierce opposition by Ayatollah Khomeini.

Giving immunity will not only cover up the acts such as the abuse of the Abu Gharib Prisoners and the deaths by Blackwater but it would also give a free pass for many to operate corruptly with the country. It is well known that the Bush Government has turned a blind eye to the corruptions with the Iraqi Government as well as any sort of legal accountability by their own citizens and contractors. Any lack of immunity will only discourage any transparency as to what is occurring in Iraq. A blank check should not be given to anyone, be they the Iraqi Government or foreign forces.

The course of the occupation has led Iraq to rely on foreign aid, namely from the United States. Any suggestion of leaving the country after a Government was in place became a distant memory due to several factors such as insurgency, the militias and sectarian violence all which contributed to the stay of the US in the region. The question that must be posed, was the occupation strategy by the Pentagon the necessary way to remove Saddam? Or did other interests lie at heart when the decision was made regarding the removal of Saddam Hussein? One has to remember that Saddam was a person backed and supported by the US hence to remove him without an occupation would have been a very viable possibility however, the greed of oil was something which was too good to be missed too and sadly, the greed won the day.

Dependency of the Iraqi nation is not the sole reason for the US to remain in Iraq. Given the rhetoric between Tehran and Washington, the cycle of threats has taken a new level with US going as far as funding the terrorists groups such as PEJAK and PKK to infiltrate Iran and going as far as declassifying MKO as a terrorist organisation, MKO are guilty of a number of terrorist activities in Iran after the revolution. All these actions indicate that the US plan in Iraq was much more than the removal of Saddam to begin with.

The United Nations mandate runs out in December 2008 so that begs the question, which road is the best for the Iraqi nation; the SOFA which ensures permanent military bases and immunity in Iraq leaving the people of Iraq under a legalized occupation or an Iraq without SOFA under the occupation of US troops for indefinite or a possible third solution that brings about the true liberation which was promised to the Iraqis?

The solution to this mess that has been caused in Iraq by the US troops is recognition that the solution firstly lies internally and then more importantly on the regional level. They are interlinked and the resolution of one would lead to the other. The settlement should not be dictated by any foreign power regardless of their influence in the region. No other region of the world would tolerate such interference in the region so the same measure should apply here. Consideration should be undertaken in regards to the legitimate interests of the powers in the area but the future of the area should not be held hostage to their exclusive interests, such as the export of oil.

The neighboring states of Iraq which are threatened by the changes in Iraq need to be addressed and treated in any lasting deal for Iraq and the area. Countries like Iran and Turkey need to be introduced in a new security measure which would take into account their concerns, fears and interests. Furthermore, any deal must secure the sovereignty of the region, what happens inside Iraq has repercussions on the lives of millions inside and outside the country. The best hope for the Iraqi people for now, is to reach a deal that provides clear guidelines for foreign troops, and attempts at best to respect an already fragile new nation.

Iran's Modern History: Beyond the Legacy

2008-11-20T02:00:00.001+01:00

Since the revolution of 1979, we find that Iran as a country has been under immense pressure to bow to the demands of International heavyweights. These demands only intensified in recent years due to a propaganda cycle generated by the United States and Israel regarding the Iranian nuclear program. Despite 29 years of sanctions, threats, and war one has to ask what is the motivation that has kept the Iranian nation so steadfast and firm on their path despite these countless obstacles?

The answer to the above question lies in different aspects of the Iranian History. One has to explore the history of this nation deeply to see why they are so firm on this path regardless of the struggle they are facing. Iran is a stronghold of Shia Learning, and one of the most talked about and important subjects regarding the Shia faith is the tragedy of Karbala. The story of Al-Husayn [a], the grandson of the Prophet [p], and his revolution against the oppressive forces of Yazeed may sound like a simplistic battle between good and evil, but beyond the apparent, there is much more which is applicable to the lives of many Shias around the world today; be it in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq or Pakistan. This tragedy is a source of inspiration for all and most importantly it was the foundation for the revolution of Ayatollah Khomeini.

His first speech against the Shah was given on the 15th of Kordad which coincided with the day of Ashura. It was the perfect starting point to a revolution which would change the world for years to come. In one of his speeches, the great Ayatollah had stated ‘They call us a nation of tears, but with these tears we have overthrown an empire’ – this statement in itself shows how important the tragedy of Ashura was in success of the revolution of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Iran, a country like many others, bears a past of oppression and tyranny, but the fragrance of freedom and the aroma of independence can be noticed in the masses who laid their lives to make this revolution a living present. An 8 year war which Saddam Hussein had initiated against the Iranians and was backed by several Western governments did not deter the Iranian nation from their path. One only has to look as far as Beshte Zehra, the Garden of Zehra, which is a graveyard for the martyrs of this nation who fought in the war against the Saddam and those who were killed in the revolution. The belief in martyrdom over a life of humiliation stems from the tragedy of Karbala. These people understood the essence of martyrdom and were ready to give all they had for their country but most importantly to safeguard the religion. One of the shining examples of this is MostafaChamaran, the defense minister under Ayatollah Khomeini. Defense ministers are known for their tactics and strategies in war and in survival of the country but this man had not limited himself to just giving orders. He practiced what he himself ordered others and fought alongside many of the young soldiers in the Iranian army and embraced martyrdom on the war front.

In the recent years we find that the Iranian nation has successfully progressed in many fields, most notably in the discipline of science. Iran being a nuclear entity is something which threatens most of the Western powers and especially the Israeli regime. Since the turn in the presidency, we find that the Western powers have left no leaf unturned in their agenda to slow down Iran’s advancement. After having visited Iran many times and speaking to the people there, the general attitude is way different than that is portrayed by the media in the Western countries. Many Iranians are unfazed by the talk of war and people believe it is simply hype created by the media with little substance. They fear nothing, simply because they believe they are only seeking their right by being nuclear. Many, if not most of the Iranians actually believe that the Government is doing well given the current situation. There will always be a small minority who would play down the Government regardless of their work in the betterment of the country. These individuals even if given the luxuries they demand would be impossible to please, hence to listening to them is futile.

The reason as to why Iran has remained so strong despite the sanctions and threats is due to the differences in their ideologies in comparison with other states and even other people to an extent. When the focal point of one’s every action is influenced by religion then one will evolve to be steadfast and be able to take the challenges head on Iran, from past to present, has done this quite openly, most notable example was the war by Saddam. It is a nation in their majorities who are vigilant and have faith in Almighty alone. They do not seek the luxuries nor do they seek a way of living which will cause them to delve into greed or diver them away from their purpose of life. For them religion is everything and in the examples above that have been mentioned that has been the common denominator: Islam!

Value of a Statement. .

2008-10-21T14:03:00.002+01:00

In our lifes there are moments where we find that even the most simple things leave a deep impression on our minds. The tragedy of Karbala is an event which is unmatched by any other in history of mankind. We feel sorrow at the events of this tragedy and express our sorrow through different channels.

It is well known that the Ulemas and the Marjas are amongst those who understand this tragedy very deeply. This video highlights such an example where Ayatollah Seebwaih narrates an incident highlighting how the ulemas tried to fulfil the right of this tragedy by understanding the value of each sentence regarding the tragedy.

May Allah give us the ability to understand the tragedy of Karbala and may He hasten the return of our Imam [aj]

Imprisonment in the Land of the Free

2008-07-05T16:55:00.007+01:00

The month of Rajab has dawned upon us with today being the first day of Rajab. This holy month marks the start of a great phase in the Islamic Calendar, it is the month of Allah followed by the month of Shabaan which is known as the month of the Prophet [p] and Shahr Ramadhan is the month of the Muslim Ummah per the hadith of our Prophet [p]. Everything we do should be for the sake of Allah and to have a better akhira, we should always be supporters of the truth and uphold justice in every aspect, even in our daily life. Justice is a virtue which we all should acquire for not only we would follow the Haqq but we would also be able to identify the Haqq from Baatil.

Recently a lot has happened in terms of the Shia community which has been either swept aside by ourselves or we have pretended that such happenings never existed. Turning a blind eye to such injustices will take us away from the truth and into the bliss of ignorance.

Sheikh Safdar Razi, a prominent member of the Shia Community in the US was accused of 'charges' relating to immigration. After having more than 3 appearances in the court without any charges being related to him and being denied any form of bail the Scholar remained under arrest for more than 3 months after which he decided to leave US voluntarily upon which the authorities decided to drop their proceedings. It is quite saddening to see that it came to this that a preacher who has served the community for more than a decade had to leave voluntarily from a country when there were no clear charges against him. While the team who represented him and kept a close eye on the proceedings of his case did a commendable job however a lot remains regarding the communities whom he had served in his time in US. Certain communities where he was a regular speaker have very good relations to the Government and in the past have used favours from the Government for their own purposes yet when a person whose work in the same community remains unmatched in terms of hardwork, passion and sincerity was left with no hope from these people. We should constantly remind ourselves that when we see an injustice take place and do not speak up against it then our fate is no different than those oppressors.

Seyed Mahmood Mousavi, a scholar and the head of Al Hejerat organisation was arrested in August 2007 and convicted in April 2008 the jury found him guilty on all counts of 'charges' against him. His story is quite sad and it will shake you completely. After living in US for so long and working for more than two decades in establishing a core network of Islamic programs and arranging a foundation to tackle the social problems of the youths in the west it is a great injustice that this man who did so much for the community has been sidelined and possibly facing a life sentence in prison after being convicted of a crime which he himself is not aware of. There are so many discrepancies in his case that I cannot delve into them to show how unjustly he has been treated. However I would post small extracts regarding his case taken from the website:

In the years of 2003 and 2004 the company didn’t actually make any earnings; it lost money. Even though the company lost money, the prosecution said it still had to be reported. Our accountant was not allowed to testify in court, nor were we allowed to show the expenses of the Hajj company, which would have proven that there was no profit made.

The government accuses our father of breaking the embargo with Iran. But there was no involvement of any Iranian party with the Kuwaiti company! Moreover, even the government’s witness, an expert from OFAC, testified that since an Iranian party never signed a contract, there was no Iranian component to this deal and as a result there was no violation of breaking the embargo with Iran.

The other charges are in regards to our father’s citizenship application. The prosecution claims that our father was an “active and ranking member of the Iranian military.” This charge is utterly false. Our father never served in the Iranian military. In fact, due to medical reasons, he was officially excused from the military service mandatory on all Iranian male citizens. We secured letters from the Iranian government proving that our father had not served in the military, but the court refused to accept them.

The trial only lasted three days. At every turn, we were denied the way to prove our father’s innocence. Witnesses that we wished to call were turned away by the court. The court also denied up permission to present documents that we wished to present, and which would have shown his innocence. In short, we had no way to present any kind of defense. On April 24, the verdict was returned: guilty on all counts.

To put it simply his charges were making a loss in his organization by putting his own money to help the youths and other Shias alike to go on Hajj Pilgrimage. His charges were carrying an Iranian identity card explaining that he is disabled and lastly to reject or rather explain to the Kuwaitis that they can never enter in a business with the Iranians due to red-tapes, not to mention the fiasco of a trial that the Government had put up in order to convict him. It seems that the Government would do anything to remove a personnel regardless of how much positive attitude he/she has created in their community with relations of other faith and communities or how much they have tried to bridge the gap of removing ignorance and enlightening others about the true nature of Islam.

Lastly, the case of Sheikh Mansur Leghaei. A man of great status in my eyes for his activities in and all over Australia. A man who has been subjected to harassment from the Government for more than 12 years has never decided to back down on his path of preaching the truth to the masses. He has not been given the right to appeal against the decision set against him and his case has been dismissed by the High Court. He is considered a threat to the national security as well as seen as a spy for Iran, both claims are absurd and dubious. He is a person who has changed the outlook of the Australian Shia Community in his 14 years of being there. His work in terms of youth activities, inter-faith dialogue and social aspects is a glowing feat of achievement.

In the end, above are three cases of three outstanding individuals who have done immensely for the Shia communities in their respective places of residence. Unfortunately they have been met with obstacles and restrictions on every turn yet they have never lost hope and continued to spread the teachings of the Ahlul Bayt [a] even when subjected to imprisonment. Our duty should be to learn from these individuals in terms of their patience, their wisdom, their character. They were subjected to injustice for being on the path of truth just like the Shias have been for a long time now. May Allah give them the ability to be successful in their tests and may He give them the strength to counter any obstacles and may He bless them for their hardwork.

“And what reason have we that we should not rely on Allah? And He has indeed guided us in our ways; and certainly we would bear with patience your persecution of us; and on Allah should the reliant rely.” (Holy Quran, 14:12)

313: A Review

2008-06-12T01:09:00.006+01:00

The blessed month of Shabaan is not far away and once again we shall witness the blessed night of 15th Shabaan. Many of us would spend the night in prayer before our Lord and remembering the Imam of our time [aj]. Many of us would propagate awareness of the Mahdi [aj] to the masses through different resources and means. A group of people chose to propagate the message about the Mahdi [aj] by making a movie called '313'. The number 313 is significant to the return of the Mahdi [aj] as it is the number of commanders of his army as well as his closest companion.

When the trailer was released of the movie there was a huge outcry about the music it had used in the background and whether it was Islamic or not. Many of us took it upon ourselves to label it with the tag of 'Haram' before we even saw the full product. I am not here to discuss whether the music is acceptable or not but to simply give an overview of the movie. Despite the negativity that surrounds it the movie was actually quite good in its script and screening aspect. The script, I thought, was brilliantly executed into a movie and the characters chosen matched in terms of roles. The storyline of the movie seemed quiet simplistic when watching the trailer however the finished product is far from simplistic. The messages, the small statements and other simple things included actually leave the viewer with a lot to ponder over after watching the movie. In my opinion, the production team deserves great credit for their hard work and given that this was their first time with such a project, it is an achievement in every sense.

I am not going to write about the full movie however I will only talk about certain aspects which I found to be really great and the reason why I am doing this is to avoid spoiling it for others who have not seen it.

The idea of a journey undertaken by the youth who is lost to the materialistic aspects of the society and goes on to turn towards the Imam of our time [aj] and to uphold justice in his life by changing his wrongdoings and asking for forgiveness is not easy for everyone. However, what this movie does is give hope to people by an example. In this modern age, the means of conveying a message is not restricted to the pulpit alone. We have to take whatever means there are available and spread the message to the people, however it should be done in the right manner.

What struck me the most in the movie was two things; the way they tackled the questions relating to the Mahdi [aj] in the movie and the way they incorporated the signs before his return in the movie. Both of them are not easy to implement in a movie, they are much easier in a Documentary. The conversations between Sheikh Abbas Virjee who plays the role of Mohsin in the movie and the main character Layth Ali were simply the highlight of the movie. The way he enlightens the youth with the knowledge about the Imam [aj], the understanding the need of reflection and the answers to the complex questions about the Mahdi in a simplistic manner was something which I personally felt made the viewer think more about the Imam of our time [aj].

One of the best scenes for me was in one of the dreams Layth, he sees people praying and the turba turns to gold coins showing how in the time before the zuhoor people would be very much into their wealth rather than their faith. Another such example was when in another dream Layth sees people who come across as pious misusing religion for their desires. The way the director had included these messages into the movie was really great and I think many of these simple messages as a whole made the movie really great. The way of presentation not only opens the eyes of the viewers to reality but it also makes them ponder on whether they are falling in that trap or not.

I am however critical of certain aspects of the movie but overall it was good. What I would advice if the production team were to be start another project is that to work a bit on the camera technique. The changing of the camera angels during the scene was very quick, at times it was instantaneous. Small things like this could have an overall effect on the end product. Another thing I would like to see change in future projects is the aspect of music involved. Regardless of who we are portraying the movie to be for, our style should not mirror that of Hollywood films or otherwise. We should be unique and creative in our approach rather than trying to imitate others.

Lastly the thing which I personally made me think was relationship that I had with my Imam [aj]. In a part of the movie, the Sheikh is giving advice to Layth and he constantly stresses about the relationship of the follower of the Imam with that of the Imam. Further in the movie we do find an example of this when Layth turns to the Imam in his hour of need for help sincerely. This drives home the message for us Shias as to how many of us are sincere in our approach to our Imam [aj]. How many of us can truly say we are upholding the teachings of the Ahlul Bayt [a] in every aspect of our faith? The movie gives food for thought on many points in it, it is upon us as to how much use we make of it.

May Allah hasten the return of the Imam [aj] and may He give us the strength and the patience to endure every tribulation and hardship in the time of occultation and may He raise us to be in the army of Al Mahdi [aj]

'313'

Ya Zahra [s]

2008-06-11T19:01:00.006+01:00

I begin in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. To Him belong all the greatest names. To Him belong the heavens and the earth and what lies in them. He is the Master of universes and the Provider for all creation.

The dawn of the day bought sadness with it. Grief and sorrow had encircled the house of the beloved Messenger of Allah [p]. The Mercy upon Manking is spending his last hours in the company of his beloved household, Ahlul Bayt [a]. Tears roll down onto his cheeks as he glances on the faces of the purified ones think of how this is the last meeting.

His daughter Lady Fatima [s] sits beside his bedside mourning and weeping as she remembers the precious moments of her life spent with him. The moments when he would kiss her neck whenever he felt for the fragrance of paradise and the countless times when he would stand up and welcome her in any gathering to show how highly he respected her. And then there comes this last moment when he whispers to her words which makes her forget her sadness and brings a joy to her heart and smile to her enlightened face.

The messenger of Allah [p] has departed from this world to meet his Creator. His household, the Ahlul Bayt [a] wail and lament for the great tragedy that has befallen. The masters of the youth of paradise weep, his successor laments and his beloved daughter cries as the experience the pain of separation. The tears flow from the eyes of his beloved daughter, Fatima [s], continuously expressing her love for him, her love was unmatched even if the seven oceans combined could not match her one tear. She was so close to him that she was given the title of mother of her father, Umme Abeeha.

Lady Fatima [s] cries in the remembrance of her father, the Prophet of Allah [p], day and night but how her sadness was deepened when the so called companions of the Prophet [p] caused her distressed. No words can match the atrocities done on her by the so called companions. They took away her inheritance by force [Fadak], they usurped the right of her husband, Ali [a] and if such was not enough they even attacked her house and caused her unborn baby, Muhsin [a] to be Shaheed.

It was an evening in Medina, when the hearts of certain men filled with hatred against the successor of the Prophet [p] caused them to attack the house of the daughter of the Prophet [p]. They showed no mercy upon that door where the Prophet [p] would come and recite “Assalamu Alayka Ya Ahl ul Bayt-e-nabuwa…”, that door where the angel of Death would descend and ask permission to enter, yet these men of hard heartedness choose to seal their place in Hell by pushing the door upon the blessed lady crushing her ribs between the door and the wall of the house. Medina shook at this image, the grave of the Prophet [p] was in turmoil at this scene yet these men showed no mercy and dragged the brother of the Prophet [p] through the streets of Medina to attain a forced allegiance to the so called elected Caliph of the Muslims. The Lady of Light [s] had left an example for all generations to come in the process, she had examplified how one should defend the Imamah regardless of the circumstances. The lessons of patience of Fatima [s] left a mark in history forever.

Not much time had passed when sorrow and grief had descended upon this blessed house again. The beloved daughter of the Prophet [s] had made her final depart and returned to her Lord. Al-Hasan [a] and Al-Husayn [a] were weeping at another great loss so soon, first their grandfather had left this world and now their mother has left this world. She had left this world, oppressed and hurt from the very people who followed her father. Her tears still fall, her heart still makes the same call, her grave remains still hidden. . .

Words cannot describe what her husband witnessed as he washed her blessed body. The tears flowed continuously from his eyes and the heart trembled. And then there was a moment where his eyes could not bear to see and his heart just shattered. How can he bear witness to the broken ribs of Fatima [s]? History absorbed within it the tragedies upon this Lady, the atrocities she had to bear after the seperation from her father Rasoolullah [p]. She cried for that promised reunion with her father in the gardens of paradise, she was that flower whose fragance remained even when it had withered away.

Darkness had fallen upon the city of Medina. The coffin of this Lady is taken to be buried in the darkness of the night as she had willed. She is laid to rest by her beloved husband in a grave marked as the secret of Allah. A secret which shall be unearthed by the Yousif of Zahra [s], Al Hujja [aj] upon his return.

Her final abode remains unknown yet when the time rose she did not leave her son on his own. She left Medina with him for Karbala, she saw every tragedy of Ashura with her eyes, she took the head of her beloved son in her lap as the sword of Shimr moved to severe it, she travelled to the city of Kufa with her daughter Zaynab [s].

We await your return O Yousif of Zahra [s] so you may guide us to the grave of your Grandmother. Al Hujja [aj], we pray for your return as in your return there lies the answer to the treasures of Allah, there lies in the peace on the heart of your Grandfather Al Husayn [a] and there lies in the salvation for us, your followers.

Dua Tawassul - Sheikh Hamza Sodagar

2008-03-31T01:21:00.002+01:00

Shaykh Tusi says, in his book Misbah, that Imam Hassan bin Ali Al Askari wrote this dua'a for Abu Muhammad who requested him to teach him the proper way of reciting salawat. Allama Majlisi has mentioned this dua'a on the authority of Ibn babawayh who confidently says that there is no difficulty or problem that this dua'a does not solve. The merciful Allah is beseeched in the name of and for the sake of the Holy prophet and his Ahl ul Bayt. It is known as the Dua which fulfills all legitimate desires in a short amount of time.

Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Musawi, writing on the famous Du'a' Tawassul which is directed at the Prophet (s) and the Infallible Imams ('a), says:
'The purpose of tawassul to the pious believers is that they are being requested to supplicate to Allah to deliver the person in need from his affliction, since the supplication of these saintly figures is accepted by Allah.'

(Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Musawi, Risalah dar Kitab wa Sunnat, Majmu'ah Maqalat, Kitab Nida'-e Wahdat, Tehran, Chehel-Sutun Publishers, p. 259.)

Dua Tawassul - Sheikh Hamza Sodagar

Twenty-Nine, going on Thirty: In Honor of the Islamic Revolution

2008-03-31T00:57:00.003+01:00

"You stand up against those who seek to portray this Islamic Revolution contrary to what it is. State your truth as it is and promote it until, God willing, Truth is established in all Islamic lands and Falsehood by itself disappear, God willing, from all Islamic, rather all the countries of the world.” – Imam Khomeini

Contrary to popular belief, the Islamic Revolution was not just for Iranians. Many of us heard this, but what does this mean to us? Does our nationalistic pride, our ignorance of the goals and efforts, or our pure apathy stop us from benefiting from the fruits of this world-changing movement?

It has been 29 years since the victory. 29 years since the moral and political triumph over corruption and brainwashed mentality. Many Muslims continue to walk around today, clueless as to what effect the efforts of Imam Khomeini and the Iranian people left on Islam in modern times. Many Muslims are unwilling to read about it, or even ask questions. Maybe it’s that "fear of the unknown" factor?

The Revolution was an uprising by the Iranian people. If you look at popular modern critics of the Revolution and Islam, many portray the picture that Imam Khomeini was a dictator who was power hungry and an "Islamic fundamentalist". Imam Khomeini in a message one said, "Today I am convinced that it was not clear whether the most powerful persons could have achieved more success than existing individuals have achieved, considering those abundant conspiracies and the animosities and warmongering that was waged in the world against the Islamic Revolution." Why do so many ignore the pictures which show the people of Iran emptying their homes by choice? How much longer will people continue to believe the "womp womp womp" that comes from the ignorant and blind?

So what exactly was the aim and purpose of this uprising? Many Muslims feel "excluded" and can't relate, but again, that's their choice. Imam Khomeini stated, "Of course, had we had all means and equipment at our disposal, we would have reached even higher goals in the war; but this does not mean we have been defeated in reaching our main aim, which was repulsing aggression and proving Islam's steadfastness."

And there we have it. This aim must be ours today as well. Where is there not aggression? Where is there not a stereotype and misconception of Islam? Is it not our duty to speak up for what Islam is? Just as the Shah portrayed a totally backwards Islam, today our religion is being misconstrued, slandered, and completely twisted. Is it not our job to continue the goals of the Islamic Revolution to fight for the cause of Submission? How can we not salute those who gave their lives to fight against corrupt people who were banning hijab, the symbol of Islam? How can we not salute those who sacrificed their sons who stood up against those who did not allow the commemoration of the Master of Martyrs, Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) take place? Would we have been willing to leave our homes? If it were not for these martyrs, would the institution of majaalis still be thriving today? How can we not commemorate this great achievement?

For 29 years now, we have sat back and taken the lies, accepted the critiques, the misinterpretations, the ignorance. Imam Khomeini was a figure who gave his all to make people feel proud of their beliefs, making it unbearable to just sit back.

“Through the war we showed the people of the world, in particular the people of the region, that one can fight against all the powers and superpowers for several years," he said. "Our war helped the materialization of triumph in Afghanistan. Our war will lead to victory in Palestine. Our war caused all the chiefs of corrupts systems to feel belittled before Islam. Our war led to awareness in India and Pakistan. It was only through the war that our military industries enjoyed such momentum of growth. Most important of all, the continuation of the spirit of revolutionary Islam on materialized because of the war."

We can no longer give excuses. When a people are fighting for the cause of Islam, Muslims must feel obliged to join hands and show the world what it means to believe in Tawhid. As Imam said, "When one sees God's religion in danger, he must rise up for His sake." It is not for the sake of a country, for a social class, or to make it in the headlines, it is for the honor and dignity of Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, it is for the sake of La Ilaha Illallah. How dare we sit back as our religion is defamed?

May Allah bless the soul of the leader of the Islamic Revolution and of those who stood in the face of the enemies of Islam with unshakable faith, dedication, and love of Imam Hussain.

29 going on 30, Insha'Allah.

Taken from Islamic Insights

The Profanity of a Profane World

2008-03-31T00:45:00.004+01:00

The modern era in which we find ourselves is unlike any other era in the history of the world. From the very beginning of human history, the greatest and most intelligent men of every epoch have given credence to the existence of worlds and beings beyond this physical realm, and have posited an Absolute Being who is at once the Origin and Destination of all things. It is only now—in the last few centuries—that man has found not only “reason” to doubt the things that his forefathers saw to be certain and sacred, but has also discovered the “courage” to break from tradition and, by standing on his own two feet, has had the audacity to deny the very existence of anything sacred. The roots of this newfound “enlightenment” of man can be traced to his predilection to rebel against his Creator—individually speaking, and to the effects of the Fall of man—on the level of society and civilization. A thorough examination of these roots reveals the fact that modern “reason” is nothing other than the obfuscation of metaphysical insight and vision or, at best, the vestiges of the sacred Intellect deposited in man; and the much touted “courage” is really foolhardiness and merely the masked rebelliousness of Promethean man.

To understand the rebellious nature of fallen man, it is important to first understand his “created” nature and the fact that he is not the cause of his own existence. Man exists, but then so do dogs. What separates man from other creatures is his ability to reflect and intellect his “own” existence. Upon doing so he discovers that in himself and by himself he is nothing and that his existence is nothing but the consequence of his connection with the Source of all existence. Just as a ray of light radiating from the sun has no independent existence, so too man is an effusion of Divine Being. But when man does not use his intellect and does not see in this essential way, he begins to imagine that his existence is real and that he is a “something” in its own right. Such a skewed view of reality results in a corresponding deviation of human will. Fallen man in this new and modern fashion of “seeing” now starts to appropriate powers and rights for himself that he previously saw as a trust from Heaven which he had to safeguard and be true to. As he is now the measure of all things, he is also the sole criterion of human activity and henceforth only he decides what is to be done and what is not to be done - a bona fide rebel without a cause.

It is when man is rebellious and a renegade from heaven that he does not see the need for mediums and conduits of grace that connect him with the Source of all being and all grace. He balks at authority—spiritual or mundane—and hopes to go it on his own. Unwilling to see anything beyond his own self, he fails to transcend his limited and relative reality and becomes a prisoner of his body and a slave of his carnal desires. Sensing this and the futility of his situation he becomes desperate and in an occasional act of vulgarity, lashes out at the very sources of grace and sanctity that could save him from himself and his dire situation. Hence it is not a coincidence that profanity and blasphemy aimed at holy personalities are commonly observed in our modern era. But arguably that which is worse than the verbal or pictorial blasphemies is the general attitude of indifference and nonchalance that modern men have adopted towards religion and the sacred. It is one thing to vent “hatred” towards sacred realities, it is quite another to totally ignore them. In this vein, the very act of living a modern, liberal, secular life that is “untouched” by religion is the greatest of blasphemies.

Turning now to the social plane, it is the general conditions of the Fall which bear heavily upon modern man’s inability to have faith in God and the men of God. To explain, in opposition to the cult of progress that modern man subscribes to, traditional religious doctrines have always seen man’s entry into this world to be a fall from a higher realm to lower and lower ones. They speak of a degression, not progression. On the noetic plane, they hold that the former generations of men had more of a direct access to Revelation and the vision of the prophet through whom the religion was established, the latter — due to their distance and the entropic conditions of the Fall — have more difficulty in “seeing” the truth. They need to be helped from the outside, so to speak. They require aids to achieve the vision and intellection of the former generations. These aids and “artificial” constructs are providentially provided, and are a part and parcel of the religious tradition as a whole. So while they are in reality instruments which compensate for the overall decline, they are seen ostensibly as “developments.” After the initial vision there is for instance the development in the religious universe and orthodoxy of a doctrine, theology, ideology, sociology, and political system.

For a time the constructs, ones that pertain to a discursive and rational understanding of religious truths, were satisfactory and sufficient, as reason was still based on higher levels of the intellect and the sense of the sacred and holy was still alive and strong in traditional societies. Further on this was not the case and reason was increasingly divorced from its higher principle—namely the sacred intellect or al-‘aql al-qudsī — and a purely human rationality came to take its place; a rationality that insisted that all aspects of being fall within the pale of its discursive and deductive methods. This led to the absolutization of the said constructs—things which are in principle relative, leading to their solidification, irrelevance, and eventual impotence. This in turn, opened the Pandora’s box of religious criticism and, after which, there was nothing sacred left. All things were to be dissected by man’s rational faculty and pronounced as dead after the event. Indeed, God himself was pronounced as dead at the scene of the crime that modernity represents.

Man without a sense of the Absolute is a man that is bewildered and distraught amongst countless relativities. In a world where there is no Sacred, everything is profane. In a profane world, profanity is indistinguishable from true and noble speech worthy of man and his divine origins. Without such distinctions, man is free to bark everything and anything that comes out of his mouth. Not realizing that the very freedom of will that he uses to express his profanity is only made possible by the existence of the sacred and supreme will of his Creator. Hence the profound statement of Meister Eckhart, “the more he blasphemes, the more he praises God” rings true in our day more than in any other. But the final word must be from the Master of Eckhart, Jesus, upon whom be peace, who said:

“Woe to the world because of scandals. For it must needs be that scandals come: but nevertheless woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh.” (Matthew 18:7)

Written by Shuja Ali Mirza

Kullo yawmin Ashura. . .

2008-03-10T01:12:00.006+01:00

Out of the cluttered recesses of timeless clichés rises one phrase that, pushing through the dirt of falsehood to let glow the irrepressible light of truth, shines its beacon upon the human contemplation.

“Every day is Ashura, every land is Karbala.”

It is a simple slogan whose controversy exceeds its unimposing construction of a mere eight words. Certain origins unknown, the phrase is most widely known to have been coined in a speech by Ayatullah Khomeini and is most properly attributed to him. More controversial guesses cite our sixth Imam (AS) as the initial voice behind this saying, but many 'ulema deny this claim due to a lack of textual evidence. Origins aside, the greater controversy that surrounds the popular slogan is its acceptability. Some Shi’a place the saying at the center of their lifestyles; as a reminder to keep the mission of Imam Hussain (AS) in mind at every moment, while others passionately oppose its use; feeling it undermines the true value of Imam Hussain’s (AS) sacrifices on the tragic occasion of Ashura, a day infinitely dissimilar to any other. No matter what side of the fence one sits on with regards to this debate, striving to truly understand and consider the deeper meaning behind the well-loved motto is a worthwhile action for every person who counts him or herself among the cherishers of Imam Hussain’s (AS) cause.

Firstly, we must consider: what is the slogan truly intended to convey? At first glance, one may be tempted to think that it means simply what it says; that the challenges of every day life can themselves be compared to those challenges faced by our third Imam (AS) and his loved ones (na'udhubillah), and that such difficulties can take place anywhere, whether in Karbala or otherwise. But as we consider the incomparable sanctity of the land of Karbala and the holy ones slaughtered upon it unarguably possess, how can we bring ourselves to think such a thing? What those both in favor of and against the use of this saying must realize is that such a meaning that potentially jeopardizes and undermines the sacred position of the holy day cannot logically be taken for fact. If we allow ourselves to draw such an unjustified parallel, we should immediately stop and question: what other land bears the honor that the sands of Karbala got when they were cleansed with the blood of Al-Hussain (AS) and his dear ones? What day before or after Ashura has ever borne witness to the degree of unspeakable injustice against sanctified innocents that befell the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his dear ones on that revered tenth day of Muharram?

If not in this most obvious manner, however, one wonders what interpretation can be given to the motto at hand? It is hence at this point that the world must learn to see Karbala as more than a nonpareil tragedy of unbearable grief and suffering and see it also as a live-action manifestation of every Qur’anic value, filled just as the unspeaking Qur’an is with allegorical guidance for all of mankind.

It is on the day of Ashura each year that the peace-loving heart rips apart upon hearing of the indignities inflicted upon the purest of living beings… It is on this commemorative day that every knowledgeable mind delves into the infinite store of lessons that Imam Hussain (AS) died to preach and preserve… It is on this day that the floodgates of human tears open simultaneously with the gates of heaven; the precious testaments to humanity which spill from our eyes becoming the tickets by which our entrance into that Jannah may someday be earned. Undoubtedly, Ashura marks the occasion for millions of human beings worldwide to rediscover their understanding of humanity and truth as they reflect upon the struggle of the holy Imam (AS) who sacrificed all dear to him to uphold those very values. So given the capacity for spiritual improvement within us rememberers of Hussain (AS) in the span of this one single day, would it be ridiculous to wonder if perhaps the ongoing need for such change is the real meaning behind the phrase “every day is Ashura, every land is Karbala”? Could it be that the speaker of these words was merely asking mankind to revive the same sense of humanity, compassion, and justice as arises in the hearts of the commemorators of Ashura every single day rather than merely once a year? Perhaps it was a message to the drowsy consciences of the ones who stop their entire lives for the singular 24-hour remembrance of Ashura yet leave abandoned on that same farsh-e-aza all the potentially life-changing lessons the remembrance is meant to teach us, with the coming of the next day? Could it be a plea to humanity to stop thinking of the tragedy of Karbala as an event pertaining only to a small piece of land centuries and centuries ago, and recognize it for the eternal and boundless revolution it truly is? Perhaps this motto is a universal outcry against passivity and nonchalance; perhaps it is a call to action ringing with a purpose akin to Imam Hussain’s (AS) legendary cry of “halmin nasirin yansuruna”?

Maybe some searching soul looked upon the story of Karbala, and enthused by a spark of true understanding, turned back to the world to beseech those who had lost all hope of redemption, to look one more time upon the allegory of Hazrat Hur (AS)? Perhaps he frowned at the stark contrast between the thankless attitudes of today and the eternally grateful attitudes of those present on that day… Upon which mothers greeted the worst affliction a woman’s heart could possibly endure- the loss of her beloved children- with nothing but thanks? Perhaps this stranger sought to ask humanity what excuse it could give for its constant greed and ingratitude in the face of such blaring paragons of humility as Lady Zainab (AS) and Umme Laila (AS)?

No one is denying that the events of Karbala are and always will be absolutely nonpareil… But perhaps it is this very inability for comparison that some unknown speaker was pointing to as proof of his reflections; that if those faced with every extreme tragedy the human imagination could possibly fathom were able to forsake every material need in order to embrace, defend, and uphold truth- even upon the weakened frame of armless shoulders, even upon an infantile neck- what, what is OUR excuse for not at the very least sincerely embracing this truth as well, when most assuredly the conditions of our daily lives will never even be thinkable before those of Karbala?

Alas, how easy it is to dismiss the lessons of a day which becomes a distant memory until the next year it is ceremoniously commemorated. How easy it is to say that not a sin must be committed, not a wrong must be done, for the length of a single day… Yet how paradoxical to avoid renewing this pact for EVERY day of one’s Islam-bound life...
Whether we are in absolute rejection of the slogan, or inject its essence within our very bloodflow…

Let us never stand silent against oppression, against whomever and within wherever it may arise. Let us always uphold the values exemplified by Imam Hussain (AS) and whole-heartedly go about honoring his teachings in not merely one, but in all 365 days of every year we live. Let us think no cost too dear for the preservation of the truth. Let us confront our every problem and every grief not with complaint or regret, but with the faithful conviction of the pure ones in Karbala who met even the gravest tortures with unceasing thanks to Allah (SWT). Let us never go a day without shedding tears of consolation for Lady Fatima (AS), upon whom the wounds of Karbala will incur their agony until Qiyamah.

If we can simply promise to uphold such pledges, then it becomes irrelevant what words we use to revive them- the point is, it is our duty to answer the call of Imam Hussain (AS) in the language of the heart and soul, every day of our lives.

The Training Ground of Faith

2008-03-10T00:43:00.001+01:00

Just as the jihad of Imam Zain al-Abideen (AS) did not end in Damascus, the jihad of Imam Hussain (AS) did not begin in Karbala. Our third Imam’s entire life, and not merely an oft-noted span of three days, was filled with struggles and griefs; from the death of his beloved grandfather and mother in his youth to his father and brother’s brutal deaths later on. When he stepped into the battlefield of Karbala, Imam Hussain (AS) was thus already equipped with a lifetime of difficult experiences and the fortitude and faith with which to overcome them. His entire life, and not merely the tragedy of Karbala, remains an enduring example to the Shi’a of Ali (AS) regarding how a believer should live and how he or she should hope to die.

The lifelong mission of Imam Hussain (AS) teaches us a few particularly important lessons: what it means to truly believe, and what the true nature of courage really is.

Imam Hussain (AS) showed us that courage is not merely how tough we can be in the face of adversity; because difficulties naturally push us to defy our limitations… Courage is even better described as the resolve we have in day to day living; which in turn creates such gradual strength within us that when the greater adversities do arise, our battling skills are proven stronger than ever. Was Imam Hussain’s revolution built up in a day? No, it began from the moment his blessed countenance graced the earth and merely found its climax in the land of Karbala. What we Shi’a need to realize is that we cannot wait until the greater battles to develop our skills as mighty warriors of truth. Sometimes it does take a greater jihad to lure us out of our security blankets; because until we are actually pushed to the limit, we do not recognize the ability within ourselves to meet it. But simply because that greater jihad has not yet reached us, does not mean we cannot or should not build up our abilities regardless and exercise the same degree of faith in our day-to-day lives.

It may be for this reason that every Imam deserves just as much recognition and commemoration as Imam Hussain (AS) himself, and why the lifetime of no member of the Ahlul Bayt (AS) can be considered inferior or less important. Yes, the tragedy endured by our third Imam is unparalleled by anyone, but yet his honor and esteem is like that of the rest of the Imams. What does this mean?

It means that just because the lives of your closest companions and family members aren’t being threatened, doesn’t mean you can’t exercise equal resilience as one in such a situation. It is easy to guess what one might do if the degree of distinction between two choices was great enough- after all, as Kufan commander Hazrat Hur (AS) told us, choosing between limited wealth in this life versus unlimited abundance in the next is a no-brainer. What we really need to consider is the amount of courage it takes to make such distinctions when the lines are blurred.

On the night of Ashura, the companions of Imam Hussain (AS), Hur (AS) included, exemplified a beautiful understanding of this when they refused to leave the Imam’s side, even after he gave them the guarantee of heaven if they left and went on living. The reader must pause to truly appreciate the magnanimity of this proposal- the companions could have continued to live a peaceful worldly life all while being guaranteed a wonderful life in the next as well- and yet they chose a brutal death and leaving their loved ones to the mercy of fate instead, for the same surface reward… What could drive a sane human being to make such a decision? The answer is something beyond the callous rationality of doing a cost-benefit analysis; the answer is something so selfless, that the concept of ‘benefit’ becomes thoroughly meaningless and foreign. The answer is love, devotion, faith; the answer is TRUE courage.

If we had the chance to give our lives for Imam Hussain (AS), we would know beyond a doubt that heaven was guaranteed. By continuing to live as we do, most of us have no such promise, no matter how many minor good acts we commit; and we are required to work hard for a longer span of time in order to secure the same favor of God for ourselves. So isn’t it in a sense easier to say that we want the guarantee of heaven in the face of temporal pain (ie. Martyrdom in the way of our Imam) as opposed to a shot at heaven in the face of lasting aversion (ie. Living)? We must bow our heads with shame and wonder how our priorities would change if we knew that we could continue our worldly existences with the promise of Providence. Would we be so willing to fork over everything dear to us, including our very lives, then? If we had the purity of intention and true love for the Ahlul Bayt (AS) as the companions of Imam Hussain (AS) did, then undoubtedly we would, and it is here that the crux of the message of Imam Hussain’s companions arises. In the most basic fundamentals of Islam, we are taught how important intentions are, as in our every daily prayer we recount this understanding when we verbally declare our desire to gain closeness to Allah (SWT). Coupled with the lessons of Karbala, we must arrive at the conclusion that it is not the extremity of the situation that ensures a believer victory; it is the intent and pure-heartedness with which one steps into each respective battlefield, no matter what the circumstance.

It is easy for us to say that we would give our lives for Sahibuz Zamaan (ATF) in the event of his zahoor. After all, the reality and assurance would be right there in front of us and our good fortune after death set. But would this aspiration be based on faith marred by cost-benefit-analysis, or would it be based on faith embellished by true and sincere devotion, blind of reward?

The question is often asked why Al Qaem (ATF) will only have 313 close followers, when there are millions of Shi’a worldwide who honestly believe they would give their lives for him. Perhaps now we have uncovered the reason… Perhaps what our Imam (ATF) needs and is waiting for are people who would not only prove themselves strong in trying times of conflict, but who would be just as steadfast in times of uncertain regularity. Believers who would strive for the tranquility and sheer peace of serving the Ahlul Bayt (AS), as opposed to striving for the blessings of Heaven… For when your intentions are pure, your faith should not merely be provable when the need arises to actively prove it- your life at every moment should be based around the very same goal of pleasing Allah (SWT), for true belief is unconditional and does not wait for opportune moments.

The question of which priority group we fall into, my brothers and sisters, arises now; it does not begin in the heat of a jihad marked by weapons and bloodshed; it begins in the jihaad of the nafs as it fights its everyday desires.

It is easy to switch off our music players with the pain of Imam Hussain’s sacrifices looming over our consciences… It seems to be much harder for some in the months beyond Muharram and Safar, where the lines are harder to draw, conscientiousness harder to feel, and the off button harder to find. But as we abandon our hijaabs, switch on our IPods, delay our prayers, and bite into our haram take-out, the question needs to be asked:
Do we love in hopes of loving, or do we love in hopes of gaining?

And if the latter, are we truly living up to our reputations as Imam Ali’s (AS) ‘Shia’, and have we truly yet learned anything from the lessons of the enduring revolution of Al Hussain (AS)?

Do not waste time and find yourself unequipped in the greater battle; the training ground is the here and now.

'Love is a Flame'

2008-02-19T01:58:00.004+01:00

So here's something that started off as an English paper from long ago, and ended after much extension as a choppy investigation into spirituality... It ended up being a litlte less flowery and a little more scholarly (boring?) than originally intended, because I felt like I threw in too many generalized speculations.

'Love is a flame...': A Mystical Look at Faith

“Love is a flame, burning away all that is not God.”
-Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi

The most direct and literal meaning behind these words attributed to Jalaluddin Rumi is a concept very similar to the theme of one of Maulana Muhammad Baig's speeches that really helped illuminate this thought process: that when a person truly and entirely loves someone, the mind's attentions and heart's eyes roam endlessly in search of the object of those affections. No matter where a lover is or what actions he's engaged in, everything to him will somehow go back to musings of his Beloved. Love thus burns away all other thoughts, all other inclinations, all other priorities, and the Beloved becomes the only One left. In Shi'ite philosophy, we know this all-encompassing love of God as "ma'refah"; or such recognition of God that a lover becomes immersed in the lifelong remembrance of Him and his every moment takes on the intention of Qurbatan'Ilallah (nearness to God).

Maulana Baig pointed out in the same speech that when you truly love someone, you will also love every pathway that leads to Him, and hence when you truly love God, every good action that promotes nearness to Him will become dear to you (and inversely, every action that limits your nearness to Him will become hated). This is why when we are truly touched by faith, it isn't just the sincerity of our prayers that increases; our entire lives are turned around in the most intricate manner as we begin to look longer at each aspect of our existence and learn to replace the meaningless with the profound. Maybe the minute behavioral changes we often make amid the journey are just as dear to God as the obvious ones... It is not strictly in adding a few supplications to our daily routines while continuing to confine our remembrance of our Beloved to specific times and places that we can deepen our servitude to God; when we work to improve qualities within ourselves to make us better people at all hours of the day, the level of self-control and commitment it takes to consistently act accordingly is often an even more taxing and engaging struggle and hence the love from Him too must be heightened.

Love is a concept many in the world disbelieve in, despair of, or mistrust; because as with faith, horrible things are often done in its name by people who never understood it to begin with, and it can be difficult to distinguish among the countless shallower sentiments often mistaken for the coveted ideal. But when we rid ourselves of these understandable doubts and dare to have faith in love's veracity based on the inexplicable evidences that dwell within the unseen realms of our hearts, even while not having foolproof evidence of its reality by which to silence the adamant skeptics*, we challenge ourselves to the very same feat the faithful undertake when they dare to believe in God.

When we open ourselves to faith in love, whether for God Himself or merely a familial being He has joined us with, we inadvertently unlock a second inner door: faith in the Almighty, because both involve convictions that are greatly subject to external doubt and can ultimately be verified best by how they inwardly make us feel. Characterizing these rapid openings as a flame metaphorically reflects the suddenness with which we can sometimes find ourselves overcome by such convictions and how all of life’s other obstacles and distractions can seem to abruptly burn away when we open our hearts to sincere belief.

A flame does not only burn, but also by virtue of its central purpose gives light. We often become blind wanderers in this world; our vision obscured by the distractions and material extravagances that seem to us so essential. Love gives our eyes their light back because it teaches them to seek out what is truly 'real' in life; to look beyond this existence of two seconds and see everything in the context of the bigger picture of eternity. In the ascetic masterpiece "Light Within Me", it is said that the 'urafa (knowers) perceive tawhid- defined as the knowledge that the ultimate and truest reality is God- the 'wajib ul wujud' (Necessary Being) and all else is 'mumkin ul wujud' (possible existents)- as "the sublime peak of humanness and the final goal of his spiritual journey."

One of the many meanings of love is 'to prefer', and affection indeed causes us to develop two kinds of preferences: preferring others above our own selves (ithar), and preferring the best for the ones we care about- making better submitters of us on the whole because as we come across essential truths to apply to the betterment of our loved ones, we can't deny the need to apply them to ourselves as well. When it comes to the state of our own souls, we often have no problem allowing ourselves to be afflicted by ignorance and the darkness of sins because the responsibility of self seems doesn't seem a big deal. But when we consider the fate of a loved one, an alertness reawakens inside us: we begin struggling to seek out the most important things in the world so we can ensure our beloved is never deprived of them. A mother may not notice the cold when it bothers her a little, but when the question of her child arises she'll stop at no length to make sure he's snugly shielded.

One of the basic fundamentals of love is self-sacrifice (the basis of 'ithar'). Love by nature, no matter who it's felt for, teaches the human being to see beyond himself and overcome his animalistic self-absorption by yearning, aching, worrying, struggling for one that is not a part of him, with no personal gain but the internal warmth of serving another that cannot be acquired so completely in any other way. The beautiful thing about this is that it serves as a finite reflection of man's overarching purpose on the whole... Love is almost an inevitable precursor to the fulfillment of life's very object: for man to so deeply submit himself to God that he becomes a flame of servitude, forsaking his 'self' and allowing his ego to smolder in the fire of his fervent spiritual devotion. Effacement of self is the final pinnacle of the spiritual journey, the last step toward self-perfection and the ultimate nearness to God.

Ultimately, what Maulana Rumi knew better than most is that all of love by its very design is ultimately meant to lead back to God, for He is the singularly Worthy, the One who Himself created it and our very capacity to experience it out of His love for us: his supreme creations. The object of the fulfilled life is to immerse oneself in the love of God and allow every other fragment of existence to burn away in the midst of that immersion.

When a flame burns something, it is said to change its inherent composition. So too does love of any sort change who we inwardly are when we are truly engulfed by it. Perhaps at its best, this change can arise in the form of a spiritual clarity so intense that it makes God infinitely more reachable- like a fire burning all the bridges that lead astray, leaving only truth's luminous pathway in its wake.

* There are people who would insist on disbelief even if God Himself tatooed a proclamation of His existence on their foreheads. The first rejector of faith, in fact, was a jinn known today Satan, who spent 6,000 years engaged in worship before damning himself for eternity by opposing a command that came directly from God. Even having had a clearer connection with God than most of us can even imagine and revelling in His Greatness for 60 centuries, Satan allowed the vessel of evil within him- his ego- to come in the way of his ultimate purpose and forever remove him from it. Why is Satan the ruler of hell, the shepherd of all doom? Because there is no misfortune whatsoever as bad as developing distance from God, which is why in Islam we make the niyyah (intention) of our every prayer (and ideally our every action) the exact opposite: "Qurbatan'Ilallah" (nearness to God).

Pic taken from Sheerie the Fay

What's in a Smile? Answer: Everything

2007-12-25T23:09:00.001+01:00

This article was originally published in the December 2007 edition of The Messenger, the Islamic newsletter distributed by the Metroplex Organization of Muslims in North Texas.

If there is one defining emblem of modern-day Iran that could capture the nation's spirit within its subtle brilliance, it is the unfaltering smile of a single revolutionary figure: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Apart from being a constant suggestion of his spiritual contentment and humble beginnings, that ever-present grin is a sign of all that the neoconservative world finds unlikable- a pretty good indication that this man must be in the right.

Long before the chaos of 9/11 had made its mark on modern history, America's most ardent war hawks were already brainstorming a hit list of the nations that didn't 'comply with their standards of democracy' (read: were not advantageous for the financial interests of those concerned), and hence the 'Project for the New American Century' drew up the blueprint for its 'Axis of Evil' campaign; though the Bush Administration would have to wait until the tragic attacks of September 11th (the 'New Pearl Harbor' the neocons had been dreaming of) to have a good enough excuse to publicly demonize the targeted nations. High up on this list from the get-go were oil-rich Iraq and Iran, and while North Korea might have served as a good diversion from the obvious zionist interests endorsed within the 'Axis' campaign, it was only a matter of time before Kim Jong Il would lay forgotten (though recent news reports show that President Bush is now personally exchanging letters with the dictator he allegedly loathes; referring to him as 'Dear Chairman').

Although the already-delicate circumstances in Afghanistan and Iraq led to their respective downfalls at the hands of invading forces, Iran is inevitably a force to be reckoned with, and certainly has always presented a different sort of challenge. While the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq simply meant shooting down the very self-employed puppets America had helped establish, Iran is the brainchild of a revolution that stood for something beyond the comprehension of the common warhawk mind: truth. What excuse could Bush & Co. pull out of their hats to go to war with spirited Iran? The 'national tragedy' card had been used up in the invasion of Afghanistan, and the neocons had already looked sufficiently ridiculous with the outing of the lies that led up to 'Operation Iraqi Freedom', so the third time around, it was clear that the story would have to be much more elaborate; one based on probable fact and not invisible weaponry that a wild goose chase would never turn up.

Rewind to 1974, when a study conducted by the Stanford Research Institute found that in order to meet the energy demands of its bustling population, Iran would need over 20,000 megawatts of electricity by the early 1990s. Now, 33 years after that need was first addressed, Iran modestly aims at reaching that level by 2020, saving the country a projected $10 billion per year. Backed by the express persuasion of then-Chief of Staff Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, in 1978 President Gerald Ford signed the final draft of the US-Iran Nuclear Energy Agreement, which offered Iran the "chance to buy and operate a U.S.-built reprocessing facility for extracting plutonium from nuclear reactor fuel.” The deal was for a complete 'nuclear fuel cycle'. Before one even needs to wonder why the United States would now be asking for war with a country that is merely embarking on the very course agreed upon only 3 decades prior, one very important catalyst needs to be factored in that changes everything: the 1979 revolution of Imam Khomeini (ra). The US-Iran Agreement was signed about 8 months before the revolution, at a time when Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah whom the US had helped install in its 1953 CIA coup, was still in power. Let us think back to 1953 and remember America's single motive in the deposition of Prime Minister Mossadegh: his parliament's proposal to nationalize Iran's oil industry and effectively kick out profiteering Western powerhouses such as Britain's Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Now fast forward again to 1979, when nuclear development was halted by Imam Khomeini in the face of the Iran-Iraq War for five years, with research picking up again shortly thereafter, but this time independent of its former Western backers. Just as the US could not bear to see Iran rid itself of Western oil profiteers in 1953, it again suffers today at the prospect of Iran finally carrying out its nuclear development needs unaided by most of its previous investors.

Findings similar to those of the 1974 Stanford study have subsequently been reported in recent times by researcher Roger Stern of Johns Hopkins University, who stated in Dec. 2006 that "in five years, Iranian oil exports may be less than half their present level, and could drop to zero by 2015," and thus "Iran's claim to need nuclear power might be genuine, an indicator of distress from anticipated export revenue shortfalls." Despite the clear statistical necessity of an Iranian nuclear enrichment program, as well as the clear historical motives that expose the neocon position, the American people cannot be expected to objectively research the real roots of the issue and politicians are certainly not about to tell them, making President Bush's propaganda job a whole lot easier.

Indeed, by taking advantage of the mere existence of nuclear developments that have consistently met international precedents and are in accordance with International Atomic Energy Agency guidelines, the Bush Administration has ignored Iran's tacit compliance to the rules and turned the nation's innocuous attempts to supply its people with an inexhaustible energy supply into the backdrop of World War 3.

Until early December of this year, the Administration was doing a 'darned good job' of making the American public panic in a manner very reminiscent of pre-Iraq War days. However, Bush & Co. were dealt a stifling blow on December 3rd, when a consensus of the US's 16 national intelligence agencies concluded that Iran had abandoned its nuclear weapons program in 2003, in contradiction to the 2005 finding that Iran was definitely 'determined to develop nuclear weapons'; which has been the basis of President Bush's feisty anti-Iran rhetoric for the past several years. Although the IAEA had already refuted the House of Representatives intelligence committee's report on Iran's alleged nuclear capability in September 2006 and dismissed the allegations then as "outrageous and dishonest", mainstream American media outright ignored such statements of the IAEA until this December, when the source of the information proved too mighty to be denied. It was certainly unprecedented that American intelligence would actually admit to findings of this nature after having had no problem omitting crucial details prior to Iraq (i.e. no, Saddam doesn't actually have any WMDs), but maybe it was the 600-page criticism and international ridicule US intelligence officials faced after the Iraq blunder that led them to be a bit more honest this time around.

With regards to whether or not he felt his talk of World War III in spite of him having knowledge of the NIE report would call his credibility into question, President Bush had this to say: “No, I'm feeling pretty spirited – pretty good about life." Well, that's great, Mr. Bush. We like our world leaders to feel good... but we'll take President Ahmadinejad's smile over yours any day. It's a whole lot more believable.

The Ka’bah – What is it really?

2007-12-24T23:54:00.000+01:00

The Hajj season is upon us, when millions of Muslims journey to Mecca and circumambulate the Ka’bah, that simple square building that we face toward when we pray. How strange it is that an insignificant structure such as this is the center of our hajj rites and the direction of our prayers! Why is this tiny stone cubic house so important? The Ka’bah has great cosmological significance that we all should understand in order to make better sense of our rites and prayers. The Ka’bah is the physical correspondence of the highest heaven.

The Ka’bah is called the Bait al Allah or Kaba e Allah, meaning House of God. But we know God needs no house, and is not confined to any space. It is also called the first house of mankind. Yet no human is known to have ever lived in it, so what does that mean? It is certain that Abraham (as) constructed the Ka’bah. But, before he built it, when he moved Hagar and Ishmael (as) to the empty desert, he said, “O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Thy Sacred House….” (Qur’an 14:37) So he was already aware of the Ka’bah before he built it! Many scholars say that the Ka’bah was first built by Adam (as) but the structure had wasted away. All agree at least that it existed somehow prior to Abraham (as).

The Ka’bah is like the Bait ul Mamur (the Oft-Frequented House) and is said to be built directly under it. The Bait ul Mamur is a house located in the fourth heaven that angels circumambulate and enter. Several traditions state that Adam (as) had prayed at that house, as well. So to understand the Ka’bah, we need to understand the Bait ul Mamur. So what is the significance of Bait ul Mamur? Both the Ka’bah and the Bait ul Mamur are symbols of how God brings about and attends to His creation.

To understand that, we have to first understand how the decrees of Allah swt come to reality. The Qur’an says, “And your Cherisher-Lord creates what He wishes….” (28:68) and “Surely His commanding is such that, when He desires a thing, He just says to it, “Become!” and it becomes.” (36:82) These two ayahs describe creation as mashi’ah (wishing), iradah (desiring), and amr (commanding), as well as symbolizing it by speech of Allah swt. All of these indicate that creation is the production of the outcome of Allah’s mashi’ah. A hadith of Ahlulbayt (as) says, “Allah created the Wish through itself, then He created the things through the Wish.” The Wish is symbolized as “the Water” or “Waters” in Qur’an and hadith. For example, “And from the Water We made everything alive.” (21:30) The scholars tell us this ayah also shows that every created thing is alive in some fashion. The fact that water (H2O) is repeatedly described as Mercy from Allah swt contributes to the symbolism of the Wish from which creation begins as the ultimate Mercy of the Creator.

The Creator-created relationship is a polar one, with the Creator in the seat of guardianship and authority. This position of guardianship is in the Qur’an called ‘arsh, which is translated most often as “throne (raised, shaded seat of authority)” or “empyrean” (the highest heaven). As Allah swt is not confined to a body, it does not mean a literal chair throne. The Arabic verbal root meaning of ‘arsh is a pillared structure raised from the ground. The Wish descends from and is beneath the empyrean “… and His empyrean was over the Water.” (Qur’an 11:7) Imam Ali bin Husain (as) said that in the ‘arsh or empyrean is a likeness of every created thing, and this is the meaning of “And there is not a thing except that its treasuries are with Us.” (15:21) The empyrean is also the gate of Allah’s administration over Creation: “He projects His guardianship uniformly to all creation over the empyrean; He administers the command.” (10:3)

Imam ‘Ali (as) has said that the empyrean is a cubical structure made of four pillars of light – one white, one yellow, one green and one red. The white light is the light of consciousness (‘aql) and knowledge and is the first, foundational pillar. Its symbol in the Qur’an is the pen (qalam). The green light is the Preserved Tablet (Lawh Mahfuz), the record or soul (31:28) of creation in the empyrean. The yellow light pillar is the Spirit (Ruh) as mentioned in Qur’an 17:85. It is through the Spirit that prophets and those close to Allah swt receive their knowledge and power. Ruh is related to rih, the wind. Thus, according to Imam Baqir (as), just was the Wish is symbolized by water, the Spirit is symbolized by wind - a movement and energy that effuses everything. The red light of the empyrean is the blood line that connects the empyrean to the physical universe or nature; it carries all the vibrations of created things.

So the Ka’bah is itself an ‘arsh, representing the ‘arsh of Allah swt, the highest heaven. Like the empyrean, it is a cube, with four corners mirroring the four corners of the empyrean. Imam Sadiq (as) quoted the Prophet (saw) about this correspondence. “The Ka’bah is called the Ka’bah because it is square-based. It is square-based because it is in correspondence to the Bayt ul Mamur. The Bayt ul Mamur is square-based because the empyrean is square-based. The empyrean is square-based because the phrases upon which Islam is based are four: Subhanallah, Alhumdulillah, La ilaha illa allahu, and Allahu akbar!” The corner with the black stone corresponds to the corner of the empyrean of the white light (consciousness). Incidentally, some hadith say that the black stone is actually white, but blackened by repeated touching. As pilgrims move around the Ka’bah, the move past the pillars of consciousness (white), then Spirit (yellow), then Soul (green), then nature (red).

With this knowledge, we can understand why we face toward the Ka’bah when we pray. We are facing toward the symbol of the highest heaven where Allah’s swt guidance, mercy and creation are all projected from. So facing toward the Ka’bah symbolizes facing towards the gateway between the physical Universe and Allah swt. This does not imply that Allah swt is confined out of the physical Universe, but rather refers to the methodology of creation, guardianship, and bestowal of mercy.

Scholars have noted that the Ka’bah is empty and has in its cubic shape all cardinal directions in three dimensions. All to be seen there is absoluteness, eternity. It is not a shrine. It is a symbol, a projection, a source of connection to the highest heaven, and an opening for the descent of Allah swt’s Wish into manifestation in the physical Universe. Some hadith indicate that the creation of the land of the Earth began at the location of the Ka’bah, as it is the Origin of physical creation. It is the symbol of our original home as we manifest from Wish in the empyrean, and that is why when we go for pilgrimage, we do not pray shortened prayers like travelers. We are going back to our source.

The hajj rites all are steeped in symbolism. We recreate the actions of Abraham (as) and Hagar (ra) to represent and learn from their deeds. Therefore, it is probable that the symbolism of the Ka’bah as the ‘arsh has a significant meaning in the context of those rites and our understanding of our roles in the Universe and in the Ummah. Knowing that the Ka’bah is itself a symbol can give us much to ponder about the possible meanings of events in history such as Imam ‘Ali (as) being born in the Ka’bah. At the very least, the Ka’bah as a symbol of the ‘arsh has very deep implications about the direction we face when we pray.

References:

The History of Ka’bah by Hasan Zafar Naqvi
Islam Dynamic: The Cosmology, Spirituality and Practice of Walayah by Idris Samawi Hamid
Hajj: Reflections on its Rituals by Ali Shariati

Taken from Otowi

The Shia Revival - A Critique

2007-12-24T23:47:00.001+01:00

A Review of Vali Reza Nasr's "The Shia Revival"

There are many ideas and concepts presented in Vali Reza Nasr's "The Shia Revival," more than a few of which would face a great amount of skepticism by a sizeable portion of the Shia community worldwide. Of course, that in itself does not disqualify his ideas. However, the Iranian-American professor's lack of references and the questionable nature of those presented, do promote a skeptical view toward much of the information presented in his book.

Furthermore, accepting some of the information he presented, his interpretations of them are also questionable.

While it is not my intention to get bogged down in what discredit's Nasr's book, I do believe I should briefly quote the major issues and state my misgivings. Of course, I do not claim that all what is in this book is false, indeed many of the incidents mentioned may be true, but the interpretations therein deserve some analysis.

Nasr narrates that during the Iraq-Iran War, Sheikh Mehdi Haeri Yazdi, a student of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, visited the latter in home to express his grief over the horrors of the war. There, Yazdi was reported by Nasr to have said, "It is not right for the Muslims to kill Muslims. Hundreds of thousands are dying in a war that has no end and no good purpose." Khomeini replied, "Do you also criticize God when he sends an earthquake?" Nasr than states that, apparently according to Yazdi, Khomeini considered himself to be on the last and fourth question of Irfan/Sufism, where he considered himself to be able to "function as a virtually divine lawgiver." Nasr then makes no attempt to even analyze and criticize this interpretation. His next paragraph claims that, although Khomeini used Shia ideas and history to mobilize the masses, yet "his politics and religious views reflected not so much Shia history and theology (indeed, he was something of a theological innovator and maverick) as the authority he claimed by virtue of his understanding of mystical doctrines."

Now, considering we accept the above narration, it forces us to ask a few questions. First, we are to blindly accept Yazdi's interpretation of Khomeini's words? Reading the ayatollah's words, it seems like it was his opinion that the Almighty's plan was to have a war between Saddam and Iran. Does this mean that Khomeini was functioning as a "virtually divine lawgiver," as Nasr writes? This seems like a dubious interpretation, as it was not Iran that attacked Iraq; rather, it was the reverse. Had Khomeini felt himself to be given the authority to judge how the Divine Plan, or fate, works out, would not he have himself started such a war?

It is true that Imam Khomeini did not accept many ceasefires with Iraq, but taking a look at his statements and writings it is evident that, having gotten rid of one oppressor (meaning the Shah), he felt it his religious duty and obligation to rid a Muslim nation of another oppressor (meaning Saddam). When one is following a religious duty, he is obeying the Divine Lawgiver's command, not functioning as one himself. How then one could imagine that Khomeini put himself in the role of God is beyond comprehension, especially given that this great scholar's works are full of ethical and spiritual themes all tied to subservience to God in all matters. One wonders, then, what is the extent of Professor Nasr's familiarity with Ayatollah Khomeini's works. And supposing Nasr had not meant that Ayatollah Khomeini did not consider himself "The Truth," he should have worded this very serious statement more clearly.

Afterward, Nasr makes a very sweeping and bold statement. He claims that Khomeini's theology and beliefs came not so much from Shia'ism, as from "mystical doctrines." This means that Shia doctines are separate from what is called mystical doctrines, and most likely the latter term means Sufism, or Tasawwuf.

If Nasr is contesting that his own view of Sufism/Irfan is that it lies without the fold of Shia'ism, he should have made that clear and not pretended that it was the view of all Shia scholars. At the very least, he could've given a brief background of the different viewpoints on the subject.

An attempt to divide the followers of different scholars?

I will quote excerpts of one more situation he narrated, which is particularly of interest to Shias, and which shall also be met with some skepticism. Nasr spoke many times of the relationship between Grand Ayatollahs Khoei and Khomeini, and the former's attitude toward the Islamic Revolution and the latter's views on Islamic governance, as espoused by his concept of Wilayat Al Faqih (rule of the religious jurisprudent).

Nasr says, "Khoei and Khomeini did not like each other. During Khomeini's Najaf years (1964-78), the two had kept their distance and often exchanged barbs through their students. In fact, Khomeini's lectures on Islamic government were a response to a provocation from one of Khoei's students. Khoei saw velayat-e faqih as an innovation with no support in Shia theology or law." He goes on to claim that, near the end of the Shah's tyrannical rule in 1978, Ayatollah Khoei sent the Shah an aqeeq (agate/carnelian) ring and a special prayer. After the ousting of the Shah, "Khoei went further and denounced his theory as deviation from Shiasm." Finally, he goes on to claim that Imam Khomeini borrowed his religious governance theories from Plato's Republic, which he also claims to be ironic, and ends by saying, " This was Shiasm reduced to a strange (and, as it would turn out, violent) parody of Plato."

First, I must say that I was a little disappointed when I looked in the notes section to see his references for this event. I saw, "interview with a senior aide to the Shah" only. Apparently, he based his entire view of Ayatollah Khoei's true attitude toward Wilayat Al Faqih and Imam Khomeini solely from a senior aide to the late Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, a person who would have had good reason to create friction between followers of the two scholars.

I am disappointed that Nasr did not reference any of the works of Ayatollah Khoei and he did not quote any students of the ayatollah (who consist of many of the great scholars of Iran and Iraq today, including Ayatollahs Seestani and Behjat). I really do wonder how he establishes his view that Ayatollah Khoei was ambivalent or against Imam Khomeini, and furthermore, that he was against the Islamic Revolution.

While it is true that Khoei had some different views on the subject of Islamic governance from Khomeini, especially regarding the extent of authority of the faqih, that is normal amongst the scholars even today. From where could he conclude with certainty that Khoei supported the Shah and opposed the revolution and Islamic government, despite any academic differences?

Scholars, and indeed our own holy infallibles, have often had dialogues with the oppressive rulers of their times, even aiding them when it was for the sake of Islam and humanity.

For example, it is narrated that the cursed tyrant Yazid bin Muawiya, after he slaughtered the Prophet's household on the land of Karbala, asked the surviving son of Imam Hussain, Imam Sajjad, what was a way of receiving forgiveness. Despite facing a request from the same cursed being who had ordered his family's butchery, and killed most of his immediate male relations and worse, the Holy Imam responded and answered this question.

Could we imply by Imam Sajjad's responding that he actually supported Yazid? Such a thing would be absurd. The fact is that engaging in dialogue with a tyrant could be for many possible reasons, and due to many possible intentions. Of course, it must be remembered that we don't know much about any of these supposed interactions between Khoei and the Shah, or if they even occurred.

Finally, on the matter of Wilayat Al Faqih and Plato's "Republic," Nasr claims that the former came about as a "reduction" from the latter. I'm not sure what "reduction" Nasr meant, but he should know that the philosophers of Islam and Shiasm have long investigated the ideas of the great Greek Philosopher Plato. This certainly does not mean Khomeini produced a carbon copy of the concept with his version of wilayat al faqih, but even if he did, what would that matter if the concept does not contradict the faith? However, Nasr does not at all discuss this delicate point and vaguely states his views of such political philosophy as being outside the fold of Shiasm due to it being Plato's idea. For those interested in the underpinnings of this complicated subject whether they agree with it or not, Nasr's analysis falls woefully short.

The goal of this book?

Although some may disagree with me, I found that a certain message, composed of two elements, was most striking.

Professor Nasr says at the end of his book:

There will also be new forces to contend withâ€•the new Shia voices, separate from the old Arab order with which Washington is so familiar. When the dust settles, the center of gravity will no longer lie with the Arab Sunni countries but will be held by Shia ones. The center of gravity will move eastward, away from Egypt and the Levant to Iran, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf. The United States does not know the Shia well. That will have to change, if for no better reason than that the Shia live on top of some the richest oil fields in the region. It is in America's interest to take Shias and the Shia revival seriously. It will not be easy for the United States to balance the demands of Sunnis with those of Shias, or to hold the hands of the Sunni establishment as it contends with the Shia challenges and the Sunni backlash to it. It is a process that must begin with an understanding of the nature of the conflict and the future that it will shape.

Nasr makes that point that the US will have to get to know the Shia better and mentions that they sit atop some of the richest oilfields, as an effective enticement. He seems to propose engagement with the Shia by the US, even at the cost of relations with the "Sunni establishment." I find this idea very curious, as not long ago, he spoke much against Imam Khomeini?to me it seemed he was clearly attempting to discredit Khomeini as a legitimate Shia leader by a shaky theological argument?and the Iranian Islamic Revolution and governance. Yet, Nasr desires engagement with the Shia.

Is it possible to antagonize the ruling/revolutionary clergy and yet cultivate relations with the Shia? Perhaps it would be possible if the truth were that the "revolutionary" Shias were a fringe minority. But, are they really a fringe?

There is no way to know for sure whether or not revolutionary Shias are indeed a negligible minority, even if Nasr wants to assert that. Although we lack statistics, we may notice a few things that indicate they are far from being on the sidelines in current Shia thought.

There are many rallies by Shias in countries other than Iran, many of them carrying large pictures of Ayatollah Khamenei [currently supreme leader of Iran] and Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah [currently secretary general of Hizbullah].

Additionally, there is the fact that the present epicenter of Shia seminary training lies in Qom, Iran, and many of the scholars from all over the world are trained there. Their thinking and development has often been influenced by revolutionary ideas; they enjoy support from their own very large communities in part because of revolutionary rhetoric they have picked up.

Last but not least, the majority of grand religious authorities are located in Iran. Religious, spiritual and even worldly guidance for much of the Shia world comes from there. As the revolutionary Iranian government is widely viewed as giving support to these authorities, an attack on Iran would be seen by many as an attack on these authorities who religious Shias are fiercely loyal to.

Furthermore, the Islamic Republic gives material aid to Shias all over the world, and this is evidenced certainly by the massive amounts of aid given to the victims in southern Lebanon of Israeli aggression and reckless state-sponsored terrorism.

With all the above points to consider, one must question whether Nasr's stated goal to focus on sidelining revolutionary Shias is an option. Is it truly possible that the US can cultivate relations with the Shias while antagonizing what may be their largest and most powerful supporter in Iran? It seems doubtful to me. Yet this important point is not considered by Nasr in his book.

If Professor Nasr truly wants to create a sort of US/Western-Shia alliance or promote such a unity, he would be best advised to first himself understand the current scholarship and scholarship on Islamic governance and the centrality of the Islamic Republic and Revolution to the worlds' Shias and even the entire Muslim World.

Written by Cyan Garamond

Disciplines of the Prayer - II

2007-11-30T02:43:00.000+01:00

Prayers are an integral part of a muslim's life. We are told to establish prayers, to give charity and to obey the Prophet of Allah [pbuh] in the Quranic repeatedly. The Prayer of a Momin is known as the Meraj of a Momin. One can establish the lofty status that worship holds in Islam. However rather than talking about the spiritual aspect of the Prayer have we ever considered the physical concept of the Prayer? Islam is a religion which encompasses all entities be it physical, spiritual, social, economical or political hence one cannot take one aspect in its entirety and disregard the other aspects for then you have only taken what you feel sufficient and disregard the rest. Below are the physical actions within Prayer and their meanings found in the books of different Scholars:

Takbeer: There are a few explanations regarding this action. When one puts their hands up for takbeer it is as if one has surrendered to Allah. It is a gesture to show that one has completely submitted to the will of Allah. Another explanation found is that takbeer is symbolising that God is greater than what we describe and nothing matters other than Allah. The takbeer represents the fact that one is leaving the world behind and submitting to God.

Ruku: When one goes into the position of ruku, the act symbolises that one is expressing that if even one's head is chopped off in the path of God then so be it. It is an act which symbolises that one submits to the will of Allah in every way.

Sajda: Every step of the sajda is significant. The first sajda symbolises our creation from dirt, then when we get up it symbolises that God gave us life from this dirt and then when we prostrate again it symbolises our death - knowing that one day we will be buried in this dirt and it is all what will be around us. The smell of the dirt at that moment in prostration is the smell that we remain with us when we die.

Another explanation of Sajda is that when one goes down into sajda - one cannot get any lower - the rising symbolises God giving life and the second sajda is a reminder of the return to God, death. In between the sajdas it symbolises the life - and shows that God wants one to spend it seeking forgiveness.

It is said that Imam Ali [as] was asked about Sujood and the reason we do two Sujoods. Imam Ali [as] replied that the Sujood was the most humbling act of humans towards their God. In Sujood, a man puts him most precious part of his body which is the head that holds the brain, on mud as a sign of slavery to Allah.

منها خلقناكم وفيها نعيدكم ومنها نخرجكم تارةً أخرى

(From the (earth) did We create you, and into it shall We return you, and from it shall We bring you out once again.) (20:55).

Hence, the first Sujood signifies that we are created from this earth. The second signifies our return to the earth. And on the day of judgement we will rise again from the earth.

May Allah accept our worship. . .

An Evening with the US Ambassador

2007-11-30T02:24:00.000+01:00

On Thursday 15th Nov the US Ambassador to UK visited Dundee. His name Robert Holmes Tuttle, served under Reegan and now under Bush. I decided to go to the talk to listen first hand and notice first hand the behaviour how the US politicians present their views to the public. To say the least I was disappointed, the talk was nothing but the usual release of hot air about Iran, Terrorism and Extremism and a whole sermon about the virtues of US and their policies. The talk by the Ambassador was divided into three parts as he referred to it, one part about the Poverty, the second about the Climate while the third one being about the Terrorism and Extremism yet the main point that stood out in all three of them was Terrorism. Somehow the Ambassador connected everything to Extremism .

The start of his speech was quite interesting. He started with the point about talking about Democracy and how Democracy as a form of rulership has quadruple over the last decade in the world where 120 nations have adopted that. Crticially one has to ask what form of Democracy are we discussing here. Democracy as defined in its true entirety or the one defined according to US and their allies.

I read somewhere once that 'Artists use lies to reveal truth while Politicians use lies to hide truth' and it seemed that this person was living by this statement. In the part about Poverty, this personnel took the liberty to mention that US is providing mass aid to Africa, the figures mentioned by him were somewhere in around $20 million yet let us take the parallel to how much money has been spend in the so called war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan, a massive $1.3 trillion which makes the aid to Africa looks miserly not to mention it makes the US looks stupid as a country or rather a super power like US should be able to give more to the nations which are down trodden with poverty. If the aid is really helping the African nations countering Malaria and HIV then why is it that Darfur region is still suffering? The thought that came to my mind was that the only aid the people of Sudan received is the B52 bombing the region.

If you think the above example was dubious then wait till you read about the one in regards to Climate. He had the audacity to compare a population of 300 million [US population] with a population of nearly 1.3 billion [China population]. He made out that US was doing more in regards to controlling the environment than China. Somehow it all felt like a propoganda technique given that how can one make the comparison between US and China? Greater population does not automatically means that the country is the highest green gas producer or rather they are lacking in their efforts to control Climate change. Given the amount of fossil fuels burned and used by US is certainly greater in comparison to China. Did he even take in consideration the amount of oil that is consumed by US which is imported from the Middle East? I think not.

Last but not least the topic of Extremism, always an interesting topic given the times of today. He started off by implying that the Iranian Nation had no justification to have nuclear weapons, note the subtle hint. Anyone who is aware of the Iranian Political System or rather the laws of the country would know that the nuclear weapons are forbidden, not to mention how he has twisted the whole nuclear issue and implied that it is all about the weapons and not the technology itself. Then he goes on to talk about his visit to the Glasgow Mosque in the Afternoon where he met with the Muslim Leaders there and discussed extremism. The example in itself was a very bad one, which was later pointed out in one of the questions. The fact that in his speech he talked about the Muslim Leaders has indicated subtly that extremism is only found in the Muslim Communities - giving the wrong message to the audience. It should always be implied that extremism is found in all walks of life and in all forms which he failed to do.

His speech ended with a quote from Winston Churchill about Democracy where he quoted him saying 'Democracy is the worst form of administration but not as worse as the other forms of rulership' [not the exact wording]

So after the talk it was time for the heat to be turned on the Ambassador. The topic was always going to be the US foreign policy, given the nature of his talk. The first question was incidentally from the person sitting next to me. Hardly to say I instantly knew what the question would be about, as referred to in my last post I pointed out that the flawed point about the Ambassador meeting the Muslim Leaders in Glasgow about Extremism. The question was in relation to discussing Extremism or rather the Terrorism acts of Israelis ie whether the Ambassador in all his years had ever taken the oppurtunity to imply or rather taken the discussion about terrorism with his Israeli counterparts and no not about the bombings from Hamas rather about the oppression of Israelis on Palestinians. Suffice to say the question was answered in the least convincing manner. He shrugged off the label of Israeli oppression by suggesting that it is a debate which can continue long into the night and hence it is a seperate topic in itself. On the issue of using the example of his meeting Muslim Leaders, he by passed that bit of the question by implying that he has met leaders from all walks of life. Even if we take his word for that there is still the possibility of misleading the audience by the example of Muslim Leaders meeting. Something which I doubt many in the audience picked up.

Most probably the best question of the evening came next from this lady, who was a lecturer from the politics department. Her questioned started off talking about how Hitler and the Nazis had prisoned all the Jews in the concentration camp regardless of any charges and kept them there with the label of threat to national security which she drew a parallel to the current situation of Guantanamo bay where more than 300 prisoners are detained without a trial or any charges to their name hence implying that it is no different than a concentration camp. Furthermore, in the lecture the Ambassador had mentioned that US is great friends with democratic nations around the world, a very interesting point nonetheless what followed by the questioner made this statement look ridiculous. She put to the Ambassador how does US take Saudi Arabia to be great friends given that there is no concept of democracy in the country not to mention the terrorism that flows out from there.

Suffice to say what was coming did not even do justice to the question at all. The Ambassador declined to answer the question in relation to Saudi Arabia - which says alot about their friendship. As for the question about Guantanamo bay, the Ambassador really believes that there has been progress given that these people, who according to him, belonged to no nation and were deemed to be greatest threat to the World have been blessed with the right to have their case represented by a civil attorney in a federal court. Given the accounts of torture at Guantanamo as well as the fact that these people have not been tried under a federal court or rather it would be better to say that their cases has not even reached federal court shows that the comments of the Ambassador are very far fetched. If indeed these prisoners were given the right to civil attorney to present their cases then why the need to keep them there for more than 5 years without trial? If they really believed that these people are a threat and terrorists so why not go on trial and see the result? Remember those brits who were freed from Guantanamo without any charges a few years ago, I guess the transatlantic relation were really beneficial for their release.

'Nuclear Non Profileration Treaty' - something which is thrown about alot these days given the nuclear hype in the World was at the heart of the next question. The questioner made a true comparison between Iran and Israel by indicating that it is fruitless pushing Iran on the nuclear issue given that on the other hand Israel is a more volatile entity given that it has nuclear arms - something which was met with a few scoffs around the audience. The answer was laughable to say the least, the Ambassador indicated that given that Iran signed the Nuclear Non Profileration Treaty they had clearly broken the terms of the treaty and hence should be accountable. As for the part of Israel being volatile with the nuclear weapons he dismissed that saying that they are not binding to the treaty hence they are fully justified in having them - he stated that in not so many words but it was clear what he was implying. What the Ambassador forgot to take into consideration again as pointed out before is that Iran only wishes to enrich Uranium for energy purposes and civilian projects but clearly the propoganda notes are handed down to the lower delegates too. His views were no different that of Mr Bush about the Iran nuclear issue. To me there were two interesting points to note about this answer which relate back to his speech; firstly if Israel attacks a country with nuclear weapons they are not held accountable given that they are not binding to the treaty which in turn gives them a green light to do as they wish, quite hypocritical is it not? Well what is it to follow is even more hypocritical, in his speech the Ambassador suggested that US is not all perfect and all wise yet the actions of the US Administration suggest otherwise for example take the Iran nuclear issue. The findings of IAEA, the experts on this issue, have been rejected by US and France as well as open calls for Al Baradaei resignation suggest a big contradiction to the words of the Ambassador. One has to wonder are they holding out for another for intel on Iran by dismissing the experts on the issue. The information by 'Curveball'has left the nation of Iraq in turmoil one can only wonder what would happen in Iran, if such a situation arises again.

Let me conclude this post by talking about the thoughts of the Ambassador on the issue of Palestine-Israel conflict. The Ambassador in response to a question about the involvement of Tony Blair in the peace process outlined that the 'two state' settlement is probably the best solution for the region given that the Palestinians are dying in poverty and he believes that Tony Blair is the perfect man to the job because of his relationship with the US President George Bush and with the other ME States. For starters, the Ambassador completely ignores the issue of Palestinians in Gaza which means that this 'two state' solution would probably not involve them and secondly, is the whole 'two state' solution theory not too little too late given that Mr Bush is in his penultimate year and two years late on the implementation of the soluion. One has to question why then is Tony Blair there? The answer is a simple one and I think the questioner put it beautifully, albeit in the question form but nevertheless there is no two ways about it, 'Is Tony Blair there for nothing but to act as a gatekeeper for big daddy US?'

- Eid Mubarak -

2007-10-14T04:41:00.000+01:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِِ

O Allah ! Bless us in the day of our Eid and our fast breaking and let it be the best day that has passed over us" - Imam Ali Zainul Abidin (A.S.)- Sahifa Al-Sajjadiyya

Wishing you &your Family

Eid Mubarak.

May Allah (s.w.t) by wasila of Ahlul Bayt a.s. grant you good health and happiness.

May Allah (s.w.t) accept all our prayers and fulfill all our wishes, and May He shower his blessings on you and your family today and always!

May Allah (swt) accept our participation in this holy month of Ramadhan in what little we could do, and reward us, and our loved ones who are no longer with us, through His Mercy and Rehma.
And grant us an extension of our lives with good health so that we are able to get closer to Him.

Ameen, Rabbul Alamin

Eid: A Time of Worship or Partying?

2007-10-14T04:02:00.000+01:00

As Ramadhan begins, Muslims all over the world prepare themselves for a month of fasting and worship. Truly this month is filled with blessings from our Lord, who has granted us thirty days of limitless potential in which to please him. In Ramadhan, the gates of Jannah are wide open and Shaitan is imprisoned. Fasting is amongst the most of beloved acts to Allah (SWT). Indeed it is an obligation upon all believing men and women in this month, and it is a means of seeking nearness to Al-Kareem. As He (swt) says Surah al-Baqarah of the Qur’an:

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you so that you may become al-muttaqoon (pious)" [Holy Qur'an, 2:183]

In the nights to come, we will tend prayer, partake in iftar feasts and attend Islamic lectures. However, I would like us to cast our mind thirty days ahead, so as to ask ourselves what will happen after this month has concluded? For just as surely as the youth spend the nights of Ramadhan in worship, on Eid they spend the night out in town, partying and playing loud music. Should you have had the opportunity to visit Southall on Eid, you may have seen them driving up and down the broadway in flashy cars, waving flags and blasting out the latest rhythms from a subwoofer installed in their boot. The religiosity of Ramadhan is immediately forgotten, whilst the good deeds and blessings of gathered during that month are washed away as people revert to their merry old ways of seeking a life of pleasure and resuming a life of freedom.

We must ask ourselves, why is it that we only remember Islam during the sacred months of Ramadhan and Muharram, and during special occasions such as Hajj; but neglect our faith for the rest of the year? For thirty days the masjid is overflowing with worshippers, but just as the month is over, the Qur’an sits gathering dust on the shelves whilst the congregation for Maghrib prayers reduces to a single row. Our mentality seems to be that we separate our lives into the compartments of ‘worldly matters’ and ‘spiritual affairs’. Ramadhan is a ‘spiritual’ time when we must concern ourselves with God, worship and the afterlife. On the other hand, we leave our Islam in the masjid or on the bookshelf when we are faced with a ‘worldly’ issue.

This attitude is deeply rooted in the secular Western lifestyle. In the West today, we are told that Religion and State (God and Reality) are two separate entities and completely unrelated to one another. Capitalism promotes a shallow, materialistic view of life, which is completely detached from what came before it, or what shall follow it. From a young age, people in the West are encouraged to believe that the purpose of their existence is to have fun and follow their desires. Society instills values such as utilitarianism and individualism in human beings, driving them to pursue material success, sensual gratification; and not to ask important questions about their existence. In today’s world, God and religion have been attributed an almost mythical quality. As a result, people freely obey their animal instincts. One only needs to look at health and crime figures, at the number of alcohol related incidents, the spiraling rate of teenage pregnancies and the prevalence of drug culture to realise that this attitude is not healthy for an individual, nor for society as a whole.

The Prophet (SAW) described this world as a "…prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever." Since, for a materialist who does not believe in God or the hereafter, this world is as good as it gets for him. On the contrary, for the believer who has firm faith in his heart that there is a God and an afterlife, will recognise this world as the lowest existence, unlike the materialist, who lives only for worldly pleasure. When we consider our existence, we must understand that this world is transitory and temporal and that the pleasures of this life are nothing compared to the rewards of the afterlife.

The Prophet (SAW) once compared the two beautifully when he said "The wealth of this world (dunya) is like a drop of water on the head of a pin, compared to the vast oceans of the hereafter." Islam was sent to us as a mercy, to guide us and ensure that we were amongst the successful people in this life and on the day of judgement. This world is a test for a believer who is going to heaven, while it is an all-day and all-night rave for a disbeliever who is going to hell.

So while the West ‘lives life to the max’ and indulges in the pursuit of pleasure, we must remind ourselves of the day of judgement. When Allah (SWT) will lift us from our graves and ask us what we did with the life that he gave us. Amir ul-Mumineen (AS) said: "No one shall move on the day of resurrection until he is questioned about what he has done during his life, what he has used his youth for, how he has used his knowledge, and how he has obtained his wealth and spent it".

It is obvious that Allah (SWT) will not merely judge us on our behaviour during one month of the year but on our deeds throughout our entire lifetime. Clearly Islam has its own values, principles and ideas. It calls upon us to recognise that there is indeed a Creator, and that He has sent down guidance to us. The Islamic viewpoint on life is comprehensive; taking into full account man, this world, and the hereafter, thus providing him with correct and reasonable answers to his most important questions. Consequently, how is it possible that we can neglect Islam once Ramadhan has passed and yet call ourselves Muslimeen - people who submit to the will of God. Our Creator, the Lord of the Universe, said in the Qur’an:

"And whoever seeks a [way of life] other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers" [Holy Qur'an, 3: 85]

Our attitude towards Islam must remain consistent throughout the year. While it is true that in the blessed thirty days of Ramadhan our good deeds are multiplied, they will mean nothing if the other three hundred and twenty days of the year are not met with the same devotion to Allah (SWT). We must reject the secular notion of ‘matter’ and ‘spirit’ being disconnected and realise that every day brings with it new opportunities for us to please our Creator.The pleasure of Allah (SWT) is not merely through acts of religious worship, but also through good conduct. It is not sufficient to pray, fast and give charity, if you do not embody the Islamic personality. There is a famous hadith on this subject, narrated by Ibn Abbas (RA) when a man approached the Prophet (SAW) and complained "O Prophet of God, there is a woman who spends the entire day fasting, and the entire night in prayer, but she is rude and troubles her neighbours" to which the Prophet (SAW) replied: "There is no good in this woman of whom you speak, and her place is in the hellfire". The piety of a believer is reflected not only by his devotion to religious worship, but also by his or her actions and behaviour in everyday life. Thus, if we truly desire a place amongst the followers of the Ahlul-Bayt (AS), we would do well to heed Imam as-Sadiq’s (AS) advice when he (as) advised, "Behave so that you are ornaments to us, and do not shame us. Tell people of goodness and guard your tongue; hold it from excessive talk and offensive speech".

Ramadhan and Eid ul-Fitr are not merely religious rituals that provide us with an excuse to enjoy ourselves. They embody important values and by participating in them we should be seeking to please our Creator, attain nearness to Him and guarantee ourselves a place in the Hereafter. Thus, Eid must not merely mark the ‘end’ of Ramadhan. Rather, it should be the pinnacle of the month; a day when we exemplify the Islamic character and Islamic values that we have spent the past thirty days focused upon. It is a day of charity, because we distribute gifts to the poor and needy. It is a day of remembrance and unity since we remember Allah (SWT) when we offer our prayers standing together in the Masjid. Most of all, Eid is a day of victory as we have triumphed over Satan and succeeded in subduing our desires as well as purifying ourselves. Indeed, this is a victory that we should not abandon, for the Prophet (SAW) said, "The wise one is he who disciplined himself and worked for what is after death, while the foolish one is he who followed his desires and then made (vain) prayers to Allah"

May Allah (SWT), the most High, the most Merciful, grant us the full blessings of this sacred month and help us to live by Islam and exemplify the teachings of the Prophet (SAW) and the Ahlul-Bayt (AS) through our every day lives.

Written by Iskander Khaleeli

The Enlightened Soul. . .

2007-09-13T03:09:00.000+01:00

The Holy Qur'an refers to two features of fasting in Ramadan: mental and practical. These are like the wings of a bird on which man flies through the heavenly space of spirituality in the month of Ramadan.

The Qur'an says: "Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong)." (2:185)

This means that in the month of Ramadan, one should get to know the Qur'an better and, through the clearance of guidance, take a broader view of the right and wrong of life. The Qur'an says: "O you who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil)." (2:183). Here the Qur'an emphasizes piety; that means fighting against and having victory over the false deity of the soul. Imam Ali (A.S.) said: "The bravest are those who gain victory over the false deity of their souls." (Safinatul-Bihar; vol.1, P.689).

In the holy month of Ramadan, human beings are the guests of God; therefore they have to be eligible for His divine honor. The Qur'an says: "We purified him so that he could be saved." (91:9) Also the Qur'an says: "We created man of the best stature. Then We reduced him to the lowest degree." (95:4-5)
God has given man the power and insight to choose his course in life. God has also given man the attribute of knowledge in an abstract form. This is the divine trust that man has assumed. The Qur'an says: "Surely We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to be unfaithful to it and feared from it, and man has turned unfaithful to it; surely he is unjust, ignorant." (33:72) Satan, who symbolizes the wrong and animal dimensions of man, refused out of arrogance to prostrate before Adam and was cast out of Paradise. So, in order to retaliate, he has been tempting man ever since. For salvation, man needs the purification of his soul in addition to knowledge and insight. Such purification is obtained by having heartfelt faith in God. Man's soul should enjoin him unto good, not unto evil. He should break the chains of darkness through reflection and erase the burdens of sin through repentence, then only man can evolve to the higher realms of spirituality.

The Qur'an says: "And I do not declare myself free, most surely (man's) self is wont to command (him to do) evil, except such as my Lord has had mercy on, surely my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful." (12:53)
Man should not be a prisoner of his soul enjoining himself unto evil. Imam Khomeini (r.a.) said that if man wanted to attain human perfection, he should avoid worldly pleasures and strive to get nearer to God. The Qur'an says:"It is He who has placed you as viceroys of the earth....". Then how can man, as a viceroy of God, be without the attributes of his Lord?" A true man of faith has kindled the fire of faith within him, and fasting is something that enhances his faith. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said: "Fasting is prescribed for man to purify his soul." In Ramadan, the month of fasting, you become the guest of God. Do praise Him with devotion. God will answer all your prayers in this month. Fasting is the glad tidings of God's all-embracing mercy. It is the time where breathing is also worship of Allah. It is the month whose beginning is mercy, its middle is forgiveness and its end, emancipation from the fire of Hell.

Imam Ali (A.S.) asked the Prophet on the last Friday of the month of Shaaban: "What is the best thing to do in Ramadan?" The Prophet answered: "The best thing is to avoid committing sins." (Yun al-Akhbar ar-Ridha, vol.1). It is also stated that eating and drinking alone do not cause refraining from fasting. It should be known that refraining from everything that causes man to part from God is also counted. Fasting has many advantages. God calls man to His feast while he is hungry, so then man can best appreciate the value of His bounties. It is the time where man realises his significance and the significance of his Lord. He realises through his reflection how infinite is the mercy of the Creator and how unparallel are His blessings. The month of Ramadan is the spring of the Qur'an. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said: "He who reads a verse of the Qur'an in Ramadan is equal to having read all of the Holy Qur'an in other months." (Bihar alAnwar, vol.16). Imam Ali (A.S.) said: "Do muse about the Qur'an whose teachings make your heart bloom with divine guidance". (Baharul-Anwar, vol.2). Imam Muhammad Baqir (A.S.) said: "Read the Qur'an while regarding God Who manifests Himself unto man in His words." Quran is guidance for all, it contains the knowledge by which one can be humbled with the remembrance of the Almighty. It is that miracle which has so many layers of knowledge and understanding to it, it is as a vast ocean of knowledge binded between the two covers. It contains the answers to our needs, the cure to our faults, the light to our darknesses and much more. It is the book which if taken in proper instruction keeps us on the 'Siratul Mustaqeem' - the phrase defined by 14 letters, implemented by the 14 Infallibles and the necessary model needed in our lives today.

On the Night of Power pray to God with all your heart and He will definitely answer all your prayers. The Qur'an says : "Surely We revealed it (the Holy Qur'an) on the grand night. And what will make you comprehend what the grand night. The grand night is better than a thousand months. The angels and Gibreel descend in it by the permission of their Lord for every affair, Peace! It is till the break of the morning." (97:1-5)

A night when prayers are answered and none are turned empty handed from His door. It is narrated that every lawful wish of a servant is answered in this great night. The Angels descend on this night all over the earth and when they pass through the gatherings of believers, they send salutations and praises upon them, and consider their prayers until the dawn. Believers should keep themselves wide-awake and perform the act of worship unto their Lord overnight, especially on the Night of Power. The Prophet (S.A.W.) said: "Those who are deprived of the divine forgiveness are indeed ill fated." He also said: "Pray to God, repent and He will answer all your prayers." (Uyun alAkhbar, al-Rida, vol.1)

The feast of Fitr is God's reward for those who fast during the holy month of Ramadan. In this month, man should try to add to his true knowledge of God, do acts of charity for the needy renew his beliefs towards his Lord and this will be a real Bairam (the feast of Eid-e-Fitr) for him. The prayers of the day of Bairam a reason of unity and solidarity of Muslims all over the world. On this day do honor God for His endless and all-enhancing mercy.

With thanks to One who is the best of Planners
Ramadhan Mubarak!

Fasting: A Divine Banquet

2007-09-13T02:24:00.000+01:00

Allah, The Exalted sent messengers and prophets as blessings to humankind, to take them out of the labyrinths of uncertainty and aimlessness, guide them to the right path and inspire in them a virtuous life, which ultimately will be of benefit in the world to come. Allah forbade mankind nothing except that which would bring certain harm; and He enjoined nothing except that which is of benefit both in this present world and the hereafter.

As part of His unbounded grace, the All Wise has enjoined the month of fasting as an obligation on all those who profess to be Moslems. Hence, fasting during Ramadhan could very well be described as Allah's banquet. It is among the wonderful aspects of Islam, which build human character and personality, and help mould social life.

A fasting Moslem experiences the aesthetic pleasure of Allah's proximity and the joy of divine blessings. The feeling thus instils the will in believers to lead a life of content, filled with remembrance of Allah and ever responsive to His command.

A Moslem who fasts, experiences feelings of great spirituality and a profound sense of exaltation. He is sure of himself and is confident of moving towards perfection, because he consciously musters all his senses to direct his powerful will to serve and please his Creator.

The benefits of fasting are not confined to one's inner self alone, but also have social effects in influencing the community as an integrated whole. A fasting community enjoys all the comforts and pleasures resulting from obedience to the Almighty Allah. Society consequently consolidates itself directing its energies towards constructive public welfare. The members of such a society feel a sense of responsibility towards each other, characterized by mutual cooperation and kindness. It is a society, which asserts its supremacy over the mundane world of matter, and feels proud of its adherence to spiritual values.

Fasting, therefore, is a duty of many benefits. It strengthens in the individual and society the will to resist temptation and defy the forces of evil, injustice and deviation. A believer's soul, having tasted the pleasures of fasting, will never submit to other than Allah, and will never
entertain the idea of worshipping other than Him.

May Allah gives us the ability to make best use of this blessed month and may He elevate our souls through our good deeds and may our prayers be accepted in this blessed month Inshallah

Felicitations of Shabaan. .

2007-08-26T02:46:00.000+01:00

Munajaat is a form of Du'a that is distinguished by the closeness and intimacy it creates between the recitor and Allah. It is a secret conversation with the Almighty, often referred to as a whispered prayer. The Munajaat is a deep expression of the connection that a believer has with Allah, and it conveys the innermost feelings and yearnings of the human being. Its effect is profound, and brings immense pleasure and joy to a believer. In Hadith al-Qudsi, Almighty Allah tells Prophet Dawood (a), O Dawood, With Me (as your Lord) be happy, and through My Remembrance seek pleasure, and through My Munajaat find joy

The holy month of Sha'ban has a special Munajaat associated with it, taught by Imam Ali (a). It is a beautiful and moving Munajaat and people who understand its worth love reciting it and eagerly await the month of Shaban because of it. The poignant words of the du'a disclose the restless heart of the believer, and pour forth his hopes and fears, his desires and regrets. Positive hope in Allah flows through the du'a, yet the shame of past sins and mistakes weigh the recitor down. It is as though the believer whispers to His Lord in a wavering, conflicting state, overcome with both intense fear and strong hope. As Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a) says: There is no believer except that there are two lights in his heart; the light of fear and the light of hope. Each does not weigh more than the other.

Munajaat al-Sha'baniyyah

The following are some excerpts of Munajaate Sha'baniyya which express this tormented emotional state of the believer and his unflinching hope in Allah:

O Allah . . I am standing before You, trusting in You
weeping and beseeching You, hoping for what is with You of reward

My God, if I am undeserving of Your mercy
then it behooves You to be generous to me out of the vastness of Your grace

My God, it is as though I can see myself standing before You
under the shadow of my trust in You
and You say and do what is worthy of You
and cover me with your pardon

My God, I have dared to oppress my soul so woe be to it if You do not forgive it

My God You have been good to me throughout my life
so do not cut off the good from me after my death
how can I despair of Your mercy for me after my death
when you have not shown me anything but good throughout my life?

My God, You have concealed my sins in the world
and I am more needy of concealment in the hereafter

My God if You had wished humiliation for me, You would not have guided me
and if You had wanted to see me exposed, You would not have helped me
My God I do not think You will reject my request
for which I have spent my whole life asking You

My God if my deeds are small in comparison to what You deserve
my hope in You is great
My God how can I turn away from You disappointed
when I have the hope that I will turn away from You successfully
having received mercy?

My God, I am Your servant, the weak one, the sinner
Your slave, the one who turns repentant
so do not make me from among those whom You turn Your face away from

My God, the hopelessness of despair has not overcome my hope in You
nor has it cut off my hopes in the beauty of Your generosity

My God if my faults have lowered my status with You
then forgive me because of my trust in You

My God, if heedlessness kept me asleep from preparing for my meeting with You
then the knowledge of Your generous blessings has woken me up

The effectiveness of the Munajaat is enhanced when it is recited with a voice that is low and faltering, and a heart that is grieving. It is recommended that this munajaat be recited during the rest of the year too, and that excerpts of it be recited in Qunoot during the daily prayers.

May Allah hasten the reappearence of Imam Mahdi [ajtf] and give us the ability to elevate ourselves to be in his army Inshallah

(Shabaan - 1428)

Yaqeen - The level of certainty

2007-07-19T21:49:00.000+01:00

Doubts and questions plague us throughout our lives and it is through the answers of these questions that we progress to a level of belief in our faith, a level of certainty in the religion of Allah. The doubts are way of enlightenment for our minds as they help us understand the greatness of this religion and its fundamentals. We ourselves create clouds of uncertainty and perplexity by our questioning our firm beliefs. I am not implying blind belief in the religion of Islam, what I am saying is that once you have that firm belief in an aspect of Islam then why the need to create a doubt? Why the need to re assess that belief? Progression from a firm belief is better than try to progress with a doubt in mind. It would be as you take two steps foward and one step back and slowly that one step back would become two steps back and with time three steps back. Certainty is what makes us evolve spiritually as well as mentally. Having full certainty in a belief of the religion will evolve our understanding as through that certainty we will be able to access new doors and new paths within the religion and advance further towards the state of oblieration.

So the question would arise what is this certainty? And how can one acquire this certainty? The Islamic literature which we hold with us today would indicate that the level of certainty is one of the highest states possible for man, and why should it not be? We find that this man has the potential to evolve to that extend where the kingdom of Heavens and Earth are laid open before his eyes and has the potential by where the angels look down on to him and glorify him as he whispers to his Lord in the middle of the night. The level of certainty is indeed a treasure which what all good men of Allah seek.

Imam Ali [as] in a narration states: 'The result of silence is wisdom; the result of wisdom is enlightenment; the result of enlightenment is certainty'. When we pay attention and contemplate over the words of the Hadith we would find great pearls of knowledge within it. Silence could be related to reflection, and reflection is something which has been emphasised greatly in the Quran. It is through reflection the son of Adam realizes the purpose of his existence, the effects of his deeds and the path on which he threads on. He sees the goal of life in front of him and it is through this reflection he proceeds to attain that goal. It is the process of reflection coupled with wisdom which leads to enlightment within us, something which we all seek be it at different levels within us.

When a person attains the exalted spiritual position of certainty, then he does not care how does he starts his day, whether with ease or hardship, tragedy or comfort. Such is the state of those who have attained the position of content, and whoever attains this position acquires three inseparable characteristics: thanks (shukr) not contaminated with ignorance, invocation (dhikr) not mixed with forgetfulness and love not mixed with the love of others. All this comes together to relate to the hadith of the Holy Prophet [pbuh]: 'Certainty is complete belief'. Without certainty there can never be evolution of the soul nor can there be any understanding of the fundamentals of Islam.

Certainty is divided into three levels. Below are stated the levels using an example to describe each level:

1. `Ilm al-Yaqin : Which is certain and permanent conviction. It is like the conviction of a man who when he sees smoke believes with certainty that there must be a fire too.

2. `Ayn al-Yaqin: Which is beholding something with-either the outer or the inner-eye. Using the above example, it is like the conviction of a man who not only sees the smoke but fire itself.

3. Haqq al-Yaqin: Which is the state of certainty acquired when a form of spiritual and actual union exists between the knower and the known thing. This would be the case, for example, if one should be himself in the midst of fire mentioned in the above example. This is called "the union of the knower and the known".

Haqq al-Yaqin is the highest of the stages of certainty. It is the stage which is reached after one's soul is free from sins and corruption, when one's soul has reached the stage where it can receive and understand truth as well as be free from any blind imitation and prejudice.

In brief to attain certainty one must preform actions, since true faith and actions have reciprocating effects upon one another and thus in the Quran, alongside true faith (Iman), righteous actions have also been mentioned.

May Allah bestow upon us His blessings and shower His mercy in this great month of Rajab and may He give us the ability to attain the lofty levels of piety and wisdom through understanding Islam and its principles. May He hasten the reappearence of our Master Al Hujjah [ajtf]

'. . . Disciplines of the Prayer. . .'

2007-07-19T02:28:00.000+01:00

Know that for the salat, besides its form, there is a meaning and apart from its exterior it has an interior, and as the exterior has its disciplines, neglecting which would render the outer form of the salat invalid or incomplete, likewise its interior has cordial spiritual disciplines, neglecting which would render the spiritual salat invalid or incomplete; while observing them would inspire the salat with a heavenly spirit. These disciplines of the prayer are penned by Imam Khomeini in his book 'Adabus Salaat'. Lately on AIM forums, a few members got together and started AIM Reading Group, which was a positive step in terms of discussions about different topics and books. The members voted to study 'Adabus Salaat' as their first assignment. What I have stated in this blog post are my words coupled with a few extracts from other people's posts from the forums.

Introduction

The introduction penned by Hassan Khomeini relates to the whole idea of Submission in Islam. The first paragraph sums up a point of Submission to the Almighty Allah and then moves on to describe how one should live his life in this temporary world. The way I see it is that it describes the life of a momin in a nutshell. Then the writer has talked about the different aspects of the life of Imam Khomeini and has related them to the first paragraph and linked them with the duties and the responsibilities of a momin. Not to apply a political tone to my post but in regards to the condemnation from the West about certain aspects and decisions of Imam Khomeini's life were due to the difference in ideology between the West and that of Imam Khomeini. To sum it up in one sentence I would say the difference was because the West is a spiritual desert hence the concept of submission to a Greater entity is lost while what we find in the life of Imam Khomeini is the opposite. I think in his life Imam Khomeini had attained that level of Marifa where he knew what this life was all about and what is expected in this temporary world.

There is no doubt that the revolution which Imam Khomeini led is related to the religious outlook as described in the first two paragraphs by the author. Every aspect of the revolution had a touch of knowledge, spirituality or piety to it. When Imam Khomeini gave his first speech on 15th Khordad or when he returned back to Iran in 1979 there was always an element of believe in Him [Allah].

'. . .With a calm soul, a confident heart, a cheerful spirit and a conscience full of hope in Allah's favour. . .'

I think the above statement relates to the Ayah in Surah Fajr which talks about the nafs mutmainna. The way Imam describes the death is the way we find the description of nafs mutmainna in texts. Furthermore in my view maybe what Imam khomeini is relating is the death which comes before the physical death. I think one way to describe it would be how one should spiritually de-attach themselves from this world which would be a way of death too and the description which is stated by Imam Khomeini about death is from the point of de-attachment till the physcial death. I hope that makes sense :unsure:

Dedication 1:

I remember once my teacher described to me that the life of a man can be represented by a drawing of a mountain, the peak of the mountain would represent youth while the two bases would be the birth and death. I think that is what Imam Khomeini is relating to his son about the shortcomings. As he has passed through that stage where he knows his shortcomings he is advising his son to make sure he does not do the same during his life. I guess another way of describing this would be like how parents have high aspirations from their progeny and expect their progeny to out do them and be better than them so I think it is a sense of fatherhood too which is the reason for relating such things to his son. Another point to note here is that he is not advising his son while hiding the fact that he has shortcomings infact he has admitted to that, something which relates to a Hadith which goes along the same lines that one who advises another person but does not take heed from it is living under complete ignorance - Imam Ali [as]

In his message to his son Imam Khomeini stresses the need to avoid selfishness and glory. I think the reason for this is that selfishness would lead to greed and having that would make one evolve in an egoistical manner as well as make one the slave of his/her nafs. Glory would restrict evolution of the mind, body and soul and hence the path of spirituality would become blocked. Some of the greatest Ulemas of the past generation have stressed on this point that one should remove the need to be glorified or feel a sense of pride in order to progress spiritually, something which is very sound advice as demonstrated in the another book of Imam Khomeini.

In regards to the last question I think intention holds the key to every action. If for instance the intention is corrupted then the action preformed from that intention would be corrupted too as well as the effort in that action would not be whole due to the fact that the intention is corrupted. So right intention would lead to right action and hence the right action would be the more rewarding one.

Perfection of intention is something highlighted always yet I still fail to endorse it, and excuse myself for doing actions, even though they are good, by ignoring the selfish worldly pleasures I enjoy by it. Imam Khomeini's hard work for the Islamic republic of Iran is nothing anyone can ignore, and is reflected in all his teachings and actions, and all that is spoken of him. Making such an instruction to his son shows the purity of his intentions and the strength of his soul.

Kawther

Dedication 2:

The couplet which is written in the beginning of the dedication is something which I found to be very interesting. One of the things which I derived from it relates to the notion mentioned earlier in the thread about an accepted prayer being the criteria for other deeds to be accepted.

Imam Khomeini prays that his daughter in law becomes one of the musallin even though she preforms the actions of the prayer is because he wishes her to realise the essence and the secrets of the prayer. Like the hadith of the Imams [as] which talk about that the prayer being for Allah alone as He is the one who deserves to be worshipped, I think that is what Imam Khomeini is praying for that may his daughter in law be blessed with that level of marifaat in regards to worship. Plus having perfection in prayer would lead to the acceptance of other actions hence the emphasis on this title.

About the hadeeth, "My heart is sometimes covered (as if with unmindfulness), so I ask forgiveness from Allah seventy times every day", and his comment that "discerning Allah in multiplicity [is] opacity with respect to Allah": you're right, there is a lot of weight in these few simple words, and it isn't immediately easy to grasp. I'll start by explaining imam Khomeini's comment, then work back to the hadeeth:

Discerning Allah in multiplicity - this means shirk (multiplicity as opposed to unity), in this particular context I believe it refers to putting other things or desires on the same level of importance as Him. If you do this you will have opacity with respect to Allah, that is, your vision with respect to Him will be clouded, unclear and opaque. So, the statement translates to mean "Assigning other things the same importance as Him makes you lose clear sight of Him. It is important to note here that shirk has a wider definition than praying to another God: anything you spend all your time and effort on is in effect what you are living for, which is also a partner to the God whom you should be living for.

The hadeeth of the Prophet (saw) then shows us how to behave when worldly things lure our attention and imagination so that we become engrossed in them so much we become unmindful of Allah: asking for forgiveness 70 times in a day helps you remember Allah again, and dismiss anything else which takes over your thought and effort so much it pulls you away from Allah.

Blissful

Lastly I came across this hadith which relates quite well to this book.

The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) has said: “The good deeds of one who, without any appropriate excuse does not offer his prayer until its time passes away, are annulled.” He then said: “The divide between a believer and disbelief is the abandonment of prayers.”

Biharul Anwar, Volume 82, Page 202

Even though prayer in our normal day lives makes up less than an hour yet the importance of it is very vast. I think having a sense of perfection in prayer would lead to a greater level of certainty in regards to other aspects of religion.

I have also included a link to the downloadable copy of the book as well as a link to the actual discussion on the AIM forums:

- Adabus Salaat - Reading Assingment 1

- Adabus Salaat - Downloadable Copy of the Book

Maay Allah grant us all the ability to keep our intentions pure, and accept our imperfect acts.

The Ummah on a Suicidal Course

2007-07-03T11:49:00.000+01:00

The Ulama of Nafs since ancient times have categorised certain weaknesses, sins, faults, and transgressions in human actions as ‘diseases of the heart’. These types of diseases are not associated with the heart which is a lump of flesh inside the human body and that pumps blood and is susceptible to several physical ailments. But they are associated with the spiritual illness which is much more dangerous and destructive than the illness of physical heart. An individual might be quite robust and active, indicating that his physical heart is healthy. But his deeds, feelings, expressions and words, emanating from his innermost intention, might indicate that he is afflicted with spiritual disease. That is why, Islam has emphasised that the acceptability of deeds depends on the intention, which is abstract and which can be concealed from the rest of the world (but not from God) with very smart manipulation.

Imam al-Muttaqeen, Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) has said: “judge yourself before you are judged”. Imam Moosa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) has said: “He is not from us who does not judge himself (yuhasib nafsahu) everyday. So if he does a good deed, he increases it; and if he does a bad deed, he asks the forgiveness of Allah and repents to Him”. But there are certain deeds where the rights of ‘Ibad (slaves of Allah) are usurped. These are not forgivable until the aggrieved party forgives them first; and the warning of this nature is given in several ahadith of the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) and his Ahl ul Bayt.

When the rights of others are usurped, this can be an individual responsibility and a collective responsibility. Surat Yusuf in the Qur’an speaks about an individual transgression which was committed by the wife of Aziz and a collective transgression which was committed by the brothers of Yusuf (peace be upon him).

When a premeditated transgression occurs collectively, then those involved take upon themselves the burden of sins on their own behalf and on behalf of others who rely on their judgement and decision. In certain cases, this becomes a major sin. The Ulama of the past used to habitually take stock or inventory of their actions at the end of every day, to critically examine the lapses that might have, intentionally or unintentionally, occurred during the day. This method is the best means of muhasabah (self accountability) before it is too late to rectify the transgressions and before the matter is presented to the Supreme Judge on the Day of Reckoning. Allah says: “Verily, We have warned you of a near Punishment, the Day when man will see (the deeds) which his hands have sent forth, and the Unbeliever will say, "Woe unto me! Would that I were a mere dust!" (Qur’an, 78:40).

Alas! The Muslim Ummah is passing through the most humiliating phase in its history, in which the main culprits are the Muslims themselves. Some intentional actions which emanate individually and collectively may raise suspicion that perhaps the members of the Ummah are not convinced about the coming of the Day of Judgement! Perhaps they believe that the Nakirain who are recording the deeds have gone into retirement! Perhaps they think that they would be able to successfully employ the manipulative tactics they have been employing in this life, in the Hereafter too! Or perhaps they think that they have already obtained a green card to enter Heaven, so there is nothing to worry about!

The progeny of the Nasibites and the Kharijites have slapped the face of the entire Muslim Ummah through their wholesome destruction of human life and by destroying the Islamic sanctities like, the shrine of Askariyyain (peace be upon them). But aren’t we, one way or another, accomplices in their ugly deeds? They remain united in their transgression and we remain divided for the sake of our egotism! Allah warns: “Have you seen him who has taken his own passion (or desire) as his god?” (Qur’an, 25:43). To remain apathetic to the matters pertinent to the future and survival of the Ummah is like remaining self-indulgent, where an individual is not able to see beyond his own image. Otherwise, in how many commemorations marking the martyrdom of the great lady Fatima Zahra (peace be upon her) which stretched between Jamadi’ul Awwal and Jamadi’ul Thani did we remember those innocent souls who are paying a heavy price every single day with their lives in Iraq, for the mere reason that they are the defenders of the rights of Fatima Zahra (a.s.) and her blessed progeny? In how many commemorations did we try to educate our public about the filthy conspiracy at regional level, targeting the shrines of Ahl ul Bayt (a.s.) and aiming at desecrating all the signs of their sanctity? Are these innocent men, women and children who are steadfast on their love for Ahl ul Bayt (a.s.) dying in vain? Let not the warning of Imam al-Askari (a.s.) apply on us when he said: “The worst slave (of Allah) is the one who has two faces and two tongues…”

The face that remains indifferent to the calamity of the Ummah and the tongue that only moves when its own interest is involved, is miles away from the exhortation of Imam Ali (a.s.) who said: “Utter the truth, even if it is against yourself.”

The fact remains that the Ummah is the victim of collective transgression and an undeclared war within itself and against itself. The only way to counter this trend that is leading members of the Ummah towards the suicidal ditch is to make muhasabah with ourselves. Are we not applying dual standards in dealing with each other? Are we not discriminating against each other on the basis of race, colour, ethnicity or regionalism? Are we discharging the amanat (trust) of Huquq Shar’iyyah without personal bias and prejudice, likes and dislikes or are we choosy and discriminatory even in regard to Huquqal ‘Ibad? Haven’t we read the warning of Imam Ali (a.s.) that one brick of Haraam installed in a building justifies bringing down the entire building? Or do we think that the Divine mechanism devised for witnessing our innermost intentions does not exist? If we have no stamina to listen to the truth and to let others be educated on the basis of truth, and not only slogans, then we have lost the right of claiming that “we wish we were with you”, when in actions we speak otherwise.

By
Mahmood Abdulla

'. . .Shadow of Samarra. . .'

2007-06-20T18:11:00.000+01:00

The moon of Jamadi 'Al thani ascends in the skies of the earth and it brings with it the cries of oppression. With the light of the moon comes the mourning of the angels and the mourning of the household of the Ahlul Bayt [as]. The tragedy of this month signalled the first oppression on the pure household and now after fourteen centuries the wounds of oppression have been reopened, the blood which flows is pure as ever, the tragedy is different but the magnitude is the same. The Shrine of Samarra has been reduced to dust and what is left is the shadow of the great beings that existed there once upon a time. What is left in that town is nothing but sand on which the Hujjah of Allah once walked, and now he cries tears of blood on those sands of Samarra in the ruins of his parents' graves.

The destruction of the Samarra Shrine has become the pinnacle of the oppression in Iraq. It shows that even after the so called liberation the people of Iraq are oppressed due to the problems bought in the country by the invasion of the US army. Furthermore it is a sign to show the depth of the division between the Shias and the Sunnis of Iraq. For many years under Saddam the Shias and the Sunnis have lived side by side in brotherhood. Infact the very place where the destruction of the Shrine took place has a history by where the Shias helped the Sunnis and vice versa. A famous example of such act of brotherhood is found at the time when the plague was at large in Samarra. It was a very deadly plague and every day many people were falling victims to it. People consulted the religious authority at the time and he issued an edict for the people to recite Ziyarat e Ashura for 10 days and give the reward of the Ziyarat to Lady Narjis [sa], the mother of Imam Mahdi [ajtf]. Slowly the number of deaths were reduced and the only deaths that were being reported were that of the Sunnis so after consultation with the Shias they to carried out this act of worship and the reward was the same and in this way the whole plague was removed. This displays the magnitude of good tidings that the city enjoyed due to the presence of such holy figures within them.

Today Iraq stands divided, people are taking desperate measures to ensure their survival, there are no basic services to the public, people are dying everyday either by an insurgent attack or due to lack of food. Only yesterday, there was a story which talked about how Iraqi Orphans were starved of food and clothing and their guardians used their rightful belongings to earn money for themselves. What we are seeing in Iraq today is a measure of desperation from one side and on the other side an abuse of authority. People who have the authority are using it for their own benefit. This is happening on both micro and major level.

Samarra bombings will go down in the history as the day when the split between the Shias and the Sunnis deepened. When will this division end? When would this Ummah or more importantly the people of Iraq realise the consequences of this division? We are living in an era where our enemies are trying to divide us and conquer us one by one through our weaknesses. Money, power, authority, wealth, position and many other materialistic entities have taken over the hearts of the people. Today the injustices we find are all related to some sort of materialism, someone is out there to collect money to live a lavish life while someone else might want authority to set up his own way of rule in a state. What is required is for people to work in a manner which would be of benefit to others. We should take steps to unite this broken ummah rather than contributing to its division further.

In the end what is left in Samarra is nothing but ruins, which tells a story in itself. These very ruins can give us a great lesson if we ever decide to adhere to it. The principles of the Imams [as] who were buried there are the objectives by which we Shias live our lives but have we really implemented those principles in our life? Have we ever taken the initiative to understand and follow their teachings fully? If we only follow 1% of what they have left us that would be enough to make us see our wrongdoings yet we live in ignorance trapped in a bubble and are content with what ever this world provides us with. Such is the sad state of our Ummah!

May Allah hasten the reappearence of the one who shall spread justice!

O Caravan of Karbala. . .

2007-02-23T02:08:00.000+01:00

The fragrance of paradise still radiates from the martyrs on the sands of Karbala, the sorrow is still fresh in the heart of the mourners, the eyes still water endless tears upon the grieving eulogies and there is one who cries blood on the plains of Karbala in remembrance of his grandfather. He awaits in a state of grieving to hear the call to avenge the blood of these martyrs.

The mind travels to the plains of Karbala, the image is that of dust settling after the galloping of horses. The air clears and cries of the Women echoes on the plains of Karbala. The tents have burnt, the children have suffered, the household has been looted. In the darkness of the night their home is the blood stained sands of Karbala. Nearby a Lady has taken up the duty of her brave brother and keep vigilant in the blackness of the night with a broken spear in her hand, while on the battlegrounds of Karbala upon a headless body a Lady laments. This is Karbala, the land of Marytrdom.

The sun dawns and the Household are shackled with chains to embark on the journey to Kufa and Shaam. With hardships suffered and sorrows embraced they return to Karbala, the place where it all began. The place where now angels dwell on the earthly paradise. Deep in grief they pay their salutation to the Master of Martyrs and his companions. Upon the arrival, the women scatter to the graves of their beloveds, Umme Laila turns to her youthful Akbar, Rahbab sings a mournful lullaby to her Asgher, Umme Farwa speaks to the pieces of Qasim and my Imam shares the hardship of Shaam with the Master of Marytrs.

Karbala is left behind, Medina comes into sight. Umme Kulthum looks at the glowing city and recites an eulogy. The Caravan has come empty handed, the youth and the men massacred on the plains of Karbala, the women taken prisoners and dragged in the palaces and bazaars. The Household of Fatima [sa] was empty now, the light of Fatima [sa] was beheaded, the reflection of the Prophet [pbuh] was martyred, the sign of Hasan [as] was cut into pieces, the little soldier of Rahbab was pierced!

The days of this great tragedy remain numbered for this year, if life continues we may live to renew this allegiance again. If we leave this abode then accept this as our last salutations O Imam!

O Caravan of Kerbala I'm joining you....
O Caravan of Kerbala I'm joining you..
May my unholy blood be shed for you
O caravan of Kerbala Im done using you
Its time for me to learn from you
Whenever I feel I need help I think of you
O Caravan of Kerbala I dream of you
That one day like the turkish slave I will find you
And enraptured in my love for Hussain
I will bleed like you
O Caravan of Kerbala I'll walk with you
Walk on those plains of sorrow
Cut myself from the world
Embrace the beauty of Marytrdom
Wear the cloak of death
End with you.

I would like to thank Peace for her words as they were the inspiration for me to pen this poem. It is my first attempt! :)

Reaffirming our pledge to Imam Husayn [as]. . .

2007-01-16T19:11:00.000+01:00

The Sun of Dhul Hijjah has set. It takes away with it the warm happiness and joy. The darkness spreads as the moon of Muharram ascends, a thin crescent cloaked with sorrow. It brings with it the cries of the household of the Prophet [pbuh]. The month of Muharram has arrived and with it comes the remembrance of the tragedy of Karbala. It is the time of mourning for those who laid down their lives on the plains of Karbala and with their blood they revived Islam from the hands of hypocrites and infidels. Karbala, a living legacy which preaches patience, piety, righteousness, morality, truth and most of all it preaches a living stand against oppression and injustice.

The message of Al-Husayn [as] is fresh as ever. The blood spilled on the plains of Karbala is fresh as ever. The revolution of Al-Husayn [as] is an eternal revolution which shall echo in the words of the true revolutionaries till the day of Judgement. The spiritual bliss which man seeks comes from following the commandments of Islam and the Laws of Allah. The heart of men find rest in the remembrance of Allah. The Quran testifies to this [13:28] 'Those who believe and whose hearts are set at rest by the remembrance of Allah; now surely by Allah's remembrance are the hearts set at rest.' Allah has given man the ability to distinguish good from evil, to spread justice and stop oppression yet the man falls into the traps of darkness and uses power to spread hatred and oppression. Imam Al Husayn [as] was a figure who was the spring of knowledge, goodness and virtues while on the other hand Yazeed [la] was a figure who represent the epitome of filth, injustice and hypocrisy.

The struggle between the good and the evil, a struggle which has been continous since the advent of religion, carries on within our selves everyday we find battling against our nafs and fighting our worldly desires. It is not merely limited to our nafs more over we see the struggle of good and evil throughout this world. The oppression and injustice still lives on today within our societies, our communities and our nations. That is why we find the statement 'Everyday is Ashura, everyland is Karbala' is so widely spread. There are many who oppose the use of this statement as a slogan but what one has to realise is the context it effects us in. For instance in what way does it effect us?

One has to realise that this statement adheres to the micro level effect when used and not macro level effect. It can never be used in the macro level effect as there is no tragedy as great as Karbala nor is there a more sorrowful day than Ashura. What is meant by this statement is the reflection of the values of Karbala within ones preception. Karbala and the day of Ashura in physical terms are entities which happened and would never be repeated or matched in anyway however when it comes to the spiritual level the essence of Ashura is within all of us, for if it was not then we would never stand up for the same values as Imam Husayn [as] did.

The advent of Karbala has 3 parts to it. The first part was leading uptil the martyrdom of Imam Al Husayn [as]. The second part was from his martyrdom till the return of his household to Medina and the third part is what continues till this day and will do so until the advent of Imam Al Hujja [ajtf]. The third part of the advent of Karbala revolves around the followers of Imam Al Husayn [as]. Our duty is to carry the message of Karbala and propogate the principles for which Imam Al Husayn [as] stood for however it is not just simply propogating it one has to first apply those principles to themselves otherwise preaching what is not followed is the greatest form of ignorance.

When one studies and observes the steadfastness and unflinching support of the companions of Imam Al Husayn [as]; the unselfishness on the part of Abbas [as], the brother and the 'backbone' of the Imam's contingent; the understanding of death by Qasim, the Imam's young nephew; the repentence of Hurr and the desire to die an honourable and dignified death than to live a humiliating life demonstrated by Imam Al-Husayn [as] and his followers. That is another prespective which many of us have to work towards and reach and that is the micro level effect which gives light to that statement.

The messages we take from Al-Husayn [as] life and physical death are items to learn from even today: the bravery, the compassion, the acknowledgement of free will and personal choice, and the embracement of Truth. Like a human example of a compass, individuals of any school of thought or faith may grasp the core elements during their short time on this planet and attempt to reach for similar expressions.

And when we remember Imam Al-Husayn [as] and the history of his life and how he lived it, we undoubtedly are faced with the various aspects of the story and our reactions to it. Whether the lessons learned about fear, balance, anger, or sorrow, they all tie in with one another when introduced with a larger scope of why it becomes so important to us, that possibility being love.

Ahlul Bayt [as] are the manifestations of the virtues of Allah, the Creator, whose description is all the attributes combined (tawheed) and is the root of the attributes. Allah is profoundly loving one, or Al-Wadud. There is nothing in this creation, nothing in our empirical knowledge that can fully grasp the superlative nature of this love. With that in mind, our love for Al-Husayn [as] who manifested the attributes of Allah both in his character and acts is actually due to our inherent love for the virtues, which is actually love for Allah. Imam Husayn [as] and his companions at Karbala translated these supreme attributes in the form of actions, in life and death. Every action of the Imam [as] was the reflection of Allah's will.

Why do we feel anger when reminded of the events of Karbala? Why the sorrow? How does fear relate to these incidents and the individuals involved on both sides of the slaughter in Karbala? It is because we love God, and because Al-Husayn [as] did, too. Imam Al-Husayn [as] existed in our reality of creation as a righteous life and death, something we all hope for on some level with ourselves. How can one not love a prime example of what we attempt to become? With the clear, balanced life one comes closer to Allah. From the temperance of managing one’s fear and distractions of nafs-inspired desires comes the better ability to nurture our own love for Allah. As it is something we aspire to, and something that Hussain achieved, how can we not love him as well?

And so, in each tear shed, or in each shock felt at this unfathomable tragedy, we at the same time find the inspiration of purity of spirit, and the inevitable, underlying causation of it all: that of love.

As the Quran states in Surah Baqarah verse 52: 'You remember me and I will remember you. .' A perfect example of that verse we find in Imam Al Husayn [as]. He sacrificed everything he had on the plains of Karbala. He left Medina, the city of his Grandfather, he abandoned Mecca for the sake of Allah. Gave his Asgher to the treacherous arrows, gave the chest of his son Ali Akbar to the dagger, the arms of his Abbas [as] to the Euphrates and the veil of his sister Zainab [sa] to Shmir [la]. And Allah has kept his promise and the remembrance of Imam Al Husayn [as] carries on till the day of Judgemennt through us, his Shias. He has given us this great honour to remember the beloved of Fatima [sa], and to mourn the grandson of the Prophet [pbuh] and with His will to serve in the army of Al Mahdi [ajtf].

O the one who cries blood on the plains of Ashura, I pray to Allah for your reappearance for the chest of Al Husayn [as] will attain peace with your zuhoor O mawla!

Assalaam Alyka Ya Aba Abdillah Al Husayn. . .

Eid al Adha. . .

2007-01-01T17:47:00.000+01:00

Eid Mubarak to all

May Allah swt make this Eid and New Year a time for Peace, Prosperity and Tranqility for all Muslims

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

Say: Surely My Prayer and My Sacrifice and My Life and My Death are all for Allah [swt] - The Lord of the Worlds [6:162]

Inshallah in the coming year may Allah give us the ability to elevate ourselves to such great level that all our actions are in accordance to the Laws of Allah and for Allah alone. May the Blessings and Bounties of the Almighty shower upon us throughout the new year Inshallah!

A Broken Tasbih. . .

2006-12-30T03:13:00.000+01:00

A tasbih (rosary) is a beautiful thing. One hundred beads strung together with a single string each representing one of the beautiful names of the almighty all the beads lined up shoulder to shoulder. One bead by itself is alone, insignificant and hollow. But when all the beads are joined together it is complete, strong and becomes an instrument for the dhikr(remembrance) of Allah (swt).

It was my mother who taught me how to pray. I would be lying beside her at night and would make me repeat verse after verse and surah after surah. I never forgot those Surahs. I never forgot those verses. And I never forgot my mother's favours upon me. And most importantly I never forgot the lessons she taught me.

When I was young, I would sit next to my mother as she prayed imitating her. One day I decided to grab the tasbih and put it around my neck as a necklace. She looked at me her eyes filled with a mother's love and said, "A tasbih is not something to play with. If it breaks it will bring bad luck." The next day again I was playing with the same tasbih again. Again my mother stopped me.

One day when my mother wasn't around I managed to get a hold of my tasbih and intended to play with it to my hearts content, but instead, the tasbih broke. I didn't know what to do. I did the only reasonable thing that came to my mind. I hid the beads and the string that held it together under my bed and hoped my mom wouldn't notice.

She did notice of course. She asked me how come my tasbih wasn't in my janemaaz. I pretended I didn't know why. I was scared to tell her. I knew I had let her down because I didn't listen to her advice. And my ego was preventing me from coming clean.

After a couple of days of feeling guilty I finally gathered the courage to tell her. And to my surprise she wasn't angry at me. If anything she was proud that I had decided to come clean. Afterwards she helped me put the tasbih back together again. We sat there together she showed me how to take the string and organize the beads one by one until finally once again it was whole. I felt much better. My tasbih was whole again. Did I learn a lesson? I think I did. I look back in retrospect and realize that my mother could have easily fixed the tasbih but she made me sit next to her and we both worked together. I dutifully handed her each bead one by one being careful that I didn’t break or lose one of them due to my negligence and she took the string and carefully linked them together.

I look at the Muslim ummah today fragmented into insignificant pieces. I read the verse of the Quran that declares Muslims as the best of nations. (Quran 3:110) I feel the same way I felt with the broken tasbih in my hands. I feel hopeless. I am just as much responsible for this as anyone else. After all, what have I done to unite Muslims? The answer for most of is not much at all.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned us repeatedly not to break up into pieces, not to hate our own brothers and sisters in faith and to hold on to the rope of Allah.

"And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; ..." (Quran 3:103)

And we let him down. There is good news and there is bad news. The bad news is there are many hindrances to Muslim unity. On the other hand, the good news is, if we try we can overcome these hindrances. The root of all these hindrances is a lack of understanding on our part of the meaning of unity.

The first and foremost problem towards Muslim unity is that we have an expectation of uniformity. Unity is the state of quality of being in harmony with each other. Uniformity on the other hand demands that we are the same as each other in totality. When we hear the word unity we are actually thinking of uniformity. This leads to the formation of the ‘other’. We like to think that the ‘other’ doesn't know what they are talking about and that it will be really easy to make them change. When this fails we get frustrated. To our surprise people behave rationally. They aren't just different for the sake of being different. Unity and uniformity are completely different ideas. The former is possible without having the latter. In other words, unity is not accepting the beliefs of the other sect, but rather working together for a common cause.

How do we deal with the other? Islam shows us the answer to this as well. In one of his letters Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) advises Malik al Ashtar how to deal with the other. He says, “Remember, Malik, that amongst your subjects there are two kinds of people: those that have the same religion as you have; these are brothers to you, and those who have religions other than that of yours, they are human beings like you.” (Nahjul Balagha, Letter 53) It is important to note that in order to co-exist peacefully as human beings he does not insist on having the same faith.

A second hindrance to Muslim unity is Ignorance. Not just ignorance of the other, but also ignorance of the self. We have stopped reading the Quran. We don't even know enough about ourselves and our own history and as a result if someone mentions something we have never heard of we immediately feel the need to repel. We don't take in to account our own ignorance in the field, nor do we take in to account that at least the other person has taken the time to look this up themselves. Imam Jafar as Sadiq (a) says in his description of ignorance, “The lowest quality of an ignorant man is that he lays claim to knowledge which he does not deserve; his most common characteristic is ignorance of his own ignorance, and the most extreme aspect of his ignorance is to reject knowledge.” (Lantern of the Path, Section 9)

There are some of us who are ignorant about the beliefs of others, yet we are accepting of the fact that we aren't knowledgeable and thus won't pass judgements on the faith of others. Yet there exist perhaps amongst us another class of people who are ignorant themselves, yet they refuse to acknowledge that ignorance and are quick to pass judgements on others. There is a story narrated about Uthman ibn Makhzun where a woman of the Ansar cried over his grave and said, “May heaven be pleasant for you!” Even though Uthman ibn Makhzun was an eminent man and the Prophet (pbuh) cried heavily at his death the Prophet (pbuh) was displeased by this statement. He turned to the woman with a displeased look and said, “How did you know? Why did you make a statement out of ignorance? Have you received a revelation or do you know the account of God’s creatures?”(Usd al Ghaba, under Uthman ibn Makhzun) A similar event is recorded regarding the death of Sa’d ibn Mu’adh in which Sa’d’s mother said a similar statement and the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Be silent; do not make a decision with certainty in God’s affairs.” (Bihar al Anwar, vol 3, p. 165) While this may seem like a small thing, instead it is something that is of great significance. Because we don't know our own beliefs fully we only notice the differences between us and the other. In reality, the number of similarities is far greater than the number of differences, but the problem is we lay emphasis on the differences and ignore the similarities.

A third hindrance is the culture of hate. Instead of focusing on our own spirituality we feel it is necessary to dedicate their lives to proving others wrong. This is not to say that everyone is right and we don't need to do dawah to our own interpretation of Islam. Two things happen as a result of this; 1) we ourselves don’t develop in our spirituality and 2) we run the risk of offending or hurting someone who could be a true believer. The Holy Prophet [pbuh] said: "He who grieves a true Muslim cannot then compensate for it by offering him the entire world because it is not sufficient compensation (unless he repents and appeases the said person)." (Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 75, p. 150) We need to learn to invite people to the religion without using words. How do you do that, you ask? It’s easy through our character and actions. Meaning that surely if you are on the right path, then you won't have to 'prove' the other person wrong with words. After all, actions speak much louder than words. A great man has said, "He who incites hatred amongst Shia and Sunni is neither Shia nor Sunni." While the quote refers to Shia and Sunni it can and should be applied to any other situations also.

The last hindrance which I will write about is this tendency we have to let others think for us. Too often we stop thinking for ourselves about what makes sense and let others do the thinking for us. This is particularly dangerous and something which is considered unislamic. If we look at the example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) at the dawn of Islam in Arabia we see on one hand the people of the Jahiliyya insisting on the ways of their ancestors and on the other hand we see the Prophet (pbuh) repeatedly insisting on these people thinking for themselves. Many among the Quraysh would spread false rumors about the Prophet (pbuh) and we see the early converts were smart enough (and brave enough) to think for themselves. We accept without questioning sweeping generalizations which often hardly have any truth behind them. Things like, "they have twisted interpretations of the Quran." Islam holds the belief that every man and woman is born with the innate ability (fitra) to decipher what is good versus what is bad (right and wrong). The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "Every child is born on the fitra and it is his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian.” (Muwatta Imam Malik, Book 16, Number 16.16.53) In other words we need to put aside our arrogance and learn to talk to talk out our differences.

The real accomplishment is to realize there are many truths but follow only one. The person in the other sect follows that sect because he/she sees a proof in that truth. It might be a higher truth than the one you are at or a lower truth. If indeed you are at the higher truth, then you should be able to understand the reality of the lower truth and be able to speak to people at this level so that they see that the level you are at is a higher truth without offending them or scaring them away. True guidance comes with total sincerity of the heart and divine succor.

The decision lies in our hand whether we want to be a slave to these hindrances or if we are willing to break past them. So let's take the first step to Muslim unity by first changing ourselves. The believers like the broken tasbih beads are useless when they are scattered. It is only when they hold on to the rope of Allah (swt) all together that they will succeed. Let's put aside our egos and return to the Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) so that we may remake this broken Muslim ummah. After all, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has said, "The one who got up in the morning without having any thought of other Muslims in his mind is not a Muslim." (Bihar al Anwar, Volume 74 Page 337) Let us make Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) proud when he mentions us us. Those are my followers. Look how they stand shoulder to shoulder. See how their hearts are tied together in brotherhood/sisterhood only for the sake of Allah (swt). Look how they too like the tasbih have become an instrument for the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah (swt).

Acknowledgement: GTA Admin.

A Tribute. . .

2006-11-22T03:31:00.000+01:00

I begin in the name of Allah, the most merciful, the most compassionate, the Creator of heavens and earths, the Master of the Universes and the Creation. The One who alone deserves to be worshipped, the One who is the light in darkness, the One who is hope in despair, the One who is pardoner for all sins, the One who possess majesty and splendour, the One who is all knowing and all hearing.

Today we mourn the death of one of the greatest scholars of our time, Ayatollah Jawad Mirza Tabrizi, who was amongst the best students of Ayatollah Khoei. It is narrated in hadith that: 'When a Scholar dies the Earth mourns while the Heavens rejoices'. Surely today we have lost a great soul from amongst us who carried the light of knowledge and wisdom in his heart, who spread the love of Ahl ul Bayt [as] with his every word. .

His absence has left a big gap which shall not be filled for many years to come. He was a man who lived simple and through his simplicity he touched the hearts of many. He left behind his legacy for all of us for in his life we would find perfect examples and great lessons on how to be a faithful of the Ahl ul Bayt [as]. . .

May Allah bless his soul in the hereafter and may the love of Ahl ul Bayt [as] be his source of intercession. May Allah provide him a place in the lofty levels of the heaven in the company of the Ahl ul Bayt [as]. May his soul return with the return of his master Imam Al Hujja [ajtf] and may he be one of his faithful servants. Ameen. .

Ayatollah Tabrizi Funeral Prayers

Mashad: City of Exaltation. . .

2006-11-04T04:13:00.000+01:00

I begin in the name of Allah, the most merciful, the most compassionate, the Creator of heavens and earths, the Master of the Universes and the Creation. The One who alone deserves to be worshipped, the One who is the light in darkness, the One who is hope in despair, the One who is pardoner for all sins, the One who possess majesty and splendour, the One who is all knowing and all hearing.

The lips continue to glorify Allah (s.w.t), the heart is humbled by the presence of the Lord, and the eyes are filled with tears… An image of a majestic place enters the mind; it is as I am at the gates to the Shrine of my beloved Imam [as] once again. The door of mercy and forgiveness is open to me once more. The Golden dome harbouring the Zaree radiates its light all around the courtyard. It is as if the light illuminates the place further adding to the already majestic touch of beauty.

The soothing wind touches the pilgrims lightly; the calmness of the place brings a sense of peace and tranquillity to the heart of the believers; the guided ones are here to see their beloved one who lies with the Golden Dome in the city of Mashad.

I stand at the gate of his shrine looking at the magnificent site, preparing myself for that visit with my beloved, the waiting has come to an end, the heart is filled with joy and the eyes cry tears of reunion. I walk towards to the doors of his Zaree, a small distance but one which seemed an eternity. The mind wanders in a sea of endless thoughts; the heart is overcome with anticipation of this reunion.

I stand at the door to his Zaree and call out to him, a call of happiness for at last I am there once again to be with my master, my beloved and my guide. The sadness of separation was gone, the curtains which prevented me from his noor were gone, the veils of darkness were lifted and there I was amongst the many lovers of my beloved standing near his Zaree and just losing myself in the ecstatic atmosphere.

I move towards the Zaree in hope of meeting him, connecting with him. The long days were gone I was there again within his sights, under the dome of his mercy, just like another follower seeking the light of the path to my Lord. I embrace the Zaree as a mother embraces her child; the tears stream down uncontrollably, the heart releases a sigh of relief and the soul reaches the stage of contentment. The feeling of union was so great, it felt like there was nothing but his Zaree and me, it was as if I was absorbed in that moment of union, my soul and my heart were enlightened by his noor. His words filled my heart with light, my eyes with vision and my soul with inspiration… It was the means of survival in the days of separation after the farewell.

Then the moment came when I had to leave the moment of farewell to my beloved but how could I do that. I stood by the doors of his Zaree with a heart of sorrow and eyes filled with tears. How can I leave this place? The place of my master, my beloved, the place where the heart feels the bliss and the soul contend with the glory of the Almighty, the sublime kingdom which brings tranquillity to a believer, it breaks those obstacles and evolves the person, the majestic nature of the place humbles the soul. I leave with a prayer to my Lord, with a request to Him, a request of another visit to this place, to see my beloved, to be near his Zaree again. I pray to Him to strengthen my faith, to strengthen my belief and to give me patience to bear the difficult times ahead…

With pain in my heart, with tears in my eyes I leave his vicinity…. I longed for the return of my master, my mawla, Imam Al Hujja [ajtf] to be my aid in this hour of despair and sorrow. To guide me and lead me in these oppressive times… Oh Imam! You are my leader, my guide, my master…. O Imam! Be my light on this path I am all alone with out you… O Imam! Bless us shias, your followers with your grace and your intercession in the hereafter….

These words were uttered by the heart as the tasbhee of Lady Fatima [sa] came to an end…

I feel the pain, the pain of separation from my Imam [as] till today and I shall carry it in my heart till my Imam [as] invites me again to meet him, to be a pilgrim and to do his ziyarat!

O Ahl ul Bayt! [as] Peace of Allah be on each of your patient hearts. O Ahl ul Bayt! [as] Peace of Allah be on each of you.

May the return of the Hujja bring us all ease!

Labbayk Ya Mahdi!

Eid Mubarak!

2006-10-23T18:25:00.000+01:00

"Allaaho Akbar, Allaaho Akbar, Laa ilaaha illallaah wallaaho Akbar, Allaaho Akbar, Wa lillaahil hamd.
Alhamdulillah alaa maa hadaanaa walahu Shukr alaa maa aulana."

_____________________

To Dear Family members & friends,
On this Auspicious day of Eidul Fitr we pray to the Almighty to
Bless us with the forgiveness of our sins
Grant us the acceptance of all our a'amals and duas
Make us sincere followers of the Ahl ul Bayt (as)
Honour us with the fulfilment of our hajaat
Provide us with protection from all evil and
Shower us with his choicest blessings - Illahi Ameen.

May your Eid be a day blessed with joy and lasting peace.
Let us remember those who are dear to us and have departed from this world with Sura e Fateha.

Duas and best wishes. . .

Acknowledgement: Image taken from Deviant Art..

The Universal Day of Al Quds....

2006-10-20T01:52:00.000+01:00

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ

Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing. [17:1]

In the name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Merciful. Lord of the Great Light, Lord of the Elevated Throne, Lord of the tumultuous seas, and the revealer of the Tawrah, Injeel, and Zaboor, Lord of the shadows and the warmths, And the revealer of the Great Qur'an.

The international day of Quds was started by the late Ayatollah Khomeini, the Islamic leader who brought about the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979.

"I invite Muslims all over the globe to consecrate the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as 'Quds Day and to proclaim the international solidarity of Muslims in support of the legitimate rights of the Muslim people of Palestine." Imam Khomeini, the Holy month of Ramadan 1399AH (August 1979).

The purpose of the international day of Quds was to create awareness and to support the oppressed all over the world, especially the Palestinians, who have been subjected to oppression for more than 50 years – since 1948.

Since then, people from all parts of the world have come together to march and protest in support of the oppressed Palestinians. The Palestinian/Israeli conflict, has claimed the lives, the homes and the sanity of many. But those moreso affected are the Palestinians: http://www.ifamericansknew.org/ Many were, are and will remain scarred by this conflict for all eternity.

The oppressive Zionist regime has not only been condemned by Muslims, but Jews themselves. Muslim leaders, Orthodox Jewish Rabbis and layman gathered across the street of the United Nation Headquarters where Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss of Neturei Karta International, Jews United Against Zionism, stated:

... this is a rebellion against God who has expressly forbidden us, the Jewish people, from ending the Godly decreed exile, by creating our own State, this rebellion against God has been compounded immeasurably by the fact that in order to create this state, a land has been taken, clearly against the will of the indigenous population, the Palestinian people. Their homes and properties have been confiscated and untold thousands have been expelled etc. their suffering continues unabated until this present day ...

For the full, unedited version, click here: http://www.nkusa.org/activities/Demonstrat...005Aug22nyc.cfm

The international day of Quds, is also about unity. All Muslim's, particularly the Shia and Sunni's need to unify and carry this message to the next generations. We need to come together, to protect all Muslim's and to defend the right of those who have been subjected to all kinds of inhumane acts.

Today the war on terror has helped the Zionist entity, to repress the voice of Palestinians and to intensify its attacks on Palestine. They have used the "we must fight terror wherever it may be", to justify the killings of many innocent Palestinians daily.

But does the West know "terrorism" the way Palestinians do? The Palestinians have known terrorism for quite some time, 55 years and still ongoing. Palestinians are terrorized on their own land and the blame is put on them.

Muslim's, Jew's and Christian's, must stand united against all forms of oppression. The mantra that we should all live by (regardless of one’s race or creed) should indeed be the US administrative catch cry of “liberty and justice for all”. Just the same way a stop to Muslim's committing terrorist attacks against the West and the East, must come to a halt; The Zionist ideology must be stopped once and for all. Along with the unjustified war in Iraq, which has claimed the life's of many innocents because of the Bush Administration and its lies - all of these injustices, need to be removed.

We should take a lesson from history, Nelson Mandela's journey from freedom fighter to president of the New South Africa, opened a new chapter for the South Africans who had been fighting against the white rule and the institution of apartheid.

All of us, no matter who we are, which land we come from and which faith we belong to, must bring justice to the oppressed of every nation. When a terrorist attack occurs against the West, everyone shouts out. Why does not the same shout out take place for the oppressed Palestinians, Iraqi's, Afghani's, Sudanese, Bosnian's and the people of Kosovo and Chechnya? Has it become like a routine, something we have become use to? Why do we continue to neglect their helpless cries? Is it not right that everyone lives in Peace? Is it not right that everyone feel's safe?

These people live between life and death. We have neglected the voices of those who all of our awaited savior's, will come to aid first. Our awaited savior's will come to these people first and free them from the shackles of oppression.

Here are a few videos which shows the sufferings of the Palestinian people. Remember we are all one Ummah and it is about time we made a difference within ourselves and our socities to aid our brothers in faith and humanity.

One who gets up in the morning and is not concerned about the affairs of the Muslim Ummah is NOT a muslim ~ Prophet Muhammad [pbuh]

The Universal Day of Al Quds.

The Appeal of the Prisoners.

Very moving video... Imagine the sorrow of this child missing her father :(
The translation of the video is below:

The Appeal of the Prisoners

Father, they say you are a criminal. But in reality you are not a criminal

Father, why did they deprive me of you? They imprisoned you before you got the chance to kiss me, even once! Before you had the chance to wipe away my mother’s tear..

Mother, I see the tears in your eyes every morning. Does Falasteen not deserve a sacrifice? You have caused me to address the Sun everyday..

Mother, has my father moved on again? Or will he depart without me seeing him until the Promised Day? Or will he wipe the tear of my mother that pours in the dawn of every new day?

Father.. WHERE ARE YOU MY FATHER??

A Prince has departed.. Oh! The children of the settlement. Oh! The children of the settlement

I am the Rose of Falasteen. And the number of my identity card is seventy thousand. And I have not kissed my father since the rising of the Sun. Eid after Eid arrives.. newborn after newborn is delivered.. and one Martyr falls after another.. and my father is compelled behind metal bars.. behind the wretched cell that is not fitting except for the slave

Where is the Day of Threatening? Where is the day that they will be confined to metal bars??

This is addressed to you: Oh you people who kiss your children every morning! This is addressed to you: Oh you people who kiss your children every morning!

Shame upon you! Shame upon you! Shame upon you! Whilst my father is compelled behind metal bars.

I WANT MY FATHER!! I WANT MY FATHER!! I WANT MY FATHER!! I WANT MY FATHER!! I WANT MY FATHER!! I WANT MY FATHER!!

Israeli oppression against Palestinians.

The untold stories of the crimes carried out by the Zionists in Palestine.
May Allah curse the oppressors!

Palestinians will never forget their lands.

A short presentation about Al Quds Day.

Acknowledgement: Sister Zeinab from SC
for the article about Al Quds.

Ya Haider !

2006-10-06T23:04:00.000+01:00

"O men and women! Allah is my Mawla. I am the mawla of the faithfuls. I have a clear authority over their souls, And of whomsoever I am the mawla, Ali is his mawla. O Allah! Love him who loves Ali, hate him who hates Ali."

The words of the Prophet [pbuh] echoed throughout the masses on the day when Islam was perfected on the plains of Ghadeer. The successor of the Prophet [pbuh] was no other than Imam Ali [as],a man who was the commander of the faithfuls, the door to the city of knowledge and the first illuminary of the Divine leadership. The companions pledged their allegiance to him as their leader after the Prophet of Islam [pbuh].. But what happened after the demise of the Prophet [pbuh] was a sad reality..

The pledge broken and forgotten... The Leadership taken away from its rightful owner... And the door to the house of Lady Fatima [sa], where the Prophet of Islam [pbuh] would come and send salutations on the People of the House, was burnt.. Son of Fatima [sa], Mohsin was martyred before even being born.. The brother of the Prophet [pbuh] was dragged from his house with his hands tied.. Imagine O followers of the Ahl ul Bayt [as] the tragedies he had witness in only a few weeks or so after the demise of the Prophet [pbuh]..

And then came that hour when his wife Lady Fatima [sa] also departed from this world.. The rose of Mohammad [pbuh] that shared his fragrance with the world departed from this world weakened and withered..The husband of this great Lady remained patient in this hour of sorrow.. He buried her in a place which remains hidden and that hidden grave is what the lovers of Fatima seek.. O my Master Al Mahdi [ajtf] hasten so you may reveal the grave of your Grandmother and bring peace to the hearts of the lovers of Ahl ul Bayt [as].

Tragedies and sorrow fell upon him continously yet he remained steadfast and had faith in Allah. To Him he turned in time of sorrow and in time of need.. To Him he spoke about his loss and his sorrow..

And then came the 19th night of the month of Ramadan..Darkness and sorrow had descended upon the city of Kufa. My Imam [as] leaves his house, the cries of the birds could be heard out aloud it was as if everything in the nature knew what was to happen.. The call of prayers sounds in the alleys of Kufa, the inhabitants gather for the morning prayers.. Imam Ali [as] leads the prayers and while he is in prostration to his Lord, the posionous sword struck the head of the Imam [as] and he calls out in satisfaction to his Lord: فزت ورب الكعبة (By the Lord of Ka'bah, I have succeeded).. At that moment a voice echoed from the heavens above..the earth shook, it was like the whole world had fallen in grief for the loss of this great man. The people of Kufa gathered around the house of the Imam [as], lamenting and crying for a man who looked after them so affectionately now is on the verge of leaving them.

He instructs his last will to his son Al Hasan [as], and gives him the authority of the Imamat. He bids farewell to Lady Zainab and Lady Umme Kulsoom and to Al Abbas and Al Husayn [as] while in his eyes reminiscing about the events that is to follow his martyrdom, the event where his son Al Hasan [as] will be poisoned and he would be martyred twice, the events of Karbala and of Kufa and Damascus, events where his daughters will be bought to the palace of the oppressor with no veils on their heads and their hands tied. O followers of Ahl ul Bayt [as] imagine the grief of this departing father, he endured every sorrow with patience and faith in Allah.

And then that hour came when the first light of the Imamat was extinguished, when another member of the family of Ahl ul Bayt [as] departed this world. The children of Mohammad [pbuh] were orphans, grief had once again struck the People of the House...The followers wept as the news spread about his martyrdom among the people of Kufa.. It was like as if the whole city had been orphaned in a night... In the heavens the angels lamented, the Prophet [pbuh] is in sorrow and sadness, Lady Fatima [sa] cried for her beloved husband... And today my Imam, my master Al Mahdi [ajtf] cries tears of blood at times on the plains of Karbala, at times amongst the ruins of Askariya, at times amongst the pilgrims of Najaf and at times on the hidden grave of Fatima [sa]..

Ya Sayedi! ya Imam!
O my master, O my mawla return for the winds of Najaf cry for justice..

Ya Mahdi Adrikni.. Ya Abu Saleh Adrikni..

The Forgotten Justice...

2006-10-06T22:25:00.000+01:00

I begin in the name of Allah. The Beneficient, the Merciful. He is the Creator of heavens and earth, the Master of the Universe and of the Creation. One who alone deserves to be worshipped and who is the light of hope in the hour of darkness and of despair, One whose mercy encompasses all the creation and who is the most forgiving.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاء لِلّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَى أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالأَقْرَبِينَ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيّاً أَوْ فَقَيراً فَاللّهُ أَوْلَى بِهِمَا فَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ الْهَوَى أَن تَعْدِلُواْ وَإِن تَلْوُواْ أَوْ تُعْرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيراً

O you who believe ! Be staunch in justice , witnesses for Allah , even though it be against yourselves or ( your ) parents or ( your ) kindred , whether ( the case be of ) a rich man or a poor man , for Allah is nearer unto both ( than your are ) . So follow not passion lest you lapse ( from truth ) and if you lapse or fall away , then lo! Allah is ever Informed of what you do.. [4:153]

The month of Ramadan has started and the first ten days has whizzed past like wind.. the need for one to make use of this month greatly has been stressed many times by the Infallibles [as]. One has to take this great oppurtunity and change their ways for the betterment. Spiritual growth and evolution of the mind can only happen when one reflects on the great blessings of Allah and the power and the virtues the night of Laylatul Qadr holds. It is the night when our destinies are shaped, our livelihood is set and the hour of death is ordained and along with those there are others who are blessed with the great oppurtunity of preforming the Hajj.. a journey which the heart of every believer craves for.. to be there in the presence of the Lord and to reaffirm the convenant with the Creator.. May Allah gives us the oppurtunity to preform the great journey of Hajj during our life time

Justice, what is it? Being lawful, rightful and moral? Yes those are the words which describe justice but where is this justice found today? Iraq burns with fire of violence, Afghanistan is embroiled in choas due to the conflict, Lebanon rebuilds it self after the slaughter of the Zionists and the West still searches for the meaning of Justice in their God forsaken territories.

It is gonna be nearly two months since the 'ceasefire' between Lebanon and Israel. I know I am a bit late since all is done and dusted but you know in the last two months I have been thinking and reflecting about this forced war. Israel, a country who does not even have international borders, attacks hizbullah for 'kidnapping' two Israeli soldiers but one has to ask themselves this question if what Israel did is just then why was their a casualty of 1000+ civilians in Lebanon? Why was there a massacre of children in Qana? That is not an act of just people rather of cowards who seek to show their might and power through acts of brutality. On the other hand Hizbullah fighters weaken Israel so much that they forced them to accept a 'ceasefire'. The praise heaped on Hizbullah cannot be justified by words however if one who wishes to see the greatness of their victory should listen to the eloquent speeches of Sayyid Hassan Nasrullah and learn from the man who masterminded this victory. I remember once a friend from university told me while discussing the issue of Israel that 'An army which is vigilant is more better than an army which is like robots following orders'. Truly that statement fits perfectly upon the armies of Hizbullah and Israel the latter being the robots.

At the time of the invasion of Iraq, the US talked about liberating the people of Iraq from Saddam [la], when the invaded Afghanistan, the talk was of a regime change by removing Taliban and now they are talking about attacking Iranas they believe by doing so they will be providing freedom to the people of Iran. I wonder if US senators or congress or democrat members ever have breakfast in the morning. It amazes me as to what these people come out with.. as one person said in his speech 'They have misunderestimated me' and another one says 'Hizbullah is the cause of instability in the region of middle east'. I mean do these guys ever think before they speak I remember the words of Imam Ali [as]: 'The heart of a fool is in his mouth, while the tongue of the wise man is in his heart'. How true is that statement the enemity and the hatred the western powers share against the religion of Islam is so evident at the time. Not just that look at how the soldiers who invaded Iraq and Afghanistan are carrying out acts of indecency and abuse. The acts of sexual abuse and torture which clearly shows the nature of the American army. If truly their mission was to liberate the people of Iraq and help bring stability to the country then why is it that so many people are narrating their stories of abuse and torture, why is it that personalities like Ayatollah Baqir Al Hakim were martyred after the invasion? And the Golden Dome Mosque of Al Askariya was demolished? Clearly these are signs of injustice and corruption amongst the contractors and the army of US. These people are worse than animals for a person who cannot control their desires and uses innocent lives to fulfil their illegtimate desires deserves to be called nothing worse than animals who are wild. Only Allah knows how many untold stories of rape, torture and abuse plague the lives of many who live in Iraq, Afghanistan and many other countries. Intellect and wisdom is left out and the sheer greed to have power and control and to demonstrate the might rules the heart of these beasts. Their abode should lie in the pits of Hell along with the other inmates of Hell.

The Arab nations who tend to represent themselves as muslims are no more than muslims by name. The Prophet of Islam [saww] has stated that the Muslim Ummah is like a body and if one part of the body is attacked the pain is felt by the whole body... but the sad reality in today's world is that the body which is attacked is left alone to suffer and die away slowly. Look at Kashmir for 50 years or so the people are fighting for independence yet the Muslim Ummah is sleeping deep in ignorance to help their brothers, Palestine suffered the warth of Israel yet the Muslim Ummah slept, Lebanon was attacked and destroyed yet the Muslim Ummah especially the Arab Leaders kept quiet, the Al Askariya Shrine was demolished and we, the Shias, never made our sorrow known. We are living in a situation which we have created for ourselves.. Remember what you sow is what you reap and unfortunately we the Muslim Ummah has forgotten the values of Islam and the Quran and Ahl ul Bayt [as] and taken to the luxuries of this world. The Muslim Ummah has forgotten the importance of Brotherhood, Justice, Unity and Faith in Allah.

We ourselves have made Israel what it is today and we ourselves are to blame for the lack of leadership in the Muslim Ummah. Our Ummah is divided, every person seeks power for fame and might yet forget that there is a day where Allah will ask what did you do with the position you had? O man what shall you say then? Your might and power will be of no avail unless you used it towards the cause of Allah and for Allah alone. We have painted our hands with the blood of those who are killed by the crimes of the Zionists and the US. Why do I say that? It is because we fund the organisations and companies which support the Israel and the US. However all is not lost my brothers and sisters... We have time to change our past and make our future bright.. It should start from now, this very day for the change should be one which has an everlasting effect, a temporary change does not help anyone. Remember there were those people in Kufa who wrote to Imam Al-Husayn [as] to come to Kufa and on the day of Ashura those very people were fighting against Imam Al-Husayn [as]. They painted their hands with the blood of the family of the Prophet [saww], let us not follow in their footsteps.. Let us be united and support our brothers and sisters who are oppressed, let us make a change for the betterment of our Ummah.. Remember Allah says in the Quran:

إِنّ اللّهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ

Surely Allah does not change what concerns the people until they change their innermost self..[13:11]

So remember unless we make a change within ourselves we can never expect Divine help and remember Justice is the sign of the righteous people and in the Quran Allah [swt] has emphasised on being just with all people be it your parents, family or friends. Justice is an attribute which distinguishes honourable from the corrupted. The month of Ramadan is a month of reflection, a month of change, a month to move away from all evil and enrich the soul with guidance and good deeds. To improve our selves spiritually and to break away from the chains of attachment of this world and find the comfort in the blessings of the hereafter. May Allah give us the ability and the strength to follow in the footsteps of our Imams [as], may He give us the ability to make the best use of the month of Ramadan.. And may He hasten the reappearance of the Awaited Leader Al Mahdi [ajtf].. For in his return lies our salvation and the hope of all mankind..

Ramadan: The Month of Mercy...

2006-09-23T02:26:00.000+01:00

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

O you who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil) [2:183]

The month of Mercy is upon us once again. The month which brings with it great rewards and blessings has dawned on the Ummah of muslims. Yes it is a month of refraining from the forbiddin and embracing the goodily acts but the one has to look at the bigger picture of this Holy month. The narrations from the Prophet [pbuh] and the Imams [as] have stressed the need to use this Holy month for self reformation and self development. One needs to ponder on these narrations and find the answer as to why has there been such great importance on this month? Reflecting, something which the Quran stresses immensely. Why? because through this reflection one breaks the barriers and evolves. He or She starts to break free from their attachments and start to see their purpose of existence, purpose of their lives, purpose of their worship and much more. Allah created the human race to be the supreme of all creations. He blessed the humans with the intellect and the wisdom along with ambition and desires, through this intellect and wisdom and the right use of ambitions this creation can reach those high levels of spirituality.

This month also brings with it the cries of the household of the Prophet [pbuh], the cries of Imam Al Hujja [ajtf] and of Lady Fatima [sa]. The month of Ramadan bears the death of Ali ibn Abu Talib [as], the man who was the gate of knowledge, the protector of Islam and the father of the youths of paradise. What would be the Imam of our time Al Mahdi [ajtf] be feeling on the day of his grandfather's martyrdom, the one who was born in the house of Allah and the one who departed from the house of Allah too. It was a day of eternal sadness, the Angels, the Prophets [as] and Lady Fatima [sa] mourned for the loss of the man who was the peak of eloquence.

The purpose of our existence is to know Allah and worship Him. As the Quran states: "And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me" [56:57] so now the question is that how do we achieve this goal? And what are the obstactles in our path? The obstacles on our path are our sins and our disobedience to Allah [swt] and these shortcomings prevents us from evolving and progressing towards Allah [swt]. We are asleep on different levels of negligence and we need to truly awaken ourselves to the real goal in life which is to move towards our Creator and Sustainer.

"The one who knows himself knows his Lord" - a small but very meaningful narration. What does knowing ourselves mean and how does this knowing part comes about? The first step in the process of awakening is to reflect and contemplate on our destination and we need to work out for ourselves that are we following teh path or are we not? And if not then what are the reasons for it and how can we change that. A man has to reflect and find solutions himself. Imam Ali [as] in Nahjal Balagha says that the cure for everything is within us yet we are unaware of it. A beautiful narration states: 'One hour of reflection is better than 70 years of worship' and we find the perfect example to this narration on the plains of Karbala in Janabe Hurr, who contemplated for a few hours and in those few hours he realised the truth and his entire goal in life changed and his destination in life too.

'Oppurtunities come like clouds' - how true is that statement. We never realise the importance of something unless we lose it. The same can be said for the month of Ramadan. A month packed with blessings, rewards and spirituality. The month which is described by Ayatollah Tabrizi, in his book 'Spiritual Journey of the mystics' as the month in which Allah has invited the wayfarers (followers) of His path for a feast. At first that may seem a bit off since we are abstaining from eating and drinking but if one thinks and reflects upon those words then it truly makes sense. This is the month where a believer through his deeds and his supplications can fulfil his hunger for spirituality from this feast.

The Holy month of Ramadan is the month of mercy as in this month the doors of heavens are open and the door of hells are closed. Allah [swt] through His infinite mercy for His creation has blessed them with such an oppurtunity. This is a month where breathing is also worship of Allah. A month in which all the Divine books were revealed, the Torah was revealed on the sixth day of the month of Ramadhan, the Bible, on the twelfth night of the month, the Psalms on the eighteenth night of the month and the Qur’an on the Night of Qadr. It is the month whose beginning is mercy, its middle is forgiveness and its end, emancipation from the fire (of helI). Listed here are a limited number of virtues however the list goes on...

Night of Power (Lailatul Qadr) - The most important night in the Islamic calender. A night which is superior than a thousand nights, one thousand months of jihad, one thousands months of reign and the worship in it is superior than one thousand months of worship. This was the night when Allah the Almighty revealed the most Perfect Divine book the Quran to the seal of Prophethood, His last messenger Mohammad [pbuh]. It is a night when the sustenance and age of servants of Allah, and the good and evil of their affairs are destined. A night when prayers are answered, no one finishes this night empty handed. It is narrated that every lawful wish of a servant is answered in this great night. The Angels descend on this night all over the earth and when they pass through the gatherings of believers, they send salutations and praises upon them, and consider their prayers until the dawn.

Ayatollah Mirza Tabrizi in his book mentions about the Night of Power in such beautiful words, it would not be justice if I tried to write a summary about his work so I have copied the below passage from his book:

"...The invitation of Allah [swt], who is the King of all kings-is the King of Earth and Heavens - has invited us for His feast; in order to invite us has dispatched, his favourite angels, pious Prophets [as] and sinless Imams [as] as his couriers. He has assigned His angels to announce his invitation kindly and compassionately to us; has given us the glad tidings of giving us a permanent abode in the Paradise in return for a sincere worshipping during one single night; has promised such bounties, which have not been seen by any eye; have not been heared by any ear and have not been imagined through any human being's mind, as well as given us the glad tidings of illumination, ectasy, majesty, splendor, nearness, union and countenance, for whose least comprehension and understanding, faculties of reason and thoughts find themselves astonished and helpless..

Are we among those who have prepared for this night and invitation the way we ought to be and must be, in order to attain the eternal blessing and salvation? Or are we among those negligent and idle ones, who do not achieve any thing except loss and eternal doom? We must know better than the ones who act naively and lazily and do not strive to take advantage of the magnificent generosities of this night, when in the Hereafter, would see that those who were zealous, committed and vigilant during these nights - what they have achieved, and what magnificence, splendor and glory have been bestowed upon them. But they would gain nothing except regret - the regret so great and painful that the Hell's blazing fire and its torturous punishments would seem smaller as compared to their regrets and then together with the eternally doomed ones, they would cry loudly:

Lest a soul should say: O woe to me! for what I fell short of my duty to Allah, and most surely I was of those who laughed to scorn; [39:56]

But on the day when the gates of repentence would have been closed, there would be nothing left for compensation for the damage, every one would have seen the ultimate outcome of his deeds, and then feeling sorry and being regretful would not produce any gain. Therefore we must take a look upon ourselves, and before falling into such regret and grief, must admonish ourselves for being so lazy, naive and easy going. And before that we are called for accounting and be condemned into the state of wretchedness and destitution for wasting our precious capital - the capital through which we could have accomplished most precious and greater gains - we better put ourself to scrutiny."

I finish this piece with a short poetry from a book by Imam Khomeini, which says the following couplets:

"Alas! My life has passed in vain
Loaded with sins, with no devotional gain;
Tomorrow when I am brought to the Scene of Judgement,
They will say that repentence chance did not return."

May Allah give us the ability and the strength to make the most of the Holy month of Ramadan. May He forgive all our sins and give us the ability to reform ourselves. May He give us a chance to serve the Imam of our time Al Mahdi [ajtf]... Ramadan Mabrook!

A History of Desertion.

2006-09-04T05:23:00.000+01:00

“Surely you (O’ Muhammad) are a Warner, and for Every nation there is a guide”

We find that the Allah out of His infinite mercy for his creation has always sent representatives, a hujja. The purpose of having a hujja on this earth is for guidance to the people. Allah (s.w.t) sent 124,000 Prophets which includes the Prophet of Islam and with him came the religion of Islam and upon him the Quran was revealed. He was the best and the most pure of all creation as was his cousin Ali and his daughter Fatima (sa) and their 11 sons, the Imams .

As we find in Al Kafi, a Hadith-e-Qudsi which states that after the creation of the intellect, Allah (s.w.t) speaks to it and says that "I swear by My honor and glory that I have not created any creature more beloved to Me than you. I will not perfect you in anyone except those whom I love..." and we know from another Hadith-e-Qudsi where Allah says 'I was a hidden treasure. I created this world so I may be known'. If we ponder upon these two hadiths we would find a link between them and that link is Ahl ul Bayt . Allah has perfect the intellect in these personalities and it is them whom He loves. For the world, the skies, the heavens and the earth were all created for them as stated in Hadith-e-Kisa. And to know Allah we have to know the Ahl ul Bayt . For these are the personalities which through their worship, piety and their level of submission to His will reached a stage where they were became an example to humanity.

The Ahl ul Bayt were the protectors of Islam and carried the job of guidance. They were the representatives on this earth after the Last Prophet and now we are into the time of the last hujja. Imam Al Mahdi (ajtf) is the last illuminary. He is in occultation yet he is able to guide us and help us just like the hadith of the Prophet of Islam says: "I swear by the One who has sent me as a messenger; he will benefit from him and seek the light from his noor and his wilayat, in the same manner that the humans beings benefit form the sun, even though it is behind from the clouds" (Bihar ul Anwar). However the question us Shias need to ask is why is he in occultation? Why are we deprived of such a big blessing? Why is there a curtain between us, his followers and him?

To find the answer to those questions we must ponder on our own actions and also take a glance at history. Allah (s.w.t) had sent the Imams after the Prophets to continue the guidance of man. The Imams performed their duty of guidance, but the second part of this system, which was for the Ummah to heed to this guidance and embrace it never happened. We find in history our first Imam is deserted by his followers. The event of Ghadeer became a distant memory in the minds of the muslims. He himself says in Nahjal Balagha that he is a Leader without a nation. If we look through his life we find such historical encounters. At a point in his life he is speaking to a well. Imam Ali [as] is sharing his grief, his sorrows to a well why would he take that measure? It was because he wanted the history to know that he was a Leader without followers, a Speaker without listeners and a Commander without an army.

The pain and suffering which was felt by Imam Ali [as] continued on. Imam Al Hassan [as], a lonely Leader .He is alone in rows, alone in wars, alone at home, alone before his rule, alone during his rule. How much is his loneliness, that he was poisoned by his wife. And Imam Al Husayn [as] who was martyred in Karbala and his body was left on the plains of Karbala and his family were taken captive.

So many Leaders, so many Imams [as] yet the Ummah didnt pay heed to them. Imam Al Baqir [as] and Imam Al Sadiq [as] had so many followers and students yet none of them were like Haroun as the hadith states above. More to that here is an incident from his life: Once Imam Sadiq (a.s) passed from some place, a man saw him and he said Mashallah how many people and students come to meet you or come to take your help, how many admirers you have, then why don t you start an uprising. But Imam (a. s) said it's not worth, then Imam (a.s) pointed to a flock of sheep and said that if people in this much quantity as the number of sheep were sincere enough to be called my followers, than I would be in a position to start an uprising. One historian reported that when that person counted the sheep they were only thirty.

A Leader, who has four thousand students with him, is saying that if only thirty of them are with me I can take an active stance against the tyrants. but what was worse that his son Imam Al Kadim [as] was poisoned and his body was left on the bridge of Baghdad. He was an Imam who spent most of his life in imprisonment yet he was able to spread the message of Islam to the people and to his followers. The Imams [as] always put their followers first and we as their followers never thought abt them.

And we find that a time comes when 11 Imams [as] have been either martyred or poisoned and now there is one remaining, the Imam of our time Imam Al Hujja (ajtf), Baqiyatullah, the Awaited one. We are living in the time of this great Imam but the question we need to ask ourselves is that are we really the followers of this Imam [as]? We call out to him day and night asking him to return but how many of us are truly prepare for his return? Remember the hadtih states that: "One who dies without knowing the Imam of the time dies the death of an infidel".. This hadith is a clear proof to us that we should strive to acquire the Marifa of our Imam (ajtf). Marifa of the Imam (ajtf) can be achieved by learning about him. By knowing what are the responsibilities of his followers in the time of his occultation and his return. By knowing and understanding the concept of active awaiting. Through reading and understanding the duas and the supplications of the Imam (ajtf). Sahifa -e- Mahdi is a compilation of all the duas from and about Imam Al Hujja (ajtf). One of the duas which I love is from Imam Al Sadiq [as] in regards to Imam Al Hujja (ajtf). It is as follows:

Allahomma arrifnee nafsak fa innaka in lam to'arrifni nafsaka lam a'rif nabiyyak,

Allahomma arrifnee nabiyyaka fa innaka in lam toarrifni nabiyyaka lam a'rif hujjatak,

Allohamma arrifnee hujjataka fa innaka in lam to'arrifni hujjataka thalalto an deeni...

Which means:

O Allah introduce yourself to me, for if you do not allow me to know you then I will not know your prophet. O Allah introduce your prophet to me, for i do not know your prophet i will not know your Hujja. O Allah introduce your Hujja to me for if you do not allow me to know your Hujja I will go astray from my religion.

The treasures and the knowledge parted by the Imams [as] to their followers is immense. It is like a sea and no matter how much we drink from it it will never be empty. It is a sea of infinite knowledge and wisdom. The Imams [as] represent the peak of knowledge, wisdom and intellect so by knowing them and following in their footsteps maybe we can be their true followers inshallah and be able to serve Imam Al Hujja (ajtf) after his return.

We are not far from that blessed day of his birth, the day when Allah completed his Hujjat, the day when the heavens and the earth rejoiced as the Awaited one entered this world. He is everywhere yet our eyes cannot can see. He helps us in ways which our minds cannot comprehend and he prays for our well being. So let us take this great oppurtunity and reform ourselves truly. We need to learn from the companions of Imam Husayn ,for they are the best example of how a follower should be. We need to learn devotion from John, the slave of Imam Husayn and the understanding of death from Al-Qasim, and the unselfishness and conquest of individualism from Al-Abbas and we need to develop a desire to die an honourable and dignified death as demonstrated by Imam Al-Husayn . And there is no greater honour then to die while fighting for the cause of Allah in obedience to your Imam.

Ya Sayedi! Ya Mawla! The plains of Karbala await your return.. Ya Abu Saleh, Ya Imam Sahibul Zaman Al Ajal! Al Ajal !

Modern Slavery.

2006-08-30T23:00:00.000+01:00

The Holy month of Shabaan is nearing its end. Another year gone by and another oppurtunity missed. The Greater Occultation carries on, and the inheritor of this earth lives on in the veils of Ghaiba. The Imam ,the leader we eagerly await but our hearts do not share the pain he shares and the love he shares for us. These few words of a poet summarises the feelings of a true follower of the Imam [ajtf]"..O My Master! O Son of the brilliant fulfillers! With what water, with what soil, can I purify my eyes, in order to see you?.." Every eye wishes to see him, every soul wishes to embrace his sweetness and every heart wishes to absorb in his love. May Allah hasten his reappearence for in his return lies our salvation.

The Holy month of Ramadan is approaching fast and with it, it brings hope and inspiration. The need to change within one comes from this hope and this inspiration. The importance of this month should not be underestimated as in it lies the cure for freedom against the shackles of this world and against the attachments of the rebellious self. The cure which many seek yet only few are blessed with it. Yes it is a blessing to receive this cure for the one who realises the importance of this blessed and holy month will surely take the initiative to change from within and Allah (swt) in return will bestow His infinite blessings on him.

Man is a complex yet a supreme creation of the Almighty. It has the characteristics above all even the best angels of Allah (swt). The son of Adam holds the capacity to surpass all creations by making use of its wisdom, intellect and knowledge yet this great creation is bogged down by the desires of this materialistic world and the desires of its inner self. Desires are not wrong, they were embedded within the creation of humans. They are bad when one abuses these desires and acts in an unlawful manner to fulfil these desires. If only this man could realise the heights of perfection it can achieve it would humble itself in front of the Almighty and realise the existence of his Creator. Unfortunately that is not the case, today this man is deep asleep in ignorance and arrogance, his purpose of existence has been compromised to merely following the order of his inner self, Inner self represents that inner struggle within each and every one of us. Remember the slogan from the day of Ashura 'Every day is Ashura, every land is Karbala'. This struggle is a part of our existence as Allah (swt) states in the Quran that Every soul must taste of death and We try you by evil and good by way of probation; and to Us you shall be brought back. [21.35]. The struggle between good and evil continues in our hearts every day. We are fighting against our unlawful desires and ambitions to make sure we try and do the righteous deed, but sadly the reality is that not all of us succeed in doing that. Some of us have given in to this monster. Yes if the inner self is not tamed then it turns into a monster and it destroys everything, the faculties of wisdom and intellect are blocked out and the unleashed desires take over the creation.

Islam is an Arabic word which means submission and as a religion Islam means complete submission to Allah and His laws. In the Quran the word ‘Islam’ is used in three ways. In general sense, the whole universe is considered to be Muslims because it follows the law that God has made for it. An example of this is that the sun, moon, earth, and all physical and biological entities follow the unalterable laws of God and do not make the slight deviation from their course. A person who takes up the path of submission to God and follows His laws brings himself into harmony with the whole universe, but even if he denies God, biologically his own body follows the laws made by his Lord. That is why unbelief in Islam is called kufr (concealment), because by his kufr the unbeliever tries to conceal what is inherent in his nature. In a more specific sense, Islam implies the true revealed religion of God, which entails belief in God, in the prophets, and in the Hereafter. In its particular sense, Islam means the last and most perfect religion and law of God revealed through the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W). Islam is a universally attributable name. Whoever takes on this attribute is a Muslim, irrespective of race, colour, region or country.

Sadly people have left the Islam in mosques and on shelves and started following their desires. Man who is known as the best of all creations has left its purpose of existence and has let his inner self rule upon him. Once this takes place the man becomes a slave, a slave of his inner self. The inner self is a persistent entity, it keeps pushing us to do evil. If a person is weak and gives in to the constant whisperings then he has opened the door to all evils and the only hope for him lies in the act of repentence. The inner soul makes the man believe that he is the centre of everything and that all that is in this world revolves around him. The man, in his ignorance starts to worship this world and forgets his Creator. He befriends this world and works to acquire wealth, fame and power. Corruption overtakes him, greed becames his best friend and immorality is his way of living. A man who once was once the supreme being even greater than angels now lies lower than animals. His inner self blinds him from the light of Almighty and drives him into darkness, the number of veils between him and his Creator increase with every sin he commits, with every fulfilment of his unlawful desires and ambitions, with every act of lust. The man only lives in this life materialistically and does not care about the hereafter, the real life. The life which is eternity, a life where there is bliss, peace, perfection and prosperity.

Allah (swt) is so merciful that He has blessed his creation with a supreme act of turning towards Him, to return to Him and that is the act of repentence. Repentence is the key to unlocking the treasures of paradise and it is the deed which is the means of salvation from the fires of Hell. Allah (swt) is so merciful and so compassionate that when His servants commits an act of injustice or a sin, He orders the angels to wait before recording the deed in case the servant repents and on the other hand when His servant only makes the intention of doing a good act it is recorded by angels in the book of deeds. His mercy is endless, boundless and it encompasses all of His Creation. When the son of Adam realises the injustices of himself, he turns to his Lord complaining and conversing to Him, asking for his forgiveness. He puts all his hope in his Creator for at that moment the shackles are broken and the heart is unlocked and it evolves to realise the existence of the Creator and the importance of the Creator. A beautfil narration or munajaat from Bihar al Anwar mentions: 'Oh Lord! I do complain to you, against the dryness of the eyes, which do not cry, are not afraid of you, and instead take pleasure in looking whatever makes them pleased.'

The month of Ramadan is around the corner, the month of mercy is upon us so let us turn to our Lord and ask for His infinite forgiveness. Remember the Quran bears testament that Allah says: 'Call upon Me, I shall answer' so why the need to delay the repentence, to delay this oppurtunity to move closer to Him and to His loved ones the Ahl ul Bayt [as]. The Quran puts it so eloquently in one verse from the Chapter of Al Hadid:

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَلَا يَكُونُوا

كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ

Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be submissive for the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And [that] they should not be like those who were given the book before, but the time became prolonged to them, so their hearts hardened, and most of them are transgressors

May Allah give us the ability and the strength to make the most of the month of Ramadan. And to reach that level where our heart, soul and mind are absorbed in His love. I end with the ayat of Quran which describes how greatly the Almighty receives a heart absorbed in His love.

يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّة فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِيً

O Soul! That art at rest. Return to your Lord, well pleased with Him, so enter amony My servants and enter into My garden. [Ch 89. Verses 27-30]

May Allah hasten the reappearence of the Imam of our time Al Mahdi [ajtf]...

Youth: Age of Enlightment

2006-08-25T16:45:00.000+01:00

It is the eve of 1st Shabaan, the month of Rajab has come to an end. The end of one holy month is marked by the beginning of another, may it bring peace to the hearts of the beings and blessings of Almighty upon all of us. Rajab, a month which is full of inspiring events; the birth of Imam Ali (as) to the heavenly journey of the Apostle of Allah, Muhammad (pbuh). It is the month if benefitted from in the right manner one can start on a journey of enlightment and awakening. Rajab is followed by the months of Shabaan and Ramadan, both of which hold significant value in the eyes of a believer.

Youth is something we all experience but what do we achieve in the end of this important aspect and journey of our life cycle? A new prespective of the word 'life' prehaps or maybe something a bit more extreme, craziness. I guess for most of us it is the constantly changing preception of 'life' which we experience in these important years. Growing up to deal with what life throws at you is not easy for any of us, as we are not experienced to deal with unexpectancy in our lifes. It is human nature one is only comfortable with what they are experienced with. So why is it that we find that during these years we have a lot of unexpected things being thrown at us? The answer is simple. Youth is an age where a person grows ten maybe hundred fold within a couple of years. Not just in terms of character but also personality, spirituality and socially.

When we reach the level of youth we tend to forget the purpose of our existence and we indulge in the luxuries of this world and desires of our hearts. Youth is a time when one should evolve and break the chains which stop us from reaching those high grounds. It is that point of our life where we have completed half of our life's journey. It is a point from where we can see both sides the past and the future, not explicitly. We know through our past doings what is right and wrong and given that we are able to set a tone for our future. Youth is a part of life which should be used effectively. Deep thinking, enlightment and spiritual awakening are the key ingredients for success in this part of life. Success in this part of life is not limited to earning wealth, partying day after day or driving a beamer. Success is that which has a long term effect on the person and attaining success of such calibre so early in life is what sets the tone for the rest of this long journey to eternity. The problem which has crept in our societies is that the youths of today have forgotten the importance of understanding life. They have forsaken the basic codes of living lives and applied the western ideology, the materialistic, modern slavery way of life. Something which is detremental to the body and the soul.

Remember man is a supreme creation of Almighty and to attain the perfection, the ultimate goal, he has to struggle and strive to realise the sweetness of success through hardship. The same applies to youth. It is the time when the person has the most capability and ability to perfect themselves and this perfection becomes the cause for a successful life. Obviously prefection here is not refering to Infalibility, but nevertheless man has the ability to reach the high grounds of spiritual awakening and move closer to his Creator.

May Allah hasten the reappearance of Imam Al Mahdi (ajtf), the Imam of our time..

Iran: Road to Salvation

2006-08-14T17:14:00.000+01:00

Iran, a country unlike any other on this face of earth, bears a past of oppression and tyranny but the fragrance of freedom and the aroma of independence can be noticed in the masses who laid their lives to make this revolution a living present. The importance of the great Islamic revolution can be seen around every corner with the images of the martyrs and the Islamic leaders of the country. Iran, a theocratic state yet a place of religious importance. You have from the beautiful and majestic shrine of Imam Al Ridha (as) to the blue turquoise dome of Masjid-e-Jamkaran.

I have visited Iran many times but every time I have been there it feels different. It is a journey from one realm to another, it seems so real when you leave the west and break all the attachments and go to an Islamic environment. It dawns upon you the importance of religion, the need to evolve into a society which upholds values and . West is like a spiritual desert and a believer living in the lands of the West will always have the thirst for spirituality. Spirituality is not just worship, but it is a package which includes worship, morals, deep thinking, peace and most of all being at ease. The state of ease, perhaps the most important of all the attributes of spirituality, is the feeling when one self is contend with what he is blessed with from Almighty and has no fear or greed abt the worldly and the materialistic attachments. The state we all progress towards only a few make it.

The city of Mashad illuminates at night with the reflections of the Golden dome of the Shrine of Abal Hassan, Imam Al Ridha (as). The city has its own special appeal, you would feel calm and relaxed. It is the city of the Imam (as). Described briefly is the journey of a follower to this magnificent shrine:

"In the name of Allah the all-Beneficent the all-Merciful

Peace be on you, O poor and innocent Imam.
Peace be on you, O helper of the needy and of the deprived.
Peace be on you, O listener of the wishes of the followers.
Peace be on you, O benefactor of the people.
Peace be on you, O you who is buried in Mashad Muqadas.
Peace be on you and your ancestors and also on your progeny and May Allah send His blessings on you and them.

The lips recite these eloquent sentences again and again, the eyes fills with tears, the heart beats faster and faster with hope, the head bows in respect and admiration and the hands raise in gratitude, thanking and asking for the fulfilment of requests.

This was the scene which took over me on seeing the holy shrine of my beloved Imam (a.s). The day was too hot, the sun was burning down but the masses did not subside but increased. And there was I standing facing the shrine with tears constantly rolling down from my eyes. Tears of happiness, tears of joy and tears of reunion, I had finally obtained what my heart had desired for so long. He had invited me to come for his ziyarat and of his sister Bibi Masooma-e-Qum (s.a) and i came leaving behind all that matters for a short time in his company, to pay my allegiance to him. A privilege it is but an undeserving one for a person like me. It will be an everlasting memory."

Words cannot do justice to what the lovers and the followers of Ahl ul Bayt (as) feel in this vicinty. Only the Almighty knows how the hearts and the soul of the lovers connect with their master, who greets and meets every pilgrim to his shrine. The pilgrim leave with what they had desired for and what they had asked for, no one leaves empty handed from this door, for this door is where supplications are answered, where miracles happen, where dreams are fulfilled and where answers are seeked. How I wish to be there day and night to worship in that vicinty, to meet you O Imam. The heart cries from the separation, the souls wishes to escape to the illuminated city of my master and dwell there for as long as this world exists.

Qum, a city in the middle of a desert yet it is not a desert more like plains of spirituality waiting to be explored. The city is a battle arena on one side you have the hardships of everyday life and on the other you have the spiritual aroma encompassing the city. The battle is more internal rather than external. You see yourself fighting to discipline your lower self to adjust to this hard way of living yet this rebellious soul prefers the luxury and the pleasures of this materialistc world. The way I have always seen is that living in the west is like living in a hard shell you are immune from the hardships and other things, you have everything given to you. However in Qum that is not the case, especially not for the young newbie hawza students. Life here is all do it yourself nothing is done for you and neither you are immune to the hardships. Everyone has to learn and develop themselves more like evolving, breaking the barriers and removing the veils of ignorance. More like in the west you are in a coccoon but over here in Qum you are like the butterfly who has developed through education, knowledge and spirituality.

Also in Qum lies the resting place of a great lady Sayeeda Masooma (sa). The lady of light as I call her. She is the source of inspiration for many who settle there for education purposes and for others she is a source of enlightment. Her shrine is the focal point of this city. The light from it illuminates and shines up the city. It is the city of Scholars, a city which shows the mark of great personalities as Ayatollah Najafi, Ayatollah Bahjat, Ayatollah Lankarani, Allama Tabatabai and many more. These are the people whose hearts were illuminated by the lady who dwells in this city. May Almighty give them a long life and on the day of judgement make them amongst the companions of the Ahl ul Bayt (as)

May Allah give us the oppurtunity to visit these special places and to preform the ziyarat of our Master, Imam Al Ridha (as) and his sister Lady Masooma (sa).

May He hasten the appearence of the Imam of our time Imam Al Hujja (ajtf)

2006-08-08T14:31:00.000+01:00

Every Friday the heart cries while calling out these words:

أَيْنَ الشُّمُوسُ الطّالِعَةُ؟
Where are the clear source and spring of Light (vision and insight)?

أَيْنَ الْأَقْمارُ الْمُنيرَةُ؟
Where are the lively vivid handsome faces?

أَيْنَ الْأَنْجُمُ الزّاهِرَةُ؟
Where are the distinctly visible pioneers?

أَيْنَ أَعْلامُ الدّينِ، وَ قَواعِدُ الْعِلْمِ؟
Where are the "know all the answers" scholars who communicated and made clear the religion of Allah? The fundamentals of knowledge and wisdom!

أَيْنَ بَقِيَّةُ اللَّهِ الَّتى لا تَخْلُوا مِنَ الْعِتْرَةِ الْهادِيَةِ؟
Where is the ‘Everlasting legacy of God"? (never ever is the "family of Guides" without One).

**اللّهم عجّل لوليک الفرج**

The Promise of Jamkaran: May Allah hasten the reappearance of the Imam of our time Al-Mahdi (ajtf)

2006-08-08T14:17:00.000+01:00

I begin in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. To Him belongs all the greatest names. To Him belongs the heavens and the earth and what lies in them. He is the Master of universes and the Sustainer for all creation and He alone deserves to be worshipped.

The turquoise dome of the holy mosque stands like a sublime kingdom in the setting rays of the bright sunlight. The feet feel tired from the walk till the gates of this holy mosque. It feels like a desert with hot wind making one bear the hardships and suffering. This makes this visit more rewarding. When one arrives within the courtyards the eyes shine from the majesty of the great mosque, the hardships forgotten, the suffering ended and the heart fills with hope and expectations on this auspicious evening. The cool breezes sweeps through the courtyards of the sacred vicinity making the place feel like a winter’s evening and as one walks towards the sacred mosque and through these winds it feels as if the angels have just descended from the upper heavens to aid the pilgrims at this holy place.

Every night at this place is blessed but tonight holds a special meaning. Every shia on this night longs to be here, to feel the movement of angels, to see the sublime kingdom, to absorb the privilege of this meeting. To say ‘Labayk’ on the call of the Imam of the time Al –Mahdi the one who is the guide, the one who is the master and the one who is the leader in these days of hardship.

The turquoise dome mosque is a refuge for me as it is for hundreds of people within it. The atmosphere inside reflected a sombre mood as the lips were busy in His remembrance, the soul wished for purity while the heart searched contentment in his presence. It searched for the bliss through contentment but how can this contentment be achieved with ziyarat of the Imam when our sins strike him as arrows when he examines the scrolls of our deeds. He weeps at our sins, our transgressions… he weeps to see us being ignorant and in sleep negligence.

He suffers through the pain and the tragedies that had befallen his family… he looks upon us with hope and expectations. He wants us to feel his pain, to share his sorrow and to work harder for his return so the injustice can end, the peace can prevail. Even then we cannot begin to feel his pain… only Allah (s.w.t) knows how he endures the tragedy of Karbala year after year when he remembers the sacrifices of his grandfather on the plains of Karbala… the way Imam Hussain without thought abandoned Medina for the sake of Allah (s.w.t), left Mecca for the sake of Allah (s.w.t). Gave his Asgher to the treacherous arrows, gave the chest of his son Al Akbar to the dagger, the arms of his Abbas to the Euphrates and the veil of his sister Zainab (sa) to Shmir. Even till this day the Imam feels the grief and sorrow of that day in Karbala. Imagine that hour of the day when his grandfather all alone in the battle fields cries out “Hal Min Nasir Yansurna… Hal Min Nasir Mugesoona”. Imagine how this would have pierced the heart of our Imam due to the pain when no one rose from the Ummah of the Messenger of Allah . He wants us to wake up and be the one to answer that call which still sounds on the plain of Karbala till today, where angels still dwell in hope to be in the army of the Imam to avenge the blood of Imam Hussain (as).

O Imam (as) , we your followers are not worthy of standing next to you but for the sake of blooded sand of Karbala accept us as your soldiers…O Imam (as) , enlighten our souls with your purity, enlighten our hearts with your honour and enlighten our eyes with your light… O Imam become our guide on this path of awakening and May we be blessed with your grace and intercession in the world and also in the hereafter.

We long for You, the Awaited One.

Labayk Ya Mahdi (as)