House Imambada Tears for Hussain

House Imambada Tears for Hussain
Originally uploaded by flickr photographerno1

Every Shia house however small or big has one pride of place , the house Imambada, beautifully decorated, within the means of that particular household.
Even the poorest of the poor Shia living in the bylanes of Old Lucknow , considers himself rich, through the presence of the house Imambada.
There is no house that does not have an Imambada..Imambada is the heart of a Shia persons house.
Azadari is the life line of a Shia.
Nothing is of any importance , even life is meaningless for a Shia, without Azadari.
Azadari is the hosting of Moharam for 2 months 40 days.
Shia Sunni riots in Lucknow have caused a total ban on Azadari several times.
Without the chant of Ya Hussain Ya Hussain..A Shia life is totallY rudderless.
Hussain is the anchor of Islam.. through Hussainiyat our Faith lives.
The Shia Muslims can never be terrorists I dont think so, it was Terrorism called Yazidiyat that almost destroyed Islam..so the Shia hates Yazidiyat.
Shia Hindustani is Watan Parast.
He loves hs country ,for a simple reason that it was this Hindustan, this land of Brahma Vishnu Mahadev, that Imam Hussain wanted to settle in a land known for its ancestral Hospitality Peace Love Hope and Harmony.
But Yazid turned down the Imams request, the Yazid wanted allegiance from the Imam the grandson of the Holy Prophet.. nothing less nothing more.
The head of Hussain he wanted on his platter , this is early Islamic barbarism..much more , that I shall avoid not wanting to sound like a Mullah.
My reason for explaining this briefly is to tell you that the Shia will take submission but as long as he is allowed to do his Azadari e Hussain..this is the only time that he will follow the dictates of moderation and rationality.
The Shia awaits Moharam..that is why it is said for the Shia everyday is Karbala.
Hussain is another name for Humanity..Hussain belngs to all,,
Har qaum Pukaregi hamare hain Hussain..
The picture is of my mother in law Wassim Qazilbah’s Imambada in Nakhas.
The rose milk the rest of the stuff is in rememberance of a Nazar of Hazrat Ali.
I was shooting Ashura in Lucknow I took a French photographer Laurent Salesse to my mother in laws house to shoot this too..this is not just twelve alams , the Holy Koran..
This is the heart and soul of Shiasm its humble birth in a Shia persons house.
Yes this is the closest I can explain to you of Azadari E Hussain.
In the evening all the ladies of this house, the neighbouring house gather here , to open their Bayas, the books of Matam..
Than you the male member sitting in the next room will be transported to his childhood hanging on his mothers waist.. while she beat her chest, vigorously voluminously mouthing the words ..

SAR SHAE MAZLOOM KA DHAD SE JUDA HOGAYA
AAJ HAMARA IMAM HUM SE JUDA HOGAYA
FATIMA KE DIL KA CHAIN HAQ PE FIDA HOGAYA
AAJ HAMARA IMAM HUM SE JUDA HOGAYA
YA HUSSAIN YA HUSSAIN YA HUSSAIN

I know you are crying like me this is Shiasm.. tears that we shed a Maksade Fatima for a Maksade Hussain…
This is known as Matam e Hussain.
The tears that you shed are Ghame Hussain..
I relive these moments I will never visit Lucknow ever again.. but for me each day is Moharam.

May 3rd, 2007

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