There is a third type of death as there is a third type of life. This third type of life and death is that of Ummah (nation). ‘Ummah’ means a society and nation, the people amongst which a human being spends his life. One of the important as- pects of life of human being is society. A human being lives the life of body, soul as well as a social life. There are those whose bodies are alive, their hearts are also alive and they are also socially alive. Yet, there are also those whose bodies are alive and possibly their hearts are also alive but they are socially dead – they have died the death of being an “Ummah” (nation). They have died a social and com- munal death, and hence they are also like dead bodies moving in a society. Let me explain this to you with an example so that you may be able to grasp the concept comfortably.

Those who have lived or spent some time in villages would have seen dead ani- mals. When an animal like a cow dies in a village people take the dead cow’s body outside the village and throw it. After a few days, the body of the animal decom- poses, smells and along with this smell thousands of worms come out of the body. These worms eat and survive from the same dead animal that they emerge from. These worms do not enter from outside the body instead they are born inside the body, grow there, eat the stale flesh of the dead animal, drink the blood and puss of this animal and they also reproduce and increase their population there itself. They increase in such a high number inside the body of a cow that if as many hu- man beings were present we will need to construct a big city for them. Now, if you were to show this dead cow to someone and he says that this animal is not dead because he can see thousands of worms moving inside the body of this cow who are eating, drinking and reproducing, you would immediately argue and say that the movement of worms inside this body is evidence that this cow is dead. If these worms were not present then there is a possibility of argument as to whether the animal is dead or alive. Hence, we can conclude that if thousands of worms are seen moving inside the dead body of a creature then that creature is not consid- ered to be alive, but dead.

We can apply the same analogy towards society. When a society dies a death of a nation (Ummah) then the people living inside this dead society cannot be consid- ered as alive; in fact their resemblance is that of these worms inside a dead body. If in a city in which its inhabitants own big shops, live in large homes, eat lavish food and have big families, yet, its society does not live the life of an ‘Ummah’ (nation), then all these movements, such as eating and drinking, will represent the death of this society. To live a life as that of worms inside a dead body is not considered as life. A life spent inside a dead society is a smelly life, whereby a passer-by will have to hold his nose to escape the bad smell of this dead society. These worms are only born when the society becomes dead. The task and work of these worms is only to suck the blood of the dead society, to scratch the flesh from society and chew it. They consider their work only to eat bribe, live on usury, make their world and remain concentrated only to their own personal well-being. They are not concerned about the health and well-being of the society and are happy to suck the blood of the society and carry home piles of flesh. It irritates us to even talk about such dead beings. This is because a living being always feel irritated about a dead corpse.

So what should we do when a society dies? Should we leave this society and move to some other dead society? Today they say that the situation in Pakistan is not good and hence they suggest two solutions; one is to migrate and the other is to adopt Taqiya (dissimulation). The meaning of Taqiya for them is to leave the reli- gion and hide so as not to be seen. You should not be seen in any Mosque, Hus- sainiah, religious gatherings and in any religious rituals since you are in Taqiya. This is how they express, incorrectly, Taqiya as hiding somewhere and similarly their definition of Hijrat (migration) is to leave a bad society and move to a worst one. They apply for a European Visa and migrate there. They leave the society of Pakistan, that has died, and migrate to an even worst society in Europe. This is not migration, where you migrate from one dead place to another. If the worms inside the corpse of a cow migrate to the corpse of a donkey; then this will not be termed as Hijrat. Your first responsibility is not to run away or hide, but it is to bring back this dead society to life, to blow the spirit into it and bring it back to life. But if for some reason you are not able to do it, then move to such a place where there is life. It is very difficult these days to find such a place; hence we are left with no other option but to put up a struggle to bring our dead society back to life.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w) has mentioned the cause for the death of a society. A society becomes dead when the duties of Amr Bil Ma’roof (ordering towards good values) and Nahi ‘Anal Munkar (prohibiting evils) are not fulfilled. When every- one is concerned about themselves and not about others and society, this duty is not delivered and the society begins to die. When most of the people are told to pursue others towards good and forbid evil, they reply “What is my concern?”. Similarly when they are told about the evils they themselves are involved in, they say “What is your concern?”. When such slogans are raised by people upon be- ing reminded to deliver their duty to stop evils in society, and upon their own evils being pointed out, and when they consider the forbiddance of others from performing evils as interference in one’s personal affairs, and instructions to stop their own evils are considered as interference by others in their personal life, then be assured that these are not living human beings but the worms of society. When such slogans become the vision and attitude of a society then such societies are considered as being dead and the people living in these societies possessing such visions are like worms in a corpse.

Amr Bil Ma’roof is the name of negating such logics. It means I have a concern with the affairs of others and others have a concern with my affairs. It means I have rights to order others to refrain from evils and others have rights to order me as well. When others commit evils and mistakes I should obstruct them, and when I am doing the same others should obstruct me, this is the time when dead societ- ies come back to life. But in general today when we see a youngster doing an evil act we turn our face away from him saying “What have I to do with him?” And when there are worms in a corpse, there would be one big worm who becomes the leader of these worms. The one who has more power to scratch the flesh and drink more puss and blood from the society, on the basis of his sovereignty, be- comes the leader of these worms. He comes out with his flag and announces that if oppression is happening in Palestine you should not be concerned and if people are being brutally massacred in Iraq you should not be concerned, you should just be concerned about your own personal affairs in life. Such voices are only raised from dead societies and not from living societies because in living societies Amr Bil Ma’roof and Nahi Anal Munkar is done. The living societies are those for which the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) has said: “One who wakes up in the morning and is not concerned about the affairs of other Muslims is not a Muslim”

Now let us come and see what happened in Karbala and on the day of Ashura. But first keep aside your perceptions and understanding of Karbala in one corner of your mind. I am not saying throw them away, just keep aside the picture you have already painted of Karbala, because with that picture on top of your head what I am about to say will not be understood easily.

It is the same Karbala and Ashura which we have been asked to remember and commemorate with the slogan “Every land is Ashura and Every day is Karbala”.What is the philosophy behind this slogan and why are we asked to make every land as Karbala and make our every day as Ashura? This is only possible if we know what happened in Karbala on the day of Ashura.

Karbala is the name of developing sense (Sha’oor) in a dead society. It is the name of life in a dead Ummah (nation). In that dead society amongst those worms, one of the most filthiest of the worms, by the name of Yazid, became their leader. The Doyen of Martyrs (a.s) did not seek any rights and justice from this big worm but instead He (a.s) stated that his task and duty is not to protect these worms or to demand justice from this big worm, but to blow life inside this dead society and bring it back to a state of being ‘alive’.

Allah (s.w.t) gifted a miracle to the Messiah, Prophet Isa (a.s), who brought dead human beings back to life. When the connection between the body and soul of a human being was disconnected, Prophet Isa (a.s) would come to restore this connection. He used to come to the dead body and command it to come to life with the permission of Allah (s.w.t) and the dead body would come back to life. Thus, if the body dies then the Messiah (savior) of the body is Ibne Maryam (son of Maryam (s.a)), but if the society dies than the Messiah (savior) of the society is Ibne Zahra (son of Zahra (s.a)). The Messiah brought dead bodies to life, but the son of Zahra (s.a) blew life in society and brought back dead societies to life.

When Imam Hussain (a.s) started his journey from Medina people did not under- stand where he was heading towards. They thought he is going to fight a battle but if this was the case than he should have been accopmanied by combatants, but look at the army that he (a.s) gathered with him. He prepared an army with the purest beings on the land; he did not select big wrestlers because this battlefield was not for wrestlers but for pure beings. Whoever met the criteria of purity was selected, whether he was a youngster, a child or a lady. This is because anyone can bring societies back to life. He was demonstrating the formula of bringing life to societies. People asked why he was taking women and children along with him. It is common practice in today’s age as well that people like to give their consulta- tions. They used to consult him by saying that the movement he (a.s) was planning for was not effective, because a tyrant like Yazid is in opposition and there is no one to support the Imam (a.s) who would be left isolated. Having looked back at the events and outcome of the Kerbala, does that statement stand true today? If someone rises today at least few of his colleagues and neighbors would immedi- ately join him. But look at the son of Zahra (s.a)! He invited the pilgrims of Hajj and they refused; he invited the visitors of the grave of Holy Prophet (s.a.w) and they also refused; he invited the worshippers of Masjid e Nabawi, the visitors of Baqee but they did not join him; he invited the people of Kufa and Basra but they also did not come; he invited the entire Ummah but none came. Finally he took his own family and went to Karbala. People did not understand his mission hence he wrote, with his own hands, a testament and gave it to his brother Mohammed ibn Hanafia so that people of that era and the coming generations would under- stand what needed to be done when a society dies, as that of the Ummah at his (a.s) time.

Imam Hussain (a.s) wrote: “I am not leaving (from Medina) as a rebel, oppres- sor and transgressor. Instead my purpose is to reform the nation (Ummah) of my grandfather. The only methodology to do this reformation is Amr Bil Maroof (in- viting towards known values) and Nahi Anal Munkar (forbidding from evils) – I wish to reform the nation (Ummah) by the method of Amr Bil Maroof and Nahi Anal Munkar.”

This statement was expressed uniquiely in written form, as opposed to many of his other sayings which were relayed through sermons and lectures. This was a formula given to dead societies by the physician of the nation (Ummah) on how to bring dead nations back to life.

There is a small story that our elders used to tell us when we were young, which I could not understand at that time. Once a patient went to a doctor complaining about a stomach ache. The doctor asked the patient about the food he ate the night before. He replied that he had regular food, being bread, but it was slightly burnt and uncooked. The doctor asked him to lie down and open his eyes for him to put eye drops and the patient became confused. This physician was a wise person who identified the cause behind his stomach ache, which was due to a lack of vision. If he could see clearly he would have identified that the bread was burnt and uncooked and he would not have eaten it, thus preventing the stomach ache. The doctor told him that if he were to give him medicine to cure the stomach ache it would provide a cure for the day, but he would again eat the uncooked bread and come back with the same problem. Hence, first his vision needs to be treated so that he could identify filthy and stale food that causes stomach problems. If lack of vision by the eyes of an individual can result into stomach aches then the lack of vision by a society would result into aches and corruption in the entire society. This lack of vision is that of the Ummah. Imam Hussein (a.s) set about to correct this vision by reforming the Ummah. Yazid was corrupt and his transgression had reached such an extent that he could not be reformed. The problem was not Yazid as a personality, it was Yazidiat, which would come into existence in an era, and Yazidiat can only be demolished if the Ummah has the vision to identify it. If it did not develop this vision one Yazid ibn Muawiyah would perish but then the son of someone else will come out as Yazid. A Yazid might come after fourteen hundred years; and hence the mission of Imam Hussein (a.s.) was not to finish off one Yazid, but the Yazeeds of all eras.

What were the forms of corruption within the Ummah? Were they drunkards, adulterers, thieves or dacoits? This was not the case according to historical re- cords. When the Doyen of Martyrs (a.s) left Mecca the Ummah was not busy in drinking alcohol. They were busy in Hajj rituals. Similarly when he left Medina the Ummah was not indulged in alcoholism but they were busy in pilgrimage (Ziarat) of the shrine of the Prophet (s.a.w). The Imam (a.s) was asked, “O Aba Abdillah! You say that you are going for the reformation of the Ummah, but this Ummah is busy in Hajj, pilgrimage of shrine and in worships, so what kind of reforma- tion are you planning for this Ummah which seemed to be reformed already?”. He (a.s) said that one major corruption has developed in this society. What was this corruption? A person like Yazid had come into power, sat on their heads, usurped the governance powers and than declared Halal (permissible) what was Haraam (forbidden) and Haraam (forbidden) what was Halal (permissible). He had crossed all the limits of Islam and with all this happening in front of the Um- mah they had become senseless. The disease which this Ummah had developed is that of being senseless and unconcerned. Imam Hussein (a.s) told them to un- dress their Ihram (attire of Hajj) but they were so excited about worships that they left the Imam of the Ummah isolated for the sake of worships. They had plans to sit in Mina, Arafah to earn rewards, and perfrom the ritual sacrifice in Mina and with the sacrifices engage in welfare activities. Even today the Ummah remains highly desirous to partake in welfare activities like it was in that era, and as a result of their excitement about (spiritless) worships and welfare they became careless, senseless and unconcerned about a person like Yazid becoming their ruler. Thus the corruption of the Ummah is senselessness and this senselessness is the death of the nation and society.

O Aba Abdillah! So how will you awaken this Ummah? He (a.s) said, “I intend to do Amr Bil Maroof (ordering towards values) and Nahi Anal Munkar (forbiddance of evils).”

This is because the cause for the death of society is the abandoning of Amr Bil Maroof and Nahi Anal Munkar. The Imam (a.s) stated that he needed to restore life into this dead society by performing these acts. What is Amr bil Maroof? It does not mean wearing short pajamas, keeping long beards or to sit with etiquette, do certain acts facing east or west or to question people about their style of speaking. Amr Bil Maroof is making unconcerned Ummah concerned about social affairs; it is to develop sense in a senseless Ummah. It is to bring the spectators out from the stadium into the field. The biggest evil is to become senseless and this was declared as a dangerous evil by the Doyen of Martyrs (a.s) whereupon he said, “Do not you see that truth is not practiced? Can’t you see falsehood is not being prohibited?”(Musawate Kalemate Imam Hussain (a.s) – Pg 356).

He (a.s) was told them that they had become blind; they could not see that righ- teousness was being stampeded and that they were sitting like silent spectators. This was the biggest evil, that people had become careless, senseless and silent spectators to injustice. This senselessness can reach to such an extent that the grandson of the Prophet (s.a.w) was martyred in Karbala and the people of Kufa were watching as spectators. When the surviving captives of Karbala came to Kufa these very spectators simply expressed their grievances towards them and just mourned. And now, after the struggle of the son of Zahra (s.a) it was the turn of the daughter of Zahra (s.a) to continue the struggle from there.

She delivered a sermon expressing that they were traitors, betrayers and specta- tors who were sitting in a stadium and expressing grievances towards the captives and mourning on the martyrs of Karbala. What rights do spectators have to mourn on the people of Karbala? The progeny of Prophet (s.a.w) was martyred, became captive; and these silent spectators were just observing, confining themselves to mourning. These were the people to whom She (s.a) addressed and said, “You cry for my brother? You deserve to cry and may you cry in abundance”.

Who was she (s.a) addressing this statement to? To those who were mourning for her brother. Today, we still say that the Lady Zainab (s.a) was concerned about there being mourners for her brother. Our orators say that it was the Lady’s (s.a) desire to see people mourning on her brother. So it can be said that this desire was fulfilled in two days time: Imam Hussain (a.s) was martyred on the tenth of Mohurrum and by the twelvth there were people mourning for him in Kufa, right in front of Lady Zainab (s.a). But she (s.a) was not satisfied by the mourners and became annoyed. The heads of the members of her family and their companions were on spears yet they were simply mourning. Was this the extent of their re- sponsibility, to just see the heads on spear and cry like spectators? If they desired to mourn then they should have first come forward and contribute to the heads on the spear, get their hands also tied up, get shackled in their necks first, and at least do something first and then come and cry. In her eyes, if they really wanted to mourn then they should have come on her side and mourn, not be spectators.

How is the silent spell on unconcerned and senseless Ummah broken? It is with these martyrdoms that the Doyen of Martyrs (a.s) blew life in this dead society. The son of Zahra (a.s), the inheritor and pride of the Messiah (a.s) brought this society back to life. And whatever was left in this mission was accomplished by his sister. This is why this great personality, Imam Khomeini (r.a), said that “Islam is the name of only two characters; either the character of Hussain (a.s) or the Character of Zainab (s.a)”

It means that one is either to deliver their duties with their blood or carry the message of martyrs like Zainab (s.a) to every street and corner, thereby either becoming Hussaini or Zainabi. If you are neither Hussaini nor Zainabi, than you are Kufi – silent, unconcerned spectators. And whatever a Kufi does is disliked by Ahlulbayt (a.s). They do not like their mourning and even their smiles. They do not like the gatherings of Kufis or their worships. The Ahlulbayt (a.s) do not expect anything from us rather than becoming Hussaini or Zainabi. Either we should give our blood in this way or come out to defend and protect the blood of martyrs.

I am telling this to the family of martyrs, that you should be proud of the fact that you have presented martyrs in the way of religion. But to become a martyr and to nurture the tree of religion with your blood is still easy. The stage up to Karbala was still easy but the task of Lady Zainab (s.a) was very difficult. These Martyrs of Pakistan have treaded the path of the son of Zahra (s.a) but those who are alive and present now have to deliver the character of the daughter of Zahra (s.a) and this is very difficult. This is such a difficult task that Sayyedus Sajideen (a.s) had to cry on every instance. He (a.s) did not mourn in Karbala. Whenever he was asked about the most troublesome state he never mentioned “Karbala”. He always said “Sham” (Damascus). This is because the events up to Karbala were the grounds for Imam Hussain (a.s) but for Lady Zainab (s.a) Shaam was her the ground. To become an inheritor of martyrs, trustee of Lady Zainab (s.a) and to defend the purpose of martyrs is a very difficult task, to an extent that it made Imam Sajjad (a.s) mourn throughout his life. It is the task of Zainab (s.a) that is full of calami- ties and hence very difficult.

The duty of family members of today’s martyrs is not to demand or collect com- pensation from the government for the martyr’s body. This is because when Yazid asked Imam Sajjad (a.s) to inform him about the compensation for losses incurred in Karbala; Imam (s.a) said how can this loss be compensated?

I was highly grieved when I heard that the demand in the protest organized for martyrs in one city was that the compensation for the life of these martyrs should be similar to the one given in another city sometime ago. This was the time when we should have replied like Imam Sajjad (a.s) “O accursed one! Do you know what loss you have incurred? Do you know what have you taken from us? You will not understand the value of these lives lost”. We should also be addressing the Yazids of our era in the same tone when they talk about compensating the loss of bodies. They should be asked about how they intend to compensate for the death of the martyrs. By Allah (s.w.t) you cannot even compensate for a finger nail of a martyr.

One Iranian literate presented the status of Lady Zainab (s.a) in a very elegant and beautiful manner. He says (a.s):

Karbala would have died if Zainab (s.a) would not have been there. Shiite would have withered if Zainab (s.a) was not present.

A person is considered to be socially alive if he adopts certain values in his life and promotes them within his society. The day a person ignores these values he dies a social death. This is the reason why the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) has explained liv- ing societies as being those in which Amr Bil Ma’roof and Nahi Anal Munkar are present. Thus, it is possible that the people of a society may be physically alive yet considered ‘dead’. It is like the life inside a dead creature as the analogy in the previous chapter about the worms in a dead animal. It is not worth the dignity of a human being to live a life of a worm inside a corpse. Allah (s.w.t) has given the human being magnificence, respect and privilege over all other creation. The first bounty that Allah (s.w.t) has given to human being immediately after his creation is this privilege to maintain this dignity and privilege. He (s.w.t) appointed cer- tain authorities, prophets, for this purposes.

The prophets did not come to teach us how to live our worldly life. They were not sent to teach us how to stitch clothes and make shoes from animal skins. The prophets themselves knew that the human being, through his own will, will de- velop his materialistic life and learn all these things on his own. The prophets came to show us a path away from skin and flesh. They came in order for us to realize that we should not forget the prestigious status given to us by Allah (s.w.t) in our quest of materialistic affairs and developments. Thus, Allah (s.w.t) made the prophets as defenders of our divine prestige and status. This esteemed and privileged status given to us by Allah (s.w.t) is the biggest value (Ma’roof) for the human being, one that should not be wasted at any cost. Even if the situation arises when the human being has to choose between saving his life or this status of respect and dignity, he should sacrifice his life in order to protect his dignity. Those who get their dignity and prestige stampeded in a society for the sake of saving their lives possess the status of those worms inside a dead corpse. This is a non-prestigious life and Imam Hussain (a.s) condemned such a life:

“I prefer a dignified death against spending even a day of my life with oppressors”

(Musawate Kalemate Imam Hussain (a.s) – Pg 356)

In the school of Karbala it is an act of humiliation and disgrace to spend one’s life in a society where dignity and prestige of the human being is not preserved and protected. Imam Hussein (a.s) considered it as disgrace to spend one’s life in an oppressive environment as silence towards oppression would be disgrace. Thus the school of Karbala is a school of prestige and dignity.

If a society needs to be revived and brought back to life Amr Bil Ma’roof and Nahi Anal Munkar needs to be done in a society. But it does not mean to unnecessar- ily interfere in someone’s life. In Afghanistan the Taliban group was made in the name of religion to force religious laws in an extreme manner. This group stam- peded the image of Islam and presented a horrifying picture of Islam to the world. We should remember that anyone who comes and talks about religion would not necessarily be religious and sincere towards religion. At times the enemies of religion cause damage to religion by becoming its supporter. This group came forward in the name of religion with a mission to stampede the values and soul of religion. It is a fact when a stampeded, transformed and adulterated religion is presented to the people it will not be accepted. One thing that they did was that they stampeded the soul of Amr Bil Ma’roof. In the name of Amr Bil Ma’roof they took a scissor, went to the market and started to trim bottoms of trousers, trim the moustaches of people, shaped their beards and they referred to themselves as a committee for the cause of Amr Bil Ma’roof. A mockery was made out of Amr Bil Ma’roof. The best way to get rid of Amr Bil Ma’roof is to perform such kind of evils (Munkarat) in the name of Amr Bil Ma’roof so that people start to seek refuge from Amr Bil Ma’roof. According to a real thinker, recognizer and true Faqeeh of religion, Martyr Mutttaheri (r.a), the number of evils done in the name of Amr Bil Ma’roof are more than those done for the sake of commiting sins. Amr Bil Ma’roof perishes when evils (Munkar) are presented as good values (Ma’roof). In turn, these values are dissapear from society.

When you visit the graveyard of dead societies with a deep vision, you will be able to read with your inner eyes that it is written on the graves of the people of dead societies that they refrained from Amr Bil Ma’roof. Death of Amr Bil Ma’roof re- sults in the death of society.

In a written testatment, the Doyen of Martyrs (a.s) declared the purpose of his uprising as Amr Bil Ma’roof and Nahi Anal Munkar. Do any of us have the right to come on the pulpit and say that He (a.s) went to Karbala for any other purpose? That too, we sit on the pulpit and associate the mission of Imam Hussain (a.s) to something that He (a.s) dislikes, such as those concepts used by Christians. The Christians say that Prophet Isa (a.s) was crucified as a compensation for all the sins of the people. We liked this ideology and associated this with Imam Hus- sain (a.s). We have taken many things from Christianity. There are many things present in our homes, like birthday parties, things that we wear as well as many of our thoughts which are all rooted in Christianity. We also came forward and challenged Christianity, that if their leader can get crucified for the sake of for- giveness of sins then so was our leader martyred for the sake of forgiveness of our sins and to give us the freedom to commit to sins.

We should ask Imam Hussain (a.s) about the worst of evils and the greatest of values. He (a.s) says that the biggest evil is to spend life in an oppressive govern- ment and to bear oppression. He (a.s) did not do the Amr Bil Ma’roof of shorten- ing the trousers, moustaches or forcing people to keep beards. He said my Amr Bil Ma’roof is to eradicate the biggest evil and this biggest evil is acceptance of oppression and not disliking it. If a society gets indulged into this evil, it would open doors to thousands of other evils. He left Medina to propagate a pivotal val- ue (Ma’roof) and that value is to support and protect righteousness (Haqq) when it is stampeded upon.

“Do not you see that truth is not practiced, can’t you see falsehood is not being prohibited? (Musawate Kalemate Imam Hussain (a.s) – Pg 356)

In Nahjul Balagha as well, Ameerul Momineen (a.s) painted a picture of his era and the eras of the future. He (a.s) said: “The gown of Islam has been worn upside down”

This is a very short statement but it has a world of recognition in it and many peo- ple at that time disliked this statement. However, Imam Ali (a.s) never cared for pleasing the people. He was only concerned about the pleasure of the Creator.

He (a.s) says that the woolen gown of Islam has been worn inside out. The gown of Islam is present but it has been worn with its inside part shown outside and outside inside. When the gown is turned inside out everything gets turned up- side down, its sleeves, its stitches and its collar. When Islam gets reversed, it still remains Islam but everything gets reversed and its Muslim followers also become reversed. So whenever someone comes to you with the message of Islam first check to see what kind of Islam is being brought to you, whether it is the right or reversed Islam. We need to see if they are not making us wear an inside-out dress. And when this happens people feel proud of evils (Munkar) and are disgraced about values (Ma’roof). When such a thing happens everything becomes reversed and crooked things start to happen everywhere in the society, whether it is within mosques or acts of worship. The religious centers and schools remain in its ex- terior as religious places but inside them all crooked activities take place. This is what happened in religious schools that began as centers of education turned into nests of ammunition for terrorism. This was brought about by the religious heads of these schools, who wore the dress of Islam inside-out. The pulpits, meant to be places of brotherhood and unity, turned into sources of spilling out the venom of hatred and discord. This is what happens when the system of values change and the religion turns upside-down.

Imam Hussein (a.s) did go out to do Amr Bil Ma’roof by virtue of forcing people to keep beards. Shaving the beard is a sin but not the biggest evil and to keep a beard is also not the greatest of values. People form committees to go out on propagation tours and then claim that they were successful because they made people keep beards. They have only managed to change the look of their faces yet have not touched their minds, which remain the same. They were doing crooked things without a beard at first and now they will be doing crooked things with a beard. It is essential for a woman to wear Hijab but first we should see the woman who is inside this Hijab. Is she the follower of the correct Islam or a reversed Islam?

What was that biggest evil that did not allow Imam Hussain (a.s) to remain in his house? What was that evil which pushed him to start the terrifying uprising? What was that evil which resulted into the death of society? This evil was senselessness and being unconcerned. The sense had died in people – they became careless and unconcerned. This was the big evil for which Imam Hussain (a.s) had to give such great sacrifices. When Islam becomes reversed, inside-out and upside-down one of the consequences is complacency and lack of concern towards social affairs.This attitutude, in turn, becomes a virtue.

Lets look at an example. There are disputes in every society, within families, neighbors and others. These disputes move ahead and reach mosques, Hussai- nias and religious centers. In fact, today, the disputes in religious organizations and places of worship have become symbols for us, of our religiosity. That is, we do not consider our acts of worship to be accepted without having disputes. Now, when there are disputes, most of the time, one of the parties is right and the other is wrong. There are some people who get involved in these disputes and support either of the parties. There are others who do not want to interfere in these dis- putes because they want to avoid displeasing either of the parties by supporting one of them. This group is the unconcerned group. Now, if a stranger comes to this town and asks who is the best and just person in this society? The first person that comes to our mind is the one who does not interfere in anyone’s affairs, the one whom we term as ‘neutral’. We consider this person to be possessing the virtue of being unconcerned as a person of justice.

Who is termed as being unconcerned? One who neither supports truth nor false- hood under situations of clashes between truth and falsehood? In reality it is an error on his part whereby he thinks he is not supporting anyone and is uncon- cerned; the reality is that he is concerned. This is because the supporters of false- hood are of two types; first are those who openly support falsehood and second are those who remain silent in matters of truth and falsehood. The second group is also from amongst the supporters of falsehood and is part of the army of false- hood.

We have been reciting the pilgrimage testimonials (Ziarah) throughout our life, but we just do it for the sake of earning rewards. These testimonials have codes of recognition (Maarifat) inside them and are the syllabus and protocols of living our lives. It was through these testimonials (Ziarah) that our Imams (a.s) have informed us about certain codes of life which could not be given directly through traditions. The Ziarah recitation of Ashura is not meant for seeking rewards and entering paradise. These testimonials teach us the way of living our life, they remove curtains over our hidden sense and shake those who are sleeping. The ad- dressee of these testimonials is the conscience of human being. We should read these testimonials in an awakened state and we should recite them regularly. The Imams have emphasized on reciting these testimonials on every occasion. By Al- lah (s.w.t), if people come to know the secrets of these testimonials many would leave reciting it. This is because if someone is holding something dangerous and when he is informed about it he will throw it immediately. We recite the Ziarah of Ashura with so much attraction but if we come to know how dangerous it is we will leave it. If we become aware about the secrets of Ziarah of Ashura on what this Ziarah demands and expects from us and its philosophy, then many of those who love life will leave it. This is because this Ziarah demands something from the human being, gives him sense and direction.

This silence and being unconcerned has become a virtue today and this has be- come a cause and the root of all the difficulties and calamities faced by the Ummah today. Today, if you look inside certain countries, the blood of innocent Shi’as are being shed inside mosques. Whilst in the state of fasting, with pure hearts and in ritual purity, whilst participating in Friday prayers, they are assaulted and martyred. Their killers pass through the cities and streets to reach the mosques, yet, despite there being in these cities and streets non-religious and sinful beings, they murder pure beings inside places of worship. We need to ponder upon and explore these incidents, which are happening on a regular basis, to understand the root cause behind it.

Karbala came into existence due to three groups of people and these groups shed the blood of the progeny of Holy Prophet (s.a.w). We have been asked to recite these testimonials on almost all occasions. So in a way we have been asked to remember the groups that caused Karbala: the group of murderers, the group of oppressors and the group of silent spectators. In order for us to not forget this tri- angle much emphasis has been laid on the recitation of Ziarah of Waritha. Today, whatever is happening in the world, in Iraq, in Palestine and in Pakistan, all of it is due to this same triangle of assassinators, oppressors and silent spectators. This triangle caused Karbala. Though Imam Sajjad (a.s) appreciated Amir-e-Mukhtar who punished the assassinators, he did not participate in the uprising because one leg of this triangle was punished by Amir-e-Mukhtar but the other two groups still remained. Imam Sajjad (a.s) knew that if the world considers the assassina- tors as the only group responsible for Karbala, and the group of oppressors and spectators were to be ignored, then many faces would remain unveiled. He (a.s) wanted to convey the message that just as the assassinators were punished so too should oppressors and silent spectators.

Its necessary to understand how terrorism is born and whose offspring it is. A ter- rorist is physically born from the union of a man and woman, but after this physi- cal birth it is passed over to another mother and father, parents that make him a terrorist. These parents are oppressors and a silent society. Terrorists are born in those places where there are oppressive governments and silent communities. Amir-e-Mukhtar took revenge on the assassinators of Karbala yet Imam Sajjad (a.s) found the ‘revenge’ to be incomplete. The revenge of Karbala would not be over unless the oppressors and silent spectators are also brought to justice,because if they are not punished than in every era these oppressors and silent communities will give birth to terrorists. If terrorism is to be stopped these two circumstances need to be stopped. You need to do two things: one is to eradicate oppressive regimes and the second is to break the silence of the communities. Now if you say that you cannot eradicate and end oppressive regimes then at least break the silence of your lips. If you say that you have no concerns with the ter- ror happening in mosques, then you are wrong as the Ziarah of Waritha explains that this triangle is responsible for this barbarism. For over fourteen hundred years blood has been shed in mosques and sacred locations and in every case the oppressive regimes, the assassinators and silent communities have been respon- sible.

You might not have realized what is happening on the lands of peak oppression, that is Palestine and Iraq. Since the media is in the hands of oppressors not ev- erything comes out in its true form and many start to praise the oppressors. I am presenting you one example case of this barbarism.

An Iraqi lady by the name of Fatema wrote a letter from Abu Ghraib prison to the entire Muslim world. She wrote “I am your Iraqi sister and I am writing this to awaken you. Last night six American soldiers molested me and this happens every night; and while I am writing this letter a similar activity is going in the adjacent cell with another sister. I am not writing this letter to request you to come and give us salvation from this prison, because we do not have any face left to come out in the world. I am writing this letter to appeal to all honorable Muslims of the world to come here and bring down these walls of Abu Ghraib on us so that we can get buried under it. If you are not able to protect the chastity and modesty of your sister than at least come and bury your sisters. The acts commited on us are so shameful that we cannot bear to descibe all of it. It is too disgraceful.” They made rivers of blood flow in the streets of Najaf. They wiped off Fallujah making it a graveyard. The world has seen evidence of its injustice, such as the video of the wounded person inside a mosque, who was asking for water before bullets were sprayed all over him. Why has all this happened?

The blood that is being spilled in Iraq today and in Pakistan is not just due to the acts of the terrorism. It is this silent base which is allowing the terrorists to crush the grains on it. For every drop of blood that falls on the ground, about which the society remains silent, the blame and responsibility lies, equally, on the silent by- standers. To blame it entirely on the terrorists and assassinators is an error. The blood that is spilt leaves its stains on all three entities: the terrorists, the oppres- sors and the silent community.

Our Imams (a.s) found the stains of blood on the attire of all of these groups and told us that if you want to find out who were responsible for Karbala, then it is them.

If someone arrests the terrorists who have been killing Shias in mosques and brings them to justice in front of us, you should say that it is an appreciated effort but the revenge for our martyrs is not yet fully accomplished.

We have looked into the vile acts of the oppressors towards the Imams (a.s) and the character of the Imams (a.s) and have distanced ourselves from how these per- sonalities have acted towards the righteous figures. Imam Sajjad (a.s) did not war- rant the treatment he received from theoppressors, such as what had done Shimr to him (a.s). The shackles and chains worn by Imam Sajjad (a.s) is not due to the character of Imam (a.s). Its the character and nature of the oppressors that caused them to behave in the manner they did. It is the tradition and character of the op- pressors towards Imam Sajjad (a.s) that they chained him. The Character of Imam Sajjad (a.s) is what he did towards the oppressors. So what did he do?

When he was shackled, chained and brought in the courtyard of Yazid where an orator mounted the pulpit to stampede righteousness, Imam Sajjad (a.s), despite his body being chained, did not remain silent. He (a.s) demonstrated through his luminous character that despite his body being enchained his lips are not locked – they could at least move to speak the truth when it is being stampeded. It is really astonishing to see how the community that hosted the character of Imam Sajjad (a.s), the character of Lady Zainab (s.a) and the events of Karbala became a silent and dead community. How did this community reach this stage? What intoxicants were given to this community? What was said to them which made them silent?

The school of Karbala teaches us values (Ma’roof) and the struggle against evils (Munkar), the biggest one being silence. The Doyen of Martyrs broke this si- lence; but not by singing lullabies. It is broken through sacrifices. It shows us the effect of the blood of martyrs. The martyrs on one hand despair and disgrace the enemies and oppressors; on the other hand they awaken communities who are silent and sleeping due to the lullabies sung to them. These martyrs are the candles of awakening. The silent communities are awakened through sacrifice, blood, and struggle.

It is not enough to just visit the graveyards of martyrs and shed a few tears. It could happen that the martyr from inside the grave invokes us like Lady Zainab (s.a) and say, “O silent being! You do not have the rights to mourn on me. You are amongst my criminals. I was martyred due to your silence.”

Though, in Arabic, the word Shaheed translates to ‘a martyr’, it literally means means ‘witness’, stemming from the word ‘Shahadat’ which means ‘to bear wit- ness’. The martyr is the witness of the oppression of oppressors, he is the witness of the murder of the assassinator and a witness of the silence of the silent spec- tators. The martyr will say in the presence of Allah (s.w.t), “O my Lord! When I was beheaded and my body was shredded to pieces, on whose instructions it was done and who was sitting and watching this as spectator?” It is not enough to just reach the assassinators and this is why we have been asked to remember Karbala in abundance in every corner of the world. It should not happen that the gathering is organized in the name of Doyen of Martyrs but lullabies are sung; instead these gatherings of Imam Hussain (a.s) are meant for awakening those in slumber. The remembrance of martyrs makes the communities aware, awakens and arouses them. We have been asked to discuss about the calamities of Karbala so that those who are asleep can be awakened.

There have been many communities in history that have been awakened by the tragedy of Karbala. Imam Khomeini (r.a) says explains how he awakened a sleep- ing community.It It was through Ashura and the remembrance of Karbala. Apart from this he had nothing else with him. When communities awaken they take the revenge of Karbala, but not just with the assassinators, but with the oppressive kings and oppressive superpowers of their era as well, as well as with the silent spectators. Do you see what kind of Amr Bil Ma’roof Imam Hussain (a.s) did to awaken the silent community? This silence is not broken by just speeches, talks and slogans. It is broken with Karbala and Ashura.

When Imam Hussain (a.s) saw on the day of Ashura that the silence of the com- munity was not breaking despite the many sacrifices of his companions, he came forward with a unique formula to break their silence. He came back to his camp to see if something is left or not to break the silence of this community, he turned towards the battlefield and called his lions, but no one replied. He saw nothing was left to sacrifice except for a small infant. He decided to carry his in- fant Ali Asgar to the battlefield with an excuse to get water but the purpose was to break the silence of the community. Ali Asgar succeeded in his encounter because when the enemies witnessed this scene, a turbulence took place in the camp of Umar Ibn Saad, and this is why Umar Ibn Saad rushed towards Hurmula to shoot an arrow on this six months old infant, because if this infant remains in the battlefield for some more time it would break the silence of his army and could turn the situation against him.

The death of an Ummah takes place when there is no Amr Bil Maroof in a society. As there is a graveyard for dead beings, there also exists a graveyard for the Um- mah and the name of this graveyard is ‘history’. The dead nations are not buried in graveyard of sand, rather they are buried in the graveyard of history. When we visit graveyards we recite Surah Fateha by the graves. Yet, there are certain graves where we do not recite Surah Fateha but curse them instead. Similarly there are certain souls on whom we send curses. The Qur’an has also mentioned the same fact about the Ummah, whereas there are certain communities on whom saluta- tions are sent and oppesed to these are those communities that are cursed. They are cursed by history, the generations that follow them, and the angels of Allah (s.w.t).

A worm that is inside a dead body feels happy towards the end of the day, that it has sucked enough blood for the day and eaten the flesh of dead, and he sleeps comfortably at night. We think that our responsibilities are fulfilled by earning, feeding, educating our children and then settling them after marriage, but this is not an acceptable way of life for a human being who wants to live a divine life in a dead society. If life is to just educate and settle your children then we are no different from animals. They also feed their children and get them settled on their own. The real meaning of life is not just to raise your children, but it is to nurture, foster and than present them in the way of Allah (s.w.t).

Karbala is this field of life and it reflects the meaning of martyrdom. Martyrdom represents the real human life, not the life of eating grains and food. A martyr has leaves all these realms, yet Allah (s.w.t) sustains them. This sustenance does not consist of food for the stomach, but the sustenance of virtues, prestige and dignity.

A martyr is that esteemed personality who teaches people the way of living life. He gets his jugular vein cut because he does not like to live like a worm inside a corpse. A martyr brings back communities to life and the communities take les- sons from the life of martyrs. However, people get scared after listening to the news of one’s martyrdom. To them Allama Iqbal says:

What is that act of a martyr for which he has been granted such an esteemed sta- tus? What is the talent and skill which he possesses for which the Holy Qur’an praises him so much?

The Qur’an has placed martyrs in the ranks of Prophets. We might be thinking that it is a metal bullet or a bomb that gives him such an esteemed status. Do you think a piece of metal (the bullet) has so much power that if it pierces the chest of a human being it can transform him from an ordinary being to an esteemed one? If this was the case than everyone who gets shot should attain this status. If the same bullet hits a person who runs away from a battlefield or a coward, then we do not consider him as prestigious.

The Qur’an mentions the secret of the greatness of the martyr as being his tal- ent and efforts demonstrated in his life before death. The death of a martyr just unveils his secret talents and virtues. The bullet piercing his chest, the strokes of swords and his separated head expresses how great this person was. It does not proclaim his greatness at that or after that point in time. Prioir to his martydom he is great and esteemed and that is the reason why he is killed in the way of this prestigious and dignified death.

Islam is the school and ideology of martyrdom and the true face of Islam, which is called ‘Shiite’, is the child of martyrdom. Shiite is a school that has been nur- tured in the laps of martyrdom and is an outcome of martyrdom. This curriculum of this school has been distorted from the original ways of its leaders, the infal- lible Imams (a.s). The Shiite leaders educated and presented the right path to the Ummah, yet it fell into into incapable hands, hands that transformed this path to Allah (s.w.t) into something totally different. The religion of martyrs, when it comes into the hands of cowards, when the religion of bravery comes into the hands of cowards, they do not just refrain from learning courage and bravery from this school but instead turn it into a religion of cowardliness. And it is mentioned in traditions that you should not even travel with cowards, or even sit near them, in order that you do not get the effects of their cowardliness. It has been said that one should not consult cowards in any matter, or even give their daughters hands in marriage to cowards. When it comes to marriage, we first ask whether or not the boy earns a good salary. We should first ask whether he has intelligence or not, and if he has intelligence then ensure that he is not a coward.

Let us take the example of the incident in Masjid Zainabia, where many were mar- tyred and most of them were not even inhabitants of the area, but outsiders. Yet, all those who were inside the mosque were martyred. Does it make sense to say that a person who was not at the mosque is still a martyr of Masjid Zainabia? Simi- larly the martyr in the way of Allah (s.w.t) would be one who is on the path of Allah (s.w.t) and no one can accidentally come on this path of Allah (s.w.t). The most difficult thing is to come on the way of Allah (Sabeelillah).

It is not difficult to die, although for those living in dead societies, for them it is very difficult to die. Those who are sucking the blood and scratching the flesh of dead societies do not realize the filth, just like those worms that enjoy filth. Ameerul Momineen (a.s) has said that this world is like a corpse, and in further expressing the analogy of the world, he (a.s) says that the world is like the intes- tines of a swine in the hands of a leper. After listening to this we should think about what we seek after, what we are loosing and what we have left. These world- ly people like the puss of dead body so much that they are careless about all other divine relations. So those who are afraid of death are scared that if they die then the intestines of swine will separate from the hands of leper. They will be sepa- rated from this puss and blood.

In reality, death or dying is not very difficult at all. It is, in fact, the easiest thing. Look at how people easily commit suicide. When there is a war between Muslim and non-Muslim countries the soldiers of the non-Muslim army also die and they too were aware that they were risking their lives. The most difficult thing is not to just die but to die on the path of Allah (s.w.t).

The path of Allah (s.w.t) is not literally a path on the ground, one that you physi- cally walk on. Its not a path from one city to another city. The concept of the way of Allah (s.w.t) is refers to the way in which we live, from birth till death. ‘The path of Allah (s.w.t)’ translates to spending every moment of our life, from birth to death, in accordance to the guidelines, principles, standards and laws of Allah (s.w.t). And if this happens then you are on the way of Allah (s.w.t) and once you are on the way of Allah (s.w.t) then death also comes on the same path.

Let me take an example of a path on the ground. To travel on a road that leads to a desired destination we need to do several things. The first and foremost require- ment is to leave other routes. To step on to the alley of your friend you need to leave the streets of his enemies.

Maulana Room writes a story to convey a message. He says one day Majnun, the lover of Leyla, was kissing the feet of a dog. People were astonished at this act and said that he had gone crazy because no one would even touch a dog yet he was kissing the feet of a dog. When asked about what he was doing, he replied “I am kissing the feet of this dog because this dog at times passes and comes through the street of Leyla”.

To enter the street of your beloved you need to leave all the other roads whereas if someone is found coming through this street then he becomes a beloved for human being. If a person simply steps on the path of Allah (s.w.t) his feet become worthy of being kissed. But for those who live their entire lives on the path of Al- lah (s.w.t) and die on this path their graves become eligible for kissing. Thus to come on the path of Allah (s.w.t) all other paths needs to be left behind.

The Holy Qur’an uses a terminology, ‘Subul e Shaitan’, which means the path of Shaitan. The paths of Shaitan (the devil) are many but the path of Allah (s.w.t) is only one. There is a point to be noted over here that the many paths of the devil do not have signboards on them that say that they are path of Shaitan. Instead, they also carry the banner of path of Allah (s.w.t). If the case had been that there was only one recognized path of Allah (s.w.t) and no other path other than this would have greatness to tread on this path and die. But if there are thousands of ways, mixed with those that Shaitan makes to appear path of Allah (s.w.t), and from amongst these one person finds the true path of Allah (s.w.t) than this is greatness.

This is what happens: people do not deviate in the name of Shaitan, they deviate in the name of Allah (s.w.t). Similarly, Saamri did not ask Bani Israel to come to- wards some other God. He invited the people towards the calf by stating that this is the God of Moosa. Those who are deceived by banners can easily take the calf of Saamri as the God of Moosa by just looking at the banner placed on it by Saamri. We should be able to recognize the true path and not get fooled by banners and posters.

But how will he find this path? One needs a compass to find the right direction. You would have seen these Qiblah finders which display the direction of Qiblah. The Qiblah finder is not the Qiblah, it just identifies the direction of Qiblah. Simi- larly we need a God finder, and this God finder would not be someone who is like God but he would be one who directs us towards God. A God finder is not God but certain signs and creations that are seen on the path of the Allah (s.w.t) to that extent that a glance towards them reminds us of Allah (s.w.t).

At times we get away from the path of Allah (s.w.t) and step on some other path due to misguidance from honored people. I remember an incident when we had to travel from one location to another location. We consulted a respected scholar on how to reach there and he guided us to one road. But when we stepped on that road it ended up in a narrow street full of traffic and we were jammed in between with no way to move forward or step back. This is where I realized that at times we can be misguided by sacred and respected beings also. And this happens in re- ligion very often when sacred and respected personalities due to their ignorance put us on the wrong path. It is a bitter fact that the quantum of those treading the wrong paths due to guidance from sacred beings is much more than those who are misguided by evil ones. Hence it is necessary to verify and crosscheck the path you are being guided about, ask him whether he has himself walked on this path or not and seek advice from others as well.

Thus the first step is to find a God-finder who can show us the direction of the path of Allah (s.w.t). Without this we will get on some other path by following banners, posters and titles. Secondly, we need a deep vision (Baseerat) as well to find the path of Allah (s.w.t). If we lack physical eyes then we cannot find the streets on ground, but if we lack deep vision then we cannot find the divine path. Some pos- sess eyes but not the vision and the Qur’an also says that we have given them eyes but they do not see. The Qur’an is saying that they are not blind but their hearts are blind, it lacks vision and hence they cannot find the path of Allah (s.w.t). The first condition is to possess that vision to find the path of Allah (s.w.t).

Ameerul Momineen (a.s) says “There are some people who have their intellect in their eyes”. Those whose intellect is in their eyes they become misguided by just looking at the exterior or visible part of things. Our intellect should not be in our eyes, to see the path of Allah (s.w.t). This path can only be seen with vision (Baseerat).

A martyr first finds the path of Allah (s.w.t) and by leaving aside thousands of other paths he comes on the path of Allah (s.w.t) which is sharper than a sword and finer than a hair. A martyr is the name of that greatness, which is capable of understanding something finer than a strand of hair. This parable of the hair is not used for those who possess very good eyesight. It is used for the one who possesses this vision of finding out fine and precise things. In Arabic, the word for hair is “Sha’ar”. Now, if one hair gets lost in a stack of hay it would be very difficult to find this hair but if someone can find this hair from the stack of hay you will consider him a person of very deep vision because it was not easy to find this one single hair. It is not that the hair was lying on top of the hay stack and he easily finds it, he has to sit and separate each straw and then slowly look for this hair and during this process he should not loose sight, sense, sleep or get diverted. This means he has to fully concentrate to find this hair. The path of Allah (s.w.t) as per the tradition is resembled to be finer than a hair that is wrapped in the piles of hay stack; these hays are of devilish paths, the hay stacks of innovations (Biddah), the hay stacks of mischief, stacks of imagination and illusion, and stacks of culture. Now if someone opens his eyes and picks up the hay from the stack he won’t get this path of Allah, what he will get in his hands are straws of hay. It is not that any- one who wears a turban can find the way of Allah (s.w.t). The Marajae, who spend seventy years in the religious schools, are doing this work, of finding the path of Allah (s.w.t).

There is a terminology in Arabic literature known as “Hatab ul Layl” (collector of fuel at night) which is a parable. The Arabs collect straws, wood and leftover ropes at night for fuel since it is very hot during the daytime. In the deserts, there are snakes amongst the these pieces of straws and wood. Since the collectos of scrap do so at night they do not realize that they also collect some snakes along with the wood. When they open the sack in the morning the snakes come out and the first thing that the snake does is that it bites this person. He himself gathered these things considering it as fuel and died due to this ignorance. Those who are spend- ing their entire lives in religious schools studying for seventy years is because there are several stacks of hay that the Shaitan has put around the path of Allah (s.w.t) and these personalities are not those who will gather and put anything in their sacks without filteing it. These personalities are not like those professional orators who listen to one cassette from somewhere and then start to teach reli- gion. Now let us derive the conclusion.

In Arabic the word for hair is ‘Sha’ar’ and the ability to find this hair is known as “Sha’oor” (sense). Now we should realize the secret behind the greatness of a martyr. The bullet has not made him great but it is his ‘Sha’oor’ (sense) that has made him great. When others were living the life of worms and eating the flesh of a corpse, he rejected this life of worms and amidst several devilish paths he identified this path of Allah (s.w.t) which was finer than a hair. And this does not happen with an ordinary sense. It needs a high degree of sense and that’s the reason the Qur’an sings praises for the martyr because there is nothing compa- rable to a martyr. Hence do not call him dead because dead beings do not possess “Sha’oor” (sense). Should the one who is physcially alive, eating food yet lacking sense considered to be alive? The one who, through his high abilities and sense, is able to recognize the path of Allah (s.w.t) is considered to be dead?

They have not died in hospitals due to blood pressure and heart attacks. They embraced death on the path of Allah (s.w.t). They have died on the path of Allah (s.w.t) because they lived on the path of Allah (s.w.t). Only those who live on the path of Allah (s.w.t) die on the path of Allah (s.w.t). A death on this path is not accidental.

The second analogy of walking on the path of Allah (s.w.t) is that it is sharper than a sword. This path is not a smooth motorway where you can sleep whilst you trav- el. Its difficulty is analogous to walking on the sharp edge of a sword. Just try to walk on this path for twenty four hours and you will realize how difficult this path is. When a person walks on the sharp edge of a sword he would surely bleed. So how is it possible that a person walks on a path that is sharper than a sword and not loose any blood? The path on which blood is not spilt cannot be considered as the path of Allah (s.w.t). It will surely spill out and the first place from where the blood spills out is his heart. Before blood comes out from neck and the body, a martyr has to first bleed from his heart. A martyr is not just the one who gives blood from his body. He drinks blood from his heart. What does this parable mean?

When a person witnesses an environment where he cannot do anything aggres- sive nor can he tolerate or bear it, he begins to drink the blood from his heart.

The path of Allah (s.w.t) is not a path on ground. It is way of life, it is guidance, it is Qur’an, it is the way of Ahlulbayt (a.s), but not in the form of books but a practical form. In every era there is an ideal for finding the path of Allah (s.w.t). The one who directs us towards the path of Allah (s.w.t) in our era is the ideal and testifier of the path of Allah (s.w.t). It is not that any path we tread becomes the path of Allah (s.w.t) specifically when Shaitan also competes with his banners of path of Allah(s.a.w). Shaitan has sworn by the honor of Allah(s.a.w) that he will not allow us to go towards Allah (s.w.t). But he is not a fool that he will come and explicitly tell people to not to go towards Allah (s.w.t). It is not that if someone is going towards worship Shaitan tells him not to go, but instead he advises him to do more worships so that the person forgets every other responsibility and gets into a slumber of worships. There are many who are senseless and have lost their responsibilities by indulging into a particular act. In front of their eyes evils are done but they are so busy in their recitations and Tasbeehs that they are care- less about what is happening around them. Such negligent beings are under the trap of Shaitan even though they are performing acts of worship inside mosques. Those who are trapped by Shaitan sometimes abandon prayers and at times they are trapped by Shaitan despite being continuously in prayers.

Maulana Room narrates a story where once Shaitan came to wake up a religious person for morning prayers which he was about to miss. The person got up and asked Shaitan why he was waking him up for a good act. We should be afraid of the ‘favors’ done by Shaitan and whether that Shaitan is a being, a regime or a devilish nation. If a devilish nation does favors for us then we should not be happy about it. We should be scared and concerned about their intentions. Imam Khomeini (r.a) gave a standard to the Muslim nation that whenever America starts to like you then be certain that you are on the wrong path. If America starts to build mosques, Imambargahs, Madrassa’s and starts to pay wages for your schol- ars, prepares a syllabus for the education of your children, then understand that you are walking on the wrong path. Shaitan will never wake you up for prayers unless there is an evil intention, a deception. This person questioned the Shaitan and he replied that, till date, he had not made any of his morning prayers Qadha and due to this he had become arrogant. Today there was a danger of his prayer being Qadha due to which his arrogance would have been broken and Shaitan did not wanted him to come out of arrogance and haughtiness.

In 61 A.H Karbala was the path of Allah (s.w.t) and after that, every Infallible was the path of Allah (s.w.t) but with a different affirmation. What is the path of Allah (s.w.t) in our era? Whatever we are doing, such as sitting in mosques, moving Tasbeeh beads and reciting supplications, are they all part of the path of Allah (s.w.t)? Some are delivering lectures, some doing worship, some doing Azadari, some doing acts of welfare. All these things are good, but only when they are all on the path of Allah (s.w.t). If the Tasbeeh, worships, welfare and Azadari are all done on the path of Allah (s.w.t) then only would these be considered as Tasbeeh, worships and Azadari. You have made mosques and you have prayed inside it, but who will take this mosque and these prayers on the path of Allah (s.w.t). You need to assess whether these prayers are on the path of Allah (s.w.t).

The architect of the path of the Allah (s.w.t) is the martyr. If prayers, Azadari, Hajj and other good deeds are being performed on the path of Allah (s.w.t) then you can be assured that it is only due to the blood of martyr. If martyrs would not have been there, your Azadari, your mosques, your books, your prayers and your gath- erings would not exist. This is why we say that Islam is alive due to Karbala. It is Karbala that has kept Islam on the path of Allah (s.w.t). If Karbala would not have taken place then prayers would still have been there but not on the path of Allah (s.w.t). People would be offering prayers but on the path of Shaitan because not everything done in the name of Allah is truly on the path of Allah (s.w.t). Today, if any community is doing any small or big thing on the path of Allah (s.w.t) it is due to the mercy of martyrs.

The path of Allah (s.w.t) is not enlivened by just visiting the grave of martyr and reciting Surah Fateha. This path to life is revived in the same manner as the martyr is brought to life. By hanging the picture of martyr in our house we only bring to life the martyr but not the path. Remaining alive as rememberd individual within the people is not importnat for the martyr. He has already sacrificed his life and hence his concern is not his self but the path. Hence it is essential to first identify the reference, attestation and affirmation of path of Allah (s.w.t) in our era. There has to be an attestation for the path of Allah (s.w.t) in our era as well.

If a person finds this reference and comes on the path and lives his life till his death, then even after his death he is alive and he gives life to others as well. I do not want to talk about ideals of the past era, though we commonly only talk about past eras and not about the current era. If the communities of the past got their ideals it was good for them; if not than it was bad for them. But very soon this community of ours will also become history and whether this community got their ideal and standard for identification of the right path or not? I am not talk- ing about identifying the path of Allah (s.w.t) through books, but to find out the practical standard and ideal for the path of Allah (s.w.t). The identification sign for this ideal and standard is that when it comes on the path of Allah (s.w.t) it chal- lenges the Shaitan of his era. We need to find and accept this ideal of the path of Allah (s.w.t) of our era, and after finding this if we die anywhere the death will be on the path of Allah (s.w.t), and on the other hand whatever type of death we die without finding this ideal for the Path of Allah (s.w.t) that death won’t be on the Path of Allah (s.w.t). Dying is also an art and to die on the path of Allah (s.w.t) is the greatest skill. Those who learn to die they can never be killed and this is the lesson of Karbala as well.

In that era of 61 Hijri the ideal for the path of Allah (s.w.t) was Karbala. Those who went to Karbala were on the path, but those that did not go and were busy in Hajj, in Mecca, or doing pilgrimage of the Shrine of Prophet (s.a.w), or in wor- ships, or sitting silently in Kufa, all those who did not reach Karbala were away from the path of Allah (s.w.t).

The ideal for the path of Allah (s.w.t) today also has the same signs of identifica- tion as that in the era of Karbala. This ideal of our era when he identified the path and invited people towards it, said that he did not taken this path from books, libraries, schools and Madrassa’s. Instead he took this path from Karbala. Who is this ideal? He is the great leader, the great Imam Khomeini (r.a). He said: “What- ever we have is from Mohurrum and Safar” (which means Karbala)

The path of Allah (s.w.t) is the path of Imam Khomeini (r.a). The direction which Imam (r.a) has shown is the path of the Islamic Revolution. It is the path on which less movement is seen these days, such as in places like Pakistan. This was the country that was foremost in spreading the message of revolution and Imam Khomeini (r.a). This Path of Allah (s.w.t) remains alive only by continuous move- ment on this path.

If you would have been in the era of Karbala than what was the path of Allah (s.w.t) in that era? Was it to recite prayers in Masjid-e-Nabawi or to perform Hajj in the Holy Kaaba? This movement towards and on the plains of Karbala was the path of Allah (s.w.t). All those who kept themselves busy in other things and rituals leav- ing aside Karbala had left the Path of Allah (s.w.t). If we are busy with our jobs, have other excuses and complain about the difficulties we are going through due to which we are prevented from this path then we should question ourselves about the kind of difficulties we are in?

Have you experienced difficulties equivalent to what Lady Zainab (s.a) and Imam Sajjad (a.s) had experienced? No one has experienced the calamities experienced by the captives of Karbala and Imam Sajjad (a.s). Who is there amongst us who can say that he has sacrificed his entire family in Karbala and is still firm on the path of Allah (s.w.t)? What are these excuses which we are making? Karbala is such an accomplishment of proof (Hujjat) on us that even if we sacrifice our entire existence we will still not be in a position to say that we have done something. If the event Karbala would not have taken place there would many excuses possible for us. At times we say “I have many things to do”, or “my wife is sick”. For the sake of a sick wife we refrain from path of Allah (s.w.t). But Lady Zainab did not even consider the stampeded body of her brother as an excuse to get away from the path of Allah (s.w.t). This is where we come to know how path of Allah (s.w.t) remains alive.

Lady Zainab (s.a) came to her husband and said that by religious laws you have the rights to stop me from going and I will stop, but then do not think that I will remain alive without Hussain (a.s). This does not mean that Zainab (s.a) could not be separated from Hussain (a.s), this was not an issue of separation between a brother and his sister, which eventually happened in Karbala. What differ- ence would it have made if this kind of separation, which happened on the day of Ashura, happened five months earlier? What Lady Zainab (s.a) meant to say was that the path of Allah (s.w.t) will be brought back to life by Hussain (a.s) with his blood and the footsteps up to Karbala. Then from Karbala to every part of the world this path would be carried forward by Zainab (s.a) who said, “I need to accomplish this mission of securing the path of Allah (s.w.t) after Karbala”. Who amongst us has personal problems and obligations greater than that of Hussain ibn Ali (a.s)? He had the corpse of his son lying on one side but did not make it an excuse to turn back. If we have excuses today then the same would have been the case if we were present in that era of Karbala. We would be sitting there doing Ijtehad (research) to prove that sitting in Masjid-e-Nabawi to offer prayers is a better act of worship than being present on the plains of Karbala. We would have considered Hajj to be an act of priority at that time.

The Doyen of Martyrs (a.s) removed the “Ihram” claiming that this is not more important than Karbala – the Imam (a.s) is going towards Karbala. We complain to other Muslims that after the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) Islam was not left without in- heritors, similarly we should also understand that after Karbala as well, the path of Allah (s.w.t) was not left without inheritors. Allah (s.w.t) has made arrangement. We have been trying hard to prove this point of inheritance and successor to oth- ers but it is time now for us also to realize that during the period of occultation also Islam is not left without a successor. It should not happen that the inheritor of this era also keeps on raising his call of “Hal Min Nasir” (Is there anyone to as- sist me). This slogan of “Hal Min Nasir” was raised at an astonishing moment in Karbala. If he would have raised this slogan on the morning of the Ashura, then it would be accepted as a call to bring his companions out in the field. But this slogan was raised in the evening when no one was left, so why did He (a.s) delay this statement, one that calls for supporters? Even if someone responded to this call and came out to help him, what difference would it have made, what would have been saved? Imam Hussain (a.s) would say that what needed to be saved, for which corpses were lying in this heat, that path of Allah (s.w.t) needs to be saved. What Hussain (a.s) is saying is that I, my family and my companions have saved the path of Allah (s.w.t) up to Karbala but now I am asking for those supporters who will save this path of Allah (s.w.t) from beyond this stage. I am asking sup- porters for the period of occultation.

We should not be despaired with the situation. If the governance is that of Yazid than why should we be despaired and loose hopes? Some ask: Why should we raise our voices and come out on this path when there are so many scholars and respected personalities in our society who are silent. This was the same situa- tion at the time of Karbala also. There were so many scholars, companions of the Prophet (s.a.w) and highly respected personalities in Medina but it was only one son of Ali (a.s) who came out on this path. So for those whom these silent schol- ars are a justification for remaining silent then if they were present in that era of Karbala those personalities would have also served as an accomplishment of proof (Hujjat) to remain silent and not join Hussain ibn Ali (a.s). Is the raising of the flag by an Imam an accomplishment of proof for you or is the silence of a big group a justification for you? Who accomplished the proof? Whom do you consider as your Imam? Hussain (a.s) or those silent spectators? Those seventy two understood this and they came out whereas seventy two thousand were sitting inside their homes silently. Those sitting silent were respected personalities and scholars, but these seventy two realized that their Imam is Hussain (a.s) and they need to follow his path.

We need to find the right path in our era and, as said, the path of Allah (s.w.t) in this era is the path of Imam Khomeini (r.a) and this path needs to be kept alive. There needs to be movement on this path so that the footprints of this path are not lost. If God forbid the movement on this path diminishes and as a result this path gets lost than we will be responsible for this. Our difficulty is that we are followers of Karbala and Karbala is a tough school of thought and being its follower we need to be prepared to walk on this path. This path of Karbala does not allow us to sit silently or to escape troubles, neither does it permit us to make excuses, or allow us to accept silence.

Death is a part of life and until and unless a person becomes divine in his life he cannot achieve a divine death. Ashura and Karbala are not just names of atroci- ties. In fact, they deliver to human beings lessons of life and the way to die. For those who have been remembering the event of Karbala throughout their life, it does not suit them that they do not die like the people of Karbala. Those who re- member Karbala and Ashura everyday, they should not desire to die in a hospital or in bed. Their desire is that they should get the type of death which would count them amongst the supporters and companions of Imam Hussain (a.s).

The call of Imam Hussain (a.s), in an isolated state, in that scorching desert of  “Is there anyone to help me”, was not for someone to come and save his life because this call was raised at that time when all the lives were already sacrificed. The philosophy behind it was to open a new chapter through this call. Karbala started and ended in few hours so it would happen that the upcoming generations will not get benefited from the merits of Karbala. Thus before his own martyrdom He (a.s) opened a door for all the upcoming generations to be- come a part of Karbala if they desire. He (a.s) opened the door to enter Karbala in all eras because the prime virtue of those companions were that they were sup- porters of Aba Abdillah (a.s), and the period of support of Aba Abdillah (a.s) has not ended. In fact, more than before, today the school and ideology of Hussain (a.s) needs supporters (Ansars). If any supporter comes forward today and sac- rifices his life in the school of Aba Abdillah (a.s) he has responded to the call of Imam Hussain (a.s).

The blood of martyrs opens up the path that enemies want to close by shooting bullets inside his chest and soaking him in blood. In reality the enemies are not aware about the secret of martyrdom otherwise they will never commit this mis- take of killing a righteous person. The enemy is not aware what the blood of a martyr does, otherwise they would have never martyred anyone. This blood falls on the ground but does not get absorbed by the ground. An entire nation (Um- mah) is elevated and nourished by every drop of blood, an awakened nation is born. With every drop of blood one more martyr is born and with every drop one traveler of the path of Karbala is born. A martyr gives life to the dead.

You may have seen instances in a hospital when the patient is seriously ill and his life depends on the infusion of blood from someone else. But not everyone’s blood can be given to this patient. The blood group of the donor should match that of the patient. Similarly, when a nation (Ummah) becomes seriously sick with the diseases of negligence, carelessness and senselessness, it also needs blood from a blood group that matches and can be infused inside sick nations is that of a martyr.

A martyr proves and manifests with his blood the path of Allah (s.w.t) and also identifies the paths of Shaitan. The martyr is the name of a great talented being. Someone who desires or comes on the path of Allah (s.w.t) should also be ascer- tained that he is on the right path. This is essential because Shaitan is also pre- senting Satanic ways with the banner of path of Allah (s.w.t). Hence there has to be some indicator and sign for verification of the correct path of Allah (s.w.t).

The path of Allah (s.w.t) is a one-way road that goes in one direction only. A mar- tyr brings back to life this path and cleans this path with his blood. On this path everyone is migrating towards Allah (s.w.t). Hence everyone on this path is going in one direction towards Allah (s.w.t). And when everyone is going in one direc- tion then there will not be any clashes on this path. For example, there are several roads in your city that are one-way roads, where traffic moves in one direction and there is no entry for vehicles from the opposite direction. On such roads, you will not see head on collisions happening between vehicles coming from both direc- tions, and in fact, such roads are made in city to avoid clashes.

Similarly those moving towards Allah (s.w.t), which is also a one way movement, will never clash with each other. The clashes only happen when some are going in one direction and some others coming from the opposite direction. The travelers of the path of Allah (s.w.t) never clash amongst themselves. They do clash, but with those who are waiting on this path to block them. This is a means to verify the path of Allah (s.w.t), but the path of Shaitan is such a complex one, inwhich a person on it is unable to know in what direction he is headed, whether he is going or coming. He, at times, clashes with people going and sometimes with people returning. Thus if a person is walking on a path and if he clashes with one of his fellow beings, then he should ascertain himself that he is not on the path of Allah (s.w.t), because on this path clashes are only with Shaitan.

Hence, a martyr is such a great person that if his own fellow beings commit mis- takes and do aggression towards him, he ignores it and forgives them because he knows that they are of his own people, those who are walking on the same path of Allah (s.w.t). His logic is that these people are going towards Allah (s.w.t) and if they commit a mistake I should close my eyes, despite the errors, they are still on the path of Allah (s.w.t). He will never open his mouth towards his own fellow beings on the same path. However, he does clash with the enemies of the path of Allah (s.w.t) and not with his own fellow beings.

This is the difference between those walking on the path of Allah (s.w.t) and those walking on the path of Shaitan. Those who are on the path of Shaitan will never clash with Infidels whereas those on the path of Allah (s.w.t) will never clash with Muslims and believers. Those on the path of Shaitan keep on clashing but they will never clash with polytheists, infidels, oppressors and assassinators, whenever he clashes it will be with those on the path of Allah (s.w.t). This is the sign of being on the path of Allah (s.w.t).

A martyr never fights an internal battle; he never opens his mouth against believ- ers. This is because he knows the tradition of Holy Prophet (s.a.w), “The respect of a believer is greater than that of the Kaaba”. Is there anyone who is willing to abuse the Kaaba? Is there anyone willing to stampede the Kaaba? There is no one willing to do this, but when the same people stampede the dignity of a be- liever they are stampeding the Kaaba several times. If humiliating and insulting an ordinary believer is equivalent to humiliating the Kaaba, then when a Faqeeh of believers and the leader of believers is humiliated what is the degree of the crime commited by these people? Whose character is it to humiliate and abuse the leader of believers? Year after year, the father of Yazid made it a practice to abuse Ali (a.s) from the pulpit. From the pulpit of the Prophet (s.a.w), in the gath- erings of Muslims, the successor of the Prophet (s.a.w) used to be abused. So this is not something new that is happening today, whereby from the pulpits the representative of Imam e Zamana (a.t.f.s) is humiliated. There are many amongst us who follow this character of Bani Umayyah.

A martyr never makes religious people fight with religious people; the religion of a martyr only clashes with Infidelity. A martyr is the name of that believer whose belief only clashes with transgression. A martyr is the name of that Muslim whose Islam only clashes with polytheism. There are some who make a religion fight with another religion and this happens because the impact of culture is very high on us. There are certain things permissible to do in the name of culture as it causes no harm to religion like we wear our cultural dresses, but there are certain very harmful things done in the name of culture that would eventually wipe off reli- gion. This is happening today in Pakistan where the festival of spring (of flying kites) is celebrated like Eid. The effect of the subcontinent’s historical Indian culture has dominated our lives and religion.

I would like to point out one cultural thing that happens in Pakistan and used to happen in some cities in India as well. Some people in this country keep pet animals and raise them to have fights amongst each other. These people make the animals from the same breed fight with each another. They have sheep fights, dog fights, cock fights and one which is very common is quail fights. This quail fight- er raises and takes care of his quail and prepares him to combat against another quail. The people who keep these birds do not keep them just as pet animals. They raise and take care of them for the purpose of setting up games of combats. When they bring these quails for combats many people gather around to watch these games and it becomes a means of attraction for others. These quail and cock fighters realized that if such a culture can become good means of attraction than this culture should be exported to religion and this will make the religion also at- tractive and more people will pay attention. They did not realize that in religion the real combat is of Muslims with infidels and polytheist. There are no combats allowed between religious believers. But when such quail and cock fighters enter religion than they are less religious but more jugglers of religion who make reli- gious beings fight with each other, the way these people have been doing quail fights. Similarly, in our country, the real politicians are very few, and there are more political jugglers and combaters. One politician or party plays one game against another which sparks the other the opposition to play another game.

There is a difference between being religious and being a religious juggler. Now, with the example mentioned it should be clear that a religious person is one whose religion combats with infidels whereas a religious juggler is one who makes religion fight with religion. Thus, that great leader Imam Khomeini (r.a) said that “One who creates discord between Shia and Sunni is neither a Shia nor a Sunni”. He says if you want to fight then I ask both Shias and Sunnis to fight against the big devil of our era (America).

Try to understand the greatness of a martyr. He is not an ordinary being, a martyr is a person with a special sense (Sha’oor). A martyr is not a religious juggler who plays games in religion. He is a pure religious person. We see, in this country, religion is made to fight with religion. If these terrorists who bomb Shia mosques and centers in the name of religion are so concerned about religion, then there are many explicit transgression and corruption centers. There are clubs and gam- bling houses, but they do not go and blast these centers of corruption. They target our places of worship. This shows that they are not religious beings but they are religious jugglers who are playing games in the name of religion. These religious jugglers have been prepared by some other religious beings who have instructed them to go and blast religious places. But this does not stop over here, it goes forward. We, in our culture, enjoy same breeds fighting with each other. We like dogs fighting with dogs, cocks fighting with cocks. This is the reason we do not like religion fighting with infidelity but we like religion fighting with religion. If we invite people to a gathering to raise their voice against infidelity and the devils of our era, people do not come. Yet, if the invitation is given for a Shia-Sunni de- bate (Munazara) than you see people turning out in big numbers. This is because we like religious jugglers playing games and making religion fight religion.

Th jugglers have gone beyond this. They make Azadari fight with Salaat (Prayers). If a person or Imam-e-Masjid confronts Salaat with Azadari, then he is not a reli- gious leader of the mosque, he is a religious juggler. Similarly if an Azadar or an orator from the pulpit challenges Salaat and makes it confront Azadari, then do not consider him to be an Azadar he is also a religious juggler. The consequence of such combats is that neither of the two elements wins or loose. It is religion tht looses. It is not that in this combat either Azadari or Salaat will loose, it is the religion that gets defeated because both Salaat and Azadari are religion. If there is Salaat without Azadari then that is not Salaat; and if there is Azadari without Salaat then that is not Azadari, because both are the core of religion and they are so closely related to each other that they cannot be separated, just like Qur’an and Ahlulbayt (a.s) cannot be separated. But these are the wonders of religious jugglers, who similar to cock fights make Usool-e-Deen (principles) fight with Furoo-e-Deen (practices).

He says that if there is no element of religion in politics, than there will be blood- shed, oppression and barbarism by politicians. But what happens if the oppo- site happens? What happens when politics is separated from religion? When religious places and mosques do not want to interfere, involve or talk about any political matters, what is left behind is religious jugglery. What is left in this case is the Kharijite (those who separated from Imam Ali (a.s) in Siffeen). Their slogan was: there is no politics in religion.

Similarly if Salaat is performed without Azadari then this Salaat is nothing but beating your forehead on Turbah, and if Azadari is without Salaat then this Aza- dari is nothing but noise and tears of spectators. But when there is a union of Salaat and Azadari the result is the Islamic Revolution.

This is why the greater leader, Imam Khomeini (r.a), said “We have taken this revolution from Karbala”. Today we get threats from the enemies, they attacked Iraq and Afghanistan to succumb them, but when it comes to Pakistan one phone call is enough. Afghanistan and Iraq had no atom bombs but still America had to use military power to overcome them, but with Pakistan having nuclear bombs it still succumbed to one phone call from the White House and gave their land to attack other Muslim nation. Now America is saying that it is Iran’s turn. In Afghanistan the Taliban were religious community and in Iraq there were poli- ticians but both could not sustain America. Now, America turned towards the Islamic Revolution, but what was the reply given by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution (Ayatullah Sayed Ali Khamenei (d.a))?

This pure life can only be identified once the human being becomes aware of these values and principle. And to acquire, understand and adopt these principles there are many sources. The source of where a human being aquires these prin- ciples does not matter. It could be the Qur’an, and it could be Ahlulbayt (a.s) or something else. But one very important source of getting lessons of pure life and living life as per values and principles is Karbala and Ashura. A human being can learn the way of living a divine life from Karbala and when his life becomes divine then his death will also be divine. There are many victims of misunderstanding about life and death and the Holy Qur’an has brought our attention towards this fact by mentioning at several places whether ignorance and knowledge are same? Whether darkness and light are same? Whether guidance and misguidance are similar? Whether the blind and the seeing are similar? All this is mentioned by the Qur’an because there are many who cannot see the difference between darkness and light. Some of them are those who have lost their eyesight. There are some who cannot see in the day time, like a bat or an owl that does not see in the day- light. If the human being is also like this, when the sun of righteousness is shining yet, still in this glowing light he cannot see the truth than he is also an owl. An owl is not just an animal it is also used as a phrase for those who cannot see the reality during daylight.

This example refers to an astonished, confused and distressed community that is not able to find any ways of salvation due to the darkness and calamities from all sides. These communities are confused and could not find a way out of problems and there are commone phrases that we hear from them, “What will happen now? What should we do now?” When you come across such phrases from someone then this person is standing on crossroads of confusion, surprises and darkness. One type of darkness is that of the night when the sun sets, whereas another type of darkness is that of human being when he cannot find the path towards salvation or the path towards their purpose of life. When communities enter this type of darkness they resort to taking support from the flash of lightening, but that does not last for more than few moments. These communities become pleased when they see this light coming from lightening and at that moment think that they do not need anyone else. But the moment they take a step forward this light vanishes and they come back again to the same state of confusion, astonishment, distress and darkness. Then again they wait for light to come and same phenomenon re- peats. Such types of communities do not know what is to be done. They cannot find the way and path towards salvation and eventually start to rely on the flash of lightening. They are negligent about the fact that strokes of lightning are not meant to show directions but burn weak houses. It is foolishness to have hopes from a light which is meant to burn and not to show the way. The Holy Qur’an has expressed itself as a book of guidance. Hence, despite having this source of guidance if someone tries to find other ways than this Qur’an will not remain as a means of guidance for such foolish beings and communities. It is a book of guid- ance for the pious, those who discriminate between the seen and unseen ways.

 Arabic means “Mazhab”, a place to go. And going somewhere means a state of movement and not a static state. Hence, “Mazhab” is a place of move- ment, but if someone considers himself as religious but is not in a state of move- ment then he has worn the dress of religion upside down, as mentioned before in relevance to the saying of Ameerul Momineen (a.s). This happens when silence and sitting lazy becomes a virtue and those who remain silent putting locks on their tongues while injustice is happening in front of the eyes are considered very pious by society. Silence and religion do not harmonize with each other.

When a person starts to walk on the path of Ibrahim he should know where the path of Ibrahim starts and where it ends. The path of Ibrahim starts from the house of Allah (s.w.t) and takes him to the house of idols but not for worshiping idols but to demolish Idols. This is the procession of Ibrahim that starts from Allah and reaches the devils to demolish them. Thus the religion that is not against the dev- ils is not a religion. Religion is the name of confrontations with devils (Taghuts)

Whoever disbelieves in the Taghut (devils) and believes in Allah he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handle

[Surah Baqarah (2) – Ayah 256]

 is that firmest handle if held by someone leaves no possibility of fall- ing down. It has been said by Ahlulbayt (a.s) that we are  the firmest handle. But to hold this firm handle there are two conditions set by the Infallibles. One is to deny the devils (Taghut) and other is to believe in Allah (s.w.t).

You will achieve prosperity if you say there is no God except Allah.

There exist such foolish beings who seek salvation in darkness from the flash of lightening stroke. Let me talk about some references to make you understand this fact more practically. Let me talk about the current real situation of Iraq. Though we are used to live in a world of imaginations and there are people who make us do ascensions in the world of imaginations keeping us away from ground realities. We are so used to imaginations that those who come to preach religion to us they also take us into imaginations and more he talks about fictions and imaginations we like him, and we like that person most who takes us into a Para- dise of Imagination; it is the Paradise made by his own thoughts and imaginations because he has nothing to do with Allah’s paradise, and that’s the reason he sits on the pulpit and sells his Paradise; and we buy it also very happily. We should learn to come out of this world of dreams and come into realities.

You would be aware about a known personality of Indian Subcontinent by the name Gautama Buddha, whose thoughts and preaching impressed the world to a certain extent. He was a prince and his king father raised him into ultra luxury and comfort. His father has instructed the servants that Buddha should not witness any scene that would hurt him or make him sad and depressed. Hence he was kept inside the palace completely secure from the outside world, so that he should not see any disabled, deceased, sick, dead or a poor person that would make him sad. The emperor has made a Paradise for him in the palace; a place of happiness only. When Buddha became young he escaped from this artificial palace. Once he came out he saw a beggar and inquired about what begging was, than he saw a sick person, he asked what is sickness, than he saw a dead body and asked what is death. He was not aware about all these realities because he was living in a world of imaginations. Now after witnessing these few realities, he realized that his life before was an artificial life of imagination. Now, he pledged that he will not return back to that world of imagination. After coming to this world of reality he himself became sick, he became poor and started witnessing realities. Now, he started to make people aware of the realities of the world. But he did not realize that he was preaching to those who were living in a world of imaginations, and these people than ranked him also as a person of imaginations.

It is surprising that the land having the shrine of this lantern of guidance; Karbala is in Iraq but still these fools are looking for salvation from those who have come to burn them to ashes. The fact is that you do not get guidance from the shrine of the Doyen of Martyr (s.a.w) by collecting donations in sacks from the shrine; it only comes if you ask for guidance from the Doyen of Martyrs (a.s). Ashura and Karbala are the path of salvation.

What happened in Karbala? Were there negotiations done in Karbala? Were there elections in Karbala? Were there compromises in Karbala? The Prophet (s.a.w) is saying that when darkness comes over you than turn on the lantern of guidance and do not seek help from lightening strokes in the sky who have come to burn you. But confused and foolish communities look for help and salvation from America. They do not want to turn towards Karbala for salvation.

What happened in Karbala? In Karbala we cannot see anything other than martyr- dom. He (a.s) invited the people and said that this adulterer (Yazid) has brought me on a crossroad of dignity and humiliation. The path of dignity is the path of swords and martyrdoms, and the path of humiliation is the path of comfort. This is where we can understand the difference between one who seeks help from light- ening strokes and one who seeks help from Hussain ibn Ali (a.s). But those whose processions are also demonstrations of stagnancy, how can they get on this path? If our Azadari processions would have been a righteous movement than these processions would have moved in that direction which Hussain ibn Ali (a.s) has shown us. Those processions and movements with which the devils are not afraid are nothing but stagnancy. That community whose generations have gone in tak- ing the name of Hussain (a.s) and have been doing Ashura throughout their lives have reached this stage of humiliation?

For example, if there is a millionaire and his son is standing on the road begging for taxi fare, it would raise a question as to why he is begging for such a small thing. The answer that would come to our mind would be that either his father is a miser who does not give him a single penny or his father is disappointed with his son and has kept no relation with this son. The secret lies in one of the two things: either the father is miser or the son is disobedient. The followers of Ali (a.s) and Hussain (a.s) are still stuck in calamities, yet the problem doe not lie with these infallibles (a.s). The issue is with the followers who have not taken help from them. We want them to come to our doors and solve our problem. These helpers are not amongst those who come to help after the problems and calamities have reached their peak. They have shown us the solution of the problems even before the calamities would come on our heads. But if we are still under calamities it means that we do not the have the right connections with them.

The communities who are lost, confused and foolish rely on strokes of lightening to find a way. At times, they rely on Ubaidullah ibn Ziad, they rely on courts and governments to solve their problems, they do not act on the way shown to us by Ali (a.s) and Hussain (a.s). If a community gets into calamities we need someone to come forward and study their school of thought to find out the solution to come out of these calamities. In our era I only know of one person who saw his com- munity as a victim of troubles and calamities. And he was aware that the solution to these problems has been already provided long ago by the infallible leaders of this community. He opened up the book and saw that the solution of the problem is also written and it just needs to be told to the people.

This great Faqeeh (jurist) came forward with the solution. A Faqeeh (jurist) is not one who just presents the laws of ritual purities and impurities. A true Faqeeh (jurist) is one who presents solutions to the problems of communities. Imam Khomeini (r.a) told his community, “In this darkness of calamities do not rely on lightening strokes. The solution to your problems has already been given by the Infallibles and that solution is Karbala and Ashura”. This is where the prob- lems are resolved. How? The calamities can be resolved in our era as well, by undertaking the same journey which that caravan did in that time under the same situation.

A procession, a caravan, started from Medina towards Karbala so that the troubles of the community of not just that period, but for all communities up to Qayamat, are resolved. For those who possess this school of Karbala and Ashura yet are still submerged under calamities, then we can only say that, till this day, the reality of Ashura has not been recognized. One Imam Khomeini (r.a) came and presented Ashura and solved all the problems of that community.

The caravan of Karbala is the caravan of martyrdom, and it does not end on food tables. It ends on dead bodies, on scorching heat and beheaded necks. And those who are left in Karbala in this caravan their end are in chains and captivity, and than in this state this caravan reaches Kufa and Shaam (Damascus). We need to get inside this caravan as this caravan of martyrdom awakens the people and resolves the difficulties. A community that learns to die never gets into any troubles. All problems are born due to the fact that we do not know how to die. Karbala teaches us how to die and for the one who learns this, his problems are resolved. The Islamic Revolution eventuated Iran and the problems of the community were resolved. But what did this revolution give to the people? It just demonstrated to them the path of martyrdom. If you stay inside your houses like cowards not just one but many such Shahs will keep on dominating you, many oppressors will keep on suppressing you and it will last over generations. But if you wake up and adopt the path of martyrdom, you will get salvation for yourself and even your generation. When Imam Khomeini (r.a) was asked as to where he acquired this path from? He said:

Whatever we possess is from the Doyen of Martyrs (a.s)

This is the philosophy which the Qur’an is telling us:

Do not consider them as dead those who give life in the way of Allah (s.w.t) because death has not overtaken them they have killed death. Do not consider these wounded bodies as dead, they are live; whereas do not call those living beings hiding inside their homes as alive, they are living dead bodies.

Those who migrate in the way of Allah and then experience death on this path, their rewards are nothing other than the essence of Allah (s.w.t), not even para- dise is worthy of their rewards. There is a difference between a traveler and an emigrant. A traveler is the one who leaves his house but with the intention to re- turn back. Thus, he only leaves his body from one place with plans to return back. An emigrant is the one who leaves his house with the intention of not returning. He leaves it forever. It is easy to travel on the path of the Allah (s.w.t) but being an emigrant on the path of Allah (s.w.t) is very difficult.

As the verse says, the one who is leaving his ‘Bayt’ (home) should leave it as an emigrant and not just as a traveler. Let us also try to understand the meaning of ‘Bayt’. For us ‘Bayt’ (home) means a house made of wood, sand, stones and ce- ment. Bayt is derived from the word ‘Ba’ata’ that means a place where the night is spent. Wherever the night is spent, whether it is a house, office, street or any other place it is called ‘Ba’ata’. The place where the night is spent is ‘Bayt’ and generally we spend our nights at home hence we refer to home as ‘Bayt’. Since we spend more time at home at night and less time during the day, the Arabs refer to the place of resting at night as ‘Bayt’ but this does not excludes the day. Thus ‘Bayt’ is a place where our day and night is spent, where we spend our lives.

Now we have to come on the path of Allah (s.w.t) and this path does not accept any partners. This is because the essence of Allah (s.w.t) is ‘Gayyur’ (honored), and ‘Gayyur’ means not accepting the presence of any stranger in your ‘Harim’ (precinct). If a stranger steps inside your precincts then he should be removed immediately. And since Allah is honored, He wants us also to be honored. Allah (s.w.t) also wants us to remove the strangers from our precincts (Harim). These precincts could be our homes, could be our land our country or religion. If in your country strangers enter and you sit silently, then it means you have not felt the presence of stranger. The one who does not feel the presence of strangers in his precincts is disgraceful and the one who feels it yet does not kick the stranger out is also disgraced and shameless. If strangers come and sit on the pulpits of religion and people do not feel anything about this stranger then they are shame- less and if someone feels the presence but does not remove the stranger is also shameless and disgraced. Allah (s.w.t) says that this religion is honored. Karbala is the field of honor and dignity.

If you people went and sat inside your homes, that is, if you just live an ordinary life of going to the office, home and markets, then just keep on sitting no one will come and invite you. But instead Allah will give birth to a community and to such individuals for whom Allah (s.w.t) has prescribed martyrdom, and you can sit inside your homes whereas they will walk towards their place of slaughter by their own feet.

So now do you know who is a martyr? A martyr is not just the name of a separated head, ripped body or shredded chest. A martyr is the one who left all ‘Bayts’and turned towards Allah in such a way that he walked by his own feet towards his place of assassination. Those who are sitting inside their homes are not persuad- ed and invited to come towards the battlefield. They have been told to keep sitting around, We will not take you out of your homes, but instead we will subjugate you with those who will desert your homes and they will humiliate you inside your homes. And this is what happened in Karbala, the entire Medina sat inside their homes, the entire Mecca and Kufa sat inside their homes. Allah said: keep sitting in your home, We will produce a community of seventy two who will walk towards the battlefield on their own feet. People will stop them, counsel, sympathize and warn them that they will get killed. But they will reply, We prefer this death over thousand such lives.

They will go to their place of slaughter with such prestige that on the night of Ashura when the candle will be dimmed and they will be requested to leave this place of slaughter and return to their homes ‘Bayts’. They will reply, O our Mas- ter! We are emigrants and not travelers, we have come with this intention that we will not turn back. We have walked on our feet towards the battlefield.

Now look at those who were sitting idle in Medina and in Kufa, where no one pursued them. Yazid made an army within a period of one year after the event of Karbala. He sent them to Medina with a written note syaing that if they could dominate Medina, then for three days everything in Medina is permissible for you. Their wives, their sisters and daughter are all permissible for you. Why did Medina face such a humiliation? This is because when a community was going towards the battlefield they were sitting inside their homes comfortably. They saw the consequences of those who were sitting idle inside their homes. They sat inside their homes and then, as a result, what happened in Medina could not even be spoken about. Sisters where molested in front of brothers, wives humiliated in front of husband, daughters molested in front of their mothers. The number of children who were illegitimately born in that year in Medina exceeded that of all of any given year in any place in history.

Today, in Iraq the same situation prevails in Abu Ghuraib. If you want to see what happened in Medina, see today what is being done in Iraq by the Yazid of our era. As mentioned before about the letter from that lady from Abu Ghuraib. She said to the reader that You did not rise when this Yazid entered our lands, so at least rise now if not to combat these enemies but rise and come here to bury us in this prison.

When Baqir us Sadr was martyred the entire community was sitting inside their homes. Allah said, Keep on sitting inside your ‘Bayt’. That great leader Imam Khomeini (r.a) kept on calling this community to wake up, to step out, but they did not listen to him. And the consequence of their silence was through these devils that deserted and humiliated them inside their homes. This is the outcome of silence and sitting inside homes. If you would have come out and supported the martyrs than you would not be a victim of such humiliation. The many lives would not have been lost and all the blood would not have been shed.

This is what happened with those who sat inside their homes in Medina. Fur- thermore, Mecca faced a similar outcome or backlash. Abdullah ibn Zubair did not support Imam Hussain (a.s). He preferred to go to the House of Allah and sit there. He did not support those who were going to the battlefield, and what hap- pened to him? On the instructions of Yazid, stones were thrown from catapults on the Kaaba. The Holy Kaaba was deserted and wrecked, and Allah permitted this to happen because there was a person sitting inside it who did not support the martyrs. This is a point to ponder on. There was a time when Abraha attacked the Kaaba and Allah defeated this army of elephants through sparrows (Ababeel). The reason behind the defeat of this army though timid birds was because on that day the keys of Kaaba was in the hands of a responsible person (Abdul Muttalib). Yet, on this occasion, Yazid is deserting and bringing down the Kaaba by throw- ing stones on it and Allah does not send his army of sparrows. This is because there was an irresponsible person sitting inside the Kaaba. Allah can afford to get his Kaaba deserted and destroyed but does not prefer an irresponsible person to be inside the Kaaba.

If you sit inside your homes, in the Hussainiah, in mosques and even in the com- pound of the Kaaba, by neglecting and leaving aside the path of martyrs all these places of refuge will be deserted and no one can protect you from Yazid. There is only one path and principle of being protected and to be safe. And that principle is to walk with your own feet towards the places of your martyrdom. If you do this then you will kill death and then no one can kill you. You will be alive even after your death.

For the excuses made for sitting inside your homes, one should at the least rise for the sake of those things. Some say that our jobs would be in danger but there is a time that will come in which your very jobs will also become difficult because of not rising and taking action.

Today, you can see the effects of the global economic crisis, which has put many jobs in danger due to the negligence of capitalists. So at least rise for protecting your jobs.

In the mirror of death by showing you the face of your friend, He (the Imam of your era) makes your life more miserable

This is what Imam Khomeini (r.a) did; he presented the secret of life to the youths in the mirror of death. He brought back life in a dead community. He was the one who understood what martyrdom and the martyr was and he was a guide who raised and fostered ordinary youths and brought them to the esteemed status of martyrdom. Such persons can only understand the value of martyrdom because not everyone can appreciate the value of everything.

There are some who insult martyrs. When we talk about some martyrs in our lec- tures they complain as to why we are talking about these non infallible persons in the majalis of Imam Hussain (a.s). This is because they are not aware about the greatness of Martyrs and out of ignorance they say such things. The value of grass is known to a donkey whereas the value of gold and gems is only known to a goldsmith. Those who have been associated with donkeys throughout the life can only appreciate value of grass and grains, they won’t appreciate the value of gold. They also become like donkeys, not the donkey of four legs but the donkey of Surah Jum’a.

We have been asked to attend Friday prayers and the leader of the Friday prayers is also asked to discuss about current affairs and recommended to recite Surah Jum’a during the prayers. In Surah Jum’a it is mentioned that those who have been given divine books yet do not realize its value are analogous to a donkey. These are the donkeys of the Qur’an. Hence those who have abandoned the Qur’an throughout their life and just carrying it as a burden on them are like a donkey. What will they understand about the status of a martyr. The value of a martyr is only known to the leader of the martyrs. It is known to that goldsmith, It is known to that lap in which the martyr was fostered. It is known to that school which developed and raised this martyr and it is known to God in whose path this martyr gave his life. Hence, Allah (s.w.t) said those who gave their life in His way should not be considered as dead. As mentioned by Allama Iqbal, if a person becomes aware about the secret of martyrdom, Shabbir (Imam Hussain (a.s)) will become his Qiblah.

The greatness of a martyr is not in death. In fact, death just unveils the curtain from the greatness of a martyr. The secret is that the martyred was a person on the path of Allah (s.w.t). This person was the one who found the path of Allah (s.w.t). He lived on the path of Allah (s.w.t) to the extent that he obtained death on this path as well. As mentioned before, according to the tradition, the path of Allah is finer than a hair and sharper than a sword. This tells us about two things: one is to have enough sense (Sha’oor) to identify a path finer than hair and second is to walk on this path that is sharper than sword. Thus a martyr is the one who possesses this sense (Sha’oor) to identify the path of Allah (s.w.t) and the firmness of intention to withstand the walking on a path that is sharper than sword.

A combination of precise sense (Sha’oor) and a firm courageous intention sepa- rates a martyr from the flock of sheep and makes him a candle for mankind. There are these flock of sheep whose duty are to only make things dirty. Just as we see the pure water that comes down, when it passes through our homes and enters the drainage pipe it becomes dirty and filthy. We have transferred the filth of our body, clothes, leftover food to this pure water and adulterated it. A martyr sepa- rates himself out of this flock of sheep by the virtue of his sense (Sha’oor).

These are the two things that give greatness and make a martyr esteemed. His sense (Sha’oor) brings him on the path of Allah and his conviction (Azm) makes him sacrifice his life on this path. This death cannot hamper his conviction, and doubts, suspicion cannot break his sense and intentions. Nothing can separate a martyr from the path of Allah (s.w.t). His self-interests, desires, warning and threats coming to him cannot interfere in any way with his convictions and inten- tions. When the world becomes pessimistic, confused, worried, perplexed and do not know what to do, a martyr, who in the same circumstances, possesses a firm conviction and elevates himself to the state of certainty and demonstrates his awareness of the path of salvation. When he reaches this level of certainty the sign and manifestation of his degree of high certainty is that he gets sacrificed in the way of Allah (s.w.t).

The greatness of a martyr is an outcome of his firm intentions, sense and convic- tion. These are the two things that becomes the lifeline of a community. One is the firm intention and other conviction. The firm intention is nothing but that sense (Sha’oor) and certainty that makes the path of Allah (s.w.t) clearly visible. To walk on this path is sharper than sword. For this you need conviction and courage, otherwise this path will make you tired, worried and scared. Martyr is the title of that tireless person who walks on this sharp path and by getting soaked in blood secures his nation (Ummah) and religion by his blood. He writes a message with his blood “O people! See that the path of Allah goes this way and if you want to come on the path of Allah then follow the line drawn by my blood”.

Roads and paths are not available to us in a ready-made offering. We need to make paths. And when paths are made there are those who come on the path and ob- struct it by standing as walls and we need to bring down these walls. The walls are created by the enemies to obstruct the movement on this path of Allah and those who take refuge in the shadow of this wall can never come on this path. It is the martyr who informs us to never take support from the wall created by enemies but instead confront this wall made by enemies. The martyr brings down this wall with his blood. The Qur’an says that the prophets, saints, leaders, nations, scholars, guides and everyone that is on the path of Allah (s.w.t), that walls are also erected. The Qur’an says that when a firm and strong walls come on the path of Allah you should not change your direction but instead bring down those walls on the path of Allah (s.w.t). In pursuit of peace it should not happen that we take refuge from oppressive regimes and global devils. This secret of bringing down the wall and not taking refuge from enemies was exposed on two nations: Iran and Lebanon. This is what Imam Khomeini (r.a) said, that if America becomes an obstacle for you then do not change your direction but instead uproot America.

I present to you an incident that exemplifies how brutally the enemies of this path behave and how they insult martyrs. On a publicly available TV program, a so- called scholar sat in front of a Shia scholar (in the TV program ‘Alim Online’) and questioned: If Yazid came into power whilst all the companions of the Prophet (s.a.w) and their children were silent, why did Hussain ibn Ali rise against Yazid? This so-called scholar claimed, with an insulting and disgraceful tone, that Imam Hussein (a.s) was stubborn in his attitude! Just see the oppression, the insult he in an open media platform. He struck with a sword bigger than Shimr. It was a pity that he could not get a reply, because he can only be replied by someone who is aware about the secret of Karbala.

We are replying you (the questioner) now for your support for those companions and progeny of companions. These companions and their progeny, when they saw the firm wall of Yazidiat, instead of confronting it they decided to take refuge below this wall made by Yazid and thus left the path of Allah. But the one who brought down this wall and gave you the prestige to be called Muslims today is the Doyen of Martyrs (a.s).

Today, when the filthy, dirty and impure wall of Israel stands as an obstacle to- wards the first Qiblah of Muslims, these Arabs changed their direction but in Lebanon, a handful of followers of Ashura, those who were aware of the secret of martyrdom clashed with this iron wall and demonstrated to the world that this is not an iron wall but just an air balloon, a house as frail as that of a spider’s. These lovers of martyrdom did not agree to any compromise with Israel. They did not agree to raise the slogan of establishing democracy in Middle East. They decided to give a big blow on the face of Israel and brought down this wall in a most hu- miliating manner. This was exactly the reply that came once from Paris before.

When Imam (r.a) was in Paris, the Shah of Iran gathered all the scholars and told them that he is ready to accept all their suggestions and willing to implement the type of system they want in the country. And many started to think on this line and were ready to get into negotiations. When Imam Khomeini (r.a) heard this, he replied back and told the scholars to go and tell the Shah, “I have only one de- mand from you and the demand is that you should remove your cursed existence from this country”.

The walls made on the path of Allah (s.w.t) are not going to give you refuge. They are made to obstruct and destroy you. When the youths of Lebanon saw this wall they decided that this wall is not meant for refuge and that it needs to be confront- ed and they confronted this wall in such a manner that the entire world praised their greatness. These are the followers of Ashura. It is easy to raise slogans in the Majalis of Hussain and then jump on food containers, but raising slogans and after that confronting with Israel is very different. They are also Shias and we are also Shias, but we do not know which Hussain ibn Ali (a.s) we are following.

A martyr on the path of Allah clashes with these walls and in this struggle gets his chest borne with bullets, he gets his throat slit, he gets soaked in blood, he makes his children orphans with his own hands, but is not willing to accept the walls on the path of Allah (s.w.t).

This defines the problem of Iraq – not just today but for a long time. Kufa has been a center and was the capital of Ameerul Momineen (a.s). We saw at that time as well when Ameerul Momineen (a.s) asked his people to rise and confront the wall made by Damascus (Muawiyah) in the way of Allah (s.w.t), the people of Kufa were not willing to confront it. When Malik-e-Ashtar was about to bring down this wall the lack of sense (Sha’oor) amongst the people of Kufa gave support to this wall that was to be brought down. These are the people who support op- pressors and oppressive regimes. They went to Siffeen and demonstrated such an example of senselessness and supported a held up a wall that was falling down on the way of Allah. This is the history of Iraq that whenever walls came on the path of Allah (s.w.t) this community never confronted it but instead decided to take refuge under this wall. One of the walls were of Saddam, and Imam Khomeini (r.a) kept on pleading to this community to rise. The world recognized the tone of this pleading and sighs to be similar to that of Ameerul Momineen (a.s). He used to plead to them to bring down this wall, but they did not do so because they had learned to live a humiliated life under the shadow of oppressors.

The path of Karbala is a confrontation with the walls built by devils. It is astonish- ing that the shrine of Hussain ibn Ali (a.s) is in Iraq. As I indicated before, if a community learns to die, no one can defeat it, but if a community is afraid of death then everyone will suppress it. Today, when the graves of atrocities of Saddam are dug we can see thousands of dead bodies coming out from these big graves where Shia youths were buried by Saddam. These bodies that are found today are evidence that you cannot escape death even if you decide to sit silently under the refuge of a devil. If they would have confronted with this wall, by Allah, the num- ber of deaths would not even be half of they turned to be, and those who would have died would be martyrs and those left behind would have been the inheritors of martyrs. They would have died with respect and those left behind would live with respect.

Thise same problem lingers in this country (Pakistan), where there are walls after walls, large in size, on the path of Allah, but we need the sense (Sha’oor) of a martyr to understand these walls. We should not take refuge from these walls but confront them. What do we need to do to confront with these walls?

Some people think that we need the latest technology and weaponry to confront these walls. We do not need big armies to confront these walls. We just need a few youths, a few women, a few children and a hundred year old companion. This is a strange army which has a solider of the age of hundred years on one side and there is a six month infant on the other, and they both confront this wall. The way the blood of Ali Asgar humiliated was unmatched by any other weapon.

These walls are not as strong as we think they are. They are very hollow and the Qur’an says they are the trees of the devil whose roots are not in ground. The Qur’an alikens these walls to foam flowing over water. Allah says the resemblance of righteousness (Haqq) and falsehood (Baatil) is that of foam above water. So how should we consider those communities who cannot even eradicate the foam flowing above water and those who cannot blow out bubbles of air? One writer has written an astonishing fact. He was an ambassador going to Iran for the first time, a while before the Islamic Revolution. He inquired about Iran and Iranian people. He says everyone told him about many cultural things, but one retired diplomat told him something that was worth contemplating. He said that there is a contradiction found amongst the Iranians. He says I am surprised that this community always has the name of Hussain ibn Ali (a.s) on their lips but for 2500 years they are living under imperialistic regimes. The regime is that of Yazid and name of Hussain ibn Ali is on their lips. Is that not contradictory?

These people were offering contradictory prayers, their worships were contra- dictory, their Hajj and fasting were contradictory, their Azadari was contradictory and it went on until one person brought a change. Now we can appreciate the greatness of this Faqeeh who did not just sit and deduce Fatwas (verdicts) from traditions, but he came forward to end this controversy from the nation and com- munity. He brought the revolution that ended this controversy and now the name of Hussain ibn Ali (a.s) was on their lips and the flag of Hussain ibn Ali (a.s) was flying in the nation. This is the miracle performed by this Faqeeh. He made his community realize that it is disgraceful that you have the name of Hussain ibn Ali (a.s) on your lips and you prefer to live your lives under the shadow of walls made by devils. This is the greatness of Imam-e-Shohada (the Leader of Martyrs).

There is only one concern that a martyr has after his death. What is this concern? A martyr says, O My Lord! After looking at my corpse, my body in blood and wounds, my orphans, my deceased family, it should not happen that my compan- ions leave this path due to fear of facing these calamities. A martyr is concerned about the waves of turbulence, of doubts occurring in the intentions of his com- panions. He hopes that it should not happen that instead of being considered as a role model, they consider him as a dreadful lesson and get away from this path. It should not happen that they get concerned about all these calamities for treading this path and then decide to leave this path. This is the only fear that a martyr has, yet, Allah (s.w.t) removes this fear from the martyr as well.

O the martyr of Allah! O the one who was assassinated in the way of Allah! O the one who sacrificed his life in the way of Allah, do not be worried. It is possible that there are few who are scared after looking at what happened with you, but there are others who are not just scared but in fact their courage, conviction and enthusiasm has increased after looking at your martyred body.

The thing which troubles the martyr a lot, for which he remains concerned about, are the difficulties and the traitors on this path. What is betrayal? It is not walking on the path that needs to be kept alive, the path of Allah (s.w.t). For example if a mosque is made for worship and a school is made for education, but if no prayers are performed in this mosque and no education takes place in the school then these are acts of betrayal. These mosques cannot be considered as mosques.

The path of Allah (s.w.t) is the path on which someone is walking. If the caravan stops walking on this path and changes their direction, then this is betrayal towards the path of Allah, towards the religion of Allah (s.w.t) and towards the essence of Allah (s.w.t). The martyr is a witness to all of this. This is the reason he is called ‘Shaheed’ (witness). Though he is not physically present, he observes who is coming on this path and who is not. He watches to see who is a victim of excuses, victim of being misled by someone, victim of worldly pleasures and safety of life.

For the one who has heard the incident of Karbala and has recognized the tribe of martyrs of Karbala, does his heart not desire to join this tribe and have a strong relationship with this tribe? It is a privilege to even talk about this tribe of martyrs of Karbala, but beyond talking about it, it is a privilege to become a member of this tribe. Those people of Karbala were great and we do a good thing by talking about them, but those who move ahead and become a member of this tribe of Karbala are better than us who are only contented with discussions and listening to the stories of this tribe of martyrs. A martyr is one who read and listened about the martyrs of this tribe and then developed a strong desire in his heart to become a member of this tribe. And this door is open forever. That ground of martyrs of Karbala remains open to today. We say in the Ziarat of Ashura, “I wish I was with you”. This “I wish” is not in the sense of impossibilities, it is not the type of wish- ing for which there are no hopes left to be with them.

These testimonies are for you to develop the desires in yourself to be with them, and on the other hand the ground also has been opened to you. Those who say “I wish” should come forward and join this tribe. Imam Sadiq (a.s) says that when- ever you desire to become a member of this tribe, whether in the period of occul- tation or in the presence of Imam and wherever you are, this door will be open for you. It is not closed because the essence of Allah (s.w.t) is just (Adil), hence it is not possible that for the believers of 61 A.H Allah (s.w.t) gives them the opportu- nity to get martyred in the camp of Hussain (a.s) and then takes this opportunity away from those who come later. This is not possible and against the justice of Allah (s.w.t). It is the essence of his justice that if one has been given the oppor- tunity then so should others. If someone protests against Allah (s.w.t) and says that You did not give me birth in the era of Karbala, than Allah (s.w.t) will reply, They were the leaders of this tribe of martyrs but you can still become a follower of theirs and this door is open for you. Today if a Shia is killed anywhere it is for the crime that he is a Shia, for a crime that they are taking the name of Hussain ibn Ali (a.s). This is the crime for which they are killed.

One intellectual of our society who considers himself very clever said that today if we are being beaten badly in Pakistan it is due to our support towards the Islamic Revolution of Iran. This is a punishment for our support and promotion of the Islamic Revolution. He wanted to say that we should leave stop supporting the Islamic Revolution so that we can be secure. I told this clever person that what you have said is right but you have caught hold of the problem at a very near end. Why do not you go a little further and go to the root of the problem. You will then know that you are not beaten for your support of Islamic Revolution, you are being killed because you are taking the name of Hussain ibn Ali (a.s). If you think leaving the love and support of the Islamic Revolution is a solution for your salvation, then it is better to leave Hussain ibn Ali (a.s) and you will be absolutely secure and no one will have any concerns with you. Why are you limiting the problems of the society to the nearest end of Islamic Revolution. Go to the cause of the Islamic Revolution which was the path of Imam Hussain (a.s), and even go further to its cause which was Islam. It is better you declare that you have nothing to do with Islam and rest assured that no one will disturb you and cause you any trouble. Today, Muslims all over the world face many calamities. So one should leave Islam itself in order to be secure from all problems. This is a suggestion which political leaders (of Pakistan) are giving us daily, that we should be secular and liberal, we should leave the ideas and ideology of religious scholars.

But the one who has identified the tribe of Karbala once cannot leave it. What kind of tribe is this? If these clever beings were present on the evening of Ashura in Karbala and when Imam (a.s) had turned the lamp and given instructions to leave if someone desires to leave, then what would these clever, self-oriented be- ings done? But this tribe was not the one who would take advantage of the situ- ation and circumstances to run away. When the lamp was turned off and again turned on, they stood up and said, O Hussain! We just have one life. If Allah (s.w.t) would have given us birth a thousand times, and every time we would have been cut into several pieces we would be still be prepared to sacrifice our lives on this path of yours thousand times. Can anyone scare this tribe and make them run away? And this tribe has not ended, it is still going on and the door to this tribe is open in every era. Every land is Karbala and Every day is Ashura, but only for one who comes forward and makes it Ashura.

Who is a martyr? When we die in hospitals or accidents or out of natural circum- stances, it is the death which surrounds and overcomes us. But a martyr is the one who does not give an opportunity for death to fall on him. He goes forward to fall on death. When the Doyen of Martyrs (a.s) witnessed in a dream that this caravan is going towards death, while mounted on the back of the horse he recited

To Thee we belong,To Thee we have to return”.

This is the status and position of a martyr. When he comes forward on the path of Imam Hussain (a.s) to sacrifice his life he becomes eligible to receive salutations from blessed Ahlulbayt (a.s).

The Holy Qur’an has discussed misunderstandings that communities previously had regarding their Prophets (s.a.w). The community of Prophet Hud (s.a.w) de- veloped many such misunderstandings about Him (a.s) and they addressed Him with many dirty and filthy accusations. The Holy Qur’an has mentions when the community of Hud (a.s) did not even refrain from titling him as ‘crazy’ and ‘fool- ish’. With all stubbornness and without any shame they said to him that You look foolish to us. As for Prophet Shoaib (a.s), his community also became a victim of different misunderstandings and as a result accused him with different types of accusations. They came to the extent of telling that if we had no regard for your tribe and family we would have removed you from our community since you are so disliked by us. The people of the Pharaoh started to call Prophet Moosa (a.s) a magician and when other magicians were defeated by Moosa’s (a.s) miracles, they reverted back and said that Moosa (a.s) is a master of all magicians. The com- munity of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w), the polytheists of Mecca and the hypocrites of Medina became a victim of several misunderstandings about Him.

The Qur’an mentions that most of the misunderstandings were that of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) by his community. They blamed, accused and associated with him undesired things. Sometimes they said He (s.a.w) is a poet. By ‘poet’ they did not mean in literally, it was a statement or notion to taunt a person, to say that he does not use his intelligence and lives in the world of imaginations and illusions, thus having mental instability. Sometimes they accused him of being a magician because the words of Prophet (s.a.w) used to leave a unique effect in gatherings and even the worst of the persons used to feel the impact. The Qur’an has re- lays that when the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) was once reciting Qur’an, a Jinn that was passing outside, stopped. He was astonished by the recitation and when he was delayed in reaching his gathering he told his colleagues, Today I have heard such words that I had to stop to listen to it. The Prophet (s.a.w) had such an effec- tive essence and such words that it used to stun people. One other accusation which they had towards the Prophet (s.a.w) was that he was crazy (God forbid). The Qur’an defended the Prophet (s.a.w) in saying that all these accusations from these ignorant and stupid people are baseless and that they certified the purity of Prophet (s.a.w).

The reason for such accusations and misunderstandings towards Prophet (s.a.w) and other similar personalities is because when people are treading on a particu- lar path of their own choice and desire, and then a Prophet comes who is not willing to walk on their path, and instead presents a different path pursuing the people to leave their path and walk on this divine path. When such extraordinary things are seen, people start to develop doubts about these personalities. If there is a trade market where illegitimate products are being sold, where interests are being earned, where deals are based on lies and deceptions, and then comes a person who is truthful and refrains from doing all this, people become a victim of doubts and misunderstandings about such a person. A person who compromises on profits of thousands coming from lies and deceptions, and remains satisfied with little truthful earnings, people then start to doubt his senses and mental level. They consider such a person as crazy who is not adopting their means and loosing so much.

The environment of polytheists was such, as mentioned and condemned by the Qur’an, that they used to make idols with their own hands and then worship it. This was a society which was totally inclined towards lusts, passions and desires.

The speciality of the people of Kufa was that they were traitors and cowards, whereas the people of Damascus (Sham) had a problem of very quickly becoming victim of false propaganda. If someone used to threaten the people of Kufa during the era of Imam Hussain (a.s) they used to get scared immediately and hence de- spite of inviting Imam Hussain (a.s) they did not support Him (a.s) because mo- ment Ubaidullah ibn Ziad entered Kufa they were scared. They left their leader and guest isolated just because of fear. When a community becomes a victim of fear than they leave everything; they even leave their homes and run away. Some- one was quoting that in Karachi there are many incidents of Mobile snatching; there was an incident whereby one gentleman was attacked with a gun and asked to hand over his mobile, rather than just handing over the mobile phone, he was scared to the extent that he gave his mobile phone, his car keys and ran away. They were only asking for Mobile and this person out of his own will just out to fear gave away the car also which they were not asking for. Thus fear is such a thing that you can get any kind of work done from someone by scaring the person. You can even make animals do things and perform acts out of fear that are against their nature. You would have seen the circus animals; there are wild beasts ca- pable of swallowing human beings in few bites. But just by awe and fear of whips from human being these wild beasts behave as timid cats. Fear is such an element by which even ferocious beasts leave their natural and habituated ferocity.

By creating an environment of fear you can drift people away from religion, from defending women and this is what happened with the people of Kufa. Ubaidullah created terror in their hearts and due to this terror they left their religion, they left their own invited guest isolated and they left all their covenants and claims towards their Imam (a.s). Thus fear can take away everything from human being and throw him in such a deep pit of humiliation from where he cannot come out throughout his lifetime. An afraid and terrorized person does not miss out on any act of untrustworthiness and betrayal because he is indulged in fear. When fear comes on a lion, the lion forgets that he is a ferocious beasts and starts dancing like a monkey on the instructions of a weak human being. The lion is considered as the king of forest and all other animals are afraid of him. If his pupils from his kingdom come to the circus, they will laugh on looking at the state of this lion who is dancing, doing aerobics, all on the instructions of a human being for the sake of piece of meat and fear of a waiving whip. This lion is taking applauses from the audience and making them clap on his performance. This is a lesson to be taken from a circus that fear can bring down a creature to such a low level of humilia- tion. Fear takes away from a human being his religion, his dignity, his prestige and brings him on the doors of betrayal, deception and untrustworthiness. Today the leaders of Pakistan do not refrain from any betrayal and deception towards community, religion and country with just one instruction from them (America). Wherever you find fear you will see betrayals and acts of untrustworthiness. Kufi (people of Kufa) means scared Muslims, scared hosts and scared expectants of Imam. Those who continuously whisper “Al Ajal Al Ajal” (Come soon, Come Soon) but then leave his Imam isolated and in fact support enemies and also come in confrontation with his Imam.

The weakness present in the society of Damascus (Sham) was that they were very weak by ears (means believing in unconfirmed information). The Holy Qur’an has mentioned that people of a society governed by Kings and Dictators will be victim of certain problems. Dictatorship is not just limited to courtyards; it leaves its impact on the society also. The effect of Pharaoh was there on his society also.

He made his society very light and fearful. Their thoughts were very lowly, their character became abased and their actions became disgraceful. This is one of the effects of dictatorship governing a society. Just like weather has an effect of hot and cold on people similarly the system of governance also has an effect on the people. If the system of governance is Wilayat or Imamat then the temperament and attitude of people is different. Similarly if there is democracy people have a different psychology and thinking; and if there is dictatorship then also it is dif- ferent. It is not that that governing systems keep on changing and it would have no effect on the people. There is a tradition which says that; people follow the religion of their Kings. In its visible form the governors would be sitting inside mansions but their governance, thoughts, actions and treatment leaves effects on people and decide the temperament of people. In general the people who submit to a dictatorial regime are abased and humiliated; and for them the Qur’an has used the terminology as “Khafeef”, means those accept dictatorship. They agree to spend their lives under the umbrella of dictators and they sit and come to an understanding with dictators and kings. In such communities serious persons are not born; the entire community becomes abased and lowly. Pharaoh produces an abased community and even serious and educated people are pursued to lowli- ness. One of the serious effects of dictatorial regime on the psychology of people and society is this lowliness of people irrespective of them being educated, men or women, youths and even religious beings. If you want to read more on the effects of a system on society then refer to our earlier publication “The Role of Women in the System of Wilayat”.

The society of Damascus (Sham) during that period had been made very abased and lowly by the dictatorial regime. It was the secondary effect of this lowliness that they were weak on ears and thus an easy victim of any false propaganda. They believed in rumours and many incidents have been narrated and recorded in his- tory regarding this issue.

Once a courier of Ameerul Momineen (a.s) from Kufa went to Damascus to deliv- er a message and his camel was caught by a person from Damascus with the claim that this camel belongs to him and was snatched from him in the battle of Siffeen by this courier person of Ali (a.s). A dispute took place between the two and the case went to the courtyard of Muawiyah. People were called, hearings were made and finally the decision was made in favour of the local from Damascus. The per- son from Kufa protested and requested to at least ask him about the gender of the camel. The claimant from Damascus said that it was a she-camel which he lost whereas the camel in custody now was a male. The person from Kufa said that it is clearly seen that the camel is male whereas the one which this person has lost in Siffeen was female so how is this true that this camel belongs to him. The governor invited a big number of local persons in court and there were scholars, educated persons, men, women and all categories persons from Damascus. They were asked to bear witness on the gender of the camel in front of them. They all unanimously said that it was a She camel (whereas the camel standing in front of them was clearly seen as male). The governor of Damascus called this courier per- son from Kufa and told him to go and deliver this message to Imam Ali (a.s) that he has prepared such an army to confront him (a.s) whom if the governor declares a male camel as female, then despite of having eyes they do not believe on their eyes but believe on the words of their ruler.

Every stooge of dictators is like this only because they have made their communi- ties lowly and abased. Like in today’s relevance if the ruler says that we had no other option to save the country, the community nods their head and accepts it. It is similar to this case of camel, which is standing in front of them but since the ruler has said it is she-camel they accept it. If these rulers plan to drown the entire community, they just come forward and tell that this is what they want to do and it is for the benefit of the community, this abased community accepts it without thinking. These are the signs of humiliated and lowly communities and one of the disastrous effects of living life under a dictatorial regime. This was the reason that the people of Damascus were lowly and humiliated, whereas the people of Kufa were cowards and betrayers of their Imam.

When this abased community of Damascus received the news of martyrdom of Ameerul Momineen (a.s), they inquired about the place of his martyrdom. When they heard that Ali (a.s) was martyred inside mosque, they were astonished and said what had Ali (a.s) to do with mosque, why did He (a.s) used to visit mosques. This was because of the propaganda done in Damascus for several years that Ameerul Momineen (a.s) did not recite prayers (Salaat). They were astonished to hear that Ali (a.s) was martyred inside mosque because mosque is a place of wor- ship and what had Ali (a.s) to do with prayers. Like even today some enlightened lovers of Ali (a.s) do not step inside mosques because they say mosque is a place of assassination of their Master (Ali (a.s)).

In Medina the same tactics was used and rumours used to be spread against the Prophet (s.a.w), Ahlulbayt (a.s), and companions of Prophet and about martyrs of Islam. There was a group that was so weak in their ears that if anything was spread in the name of any person they used to accept it as true. There were many vers- es which were revealed to stop them from doing such things. One of the verses which came down was related to the incident where one person was sent by the Prophet (s.a.w) to some tribe to collect taxes (Zakat). When the people of the tribe got the information that the representative of their beloved Prophet (s.a.w) is visiting them, they got excited and did all the preparations as per their Arab culture and tribal practices to give him a warm welcome. They came outside the village mounted on horses, with new dresses and swords pulled out as a matter of cultural welcome ceremony. This representative of the Prophet (s.a.w) was timid and a coward. The moment he saw horses, swords and people he thought that these people from the tribe want to assassinate him. He immediately turned his horse back and returned to Medina. He came to Prophet (s.a.w) and said that this tribe has become rebels, that they do not believe in religion and the Holy Prophet as their leader, that they attacked him het he managed to save his life. When this news spread within the Muslims in Medina, those hot blooded emotional and sen- timental Muslims became annoyed. Their blood was gushing; they became highly emotional and prepared for a battle. They were now just waiting for the Prophet (s.a.w) to issue an order for battle so that they can destroy that tribe. This is the moment when the verse was revealed.

The verse was says that if transgressor, coward, liar, hypocrite spreads news amongst you then you should first investigate the news, so that you should not end up attacking a community out of ignorance and then later when you realize your mistake, feel ashamed. Thus when a transgressor spreads news amongst you then first investigate about the authenticity of the news and if found correct, then sur- round the enemy but if not then condemn this person. Tell him that everyday you are bringing false news and spreading rumours that are disturbing the peace, har- mony of people, their spirituality and sociality. The verse condemned such an act.

In Medina they spread many misunderstandings about martyrs. This was one group that did not consider these persons killed in battle as martyrs, but instead had a thought and spread this news, that these martyrs were killed out of their own foolishness. It needs to be emphasized once again that such kind of accusa- tions and rumours were spread against other prophets in the past and also against the Holy Prophet (s.a.w), that he was crazy, a magician and a poet.

They used to make this false propaganda that out of foolishness these martyrs gave their lives. This foolishness which they used to refer to was that when they were going to the battlefield we used to counsel them and advise them that you will get killed. We used to tell them that your wife will become a widow, your chil- dren will become orphans, there won’t be anyone left behind to take care of them, but despite of all these counselling they did not listen to us. There are some astrological minded persons in every era whose concerns are only to prove that their prophecies were correct. When the flag of the Islamic Revolution was raised in Iran, these astrologers who are Muslims, and that too Shia Muslims, prophesized that this revolution would eventually fail. Today, the moment they get the news of America threatening to attack Iran, these astrologers immediately sit with their pen to predict the date and become happy that their prophecy of the failure of the Islamic Revolution is coming true. Their happiness is about their forecasted words coming true, that we were telling much before that this won’t be success- ful. Their intentions are to prove their astrological attitude as correct.

When the Prophet (s.a.w) used to announce a battle, the Mujahedeens used to put on the dress of war and prepare. These hypocrites used to sit and spread news to stop them with the prime argument that you will get killed and then your families will suffer forever. The Mujahedeens still proceed for the battle and fortunately some of them used to achieve martyrdom. After receiving the news of martyrdom these hypocrites used to call meetings and announce that this person who got martyred was due to his own foolishness. If he would have listened to us he would not have been killed. In the battle of Ohud a mistake happened by a group of army men. There was a group which was posted on hill to defend the attack from the other side. When the battle had reached its midpoint, they got lured by the war booties, left their posting and came down the hill to collect the war booties. The clever enemy took advantage of this mistake and won this war. After this again the hypocrites called a meeting in Medina and said that whatever happened was because they did not listen to us. We were giving them expert advice but they did not listen to us and this is the punishment they have received in lieu of not listen- ing to us. They even said to the Messenger of Allah (s.w.t) that if He (s.a.w) would have listened to their advices and followed their expertise this incident would not have taken place. They considered themselves as the greatest war experts and as- trologers, with the abiility to acurately forecast the future.

There are such persons whose task is to spread despair and demotivate others. They always say about some future action that “this is not possible”, “this can never work out”, and that “big time players could not do this so how can you do this”. I remember from school days a story which we used to read in our book titled “Lilliput and Gulliver”. This was a small community of finger sized per- sons. In this community of finger-sized characters, an ordinary man enters and is considered a monster by the rest. This community takes this as a challenge to eradicate this monster. There are many characters presented in this story, some of them are very brave and courageous. There is one character amongst these Lilliput’s who keep on continuously demotivating them and breaking their cour- age. These small Lilliput’s are planning to overcome this monster whereas this one character is continuously changing the mood to loosing hopes and that of despair. He used to say that this is not possible, but still some of the small, brave Lilliputs get control over Gulliver and make him captive. Even now this character keeps on saying that this won’t be successful. Afterwards when Gulliver breaks the ropes and runs away, this character becomes happy and says that this is what I was saying. He is not upset on the running away of their enemy but instead happy on his prophecy coming true.

These Lilliput’s were dwarfs in their physique, but there are some dwarfs by intel- ligence, who do not even possess the intelligence equivalent to that of the thumb- nail. They came forward to give suggestions to Prophet (s.a.w), and that too the suggestion used to be that whenever enemy attacks Medina we should migrate from Medina. They used to title this running away plan as Migration (Hijra) and defended it by saying that since we have already done one migration from Mecca to Medina we can do another migration. When enemy comes inside Medina, loots all our assets and leaves Medina, then we should come back. Thus they used to wait for the day when Muslims would suffer losses so that we can than revert back to them and remind them about our prophecies, which had come true now.

There are many who are now happily waiting for America to attack Iran so that they can say later that their prophecies have come true, that no Islamic Revolu- tion and Islamic government can be established during the period of occultation. Today they talk about such things in personal gatherings and sessions, but once America attacks Iran they will come out and start to speak about this openly. They won’t feel sad about any war losses on the believers. They are just concerned about beating the drums of their prophecy coming true of no Islamic governments dur- ing the period of major occultation.

The Qur’an has a set criterion for stupidity and foolishness. We are victim of many misunderstandings, such as our criterias for death and life, dignity and humiliation, success and failure are not correct because we have misunderstood these concepts. Allah (s.w.t) is telling that you are victim of one more misunder- standing and that is regarding foolishness and intelligence. You do not know who is considered as intelligent and who is a fool. The ones who saves five rupees or is more concerned about saving his life and about the well-being of his family is not considered wise and intelligent according to Qur’an. Who is wise and intelligent according to the Qur’an? The one who passes by scenes of idol worships and does not remain ignorant to it, he makes a plan to demolish it, he steps inside it and breaks the idols, he than challenges the idol worshippers and for his courageous acts he is thrown inside blazing fire, and when he is about to land inside the fire, Jibrael comes for his help but he refuses to take help even from Jibrael. Such a person is considered as wise and intelligent according to Qur’an. Those who re- main ignorant to idols and do not fiddle it, those who live an unconcerned life in a society of evils, and do not attempt to do Amr Bil Maroof and Nahi Anal Munkar, such a person according to Qur’an is a fool and crazy. He is an insane person. The Qur’an says that one who turns his face away from the school of Ibrahim is insane and fool.

If there is a meeting organized to distribute responsibilities for managing some religious program, a shrewd person gets out of the meeting by fooling others, by making some excuse of receiving or making a call. Then when someone else comes out, he very smartly points out at others sitting in the meeting as fools who have taken on responsibilities on their shoulders, whereas he was very smart to get away. Now, go and ask the Qur’an who is intelligent amongst these two. Qur’an says the one who takes a responsibility on his shoulder is intelligent whereas one who saves his skin from responsibilities is a fool.

These hypocrites said that these martyrs lost their lives due to their foolishness. Allah’s self-respect and honour does not allow Him to tolerate these words, that those who give their lives in His way are being humiliated and condemned in such a manner. At times we also develop this misunderstanding that we are coming forward in the way of Allah (s.w.t); but is Allah (s.w.t) also waiting for us on this way? This is an evil doubt about Allah (s.w.t). Some youths come and raise this question that they have burning desires to go out and do Islamic studies, but their parents say that if you do this then how will you earn your living and survive; no one will even give their daughter to you for marriage. This is an evil thought about Allah (s.w.t). In this world itself if you do a favour to someone: if you a take step towards doing an act of goodness or a favour for someone, then even the worst of the person would try to return this favour in some way or the other. If you visit a sick person, he also later inquires about you. If you attend the funeral of a near one, he will also attend the funeral of your near one’s. This is amongst normal human beings, who do mistakes, sins but still they do not forget favours. So how it is possible that we go out in the way of Allah (s.w.t) and Allah (s.w.t) forgets us? This is an evil doubt about Allah (s.w.t).

“As for those who sacrificed their lives and gave their necks in the way of Allah (s.w.t) do not address them even as dead”. This shows how Allah (s.w.t) respects the martyrs and elevates their status. Allah (s.w.t) is saying in this verse to these fools that they do not realize that they are dead now and they will be dead after their death as well. A dead person is one who lacks sense and is not able to per- form any action according to his senses. One who cannot do any deed of good- ness is dead. Qur’an also referred to some as moving and walking dead bodies. In Nahjul Balagha as well, Ali (a.s) advises not to consider every moving thing as alive. There are some people who sleep walk. Do you like these sleep walkers or do you get s scared when you see anyone walking in state of sleep? People become afraid of those who are walking in their sleep at night. It has been said regarding sleep that it is like a temporary death. So if someone is walking in state of temporary death we do not like this. Thus if someone is seen walking with their eyes open do not think that he is alive. His heart, his conscience and self could be dead. We should be more afraid of those whose conscience is dead. This person with a dead conscience considers a martyr as dead? Allah (s.w.t) replied and said that you are considering the one whose gave his life in the way of Allah (s.w.t) as dead? Nay, he is alive in the presence of Allah (s.w.t) and earning his sustenance. He is enjoying all the bounties given to him by Allah (s.w.t). It is regarding martyrs that the Qur’an warns others for using any stern language against them. These are the Mujahids (crusaders) in the way of Allah (s.w.t) and after their deaths they remain alive in the presence of Allah(s.a.w).

For example, we have heard a tradition that Imam e Hujjat (a.t.f.s) will reappear at a time when the land will be full of oppression. Our understanding of this tradition is that this is informing us about a sign of reappearance which is oppression. Hence if this is the case then we should fill the land with as much oppression as we can so that the reappearance can be expedited. There is a sect present amongst the Shia who say that anyone who does good deed and deals with justice is de- laying the reappearance of Imam-e-Hujjat (a.t.f.s). If the understanding of this tradition is that the condition of reappearance is the fulfillment of land with op- pression, then we should be assisting in this cause. These are the outcomes of not understanding things properly. As Maulana Room says that when people do not get to realities they crave fictional stories. This tradition is not expressing the conditions of reappearance, it is expressing the philosophy and wisdom behind reappearance that is the establishment of global justice. It is telling us what the Imam (a.t.f.s) will do after reappearance, not that the land should be filled up with oppression for him to reappear.

We separate the verses and traditions of our choices and keep it with us. Even those who do not offer prayers also have a verse kept with them which says, “Do not go near prayers…”. Those who eat in excess also have kept a verse to support them, “Eat and drink…”

The worst form of religiousness is to believe in a part and deny a part.

Surely those who disbelieve... say:We believe in some and disbelieve in others

[Surah Nisa (4) – Ayah 150]

It is detrimental to to start picking up things of our choice, as we do in selecting food. This type of religiousness has been in place from the time of the Prophets. You cannot divide or break the religion in parts. If you want to accept religion then you have to accept it in totality.

In this tradition of the pen of a scholar, if someone wants to escape from mar- tyrdom he will say that it is better to write a book and get the merits of that of a martyr. We use traditions and realities to justify our shortcomings and to prove our stubbornness.

In religion as well, there are certain things whose values are known and certain things whose values are not known. For example, we know the value of Rupee but we do not know the value of Dollar, Pound, Dinar and Dirham. In order to under- stand the value of these currencies we compare it with the Rupee and see the con- tribution of one Dollar or one Pound towards a Rupee. This Rupee now becomes a scale of measure. This is the principle of measurement in our daily life.

There are many deeds that are ascribed to rewards if performed, like getting the reward for several Hajj’s (pilgrimages) for certain actions. With this, we under- stand that the scale of reward for many things is Hajj, because we know the value and rewards for Hajj. The reward for Ziarat (pilgrimage to shrines) is also men- tioned in relevance to the rewards for Hajj. This means that Hajj is the scale of measure for worships, since it is such a confirmed and well-established act of wor- ship that many other acts of worships are weighed against Hajj. Hajj will inform us about the value and significance of other acts.

Even today if you visit a village, the simple beings over there always measure things in relevance to wheat, barley and other grains produced there. If you ask them to valuate your car they will say it is equivalent to six sacks of wheat. This is because the value of wheat is identified and known to them. Hence, it becomes a scale and the value of other things are measured on this scale.

As mentioned in traditions that when a person dies while defending his nation, family and wealth, then the value of this death is measured with the death of mar- tyrdom. The martyr becomes as scale of this type of death. The value of propaga- tion work of a scholar (Tabligh), which in itself is weighty, is measured against the weight of martydom. This is because everyone knows the value of the blood of a martyr. Hence, the blood of a martyr is a weighing scale to measure the actions, worships and services of a human being. Why? The reason can be understood from the Qur’an – it has logic behind it.

The reason for the blood of a martyr becoming a scale for other divine acts is be- cause all divine acts are or should be done on the path of Allah (Fee Sabeelillah). The worships, service to humanity and propagation need to be done for the sake of Allah. Only those actions, irrespective of them being big or small, that are done on the path of Allah (s.w.t) are considered as measurable. If the deeds are not done on the path of Allah (s.w.t) then they will not be measured. Only those acts done for the sake of Allah (s.w.t) would be taken to the scale of measure. Once something is done for the sake of Allah (s.w.t), we then need to assess its value and find its position.

Thus, the first condition is that it should be for the sake of Allah (Fee Sabeelil- lah). Everything whether it is propagation, movement and even an organization it should be on the path of Allah(s.a.w). It is the foremost and the most difficult thing also to bring an action, affair or a work on the path of Allah (s.w.t). It is necessary to understand this point that everything should come on the path of Allah (s.w.t) and once they are brought on this path, then they are to be measured against the blood of a martyr, which is the ultimate deed on this path. Once some- thing is stamped and certified as being for the sake of Allah (s.w.t) and on the divine path, then it would be measured on the scale of martydom to see up to what extent it is on the path of Allah (s.w.t).

The scale of weighing is the blood of a martyr because this martyr is the one who sacrificed everything intentionally for the path of Allah (s.w.t). It is not that he was martyred accidentally without any intentions or desire to get martyred, in fact it was his vision that led him towards martyrdom. He left everything and came on the path of Allah. It was this martyr who kept alive this path of Allah (s.w.t) with his existence. The greatness of a martyr is not in that bullet which pierces his heart. This small piece of metal does not possess enough ability to give such an esteemed status to a person whereby he achieves utmost divine proximity in the vicinity of angels and becomes a scale of reference for the deeds of others. How is it that one arrow makes this ordinary person a distinctive being? The greatness of the martyr is from that aspect which was before his martyrdom and led him towards this kind of death. This aspect is his entry on the path of Allah (s.w.t), living on this path and dying on this path. We have discussed this in greater depth in previous chapters but we would like to recap this essential aspect of a martyr in relevance to this subject of martydom becoming a reference point for other kinds of deeds.

The path of Allah (s.w.t) is not an ever-living road like the roads of the city. The city roads are present even with and without traffic. However, the path of Allah (s.w.t) is such a path that perishes if it remains empty and looses all its signs and impressions if left isolated. The path of Allah (s.w.t) becomes manifested and enlightened with activity on it, with cars and crowds. Thus it is that path which remains alive with movement on it and if the movement on this path stops then this path also perishes. You may have seen some mountain ways and narrow roads that go through fields and farms. These narrow paths with grass on either side get diminshed after it rains because of the herbage that grows on it. But if there are people continuously using this path then grass and green do not grow on it and it remains visible. This path remains in existence by walking on it. If you walk on it, then only this path survives and is kept alive.

Now consider this analogous case that there is a rough, horny, rocky valley full of calamities and difficulties, with enemies present in it as well, and now you have to make a road through it. And this road can only be made by walking. So you are told that the road will only be made if you walk through the valley and you are also warned that the valley is very horny, tough, with dacoits, thieves and wild beasts all over it. This is a valley where you have the danger of loosing everything and you are asked to make a road through it by walking in this valley. Now, the one who enters this dangerous valley makes a way through it and leaves his footprint for others to walk on it is a martyr.

The path of Allah (s.w.t) comes into existence with the movement of those cru- saders (Mujahideen) who step inside such rocky and dangerous valleys. Thus the path of Allah (s.w.t) is a gift of a martyr. If this martyr would not have stepped into this valley leaving his footprints to show direction to others, this path would not have come into existence. And if the path does not come into existence then it is also not possible for others to find and walk on it. The path of Allah (s.w.t) is created by the movement of the martyr and thus the greatness of a martyr comes from this movement and not that the bullet that strikes him. In reality a martyr is the architect of the path of Allah (s.w.t).

This martyr, by walking through this valley, demonstrates the path to others by leaving the mark of his footprint on this path. And in this journey the difficulties which he experienced were with awareness and not ignorance or accidental. It is not that this valley was somewhat difficult. Its difficulties are such that I can’t even express, neither do you possess the strength to listen. It is not that the only danger is of loosing life in this valley, there are the dangers of loosing dignity, the danger of your harem (family women), the danger of being a victim of accusations and allegations, the danger of loosing respect, the danger of deceit and the dan- ger of betrayals. I wish if there were only wild beasts present in this valley but the reality is that creatures worst than wild beasts are present in this valley. This valley is not just filled with infidels and polytheists, but it has the worst hypocrites on it. There are those hypocrites who have veiled themselves in very good-looking and pleasing attires.

Why did Ali (a.s) suffer so many difficulties? Were these difficulties from the poly- theists of Mecca or from Muawiyah? These difficulties were because he stepped in this valley where these veiled personalities were present, whose veils were also very sacred and beautiful, yet had the filthiest of the faces hidden behind them. A martyr, now, has to step in this valley, identify the signs for this path and leave his footprints for others to walk on the path. Now, if someone comes on this path and offers prayers, or gives Zakat, gives food to the needy, mourns the loss of believers or great personalities of the past, organizes gatherings and anything he does after coming on this path would be considered as something done on the path of Allah (s.w.t) (Fee Sabeelillah). Now if we are eating, resting or doing anything on this path, it is due to the existence of this path which was the outcome of the ef- forts of martyrs. If this path would not have been constructed then we would not be in a position to do anything on this path. Now if anything done on this path is to be measured it would be relative to the architect and constructor of this path.

This means that the blood of the martyr is the weighing scale for the deeds of oth- ers and even the scholars. This is because a deed will only be measured if it is on the path of Allah (s.w.t) and the path of Allah (s.w.t) is made and kept alive by the martyr, hence the weight of measure is the blood of the martyr. Imam Khomeini (r.a) said that there are many veiled persons who come in the way of a martyr, disguised as sacred and holy beings. It is easy to confront and remove an infidel or a polytheist out of the way but very difficult to eliminate this sacredly veiled hypo- crite. For example, when you step out of your house and someone stops your way and says that he is your enemy and will not allow you to move forward, it is very easy to remove this person out of the way by calling others for help or calling the Police, who will come, threaten and take him away. But on the other hand, if your own little child comes and blocks your way on the door saying that he will not al- low you to go, will it not be difficult to remove him? Which is more difficult move out of the way: the open enemy or this ‘beloved’ child? Though he is a very small and innocent child the, father is greatly challenged in trying to get passed him and his stubborness. Similar to this, there are many in religion and on the path of Allah (s.w.t) who are like this small pampered child and have also presented themselves as sacred persons in the society. When such persons come in the way and act stubbornly then you cannot even call the police to get them out. Have you seen a father calling the police to control his stubborn child? Or have you seen a father placing a gun on the chest of his child for getting him out of the way? The father pampers the child, tries to convince him, promises him and by spending a lot of time, managesto get him out of the way.

The place that you have visited is a unique point on earth and though due to the lack of time you were not adequately introduced to these sacred personalities bur- ied here but still pure souls have spiritual association with each other and thus are capable of capturing the messages present and being delivered from such places. It is also true what people quote that these places are beyond expression, but this does not mean it is beyond understanding as well. There are certain things that cannot be expressed but only felt. It is also possible to get an impression that this was a war between two countries, Iran and Iraq, and some people offered their lives as is commonly done in battles between nations. In national wars, soldiers from either side fight and give their lives. If you visit Iraq you will see graves in similar numbers, because people have fought from that side as well and have lost their lives. It is true that many have written that this war between Iran and Iraq was a geographical and political conflict which is something common in several other places and amongst the neighboring countries. But if you look at the cir- cumstances under which this war took place, such as the Shah of Iran, though he ruled for a long time no war was triggered during his reign. The moment the Islamic Revolution took place and the system of Wilayat (Godly guardianship) was established, the danger from this system was sensed by the enemies, in the east and the west and all tried their best to derail this revolution. One other fact about the aggression of the enemies that Imam Khomeini (r.a) had openly stated the intention of exporting the revolution. Even if Imam Khomeini (r.a) would not have said this, the enemies were very well aware that this revolution will not be confined to its geographical limits, just like Islam did not remain restricted to Hijaz. It crossed several geographical boundaries and spread to every corner of the globe and due to its mercy, today all of us are Muslims.

When you visit these sacred places where the warriors of the battlefield that gave their lives are buried, you should remember that these places are the places of ascension of martyrs and ascension of humanity. These lands are those places where you can see the graves and realize that these people are those who have delivered their responsibilities. The Holy Qur’an has elegantly expressed this:

“Of the believers are men who are true to the covenant which they made with Allah: so of them is he who accomplished his vow, and of them is he who yet waits, and they have not changed in the least”

[Surah Ahzab (33) - Ayah 23]

In this Ayah, Allah (s.w.t) first divides human beings into two categories of believers: one of those are men and others who do not possess masculin- ity (Mardangi). The word  comprises of both men and women, so here the division is not for men and women, and it is on the basis of those possessing masculinity and those not possessing it. We use these terminologies in our daily lives, such as when you go out with a friend and face some difficulty, and this friend leaves you and runs away, you refer to this friend of yours as an impotent being, one not possessing manliness. You do not refer to him as a woman. On the other hand one who risks his life to save your life you refer to him as a true man. Thus Allah has also divided believers into two categories based on masculinity. In order to verify what I am saying is true you can refer to Nahjul Balagha and see the same way Imam Ali (a.s) addressed his companions, those who were in his army and offering prayers behind him, and said:

O’ you semblance of men, but not men.

Pictures are not just for affirmations they are meant for taking something from them. The pictures are symbolic and possess an ideology inside them. If you visit someone’s house and there is a passionate and vulgar picture hanging to which no one objects then these pictures are informing us about the culture of this per- son and about his thoughts. The pictures hanging around tell us about the world this person belongs to. Human beings take inspirations from pictures.

We were living amongst cowards and impotent beings and then we got an oppor- tunity to visit the grave of these courageous martyrs. Is it not true that everyday we are disputing and complaining about small scanty issues? These are not the signs of men because most of these issues are of women nature or are very lowly. The difficulties of real men are of different scale and very few such men are born. When Malik-e-Ashtar was martyred, Ameerul Momineen (a.s) mourned and said that O Allah the time when I needed Malik the most You took him from me. In other words it could be said that Ali became isolated. There was one real man in the vicinity of Ali that Allah took away from him and now, once again, Ali was alone in the battalion of cowards whom Ali had to once again manage alone. Ali said and referred to them with several analogies that You are like a flock of camel that I herd from one side and you get away from the other side, You are like a torn out cloth which I stitch from one end yet gets torn off from the other side. And this was what led the voice of Ali reach the water well but could not reach the hearts of cowards.

It should not happen that we also become like this whereby the real man of our era keeps on calling us and his voice also hits the well but does not touches our heart. This is impotency.

When Allah (s.w.t) gifts us such opportunities to visit such places of real men then our responsibilities also change and this becomes the turning point of our life. When you come to the land of the revolution, the first revolution should take place in your heart. If a revolution does not take place inside our heart be as- sured that we cannot bring a revolution outside. Revolution is not the name of betterment but it means change. We always aim to achieve something better and become better, by visiting this land as well, we think that we will become better now. This should not be the case. It is like those who only desire to earn rewards They visit Karbala but Karbala does not bring any change inside them. It is not that Karbala is not bringing any change inside them, it is their hearts which are so hard that this change does not take place inside their heart. Thus the first task is to bring a revolution inside yourself. This is the trust (Amanah) of these martyrs. Imam (r.a) said that this war is not for oil, or a geographical war between Iran and Iraq, and these martyrs are not the martyrs of a nation or martyrs of oil. This war is the war between the pure Islam and the Islam of America. This was the battle between truth and falsehood. These men did what others cannot even think of doing.

To die is very easy, you can see today how easily these suicide bombers blow themselves up, but this is not the death of a martyr. Martyrdom is the name of a pure death that happens on a pure path. Simply dying is not an act of martyrdom. Martyrdom is death on the right path and the difficulty does not lie in dying, it is in walking on the right path. This journey on the right path only starts when a revo- lution develops inside the self of human being and even when such symbols and icons (i.e. graves and visible memories of martyrs) do not bring any change inside them then their hearts become hard. For the one who cannot be awakened by the blood and graves of martyrs, his heart has become hard. Those who walk over the graves of the martyrs yet their hearts do not change, Allah makes such hearts be- come hard and removed from His blessings. You need to maintain this state. This state will perish if not maintained and you should be fearful of it perishing.

We were treading on some path and these candles have shown us the right path.Where were we? Living in some remote village in some country that has no stand- ing and we got the opportunity to visit the graves of Shaheed (martyr) Chamran and Shaheed Alamul Huda. Do you know who these great people were? They were the Malik-e-Ashtar of their era. They were those unfulfilled hopes of our Infallible Imams that were fulfilled by these people. They were the ones for whom Ali, Fatema and Hussain have supplicated that such kind of brave men should be born. The Imams need such people and not impotent beings. Thus, the first point is to bring change inside ourselves and by visiting such sacred places, of the martyrs, we have purified ourselves.

This is what revolution is. It is demolishing a corrupted essence and, in its place, building a pure essence. Now we have big responsibilities on our shoulders and we should make ourselves eligible for these responsibilities. It should not happen that these responsibilities are taken back from us. It happens when Allah (s.w.t) gives some responsibilities to someone and if he does not deliver it, Allah (s.w.t) takes away this opportunity and gives it to someone else. If this happens then this day should be the day of our death when the responsibilities assigned to us are taken back and given to someone else. You should keep yourself charged on this path; the way of keeping yourself charged is to be associated with each other on this path. You should serve the cause in united form and whatever little you can do on this path for the right cause of Wilayat you should do. There is no one who can say that he or she cannot do anything. Every one of you is capable of doing at least something and by being in action, by doing something on this path you keep yourself charged. You should remove laziness from yourself. We can do a lot if we remove this laziness out of us. Even the youngest of us can do what elders cannot do. The nation of martyrs (Iran) exemplifies this, a land that hosts the memory of martyrdom of a 13 years old martyr – Hussain Fahmide. He established a record that those older than him could not do. He accomplished such a task that Imam Khomeini (r.a) had to say that “I am not your Leader, Hussain Fahmide is your actual leader”. Fahmide tied bombs to his body and slept below the tanks of the enemies for the sake of defending Islam and this revolution. This is the lesson from Karbala as well, where the teenagers of the same age as Qasim ibn Hassan sacrificed their lives for the sake of defending Islam.

A specific martyr has said in his last testament, that it is easy to spill blood out of your body but very difficult to bleed by the heart. This is because when the heart bleeds the human being is alive and he can see everything. The example of this is Imam Sajjad (a.s) whose body did not bleed the way his heart spilled blood. The people of Karbala were martyred once but Imam Sajjad (a.s) was martyred on every step. He was being martyred in every market and every court. Lady Zainab (s.a) was martyred on every step. She was martyred and again came back to life to be martyred again. It is because of this repetitive death suffered by Lady Zainab (s.a) at every step today that Hussainiat is alive amongst us. For those who are martyred, their inheritance is preserved by those who learn to die everyday. You have visited the shrines and graves of those who have traversed the path of Hus- sain ibn Ali (a.s). The reason we visit the graves of these martyrs is to pledge that we are their inheritors and we will deliver the role of Lady Zainab (s.a). We have been to these graves to pledge that, O the followers of Hussain of your era we are your Zainab (s.a) and we will not allow you to become unknown, we will not allow your path to be lost and we will not allow you to die, we will keep you alive. After being blessed with this opportunity to visit the graves of these great martyrs we should not sit idle in our homes, we should not get entangled in meager and small issues, we should not be wasting our time and life.

The visit to the graves of the martyrs is not for the purpose of just feel some change or sympthy inside us and returning after some time to the old state. These visits are prerequisites after which the real task begins. This was a kick-off for your field of actions. What should you be doing now? You have to deliver a most important, significant and difficult task, and this task is to awaken others and create aware- ness. The biggest difficulty of the Shiite, Muslims and the entire world, is the lack of awareness and awakening, and you need to develop the awareness of thoughts across the entire Muslim Ummah and the world. Imam Khomeini (r.a) has said that this century is the era of awareness for Muslims. This awareness will not hap- pen with some miracles and wonders happening from elsewhere. There is an army of Allah (s.w.t) that will develop this awareness. When humanity is awakened then no tyrant will have the courage to oppress, then no other Iraq will be victim of such cruelty, then no other Palestine will become oppressed like this, then no Shia will be killed mercilessly and then no Muslim will die an innocent death in a prison. Hence this awareness and awakening of thoughts is the most difficult duty which we all have to do in a united way and once people are awakened and aware they can themselves find their way. Those who are sleeping are not aware of time, place, direction and their duties. You just awaken them and they will themselves find out what the time is and what they have to do. This is something which we have to do with cooperation and coordination with each other without forming any organization. We do respect the existing organizations (Tanzeem) but we do not need to follow the same route as that of certain organizations which have lost track and drifted away. We have to tread on the path shown by Imam Khomeini (r.a) and that path is that of ‘Imamat and Ummat’, or ‘he leader and the nation’. We have to carry out this social movement by becoming an Ummah (nation). The Holy Qur’an in Surah Ale Imran, Verse 104 has introduced a nation as:

And from among you there should be a party who invite to good

And what should this Ummah do?

…and enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong

This means that this nation should struggle against evil and promote goodness and Godly values. And this is the difficult task which we all need to deliver.

One other important point for those who desire or are travelling on the path of martyrs is the field of ethics. If the field of ethics is weak amongst religious people then it incurs big losses that cannot be even compensated. A revolutionary per- son does not disassociate himself from ethics. In fact, a revolutionary person is an ideal and model of ethics. In any field, whether its your home, family, friends and even your opponents you should not be defeated on ethics. It is possible that you are defeated in many fields and maybe we are defeated even in the field of actions but under no circumstances should you fall back or be defeated in the field of eth- ics. It is possible that you become oppressed, but even in the state of oppression you should not loose out on ethics. We should remember that we were not born ethical, we were born in normal routine families who were careless about certain things, but it is a big favor and obligation by our families, who brought us up, nurtured, educated us and brought us today to this stage, where we are, and we should always remember and pray for our parents. The Holy Qur’an has empha- sized and mentioned etiquettes of praying for our parents.

O Allah! Have compassion on them the way they had mercy on me when I was small.

Surah Al-Isra – Ayah 24

I was an infant when they took care of me and brought me up, hence you should also have mercy and favors on them the way they did with me. Some youngsters on this path say that at time parents create problems but if we present our ethical character to our parents they will not just leave their opposition to our work but in fact, they will become our supporters. You should just give an ethical response to them. It is our routine and daily task to check our ethical weakness and try to rectify and reform them on a regular basis as it is a must for the travelers of this path, which leads towards martyrdom.

We have now become trustworthy and this is a sign of men that they are trust- worthy. Allah (s.w.t) says that I have given the trust to the skies and earth but they shivered from taking this responsibility but it was the human being that came forward and took this responsibility. He did not realize what a big responsibility he took on his shoulders and how will he delivered this? Today you have become a trustee of the blood of Martyrs, trustee of the system of Wilayat. Hence the first thing is to become trustworthy, then to preserve this deposit of trust and third to deliver this trust. You should not betray this trust. In order to become a trustee you should practice the faith. You should pledge with your Imam that the kind of brave companions he desired for, you will become one of them. But in order to become a trustee, so that you can deliver that actual trust and duty on your shoul- der, you need to practice. The first step of practice is to maintain confidentiality, preserving secrets and not speaking about things to someone irrelevant. It is not that you are doing something wrong, it is a practice which you have to do, and it should not happen that out of simple-mindedness you put others into trouble.

A ‘Baseej’ is the pure tree planted by Imam Khomeini (r.a) whose one pure fruit is the Islamic Revolution and another is the system of Wilayat-e-Faqeeh which is the only system of governance in accordance with divine laws. One of the visible and identifying signs of a Baseej is the black and white striped scarf placed around the shoulder. This scarf in Persian is known as “Cheffieh”. Imam Khomeini (r.a) announced after the Islamic Revolution to form a voluntary group by the name of Baseej. ‘Baseej’ is a Persian word and it means ‘readiness and mobilization’. Baseej is the one who is always ready and present in a state of movement. An un- prepared and non-ready person is not a Baseej and also a person present in any field is not a Baseej. It has to be a specific field of presence. He should be present in that field where it is essential for him to be present, along with readiness. The meaning of Baseej has several elements. The Islamic Revolution after its birth till date is surrounded by enemies. The entire world is its enemy: the Arab nations, name sake Muslim governments, the East and the West, Europe and America are all enemies of this system.

It is a point worth pondering on, that approximately two hundred countries are the enemies of this system and that too they have big armies and amongst these armies is the ferocious army of Israel and a ferocious enemy like America which is a developed nation with the latest technology in weaponry and military war- fare, and they are ahead in all the worldly fields but it is thirty years now that they just could not stop this Islamic Revolution. America could not even twist a single hair. What is it that made these enemies upset and frustrated? What is that kept this pure tree of the Islamic Revolution secure? The name of this entity is Baseej. The Baseej is that group which is present and prepared in the field and has de- fended the Islamic Revolution in every field. Since they have defended the Islamic Revolution all those who are the enemies of Islamic Revolution are also staunch enemies of the Baseej. ‘Baseej’ means a group of believers; it is not an organiza- tion which has some designated positions like a president, general secretary and neither does it have any organizational structure. The Baseej are those people who earn by themselves and spend it in the way of Allah serving the religion. They do not get returns for these services in fact they spend on the religion out of their earnings at home and Imam Khomeini (r.a) has given the name of ‘Baseej’ to this pure group which would continue to exist in all eras. Imam (r.a) had this desire that the way ‘Baseej’ has implemented and defended the System of Wilayat on this land; one day should come when this lineage of ‘Baseej’ gets established every- where and the flag of Wilayat flies all over the world. And we are witnessing the signs of this today.

The attributes of a Baseej that Imam (r.a) has mentioned are the same as that of the martyrs of Karbala and of those few personalities who were present with Ameerul Momineen (a.s). When these personalities left the world Ameerul Mo- mineen (a.s) said that “I wish those companions were present today. They would admit their presence and would rush towards me on my one call.” This was the image which Imam (r.a) had presented for the ‘Baseej’ after the Islamic Revolu- tion and also desired this group would globalize. Today we can witness that the way this pure tree nourished in Lebanon, with the name of ‘Hizbullah’, the same way it will grow in other parts of the Muslim world.

If we can understand one point which Imam (r.a) taught his community due to which they became alive, got privileged and found the path of dignity; if this point and secret could be understood by other communities then they will also be able to find dignity and privilege on their home lands and due to this they will be able to secure Islam. This point which Imam (r.a) emphasized is from the Holy Qur’an whereby the Holy Qur’an addresses the believers (Surah Maida, Ayah 54 and Surah Ale Imran Ayah 154) and says that If you leave the religion, leaving the religion does not mean becoming an infidel it means if you give preference and remain occupied in your routine chores, job, business, family, factory and if you are just giving time to your business and not setting aside time for religion and acts of righteousness then for such persons the Qur’an has said that: If you people leave the ground for being occupied in your earnings then do not think that Allah needs you but in fact in your place Allah will create another community who will give time in the way of Allah, who will give sacrifices in the way of Allah and when the time comes they will be prepared to give their lives.

Today the presence of some bright and awakened youths in different parts of the Muslim world is a sign of hope for their lands. For those who act with pragma- tism and are sitting inside their homes, those who are busy with their materialistic chores should know that Allah does not need them and he has promised in his book that he will create another community in their place who will walk towards their place of slaughter by their own feet and willingness. They will defend their rights, defend their religion, defend their nation and defend their community. You the youths of this era should try to become an affirmation and a practical reference of this Ayah (154) of Surah Ale Imran and the verse 54 of Surah Maida. And any community which becomes a practical reference and affirmation of this verse is ‘Baseej’. There came a time when people decided to sit silently inside their homes, they decided to take refuge in places of worship, they sat occupied with their business and during this period seventy two proved themselves as af- firmation to this verse, who left their homes, their business, everything and went towards their places of martyrdom by their own feet. They secured their religion and gave protection to Islam; and they are the ones whose remembrance is a mat- ter of prestige for us.

O you who believe! whoever from among you turns back from hisreligion, then Allah will bring a people, He shall love them and they shall love Him, lowly before the believers, mighty against the unbe- lievers, they shall strive hard in Allah’s way and shall not fear the censure of any censurer; this is Allah’s Face, He gives it to whom He pleases, and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing.

During the period of Holy Prophet (s.a.w) there was a group of people who de- veloped this misunderstanding that they were doing the most exemplary deeds. They were the caretakers of the Masjid al-Haraam (sacred Mosque); they used to renovate the Holy Kaaba, clean the Holy Kaaba and used to serve food and water to the pilgrims. By doing such a small thing they used to consider themselves as doing the greatest of all deeds. Allah(s.a.w) condemned them and said that it is your misunderstanding; you consider those who are struggling and fighting in the way Allah equivalent to those serving water to pilgrims?

Those who brought faith on Allah and hereafter and have struggled in the way of Allah; how can these people who serve food and give rations be equivalent to these crusaders?

They had this in their mind that they are the ones who construct the sacred mosque and do welfare activities hence they are the best and they were thinking that since Ali (a.s) has never involved himself in the construction of the sacred mosque and has never distributed food and ration to the pilgrims his status is lower than ours. Hence they always had an objection on the Holy Prophet that we construct the sacred mosque, serve water to pilgrims but when the time of reciting virtues come you always praise Ali (a.s). Here the verse of Qur’an descended clarifying that they have an incorrect thinking. You consider those who serve water to pilgrims greater than those crusaders who are protecting their religion by risking their lives, who are defending the nation, religion and it is due to them everything of yours is secure. If today mosques are present then it is because of these crusaders, If Kaaba is present today then it is because of these crusaders and if the sanctity and sacredness of anything is preserved then it is because of these crusaders.

When Imam Sajjad (a.s) introduced himself in the courtyard of Yazid, he did it by these words that I am the son of Mecca; I am the son of Mina. He intended to say that Kaaba and Mina are not alive due to those who visit Kaaba, do prostra- tions and then return and sit inside their homes silent. The inheritors of Kaaba are those people who sacrifice their lives but do not allow the sanctity of Kaaba to be stampeded. There are some people at whose mercy everything survives. Imam Khomeini (r.a) wrote to the students and scholars of the Islamic Seminary that today you are studying comfortably in these schools and doing your worships; but you should remember that all your studies and worships are at the mercy of those crusaders who are sacrificing their lives on the war fronts. If they would not have presented their lives then these seminaries and lectures would not have existed, everything would have been destroyed. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an

And had there not been Allah’s repelling some people by others, cer- tainly there would have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques in which Allah’s name is much remembered

The solution to the global problems and problems inside Pakistan is not what we have adopted. We have adopted the western methods, western models, European models and then by applying the title of Islam on it we think that we are doing an Islamic work. This is not an Islamic way; an Islamic way is what Qur’an has pre- sented. The vision given by the Qur’an is the correct method of Religion and ‘Ba- seej’ is the vision presented by the Qur’an. Imam Khomeini (r.a) has presented this model to his community from Qur’an, history and Karbala.

Imam (r.a) terminated all the groups and organizations that were formed, he did not form any organization and instead of organization he formed ‘Baseej’. Men and Women are both included in ‘Baseej’ and ‘Baseej’ does not need any mem- bership. Every person who is prepared and present is a ‘Baseej’. This is the need and solution of our era; making groups and organization is not the solution today and we will not reach any conclusion with this method. If we desire to walk on the path of salvation then we should follow the path shown to us by our leaders and Qur’an. And that path is whenever you see that truth and righteousness needs support you should be prepared and present. “Labbaik” means I am present. It is an announcement that O Allah! O Hussain! I am present. A person who goes for Hajj, immediately after wearing the “Ihram” says “Labbaik, Allahumma Lab- baik”; this means O Allah! You have invited me and I am present. Where am I present? The place where you have invited me I am present and prepared. I am not negligent for a single moment and wherever I am called I will be present. This is a ‘Baseej’; one who is present and prepared; and not just the one who puts a ‘Baseej’ headband and a Scarf around his shoulder. ‘Baseej’ means throughout the year he is present on the path of religion irrespective of others coming or not; he will be present alone. He will not say that since others are not coming I will also not come. He does not say that this is not just my job alone it is the work of others also. This is not the attitude of a ‘Baseej’, a true believer, a follower of Karbala and Ashura. A follower of Karbala says if no one else wants to come it does not mat- ter I am present in Karbala. Hence everyone who desires to be a ‘Baseej’ should engrave these words in his heart that every such field where I am required to be present, I will be surely present. For this prepared and ready person the Qur’an has said that this is the community which Allah has specially created. Any land on which this group is present can never get occupied by any stranger; any commu- nity which has such youths no one can threaten such community.

Today in Pakistan there are several millions of Shia’s who have confined their du- ties to just lifting the corpses and burying them. Their job is to just recite Surah Fateha for Martyrs. Why have a handful of terrorists besieged their several mil- lions? The reason behind is that these several million are present but inside their homes, shops, offices; they are not present where they should have been present. Even if hundred youths are out in the field then no one can dare to touch this community. A community becomes a victim of calamities and danger when no in- dividual of the community is present in the field. Their scholars and non scholars, neither their men nor their women are present in the field.

Karbala is the field of presence and readiness. The Doyen of Martyrs took the women to Karbala to show that the duty of women is not just to sit inside the four walls of the house, but instead they should be present in every field where women could be present. Imam Hussain (a.s) was not pursued by anyone to take women with him, he could have left them behind, but if he would not have taken them Karbala would have remained incomplete, the purpose of Karbala would not get accomplished. The men would be martyred but the message of Karbala would not have the reached the world. This is why the Doyen of Martyrs made two forces, one Hussaini force and another Zainabi force. The task of Hussaini force ends on the eve of Ashura whereas the role of Zainabi force starts from the eve of Ashura and continues up to Qayamat. Hence both are required in this field; with- out women the path of righteousness cannot be defended. Until and unless both men and women are not present in the field, this community of millions would just be lifting corpses. This lineage of lifting corpses will end on that day when the youths of this community are prepared and jump into the field, and by witnessing their readiness the enemies will run inside their homes. Today it is the opposite situation where we are sitting inside our homes and the enemies are out in the field. But Allah has promised that if believers sit inside their homes then Allah will create a nation (Ummat) that will walk on their own feet towards the battlefield; they will wage a war in the way of Allah, they will not be afraid of death and ac- cusations.

The meaning of “Labbaik” is that we are ready and present with everything we have and we are not unprepared. The communities that are not prepared and pres- ent become victim of oppression. These Arabs are spread over several countries and possess tremendous resources but since they are not prepared and present they are humiliated by a handful of Zionists. But amongst the same Arabs those mothers gave birth to a group of followers of Hussain who were the followers of Karbala and Ashura. These mothers gave birth to such children on whose fore- head they themselves put the bands of “Labbaik O Hussain”, prepared them and bid farewell to them towards the battlefield. When this mother gets the news that her son is martyred, she offers prostration of gratification and supplicates that if Allah would have given her more children then she would have presented them also in the way of Allah. A community that has such mothers giving birth to such children cannot be threatened by anyone. Such a community can never be taken out of the battlefield. That community gets humiliated who, despite of being mil- lions in numbers are not present out in the field of struggle against enemies.

In Karbala Hussain (a.s) had two thirsts; one was the thirst for water and another was the thirst for “Labbaik”. Hussain did not request for water to quench this thirst but he definitely requested for “Labbaik”. It was not just Hussain (a.s) who demanded knowledge and file for “Labbaik” it was also Zainab (s.a) who demand- ed this “Labbaik”. When Zainab (s.a) was moving from Karbala to Damascus in the state of captivity, at every junction whenever she saw people she called out to them wishing that they were present in Karbala.

We should also wish that we should have been present in Karbala. We should be continuously declaring that “O Hussain! We were not present in Karbala but we are now present amongst who are saying “Labbaik”.” We should wish that when our Master was raising the slogan of “Is there anyone to assist me” we would have been present there to say “Labbaik” to the call of our Master. We should wish that we would have presented our children instead of the children of Hussain. Our women should desire that if they would have been present in Karbala they would have offered their veils to be looted instead of the veils of sisters of Hussain. They would have said that instead of tying ropes in the hands of the daughters of Zahra, tie on our hands. Our daughters should desire that if they were present in Karbala they would have pleaded to not to snatch the earrings of the daughter of Hussain, but snatch ours instead. Do not slap the daughter of Hussain, slap us instead. It is the time that we should by our heart say such a “Labbaik” (I am present) that Hussain who was thirsty for this should hear us, Zainab (s.a) should hear us and Lady Zahra (s.a) should hear us.

And once you say “Labbaik” by your heart, then you should not return to your homes, which means your readiness and presence should not end. Any field wher- ever you are required, irrespective of someone calls you or not you should be present. It should not happen that the same scenario of Kufa repeats, whereby the Hussain of today keeps on calling but the entire world presents the behav- iour of the people of Kufa. A Karbala gets created in Gaza, children and women get martyred and the Hussain of this era calls the people saying that the time has come to prove yourself. Hence the Hussain of today is asking for our “Labbaik”. The slogan of “Labbaik” of this era is “Labbaik, O Khamenei” and “Labbaik, O Nasrallah” and this declaration of our readiness should not be just vocal it should be practical.

The Doyen of Martyrs (a.s) has said about his seventy two companions that the quality of companions Allah has given me was not given to my father and grand- father. These were the same words that were repeated by Imam Khomeini (r.a).

Imam (r.a) says that ‘Baseej’ is the army of the sincere beings of Allah and are the lovers of Allah. The religion of ‘Baseej’ is not that of traders and merchants. ‘Baseej’ is not the one who comes out in the battlefield for the sake of Houries; he comes out in the battlefield in the love of his beloved (Allah). ‘Baseej’ is aware of everything (means consequences of his struggle) and is present in every field.

Imam (r.a) says that it is necessary for a ‘Baseej’ to be present in several fields. One is the front of global enemies that is Zionism and America who will be con- fronted by ‘Baseej’. The other front is that of propaganda and propagation which will also be encountered by the ‘Baseej’. A person who is a ‘Baseej’ is one who is aware and prepared. He is aware about his religion, about his responsibilities, about his duties, he is aware about his enemies and the tactics of enemies. If you are wearing this scarf and try to present yourself as ‘Baseej’ then realize this fact that Allah has selected you for this task and now you should be familiar and aware about all those field in which you are required to be present. You should possess political awareness, you should have social awareness; you should have awareness about your religion and awareness about revolution. ‘Baseej’ is the one who has the enthusiasm for Revolution.

‘Baseej’ means Lady Zainab (s.a) who does not look for any excuses, does not take refuge in any thing and does not say that I am forced or helpless; I am forced by my job, my office. This is because when the daughter of Ali started from Karbala there was no one as helpless as Lady Zainab. Today there is no one amongst us whose hands are tied behind their necks, today there is no one who is witnessing the heads of seventy two martyrs on spearheads. Today there is no one amongst us whose women had been unveiled and there is no one amongst us whose children are being whipped. But despite of all these pains the daughter of Ali made the world aware, delivered sermons in the market and courtyards and by her sermons she changed the environment of the courtyard. She awakened the silent Kufa; it was the same Kufa which was sitting unconcerned and she taught those betray- ers loyalty and such loyalty that from the same Kufa an army of four thousand repented and stood up in the name of Hussain to give their lives. Today there is a need to deliver this role of Lady Zainab (s.a), which means there is a need to de- velop awareness. And first we need to enhance our awareness and then after this we have to make the world aware. If these attributes are present in someone then Imam Khomeini (r.a) says that he is my ‘Baseej’. The way the ‘Baseej’ of Islamic Revolution made the enemies taste dust in Iran, the way the ‘Baseej’ of Lebanon made their enemies taste dust, the way the ‘Baseej’ of Hamas rubbed the nose of enemies on ground in Gaza, God willing the ‘Baseej’ of Pakistan will also soon rub the noses of these enemies (America and Israel) on ground here and make them a dreadful lesson for others. You are not less than anyone, neither from Ira- nians, Lebanese or Palestinians. As Allama Iqbal has said:

Martyrdom is eternal honour.

Martyrdom has been the pride of the Saints, it is our pride, as well.

Fear is his whose ideology is not martyrdom.

Martyrdom is the secret of victory.

The nation that wishes martyrdom is victorious.

You are victorious whether you truimph in this world or be martyred.

It is an honour for all of us to be martyred in the path of Islam.

Martyrdom is a great grace for us.

It was due to the sense of seeking martyrdom and willingness to sacrifice that a nation, empty-handed triumphed over Taghoot (devils of our era)

A nation whose women and men are ready to give their lives and who seek mar- tyrdom, cannot be challenged by any power.

The blood of our martyrs is a continuation of the pure blood of the martyrs of Karbala.

The nation for whom martyrdom is bliss, is vicarious. The nation that wishes martyrdom, has no fears.

Our nation has given blood so that the Islamic Republic may materialize.

Our nation loved martyrdom, the Movement advanced with love for martyrdom.

We are from God, the whole world is from God, is God’s manifestation, and all shall return to Him. Therefore, it is best that the return be optional and man choose martyrdom in the Path of God and let men opt to die for God and be martyred for Islam.

Departure from death-bed is nothing but death, but martyrdom in the path of God is pride and honour for all men.

“Red death” is much better than “black life”.

How remiss are the mammonists who seek the values of martyrdom in the pages of Nature and search for its description in songs and epic odes and leaf through the art of imagination and the book of intellect for cues to it! Never! Only love can provide a solution to the riddle.

The martyrs have achieved their due service, happiness and reward.

The martyrs of the great Revolution, even as the martyrs of the early days of Islam shall be rated highly valuable at the Divine Threshold and honored by Almighty God and the authorities of Islam.

You are victorious because you embrace martyrdom and those who fear death and martyrdom are defeated.

Is not martyrdom the heritage handed down to us by our authorities and masters who deemed life as faith and crusade, and in the honored path of the school of Islam guarded it(the martyrdom) with their own blood and with that of their dear youths!?

I say to the dear nation and multi-millions masses of our people that no revo- lution has been realized without seeking martyrdom, readiness for sacrifice, toil, hardship, and temporary pressure of material living including high price, scarcity.