Shah Ast Hussain…
10th Moharram is a day of mourning for all Muslims. The tragic incident at Kerbala where the righteous Hussain refused to submit to the autocracy of Yazid is an event laden with deep symbolism. Hazrat Imam Husain and his faithful companions preferred to die on the banks of river Euphrates and upheld the struggle of good against the evil.
Khawaja Muinuddin Chisty’s powerful verses epitomise the reverence and devotion of Muslims towards Imam Hussain:
Shah ast Hussain, Badshah ast Hussain
Deen ast Hussain, Deen Panah ast Hussain
Sardad na dad dast, dar dast-e-yazeed,
Haqaa key binaey La ila ast Hussain
Loosely translated
Ruler is Hussain, Emperor is Hussain,
Faith is Hussain , guardian of faith is Hussain .
Offered his head and not the hand to Yazid.
Truly, the mirror of faith is Hussain
As Adil Najam writes on All Things Pakistan:
Growing up in Pakistan, the night of Ashura was always defined for me by the Majlis i Shaam i Gharibaan (often by Allama Naseer ul Ijtihaadi) on PTV on the night of dasveenMuharram, which was followed immediately - and at right about midnight - by Syed Nasir Jahan’s soulful recitation of Salam-i-Akhir.
Bachay to aglay baras hum hain aur yeh gham phir hai
Jo chal basay tou yeh appna salam-i-akhir haiHis soulful voice, so pregnant with a deep and heartfelt pain, always echoes in my head when I read of continuing sectarian violence and the instigation of sectarian hatred.
 However, the ugly face of sectarianism is now haunting the entire Islamic world. There have been deaths in Pakistan recently and I have forgotten the number of people dying each day in Iraq. Forgotten? Yes, it sadly increases by the day..
And the true spirit of this sacrifice by Prophet’s family gets clouded by politics and imperial projects.
And for the poor Iraqis, Kerbala is not an event from their distant past.
Image credit here
Subscribe
I came across your blog today and was suprised, pleasantly, by that picture of Dara Shikoh.
Knowing he was a spiritual seeker, possibly via Sufism, while trying to benefit from all religious traditions, I’ve always wondered what would have been Delhi’s and India’s destiny had he and not Aurangazeb climbed the throne! If you have ever given this theme treatment in your writings, or come across other writings, can you post them here?
Thanks.
Comment by mahi — February 5, 2007 @ 5:52 pm
Brilliant article! I don’t know too much about sufis and I have been meaning to learn about sufis from the subcontinent. This was a great introduction. I have something to start with. Thanks.
Comment by cubano — February 13, 2007 @ 8:32 am
Assalaam Alaikum brother Raza,
Alhamdulillah! Thanks for sharing this informative article.
I wish to include another great sufi saint from Delhi,
Shah Waliullah Muhaddis Dehlvi(1702-1760) who repeatedly emphasized “all men are equal and every man regardless of faith or religion, colour or creed has an inherent and equal right to freedom and liberty.” This saint’s dargah is in Delhi at “Kabaristan-e-Mehdian.” where great theologians, Ulemas, scholars of Islam are also resting.
Shah Waliullah has not only bridged the gulf between the Sufis and the Ulema but also harmonized the differences prevalent among different sects of Sufis. His principles on the subject were put into practice in the great theological college of Deoband, which had among its patrons such well-known Sufis like Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi and Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi.
Jazaak Allah Khair,
sf
Comment by sf — February 14, 2007 @ 3:38 pm
Salaams Brother Raza,
Delhi’s yet another sufi Hazrat Inayat Khan whose tomb at the Sufi Centre by Hazrat Nizamuddin’s dargah in Delhi is worth a mention, for his exemplary influential spiritual character, blending the East and the West.
Br. Raza, I was not fortunate as you to be able to see the Library and the Meditation corners of the Sufi Centre, as there were closed on that Sunday afternoon. Due to my father’s illness, i could not make it another time. But i wish i could visit it during my next trip to India and be able to spend more time in those peacefully serene surroundings.
InshaAllah, in my next visit to India, i intend to visit the above mentioned dargahs and also ” Kabristan-e-Mehdian” where now my beloved father is also resting in peace.
May Allah reward your efforts and deeds in this world and the hereafter. Ameen
sf
Comment by sf — February 14, 2007 @ 4:02 pm
i love every sheeya people i willpray for all sheeyaa’ss
be happy always
ALI will sae’s us
when u r in trouble’s say YAA ALI MADATHD
he will sae u
Comment by m.sagar.ali — June 20, 2008 @ 11:31 am