Interesting discussions around guests!

Assalaam o Alaikum,

I'd say a rather active community and group of individuals to speak out what they believe in!  However, very sad that the message is conveyed in an improper and inappropriate manner... 

It was definitely interesting to hear some discussions and views of the youngsters around here on inviting guests like Sayed Ammar Nakshawani and Nadeem Sarwar!  Impressive that kids so young actually have something to advice adults about "being humble" and yet they have no remorse over their very own tone of talking!  We often forget that when we point one finger at another person, the other four are pointing at us!

I was honestly very heartbroken and felt bad for these youngsters!  These are our youth of tomorrow?  These are the kids that will represent our community and our Imams (A.S) tomorrow?  Sometimes I wonder if youth so actively involved in our community thinks and talks like this, whatever will happen to those who are not active?  Is this a "lost ummah" that we are warned about?

Respecting a person for conveying the message of Imam Hussain (A.S) and the message of Karbala in my opinion is the least we can do.  Especially when many of us might not even know the extent to which these speakers/reciters go to spread the word!  So what if a person requested something special (in this situation, a microphone!) to relay a message?  I mean is it really that big of a deal of the guy asked for a good microphone/sound system a few times?  Is it really that disrespectful that youngsters, ages less than the guys experience, are standing up and literally telling adults "we will stand up against calling him back for recitation"?  SERIOUSLY?

What I feel worse about is that these youngsters are supposedly the youth that represents our mosque to the outside world!  I fear what comes next?  I truely hope that I can somehow assist them in obtaining an identity in this community and around the world as representatives of Imams (A.S) as they should be!  I am not sure how far my efforts may reach, but I certainly do not want the youth around here to be recognized as a bad identity to the community at large.  It is important in my opinion for any youth organization to realize that they can accomplish ALOT if they really structure themselves to do so.  With this thought in mind and a humble effort to assist, I will inshAllah step forwad to assist some of these kids that I have had a chance to speak with lately.

I also have a humble request to all parents, please create a polite islamic environment for your children to flourish.  It is important to teach them respect and etiquettes for interacting with the community to create their own individual identities.  One needs to develop a basis to be heard before putting forth a request in any situation.  So what if your kids are born and raised in the west, their manners and akhlaq are first and foremost representing your own family! 

JazakAllah
Zehra

Azadari with Nadeem Sarwar!

Assalaam o Alaikum,

SubhanAllah!  God Gifted voice and a wonderful experience meeting with the ever so famous and well reknowned nauha khwan Nadeem Sarwar in the Bay Area this Moharram 1434!

Despite long travel days and a hectic schedule of three consecutive Shab-e-Dari's, the guy had amazing strength to recite so beautifully at our Azadari last night.  Had a wonderful trip down memory lane listening to the all time great nauhas alhamdolilah!

He recited for about 2.5 hours or so.. and an amazing medley of consecutive 23 nauhas that I could capture!  All time favorites and very much recited by several generations.  It was amazing to see his energy and strength reciting the nauhas!  Amazingly without a break or even water!!
A great experience for me atleast listening to some of my very favorite nauhas.

The nauha's he recited, the this exact order, were:

1. Asma -e- Hasna
2. Ya Zahraa (Farsi)
3.  Farmati hain yeh dukhtar-e- Karbala (bibi Sakina A.S)
4. Abbas, meer-e-Karwan
5.  Jaanay walay Karbala ke, Karbala le chal mujhe
6.  Aa dekh mere Ghazi
7.  Abaad hui Karbobala
8.  Mera Beemar Imam
9.  Aaja mere bache
10. Zuljana digo kuja baba Hussaina
11. Abbas na ab laut ke ayega Sakina
12.  Saadaat-e-Karbala
13. Yasrab Nazar aya
14. Kufe ka aur Shaam ka manzar
15.  Haye Alamdar
16.  Ayalam afroshte barsare karbobala (Farsi)
17. Kehti thi Zainab Haye Hussaina
18. Na ro Zainab na ro
19.  Ya Hussain
20.  Achi nahi yeh baat
21.  Shabi e payambar Akbar
22. Maula Haq Imam
23. Ya Wajihan Indullah

An amazing set of Nauhas I must say!  I could see alot of people mesmerized by his voice and his nauhas!  Literally a very much awaited experience and definitely worth the wait!

Hoping inshAllah we get to have more such experiences here in the Bay Area!! 

Zehra

 

Meet up with Maulana Sadiq Hassan

Assalaam o Alaikum,

I'd say a rather interesting day today when we were invited to meet up with Maulana Sadiq Hassan.  I personally had not listened in much on his lectures.. but was aware that there were several issues with his recitation about Khums and Death... several people debated, but since I personally had not heard lectures from him, I chose to stay neutral.

Yesterday was his first majlis here in the Bay Area but with a 1 year old, it is sometimes hard to pay full attention... but the topic was mainly about Sufyani's and Dajjals in this world and Majlis was mainly about Imam Mehdi (ATF).

Today's brunch meetup was a bit interesting.  Having met with Sayed Ammar last week, expectations were a bit high on the one-on-one meetup, therefore I entered to room saying Salaam in a humble manner (as one would to a senior maulana)... to which surprisingly did not get much response... maybe since he was amidst several discussions and greetings... later came to knowledge that he responded like that to more people as well.

Some what of a disappointing introduction to him, however I was told he has immense knowledge, therefore hopes were high to learn alot during his stay and lunch.  Apart from some interesting situations around his restricted and somewhat personalized diet (he is a diabetic) there was much discussion how his morning food affects his evening majaalis (did not make any sense to me, but I have not spoken in place of these individuals, therefore cannot say much on that topic!

Further, I had some questions (keeping in mind the discussions from last week with Sayed Ammar) which I chose to ask him to seek his viewpoints on Nahjul Balagha and the sermons about women etc.  Hoping he would shed some light on basis of his research. I have to admit, I received a very disappointing response that almost shared no information.  On the other hand, all that high build up of expectations somewhat went down the drain!  I was hoping for a more humble, knowledge filled interaction with someone who I was told was very knowledgable!  Sadly, it started out as him not even talking to the ladies and literally it felt like I was back in Pakistan where it is literally TABOO to talk to maulanas!!!!

For me personally knowledge and education revolve around references, discussions and debates with some basis to understand and research on our own.  What really put me off was unfortunately that Maulana Sadiq Hasan shared some viewpoints about certain personalities (with names!!!!) which in my humble opinion he should not have done... I respect that he is a well known respected Maulana, who has the right to opinion, but I also do not believe being at that position allows you to literally badmouth anyone... If you dislike someone's style of recitation, that is an opinion, but to come out in public and say "that person should not have said...." or that "this person is known to say.." in my opinion was not a justified act no matter how knowledgable one is!

Experience with Sayed Ammar was just emphasized in my view as even better alhamdolilah.. He sat in my house talking about so many things, but not once did he mention anything negative about ANYONE!  I even spoke to him about Sayed  Modaressi, but the gentleman never mentioned the entire issue of him not being permitted on Ahlulbayt tv (Sayed Modaressi runs Ahlulbayt tv!).  What a humble and gentle human being! MashAllah.. we need more like Sayed Ammar to make the youth comfortable and answer questions. 

JazakAllah
Zehra

A spiritual Revival with Ammar Nakshawani - Part 4

Assalaam Alaikum,

Day 3 begins with the recitation of the surah of Tabat yata and the lecture is about relationships.  Prophet's (PBUH&HF) relationship with his uncle Abu Lahab before the Prophet (PBUH&HF) announced his prophethood and after was explained in detail.

His lecture was about Silat-ur-Rehm and the importance of showing care and affection to family members. Suspicion can only be forgiven by the person who has been under suspicion!

Silat-ur-Rehm has several benefits.  Some of the benefits include:
1.  Allah SWT increases rizq.
2.  Allah removes narrowing of the grave and punishment of the grave.
3.  Lifespans may increase or decrease due to showing silat ur rehm towards someone!

Some interesting facts brought to attention were that family of several of Imam Hussains immediate family were part of Yazid's army. 
1.   Bibi Ummul Baneen was the cousin of Shimr bin Diljoshan.
2.  Bibi Laila's uncle was Muawiya and her cousin was Yazid
The reason these relationships were brought to light was because of the last moments after Imam Hussain (AS) was martyred, Yazid ordered horsemen to trampol the bodies of the martyrs and family members of varoius family members of Imam Hussian (AS) claimed their bodies and refused to let the horsement trampol the bodies.  The only body left to trampol (inauzobillah) was that of Imam Hussain (AS) since he was the only person whos maternal and paternal links were not found within members of the army of Yazid!

Overall some interesting facts and details were brought to attention in regards to showing soft-heartedness towards friends and family and how beneficial it can be over the lifetime.  Silat-ur-Rehm is highly appreciated by Allah SWT and can bring personal satisfaction over the long term, in this world and in the hereafter.

JazakAllah,
Zehra

A spiritual Revival with Ammar Nakshawani - Part 3

Assalaam o Alaikum,

I begin in the name of Allah SWT, the most merciful & beneficient and I thank Allah SWT for all the blessings he has bestowed upon us.
Day 2 of Sayed Nakshwani's speech was about the Battle of Hunain.
A battle that was a critical point in Islam, yet not a very known incident from Islamic History.

For that matter, I believe the only education any of us may have about any of the battles was mainly when we were back in school in Pakistan studying Islamiyat!  Honestlly, we dont think twice after that as to what effect these battles really had on our religion and how these battles were NOT a way to spread the religion of Islam through the sword!

Battle of Hunain was the last battle in the lif of Prophet (PBUH&HF) and among the only two battles (Badr and Hunain) that were mentioned in the Quran.  Surah 9 (At-Tawbah), verse 25 mentions in regards to this battle:

Allah has already given you victory in many regions and [even] on the day of Hunayn, when your great number pleased you, but it did not avail you at all, and the earth was confining for you with its vastness; then you turned back, fleeing.

This battle has been mentioned by the Imams as well.  Imam Hadi (AS) mentioned it in Jama-e-Kabira as well.  During this battle, only a handful of people were left out of an army of 15,000 with the Holy Prophet. most of them were of Bani Hashim.

These battles will definitely be a part of my research further to collect more details of historical evidences and their importance in shaping religion to where it stands today!  I think it is very important to realize why these battles were fought and the history of events surrounding them.  Battle of Jamal was another interesting topic of discussion...

More laters for sure...

Zehra

A spiritual Revival with Ammar Nakshawani - Part 2

Assalaam o Alaikum,

And the coverage continues... I am still unable to get over the concepts and details presented by Sayed Ammar Nakshawani in his lectures.

Day 1 began with the very much debated sermon 79 of Nahjul Balagha about women:

O' ye peoples! Women are deficient in Faith, deficient in shares and deficient in intelligence. As regards the deficiency in their Faith, it is their abstention from prayers and fasting during their menstrual period. As regards deficiency in their intelligence it is because the evidence of two women is equal to that of one man. As for the deficiency of their shares that is because of their share in inheritance being half of men. So beware of the evils of women. Be on your guard even from those of them who are (reportedly) good. Do not obey them even in good things so that they may not attract you to evils. 

It was a very beautifully delivered and a somewhat surprising lecture for many.  Some details covered in the lecture included but were not limited to the fact that the Nahjul Balagha was compiled by Syed Murtada and Syed Radi about 200 years after Imam Ali (A.S).  He discussed much debate around the above mentioned quote and also referenced the Holy Quran that states facts quiet on the contrary to the above quote.  His aim was to point out that such a quotation cannot be the words of Imam Ali (A.S) as it is against the sayings of the holy book and a compilation related detail that was either not handed off correctly or not translated/interpretted accurately.

These facts are much debated and discussed which made it more interesting to hear the conflicting information.  He further gave details on the piousness of the two men given credit for compiling the wonderful sayings of Imam Ali (A.S) in the Nahjul Balagha, therefore confirming the credibility of the noble men and their lineage.  Some interesting facts unfolded through his discussion and disection of the topic.

I further had the opportunity to ask Sayed Ammar about Ibn Khallikan in Wafayat al-aya'n and his view on the book.  He mentioned that Ibn Khallikan's main issue was with the controvercial quotations mentioned for Caliphs within Nahjul Balagha which led to his questioning of the work overall almost 250 years later.

Seemed like this one sermon and the discussion around it sparked alot of interest.  It was a topic of discussion among the community for his entire duration of stay here in the Bay Area.  Facts and figures presented in his speeches add the puzzle pieces together and research details leave almost no ground for confusion or questions, subhanAllah!

More synopsis of his lectures coming up inshAllah...
JazakAllah,
Zehra...

A spiritual Revival with Ammar Nakshawani - Part 1

SubhanAllah... what a wonderful experience it has been!

I cannot remember the last time I was tired, aching and yet so spiritually revived as I am today... Alhamdolilah had one of the most memorable weekends with none other than Sayed Ammar Nakshawani in the Bay Area the last 4 days!

Sad that he is leaving today.. but his speeches have been wonderful.. an eye opener for many.. and inspiration for some, and definitely something that left me atleast with a craving for more...

Following his research and knowledge over the past 6 years, and finally hearing him live was definitely a much awaited event.  It almost feels like one of those teenage days when you have a celebrity in town with teenagers going nuts... except I saw that effect on adults!  and the "going nuts" was not on celebrity fame, but over the knowledge and wisdom he presented forth!

It is unfortunate that speakers like him have not been invited to the community before... He seemed particulary excited about the joint community efforts within SABA, wherein we had people of various cultures (arab, persian, pakistani and indian to name a few) uniting under the banner of Ahlebait... which is a major compliment to our institution... He secondly was very excited about the bookstore within SABA, which he said claims to be a focal point in showing that the community believes in furthering the education of Ahlebait, yet another plus point for the islamic institution!  He was excited to meet the youth and was happy to answer any and all questions they had.  He suggested books on particular topics and upon personally requeting him, he even suggested some good websites...

I plan to post several details in the upcoming days about this memorable trip.. so keep watching as I post information about his lectures, personal discussions I had the honor of having with him, some references he gave to me etc.

JazakAllah,
Zehra

Learning During Moharram

So here I sat thinking and wondering... Moharram has started again.. actually almost ending now (transcription delay I guess)... and it is interesting how we commemorate it each year and to think of it, someone outside Shia sect of Islam would wonder what exactly is the importance of this commemoration year after year when one would think of the exact same set of events that occurred on the family of our beloved Prophet Mohammad (PBUH&HF).

So I decided to really think about it and make my mind find some answers.
In the process, I thought to myself, dont we fast year after year?  What is that for? Dont we revisit every Ramadhan and think of the hunger and thurst of the poor, we give alms and charity to help others to remove suffering and help the community?  Dont we each year think about the exact same thing?

So here is what I came up with:

• Moharram comemoration is a mind refresher! 
  Spiritual refreshment when you hear logic, history and a combination from well reknowned speakers who present their latest research in terms of religion and reality!
• For me personally, a time to reflect (somewhat like we do in Ramadhan)
  We think about every blessing in life we have today and yet we do not have the spiritual connection with Allah SWT.
• It is a time to cleanse your spiritual self...We avoid music, we avoid movies, we avoid celebrations (which nowadays involve alot of non-religous acts in my humble opinion), therefore we are literally purifying our soul.. isnt that true?
• It is time to prepare for the Imam of our time (ATF)..
  Food for thought really... think about it.  Are our actions and life really in sync with what our Imam would be pleased with?  As we give our heartfelt condolences to our Imam (ATF), do we stop to think even once if we have indeed worked to make ourselves worthy of his attention?

So to answer some questions, honestly I think it is important to commemorate the Month of Moharram and the events that happened during that time.  It is a time to learn.  There has not been one year since I have really started to understand religion, wherein I have not learned something new about our beautiful religion.

If anything, I have seen real religion versus created cultural craziness that people do with the word "religion" tagged on to it! Things get interesting when you really pay attention...

More laters,
JazakAllah,
Kanwal