Of Autumn & Atrocities Endured by the Ahl al-Bayt
Salaam dear young friends. We are here with our weekly chat. Autumn has started in Iran, and with it, the chilling of the air, the falling of the leaves, and the sprinkling of rain.
In Tehran, since last night we are having a pleasant drizzle that has refreshed the atmosphere and hopefully cleared the air of the pollution, which had spread the influenza virus in the capital.
Rains are good for agriculture and the wide variety of crops that Iran cultivates, ranging from cereals to fruits and vegetables. Since yesterday the 16th of October was FAO Day, let us say a few words about the food situation in the Islamic Republic.
As you know, Iran is a predominantly agricultural country, but with a scanty rainfall, and this explains why the fertile lands are still not utilized to their full capacity. However, thanks to the ingenuity of the Iranian people throughout the ages, the country has a system of qanats or underground canals through which water flows round the year from springs and the snowy mountain tops towards the parched lands, where the dry-farming methods help produce a variety of crops.
As a result, the food security index of Iran today is around 96 percent, thanks to the prudent policies over the past forty years following the victory of the Islamic Revolution and end of western, or more properly US hegemony, while the overall food and agricultural situation of the world is in a state of crisis, because of wanton exploitation of global resources by the capitalist west, coupled with the erratic policies of most Third World countries, plagued by corruption and dictatorial rule.
If you recall, last week we spoke about the International Children’s Day which Iran celebrates each year under the auspices of the UNICEF. This Wednesday, in order to enlighten your young minds with the important occasions of the week, let us refer in brief to the tragic suffering of the children of the Blessed Household of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).
Two days back on Monday, the 5th of Safar, we commemorated the martyrdom anniversary of the less-than-4-year old daughter of Imam Husain (AS), the Martyr of Karbala.
She was Hazrat Ruqaiyya (SA), who in the aftermath of the tragedy of Karbala and forced march of the noble captives towards Damascus in Syria, she suffered the pains of the arduous journey, often through hot desert terrain, during which she was subjected to scolding and whipping by the Omayyad ruffians.
In Damascus, she was mocked in front of the whole court by the Godless Yazid as he blasphemously hit with his cane the severed head of her noble father that was placed in a tray.
The Prophet’s family was confined to the ruins of a dilapidated edifice, where her wailing in the night disturbed the tyrant’s sleep and forced him to send the head of Imam Husain (AS) in a bid to calm her down.
At the sight of her father’s head, little Ruqayya (SA) rushed and took it in her lap, and placing her own head upon it, recounted the pains, sufferings, and tortures she had endured for the past 25 days since the fateful day of Ashura (Muharram 10). She suddenly became motionless as her soul flew to the ethereal heavens. Her brother, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) laid her to rest in the ruins.
Today, her resting place has been transformed into a spacious shrine in the heart of the Syrian capital, and pilgrims of all ages, especially children, stream in to pay their respects to her and beseech God Almighty for their lawful and legal needs.
Goodbye and God bless you, until we meet again next week.
In Tehran, since last night we are having a pleasant drizzle that has refreshed the atmosphere and hopefully cleared the air of the pollution, which had spread the influenza virus in the capital.
Rains are good for agriculture and the wide variety of crops that Iran cultivates, ranging from cereals to fruits and vegetables. Since yesterday the 16th of October was FAO Day, let us say a few words about the food situation in the Islamic Republic.
As you know, Iran is a predominantly agricultural country, but with a scanty rainfall, and this explains why the fertile lands are still not utilized to their full capacity. However, thanks to the ingenuity of the Iranian people throughout the ages, the country has a system of qanats or underground canals through which water flows round the year from springs and the snowy mountain tops towards the parched lands, where the dry-farming methods help produce a variety of crops.
As a result, the food security index of Iran today is around 96 percent, thanks to the prudent policies over the past forty years following the victory of the Islamic Revolution and end of western, or more properly US hegemony, while the overall food and agricultural situation of the world is in a state of crisis, because of wanton exploitation of global resources by the capitalist west, coupled with the erratic policies of most Third World countries, plagued by corruption and dictatorial rule.
If you recall, last week we spoke about the International Children’s Day which Iran celebrates each year under the auspices of the UNICEF. This Wednesday, in order to enlighten your young minds with the important occasions of the week, let us refer in brief to the tragic suffering of the children of the Blessed Household of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).
Two days back on Monday, the 5th of Safar, we commemorated the martyrdom anniversary of the less-than-4-year old daughter of Imam Husain (AS), the Martyr of Karbala.
She was Hazrat Ruqaiyya (SA), who in the aftermath of the tragedy of Karbala and forced march of the noble captives towards Damascus in Syria, she suffered the pains of the arduous journey, often through hot desert terrain, during which she was subjected to scolding and whipping by the Omayyad ruffians.
In Damascus, she was mocked in front of the whole court by the Godless Yazid as he blasphemously hit with his cane the severed head of her noble father that was placed in a tray.
The Prophet’s family was confined to the ruins of a dilapidated edifice, where her wailing in the night disturbed the tyrant’s sleep and forced him to send the head of Imam Husain (AS) in a bid to calm her down.
At the sight of her father’s head, little Ruqayya (SA) rushed and took it in her lap, and placing her own head upon it, recounted the pains, sufferings, and tortures she had endured for the past 25 days since the fateful day of Ashura (Muharram 10). She suddenly became motionless as her soul flew to the ethereal heavens. Her brother, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) laid her to rest in the ruins.
Today, her resting place has been transformed into a spacious shrine in the heart of the Syrian capital, and pilgrims of all ages, especially children, stream in to pay their respects to her and beseech God Almighty for their lawful and legal needs.
Goodbye and God bless you, until we meet again next week.