Hat Trick of Eid Celebrations

I've been wanting to do this blog for a while. However with a lot of other things taking my time (and priority), this is the first opportunity I've had. I'll be talking about three Eids in this one and try to stick with the point.

Eid-ul-Adha

"Adorn the two festivals with frequent chants of La Ilaha IllAllah (There is no god but Allah), Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), Alhamdulillah (All praise is due to Allah), and with glorification of Allah."

 - Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

This Eid is celebrated after the Hajj pilgrimage is performed and is considered the greater Eid (in comparison to Eid-ul-Fitr). This Eid is to commemorate the sacrifice that Abraham was willing to make when he was going to sacrifice his son (God accepted the intention of the sacrifice; and thus a sheep or goat took the place of his son). Every year, Muslims from every sect and every part of the world travel to perform this journey; all as equals in front of the Almighty (SWT).

This Eid kind of reminds me of Thanksgiving in the sense that it helps us to appreciate things around us a lot more. During the Hajj journey, you are in the most humble state and an equal with everybody. While I haven't been for Hajj, I've heard many stories behind it. And it often makes such a change in people that nobody every returns the same way they want. It also reminds me of Thanksgiving because of the unity factor (as in our secular society, people of different faiths celebrate Thanksgiving). During Hajj, everybody is an equal: rich & poor; black, white, & brown; short & tall; Sunni & Shia. The only that one distinguish one person from another would be the purity of one's heart and intention.

The sacrifice of this Eid also reminds how close Muharram is, and how the greatest sacrifice was given in order to save Islam. The sacrifice that I speak of is Aba Abdillah, Imam Hussain (AS) and his family/companions on the plains of Karbala (as well the events that took place after). I'm saving that blog for another day. But the main reason it reminds me of this is the 360 turn that takes in a month. One month, we celebrate a sacrifice that was made where Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, and it was accepted without having to sacrifice his son. And yet in the next, we mourn the greatest sacrifice ever made where even Aba Abdillah's (AS) 6-month old baby was also not spared, receiving a three-pong arrow (used to kills camels) to his throat when all Aba Abdillah (AS) did was ask water for the child.


Eid-e-Ghadeer

"Of whomsoever I had been Master (Mawla), Ali here is to be his Master. O Allah, be a supporter of whoever supports him (Ali) and an enemy of whoever opposes him and divert the Haq (right) to Ali."
- Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

This was the day where Prophet Muhammad (SAW) declared Amir ul-Momineen, Imam Ali ibne Abi Talib (AS) as his successor. This was done after the Prophet's (SAW) final Hajj at Ghadeer-e-Khumm. On this day, our faith was completed. These were crystal clear words from the Prophet (SAW), and yet people still deny who the rightful successor after the Prophet (SAW) really was. It astonishes me how people can deny the right of Imam Ali (AS) after all the times the Prophet (SAW) declared Imam Ali (AS) as his successor.

And yet when his right was denied, Imam Ali (AS) also sacrificed his right for the betterment and unity of the Muslim Ummah. The amount of patience that Amir ul-Momineen (AS) showed during this time was simply incredible. And he did this with complete akhlaq (the practice of virtue, manners, & morality).

What astonishes me here is that people who claim to love the Prophet (SAW), Imam Ali (AS), and the Ahlul Bayt (AS) can't even follow the same akhlaq and steps that the Masumeen (AS) lived their lives by. Their ignorance has unfortunately further cause a divide in the religion when unity is crucially needed. Some have even gone as far as to insults some of the respect of the religion, those who have sent their whole lives dedicated to serving the religion and studying is laws to be applied in all aspects of our lives. Its really sad to see some people not understand certain concepts properly in the religion.
And by this, I don't mean you don't compromise or sacrifice your beliefs. That's not what unity is. You should still practice it, and TEACH others about why you do certain things. Will people get offended and insult you? Of course. But remember that you attract more flies with honey.
And also remember the story of the Prophet (SAW) and the lady who used to throw garbage on his head every day; the day when she didn't drop anything, he went and check on her to see if she was okay. This is the ESSENCE and AKHLAQ of the Ahlul Bayt (AS).


Eid-e-Mubahila

"And whoever argues with you in this matter after what has come to you of knowledge, then say, 'Come, let us call our sons and your sons and our women and your women and ourselves and yourselves, then let us humbly pray to our Lord and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars" - Surah Ale-Imran (3:61)

"O Allah, these are the people of my Household (Ahlul Bayt). They are my confidants and my supporters. Their flesh is my flesh and their blood is my blood. Whoever hurts them, hurts me too. Whoever displeases them, displeased me too. I am at war with those at war with them. I am at peace with those at peace with them. I am the enemy of their enemies, and I am the friend of their friends. They are from me and I am from them."
- Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

Eid-e-Mubahila is really special to me for multiple reasons. The first reason is because I gave a speech when I was younger (I can't remember what age). I'll see if I can possibly even dig that out from somewhere. The second reason being is that this is the last Khushali (Happy Occasion) of the Islamic year.

The third reason is based on the event itself (Google it if you want to know the background). This event basically shows importance of the Ahle Kisaa (AS):

• Sons = Imam Hassan (AS) and Imam Hussain (AS)
• Women = Bibi Fatimah (AS)
• Ourselves = Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and Imam Ali (AS)

This shows the trust and love the Prophet (SAW) has for these four. Who would be willing to only bring four individuals to this historical event, and that too who are the closest to them? This event single-handedly shows the importance of the Ahle Kisaa (AS). How people still deny what was clearly there is mind-boggling.

The final reason (that comes to mind) on why this Eid is really special is because of the historical events that are commemorated after. As the Islamic year ends on a fairly happy note with this celebration, the beginning of the Islamic year starts off mourning Aba Abdillah (AS) and the tragedy of Karbala. And this ties back to both Eid-ul-Adha and Eid-e-Ghadeer. It ties back to Eid-ul-Adha again because of the greatest sacrifice made and the 360 change of celebrating the acceptance of a sacrifice to the mourning of the greatest sacrifice. And it ties back to Eid-e-Ghadeer because the army (L/A) that fought against the grandson of the Prophet (SAW) were seeking revenge for the valiance of Imam Ali (AS) in the battles that were faced and where he would defend the Prophet (SAW) and Islam against the fathers of the people in the army who were looking to destroy the religion. Some even had the audacity to think they were on the correct path. If only they had paid attention to Eid-e-Mubahila and took the route that Janab-e-Hurr (AS), where he switched sides & came on the right path by defending Aba Abdillah (AS).

So that wraps up the three Eids. In just a couple of nights, Muharram will begin.
InshaAllah I'll attempt to do a blog within the first few nights related to it as well.

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Reflections from Nahjul Balagha

During Shahru Ramadhan, I was given another blessed opportunity of giving a speech on lessons from Nahjul Balagha (Peak of Eloquence) on Monday August 13th, 2012 (I have an earlier blog post about the first speech I gave).
For anybody wondering, Nahjul Balagha is a book that was compiled by Sayyed Sharif Razi on the sermons, letters, and sayings of Amir ul-Momineen, Imam Ali ibne Abi Talib (AS). This speech was a year in the making as I was suppose to deliver it last year, but was unable to. Thankfully though, it allowed me to make adjustments to it before I delivered it this year.
I've attached both the video and the transcript; I hope people can take something away from it. The transcript may vary slightly, but overall the same speech & same ideas. I also used some hadiths, which are highlighted in red. Please leave some feedback if you can!

Reflections from Nahjul Balagha

Bismillāhir-rahmānir-rahīm.

Sheikh Jaffer; my respected scholars and elders; and my dear brothers & sisters; Salaamun Alaikum. My name is Mohammad Zahid. I want to thank the Masumeen Management Committee and the Masumeen Youth Committee for giving me this opportunity.

As Shia Ithna-Asheris, we all feel a special bond to Amir ul-Momineen (AS). Whether it’s related to being the successor of Rasoolullah (SAW), or his vital roles throughout the various battles in Islam, we all tend to feel a connection to him one way or another. Especially for the youth, there is a special connection; as we all know, there is a saying that goes, “there is no youth like Ali and no sword like Dhulfiqar.”

 One thing that helped me to feel a special bond to Imam Ali (AS) was reading Nahjul Balagha. Alhamdulillah, I was able to finish Nahjul Balagha for the first time last year during Shahru Ramadhan. The more I read Nahjul Balagha, the more I was amazed at the knowledge and words from Imam Ali (AS). It also helped me to face various situations in my life with two important aspects that never left Imam Ali’s (AS) side throughout his life: faith and patience. Tonight, I wanted to share three important lessons from Nahjul Balagha.

The first lesson is to abstain from worldly pleasures & desires. Imam Ali (AS) has said “She world is like a serpent, so soft to touch, but so full of lethal poison. Unwise people are allured by it and drawn towards it, and wise men avoid it and keep away from its poisonous effects.”

 Throughout Nahjul Balagha, Imam Ali (AS) has mentioned this in two aspects. The first aspect is to abstain from sins and vices that seem pleasurable to us, but are more harmful than we can imagine. These vices will not only hurt us in this world by taking away our blessings, but in the hereafter as well through punishment. 

The second aspect is regarding people who are in constant chase of wealth. Imam Ali (AS) has mentioned that those who are in constant chase of wealth suffer in this world as they are in constant anguish to gain & guard their wealth. And with their focus on their wealth, they waste the opportunity to do good deeds, such as giving charity, which then hurts them in the hereafter.  Imam Ali (AS) also mentions that this wealth is of no use because it cannot accompany a person when their journey in this world ends; the real wealth is in doing good deeds & in increasing your knowledge as these factors will help you in both this world and in the next.

 It is also important to remember that you don’t have to completely abstain from everything as long as it is halal and done in moderation. One of the beautiful qualities of Islam is that it is a religion of moderation and that Allah (SWT) has provided so many bounties in this world for us. And the reason for that is so that we can get closer to him by increasing our faith in Him and thanking Him for these bounties.

 The second lesson is to live a pious life. Imam Ali (AS) has said “Those are the fortunate people who adopt piety as the principle of their lives and are fully attentive to their welfare for the Hereafter.” There are many sermons throughout Nahjul Balagha about how to live a pious life.

 The first step again is to abstain from worldly pleasures & desires. This would help us to stay away from vices & sins, and help us to live a simpler life. Imam Ali (AS) lived a very simple & humble life, eating only two pieces of bread a day and making his living conditions like that of the poorest person under his caliphate.

 The next step would be to do good deeds. This helps to keep our soul clean but more importantly, helps us in the hereafter with rewards that await us.

 The final step is to keep faith in Allah and remain patient throughout whatever happens. Imam Ali (AS) is one of the best examples of this through all the obstacles he faced, from his rights being usurped to having to bury both the Holy Prophet (SAW) and the love of his life, Bibi Fatimah (AS).

 Living a pious life is a crucial element as it helps us to remain humble and not inflate our own egos. It helps us to remember that we are nothing in comparison to Allah (SWT) and that every bounty has been provided by him. To obtain closeness to Him, not only do we need to be thankful but also perform good deeds. That in itself is a bounty for us because without those opportunities to do good deeds, we would not have the opportunity to prepare for the hereafter.

When Allah (SWT) provides us with bounties, He also tests us with challenges. This shows that there is moderation in our lives as well in general as we go through both rough and smooth periods in life. During the smooth phases, we have the chance to increase our faith by being thankful to Him. And during the rough phases, we have the chance to increase our faith by being patient and remembering that Allah (SWT) will help us through it.

 The third and probably most important lesson from Nahjul Balagha is to be ready for death and prepare for the hereafter. Imam Ali (AS) says, “Blessed is the man who always kept the life after death in his view, who remembered the Day of Judgment through all his deeds, who led a contented life and who was happy with the lot that Allah (SWT) had destined for him.”

 Imam Ali (AS) mentions that death can come unexpectedly at any time, whether we want to it to or not. Therefore we must prepare for death, because after death will come the hereafter. And the result of the hereafter will be dependent on our actions, deeds, and faith in Allah (SWT).

The two best ways to prepare for death and the hereafter are again by abstaining from worldly pleasures & desires, and to live a pious life.

 In this short journey of life, we must do as many good deeds as we can, like helping one another or giving charity. Especially in Ramadhan, there is an opportunity to give charity all around us. Other good deeds would be to help one another out; it can be as simple as giving a ride to somebody to the Masjid who isn’t able to come on their own. And when we do these good deeds, it helps to build our rewards in the hereafter. After all as Imam Ali (AS) states, the life in this world is a temporary journey. Our real destinations are in the hereafter and to reach Jannat.

In closing, there are many lessons than we can take away from Nahjul Balagha. To my fellow youth, I urge you all to take sometime and read Nahjul Balagha, even if its only a few pages everyday. The depth of knowledge and wisdom of Imam Ali (AS) and his words in Nahjul Balagha are simply incredible. Throughout the sermons, letters, and sayings, it can be seen that Imam Ali (AS) has been through every situation that we all face in our lives, and he’s been able to always deal with them with patience and faith in Allah (SWT).

 Often in our lives, we get very discouraged when challenges come up and don’t know who to turn to for advice. And while this is not the only solution, reading Nahjul Balagha is an extremely helpful one. The amount of hardships that Amir ul-Momineen (AS) has been through makes the trials and tribulations we face very small. Yet, we can find a solution for our problems by reading his words as well as following the two things that he never abandoned: patience and faith.

Imam Ali (AS) says, "Overcome your sorrows, your worries and your misfortunes with patience and faith in the Merciful Lord and your hard work; one who gives up a straight path, honest and rational ways of thinking and working, will harm himself."

 I’d like to end with Imam Ali’s (AS) famous quote, “Live amongst people in such a manner that if you die they weep over you and if you are alive they crave for your company.” Thank you all once again. Wasalaam.