لطفا منتظر باشید ...
Short article
Dhakiri
Mullah Bashir Rahim
Part I: Evolution of Dhakiri
The term Dhakiri' (dh-aa-ki-ree),
whatever its dictionary meaning or etymological derivation, has always
been understood to relate to the remembrance of the tragedy of Kerbala
in 61 A.H. With all its cultural variations and linguistics differences
it has a central religious content. This is essentially to hold mourning
ceremonies for the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (A.S.) and his companions
as well as the brutal and inhuman manner in which the survivors of the
house-hold of the Holy Prophet (SAWA) were taken prisoners, paraded through
the cities of Iraq and Syria and finally brought before Yezid, the architect
of the carnage and unparalleled atrocities. Today we find these mourning
ceremonies are held by our Shiah brothers and sisters in every continent.
However small a community, with the advent of the months of Muharram and
Safar the community leaders look for dhakirs to help the members in their
aza-e-Hussain. The tragic tale remains the same. There is nonetheless a
growing vigour amongst the participants in the aza. The hearts cry out
"Ya Hussain!", the tears flow uncontrollably at the very mention of the
name of a martyr. The audience may have heard it all hundreds of time,
and yet the sorrow and grief never seem to abate.
To a dispassionate observer all this
may seem to be incomprehensible. Yet he can not but appreciate the underlying
strength of character, the devotion of the participants to their Imam and
his followers and the determination of the traders, industrialists, working
men and women and the youths constituting the community to preserve their
identity as Shiahs. This is our resource. This is our strength. This is
our dormant volcano which can unleash the lava of spirituality to enlighten
not only the Muslim ummah but also the entire mankind. Sadly they remain
as yet not fully exploited. In this paper I propose to suggest ways and
means of how best we can tap this vast energy within aza-e-Hussain for
the betterment of the community.
Let me make it clear. None of my
suggestions is original. Some of them I have heard many a times from our
ulama. Mulla Asger has also on many occasions discussed them from minbar
as well as at those meetings which I have had the privilege to attend.
I would, therefore, request you take this paper as a collation of what
I have heard and read.
The first majlis-e-Hussain was recited
in the market-place of Kufa by a lady from whose head her veil had been
ripped off, whose hopes and aspirations had been destroyed on the blood-drenched
sands of Kerbala but whose indomitable spirit stepped forward to free the
Islamic values from the yoke of tyranny and oppression. Standing on her
unsaddled camel, she looked at the multitude rejoicing the victory of Yezid.
As soon as people saw her, they were quiet. They knew that a historic moment
for Kufa had arrived. Looking straight at them, the daughter of Ali said:
"Woe upon you O people of Kufa.
Do you realise which piece of Muhammad's heart you have severed! Which
pledge you have broken! Whose blood you have shed! Whose honour you have
desecrated! It is not just Hussain whose headless body lies unburied on
the sands of Kerbala. It is the heart of the Holy Prophet. It is the very
soul of Islam!"
The first majlis touched and moved the
people of Kufa so deeply as to give rise to both the Tawwabun movement
and al-Mukhtar's quest for vengeance.
When the news of tragedy reached
Medina in the third week of Muharram there was such intense weeping and
wailing from the homes of Banu Hashim that the very walls of masjidun-nabawi
began to tremble. Zainab, Umme Luqman, the daughter of Aqeel ibne Abi Talib
came out screaming: "What will you say when the Prophet asks you: "What
have you, the last ummah, done with my offspring and my family after I
left them? Some of them are prisoners and some of them lie killed, stained
with blood. What sort of ajr-e-risaalah is this that you disobey me by
oppressing my children ?"
Fatimah Binte Huzaam, also known
as Ummul Baneen, carried her young grandson Ubaidullah ibne Abbas and prepared
to go out. When asked where she was going, she said that she was taking
the orphan of Abbas to offer condolences to the mother of Hussain.
Marwan ibne Hakam reports that every
afternoon men and women would gather at Jannat-ul-Baqee and there would
be remembrance of the tragedy of Kerbala and the weeping and wailing could
be heard miles away.
When the prisoners were finally freed
by Yezid, Bibi Zainab asked for an opportunity to have rites of remembrance
in Damascus. A house was made available to them and aza-e-Hussain went
on for over a week. Bibi Zainab (A.S.) laid the foundation of aza-e-Hussain
in the very capital of his murderer!
On their return to Madina, Bibi Zainab
(A.S.) took over the leadership of aza-e-Hussain in the city of the Holy
Prophet. This aroused such strong emotions in the people and such revulsion
against the oppressor that Amr ibne Said ibne al-Aas wrote to Yezid to
have Bibi Zainab exiled from Madina. This was done in the beginning of
62 A.H. Bibi Zainab (A.S.) died shortly afterwards.
We have no record of public orations
by our Imams about the tragedy of Kerbala. We have, however, several ahadeeth
about the merits of participating in the mourning ceremonies. In this connection
we must remember that the regime was hostile to the shiahs and was anxious
to cover up the tragedy of Kerbala.
Imam Zainul Abideen (A.S.) is reported
to have said:
"When a believer's eyes shed tears
for the death of al-Hussain until they flow over his cheeks, Allah will
provide for him rooms in Paradise which he will inhabit for a long time.
When a believer's eyes shed tears until they flow over his cheeks because
of the atrocities inflicted upon us by our enemies in this world, Allah
will provide him with a true abode in paradise."
Ibn Qawlawayah p. 103
Imam Muhammad Baqir (A.S.) issued a
directive which gave a definite form to the keeping of the memory of Imam
Hussain (A.S.) alive. He recommended that for those believers for whom
it was possible and convenient they should go for the ziyarah of the grave
of Imam Hussain. For those for whom it was not possible or convenient,
they should gather together and hold mourning ceremony and weep.
Ibn Qawlawayah p. 104
There is also the following tradition
reported from the fifth Imam:
May Allah have mercy on a man who
meets with another in order to remember our situation. There will be an
angel with them who will seek forgiveness for them..If you gather together
and occupy yourselves in remembering us, then our memory will be kept alive
in your meetings and remembrances. The best of people after us are those
who remember our situation and urge others to remember us.
Ibn Qawlawayah p. 174/5
It is reported that al-Fudhayl Ibne
Yasaar came to pay his respects to the Imam Ja'far Sadiq (A.S.)
After the exchange of usual courtesies,
Imam asked al-Fudhayl: "Do you people ever organise majaalis to recall
the martyrdom of Imam Hussain?" Al-Fudhayl, with tears pouring down his
eyes, replied: "Yabna Rasulillah, indeed we do." The Imam said: "May Allah
bless you. I highly approve of such majaalis."
On another occasion, the poet Ja'far
ibne Iffaan recited to our Imam al-Sadiq a poem on the tragedy of Kerbala.
The Imam began to weep uncontrollably. He then addressed the poet in the
following terms:
"O Iffaan, do not think that it
is only those whom you can see here are listening to your poetry. In fact
Allah's closest angels are present here at this majlis and they are all
listening to your recitation and they too lament and weep. May Allah bless
you for what you have recited. He will, inshallah, reward you with paradise
for your efforts on our behalf."
It must be borne in mind that the Arabs
mostly expressed their emotion through poetry. Poetry thus became the medium
of describing the horrors of the tragedy of Kerbala, the cause of Imam
Hussain and the atrocities which the ahlul-bayt were made to endure. There
are today extant several poems which the poets recited in presence of our
holy Imams and as such can be regarded as having been approved by them
both as to form and substance.
The only historical account in prose
that was written not long after the massacre of Kerbala was that of Abi
Mikhnaf. His account is relied upon both by Tabari and Shaykh Mufeed (A.R.).
Many other accounts were written and published after the ghaybah. The most
well known amongst these are the Aamali by Shaykh Suduq (A.R.) and the
great work of Allamah Majlisi (A.R.), the Bihar-ul-Anwaar.
While we have evidence of many eminent
fuqaha and muhadditheen lecturing to their students on the various aspects
of Kerbala, we can not assert with any confidence that they delivered public
lectures on the subject. It is, however, authoritatively reported that
Shaykh Allamah Majlisi and Shaykh Shushtari, whenever they spoke, whether
to the students or in the public, they would end their lecture with a brief
reference to the masa'ib of Imam Hussain.
It is possible that during this early
period, whenever the circumstances permitted, dhakirs began to appear and
occupy the minabir to acquaint the people with the tragedy of Kerbala and
the cause of Imam Hussain (A.S.). Poetry must always have played a part
in the rendition of masa'ib. I recollect that in my childhood during the
masa'ib the account would be interspersed with short poems, which were
known as bandh.
Part II: Philosophy of Dhakiri
Aza-e-Hussain is a force that can
be mobilised to take the community to the pinnacle of spiritual enrichment.
The people who can make us attain this objective are our dhakirs. They
have the undivided attention of their audience during the months of Muharram
and Safar. The audience is there willing and waiting to surrender their
emotions to the words of the dhakir. This also prepares them to listen
to and imbibe the account of the cause of Imam Hussain (A.S.), the basic
values of Islam and what is expected of them as good Muslims. They would
be willing to be placed in the discomfort zone' by some home truths from
the dhakir, so long as the dhakir does not go into personal attack of any
person or group.
We must never lose sight of the fact
that we have only two institutions to impart knowledge of Islamic precepts,
ethics, the basic values and to deal with social and other problems confronting
the community. One is the madressa and the other is the majaalis. For the
adults and the youths no longer in the madaaris they have only one forum
for spiritual enlightenment. This is the majaalis.
There may be dhakirs who may feel
that in order for the masa'ib at the end to have the maximum impact they
should not disturb the community's personal equilibrium by transporting
them to a discomfort zone. For this reason some of us prefer to devote
the earlier part of the majlis by narration of munazirah or fadhail, often
employing linguistic acrobatics, talking much, saying very little of any
use to anyone.
In October 1984 the Irani magazine
al-Tawheed published an editorial which was an eye opener to me. In my
opinion it encapsulates the entire philosophy of dhakiri. For this reason
I feel I must share excerpts from that editorial with you. Please forgive
me for subjecting you to such a long quotation:
"Mourning ceremonies," writes the
editor, "are held by Muslims throughout Muharram and Safar, and in gatherings
which are called Majaalis', elegies are recited and sermons are delivered
from the minbar in which the sufferings undergone by al-Imam al-Hussain,
the members of his household and his companions are narrated. For the Shiah
sect, the majlis and the sermons delivered therein are the primary source
of religious education for the children, the illiterate and even educated
adults.
"However, with the general decline and
deterioration in the Muslim Ummah, of which the Shiah community is a part,
the great educational potential of the majlis has slowly eroded, to the
extent that not only the great educational purpose that lies behind mourning
for al-Imam al-Hussain has been forgotten, the majlis has become a platform
for intensification of sectarian animosities and propagation of misconceived
beliefs that conflict with the spirit of the Islamic faith.
"The lamentable ignorance of the masses
and the deplorable negligence or absence of the sense of duty on the part
of many dhakirs have converted most majlis into mere sources of nourishment
of sectarian conceits and delusions.
"Shi'aism, which implies a voluntary
and aware choice to shoulder greater responsibility as member of the Ummah
and devoted obedience to the wajib al-'itaah (i.e. those whose obedience
is obligatory) Imams of the Household of the Prophet (A), its meaning has
gradually degenerated into a mere emotional attachment for the Ahl al-Bayt
(A), devoid of any sense of ethical or social responsibility for the present-day
condition of Islam and Muslims. We, the self-declared Shiah of al-Hussain
ibn Ali (A), should pause and meditate at the answer given by him to a
man who proclaimed to the Imam, "O son of the Prophet, I am one of your.
Shiah." A1-Hussain ibn Ali (A) said to him:
Fear God, and do not make such
a claim that God, the Almighty, should say to you, "You lied insolently
by making this claim." Indeed our Shiah is one whose heart is free from
every kind of deception, adulteration, hatred, malice, and corruption.
If you are not such then say, "I am one of your admirers and supporters."
"Whereas the Holy Book calls the believers
to emulate the Prophet (S) as the most sublime model of humankind, "You
have a good example in God's Messenger for whosoever hopes for God and
the Last Day, and remembers God oft. (33:21)
"The dhakir struggles to project the
Prophet (S} and the Imams (A) as supernatural beings to be admired and
extolled, not to be imitated and obeyed. He strives to drive home the point
that the Qur'an is understandable only for God or the Holy Prophet (S)
or the Imams (A), a book of sacred and abstruse meanings opaque to human
understanding, a book so holy that it is impertinent even to try to understand
it.
"The Qur'an and the ahadeeth lay great
emphasis on the duty of al-'amr bil ma'ruf wa al-nahy an al-munkar, and
it is recognised as one of the most important duties of Muslims in general
and the ulama in particular. Unfortunately this duty is discretely shunned
by the dhakir who is averse to disturb the complacence of his audience
and to venture to guide them at the cost of his own popularity. The strategy
of connivance, though full of perils in the Hereafter, yields immediate
returns.
"The present situation in the Muslim
world is no better than the conditions that prevailed during the later
decades of the life of al-Hussain ibn Ali (A). All hallmarks of the Islamic
culture have been washed away in the deluge of modern paganism. The greater
part of the Muslim world is under direct or indirect domination of non-Muslims.
The sad signs described in a prediction of al-Imam Ali (A) have already
come true:
A time will come when nothing will
remain of the Qur'an except its script, and nothing of Islam except its
name. The mosques in those days will be flourishing with regard to architecture,
but desolate with regard to guidance. Those staying in them and those visiting
them will be the worst of all on the earth. From them mischief will spring
up and towards them all wrong will turn. If anyone isolates himself from
it (mischief) they will fling him back towards it, and if anyone hesitates,
they will push him towards it....
"In such conditions how can any discourse
about the great struggle of al-Hussain ibn Ali (A) be unaccompanied with
a discussion of the lamentable condition of the Muslim Ummah? Is it not
the height of callousness and even hypocrisy to pass by in silence the
aims and ideals for which he took a stand against the regime of Yezid and
sacrificed everything?
"Is it not the very extreme of injustice
to deprive the Muslim children and adults of the great potential of the
majaalis which are held in the memory of Imam Hussain? Is it right not
to use the great devotion of the Muslim masses to the Ahl al-Bayt (A) and
their great enthusiasm and zeal during the months of Muharram and Safar-a
time when the hearts are softened by the stupendous tragedy of Kerbala'
to receive the teachings of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives with
al-Imam al-Hussain-to inform and educate our children and adults about
the ahkam of the shariah and the Akhlaq of the Ahl al-Bayt (A)?
"The Shiahs have admired Ali and his
sons(A), their leaders and guides, for centuries, and wept over accounts
of their sufferings. Is it not time that we should start following them
in deed, in all walks of our life? After all they are our Imams, our leaders
and our teachers, who underwent those sufferings and hardships in order
to instruct us and guide us on the Straight Path of Allah? Should we not
question our sincerity if we persist in our refusal to be benefited by
their efforts to improve our lot, to purify our souls and to guide our
intellects?
"The majlis should inform and instruct.
It should inspire and enlighten. Like al-Hussain ibn Ali (A), his dhakir,
who occupies the minbar of the Ahl al-Bayt (A), should aim at resurrecting
the spirit of Islam and the message of the Qur'an.
"Only when our majaalis become classes
for dissemination of the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (A) which lie buried
in hadith texts, only when our majaalis become platforms of Muslim unity
instead of being instruments of division and disunity, only when our majaalis
and minabir become the seats of the duty of al-'amr bil ma'ruf wa al-nahy
an al-munkar, only when the Qur'an is made again the book of our life
and the light of our majaalis, only then can it be said that our majaalis
and minabir are doing justice to al-Imam al-Hussain (A) and to the people
whom the majaalis were originally instituted to nourish spiritually, morally,
and intellectually."
Al-Tawheed Vol II:
1
Fourteen years have passed since that
very painfully frank and poignant editorial was written and published.
Sadly in most cases it is as applicable today as it was then. The community
is torn by strife, self-interest, dissension and indiscipline. This situation
must change. Only we the dhakirs can bring about that change.
Every dhakir must fully appreciate
the fact that he sits on the minbar to continue the struggle of Imam Hussain
and to endeavour and accomplish the cause of the great martyr. In order
to fully comprehend this function we need to briefly examine the history.
From the day he left Madinah on the
28th Rajab in 60 Hijrah, at every stage, our Imam made his mission clear.
He left no doubt as to his intentions. It was not to fight Yezid to get
the throne of the empire over which the khalifah ruled. Imam's mission
was to reawaken the spirit of Islam and rekindle the Islamic conscience
which was nearing extinction by the conduct of Muawiyah and Yezid. Justice
and morality were gradually being destroyed by the greed for land and power
of those who had become rulers. Qur'an insists that distinction can be
accorded by piety alone. Since the death of the Holy Prophet a social order
had come into existence creating an aristocracy based on nepotism and blood
relationship.
Let us look at some of the statements
by Imam Hussain. Before leaving Madinah Imam Hussain made a will and handed
it over to his brother Muhammad Hanafiya. In this will Imam wrote: "My
mission is to reform the muslim community which I propose to do by AMR
BIL MA'RUF AND NAHYA ANIL MUNKAR, inviting them to the good and advising
them against evil. It is not my intention to set myself as an insolent
or arrogant tyrant or a mischief maker".
In Mecca Imam addressed a large group
of scholars who had come for pilgrimage. He exhorted them to do amr bil
ma'ruf and nahya anil munkar and not to pander to the philosophies of the
rulers who paid them to keep away from truth. This was a long and powerful
speech reminding the scholars of their duty to inculcate Islamic conscience
and not to mislead the masses who trusted them.
The sole cause for which Imam Hussain
set out from Madinah was to perform his duty to do amr bil ma'ruf and nahya
anil munkar to the ummah which had not only apathetically accepted the
evil that had been flowing from the court in Damascus but, sadly, begun
to emulate it. The inevitable consequence of this would have been a total
destruction of all Islamic values.
In a letter which he addressed to
the people of Kufa Imam wrote: "An Imam is one who judges by the Holy Qur'an,
upholds justice, professes the religion of truth and dedicates himself
to obeying Allah and His Prophet."
When Hur and his army stopped Imam
caravan from going to Kufa, and Hur told Imam that his order from ibne
Ziyad was to ask Imam for Bai'at to Yezid, Imam refused to declare Bai'at
to someone who was only serving his own ends and not of Islam. Hur said
that such an attitude might cost Imam his life. Imam replied: "Are you
threatening me with death? Death is many thousands of times better than
the dishonour of Bai'at to an enemy of Islam. Do you not see that truth
is not being practised and falsehood is not being prevented? I see death
as a blessing and life with tyrants as the most disgusting state one can
be in."
Imam addressed Yezid's army and concluded
his speech with these immortal words: "My parents did not raise me to submit
myself to an evil tyrant. I am your Imam and it is my duty to tell you
that you have surrendered the freedom of your mind to the evil ways of
Yezid. If you do not care for Islam, and do not fear the day of judgement,
at least do care for that precious gift from Allah, the freedom of your
spirit!"
And then, realising that there was
none amongst the enemy who was prepared to heed to his advice, he climbs
a sand dune and cries out: "Who is there who would help us?" Was our Imam
crying out for someone to come and help him in his plight or assist him
in the battle against the forces ranged against him? There was no one left.
Hur had come over and laid down his life. Even infant Asghar had been killed.
Who was then our Imam calling out to? He was calling out to the future
generations to continue his frustrated cause of doing amr bil ma'ruf and
nahya anil munkar.
When a dhakir sits on the minbar
he must remember that he has assumed the responsibility to help the holy
Imam in his cause.
I would like here to make a respectful
suggestion. We the dhakirs should during the months of Muharram and Safar
repeatedly remind our audience that aza-e-Hussain is not a mere ritual.
It is a commitment to Imam Hussain (A.S.). A commitment by each one of
us, men and women, young and old, to uphold the values of Islam and to
subordinate our hearts to the wishes of Imam Hussain. Aza is our way of
responding to his call of hal minnasireen yansuroona' and we shall be
miserably failing in our response if we treated this most important institution
as a mere ritual. The responsibility lies with us, the dhakirs, and if
we fail to discharge this responsibility we shall be answerable to Allah
SWT.
I seek your indulgence to make two
final points.
Firstly, every dhakir owes it to
the minbar to cultivate and safeguard his credibility through his conduct,
speech and behaviour.
Secondly the community must recognise
that if the important institution of majaalis is to survive for the coming
generations, especially here in the West, the reputation of the dhakirs
should not be assailed in public, especially in front of one's children.
This could create disillusionment not only with the dhakir but also with
the institution of majaalis.
