Search Result in All Videos

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم وحی کی سرزمین نے ایک بار پھر مؤمنین کی عظیم جمعیت کو اپنی سالانہ ضیافت میں اکٹھا کیا ہوا ہے. پوری دنیا سے مشتاق جانیں اسلام و قرآن کی جائے ولادت (حجاز) ایسے اعمال و مناسک بجالارہے ہیں جن میں غور و تدبر، انسانیت کے لئے اسلام و قرآن کے ابدی سبق کا جلوہ دکھاتا ہے اور یہ اعمال و مناسک بذات خود اسی سبق پر عمل کرنے اور اس کے نفاذ کے سلسلے میں علامتی اقدامات ہیں. اس عظیم درس کا ہدف انسان کی ابدی نجات و رستگاری اور سربلندی و سرفرازی ہے. اور اس کا راستہ صالح اور نیک انسان کی تربیت اور صالح و نیک معاشرے کی تشکیل ہے، ایسا انسان جو اپنے دل اور اپنے عمل میں خدائے واحد کی پرستش کرے اور اپنے آپ کو شرک اور اخلاقی آلودگیوں اور منحرف کرنے والی نفسانی خواہشات سے پاک کردے؛ اور ایسا معاشرہ جس کی تشکیل میں عدل و انصاف، حریت و ایمان اور نشاط و انبساط سمیت زندگی اور پیشرفت کے تمام نشانے بروئے کار لائے گئے ہوں. فریضہ حج میں اس فردی اور معاشرتی تربیت کے تمام عناصر اکٹھے کئے گئے ہیں. احرام اور تمام فردی تشخصات اور تمام نفسانی لذات و خواہشات سے خارج ہونے کے ابتدائی لمحوں سے لے کر توحید کی علامت (کعبہ شریف) کے گرد طواف کرنے اور بت شکن و فداکار ابراہیم (ع) کے مقام پر نماز بجالانے تک اور دو پہاڑیوں کے درمیان تیز قدموں سے چلنے کے مرحلے سے لے کر صحرائے عرفات میں ہر نسل اور ہر زبان کے یکتاپرستوں کے عظیم اجتماع کے بیچ سکون کے مرحلے تک اور مشعر الحرام میں ایک رات راز و نیاز میں گذارنے اور اس عظیم جمعیت کے مابین موجودگی کے باوجود ہر دل کا الگ الگ خدا کے ساتھ انس پیدا کرنے تک اور پھر منی میں حاضر ہوکر شیطانی علامتوں پر سنگباری اور اس کے بعد قربانی دینے کے عمل کو مجسم کرنا اور مسکینوں اور راہگیروں کو کھانا کھلانا، یہ اعمال سب کے سب تعلیم و تربیت اور تمرین کے زمرے میں آتے ہیں. اس مکمل مجموعۂ اعمال میں، ایک طرف سے اخلاص و صفائے دل اور مادی مصروفیات سے دستبرداری اور دوسری طرف سے سعی و کوشش اور ثابت قدمی؛ ایک طرف سے خدا کے ساتھ انس و خلوت اور خلق خدا کے ساتھ وحدت و یکدلی اور یکرنگی دوسری طرف سے دل و جان کی آرائش و زیبائش کا اہتمام اور دل امت اسلامی کی عظیم جماعت کے اتحاد و یگانگت کے سپرد کرنا؛ ایک طرف سے حق تعالی کی بارگاہ میں عجز و انکسار اور دوسری طرف سے باطل کے مد مقابل ثابَت قَدمی اور اُستواری، المختصر ایک طرف سے آخرت کے ماحول میں پرواز کرنا اور دوسری طرف سے دنیا کو سنوارنے کا عزم صمیم، سب ایک دوسرے کے ساتھ پیوستہ ہیں اور سب کی ایک ساتھ تعلیم دی جاتی ہے اور مشق کی جاتی ہے: «وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ رَبَّنا آتِنا فِي الدُّنْيا حَسَنَةً وَ فِي الآْخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَ قِنا عَذابَ النَّارِ ».(1) اور اس طرح كعبہ شریف اور مناسك حج، انسانی معاشروں کی مضبوطی اور استواری کا سبب اور انسانوں کے لئے نفع اور بهره مندی کی ذرائع سی بهرپور هین: «جَعَلَ اللَّهُ الْكَعْبَةَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرامَ قِياماً لِلنَّاس‏»(2) و «ليَشْهَدُوا مَنافِعَ لَهُمْ وَ يَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُوماتٍ‏» (3) ہر ملک اور ہر رنگ و نسل کے مسلمانوں کو آج ہمیشہ سے بیشتر اس عظیم فریضے کی قدر و قیمت کا ادراک اور اس کی قدرشناسی کرنی چاہئے اور اس سے فائدہ اٹھانا چاہئے؛ کیونکہ مسلمانوں کے سامنے کا افق ہر زمانے سے زیادہ روشن ہے اور فرد و معاشرے کے لئے اسلام کے مقرر کردہ عظیم اہداف کے حصول کے حوالے سے وہ آج ہمیشہ سے کہیں زیادہ پرامید ہیں. اگر امت اسلامی گذشتہ دوصدیوں کے دوران مغرب کی مادی تہذیب اور بائیں اور دائیں بازو کی الحادی قوتوں کے مقابلے میں ہزیمت اور سقوط و انتشار کا شکار تھی آج پندرہویں صدی ہجری میں مغرب کے سیاسی اور معاشی مکاتب کے پاؤں دلدل میں پھنسے ہوئے ہیں اور وہ ضعف و ہزیمت و انتشار کی طرف رواں دواں ہیں. اور اسلام نے مسلمانوں کی بیداری اور تشخص کی بحالی و بازیافت اور دنیا میں توحیدی افکار اور عدل و معنویت کی منطق کے احیاء کی بدولت عزت و سربلندی اور روئیدگی و بالیدگی کے نئے دور کا آغاز کیا ہے. وہ لوگ جو ماضی قریب میں ناامیدیوں کے گیت گارہے تھے اور نہ صرف اسلام اور مسلمین بلکہ دینداری اور معنویت کی اساس تک کو مغربی تہذیب کی یلغار کے سامنے تباہ ہوتا ہوا سمجھ رہے تھے آج اسلام کی تجدید حیات اور نشات ثانیہ اور اس کے مقابلے میں ان یلغار کرنے والی قوتوں کے ضعف و زوال کا اپنی آنکھوں سے نظارہ کررہے ہیں اور زبان و دل کے ساتھ اس حقیقت کا اقرار کررہے ہیں. میں مکمل اطمینان کے ساتھ کہتا ہوں کہ یہ ابھی شروع کا مرحلہ ہے اور خدا کے وعدوں کی حتمیت اور عملی جامہ پہننے یعنی باطل پر حق کی فتح اور قرآن کی امّت کی تعمیر نو اور جدید اسلامی تمدن و تہذیب کے قیام کے مراحل عنقریب آرہے ہیں: «وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الأَْرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَ لَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضى‏ لَهُمْ وَ لَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً يَعْبُدُونَنِي لا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئاً وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذلِكَ فَأُولئِكَ هُمُ الْفاسِقُونَ» (4) اس فسخ ناپذیر وعدے کا عملی جامہ پہننے کی اولین اور اہم ترین نشانی ایران میں اسلامی انقلاب کی کامیابی اور اسلامی نظام کی نامی گرامی عمارت کی تعمیر تھی جس نے ایران کو اسلام کی حاکمیت و تمدن کے تفکرات کے مضبوط ترین قلعے میں تبدیل کیا. اس معجزنما وجود کا عین اسی وقت ظہور ہوا جب مادیت کی ہنگامہ خیزیوں اور اسلام کے خلاف بائیں اور دائیں بازو کی قوتوں کی بدمستیوں کا عروج تھا اور دنیا کی تمام مادی قوتیں اسلام کے اس ظہور نو کے خلاف صف آرا ہوئی تھیں اور انہوں نے اسلامی کے خلاف ہرقسم کے سیاسی، فوجی، معاشی اور تبلیغاتی اقدامات کئے مگر اسلام نے استقامت کا ثبوت دیا اور اس طرح دنیائے اسلام میں نئی امیدیں ظہور پذیر ہوئیں اور قلبوں میں شوق و جذبہ ابھرا؛ اس زمانے سے وقت جتنا بھی گذرا ہے اسلامی نظام کے استحکام اور ثابت قدمی میں – خدا کے فضل و قدرت سے - اتنا ہی اضافہ ہوا ہے اور مسلمانوں کی امیدوں کی جڑیں بھی اتنی ہی مضبوط ہوگئی ہیں. اس روداد سے اب تین عشرے گذرنے کو ہیں اور ان تین عشروں میں مشرق وسطی اور افریقی و ایشیائی ممالک اس فتح مندانہ تقابل کا میدان بن چکے ہیں. فلسطین اور اسلامی انتفاضہ اور مسلم فلسطینی حکومت کا قیام، لبنان اور حزب اللہ اور اسلامی مزاحمت تحریک کی خونخوار اور مستکبر صہیونی ریاست کے خلاف عظیم فتح؛ عراق اور صدام کی ملحدانہ آمریت کے کھنڈرات پر مسلم عوامی حکومت کی عمارت کی تعمیر؛ افغانستان اور کمیونسٹ قابضین اور ان کی کٹھ پتلی حکومت کی ذلت آمیز ہزیمت؛ مشرق وسطی پر امریکہ کے استعماری تسلط کے لئے کی جانی والی سازشوں کی ناکامی؛ غاصب صہیونی ریاست کے اندر تنازعات اور لاعلاج ٹوٹ پھوٹ؛ خطے کے اکثر یا تمام ممالک میں - خاص طور پر نوجوانوں اور دانشوروں کے درمیان - اسلام پسندی کی لہر کی ہمہ گیری ؛ اقتصادی پابندیوں کے باوجود اسلامی ایران میں حیرت انگیز سائنسی اور فنی پیشرفت؛ امریکہ کے اندر جنگ افروز اور فساد کے خواہاں حکمرانوں کی سیاسی اور اقتصادی شعبوں میں زبردست ناکامی؛ بیشتر مغربی ممالک میں مسلم اقلیتوں کا احساس تشخص؛ یہ سارے حقائق اس صدی – یعنی پندرہویں صدی ہجری – میں دشمنوں کے مقابلے میں اسلام کی فتح و نصرت کی نشانیاں ہیں. بھائیو اور بہنو! یہ ساری فتوحات اور کامیابیاں جہاد اور اخلاص کا ثمرہ ہیں. جب خداوند عالم کی صدا اس کے بندوں کے حلق سے سنائی دی؛ جب راہ حق کے مجاہدوں کی ہمت و طاقت میدان عمل میں اتر آئی؛ اور جب مسلمانوں نے خدا کے ساتھ اپنے کئے ہوئے عہد پر عمل کیا، خدائے علیّ قدیر نے بھی اپنے وعدے کو عمل کا لباس پہنایا اور یوں تاریخ کی سمت بدل گئی: «أَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُم‏» (5) «إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ وَ يُثَبِّتْ أَقْدامَكُمْ » (6) «ً وَ لَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيز» (7) «إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنا وَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا وَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الأَْشْهادُ» (8) یہ تو ابھی آغاز راہ ہے. مسلمان ملتوں کو ابھی بہت سے خوفناک دروں سے گذرنا ہے. ان دروں اور گھاتیوں سے گذرنا بھی ایمان و اخلاص، امید و جہاد اور بصیرت و استقامت کے بغیر ممکن نہیں ہے. مایوسی اور ہر چیز کو تاریک و سیاہ دیکھنے، حق وباطل کے معرکے میں غیرجانبدارانہ موقف اپنانے، بے صبری اور جلدبازی سے کام لینے اور خدا کے وعدوں کی سچائی پر بدگمان ہونے کی صورت میں ان کٹھن راستوں سے گذرنا ناممکن ہوگا اور یہ راہ طے نہ ہوسکے گی. زخم خوردہ دشمن پوری طاقت کے ساتھ میدان میں آیا ہے اور وہ مزید طاقت بھی میدان میں لائے گا چنانچہ ہوشیار و بیدار، شجاع، دانشمند اور موقع شناس ہونا چاہئے؛ کیونکہ اسی صورت میں دشمن ناکامی کا منہ دیکھے گا. ان تیس برسوں کے دوران ہمارے دشمن خاص طور پر صہیونیت اور امریکہ پوری طاقت کے ساتھ میدان میں تھے اور انہوں نے تمام وسائل کا استعمال کیا مگر ناکام رہے. اور مستقبل میں بھی ایسا ہی ہوگا. ان شاء اللہ دشمن کی شدت عمل اکثر و بیشتر اس کی کمزوری اور بے تدبیری کی علامت ہے. آپ ایک نظر فلسطین اور خاص طور پر غزہ پر ڈالیں. غزہ میں دشمن کے بیرحمانہ اور جلادانہ کردار – جس کی مثال انسانیت کی تاریخ میں بہت کم ملتی ہے – ان مردوں، عورتوں اور بچوں کے آہنی عزم پر غلبہ پانے میں دشمن کی عاجزی اور ضعف کی نشانی ہے جنہوں نے خالی ہاتھوں - غاصب ریاست اور اس کے حامی یعنی امریکی بڑی طاقت اور ان کی سازشوں اور حماس کی قانونی حکومت سے جہاد کے ان متوالوں کی روگردانی کی - امریکی اور صہیونی خواہش کو پاؤں تلے روند ڈالا ہے. خدا کا سلام و درود ہو اس با استقامت اور عظیم ملت پر. غزہ کے عوام اور حماس کی حکومت نے ان جاودانہ آیات الہی کا زندہ مصداق ہمارے سامنے پیش کیا ہے جہاں رب ذوالجلال کا ارشا ہے کہ: «وَ لَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَ الْجُوعِ وَ نَقْصٍ مِنَ الأَْمْوالِ وَ الأَْنْفُسِ وَ الثَّمَراتِ وَ بَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ *الَّذِينَ إِذا أَصابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ راجِعُونَ *أُولئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَواتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَ رَحْمَةٌ وَ أُولئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ»(9) و «لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوالِكُمْ وَ أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَ لَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَذىً كَثِيراً وَ إِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَ تَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ ذلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الأُْمُورِ». (10) حق و باطل کے اس معرکے کا فاتح حق کے سوا کوئی نہیں ہے اور فلسطین کی یہی صبور اور مظلوم ملت ہی آخرکار دشمن کے مقابلے میں فتح و کامرانی سے ہمکنار ہوگی. «وَ كانَ اللَّهُ قَوِيًّا عَزِيزاً » (11) آج بھی فلسطینی مزاحمت پر غلبہ پانے میں ناکامی کے علاوه، سیاسی حوالے سے حریت پسندی، جمہوریت پسندی اور انسانی حقوق کی حفاظت و حمایت کے حوالے سے مغربی قوتوں کے دعوے اور نعرے بھی جھوٹے ثابت ہوئے ہیں چنانچہ اس بنا پر بھی امریکی ریاست اور اکثر یورپی ریاستوں کی آبرو شدت سے مخدوش ہوچکی ہے اور اس بے آبروئی کی قلیل مدت میں تلاقی بھی ممکن نہیں ہے. بے آبرو صہیونی ریاست پہلے سے کہیں زیادہ روسیاہ ہوچکی ہے اور اکثر عرب حکمران بھی اپنی رہی سہی نادرالوجود آبرو ہار چکے ہیں. وَ سَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ.(11) والسلام علي عبادالله الصالحین سيّدعلي حسيني خامنه‌اي 4 ذي‌حجةالحرام 1429 13 آذر 1387 3 دسمبر 2008 Urdu Version of the messge of Hajj by Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei In the birthplace of Islam and the Holy Qur’an, eager hearts from throughout the world are now engaged in such rites which indeed show a sign of the eternal lesson of Islam and the Holy Qur’an to mankind: symbolic steps for implementing and applying such a lesson. The aim of this great lesson is to ensure the eternal salvation and dignity of mankind by training righteous people and establishing a righteous society; people who worship the One and Only God in their hearts and in practice and cleanse themselves from polytheism, moral impurities and deviant desires, and a society built out of justice, freedom, faith, vitality and all the other signs of life and progress. The main elements for such personal and social training are incorporated in the Hajj. Going into ihram and leaving individual distinctions behind, abstaining from many carnal joys and desires, circumambulating around the symbol of monotheism and praying in the Place of Ibrahim the Idol-breaker and the Self-Sacrificing, the hurrying between the two hills, finding tranquility in Arafat among the great numbers of monotheists from every color and ethnic background to passing the night in prayer and supplication in al-Mash`ar al-Haram with a fondness for God in one's heart, devoting one’s heart and soul to God the Almighty in such a congested crowd, being present in Mina and stoning the satanic symbols, the meaningful concretization of sacrificing and feeding the poor and the wayfarer are all aimed at training, practicing and reminding us of it. In this perfect ritual, sincerity, purity of heart and disentanglement from materialistic engagements, endeavor, resilience, intimacy and seclusion with God, unity, concordance, homogeneity, adorning the soul and heart, committing the heart to solidarity with the great body of the Muslim Ummah, humility before the Ultimate Truth, firmness against falsehood, soaring in the desire for the hereafter and the firm resolution to adorn the world are all interwoven and constantly practiced: « وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ رَبَّنا آتِنا فِي الدُّنْيا حَسَنَةً وَ فِي الآْخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَ قِنا عَذابَ النَّارِ ». And among them there are those who say, “Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the Fire.” This way, the Honored Kaaba and the Hajj rituals contribute to the resilience and the uprising of human societies and are filled with benefit and enjoyment for all mankind: «جَعَلَ اللَّهُ الْكَعْبَةَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرامَ قِياماً لِلنَّاس‏» «ليَشْهَدُوا مَنافِعَ لَهُمْ وَ يَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُوماتٍ‏» Allah has made the Kaaba, the Sacred House, a means of sustenance for mankind… That they may witness the benefits for them, and mention Allah's Name during the known days. Today, Muslims from all countries and races should appreciate the value of this great ritual more than before and benefit from it, for the horizon is brighter than ever in the eyes of the Muslim Ummah and the hope for reaching the goals Islam has envisaged for individuals and societies is greater than ever. If, in the last two centuries the Muslim Ummah got disintegrated and was defeated in the confrontation with the Western materialistic civilization and the atheist schools of thought of both the right and the left, today, in the 15th century of the Lunar Hegira, it is the economic and political theories of the West that are paralyzed and fading away. Today, as a result of the Muslims' reawakening and the retrieval of their identity and with the resurgence of monotheistic ideas and the logic of justice and divinity, a new dawn of prosperity and glory has begun for Muslims. Those who, in the not-so-distant past, were singing the tune of despair and believed that not only Islam and Muslims but also the foundations of spirituality and religiosity had been lost in the invasion of the Western civilization, are now today witnessing the resurgence of Islam and the revival of the Holy Qur’an as well as the gradual debilitation and collapse of those invaders, confirming all this with their tongues and hearts. I say with full confidence that this is only the beginning and the complete fulfillment of the divine promise of the victory of truth over falsehood, the reconstruction of the Ummah of the Qur’an and the new Islamic civilization are on the way: «وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الأَْرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَ لَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضى‏ لَهُمْ وَ لَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً يَعْبُدُونَنِي لا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئاً وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذلِكَ فَأُولئِكَ هُمُ الْفاسِقُونَ» Allah has promised those of you who have faith and do righteous deeds that He will surely make them successors in the earth, just as He made those who were before them successors, and He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and that He will surely change their state to security after their fear, while they worship Me, not ascribing any partners to Me. And whoever is ungrateful after that it is they who are the transgressors. The first and foremost sign of this inescapable promise was the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the establishment of the glorious Islamic system which turned Iran into a strong fortress for the idea of Islamic rule and civilization. The birth of this miraculous phenomenon amidst the height of the materialism and Islamophobia of rightist and leftist politicians and thinkers, and then its resistance against political, military, economic and propaganda strikes coming from all directions, gave rise to the creation of new hope and passion in the hearts of Muslims. With the passage of time and by the grace of God the Almighty, the strength and capabilities of the Islamic Revolution have increased and the hope it created is now more deeply rooted than ever. Over the last thirty years, the Middle East and Muslim countries in Asia and Africa have been the arenas where this victorious struggle is taking place: Palestine and the Islamic Intifada and the emergence of a Muslim Palestinian government; Lebanon and the historic victory of Hizbollah and the Islamic resistance against the arrogant bloodthirsty Zionist regime; Iraq and the establishment of a Muslim and populist government on the ruins of the atheist regime and the dictator Saddam; Afghanistan and the humiliating defeat of the Communist occupiers and their puppet government; the defeat and failure of all the plots hatched by arrogant America to dominate the Middle East; the incurable problems and chaos inside the usurper Zionist regime; the prevalence of the Islam-seeking masses in all or most of the neighboring countries and especially among the youth and intellectuals; the amazing scientific and technological progress in Islamic Iran achieved under severe economic sanctions and embargoes; the defeat of warmongers in America in the political and economic arenas and Muslim minorities' regaining their true identity and dignity in most of the Western countries. These are all clear indications of the triumph and advancements of Islam in its struggle against its enemies in this century that is the 15th century of Lunar Hegira. Brothers and sisters! These victories are all the fruits of jihad and sincerity. When the voice of God was heard from the lips of His servants, and the resoluteness and strength of the fighters of the true path were deployed and when the Muslims fulfilled their promise to God the Exalted and the Almighty fulfilled His promise in response, the path of history was changed: « أَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُم‏» «إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ وَ يُثَبِّتْ أَقْدامَكُمْ » «ً وَ لَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيز» «إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنا وَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا وَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الأَْشْهادُ» Fulfill My covenant that I may fulfill your covenant, and be in awe of Me alone. If you help Allah, He will help you and make your feet steady. Allah will surely help those who help Him. Indeed Allah is all-Strong, all-Mighty. Indeed We shall help Our apostles and those who have faith in the life of the world and on the day when the witnesses rise up. But this is still the beginning. Muslim nations still face treacherous roads ahead. One can never survive them unless one is equipped with the power of faith, sincerity, hope and jihad as well as insight and patience. This path cannot be taken with despair and pessimism, apathy and lack of spirit, impatience, lethargy and disbelief in the fulfillment of the divine promise. The wounded enemy is now resorting to anything and will spare no effort to strike back. We need to be resourceful, wise and to take advantage of opportunities. This way all the efforts of the enemy will fail. In the last thirty years, the enemies, mostly the US and Zionism, have been utilizing all their capacities but have failed miserably. The same thing will happen in the future, too, inshallah. The severity and intensity of the enemy's actions usually show just how weak and imprudent he is. Look at Palestine and especially Gaza. The cruel and ruthless acts of the enemy, which are unprecedented in the history of human atrocities, are indicative of his weakness in overcoming the firm resolve of men, women and children who, with their empty hands, are standing against the Occupant Regime and its supporter, the superpower called America; they have spurned its demand which is to reject the Hamas government. May God the Almighty’s blessings be showered upon this resolute and great nation. The people of Gaza and the Hamas government have given meaning to the following everlasting verses of the Holy Qur’an which says: «وَ لَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَ الْجُوعِ وَ نَقْصٍ مِنَ الأَْمْوالِ وَ الأَْنْفُسِ وَ الثَّمَراتِ وَ بَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ *الَّذِينَ إِذا أَصابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ راجِعُونَ *أُولئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَواتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَ رَحْمَةٌ وَ أُولئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ» و «لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوالِكُمْ وَ أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَ لَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَذىً كَثِيراً وَ إِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَ تَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ ذلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الأُْمُورِ». We will surely test you with a measure of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth, lives, and fruits; and give good news to the patient. Those who, when an affliction visits them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him do we indeed return." It is they who receive the blessings of their Lord and His mercy, and it is they who are the rightly guided. You will surely be tested in your possessions and your souls, and you will surely hear from those who were given the Book before you and from the polytheists much affront; but if you are patient and God wary, that is indeed the steadiest of courses. Truth will emerge triumphant in its battle with falsehood and it is the oppressed and steadfast nation of Palestine that will ultimately be victorious over the enemy. «وَ كانَ اللَّهُ قَوِيًّا عَزِيزاً » And Allah is all-Strong, all-Mighty. Even today, the enemy has failed to break the resistance of the Palestinians. The claims of freedom and democracy and the slogans of human rights have turned out to be nothing but lies. This has greatly disgraced the US and most European regimes; disgraces from which they will not be able to recover soon. The infamous Zionist regime is more notorious than before and some Arab regimes have lost their honor and reputation which they did not have in this test. وَ سَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ السلام علی عباد الله الصالحین Sayyed Ali Husainy Khamenei

Documentary - What is Karbala & Ashura - English. A great documentary about the Sacrifice of Imam Hussain (a.s) and his family (a.s). Why is that we remember that incidence? What was this about? Why did Imam Hussain (a.s) sacrificed his family and himself? This documentary will answer a lot of the questions people have in their minds. The story of Karbala and Ashura is narrated along with historical facts making it very helpful for kids, non-muslims and new converts to understand Islam in the light of Karbala.

Nice presentation of 13th.Rajab the birthday of our first Imam Ali ibne Abi Taalib (a.s.) Facts with photos, about the splitting wall of the Holy Kaaba, in Makkah the birth place of the Holy Imam Ali (a.s.)

Excellent documetary uncovering the facts about a very historic moment of history when the den of occupiers was uncovered in detail. From Sahar TV - Urdu

Excellent documetary uncovering the facts about a very historic moment of history when the den of occupiers was uncovered in detail. From Press TV - English

Foreign intervention and intrusion in Iraq resulting in more bomb blasts. AlJazeera along with other mainstream propaganda media contributing in spreading the lies about these acts of terrorism in Iraq by claiming it to be sectarian violence. Shia and Sunni in Iraq lived in peace and harmony for the most part. Both of these major sects of Islam did not attack the mosques in the past. The fact that the mosques are being targetted is a clear indication that these attacks are against Islam and intended to create a discord between Shias and Sunnis. SHAME ON YOU AL-JAZEERA for passing out analysis that suggests these deadly attacks to be sectarian violence. AL-JAZEERA, you are a loser as Westerners don't recognize you as an international media and Muslims condemn you for spreading these illiterate assumptions to create disunity amongst Muslims. SHIA and SUNNI are united against the enemies of Islam, Muslims and humanity.

persian lecture with breif historical facts and good moral regarding Hazrath Zainab (AS)

Audio report about Parachinar revealing astonishing facts about Taliban activities in Parachinar

A documentary preserving the haunting memories of the Ashura day in Mashhad - year 1994 - when there was a bomb blast at Imam Ali Reza a.s. - our 8th Imam shrine. Lets pray that the last Imam a.s. - the Imam of our time appear soon and stop these henious crimes and acts of terrorism.

Watch it for yourself. Boycott Zameer Akhtar. He has repeatedly committed acts like these. These statements not only bring degradation to Islamic belief system and teachings of Ahlulbayt (a.s) but also cause the disunity, discord and distance between Muslim Ummah. Boycott all those who insult the true and obvious teachings of Islam. May Allah help us all to unite, spread peace and love amongst each other and fight against the enemies of humanity, in specific enemies of Islam and even more specific enemies of Shias all over the globe.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. And blessings of Allah and peace be on our Chief Muhammad, His Prophet, and on his children. O my Allah! (All) praise is for Thee for that which Thou decided upon and resolved in the matter of Thy friends, whom Thou purified for Thyself and Thy religion. When wisdom and high rank from Thee, prostrated themselves in adoration before them (from the Bountiful Preserving Lord), for whom neither there was any decreased, nor dispersion thereafter, then Thou stipulated for them piety and righteousness. While they were in this mean and crooked world, free from its pomp, vanity and false enjoyments, Thy overreaching authority made known their identity; and equipped them with sincerity and perfection stood surety for them and communicated intimately with them, sent the news of their auspicious arrival in advance, and praised them in clear terms for the benefit of one and all. Fell down on the ground in prostration Thy Angels before them, Thou chose them to reveal Thy Words, gave them Thy wisdom as a gift, set them up as the (only) medium to reach Thee, the only means to the eternal land of peace and happiness. One dwelled in Paradise until Thou sent him on (as the first Prophet). One was made to cruise the "Ark", and had been rescued, and kept safe from destruction through Thy mercy. One was chosen and prepared for Thy Mission, as (Thy) Friend, (who) made a request to Thee for a good report in (his) later generations, so Thou approved and complied with, exalted them and gave them authority. One was spoken directly through the Tree, his brother was appointed his successor and helper. One was brought in without a father, was given clear proofs, and was supported with the Holy Spirit. For each Thou prescribed a Divine law, and set up a traced out path, each was appointed a guardian-executor, (and each) fulfilled the duty after being kept safe and protected, in the term of establishing Thy religion, a witness and argument over Thy servants (mankind), Lest the truth staggered from its firm stand and foundation, and the falsehood conquered the hearts of the people, and might not say a single man: "If only Thou had sent a Messenger unto us as a Warner, to show us the path of wisdom and guidance, so that we might have followed Thy revelations before we were (thus) humbled and disgraced!" Then Thou made plans to bring out the wonderful advent of Muhammad, (Send blessing on him and on his children). So Thou just as chose him master of Whosoever Thou created, made him (whom Thou Selected), pure, clean and the best, exalted and praised him (whom Thou elected), surpassed in generosity and liberality while bestowing high-mindedness and beneficence upon him (whom Thou took in confidence and relied upon); made him leader-in-chief of (all) thy Prophets, and sent him to the troubled world of men and jinn, among Thy servants, lowered and humbled before him the Easts and the Wests, under his total control was brought all affairs, exalted his soul in Thy heavens gave over to him the knowledge of what took place and what will happen, concerning facts and operation of creation. Then invested him with awe and majesty, Jibraeel, Meekaaeel, and distinguished Angels stood around; him at his beck and call, gave Thy word to him that Thou would make his religion prevail over all religions, however much the idolaters may be averse. Thereafter acknowledged his atonement and provided good and perfection for his children, allotted for him and his children the first sanctuary appointed for mankind, at Becca (Mecca), a blessed place, a guidance to the people, wherein are plain and clear signs; the place where Ibraahim stood up to pray, and whosoever enters it is safe. Thou said: "Allah’s wish is but to remove uncleanness far from you, O "People of the House", and purify you with a thorough purification." Thereupon Thou settled conclusively fee (recompense) of Muhammad (Thy blessings be on him and on his children) love for them, in Thy Holy Book. So Thou said: "Say (O Muhammad): I ask of you no fee (recompense) therefore, save love of (my) Kinsfolk." And Thou said: "Whatever recompense (return) I have asked for you, (it) is only for yourselves." And Thou said: "I ask of you no reward for this, save that, whoso will, chooses a way unto his Lord." Therefore they are the (only) means to (approach) Thee, the (only) medium to get Thy favours. So Thou certainly did not let his hard work go waste, and gave authority to his successor, Ali ibne Abi Taalib, (Thy blessings be on them both, and on this children), a guide. At the time when he was made a warner and a guide for every people, said he (the Holy Prophet), their Guide, in a public meeting overflowing with people; "Of Whomsoever I am the Mawlaa (Lord, Master) Ali is his Mawlaa. O Allah! be a friend of him who is a friend of him, be an enemy of him who is an enemy of him, help that man who helps him, forsake that man who forsakes him" and said: "Of whosoever I am the Prophet Ali is his Chief." And said: "I and Ali are (one basic root of) a tree, and the rest of mankind are like diverse plants, he proclaims the position (relationship) of Haaroon to Moosaa." Therefore he told him: "I am to you as Moosaa was to Haaroon, but certainly there is no Prophet after me." His (Ali’s) life partner was his (Muhammad’s) daughter the chief of the women of the worlds. Lawful was for him (Ali), in "the mosque", that which was permitted to him (Muhammad), all doors were closed, except his door. He (Muhammad) gave his knowledge and wisdom into his (Ali’s) keeping. He said: "I am the city (center) of knowledge and Ali is its gate. Whoso desires to approach and dwell in the city of knowledge and wisdom should come through its door." Thereafter he said: "You are my brother, successor and inheritor, your flesh is my flesh, your blood is my blood, your truce is my truce, your fight is my fight, faith is blended, mixed and mingled (part and parcel) in your flesh and blood, just as it is compounded in my flesh and blood, you shall take charge of the reservoir of my inheritance, you are the fulfilment of my religion, you shall execute and keep alive my "way of life", your friends and followers shall speak with authority, command respect and hold the torch of good manners and refinements, their faces will be all around me in the eternal land of peace and bliss (Paradise), in my close company. Were it not you O Ali, the faithfuls would not know the truth after me." After him (Muhammad) be (Ali) was the guide for the wanderers, a bright light in the blind darkness, the strong rope of Allah, and the right path, did not ever hold back kindness and compassion from the common people, nor ever made excuses or delay to give priority to the matters of religion, nor blew his own trumpet nor felt proud of his glory, did the same thing the Messenger used to do, (Blessing of Allah be on them both and on their children) put an end to misinterpretation, did not lose temper, for the sake of Allah, if any one turned to mud-slinging and name-calling. He had thrown the proud tribal chiefs of Arabia into a fright, destroyed their heroes, attacked and dispersed their cavalries, because of which hatred and deep grudge took root in their hearts. Badr, Khaybar, and Hunain created jealousy and envy in them, therefore, united they joined hands to oppose him, and came out in great number to fight against him, till he destroyed all deserters, who had swerved from what was right, the shameless who deviated from true religion, while he was carrying out the important mission. Killed him a malicious criminal, a contemporary, serving the interest and following the doctrine of earlier impudent villians. An unparalleled and outlandish approach was applied to the directions of the Messenger of Allah, (Blessings of Allah be on him and on his children), concerning the "Guides" (Imaams), one after the other. The narrow-minded obstinate "ummah" did not care for and had ill-feelings towards him. Flocked together to pass up and deny his connection with his family, and pushed his children out of their way, but a handful of sincere faithfuls kept their promise and dutifully upheld the rights of his children; Some were slain, some were held prisoners, some were sent to distant foreign lands, and they met face to face (when came upon) their destiny (martyrdom). That which is given to each (of them) as reward of good deeds is the best recompense, since the earth belongs to Allah, and He gives it for an inheritance to whom He wants from among His servants, and the (good) end is for the God-fearing wise; glory to our Lord! Verily the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled; Allah does not break His word, He is Almighty, Wise. So be purified and refined by making known and remembering the choicest children of Muhammad and Ali, blessings of Allah be on them both, and on their children. The heartbroken, in tears, make their hearts bleed, together with them, the deeply moved perceptive men of letters describe their wisdom and liberality, as they themselves used to do, eyes of sensitive and thoughtful people are full of overflowing tears, their voices choked up with emotion; they cry out to protest against the injustice done, they call up dumb and insensate souls to stir and take notice. Where is Hasan? Where is Husayn? Where are the children of Husayn? The whole good, one and all! The truth altogether! Where is the regular unbroken vital connection? Where is the on going sequence of desirable goodness? Where are the clear source and spring of Light (vision and insight)? Where are the lively vivid handsome faces? Where are the distinctly visible pioneers? Where are the "know all the answers" scholars who communicated and made clear the religion of Allah? The fundamentals of knowledge and wisdom! Where is the ‘Everlasting legacy of God"? (never ever is the "family of Guides" without One). Where is the impenetrable defense who broke the back of the oppressive tyrants? Where is the "awaited saviour" who will set the have-nots and the depressed on their feet? Where is the "The Hope" who will put and end to tyranny and oppression? Where is the "preserved guaranty" who shall give new life to rule of law and refined way of life? Where is the "Chosen in preference good" who shall raise the spirits of the people and give currency to justice and fairplay? Where is the "hope-giving confidante" who shall make full use of the "Book" and define the sphere of action? Where is he who shall blot out dogma in the matter of religion and his (Muhammad’s) children? Where is he who shall break up meddlesome trouble and tampering? Where is he who shall pull down the foundations of confusion (polytheists) and hypocrisy? Where is he who shall stamp out corruption, vice, reaction and injustice? Where is he who shall trim the outgrowth of despair, longing and hardships? Where is he who shall erase the traces of unfairness and self-seeking conceit? Where is he who shall untie the twisted knotes of falsehood and disruption? Where is he who shall separate senselessness and insolence from the people? Where is he who shall tear up by the roots obstinacy, corruption and apostasy? Where is he who shall love dearly the favourites of Allah and take pains to tame and train the trangressors? Where is he who shall make people familiar with "words of wisdom"? Where is the ultimate (Divine) source of plenty and prosperity? Where is the "Divine aspect" the God-fearing may look up to? Where is the link that connects the cosmic complex? Where is the authority who shall communicate and make known the true point of view? Where is the author of the conception of peace, fairplay and welfare? Where is the defender of the traditions of the Prophets and their children? Where is the investigator of the blood of the Martyrs of Karbalaa? Where is he who shall get the upper hand over the perpetrators of crime and greed? Where is he who shall not rest until he answers the cries of help when called upon? Where is the foremost leader of the people – the just, the truthful and the wise? Where is the son of the chosen Prophet? The son of Ali Al-Murtaza! The son of Khadeejah, the resplendent! The son of Faatimah, the great! My father, my mother, and I turn to you for protection and sanctuary. O son of the favourite Leaders! O Son of the distinguished nobles! O son of the rightly guided Guides! O Son of the most refined high-minded liberals! O Son of the select generous Guardians! O son of the polite and pure purifiers! O Son of the impartial judges! O Son of the openhanded hosts! O Son of the mature teachers! O Son of the brilliant fulfillers! O Son of the clear and precise arguments who penetrated deep (into the domain of mind)! O inheritor of the made known prophesy! O inheritor of the clear preaching! O inheritor of the evident signs! O inheritor of the exact science! O inheritor of the widely sought after culture and customs! O inheritor of the milestones of glory and greatness! O inheritor of the extraordinary events! O inheritor of the reason that had been put to experiment! O inheritor of the Right Path! O inheritor of the Message that made deep impression on mankind! O Son of him who is in the "Mother of the Book" kept with Allah, the Highest High, the All-wise. O inheritor of the convincing proofs! O inheritor of the genuine evidence! O inheritor of the distinctly visible demonstration! O inheritor of the decisive information! O inheritor of the absolute joy and happiness! O inheritor of "T’aa-haa" and clear wisdom! O inheritor of "Yaa seen" and "Zaariyaat" O inheritor of "T’oor" and "A’adiyaat" O Son of him who "drew near and came down till he was two bows’ length or nearer." (The Highest High came near and received him gladly). If I but knew the destination of your purposeful journey! To which isolated land did you go? Good, pleasant and satisfying? Or otherwise? Or in well guarded concealment? It breaks my heart (when) I look at all that has been created, but cannot see you, nor hear a whisper about your whereabouts, nor any secret communication! It is disheartening to know that you are attending to and watching over the disorder and confusion, and I, in the thick of violent turmoil, am far away, unable to give report of injustice. I eagerly long for you who is out of sight, but has not forsaken us. I eagerly long for you who has departed and is invisible, but is not far from us. I eagerly long for you who inspires love and deep affection, and the faithful men and women take delight in your memorable glory. So we are excited with a longing desire. I eagerly long for you who is worthy of acceptance and lawful driving force of belief and conviction, never weary or annoyed. I eagerly long for you who is the root of praise and distinction, never can be uprooted. I eagerly long for you who is always tender, gentle and comforting, never makes one’s affairs worse instead of better. I eagerly long for you who is just and equitable beyond a trace of doubt, does not take severe action until misbehaviour trespasses the limit. O Master! How long and unto what is to be directed (my) request for friendly attention concerning you? And what is the message? It makes me sad to get favourable reply from anyone other than you, but to be duped and cheated in the end. It casts a gloom upon me that you suffered hardships and the chicken hearted deserters left you alone. It is painful for me what took place for you from them and that which had happened. Is there a helper with whom I may cooperate and take pains? Is there a restless with whom I may share when action is taken? Is there a faint twinkle of evidence to make me willingly take up the trouble? Do you O Son of Ahmed have means and ways to arrange our meeting? Can you once cleverly guide the course of time, so that we may obtain our wish? When shall we abridge the gap that separate us from the vision so that we may refer to the authority? How long shall we keep waiting for your pleasing satisfying essence and quality? Already the period of expectation has lasted too long! When shall we receive our share from you and have our minds set at rest? For we have fixed our eyes upon you and strive with perseverance. When shall we be happy, and see your beautiful form and fine aspect? Groups of cheerful willing disciplined helpers, in great numbers, gathering around you to carry out one work after the other! You fulfilling (every promise) and giving joy, heart and confidence (to the faithfuls); filling the earth with justice; making your enemies follow the law and accept the revolution; taking the wind out of the haughty and the boastful, and those who knew but denied the truth; breaking the back of the proud and the arrogant; uprooting the roots of the unjust; and we-singing the praise of Allah, the Lord of the worlds. O my Allah! Thou disperses the clouds of sorrows and hardships. Unto Thee we turn to ask for help against the enemy; for Thou (alone) helps and guides. Thou (alone) puts into good order affairs of this world and shall make better the Hereafter. So come to help! O He Who is called to help the helpless, Thy servants, surrounded by calamities. Show them the face of their Leader. O the Mightiest Almighty. Allow him to put an end to evil and corruption, and satisfy his Love (for the faithfuls) and dislike (for the sinners). O He Who, from the "Arsh directs and controls all creation, and unto Him is the return, final and ultimate. O my Allah! We are Thy servants, longing for Thy friend (appointed authority), who reminds us of Thee, and Thy Prophet, who was created as a refuge and asylum for us, established as a foundation and spring of truthfulness for us, and was made the Leader-Guide of the faithfuls. Convey to him our heartfelt congratulations and welcome. Make us feel more deeply for him. O Lord! Very Kindly, make his headquarters our place of domicile and dwelling abode, and fulfill Thy promise by returning him to us as our Leader Guide, so that he takes us to the eternal land of peace and bliss, where we shall rub elbows with Thy sincere servants who shed blood to pronounce the Faith. O Allah send Thy blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad. Bless his ancestor Muhammad, the Messenger, the foremost Leader, and bless his progenitor, the succeeding Leader, and his great grandmother, the ever truthful, Faatimah daughter of Muhammad, and his chosen virtuous forefathers, and send blessings on him, superior, whole, conclusive, staying, numerous, and full, not ever bestowed (even) on any of Thy sincerely attached and pious friends from among Thy creation. Bless him with blessings, (that) cannot be counted in numbers, cannot be "proximated" in space of time, cannot be consumed in terms of having nothing remaining. O my Allah! Set up truth, destroy falsehood, show the right path to Thy friends, humiliate Thy enemies, and do it without interruption, (through him). O my Allah! Unite us with him. Let us be friends with his ancestors. Give us courage to disperse those who oppose and try to prevent him, and make them stay in their shame and disgrace for ever. Help us to discharge the duties made incumbent upon us by him, and make every effort to obey him, keep from that which is declared unlawful by him, rely upon him to get his approval. Let us be with him when he makes peace, and frees mankind from fear, gives currency to love are kindness, brings bliss and happiness, spreads good and virtue, so that we may do our best to promote his cause through Thy mercy, and win victory for Thee. Accept our prayers, forgive our sins, fulfil our desires, give us means of livelihood, unrestricted, make less our hardships, meet our demands in full (through him). Turn towards us Thy kindness and loving aspects, and bring us close to Thee. Turn the eyes of Thy mercy upon us, to bring to fullness Thy kind favours, and after that do not ever let them disappear in the name of Thy generosity, and give us the opportunity to quench our thirst from the spring of his great grandfather (Kawsar), (blessing of Allah be on him and on his children), using his cup, filled by him, fresh and pure, sufficient, wholesome, clear and cool, not leaving any desire thereafter, O the Most Merciful.

Duaa 14 الصحيفہ السجاديہ His Supplication in Acts of Wrongdoing - ARABIC

Duaa 14 الصحيفہ السجاديہ His Supplication in Acts of Wrongdoing - URDU

Evil Acts By Zionist - Farsi

Facts & Figures about the Terrorist State of Israel - English. These facts and figures will hopefully help you in making a point when speaking with people and educating masses about the crimes of the Zionist State of Israel. Don't just watch it and say, oh really, good to know, han!, wow!... It is obligatory on all of us to do whatever we can to stop the terrorist state from killing innocents, making innocent women and children homeless by demolishing their houses. This ethnic cleansing MUST stop.

Facts of Death - Zaki Baqri English 07 Toronto

British Parliament member George Galloway reacts to Tony Blairs testimony at the Iraq war Inquiry

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown reacts on Irans second Uranium Enrichment plant

This is the beautiful yet painful narration of Hazrat Abbass son of Imam Ali AS the Guardian Brother of Imam Hussain martydom in Karbala to the rites of ones HAJJ This is has English Subtitles and with some Urdu extracts on how we should be inspired by Hazrat Abbas s loyalty towards his brother and the cause of Islam

Imam al-Mahdi "The belief in an expected reformer and a saviour of humanity is not peculiar to the Shia school of Islam. It is common not only to all the Muslim sects, but is also shared by all the great religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism. In this quest for the truth about the Mahdi, there is no distinction of any caste, creed, or country. The quest is universal, just as the Mahdi himself is universal. He stands resplendent high above the narrow walls in which humanity is cut up and divided. He belongs to everybody. For all that and much more, what exactly is the Mahdi?" Contents: A note on Imam Mahdi The Saviour's Return -- Who and What of the Mahdi Some objections about the Mahdi Replies to the objections -(a) Longevity Replies to the objections -(b) Suspension of Laws Replies to the objections -(c) His training for the mission Replies to the objections -(d) Reasons for his continued existence Replies to the objections -(e) Reasons for delay in his appearance Replies to the objections -(f) His superhuman role Replies to the objections -(g) His modus operandi The Saviour's Revolution -(h) The Final Victory The Quran and History Interpretation of the Evolution of History Dialectic Approach Human Approach Two concepts about man The Great Expectation al-Mahdi: in the light of Hadith al-Mahdi: in the light of Quranic verses References This effort dedicated to our guide, our Divine leader, Hazrat Imam Mahdi (a), the Awaited Saviour. May we be counted as his lovers and followers in this world and the next. A note on Imam Mahdi by Allama Yusufali Nafsi Back To Contents A figure more legendary than that of the Mahdi, the Awaited Saviour, has not been seen in the history of mankind. The threads of the world events have woven many a fine design in human life, but the pattern of the Mahdi stands high above every other pattern. He has been the vision of the visionaries in history. He has been the dream of all the dreamers of the world. For the ultimate salvation of mankind, he is the Pole Star of hope on which the gaze of humanity is fixed. The Qur'anic prophecy of the inevitable victory of Islam will be realized following the advent of the Mahdi who will fight the wrong, remedy the evils and establish a world order based on the Islamic teachings of justice and virtue. Thereafter, there will be only one religion, and one government in the world. It may be mentioned here that the movement for the establishment of a world government is already afoot and this point is engaging the attention of many prominent intellectuals. The setting up of the United Nations is a step in this direction. In spite of the growing consciousness of its desirability, the unification of the world is still a distant dream. The vested interests and the mutual rivalries of the regimes in the various countries and the mutual animosities of the divergent blocs constitute a big hurdle in the way of its materialization. Hence, its consummation cannot be expected to come off automatically. It will need the active struggle of a world reformer in the person of Mahdi. Anyhow, a start has been made and the things are gradually turning out exactly as predicted by Islam, fourteen centuries ago. The Universality of the concept of Mahdi The belief in an expected reformer and a saviour of humanity is not peculiar to the Shia school of Islam. It is common not only to all the Muslim sects, but is also shared by all the great religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism. In this quest for the truth about the Mahdi, there is no distinction of any caste, creed, or country. The quest is universal, exactly in the same way as the Mahdi himself is universal. He stands resplendent high above the narrow walls in which humanity is cut up and divided. He belongs to everybody. For all that and much more, what exactly is the Mahdi? Surely that is the big question which the thinking people all over the world would like to ask. It is only Islam that has given this concrete shape to an abstract idea. The Mahdi is not to be born in the distant future. He is already living amongst us and shares our joys and sorrows. His appearance will mean not only the materialization of an Islamic aspiration, but will also be the realization of a hope cherished by the entire humanity. Prof. Henry Corbin of Sorbonne University says: "To my mind, the Shi'ite is the only sect which has preserved and perpetuated the link of Divine guidance between man and God through its belief in the Imamate. According to the Jews, the Prophethood, a real link between man and God, came to an end with Moses. They do not believe in the Prophethood of Jesus and Muhammad. The Christians too, do not go beyond Jesus. The Sunnite sect has also stopped at the Prophet Muhammad and believes that the link between man and God has been severed with the end of the Prophethood." It is only the Twelver Shias, who believe that the link still exists through the Mahdi and will continue to exist forever. It is hardly necessary to give an explanation as why the Mahdi disappeared immediately after assuming the Imamate. Let it suffice to say that Allah in His Divine Wisdom ordained so. In the meantime, it is the duty of all the Muslims, especially the Shias, to strive steadfastly for the creation of the proper atmosphere and the right climate for the establishment of a world order based on justice, virtue and piety. They should not only mould their individual lives according to the teachings and high ideals of Islam, but they should also bend their efforts to set up the Islamic order on the collective and communal level. They should devote themselves to the service of the faith and be prepared to receive the Awaited Saviour. That is what was meant by the Imams when they exhorted the Muslims to keep on waiting for the Mahdi. The Mahdi, in the light of Hadith An authentic and universally accepted Hadith (tradition) reports that the Holy Prophet of Islam, (Peace and benediction be upon him and his infallible progeny) to have said explicitly on several occasions that he would be followed by twelve Amirs,[1] (according to another version, twelve caliphs) the first of them being Ali and the last Mahdi.[2] According to another reliable tradition, he pinpointed the personality to Imam Mahdi when he said that the Mahdi would be a descendant of Imam Husain (a) in his ninth generation. [3] In certain other traditions, the Holy Prophet (s) referred, in clear terms to the last Imam's mission and narrated the events connected with his occultation and reappearance. In this connection, it is interesting to note, as pointed out by the famous historian Tabari, that the reports about the occultation of the Mahdi were recorded in their books by the Shia traditionalists during the lifetime of Imam Baqir (a) and Imam Sadiq (a), i.e. long before Imam Mahdi was born. This fact alone is enough to vouch for their genuineness. The Sunnite scholars have also mentioned and recorded hundreds of traditions about the Mahdi in more than seventy books by their own valued and dependable authorities, of which we shall mention a few examples. Musnad by Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 AH) Sahih Bukhari by Muhammad ibn Ismail Bukhari (d. 256 AH) Sahih Muslim by Muslim ibn Hajjaj Nishapuri (d. 261 AH) Sunan Abi Dawud by Sulayman ibn Ash'ath Sijistani (d. 275 AH) Sahih Tirmizi by Muhammad ibn Isa Tirmizi (d. 279 AH) The author of the above books, each one of them, died either before or shortly after Mahdi's birth. (See also [4]) Prophecies about the Mahdi (a) The other facts which can be gleaned from the prophecies of the Holy Prophet (s), about the Mahdi, are briefly stated below: a) He will bear the same nomenclature as the Holy Prophet. b) He will not be bearing allegiance to any tyrant (or not be under any despot's rule). c) He will fill the earth with justice and fair-play after its having been filled with injustice and tyranny. d) At the time of his advent, he will be found leaning against the wall of the Ka'bah. He will call together his 313 supporters who will respond to his call and gather around him. Then he will lead the congregational prayers. e) He will establish Islamic laws in the whole world. f) On his second advent, Jesus will offer prayers behind him. According to the Islamic traditions, Jesus will descend from the heaven and espouse the cause of the Mahdi. The Christians and Jews will see him and recognize his true status. The Christians will abandon their faith in his god-head. The Holy Quran says: "There shall be none among the People of the Scripture, but will believe in him (Jesus) before his death; and on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them." (Surah al-Nisa, 4:159) Evidently at that time, Jesus will not be following the Christian law, which has already been repealed. He will be following the Mahdi, the master of the time, and that is why he will be offering prayers behind him. According to a tradition, recorded in the celebrated books of tradition, including the Sahih Bukhari and the Sahih Muslim, the Prophet is reported to have said: "How abut you, when Mary's son will descend into your midst, while your Imam will be from amongst you?" Here the word Imam refers to Imam Mahdi. This tradition clearly shows that Jesus at the time of his second advent, will be a follower of the Mahdi. According to these and many other prophecies handed down by the Holy Prophet and the great Imams to the succeeding generations, Imam Mahdi was born in the city of Samarrah, (Iraq) in the middle of the month of Sha'ban in 255 AH. His mother's name was Narjis. He succeeded to the Imamate at the early age of five on the death of his father, Imam Hasan al-Askari, the eleventh Imam. Soon afterwards, he went into occultation from the scene of life, but retained contact with his followers through his vicegerents. This period, which spreads over 70 years is known as "al-Gaybat al-Sughra", the period of the minor occultation. During this period, the people could refer their problems to him and receive his replies through his vicegerents. The minor occultation was followed by "al-Ghaybat al-Kubra", the major occultation which still continues. During this period, direct contact with him had been severed. Anyhow, those who are aware of the historical conditions prevailing at the time of his occultation know well that the Abbasid rulers regarded Mahdi as the biggest potential threat to themselves and their dynasty, and were determined to remove him from their way at any cost. Hence, to foil an attempt on his life, it was advisable for him to go into occultation. Several sayings of the Imams, expressly refer to this situation. The Grand Victory promised by Quran The Mahdi is alive. He visits different places and takes an intelligent interest in the world events. He often attends the assemblies of the faithful but does not disclose his true identity. He will reappear on the appointed day, and then he will fight against the forces of evil, lead a world revolution and set up a new world order based on justice, righteousness and virtue, as you will read in detail in this book. The Holy Quran has clearly promised that a day is to come when truth will prevail and the righteous will come to power. We quote here a few verses. "Indeed We have written in the Psalms after the Torah had been given: The earth will be inherited by Our righteous servants". (Surah al-Anbiyah, 21:105) "Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good deeds, that He will surely make them successors on the earth as He has made those who were before them, and that He will surely establish their religion which He has choosen for them." (Surah al-Noor, 24:55) "They wish to put out the light of Allah with their breaths (propagation) but Allah will perfect His light, howsoever much the disbelievers may be averse. It is He who has sent His messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth to make it prevail over every other religion, howsoever much the disbelievers may be averse." (Surah al-Tauba, 9:32-33) It is clear from these verses that ultimately, the righteous will take the world administration in their hands and Islam will be victorious over all the religions. Shaykh Yusufali Nafsi (Representative Ayatullah al-uzma Aqa Seestani) The Saviour's Return Back To Contents Who and What of the Mahdi by Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr The Mahdi is not only an embodiment of the Islamic belief but he is also the symbol of an aspiration cherished by mankind of its divergent religious doctrines. He is also the crystallization of an instructive inspiration through which all people, regardless of their religious affiliations, have learnt to await a day when heavenly mission, with all their implications, will achieve their final goals, and the tiring march of humanity across history will culminate satisfactorily in peace and tranquillity. This consciousness of the expected future has not been confined to those who believe in the supernatural phenomena but has also been reflected in the ideologies and cults, which totally deny the existence of what is imperceptible. For example, dialectical materialism which interprets history on the basis of contradictions, believes that a day will come when all contradictions will disappear and complete peace and tranquillity will prevail. Thus, we find that this consciousness experienced throughout history is one of the widest and the commonest psychological experience of humanity. The religion, when it endorses this common consciousness and stresses that in the long run, this world will be filled with justice and equity after having been filled with injustice and oppression, gives it a factual value and converts it into a definite belief in the future course of humanity. This belief, is not merely a source of consolation, but it is also a source of virtue and strength. It is a source of virtue because the belief in the Mahdi means the total elimination of injustice and oppression prevailing in the world. It is a source of inexhaustible strength because it provides hope which enables man to resist frustration, howsoever hopeless and dismal the circumstances may be. The belief in the appointed day proves that it is possible for the forces of justice to face the world filled with injustice and oppression, to prevail upon the forces of injustice and to reconstruct the world order. After all, prevalence of injustice, howsoever dominant and extensive it may become, is an abnormal state and must be eliminated, in the long run. The prospect of its elimination after reaching its climax, infuses a great hope in every persecuted individual and every oppressed nation, that it is still possible to change the state of affairs. Although the concept of the Mahdi is more wide-spread than the Muslim community, yet its detailed features, as determined by Islam, meet more fully all the aspirations attached to it, since the dawn of history. They are in greater conformity with the feelings and sentiments of the oppressed and the persecuted of all times. It is Islam, which has given a concrete shape to an abstract idea. It is no longer necessary to look forward to an unknown saviour, who may come into the world at a distant future. The saviour is already here, and we simply have to look forward to the day, when the circumstances are ripe for him to appear and begin his great mission. The Mahdi is no longer an idea. He is no longer a prophecy. We need not wait for his birth. He already exists actually and we only wait for the inauguration of his role. He is a specific entity living among us in his real human form and shares our hopes and disappointments, and our joys and grief. He witnesses all the acts of oppression and persecution, which are perpetrated on the face of the earth, and somehow or other, he himself is affected by them. He is anxiously awaiting the moment when he will be able to extend his helping hand to everyone, whom any wrong has been done and be able to eradicate injustice and oppression completely. Although this Awaited Saviour is living among us, waiting for the appointed moment for his advent, yet he is ordained not to proclaim himself nor to disclose his identity. It is evident that the concept of the Mahdi, with its Islamic features, shortens the gap between the oppressed and the expected saviour. It spans the bridge between them, howsoever long the period of waiting may be. When we are asked to believe that the Mahdi is a particular person already living a normal life, we are also expected to believe that the idea of absolute eradication of every kind of injustice and oppression by the Mahdi has already been embodied in the person of the Awaited Saviour, who will reappear while he will be 'owing no allegiance to any tyrant', as the tradition goes. The belief in him, means the belief in eradication of all evils in a concrete form. The tradition urges the believers in the Mahdi to keep on waiting for him and to continue looking forward for solace. The idea is to establish a close spiritual and intuitive link between the believers, on the one hand, and the Mahdi and all that he stands for, on the other hand. It is not possible to establish such a link without believing that the Mahdi has already been born and is a living and a contemporary personality. Thus we find that the concept of the living Mahdi has given a new impetus to the idea of an expected saviour. It has made it a source of effective strength and consolation to every person suffering from deprivation and injustice, a person who rejects all forms of tyranny, because he feels that his Leader, being a contemporary and a living personality, and not a future idea, shares his sufferings and feels his misery. Yet this concept, being beyond the imagination and comprehension of a number of people, has led them to adopt a negative attitude towards the very idea of the Mahdi. Some objections about the Mahdi Back To Contents (a) Longevity They object to the Mahdi being a contemporary of so many successive generations during the past ten centuries and continuing to live until he reappears on the scene. How is it possible for him, (they ask), to live such a long life without being affected by the natural laws, according to which everyone has to pass through the stages of old age and senility and eventually has to die at a time far earlier than the supposed present age of the Mahdi. Isn't such a long life impossible from a factual point of view? (See reply) (b) Suspension of Laws They also inquire as to why Allah is so keen to suspend natural laws for the sake of this particular person and to prolong his life so extraordinarily. Is humanity unable to produce any other competent leader? Why is it not possible that the role of filling the world with justice and equity be left to a leader who may be born on the eve of the appointed day and grow like other people? (See reply) (c) Lack of training They also say that if it is true that the Mahdi is the name of a particular person who is the son of the eleventh Imam of the Prophet's House, who was born in 255 AH and whose father died in 260 AH, and who at the time of his father's death, was a child of not more than five years of age, then obviously this age was not sufficient for his having been trained religiously and intellectually by his father. They ask as to how then he has been prepared for his great role?(See reply) (d) His continued existence They also say that even if it is presumed that the existence of the Mahdi is theoretically possible, how can they believe in his actual existence in the absence of any scientific or religious proof? According to them, a few traditions of unknown authenticity attributed to the Holy Prophet (s), cannot be considered to be enough for such a belief? (See reply) (e) Delay in appearance They also say that if, the leader is already prepared for the performance of his great role, then what is the necessity of waiting for hundreds of years? Could not the upheavals and tragedies so far witnessed by the world justify his appearance on the scene? (See reply) (f) His superhuman role With reference to the Mahdi's role, they ask as to how it is possible for such an individual, howsoever great he may be, to play such a decisive role in the world, when it is known that no individual by himself, can make history nor can he give it an entirely new turn. It is the prevailing circumstances which produce and direct historical changes. The greatness of an individual lies only in his coming to the fore-front, in the given circumstances, and in effecting a practical change by selecting one of the multiple solutions. (See reply) (g) His modus operandi They also ask what practical methods will be employed by that individual to bring about the colossal change and to ensure the final victory of the forces of justice over the mighty and dominating forces of oppression and injustice, which now have the most destructive weapons, scientific potentialities and political, social and military power at their disposal. (See reply) These are the questions which are frequently raised in this connection and repeated in one form or another. They are not always motivated merely by intellectual curiosity. There are psychological reasons also which stimulate them. There is a strong general feeling that there is little chance of overthrowing the present world system., which is too powerful and seemingly invincible. This feeling produces skepticism and gives rise to queries. It leads to defeatism and an inferiority complex. One begins to shudder at the very idea of a world-wide change which may eliminate injustice and historical contradictions and usher in a new system based on justice and equity. This mental frustration impels one to doubt and reject every possibility of such a change by giving one reason or another. We now propose to take the above-mentioned queries, one by one and deal with them briefly. Replies to the objections Back To Contents (a) Longevity See Question: Is it possible for any human being to continue to live for many centuries, as is presumed in the case of this Awaited Saviour, who has already lived for more than 1145 years? This long life is about 14 times the life of an ordinary man who passes through all stages of life from infancy to old age?? The impossibility of such a long life is the objection. Let us have a close look at the objection. The word "impossibility" here (like any other truth) is relative. It has meaning only in relation to some person, place and time. What is impossible for one person need not be so for the others. Then what is impossible in one place, may be quite possible in another place. Again what is not possible at one time may be quite possible at another. There is no dearth of illustrations to prove how impossibility is a relative term. In other words, the possibility of a thing may be of three categories, viz. factual possibility, scientific possibility and logical possibility. Practical possibility: To journey across the ocean, to reach the bottom of the sea and to travel to the moon are practical possibilities. There are people who have accomplished these tasks in one way or another. Scientific possibility: By a scientific possibility, we mean that there may be certain things which may not be practicable in the present circumstances, but there exists no scientific reason to justify the denial of their practicability in favourable circumstances and the scientific trends indicate that they will be feasible sooner or later. For example, there exists no scientific reason to deny the possibility of man's travelling to Venus. Although, it has not been possible for anyone to go to that planet so far, yet we know that there is only a difference of degree between man's landing on the moon and his landing on Venus. It is only a question of surmounting additional difficulties because of the greater distance. Hence, it is scientifically possible to go to Venus, though practically, it is still impossible. In contrast, it is scientifically impossible to go to the sun in the sense that science does not hope that it will ever be able to manufacture a protective shield against the heat of the sun which is virtually a huge furnace blazing at the highest imaginable degree of temperature. Logical possibility: By a logical possibility, we mean that on the basis of self-evident laws, reason does not regard a thing impossible. For example, it is logically impossible to divide three oranges into two equal parts without cutting any one of them. It is self-evident that, three being an odd number, it is not divisible into two whole numbers. Only an even number can be so divided and the same number cannot be both odd and even simultaneously, because that will mean self-contradiction which is impossible. But a man's entering into fire without being hurt or going to the sun without being affected by its heat, is not logically impossible, for it is not self-contradictory to suppose that heat does not pass from a body having a higher temperature to a body having a lower temperature. Only experience has proved that if two bodies are mixed or put together, heat passes from a body having higher temperature to a body having lower temperature, till the temperature of both the bodies is at par. Thus, we know that the scope of the logical possibility is wider than that of the scientific possibility and the scope of the scientific possibility is wider than that of the practical possibility. The possibility of the Mahdi's existence? There is no doubt that a person's remaining alive for thousands of years is not logically impossible, for there is nothing irrational or self-contradictory about it. Life itself does not imply the sense of quick death. Admittedly, such a long life is not as practical as descending to the bottom of the sea or ascending to the moon. Notwithstanding the present scientific facilities, it has not so far been possible to prolong human life to hundreds of years. Even those who have all the modern facilities at their disposal and are the keenest to continue to live, cannot have more than the normal span of life. As for the scientific possibility there exists nothing to justify its denial from a theoretical point of view. In fact, this question is related to the physiological explanation of senility. The question is, whether there exists a natural law according to which human tissues and cells, after attaining the stage of full development, automatically begin to stiffen and degenerate, till they cease functioning at a particular moment or the senile degeneration is caused by some external factors, such as microbes and poisons infiltrating into the body through polluted food, unhealthy jobs or some other causes. It is a question with which science is grappling at present and is earnestly trying to find an answer to it. For the present, there are more than one scientific explanations of senility. Anyhow, if we accept the view that senile degeneration is caused by external influences, it means that if the tissues of the human body are secluded from these particular influences, it is theoretically possible to prolong life, to delay senility and even to control it eventually. The other view tends to suppose that living cells and tissues are governed by a natural law according to which they carry within themselves the seeds of their complete exhaustion. They, in their natural course, pass through the stages of old age, and senility and eventually cease to function. Even if we accept this view, it does not mean that this natural law is not flexible. In fact, it is supposed to be a flexible law, for we see in our ordinary life, and it has been confirmed by scientific laboratory observations also, that senility is an untimely physiological phenomenon, in the sense that sometimes it appears early and sometimes very late. It is a common experience which has also been confirmed by the observations of the physicians, that many a man of advanced age still possess a supple body and do not suffer from any old age ailments. It is because of the flexibility of this natural law that the scientists have already succeeded in prolonging the life of certain animals,[5] hundreds of times beyond their normal span of life by artificially creating conditions conducive to the delay of senility. They have falsified the law of natural senility by acquiring brilliant successes and have made it clear scientifically that to postpone senility or to provide opportunities and specified factors, therefore is possible and if present day science is not able to enforce this programme in the case of phenomena like human beings, it is on account of the fact that more difficulties are involved in the matter with regard to man as compared with other animals. In a nutshell, it is logically and scientifically possible to prolong life, though it is still practically impossible to do so. Anyhow, science is endeavouring to make it practical also. Islam and Science If we consider the question of the Mahdi's age in this light, there appears to be nothing strange or surprising about it, for it has been proved that such a long life is logically and scientifically possible and the scientists are working to turn its possibility into a reality. All that appears to be surprising is that the Mahdi has attained such a long life before the scientists have been able to turn its theoretical possibility into a practical one. This phenomenon can be compared to the discovery of a cure for cancer or brain haemorrhage before science can make such a discovery. If the question is how Islam, which planned the age of the Awaited Saviour, could anticipate science in this field, the answer is simple. This is not the only field wherein Islam has anticipated science. The Islamic Shariah as a whole anticipated the scientific movement and the natural development of human thinking by several centuries. Islam had already presented, for practical application, the laws, which science has taken hundreds of years to discover. It has propounded doctrines, the wisdom of which has been corroborated by science only recently. It disclosed such secrets of the universe which none could think of, at that time and the truth of which, was later confirmed by science. If we believe in this, then it is not too much for Allah, the Exalted, to anticipate science in planning the age of the Mahdi. We have talked of only those aspects of anticipation which we can see directly. We can add other instances about which Quran has told us. Here we have talked of only those aspects of anticipation by Islam vis-a-vis science which we can observe directly. It is, however, possible for us to add some other instances of anticipation about matters which it has not been possible for science to comprehend so far. For example, Quran tells us that the Holy Prophet of Islam (s), was carried one night from Masjid al-Haram (at Mecca) to Masjid al-Aqsa (at Jerusalem). If we try to perceive the quality of this journey, within the framework of natural laws, it points to the application of laws which govern nature in this sense that science has not yet been able to understand them and it will take it hundreds of years more to specify their quality. The same Divine Knowledge, which granted the Prophet this high speed long before science could consider it to be possible, also granted long life to his last Divinely appointed successor, long before it could be achieved by science. Replies to the objections Back To Contents (b) Suspension of Laws See question: It is true, as far as common experience and the experiments carried out so far by the scientists are concerned, this long life granted by Allah to the Awaited Saviour appears to be very unusual. But his role of revolutionizing the world order and rebuilding the entire system on the basis of justice and truth is also so extraordinary that neither are the people familiar with it nor has it ever been experienced in history. So, it should not be surprising if at the preparatory stage also, his role is preceded by some unusual and extraordinary events, like his long life. However, unfamiliar these events may be, they are not more unusual than the great role to be performed by the Mahdi on the appointed day. If we can relish that role, having no precedent throughout history, there is no reason why we should not relish his long life unprecedented in our ordinary life. Similarity between Noah and the Mahdi We wonder if it is a mere chance that each of the only two persons who undertook to purify the human civilization of all its impurities and to reconstruct the world should have had a very long life span, several times that of a usual one. One of them played this role in the past. He was Noah, about whom the Holy Quran has expressly said that he lived among his people for 950 years. He reconstructed the world after the Deluge. The other is to play his role in the future. He is the Mahdi who has already lived among his people for more than a thousand years and is destined to play his role on the appointed day and build the world anew. How is it then that we accept the longevity of Noah who lived for at least about a thousand years and deny that of Mahdi? We have learnt that a long life is scientifically possible but let us suppose that it is not so and the law of senility is inexorable and cannot be defied either today or in future. Then what does this mean?? It means only this that to live for centuries, as is the case with Noah and the Mahdi, is contrary to the natural laws established by science through modern methods of experimentation and investigation. Miracles / Suspension of natural laws in the Quran In this case a long life may be accepted as a miracle which suspends a natural law in particular circumstances to preserve the life of a particular person entrusted with a celestial mission. This miracle is not unique in its kind, nor is it alien to the Muslim belief derived from the text of the Quran and the Sunnah. ([6] Some well-known miracles in the Quran, Hadith and apostolic texts) The law of senility is not any the more relentless than the law of the exchange of heat, according to which heat passes from a body having a higher temperature to a body having a lower temperature. This law was suspended to protect Abraham when he was thrown into the burning fire, for this was the only way to preserve his life. The holy Quran says: "We said: O fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham". (Surah al-Anbia, 21:69) Accordingly, he came out of the fire unscathed! In many other cases also, natural laws were suspended to protect the prophets and other Divinely appointed people. The sea was parted for Moses. It appeared to the Romans that they had captured Jesus whereas they had not. Muhammad got out of his house while it was surrounded by a mob of the tribe of Quraish, waiting for an opportunity to assassinate him. Allah concealed him, so that the Quraishites could not see him when he walked out through their midst. In all these cases, natural laws were suspended for the protection of the people whose lives, the Divine Wisdom wished to preserve. The law of senility too, can be bracketed with these cases of suspension. From the above discussion, we can arrive at a general conclusion and say: Whenever it is necessary to preserve the life of one of the chosen servants of Allah, to enable him to accomplish his mission, the Divine Grace intervenes to protect him and one of the natural laws is suspended. On the contrary if the period of his appointment comes to an end, and the task entrusted to him by the Almighty is accomplished, he meets death in accordance with the natural laws related to life or is martyred. Science and Miracles Question: In this connection, we are usually confronted with the following questions. "How can a natural law be suspended and the compulsory relationship existing between the various phenomena be severed? Will such a suspension not be in contradiction with science which has discovered that law determines the compulsory relationship on the basis of experimentation and investigations?" Science itself has provided an answer to this question. It has already given up the idea of compulsion in respect of natural laws. It only says that these laws are discovered on the basis of systematic observation and experiment. When it is observed that one phenomenon invariably follows another, this invariability is treated as a natural law. But science does not claim that there exists a binding and compulsory relationship between any two phenomena, because compulsion is a factor which cannot be proved by experiment and scientific methods of investigation. Modern science confirms that a natural law as defined by it, speaks only of an invariable association between two phenomena and is not concerned with any compulsory relationship between them. [7] Hence, if a miracle takes place and the natural relationship between two phenomena breaks down, it does not amount to the breaking down of a compulsory relationship. In fact, a miracle in its religious sense has become more comprehensive in the light of modern scientific theory than it was when the classical view of causal nexus prevailed. According to the old theory, it was presumed that the phenomena invariably associated with each other must have an inevitable relationship between them and this inevitability meant that their separation from each other was inconceivable. According to modern scientific thinking, however, this relationship has been transformed into a law of association or invariable succession. Thus, a miracle need not come into clash with inevitability any longer. It is only an exceptional state of the invariability of association and succession. We agree with the scientific view that modern scientific methods cannot prove the existence of an inevitable relationship between any two phenomena. Anyhow, we are of the view that there must still be some explanation of the invariability of association and succession. As it can be explained on the basis of the theory of intrinsic inevitability, it can also be explained if we assume that it is the Wisdom of the Organizer of the universe, which requires a particular phenomenon to be invariably related to some other phenomenon and that in certain cases, the same wisdom may require that there should be an exception. Such exceptional cases are called miracles. But why this extraordinary suspension of laws, for the Mahdi?? Now let us take up the question as to why Allah is so keen to prolong the Mahdi's life that, even natural laws are suspended for his sake. Is it not advisable to leave the leadership of the appointed day to a person to be born in the future and brought up according to the needs of the time?? In other words, what is the justification of this long occultation? Most of the people who ask this question do not want an answer simply based on belief. It is not enough to say that we believe it be so. What the interrogators really want is a social explanation of the position in the light of the tangible requirements of the great change to be brought about by the Mahdi. Hence, we leave aside for the time being the qualifications we believe the infallible Imams to have possessed and take up instead the following question: Is it likely, in the light of the past experience, that such a long life of the leader-designate will contribute to his success and will enable him to play his role better?? Our reply to this question is in the affirmative. Some of the reasons are given below: The proposed great revolutionary change requires that its leader should possess a unique mental calibre. He should be conscious of his own superiority and the insignificance of the knotty system he has to overthrow. The more conscious he is of the insignificance of the corrupt society he has to fight against, the more psychologically prepared he will be to wage a war till victory is won. It is evident that the size of his mental calibre should be proportionate to the size of the proposed change and the size of the social system to be eliminated.. The more extensive and deep-seated this system, the greater should be the psychological push required. The mission being to revolutionize the world, full of injustice and oppression, and to bring about a radical change in all its cultural values and diverse systems, it is but natural that it should be entrusted to a person whose mental calibre is higher than that of anyone in the whole of the existing world and who may not have been born and brought up under the influence of the society required to be demolished and replaced by another culture of justice and righteousness. One brought up under the shadow of a deep-seated and world-dominating culture is naturally impressed and overawed by it, that being the only culture which he has seen and by which he has been influenced from a tender age. But the case should be different with a person who has a long historical background, who has witnessed several great cultures successively grow and decline, who has seen the big historical changes with his own eyes and has not read about them in books, who has been a contemporary of all the stages of the development of that culture which happens to be the last chapter of the human history before the appointed day and who has seen all its ups and downs. Such a person, who himself has lived through all these stages very carefully and attentively, is competent to look at the culture he has to grapple with, in its historical perspective and is not daunted by its magnitude. His attitude to it will not be like that of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) to the French monarchy. It is reported that Rousseau, in spite of being a great champion of political revolution from an intellectual and philosophical point of view, shuddered at the very thought of there being a France without a king, the reason being that he was born and brought up and had always lived under the shadow of monarchy. But the man having a long historical background and being fully aware of the historical factors, knows perfectly well how and when the prevailing culture and the prevailing system came into being, and developed. He knows that the historical age of the cultures and systems, howsoever long, is very limited. Have you read the Surah al-Kahf (Chapter 18 of the Holy Quran)? And have you gone through the story of the youths who believed in Allah and were virtuous, but had to face an idolatrous system which was dominant at that time and which ruthlessly crushed every idea of Monotheism? They felt greatly distressed and lost all hope. In utter despair they took refuge in a cave, for they were at their wits' end and did not know what to do. They thought that the then existing unjust system would continue to prevail for ever and would liquidate all those whose hearts throbbed for the truth. Do you know what Allah did? He sent them to sleep in the cave for 309 years. Then He awakened them and sent them back to the scene of life. By then the unjust regime, the power and tyranny which had dazzled them, had completely collapsed and become a part of past history. This arrangement was made to enable those young men to see themselves the downfall of falsehood, the power and grandeur which had overawed them. The people of the cave achieved moral uplift and sublimation through this unique experience which extended their lives for three hundred years. The same privilege will be enjoyed by the Awaited Saviour through his long life which will enable him to see the giant dwindling into a dwarf, a lofty tree shrinking to become a mere seed leaf and a tornado turning into a mere whiff of the wind. Furthermore, the conscience gained through the direct and close study of so many successive cultures will widen the mental horizon the person designated to lead the revolution and will prepare him better, for the accomplishment of his mission. He will have benefited by the experience of others, knowing their strong and weak points, and will be in a better position to assess social developments correctly in their true historical contexts. As the revolution to be brought about by the Awaited Saviour is to be ideological and based on the message of Islam, the very nature of his mission requires him to be close to the early Islamic sources and to have a personality built independently of and detached from the influences of the culture he is destined to fight. A person born and brought up under the shadow of a particular culture cannot in all probability, escape its effects totally, even if he leads a campaign against it. To ensure that the leader-designate is not himself influenced by the culture, he is expected to change, his personality must be built fully at a cultural stage closer in its general spirit to the system he wants to establish. Replies to the objections Back To Contents (c) His training for the mission See Question: Now we come to the third question as to how the preparation of the Awaited Saviour for his mission was completed, as he was only about five years old, when his father Imam Hasan Askari died? This age is the time of early childhood and the child is not old enough for the development of the personality of a leader? Then how did his personality develop? The answer is that several of his forefathers also assumed the Imamate at an early age. Imam Muhammad ibn Ali al-Jawad assumed it when he was only eight years old and Imam Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hadi when he was only nine. It should be observed that the phenomenon of the early Imamate reached its zenith in the case of Imam Mahdi. We call it a phenomenon, because it assumed a tangible and practical form as in the case of his forefathers. It was felt and experienced by the Muslims coming into contact with the Imam concerned. Experience of the people being the best proof of a phenomenon, we cannot be asked to give a more tangible or a more convincing proof of it. The following points will elucidate what we mean: (i) The Imamate of an Imam belonging to the Holy House was not a centre of hereditary power and influence, nor did it have the backing of any ruling regime, as was the case with the Imamate of the Fatimid caliphs and the caliphate of the Abbasid caliphs. The extensive popular support and allegiance which the Imams enjoyed was only due to their spiritual influence and the conviction of their followers that they alone deserved the leadership of Islam on spiritual and intellectual grounds. (ii) The popular bases supporting the Imamate had existed since the early days of the Islamic era. They expanded further during the time of the Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq. The school set up by them assumed the form of an extensive intellectual movement which included among its ranks, hundreds of legists, scholastic theologians, exigetists and others learned in various fields of Islamic scholarship and the humanities known at that time. Hasan ibn Ali Washsha, when visiting the Masjid of Kufa, found there 900 scholars all repeating the traditions narrated to them by Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq. [8] (iii) The qualifications which an Imam possessed, as believed in by this school and the popular bases represented by it, were very high. The Imam was judged by the standard of these qualifications to find out whether he was really fit to be an Imam. They believed that the Imam must be the most learned and wise man of his time. (iv) The school and the popular bases had to make great sacrifices for the sake of their belief in the Imamate which the contemporary governments regarded as a hostile line, at least from the ideological angle. This attitude led the then authorities to the persecution of the followers of the Imams. Many people were killed. Many others were thrown into dungeons. Hundreds died while in detention. Their belief in the Imamate of the Prophet's House used to cost them dear. The only attraction was their conviction of gaining the favour of Allah. (v) The Imams, whose Imamate these popular bases acknowledged, were not living like the kings in high towers isolated from their followers. They never segregated themselves, except when imprisoned, exiled or forcibly kept aloof by the ruling juntas. This we know for certain on the authority of a large number of reporters, who have narrated the sayings and deeds of each of the first eleven Imams. Similarly, we have a record of the correspondence exchanged between the Imams and their contemporaries. The Imams used to make journeys to various places and appointed their deputies in different parts of the Muslim world. Their supporters, also while visiting the holy places during Hajj, made it a point to call on Medina. All this meant a continuous contact between the Imams and their followers scattered all over the Muslim world. (vi) The contemporary caliphs always regarded the Imams and their spiritual leadership as a threat to themselves and their dynasty. For this reason, they did all they could, to disrupt this leadership and in pursuance of their nefarious ends, they resorted to mean and arbitrary actions. Occasionally their behaviour was too harsh and despotic. The Imams were continuously chased and kept in detention. Such actions were painful and disgusting to all the Muslims, especially to the supporters of the Imams. These six points comprise historical facts. If we take them into consideration, we can easily come to the conclusion that the early Imamate was a real fact and not a fiction. It is certain that an Imam who appeared on the scene at a very early age, who proclaimed himself to be the spiritual and intellectual leader of the Muslims and who was acknowledged to be so by a vast cross-section of the people, must have had great knowledge, competence and mastery over all branches of theology. Otherwise, the popular bases could not be convinced of his Imamate. We have already said that these bases had continuous contact with the Imams and were in a position to judge their personalities. It is not conceivable that so many people should have accepted a boy to be their Imam and should have made sacrifices for his sake without ascertaining his real worth and assessing his competence. Even if it is presumed that the people made no immediate efforts to ascertain the position, still the truth could not remain unknown for years in spite of the continuous contact between the child Imam and the people. Had he been childish in his knowledge and thinking, he would certainly have been exposed. Even if it is supposed that the popular bases of the Imamate could not discover the truth, it was easy for the government of the day to expose the child, if he had been really childish in his thinking and cultural attainments like all other children. It certainly would have been in the interest of the government of the day, to bring him before his supporters and others to prove that the was not fit to be an Imam and a spiritual and intellectual leader. It might have been difficult to prove the incompetence of a man of 40 to 50, but it would have been quite easy to prove the incompetence of an ordinary child, howsoever intelligent he might have been. Evidently, this would have been much simpler and easier than the complex and risky policy of suppression adopted by those in power at that time. The only explanation for why the government kept quiet and did not play this card is that it had realized that the early Imamate was a real phenomenon and not a concoction. The fact is that the government did attempt to play that card, but did not succeed. History tells us of such attempts and their failures, but it does not report any occasion on which the child Imam vacillated or showed signs of such embarrassment as could shake the confidence of the people believing in his early Imamate. This is what we meant when we said that the early Imamate was really a phenomenon and not a mere presumption. This phenomenon has deep roots, for there exist parallel case throughout the history of the heavenly mission and Divine leadership. We cite just one instance. "We commanded John, Zachariah's son, to follow the guidance of the Lord with due steadfastness. To John, We gave knowledge and wisdom during his childhood." (Surah Maryam, 19:12) After it has been proved that the early Imamate had been a real phenomenon already existing in the life of the people of the Prophet's House, no exception can be taken to the Imamate of Mahdi and his succession to his father while he was still a child. Replies to the objections Back To Contents (d) Reasons for his continued existence See Question: Now we come to the fourth question. Even if it is presumed that theoretically the existence of the Mahdi, with all its implication including the long life, the early Imamate and the complete occultation is possible, how can we believe that he actually exists, for a mere possibility is not enough to prove that? As the concept of Mahdi is unusual and extraordinary, the existence of a few sayings of the Holy Prophet (s), which are enshrined in the books, is not enough to prove that the existence of the Mahdi is a historical fact and not a mere presumption, which has seized the imagination of a large number of people for certain psychological reasons? The answer to this question is that this concept of the Mahdi as the Awaited Saviour who is to change the world for the better, has been mentioned in the traditions of the Holy Prophet generally and in the sayings of the Imams particularly. It has been emphasized in so many passages that there is no reason to doubt it. The number of the reports on this subject found in the books of our Sunni brethren comes to 400, [9] and the total number of the reports found in both the Shia and the Sunni sources comes to more than 6,000. [10] This is a colossal figure, unparalleled in the case of most of those Islamic issues which are not usually doubted by an Muslim. As for the embodiment of this concept in the person of the twelfth Imam, there exists enough justification to believe that. This justification can be summarized in two arguments, one being Islamic and the other Scientific. By the Islamic argument, we prove the existence of the Awaited Saviour, and by the scientific argument we prove that the Mahdi is not a mere myth but his existence is a fact proved by historical experience. As for the Islamic argument, it is represented by hundreds of traditions which have come down from the Prophet and the Imams of his House. They specify that the Mahdi will belong to the Prophet's House, will be descended from his daughter Fatima Zehra and will be the descendant of Imam Husain in the ninth generation. The traditions also say that the total number of caliphs will be twelve. Thus, the traditions give a specific shape to the general idea of the Mahdi and determine that he is none other than the twelfth Imam of the Prophet's House. The number of these traditions is very large in spite of the fact that the Imams were very reserved on this subject, for fear of an attempt on the life of the Mahdi. It is not only because of their number that we have to accept these traditions, but there are also other indications of their authenticity. According to the different versions of a tradition of the Holy Prophet, he is to be succeeded by twelve caliphs, by twelve Imams, or by twelve commanders. The total number of reports about this saying as counted by some writers exceed 270 and they are found in the most celebrated Shia and Sunni Books such as Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sahih Tirmizi, Sunan Abu Dawood, Ahmad's Musnad and Hakim's Mustadrak. It may be noted that Bukhari, who has quoted this tradition, was a contemporary of Imam Muhammad ibn Ali al-Jawad, Imam Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hadi and Imam Hasan al-Askari (the ninth, tenth, eleventh Imams respectively). This fact has great significance, for it proves that the tradition was recorded before its contents could materialize. Hence, it cannot be suspected that it is a possible reflection on the actual number of the Imams, as believed by the Twelver Shias to reinforce their belief in the twelve Imams. This is because the spurious sayings attributed to the Holy Prophet (s) refer to the events which take place earlier and the sayings come afterwards. Such sayings do not precede the events nor are they recorded in the books of tradition earlier. So long as we possess material evidence of the fact that the tradition was recorded before the number of the Imams was actually completed, we can safely say that it is not a reflection on an accomplished fact. It is only an expression of a divine truth, expressed by him who never spoke whimsically, and a prophecy which was subsequently fulfilled by the actual number of the Imams beginning with Imam Ali and ending with Imam Mahdi. As for the scientific argument, we have to state that it consists of the experience of a large number of people for a period covering about seventy years. This period is known as that of minor occultation. To elucidate the point, we propose to explain minor occultation briefly. The Minor Occultation and the scientific argument The minor occultation represents the first stage of the Imamate of the Awaited Saviour, who was destined to keep himself physically absent from the public scene, from the very inception of his Imamate, though he still continues to take an intelligent interest in what happens around him. Had this occultation come suddenly it would have been a great shock to his supporters, for they had been accustomed to be always in contact with the Imam and to consult him on their divergent problems. His sudden disappearance would have caused a big vacuum which might have absorbed and even destroyed the whole organization, for his supporters would have felt that they had been cut off from their spiritual and intellectual leadership. In order to familiarize them with the idea of occultation, and to enable them to adapt themselves to the new situation, it was felt necessary that a preparatory stage should precede the final occultation. This stage was that of minor occultation during which the Imam disappeared from the public scene, but maintained his contact with his followers through certain representatives who formed a connecting link between him and those who believed in his role as an Imam. During this period, four persons, whose piety and impeccability was recognized by all, occupied the position of the vicegerents of the Imam. They are as under: 1. Usman ibn Sa'id al 'Amravi 2. Muhammad ibn Usman 'Amravi 3. Abul Qasim Husain ibn Ruh Nawbakhti 4. Abul Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad ali-Simmari These four persons performed the duties of his vicegerents in the above order. As and when one of them died, another was duly appointed by the Mahdi to succeed him. The vicegerent was in contact with the Shias. He carried their questions to the Imam and submitted their problems to him. He also conveyed the Imam's replies to his followers. The replies used to be mostly in writing and were occasionally verbal. The people who missed the sight of the Imam, found consolation in correspondence and indirect contact. All the letters received from the Imam during the tenure of his four vicegerents, which lasted for about seventy years, were in the same hand-writing and in the same style and bore the same signature. Al-Simmari was the last vicegerent. He announced the end of the stage of the minor occultation, the distinctive feature of which was the appointment of the particular vicegerent. It was turned into the major occultation after its object had been achieved and the Shias had gradually adapted themselves to the absence of the Imam. They had been immunized against the shock and the vacuum. Following the major occultation, instead of being represented by a specially appointed vicegerent, the Imam is now represented in a general way by the qualified mujtahids, (eminent legists, capable of arriving at an independent decision on issues of religious law) having a keen insight into both the spiritual and temporal affairs. Now, in the light of the foregoing, it can easily be inferred that the existence of the Mahdi is a fact which was experienced by a large number of the people. He was represented by his vicegerents for seventy long years during which they dealt with so many people but no one observed an signs of deception in their conduct. Is it conceivable that a fraud could be continued for seventy years, by four persons, one after the other, without giving rise to the least suspicion? These four persons had no special link with each other, and no collusion between them could be suspected. Their conduct was above reproach. They gained the confidence of all and everyone believed in the genuineness of their claim and the reality of their experience. An old proverb says that truth will always come out. Events of practical life also prove that a fraud has no chance to last for such a long time in such a way. It is not possible to deal with so many people fraudulently, and at the same time to gain their confidence. Thus we know that the minor occultation is tantamount to a scientific experiment to prove the facts about the Awaited Saviour including his birth, life and occultation and the general proclamation of his major occultation, according to which he retired from the scene of life and does not disclose his identity to anyone. Replies to the objections Back To Contents (e) Reasons for delay in his appearance See Question: Why did the Saviour not appear during all this period when he had already prepared himself for the intended task? What prevented him from reappearing on the scene of life during the period of the minor occultation or immediately thereafter, instead of converting it into the major occultation? At the time it was simpler, and easier to bring about the required change. He had a good opportunity at that time to mobilize his forces and to start his work forcefully because he already had contact with the people through the organization which existed during the period of the minor occultation. Moreover, at that time the ruling powers were not so powerful as they subsequently became as a result of the scientific and industrial development?? The successful execution of a revolutionary order depends on certain prerequisites and on the existence of a particular atmosphere. Unless these conditions are fulfilled and that atmosphere is created, it cannot achieve its object. As regards the Divinely ordained shape of things, it has two aspects. As far as its missionary aspect is concerned, it being Divinely ordained, does not depend on any congenial atmosphere, but, as far as its operational side is concerned, its timing and success is linked with the conducive circumstances. The same was the reason why the pre-Islamic period of five centuries had to elapse before the Last Divine Message came to Prophet Muhammad, though the world had been in dire need of it since a far earlier time. It was delayed only because its successful completion was linked with certain suitable circumstances. The conducive circumstances, which affect the accomplishment of the change, include those which create a suitable atmosphere for it, and those which determine the right moment for the beginning of the operation. For example, the revolution which was successfully led by Lenin in Russia, was linked with certain factors, such as the out-break of the First World War and the decline of the Czarist regime. In addition, there were some minor factors also. For instance, Lenin's safe journey during which he secretly slipped into Russia. If he had met with some accident, which might have impeded his entry into that country at that time, the revolution would possibly have been delayed. It has been the unalterable practice, decreed by Allah, that the actual implem

Courtesy itaqullah. This clip is from the movie Malcolm X based on his life and struggle. When he was in Macca Malcolm X or Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabaz wrote a letter to his loyal assistants in Harlem... from his heart. --- Here is a related excerpt from Dr. Ali Shariati-s famous book HAJJ - Chapter-The Delay in Mina--- There is a two day stay over in Mina to think about your ideology and what you have done. On the 'Id day and after the sacrifice, the ceremonies are over. You must stay two more days or even three more days, if you can, in Mina. You are not supposed to leave Mina in these days - not even to return to Mecca! Why? Satan is defeated, sacrifice is offered, Ihram is removed and 'Id is celebrated! Why should more than a million people remain in this valley for two or three more days! This time allows them to think about Ha]J and understand what they have done. They can discuss their problems with people from other parts of the world who have the same faith, love, needs and ideology. Muslim thinkers and intellectuals who gather here and freedom-fighters who fight colonialism, oppression, poverty, ignorance and corruption in their homelands, get to know each other, discuss their problems, find solutions and ask for each other's help. Muslims from all over are supposed to study the dangers and conspiracies of the super-powers and their agents who have infiltrated Muslim nations. They should make resolutions to fight against brainwashing, propaganda, disunity, heresy, false religions ... and many other diseases threatening the "unity" of Muslim nations. They should offer a common and worldwide struggle to introduce Islamic facts and support the cause of freedom for colonized nations and those Muslim minorities who are under the torture of fascist regimes as well as prejudiced political groups. Through a system of cooperation and understanding and an exchange of views and feelings, the Muslim communities would be strengthened in their struggle against their common enemy. A better understanding of true Islamic doctrine can be brought about by solving some of the theological differences that exist among Muslim religious groups! http://www.al-islam.org/hajj/shariati/

This is an investigative story about Ajmal Qassab. The sole surviving Mumbai gunman. Facts show that Ajmal has no link with Farid kot and that Geo was propogating Indian agenda. The Geo went wrong by connecting him to Mumbai carnage without enough investigation.

Tehran dismisses concerns over its recent launch of a domestic satellite saying its space advancement serves no military purpose.

Israel's army is accused of war crimes after more than 1,300 Palestinians were killed in the war on Gaza. In interviews published by a leading Israeli newspaper, Israeli soldiers say killing Palestinian civilians and destroying their homes was allowed in Israels rules of engagement during the war.

Lesson 14 on Actc invalidating Wudhu from Noor al-Ahkaam English

Eid-E-Zehra or Eid-E-Shuja Celebration (Eid-E-Zahra): The extraordinary two-month period of Azadari (mourning) reaches its climax with the death of our 11th Imam, Imam Hassan Askari (as) on the 8th of Rabi al-Awwal. The day that follows, according to tradition, is the greatest Eid (celebration) for the lovers of the Ahlul Bayt (as). Known as Eid-E-Zehra, this day honours the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) as a day of great joy and happiness for the believers. One of the important things that we mark is the first official day of the leadership of our living Imam, al-Hujjat ibn Hassan al-Askari [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return]. As narrated in our Duas, Ziyaraat and traditions, the return of our 12th Imam will mark the revenge of the blood spilled in Karbala. It is with this important event that we celebrate Eid-E-Zahra and sincerely ask Allah (SWT) to hasten the return of His final proof. Through the justice that the Imam will show, this day will truly be marked as the day of Eid for Fatima al-Zahra (sa) and all her true followers. Four Historical Events of this Day of 9th Rabi al-Awwal: Narrators of history suggest four historic events which mark the day of 9th Rabi al-Awwal as significant. Firstly, some historians are of the opinion that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born on the 9th of Rabi al-Awwal. There are two other opinions: 12th Rabi al-Awwal and 17th Rabi al-Awwal respectively. For the Shia's, the most popular narration is the one which states that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born on the 17th Rabi al-Awwal 570 AD. Whatever the case, the date does not make a big difference. Because Ayatullah Ruhullah Musawi al-Khomeini (ra), the founder of the Islamic revolution had declared the week between 9th and 17th Rabi al-Awwal as "Usboo al-Wahda" meaning "the week of unity amongst Muslims." Muslims all over the world are urged to get together and celebrate (Eid-E-Milad un Nabi) the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) for the whole week. Secondly, in regards to the importance of this day, it is noted that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself was seen smiling and 'celebrating' once in the gathering in the city of Madinah on this day while in the presence of Imams Ali, Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain (as) and said, "It is on this day that Allah (SWT) will destroy your enemies and the enemies of your grandfather and it is on this day when Allah (SWT) will accept the actions of your Shia and those who love you. This is the day when the words of Allah (SWT) came true where He said (in the Glorious Qur'an): 'So those are the houses fallen down because they were unjust ...' (27:52). And this is the day when the Pharaoh (Firawn) of the time of the Ahlul Bayt was destroyed ..." Thirdly, the 9th of Rabi al-Awwal is also known as Eid-E-Zahra meaning the festival of Fatima al-Zahra (sa), because 3 to 4 years after the tragedy of Karbala, it was on this day that joy and happiness was restored in the family of Ahlul Bayt (as). From the tragedy of Karbala in 61 AH till this day, the family members of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had continuously mourned and grieved the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (as). Then Mukhtar ibn Ubaydullah al-Thaqafi, together with Ibrahim ibn Malik al-Ashtar and others rose to avenge the blood of Imam Hussain (as). They arrested every killer of karbala and executed them. Finally, Mukhtar arrested Umar ibn Saad ibn abi Waqqas (commander-in-chief of Yazeed's army at Karbala) and Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (governor of Yazeed in Kufa). He beheaded them and sent their heads to Imam Ali ibn al-Hussain al-Zainul Abideen (as) in Madina. These two heads reached the Imam Ali ibn al-Hussain al-Zainul Abideen (as) on the 9th Rabi al-Awwal and on seeing them, Imam (as) went into prostration (Sajda-E-Shukr) and said, "I thank Allah (SWT) who kept me alive to this day so that I could see the heads of the tyrants who killed my father." Imam Ali ibn al-Hussain al-Zainul Abideen (as) then instructed the members of his family to remove the clothes of mourning, adorn themselves and celebrate the day with joy and happiness. Umar ibn Saad ibn abi Waqqas (la), the killer of Imam Hussain (as) was the wretched criminal who was the first one to shoot an arrow towards Imam Hussain (as) on the 9th of Muharram al-Haram 61 AH, thus formally starting the war against Imam Hussain (as)! And he proclaimed, "O people of Kufa and Shaam, be witness hereto on the Day of Judgment, that I am the one who is the first to shoot an arrow at Hussain"! And saying this, he shot the arrow! Later, Imam Hussain (as) told them [the army of Yezeed whose commander-in-chief was this Umar ibn Saad ibn abi Waqqas (la)] after delivering an eye-opening Khutbah (sermon), that he needs to have a night for prayers! Mukhtar ibn Ubaydullah al-Thaqafi announced the aims of his revolution in Masjid-E-Kufa, "I will conform to Allah's Book and to His Prophet's Sunnah. I will take the revenge on Imam Hussain's killers. I will fight against those who have broken Allah's laws. I will defend the weak against the strong." It is only the lucky ones who have the opportunity to celebrate this Eid! This was the day; when for the first time after the massacre of his father Imam Hussain (as) and his companions that our 4th Imam, Imam Ali ibn al-Hussain al-Zainul Abideen (as) smiled! Is this not enough an excuse to celebrate? For, our joys are with the joys of Masoomeen (infallible) and our grief and sorrows are for them alone! Hence, 9th of Rabi al-Awwal is the day of glory, honour, dignity and blessings. It is a great Eid day also named as "Eid-E-Shuja." Fourth or finally, 9th Rabi al-Awwal is the first day of the Imamate of our living Imam, al-Hujjat ibn Hassan al-Askari [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return] - a day of rejoicing and celebration. It is true that an Imam is an Imam from birth but every Imam assumed the official role of his Imamate after the death of the previous Imam. The reason why we celebrate, in particular, the Imamate of our living Imam, al-Hujjat ibn Hassan al-Askari [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return] is to perhaps remind ourselves of his presence and about our responsibilities towards him. His father and our 11th Imam, Imam Hassan Askari (as) passed away on the 8th of Rabi al-Awwal 260 AH and our 12th Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return] assumed his Imamate formally at a young age of 5 years on the 9th Rabi al-Awwal 260 AH. We pray to Allah (SWT) to keep us firm on His path, and to always protect us from negligence in discharging our duties towards Him and our living Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return], and to also include us among the Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return] helpers and companions - Elahi Ameen. One of the ways which we can strive to be amongst the companions of our living Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return] is to follow the responsibilities which rest upon us, including the recitation of Dua al-Ahd (the Pledge) every morning in which we proclaim: "O' Allah, truly I renew on the dawn of this day and all the days of the remainder of my life my pledge, covenant and allegiance to him, as my obligation, which I shall neither contravene, nor neglect ... O' Allah include me among his helpers, defenders, those fulfilling his wishes and commands, his defenders, the fore-runners to carry out his intentions and those to be martyred in his presence ... O' Allah: make him the refuge for Your oppressed servants; a helper for him who has no other helper besides You; the reviver of the commandments of Your book which have been neglected; the strengthener of the sciences in Your religion, and the traditions of Your Prophet. May Allah's blessing be upon him and his progeny." Hadith about Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi [may Allah (SWT) hasten his return]:"The world will not come to an end," said the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), "until a man from my family (Ahlul Bayt) and of my name shall be master of the world, When you see a green ensign coming from the direction of Khorasan, then join them, for the Imam of God will be with the standards who will be called Al-Mahdi." Last but not least: Ahmad ibn Ishaq al-Qummi was a great companion of our 11th Imam, Imam Hassan Askari (as). On the 9th Rabi al-Awwal, Muhammad Hamadani and Yahya Baghdadi came to visit him and were informed that Ahmad ibn Ishaq al-Qummi was busy performing Ghusl (Ablution) for that day. When they inquired what the Ghusl was about, they were told that Ahmad ibn Ishaq al-Qummi had heard from 10th Imam, Imam Hadi (as), who said: "9th of Rabi al-Awwal is the day of Eid. It is our greatest Eid and the Eid of our followers." After performing his Ghusl Ahmad ibn Ishaq al-Qummi said to the two visiting men: "I have performed Ghusl because today is the Eid of 9th Rabi al-Awwal. I visited Imam Hassan Askari (as) on this day and noticed that his ring was shinning. The people of his household wore new clothes and had applied perfume. When I asked the reason, Imam Hassan Askari (as) said, 'Today is 9th Rabi al-Awwal. It is the day of Eid for us and for our followers'". (Chauda Sitaare) Recommended Acts on the day of Eid-E-Zehra (Eid-E-Zahra) or Eid-E-Shuja: On the 9th of Rabi al-Awwal, it is highly recommended to: Perform Ghusl (Ablution). Wear new clothes. Apply perfume. Hold gatherings to praise Allah (SWT), His Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the Ahlul Bayt (as).

The message of H. E. Ayatullah Khamenei to the Hajj pilgrims from the whole world In the Name of God the Beneficent the Merciful Once again the Land of Revelation has gathered legions of true-believers for its annual banquet. In the birthplace of Islam and the Holy Qur’an, eager hearts from throughout the world are now engaged in such rites which indeed show a sign of the eternal lesson of Islam and the Holy Qur’an to mankind: symbolic steps for implementing and applying such a lesson. The aim of this great lesson is to ensure the eternal salvation and dignity of mankind by training righteous people and establishing a righteous society; people who worship the One and Only God in their hearts and in practice and cleanse themselves from polytheism, moral impurities and deviant desires, and a society built out of justice, freedom, faith, vitality and all the other signs of life and progress. The main elements for such personal and social training are incorporated in the Hajj. Going into ihram and leaving individual distinctions behind, abstaining from many carnal joys and desires, circumambulating around the symbol of monotheism and praying in the Place of Ibrahim the Idol-breaker and the Self-Sacrificing, the hurrying between the two hills, finding tranquility in Arafat among the great numbers of monotheists from every color and ethnic background to passing the night in prayer and supplication in al-Mash`ar al-Haram with a fondness for God in one's heart, devoting one’s heart and soul to God the Almighty in such a congested crowd, being present in Mina and stoning the satanic symbols, the meaningful concretization of sacrificing and feeding the poor and the wayfarer are all aimed at training, practicing and reminding us of it. In this perfect ritual, sincerity, purity of heart and disentanglement from materialistic engagements, endeavor, resilience, intimacy and seclusion with God, unity, concordance, homogeneity, adorning the soul and heart, committing the heart to solidarity with the great body of the Muslim Ummah, humility before the Ultimate Truth, firmness against falsehood, soaring in the desire for the hereafter and the firm resolution to adorn the world are all interwoven and constantly practiced: « وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ رَبَّنا آتِنا فِي الدُّنْيا حَسَنَةً وَ فِي الآْخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَ قِنا عَذابَ النَّارِ ». And among them there are those who say, “Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the Fire.” This way, the Honored Kaaba and the Hajj rituals contribute to the resilience and the uprising of human societies and are filled with benefit and enjoyment for all mankind: «جَعَلَ اللَّهُ الْكَعْبَةَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرامَ قِياماً لِلنَّاس‏» «ليَشْهَدُوا مَنافِعَ لَهُمْ وَ يَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُوماتٍ‏» Allah has made the Kaaba, the Sacred House, a means of sustenance for mankind… That they may witness the benefits for them, and mention Allah's Name during the known days. Today, Muslims from all countries and races should appreciate the value of this great ritual more than before and benefit from it, for the horizon is brighter than ever in the eyes of the Muslim Ummah and the hope for reaching the goals Islam has envisaged for individuals and societies is greater than ever. If, in the last two centuries the Muslim Ummah got disintegrated and was defeated in the confrontation with the Western materialistic civilization and the atheist schools of thought of both the right and the left, today, in the 15th century of the Lunar Hegira, it is the economic and political theories of the West that are paralyzed and fading away. Today, as a result of the Muslims' reawakening and the retrieval of their identity and with the resurgence of monotheistic ideas and the logic of justice and divinity, a new dawn of prosperity and glory has begun for Muslims. Those who, in the not-so-distant past, were singing the tune of despair and believed that not only Islam and Muslims but also the foundations of spirituality and religiosity had been lost in the invasion of the Western civilization, are now today witnessing the resurgence of Islam and the revival of the Holy Qur’an as well as the gradual debilitation and collapse of those invaders, confirming all this with their tongues and hearts. I say with full confidence that this is only the beginning and the complete fulfillment of the divine promise of the victory of truth over falsehood, the reconstruction of the Ummah of the Qur’an and the new Islamic civilization are on the way: «وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الأَْرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَ لَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضى‏ لَهُمْ وَ لَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً يَعْبُدُونَنِي لا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئاً وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذلِكَ فَأُولئِكَ هُمُ الْفاسِقُونَ» Allah has promised those of you who have faith and do righteous deeds that He will surely make them successors in the earth, just as He made those who were before them successors, and He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and that He will surely change their state to security after their fear, while they worship Me, not ascribing any partners to Me. And whoever is ungrateful after that it is they who are the transgressors. The first and foremost sign of this inescapable promise was the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the establishment of the glorious Islamic system which turned Iran into a strong fortress for the idea of Islamic rule and civilization. The birth of this miraculous phenomenon amidst the height of the materialism and Islamophobia of rightist and leftist politicians and thinkers, and then its resistance against political, military, economic and propaganda strikes coming from all directions, gave rise to the creation of new hope and passion in the hearts of Muslims. With the passage of time and by the grace of God the Almighty, the strength and capabilities of the Islamic Revolution have increased and the hope it created is now more deeply rooted than ever. Over the last thirty years, the Middle East and Muslim countries in Asia and Africa have been the arenas where this victorious struggle is taking place: Palestine and the Islamic Intifada and the emergence of a Muslim Palestinian government; Lebanon and the historic victory of Hizbollah and the Islamic resistance against the arrogant bloodthirsty Zionist regime; Iraq and the establishment of a Muslim and populist government on the ruins of the atheist regime and the dictator Saddam; Afghanistan and the humiliating defeat of the Communist occupiers and their puppet government; the defeat and failure of all the plots hatched by arrogant America to dominate the Middle East; the incurable problems and chaos inside the usurper Zionist regime; the prevalence of the Islam-seeking masses in all or most of the neighboring countries and especially among the youth and intellectuals; the amazing scientific and technological progress in Islamic Iran achieved under severe economic sanctions and embargoes; the defeat of warmongers in America in the political and economic arenas and Muslim minorities' regaining their true identity and dignity in most of the Western countries. These are all clear indications of the triumph and advancements of Islam in its struggle against its enemies in this century that is the 15th century of Lunar Hegira. Brothers and sisters! These victories are all the fruits of jihad and sincerity. When the voice of God was heard from the lips of His servants, and the resoluteness and strength of the fighters of the true path were deployed and when the Muslims fulfilled their promise to God the Exalted and the Almighty fulfilled His promise in response, the path of history was changed: « أَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُم‏» «إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ وَ يُثَبِّتْ أَقْدامَكُمْ » «ً وَ لَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيز» «إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنا وَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا وَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الأَْشْهادُ» Fulfill My covenant that I may fulfill your covenant, and be in awe of Me alone. If you help Allah, He will help you and make your feet steady. Allah will surely help those who help Him. Indeed Allah is all-Strong, all-Mighty. Indeed We shall help Our apostles and those who have faith in the life of the world and on the day when the witnesses rise up. But this is still the beginning. Muslim nations still face treacherous roads ahead. One can never survive them unless one is equipped with the power of faith, sincerity, hope and jihad as well as insight and patience. This path cannot be taken with despair and pessimism, apathy and lack of spirit, impatience, lethargy and disbelief in the fulfillment of the divine promise. The wounded enemy is now resorting to anything and will spare no effort to strike back. We need to be resourceful, wise and to take advantage of opportunities. This way all the efforts of the enemy will fail. In the last thirty years, the enemies, mostly the US and Zionism, have been utilizing all their capacities but have failed miserably. The same thing will happen in the future, too, inshallah. The severity and intensity of the enemy's actions usually show just how weak and imprudent he is. Look at Palestine and especially Gaza. The cruel and ruthless acts of the enemy, which are unprecedented in the history of human atrocities, are indicative of his weakness in overcoming the firm resolve of men, women and children who, with their empty hands, are standing against the Occupant Regime and its supporter, the superpower called America; they have spurned its demand which is to reject the Hamas government. May God the Almighty’s blessings be showered upon this resolute and great nation. The people of Gaza and the Hamas government have given meaning to the following everlasting verses of the Holy Qur’an which says: «وَ لَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَ الْجُوعِ وَ نَقْصٍ مِنَ الأَْمْوالِ وَ الأَْنْفُسِ وَ الثَّمَراتِ وَ بَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ *الَّذِينَ إِذا أَصابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ راجِعُونَ *أُولئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَواتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَ رَحْمَةٌ وَ أُولئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ» و «لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوالِكُمْ وَ أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَ لَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَذىً كَثِيراً وَ إِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَ تَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ ذلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الأُْمُورِ». We will surely test you with a measure of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth, lives, and fruits; and give good news to the patient. Those who, when an affliction visits them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him do we indeed return." It is they who receive the blessings of their Lord and His mercy, and it is they who are the rightly guided. You will surely be tested in your possessions and your souls, and you will surely hear from those who were given the Book before you and from the polytheists much affront; but if you are patient and God wary, that is indeed the steadiest of courses. Truth will emerge triumphant in its battle with falsehood and it is the oppressed and steadfast nation of Palestine that will ultimately be victorious over the enemy. «وَ كانَ اللَّهُ قَوِيًّا عَزِيزاً » And Allah is all-Strong, all-Mighty. Even today, the enemy has failed to break the resistance of the Palestinians. The claims of freedom and democracy and the slogans of human rights have turned out to be nothing but lies. This has greatly disgraced the US and most European regimes; disgraces from which they will not be able to recover soon. The infamous Zionist regime is more notorious than before and some Arab regimes have lost their honor and reputation which they did not have in this test. وَ سَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ السلام علی عباد الله الصالحین Sayyed Ali Husainy Khamenei From Sahar TV - English

Blood and Oil Middle East in WWI Pt 1Part 1 - Surprise Attack. Enver Pasha, minister of war for the Ottoman Empire, agrees to a secret alliance with Germany in August 1914. Istanbul mobilizes its army but remains neutral for nearly three months. Eager for a fight against Russia, Enver orders the Turkish Black Sea Fleet to bombard Russian seaports on October 29th. The Triple Entente -- France, Russia and Great Britain -- reacts swiftly and declares war against the Turks within a week. Except for the Dardanelles/Gallipoli campaigns, the extensive combat operations in the Middle East during World War I have been largely overlooked in documentary programs. Given the historical significance of the Ottoman Empire's demise in 1918, and the ongoing importance of Middle Eastern oil reserves to Western economies, a close study of this conflict provides two important lessons: 1. The Treaty of Versailles, agreed to by the Western Powers in 1919, paved the way for military and political chaos in the Middle East, which continues to this very day. 2. Oil reserves in the Middle East became an important strategic concern for Western Powers, helping to justify their economic, diplomatic and military interference in the region. After the end of World War I, most of the Ottoman Empire was carved up into "spheres of influence", controlled mostly by the British and French. The remaining territories became the modern state of Turkey in 1923 -- after a five-year struggle by Turkish nationalists against Western domination. With little regard for cultural, historical, religious and demographic considerations, the West sponsored the creation of several new nations: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Thus, a "tinderbox" was built from Western greed, igniting a multitude of wars, revolts, coups and military occupations that truly have made the defeat of the Ottoman Empire little more than a hollow victory.