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Yā Hussain is an Arabic phrase used by Shia Muslims to invoke the memory or intervention of Hussain ibn Ali. It is especially used in the context of the Mourning of Muharram.
" Sadaqaton Ki Nishani Hussain a.s Hay ,
Duniya Me Inqilab Ka Bani Hussaina.s Hy... ,
Dushman Ko Jis Nay Apney Lahoo Say Shikast Di ,
Woh Mard E Haq Woh Haider a.s E Sani Hussain Hay"
shaheed-e-Karbala ki mominoN jab yaad aati hai tadap jaati hai duniya, khoon ke aansooN bahaati hai. Ya Hussain! Ya Hussain!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Ya Hussain
Mir Anis Remembered
sourced from
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir_Anis
Mir Babar Ali Anis (Urdu: میر بابر علی انیس) was a renowned Urdu poet. He was born in Faizabad in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in 1803 and died in 1874.
His father, Mir Khaliq who was a famous poet and litterateur, took personal interest in the education and upbringing of his son, and entrusted him to the care of reputed contemporary teachers, Mir Najaf Ali Faizabadi and Maulvi Hyder Ali Lucknavi. In addition, Anees's mother who was an educated and pious lady, played a significant role in shaping the personality of the boy poet. But above all, it was the boy's own instinctive urge for learning and literature that made him an accomplished poet, proficient in Arabic, Persian and Islamic scriptures, and well-versed in logic, literature and philosophy. Poetry came to him as ancestral heritage, for his forbears, going back to his great grandfather, were eminent poets and men of letters. Anees was the grandson of Mir Hasan who is remembered for his immortal Masnavi, Sehir-ul-Bayaan. His parents had migrated in their old age to Lucknow, where he spent the best part of his life.
Anees had started writing poetry quite early in his life right at Faizabad, though he perfected his art in Lucknow under the supervision of Imam Baksh Nasikh. In keeping with the popular trend, he first tried his hand at the ghazal, but failing to make much headway in this sphere, he changed over, under the advice of his father, to the writing of marsias[1], in which domain he soon established a high reputation, equaled (sometimes) by his poetic compare, Salamat Ali Dabir. Anees broadened the scope of this genre by including in its body, in addition to the customary lamentation and mourning, realistic scenes of the battlefield, graphic delineations of the hero's face and figure, lively portrayals of the emotional states of the combatants, accurate descriptions of the landscape, and occasional interludes of moral edification. Anees was a master of simple, natural utterance, with a superb command on the language, which was always adequate to express a large variety of moods, scenes, characters and situations. He is specially notable for presenting the same scene or situation, over and over again, in different words or phrases, without letting it appear monotonous. Besides being a master of the marsia, Anees was also a specialist of the rubai, the shortest complete poem in Urdu, containing only four lines.
Anees died in 1874 at the age of 71. The marsia, strictly speaking, is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hazrat Imam Husain and his comrades of the Battle of Karbala. In its form the marsia generally consists of six-line units, with a rhyming quatrain, and a couplet on a different rhyme. This form found a specially congenial soil in Lucknow (a city in Northern India), chiefly because it was the centre of Shia Muslim community, which regarded it an act of piety and religious duty to eulogies and bemoan the martyrs of the battle of Karbala, and Even a short poem written to mourn the death of a friend can be called marsia. Lord Alfred Tennyson's poem 'In Memoriam' can rightly be called marsia. The sub-parts of marsia are called noha and soz which means lamentation and burning of (heart) respectively. It is usually a poem of mourning. The form reached its peak in the writing of Mir Babar Ali Anis.
The famous marsia writers who inherited the tradition of Mir Anis among his successive generations are Mir Nawab Ali 'Munis', Dulaha Sahab 'Uruj', Mustafa Meerza urf Piyare Sahab 'Rasheed', Syed Muhammad Mirza Uns, Ali Nawab 'Qadeem', Syed Sajjad Husain 'Shadeed', Syed Sajjad Husain "Shadeed" Lucknavi, Dr. Syed Ali Imam Zaidi, "Gauher" Luckhnavi the (great grand son of Mir Baber Ali Anees).
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Work, contribution and legacy
* 2 References
* 3 Trivia
* 4 See also
* 5 External links
[edit] Work, contribution and legacy
Mr Anis composed salāms, elegies, nauhas, quatrains. While the length of elegy initially had no more than forty or fifty stanzas, it now was beyond one hundred fifty or even longer than two hundred stanzas or bunds, as each unit of marsia in musaddas format is known. According to Muhammad Husain Azad "The late Mīr Sahib must certainly have composed at least ten thousand elegies, and salāms beyond count. He composed as easily and casually as he spoke."[2].
Muharram and Mir Anis have become synonymous among Urdu lovers of the Indo-Pak subcontinent. Mir Anis has been a great teacher and inspiration for generations. Undoubtedly, Urdu derives much of its strength from the Marsias of Mir Anis. Mir Anis has drawn upon the vocabulary of Arabic, Persian, Urdu/Hindi/Awadhi in such a good measure that he symbolizes the full spectrum of the cultural mosaic that Urdu has come to be. No Urdu poet from Ghalib onwards has lagged behind in showering his eulogies on Mir Anis. Mir Anis himself was aware of his contribution as he writes: "Kisi ne na teri terha se Anis, Aroos-e-sukhan ko sanwara nahi"
"Perhaps there is no other poet in the world who has looked after the aesthetic and spiritual satisfaction of his fans so completely as Mir Anis does. It is simply miraculous!
Jawaharlal Nehru had once said that Mir Anis was his essential reading on the day of Ashura only to let him shed more of his insularity. What a tribute. "[3]
The first major and still current critical articulation about Mir Anis was Muazna-e-Anis-o-Dabir (1907) written by Shibli Nomani and according to him said "the poetic qualities and merits of Anis are not matched by any other poet"
Shamsur Rahman Faruqi in 'How to read Iqbal?' on comparing Iqbal with Nazir Akbarabadi says that "Iqbal was placed better because he had, among others, Bedil (1644–1720) in Persian and Mir Anis (1802–1874) in Urdu." to inherit the rich tradition of Urdu nazm. He further asserts that, "The mention of Mir Anis may surprise some of us until we realize it that Mir Anis’s mariyas are the best premodern model in Urdu of narrative-historical, narrative-lyrical, and oral-dramatic poetry, and Iqbal’s poetry extends and exploits the possibilities created by Anis."[4]
The following two stanzas (Bunds) from Chakbast's 'Ramayan ka Ek Scene' (transcribed from Urdu to Devnagri) reflect the influence of Marsia and Mir Anis in particular. Even the format adopted by Chakbast is same[5].
रूख़सत हुआ वो बाप से लेकर ख़ुदा का नाम
राहे-वफ़ा की मंज़िले-अव्वल हुई तमाम
मंज़ू़र था जो माँ की ज़ियारत का इंतिज़ाम
दामन से अश्क पोछ कर दिल से किया कलाम
इज़हारे-बेकसी से सितम होगा और भी
देखा हमें उदास तो ग़म होगा और भी
दिल को सँभालता हुआ आख़िर वो नौनिहाल
ख़ामोश माँ के पास गया सूरते-ख़याल
देखा तो एक दर में है बैठी वो ख़स्ताहाल
सकता-सा हो गया है यह है शिद्दते-मलाल
तन में लहू का नाम नहीं, ज़र्द रंग है
गोया बशर नहीं, कोई तस्वीरे-संग है
[edit] References
1. ^ Mohammad Husain Azad- Aab-e-Hayat
2. ^ Aab-e-Hayat (English Translation, Translated and edited by Frances W. Pritchett, in association with Shamsur Rahman Faruqi)
3. ^ Dawn-Mir Anis bi-centenary in Karachi
4. ^ How to Read Iqbal by Shamsur Rahman Faruqi
5. ^ चकबस्त की रामायण
[edit] Trivia
The Majlis of 25 Rajab, is historically important Majlis of Marsiya in Lucknow, in this majlis Mir Anis used to recite Marsiya. After Mir Anis well known marsiya writers of Mir Anis's family as Dulaha Sahab 'Uruj', Mustafa Meerza urf Piyare Sahab 'Rasheed', Ali Nawab (Qadeem) Syed Sajjad Husain 'Shadeed', inherited the legacy of reciting marsiya. Presntly, Dr.Syed Ali Imam Zaidi(Gauher) Luckhnavi(grand son of 'Shadeed')recites self composed Marsiya.
Every Land Is Karbala Everyday is Ashura
236,968 items / 1,987,526 views
The Day of Ashura (Arabic: ???????? ?Ashura’; Persian: ??????; Turkish: Asure Günü) is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram.
It is commemorated by Shi'a Muslims as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on 10 Muharram in the year 61 AH (October 10, 680 CE).[1] According to Sunni Muslim tradition, Muhammad fasted on this day and asked other people to fast.[2][3]
In some Shi'a regions of Muslim countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Bahrain, the Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become a national holiday and most ethnic and religious communities participate in it. Even in predominantly Hindu country like India, Ashura (10th day in the month of Muharram) is a public holiday.
The root for the word ashura has the meaning of tenth in Semitic languages; hence the name of the remembrance, literally translated, means "the tenth day". According to the orientalist A.J. Wensinck, the name is derived from the Hebrew ?asor, with the Aramaic determinative ending.[4] The day is indeed the tenth day of the month, although some Islamic scholars offer up different etymologies.
In his book Ghuniyatut Talibin, Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani writes that the Islamic scholars have a difference of opinion as to why this day is known as Ashura, with some scholars suggesting that this day is the tenth most important day that God has blessed Muslims with.[citat
This day is well-known because of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad and the third Shia Imam, along with members of his family and close friends at the Battle of Karbala in the year 61 AH (680 AD). Yazid I was in power then and wanted the Bay'ah (allegiance) of Husayn ibn Ali. Muslims believe Yazid was openly going against the teachings of Islam in public and changing the sunnah of Muhammad.[5][5][6]
Husayn in his path toward Kufa encountered the army of Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa. On October 10, 680 (Muharram 10, 61 AH), he and his small group of companions and family members (in total who were around 72 men and few ladies and children)[7][8] fought with a large army of perhaps more than 100,000 men under the command of Umar ibn Sa'ad, son of the founder of Kufa. Husayn and all of his men were killed while being thirsty. The nearby river (Forat) was also blocked by Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad men and Husayn and his companions were not allowed to get any water from it. Before being killed, Husayn said "if the religion of Mohammad was not going to live on except with me dead, let the swords tear me to pieces."[9][unreliable source?]. Some of the bodies of the dead, including that of Husayn, were then mutilated.[1]
Commemoration for Husayn ibn Ali began after the Battle of Karbala. After the massacre, the Umayyad army looted Husayn's camp and set off with his women and children for the court of Ibn Ziyad. A moving oration delivered by Zaynab in Kufa is recorded in some sources. The prisoners were next sent to the court of Yazid, Umayyad caliph, in Damascus, where one of his Syrian followers asked for Husayn's daughter Fa?imah al-Kubra, and once again it was Zaynab who came to the rescue and protected her honour. The family remained in Yazid's prison for a time. The first assembly (majlis) of Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali is said to have been held by Zaynab in prison. In Damascus, too, she is reported to have delivered a poignant oration. The prison sentence ended when Husayn's 3 year old daughter, Janabe Rukaiyya, died in captivity, unaware of her father's martyrdom. She often cried in prison to be allowed to see her father. She is believed to have died when she saw her fathers mutilated head. Her death caused an uproar in the city, and Yazid, fearful of a potential resulting revolution, freed the captives.[10]
"Zaynab bint Ali quoted as she passed the prostrate body of her brother, Husayn. " O Muhammad! O Muhammad! May the angels of heaven bless you. Here is Husayn in the open, stained with blood and with limbs torn off. O Muhammad! Your daughters are prisoners, your progeny are killed, and the east wind blows dust over them." By God! She made every enemy and friend weep."
Tabari, History of the Prophets and Kings, Volume XIX The Caliphate of Yazid.[11]
Husayn's grave became a pilgrimage site among Shi'a only a few years after his death. A tradition of pilgrimage to the Imam Husayn Shrine and the other Karbala martyrs quickly developed, which is known as Ziarat Ashura.[12] The Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs tried to prevent construction of the shrines and discouraged pilgrimage to the sites.[13] The tomb and its annexes were destroyed by the Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil in 850–851 and Shi'a pilgrimage was prohibited, but shrines in Karbala and Najaf were built by the Buwayhid emir 'Adud al-Daula in 979-80.[14]
Public rites of remembrance for Husayn's martyrdom developed from the early pilgrimages[citation needed]. Under the Buyid dynasty, Mu'izz ad-Dawla officiated at public commemoration of Ashura in Baghdad[citation needed]. These commemorations were also encouraged in Egypt by the Fatimid caliph al-'Aziz[citation needed]. From Seljuq times[citation needed], Ashura rituals began to attract participants from a variety of backgrounds, including Sunnis[citation needed]. With the recognition of Twelvers as the official religion by the Safavids, Mourning of Muharram extended throughout the first ten days of Muharram.[12]
[edit]Significance of Ashura for Shi'a Muslims
Shi'a devotees congregate outside the Sydney Opera House, Australia to commemorate Husayn.
This day is of particular significance to Shi'a and Alawite Muslims, who consider Husayn (the grandson of Muhamad) Ahl al-Bayt the third Imam and the rightful successor of Muhammad. Shi'as make pilgrimages on Ashura, as they do forty days later on Arba'een, to the Mashhad al-Husayn, the shrine in Karbala, Iraq that is traditionally held to be Husayn's tomb. On this day Shi'a are in remembrance, and mourning attire is worn. They refrain from music, since Arabic culture generally considers music impolite during death rituals. It is a time for sorrow and respect of the person's passing, and it is also a time for self-reflection, when one commits oneself to the mourning of the Husayn completely. Weddings and parties are also never planned on this date by Shi'as. Shi'as also express mourning by crying and listening to poems about the tragedy and sermons on how Husayn and his family were martyred. This is intended to connect them with Husayn's suffering and martyrdom, and the sacrifices he made to keep Islam alive. Husayn's martyrdom is widely interpreted by Shi'a as a symbol of the struggle against injustice, tyranny, and oppression.[15]
Shiite Muslims performing Tatbir in Mumbai, India on the day of Ashura
Shi'as believe the Battle of Karbala was between the forces of good and evil with Husayn representing good while Yazid represented evil. Shi'as also believe the Battle of Karbala was fought to keep the Muslim religion untainted of any corruptions and they believed the path that Yazid was directing Islam was definitely for his own personal greed.[citation needed]
Shia Imams strongly insist that the day of Ashura should not be taken as a day of joy and festivity. According to a hadith which is reported from Ali claiming it was on that day the God forgave Adam, Noah's Ark rested on dry land, The Israelites were saved from Pharaoh's army, etc. The day of Ashura, according to Eighth Shia Imam, Ali al-Rida, must be observed as a day of inactivity, sorrow and total disregard of worldly cares.[16]
Some of the events associated with Ashura are held in special congregation halls known as "Imambargah" and Hussainia.[citation needed]
As suffering and cutting the body with knives or chains (matam) have been prohibited by Shi'a marjas like Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran,[17] some Shi'a observe mourning with blood donation which is called "Qame Zani"[17] and flailing.[18] Yet some Shi'ite men and boys, considered heretics by some Muslim scholars, slash themselves with chains(zanjeer) or swords (talwar) and allow their blood to run freely.[18]
Certain rituals like the traditional flagellation ritual called Talwar zani (talwar ka matam or sometimes tatbir) using a sword or zanjeer zani or zanjeer matam, involving the use of a zanjeer (a chain with blades) are also performed.[19] These are religious customs that show solidarity with Husayn and his family. People mourn the fact that they were not present at the battle to fight and save Husayn and his family.[20][21]
Shia commonly believe that taking part in Ashura is to be absolved of sin[citation needed]. A popular Shia saying has it that, `a single tear shed for Husayn washes away a hundred sins.`[22]
[edit]Popular customs
Indian Shia Muslims take out a Ta'ziya procession on day of Ashura in Barabanki, India, Jan, 2009.
Shia Muslims take out an Al'am procession on day of Ashura in Barabanki, India, Jan, 2009.
For Shi'as, commemoration of Ashura is not a festival, but rather a sad event, while Sunni Muslims view it as a victory God has given to his prophet, Moses . This victory is the very reason, as Sunni Muslims believe, Muhammad mentioned when recommending fasting on this day.Sunnis also commemorate this day as the day of victory for Islam. The martyrdom of Hussain, gave new life to the message of Islam. Sunnis gather at the mosques, to remember the noble sacrifice made by Hussain and his companions, hold seminars and take out procession in the remembrance of this great martyr of Islam. For Shi'as, it is a period of intense grief and mourning. Mourners, congregate at a Mosque for sorrowful, poetic recitations such as marsiya, noha, latmiya and soaz performed in memory of the martyrdom of Husayn, lamenting and grieving to the tune of beating drums and chants of "Ya Hussain." Also Ulamas give sermons with themes of Husayn's personality and position in Islam, and the history of his uprising. The Sheikh of the mosque retells the Battle of Karbala to allow the listeners to relive the pain and sorrow endured by Husayn and his family. In Arab countries like Iraq and Lebanon they read Maqtal Al-Husayn. In some places, such as Iran, Iraq and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, Ta'zieh, passion plays, are also performed reenacting the Battle of Karbala and the suffering and martyrdom of Husayn at the hands of Yazid.[citation needed]
Tabuiks being lowered in to the sea in Pariaman, Indonesia, by Shia Muslims.
For the duration of the remembrance, it is customary for mosques and some people to provide free meals (Niazz) on certain nights of the month to all people[citation needed]. People donate food and Middle Eastern sweets to the mosque[citation needed]. These meals are viewed as being special and holy, as they have been consecrated in the name of Husayn, and thus partaking of them is considered an act of communion with God, Hussain, and humanity.[citation needed]
Participants congregate in public processions for ceremonial chest beating (matham/latmiya) as a display of their devotion to Husayn, in remembrance of his suffering and to preach that oppression will not last in the face of truth and justice.[23] Others pay tribute to the time period by holding a Majilis, Surahs from the Quran and Maqtal Al-Husayn are read.
Today in Indonesia, the event is known as Tabuik (Minangkabau language) or Tabut (Indonesian). Tabuik is the local manifestation of the Shi'a Muslim Remembrance of Muharram among the Minangkabau people in the coastal regions of West Sumatra, particularly in the city of Pariaman. The festival includes reenactments of the Battle of Karbala, and the playing of tassa and dhol drums.[citation needed]
In countries like Turkey, there is the custom of eating Noah's Pudding (Ashure) as this day in Turkish is known as Asure.
[edit]Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali by non-Muslims
A tadjah at Hosay in Port of Spain during the 1950s
In some countries other religious communities commemorate this event.
In Trinidad and Tobago[24] and Jamaica[25] all ethnic and religious communities participate in his event, locally known as "Hosay" or "Hussay", from "Husayn".
[edit
Ashura Lucknow 2007
The Day of Ashura (عاشوراء transliteration: ʻĀshūrā’, Ashura, Ashoura, and other spellings) is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram but not the Islamic month.
It is commemorated by the Shi‘a as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on 10 Muharram in the year 61 AH (December 10, 680 AD). Sunni Muslims believe that Moses fasted on that day to express gratitude to God for liberation of Israelites from Egypt. According to Sunni Muslim tradition, Muhammad fasted on this day and asked other people to fast.[2][3]
In some countries and regions such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become a national holiday and all ethnic and religious communities participate in it.
The word ashura means simply tenth in Arabic; hence the name of the remembrance, literally translated, means "the tenth day". Islamic scholars, however, give various explanations as to why it is thus called.
The word Ashura is Arabic for tenth. The day is indeed the tenth day of the month, although some Islamic scholars offer up different etymologies. In his book Ghuniyatut Talibin, Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani writes that the Islamic scholars have a difference of opinion as to why this day is known as Ashura. The general consensus is that the day is the tenth day of the month of Muharram. Some scholars, however, suggest that this day is the tenth most important day that God has blessed Muslims with; hence the name Ashura.
See also: Battle of Karbala
This day is well-known because of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali the grandson of Muhammad and the third Shia Imam, along with members of his family and close friends at the Battle of Karbala in the year 61 AH (AD 680). Yazid I was in power then and wanted the Bay'ah (allegiance) of Husayn ibn Ali. Many Muslims believe Yazid was openly going against the teachings of Islam in public and changing the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad.[9] [10] [11]
Husayn in his path toward Kufa encountered the army of Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa. On October 10 680(Muharram 10, 61 AH), he and his small group of companions and family members, who were between 108 and 136 men of Husayn ibn Ali (the grandson of Muhammad). [12][13], fought with a large army of perhaps 4,000 men under the command of Umar ibn Sa'ad, son of the founder of Kufa. Husayn and all of his men were killed. The bodies of the dead, including that of Husayn, were then mutilated.[14]
Commemoration for Husayn ibn Ali began after Battle of Karbala. According to Tabari
Zaynab bint Ali quoted as she passed the prostrate body of her brother, Husayn. " O Muhammad! O Muhammad! May the angels of heaven bless you. Here is Husayn in the open, stained with blood and with limbs torn off. O Muhammad! Your daughters are prisoners, your progeny are killed, and the east wind blows dust over them." By God! She made every enemy and friend weep. [15][unreliable source?]
After the massacre, the Umayyad army looted Husayn's camp and set off with his women and children for the court of Ibn Ziyad. A moving oration delivered by Zaynab in Kufa is recorded in some sources. The prisoners were next sent to the court of Yazid, Umayyad caliph, in Damascus, where one of his Syrian followers asked for Husayn's daughter Faṭimah al-Kubra, and once again it was Zaynab who came to the rescue and protected her honour. The family remained in Yazid's prison for a time. The first assembly (majlis) of Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali is said to have been held by Zaynab in prison. In Damascus, too, she is reported to have delivered a poignant oration.[16]
A pilgrimage to Karbala for the celebration of Arba'een, 28 March, 2005.
A pilgrimage to Karbala for the celebration of Arba'een, 28 March, 2005.
Just few years after Husayn's death his grave became a pilgrimage site among Shi'a. A tradition of pilgrimage to the Imam Husayn Shrine and the other Karbala martyrs quickly developed, which is renown as Ziarat Ashura.[17] The Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs tried to prevent construction of the shrines and discouraged pilgrimage to the sites.[18] The tomb and its annexes were destroyed by the Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil in 850-851 and Shi'a pilgrimage was prohibited, but shrines in Karbala and Najaf were built by the Buwayhid emir 'Adud al-Daula in in 979-80.[19]
It did not take long for public rites of remembrance for Husayn's martyrdom to develop from the early pilgrimages. Under the Buyid dynasty, Mu'izz ad-Dawla officiated at public commemoration of Ashura in Baghdad. These commemorations were also encouraged in Egypt by the Fatimid caliph al-'Aziz. From Seljuq times, Ashura rituals began to attract many participants from a variety of backgrounds, including Sunnis. With the recognition of Twelvers as the official religion by the Safavids, Mourning of Muharram extended throughout the first ten days of Muharram.[17]
[edit] Significance of Ashura for Shi'a Muslims
This day is of particular significance to Shi'a Muslims, who consider Hussein (the grandson of the Prophet) Ahl al-Bayt the third Imam and the rightful successor of Muhammad. Many Shi'as make pilgrimages on Ashura to the Mashhad al-Husayn, the shrine in Karbala, Iraq that is traditionally held to be Imam Hussein's tomb. On this day Shi'a are in remembrance, and mourning attire is worn. They refrain from music, since customarily in Islam when death has occurred music is considered impolite. It is a time for sorrow and respect of the person's passing, and it is also a time for self-reflection, when one commits oneself to the mourning of the Imam Hussein completely. Weddings and parties are also never planned on this date by Shi'as. Shi'as also express mourning by crying and listening to poems about the tragedy and sermons on how Hussein and his family were martyred. This is intended to connect them with Hussein's suffering and martyrdom, and the sacrifices he made to keep Islam alive. Hussein's martyrdom is widely interpreted by Shi'a as a symbol of the struggle against injustice, tyranny, and oppression. [20]
Shi'as believe the Battle of Karbala was between the forces of good and evil. Imam Hussain represented good while Yazid represented evil. Shi'as also believe the Battle of Karbala was fought to keep the Muslim religion untainted of any corruptions and they believed the path that Yazid was directing Islam was definitely for his own personal greed.[citation needed]
.
Shia refrain from drinking and eating in commemoration of Imam Hussein. This is known as Fakah, which is not a formal fast.[citation needed]
Many of the events associated with Ashura are held in special congregation halls known as "Imambargah" and Hussainia.[citation needed]
As suffering and cutting the body with knives or chains (matam) have been prohibited by many Shi'a marjas like Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran,[21], some Shi'a observe mourning with blood donation which is called "Qame Zani" [22] and flailing[23].
Certain rituals like the traditional flagellation ritual called zanjeer zani or zanjeer matam, involving the use of a zanjeer (a chain) are also performed[24]. These are not religious customs but are popularly done for the sake of Imam Hussain and his family. Many Shia's today in the West give blood to the Red Cross when commemorating the blood that spilled in Karbala.[citation needed]
At least many Shia believe that taking part in Ashura is to be absolved of sin. A popular Shia saying has it that, `a single tear shed for Hussain washes away a hundred sins.` [25]
[edit] Popular customs
For Shi'as, commemoration of Ashura is not a festival, but rather a sad event, while Sunni Muslims view it as a victory God (Allah) has given to his prophet, Musa. This victory is the very reason, as Sunni Muslims believe, Muhammad mentioned when recommending fasting on this day. For Shi'as, it is a period of intense grief and mourning. Mourners, congregate at a Mosque for sorrowful, poetic recitations such as marsiya, noha, latmiya and soaz performed in memory of the martyrdom of Hussein, lamenting and grieving to the tune of beating drums and chants of "Ya Hussain." Also Ulamas give sermons with themes of Hussein's personality and position in Islam, and the history of his uprising. The Sheikh of the mosque retells the Battle of Karbala to allow the listeners to relive the pain and sorrow endured by Hussein and his family. In Arab countries like Iraq and Lebanon they read Maqtal Al-Husayn. In some places, such as Iran, Iraq and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, Ta'zieh, passion plays, are also performed reenacting the Battle of Karbala and the suffering and martyrdom of Hussein at the hands of Yazid.[citation needed]
Tabuiks being lowered in to the sea in Pariaman, Indonesia, by Shia Muslims.
Tabuiks being lowered in to the sea in Pariaman, Indonesia, by Shia Muslims.
For the duration of the remembrance, it is customary for mosques and some people to provide free meals (Niazz) on certain nights of the month to all people. Many people donate food and Middle Eastern sweets to the mosque. These meals are viewed as being special and holy, as they have been consecrated in the name of Husayn, and thus partaking of them is considered an act of communion with God, Hussain, and humanity.[citation needed]
Many of the male participants congregate together in public for ceremonial chest beating (matham/latmiya) as a display of their devotion to Husayn and in remembrance of his suffering. Women pay tribute to the time period by holding a Majilis, Surahs from the Quran and Maqtal Al-Husayn are read.[citation needed]
Today in Indonesia, the event is known as Tabuik (Minangkabau language) or Tabut (Indonesian). Tabuik is the local manifestation of the Shi'a Muslim Remembrance of Muharram among the Minangkabau people in the coastal regions of West Sumatra, particularly in the city of Pariaman. The festival includes reenactments of the Battle of Karbala, and the playing of tassa and dhol drums.[citation needed]
Hussein, according to Sunni tradition, is a historical personality who attained martyrdom in this special historical event. Accordingly, Sunnis deal with the tragedy of Karbala by investigating the historical causes that led to the martyrdom of Al-Hussein and his companions. Sunnis may at times differ in estimating its causes and results, what is right and what is wrong about it, but never ignore Hussein's grand religious rank, affirmed by religious texts and his being Muhammad's grandson and coming from Ahl Al-Bayt[26]. Nonetheless viewpoints in the Sunni community vary the reason being is that Sunnis accept the succession of caliphate including that of Ali as the fourth caliph. However, they do not see the remaining family members after Ali as the leaders of Islam. Whereas Shia Muslims follow the family lineage of Muhammad [4].
Nevertheless, Sunni historiography recognizes that Yazid was a wrong doer and regrets the death of Husayn, whom Sunnis view as righteous.[8] Also in some countries Sunnis mourn for Hussein as the Shi'as do. Mourning was already carried out in Iran as early as twelfth century, when both Sunnis and Shias participated in them.[27] Sunnis in the Maghreb often mourn the dead on this day.[28]
Sunnis Shariah law shuns mourning for more than 3 days after the demise of a person. Thus, Sunni Muslims totally disregard mourning on this day. Sunni Jurisprudence stresses that Ashura was revered by Muhammad long before the Battle of Karbala.[citation needed]
[edit] Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali by non-Muslims
A tadjah at Hosay in Port of Spain during the 1950s
A tadjah at Hosay in Port of Spain during the 1950s
In some countries other religious communities commemorate this event. In Iran, some Armenians and Zoroastrians participate in mourning.[29]
It is reputed that Mahatma Gandhi said: "I learned from Hussein, how to be wronged and yet emerge a winner."[citation needed]
In Trinidad and Tobago[30] and Jamaica[31] all ethnic and religious communities participate in this event, locally known as "Hosay" or "Hussay", from "Husayn".[citation needed]
[edit] Socio-political aspects
Commemoration of Ashura has great socio-political value for the Shi'a, who have been a minority throughout their history. "Al-Amd" asserts that the Shiite transference of Al-Husayn and Karbala ' from the framework of history to the domain of ideology and everlasting legend reflects their marginal and dissenting status in Arab-Islamic society. Such an ideology helps Shiites maintain and reinforce their collective spirit against the Sunni multitude.[original research?][citation needed] According to the prevailing conditions at the time of the commemoration, such reminiscences may become a framework for implicit dissent or explicit protest. It was, for instance, used during the Islamic Revolution of Iran , the Lebanese Civil War, the Lebanese resistance against the Israeli occupation and in the 1990s Uprising in Bahrain. Sometimes the `Ashura' celebrations associate the memory of Al-Husayn's martyrdom with the miserable conditions of Muslims in other non-Islamic third-world nations, on the pretense that every nation and era has their own Husayn.[32]
From the period of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution (1905-11) onward, mourning gatherings increasingly assumed a political aspect. Following an old established tradition, preachers compared the oppressors of the time with Imam Hosayn's enemies, the umayyads.[27]
The political function of commemoration was very marked in the years leading up to the Islamic Revolution of 1978-79, as well as during the revolution itself. In addition, the implicit self-identification of the Muslim revolutionaries with Imam Hosayn led to a blossoming of the cult of the martyr, expressed most vividly, perhaps, in the vast cemetery of Behesht-e Zahra, to the south of Tehran, where the martyrs of the revolution and the war against Iraq are buried.[27]
On the other hand some governments have banned this commemoration. In 1930s Reza Shah forbade it in Iran. The regime of Saddam Hussein saw this as a potential threat and banned Ashura commemorations for many years. In the 1884 Hosay Massacre, 22 people were killed in Trinidad and Tobago when civilians attempted to carry out the Ashura rites, locally known as Hosay, in defiance of the British colonial authorities.[citation needed]
[edit] Violence during Ashura
The Sunni and Shi'a schism is highlighted by the difference in observance by Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. The violence is perpetrated by Sunni and Shia extremists. In countries that have significant populations of both sects, there is often violence during the holiday.[citation needed]
On June 20, 1994 explosion of a bomb in a prayer hall of Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad[33] that killed at least 25 people.[34] The Iranian government officially blamed Mujahedin-e-Khalq for the incident to avoid sectarian conflict between Shias and Sunnis[35]. However, the Pakistani daily The News International reported on March 27, 1995, "Pakistani investigators have identified a 24-year-old religious fanatic Abdul Shakoor residing in Lyari in Karachi, as an important Pakistani associate of Ramzi Yousef. Abdul Shakoor had intimate contacts with Ramzi Ahmed Yousef and was responsible for the June 20, 1994, massive bomb explosion at the shrine Imam Ali Reza in Mashhad."[36]
The 2004 (1425 AH) Shi'a pilgrimage to Karbala, the first since Saddam Hussein was removed from power in Iraq, was marred by bomb attacks, which killed and wounded hundreds despite tight security.
On January 19, 2008, 2 million Iraqi Shia pilgrims marched through Karbala city, Iraq to commemorate Ashura. 20,000 Iraqi troops and police guarded the event amid tensions due to clashes between between Iraqi troops and members of a Shia cult, the Soldiers of Heaven, which left around 263 people dead (in Basra and Nasiriya).[37]
excerpts from wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashura
The Chant of Ya Hussain
236,968 items / 1,987,522 views
Allah Ho Akbar
Shia children
are immune to pain
cut scourge bruise bleed
healed by the chant
of ya hussain
ya hussain
ya hussain
You Shoot Life I Shoot Death
You Shoot Life I Shoot Death, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
236,968 items / 1,987,372 views
a dreamer in death
dreams not over yet
alive on the Internet
gasping for breath
a life of pain
suffering remorse
he tried to forget
borrowed life
always in debt
The Gate of Knowledge Begins With Ali
"ALI MUJHSE HAI" "MAIN ILM KA SHAHAR HUN ALI USKA DARWAZA HAI"
Baba Ramdev Saab and The Barefeet Blogger of Mumbai
Baba Ramdev Saab and The Barefeet Blogger of Mumbai, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
204,111 items / 1,665,767 views
Before I begin I must add this picture could not have been possible without Bhavesh Rajnikant Panchmatia production executive.. I was at Famous Studios to meet Kailash Kher and Baba Ramdev was part of a musical show ..
When I finished with Kailash Kher and was on my way out I saw the press conference of Baba I took permission from Bhavesh to shoot it..
As soon as the press conference got over Baba Ramdev Saab spotted me instantly I am Xmas Tree on Diwali day thanks to my sartorial serendipity.
He asked me in Hindi .. Bhai Ap kidar ke Bawa ho.
I told him Dilon ke Bawa .. And I also told him I was a Dam Madar Malang who promotes Hope Hindutva as a Message of Peace and Humanity before I could say anything further he pulled me and hugged me..
So this my tryst with an icon of India Against Corruption and yoga.
My shop help who was holding my camera instantly shot the picture..
Shooting Hope and Hindutva As a Message of Peace -Two Street Photographers of Bandra
Shooting Hope and Hindutva As a Message of Peace -Two Street Photographers of Bandra, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
Both Marziya Shakir street photographer 4 year old and her grand father the barefeet blogger shoot Hinduism , share the richness of diverse culture, rituals feasts and Hindu festivities...
Friday, June 29, 2012
Firoze Shakir.,1976..Kenna
Alas how swift the moments fly ,
How flash the years along
Scarce here, yet gone already by
The burden of a song
See childhood, youth , and manhood pass,
And age with furrowed brow;
Time was .Time shall be - drain the glass-
But where is Time now?
quincy adams ..the hour glass
1976 I used to work in a branch of Burlingtons of Bombay , this was at the branch at Oberoi Sheraton .. this was a world within a world. ..I was learning fashion designing from Mrs Jennifer Kendal wife of the actor Shashi Kapoor who acted in all Ivory Merchant Productions., Mrs Gabriella Kapoor wife of my boss Mr Andre Kapur.. this hotel was on the bay called Marine Drive..
My salary was Rs 700 per month.. it is on this salary that I got married in 1977,,after my girlfriend broke up with me and I took too drinking and drugs..and I was the most famous guy on the block as I spoke French , some German.. read Eliot, James Jyoce Sartre, Kierkgard, Camus,Salinger, Malamud, Koestler,I was stylish even on a Rs 700 salary.
And the coin round my neck is the Kenna .. Papua New Guinea
A guy from Australia who was desperate for my ass gave it to me .
my ass didnt go places.. I kept it to myself..
And I will in cicrca 2005 add a tatoo to my ass Made In India..Export Quality..
THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN BY LATE MR KEN LYNN SOCIETY PHOTOGRAPHER.
Hamara Matam Unhe Bechain Kar Deta Hai..Hamare Khoon Se Zyada UnkaKhoon Behta Hai
Hamara Matam Unhe Bechain Kar Deta Hai..Hamare Khoon Se Zyada Unka Khoon Behta Hai, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
enemies of hussain
are enemies of humanity
When a Shia Cuts Himself Up It Hurts Muslims More Than Muslims Killing Muslims
When a Shia Cuts Himself Up It Hurts Muslims More Than Muslims Killing Muslims, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
236,968 items / 1,986,779 views
we as muslims
are the most
hypocritical race
among us the
so called
sanctimonious
their faith
misplaced
muslims
killing muslims
sheer disgrace
eunuch silence
on the soul of humanity
preys as one muslim
another muslim slays
washing his hands
a good deed done
islam saved
once again
the message
of the holy one
ruthlessly
betrayed
head bowed
he prays
shia mosques
shia shrines
sufi dargahs
bombed out
of space
leave no trace
killing ali
killing hussain
gives them
the right
to kill others
a thought
evil as it is
stays
the rogue mullah
wont stop
the killings
because it pays
to keep the
community
divided
as always
shah ast hussain
badshah ast hussain
hussain is humanity
on the soul of the
matrix of evil
a slogan we raise
call us kafirs
rafidis it is
love of ahle bayt
we faithfully
embrace
Lovers of Imam Hussain - The Baluchis
the baluchis
are an intrepid
ancient race
with history
written on their face
lovers of imam hussain
ahle bayt they embrace
their deportment
dignity and grace
living in their
own private
cloistered mind space
to Syria their ancestry trace
dreams of hope
of a better life
for their children
they chase
The Iraqi Kama Matam of Mumbai -Chehlum 2009
The Iraqi Kama Matam of Mumbai was started by my dear friend Habib Nassar and his Anjuman,I have been shooting this consistently over the years.
Habib leaves no stones unturned , men boys little kids all are part of this memorable procession, be it Ashura or be it Chehlum, I have cut my head here both at Ashura and now at Chehlum.
Even little babies are bought here to have their heads marked with the blade of the dagger.
Habibs brother Baqar , Habibs friends Kallu, Razi, Ali , Ghulam, and others lend total support to this procession that reminds the world of a terrorism that gave birth at Karbala , under the Scourge and the Butcher of Karbala Yazid Caliph ,despicable despot of the accursed Ummayad Dynasty. ..responsible for the genocide and the holocaust at Karbala of the noble family of Imam Hussain grandson of the Holy Prophet of Islam.
For 1400 years the Shias shed their blood to open the eyes to an imminent danger , yes Moharam is a Protest , the only one of its kind against Yazidiyat and lovers of Yazidiyat exist even today , lovers of Muawiyah the father of Yazid....who through evil propaganda, will do anything to underplay the Supreme Sacrifice of Imam Hussain..
For them what happened at Karbala is a figment of the Shia mind, or a conspiracy by Judiasm.
Anything to condone the evil deeds of Yazid, and the Muslim eunuchs at Karbala , who watched Imam Hussain being murdered in cold blood but did nothing..
I salute the eunuchs of India through my website who at least believe in Divinity and are also lovers of our beloved Imam.
For this reason of Shia outspokenness, puritanical forces petro powered use web sites like Allah Ho Akbar dot net and others to promote Shia hate and Shia bashing.
For the Yazidi lover the greatest enemy to their cause is not Judaism or America it is the Shia and his cry of Ya Hussain.
The Yazidi has hijacked Islam for his vested needs..
Hussain is Humanity is our answer to them
Har Kaum Pukaregi Hamare Hain Hussain.
And I end this with the words of Khwajah Gharib Nawaz
Shah ast Hussain, Badshah ast Hussain
Deen ast Hussain, Deen Panah ast Hussain
Sardad na dad dast, dar dast-e-yazeed,
Haqaa key binaey La ila ast Hussain
Loosely translated
Ruler is Hussain, Emperor is Hussain,
Faith is Hussain , guardian of faith is Hussain .
Offered his head and not the hand to Yazid.
Truly, the mirror of faith is Hussain
Read the message beneath our blood
Hussain is Humanity a single word
All over the cyberspace is now heard
Says Firoze Shakir the Indian Leopard
taziadar hain hum shae ke ghamkhar hain hum
http://ishare.rediff.com/music/hindi/taziya-dar-hain-hum/10043882
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Shah-e-Mardan Sher-e-Yazdan Quwat-e-Parwardigar Lafata Ila Ali La Saif Ila Zulfiqar , originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1 ....
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Dargah of Hazrat Syed Ali Mira Datar Unava Gujrat , a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr. HAZRAT SYED ALI MIRA DATAR'S G...
