Issue No: 277
9th December 2016
9th Rabi Ul Awwal 1438 A.H.
Salamun alaykum,
Change; before and now:
Many would have seen the commercials on television advertising for a product or treatment where photos marked "before" and "now" are displayed?
Like the example of a body work out exercise programme where photo of a person, before doing the work outs, with stubborn belly fat protruding from his waist is shown. This is then followed by photo of the person now showing with ripped body and six pack abdomen muscles. This looks great. So the exercise programme has worked wonders; it's been successful!
Since the day of the sighting of the crescent of Muharram to the 8th Rabi ul Awwal we have been devotedly engaged in a very different lifestyle. Our dressing, time schedules, religious activities and personal dispositions had all altered. Even the décor and presentations in our centres had changed.
What was the occasion?
These were the solemn days of azadari for Aba Abdillah Imam Husayn a.s. and his devoted band of the martyrs of Karbala. For a period of two months and eight days all our focus has solely been on undertaking azadari of our beloved Imam Husayn a.s. During this period of azadari we have been undergoing a powerful 'treatment' directed at our nafs-the self.
The result:
The anticipation is that after immersing oneself in the azadari for a period of some 68 days, this 'treatment' will now effect a change to ones' self.
Just like something along the lines of the photos 'before' and 'now' in the television commercial, so too the state of the nafs is now expected to be a different one than the state that it was in before the commencement of Muharram.
Reflect:
Today on the festive occasion of Eid e Zahra when we put to rest our clothes, schedules and activities of azadari, look inside oneself and inquire: Is the picture now of ones nafs which has changed to that of a superior, purified status than before?
Is the mumin azadar transformed to be like one as expected by our Imam Sahibaz Zaman – the master of our age?
Indeed the mission of Aba Abdillah Imam Husayn a.s. was to bring about a reformation in the ummah. How much has the azadari led one towards reformation in one self?
Heartiest felicitations on the celebrations of Eid e Zahra a.s.
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah
With salaams and duas
Fazle Abbas Datoo
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat