Combat Oppression & Injustice

What he always wanted was freedom of the creatures of God from the core of his heart, because God has created them free and in his eyes it was not at all appropriate that creation of God should be subjected to disgrace. Their dishonor was the humiliation of humanity, and whoever humiliated humankind was treated as an enemy. How great a supporter and adherent of the helpless and oppressed persons Ali was, how he waged wars against enemies of virtue and kindness.

We like beauty as much as we hate ugliness. And as humans we hate oppression as much as we want justice. One cannot stand up against oppression and execute it until and unless we consider life to be important. So one who cannot hate similarly cannot also truly love.

War against injustice and oppression is being fought ever since man arrived on earth. However, nature, ways and conditions have been different. Those who became part of these movements against the tyrants and oppressors of their time were hundreds of thousands in number. Hence they were and are a source of pride for history. They came in succession and each continued from where the last one left. Ibrahim, Mosa and Jesus campaigned against oppression and injustice. Muhammad' started campaign against the polytheists; which was in continuance of war waged by Jesus. He begun revolution to destroy injustice and oppression and did not rest till the oppressed were liberated.

Tyrants and cruel people haven’t felt shame for their acts of tyranny and oppression. If studied carefully they didn’t do it for fulfillment of any objective, they committed such cruel acts because it had become a part of their nature. Hajjaj bin Yusuf stood on an innocent old man who was trembling with fear. On his orders, his servants swiftly beheaded the old man. Later Hajaj had dinner with his friends as if nothing had happened. In same way firmness and steadfastness of people who stood against injustice. It was in their nature which made them stand against all odds and raise voice against what wrong was happening in society. The companions of Imam Hussain also sacrificed their lives in support of his mission, although they could see a huge army of Bani Umayyad arrayed against them & Socrates drank the cup of poison as if it was a medicine because his drinking it was a display of firmness and steadfastness against falsehood.

Noble soul among human beings, who can be termed as leader of all those who fought and stood against injustice and oppression was Ali ibn Abi Talib

Ali ibn Abi Talib had instructed people on many occasions that none should oppress others and none should tolerate oppression. When Ali took over reins of Caliphate his views were not accepted and people didn’t lend support to his intentions. Hence he along with small group of followers was left alone.

However, did it suit Ali that he would have shown weakness at a stage when the forces of evil had formed a front against him? Was it possible for a brave man to lose heart and give up effort because he was facing mishap and hardships with men like carnivores around him, particularly when everybody was afraid to rise against corrupt elements within system? People had lost all wisdom and were selling religion for sake of world, they were running after wealth & rank like stupid’s, justice was eradicated & rebellion and chaos was witnessed in major cities. In such conditions Ali ibn Abi Talib said: "Whoever called them for help never succeeded. Whoever met them did not acquire peace of mind. Whoever came in the battlefield accompanied by them sustained loss. They were deaf inspite of having ears and were dumb although they possessed power of speech. They neither showed steadfastness in the battlefield like noble and zealous men nor could one depend upon their sympathy and support at the time of adversity"

Love which Ali had in for every human being obliged him not to show mercy to one who did harm to the people even though he (i.e. Ali) had to lay down his life in fulfilling objective of this movement. One who considered it love and kindness and a sign of gentleness to remain silent in the face of the oppressors was either a liar or was not acquainted with human nature as per Ali ibn Abi Talib. True love and kindness for mankind reflects that those spreading injustice and oppression should be meat with severe tone and action so that they may free the people from bondage.

Imam Ali (a.s) never stood back when it came to standing against injustice and oppression. It was his belief that: "The presence of an Imam through whom the right of a weak person may be realized from a strong person and that of an oppressed person from an oppressor is necessary so that the righteous may live in comfort and feel secure from the mischief of the evil-doers".

"I order you to behave harshly with the oppressor. Hold the foolish oppressor by the hand, and stop him from committing injustice". His kindness, affection and mental strength guaranteed that commitment in the battle between truth and falsehood.

Ali saw death very closely in battlefield or during early days of Islam but neither his hands were tired of fighting nor did he heed the dread in his heart. He relied fully on his own justice and equity and firmly believed that whatever he was doing was in accordance with the core teachings of Islam. He used to say: "A weak person is strong in my eyes until I get his right paid to him, and a strong person is weak in my eyes until I receive the right from him''. He also said: “I swear by God that I am not worried whether death falls upon me or I fall upon death''.

He fought against the oppressors with his tongue as well as with his sword and remained committed in his struggle. He continued to fight against injustice and the unjust till he met martyrdom. If time had not hampered his program and the conditions had not been adverse & hostile, he would have brought about a change in a number of things.

Ali ibn Abi Talib said:

“And the sin which will not be forgiven is that one person may oppress another".

Ruler is one of People

The most distinguished personality of Islam and Humanity after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is commander to faithful Imam Ali (a.s). Life of this true servant of Islam was and still is for advancement of Islam. Great warrior, a great judge, great humanitarian and the most pious person of his time. History of great men is a fountain from which one generation after other has been able to rejuvenate their faith and life. Imam Ali (a.s) greatness was not just confined to battle field, he was matchless in the matter of faith, piety, purity, eloquence, magnanimity, help for the deprived and the oppressed and support for truth. And still after passage of time his life still serves as a beacon of light for us and extremely useful for making our lives inspiring.

 It was aim of Umayyad Clan to convert government into kingship and was working towards this goal already. People who were in ruling position or had some sort of power were of the view that caliphate was their special right. Tribal biasness, formation of groups, bribes etc were considered lawful in order to strengthen their hold on caliphate. Against the teachings of Islam they considered that a ruler was master of lives, property and honor of people they ruled. Hence creating opportunity for corrupt government representatives to exploit common men. Heads and people ruling under them considered common people as goats and sheep; on whom they could put heaviest load and beat as much as they want. During rule of third caliph, Umayyad governors had free hand to attain whatever their heart desired. Behind this core objective was to strengthen grip of Umayyad clan on caliphate. For this heavy bribes were given to well known dignitaries for winning their support. Free hand was given to those in power to punish those who stood against their agenda. Those who stood with them were honored and those who stood against them were punished. Government was hence established on a new principle. Behind all this was Umayyad Clan who never had accepted Islam. Due to fear they had accepted Islam. But history shows that they never changed their life style even after embracing Islam. Well known companions of Prophet were either assassinated by unknown killers or were removed from every position. But those companions of Prophet who co-operated with them in destroying Islamic teachings were kept in decision making and were handsomely rewarded.

Conditions were very uncertain when Imam Ali (a.s) got caliphate. Islamic nation was divided into two groups. One was ready to sacrifice anything for Islamic values. While the other group was loyal to Umayyad clan. For strengthening their agenda they even were ready to kill anyone who created obstructions in their path. Imam Ali (a.s) was not interested in getting caliphate but for sake of Islam used to assist first and second caliph as and when required. It is well known to all that whenever Caliphate faced any issue it used to be Ali ibn Abu Talib who used to solve it. Despite facing hardships and persecution of his followers the only thing he wanted was establishment of truth and justice. Kingdom which was established in name of Islam was transformed into a totally different state with signs of tyranny. His words regarding that period:

 “The time is extremely incompatible and disagreeable. In these days a righteous person is considered to be wicked and the refractoriness of the tyrant is on the increase. This is so because the sky is covered with dark clouds and the signs of the paths have been obliterated. The people are involved in doubts and sensuality. They have ears but they are deaf. They have eyes but they are blind. They are neither steadfast in the battlefield nor reliable in difficult circumstances”

 He knew that people who were at his door step asking him to accept caliphate will not be able to accept and tolerate the way he would manage affairs of kingdom. After assassination of third caliph, well known personalities and common people used to gather on his door step asking him to accept responsibility. At that time welfare of common men and social norms were in danger.  And hence Imam Ali (a.s) could not tolerate sitting quietly and watching rights of common people being sacked by corrupt government officials. He said:

“I was worried and alarmed lest the foolish and wicked persons should become the rulers of this nation and make the property of God their plaything and the creatures of God their slaves and fight with the righteous and make the tyrants their helpers”

 It was for these reasons he considered it essential to accept the responsibility of caliphate. Ali (a.s) accepted the caliphate with firm determination and considered it in the interests of the Muslims that he should assume that office. He said:

 “0 People! I am one of you. I enjoy the same rights which you enjoy. My responsibilities are also the same as yours. Nothing can invalidate truth. (I.e. a ruler or caliph cannot change the commands of God”

Ali wrote to one of his governors as under:

 “Your holding this office does not entitle you to accumulate wealth or to take revenge from any person. Your only duty is that you should destroy falsehood and revive truth”

 For Ali son of Abu Talib Caliphate did not mean that ruler should live in his palace whereas common people are left on behest of corrupt representatives. He says:

“Generosity and munificence is a greater source of love and affection than consanguinity and kinship. There is no greatness like meekness and no virtue like knowledge”

Ali (a.s) was a man who did not worship God because he desired forgiveness or because he feared punishment. On the contrary he worshipped God because He deserved to be worshipped. He wished that the people should obey the caliph on account of his obedience and not because of fear or greed of gain.

Moving along with common people and hearing what difficulties they were facing was a trademark of Imam Ali (a.s) ruling. Hence governors during his caliphate were constantly reminded that they belong to same society and hence should move along with common people. Hence this tradition of rulers moving along with common people is still compatible in civilized nations today.

Hatred Ideology

They bought up their ideology of hatred and nurtured it until it was mature enough to be promoted all over the world. Slowly and gradually enemies realized that if they wanted to tarnish the image of Islamic teachings and halt the world from moving toward Islam; this version of religion will be best to not only damage the image but also to damage the religion from inside by corrupting the mere ideology on which religion was bought up. Humanity was and is the corner stone upon which Islam came and swept to every corner of this world. But those even who were there at start mistook the message. Hence as soon as the Messenger of Allah departed, so called pious followers of Prophet also forgot the teachings as they never existed. Sword was considered the chief tool to spread the message of religion which was religion of peace. And so an analyst rightly said that cause of Islam was damaged more by the sword of faithful rather than of non followers.

Today also monster bought up in sacred land of Arab is now moving from one country to other. Spilling blood of Muslims, killing elderly & children, rapping in name of Islam. And all this being done in fellow Muslim countries. Recent example Syria, where this hard core extremist ideology was exported. For more than 2 years government stood its ground against inhuman & barbaric group of extremists which were smuggled into Syria with help of Qatar, Turkey & Saudia. Somehow this monster was defeated and agenda of nations supporting this monster also failed. Now it has entered Iraq with help of those having soft corner for this ideology. Bombing shrines of companions of Prophet, mass killings and other inhuman acts was main feature of this monster in Syria and in Iraq it has promised to cause same havoc. Nations behind this monster feeding it with finance and logistics have again working on how Muslim world could be bought in sectarian conflict.

And while people are butchered silent majority of Muslim umah stays silent. Whereas western media and other puppets are portraying conflict in Iraq as sectarian conflict as they did during conflict in Syria. However knowledgeable Muslims having insight on their belief know it quiet well that a Sunni would never bomb or damage the shrine of companions of Prophet. Nor will he stand by while people try to tarnish image of Prophet’s progeny. Same is the case in Iraq. Ordinary Iraqis have stood up and taken arms against those who are trying to impose false version of Islam. Tribes have assembled to protect their areas and are also ready to help government topple this madness being waged in name of Islam. In such hard times Muslims should be updated as to what is going on, who is working on foreign agenda and who wants betterment of humanity. Upmost responsibility of everybody is to raise voice against this hard core extremist version of Islam which one particular nation is trying to impose all over in Muslim world. Spending some part of your resources on those in need and waging war against illiteracy and poverty will help you cleansing weeds of hatred in your society. Because this version of religion based on hatred and extremism thrives on poverty and illiteracy.

Hazrat Abbas(as) & Battle of Siffeen

At the battle of Siffeen, Abbas(as) was very young - hardly eleven years old. Imam Hussain(as) was fighting in the battlefield. When Hazrat Abbas(as) saw an enemy soldier approaching Imam Hussain(as) from behind, he took a sword and rushed into the battle field and killed the enemy, at the same time crying out in a loud voice, “How can anyone dare attack my Maula while I am alive? ” He continued to fight maintaining his position behind Imam Hussain(as).

One day he appeared fully disguised, masked and armored, on the battlefield. When Ibn-e-Shasa, a brave and famous Syrian fighter saw this masked person, he asked one of his seven sons to slay him. Instead, the son was quickly put down. Similarly, the other six sons tried to fight this masked warrior, but they all met the same fate. Finally lbn-e-Shasa himself came forward and the manner in which he was also beaten, made all the other people stare in disbelief. They then thought this masked fighter to be Hazrat Ali(as), and no one dared to come forward to fight. But, when Hazrat Abbas(as) removed the mask, people were surprised to note that he was not Ali, but instead, Abbas, the inheritor of Hazrat Ali’s gallantry.

Muawiya saw this and asked, “Who is that boy?” When he was told he was Abbas ibne Ali, he said, “By God! No one can fight like that at that age except a son of Ali!”

Corrupt Society

On the verge of civil war we live in a society which despite knowing the path that will lead to destruction, have not amended ourselves. We know what dangers our generations will face, yet we turn a blind eye towards them. We are gradually moving towards destruction and chaos. Destruction and chaos will be caused by others but, at the core, it will be our actions, which will lead us to those butchers who are inhuman and barbarians. So, it’s not the injustice and barbarity of cruel people that harms society the most, but it is the silence of people, either due to fear or because the matter is not a matter of their concern. However, when forest catches fire, its heat is felt initially by every living being and later that small fire grips each part of the forest; burning everything in its path. Similar is the fate of our society. Some parts of our country are witnessing brutal barbaric acts against schools and teachers while others witness targeted killing of people belonging to a particular belief, every single day.

 

We don’t realize that today it’s them; tomorrow it will be us. Today it’s their belief because of which they are being butchered in every corner of the world. Tomorrow these barbarians would find some other reason to burn down your house. Their thirst of spilling blood will never end. Even when there will be nobody to fight, they would fight each other on false logics. As was the case in Afghanistan, after Soviets retreated and, the same was witnessed in Syria when the rebel Islamic Militant group fought amongst themselves for the control of small portions of the city or over pity issues.

 

We spend millions to fulfill our worldly desires and yet the list never ends. We become frugal when we have to contribute for somebody in need while we enjoy and eagerly wait to spend on movie tickets. While we become defensive and argue about our right to spend heftily on recreational activities, we overlook the needs of the less privileged in our society. We condone the needs of those struggling parents who can’t fund their child’s education; certainly, we are unable to find a single reason to help them out. As the earning increasing, so does the reason for not contributing for a social cause.

 

Our behaviors, actions, and decisions as an individual and society, are clear to us. However, we still portray ourselves as we’re aloof to the needs of the society; we don’t care. While we try to instill the best of ethics into our children, send them to good schools so they can be good humans, we’re simultaneously creating biasness in our children’s minds. We ignore the needs of those who are poverty stricken and deprived of basic life’s provisions such as food, clothing and shelter. While if this wasn't enough, we disrespect our elders,  in front of our children, and expect our kids to be respectful towards us when we grow old. This is mere hypocrisy; on one hand we expect others to treat us well, while on the other hand we don’t feel any responsibility to others in the society.

 

My question is still the same: what are we doing and what do we want to achieve? Do we want our kids to see us being killed just because one religious maniac thinks we are not acting according to rules of religion? Don’t we see everyday how innocent people are killed and don’t we just ignore such events because they are not related to us? Moreover, when people protest against such incidents don’t we curse such people for protesting and creating traffic jams on roads? Haven’t we reached the point where we need to check the level of corruption we ourselves have reached? A day will come when this fire will engulf our home, then we will look towards others for help to raise their voices against the injustice towards us. When we won’t find anybody to support us, we will forget about how we had acted when others needed us and would curse them for not standing by us.

Islam & Educated Class of Society

Our older generation had been slaves and had an enormous inferiority complex of the British. The school we went to was similar to all the elite schools in Pakistan, despite becoming independent, we are, and still are, producing replicas of English public school boys rather than Pakistanis. We read Shakespeare which is fine, but no Iqbal. 

The Islamic class is not considered to be serious, and when we leave school we consider ourselves amongst the elite of the country because we could speak in English and wore western clothes. Despite periodically celebrating and singing national songs on Independence Day, we consider our own culture backward and Islam an outdated religion.

Amongst our group if any one talks about religion, prayed or kept a beard he is immediately branded a Mullah or extremist for that matter who is misguided. Because of the power of the western media, all our heroes are western movie or pop stars or for that matter bollywood.

Now slowly we are entering an era where not just Islam but all religions are considered as anachronism. Science has replaced religion and if something couldn't be logically proved it did not exist. Moreover, if one reviews the European history, conclusion would be that they had an awful experience with religion. The horrors committed by the Christian clergy in the name of God during the inquest had left a powerful impact on the western mind. To understand why the west is so keen on secularism, one should go to places like Cordoba in Spain and see the various methods of torture applied during the Spanish Inquisition. Also the maltreatment of scientists as heretics by the clergy had convinced the Europeans that all religions are regressive.

But opposite to this if we observe why current and upcoming generations are moving away from religion is the selective Islam practiced by most of its preachers i.e. Mullahs. . In other words, there is difference between what we practice and what we preach. Also, rather than explaining the philosophy behind the religion, there is emphasis on rituals. We humans are poles apart to animals whereas the latter can be drilled; humans need to be rationally convinced. That is why the Quran constantly appeals to reason. The worst of course, is the exploitation of Islam for political gains by various individuals or groups.

In western societies, institutions are strong while they are collapsing in our country. However, there is one area where we were and still are better and that is our family life. One can observe the solitude of the old-age pensioners at different places built specially to accommodate old people.  One cannot imagine even of sending parents to Old Peoples' Homes. Western society on this point completely misses out on the security blanket that a joint family system provides. However one if studies western society closely would notice that the biggest loss which western society suffered was trying to free itself from oppression. While doing this they removed both God and Religion from their lives. Doing this created a vacuum in their society. And two questions always remain unanswered in such society. What is the purpose of our existence and what after we die? Both these unanswered questions have serious psychological impact in society.

After the event of 9/11; it looked like the whole world had turned against Muslims. And it was then many Muslims living abroad and also in Muslim countries realized that we are not equipped with even basic knowledge of Islam which could be adequate to solve our daily problems. If we look into what really Islam is about; Quran on this matter states clearly that “Those who believe and do good deeds.” But in our society and other Muslim countries the main problem is two extreme groups that exists. None of them are ready to accept the other. One is more tilted towards westernized outlook whereas on the other end we have religious fanatics who have labeled themselves as defendants of faith. 

But if one carefully studies what Islam really is about, it would be humanity along with fulfilling religious obligations. And to arrive at this given both extremes need to engage in dialogue. Dialogue not to label each other as infidels or fanatics but to understand and follow what was the right path. Group which is in majority and spends more on education should spend more time and resource in order to understand Islam. There is no forceful following in religion but one should arm itself with basic knowledge of religious beliefs to stand up against extremism existing in our society. Extremism could not be wiped off if we turn.

If our educated class starts to practice Islam, it would not only help in fighting extremism but would also help in nipping other societal evils. World would also realize how progressive religion Islam is. After all Prophet (pbuh) was known for his mercy for all mankind.

21st March - Naurooz

21s March is the day of Naurooz - the first day of Persian calendar. It is celebrated with reverence in many countries.

Where and how is Naurooz Celebrated?

The festival of Naurooz commemorates a centuries-old, agrarian custom that over time was integrated into various cultures and faith traditions. Today, Naurooz is celebrated in many parts of the Middle East and Central and South Asia, particularly among peoples influenced by Persian and Turkic civilisations. In countries such as Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, Naurooz is observed as a public holiday. Celebrations are also organized by the Shia Muslims communities in Pakistan, India and other places in the world where Shia Muslim communities exist.

People across the globe celebrate Naurooz with the recital of devotional poetry in the form of qasidas, and manqabas. Dried fruits, nuts and grains are distributed, symbolising blessings of abundance and sustenance. Naurooz is also a time of family gatherings and celebratory meals, thus strengthening family bonds and fraternal ties.

 

What do our scholars say about this day and its importance?

Ayatullah al-Uzma Makarim Shirazi, in his recent publication, Mafaatih al-Naveen (an updated version of Mafaatih al-Jinaan of Shaykh Abbas Qummi), writes: “In regards to what Islam has to say about Eid-e-Naurooz, we must state that amongst the scholars, this Eid is debated. Some of the traditions point to the importance of this day as one in which many nations were saved (from perils).”

He goes on to state that, “The Late Allamah Majlisi writes in Zad al-Ma‘aad that, “From a reliable chain of narrators from Mu‘alla ibne Janis it has been narrated that on the day of Naurooz, he was blessed to be in the presence of Imam as-Sadiq (as). The Imam asked, “Do you know the status of this day?” Mu‘alla replied, “May I be sacrificed for your sake! This is the day which the Iranians took as a great day. On this day, they send gifts to one another.” The Imam replied, “The act of holding this day in esteem and greatness is due to certain historical events which took place which I will now explain to you.” The Imam then mentioned the following events:

1. Naurooz is the day when Allah, the High, took the Oath of Allegiance from the souls of all human beings (before their creation) to His oneness, that they would not associate partners with Him and that they would accept and believe in His Prophets and Imams;

2. This is also the day when the flood during the time of Prophet Nuh(as) subsided and the ark rested on the mountain of Joodi;

3. Naurooz is also the day when the Messenger of Allah destroyed the idols of the polytheists of the Quraish in the city of Makkah.

4. This was also the day that Prophet Ibrahim(as) destroyed the idols;

5. Also the day when the Messenger of Allah ordered his companions to pledge allegiance to Ali as the Commander of the Faithful (this is in reference to the Day of Ghadeer which took place on the Eid-e-Naurooz);

6. it is also the day when the Qa’im from Aale Muhammad (the 12th Imam) will make his advent…”

However, Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi cautions that, “Since Mu‘alla ibne Janis is an individual whom the scholars question (and thus this tradition as well falls under question), for this reason, it is not possible to totally rely on this tradition.” None the less, He states that this day has Islamic significance, which we need to ensure is marked in an Islamic fashion. He concludes by stating that the Eid-e-Naurooz is an Eid of nature in the world of creation; it is the day when winter ends and spring blossoms with its natural life by the command of Allah. It is the time when the leaves of the trees begin to sprout their buds and the flowers begin to bring forth their bulbs in preparation of their blooming; it is a time when a movement towards life takes hold of all of creation and thus we, the believers, should be in harmony with this event of the creation as this is equivalent to being in sync with the tradition (Sunnat) of Allah.

 

The believers need to ensure that they remove all actions which are ‘cultural’ or ‘traditional’ – even if practiced by Muslims, and to follow the dictates of the Prophet and the Imams. Thus, some of the recommend actions which we should perform on this day include: a ghusl for Eid; wearing clean clothes; applying perfume; fasting, praying the recommended Salat after Salaatul Asr and the various supplications which should be read on this day, some of which are found in Mafaatih al-Jinaan [The Prayer’s Almanac in English by PET].

According to the Holy Prophet (sawaw) and 6th Imam(as), the rain water of this month is very useful for curing many ailments. It is also said that this water causes fertility in women. So if a childless female drinks this water, she may give birth to a child. [Mafateehul Jinaan - Pg 586].

Recommended Aamal of Naurooz

[As per – Mafateehul-Jinaan, Zadul-Maa’ad & Almanac]

(1) Have a bath - Ghusl

(2) Put on new or clean clothes and apply perfume.

(3) Keep fast.

(4) Pray a 4 Rak-a't salaat, (In 2 rak'at cycle) after the Z'uhr and A'sr prayers, as under:

In the first Rak-a't after the recitation of Soorah Al Faatih'ah, recite Soorah Al Qadr 10 times.

In the second Rak-a't, after the recitation of Soorah Al Faatih'ah, recite Soorah Al Kaafiroon 10 times.

In the third Rak-a't, after the recitation of Soorah Al-Faatih'ah, recite Soorah Al Ikhlaas 10 times.

In the fourth Rak-a't, after the recitation of Soorah Al Faatih'ah, recite Soorah Al Falaq 10 times, and Soorah Al Naas 10 times.

(5) Pray other Duas mentioned in Mafati-ul-Jinan and other books.

(6) Ask your hajats.

Source: www.ziaraat.com