Hoping to be human someday!

Response To Zakir Naik Part 2: The Oppressor, The Oppressed and A Sacrifice

Monday, January 12th, 2009

Read this and this first.

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In 60 AH, Yazid (L.A.), son of Muawiyah (L.A.), came to power. And the first step he took was to ask the Governor of Madinah, Walid bin Utba (L.A.), to get Imam Husain (A.S.) to pay allegiance to Yazeed (L.A.), or send his head to Damascus.

Imam Husain (A.S.) refused. He then packed up his belongings and left Madinah with his friends and family members, including his sisters, daughters and other Hashmiite women and children, to avoid bloodshed in the Prophet’s (S.A.W.W.) city. He travelled to Makkah where he stayed for four months.

At the time of Hajj, he received news that Yazeed’s men were moving around in Ahrams, pretending to be Hajis, hiding weapons and intending to kill him. So he converted his Hajj to Umrah and left Makkah to avoid the sanctity of the Haram being stained with his blood. His final destination was Karbala, Iraq. Find brief accounts here and here.

Now, Mr. Zakir Naik praised Yazeed as a Taba-e-Tabieen and appended R.A. to his name. He also called the battle of Karbala a political battle. Below are my thoughts on this.

Event of Karbala, the Political Battle

Karbala being a political battle implies that both Imam Husain (A.S.) and Yazeed (L.A.) were after the throne of the Muslim world. Yazeed (L.A.) was already the ruler, which in turn means that it was Imam Husain (A.S.) who demanded it from him. If we take a look at the deal between Imam Hasan (A.S.) and Muwaiyah (L.A.), it is an important point that the throne was to pass on to either Imam Hasan (A.S.) or Imam Husain (A.S.) after Muawiyah’s (L.A.) death. But instead of sticking to his word, Muawiyah (L.A.) passed it on to his son Yazeed (L.A.). Yet, Imam Husain (A.S.) did not ask for what was rightfully his. But Yazeed (L.A.) was not content with it and decided to go a step ahead and demand allegiance from Imam Husain (A.S.)!

Imam Husain’s (A.S.) journey from Madinah to Makkah, and then to Iraq stands testament to the fact that he did not want bloodshed. Moreover, he took women and children with him on his journey, which further strengthens the point that he did not intend to fight. Yet, Yazeed (L.A.) sent his forces after him. From this, I can only gather that it was Yazeed (L.A.) who was forcing a battle on the Husaini camp. Which in turn implies that it was Yazeed (L.A.) who had political motives, not Imam Husain (A.S.). When Imam Husain (A.S.) reached Karbala, he bought the land for sixty-thousand dirhams which made him the owner of the that land. Imam Husain (A.S.) was attacked and martyred on his own property!

The question here is then, why didn’t Imam Husain (A.S.) pay allegiance to Yazeed (L.A.)?


Translation: Verily those who plight their fealty to thee do no less than plight their fealty to Allah: the Hand of Allah is over their hands: then any one who violates his oath, does so to the harm of his own soul, and any one who fulfils what he has covenanted with Allah,- Allah will soon grant him a great Reward. (Al-Fatah: 10)

Notice the part: The hand of Allah is above all (does not pay allegiance to anyone)!

Allah has a hand? Where? Since he does not have a body and is not a physical entity, how does he have a hand then?

Since Rasoolullah (S.A.W.W.) was his representative in this world and as the system of Baiyat (paying allegiance) was introduced by Islam, therefore the hand of Allah meant here is the hand of Rasoolullah (S.A.W.W.) (see verse above). And according to a hadees in the previous post:

“Husain is from me and I am from Husain!”

Imam Husain (A.S.) in turn was a representative of Rasoolullah (S.A.W.W.). Which means that if Imam Husain (A.S.) had pledged allegiance to a drinking, sexually indulgent “kaafir” like Yazeed (L.A.), it would have been synonymous to accepting his claims that Allah did not exist, there had been no revelation and the Bani Hashim (A.S.) had lied about Muhammad’s (S.A.W.W.) prophethood. Moreover, this hadees also implies that Yazeed (L.A.) had in fact asked for allegiance from Rasoolullah (S.A.W.W.)!

Therefore, Imam Husain (A.S.) denied pledging allegiance to Yazeed (L.A.), and set on a journey to avoid bloodshed in the sacred lands and even asked Umar Ibne Saad Ibne Abi Waqas (L.A.), commander of the Yazeedi army in Karbala, to let him go to the Indian sub-continent and not smear his hands with the Prophet’s (S.A.W.W.) blood, but Ibne Saad rejected the offer.

Imam Husain (A.S.) had two choices:

  • Pledge allegiance to Yazeed (L.A.). This would have led to the death of Islam, and consequently to the death of Allah.
  • Sacrifice his life and family for Islam.

The chosen path of Imam Husain (A.S.) is known to everyone.

Now, it is evident that Imam Husain (A.S.) never asked for the throne. Rather, he chose to leave everything behind and move to a different land so Yazeed (L.A.) could have no danger from him, and bloodshed could be avoided. But Yazeed (L.A.) was after something else. After the battle of Karbala, when Imam Husain’s (A.S.) sister, Lady Zainab Binte Ali (S.A.) was brought to the court of Yazeed (L.A.), he made the following statement while playing with Imam Husain’s (A.S.) head with a stick:

“Had my ancestors been alive today, they would’ve been proud to see that I have avenged our losses in the battles to Muhammad!“

But Mr. Zakir Naik, perhaps, does not know that.

Yazeed, the Taba-i-Tabieen

The land of Hijaz (Makkah and Madinah), is one of the holiest lands of Islam, having two of the most sacred sites on Earth, the Ka’abah and the shrine of the Prophet (S.A.W.W.) himself. Shedding blood is prohibited within the boundaries of the Haram and the Mosque. Why did then Yazeed, a devout Taba-e-Tabieen, send his men to shed Husain’s (A.S.) blood on the sacred land?

Let’s go to Karbala and see how this Taba-e-Tabieen’s army violated the teachings of Islam, shall we?

  • On the 7th day of Muharram, water was stopped from reaching the Husaini camp by the Yazeedi forces. Where in Islam is it permissible to stop water on anyone?
  • Imam Husain (A.S.) and his followers were attacked by the Yazeedi army during the Fajr prayers. Is this according to the teachings of Islam?
  • If you take a look at the martyrs of Karbala, you’ll find that most of them are children of ages less than fifteen years. Is it permissible to kill children in any war?
  • Imam Husain’s (A.S.) six-month old was put to sleep by a three-headed arrow in his own arms. Does Islam permit killing a newborn? Forty years before Qayamat (Day of Judgment), women will stop giving birth so there is no sinless child on the planet on that day. This is the justice of Allah, would he be happy with the death of little Ali Asghar (A.S.)?
  • Imam Husain (A.S.) was beheaded at the time of Asr, in the state of prostration to Allah, as were all the other martyrs, including the six-month old, who was dug out of his small grave! All heads were mounted on spears. After that, all the bodies of the martyrs were trampled with horses and torn to pieces. Rasoolullah (S.A.W.W.) commanded 87 battles in his lifetime. Can someone show me one such instance where he ordered any of the above?
  • The tents of the Husaini camp were set on fire. The women were forced to come out of them, and then their veils (chadars) were snatched. Small children running out of the tents were trampled and killed by the riders of Yazeed’s army. All survivors were then tied with chains, their hands and necks bound tight. Husain’s (A.S.) sole surviving son, Ali Zain-ul-Abideen (A.S.) was forced to wear a stone neckbrace stretching from fingertip to fingertip with metal pricks in the neck-hole. His hands and legs were bound tied and he was forced to walk in this. Which one of the above attrocities does Islam preach? A piece of the stone neckbrace can be found hanging above the grave of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.
  • The prisoners were then marched off to Damascus, without food or water. The routes deliberately taken, went through bazaars and crowded places where people could have a good look at the prisoners. Please keep in mind that the Husaini  women (read women of the Prophet’s (S.A.W.W.) household, including both of his granddaughters) were purdah-less. Does Islam teach to do this to it’s own founders family? Did Rasoolullah (S.A.W.W.) ever teach to disrespect any woman in this way? Husain’s (A.S.) son Ali Zain-ul-Abideen (A.S.) was asked, “Why do you cry so much? Shahadat (martyrdom) is your inheritance and destiny.” To which he replied, “You haven’t done justice to us. Shahadat is our inheritance but is it also our inheritance that our women and children are paraded bareheaded in the bazaars of Kufah and Damascus?”

If all the above are Islamic teachings, why do we blame the West for making fun of us then? We have disgraced our religion ourselves.

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Quoting once again from a previous post:

“Qul La As-alukum Alaihin Ajran Illal Mawaddata Fil Qurba!“

“Say: I do not ask of you (followers) any return for it (teachings) but love for my near relatives.”

(Holy Quraan, 42:23)

The verse is popularly known as the Ayah-e-Mawaddah (Verse of Mawaddat or the Verse of Devotion)

The term “Al-Qurba” in this verse, based on the traditions narrated from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.), embraces only “Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, and Husain and no one else”.

The tradition from Ibne Abbas has it that when the “mawaddat ul-qurba” verse was revealed, the Prophet (S.A.W.W.) was asked: “O messenger, who are your near relatives who should be loved?”

He stated: “Ali, Fatimah, and their sons!”

This tradition has been narrated by Muhib Tabari in “Zakhair al-`Uqba” 25/1; Ibn Hanbal in “Manaqib” 110; Mo’min Shabilenji “Nural-Absar” 101; and Zamakhshari in “Kashshaf” as annotation to the said verse.

In the “Tafsir al-Kabir”, Fakhr Razi has related the said narration from “Kashshaf” and has said that based on this verse, Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, and Husain should be revered and sanctified. He has also cited lines of verse from the Shafii’ Imam, Muhammad bin Idris Shafii’ in this regard. A line of it is as follows:

“If love for the members of the Household of the Holy Prophet is heresy, then the world should stand witness that I am a heretic.“

Now, in light of the above verse and traditions, would Allah be happy with Imam Husain’s (A.S.) killers? If Allah is demanding in the Quran that people love Imam Husain (A.S.), was Yazeed (L.A.), the Taba-e-Tabieen, one of them?

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In a recent program on ARY (sometime around the riots in Karachi), in the program Aghaz with Aniq Ahmed, Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman narrated a hadees, the idea of which was “If there is a murder or crime on Muslim land, the ruler is responsible.” Now I don’t know why but this hadees makes me blame Yazeed (L.A.) for Imam Husain’s (A.S.) martyrdom. Does it do the same to you?

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Are we blind enough to not see that Islam, our dear religion, whom we all aspire to follow truly and dearly (and fail miserably), would not have been here save for one man’s sacrifice, and that of his family and friends? They stood up to a tyrant, fought valiantly and gave up their lives for but one cause: save Allah’s name on this planet. They sacrificed every thing they had but did not falter in their stand. That lone man picked up seventy-two bodies from Fajr to Asr, including those of his nephews, brothers and sons, one of whom completely resembled the Prophet (S.A.W.W.) himself. This son of his was eighteen year old and breathed his last in his father’s arms. Which father has the heart to bear this? As if this was not enough, his six-month old was slaughtered in his arms too. Yet he did not give up. He had to save his grandfather’s hard work of twenty three years. He had to save all those who were to come. He had to save us!

And look how we have repayed him. We try to turn his sacrifice into a political war. We uphold his murderer as the devout follower and consider it taboo to mention his own name. Yet we aspire to follow what he saved. Talk about thanklessness. Way to go, Zakir Naik!

Sometimes, I’m just ashamed at our condition. We are a nation of idiots and bastards!

But hell, I can already foresee a few comments here. “Stop preaching Shia values!”, “Yazeed and Muawiyah were good this way and that way”, “Bani Umayyah were the best of the best” – Bullshit!

انسان  کو  بیدار   تو   ہو  لینے   دو

ہر قوم پکارے گی ہمارے ہین حسین

علامہ اقبال

Doesn’t look likely Iqbal, our nation has taken sleeping pills. Humanity will wake up but Muslims will keep on sleeping. You do not know of our response to the Israeli barbarism, do you? You left this world even before Israel came into existence. Lucky you, our condition today would’ve killed you multiple times.

How can we condemn the Israeli barbarism today, when we fail to condemn the barbaric acts 1369 years ago?

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“Fourteen hundred years of Muslim literature has passed a verdict that Husain was good and Yazeed was bad. Zakir Naik can not change that.”

Allama Dr. Syed Zameer Akhtar Naqvi


شاہ است حسین ، پادشاہ است  حسین

دین است حسین، دیں پناہ است  حسین

سر داد نہ داد   دست  در  دستِ یزید

حقّا  کہ  بناءِ   “لا الھ”  است  حسین

خواجہ معین الدّین چشتی اجمیری

Translation:

Emperor is Husain, King is Husain,

Religion is Husain, the shield of religion is Husain,

Gave his head but did not give his hand to Yazeed,

True that the basis of La Ilaha Ill Allah is Husain!

Don’t blame me for the verse, it’s the Sufi saint Moeen-ud-din Chishti Ajmeri’s. And I believe he was a better Muslim than all of us, don’t you think? Plus Emperor is not the correct translation of Shah. ‘Shah’ means one who commands land as well as the skies and even beyond that.

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P.S. Sorry for the personal rant in between. I meant to write a conclusion but emotions took control.

12.01.2009 Ali(A.S.), Captives of Karbala(A.S.), Enemies of the Ahle Bayt (A.S.), Fatimah Zehra(S.A.), General Knowledge, Hasan(A.S.), History, Husain(A.S), Martyrs Of Karbala(A.S.), Muhammad(S.A.W.W.), Rants, Reflections, Religious, Women, Zain-ul-Abideen(A.S.) 20 Comments

I’m Not A Mushrik, Just Trying To Think…

Thursday, November 20th, 2008

Please read my previous post before reading this.

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The Prophet Eesa (A.S.) was walking with his followers when on their way they passed a house where a wedding was to take place and celebrations were underway. He addressed his followers that when they would return the house would be filled with mourning as the bride would be dead.

But when they returned, the celebrations had not ceased.

The Prophet was extremely bewildered by this. He entered the house and found the bride in her room. He asked whether she had moved anywhere.

She replied that a beggar had come to the door but due to the celebrations nobody had heard him except her. Since no one had responded to his cries, she had gone and gotten him a flour bag and he went away happy.

After hearing this, Eesa (A.S.) quickly removed her pillow from the bed and beneath that, was a black snake!

Her good deed had saved her life, even when she was supposed to die.

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There are 124,000 prophets and all were given separate parts of ‘knowledge’. That is, they knew a lot but they didn’t know it ‘all’.

A popular example can be seen in the Quraan where Hazrat Musa (A.S.) learns a lot from Hazrat Khizr (A.S.)

The only prophet who was given the knowledge of “All To Happen” and the power to change that was our beloved Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.), the reason for the creation of this Universe.

In the case above, Hazrat Eesa (A.S.) knew that the bride would die but what he didn’t know was the fact that she would give food to the beggar and it would change her destiny i.e. Loh.

But who changes that destiny? Who has the power to alter the Loh? Who has the power to change the Universe, yet keep it in a perfect state?

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Sadqa (صدقہ) is the averter of calamities and that is why we hear ‘Sadqa Rad-de-Bala Hai’ (صدقہ ردِّ بلا ہے)!

The Universe is perfect. Allah made it so. It will achieve whatever it’s ultimate objective is. And it will follow the Loh.

By the Loh, if someone is to be killed by a snake, then it will happen. But Sadqa is something that can prevent that. Giving sadqa will avert any misfortunes coming one’s way but that would require changes in the Loh. And Allah is the only one who can do that. So the proof of Allah’s existence or that Allah is still alive is that he still interferes in the affairs of the Universe by editing the Loh and sadqa is the only thing that guarantees it. There are countless examples available through out our books.

Miracles and prayers can be said to change fate, but they don’t guarantee it. Sadqa does.

But is it also written in the Loh that the person will give sadqa?

That would mean the Loh is evolving. So what is the future of the Loh?

Only Allah knows, or Muhammad (S.A.W.W.).

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The Sadqa of Islam

اسلام کا صدقہ

In 61 AH, Islam was a relatively young religion, an infant, and it wouldn’t be absurd to say that it hadn’t even crawled on all fours till then. It was a new faith with shallow roots and was still taking over people’s hearts and lives. It was at that time that a tyrant came to power after his father’s death.

He made the claim that there was no Allah, no heaven nor hell and that Prophethood was just a drama by the Bani Hashim (A.S.). He claimed that no revelations had occurred, no angel had come and that Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) had deceived all. The infant Islam was in grave danger. ‘Allah’ was in danger!

After making these claims, he decided to drive the nail into the coffin and force the heir of Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) to swear allegiance to him as the rightful ruler and accept his claims. A “hand or head” offer was extended to that heir.

The heir rejected to provide his hand in allegiance and set forth on a journey with his entire family to Makkah. The tyrant dispatched his men to try and kill the heir during Hajj.

The heir came to know of this and changed his Hajj to an Umrah. Then he left the city of Makkah in order to preserve it’s Holiness and to prevent bloodshed within the boundaries of the Haram. His final destination became the desert land that Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) had promised would be the grounds of his slaughter.

There he stopped and set up camp. Forces of the tyrant started to arrive soon after. They forced the heir to move his camp away from the water and blocked it.

Children in the heir’s camp started crying and begging for water. Even the six-month old had nothing to drink.

Three days later, all men were cut to pieces, including many children and even the six-month old was butchered from ear to ear by a three-pronged arrow. The heir sacrificed every thing and everyone for the sake of truth, then offered himself. He fought valiantly and reduced the tyrants massive army to countable numbers. When it was the time of Asr, he put his sword back in it’s sheath, was pierced by arrows from every direction and then bowed to Allah. His head was cut off in the state of Sajdah. The remaining man, women and children were captured and subjected to the most inhuman tortures possible.

All martyrs gave their lives to prove that Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) was right, there had been revelations, there are heaven and hell and that it was worth dying for. They showed the world the difference between right and wrong.

They offered their lives as Sadqa over Islam and Islam’s fate changed!

The heir saved the religion of Allah. Now Islam has grown into a 1400 year old, mature religion with roots deep into people’s lives. It is the fastest growing religion of all. Allah is still alive in the minds of Muslims everywhere.

And so is Husain…

 

انسان   کو   بیدار  تو   ہو   لینے   دو

ہر قوم پکارے گی  ہمارے ہیں حسین


اسلام کے دامن میں بس اس کے سوا کیا ہے

اِک  ضربِ  یداللّہی  ،   اِک  سجدہءِ  شبّیری

 

شاعر: علامہ محمد اقبال

Yadullah is the title of Hazrat Ali (A.S.) meaning the hand of Allah while Shabbir is the title of Imam Husain (A.S.).

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SAWJ’s Note: This is a post written on the go, without any planning. If you disagree, try to be polite!

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People Who Almost Got The Answer: Adnan, Saadat.

People Who Wasted My Time In Trying To Prove The Question Wrong: Absar, Brickwall. :P

20.11.2008 Captives of Karbala(A.S.), Enemies of the Ahle Bayt (A.S.), Facts, General Knowledge, History, Husain(A.S), Martyrs Of Karbala(A.S.), Muhammad(S.A.W.W.), Reflections, Religious 66 Comments

Leaving the Prophet’s (S.A.W.W.) Madinah

Monday, August 4th, 2008

تیرے شہر سے جاتے ہیں، دے ہم کو دعا نانا

آباد  کریں گے ہم ، ہائے اب  کرب و بلا  نانا

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) was sitting with his young grandson, Husain (A.S.), and granddaughter, Zainab (S.A.), sitting in front of him. Suddenly, tears started streaming down his face.

Husain (A.S.) asked him, “Grandfather, why are you crying?”

The Prophet replied, “Jibraeel is here. He just told me that you will be slaughtered in Karbala in the way of Allah and is asking for my approval on it.”

Husain (A.S.): “Nana (Grandfather), I accept!”

Prophet (S.A.W.W.): “Water will be stopped for three days…”

Husain (A.S.): “Nana, I accept!”

Prophet (S.A.W.W.): “Your friends and family will be killed…”

Husain (A.S.): “Nana, I accept!”

Prophet (S.A.W.W.): “Your son Ali Akbar (A.S.) will die in your arms…”

Husain (A.S.): “Nana, I accept!”

Prophet (S.A.W.W.): “Your brother Abbas’s (A.S.) arms will be cut off…”

Husain (A.S.): “Nana, I accept!”

Prophet (S.A.W.W.): “Your six-month old infant Ali Asghar (A.S.) will be slaughtered by an arrow…”

Husain (A.S.): “Nana, I accept!”

Prophet (S.A.W.W.): “Your sister Zainab’s (S.A.) chaadar (head cover) will be snatched…”

Husain (A.S.) did not speak.

Zainab (S.A.): “My brother Husain (A.S.), I accept!”

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In 60 AH, Muawiya (L.A.) died and his son Yazid (L.A.) captured the throne in Damascus and claimed to be the defacto ruler of the Muslim world. People from all over the Muslim world came for his Bayaah, or Bayat (paying allegiance). But Imam Husain (A.S.) did not.

After Hazrat Ali (A.S.), Imam Hasan (A.S.) became Caliph but he gave it to Muawiya (L.A.) after only four months to save the Muslims from division. But he stated in the deal made with Muawiya (L.A.) that when Muawiya (L.A.) dies, the Caliphate would come back to him, or in the case of his passing, to Imam Husain (A.S.).

Muawiya (L.A.) had Imam Hasan (A.S.) poisoned and martyred by bribing his wife Jauda (L.A.), daughter of Ash’as (L.A.) , son of Shees (L.A.). So on Muawiya’s (L.A.) death, the Caliphate was Imam Husain’s (A.S.) right. But Muawiya (L.A.) appointed Yazid (L.A.) as his successor before death.

Even though Imam Husain (A.S.) never made any claims for the throne, yet Yazid (L.A.) feared his popularity with the people and knew someday the people would ask for him to step down for Imam Husain (A.S.).

It is necessary here to mention that Muawiya (L.A.) and Yazid (L.A.) were drinkers, tyrants and indulged in sexual sins. Even more important is the fact that they denounced Prophet Muhammad’s (A.S.) Prophethood openly by saying:

There was no Wahi (revelation), it was only a sham (nauzobillah) by the Bani Hashim (A.S.).

With fear of being dethroned in his mind and the want of disgracing Islam by dishonoring the Prophet’s (S.A.W.W.) grandson, having no regard for the Prophet or Allah openly, Yazeed asked Imam Husain for his Bayat (to pay allegiance to him) or be beheaded.

With Yazeed (L.A.) and his forefather’s records of infidelity and polytheism, the question of Imam Husain’s (A.S.) allegiance became one of the very survival of Islam. If Imam Husain (A.S.) had paid his allegiance to Yazid (L.A.), it would have meant his acceptance of the above mentioned claims of the Bani Umayyah (L.A.) that Islam was a farce (nauzobillah) and claims of Prophethood by Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) were false. Why would the people have trusted in Islam and Allah when even the grandson of the Prophet (S.A.W.W.) was submitting to Yazid (L.A.)? It’s no wonder that Imam Husain (A.S.) refused to bow to Yazid’s (L.A.) fancies. Imam Husain (A.S.) ordered his brother Abbas (A.S.) to prepare to leave Madinah. He took with him, almost all women and children to prove that he did not want to fight and it was Yazid (L.A.) who wanted bloodshed.

تیرا دین ہے مشکل میں، میں کیسے رہوں گھر میں

طفلی  میں  کوئی  وعدہ ، تھا  تجھہ  سے کیا  نانا

ریحان    لرزتا    تھا  ،   مرقد   بھی    پیمبر   کا

شبّیر  جو  کہتے  تھے  ،  میں  مرنے   چلا   نانا

تیرے شہر سے جاتے ہیں ،  دے  ہم  کو  دعا  نانا

آباد  کریں  گے  ہم ،  ہائے  اب   کرب و بلا   نانا

Imam Husain (A.S.) left Madinah and the Prophet’s (S.A.W.W.) grave, with his family and friends, on 28th Rajab, 60 AH.


Courtesy: Syed Awn Husain Rizvi

He headed to Makkah with the intention of performing Hajj. There he learned that Yazid’s (L.A.) people were lurking in the form of Hajis (pilgrims) to kill him so he changed his Hajj plans to Umrah and left Makkah. He headed to Kufah but on the way he learned of Yazid’s governor Ubaidullah (L.A.)’s [son of Ziyad (L.A.)] massacre of those who wanted to help him.

One of Yazid’s (L.A.) armies met him on the way. Their water had finished and people and animals alike were thirsty. Imam Husain (A.S.) ordered for their thirsts to be satiated and even the animals to be given water. But later on, this same army stopped him from going towards Kufah and diverted him towards Karbala.

When the caravan reached Karbala on the 2nd of Muharram, 61 AH, Imam Husain (A.S.) remarked:

“This is the promised land where our blood shall be spilled!”

Imam Husain (A.S.) ordered the tents to be erected on the bank of the river Euphrates (Furaat). On the 4th of Muharram, the camps of Husain (A.S.) were forced by to be removed from the banks of the river by the Yazidi (L.A.) armies which had begun to arrive. On the 7th of Muharram, water was stopped from reaching the Husaini (A.S.) camps and the Yazidis (L.A.) took the riverbanks under their control.

Imam Husain (A.S.) tried many times to convince the Muslims against shedding the blood of the Prophet’s (S.A.W.W.) family, to try to save them from the humiliation that would follow but they did not listen. On the 10th day of Muharram, known by the name of Ashurah, Yazidi (L.A.) armies forced the battle onto Imam Husain’s (A.S.) caravan.

One by one, all men, except one, in the Husaini (A.S.) camp were martyred including Husain’s (A.S.) eighteen year old son Ali Akbar (A.S.) [who resembled the Prophet (S.A.W.W.) and people used to come from far and wide to look at him], extremely devoted brother Abbas (A.S.) [who always called Husain (A.S.) 'Master'], six month old infant Ali Asghar (A.S.), etc. Husain (A.S.) was slaughtered in the state of prostration to Allah during the Asr prayer, after he had put his sword back in its sheath, to pray.

The chaadars (head covers/veils) of all women were snatched and the tents of the Husaini (A.S.) camp burned. Women and children were made prisoners and taken to Damascus, Syria, on foot. The sole surviving man was Ali Zain-ul-Abideen (A.S.), the eldest son of Husain (A.S.) and the fourth Imam, who was weak and unconscious from illness at the time.

However, the Husaini (A.S.) men did not go down easy. Martyrdom was their ultimate goal but not before they had caused a huge blow to the enemy’s forces. As the imprisoned Lady Zainab (S.A.) stated in her sermon in the court of Yazid (L.A.):

“O Ruler of Syria! Go out into the streets and you will not find a single house that the Sword (Zulfiqar) of my Brother has spared from which the wails of mourning can not be heard.”

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Husain’s (A.S.) caravan lost 72 men. Even these were not all men. Many were of the age 7-14 and Ali Asghar (A.S.) was only six-months old.

According to one account, Yazid’s (L.A.) forces numbered 900,000. Only 80,000 returned alive!

According to another account, Yazidis (L.A.) totaled 460,000. All of Husain’s (A.S.) men killed 25,000 Yazidis (L.A.), Husain’s (A.S.) brother Abbas (A.S.) killed 25,000 while Husain (A.S.) himself sent 330,000 Yazidis (L.A.) to Hell. Total is 380,000 which leaves 80,000 to return home.

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More about Karbala here.

More about the infant Ali Asghar here.

About Husain’s (A.S.) daughter Sakinah (S.A.) here.

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SAWJ’s Note: All verses above are from Rehaan Aazmi’s Nauha (Elegy)

تیرے شہر سے جاتے ہیں، دے ہم کو دعا نانا

We are leaving your city, pray for us Grandfather

from the 1996 Nauha album of Syed Nadeem Raza Sarwar. You can download it here.

04.08.2008 Captives of Karbala(A.S.), Enemies of the Ahle Bayt (A.S.), Facts, General Knowledge, Hasan(A.S.), History, Husain(A.S), Martyrs Of Karbala(A.S.), Muhammad(S.A.W.W.), Political, Reflections, Religious, World, Zain-ul-Abideen(A.S.) 3 Comments

Martyrdom of Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.)

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

The 25th of Rajab marks the day of martyrdom of Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.), the seventh Imam in the Progeny of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.). He was the son of Imam Ja’far-e-Sadiq (A.S.) and Lady Hameedah Khatoon (S.A.). He was born on the 7th of Safar, 128 AH in Abwa between Makkah and Madinah.


Courtesy: Syed Awn Husain Rizvi

Family Tree

Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.), son of Ja’far-e-Sadiq (A.S.), son  of Muhammad-e-Baqar (A.S), son of Ali Zain-ul-Abideen (A.S.), son of Husain (A.S.), son of Ali (A.S.) and Fatimah (S.A.), son-in-law and daughter of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) respectively.

Name, Kunniyat and Title

Imam Musa-e-Kazim was named Musa by his father. One question that arises is why was he named Musa when all the other Imams had names that had either never been used before or used only by the Bani Hashim (A.S.). The reason will be explained in a later post.

His Kunniyat was Abul Ali. Abul Hasan and Abul Ibrahim are also stated. His titles include Kazim (The Restrained or Calm One) and Abdus Sualeh (The Virtuous Slave of Allah).

Childhood

Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.) spent 20 years of his sacred life under the gracious patronage of his father. His inherent genius and gifted virtues, combined with the enlightened guidance and education from his father, Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (A.S.), was manifested in his personality. He was fully versed with Divine Knowledge in his childhood as are all Imams (A.S.).

Allamah Majlisi relates that once Abu Hanifa happened to call upon the holy abode of Imam-e-Sadiq (A.S.) to ask him about some religious matters. The Imam was asleep; so he was kept waiting outside till the Imam’s awakening. Meanwhile, Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.), who was 5 years old, came out of the house. After offering him his best regards, Abu Hanifah inquired, “O son of the Prophet (S.A.W.W.)! What is your opinion about the deeds of a man? Does he do them by himself, or does Allah make him do them?”

“O Abu Hanifa!”, the 5-year-old Imam replied. “The doings of a man are confined to three possibilities:

  • That Allah alone does them while the man is quite helpless
  • That both Allah and the man equally share the commitment
  • That the man does them alone

Now, if the first assumption is true, it obviously proves the injustice of Allah who punishes His creatures for sins which they have not committed. If the second condition be accepted, even then Allah is unjust if He punishes a man for sins in which he is equally a partner. But the undesirability of both these conditions is evident in the case of Allah. Thus, we are naturally left with the third alternative to the problem that men are absolutely responsible for their actions.”

Imamate

Imam Ja’far-e-Sadiq (A.S.) was martyred on the 25th of Shawwal, 148 AH by Abassid Caliph Mansoor-e-Do-Anaqi (L.A.). Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.) succeeded him in the Holy Office of the Imamate as the seventh Imam. The period of his Imamate lasted 35 years. In the first decade of his Imamate, Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.) could afford a peaceful execution of the responsibilities of his sacred office, propagating the teachings of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.). But soon after, he fell victim to the ruling Caliphs and a greater part of his life passed in prison.

Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.) lived under the most trying times of the regimes of the despotic Abassid (L.A.) caliphs who were known for their tyrannical and cruel rule. He witnessed the reigns of Mansoor-e-Do-Anaqi (L.A.), Mehdi (L.A.), Hadi (L.A.) and Harun Rashid (L.A.). Mansoor (L.A.) and Harun (L.A.) were the despotic caliphs who put a multitude of innocent descendants of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) to the sword. Thousands of these martyrs were buried alive or put into horrible dark prisons. Many a Syed youth were “built” into the walls of the city of Baghdad. These depraved caliphs knew no pity or justice; they killed and tortured for the pleasure they derived from human suffering.

The Holy Imam (A.S.) was saved from the tyranny of Mansoor (L.A.) because, being occupied with his project of constructing the new city of Baghdad, the caliph did not have time to turn towards inflicting suffering on the Imam (A.S.). After Mansoor (L.A.), his son Mehdi (L.A.) ascended the throne. For a few years he remained indifferent towards the Imam (A.S.). When in 164 AH, he came to Madinah and heard about the great reputation of the Imam (A.S.), Mehdi (L.A.) could not resist his jealousy and the spark of his ancestral malice against the Ahle-Bayt (A.S.) was rekindled. He somehow managed to take the Imam (A.S.) along with him to Baghdad and got him imprisoned there. But after a year he realized his mistake and released the Imam (A.S.) from prison.

Hadi (L.A.), who lived only for a year, succeeded Caliph Mehdi (L.A.). In 170 AH, the most cruel and tyrannical of these caliphs, Harun Rashid (L.A.), appeared at the head of the Abasside Empire. It was during his reign that the Holy Imam (A.S.) passed the greater part of his life in a miserable prison, until his martyrdom.

The Reason For The Tital “Kazim”

Regarding Imam’s (A.S.) morality and ethical excellence, Ibne Hajar remarks, “The patience and forbearance of Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.) was such that he was given the title of Al-Kazim (one who swallows his anger). He was the embodiment of virtue and generosity. He devoted his nights to the prayers of Allah, and his days to fasting. He always forgave those who did him wrong.”

A servant of Imam (A.S.) was heating a metal rod for some reason. Imam’s young son came out playing and the heated metal accidentally dropped on his head. The accident was fatal.

The servant was captured. When he was being brought before the Imam (A.S.), he was trembling and sweating profusely at the impending death sentence to be given to him.

When he looked at the Imam (A.S.), he saw tears streaming down the Imam’s (A.S.) face and his son’s body in his arms. Imam looked at him and said:

“I free you in the name of Allah.”

Such was the state of Imam’s forgiveness and generosity.

Children

Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.) had 18 sons and 18 daughters. The most famous of his sons is his successor, Imam Ali-e-Raza (A.S.) and the most famous of his daughters is Fatimah Kubra known as Masuma-e-Qum who is buried in Qum, Iran.

Literary Achievements

Time and circumstances did not permit the Holy Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.) to establish institutions to impart religious knowledge to his followers, as his father, Imam Ja’far-e-Sadiq (A.S.), and his grandfather, Imam Muhammad-e-Baqar (A.S.), had done. He was never allowed to address a congregation. He carried on his mission of preaching and guiding people quietly. He also became the author of a few books, the most famous of which is “Masnad of Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.)”.

His Martyrdom

Harun Rashid (L.A.) sent his armies to Madinah to arrest the Imam (A.S.) and bring him to Baghdad. The houses of the Saadat (descendants of the Prophet [S.A.W.W.]) were burned. Women and children ran out of the houses towards the shrine of the Prophet (S.A.W.W.).

Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.) was arrested from the shrine of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) and many other Syed young men and boys were captured. Imam was taken to Basra while the rest were taken to a dungeon in Naishapur (Nieshabur), Iran and cut to pieces.

Imam was then moved to Baghdad where he spent 13 years of his life in a prison with no light, so low that one could not stand inside and with only a small hole for air. He became weak and frail, such that he could be described as only skin over bones.

One of the followers of Imam (A.S.) wanted to see him. His enthusiasm was so great that he convinced one of the guards, also a secret follower of the Imam (A.S.), to help him.

The guard arranged for him to secretly peek into the dungeon through the small hole mentioned above. The man looked inside, turned back to the guard and said there was no one inside.

“What do you see?”, asked the guard.

“Only a white sheet spread flatly on the ground”, replied the man.

“That sheet is spread over Imam Musa-e-Kazim (A.S.)”, replied the guard.

On the 25th of Rajab, 183 AH, Harun Rashid (L.A.) poisoned the Imam. Four laborers were brought to take the body of Imam (A.S.) to the bridge of Baghdad on a wooden board and leave it there.

Imam’s (A.S.) burial rites were performed by his son Imam Ali-e-Raza (A.S.), also his successor as Imam, and he was buried in Baghdad. The place is now known as Kazmain. Imam’s (A.S.) grandson Imam Muhammad Taqi (A.S.) is also buried there.

Some Pictures of Kazmain

30.07.2008 Ali Raza(A.S.), Ali(A.S.), Fatimah Zehra(S.A.), General Knowledge, History, Husain(A.S), Jafar-e-Sadiq(A.S.), Muhammad Baqar(A.S.), Muhammad Taqi(A.S.), Muhammad(S.A.W.W.), Musa Kazim(A.S.), Religious, Zain-ul-Abideen(A.S.) 8 Comments

The One born in the Ka’bah

Friday, July 18th, 2008

On the eve of 13th of Rajab, 30 Am-ul-Feel, 600 AD, the residents of Makkah were enjoying a breezy night outside their homes in small gatherings when suddenly from the house of Abu Talib (A.S.) emerged a tall woman. Covered from head to toe, the characteristic purdah of the women of Bani Hashim (A.S.), people saw her move in the direction of the Ka’bah.

When she reached there, people thought that she would go towards the door but instead they saw the wall split from the middle and both halves move sideways. Astonished, they saw her pass through and disappear, and the walls slide back to close the opening.

That woman was none other than the wife of Abu Talib (A.S.), Lady Fatimah (S.A.), daughter of Asad (A.S.).

Nobody saw her come out of the Ka’bah. Then three days later, Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) along with his uncle Abu Talib (A.S.), emerged from the same house and proceeded towards the Ka’bah. They went towards the door, unlocked it and went in. The door closed and the people waited.

Finally after much waiting, the door opened and out came Muhammad (S.A.W.W.), Abu Talib (A.S.) and Lady Fatimah (S.A.). But they were not alone. In Muhammad’s (S.A.W.W.) arms was a beautiful child, who kept looking at him and reciting the Quraan. Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) named the child Ali.

18.07.2008 General Knowledge, History, Muhammad(S.A.W.W.), Religious 6 Comments