Shahadat (Martyrdom) of Hajarat Imam Ali (A.S.)

Today, 21st day of Lunar month of Ramadan is the gloomiest day equivalent to the martyrdom day of Imam Hussain (A.S.) in the battlefield of Karbala (Iraq) for the Shi’ite Muslims. Ramadan 21 is the day of martyrdom of Maula Ameerul Moomineen Ali Murtuza (A.S.). He was killed by Abdurrahman Ibne (s/o) Muljim (May the curses of Allah befall upon him). He hit a blow of poisonous sword on his head for the sake of marrying a wicked woman named Qutam who wanted Imam Ali (A.S.) be finished just for the revenge of her father and brother’s death while fighting against Ali’s army in Jang-e-Siffin. She hypocritically enticed Ibne Muljim towards her with her beauty and young age. She demanded her bridal right of dowry in the form of Ali’s murder first. Though Ibne Muljim was loyal to Imam Ali (A.S.) until he met her, he was entrapped under the influence of Iblees, the Devil with his weakness of mind and turned to be the enemy of Imam Ali (A.S.). He became the victim of delusional temptation of a woman and forgot that he would be caught and executed with the charge of Imam’s murder and his dream of marrying with her would never come true and besides he would have to go to Hell for ever. He was supported by Muawiyah, the Governor of Damascus then and his master minded right hand Marwan (Allah’s curses be upon them). Thus; Ibne Muljim, with his heinous most crime, besmeared his hands with the innocent blood of the Commander of the Faithful.

Hajarat Ali (A.S.) was the son of Abu Talib and cousin of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). He was born in the House of Allah, the Ka’bah on 13th of Rajab, B.H. 23. No any Prophet or Divine Personality was ever blessed with such an Honor of taking birth in such a Holy place, the Qibala (point of direction for Prayers). Ali’s mother Janabe Fatima Binte (d/o) Asad stayed in Ka’bah for three days after birth of Ali (A.S.). When she stepped out carrying the child in her arms on the fourth day, the Holy Prophet was already present there to welcome the newly born child in his anxious arms. During the first three days after birth, Ali (A.S.) kept his eyes closed; but as soon as he was lifted in arms of the Prophet, he opened his eyes and saw the face of the Prophet first and with the Divine grace, Ali (A.S.) greeted the Prophet (PBUH) in the words “As-salamo Alykum Ya Rasool-Allah” – (Salutes to you, O, the Messenger of Allah).

Hajarat Ali (A.S.) grew up in hands and company of the Prophet with great care and love. Once he announced that he (himself) and Ali were the pieces of the same Noor (Light) of Allah. Ali (A.S.) remained with the Holy Prophet for ten years so closely and inseparable that he developed his virtues already possessed by birth more flourished. He was one as resembling to the Prophet in character, knowledge, self-sacrifice, forbearance, bravery, kindness, generosity and power of eloquence. From his early infancy, he was used to pray to God along with the Holy Prophet. Every verse of the Holy Qu’ran whether revealed during night or day was first made him hear by the Prophet. Under the Divine mandate, the Prophet of Islam got his beloved daughter Fatimat-ul-Zehra (A.S.) married with him though many were eager to marry with her.

It was the late night of Ramadan 19 when Imam Ali was struck on head in mosque of Kufa but he embraced martyrdom on Ramadan 21. Who-so-ever heard the news of Ali’s death became heartbroken, but Ali’s words were as “By the Lord of Ka’bah, I have been successful!” Imam Ali’s death was the greatest loss to Humanity. He was a divine personality who had given everything to others even he gave up his meritorious position of being the immediate successor of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) just to preserve the unity of the followers of Islam and avoid the innocent bloodshed of Ummah, the Nation by raising any cause of Civil War. After the death of Hajarat Usman (RA) – the third Caliph, people insisted him to be the Caliph, but he refused. On the third day, just to honor the earnest desire of the people, he agreed for the same. As a Caliph, he re-lit the torch of Islamic learning and progress.

He was severely oppressed during his lifetime but never thought of any revenge. He forgave even his enemies and always helped the needy people. He provided shelter to the orphans and took care of widows. Such a Chosen one servant of Allah was no more on this day of Ramadan 21, leaving the followers of Shi-ite and other schools of Islamic thoughts weeping behind. Centuries have passed to this tragic episode in the history of Islam and still more till the Day of Judgment, he will be mourned and remembered. Hajarat Ali (A.S.) – Allah be pleased with him – was the lover and helper of the Prophet of Islam – Hajarat Mohammed (PBUH), the Mentor of the Universe. Ali (A.S.) was the living example of Knowledge, Love and Tolerance.

Born in the House of Allah, the Ka’bah was attacked in the mosque while he was in Prayer late at night. He was titled with the identity of the Lion of the Lord by the Prophet, the bravest hearted with tenderness as well. He devoted his whole life for the willingness of Almighty Allah and his Prophet in the services of the mankind. His spiritual and worldly ethical lessons are well expressed in his sermons collected in the form of the Book – Nahjul Balagah. In the entire history of Humankind, it is a note-worthy fact that Ali (A.S.) and his successor Imams – the sons, grand sons and great grand sons, all in number of 11 were martyred one after one either with sword or poison during the course of almost over two and half centuries. The 12th Imam Al-Mahdi (A.S.), the Just Leader of Humanity is alive with the will of Allah, but hidden in the eyes of the people and his Appearance is awaited.

To conclude, I would very politely confess that my few words in this precise Article have fallen short to give proper justice to the life and works of the Imam Ali (A.S.). I would justify my statement by quoting the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) in his Hadith (Saying) as “I am the city of knowledge, but Ali is the gate of the city and through him only my knowledge can be acquired.” How co-incidental it is that Imam Ali (A.S.) lived the age of 63 years equivalent to the age of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH)! The servant of Allah and His Prophet physically died in 40 A.H. on this day and was buried in Najaf-e-Ashraf (Iraq), but he is spiritually alive in the hearts of not only his Shias but the rest all who are familiar with his glorious life and character.

May Almighty Creator of the Universe keep his soul in Proximity of Him with His Chosen Ones in heaven.

Khuda Hafiz*

Duagir**

– Valibhai Musa

Notes:-

* Khuda Hafiz = May God protect you

** Duagir = Praying for you

@ PBUH = Peace Be Upon Him

@ A.S. = Alayhi Salam = Salutes to you

 

Who is really insane? – ‘Seldom’ such Posts (3)

Click here to read in Gujarati

Today, I am here with my sequential Article as titled above under ‘Seldom’ such Posts series. Here, in this category, you will find some specialty topics which I consider to be most essentially attended to by my Readers. As my regular Readers know it very well that whatever I publish here on my blog is always worth-reading and nothing is special or ordinary; but, just to emphasize the particular Article, I categorize the same so.

Before stepping into the topic, I would like to narrate an episode witnessed by Honorable Mohammad, the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.). Once he was passing through the streets of Medina, the Capital city of Saudi Arabia then. A crowd had gathered in the market place and in the heart of the crowd, an insane person was doing some mocking (jesting) actions. People were attracted with the scene and they enjoyed and laughed at him. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) called them and told them “Do you want to introduce you the real mad man?” All were silent and listening to him attentively and respectfully. He said, “A person who walks conceitedly (proudly), and he continually looks around himself. He moves his sides along with his shoulders (He sees no one but himself and thinks about no one save himself.). A person from whom people expect no goodness and a person from whose mischief people are not safe. This is the real mad man. The person whom you saw is a patient, a patient of mental illness.”

Now, keeping in my mind the above episode, I’ll try my level best to answer the question put in the title as “Who is really insane?” in my own words with some more comparative instances. Insane is not he or she whose mouth leaks with saliva or spittle, but he or she whose mouth always vomits vulgar words, speaks ill of others, expresses back-biting and exchanges abuses. Insane is not he or she whose clothes are torn and dirty as the said person is unable to maintain them decently, but those are really mad persons who are well dressed looking like gentleman or gentle-lady, but whose characters are rated in the third degree of comparison i.e. the worst in the eyes of the society and also in knowledge of the Almighty Creator.

Further to say, the person with crossed eyes and stretched facial muscles is not a mad man. He or she is merely a patient, but real mad people are those whose eyes are always red with anger and hatred of others, twinkling with greed of gathering money by hook or crook and lustful for illegal and immoral sexual entertainment. The former narrated with their peculiarities are the patients and the latter are insane in real sense though he or she may be a master of sharp intellect, possessing unlimited wealth, having sound mental and physical health, occupying so-called honorable position in society or considering themselves powerful politicians.

It is the general tendency of those mentally handicapped people that they never acknowledge them being insane, but instead of that they think that the people of the whole world are insane save themselves. Similarly, the real insane people being discussed here are in delusion of their minds that whatever they do is as a result of their smartness. With their over-confidence and superiority complex, they believe that they are making fool of others and nobody is capable to mark their trickeries. But, they do not know that they are cheating to themselves because the sane people and the God Himself better know what they really are. Here below, I would catalogue some insane groups of people who have knowingly or unknowingly accepted that they are mad, but they like to remain mad with their false and defensive arguments of being practical in routine life.

These groups are such as millions of High School students and their parents worldwide and particularly in India who have gone mad knowingly. All know that their Teachers are paid handsome salaries for their duties to teach them honestly in the institutions. But, what we see is that those insane people defined here are making lots of money through private tuitions and applying also tax-evasion or tax-avoidance practices. If we count all those persons (students, parents, managements and Governments) involved in this open scandal, the size of the population of such people world-wide would be more than1/3rd. Other group of voters and politicians of democratic nations may randomly cover 2/3rd of world population where we can see not only monetary corruption but some ethical corruptions also which cannot be made at par with any huge amount of currency and they are disturbance, destruction, deviation and transgression.

One more group of youngsters who are in ratio of about 30% in the world may perhaps go astray and turn out to be insane in our special definition of insanity in this Article if they are not protected from the popular culture spreading speedily. Grip of elders upon them is becoming loose day by day and it will not be a wonder if they rebel against them and so called modern culture already stands there waiting to embrace them stretching its arms open. Entertainment media has been aggressive to increase TRP rating of their programs by catering vulgarity round the clock just to make money from costly Ads by spoiling culture of youths and teen-agers. Degradation of their culture is being tolerated by their guardians (to say all from parents to politicians) and thus their irresponsible attitude is fully responsible to damage the peace and order of the society.

Just before winding up the post, I would like to say that history has witnessed many cruel rulers who have utterly ruined their nations or kingdoms with their insanity termed here. Their evil ruling has caused to lead the people down to ever darker and lower levels of hell on earth. If my fairly sane Readers, randomly, presume the number of those mentally handicapped people (patients) world-wide and compare their proportion with those so called sane people, they will find that the former are negligible in counting. But, there is no scarcity of such so called sane but as a fact insane people at any place in the world and at any time also.

My good Readers will agree with me that those poor patients of mental illness never do any harm to anybody in the society. On the other hand, we see that those insane in disguise have done all round damages to society in little or more proportion. The real difference between people to people is not sanity or insanity, but more or less insanity. Psychologists and Sociologists have found out through researches that any individual is always insane little or more and occasionally this insanity comes out and leads him or her to such unfair behavior and action which become the cause of repentance for the whole life. If such wrong action damages himself or herself, it is all right; but, sometimes the related person/s and society have to suffer the consequences of the same. A notable quote of Friedrich Nietzsche is as “Insanity in individuals is something rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs it is the rule.” Terrorism and some other forms of massacre such as racist attacks, confessional hatred and so-called ethnic cleansing are the forms of mass insanity. These are the man-made disasters where there is nothing but utter ruin of human lives. They are such as wild fire in the forest where dry and green trees burn to ashes together and it becomes very difficult to let the fire cool down.

We have to take stock of ourselves whether, knowingly or unknowingly, we are the part of such destructive activities with our silence insanity. A very witty quote of Rita Mae Brown will justify what has been said just. It is as “The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is suffering from mental illness. Think of your three best friends and if they are okay, then the fourth that remains is you.”

Summing up, the sanity of individual’s mind makes the good health of his body. Similarly, the healthy mind can dwell peacefully in a healthy body. Healthy minds and bodies of the citizens can establish peace and order in the places where they live. Civilized civilians are like beams in a house or bones in a body that can make own nation strong, healthy and prosperous. Lastly, I quote Lord Byron with his brief text as “Hatred is the insanity of the heart’. Madness of heart is more dangerous than the madness of brain.

Hopefully, this post may be evaluated as fitting to my category of ‘Seldom’ such Posts and be commented fairly by my Readers.

Regards,

– Valibhai Musa

Note: (p.b.u.h.) means “Praise be upon him”