Sometimes...

Sometimes you may be deceived by your property and your bodily health into supposing that you will last forever. 
Sometimes you are deceived by your long life, your children and your friends into thinking that you will be saved by them. 
Sometimes you are deceived by your beauty and the circumstances of your birth, which bring you your hopes and desires so easily that you think that you are truthful and successful in achieving your goal. 

Sometimes you are deceived by the regret you show people for your shortcoming in worship, but Allah knows the opposite of that is in your heart. 
Sometimes you make yourself worship in a spirit of reluctance; but Allah desires sincerity. 
Sometimes you imagine that you are calling on Allah when you are calling on another. 
Sometimes you imagine that you are giving good counsel to people, while your real desire is that they bow to you. 
Sometimes you blame yourself when you are really praising yourself.

Know that you will only emerge from the darkness of delusion and desire by sincerely turning in repentance to Almighty Allah, and to whatever you know about Him, and to recognize the faults in your self which are not consistent with your intellect and knowledge, and which the faith, the law and the customary practices of the Holy Prophet and the Imams of guidance do not tolerate.

If you are content with your present condition, there is no one more wretched than you in knowledge and action, nor anyone with a more wasted life. 

You will inherit grief on the Day of Resurrection.


~Imam Sadiq (as)

How Do We Forget This?

Imam al Sadiq (as) narrates that Allah (swt) says:

“By My glory, My sublimity, My majesty and My ascension upon My throne; I shall cut-off, by despair, the hope of anyone who places their hope in other than Me. I shall clothe him with the garb of degradation in front of people; I shall avert him away from My proximity; I shall distance him from ever joining Me. Does he place expectations in other than Me during hardships whilst (full control of) the hardships are in My hands? Does he hope in other than Me and contemplate knocking the door of others whilst I hold the keys to the doors when they are locked? And My door is open to whosoever may implore me. Who is it that has had hope in Me in his misfortunes and I have let him down?! Who is it that has expected from Me in adversity and I have severed his hope in Me? I have preserved the hopes of my slaves but they are not satisfied with my preservation. I have filled My heavens with those who do not tire from glorifying Me; and have commanded them not to shut the doors between Me and My servants, but they (My servants) do not have confidence in My words. Does he (My slave) not know that, when a misfortune from among My misfortunes strikes him, none but Me has the ability to relieve it, except by My permission. So why is it that I see him unmindful of Me?! I granted him, by My generosity, that which he did not even request, then I snatched it away from him; yet he does not ask Me to return it, rather he asks those other than Myself! Does he reckon that, despite Me granting initially before being asked, I would not respond to the one who begs Me after being asked? Am I such a miser that My slave has deemed Me to be miserly? Do generosity and open-handedness not behove Me? Are pardon and mercy not in My hands? Am I not suitable for hopes? Who aside from Me can break them? Do those who hope not then fear in placing hopes in those other than Me?

Had all the inhabitants of My heavens and the inhabitants of My earth, all wished together; and had I granted them all fully in accordance with their hopes – My kingdom would not have decreased even to the amount of one grain. How can a kingdom diminish whilst I am its curator? Alas, what an ill-fate for those who despair in My mercy; and what misery for he who disobeys Me and does not fear Me’”.

Relationship

There is a wide range of elements that make up the correct form of relation with Allah. Some of these have been mentioned in detail in the verses of the Qur’an, the traditions and supplications.

Some of these elements are: hope in Allah (raja’), fear of Him (khawf), pleading before Him (tadarru’), humility toward Him (khushu’), lowliness before Him (tadhallul), love of him (hubb), yearning for Him (shawq), intimacy with Him (uns), returning to Him (inabah), dedication to Him (tabattul), pleading for His forgiveness (istighfar), seeking protection from Him (isti’adhah), beseeching His mercy (istirham), total absorption in Allah (inqta’), extolling Him (tamjid), praising Him (hamd), craving for Him (raghbah), obedience to Him (ta’ah), His servanthood (‘ubudiyyah), His remembrance (dhikr), neediness to Him (faqr), and holding fast to Him (i‘tisam).

Imam ‘Ali bin al-Husayn Zayn al-’Abidin (‘a) says in a supplication, “O Allah, I ask You to fill my heart with love of You, awe of You, belief in You, faith in You, fear of You, and yearning toward You.”

Source

It Doesn't Matter What People Say/Think

One day a group of people gathered at the house of Imam Ridha (as).Yunus Ibn Abd al-Rahman who happened to be a very trusted companion of the Imam was among them. While everyone was busy talking, another group of people from Basra asked for permission to enter the house. 

Imam told Yunus, “Enter that room; show no reaction at all and stay there until I asked you to come out.” Then Imam Ridha (as) granted permission for the new group to enter. Once entered the room, they started to talk behind the back of Yunus. Meanwhile Imam (as) was looking at the ground; he didn’t say anything and showed no reaction until they said farewell and left the house. Then Imam asked Yunus to come out of the room.

Yunus entered while his face was full of sorrow and his eyes were in tears. He said, “My master! I have only defended my beliefs and religion while my own friends are thinking about me like that.”

Imam Ridha (as) passionately said, “O Yunus! Do not be sad; it does not matter what people think. Such things said by other people do not matter at all. When your Imam is satisfied with you, there is nothing to worry or be sad about.”

The Imam added then, ''O Yunus! Always try to talk to people to the extent of their capacity of hearing. Do not talk about divine topics if it might be beyond their understanding. O Yunus! When you have a gem in your hand andpeople say that you have a dirty rock in your hand, how does it affect the gem in your hand? And if they say you have gem in your hand while you are holding a rock, how does this help you? How can their words affect your belief? How does it benefit or harm you in anyways?''

Yunus was calmed down by Imam’s words and said, “No, their words do not matter to me anymore.”

Then Imam Ridha (as) told him, “So if you understand the truth and you can see the right path and your Imam is satisfied from you, then the thoughts and words of the people should not affect your beliefs and way of thinking; people can say whatever they wish.”

(Selection from “Rijal Kashshi”, p.487, No. 924)
SOURCE

4 Types of People

Imam Ali (as) said to Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari:
O' Jabir!  The mainstay of religion and world are four persons:
1. The scholar who acts on his knowledge,
2. The ignorant who does not feel ashamed of learning,
3. The generous who is not niggardly in his favours and
4. The destitute who does not sell his next life for his worldly benefits.

Consequently, when the scholar would waste his knowledge, the ignorant would feel shame in learning;  
And when the generous would be niggardly with his favours, the destitute would sell his next life for the worldly benefits.

O' Jabir!  If favours of Allah abound on a person, the people's needs towards him also abound.  
Therefore he who fulfils for Allah all that is obligatory on him in this regard, would be sending them for his everlasting life while he who does not fulfill those obligations, would be exposing them to decay and destruction.

Hmmm.

A journalist once interviewed a terminally ill woman and tried to ask her in the most delicate manner: "What is it like to wake up each morning knowing that you are dying?"

She replied: "What is it like to wake up every morning and pretend you are not?"

Fact is, death is often the last thing on our minds when we wake up, or go about the rest of our day. A person cannot truly realise that death surrounds them, and awaits them at every corner and still live a life of disobedience. 

A reminder to myself first, and to everyone else who reads this: Death is real, and imminent. Until then, we must take every opportunity to perfect our taqwa to the highest degree. An interesting categorisation of the types of taqwa I came across recently from Allamah Majlisi says that there are four types of Taqwa:

Wara at'ta'beeri - abstaining from the prohibited things.

Wara as-saaliheen - abstaining from doubtful things so as to avoid committing haraam acts.

Wara al-muttaqin - abstaining from permissible things so that one is absolutely protected from haraam; and

Wara as-saadiqeen - avoiding everything that is not religious so that precious time is not wasted in useless acts, even though there may be no risk of committing a sin.

May Allah inspire us towards perfect and complete taqwa - immunity from all sin and time wastage.

Knowledge and Ignorance

In reply to some one who posed Imam Ali (as) a difficult question, Imam Ali (as) said : 'Ask in order to understand, and do not ask in order to find fault, for surely the ignorant man who wants to learn resembles a man of knowledge, and surely a man of knowledge who wants to be difficult resembles an ignorant man who wants to find fault. '

Making good deeds a habit

Imam Sadiq (as) is quoted to have said:
“I like to continue good actions so that I become habitual in them. If I could not perform a particular deed in the day I make up for it during the night and if I do not perform an action during the night I make up the following day. Certainly the best of the deeds near Allah are those which one continues. Hence all the deeds of the week are presented to Imam (a.s.) every Thursday and the deeds of the month at the end of the month and all the deeds of the year at the middle of Shabān. So if you begin a good ritual, keep at it for the whole year.” (i.e. continue it for at least a year).

Awwwwwwwww

  وعن علي بن إبراهيم ، عن أبيه ، عن ابن أبي عمير ، عن عبدالله بن سنان ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) قال : لمّا لقي يوسف أخاه قال : كيف استطعت

 أن تتزوج بعدي ؟ فقال : إن أبي أمرني فقال : إن استطعت أن يكون لك ذرية تثقل الارض بالتسبيح فافعل .

And from `Ali b. Ibrahim from his father from Ibn Abi `Umayr from `Abdullah b. Sinan from Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام.  He said: When his brother met Yusuf, he said: How can you marry after me?  So he said: Verily my father commanded me.  So he said: If you can have a progeny that makes heavy the Earth with praise then do so.

  وقال رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) : اعلموا أن أحدكم يلقي سقطه محبنطأ على باب الجنة ، حتى إذا رآه أخذه بيده حتى يدخله الجنة ، وإن ولد أحدكم إذا مات أجر فيه ، وإن بقي بعده استغفر له بعد موته .

And the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله said: Know that one of you (will) meet his stillborn waiting (?) upon the gate of the Garden, until when he has seen him will he take him by his hand so that he enter him into the Garden.  And if the child of one of you died, he is rewarded with regards to him, and if remained after him, he seeks forgiveness for him after his death.

 [ قال رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) ] : تزوجوا فإني مكاثر بكم الامم غدا في القيامة ، حتى أن السقط ( يقف محبنطأ ) على باب الجنة فيقال له : أدخل ، فيقول : لا ، حتى يدخل أبواي قبلي .

 [The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله said:] Marry, for verily I am vying in numbers by you with the nations tomorrow in the Resurrection.  Even the stillborn will stand waiting (?) at the gate of the Garden, and it will be said to him: Enter.  And he will say: No, not until my parents enter before me.

Too true...

"The learned man understands the ignorant for he was once ignorant himself. The ignorant man does not understand the learned for he has never been learned himself." 

-Imam Ali (as)

SubhanAllah...

It is narrated that Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (as) said:

“I am amazed at the one who has been afflicted with fear, and he does not flee to the Words of Allah:

‘Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs’ [hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel] for verily Allah has said after it

‘So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them.’ (Qur’an, 3:173-174)

And I am amazed at the person who is afflicted with sadness, and he does not flee to the Words of Allah:

‘There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers,’ [la ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz zalimin] for verily Allah has said after it

‘So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers.’ (Qur’an, 21:87-88)

And I am amazed at the person who is afflicted with betrayal and deception by people, and he does not flee to the Words of Allah:

‘I entrust my affair to Allah. Indeed, Allah is Seeing of [His] servants’ for verily Allah has said after it:

‘So Allah protected him from the evils they plotted, and the people of Pharaoh were enveloped by the worst of punishment.’ (Qur’an, 40:44-45)

And I am amazed at the person who is afflicted with sickness, and he does not flee to the Words of Allah:

‘Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful,’ for verily Allah has said after it:

‘So We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We gave him [back] his family and the like thereof with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for the worshippers [of Allah].’” (Qur’an, 21:83-84)

That is Enough!

O you who have been rejected! Enough foolish words.

Enough repeating of repetitions.

Close the tongue of vain expressions.

Break the pen and the inkpot. Enough!

O you lover of fame! O you trickster!

Enough of your laughable tales, enough.

Your talk is for the sake of this world.

Enough tracing of meaningless words.

Leave me alone!

Enough repeating of repetitions.

Enough repeating of repetitions

~Imam Ruhullah Musawi al Khumayni

Sha'ban 28, 1407 AHS

[April 27, 1987]

When do we stop talking and start acting?

What Is This World To You?

Imam Ali heard someone abusing and blaming the world and said to him, "O you, who are blaming the world, who have been allured and enticed by it, and have been tempted by its false pretenses. You allowed yourself to be enamored of, to be captivated by it and then you accuse and blame it. Have you any reason or right to accuse it and to call it a sinner and seducer? Or is the world not justified in calling you a wicked knave and a sinning hypocrite? When did it make you lose your intelli- gence and reasoning? And how did it cheat you or snake false pretenses to you? Did it conceal from you the fact of the ultimate end of everything that it holds, the fact of the sway of death, decay and destruction in its domain? Did it keep you in the dark about the fate of your fore- fathers and their final abode under the earth? Did it keep the resting-place of your mothers a secret from you? Do you not know that they have returned to dust? Many a time you must have attended the sick persons and many of them you must have seen beyond the scope of medicine. Neither the science of healing nor could your nursing and attendance nor your prayers and weeping prolonged the span of their lives, and they died. You were anxious for them, you procured the best medical aid, you gathered famous physicians and provided best - medicines for them. Death could not be held back and life could not be pro- longed. In this drama and in this tragedy did the world not present you with a lesson and a moral?

Certainly, this world is a house of truth for those who look into it carefully, an abode of peace and rest for those who understand its ways and moods and it is the best working ground for those who want to procure rewards for life in the Hereafter. It is a place of acquiring knowledge and wisdom for those who want to acquire them, a place of worship for the friends of Allah and for Angels. It is the place where prophets received revelations of Allah. It is the place for virtuous people and saints to do good deeds and to be assigned with rewards for the same. Only in this world they could trade with Allah's Favors and Blessings and only while living here they could barter their good deeds with His Blessings and Rewards. Where else could all this be done? Who are you to abuse the world when it has openly declared its mortality and mortality of everything connected with it, when it has given everyone of its inha- bitants to understand that all of them are to face death, when through its ways it has given them all an idea of calamities they have to face here, and through the sight of its temporary and fading pleasures it has given them glimpses of eternal pleasures of Paradise and suggested them to wish and work for the same. If you study it properly you will find that simply to warn and frighten you of the consequences of evil deeds and to persuade you towards good actions, every night it raises new hopes of peace and prosperity in you and every morning it places new anxieties and new worries before you. Those who passed such lives are ashamed of and repent the time so passed abuse this world. But there are people who will praise this world on the Day of Judgment that it reminded them of the Hereafter and they took advantage of these reminders. It informed them of the effects of good deeds and they made correct use of the information it advised them and they were benefited by its advice".

Poverty of Thought...

"I am not anxious about the incursion of poverty among my community; that about which I am afraid for them is crooked thinking. That which poverty of thought will bring my community is much worse than that which economic poverty will bring them." ~Rasul (pbuh)

How To Lead a Useful and Sober Life

Somebody requested Imam Ali to advise him how to lead a useful and sober life. Imam Ali thereupon advised him thus: 

"Do not be among those people who want to gain good returns without working hard for them, who have long hopes and keep on postponing repentance and penance, who talk like pious persons but run after vicious pleasures. Do not be among those who are not satisfied if they get more in life and are not content if their lot in life's pleasures is less (they are never satisfied), who never thank Allah for what they get and keep on constantly demanding increase in what is left with them; who advise others to such good deeds that they themselves refrain from; who appreciate good people but do not follow their ways of life; who hate bad and vicious people but follow their ways of life; who, on account of their excessive sins hate death but do not give up the sinful ways of life; who, if fallen ill, repent their ways of life and on regaining their health fearlessly readopt the same frivolous ways; who get despondent and lose all hopes, but on gaining health, become arrogant and careless; who, if faced with misfortunes, dangers or afflictions, turn to Allah and keep on beseeching Him for relief and when relieved or favoured with comfort and ease they are deceived by the comfortable conditions they found themselves in and forget Allah and forsake prayers; whose minds are allured by day dreams and forlorn hopes and who abhor to face realities of life; who fear for others the enormous repercussions of vices and sins but for their own deeds expect very high rewards or very light disciplinary actions. Riches make such people arrogant, rebellious and wicked, and poverty makes them despondent and lethargic. If they have to work, they work lazily and if they put up a demand they do it stubbornly.

Under the influence of inordinate cravings, they commit sins in quick succession and keep on postponing repentance. Calamities and adversities make them give up the distinguished characteristics of Muslims (patience, hope in future and work for improvement of circumstances). They advise people with narration's of events and facts but do not take any lesson from them. They are good at preachings but bad at practice, therefore they always talk of lofty deeds but their actions belie their words. They are keen to acquire temporal pleasures but are careless and slow to achieve permanent (Divine) benefits. They think good for themselves the things which are actually injurious to them and regard harmful the things which really benefit them. 

They are afraid of death but waste their time and do not resort to good deeds before death overtakes them. The vices which they regard as enormous sins for others, they consider as minor shortcomings for themselves. Similarly, they attach great importance to their obedience to the orders of Allah and belittle similar actions in others. Therefore, they often criticize others and speak very highly of their own deeds. They are happy to spend their time in society of rich persons, wasting it in luxuries and vices but are averse to employing for useful purposes in company of the poor and pious people: They are quick and free to pass verdicts against others but they never pass a verdict against their own vicious deeds. They force others to obey them but they never obey Allah. They collect their dues carefully but never pay the dues they owe. They are not afraid of Allah but fear powerful men".

Apology

The Prophet Muhammad (S) has said, “O' ‘Ali! My intercession shall not reach the person who does not accept the apology from another person - whether the apology is truthful or untruthful.”

Asking forgiveness and also accepting the apology of a person who has come to you are both ethical and Islamic values.

There are many people who perform wrong actions, however in their eyes, it is shameful to ask for forgiveness and they actually consider this as being a defect in their character! However, at the same time, they will be the first one to order others for the same thing and this is a major flaw in a person's character.

If a person was to do something inappropriate, what is wrong in him that, just as he feels grief inside him and also asks forgiveness and turns back to Allah (SwT), that he also seek pardon from the creations of Allah (SwT) as well?

Does the person who is not ready to ask forgiveness think himself to be infallible? Without doubt, everyone (with the exception of those who have been kept free from sins - the Prophets and the Ahlu'l Bayt) make mistakes. Therefore, if a person commits an error, then his asking pardon and forgiveness for his acts is actually proof of his greatness and excellence!

Do those who have little patience, a spiritual constriction in their hearts and do not possess the trait of a spiritually expansive heart assume that by asking pardon and seeking forgiveness that they are lowering their status!? Obviously, they are negligent of the fact that asking pardon actually proves the greatness in their character and personality and grants them a high nature!

If we are truly impartial and equitable in regards to an issue - even in trivial things, and if in the face of the other person, no matter who he is - either a common person (who does not know the teachings of the faith) or one with knowledge - if we were to ask forgiveness (when we make a mistake), then this would be the key to a healthy life. Therefore, this act of apologizing is actually one of the valuable ethical traits.

As for the second issue - and this is something which also takes greatness of character and a spiritually expansive heart to carry out - it is to accept the apology of another person.

If a person comes to you and asks to be forgiven, then one must accept the apology.

In the tradition under review, it is stated that even if a person had intentionally done something and then comes and wishes to place himself under the covering of your forgiveness, you must show your greatness of character and not let your ego get the best of you.

In addition, one must even accept the apology of a liar - of course there are certain times and circumstances which are an exception to this rule and are separate from this discussion (which we will not discuss). However if one was not to accept the apology of another person, then slowly the veils of inhibition and shame would be removed from all people!

If someone comes and apologizes and one was to reply, “No, you are lying, you are not sorry for what you did” then that person may actually begin to act even worse and may reply, “It is my heart which wanted me to lie (to you and to try and fool you that I was sorry…)” At this point, what road would you take to stop this person's obstinacy?

In the Du’a of Abu hamza ath-Thumali we read:

أَمَرْتَنَا أَنْ تَعْفُوَ عَمَّنْ ظَلَمَنَا وَ أَنْتَ أَوْلـى بِالْعَفوِ وَ قَدْ ظَلَمْنَا أَنْفُسَنَا…

“You have ordered us to forgive the person who oppresses us, however You are much more worthy to forgive us who have been oppressive to our own selves…”

In reality, the meaning of this line of the Du’a is that whereas we are not ready and prepared to forgive others for the sins and misdeeds which they have done to us, however we expect Allah (SwT) to forgive the great number of our sins! Therefore, in order for us to earn the pardon of Allah (SwT), we must be ready to forgive at least one sin from another person and accept their apology.

In relation to this, the Prophet (S) has said, “The person who does not accept the apology of the individual who has come to him asking forgiveness - whether the apology is truthful or untruthful - shall never have the benefit of my intercession since my intercession is specifically reserved for those who make mistakes and errors.”


SOURCE

Do You Realise?

There is often a tendency of a person to distance themselves from the acts they perceive to be dishonourable, disloyal etc. However, it is also common for human being to see the twig in another’s eye, and forget the log in their own. In these days, as we remember the trials that the family of Prophet Muhammad faced, and the statements that were made those days, it is quite easy to convince oneself that they would indeed have been “with” and his companion and achieved the fawzan adheema (great success) with them. However, we must also ask ourselves, were there no Muslims at the time of Imam Husayn? Were there no people who claimed to love them but then deserted them when the call of Imam Husayn was made. Imam Husayn (as) stood on the plains of Karbala that day, and said it aloud, so that history would record that the ummah had deserted the family of the Prophet, and he asked, facing different directions:

“Is there anyone who will come to assist us? 

Is there anyone who will respond to our call for aid?”

It was not only Imam Husayn who asked these questions to the ummah. Our lady Zaynab (sa) similarly asked of the people of Kufa:

"Woe upon you O people of Kufa. Do you realise which piece of Muhammad's heart you have severed! Which pledge you have broken! Whose blood you have shed! Whose honour you have desecrated!. It is not just Hussain whose headless body lies unburied on the sands of Kerbala. It is the heart of the Holy Prophet. It is the very soul of Islam!"

Often, in shia communities, you will find reference is made to the treachery of Ahl Kufa because of this statement. However, the people of Kufah represent an ideology that is present within us, within our societies, and one which we must fight or else fall in the same group. When we fail in our duty towards justice within our wider global community, it is we who are silent to the call of Imam Husayn, and it is us he asked that day, as he turned in different directions and asked “Hal min naas...”

Next time we are Ziyarat Waaritha and repeat the words: “And I make Allah, His angels, His prophets, and His messengers, witnesses to the fact that I believe in Imam Hussain and in my return to Allah. I also believe in the laws of Allah and in the consequences of human actions. I have subordinated the desires of my heart to his (Imam Hussain's) heart and I sincerely submit to him and (promise to follow his commands)." 

We must make sure that we mean the words we say, and it is not just an annual ritual we go through, like Hey! Time to get the black clothes out and attend the social events and cry some, then live our normal lives, not changing or incorporating any part of Hussainiyat in them. Each season of azadari (mourning for Imam) must be a season of life changing, a formal commitment, and continuation of a pledge to distance oneself from all injustice, starting with, but not limited to the injustice against the self (sin).

Imam Khumayni in his will states a valuable point about mourning. He says:

"The memory of this great epic event (Ashura) must be kept alive. Remember, the cries of damnation and all the curses that are rightfully raised against the cruelty of the Bani Umayyayah caliphs towards the Holy Imams, are reflected in the heroic protests against cruel despots by the nations through the centuries. It is the perpetuation of such protests that shatter oppression and cruelty. It is necessary that the crimes of the tyrants in each age and era be indicated in the cries of lamentation and in the recitals of elegies held for the Holy Imams." 

I end my entry today with a reminder about a noble man who dedicated his life towards serving Imam Husayn (as). This man is Habib ibn Madhahir, one of the faithful and loyal companions who stood that day, to the last moment and guaranteed his path to jannah by his blood.

After the events of the day of Ashura, and the rest of the camp of Imam Husayn (as) were taken captive and paraded through the cities, there was one unique thing about the decapitated head of Habib. Unlike the others which were mounted on spears, history tells us his head was tied to a horse and dragged around. It is said that while in Kufah, a young boy called Qasim followed the horse around whose neck his head was tied. Finally, the rider of the horse asked the boy: “Why are you following me around? What do you want?” Qasim was silent. Again the man asked, “Why are you staring at the head?” and Qasim replied:

This is the head of my father, Habib ibn Madhaahir. Please give it to me so that I may bury it…”

May Allah make us among those who realise who the call was made to, and who was asked for help and take up the worship of loyally serving and dedicating our lives to the Imam of our time, so as not leave him lonely as he wanders, seeking the avengers of the blood of his forefathers and their loyal companions.

Injustice

Was it not enough injustice against the ahlulbayt (as) what was done to them on the day of Ashura, and the days after that? Today the oppression still goes on. The oppression of silence, when people seek to silence those who mourn Imam Husain (as) either by condemning the act of mourning "for a person who was martyred over a thousand years ago" or by seeking to drown out and silence the impact this day had and has, and will continue to have on the heart of every believer, by singing of the miraculous and joyous "happenings" that took place on Ashura.

Where are the avengers of the pure blood spilt at Karbala?

May Allah hasten the reappearance of our Master, Imam al Mahdi (atf)

Are We Doing Our Duty?

O negligent people! O you, who are so indifferent to your obligations and so unmindful of your duties, remember that you will not be excused for such carelessness and negligence. O you, who want to go out of the folds of religion, remember that you shall not be left unquestioned and unpunished.

How is it that I find you drifting away and away from God and swaying towards ungodly thoughts and deeds? You are behaving as if you are cattle whom the pastor is driving through a pasture or a watering place where deadly cattle diseases are raging and they cannot resist this drive, or like sheep who are being fattened on fresh grams and good grass to be butchered and they do not realise they are being so well treated so that when killed they give soft and fat meat. Their vision is so limited that they consider the day they are passing to be the whole span of their lives, and their sole purpose of their existence is to eat and drink. 

~Imam Ali (as) in Nahjul Balagha sermon 173

Courtesy Costs Nothing...

It is often said that courtesy costs  nothing. At the same time, courtesy is something of such fundamental value in human society that its importance cannot be over emphasized.

Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) stressed the value and merit of acts of courtesy where he says: "Know that acts of courtesy earn praiseworthy results, and end in rewardable gains. If you were to see acts of courtesy personified as a man, you would perceive him to be good and handsome, pleasing for people to behold, and transcending all the worlds. And if you were to see acts of vileness personified, you would perceive an ugly, revolting, disfigured man, whom the hearts would be averse to, and whom the eyes would turn away from in disgust." (Mustadrak al-Wasail)

Imam Ali (as) says in this regard: "People who perform acts of courtesy towards others benefit more from them than the recipients of their kindness, for verily they have the reward for them, the [rewarding feeling of] pride for having helped someone as well as a mention. So however much good a man may do for others, it ultimately always starts by benefiting himself, such that he never seeks thanks for the benefit incurred by himself through helping others." (Kashf al-Ghamma)

Have a courteous day! :)