Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Two Points


This is not a formal article on any specific topic, just wanted to mention two quick points related to Muharram-ul-Haram.

Point 1: Recommendation

In previous blog we were discussing that Azadari-e-Imam Hussain (a.s.) should be source of character & personality building. In current era there are many ways of misguiding a common person specially media, different propagandas are launched from various sources and among those sources unfortunately one source is MULLA (A person who does not have sufficient knowledge of Islam and Rulings of Maraje and with the limited knowledge he starts guiding people, sometimes on your TV screen and sometimes on mimbar).


In comments of previous blog someone pointed towards a true picture of our nature, we are not willing to listen to a person whom we know that he will not tell us any unauthentic thing just because he is not a renowned speaker; we prefer to go to majalis on basis of venues and no. of people gathered there.


Quote

“My personal opinion is, if anyone is listening speeches of any zakir, atleast he should check his background and authenticity of his speeches. In my view if anyone is interested to listen those kind of speeches and majalis through which he can perform azadari and additionally gain knowledge of true Islamic concepts and protect himself from upcoming FITNA of Muslims and specially among Shia Isna Asheri, he should listen to Maulana Sadiq Hasan sahab.”

His majalis of Muharram 1431 are daily uploaded on different websites. Following is one link.
http://lectures.hussainiat.com/Audio/Lectures/Album.aspx?ALID=1157

*Please note that above paragraph is just my personal opinion, it is not necessary that everyone agrees to it.

Unquote

Point 2: Live broadcast

With the advancement in technology, today Alhumdollilah there are many momineen who are working on providing different facilities so that people from all around the world can participate in Azadari-e-Syedushuhada (a.s.). For example many TV channels are broadcasting live majalis, local cable providers are also working for this cause. Many websites are doing live broadcast and this year telecommunication companies have also provided facility to listen live majalis through a conference call. Mashallah, all those who are giving their efforts for Azadari-e-Imam Hussain (as) will be rewarded heavily, Inshallah.

BUT

I am more than 100% sure that none of the organizers wanted to provide this facility with the intention that people should remain at home and listen to those majalis, this service is beneficial if you belong to any of the following criteria.

1. If a person is living at such place especially outside Pakistan, India etc. where there are limited majalis.


2. A person cannot leave home due to age factor, weather condition, political disturbance etc. etc.


3. Health is not permitting him to step out.


4. Women who prefer to go in ladies majalis only.


5. Any other unavoidable circumstances.

What will we say if someone living on 5 mins. walk from Imambargah who is physically fit and is admitting that there is as such no problem for him in going at imambargah, is listening live majlis on TV and when asked for the reason, the simple reply is that when there is one facility available to listen same majlis then does it matter if I listen at home or at imambargah?

Lying on a bed with a packet of chips and listening to masaib-e-Imam Hussain, is this a good way of Azadari?

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

LABAIK YA HUSSAIN

I exactly don’t remember the source but either I’ve heard in some seminar or read it in some historical book that before formation of Hizbollah when our ulamas were struggling to build awareness among Lebanese Shias in specific, and people of Lebanon in general the best source they used was Majalis/Azadari programs during Muharram-ul-Haram. The speaker/author further mentioned that there was a time when before starting of Muharram, group of ulamas use to arrange special sessions with all the speakers of Lebanon who were nominated to speak in Majalis at different venues, ulamas use to select different topics for them according to that vicinity. Thousands of shia sect followers gather in majalis during this holy month and when every person was listening to same agenda, same idea, same movement, same revolutionized speeches, entire Lebanese society started to respond in favor of this movement. We all know the achievement of Hizbollah, behind this huge success the biggest role was of Azadari-e-Imam Hussain(a.s.).

This was just a short extract from history but after knowing it, I started wondering that Azadari-e-Syedushuhada (a.s.) is not just mourning on incident of Karbala, it is much more than that. Although this blog site is labeled as a fantasy blog by few brothers and sisters but several thoughts ran through our mind which needs some satisfactory answer. Like, after reading the above extract the first and obvious question is are we getting 100% from azadari-e-Imam Hussain? No doubt that core outcome should be mourning and matam on Imam Hussain (a.s.) and his household and we are doing it at good level but there CAN BE couple of different upshot from azadari-e-Imam.

I know it will be the most illogical statement if I say that there should be a group of people based on Ulamas and representative of Marajs who can guide all the speakers of Pakistan in selecting their matter every year, this statement will be labeled as a biggest fantasy of this blog but do we have any other choices to get value added benefits from Ashra-e-Majalis? As I mentioned that main and core motive of Azadari is to condole Janab-e-Syeda (s.a.) and Imam-e-Zamana (a.t.f.s) but other than that our Majalis should be source of character and personality building. At the very least can’t we start on this level that if there are two imambargahs or majalis venue in one area they should coordinate in a way that voice on loud speaker do not coincide? When niaz is distributed after majlis or in juloos the honor and respect of food which is given in the name of Imam Hussain (a.s.) is not spoiled? The noha CDs and cassettes which are released every year should remain nohas which are in honor and remembrance of the biggest tragedy of this universe and dignity of nohas are not hurted? Program of shab-e-dari should be organized with all due respect and there should be distinction between a normal get together and a program which is organized in the name of Ahlebait. Sabeels in the name of Bibi Sakina should not be a friends meeting place with all the abusive languages and immoral acts. When you are driving in a car with your family to attend a majlis, it should be different from an entertainment drive or going to a picnic spot with all luxuries. Is there any need to mention the disciplinary level in our juloos? You know it very well. We must understand that everything from niaz to majlis, nohas, shabedari, sabeel etc. is done in the name of Mazloom who was martyred in a desert with his kids and companions who were hungry and thirsty for three days. We should change our attitude and life style atleast for 10 days. Can’t we??

Mashallah all momineen participate in every program in their reach but if you witness Ashura juloos and compare it with Chehlum juloos you’ll find a huge difference. Chehlum is not a public holiday then too the participation in juloos is in hundred-thousand and Ashura which is public holiday and is of more importance, participation is in thousands only and till evening it remains just couple thousand, this is because there are several different programs by different organizations and people are divided where as on chehlum mostly people participate in MARKAZI juloos.

Dear readers, kindly permit me for atleast one fantasy as usual, if I think that on the day of Ashura, on the street of Karachi during markazi juloos, more than two hundred thousand people are offering namaz-e-Zuhur and after namaz, 15 minutes of masaib-e-Imam and then a huge matamdari where two hundred thousand people are performing matam with one voice and one rhythm ….

This fantasy came true on the streets of Turkey where the quoted figure was 5 hundred thousand people who performed matamdari on the day of Janab-e-Syedda (s.a). Unfortunately we don’t have any leader in our country like Imam Khomeni that on his funeral millons of people were gathered, we don’t have any leader like Ayatullah Khamenai where hundred-thousand people gather during his speech in Friday prayers, we don’t have any leader like Syed Hasan Nasrullah that we respond on his one call and millions are gathered on street of Lebanon ….. We just have azadari, can’t we show our strength and unity to entire world on the day of Ashura were millions of people are gathered with one motive and one voice LABAIK YA HUSSAIN LABAIK YA HUSSAIN