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?
All entrances to MA Jinnah Road were securely guarded by the Rangers and police and even a fly couldn’t slip in. then where did the vandals come from?? Were they in the procession or pre-planted on the Road?? Why was there no effort made by the Rangers and Police to stop the vandals??
Why didn’t they catch a single criminal or suspect??
This seems like a heinous conspiracy either to 1) re-create sectarian conflict by the participants of the procession or 2)
an act of someone else benefitting from the situation of Ashura
3) a conspiracy to evacuate land where those buildings stood
for some other reason, such as expansion of MA Jinnah Road.
In any case the incident clearly reflects upon the dishonesty and inability of the govt to govern and manage the country.
In the passing I would like to endorse the views expressed by
Adnan Siddiqui as of sound reasoning.
Sidhas: You wrote: “I think the Wahabhis are also getting uncomfortable with Qutbi version of Islam.” I agree.
I wrote in a post elsewhere that: “Oft misunderstood, feared from and stereotyped, Salafis (Ahl-e-Hadith) need to be better understood as a peaceful religious group who must not be stereotyped as a part and parcel of Al Qaeda and associates.”
http://criticalppp.org/lubp/archives/1718
Re your suggestion about the freedom of speech, I don’t disagree as far as the freedom of speech does not degenerate into hate speech or incites acts of violence.
I had the fortuity of attending the procession in NY City on Sunday December 27th. There were many a by-standers who wished to understand the promience of the dhuljinah, the alam and the tabot, and more importantly, the significance of the procession
I over-heard two NYPD officers reflecting on their ignorance of the history behind the incident, and I simply stepped in to fill in the blank
Simply told, the commemoration of the death of al-Husayn, was to instill a greater sense of (a) governance (b) fiscal responsibility (c) rule of law (d) tolerance for different opinions and (e) and the respect of popular vote – whereby the office of the leadership had slipped from popular governance to Kingship. al-Husayn took a stance that he would not submit to the system of Kingship that would divorce morality and ethics from governance
His stance, lead to the brutal massacre of his family and his supporters, a handful they were, against an army sent by the then ruler, Yazid
Next I turned attention to the symbolism behind the alam, the dhuljinah and the coffin. They simply personified and personalized the suffering of the family members who went to the battle field to bear witness: to all the principles that al-Husayn stood for. The symbolism of the flag was too self-evident, that of the coffin reminded us that despite a difference of opinion, the family was even denied the basic human right and dignity for a proper burial, and the dhuljinnah, exemplified the last great stand of the abled male, who was al-Husayn himself
That was my way of conveying my message to the 2 NYPD Officers and my children, age, 10, 8 and 6
Nishapuri Sahib,
I agree and am glad you are also following Hizbis. The Hizb ut-tahrir is a dangerous group but I have seen my closest friends fall into their prey.
The way I see transformation happens in phases as follows: traditional cum cultural sunni muslim turns into western/liberal muslim turns into wahabhi muslim turns into Neo-khariji muslim. Does not have to be in sequence. There is ghazzalian experience of a sort at play (with all due respect to Imam Ghazzali).
It is quite surprising that even Wahabhis consider them Kharjis. You can read the articles or books on their website salafi minhaj. I think the Wahabhis are also getting uncomfortable with Qutbi version of Islam. But fountainhead of all this extremism is Wahabhi creed.
Those interested to stop extremism should start study circles to know extremist creed/methodology and then come up with ways to defend Islam and Insaniyat.
For me I been using the traditional understanding of religion and rationalism. With Al-Zulfikhar, the Kharjis will be defeated.
Taking away their right to freedom of expression is not an option.
Ibrahim,
I am glad you expressed your opinion about Sunnis and Shias. That is okay. You have right to express your opinion. We must have a dialouge and respect dissenting opinions. Everyone is muslim whether you believe in Husain or not. For you it is very hard to understand Sunni creed. For me it is hard to understand Shia and/or Wahabhi creed. But in any case, It is impossible to anyone kafir. Please read Amman Declaration of 2006 where all scholars of all schools congregated and with one voice declared their understanding on Kufr / Iman.
My second point was more important. That is, right to life, liberty, and justice.
Shias, Sunnis, and Wahabhis/Deobandis(pakistani), neo-Kharjis should at the least come to an agreement over some universal rights.
All I am saying is that we will have religious differences. Those religious differences should not motivate us to take someone life, property, or dignity.
Sunnis and Shias is this regard have taken a step forward. Wahabhis and neo-Kharijis have not.