ROOTS OF KARBALA

Salam Alaikum,
It is the season of Muharram. The month of grief, sacrifice, martyrdom. The month of Karbala and month of Aba Abdullah al-Hussain. No event in history comes into existence out of nothing, or out of vacum. No historical event comes into existence suddenly. It may appear to be a sudden and unexpected way but on closer examination we always see it's roots which may go to many years sometimes hundreds of years. Same is true about event of Karbala. It did not occur suddenly although it may appear so. If one has to understand Karbala one has to look for it's roots in history of Islam much before the actual event in Karbala.
What are the roots of this event. The roots of this event and many other events in the history early event can be traced to two ideological currents in the Quraish of Mecca. These currents have their origin in two persons Hashim and Ommaya. Hashim was the great grandfather of Prophet Muhammad(SAWW), and Ommaya was the grandfather of the leader of the camp who fought tooth and nail to defeat the Islamic movement known by the name of Abu Sufyan. This Abu Sufyan was none other than the father of Mowiya and the grandfather of Yazid the perpetuator of grave crime at Karbala. This is a story which can be summarised in one simple but dangerous word JEALOUSY. This characteristic which is translated as HASAD in Arabic "eats ones faith just like fire eats wood". One current represented by Hashim embodies virtues of nobility, patience, humility. The other current represents greed, avarice, arrogance, and niggerdiliness. This jeulousy reached it's climax once Allah choose Prophet Muhammad (SAWW) as his messanger.

LORD ACTON'S ADVICE

Salam Alaikum,
We are the followers of Imam Ali (A.S). In matters of religon we follow the directions of Ahlulbait of the Holy Prophet (SAWW) and no one else. However that does not pevent us from appreciating and benefiting from words of wisdom ("hikmah") given by others. Our master Imam Ali has been reported to have said " Don't see who is saying, see what he is saying". The English writer and poltician Lord Acton has a profound advice for those who seek liberty which might be apt for all of us. He says, "Liberty is the prevention of control by others. this requires self-control and, therefore, religous and spiritual infleunces; education, knowledge well being".
Thus fight for liberty should be associated with nurturing of self-control, otherwise the result is anarchy.
Please ponder over this beautiful advice.
Wa Salam
abuyasir

TRAITS OF THOSE IN WAITING.

Salam Alaikum
Today is 15th of Shaban. The birth anniversary of Imam Mehdi (ATFS). We claim that we are all waiting for his reappearance. Are we really? Let us ask our Imam Ja'far Sadiq (A.S):-

قَالَ الإِمَامُ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقُ : مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْقَائِمِ فَلْيَنْـتَظِرْ وَ لْيَعْمَلْ بِالْوَرَعِ وَ مَحَاسِنِ الأَخْلاَقِ وَ هُوَ مُنْـتَظِرٌ. فَإِنْ مَاتَ وَ قَامَ الْقَائِمُ بَعْدَهُ كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الأَجْرِ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ مَنْ أَدْرَكَهُ.

Imam Ja’far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (peace be upon both of them) said: “A person who would like to be among the companions of al-Qa’im should be in a state of (active) waiting (Intizar), and perform all of his deeds with Wara’ [a level higher than Taqwa] and with the most beautiful etiquette and then one will be counted as being in a state of (true) waiting (Intizar). Then if such a person was to die and al-Qa’im was to make his advent after this, then that person would receive the reward as the one who witnessed his (al-Mahdi’s) advent.”

Biharul Anwar, Volume 52, Page 140; al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani.
I leave you to apply this criteria to yourself as I try to do it with myself.
Wa Salam
abuyasir

CLASSIFY YOURSELF

Salam alaikum,
We often say that we are proud followers of Imam Sadiq (A.S). Are we? Imam has given a beautiful classification of people different from most schemes of classification and nomenclature. Our task is to ponder to which category we belong. Imam Jaffer al-Sadiq (AS) has said,
"There are three kinds of people. The scholars, the seekers of knowledge and all the others are a waste of humanity."'
Book 2 - The Book Of Excellence of KnowledgeChapter 3 - Categories of the PeopleHadith - #2al-Kafi
I leave everyone who claims himself to be the follower of Imam to classify himself.
wa salam
abuyasir

Need for this blog.

BISMILLAH-I-REHMAN-I-RAHIM
Salam Alaikum
Shias of J&K form a significant "minority" in this only muslim dominated state in India (of course this is subject to your acceptance of J&K as an integral part of the Indian Union). The Shias of Kashmir I am afraid are not a particularly organised lot. There are no exact statistics available about various aspects of the community. This blog will be a purely non-poltical blog where every member of the community belonging to any social or poltical nomination can give his views and opinions. The aim is to try and organise ourselves socially, morally, educationally. This does not mean that non-shias cannot participate. Everyone is most welcome to present his views in a polite and decent manner. I look forwards particularly to the educated youth of the community who are my hope. I think this is enough for a beginning.

Wasalam
abuyasir