I am taking my header picture down for the next forty days, in order to express the somber mood that the Islamic Month of Muharram always brings with it. If you care to learn a few details about the history of this anniversary, you may keep up with my posts which will be focused on this subject for some time. God Willing.
Imam Sadiq says in Safinat-ul-Bohar": "God has given a believer the choice in everything except one thing, and that is, to make himself abject. A believer is always dear, and higher than a mountain, for, a mountain can be hewed with a pickaxe, but a believer's spirit cannot in any way be cut into pieces',' Imam Bagher says: [7] "God has given a believer three gifts:
I can see that his heart is in it. He is in a vulnerable position, yet, his gun flaps uselessly against his leg as he grieves for the oppressed Imam, al-Hussein.
Surely, the best and the most vital among all obligations of a human being is to know the Lord and to accept being His servant." (BihAr, vol. 4, p. 55)
There is no Shia Islamic Center in the town where we currently live. So, yesterday we loaded ourselves in the van and traveled to our favorite one, two hours away from us. Last night was the 9th night of Muharram, in it we mourned for the torture that was inflicted on Imam Hussein's flag-bearer and brother, Hazret Abbas. Hazret Abbas had attempted to make it to the Euphrates River by sneaking past the enemy, in order to fetch water for the children. The children were so thirsty they were crying and pleading with him to go get them some water. He could not endure their cries, so he decided to take a chance and risk his life going to the river to get water for them. He got on his horse and managed to get to the river. He started to take a drink, then he remembered that his brother, Imam al-Hussein, was still thirsty. He could not bear to take a drink, knowing that Imam and the others were still thirsty, so he dropped the water back in the river and filled his water skin instead. He mounted his horse again, to head back to the camp. Before he could make it back he was detected and surrounded by enemy soldiers and they cut off his one hand. He tried to keep going with only one hand, then they cut off his other hand. He still tried to keep going to get the water to the children, then they shot him in one eye with an arrow. When he was lying on the ground, dying, Imam al-Hussein came to him and wanted to carry him back to the camp. Hazret Abbas said something like, "Leave me here, I can't face the children without water. I promised to bring them water and I can't bear to see their faces and tell them I could not get the water for them."Some of the metal hands that are carried on long sticks also help us recall Hazret Abbas' tragedy.
The most wonderful thing about last night is that I learned something that lifted my spirits. The nourishment for the mourners at our favorite Shia Islamic Center was prepared and donated by a Sunni-owned halal market and restaurant. Its owners are from Palestine and Jordan. So, although I did not see them participate in the funeral pageantry, they still showed their love and support for Ahlul Bayt, the Prophet's family, through donating food for the people who do participate in the active mourning rituals. This is a very nice gesture from them, and it is a valid way of showing their condolences to the Prophet's family and those who mourn the oppression that was inflicted on them. It is also a symbol of their devotion to Islam. Again, here is the potential for unity under the black flags we fly for Imam Hussein. All praise is due to Allah.
I also learned that in Iraq, Christians are attending the public lectures concerning Imam Hussein. They say that Imam Hussein is not just for Shia, he is for everybody. This year they even voluntarily gave up their tradition of decorating their churches and houses for Christmas, because it fell in the first ten days of Muharram. May Allah bless all those who respect Imam Hussein's legacy to such a degree, regardless of their religious background! (Unity under the black flags....) All praise is due to Allah.
I really learned a lot while doing my research for my Alphabetical Ashura project that I posted over the course of the last several days. I had no idea that some of the 6th Imam, Jafaral-Sadiq's, children had migrated to Indonesia and married Indonesian princesses at that time. That must have occurred in the second century after hijra, or maybe even the third century. So the Shia community in Indonesia, although it is a minority there, can trace it's blood roots all the way back to its source, the Prophet of Islam. Furthermore, I learned that there are Shia in Beijing, and Hong Kong, China, and in Bangkok, Thailand. The community in Bangkok has been there for around 450 years and have been remembering Imam Hussein's legacy every year since they immigrated there. Some Thai people obviously converted so they or their descendants also participate in crying for al-Hussein now. In Bangkok it has only in recent years been taken outdoors. I also learned that many Hindu people love Imam Hussein and they participate in the outdoor funeral processions and ceremonies that the Indian Shia organize. I also learned that their are some Sunni Muslim communities, both in India and Iraq, who participate in the public commemoration ceremonies because they also love Imam Hussein and value what he stood for. I have talked with Shia from Tanzania, Africa, who say the Hindus their participate as well. I would not find it surprising if Sunni Muslims in other places also love Imam Hussein and are saddened and hurt by what the hypocrites did to him and are still doing to his followers in some countries.The fact that some Muslims are so hypocritical that they are indifferent to Imam Hussein's history and even carry out terroristic acts against his followers is profoundly shameful. Many Hindu idol worshippers love the Prophet Muhammed's grandson and participate in his commemoration more than some people do, who call themselves Muslims. Shame on the hypocrites! Silence about oppression makes one an accomplice, in Islam. Therefore, I am not going to be silent about this subject. If the information on youtube is correct then participation in Imam Hussein's symbolic funerals is massive not only among among Shia, but also among Sunni and Hindu Indians. If that information is accurate, then I believe in the old saying, "Imam Hussein intended to escape to India for protection from the Arab hypocrites!" If they really all love him so much, then I believe that if he had been able to get to them, he and his family would have been safe there. Obviously it wasn't his destiny to make it to India in time, but they still love him. The main reason why the pageantry and the symbolic funeral processions are so important to Shia is because Shia have lived under oppressive regimes who hated the prophet's descendants for over a thousand and four hundred years. The only way they were able to pass along the history of what happened to them was to ACT IT OUT every year on the anniversaries of the tragedies. They were so regularly persecuted, oppressed and killed for their beliefs, that they could not establish schools with books like ordinary schools of thought. Imam Jafaral-Sadiq was the only one who was out of prison and lived with enough freedom from governmental interference to actually establish a physical school. The rest of the Imams taught us through recorded collections of supplications and traditions that managed to survive in spite of their repeated confinement in prisons and house arrest until eleven of the twelve met his destiny with martyrdom. The twelfth one was not martyred. He is only hidden until Allah gives him the order to return again. Most people do not even know the history of the Imams' wives and mothers. Imam Hussein was married to a Persian princess, to rescue her from a prison where she was taken as a POW in some war. She became the mother of the 4th Imam, Ali ZaynulAbideen. Jafaral-Sadiq married a North African Berber, to rescue her from either slavery or prison, I forgot which, and she became the mother of the 7th Imam, Musaal-Kadhim. He married a Nubian (Ethiopian) woman to rescue her from either slavery or prison, and she became the mother of the 8th Imam, Ali al-Ridha. The 11th Imam, Hassanal-Askari then married a Roman Princess who was a descendant of Simon Peter, one of Jesus' twelve apostles. In other words, she was a Christian, who then converted to Islam. She was a POW, waiting to be sold into slavery, when the 11th Imam's father purchased her from her prison and married her to Imam Hassan to rescue her from her predicament. She became the mother of al-Mahdi, the twelfth Imam, who has not been martyred, but is only hidden. In other words, the twelve Imams, who were divinely appointed as Prophet Muhammed's successors, were not pure Arabs, they were racially mixed. To me that is another sign of the universality of the Islamic message. Imam Hussein's martyrdom was the most brutal, and violent of all of the martyred Imams. His was also the most crucial, because the enemy attacked him and his companions out in the open, in the form of a physical war with the clear intentions of wiping out the prophet's family. All of the others were harassed and persecuted by the tyrants of their times through imprisonment, house arrest, and finally each one was poisoned by his oppressor or by someone who worked for his oppressor. The reason why Imam Hussein's legacy gets the loudest outcry and the most active and public commemoration is because of the fact that it was the most brutal and also had the most impact on the future of Islam. He said that if we hear the adhan or call to prayer after he is killed, it means he won. That was his mission. To protect prayers. Without prayers, people would be completely lost and would not be able to find their Lord.One could even take that a step further and say that without the Adhan we would be lost and not be able to find our Lord. The Adhan contains the shahada, or declaration of faith. That is, part of it says: "I bear witness that there is only one God, and I bear witness that Muhammed is His messenger." This is what was hated by the hypocrites. They wanted to return to worshipping helpless idols that were created by humans from physical matter, like wood or stone!
I am so happy that in the last few days of researching youtube for Ashura processions, symbolic funeral processions for Imam al-Hussein, I found a treasure! English Nawhas at Voices of Passion, are available for purchase on cds or downloading as MP3s. You can even just listen to each one completely online too, if you don't want to purchase or download them.
If you want to know where I got most of my information about the women the Imams married, it came from a history book called KARBALA AND BEYOND by Yasin T. al-Jibouri. I recommend it highly to anyone who wishes to learn more about early Islamic history as experienced through the family of the Prophet Mohammed. You can purchase it HERE.
Ziyarat(salutations, visitation) This Ziyarat is recited in Arabic and it has English subtitles.
Zuljana, the horse of Imam Hussein This video is a recitation of the history of Zuljana from Imam Hussein's little girl's point of view. It is told in Urdu, but it has a rough explanation in English subtitles. I read more about Zuljana, he was also hungry and thirsty when he had to carry Imam Hussein onto the battlefield when the enemy attacked their camp. The enemy battalions had been surrounding the camp for three days and three nights, preventing every man, woman, child and beast that remained of the Prophet Muhammed's household (and their followers), access to food and water. So both man and beast were forced to defend themselves in the throes of dehydration and extreme hunger. In this condition, Zuljana never reduced his devotion to the Imam. He was covered with Imam's blood, and probably even had injuries of his own. After the Imam was shot with an onslaught of arrows, and was hurt to the point that he could no longer avoid falling off the horse, Zuljana ran in circles around the Imam. Every enemy soldier who tried to get close enough to take Imam's head was kicked to death by Zuljana until he had kicked as many as forty of the enemy soldiers to death. Others he simply drove away by neighing loudly and kicking wildly. Finally one of the enemy soldiers made it to the body of the Imam and decapitated him. Zuljana's heart was broken and he kept neighing wildly, he went to the body of the Imam and rubbed his head in the Imam's blood, then he went back to the camp, riderless, bloody and neighing loudly. When the women saw him they screamed and cried because they knew the Imam had been martyred and their grief was nearly unbearable.He was their Imam, their leader, a father, a brother, an Uncle, a friend, a protector and provider to them.
"X Marks The Spot" Hear the adhan, or call to prayer, being recited at the site of Imam Hussein's grave. The spot where he sacrificed his life so we would still hear the adhan today.
Walk to Kerbala The Iraqi's have it broken down to a science. Every town knows how many days it will take them to walk to Kerbala. If they live in Basra, it takes them approxiamately 14 to 21 days to walk to Kerbala, and every town between knows which day they need to start walking in order to get to Kerbala on time for Ashura, or Arbaeen, which is the fortieth day after Ashura. Sunnis and Christians along the way open their doors during these days, so that the way-farers have places to stop to rest, take showers, drink water, wash their clothes etc. before continuing on their journey. Even some Sunnis walk to Kerbala. There are also medical tents, food and water tents and security check-points set up along the way. They need security checks because of the terrorists, who are always waiting for a chance to kill as many Shia as possible at one time. When it's time to go home, there are buses lined up and waiting to give them all rides back to their home towns. If they get "lost" they climb aboard any car, truck or camel heading in their direction when it's time to go back home. People also arrive from all over the world each year to walk to Kerbala from whichever city they enter Iraq. Iraq may have many problems, but there is the potential for unity under the black banners they fly for Imam Hussein. In Kerbala there is usually a model of the Ark of Noah. Both the Ark of Noah and the Quran and Twelve Imams are symbols of who is safe and who is lost. In the time of Noah, the people who believed in God got inside the ark when Prophet Noah warned them that a flood was coming. In the Islamic era, the people who believe in the Quran listen to what the Twelve Imams said about Prophet Mohammed and the Qur'an, therefore they are safe.
Seattle, Washington That's an Iraqi voice. The Arabic language is so beautiful, masha Allah, especially in the Iraqi dialect. I love their language, their culture, and their passion for true Islamic ethics, i.e. manners, ettiquette etc. May Allah bless them and make their disrupted and displaced conditions easy for them.
Washington, D.C. A juloos in our nation's capitol! May Allah bless these brothers and sisters for remembering Imam Hussein's legacy there.
Vechta, Germany I couldn't find much about ashura for the letter V, but I think the idea of a Juloos in Vechta, Germany is pretty interesting.
Vancouver A Day later it dawned on me that there is a Shia community there. Here is a short clip of their Juloos, or outdoor symbolic funeral procession for Imam Hussein.
Turkey I love the plays and skits that the Turkish Shia organize.They are very artistic. This video does not need much explanation because the pictures do the talking. I like how these women wear chains in order to feel what Lady Zayneb felt when she was in chains. I had a hard time choosing a Turkish video because they have so many beautiful ones. I found some from 2007 that were really impressive, but I wanted to keep them as current as possible.
Tehran, Iran The Iranians also incorporate a lot of theatrical talents into these ceremonies. The large object in the beginning of the video represents one of the young boys who was martyred before he had a chance to experience life to the fullest, he was not married, therefore he had no children. He was about thirteen years old and some people believe that he was engaged to be married, but he was martyred with all the other men in the holy family before his wedding could happen. The reason for this opinion is that he told his mother, something like, "I have to go defend my Uncle now, after I am dead, remember me every time you see a young man getting married."But there are a few differences of opinion on the authenticity of the details of that version of his history. The drums and flagellation are also part of the pageantry. I say part of the pageantry because the Iranian's flagellation is mainly symbolic. They wear thick shirts or jackets in order to protect themselves from experiencing cuts or bruises. I won't condemn people who do want to experience the cuts and bruises, because Allah is their judge, and maybe it is a valid act of repentance. However, the Iranians typically don't go to that extreme with it, in fact only a tiny fraction of Shi'ites go to that extreme with the practice. The burning of the tent is a very profound emotional appeal. I can almost imagine the Ladies of Imam Hussein's household watching their shelter and last belongings on earth burned to the ground, while they watched helplessly. The person who posted the video on youtube said that he took the video from the top of a fire truck, so I guess they had it nearby in case the fire burned out of control.
Bankok, Thailand Most of the guys in this one are nationals of Thailand. Additionally, I learned that azadari, crying for Imam Hussein, has been practiced in Bankok for 450 years, and has only recently been taken into the streets there.
I think this one is sweet. Even though it is in the Thai language, I hear familiar names of Prophet Muhammed's family. I love it.
Stockholm, Sweden This one shows beautiful photography of Stockholm as a backdrop for the procession there.
A Skit It is probably done in Iraq. The people dressed in green are playing the role of the members of Prophet Mohammed's family, Imam Hussein, his brothers, sons ect., and their faithful companions. The ones dressed in red or yellow represent the enemy factions. The actors have covered their faces because they do not want to imply that the holy ones looked exactly like them.
the RAW from Rawalpindi, Pakistan I thought long and hard about how to handle this more extreme version of grieving that is practiced by a small portion of Shi'ites. Its main purpose is actually to show repentance for their sins. Initially, when I first heard of this practice I found it impossibly disturbing. I still find it disturbing, but after years of studying and reflecting on the matter I no longer feel the need to judge them or apologize for them. God is the judge of them and of me, and if I thought that I had to do that in order to be forgiven of a terrible sin, I would probably think about doing it myself. However, I have never seen or heard of women participating in this extreme ceremonial rite. I must warn you, if the sight of blood makes you uncomfortable you will want to pass on the videos in this post.
If you think the practice of self-flaggelation is unique to Shi'ites, here are three more videos for you to contemplate. Christians from San Pedro Cutud, Phillipines (rated R):
The information about this one said that although the church does not necessarily encourage these people to do this, a growing number of them are choosing to do it. (rated R)
Peshawar, Pakistan This is a nice, gentle procession, may Allah bless them and protect them from the terrorists who are known for attacking Shi'ites in Pakistan.
Preston, London I'm not sure what language is being used in this video.
Oslo, Norway This is a sweet and gentle nauha from the Afghan community in Oslo. I am willing to speculate that they are refugees who are displaced by the unrest in their country.
Oman This one is all in Arabic, it's pretty typical. I wanted a juloos or procession from Oman, but I only found the indoor portion of their ceremonies.
Nigeria, Africa The text in this one is in English. The user who posted this video said that their procession coincided with the attacks on the palestinians, that is why some of them are carrying flags and banners about Gaza/Palestine.
Manhattan, New York City There is Zuljana again. The audio in the video is probaby Urdu, but the participants in this annual Juloos, or procession, are from many different ethnic backgrounds.
Moscow, Russia I don't have much to say because the theatric elements are not very remarkable. Masha Allah, may Allah bless the community for remembering Imam Hussein's legacy in Russia!
Dearborn, Michigan USA One of the largest Shi'ite communities in the USA.Partially in English, partially in Arabic.
Lahore, Pakistan I love this video because it shows a close-up view of one of the horses that represent the horses that Imam Hussein and his companions were riding when they were attacked. The history of Imam Hussein's horse is a little bit more detailed. His name was Zuljana. He was white, and when Zuljana came back to the camp he did not have al-Imam on his back. So all the ladies and children in the camp began crying and screaming because now they knew al-Imam was killed. He was their Imam, their father, their Uncle, their guardian, and their protector. Zuljana was so devoted to Imam Hussein and his history is also remembered through bringing horses to the symbolic funeral processions.
Kerbala, Iraq This is the scene of the crime. This is where it all went down, almost 1,430 years ago. This is where Imam Hussein and all of his male companions, down to his six-month-old baby boy, were slain because they were Muslims and their divine order was to invite people to Islam. Ironically, the enemy also claimed to be Muslims. However, a true Muslim would never slaughter entire families at random. True Muslims can only fight in self-defense, and are forbidden to begin hostilities because the Qur'an says that Allah does not love agressors. A six month old baby never committed any act of aggression, so if you are a skeptic, there is your first clue which side was in the wrong. The oppressor used genocide against the holy family of Prophet Mohammed so the people would follow him, away from Islam. Shi'ites were oppressed under Sadam Hussein's regime and were only able to have ceremonies for al-Imam and his companions indoors and in private. They were not free to walk to Kerbala on the day of Ashura, in the millions. Now between 7, 000,000 and 15,000,000 people from inside Iraq as well as from all over the world go to Iraq to walk to Kerbala on both Ashura and Arbaeen. Arbaeen is the fortieth day after Imam Hussein's death anniversary, each year. This day is similar ascension Thursday which is forty days after Good Friday, the day Christians believe Jesus was crucified. Even now the Shi'ites, men and women, who do walk, have to endure security check points because there are always terrorists looking for a way to kill as many Shi'ites as possible at the same time. All they are saying in this video, is "Here I am, oh Hussein."
All they are saying in this one is "...oh, Hussein, oh, Hussein, oh, Hussein..." under Sadam Hussein's regime that was a forbidden act of rebellion. He even committed genocide against them because he hated their passion for their faith.
This video shows the inside of the shrine of Imam Hussein. So many millions come to pay their respects to the Imam, on this anniversary, yet it is so organized that most of the visitors are going in the door on one side, and out the door on the other side. So, no mass stampedes or anything should occur, God willing.
There are people who disagree with the presence of shrines at the graves of Imam Hussein and other Imams who were killed by the tyrants of their times. However, to me the presence of the shrines is a sign from God for those who reflect. The oppressors had their castles when they were alive, so, in effect, they had erected shrines unto themselves in this life. The eleven Imams who were killed purely because they were Muslims and tried to call people to Islam, on the other hand, lost everything in this world. Their legacy, the truth from God, survived. So did the love and respect the true believers have for them. The fact that believers have built shrines that look like castles unto them, post-mortem, means that their mission was accomplished, even though they had to die poor, and sometimes even hungry and thirsty, for their cause.
Jais, India This is from a Sunni community. It sounds very sweet and sad.
Jakarta, Indonesia I am not sure what they call the local langage there. I am not sure if it is their local language or the language of a community of believers from another country.How some ever, in Jakarta their are mourners of Imam Hussein! (I have since learned that the Shia in Indonesia are local nationals, and not immigrants. They are there because some of the 6th Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq's, children immigrated to Indonesia in the second, and possibly even the third century on the hijra calendar. They married princesses from the ruling class of Indonesia at that time, so they held pretty influential positions in the Indonesian government at that time.)
Jhang, Pakistan God bless these believers who are putting soooooo much of themselves into the effort to keep Imam Hussein's legacy alive! In some areas of Pakistan there are terrorists who are just waiting for a chance to blow as many Shi'ites into eternity as possible at one time. These anniversaries rarely conclude without some Pakistani Shi'ites having been killed by such terrorists. Allahu alim! May God protect them all, insha Allah!
All they are saying is "Oh, Hussein, Oh, Hussein, Oh, Hussein...." Those two words are Arabic words, but they have been internalized by Shi'ites from all cultures. Those two words carry so many connotations, meanings, both latent and obvious. Only a believer can understand the power in those two words!
Macerata, Italy
Another popular Ashura slogan, "Labaik, Ya Hussein." Simply means, "Here I am, Oh, Hussein." This short sentence means so much to true believers."Baba jaan" also has a significant meaning. It means "father dear," which implies that Imam Hussein is the father of believers. It is Urdu, and I think it is also used like that in Persian (Farsi).
Iran Although I hear the name of Imam Hussein's brother Abbas in the beginning of this video, it is mostly about Imam's Sister, Lady Zaynab. I can tell this by their repeated shouting of her name. They are mourning for her hardships after the martyrdom of all of her brothers and responsible male members of her household. This one is obviously in Farsi (Persian). The well known Pariah (president) of Iran even came to mourn Lady Zaynab's grief and sad perdicament.
Hyderabad, India Although the Hindus are not the same as Muslims, many Hindus love Imam Hussein and also participate in the processions that the Indian Shi'ite Muslims prepare for this anniversary. I am not sure what language this video is in, but the elephant has the distinguished honor of carrying the alam (tall pole) for one of the Ladies of Imam Hussein's family and companions.
Houston, Texas USA
The long pole with the hand, again, symbolizes Imam Hussein's hand when he raised his hand high to show his refusal to submit to the tyrant. The audio is in Urdu, but most of the signs are in English.
Holland It sounds Urdu. The horses represent the horses that Imam Hussein and his companions were on when they were attacked.
The Turkish Shi'ite community in Germany acted out this play that tells what happened to Imam Hussein's small daughter after she was taken away to prison with the other women and children. Her history is that she cried and cried because she missed her father, and she kept asking the enemy guards to let her see her father. After a while they brought a large platter, covered with a cloth. She said, "I don't want food, I want to see my father." Finally they placed the platter in front of her and uncovered her father's head. She screamed and cried until she fell over, dead, from the shock and grief.
also fromGermany
This one exhibits the drums for Imam Hussein. Every act in every procession and every pageantry symbolizes something. Sometimes the symbolism is obvious and sometimes it is subtle. I have never read in any book or heard anyone say what is the meaning of the drums that are played for Imam Hussein. However, I have a few thoughts on it. It could symbolize the pounding of the grieving hearts that are still beating strong. It could symbolize the marching feet of the thousands of troops who SHOULD HAVE BEEN behind Imam Hussein to help him against the tyrants who wanted to cleanse the holy family from this earth in order to hijack Islam. It also could symbolize the sound of hands pounding on grieving chests. In either case, the sound of the drums is impressive.
This group is so obviously Iraqi. I am sure they are some of the refugees that fled the recent wars. It is all in Arabic, but in Finland, none-the less.
Orlando, Florida
I like this one because someone thought to put the Qur'an in it's proper position: at the front of the procession. The pupose of Imam Hussein's revolution was to protect Islam, of which the Qur'an is at the front of a believer's mind. The language is so very Urdu, but some of the signs are in English, and the tragedy being re-enacted is very obvious. I actually recognize some of the people in this video, because I met them while I was circulating and learning in the Ido/Pak Shi'ite community in the North East. Apparently they found their way to Orlando. The long poles with hands and other things on the ends represent two things. 1) the raised hand of Imam Hussein when he refused to swear allegiance to the tyrant and 2) the Hussein's head when the enemy decapitated him and carried his head on the end of a long spear, through the desert, to the court of the tyrant. Yazid. The big red bus is the blood-mobile, because the believer's who want to spill their blood for the sake of the Imam donate it to the blood bank to help sick people.
This one is like a kind of chant accompanied by drums.
This one alternates by singing in Arabic, followed by singing the same verse in English.
This one sounds like a poem being recited melodiously. The hands on the end of tall poles symbolize the hand of Hussein, who raised his hand high and informed his oppressors, "I will never give you my hand in allegiance."
If you like Rap this one is in your medium.
This English is pretty clear, it's like a type of chant. Bismillah means 'in the name of God."
This one is recited in Arabic and Urdu, but it has English subtitles. It is about the sister of Imam Hussein. She was taken away to the oppressor's prison with the other women and children after her brother and all the other men and little boys, except one or two, were slain.
Dhaka, Bangladesh I am not sure, but it sounds Urdu or maybe Punjabi. The procession is very passionate and beautiful. (Thanks to Umm Ibrahim, for helping me out with determining the language in this video. She said it is Bangla, an Indo-aryan language that is related to Urdu, Persian, German, English and so on. I love learning about the history of languages. ;-) I took a History of the English Language course in college and I learned that English can be traced back to Persian, through German, Sanskrit, and some other lesser contributers.)
Copenhagan, Denmark about half-way through a man starts explaining in English.
Beijing, China This one is very slow and sad, it is in Urdu. It was for the Night of Impoverishment, Shaam-e-Gareeb. That is evening on the day of Ashura. It is dark and it's all over, Imam Hussein and all of his male companions have been martyred, except one very ill young man who is expected to die anyway (but he lives, to become the next Imam, Ali Zaynul Abideen, who is the 4th Imam in the chain). The tents are burning and all the ladies and children of the house are taken captive.
China
If I understood correctly, they are students in the University of Hunan, China. In either case, they are a small group, but in China, none-the less. They have about thirty videos on you tube from their tiny congregation. They also sound Urdu, to my slightly trained ears.
Montreal, Canada (Arabic)
Imam Hussein is to Islam what Jesus or John the Baptist, are to Christianity. He was brutally slain purely because he was a Muslim, by an enemy who intended to wipe out Islam.However, the lesson to be learned from his personal disaster is that while it is possible to kill a man, no one can kill the truth. The truth lives on, because God protects the truth.
This one is in Urdu, it is a very sweet and sad eulogy.
Shiasisters.net has some good sources that show various ways of expressing grief and mourning that are found in several different religious traditions.
You may not understand the words in this one. Don't worry, I'll try to post plenty of videos for each letter of the alphabet throughout this month. As often as possible I will try to find videos that are at least partially in English. Insha Allah.For a believer the language is not as important as the emotion each one is expressing. We already know the history, so it is not necessary for us to understand every single word. However, I will do my best to find some videos that are in English, or provide other resources that are in English so that my respected readers may understand some of what is happening in the videos, if they desire to learn more about it. I like the following video, in part, because it shows that those who want to spill their blood for the sake of Imam Hussein can/should donate it to blood banks so they can be helpful to sick people.
Sydney, Australia This one is mostly in Arabic, but it also contains a little English now and then.
Sunni References: - Sahih Tirmidhi, per: - Mishkat al-Masabih, by Khatib al-Tabrizi, English Version, Tdadition #6158
Imam Husain (AS) said: "Don't you see that the truth is not followed and the falsehood is not discouraged? (The situation is so severe) so that a Believer wishes to meet Allah (i.e., to die). And today I don't see death but prosperity, and living with tyrants is nothing but disgust and disgrace."
Sunni Reference: Hilyatul Awliyaa, by Abu Nu'aym, v2, p39
Imam Husain (AS) said: "By Allah, I shall not give my oath to you like a humiliated one, and nor shall I flee like the captive."
Imam Husain (AS) said in the day of Ashura: "If you do not have any religion, then at least be free (open-minded) in your present life."
Again al-Bukhari narrated from Ibn Abi Nu'm:
A person asked Abdullah Ibn Umar whether a Muslim could kill flies. I heard him saying (in reply): "The people of Iraq are asking about the killing of flies while they themselves murdered the son of the daughter of Allah's Apostle . The Prophet said, They (i.e. Hasan and Husain) are my two sweet basils in this world."
Sunni Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Arabic-English, v5, Tradition #91
Imam Husain said: "I revolted not for wickedness nor for fame. Verily I rose only to seek for rectification in the nation of my grandfather, The Messenger of Allah."
The Prophet Crying For Imam al-Husain ===================================== Narrated Salma:
"I went to visit Umm Salamah and found her weeping. I asked her what was making her weep and she replied that she had seen Allah's
Messenger (PBUH&HF) (meaning in a dream) with dust on his head and beard. She asked him what was the matter and he replied, `I have just been present at the slaying of al-Husayn.'"
- Sahih Tirmidhi, per: - Mishkat al-Masabih, by Khatib al-Tabrizi, English Version, Tdadition #6157
Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas:
One day at midday he saw in a dream the Prophet (PBUH&HF) dishevelled and dusty with a bottle containing blood in his hand and said, "You for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom, what is this?" He replied, "This is the blood of al-Husayn and his companions which I have been collecting today." He told that he was reckoning that time and found that he had been killed at that time.
- Musnad Ahmad Hanbal; - Dala'il an-Nubuwwah, by al-Bayhaqi; per: - Mishkat al-Masabih, by Khatib al-Tabrizi, English Version, Tdadition #6172
Aisha narrated:
The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "Gabriel informed me that my grandson al- Husain (AS) will be killed after me in the land of al-Taff and brought me this Turbah (mudd/soil) and informed me that this is the soil of the place he will be martyred."
Sunni reference: - Tabaqat, by Ibn Sa'd, - al-Tabarani, as quoted in: - al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar Haythami, Ch. 11, section 3, p292
Not only human beings, but also the Jinns mourn for Imam al-Husain. It has been narrated that after his (AS) martyrdom:
Um Salama (the wife of Prophet (S)) said: I heard the Jinns (the unseen creatures) mourning for al-Husain."
Sunni references: (1) Tarikh al-Kabir, by al-Bukhari (the author of Sahih), v4, part 1, p26 (2) Fada'il al-Sahaba, by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v2, p776, Tradition #1373 (3) Tabarani, v3, pp 130-131 (4) Tahdhib, v7, p404
As for the Shi'ite references, there is a traditions from the Prophet (PBUH&HF) that: "When al-Khidr (AS) met Moses (AS), he explained and forecast the catastrophe of Karbala (the place where this tragedy took place) in the day of Ashura for Moses, and the calamities that will happen on that day, and then both al-Khidr and Moses cried and screamed severely."
Also Ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that he met Imam Ali (AS) in Ziqar, and Imam Ali pulled out a book that was written of the words of Prophet (PBUH&HF) in which the Prophet had explained the tragedy of Ashura and the slaughtering of his grandson al-Husain and how he will be killed and who kills him and who assist them and who will be martyred with him. Then Imam Ali (AS) screamed severely and caused Ibn Abbas (RA) to cry.
Sunni references: - Sharh Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Volume 3 page 81 Printed by Mohammad Ali Subaih in Egypt
- Fakhr al-Din al-Razi in his commentary of the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Volume 5 Pages 413 - 414 Second Printing by al-Matbaah al-Sarafeyah 1304 H
Ashura is the day of mourning and lamentation. In a tradition from Ahlul- Bayt, it is said that "whoever celebrates this day as a blessed day, he will be resurrected in the day of judgment with Yazid." The reason is clear, and it is because there are traditions from Prophet (PBUH&HF), every body who is pleased with an action, he will be resurrected in the day of judgment with the one who did that action. Performing a non-obligatory Fasting is a sign of being pleased and a sign of happiness.
More Sayings from the Holy Prophet about Imam Husain:
1. Whosoever wishes to such a person who lives on earth but whose dignity is honoured by the Heaven-Dwellers, should see my grandson Husain.
2. O my son! Thy flesh is my flesh and thy blood is my blood; thou art a leader, the son of a leader and the brother of a leader; thou art a spiritual guide, the son of a spiritual guide and the brother of a spiritual guide; thou art an Imam the son of an Imam and the brother of an Imam; thou art the father of nine Imams, the ninth of whom would be the Qaim (the last infallible spiritual guide)
3. The punishment inflicted on the murderer of Husain in hell would be equal to half of the total punishment to be imposed on the entire sinners of the world.
4. When the Holy Prophet informed Lady Fatima of the Martyrdom in store for his grandson, she burst into tears as asked "O my father! when would my son be martyred?" "In such a critical moment," replied the Holy Prophet, "when neither I nor you, nor Ali would be alive." This accentuated her grief and she inquired again, "Who then, O my father, would commemorate Husain's Martyrdom?" The Holy Prophet said, "The men and the women of a particular group of my followers, who will befriend my Ahlul Bayt, will mourn for Husain and commemorate his martyrdom each year in every century."
005.067 YUSUFALI: O Messenger! proclaim the (message) which hath been sent to thee from thy Lord. If thou didst not, thou wouldst not have fulfilled and proclaimed His mission. And Allah will defend thee from men (who mean mischief). For Allah guideth not those who reject Faith. PICKTHAL: O Messenger! Make known that which hath been revealed unto thee from thy Lord, for if thou do it not, thou wilt not have conveyed His message. Allah will protect thee from mankind. Lo! Allah guideth not the disbelieving folk. SHAKIR: O Messenger! deliver what bas been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people.
Thanks to Princess Hegab for the beautiful dua she wrote for me. That was so sweet of her. She is really such a nice and adorable muslimah.
Sermon 111 from Nahjol Balagha About the Angel of Death and depart of spirit -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do you feel when the Angel of Death enters a house, or do you see him when he takes out life of anyone? How does he take out the life of an embryo in the womb of his mother? Does he reach it through any part of her body or the spirit responded to his call with the permission of Allah? Or does he stay with him in the mother's interior? How can he who is unable to describe a creature like this, describe Allah?
The miscarried fetus becomes an intercessor for his parents:
Ali reported that the Prophet said that: "The miscarried child will pester its glorious and mighty Lord for protecting its two parents from the Fire until it is told, 'O miscarried child that pesters its Lord! Enter your father and mother into Paradise.' Then it will drag them with its umbilical cord until it makes them enter Paradise." [Ibn Majah, Abu Ya`la]
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said, "Indeed the miscarried fetus will confront his Lord if He enters his parents into the Fire. So it will be said to him, "O fetus which confronts his Lord! Enter your parents into Paradise." So he will drag them by his [umbilical] cord until he enters them into Paradise." [Ibn Majah]
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said, "By the One in Whose hands is my soul, the miscarried fetus will drag his mother to paradise by his [umbilical] cord if she was patient [with the miscarriage], hoping to be rewarded." [Ahmad] narrated from Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“When the child of a person dies, Allaah says to His angels: ‘You have taken the soul of the child of My slave?’
They say: ‘Yes.’
He says: ‘You have taken the apple of his eye?’
They say: ‘Yes.’
He says: ‘What did My slave say?’
They say: ‘He praised You and said innaa Lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji’oon.’
And Allaah says: ‘Build for My slave a house in Paradise, and call it the house of praise.’”
Jenna: Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1021; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The death of one of one’s children is a screen against the Fire, and the same applies to miscarriage, and Allaah knows best.
In the famous book of al-Kafi the following tradition has been narrated from Imam al-Sadiq [a] who has quoted from his father who quoted from the Holy Prophet [s] about “tawakkul” that Allah has said to some of the prophets:
"I swear by My Majesty and Splendor that: whoever puts his hope in someone other than Me, I will cut off his hope, will dress him in the robe of disgrace and wretchedness, will deprive him from My nearness, will cut off communication with him and will hide his memory. Woe be upon him, who takes shelter in other than Me during difficulties, while the solution of difficulties rest with Me. Does he hope in others while I remain living and eternal? Does he go to the homes of human beings for solution of his problems while the gates of their houses remain closed? Does he leave the door of My house while its gate remains always open?
Was there anyone who trusted Me and was betrayed? The hopes of My servants are tied to Me, and I take care of their hopes. I have filled the sky with those who never get tired of My praise, and have ordered the angels never to close the door between Me and my servants. Does not, the one who faces the problem know that no one can solve it except with My permission? Why does not the servant approach Me for his needs, while I had already blessed him with favours without his asking for them?"
Ashura is the Tenth Day of the Lunar Month, Muharram
It is now the Month of Muharram on the Lunar/Islamic calandar. This is the death anniversary for the Great Martyr of Islam. His name is Imam Hussein, may peace and blessings be upon him. He is for Islam similar to what John the Baptist is for Christianity. The only difference is that we have documented records of the acts of governmental oppression in his time, that led to his death and the death of all the men and boys except one very sick young man and maybe one other boy from Imam's family and companions. There were only around 70 male companions with him at that time. The enemy meant to annihilate Islam through cleansing the male successors of the prophet of Islam. Their leader had between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers surrounding Imam Hussein and his small group of men, plus their women and children. The Imam was trying to escape from the enemy by assembling his household and followers in a caravan and fleeing from Medina, to Mecca, and on through Iraq when the enemy surrounded their camp in the desert. The enemy blocked their access to all food and water for three days before attacking them. The loss of our great leader only serves as an example, that although it is possible to kill a person, it is impossible to kill the truth. Truth comes from God, and therefore it is protected. Before he died one of his companions remarked that it is a sure thing they will all be killed and he asked, "how will we know who won?" The Imam replied, "if you hear the adhan or call to prayer after we are dead, you will know we won." Today we still hear the call to prayer. All praises are due to God. Every year, in every continent, Shi'ites re-enact many of the tragedies that happened to our Imam Hussein and his companions and we give them mock funerals, because they were denied proper funerals at the time of their martyrdom. Their bodies were mutilated and left to rot in the desert, while their heads were carried through the desert on spears, to the oppressor's court. The respected and pious ladies and innocent children of Hussein's family and companions were all taken captive by the oppressor's army. Those horrible soldiers burned the tents, beat the women and forcably removed their veils. The forcable act of removing their veils was the ultimate act of humiliation that the oppressor could inflict on these holy ladies. If that had not been enough, they then paraded the women and children, beaten and unveiled, through the towns and villages all the way from Kerbala, Iraq to Damascus Syria, to be made fun of by the villagers, like the lowest of criminals. Most of the people along the way had no idea these were the the surviving members of the Prophet's family. Had they known, they would have revolted. But they were deceived and led to believe they were mocking criminals.
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