For aamals & duas for the month, pl refer to : Month in Focus
As soon as the moon of the month of Muharram is sighted, a deep transformation comes about in shias ….. off goes the TV , out come the black clothes and the conscience that prods us to do good deeds. And night after night, all roads seem to lead to the Imambargah and Hussainyeh, and you get to meet the whole community including those you may not have seen since the previous Muharrum. The trigger is the remembrance of severe atrocities against Imam Husain (a.s.) , the grandson of the Prophet, and his family and companions committed more than fourteen hundred years ago. Lectures and majalis(gatherings) are held at several places in Singapore including the ones in Urdu, Malay and English organised by the Association and the Assembly.
Considering how we tend to forget over time all sorts of tragedies, including loss of our own loved ones, one can understand the bewilderment of the world at our intense mourning over an event that took place more than 1400 years ago in Karbala, Iraq in the month of Muharram. How is it, they ask, that the lapse of these centuries has done nothing to diminish even slightly the sense of deep sorrow that we feel during this month and the firm determination it revives in us to fight against oppression in general and corruption of islam in particular. Not easy to explain when it comes to the matters of the heart. Its partly to do perhaps with gratitude for someone who sacrifices everything for you . It was the noblest of ideals for which Imam Husain a.s. and his supporters laid down their lives on the scorching sands of Karbala in Iraq on the 10th of Muharrum ( the day of Ashura ). They had the option to save their lives and let Islam die. They chose death so that truth is separated from falsehood once and for all, so that the right way continues to be available as a choice for humanity for all times. And in the process they also explained in practical terms the meaning of true submission to the Will of Allah.
Our passion must also have to do with the love we feel for the pure and blessed
household of the Prophet … beyond that, one may still wonder what forces are at
work to produce such strong attraction, how did this love come to reside in
hearts and permeate the souls, why does it not become stale with time, why these
tears year after year at the very mention of the martyrs on the day of Ashura ?
…. at this point, words cease to be of much help. All one can say, with utmost
humility, is that if one has this love, one certainly knows it. And feels
blessed. And feels the urge to share this treasure with the world. The feeling
for truth seekers is that of having finally “arrived” .(one meets many non-muslims
and non-shia muslims who have embraced Shia beliefs but rarely, if at all, does
one come across any shia ithna asheris who have changed their beliefs).
And so, during the months of Muharram and Safar, and especially during the first
ten days of Muharram, one finds shias all over the world heading in large
numbers to participate in lectures/majalis ( gatherings). These are held at
several places in Singapore including the ones in Urdu, Malay and English
organised by the Association and the Assembly. Besides the mourning aspects, the
majalis provide a unique opportunity to learn more about all aspects of Islam
and the Holy Quraan. Unlike obligatory rituals, these gatherings comprise people
who have come voluntarily and who are therefore very receptive and keen to
learn. Thus, Imam Husain’s sacrifice also serves as a school that continues to
help millions internalise the principles of Islam every year. It also fills our
hearts with sympathy for the oppressed of our times, whoever and whereever they
may be. And to the oppressors, including those who try to hijack our religion of
peace and love and taint it with terrorism, it declares that, whatever the odds,
truth always triumphs in the end.
Maulana
Zaqi Baqri in Singapore - Muharram 1429 (2008)
(audio - pl right click and use "Save Target As" to download)
Noha Urdu: Zaynab hai safar mein
| Majalis (English) | Memories of 1950s... | Nohas (urdu) |
|
(from www.alulbayt.com - video)
(from www.aimislam.com - audio)
Ammar Nakshawani Muharram 1428
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Nasir Jehan (from Imambargah.com)
Allama Rashid Turabi (from Imambargah.com) |
Ahsan Ali (from Karachi) during his 1999 Singapore visit Nadeem Sarwar (video)
Sacchey Bhai
Noha/marsiya re bibi Sakina |
Understanding Karbala and the reasons for commemoration of the tragedy
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With every tear that we shed for him we pledge to resist the oppression of injustice, immorality, inequity and falsehood.....history and philosophy of aza e hussain.
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The sole cause for which Imam Hussain set out from Madinah was to perform his duty to do amr bil ma'ruf and nahya anil munkar to the ummah which had not only apathetically accepted the evil that had been flowing from the court in Damascus but, sadly, begun to emulate it. The inevitable consequence of this would have been a total destruction of all Islamic values.... Karbala .. the Cause
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" The blind, the dumb, and the chronically ill everywhere lack protection in towns and no mercy is shown them. But you neither behave in accordance with your function and rank, nor you support or pay any regard to those who do. You purchase your safety from the oppressive ruling powers with flattery, cajolery, and compromise...." Imam Hussain's Speech
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"My son, had you been a father you would surely have understood how difficult it is for a father to part from his son!! ...." Karbala.. the pleasure of Allah.
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For a detailed historical perspective of the tragedy of Karbala , please click: A Probe Into The History of Ashura
Useful Links
The Holy Quraan: arabic, translations, commentary
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Islamic books including free books: