Adil Najam
I write these lines as midnight strikes in Pakistan on the night between 9th and 10th Moharram. I write these lines as the news on television flashes news about blasts and bombs all around. How much more poignant could the message of Ashura be than it is today? Each year, it seems, the message of Ashura becomes more poignant and more important than the year before. But each year, it also seems, that the message becomes less understood. Each of us has to understand what that message means to us. All I can do today is to repeat my own understanding, in the very same words I had used the last two years.
To me, Ashura commemorates a struggle that is steeped in deep spiritual meaning, not only for Islamic history but for all humanity. It is a struggle between good and evil, between just and unjust, between weak and powerful, between immediate and the eternal, between principle and ambition. The power of Ashura is not only in the epic events that it commemorates, it is in the narrative of those events, in the symbolisms that we construct. Ultimately, it is in the meanings that we derive from those events.
Muharram is, of course, of special significance to Shias. But the events and meaning of Ashura is of significance and relevance to all Muslims, and I would suggest, to all humans everywhere.
Like so many others growing up in a Sunni household I grew up observing ehteram-i-Muharram and am always drawn in these days leading up to Ashura towards thinking about the meaning of religion and of faith. To me these have always been days of deep spiritual reflection; especially of intellectual enquiry into the meaning of justice (the concept of ‘adl’ holds a deep significance to me given the name I was given at birth and therefore I have always interpreted Ashura particularly as a time to reflect on what justice is).
Growing up, the night of Ashura was always defined for me by the Majlis i Shaam i Gharibaan (often by Allama Naseer ul Ijtihaadi) on PTV on the night of dasveen Muharram, which was followed immediately – and at right about midnight – by Syed Nasir Jahan’s soulful recitation of Salam-i-Akhir.
Bachay to aglay baras hum hain aur yeh gham phir hai
Today, as I listen to him again, so many more layers of meaning unfold. So many deep wounds open up. So many new thoughts come flooding in. And, yet, I have nothing new to say. Maybe you can share what the message of Ashura means to you in a world that continues to be unjust and unjustly violent?
@Ben Castle: Why are you surprised? Iqbal respected Hussain(ra) just like every other Muslim in the world. Hussain(Ra) is not Shias’ property just like Jesus is not Chiristian’s property. What Iqbal said is actually what Islam talks about. Someone already quoted verse about it. If Iqbal is exposing some drama then it does not mean he would not have said about it.
We often talk about extremism by Talibans but ppl shy away to talk about extremism which everyone experiences on road in the form of chest beating and knife beating in the month of Moharram. Is it not irony that on kind of extremism is embraced just because it’s officially part of a belief?
Amazing how just 2 or 3 people filled with hatred in their hearts are able to create rift and division by planting hateful comments. All it takes is 2 or 3 and everyone else falls into their trap.
And to “mazbut”, who gave yo the right to speak for all “non-Shias”…. I am not a Shia bt I find your hatefulness disgusting. Prof. Najam who wrote the post is not a Shia and he does not share your hatred. It is only the few enemies of Islam within ourselves who create divisions. Most non-Shias, like most good people in the world, have better sense and respect other people’s beliefs rather than trying to impose their own sectarian hatred on others
WIth “friends” like this, who needs enemies outside!
who are you to “put” people (i.e., Hussain (as)) in their right status.
whabee/salafee doctrine does not have spiritual depth enough to understand much. I have heard that some wahabees dont even go on Quran Khwanee cz it is a bidaat. e thing for them is bidaat.
please stop thinking u have enough authority to put men of god in their right place, some muslims dont even believe in event of miraj. because they also want to “PUT” muhammad (pbuh) in his right place. yar apni jugha tu sumjh lo…jo kai nabee or us kai ahlai-bait ki khaak mai bhi naheen phir talk about “putting” men of god in their right place.
@Sidhas
Deobandis/Wahabis/Ahl-e-hadith/JI /”neo-kharjite” are all ahl-e-bayt haters? So, in other words the shirk-loving Bralwis (who you call ‘Sunnis’) and Shias are the only ones left who love ahl-e-bayt? It’s a sad day that only the shirk loving people (ya abdul qadir or ya ali anyone??) are the only ones left to love the household of the Prophet (saw)?
In other words, no Muslim in Pakistan loves ahl-e-bayt? What a joke. It’s the aqeeda of ahlus sunnah to love the ahl-e-bayt and your lies against the Deobandis/Wahabis/Ahl-e-hadith/JI doesn’t change that fact.
The truth is that as Islam dictates we don’t put anybody above their status, even the Prophet (saw), and do not commit bid’aat when it comes to respecting the ahl-e-bayt. When you put people above their status, you turn them into deities to be used as partners with Allah, as Bralwis do by calling to dead people and Shias do by calling to sayyidana Ali or al-Hasan or al-Hussain and other dead people (i.e. the 12 imams).
Either Sidhas and related posts must be removed or my post must be left alone to challenge the lies propagated by Sidhas and co.
wah wah dil kush ker diya @sidhas and@ a nishapuri
god bless you all
and i loved the link you posted of iqbal, which clearly shows how far some people can go in even naming iqbal with wrong vesres…..