November 25, 2012 at 9:26 pm · Filed under My Views, Social Initiatives, Spirituality and tagged: Imam Hussain, Karbala, MIR, ONE
The event of Karbala marks the greatest sacrifice for the sake of God in the human history. The minute and stunning details of this great event have been written and survived from the very first day by the eye witnesses.
For the last fourteen hundred centuries, the battle of Karbala reflects the collision of the good versus the evil, the virtuous versus the wicked, right versus the wrong, and the collision of Imam Husain (the head of virtue) versus Yazid (the head of impiety).
Edward G. Brown, the professor of Arabic and oriental studies at the University of Cambridge, praises Imam Husain in these words:
“… a reminder of the blood-stained field of Kerbela, where the grandson of the Apostle of God fell at length, tortured by thirst and surrounded by the bodies of his murdered kinsmen, has been at anytime since then sufficient to evoke, even in the most lukewarm and heedless, the deepest emotions, the most frantic grief, and an exaltation of spirit before which pain, danger and death shrink to unconsidered trifles.”
[A Literary History of Persia, London, 1919, p. 227]
As the Imam of the time and true representative of his grandfather Prophet Muhammad (S), Imam Husain (A) stood up against the tyrant of the time to safeguard and protect Islam and guide fellow Muslims. On the other hand, the staying power of the rulers (Mu’awiya and his son Yazid) depended solely on the might of the sword. They used brute force to rule over the Muslim empire even by all possible illicit means.
By the time the sun was set, the day of Ashura in the plains of Karbala, witnessed Imam Husain (A) giving up everything humanly possible in the way of God including his 72 brave and loyal followers and his 6 months beautiful baby, Ali Asghar. In the wake of such a great sacrifices, the Quran praises as:
“Think not of those who are slain in God’s way as dead. Nay, they are living, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord” (Qur’an 3:169).
Before the battle of Karbala, the world knew only the rule that “The Might is the Right”. However, the day of Assura introduced even more powerful rule to this world; “The Right is the Might” . Now, the blood of the innocent could win over the sword of a tyrant.
Mahatma Gandhi (Indian political and spiritual leader) writes: “I learned from Hussein how to achieve victory while being oppressed.”
According to the great poet Rabindranath Tagore, Hussain’s sacrifice indicates spiritual liberation. He writes: “In order to keep alive justice and truth, instead of an army or weapons, success can be achieved by sacrificing lives, exactly what Imam Hussain (A.S.) did”
Such an everlasting victory can only be achieved by the one who totally believes and trust in the Almighty God.
Thomas Carlyle (Scottish historian and essayist) explains: “The best lesson which we get from the tragedy of Karbala is that Husain and his companions were rigid believers in God. They illustrated that the numerical superiority does not count when it comes to the truth and the falsehood. The victory of Husain, despite his minority, marvels me!”
Imam Hussain (A.S.) explains the mission of his sacrifice in his own words: “I have taken this stand not out of arrogance or pride, neither out of mischief or injustice. I have risen to seek reform in the community of my grandfather. I would like to bid good, forbid evil, and follow the tradition of my grandfather and my father ‘Ali bin Abi Talib.”
Charles Dickens (English novelist) writes: “If Husain had fought to quench his worldly desires…then I do not understand why his sister, wife, and children accompanied him. It stands to reason therefore, that he sacrificed purely for Islam.”
In spite of all the painful aspects of Karbala, it holds a great significance in the Islamic history, for the revolution of Imam Husain (A) was not merely an event which had taken place by chance. It was rather a movement for the revival of Islam. Imam Hussain (A) declared his noble mission right from the day one.
Antoine Bara (Lebanese writer) writes: “No battle in the modern and past history of mankind has earned more sympathy and admiration as well as provided more lessons than the martyrdom of Husayn in the battle of Karbala.” (Husayn in Christian Ideology)
History has seen numerous massacres of innocent people, but the tragedy of Karbala is one of the few where men, women and children voluntarily allowed themselves to be subjected to hunger, thirst, humiliation and death on the burning sands of Karbala because they believed that Imam Hussain (A) stood for righteousness. Little wonder that for over 1400 years Muslims, have been nurturing the tale of Karbala in their hearts like an open wound, lest they should forget the supreme sacrifice of Imam Hussain (A) and his followers.
Great spiritual leaders are known to make great sacrifices, but at Karbala, common men and women with infants at their bosom, their hearts and souls aflame with righteousness, chose death rather than evil and weakness. Such was the greatness of Imam Hussain (A); such was his spiritual power, which could uplift common mortals to heights of supreme courage and sacrifice.
Dr. K. Sheldrake writes: “Of that gallant band, male and female knew that the enemy forces around were implacable, and were not only ready to fight, but to kill. Denied even water for the children, they remained parched under the burning sun and scorching sands, yet not one faltered for a moment. Husain marched with his little company, not to glory, not to power of wealth, but to a supreme sacrifice, and every member bravely faced the greatest odds without flinching.”
Dr. Radha Krishnan writes “Though Imam Hussain gave his life years ago, but his indestructible soul rules the hearts of people even today.”
The tragedy of Karbala took place in 680 AD on the banks of the Euphrates in Iraq but Karbala has a universal appeal and in today’s climate of violence, it is more relevant than ever. The tragedy of Karbala and its spirit of non-violent resistance and supreme sacrifice has been a source of inspiration to the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru.
Mahatma Gandhi’s first Salt Satyagrah was inspired by Imam Hussain’s non violent resistance to the tyranny of Yazid. Gandhi is said to have studied the history of Islam and Imam Hussain (A), and was of the opinion that Islam represented not the legacy of a sword but of sacrifices of saints like Imam Hussain (A).
Mahatma Gandhi writes:“My faith is that the progress of Islam does not depend on the use of sword by its believers, but the result of the supreme sacrifice of Hussain (A), the great saint.”
Nehru considered Karbala to represent humanities strength and determination. He writes:
“Imam Hussain’s (A) sacrifice is for all groups and communities, an example of the path of righteousness.”
Dr. Rajendra Prasad writes, “The sacrifice of Imam Hussain (A) is not limited to one country, or nation, but it is the hereditary state of the brotherhood of all mankind.”
Dr. Radha Krishnan writes, “Though Imam Hussain (A) gave his life almost 1300 years ago, but his indestructible soul rules the hearts of people even today.”
Swami Shankaracharya describes, “It is Hussain’s (A) sacrifice that has kept Islam alive or else in this world there would be no one left to take Islam’s name.”
Mrs. Sarojini Naidu writes, “I congratulate Muslims that from among them, Hussain (A), a great human being was born, who is reverted and honored totally by all communities”
Simon Ockley (1678-1720), the Professor of Arabic at the University of Cambridge writes:
“Then Husain mounted his horse, and took the Koran and laid it before him, and, coming up to the people, invited them to the performances of their duty: adding, ‘O God, thou art my confidence in every trouble, and my hope in all adversity!’… He next reminded them of his excellencies, the nobility of his birth, the greatness of his power, and his high descent, and said, ‘Consider with yourselves whether or not such a man as I am is not better than you; I who am the son of your prophet’s daughter, besides whom there is no other upon the face of the earth. Ali was my father; Jaafar and Hamza, the chief of the martyrs, were both my uncles; and the apostle of God, upon whom be peace, said both of me and my brother, that we were the chief of the youth of paradise. If you will believe me, what I say is true, for by God, I never told a lie in earnest since I had my understanding; for God hates a lie. If you do not believe me, ask the companions of the apostle of God [here he named them], and they will tell you the same. Let me go back to what I have.’ They asked, ‘What hindered him from being ruled by the rest of his relations.’ He answered, ‘God forbid that I should set my hand to the resignation of my right after a slavish manner. I have recourse to God from every tyrant that doth not believe in the day of account.'”
[The History of the Saracens, London, 1894, pp. 404-5]
Ignaz Goldziher (1850-1921), the Famous Hungarian orientalist scholar writes:
“Ever since the black day of Karbala, the history of this family … has been a continuous series of sufferings and persecutions. These are narrated in poetry and prose, in a richly cultivated literature of martyrologies – a Shi’i specialty – and form the theme of Shi’i gatherings in the first third of the month of Muharram, whose tenth day (‘ashura) is kept as the anniversary of the tragedy at Karbala. Scenes of that tragedy are also presented on this
day of commemoration in dramatic form (ta’ziya). ‘Our feast days are our assemblies of mourning.’ So concludes a poem by a prince of Shi’i disposition recalling the many mihan of the Prophet’s family. Weeping and lamentation over the evils and persecutions suffered by the ‘Alid family, and mourning for its martyrs: these are things from which loyal supporters of the cause cannot cease. ‘More touching than the tears of the Shi’is’ has even become an Arabic proverb.”
[Introduction to Islamic Theology and Law, Princeton, 1981, p. 179]
Edward Gibbon (1737-1794), considered as the greatest British historian of his time writes
“In a distant age and climate the tragic scene of the death of Husain will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader.”
[The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, London, 1911, volume 5, pp. 391-2]
Peter J. Chelkowski, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, New York University, writes
“Hussein accepted and set out from Mecca with his family and an entourage of about seventy followers. But on the plain of Kerbela they were caught in an ambush set by the … caliph, Yazid. Though defeat was certain, Hussein refused to pay homage to him. Surrounded by a great enemy force, Hussein and his company existed without water for ten days in the burning desert of Kerbela. Finally Hussein, the adults and some male children of his family and his companions were cut to bits by the arrows and swords of Yazid’s army; his women and remaining children were taken as captives to Yazid in Damascus. The renowned historian Abu Reyhan al-Biruni states; “… then fire was set to their camp and the bodies were trampled by the hoofs of the horses; nobody in the history of the human kind has seen such atrocities.”
[Ta’ziyeh: Ritual and Drama in Iran, New York, 1979, p. 2]
Reynold Alleyne Nicholson(1868-1945), Sir Thomas Adams Professor of Arabic at the University of Cambridge, writes, “Husayn fell, pierced by an arrow, and his brave followers were cut down beside him to the last man. Muhammadan tradition, which with rare exceptions is uniformly hostile to the Umayyad dynasty, regards Husayn as a martyr and Yazid as his murderer.”
[A Literary History of the Arabs, Cambridge, 1930, p. 197 ]
Robert Durey Osborn (1835-1889), the Major of the Bengal Staff Corps, writes, “Hosain had a child named Abdallah, only a year old. He had accompanied his father in this terrible march. Touched by its cries, he took the infant in his arms and wept. At that instant, a shaft from the hostile ranks pierced the child’s ear, and it expired in his father’s arms. Hosain placed the little corpse upon the ground. ‘We come from God, and we return to Him!’ he cried; ‘O Lord, give me strength to bear these misfortunes!’ … Faint with thirst, and exhausted with wounds, he fought with desperate courage, slaying several of his antagonists. At last he was cut down from behind; at the same instance a lance was thrust through his back and bore him to the ground; as the dealer of this last blow withdrew his weapon, the ill-fated son of Ali rolled over a corpse. The head was severed from the trunk; the trunk was trampled under the hoofs of the victors’ horses; and the next morning the women and a surviving infant son were carried away to Koufa. The bodies of Hosain and his followers were left unburied on the spot where they fell. For three days they remained exposed to the sun and the night dews, the vultures and the prowling animals of the waste; but then the inhabitants of a neighboring village, struck with horror that the body of a
grandson of the Prophet should be thus shamefully abandoned to the unclean beasts of the field, dared the anger of Obaidallah, and interred the body of the martyr and those of his heroic friends.”
[Islam Under the Arabs, Delaware, 1976, pp. 126-7]
Sir William Muir (1819-1905), the Scottish scholar and statesman and held the post of Foreign Secretary to the Indian government as well as Lieutenant Governor of the Northwestern Provinces writes: “The tragedy of Karbala decided not only the fate of the caliphate, but of the Mohammedan kingdoms long after the Caliphate had waned and disappeared.”
[Annals of the Early Caliphate, London, 1883, pp. 441-2]
Karbala symbolizes the true face of struggle against injustice – non-violent resistance. Not taking life but sacrificing your life for Islam. In summary, it is not out of place to say in words of some known Indian poets:
- Let humanity awaken and every tribe will claim Hussain as their own.
- In the martyr of Imam Hussain A.S.), lies the death of Yazid, for Islam resurrects after every Karbala
September 22, 2012 at 1:55 am · Filed under My Views, Social Initiatives and tagged: CHANGE.ORG, Charter of Morality, Google, MIR, ONE, PETITION, RELIGION
Please sign the petition here: http://bit.ly/charterofmorality
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To,
Google, Inc – CEO/ Chairman and Founders.
To remove all videos from YouTube that insult Abrahamic religions.
We the citizens of the world want Google, Inc to remove all videos from YouTube that insult, degrade, conduct satire in any form whatsoever upon the prophets, the revered figures and disciples of the prophets in all Abrahamic and Monotheistic religions of the world.
In addition we ask Google, Inc to create a ‘Charter of Morality’ for itself that dictates its behaviour in line with the sensitivities of its potential 7 billion user base.
Google, Inc with its many products has become an integral contributor to the world.
While on the one hand it empowers individuals to become informed and actionable citizens of the world, it has also initiated a major change in the social fabric on a global scale that now the company needs to stand up and take active responsibility for.
A significant and positive innovation brought about by Google, Inc and its founders now beacons them to take responsibility for a visible shift in global social behaviours.
Religions are beliefs and lack of religious belief is also a belief.
People’s beliefs and related sensitivities should be extremely important to a company that drives its success and growth off their support and appreciation.
We the citizens of the world compel Google, Inc and especially its founders, Mr. Larry Page and Mr. Sergey Brin to step up and act in creating an actionable ‘Charter of Morality’ for their company.
A charter that defines their role as a global entity in serving the needs of a better and peaceful world and one that does not contribute to its ills and exacerbate the fires of hate and disharmony within its diverse social makeup.
The old rationale for ‘Freedom of Speech’ does not fit into the makeup of an exponentially connected and intertwined global society supported and nurtured as a result of Google’s technologies. A society now composed of a diversity of interconnected views, overlapping many belief systems across many cultural and social differentials.
While Google, Inc stands to gain appreciation for their innovative role, they also shoulder the grave responsibility for managing the unique social dynamics that it has brought about the world over, and as a major benefactor is also directly responsible for any ills caused due to a lack of that responsibility on their part.
Refraining to take action in this matter in the stipulated manner – incriminates Google, Inc and its founders ‘Immoral’ in our eyes and we shall hold you liable for creating and progressing disharmony within the masses of the world.
Google, Inc and its founders can take direct action right now.
We the citizens of the world demand you to take responsibility and do your enormous part in bringing back social balance.
“Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”. Source: Google Company Overview
Prove that Google’s mission is to ensure peace in the process of serving its mission, because otherwise it does more harm to the world than it does good to it.
Sincerely,
Citizens of the World
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Please sign the petition here: http://bit.ly/charterofmorality
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Update (26 September 2012)
A confidential feedback feature added to the petition: http://bit.ly/charterform
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Update (21 September 2012)
CNN’s video shared.
http://cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2012/09/21/exp-google-wont-remove-anti-islam-clip.cnn
August 28, 2012 at 3:26 pm · Filed under My Views, Social Initiatives and tagged: MIR, ONE
Over the course of my life I have come across many incidents where the underlying cause of things being good or not so good was either the presence or lack of appreciation.
A few kind words of acknowledgement for the one you respect and in the presence of their friends that will drive more respect, appreciation and admiration to that person.
The observation that I have made is that some people lack or intentionally refrain from giving that kind of open appreciation.
I wanted to understand why!
The other day I had a chat with a near and dear friend about the topic and a point of view came to light. That, those who refrain from expressing appreciation or to thank in verbal terms are people who feel more comfortable expressing thanks in tangible terms like giving gifts in person. That they feel powerless if they verbally or openly acknowledge their gratitude and that it’s their own way.
That fact was enlightening for me, it goes to show a marked difference between people’s points of views and that when it comes to small things like showing gratitude or acknowledging faults. That some do not do it because they feel powerless doing it. Hummm
Now I would like to review this argument and understand to what extent this would be true.
The first question that comes to mind is…
What is appreciation or thank or gratitude?
Merriam-Webster defines in the following way:
1 a : judgment, evaluation; especially : a favorable critical estimate b : sensitive awareness; especially : recognition of aesthetic values c : an expression of admiration, approval, or gratitude
2 : increase in value
The bottom line being an increase in their value through your judgement or evaluation.
The next question would be how words or actions create that increase in value for the other?
Let’s perceive a few scenarios and understand.
– I want to appreciate someone and I say – Thank You to them in private.
– I want to appreciate someone and I say – Thank You to them in the presence of friends or colleagues or public.
– I want to appreciate someone and I gift them in private.
– I want to appreciate someone and I gift them in the presence of friends or colleagues or public.
Two situations of verbal appreciation and two with acts of appreciation.
Which scenario will increase the one being appreciate, in value?
The impersonal one on one expressions or acts will increase the value of the relation between the two people alone.
The open expressions or acts will not only increase the value of the relationship between the two people but will also “empower” the position of the one being appreciated hence attracting more respect and admiration from those around as well.
An increase in their value as a result.
The idea behind appreciation is to promote goodwill, compassion, happiness and love.
Appreciation is one thing that is acknowledged by all. Despite personality differences, cultural differences, religious differences or national differences. A lack or abundance of it, is a critical measure of the level of happiness and well-being in our lives.
For those who find it difficult to openly appreciate in words or actions. It is important that they should overcome their lack. They may not realize but only this thing brews grief and animosity within those that would genuinely care for you, many times compelling them to back away or change directions and/or break ties. This applies to all social relationships may that be professional or personal.
The more you appreciate openly, (and of course Genuinely) the less insecure you will become, as this act does not make you powerless but rather it uplifts your personality, character and stature. It makes you more respectable and so in-turn, those around you will not heed to your call because you have power but because you command their sincere respect.
It’s the magic of Love.
Spread it around, do not hold back.
– MIR
Mir Moiz's Weblog 