Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Pearls and Corals

Treatise on the Condition of Sincerity (Al-Ikhlas) Required by Religious Speakers

By: Mirza Husayn Nuri

Translated by: Syed Ali Imran

Table of Contents

FOREWORD. 3

ABOUT THE TRANSLATION. 7

INTRODUCTION. 9

SINCERITY. 13

RECITING IS A FORM OF WORSHIP. 15

OSTENTATION IN RECITATION. 16

WAYS TO ATTAIN WAGES THROUGH RECITING. 20

IS OSTENTATION IN WORSHIP PERMISSIBLE? 30

THE IMPERMISSIBILITY OF TELLING LIES AND FABRICATING TALE WHEN RECITING  34

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ORGANIZERS AND MOURNERS TOWARDS THE RECITERS  36

Notes 41

بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL

FOREWORD

The Shi'i communities in the Western world face numerous challenges, often times strikingly inconsistent with those faced by Shi'i Muslim communities of the East. Aggression against religious philosophies, ideologies, traditions and rituals is carried out in order to belittle them, but are more often than not, presented under the guise of intellectual discourse. These attacks are generally geared to create questions and doubts, and to leave one with a strong desire for answers. Given that the masses of all religious communities are imitators - more or less - in religion, they are therefore highly dependent on the opinions of their religious authorities. Thus, the masses look towards them as a source of guidance and turn to them for answers to their doubts and queries. However, some of these individuals may not always be able to get satisfactory answers to their questions. This may be due to an inability to research the question properly, or at times it is because the expertise of a scholar may be in an area other than that of the question.

Subsequently, in recent years particularly, this quest for seeking answers and explanations has created a popular trend amongst the Shi'i Muslim communities of the West, where individuals who are not scholars in the truest sense of the word, take it upon themselves to address these issues and answer such questions from an authoritative position. Although this trend may be seen as positive by some, many indicators signify that it is truly dangerous and the communities need to be cautious of it.

We have seen in the last decade or two, the growing rise of non-scholarly speakers comfortably sitting on pulpits in order to deliver sermons, presentations and address question and answer sessions for live audiences. These - typically young - speakers generally commence on a very limited scale, perhaps at their local mosque or religious schools. Nonetheless, as they begin to gain popularity, it is not uncommon to begin seeing them recite complete sets of lecture series in the months of Muḥarram, Ramadhān or other seasons. They begin receiving invitations to different religious institutions, different cities and even different countries. What is seen on the opposite end are masses of young men and women, youth in particular, mesmerized by these speakers and we often witness alongside it a complete devaluation of knowledge. More often than not, what becomes associated with these speakers is a celebrity-like status, and many times a cult develops around them. Symptoms of narcissism begin to show themselves on social media and mistakes or incorrect conclusions made by these speakers get over shadowed by the justification done for them by the hordes of their fans.

The issue is definitely a tough one to tackle, not only because there is the issue of these speakers per say, but also because many times the initial gap between the community and true-scholars indeed does exist. Furthermore, one would be hard pressed to obtain a religious legal justification to prevent a person from merely speaking or delivering a lecture in and of itself. Arguments can be made supporting this permissibility by the communities themselves, based on different variables, such as lack of scholars in a given area, the crowd-pulling factor that a certain speaker brings, which speaker is admired and liked by the audience, and so on. Thus, this issue needs to be seen more in light of ethical jurisprudence and in terms of what knowledge truly is meant to be and who it should be attained from.

The response that is generally provided is a simple and straightforward one. A religious speaker, or a speaker who wishes to deliver religious knowledge, should generally be someone who has studied in an Islamic seminary, be it in Qom, Najaf or elsewhere. They should be someone who would generally have a thorough understanding of religious matters - at least in one or two subjects within it, while understanding the depths that exists in other streams. Like with every field, there are institutions where individuals go and study and subsequently become experts in a specific subject. These institutions are where an individual spends a decent number of years studying the intricate details pertaining to that subject and then after meeting certain criteria is considered reliable enough to be able to comment as an authority.

Which circle of academia would take an individual, who has barely studied a little science or engineering, albeit it be through some of the very same books that the experts have used to study from, to come and lecture on that subject at an academic conference without having any verifiable and credible credentials? Which conscious audience would generally pay any heed to the opinions of such a person? The practice is extremely rare and reserved for perhaps a few gems that can be found in any given industry and many times they are linked to a higher authority from whom they get this sense of acceptance amongst an audience. Perhaps an argument can be made that this individual may simply be providing a summary of their readings of different views on a given matter and is thus not stating their own views, rather quoting experts. The slight difference there would be that a person is in reality not presenting his or her own opinions on a subject matter nor behaving as an authority. Regardless, the common practice is that one would need to have some verifiable credibility to convince an audience that they are reliable enough in their research and analysis to be able to give a presentation.

In a narration pertaining to a verse of the Holy Qur'ān, Zayd al-Shaḥḥām asks Imam Bāqir (as) about the words "his food" in the Qur'ānic verse: Then let mankind look at his food (80:24). The Imam (as) responds to him saying: It is his knowledge which he takes, and he should look into who he is taking it from.1

If one travels on a lengthy road trip and is informed that all the restaurants that come on the way have a real risk of giving the person a disease, would this person rather hold his hunger for a few hours or risk attaining that disease? It seems obvious that a sane person would not risk it when it is possible to control their hunger, though they may have to struggle and wait an extra few hours to fulfill their desire for food.

If the same parable can be made with certain speakers, who are not qualified or trained in the proper institutions, neither are they connected to a higher authority, and it is realized that there is a valid and serious risk in them causing harm or damage to the souls of the audience members, why then would the audience not avoid them or at the very least be cautious of what they have to say? Why then do our communities so easily permit individuals who have close to no scholarly credibility, occupy the pulpits and allow their tongues mesmerize the often young and naive audience when it comes to religious knowledge? This is not to say that all scholars who have studied formally are infallible in their speech, or are even capable of delivering a decent lecture at all - however that is a topic on its own and it is something that needs to be re-evaluated; i.e. how important is lecturing and propagating (tablīgh) as it is commonly practiced today, opposed to building communities based on formal teaching and learning practices (tadrīs), and what role does mere lecturing itself play in the development and progress of a community. What is important here is a connection - whether physical or spiritual - that a scholar has or should have with a higher body of knowledge. This itself requires spiritual cleansing and elimination of self-conceit and worship of one's ego.

A second issue is that while a speaker or even a scholar may be very well versed in Islamic subjects, their persona does not represent that of a man of piety, or of those who are generally considered to be Islamic scholars. When one wants their words to hold any weight, one of the conditions for it to be effective is summarized by the notion of: practice what you preach. This notion has been referred to in the narrations as well, and it will be referred to in the translation of the book that follows.

When a speaker develops into a celebrity, and their conduct does not align with what the religious teachings consider to be acts of piety, humbleness, modesty etc., then there is severe danger to the audience. They, and society at large can - or rather will - suffer from negative effects that can last for an eternity. The masses unfortunately, more often than not will be aloof to this even while partaking in the celebrity-cult, and only an outsider would generally be able to witness it.

One purpose of Islamic lecturing and lecturers, especially those who stay within their communities, is to not only be a mere orator, but a spiritual guide. They should be someone who the rest can look up to and learn the value of religion through seeing them practice it to the best of their abilities. This cannot be done unless the person is sincere in its most complete sense. Going out of their way to promote themselves, turning religious lecturing into pure business deals, not practicing what they preach, etc., are examples of scenarios that do not represent sincerity in anyway whatsoever.

Sincerity is one of the most primary conditions of a religious speaker and the instantiations of sincerity are determined, and often clearly defined, by the Qur'ān, and the traditions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and his progeny (as). Furthermore, an educated and well versed community understands that certain actions and certain types of behaviour or a persona undermines the intention and sincerity of an individual and brings it under doubt.

The discussion on this subject can definitely be further opened up and various aspects and scenarios can be evaluated independently. However, the general overall trend is nevertheless something that should not be encouraged or promoted. With these recent conditions of our societies, I wished to partially translate this gem of a book titled, Lu'lu wa Marjān by Muḥaddith Mirza Ḥusayn Nūri (d. 1902), for both those who speak (scholars and non-scholars) and for those who attend the gatherings where scholars or non-scholars are lecturing.

Syed Ali Imran Qum, Iran

April 9th, 2015 / 19th Jamādi al-Thāni, 1436

ABOUT THE TRANSLATION

The present book is a partial translation of the book Lu'lu wa Marjān (lit. Pearls and Corals) written by Muḥaddith Mirza Ḥusayn Nūri (d. 1902), covering the introduction and the first chapter that deals with sincerity. The original Farsi book used in this translation was published by Bani Zahra Publications. The published book itself was a rephrased version, slightly revised and modified from the original by Jabir Riḍwāni due to the original book making use of vocabulary that even native Iranians were struggling to understand.

The book not only explicitly deals with the phenomenon of non-scholars reciting, preaching and orating from two distinct perspectives, but scholars who do not abide by the moral conduct required of them are also clearly implied. The first section of the original book deals with sincerity, and the second section deals with truthfulness.

Martyr Murtaḍa Muṭahhari praises the book and says this specifically about the second section that deals with honesty and truthfulness:

The second requirement is honesty and truthfulness. Here, he (Muḥaddith Nūri) elaborates on the topic of false and true narration, discussing various forms of lying in such a thorough-going manner that I do not think there is any other book which deals with lying and its various form in the way that it does, and perhaps there is no such other book in the whole world. In it he exhibits a marvelous learning and scholarship.2

I chose to only translate the introduction and the first section on sincerity as that is what I felt was directly relevant to the phenomenon the Western Muslim communities are facing today - particularly where English is used as a medium of preaching.

This is not to say that honesty is not as important, however the author of the book was concerned primarily with falsehood being spread on the pulpits that relate to the tragedy of Karbala. Within the communities where English is the medium of lecturing, I have not yet found this to be a serious issue, as it may be in communities where more traditional languages such as Urdu, Arabic or Farsi are employed to relay the tragedy of Karbala.

Furthermore, I believe the book 'Ashūrā - Misrepresentations and Distortions, which is based on the lectures of Martyr Muṭahhari suffices in terms of presenting a brief summary of what Muḥaddith Nūri discusses in the second part of his book. Anyone interested in getting an overall understanding of what Muḥaddith Nūri covers and brings to attention in the second part of his book, can refer to the book of Martyr Muṭahhari.

This is reiterated by the Martyr himself:

In this book, that great man mentions several examples of falsehoods that have become prevalent in narratives of the historic event of Karbala. Those which I will mention are all or mostly the same things that the Marḥūm Hāji Nūri has lamented about.3

The book of Muḥaddith Nūri was one of the last books he wrote - perhaps during the late 19th/early 20th century - and therefore the reader should be vary of this while reading the translation. Few of the stories that the author quotes may sound odd, or the vocabulary that has been used - such as the usage of dirhams and dinars - are not commonly used in Western societies. However it is important to understand the time, environment, geography and culture that these events took place and when the book was written. Ultimately, what is important is the message and principles being presented to the reader by the author which hold true for all times and places.

As far as the translation itself is concerned, I have not limited myself to translating every sentence as literally as possible, rather I have paid more attention with regards to remaining true to the meaning of the text itself.

INTRODUCTION

Making the believers cry and mourn over the calamities that befell Imam Ḥusayn (as) and the rest of the members of the Holy Household (as), by reciting eulogies, narrating their hardships and carrying out other relevant acts that have not been prohibited by the religious canonical law (shari'ah), is a form of worship. It is a worship that has not only been praised, but rewards and remuneration have also been ordained for it. It has been narrated in the book Kāmil al-Ziyarāt that Imam al-Ṣadiq (as) said to 'Abdullah ibn Ḥammad Baṣri:

“I have heard that in the middle of the month of Sha'bān, some people from the suburbs of Kufa – and other cities – go to him (meaning al-Ḥusayn) and their ladies lament over him, the reciters recite poems about him, the speakers narrate his story, the lamenters lament over him and the poets recite eulogies about him.” I ('Abdullah) replied, “Yes, may I be sacrificed upon you! I have seen some of that which you described.” The Imam said: "Praise be to Allah, who appointed some people to benefit from us, extol us and recite eulogies about us. And (praise be to Allah) who has made some of our enemies slander our Shi'a for their nearness to us while other enemies insult them and condemn their actions." 4

In 'Uyūn al-Akhbār of Sheikh al-Ṣadūq, it has been narrated from Imam al-Riḍa (as) who said to Ḥasan ibn 'Ali ibn Faḍḍhāl:

"Whoever remembered our tragedy and cried and made others cry, his eyes will not shed tears on the day all eyes will be shedding tears." 5

In the books Kāmil al-Ziyarāt, Thawāb al-'Amāl and al-Amāli, it has been recorded that Imam al-Ṣadiq (as) said to Abu 'Umāra Munshid6 :

"Anyone who recites poetry about Imam Ḥusayn (as) and makes fifty people cry, paradise is for him. Anyone who recites poetry about Imam Ḥusayn (as) and makes forty people cry, paradise is for him. Anyone who recites poetry about Imam Ḥusayn (as) and makes thirty people cry, paradise is for him. Anyone who recites poetry about Imam Ḥusayn (as) and makes twenty people cry, paradise is for him. Anyone who recites poetry about Imam Ḥusayn (as) and makes ten people cry, paradise is for him. Anyone who recites poetry about Imam Ḥusayn (as) and makes one person cry, paradise is for him. Anyone who recites poetry about Imam Ḥusayn (as) and weeps will be rewarded with paradise. Anyone who recites poetry about Imam Ḥusayn (as) and tries to weep, will be rewarded with paradise." 7

Furthermore, in Kāmil al-Ziyarāt, it has been recorded that Imam al-Ṣadiq (as) said to Abu Harūn Makfūf8 :

"O Abu Harūn! If one recites an elegy about Ḥusayn (as) and makes ten people weep, paradise is for him." Then the Imam kept decreasing the number of people one by one until he reached one person and then said: "If one recites an elegy about Imam Ḥusayn (as) and makes one person weep, paradise is for him." 9

In the same book10 and as well as in Thawāb al-'Amāl it has been recorded that Imam al-Ṣadiq (as) said to Abu Harūn:

"If one recites an elegy about Ḥusayn (as) and weeps and makes ten people weep, paradise is for them. If one recites an elegy on Imam Ḥusayn (as) and weeps and makes five people weep, paradise is for them. If one recites an elegy on Imam Ḥusayn (as) and weeps and makes one person weep, paradise is for them." 11

Also in the same book and in Thawāb al-'Amāl, Sheikh Ṣadūq has recorded that Imam al-Ṣadiq (as) said to Ṣāliḥ ibn 'Uqba:

"Whoever recites a verse of poetry about Ḥusayn (as) and weeps and makes ten people weep, paradise is for them. Whoever recites a verse of poetry about Ḥusayn (as) and weeps and makes nine people weep, paradise is for them." Then he reduced the numbers until he said: "Whoever recites a verse of poetry about Ḥusayn (as) and weeps - (and the narrator says that he thinks the Imam (as) said: or he makes a sad face) - paradise is for him." 12

Sayyid 'Ali ibn Tāūs in his book Lahūf, has said:

“It has been reported from the progeny of the Prophet (pbuh) that: "Whoever weeps over us and makes one-hundred people weep, paradise is for him. And whoever weeps over us and makes fifty people weep, paradise is for him. And whoever weeps and makes thirty people weep, paradise is for him. And whoever weeps and makes ten people weep, paradise is for him. And whoever weeps and makes one person weep, paradise is for him." 13

In Rijal al-Kashi, it has been recorded that after Ja'far ibn 'Affān had recited poetry regarding the calamities that befell Imam Ḥusayn (as) in the presence of Imam Ṣadiq (as) and had made him (as) cry, the Imam said:

"Allah (swt) has made paradise obligatory for you O Ja'far, with all that is within it and He (swt) has forgiven you." Then he (as) said: "O Ja'far, do you want me to say more for you?" He said: "Yes, my master." He (as) said: "There is no one who recites poetry for Ḥusayn (as) and cries and makes other cries through it, except that Allah (swt) makes heaven obligatory for him and forgives him." 14

The above narrations should suffice as a testimony to our claim that this act is indeed a worship. When all the narrations are combined, it can be understood that making others mourn by means of reciting poetry or through other means, is a way of getting closer to Allah (swt), seeking His (swt) forgiveness, attaining salvation on the Day of Judgement and achieving eternal pleasure in Heaven. This is a form of worship that existed during the time of the Imams (as) and continued on after them. Stories and anecdotes regarding it being performed are readily available in the books of narration and obituaries.

This group of believers (i.e. those who recite and make others mourn) was not known by any specific title, until the intelligent and inquisitive Mullah Ḥusayn Kashifi, who lived around the year 900 Ḥijri, compiled a book titled Rawḍa al-Shuhada. People began reciting from this book in religious gatherings with zeal, and since it was a very eloquent and difficult book, not everyone could develop the skills to recite from it. Instead, only a few talented individuals were able to recite from it in the mourning ceremonies. Thus, these individuals became famously known as Rawḍah-khwān, meaning those individuals who recited from the book Rawḍa al-Shuhada.

Thenceforth, they started to recite from other books and also off by memory, but the title of rawdah-khwān fixated itself upon them. Over the course of time, the work of this group of individuals increased, but their original purpose which was to make others cry, became subject to the addition of many different stories, anecdotes, poetries, exaggerated merits, detrimental sermons and other minor issues. Subsequently, the recitation of the elegies became such a special and stellar task that one of the scholars said as a joke: "In this day and age, rawḍah-khawāni has entered the field of sciences and has developed a specific know-how, and for its definition we can define it by saying:

It is a science that deals with discussing the incidents that occurred with the bodies of the martyrs and other matters that relate to them."

In regards to this skill of recitation, knowledgeable scholars and even those devoid of knowledge have compiled books and treatises with great order and prose which have been published in Arabic, Farsi, Turkish and Hindi. The Shi'a are selfless in spending from their wealth and helping out tirelessly in order to organize these gatherings of mourning, which are led by the reciters.15

These people, besides attaining the rewards of the Hereafter, have also witnessed innumerable blessings and bounties in their health, wealth and off-spring. So for this very reason, those who fall short in other cases of giving charity and financial spending - albeit it be obligatory - and even if they do give, it is not with the same zeal and desire, in this specific case (of organizing mourning ceremonies), they tend to help out with great zeal and love. They show great character and desire, and put their wealth and health on the line. But the service offered by the reciter, who is the pillar of this noble gathering, is greater and more honourable than the services of all those who helped organized this gathering. This is because the reciters, as has been highlighted in the narrations quoted previously, are included in a category of people who have been promised forgiveness and heaven. They are also considered to be within a group of those who help other believers in doing good, assist them in remaining righteous and in doing acts that are beneficial. They are a group in regards to whom Allah (swt) has said in His Noble Words تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتقْوَ ى :16

Hence, according to the many relevant narrations, they will attain rewards alongside all the listeners, mourners and organizers. They will be considered participants in the gathering, and in fact will be counted amongst the special helpers and honourable servants of the Imam (as). Therefore they hold a great, respected and lofty position and status, and it is admissible that they feel honoured over other Shi'a.

Nevertheless, attaining this great rank and entering the group of those who have been aforementioned, is reliant upon certain conditions, of which two are of great importance. The non-existence of either one of them, will render one's struggle useless, their pain fruitless, and their hardship resultless. Their names will be removed from the register of those special ones, or sometimes they will not be added to it at all. Rather, by not meeting these two conditions, their names - God Forbid - will be added to the register of tradesmen, or in the register of liars, or in the register of those who commit treachery, inflict harm or are pagans. As a consequence, despite performing this beautiful act of worship, they will not receive the benefit of their servitude to Allah (swt) and of being service to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and the Imams (as).

Thus, every reciter who has decided to enter the ranks of these special ones and attain a lofty position, a status of greater degrees, endless rewards, and untainted honour - regarding which the reward has been ordained and the Imams (as) have given a promise for it - it is necessary that before becoming occupied in this work, they should fulfill these two conditions. After attaining them and while possessing them, one should measure themselves with confidence on the scale of justice, which

is in the capable hands of the steadfast scholars and the guardians of the clear canon law. This is so that the guile of Satan and the dangers of the ego - which are numerous - that makes falsehood appear as the truth, and robes errors with the cloth of righteousness, are unbuckled and one does not throw themselves into a great catastrophe.

These two conditions are sincerity and honesty. These two conditions are the two steps of the pulpit that one climbs up on, and if both or even one of them are not correct or without defect, one will fall face first and will be completely deprived of the blessings of reciting from the pulpit. The explanation of these two conditions will be covered within the next two chapters, God Willing.17

SINCERITY

The original goal and the overall purpose of the Messengers and the Holy Scriptures was to pull mankind towards Allah (swt). It was to show them clear signs and firm miracles in order to inform them that He (swt) is One, Wise, Able and Besought, the Creator, Sustainer, Protector, the One who takes and gives life to all, and that He (swt) has no partner in these affairs.

The Messengers and their vicegerents (as) through their clear words and sufficient proofs, clarified these Attributes of Allah (swt) for us. In order to bring mankind to a platform of belief, acknowledgment, and submission, and for mankind to act upon what they had been commanded to do, the Prophets themselves went through tribulations. They were verbally abused, experienced hardships, and sacrificed their lives and wealth for this noble cause. This was with the hope that people will recognize their Lord. Furthermore, it was with the hope that mankind would recognize themselves as being needy, incapable, and submissive servants and would not see or recognize anyone except Him (swt) as their Creator and Sustainer. It was with the hope that mankind would ask for their needs from Him (swt), fear calamities, and ask Him (swt) to remove them. If they disobeyed Him (swt), they would seek forgiveness from Him (swt) and renounce their disobedience.

For those who believed and showed conformity to the message of the Prophets, they were prescribed with rules on how to live and taught about ethics. Some of the actions that were prescribed, pertained to the heart and others to the limbs. Through these acts, people could express their servitude and admit their inabilities, constraints and neediness. They could ask Allah (swt) for their needs and give Him (swt) the right of His (swt) Divinity. In Islamic lexicon, these prescribed actions are referred to as worship ( عبادة ), which means to honour religious rites and display servitude. This worship will not reach the precipice of perfection and will not be considered correct unless and until the worshipper recognizes himself to be a servant and under the thraldom of Allah (swt).

Many times, people worship and are content with that which Allah (swt) has allotted for them, but they have not understood the true meaning of servitude and do not consider themselves to be true servants. Due to this, they disobey their Lord and do not abstain from committing sins. At times, it is the opposite. They recognize themselves to be servants, but are negligent in their worship. The details

of this subject have been covered in books that describe the differences between the terms worshipper (عابد ), slave (عبد ), worship (عبادة ) and servitude (عبودية ).

In both cases (of worship and servitude), worshippers must not attribute partners to Allah (swt). This means that they should not worship anything besides Allah (swt). They should not consider themselves as a servant of anyone else, nor take anyone else as their Lord, nor recognize anyone else as their master. Furthermore, in both stages they must be attentive and focused, like they should be during the recitation of the holy verse, You alone we worship.18 The implications of the verse must be steady and firm in their hearts, and their actions should be in accordance with what is in their hearts, otherwise they will be guilty of uttering a lie. Thus, if anyone idolizes a creation to a degree that this creation becomes the cause and motivation of their worship, and the creation receives a place in the heart of the worshipper, or the worshipper receives wealth from this idolized creation for their act of worship, this worshipper has indeed taken a partner for Allah (swt) and therefore has entered into one of the categories of the polytheists.

This subject has been clearly articulated in our books and traditions, and a sane and clean intellect also testifies to its validity. In fact, after contemplation, it becomes apparent that the permissibility of carrying out such an act and considering it lawful is irrational, because it is incompatible with the original purpose of the Messengers, Prophets and Books that were sent down. Such acts are not carried out by a wise individual. For the sake of argument, even if we consider it to be permissible, it is not rational to say that such an act warrants any reward or that the doer is somehow deserving of any reward.

RECITING IS A FORM OF WORSHIP

After our introduction, we affirm that making the Shi'a and the believers mourn upon the tribulations of the Family of the Prophet (as) is a worship just like crying itself. This fact is not hidden from the sight of any intellectual. It is a worship that has been emphasized and is so desirable that we have been commanded and encouraged to perform it, and rewards have been set aside for it. Thus, all those who have reached the age of responsibility, are to take part in this worship to the best of their abilities and talents. After performing this act of worship, they are deserving of the rewards allocated for it. The worship of recitation is just like mourning upon the calamities that befell the Family of the Prophet (as), which is in itself one of the greatest acts of worship and something that essentially all are responsible for.

Both these acts (crying and making others cry) are from the same category of worship and originate from the same root. The difference is only such that crying is possible for everyone, but being able to make others cry is not practical for everyone and requires effort and hard work. Therefore, this group of individuals who are recognized as the reciters - who put in effort and endure hardships - raise the flag of this noble tradition high and spend their lives performing this great act of worship.

Of course, however, they must know and should understand that this worship is exactly like other worships. This act will only be considered worship if it is carried out solely for the sake of Allah (swt) and out of love for the Prophet (pbuh) and the Imams (as). One should not have any other purpose or goal while carrying out this worship. If one were to have any other purpose, it should only be to attain the reward that has been promised for this worship, and to remain protected from sins. This still requires one to be sincere and in principle, still requires one to carry out the act for the sake of Allah (swt). It is only through this intention that the rewards ordained for the worship will reach the reciters and only then will they remain safeguarded from sins.

This is like the first step of the pulpit. Meaning, when one places their first step on the pulpit, they must forget everyone except Allah (swt) and His rightful vicegerents (as). He must not look towards winning the heart of anyone, or seek to earn wealth when he climbs the pulpit to recite the tragic narratives and to make the audience cry.

If - God forbid - Satan is able to make the feet of the reciter tremble on the first step of the pulpit and his desires pull him towards this polluted world, and he climbs the pulpit, speaks and recites for the purpose of earning wealth, or to ensure that people around different cities are aware of his talent and excellence so that he becomes the subject of discussions, he has in fact thrown himself in a huge pit of doom, out of which there is no hope of salvation. Some of these issues will now be addressed.

OSTENTATION IN RECITATION

Firstly: Due to this corrupt reason, one prevents themselves from receiving any grace or reward which has been promised for this group of individuals. For the sake of attaining a little bit from this rotten corpse of a world, one resorts to showing-off and ostentation and subsequently deprives themselves of the flawless and eternal blessings of the Hereafter. This is because one of the clearest messages of the religion is that a reward is given for a worship which is done out of servitude. Worship without sincerity is not even considered worship, rather it is considered a concealed form of polytheism.

Sheikh Kulayni has recorded a tradition from Imam al-Ṣadiq (as) as follow:

"He who acquires knowledge of the traditions to earn worldly gains will have no share of rewards in the Hereafter, and he who acquires this knowledge for the betterment of his Hereafter will be sanctioned by Allah the good of this life and the Hereafter." 19

The jurist Muḥammad ibn Idrīs al-Ḥillī in his book Sarā'ir, has recorded from the book of Abu al-Qāsim Ja'far ibn Quluwayh that Abu Dharr (ra) stated:

"Whoever acquires knowledge from the knowledge of the Hereafter while wanting to achieve a worldly purpose, will not be able to smell the scent of paradise."20

In the book 'Awāli al-La'āli, it has been recorded that Imam 'Ali (as) heard from the Prophet (pbuh) the following:

"Whoever attains knowledge from those who possess it and acts upon it, will find salvation, and whoever desires the world from it, will receive what he had intended." 21

Sulaym bin Qays al-Ḥilāli, a companion of Imam 'Ali (as) has recorded many narrations from the Imam (as) on this subject in his book, such as:

"And whoever desires the world from it, will perish and receive what he had intended." 22

Apart from not attaining anything in the Hereafter, this narration suggests that such a person will also perish, because he spread knowledge while intending to attain the world. The explanation of this point will come later and there are plenty of other narrations on this subject.

Secondly: The person will enter the rank of those who take the progeny of the Prophet as a financial source for their income and use them (as) to gain wealth and take care of their livelihood.

Sheikh Kulayni has recorded a tradition in al-Kāfi from Imam al-Bāqir (as) who writes in one of his wills to Abu Nu'mān:

"And do not earn a living from people through us, for it will increase you in poverty." 23

The poverty meant in this narration is attributed to both this world and the Hereafter, as it will become clear in a narration of Mufaḍḍal later on.

Sheikh Mufīd brings this narration in his al-Amāli as follows:

"O Abu Nu'mān, do not devour people's wealth by using our name, for that will increasing nothing but poverty." 24

Sheikh Kashi in his Rijal work narrates a tradition on the authority of Qasim ibn 'Awf who says that Imam Zayn al-'Ābidīn (as) said25 : و إياك أن تستأكل بنا فيزيدك الله فقرا

And its content is similar to the aforementioned narration.

Sheikh Ḥasan bin 'Ali bin Shu'ba in his book Tuḥaf al-'Uqūl records a tradition where Mufaḍḍal bin 'Umar advises his own companions and says:

"Do not take the family of Mohammed (as) as means by which you collect earnings. I heard Abu 'Abdillah (as) saying: 'People have taken three different courses in following us. Some people have followed us and expected our relief for the purpose that they may obtain worldly pleasures. They have declared their adherence to us and repeated our words, but they have omitted abiding by our deeds. God will take them to Hell in hoards. Some people declared their adherence to us, listened to our words, and showed no negligence in carrying out our orders, all for the purpose of gaining the (worldly) donations of people. God will fill their bellies with fire and will impose upon them starvation and thirst. Some people have declared their adherence to us, retained our wording, carried out our instructions, and have not dissented from our deeds. Those are from us and we are from them.'" 26

The deceased Akhund Mullah Muḥammad Ṣāliḥ Mazandarāni and others have explained the narrations that Sheikh Kulayni has brought forth in the chapter of Those Who Use Their Knowledge for Personal Fulfillment. They have said that these narrations are referring to someone who uses knowledge as a tool to eat the wealth of people and makes it a source for his livelihood.

The flames of this second category of individuals have indeed engulfed many knowledgeable people. The most clear example of this is that group of speakers and reciters whose real purpose of learning this skill and that which relates to it, such as learning the meritorious or sorrowful narrations, learning how to lecture and give sermons, and in fact even learning religious terms for matters where their usage is necessary, is solely for the sake of business and attaining wealth. This is done without any hesitation, dissimulation or concealment. Instead, they do transactions just like businessmen. They discuss the prices being too high or too low, and in order to get permission to recite at a gathering, they write letters citing their availability and send a middle-man who can find them a place to recite at. If they receive an amount which is less than what they had expected after reciting at the gathering - with or without permission - they get angry and speak badly about the organizer of the gathering. They shame the organizer and treat him ignominiously. In fact some ill-natured reciters start questioning them from the top of the pulpits, looking for a sponsor and make deals over what they have recited.

One of the absurd and laughable things is that despite these business-like transactions, and exchanging of the Hereafter for this world, this person sits on top of the pulpits in the gatherings, feels proud, and considers himself a special servant of Imam Ḥusayn (as). He considers himself deserving greater rights than others and considers himself more worthy of deserving respect, generosity and glorification. This is why at times, you will see them saying statements like: "My master Imam Ḥusayn (as) did this, said this and did this for you."

This poor and self-blinded person is heedless of the fact that there is no relationship between him and Imam Ḥusayn (as). The distance between him and Imam Ḥusayn (as) is greater than the distance between the earth and the sky. His status is even lower than the lowest rank of workers in society, such as the porter or a vegetable seller. His name is registered in the books of businessmen and just like them, this reciter must also look at his income at the end of the year and pay Khums on the relevant amount as religious law dictates. Despite paying the Khums to those who are entitled to it, his status will remain worse than the rest of the businessmen. This is because permissible income by itself is not from the category of worship and thus its correctness is not conditional upon sincerity and intention of seeking proximity to Allah (swt). Therefore, if the income happens to be attained while devoid of any prohibited act and the work itself also has no prohibition on it in the religious law, one has merely done a neutral act and they would have no sin upon them. If a person works with the intention of making money so that he is able to visit the graves of the Imams (as), or to help the cause of the Progeny of the Prophet (pbuh), scholars and the poor, or to make the living conditions of his family better, or other similar acts which have been recommended in Islam, he will then be deserving of a reward.

However, reciting is like the work of students pursuing religious studies, which is considered a worship and is to be done with an intention of seeking proximity to Allah (swt). This task wavers between two things; if it is done with sincerity and the correct intention it will be greatly beneficial, but if it is done solely with the intention of attaining wealth and this world, it will result in a great loss. This is because this valuable act has been ordained for us to attain the Hereafter, to attain the Satisfaction of Allah (swt) and to attain the blessings of paradise. The purpose of this worship is not to attain the sporadic pleasures of this lowly world and the little perishable wealth.

After mentioning these points, it is clear that merely reciting the merits, virtues, stories and hardships of Imam Ḥusayn (as) does not make anyone his servant. Otherwise anyone who prints and publishes a book containing his merits and the story of his martyrdom with the intention of making money, and in fact even those who carry the book from one city to another for the purpose of earning money and anyone who delivers the book to someone's house for the sake of a few dirhams, will all be considered servants of Imam Ḥusayn (as).

Rather, a reciter will be considered in the ranks of the servants of Imam Ḥusayn (as) when that which he utters is only for the sake of Allah (swt) and for fulfilling the rights of His (swt) legates (as). Otherwise he will be like any other businessman, who considers the merits and calamities as an investment and busies himself in business with them. He would not have a right over anyone and would not have done anyone a favour, and neither will his actions be in accordance with the instructions of the Ahl al-Bayt (as). So how can such an individual consider himself a servant of theirs? How can such an individual consider himself worthy of such an honour?

Therefore, a pious and honest reciter should determine the validity of such a transaction and of that which he receives in exchange for what he recites. Instead of blindly following himself or looking for justifications from other reciters and lecturers like him, he should ask the jurists, so that he has a valid justification for his actions.

Meditations On Husayn’s Speech On The Day Of Ashura

Husayn (as) addressed the people on the Day of Ashura, saying:

“You have drawn the sword with which we armed you, against us, and ignited the fire we kindled against our enemy and yours, against us. So you have joined hands with the forces of your enemies against your allies, in spite of being aware that they (your enemies) have not established any justice among you, nor do you expect any good from them.”1

This is Husayn’s address to the people on the day of Ashura. It is a strange speech which he gave at that critical hour before they drew their swords on him. This address carries boundless grief on account of those people who drew their swords against the son of the daughter of the Messenger of God, (S). I will talk on a number of points regarding this speech.

1- “You Have Drawn The Sword With Which We Armed You, Against Us.”

With respect to any struggle people fall into three groups: The first and the second are the opposing parties, while the third are mere observers who stay behind without supporting the truth. This group makes up a wide cross section of society.

The first and second groups bear the price of the struggle, that is, hands and heads will have to fall. This equally involves both the contesting parties and is not specific to the party of truth or falsehood. This is the norm of God Most High with regard to contests. God Almighty says:

“If you are suffering they are also suffering like you, but you expect from God what they do not expect.” 2

He also said:"If a wound afflicts you, a like wound has already afflicted those people; and We make such vicissitudes rotate among mankind…” 3

The party of truth is distinguished in the contest by God’s help and support and the victory He grants them. Indeed God has promised them that. God Most High says:"If you help God, He will help you and make your feet steady” 4 and"God has ordained: ‘I shall surely prevail, I and my apostles.” 5

This is what the believers expect from God when they are engaged in a contest. This expectation assures the hearts of the believers of divine support on the battlefield, a support which will ensure the outcome of the conflict in their favour. The foregoing analysis pertains to the two warring parties. The third group is a very complex one that can easily slip towards the side of falsehood as it is susceptible to enemy influence.

These are the people whom Husayn (as) addressed on the day of Ashura. They had sheathed their swords during the times of Ali (as) and al-Hasan (as). They had abandoned Ali (as) in Siffin and after that al-Hasan (as) till he had to compromise with Mu’awiya in order to save what remained of his father’s partisans. When these people put down their arms and forsook Ali (as) and al-Hasan (as), Mu’awiya drew them and after him, on the day of Ashura, Yazid did the same.

They did not lay down arms for long because the field of struggle abhors those sitting on the fence. He who does not side with truth on the field of contest and prefers safety over trouble of battle will undoubtedly side with falsehood very soon. The stand of the defenders of truth is firm and secure, and beyond the reach of the enemy, but those who stand on the fence easily drift towards the enemy side. They are defenseless and within easy reach of the enemy who can allure them to join the bandwagon, or terrorize and force them to side with falsehood.

Because of this, the positions people take on the field of conflict boil down to two: either they stand with truth in terms of loyalty and denouncement or they stand with falsehood in a like manner. These were the people Husayn (as) was addressing at Karbala. They had sheathed their swords and betrayed his father and brother before and were drawing them on him in Karbala. So he said to them: ‘You have drawn the sword with which we armed you against us.’

The sword denotes power. Before the advent of Islam, the Arabs were an isolated, weak nation living in the desert with neither power nor wealth. Islam bestowed on them power and wealth, made them bearers of the message of monotheism and conquered the world for them, thus making them lords and rulers over the world. Syria was then the seat of this power, which Islam had brought to the Arabs, and it used it to exercise political and military influence over large parts of Asia and Africa.

To these people, Husayn (as) spoke on the day of Ashura at Karbala, saying:

“God has guided you through my grandfather the Messenger of God (S) and, through him, provided you with this vast control that stretches over the earth. He has made you leaders and lords in the world. Therefore, this power and sword is ours although it is now in your hands. However, you have forsaken my father and brother before; you sheathed your swords and abandoned them then. And here you are today drawing the sword, which the Messenger of God (S) placed in your hands, to fight the son of his daughter.

It would have been more becoming of you to have fought Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan with this sword before, in support of my father and brother, and today, Yazid ibn Mu’awiya in my support … for they have left the tradition (sunnah ) of God’s Messenger and we tried to bring them back to the straight path but they did not return to it.”

2- ‘And You Ignited The Fire Which We Kindled Against Our Enemy And Your Enemy, Against Us.’

What was this fire that Husayn spoke about on the day of Ashura?

Who ignited it?

Where did he ignite it?

This fire was the great explosion of light that took place in the Arabian Peninsula. It sent to mankind a radiance that enlightened the hearts and minds of men from the east to the west. With this light, which entered every house, God removed the darkness of ignorance from mankind. This light turned into faith, sincerity, service, certainty, values, sacrifice, prayer and supplication, schools for the dissemination of knowledge and mosques for

worship that soon spread all over the world. It also emerged as uprisings and movements of the oppressed against the oppressors. On the other hand, this fire eliminated the thrones of the tyrants in Persia, Byzantine and Egypt. It also broke away the fetters and shackles from the hands and feet of men, and set them free from the grip of the oppressors.

The Messenger of God (S) ignited this fire in the Arabian peninsula and it was barely fifty years after its kindling that it illuminated the globe from east to west. The Messenger of God, (S) did not select a specific class for this call. In fact he released the dormant forces of innate nature and reason from the souls of those Arabs who answered his call. He made them a great force that vanquished the armies of Persia and Byzantium, and swept away the thrones of Chosroe and Caesar.

This action of the Messenger of God (S) was exactly like the work of an engineer when he produces light and heat from a cold dark rock; or the way a cold dark piece of wood gives us light and heat when it comes into contact with fire. He produced, out of them, paragons of righteousness and piety, strength and resistance, faith and submission to God, who were able to propagate this mission all over the world. They became lords and leaders of humanity after having lived in isolation from civilization in a plantless desert region.

In no more than fifty years from the death of the Messenger of God (S), the people burnt the house of his daughter. They set fire to Fatima’s (as) door in Medina, and later to the tents of his household in Karbala.

How cruelly they disregarded the rights of the Prophet’s family!

How ungratefully they repaid the Messenger of God (S) for his favours!

How regrettable the conduct of the servants!!

And God Most High clearly expressed His Wish to them:

"Say, ‘I do not ask of you any reward for it except affection and respect for [my] kith and kin.’ 6

3- “You Have Joined Hands With The Forces Of Your Enemies Against Your Allies.”

This is the second act of apostasy, which is worse than the first. The Imam (as) pointed out to the first when he said: ‘you have drawn the sword which we armed you with, against us.’ When the people reneged the first time, the swords shifted from the side of the Household of the Messenger of God (S) to the side of their opponents and enemies. This fact has been precisely described by al-Farazdaq when he met Husayn (as) on the way to Iraq. He said to the Imam (as): “Their hearts are with you but their swords are against you.”7 This is a perfect description of the psychological and political condition of the people at that time. Indeed their hearts were with Husayn (as) until then although their political inclinations were in favour of the Umayyads. This was the beginning, and it constituted the first act of perfidy.

The normal situation is that the hearts and swords should converge on the side of the truth, but if the heart and the swords disagree, this is the first step towards apostasy. The second step is when the two are agreed on being

hostile to, and fighting the Prophet’s Household (as.). This is the situation about which the Imam (as) is informing us in this statement:

“You have joined hands with the forces of your enemies against your allies.”

The term al-ilb, which the Imam used, denotes rallying or joining hands with a common enemy and needs some explanation. A nation (ummah) is a group of people who are united by a common loyalty and a common thing which they repudiate. This is the soundest and most precise definition ofummah (nation).

The Muslim nation is united by loyalty to God, His Messenger (S) and the Imams (as) of the believers."Your guardian is only God, his Apostle and the faithful who maintain prayer and give the zakat while bowing down [in rukuh].” 8

He who accepts this guardianship is part of this nation and he who rejects it or part of it does not belong to this nation. Similarly, this nation has a common position of repudiating the rebellious forces oftaghut which God Almighty has ordered us to disbelieve in, and the idolaters. So he who repudiates these two is a member of this nation and he who does not is not its member."Worship God and keep away from the Rebel” 9

Thus, on the day of Ashura, The Imam (as) said to them: A repudiation of God’s enemies and a common hostility towards them used to unite us. We also shared a common loyalty towards God’s friends. But today “you have joined the forces of your enemies against your allies”, exactly the opposite of what should have been the case. You should have united with your allies against your enemies. This is the second act of apostasy.

In fact, this was the condition of the people whom Husayn (as) addressed on Ashura. This showed the change-over between the two poles of love and hate, loyalty and repudiation, and it is the highest form of volte-face in the human personality.

4- “They Have Not Established Any Justice Among You, Nor Do You Expect Any Good From Them.”

The Imam (as) is saying that their hearts have turned from guidance to misguidance, from God’s friends to His enemies. They have become loyal to those that deserved repudiation, while the Umayyads have not changed their former position: “they have not established any justice among you.” The Umayyads are still committing injustice as they did before, still steeped in oppression and deviation.

No change had taken place in the stand of the Umayyads; the only thing that happened was a volte-face of hearts from the axis of loyalty to that of repudiation and from repudiation to that of (a new) alliance, for the people had shifted their alliance from theAhl al-Bayt (the Prophet’s household) to the Umayyads without there being any change in theAhl al-Bayt (as) from the position of guidance and righteousness, or in the Umayyads from their deviation and oppression.

“Nor do you expect any good from them”

That change of hearts was not prompted by any transformation in the Umayyads from unjust rulers to justice-loving ones, nor was it because the

people expected the Umayyads to treat them with justice. Therefore, the people were not deceived by the Umayyads when they gave them their loyalty and fought their antagonists. What then prompted the people to change over from the family of God’s Messenger (S) to the family of Umayyah? The reason was that the Umayyads had subdued them with terror or enticement. There is a difference between deception and degradation. One who is deceived by his enemy loves his enemy, is loyal to him and fights his enemy’s enemy out of mistake. This is a weakness in terms of awareness and knowledge but not a debasement. But he who allies himself with his enemy and supports him with his arms and wealth, and then gives him his heart knowing that he is his enemy abases himself and becomes contemptible.

Nations have always been subdued and degraded either by force and terror or by money. The Umayyads used both methods: debasement with force and terror and debasement with money and power. Although they used enticements, propaganda and deception, their excessive oppression, luxury and sinful style of life was too prominent to be lost on anyone.

5- “Woe To You! Are You Heading Towards These People And Forsaking Us?

This is the most pathetic volte-face in man’s life: he turns against himself by loving his enemy and hating his friend. A human being loves and hates; loves his friends and hates his enemies. When one forgets oneself, he forgets who he should love and who he should hate and above all, love and hate change places for him so that he now loves his enemy and hates his friends! This is the condition with which God punishes those who forget Him; He makes them forget themselves"…who forgot God so he makes them forget their own souls.” 10

The people Husayn (as) addressed on the day of Ashura were among those who forgot God so He made them forget themselves, forgot who they loved and hated. They loved the Umayyads who they were supposed to be hostile to because they perpetrated tyranny, sin and ungodliness; and they fought their friends and allies whom God had commanded the Muslims to love and obey, as recorded in the definitive (muhkamat) verses of His book.11 I cannot imagine the extent of pain that afflicted the Imam’s heart as depicted by this speech. A pain that stems from his compassion for them with regard to the level of misery they had reached. This pain was not because the Imam had lost their support in his tribulation.

6- “O Slaves Of (This) Nation And Strangers!”

This is the trait of slaves. Slaves must be loyal to whoever buys them. There is no permanent principle for their loyalty. He who buys them from the slave market deserves their loyalty, whether they like or hate him. Therefore their loyalty changes hands instantly from one master to the new master who pays their price to the old one and the latter hands over the whip to the former.

In an instant, the slaves forget their old love and loyalty and become faithful to their new master and new loyalty. People’s loyalty is to their parties, in ease or difficulty and in defeat or victory, unlike those who are

strangers to the parties, for their loyalty is always for the victorious whether they are in the right or not. This is the situation with floating political alliances; they carry dangerous psychological implications that depict a lack of principles and values. Also this attitude shows complete subordination to the one with the upper hand and a complete abandoning of the self and values.

7- “Away With You, O Slaves Of The Nation And Strangers To The Parties!”

Here the Imam (as) is praying for their being distanced from the mercy of God. This is because God’s mercy descends on man at different stations in man’s life. When one distances himself from these points he removes himself from God’s mercy. This is God’s norm of treating His servants so let us ponder on it. There is a reciprocal relationship between the descending mercy of God and the points at which it descends.

This descending mercy activates the places it descends upon. When rain falls on a land it becomes green, blossoms, ripens and bears fruit. This is what the descending mercy does to its place of descent. The place of mercy also seeks its place of descent and does not come down on a place unless it deserves the descent of mercy.

This deserving is to seek God’s mercy in the existential sense by having the potential to receive it, and this is necessary for mercy to descend. On the other hand, rejecting God’s mercy pushes it aside and makes it remote. God’s mercy is continuously descending although there are factors that facilitate its reception, just as there are factors that bring about its rejection.

Ponder over the prayer of the righteous servant of God, Noah (as) against his people:“And Noah said: ‘My Lord! Do not leave on the earth any inhabitant from amongst the faithless. If you leave them, they will lead your servants astray and will beget only vicious ingrates.”(Qur’an-71:27) It is a strange prayer in which Noah (as) speaks of God’s norms of sending mercy and cutting it off. All their potential for receiving goodness had dried up and all readiness to seek mercy: “… and they will not beget any but vicious ingrates”. So, on what would God’s mercy descend?

Husayn (as) prays to God Most High against those people on the day of Ashura because their hearts have lost all the values, which are the points in their souls at which mercy descends. So there remained no place in their souls and lives on which divine mercy would alight. Thus he said: Away with you! O slaves of the nation.

8- “An Old Treachery That Was Part And Parcel Of Your Forefathers”

Just as good can be deep-rooted, evil can also be so. The roots of goodness reach out to innate nature, reason, conscience and the heart while those of evil are linked to selfish desires. When evil and selfish desires take root in the mind one loses all the sources of goodness that are in his soul. The foundations of goodness that are associated with his heart, conscience, reason and innate nature dwindle as well.

Heredity plays a part in establishing goodness or evil. I do not mean to say that the effect of heredity is inevitable but that it plays an important part.

Heredity enhances good and intensifies evil although not with coercion. This means that mankind falls into two groups: the good tree and the bad tree (lit. tree) and each one is a tree. A tree has roots and fruits and there are similarities in some aspects between the roots and fruits of a tree. The roots of a tree form its foundation, the fruits its derivatives while the trunk serves as the means of conveying the features from the roots to the fruits.

In like manner good and bad lines of mankind carry good and bad traits from ancestors to their offspring so that goodness or evil are deep-rooted in each of them. Consequently, these two sets of ancestors constitute two lines in human history: a rising line that moves upwards continuously and a falling line, continuous in descent. Nimrod’s family is on the descent and Abraham’s family on the ascent; the family of Moses is ascending and the family of Pharaoh descending.

The law of heredity enhances this ascent and descent. It does not only convey the features of good and evil from forefathers to offspring but also refines them and sorts out evil from good and vice versa. As time goes on, the divergence between these two families (of good and evil) widens until a time is reached when the members of the evil family become devoid of goodness and its spring dries up from their souls. At that point divine punishment descends on them since they no longer deserve mercy.

This is what happened at the time of Noah (as) and it could happen at any other time. Then the bad family comes to an end and falls, and a new circle of history will begin. Surely, the law of heredity carries good and bad traits from generation to generation and promotes both the good and the bad together. It is this law that Imam Husayn (as) was hinting at when he said:

“Certainly, I swear by God that yours is an old treachery which has become part and parcel of your forefathers and which the offspring among you have strengthened. So you are the worst fruits: an eye sore to the viewer and an easy morsel for the usurper.”

The Imam (as) meant to say that treachery and wickedness was deep-rooted in them. It first reared its head on the day of Siffin, after which sons inherited it from their fathers. It took root first with their forefathers and gained strength and blossomed at the hands of the offspring among those present.

Therefore, they are the worst fruit of the bad tree. We must add that the inheritance we are discussing here is that of values and behaviour and it does not apply to biological inheritance. The law of biological inheritance in plants, animals and humans does not necessarily apply to that of values, thoughts and behaviour. The two laws can be completely different as in the case of Noah's son.

The Qur'an gives a precise description of him saying:"Indeed he is a [personification of] unrighteous conduct" ,12 although he was among the offspring of Noah (as) who was a leader of the righteous. This difference came from the determining factor in biological inheritance that does not apply to the inheritance of actions and values, which follow will and choice.

Notes

1. - Sayyid Ibn Tawus’s Al-Luhuf fi Qatla al-Tufuf pg: 58.

2. - Qur’an Ch: 4, Vs: 104.

3. - Qur’an, Ch: 3, Vs: 140.

4. - Qur’an Ch: 47, Vs: 7

5. - Qur’an Ch: 58, Vs: 21.

6. - Qur’an Ch: 42, Vs: 23.

7. - Sheikh al-Sharifi’s Kalimat Imam al-Al-Husayn (a.s) pg. 370.

8. - Qur’an Ch: 5, Vs: 55.

9. - Qur’an Ch: 16, Vs: 36.

10. - Qur’an Ch: 59, Vs: 19.

11. - “Say, ‘I do not ask you any reward for it except the affection for [my] relatives’ – Qur’an Ch: 42 Vs: 23. “Your guardian is only God, His Apostle, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakat while bowing down” Qur’an Ch: 5, Vs: 55.

12. - Qur'an Ch: 11 vs: 46.

Meditations On Husayn’s Speech On The Day Of Ashura

Husayn (as) addressed the people on the Day of Ashura, saying:

“You have drawn the sword with which we armed you, against us, and ignited the fire we kindled against our enemy and yours, against us. So you have joined hands with the forces of your enemies against your allies, in spite of being aware that they (your enemies) have not established any justice among you, nor do you expect any good from them.”1

This is Husayn’s address to the people on the day of Ashura. It is a strange speech which he gave at that critical hour before they drew their swords on him. This address carries boundless grief on account of those people who drew their swords against the son of the daughter of the Messenger of God, (S). I will talk on a number of points regarding this speech.

1- “You Have Drawn The Sword With Which We Armed You, Against Us.”

With respect to any struggle people fall into three groups: The first and the second are the opposing parties, while the third are mere observers who stay behind without supporting the truth. This group makes up a wide cross section of society.

The first and second groups bear the price of the struggle, that is, hands and heads will have to fall. This equally involves both the contesting parties and is not specific to the party of truth or falsehood. This is the norm of God Most High with regard to contests. God Almighty says:

“If you are suffering they are also suffering like you, but you expect from God what they do not expect.” 2

He also said:"If a wound afflicts you, a like wound has already afflicted those people; and We make such vicissitudes rotate among mankind…” 3

The party of truth is distinguished in the contest by God’s help and support and the victory He grants them. Indeed God has promised them that. God Most High says:"If you help God, He will help you and make your feet steady” 4 and"God has ordained: ‘I shall surely prevail, I and my apostles.” 5

This is what the believers expect from God when they are engaged in a contest. This expectation assures the hearts of the believers of divine support on the battlefield, a support which will ensure the outcome of the conflict in their favour. The foregoing analysis pertains to the two warring parties. The third group is a very complex one that can easily slip towards the side of falsehood as it is susceptible to enemy influence.

These are the people whom Husayn (as) addressed on the day of Ashura. They had sheathed their swords during the times of Ali (as) and al-Hasan (as). They had abandoned Ali (as) in Siffin and after that al-Hasan (as) till he had to compromise with Mu’awiya in order to save what remained of his father’s partisans. When these people put down their arms and forsook Ali (as) and al-Hasan (as), Mu’awiya drew them and after him, on the day of Ashura, Yazid did the same.

They did not lay down arms for long because the field of struggle abhors those sitting on the fence. He who does not side with truth on the field of contest and prefers safety over trouble of battle will undoubtedly side with falsehood very soon. The stand of the defenders of truth is firm and secure, and beyond the reach of the enemy, but those who stand on the fence easily drift towards the enemy side. They are defenseless and within easy reach of the enemy who can allure them to join the bandwagon, or terrorize and force them to side with falsehood.

Because of this, the positions people take on the field of conflict boil down to two: either they stand with truth in terms of loyalty and denouncement or they stand with falsehood in a like manner. These were the people Husayn (as) was addressing at Karbala. They had sheathed their swords and betrayed his father and brother before and were drawing them on him in Karbala. So he said to them: ‘You have drawn the sword with which we armed you against us.’

The sword denotes power. Before the advent of Islam, the Arabs were an isolated, weak nation living in the desert with neither power nor wealth. Islam bestowed on them power and wealth, made them bearers of the message of monotheism and conquered the world for them, thus making them lords and rulers over the world. Syria was then the seat of this power, which Islam had brought to the Arabs, and it used it to exercise political and military influence over large parts of Asia and Africa.

To these people, Husayn (as) spoke on the day of Ashura at Karbala, saying:

“God has guided you through my grandfather the Messenger of God (S) and, through him, provided you with this vast control that stretches over the earth. He has made you leaders and lords in the world. Therefore, this power and sword is ours although it is now in your hands. However, you have forsaken my father and brother before; you sheathed your swords and abandoned them then. And here you are today drawing the sword, which the Messenger of God (S) placed in your hands, to fight the son of his daughter.

It would have been more becoming of you to have fought Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan with this sword before, in support of my father and brother, and today, Yazid ibn Mu’awiya in my support … for they have left the tradition (sunnah ) of God’s Messenger and we tried to bring them back to the straight path but they did not return to it.”

2- ‘And You Ignited The Fire Which We Kindled Against Our Enemy And Your Enemy, Against Us.’

What was this fire that Husayn spoke about on the day of Ashura?

Who ignited it?

Where did he ignite it?

This fire was the great explosion of light that took place in the Arabian Peninsula. It sent to mankind a radiance that enlightened the hearts and minds of men from the east to the west. With this light, which entered every house, God removed the darkness of ignorance from mankind. This light turned into faith, sincerity, service, certainty, values, sacrifice, prayer and supplication, schools for the dissemination of knowledge and mosques for

worship that soon spread all over the world. It also emerged as uprisings and movements of the oppressed against the oppressors. On the other hand, this fire eliminated the thrones of the tyrants in Persia, Byzantine and Egypt. It also broke away the fetters and shackles from the hands and feet of men, and set them free from the grip of the oppressors.

The Messenger of God (S) ignited this fire in the Arabian peninsula and it was barely fifty years after its kindling that it illuminated the globe from east to west. The Messenger of God, (S) did not select a specific class for this call. In fact he released the dormant forces of innate nature and reason from the souls of those Arabs who answered his call. He made them a great force that vanquished the armies of Persia and Byzantium, and swept away the thrones of Chosroe and Caesar.

This action of the Messenger of God (S) was exactly like the work of an engineer when he produces light and heat from a cold dark rock; or the way a cold dark piece of wood gives us light and heat when it comes into contact with fire. He produced, out of them, paragons of righteousness and piety, strength and resistance, faith and submission to God, who were able to propagate this mission all over the world. They became lords and leaders of humanity after having lived in isolation from civilization in a plantless desert region.

In no more than fifty years from the death of the Messenger of God (S), the people burnt the house of his daughter. They set fire to Fatima’s (as) door in Medina, and later to the tents of his household in Karbala.

How cruelly they disregarded the rights of the Prophet’s family!

How ungratefully they repaid the Messenger of God (S) for his favours!

How regrettable the conduct of the servants!!

And God Most High clearly expressed His Wish to them:

"Say, ‘I do not ask of you any reward for it except affection and respect for [my] kith and kin.’ 6

3- “You Have Joined Hands With The Forces Of Your Enemies Against Your Allies.”

This is the second act of apostasy, which is worse than the first. The Imam (as) pointed out to the first when he said: ‘you have drawn the sword which we armed you with, against us.’ When the people reneged the first time, the swords shifted from the side of the Household of the Messenger of God (S) to the side of their opponents and enemies. This fact has been precisely described by al-Farazdaq when he met Husayn (as) on the way to Iraq. He said to the Imam (as): “Their hearts are with you but their swords are against you.”7 This is a perfect description of the psychological and political condition of the people at that time. Indeed their hearts were with Husayn (as) until then although their political inclinations were in favour of the Umayyads. This was the beginning, and it constituted the first act of perfidy.

The normal situation is that the hearts and swords should converge on the side of the truth, but if the heart and the swords disagree, this is the first step towards apostasy. The second step is when the two are agreed on being

hostile to, and fighting the Prophet’s Household (as.). This is the situation about which the Imam (as) is informing us in this statement:

“You have joined hands with the forces of your enemies against your allies.”

The term al-ilb, which the Imam used, denotes rallying or joining hands with a common enemy and needs some explanation. A nation (ummah) is a group of people who are united by a common loyalty and a common thing which they repudiate. This is the soundest and most precise definition ofummah (nation).

The Muslim nation is united by loyalty to God, His Messenger (S) and the Imams (as) of the believers."Your guardian is only God, his Apostle and the faithful who maintain prayer and give the zakat while bowing down [in rukuh].” 8

He who accepts this guardianship is part of this nation and he who rejects it or part of it does not belong to this nation. Similarly, this nation has a common position of repudiating the rebellious forces oftaghut which God Almighty has ordered us to disbelieve in, and the idolaters. So he who repudiates these two is a member of this nation and he who does not is not its member."Worship God and keep away from the Rebel” 9

Thus, on the day of Ashura, The Imam (as) said to them: A repudiation of God’s enemies and a common hostility towards them used to unite us. We also shared a common loyalty towards God’s friends. But today “you have joined the forces of your enemies against your allies”, exactly the opposite of what should have been the case. You should have united with your allies against your enemies. This is the second act of apostasy.

In fact, this was the condition of the people whom Husayn (as) addressed on Ashura. This showed the change-over between the two poles of love and hate, loyalty and repudiation, and it is the highest form of volte-face in the human personality.

4- “They Have Not Established Any Justice Among You, Nor Do You Expect Any Good From Them.”

The Imam (as) is saying that their hearts have turned from guidance to misguidance, from God’s friends to His enemies. They have become loyal to those that deserved repudiation, while the Umayyads have not changed their former position: “they have not established any justice among you.” The Umayyads are still committing injustice as they did before, still steeped in oppression and deviation.

No change had taken place in the stand of the Umayyads; the only thing that happened was a volte-face of hearts from the axis of loyalty to that of repudiation and from repudiation to that of (a new) alliance, for the people had shifted their alliance from theAhl al-Bayt (the Prophet’s household) to the Umayyads without there being any change in theAhl al-Bayt (as) from the position of guidance and righteousness, or in the Umayyads from their deviation and oppression.

“Nor do you expect any good from them”

That change of hearts was not prompted by any transformation in the Umayyads from unjust rulers to justice-loving ones, nor was it because the

people expected the Umayyads to treat them with justice. Therefore, the people were not deceived by the Umayyads when they gave them their loyalty and fought their antagonists. What then prompted the people to change over from the family of God’s Messenger (S) to the family of Umayyah? The reason was that the Umayyads had subdued them with terror or enticement. There is a difference between deception and degradation. One who is deceived by his enemy loves his enemy, is loyal to him and fights his enemy’s enemy out of mistake. This is a weakness in terms of awareness and knowledge but not a debasement. But he who allies himself with his enemy and supports him with his arms and wealth, and then gives him his heart knowing that he is his enemy abases himself and becomes contemptible.

Nations have always been subdued and degraded either by force and terror or by money. The Umayyads used both methods: debasement with force and terror and debasement with money and power. Although they used enticements, propaganda and deception, their excessive oppression, luxury and sinful style of life was too prominent to be lost on anyone.

5- “Woe To You! Are You Heading Towards These People And Forsaking Us?

This is the most pathetic volte-face in man’s life: he turns against himself by loving his enemy and hating his friend. A human being loves and hates; loves his friends and hates his enemies. When one forgets oneself, he forgets who he should love and who he should hate and above all, love and hate change places for him so that he now loves his enemy and hates his friends! This is the condition with which God punishes those who forget Him; He makes them forget themselves"…who forgot God so he makes them forget their own souls.” 10

The people Husayn (as) addressed on the day of Ashura were among those who forgot God so He made them forget themselves, forgot who they loved and hated. They loved the Umayyads who they were supposed to be hostile to because they perpetrated tyranny, sin and ungodliness; and they fought their friends and allies whom God had commanded the Muslims to love and obey, as recorded in the definitive (muhkamat) verses of His book.11 I cannot imagine the extent of pain that afflicted the Imam’s heart as depicted by this speech. A pain that stems from his compassion for them with regard to the level of misery they had reached. This pain was not because the Imam had lost their support in his tribulation.

6- “O Slaves Of (This) Nation And Strangers!”

This is the trait of slaves. Slaves must be loyal to whoever buys them. There is no permanent principle for their loyalty. He who buys them from the slave market deserves their loyalty, whether they like or hate him. Therefore their loyalty changes hands instantly from one master to the new master who pays their price to the old one and the latter hands over the whip to the former.

In an instant, the slaves forget their old love and loyalty and become faithful to their new master and new loyalty. People’s loyalty is to their parties, in ease or difficulty and in defeat or victory, unlike those who are

strangers to the parties, for their loyalty is always for the victorious whether they are in the right or not. This is the situation with floating political alliances; they carry dangerous psychological implications that depict a lack of principles and values. Also this attitude shows complete subordination to the one with the upper hand and a complete abandoning of the self and values.

7- “Away With You, O Slaves Of The Nation And Strangers To The Parties!”

Here the Imam (as) is praying for their being distanced from the mercy of God. This is because God’s mercy descends on man at different stations in man’s life. When one distances himself from these points he removes himself from God’s mercy. This is God’s norm of treating His servants so let us ponder on it. There is a reciprocal relationship between the descending mercy of God and the points at which it descends.

This descending mercy activates the places it descends upon. When rain falls on a land it becomes green, blossoms, ripens and bears fruit. This is what the descending mercy does to its place of descent. The place of mercy also seeks its place of descent and does not come down on a place unless it deserves the descent of mercy.

This deserving is to seek God’s mercy in the existential sense by having the potential to receive it, and this is necessary for mercy to descend. On the other hand, rejecting God’s mercy pushes it aside and makes it remote. God’s mercy is continuously descending although there are factors that facilitate its reception, just as there are factors that bring about its rejection.

Ponder over the prayer of the righteous servant of God, Noah (as) against his people:“And Noah said: ‘My Lord! Do not leave on the earth any inhabitant from amongst the faithless. If you leave them, they will lead your servants astray and will beget only vicious ingrates.”(Qur’an-71:27) It is a strange prayer in which Noah (as) speaks of God’s norms of sending mercy and cutting it off. All their potential for receiving goodness had dried up and all readiness to seek mercy: “… and they will not beget any but vicious ingrates”. So, on what would God’s mercy descend?

Husayn (as) prays to God Most High against those people on the day of Ashura because their hearts have lost all the values, which are the points in their souls at which mercy descends. So there remained no place in their souls and lives on which divine mercy would alight. Thus he said: Away with you! O slaves of the nation.

8- “An Old Treachery That Was Part And Parcel Of Your Forefathers”

Just as good can be deep-rooted, evil can also be so. The roots of goodness reach out to innate nature, reason, conscience and the heart while those of evil are linked to selfish desires. When evil and selfish desires take root in the mind one loses all the sources of goodness that are in his soul. The foundations of goodness that are associated with his heart, conscience, reason and innate nature dwindle as well.

Heredity plays a part in establishing goodness or evil. I do not mean to say that the effect of heredity is inevitable but that it plays an important part.

Heredity enhances good and intensifies evil although not with coercion. This means that mankind falls into two groups: the good tree and the bad tree (lit. tree) and each one is a tree. A tree has roots and fruits and there are similarities in some aspects between the roots and fruits of a tree. The roots of a tree form its foundation, the fruits its derivatives while the trunk serves as the means of conveying the features from the roots to the fruits.

In like manner good and bad lines of mankind carry good and bad traits from ancestors to their offspring so that goodness or evil are deep-rooted in each of them. Consequently, these two sets of ancestors constitute two lines in human history: a rising line that moves upwards continuously and a falling line, continuous in descent. Nimrod’s family is on the descent and Abraham’s family on the ascent; the family of Moses is ascending and the family of Pharaoh descending.

The law of heredity enhances this ascent and descent. It does not only convey the features of good and evil from forefathers to offspring but also refines them and sorts out evil from good and vice versa. As time goes on, the divergence between these two families (of good and evil) widens until a time is reached when the members of the evil family become devoid of goodness and its spring dries up from their souls. At that point divine punishment descends on them since they no longer deserve mercy.

This is what happened at the time of Noah (as) and it could happen at any other time. Then the bad family comes to an end and falls, and a new circle of history will begin. Surely, the law of heredity carries good and bad traits from generation to generation and promotes both the good and the bad together. It is this law that Imam Husayn (as) was hinting at when he said:

“Certainly, I swear by God that yours is an old treachery which has become part and parcel of your forefathers and which the offspring among you have strengthened. So you are the worst fruits: an eye sore to the viewer and an easy morsel for the usurper.”

The Imam (as) meant to say that treachery and wickedness was deep-rooted in them. It first reared its head on the day of Siffin, after which sons inherited it from their fathers. It took root first with their forefathers and gained strength and blossomed at the hands of the offspring among those present.

Therefore, they are the worst fruit of the bad tree. We must add that the inheritance we are discussing here is that of values and behaviour and it does not apply to biological inheritance. The law of biological inheritance in plants, animals and humans does not necessarily apply to that of values, thoughts and behaviour. The two laws can be completely different as in the case of Noah's son.

The Qur'an gives a precise description of him saying:"Indeed he is a [personification of] unrighteous conduct" ,12 although he was among the offspring of Noah (as) who was a leader of the righteous. This difference came from the determining factor in biological inheritance that does not apply to the inheritance of actions and values, which follow will and choice.

Notes

1. - Sayyid Ibn Tawus’s Al-Luhuf fi Qatla al-Tufuf pg: 58.

2. - Qur’an Ch: 4, Vs: 104.

3. - Qur’an, Ch: 3, Vs: 140.

4. - Qur’an Ch: 47, Vs: 7

5. - Qur’an Ch: 58, Vs: 21.

6. - Qur’an Ch: 42, Vs: 23.

7. - Sheikh al-Sharifi’s Kalimat Imam al-Al-Husayn (a.s) pg. 370.

8. - Qur’an Ch: 5, Vs: 55.

9. - Qur’an Ch: 16, Vs: 36.

10. - Qur’an Ch: 59, Vs: 19.

11. - “Say, ‘I do not ask you any reward for it except the affection for [my] relatives’ – Qur’an Ch: 42 Vs: 23. “Your guardian is only God, His Apostle, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakat while bowing down” Qur’an Ch: 5, Vs: 55.

12. - Qur'an Ch: 11 vs: 46.