10th Muharram 1435 AH - Day of Ashoora

10th of Muharram 1435 A.H. - The day of Ashoora when Imam Hussain(as) and his 72 companions were martyred in the desert of Karbala in Iraq in 61 AH.

Imam Hussain(as) was the icon of Islam who was upholding the religion of Allah(swt) against an icon of oppression and cruelty (Yazid bin Moawia Laeen) who had usurped the noble status of Khalifa-e-Rasool. Imam Hussain(as) refused to accept this unjust person as Caliph and started off on a memorable journey to expose the nefarious designs of Yazid Laeen. This endeavor of Imam Hussain(as) marked a turning point in the history of Islam and set out a clear distinction between the true Islam and the false brand of Islam that Yazid Laeen was trying to established.

Imam Hussain(as) arrived in the land of Karbala on the 2nd of Muharram and his camp was moved away from the river Euphrates on the 7th of Muharram and from the 8th of Muharram all water and food resources finished in his camp and the women and little children of his family were without water and food in the scorching heat of Karbala for 3 days. On 10th of Muharram, battle between the small group of Imam Hussain(as) and the 30,000 (upto 100,000) strong army of Yazid(laeen), led by Omar ibn-e-Saad(laeen), started and one by one all male members of Imam(as)'s camp were martyred including children of tender ages of 14 and 12 years and the cruel men did not even spare the 6-month old Ali Asghar(as) - the son of Imam Hussain(as).

Just before the time of Asar prayers, Imam Hussain(as) was left alone and he gave a thought provoking speech which highlighted the reasons why he had started this campaign and how the people of Kufa betrayed him and left him alone. Then he started a valiant battle all alone against the enemies and fought like his brave father till the time of Asar prayers when a voice called him to put his sword down and come to Allah(swt) as Nafs-e-Mutmaeenah - satisfied soul.  Imam Hussain(as) started praying and while he was in prostration, Shimr-e-Maloon attacked him and martyred the Imam(as) with an unsharpened dagger hitting him 13 times.

I present my condolences and Pursa to Prophet Mohammad(sawaw), Bibi Fatima(sa), Imam-e-Zamana(as), the Ahl-e-Bait(as) and all Momineen and Mominaat  on this day of Ashoora and as instructed by our Imams(as), you should also present  condolences to your friends and family members on this day of the great martyrdom  of Imam Hussain(as) and his companions.

 

Source:

www.ziaraat.com

Lessons from Shia Processions

As history states that after 7/7 bombing in London, people living in this great city refused to give up to demands and propaganda of militants. They continued their way of life, greater part of London remained open, public services remained accessible and the message was life goes on with slight marks of terror. I am not a big fan of Tony Blair who was prime minister at that time but the message he gave in his speech requires appreciation. Without any doubt our rulers and political leaders should learn from this. He stated and I quote:

“I think we all know what they are trying to do. They are trying to use the slaughter of innocent people to cow us, to frighten us out of doing the things that we want to do, trying to stop us from going about our business as normal, as we are entitled to do and they should not and they must not succeed. When they try to intimidate us, we will not be intimidated. When they seek to change our country or our way of life by these methods, we will not be changed.”

When military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq who we can give credit of sowing seed of religious extremism in our society and creation of madressas for producing brain washed religious animals in Pakistan. And he was supported equally by our Pious Saudi Brothers.  Persecuting other sects and faiths (Shias, Sunni Barelvis, Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus etc) begun and after 30 odd years now we are hiding ourselves from the devil which was given birth by equal efforts of Zia and Saudis.

 Pakistani Shias since creation of our Holy Motherland have remained subject to constant discrimination, harassment, hate speech and violence by various jihadi and sectarian proxies of the State, i.e., the Sipah-e-Sahaba (ASWJ), Taliban, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Jundullah, Lashkar-e-Taiba (JuD) etc.  

What harm have they caused to society because of which they are frequently being targeted? Yes their only wrong doing is that they follow & practice a faith (belief in Imams instead of Caliphs) which is unlike from the majority Sunni faith. They decline to admire those “companions” of the Prophet Muhammad whom Sunnis consider as heroes while Shias consider as villains, specifically head of Umayyad Dynasty Abu Sufyan, his son Muwiyah and Muwaiya’s son Yazeed.

While if we look at last ten year of our history Shias who were first targeted in Imambarghas and Mosques now are also being targeted in their homes & workplaces. Now their children and their women are also subjected to this brutal killing. Yet Shias have stood by their faith and facing all dangers still they follow their path of faith. Every year when Muharam starts; knowing that they will be targeted they still are going to attend, or the juloos (procession) they are participating on Ashura, may be subject to a brutal assault by a suicide bomber.

As muharram nears every year, it is observed that everywhere from streets to workplace objections are raised against Shias and their religious rituals. It is to be noted that our so called liberals are also a part of group which raises objections. They forget that such processions even on political grounds are allowed in western countries. And such liberals are silent when hard core elements of our society attack Shias, bomb girls school, attack Christians etc. On face f it every year Shias take out their processions which clearly reflect that Pakistan is alive. Not only this it also shows that we are a resilient nation and can stand against a ruthless enemy.

Every year these Holy Guided warriors of Islam and their masters issue ultimatums that Shia gatherings specifically processions would be attacked. Yet the Shias of Pakistan have time after time refused to bow down as our government and political leaders have bowed to their demands. They have refused to cave in to the demands and tactics of terrorists. This point was highlighted by Batool Zehra:

…no one is really in doubt about how vulnerable the Ashura procession is this year. In their majalis, Shia clerics have been philosophic about the possibility of suicide bombing, acknowledging that while safeguards have been taken, the threat by its very nature cannot be eliminated by better security.

Come Ashura and each mourner or ‘azadar’ on the long stretch of M A Jinnah Road (in Karachi) is more than a mourner — he is a protester and also a fighter. When the azadar walk out of their homes and join the procession, it is with the understanding that, had they been present at the battle of Karbala, they would have formed part of Imam Hussain’s (RA) army. To a follower, there are no anachronisms.

The Ashura procession is a concrete recreation to the idea that evil, even if it were to hide behind piety, behind religious facades, must be identified and exposed. And if the procession today is Imam Hussain’s (RA) lashkar, then in many ways, the Taliban today in their excesses, rigidity and barbaric cruelty still broadly embody the characteristics — intolerance, cruelty and a penchant for barbarism — of the Imam’s enemies.

Those who suggest that the processions should not take place, are missing the essential point. The Taliban attack not just lives, but a way of life, and it is the latter which must be protected, and which needs to survive. As hundreds of empty schools in Fata and Balochistan testify, it is all too easy to relinquish a way of life in an ultimately empty bid to protect lives. While the fear of bombing is crystal clear, there aren’t many today who are debating whether or not to go to the procession this year.

By posting this, personally I would salute every Shia who has given his life fighting against the ideology of hatred. I would also praise all those who till this day stand by their faith and have not backed away due to terror threats. My salute to all Hindus Christians and Sunni brothers who practice their faith and face terror threats and activities every day.

A day will come when these forces will exhaust all their resources and their ideology would also die. That day will be the day of victory for all those who stood against tyranny. 

Justifying Shia Killing

If you are in search of those who are “Rightly Guided”; you will have to travel around the world but you will only find a few. But don’t be upset that your journey has gone in vein; you can always find loads of them in Pakistan, especially up North. However, the question is: 'how can you identify them?' Well it’s easy; black or white striped turban, long kammeez, short shalwars, and you will meet the “Rightly Guided” People.

Learning Quran not for the hereafter, but specifically in order to divide, maneuver and create confusion with its verses. These Holy Men firmly follow the shariah that says cut the hands of a thief - but turn a deaf ear to the Shariah of Hazrat Ali(as) of asking the man 3 times whether he was poor, needed the money or if he had any problem before punishing him. The prime reason they don't follow Hazrat Ali's (a.s) teachings is because they fear the truth; this will lead them to their masters, and questioning would lead to the cuttings of the hands of those who fund them.

Their main illusion is that they believe that spreading religion on gun point (as in history was spread through the sword) is their right, which makes them like the Roman Empire. However, unlike the Roman Empire, their crusades are only against fellow Muslims, who according to them are infidels.

The main people to be targeted to achieve heaven and the Hoors are Shias. Hence every Shia is a mobile ticket to heaven for them. Just for distraction bombs are also planted in Milads and Sunni processions. Core priorities remain the Shia.The men in Turbans had first sought refuge in the mountains trying to wipe out Shias in Parachinar & Gilgit-Baltistan. But with support of previous and current democratically elected governments and the Democratic Insaf Pasand Party, now they have moved into urban cities. Whenever these  people in Turbans target any minority, specifically Shias, our politician come out and give many reasons, which brings me to this point- why shouldn’t we kill all Shias?

If you are still not convinced, here are some reasons to kill a Shia:

• The Shias are those who have turned away from religion. If you still think this reason is not enough to kill them then continue reading.
• They are stubborn and not ready to listen to anybody. They have a habit to question anything, anywhere and anytime. When everybody is convinced of whatever you say they come up with a new question. They believe in questioning and their queries are often connected to Islamic History. These questions related to Islamic History bring our brothers in Turbans on  a back foot.
• Their Islamic History knowledge is due to attending majalis.Majalis- where they mourn Hussain (a.s) and events that were followed by the battle of Karbala.
• The speaker frequently talks about events and Islamic history before reciting about events of Karbala. This creates a serious problem as they never fail to mention about the heroism, wisdom and knowledge of Ali (a.s). Things get more complicated things as it gets clear who were those men against whom Ali (a.s) took a stand and, the reason for the stand becomes even more clear.
• And when they mention about Ali (a.s) they never forget to mention Fatima (a.s), that leads to the topic of  Fidaq and Baqi. Baqi leads to Hasan (a.s) & then the problems and pact with Muwiyah. Here things get dirty as the Turbaned men call him Amir Muwiyah. They distinguish lineages in Majalis.
• Then they start with how was Hussain (a.s) and his family was slain in the desert of Karbala and how Hussain's (a.s) family was imprisoned. This automatically is followed by crying and beating of the chest and other forms of  Matam. They don’t stop here; loudspeakers are used for their majalis, that spreads their message to people sitting inside their homes.
•  And how to forget the food distributed after each majlis? This food is then shared with neighbors which lessen the hindrance between Shias and others in society. To create problems, the Turban brothers spread this propaganda that food is prepared with the blood of dead children or left over etc.
• Shias openly invite people to attend their majalis and listen to what they practice and about Islamic History.
• Although target killing and bombings have terrorized the society but many still visit majalis.
• If you are still not convinced with the reasons that make killing Shias compulsory, then beware, because the men with Turbans will label you a Shia and kill you too.

THIS ONE TOPS THE LIST:

• Shias assemble for 2 months and 8 days without any notice or call. Just like those who do not pray the whole year but don't miss the Eid prayers,  the Shia who isn’t very active the whole year will be out attending majalis in the first 10 days of Moharam.They block roads for their processions creating problems for others and destroying our booming economy.

Hence, it is proved that what our Turban Brothers are doing is fulfilling the purpose of Islam - bombarding and killing Shias for the sake of true Islam.

A BIG SALUTE TO THESE HOLY AND RIGHTLY GUIDED MEN!

3rd of Muharram 1435 AH

From the 3rd of Muharram troops of Umar ibn-e-Saad started gathering in Karbala to fight Imam Hussain(as) and his handful of companions on the direct orders and direction of Yazeed ibn-e-Muawiya. The troops came in large numbers and started settling around the river Euphrates (Nehr-e-Furat). Ibn-e-Ziyad continued sending troops from Kufa and some troops were also sent directly by Yazid from Syria. According to historical counts the total Yazid army was between 30,000 and 120,000 men. This strong army against a handful (between 72 and 200) people – including men and women – shows the level of fear that Yazeed and ibn-e-Ziyad had of Imam Hussain(as).

From the 3rd until the 7th of Muharram troops kept on arriving and the children of Imam Hussain’s(as) camp were frightened by the thunderous noise of the horses and soldiers. The womenfolk and children kept on asking on every arrival if they came as the helpers of Imam Hussain(as) and always the answer was a heartbreaking NO. This continuously added to the fright of children and womenfolk. Finally on the day of Ashura (10th Muharram), there arrived some help for Imam Hussain(as) as well - a group of 3 people – Hur, his son and his slave – and then an old and trusted friend of Imam Hussain(as) named Habib ibn-e-Mazahir(as). Although too little, but their arrival was so heartening for the women and children of the camp that they sent personal greetings and salutations to them and thanked them for coming to the help of  the Imam and his family.

At this time, the first real confrontation took place between Imam Hussain(as) Umar ibn-e-Saad. Umar demanded that Imam Hussain(as) should shift his camp away from the river and taking a strategic step, Imam(as) agreed to move his camps at a distance from the river. This was the time when the water of the river was stopped by force for the family and friends of Imam Hussain(as). They were then using the water that was already stored with them. The elders were not drinking any water, they were giving it to children and womenfolk. The women as well, controlled their own thirst to be able to give the water to the children. Finally on the 7th of Muharram all the water they had  stored ran out. Now Imam(as), his companions, his womenfolk and children were without water. This dreadful situation continued until the 10th of Muharram. Narrators of the event of Karbala state that all these 4 days they kept on hearing the cries of Al-Atash Al-Atash (Oh thirst! Oh thirst) from the children in the Imam’s(as) camp.

Ala Lanatullahe ala Qaum-az-Zalimeen - May Allah curse the cruel tribe which committed atrocities on the Ahl-e-bait(as) of prophet Mohammad(sawaw).

 

Source: www.ziaraat.com

Lesson From Karbala

Karbala could be termed as the cruelest tragedy civilization has ever seen. But on the other hand this given event has proved to be single incident which sent shock waves in Muslim world. For truthful and sincere Muslims, Karbala turned into a conquest which till Day of Judgment will be beacon of light to always remind Muslims to practice Islam honestly and sincerely, to do what is right irrespective of consequences, and fear no one except Allah.

Negligence towards religion and towards your fellow beings makes man worse than animals. It robs him of his prime reward given by Allah – intellect. The Holy Qur’an regards the heedless people as worse than animals and declares that the hell is the destiny of such people.

Karbala once and for all killed the heedlessness of the masses. Water is required to wake up somebody from unconsciousness, but to awaken a negligent community from sleep ignorance, blood is required. Blood of pure sole. Hence Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) took up the task to wake sleeping ummah and gave such a sacrifice that caused tremors which shook foundations of the Umayyad regime and finally rule of Umayyad came to an end.

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) has said: "Surely there
exists in the hearts of the believers, with respect to the martyrdom of Hussain,
a heat that never subsides."

Event of Karbala has been bench mark of many revolutions which took place after given event; both in individual lives and in society as a whole.

"O people! Verily the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever observes a sovereign legalizing what God has made unlawful, violating the covenant of God, opposing the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, and treating the creatures of God sinfully and oppressively, and does not oppose him with his speech and action, God has a right to bring him to the same fate as that of the tyrant.’ Indeed, these people (i.e. Yazid and the Umayyads) have committed themselves to the following of Satan and abandoned obedience to God. They have given currency to corruption, abolished the Islamic laws, plundered the public treasury, and made lawful what God has forbidden and unlawful what God has permitted. And I, of all people, have a greater right to act [in accordance with the Prophet's exhortation]."

"Indeed, I have not risen up to do mischief, neither as an adventurer, nor to cause corruption and tyranny. I have risen up solely to seek the reform of the Ummah of my grandfather. I want to enjoin what is good and stop what is wrong, and (in this) I follow the conduct of my grandfather and my father Ali ibn Abi
Talib."

"Life under tyranny is not worthy of man, unless the people rise in an attempt to restore the higher values. Don’t you see that what is true and right is not acted upon, and what is false and wrong is not forbidden? In such a situation, the man of faith yearns for the meeting with his Lord. Indeed, (in such conditions) to me death is happiness, and life under the yoke of tyrants is disgrace."

But the question still remains; despite observing muharram with all respect many communities still remain caught in negligence? Why do the tears not wash the hardened sins from the hearts of the mourners? 

One reason for this futility of mourning is the lack of purity and sincerity in some of the people to such an extent that even tears shed in Imam Hussain’s memory do not stimulate their souls.  The spirit and uprising of Karbala, like all teachings of Islam, require a pure heart and a honest truth seeking soul to affect. Karbala can bring about revolution in our lives only if we observe it along with all other teachings of Islam.

Source:

Al-Islam.org