Salaam dear young friends, and heartfelt condolences to you all on the sad occasions of the month of Zi’l-Hijjah before the advent of Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice.
Tomorrow, on the 7th of this month we will commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Muhammad al-Baqer (AS), the 5th Infallible Heir of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).
Many in the Islamic Republic of Iran till Saturday will be in black clothes, since we will be in the state of mourning in view of the 9th of Zi’l-Hijjah, the martyrdom anniversary of Muslim ibn Aqeel (AS), the cousin and emissary of Imam Husain (AS) to the people of Iraq.
He was deceived and betrayed, but after a hard fight against the hordes of Ibn Ziyad the tyrannical governor of the accursed Yazid, he was taken prisoner and brutally beheaded, while his headless corpse was dragged around the streets of Kufa – in Daesh-manner – by the cowardly Omayyads.
Well youngsters, since Saturday is the 9th of Zi’l-Hijjah, most of you might be gearing up for observance of the special rituals of the Day of Arafah, when Hajj pilgrims gather on the plain of the same name, to spend the day in prayers and supplications for developing the proper cognizance of God Almighty, as the Prophets had done, including Abraham and the Father of the human race, Adam.
It is a day of great blessing when the Mercy of the All-Merciful God is at its peak, eager to envelope in its affectionate embrace all those beseeching the Lord Most High for forgiveness of sins and faults, however insignificant.
The Day of Arafah is the day in which the faithful gather for the rituals, especially the recitation of the famous supplication taught by the Martyr of Karbala – a supplication that is a treasure trove of moral virtues, self-enlightenment, gratitude to the One and Only Creator for His infinite mercy, and firming of the resolve for promoting and defending in society humanitarian values, even if it means sacrificing one’s own life in the process.
Yes friends, speaking of sacrifice, reminds us of the 10th of Zi’l-Hijjah (Sunday), the Day of the Feast of Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha). The day is celebrated throughout the world by Muslims with the special Eid Prayer as thanksgiving, and often the sacrifice of a ram. This is in memory of Prophet Abraham’s earnest endeavour to sacrifice his young son Ishmael in the way of God, which was accepted in the Divine Court, but with a ram sent miraculously from heaven as substitute for the Patriarch’s son.
The Holy Qur’an informs us in ayah 107 of Surah Saff: “We ransomed him with the Zibhin Azeem (Great Sacrifice)”.
This is a reference to the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS) in 61 AH (680 AD), in the full limelight of history, in order to salvage Islam and all humanitarian values, since the sacrifice of Ishmael in antiquity would not have served such a perennial purpose.
Now we understand why the faithful recite the special Ziyarah (salutation) for the Martyr of Karbala on the day of the two Eids – al-Fitr and al-Adha.
Goodbye and God bless you until we meet again next week.