AZADAARI A MESSAGE, A CAUSE, A GIFT

1. AZADAARI A MESSAGE, A CAUSE, A GIFT

2. The Holy Prophet [s] said: “Surely, there exists in the hearts of the Mu'mineen, with respect to the martyrdom of Husain [a], a fire that never extinguishes.” • Definition & Reasons • Practices & Origins • An Emotional Revolution • Aza in the 21st Century (Aims) • Practical Azadari (pre-, during and post-) • A New Beginning

3. AZADAARI | DEFINITION & REASONS • WHAT IS IT ? • Azadari refers to the annual commemoration of the Tragedy that took place in Karbala, on the day of Ashura – the 10th of Muharram, 61 A.H. • WHY DO WE DO IT? • In order to: • Honour the sacrifices given by Imam Husayn [a] and his family and companions. • Remember the reason for their martyrdom. • Keep alive the message of Islam and what it stands for. • Analyse and re-align ourselves to our faith. • Re-kindle our love & loyalty to the AhlulBayt [a]. • Remind ourselves that we are waiting for our • Imam [atfs] and may, insha’Allah, be the ones • blessed to avenge the Tragedy of Karbala.

4. AZADAARI | PRACTICES & ORIGINS • a) Crying: Who cried for Imam Husayn [a]? • THE HEAVENS: • اَلسَّلامُ عَلى مَنْ بَكَتْهُ مَلائِكَةُ السَّماءِ، • Peace be upon the one for whom the heavenly Angels wept. • وَ لَطَمَتْ عَلَيْكَ الْحُورُ الْعينُ، • and the dark-eyed Maidens (of Paradise) hit their own faces in grief, • THE EARTH • وَ بَكَتِ السَّماءُ وَ سُكّانُها،The skies and their inhabitants wept • وَ الْهِضابُ وَ أقْطارُها،the mountains and their surroundings, • وَ الْبِحارُ وَ حيتانُها،the oceans and their fishes. • THE PROPHETS • Specific narrations include: Prophet Zakariyya [a] • MASOOMEEN: THE HOLY PROPHET AND AIMMAH [as]

5. AZADAARI | PRACTICES & ORIGINS cont. • b) Majlis • Pre-: From the time of Prophet Adam [a] down through every Prophet [s] • Post-: BibiZaynab ([a] and Imam al-Sajjad [a]’s sermons in Kufa and Shaam. • c) Nawha/Marthiya (poetry) • One of the earliest instances were the verses Bibi Umm Kulthoom [a] recited in Kufa. • d) Changing of voice / tone in masa’ib.: • Recommendation of Imam al-Sadiq [a]. He told a zakir to recite masa’ib in the manner of the people of Iraq because it touches the heart and makes us cry. • e) Matam • Pre-: First used by the wives of the Prophet [s] when he passed away. • In Karbala, it began during the day of Ashura and in the days • that followed. • BibiZaynab [a] beat herself on 3 occasions: Before Ashura • when Imam [a] told her of his dream, when she heard • Imam [a]’s final words in the battlefield , • when they were marched past the bodies • of the martyrs on 11th Muharram.

6. AZADAARI | PRACTICES & ORIGINS cont. • e) Juloos: • Is in remembrance and solidarity with the march of the Imam al-Sajjad [a] and • the women against oppression and injustice. That is why when we walk we do • so as they did: sad, dishevelled, weeping, barefoot… hearts heavy with grief but • firm in faith. • f) Zanjeer / QamaZani (Tatbeer) • In honour and memory of the way Imam al-Sajjad [a] was whipped. • From the Tawwaboon (the Repenters) who either couldn’t make it or regretted • not joining Imam [a]. In a sense, we are Tawwaboon also. • From the incident of BibiZaynab [a] who – according to a hadith – struck her • head against a bar of her carriage when she saw the head of Imam Husayn [a] • on the way to Kufa. • The display of emotion in terms of either crying or even in striking oneself is not condemned in the Qur’an. Incident of Sarah when she was told of the birth of Isma’il [a] and the blindness of Prophet Yaqub [a] over Yusuf [a]. • If prophets, who are our role models, can express emotion to this level and there is mention of it in the Qur’an without disapproval, then why not for Imam Husayn [a]?

7. AZADAARI | AN EMOTIONAL REVOLUTION • Imam Sadiq [a] said:“The breath of one who is aggrieved upon the injustice and oppression subjected to us, is tasbeeh, and his grief for us is i'baadat and his concealing our secrets, is jihad in the path of Allah (SWT).” The Imam [a] then added: “This tradition ought to be written in gold.” • Importance of Emotional Involvement • Ulema say that human beings have two major powers: • al-QuwwatulAqliyyah(The power of the Intellect/Reason) • al-QuwwatulQalbiyyah(The power of the Heart / Soul) • The mind may accept an idea or a concept, but the heart does not necessarily submit to it. (SurahNaml 27: 14) • Emotion has a stronger hold on a person than intellect. That is why we would not sit with a dead body alone in a dark room even though we know it cannot come back to life or do us any harm. • Karbala appeals to both the heart and the intellect. It is a holistic message. As long as we cannot emotionally connect to Imam Husayn [a], we will not be able to benefit fully from his message.

8. AZADAARI | AN EMOTIONAL REVOLUTION cont. “May my father and mother be sacrificed for you.” Crying is a form of self-analysis. We cry for ourselves, our family, our losses and hurts - even during movies! The ability to cry for something or someone is an indication that you care. If we claim that we love the AhlulBayt [as] more than we love our selves, why can’t we not cry for them? No one forces you to weep for Imam Husayn [a] or do aza. But ahadith tell us this is the best act that can save us from Hell. When we cannot feel we are going through a period of ghafla (heedlessness) where we are disconnected from Allah (SWT) because of our sins. This affects our love for the AhlulBayt [as] because their love is connected with the love of Allah (SWT). • Ask yourself: • Why can’t I cry? Do I care? • Am I afraid? Or ashamed? • What am I going to do about it?

9. AZADAARI | ‘AZA IN THE 21ST CENTURY • Two categories: • Established Traditions that are fixed from history. • Majalis, matam, juloos, nawha/marthiya. • Dynamic Traditions that are relevant to the times. • Study the universal principles of Karbala • Bring out the message within Karbala that is relevant to • our lives today. • Strengthen our understanding of the connection • between the AhlulBayt [as] and the Qur’an because • WE are the Custodians of the Message. • To clear misconceptions about Islam and Shias through • Karbala –it is a story that appeals to humanity • across all faiths and cultures. • To promote Karbala as a global cause • against oppression.

10. AZADAARI | PREPARATION • Every year has three Milestone Months: Muharram  Ramadan  DhulHijja. Muharram sets the theme for your year. • PRE-MUHARRAM • Prepare mentally / emotionally. Bring the sorrow into your home and your life. • Think about where Imam Husayn [a] was & how he felt. • Change your environment: put away jewellery and fancy clothes, put up a black flag or banner, eat simple foods, avoid social or joyful gatherings. • Prepare intellectually • Read the sermons of BibiZaynab [a], Imam al-Sajjad [a]. • Study history, try and read the maqatil (available online now). • Prepare spiritually • Reflect on your self / soul. • What will you change about yourself this year? • How will you respond to the call of Imam Husayn [a]?

11. AZADAARI | PREPARATION cont. • DURING MUHARRAM ASHRA / ASHRA-E-ZAINABIYYA • Keep a sad face. Avoid unnecessary talk, speaking loudly and laughing a lot. • Keep your dress code simple and accessory-free. • Be aware of the fact that you are attending majalis with noble Masoomeen [as]. • Respect the majlis, the mosque, the farsh-e-aza, the shabeehs . • Cry loudly. Or try to bring at least a dampness to your eyes. If you cannot cry, then make a face as if are you crying. • Do not be ashamed of expressing your grief. Let others express theirs. Appreciate that you are all united by the Love of Imam Husayn [a]. Remember: Islam is not against culture (as proven by the incident of Hz. Ali Akbar [a]’s grandfather) • ON ASHURA: • In addition to the above: • Avoid talking altogether. • Wear the simplest clothes you have, don’t comb your • hair or apply perfume, walk barefoot, don’t greet each • other with salaam, eat little and simple fare. • Constantly direct your thoughts to Karbala and Ashura. • Take part in the amaal and azadaari. Recite ZiyaraateNaahiya. • Avoid being comfortable, sleeping or relaxing.

12. AZADAARI | PREPARATION cont. POST MUHARRAM ASHRA Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq [a] said: “The sky wept over al-Husayn [as] for forty mornings with blood, while the earth wept over him for forty mornings with darkness blackness. The sun wept over him for forty mornings with an eclipse and with redness, the mountains dispersed, the oceans poured forth, whereas the angels wept over him for forty mornings. No woman amongst us ever dyed with henna, nor used any oil, nor any kohl until the head of UbaydullahibnZiyad was brought to us, and we are still aggrieved even after all that.” Our 4th Imam [a] wept for over 20 years whenever he saw food. Some hadith mention when he saw water for wudhoo, he would weep until the tears would mix with the water and it would need to be changed. ‘Aza does not end with Ashura. The official period is two months and 8 days. Respect the entire season. ‘Aza NEVER ends. Every day should truly be Ashura.

13. AZADAARI | A NEW BEGINNING • Keep the fire burning in your heart. • Muharram is a chance to jump-start your year but you must maintain the effort and energy. Every happiness and grief must be connected to the AhlulBayt [as] in order to be of any worth. • The ‘azadaar on the Day of Judgement when questioned about their great status will say: “…whenever we used to hear the mention of Muhammad [s], tears would roll down our cheeks.” • Study the message with your mind. • Imam Sadiq [a] once said to Fudhail: “Do you sit together, talk and discuss amongst yourselves?” Fudhail replied: “Yes.” The Imam then said: “I approve of these sittings. So keep our 'issue' (Imamate) alive. May Allah (SWT) have mercy on those who revive our affairs!” • When Fudhail asked how to keep their affairs alive, Imam [a] replied: “Learn our knowledge and teach it to the people.” • Live the message through your actions. • Start a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly budget for your Aakhira Account. Change begins with you!

14. AZADAARI | A NEW BEGINNING cont. • Never forget your debt. • Why did Imam [a] sacrifice everything he had including his life? It was for Allah (SWT) and to save Islam, but… • Did Allah (SWT) need him to do it? • Allah (SWT) is beyond all needs. He did not require anything from Imam • Husayn [a] as proof because He already knew Imam [a] was dedicated to • His Love. He had created the whole Universe for him! • What was Islam being saved for? • Imam Husayn [a] was Islam embodied, so it • wasn’t for himself or his family. • Who benefits from Islam being saved? • Which hearts was the message of • Karbala supposed to touch, change • and save?

15. Imam Husayn [a] left his home, watched his children suffer, stayed hungry and thirsty for three days, saw friends and family slaughtered, was willing to have his son and the women in his family imprisoned… he sacrificed his own life to save Islam for… you. ‘Azadaari is Imam [a]’s gift to you to help you in both this life and the aakhira. What are you doing with his gift?