Rahim Um Foreign Foreign foreign Foreign Muhammad for the acceptance of our Mal our visitation to abah Abdullah Al Hussain another louder to please the heart of the Mistress of the women of the world and increase our hopes of receiving her intercession on the day of judgment allowed my dear brothers and sisters Allah foreign blessed yet again
To visit Imam al-hussein on this day the urban and to experience the single greatest Divine spectacle the world has ever seen a pilgrimage that has been shunned by the world media and we can understand though never approve of their methods but we could understand why they would want to
Dismiss this pilgrimage to shun it to not publicize it because this pilgrimage isn’t just about people moving from one point to another paying their respects to a slain martyr who was dot who was killed 14 centuries ago this is much more than that it’s a Revival of the nation
It is the fellowship of Muslims the followers of the bait being resurrected from their slumber and so we can understand why a festival where a group of people gather around to throw tomatoes at each other would receive press and would be covered by world media where 80 tons
Of tomatoes are destroyed that is worthy of the evening news as well as online news portals but not so we can understand why they would want to ignore what is happening in Iraq today but what matters to us is that we know deep down how grateful we are
For this incredible opportunity for this blessing this has bestowed upon us and upon millions of other people even those who couldn’t participate in but yearn to be with us today they’re counted alongside the pilgrims of Imam al-hussein we know that why because on a day like this
Was the first Pilgrim to the grave of ABBA Abdullah the first person to come to the land of karbala to visit Imam al-hussein you’ve all heard the story when he came he told his guide his servant the one who would hold his hand because he was no longer
Able to see he was blind at that point take me to the banks of the river Euphrates so that I could perform a hundred years before the etiquettes of ziara were spelled out by the imams of the Abdullah knew those etiquettes after all Jaber wasn’t just a companion of rasulullah he was
He was among a select group of people only two people come to my mind at least the first is Salman the second is Jaber they were among those who would be entrusted with the secrets of Fatima to Zara his mother for his gnosis of Imam al-hussein transcends the majority of
People so he knew the etiquettes required for someone who is about to set foot into the sacred Valley of karbala and so he says to His companion he says to him take me to the banks of the river Euphrates he performs as also then he says to him Bring Me Close to
The burial sites at one point he says you can release my hand now I’ll be able to find the grave of my beloved from his fragrance and so despite being blind he gets closer and closer to the grave of Hussain he then screams three times then he says to him I’ve never
Seen you being greeted with Salam and yet you do not respond but how could you respond he says when your body is buried here and your head is high on a lands traversing from one country to another how could you respond to me then he says to Imam al-hussein he says I bear
Witness that I was here with you any Valley that you ascended I ascended it with you any Hill any Valley every place you went I was with you who was a righteous man a Pious individual they told him we’re going to last you a hundred times many years after that
You’ll get a hundred whips if you don’t curse he said I will never curse and they whipped him a hundred times was this kind of man and yet he says to Jaber how could you say this that we were with them Imam al-hussein was killed his companions were slain his
Family members were martyred how could we claim to have been with them all along this is the key he said to him I have heard my beloved messenger of Allah whoever loves someone will be raised with them on the day of judgment and whoever Revelations people he will be made partner with them
So even those watching this who couldn’t make it to karbala but you yearn to be here you’re counted among but how blessed are we brothers and sisters that we get to be here only a stone throw away from the grave of Allah and when I say a stone throw I mean it literally
For what he did to Abba Abdullah and his blessed forehead to be this close to the Shrine of the master Abba Abdullah is a great blessing it’s an infinite blessing for which we will never be able to show gratitude all we can say is by being thankful and grateful Allah
Might just select me to be among the visitors next year as well what a great blessing this is and one of the incredible things about the ziara is that people flock to karbala not because there is anyone encouraging them to do so the government does not involved thankfully International agencies are working
Against this what they’re busy with is upending society’s moral values the United Nations what have you why do people come here if you ask anybody they’ll tell you we come here voluntarily we come here spontaneously we come here because something inside of us pushes us to come to karbala foreign
There is an innate and intrinsic gnosis and recognition of Imam al-hussein inside of us yet again reminding us of how blessed we are is everybody comes here without spending too much time to think about it to weigh up the pros and cons you just feel this yearning you feel this push
And Muharram it happens to you after Muharram sometimes only a few days before arbain so many of you have told me this and you can’t explain it but allow me to spend just a few minutes to try and make sense of this This Love This yearning foreign stems from a quranic principle
Some people argue that this is ritualistic bloating that this is turning Islam into some kind of religion that revolves around mindless rights and rituals this is firmly grounded in the Holy Quran foreign it’s a transactional contract Allah says do you want guidance the condition of receiving my guidance
Is that you love the family of rasulullah himself because that’s a given he’s our messenger he’s our prophet of course we have to love him and we love him but no that’s not enough the family of rasulullah the Kindred the progeny if you love them Allah will then give you guidance
He will show you the way he will allow you to live your life to your fullest potential not only in this world but also in the next it’s a transaction so it’s firmly grounded in the Holy Quran and if we wanted to describe this pilgrimage
In only a few words we would say this is the pilgrimage of love for the family of rasulullah that’s why you see people who walk barefoot you see people limping you see people walking with crutches you see people crawling and if you ask them why do you put
Yourself through all of this their answer is I want to empathize with ladies I want to feel part of the pain that they felt I don’t want to be under a shade I don’t want to be comfortable I read somewhere a person said these are tips for
You should put sunscreen on you should wear sunglasses you should have some kind of head covering and my first thought was even though this is good in principle that you’re visiting Imam but the whole point of ziara is that you feel some of the pain that they run through which is why Imam
Famously says in that Dua in the state of prostration the Imam says may Allah bless those faces that have been discolored by the sun rays this is the Imam the one whose prayers are answered is saying oh Allah I know people are going to walk to karobala
Under the scorching Heat Of The Sun bless those faces for our sake answer their prayers look after them guide them and so we spontaneously find ourselves gravitating towards Imam like iron filings to a magnet but when we do come we find that we got so much more than we bargained for
That even though our Drive was to express love towards the family of rasulullah because it’s our duty to do so as for the Holy Quran I might have mentioned this before once I got into a taxi and the driver was a Muslim from a particular African country so I usually try to
Start a conversation and steer it towards the because I feel like I only have about 10-15 minutes with this guy I don’t want to meet him on the day of judgment and have him say to me that you met me and you didn’t say anything to me to guide me to the truth
So I feel a sense of obligation so I said to him I’m from the holy city of karumbala where are you from so obviously that’s intriguing where is karbala and so if he doesn’t say anything I say to him do you know where karbala is do you know who’s buried in
Karbala and so I start talking about suddenly he stopped me he said to me look in Islam we don’t need to love Hussein or Hassan or Fatima or any of these people you just have to pray your Salat you have to love rasulullah believe in God go to Hajj do
These things and you’re good I said to him no you have to love Imam Al Hussain he said no Hussain is not mentioned in the Quran I said to him yes he is mentioned in the Quran I remember him looking at me from the rear view mirror shocked his eyes open like this
He said where is he mentioned in the Quran I said doesn’t Allah says whose family is Allah alluding to what is he talking about there’s no doubt that the qurba included whether it includes the other members of the Elizabeth we can have a debate about
That but is there any doubt that Imam Al Hussain is included whether the wives of the Prophet are included we could have a debate about that until kingdom come we’ll never come to an agreement but we could have a debate about it but whether Imam al-hussein is included there’s no question
So when we come we realize that we got so much more than we bargained for because in addition to fulfilling our divinely appointed Duty towards rasulullah in expressing our love towards this family we find that Imam al-hussein makes it all such that it fits in all the parts fall into place all the
Beads come into the thread suddenly it all makes sense suddenly our entire religion makes sense you realize when you’ve come to karbala that you have just become part of the most magnificent system of Virtues and morals the like of which the world has never seen one that is represented by
The greatest Exemplar of Virtues and morals you suddenly become part of this Global fraternity and we talked about this a couple of nights ago you’re now a member of a Brotherhood that is bound by the most beautiful of divinely inspired virtues you recognize that Imam al-hussein can
Fix everything all of our problems all of our issues that Imam Hussein is presenting to us a system that can be the Catalyst for a world filled with peace and love and Justice and goodness and kindness you’re now a member of this community Bound by love Bound by faith Bound by Allegiance
To Allah and his vice gerunds and representatives you realize that Imam Al Hussain can increase all the deficiencies that you have he increases your gnosis and recognition of Allah he increases your compassion and love towards your brothers and sisters in faith erases any lingering doubts that you might have had
Because throughout the year we’re bombarded with misconceptions and doubts right but then I say to people don’t worry about those imposters that are trying to sow the seeds of Doubt don’t pay them too much attention just wait until because 25 million people will be stepping over those tongues and over
Those mouths that are trying to snatch our faith and our beliefs away from us all it takes is for people to come into this pilgrimage and it’s all washed away the other thing that happens in is that your re you renew your Allegiance to the Imam of the time
If you look at the visitation and devotional texts of Imam Al Hussain so many of them include variants of the following statement the one I will read to you is the one from the one that you all recited today we say to the Imam addressing him we say to him I bear Witness
Become I believe in you as well as in your return so belief in Imam al-hussein has to be proportionate to the belief that one day Imam al-hussein will return believe in the Raja and this as I said is found in many of the ziarat of Imam and Hussain um
I have certainty in the ways of My Religion as well as the repercussions of my actions this statement brothers and sisters encapsulates Islam in its entirety my heart we say to the Imam my heart is completely submissive to you my heart is yours my heart isn’t shattered it’s not turned into pieces
Where one piece is heading in this direction the other is heading into that direction I love this and I love that and I’m confused as to which way I need to go no no my heart is wholeheartedly yours it’s submissive to you and everything I do
Is in your way I follow your footsteps I see guidance from you that’s one thing that Imam Al Hussain has which is mind-boggling brothers and sisters I’ve always said that if you’re ever confused about an action a lot of people when they’re confused they take in a staccato which is fine but whenever
You’re confused about something especially when it comes to matters of creed when it comes to Akai when it comes to who to follow and who not to follow ask yourself this question what would Imam al-hussein do is this incredible Catalyst that gives Clarity to everything becomes crystal clear
What would Imam al-hussein do what would he want me to do what’s Imam hussain’s position vis-a-vis this challenge that I’m going through my support my backing for you is prepared it’s ready I’m ready whenever the moment arises whenever I have to step up whenever the call is made
Between the Heaven and the Earth declaring the return of the Savior I’m ready in other words as I said we renew our Pledge of Allegiance our vow of loyalty to the son of Imam Hussain to the representative of Hussain to the Avenger of the blood of Imam al-hussein
And so you’ll find that the Imam of the times fingerprints are found all across haven’t you asked yourself how is it that this great pilgrimage involving tens of millions of people can function the way it does without any major accidents without so much as a nosebleed how does it all work
We’ve seen how sometimes they hold these games for instance 30 000 Spectators in a stadium and you have all kinds of accidents you have things being stolen you have all manner of problems you have dirt all over the place you have Hooligans that cause trouble you have police having to get involved
Because they get drunk and they fight amongst each other and yet you have tens of millions of people and everything functions so smoothly how is that possible the answer is very simple is called Hajj wouldn’t happen without the Emir of her judge without the leader of the judge
Imam UL Mahdi has to be present and Hajj for Hajj to be legitimate for Hajj to be accepted for Hajj to happen as Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala wants it to happen similarly when it comes to ziara he is the one who is organizing all of this the Imam himself says
We are never forgetful of you how could a compassionate loving kind father forget about his children we never forget about you we’re constantly thinking of you that’s part of what the Imam does looking after his flock looking after his people and had we not done that the Imam says
Your enemies would have uprooted you like uprooting a plant from the ground all the persecution all the Carnage all the killing the murders all of the tragedies that we’ve witnessed in the time of the occultation how is it that we’re not only not going extinct but year after year
Year after year we grow and we prosper and we become stronger and stronger particularly when it comes to our faith and our allegiance to the Elizabeth brothers and sisters I do apologize but there is some space here in the front there are those joining us if you could
Just get a little closer in sha Allah All right so you see the imam’s fingerprints everywhere it’s clear as daylight the imam’s presence is felt and is palpable by everyone who comes to karbala in fact it’s not only his presence that’s felt but also the presence of his mother Fatima narrations actually tell us that Fatima
Stands by the outskirts of karbala welcoming the visitors have you noticed those of you who have walked to karbala despite being tired and exhausted but as soon as you get to the outskirts of the city your heart begins to beat in a different manner something happens to you that’s because
Standing there probably greeting everyone the same way Iraqi Caravans greet the zuar and say hello that’s why Iranians at the end of the season of lamentation and mourning they recognize that they need to go back to father and that’s why they have a chant they say mom was
We want our reward from Fatima Zara we’ve done all these things we’ve served Allah as best as we can and it’s now Fatima who can reward us foreign she looks at us one Hadith says that when you cry for Imam and Hussein foreign that there are people crying for her son
It Delights her imagine you’re able to do something to attract the attention the Holy Spirit God’s Secrets Fatima would look at me because I cried foreign yes that’s what we’ve been promised you know how when you have a child and they go to school Monday they tell you that your child is
Going to take part in a play some theatrical production or some recital right if you show up late to the program you’ll notice that your child is scanning the audience hoping to find her father hoping to find her mother and why because it doesn’t matter how many
People are looking at your child she wants your attention now imagine we could actually attract the attention foreign and so you want to attract her attention do what you’ve been doing just as when you want to attract the attention of the Imam of the time Scholars have summarized all of the
Hadith pertaining to the subject and they’ve said that other than being Pious and refraining from sin and Performing your obligatory actions other than those basic things that we all have to do two actions attract the attention of the Imam of the time the first is mending a broken heart helping a fellow believer
Who’s in trouble whether it be financially or otherwise or even just sympathizing with them you see another lover of Imam Zaman another orphan who’s missing his father the Imam of the time take them by the hand help them out show them the way provide for them help them financially somebody came to Imam
Why don’t you rise you have people in kufa who are submissive to you they’re loyal to you they’ll listen to you if you tell them to rise they’ll rise the Imam said how many are they he said tens of thousands of people we can actually tip the scales we can
Try and and uh do something so that the many omeya when their government collapses that you can take the reins of government the Imam said to him let me ask you one question do you look after fellow believers he said yes we do the Imam said no my question is this
If someone was in need could he or she go to this to a fellow believer’s home and grab the money from their purse and when they see them afterwards they don’t feel ashamed they feel like it’s a perfectly normal thing to do because I was in need I went and took money from
Your own purse does that ever happen he said to him that never happens the Imam said then if they’re stingy when it comes to their money they’ll be more stingy when it comes to their blood that we’re going to support the Imam of the time and give our blood when we
Don’t give our money to fellow Believers or to good causes good causes all across the world right here in karbala I didn’t want to say this but in karbala we have a deficiency of husseiniyat we have a deficiency of places where the zuar could sleep people who come from
Across the globe especially people who are wealthy people who can afford to give let them give let’s establish here for English majalis why not we have these husseini art we have these institutions may Allah bless them may they continue to served Hussain in the best manner possible but there’s still a greater need
So the first way to attract the attention of the Imam is what is to help fellow Believers the second is to lament his grandfather which is why the Imam himself says he says oh Father yeah today just like the day of Ashura Imam Zaman has cried more than every single
One of the zoo today is a day of tragedy for the maulah is the Imam says that I will cry for you day and night and I will shed tears of blood instead of water and I will cry until I die the Imam says you wish to attract his attention
Do the things that we’ve been doing inshallah but even more so so the connection between Imam al-hussein and Imam is Zaman is very very saturated it’s very strong you’ve all heard that the imams of the would speak about Imam Zaman famously says if I witness the day of the return of
The Imam who is his grandson I would spend the rest of my days in servitude to him Imam assadaf says recited those verses of poetry he merely alluded to the Imam he didn’t even mention by mention him by name stood up on his two feet and he placed his hand over his head
This is where this tradition comes from so the imams of the arubait would speak about Imam Zaman they would pray for him but Imam Al Hussein also spoke about Imam Zaman where there’s a Hadith where somebody comes to Imam he says to him where is Imam Al Hussain right now the Imam says
That’s a very heavy and serious question in other words you’re asking about the secrets of the universe but I will answer you and I will say this to you he said to him that Imam al-hussein He’s with his grandfather they’re standing by the right side of God’s throne and he is constantly looking at his word [Applause] foreign he knows and recognize his visitors their names their fathers names and even what they carry in their luggage he knows more about that than a father knows about his child
Then the Imam added this he says constantly prays to Allah he says oh Allah you made me a promise fulfill that promise to me what was the promise and I’ll conclude we don’t have a lot of time unfortunately what was the promise clarifies he says that on the day of Ash
The Imam doesn’t elaborate he doesn’t give details it’s too hard for someone like Imam to even speak about the tragedies he says one day did to Imam al-hussein what they did The Angels screamed now we all know that angels are the most submissive of God’s creations Angels don’t do or say anything that would even remotely violate their pledge to Allah and yet you know how when we listen to the Messiah saying sometimes we lose control we can’t help it
People start beating their faces and their chest maybe ripping their shirts they do things like that the Angels felt this but not upon hearing of the tragedies but actually witnessing them from the heavens above they screamed they said o our Lord do you see what they’re doing to your
Beloved Hussein and the son of your chosen prophet can this happen Allah what he did in response is incredible lifted a veil there was a shadow there he pointed them to that shadow and he said it is through this man that I will avenge the blood of Allah
We’re all yearning for you we’re longing for you we’ve come to pledge our allegiance to you but because it’s a night like this and because we’re so close to the place where everything took place I have no choice but to say this you know when somebody is dying they usually
Don’t think about anything or anyone but themselves right that’s how it is and yet Imam is Zaman says he says on the ground was seated where he was seated his head is about to be severed Allah Vietnam was had his attention squarely on something else the Imam says looking at
Us watching his women and his children in other words the one thing that Hussein couldn’t face the one thing he couldn’t stand was what they did to his women and children after him and what they did to them the companions of Imam al-hussein sacrificed themselves for the Imam
They were all killed in the way of ABBA Abdullah but then came the turn of zainab and the women and the children but unlike the companions of the Imam who had blades they had swords they had Spears ladies zainab and the women of the children had nothing but their cheeks by being humiliated
They had to raise his honor and his remembrance lady zainab knew exactly that by humiliating yazid the way she did in his court that every time she spoke yazid would use his Rod once again but she had to speak out I know for a fact
You’re right here I know for a fact that ladies Ada would have preferred a thousand stabs on her heart and not see the teeth and the lips of Obama did not be desecrated by this Tyrant my design have had to speak ladies Aiden knew that by speaking yazid would want to take his
Revenge on the three-year-old daughter because she put him to shame because zainab turned the Palace of yazid into a hussainiya yazid had to take his revenge that night but zainab had to speak she had to raise the name of ABBA Abdullah now imagine the scene the women the
Children they were trying especially the adults they were trying to make sure the children don’t see what yazid was doing to the Blessed heart of Obama but yazid kept twisting the knife in their back he started saying whose head is this I want you to watch what I do to him right now
Foreign foreign the ambassador of the Roman Empire is sitting right there next to yazid he’s part of a delegation he’s been invited to celebrate this victory he noticed what he was doing he said to yazid whose head is this he said don’t worry about it you don’t need to know
That he said no tell me I want to write a report back to the emperor so he he would send you a message congratulating you he said Said to him the Ambassador who was a Christian he said to him the head of Hussein the son of Fatima meaning the daughter of your prophet he said yes what’s it to you remember yazid was drunk yazid couldn’t understand what he was saying or doing he said to him yes
That’s true he said cursed are you and your religion and whatever you believe in I am the 40th descendant of one of the prophets of many Israel you should see how the Jews and the Christians honor me and respect me this is what you do to the grandson
Of your own Prophet may Allah curse you yazid became enraged he said how dare you speak like this to me take him and kill him when he said kill him the Roman Ambassador threw himself upon the head of Abu Abdullah he embraced it he said subhanallah last
Night I saw a dream that didn’t make sense to me now it all makes sense I saw your Prophet come into my dream and say that tomorrow you will be my guest what have I got to do with your prophet and now I know Allah Foreign
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