In the name of Allah, all praises and thanks is due to Allah. May His peace and blessings be on the best of creation, Mohammed, on members of his household and all who follow in his stead till the last day.
Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar is a month of great significance. It is the month of Allah, one of four sacred months – in it, aggression is prohibited even against the enemy.
It is the month in which Muslims are encouraged to observe fasting on the ninth and tenth days. Yet for another bloc of the Islamic world, they observe it for other mournful reasons – the death of Hussein, a grandson of the prophet, peace be upon him.
Given the different account of what happened at Karbala, the place Hussein was killed, the Shias mournfully commemorate the day with activities of self-harm which I personally do not agree with.
What we have seen over the years is of people severing themselves with knives and machetes and bleeding in the streets. In the case of this year, I saw AFP photos where kids were made to run on burning coal.
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| Shi'ite Muslims beat themselves at a mosque during a religious festival marking Ashura, which falls on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram and commemorates the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Mohammad, who was killed in the 7th century battle of Kerbala, in central Yangon, Myanmar late September 30, 2017. REUTERS photo. |
Now, to the point where some social media users regurgitate a set of damning messages including copious INSULTS and CURSES on the Shias for being those behind the death of Hussein. It is an annual event that slows down over the year and peaks in Muharram.
One such message made it to a WhatsApp group and an Imam and former student of Egypt’s famed Al-Azhar University gave a response which summed up the needlessness of the annual Shia onslaught.
He wrote: ‘Yaa Jama’ah, the history of humanity – and Islam for that matter – has some dark moments that are worth knowing as part of history that is selectively referred to for guidance ONLY.
‘Mentioning those moments for any other reason is not advised and not Islamic… it is one of the CORE RULES we learnt in AL-AZHAR. Allah ya saa mugane,’ he concluded.
Shia ideology may have its ‘shortcomings’ that a person CAN vigorously disagree with. I have gone down this path before raging and ranting here on social media about Shias referring to them as ‘Sheep in wolves clothing,’ after listening to a lecture by Abu Mus’ab Wajdi Akari. I am against their ideology and I thank our Mallams in makaranta who exposed us to it.
Over in Nigeria, their leader Mohammed Zakzaky remains in government custody despite court orders. He was arrested in 2015 after a deadly clampdown under a Muslim leader Muhammadu Buhari and Muslim army chief Yusuf Buratai – an act I STRONGLY disagree with.
Hundreds of the Shias were killed when the army opened fire on them after they attacked Buratai’s convoy according to available video. They are banned in Zaria, Kaduna, a Sunni hub and the state government has the right so to do.
Quick questions to the annual anti-Shia social media sharpshooters, how does Shi’ism diminish the brand of Islam you profess? What happened to the verse ‘to you, your religion and to me mine,’ as stated by the prophet to the disbelievers at the time.
Pointing out the ‘failings’ of Shi’ism is not and cannot be an issue but how one goes about it could be the issue. In any case, they can also come in the same measure at other brands of Islam.
That the religion will be divided into sects is something NO Muslim can deny – it was professed by Muhammed and has manifested. Over and above the brand one holds, entry into Jannah is the ultimate goal and it is for Allah to bestow on us of his mercy.
The insults won’t change Shias neither will introduce any amendments to their long-held traditions and practices. It is good knowledge to know them and to be able to navigate their ‘routes,’ as for insults and curses, who that one epp?
Wa swal lal Laahu alaihi wa swahbihii wa sallam tasleeman katheeraa. Salamu alaikum
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