Reflections

1st Waaz – 2nd Moharramul Haraam, 1425 H – Dubai

Huzurala (TUS) commenced this year’s Ashara Mubaraka Waaz by raising aloft the banners of ‘izzat’ (respect) and ‘karaamat’ (dignity) up amongst the flags of the zikr and matam of Imam Husain (AS).

It is by our association with Khamsat At-haar, Aimmat Abraar and Duaat Akhyaar that we have realized this izzat and karaamat of being in Paradise with them. The force of this association is such that even the simple act of articulating the kalemat-ul-shahadat means that a Muslim has entered into Islam and his worldly property, his life, are now sacrosanct and cannot be violated.

For a Mumin this izzat and karaamat multiply and in today’s waaz these two words were repeated by Huzurala (TUS) time and time again.

From the very beginning, with Adam Nabi (AS), it has been the association with Panjatan Paak that has been the source of all ‘izzat’ and ‘karaamat’. From the time that Adam spoke their names as he had seen them inscribed on Allah’s throne and all the angels – save Iblis Laeen – went down in sajda to him.

For a Mumin the love of Panjatan Paak and his or her association to them means that we have izzat and karaamat amongst mankind. And in today’s mubarak waaz Molana declared emphatically that the izzat and karaamat indicated in the aayat,

“And we have truly given a lofty status (karaamat) to the progeny of Adam amongst creation…” was a direct reference to Mumineen.

Attending this majlis, the majlis of Imam Husain (AS) was a privilege, a karaamat not given to all. Mumineen who had been permitted to participate in this majlis were uniquely privileged, and the like of this karaamat was to be found nowhere else.

Throughout the waaz, Molana Mohammed Burhanuddin Aqa’s love and karaamat for Mumineen gushed forth in one sentence after another. Molana pledged that he would take us with him to the presence of Imam-ul Zamaan; and indeed Imam-ul-zamaan would take us with him into Paradise. Molana expressed his wish to please us by telling us of the izzat and karaamat that we are recipient of.

“On the day of qiyamat Allah will resurrect mankind and a section of it will have faces radiantly white as snow, their clothes white like milk….. it is just such a scene that I see in this majlis today!”

“You have the radiance of imaan in your faces and your clothes are the radiant attire (al-libaas-ul-anwar); it is a scene of izzat.”

There is izzat for the ‘fuqara’ (destitute) of Shia for whilst they may have been looked down upon in this life due to their poverty, on Judgement Day their status would be raised.

Aqa Moula’s portrayals of every facet of the izzat of a Mumin lead inexorably to the zikr of Ashara. Imam Husain reached Karbala on this day – the 2nd of Moharram and his horse refused to go any further. Here was the land upon which Imam Husain would place his exalted forehead upon the burning sands and his head would be severed; all for the sake of the izzat and karaamat of Mumineen.

The karaamat of the shohadaa of Karbala was such that Imam Husain carried each and every body back to the camp upon his shoulders. He did not leave it to anyone else, nor did he leave them where they were even though his own shahadat was only hours away.

Imam Zainulabedin (AS) carried food upon his shoulders to Mumineen each night. He did not have this done by someone else because he did not wish for those Mumineen to have their izzat and karaamat compromised by allowing others to know of their poverty.

For the Mumin, izzat and karaamat is to be found in the matam and shedding of tears for Imam Husain. Whoever moistens his eyes in the remembrance of Husain will be rewarded multifold in Paradise.

Huzurala referred back to a not too distant past when there were those who deemed matam and the shedding of tears to be unbecoming for a self-respecting person. But those who propagated this way of thinking were no more. Those who had prevented matam and buka (crying) had fallen from even the highest posts of authority and those who continue to prevent it, be warned!

For the Mumin, izzat and karaamat is to be found here in the matam majlis of Imam Husain’s Dai. In this majlis is a Dai’s promise that each and every tear shed for Husain has the izzat and karaamat of eight gardens of Paradise. It was for a Mumin’s izzat and karaamat that Husain sacrificed all that was dear to him – now those who could not even bring themselves to strain their faces in a show of grief – there is no karaamat for them.

May Allah preserve our beloved Aqa Moula in ever increasing izzat and karaamat until qiyamat.

Ameen