fatwa of ala hazrat on muharram gathering - 1

abu Hasan

abu Hasan

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fatawa ar-riDawiyyah vol.23 p.738
usual disclaimer: comments in square brackets mine.


question 376:
zayd said that a meeting will be held after the friday prayer to commemorate the martyrs of karbalā. amr announced this after the friday prayer. zayd began narrating the virtues of martyrdom and of the karabalā martyrs. he then began grieving for them and recounting the [sad] events such as the women of ahl bayt being paraded bare-headed on camels and their imprisonment; of the vile yazīd mocking at the head [of Husayn rađiyallāhu ánhū] and other such authentic reports from the reliable books of ahlus sunnah. this caused the assembled folk to break down and wail.

is such a thing permissible for both the narrator and the listeners? will they receive any reward for it? the assembly is not similar to that of rawāfiD, since this doesn’t have flags and other props (ta’aziyah) used by them.

after the meeting, sweets, juice and tea were served and fatiHah recited; its reward was gifted to the souls of the karbalā martyrs. are these things permissible or not?

answer:
describing the high ranks of the ahl al-bayt by narrating authentic reports is undoubtedly meritorious and deserves a great reward. so also are the narrations of the martyrdom [of Husayn] when the intention is to highlight their patience and steadfastness [in such adversity].

however, the shariáh doesn’t permit us to foment anguish or perpetuate grief. neither does it allow ululation [ma’atam] or mourning. nor should such words be said, which may be insulting to the ahl al-bayt. [for example while describing the travails of the women]

both the birth and passing away of RasūlAllāh śallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam is in the month of rabīý al-awwal. but the scholars and imāms of this religion made it a month of celebration, not one of mourning.

Allâh taálā knows best.
 
2 fatwas of ala hazrat on muharram gathering

fatawa ar-riDawiyyah vol.23 p.738
note: this is a longer fatwa with two more questions. i have translated only the first that is relevant to the topic recently discussed.


question: 377
what is the ruling of islamic scholars concerning the following:

1. is it right and permissible for sunnis to narrate the events of karbalā in the manner of the rafiDīs [and purposefully] not mentioning the four rightful and guided khalifas and other Saĥābis who perished in karbalā? nor to mention abū bakr, úmar and úthmān the sons of áliy karramAllāh wajhah [because they are named after the three khalifahs]?

answer:
the best of all remembrance [1] is the remembrance of Allâh; and best of such rembrance is Salāt. yet, even Salāt is not permissible and forbidden if performed in the manner of the rāfiDīs. the gatherings of muHarram and the narration of the events of karbalā - as is prevalent among the general populace – which rekindles grief and causes moaning and wailing, and such reports which are blantant lies and forgeries – which are in itself Harām – is [certainly] Harām.

it is in ‘as-Sawāyiq al-Muĥriqah’ [2] and ‘mā thabata bi’s sunnah’:
“beware! beware! do not indulge in the innovations of the rāfiDīs of mourning and grieving and wailing – these are not the virtues [3] of a believer.”

--
yes, the narration of authentic reports and in a permissible manner extolling the virtues and praising the high rank of sayyidunā imām Ĥusayn, the perfume of RasūlAllāh śallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam is certainly light of the sight, and sightly light itself [4].

but to stop only at that, and not to mention the four rightly guided khalifahs, particularly in places like lucknow [5] which is the indian kūfā [6] , is certainly worthy of censure and is necessary to abstain.

The first type of gathering [7] Hujjatu’l islām imām muHammad al-ghazāli quddisa sirruh says [8]: “it is Harām for the preacher to narrate [forged] events of the martyrdom of Husayn”

imām ibn Hajar al-makki says in as-Sawāyiq al-Muĥriqah:
“the ruling that it is Harām to narrate events of Husayn’s martyrdom doesn’t apply here in this book when i have mentioned the same. because it is the truth and it is necessary to believe it; since it extolls the importance of the Saĥabah rađiyallāhu ánhum and exonerates them from slander.

this is opposed to the ignorant preacher, who narrates falsehoods and forgeries and doesn’t clarify the truthful ones which are necessary to believe. this causes the public to undermine or suspect certain Saĥaba”

----
The second type [9] is that which according to kitāb al-áwn and sharĥ an-nuqāyah at the end of the discussion of disliked actions [10].

“if one wishes to narrate the events of Husayn’s martyrdom, it is necessary that he recount the martyrdom of other companions [11] so as to oppose the manner of the rafiDis. this is because they are content with the martyrdom of Husayn, whereas the ahlu’s sunnah revere both the Sahaba and the ahl al-bayt”.

the mother of believers sayyidah áāyishah rađiyallāhu ánhā said: “you should mentione úmar, when you talk of the righteous” [12]

---
as for not mentioning abū bakr, úmar or úthmān just because they are named after the three khalifahs is open heresy, the trait of the rafiDi, and following the illusions of the rafiDis [may Allâh disgrace them] of this age. these names are pure, and “may Allâh destroy them, where do they wander away?”[13]

there is a sect called bey-pīrey and they do not call monday by its other name [14]; nor do they make three doors for their masjids since it is the number of the first three khalifahs. it is such silly superstitions that prompted imām shafiýī to remark: “the shiáh are old wives of this nation”[15]

Allâh táālā knows best.

------------
footnotes:
1. dhikr

2. chapter 11. ibn Hajar al-Haytami’s masterpiece; a comprehensive and the most important accessible work in refutation of the shiáh.

3. akhlāq

4. nūr-e-áyn aur áyn-e-nūr

5. a prominent city in northern india; the urdu spoken here is considered as the sweetest and the most fluent. in fact, an idiom among urdu speakers is: ‘he speaks lucknow urdu’ indicating fluency.

6. which is true to this day: there is no city in india which laments the population of rāfiDīs like this is one.

7. imitating shiáh

8. as indicated in as-Sawāyiq al-Muĥriqah; يحرم على الواعظ وغيره رواية مقتل الحسين

9. permissible

10. kitāb al-karāhiyah.

11. like úmar or úthmān or Hamzah – they are among the leaders of the martyrs.

12. musnad imām aHmed. vol.2/p.148.

13. al-qur’ān 9:30

14. monday has two names in urdu: pīr and do-shanbah (from farsi); pir has also two meanings: 'monday' and 'master'. bey-pirey means literally ‘no monday’ or ‘no leader’.

15. ash-shīáh nisā’a hādhihi’l ummah. there is no reference given. [because old maids are known for having superstitions and illiteracy rampant among women in olden days - hence the english phrase: old wives' tale.]
 
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yes, the narration of authentic reports and in a permissible manner extolling the virtues and praising the high rank of sayyidunā imām Ĥusayn, the perfume of RasūlAllāh śallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam is certainly light of the sight, and sightly light itself [4].

but to stop only at that, and not to mention the four rightly guided khalifahs, particularly in places like lucknow [5] which is the indian kūfā [6] , is certainly worthy of censure and is necessary to abstain.

The first type of gathering [7] Hujjatu’l islām imām muHammad al-ghazāli quddisa sirruh says [8]: “it is Harām for the preacher to narrate [forged] events of the martyrdom of Husayn”

imām ibn Hajar al-makki says in as-Sawāyiq al-Muĥriqah:
“the ruling that it is Harām to narrate events of Husayn’s martyrdom doesn’t apply here in this book when i have mentioned the same. because it is the truth and it is necessary to believe it; since it extolls the importance of the Saĥabah rađiyallāhu ánhum and exonerates them from slander.

this is opposed to the ignorant preacher, who narrates falsehoods and forgeries and doesn’t clarify the truthful ones which are necessary to believe. this causes the public to undermine or suspect certain Saĥaba”
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jazak Allah khayran :)
 
I was reading the risala of Alahazrat on this topic of narrating the shahadat of Sayyiduna Husayn RadiyAllahu Anhu: http://www.razanw.org/data/01-alahazrat_books/01A-alahazrat_books_gif/158-aali_al_ifadah/

I stumbled across a passage on page 7 right on top stating that the masses even though might read authentic narrations, the true inner intentions of such gatherings would still to mourn.

It was here elsewhere translated as:
Although, assuming that if the ordinary Shahadat readers read only the true narrations and merely in the right and commendable ways still one who is aware of the Rwafidhs he knows that their motives behind reading the Shahadat are to lament and weep and to make people cry and mourn out of formality and this hustle and bustle is only to exhibit their so-called love and affection. So, there is no doubt in the unlawfulness and hideousness of this act.
http://www.razanw.org/modules/products/print.php?itemid=7
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The original Urdu is a bit more clear and I am not sure if Alahazrat is only talking about the Rawafiz here, since he does not name them, but rather refers to the "awwaam majlis khwan."

Anyways, this passage makes me wonder about the prevalent gatherings on Sayyiduna Husayn.

Would these gatherings where ONLY the Shahadat of Sayyiduna Husayn RadiyAllahu Anhu is mentioned be permissible, if the account is in mentioned in detail, like how these cursed people killed Sayyiduna Husayn, how the arrows bored into his blessed body, how the women were left etc. and because of all these points, people begin to cry?

I have seen in many gatherings people crying because of these accounts because they are told in an emotional way. People out of natural habit cry when hearing this kind of zulm.

In the same volume on page 755 it also said that if there is no GHAM, then the narration of the shahadat would be allowed: http://www.razanw.org/data/02-fataw...a_ridawiyyah_gif/fatawa_ridawiyyah_23/755.gif

It makes me wonder whether a gathering such as this be allowed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RFX1itEP5U&feature=related

You can see people crying including the lecturer himself.
 
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