Islam: integration between doctrine and Practice

In Ashoura, we were with Imam Al-Hussein . We remembered him and followed up his mind, soul, heart, spirituality and practice.

We were with the Imam when, at noon, on the day of Ashoura, he stood to pray with the deadly arrows falling on him and killing one of his companions who was martyred while defending him. This is the spirituality of Imam Hussein who lived with God even in the most dangerous and painful movements. The Imam, like his brother, father, mother and grandfather has sold himself to God. Adherence is not merely an emotion, and belonging is not a psychological state. Islam is an integration of doctrine and practice. Those who said that they were Muslims and followed the line of Ahl el-Beit did not live Islam when their hearts were with Imam Hussein and their swords were against him. The Muslim is the one whose sword is in the service of his principles, and does not live any duality between the Message and the practice.

Thus, dear beloved, when we meet the Imam we meet this small community of his companions and his family that spent the night before Ashoura praying and reciting the Quran. They were living with God and making Him their witness that they have taken this stand out of their faithfulness and loyalty to Him. They did not differentiate between their prayer and reciting Quran, and their Jihad against those who lived with the Devil and left the obedience of God.

The Movement of Al-Hussein: A Movement of justice.

Thus, dear beloved, the Imam was emphasizing to the entire world that his Islamic movement is a movement of Justice. He wanted to spread justice in the world so that the people would uphold justice. Imam Hussein wanted to tell them that Allah has called for justice in all religions We sent aforetime our messengers with Clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong), that men may stand forth in justice.If the Muslim wants to prove that he is a true believer, he has to be just… whether with his wife and children, with his brothers and sisters, with his presents or with all whom he deals with. He should also be just towards his responsibility if he holds any post.

The difference between the community of Al-Hussein and that of Yazid is that Yazid was not just in his practice, whether in his rule or towards his responsibility, while the community of Imam Hussein was just towards their God and towards themselves and other people.

Among those who were with Yazid a relative of Imam Hussein called Omar bin Saad who found that he had to choose between a ministerial post Yazid had offered and between committing the grave sin of killing Imam Hussein.He decided to kill the Imam to win the post, since he can always ask God for forgiveness.

In contrast, we find among the followers, of Al- Hussein, Al-Hur bin Yazid Al-Riyahi who was the first person in the army of Ibn Ziad to obstruct the army of Hussein.

But the man reviewed his position in the light of thinking about God the Hereafter. In the beginning , he hoped things would lead to a truce and thus he would avoid fighting the Imam. But when he found that the fight was inevitable he began to shiver, but not out of fear of death, but because he was choosing between hell and heaven. He made up his mind and said "I would not prefer anything to Heaven even If I were going to burnt and cut to pieces".

Thus he went to the Imam and repented to God. The Imam gave him the biggest medal: Your are "free" as your mother had called you, free in this world and happy in the Hereafter". From the words of Hussein(a.s.) we deduce that one should uphold the freedom of will and choice and not to be enslaved to desires.

Are will following the line of the Imam.

Dear beloved, we have spent with the Imam several days, and we might spend more days as many of the followers of Ahl el- beit do. But the issue is what are we going to say to the Imam now that the season has finished.

Let every one go back to himself and review how he is living his Islam:

Is he trying to preserve his dignity and honour in accordance with Allah’s saying: and to Allah belongs the honor and to His Messenger and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.

Dear beloved: After Ashoura, we have to start thinking: Are we of the fowlers of Imam Hussein, whom do we support and whom do we oppose.

Are we with the line of Islam or the line of falsehood: You should hold yourself accountable before you are held accountable: : O you who believe! be careful of (your duty to) Allah, and let every soul consider what it has sent on for the morrow, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah; surely Allah is Aware of what you do.

And be ye not like those who forgot Allah; and He made them forget their own souls! Such are the rebellious transgressors!
Not equal are the Companions of the Fire and the Companions of the Garden: it is the Companions of the Garden that will achieve Felicity.

Israeli planes kill Palestinian activists everyday, with many civilians passers -by killed or injured. The Zionist Army explosion storms houses in the West Bank to kill or arrest the youth. Meanwhile, the Enemy's war minister threatens to resume the liquidation of Palestinians based on mere suspicions, which made the UN Secretary General ,Kofi Anan, protest since it is an assassination without trail. Nevertheless ,the American and European officials who call Hamas to renounce terror and violence practically encourage Israel to continue its brutal and barbaric terrorism.

Moreover, the Israeli acting prime minister, arrogantly announces that he will keep Jerusalem and the three major settlements in the West Bank, in addition to Jordan's Rift Valley and building the separating wall ,which means keeping more than 60% of the West Bank . All this at a time the so-called free World is demanding that Hamas should recognize Israel and denounce resistance, but they don't demand that Israel should recognize the Palestinian rights in the 67 occupied territories in the least. This suggests that this world is not honest when it talks about the rights of peoples in self, determination, or even human rights.

Therefore, we would like to emphasize the need of Palestinian firmness in defending these rights, since no right is lost as long as it is being demanded. Furthermore, If the Palestinians are suffering from occupation, Israel, and America, is suffering from the impasse of the resistance.

The Arab league and the Organization of Islamic Conference should be in harmony with their Arab and Muslim masses and stand with the Palestinians who have chosen to support the militant mujahidden of Hamas.

Insulting the Prophet

All over the Islamic world protests against the cartoons that insult the Prophet are rising… Muslims have unified their ranks to protest against this in various means especially the boycott. The Arrogant World has experienced a political shock that made it divided between those who support the insulting papers and those who call for calming down to contain the Muslims rage.

America has accused Tehran and Damascus of aggravating the issue in the Islamic world. It wants to turn it into a political lobbying card to play against these two countries although the popular Islamic rage preceded the standing of the two countries.

As we emphasize the need to oppose in a peaceful and civilized away, we call on Muslims to continue their movement with all the pressure they could deploy to make the world understand that nobody is allowed to offend the Prophet or Islam in the name of freedom of expression, for freedom has to be checked by public responsibility.

It is regrettable that the hatred of some apostaters has hit the Ashoura celebrations in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Those people are, whether directly or indirectly, serving the arrogant powers who wish to incite strife between the Shiites and the Sunnis, at a time the nation needs to strengthen its unity against those who are insulting Islam and Muslims.

Corruption in Iraq

Criminal acts against civilians are continuing in Iraq, and the American occupation continues to rob the Iraqi wealth through its companies, including that of the American vice-president… At the same time, the American defence minister expresses his concern over the corruption in Iraq, the same corruption which the occupation and its monopolizing companies created.

We call on the Iraqi people to strengthen their unity and plan to end occupation and build its security forces and its army and choose the faithful and experienced elements in its government.

As for the Iran peaceful nuclear project which the arrogant are trying to submit to the Security Council to intensify the political and economic pressures against Iran, we believe that they will not be successful because Iran possesses both the political maturity and the power that enable it to be in control despite the American – European alliance.

Internal Strife in Lebanon

Lebanon is still under a state of political destabilization in which the political language has fallen into the mud of the differences that create a lot of tensions and make the Lebanese more concerned and anxious when they see how incompetent the government is when it comes to protecting the lives of citizens and solve its economic problems, and politicise the security and political situation in the name of the majority and minority.