The Day of Aashoor

All praise and thanks to Allah, the Lord of mankind, and peace and blessings upon Muhammad, the leader of mankind.

Aashoorah

We all know how the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam, would commemorate the day of Aashoorah with fasting asking us to fast a day before/after as well to differentiate from the Jews. However, here in Pakistan, this understanding pales into the backdrop and the exagerrated emphasis of the people who claim to be the party of Ali (RA) on the incident of Karbalah takes over the country for a whole month.

The new year begins with your TV being hijacked by men/women in black attire moaning the passing away of the Grandson of the Prophet (SAW), and men in round turbans giving daily accounts of the significance of Karbalah as a history and world changing event. As if nothing of significance ever happened before or after it. Of course, I'm sure that you guys may have experienced this who receive all the the Paki channels back in England, from Geo to ARYONE. You'd think that the variety of channels would offer relief but nay it is more of the same rather.

Without a doubt, the martyrdom of Hussain (RA) , the beloved grandson of our beloved Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) at the hands of those who came from amongst us underlines and epitomises how the fitnah had changed things. No doubt this started, as forecasted in the hadith by the breaking of that door, Umar (RA), who was also martyred I'm told at the start of the new year. And was sorrily demonstrated by the martyrdom of Uthman (RA), then Ali (RA) to what happened at Karbalah. But what is sorry is how innovators have hijacked this event and the potential for prejudiced violence has meant that even the orthodoxy is having to exaggerate so as to maintain diplomacy.

It has meant that 9th & 10th of Muharram are national holidays as a result and all the shops are closed. And of course we have the processions and the self-torture in the name of Islam. May Allah have mercy on us.

Answers...?

Regarding one of the questions I posed a couple of weeks ago, here is now the answer that was offered by our Qari Sahib. The mubadh-dhir (the one who does the tabdhir) has been likened to the brother of the Shayateen, while Allah says about israaf that he does not like the musrifeen. This seems to show that that tabdheer is more severe than israaf. As a result, some ulema have stated that tabdheer is the wasting of Allah's blessings in a "wrong" way. In the case of the ayah, it is talking about giving the relative, the miskeen and the traveller their right. Thus from what I understood, to spend on any other category while their right is unfulfilled is a "wrong" expenditure. In Urdu, it is what he called bay-mawqa', i.e. without a correct timing/place.

On the other hand, using Allah's blessings on a rightful category (such as eating and drinking in the ayah of israaf) but then going beyond what is reasonable and causing waste would seem to be israaf. Thus, it seems israaf has not been condemned as harshly as tabdheer.

What do you think?

SCIL

Have to clarify some things I said about the School for Contemporary and Islamic Learning (SCIL). On a subsequent visit, some of the women in my family have given quite a positive report. English is spoken fluently even at KG level. The teachers are very professional and the ideals communicated to the child are idealistic, emphasising how they have to lead society. They have plans to move the school into purpose built premises, which is in DHA. The land they have, and are just awaiting clearance from the courts following the recent expansion of DHA onto that land. The issue which initially put me off was the way they had instituted some hidden charges that were not published in the prospectus. But the school itself seems quite okay.

Further reports should follow insha'Allah in August when we admit the kids there.

I guess that's enough regarding this week. Expect then next post insha'Allah next Friday in keeping with the new weekly posting policy.

wassalamu alaikum

Abdullah