Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

You seem to be writing doctrine of holy Quran , but always quoting the tampered versions of hadith to suit your explanations.Well in the beginning I was impressed by your lectures but later when you advised that attending mailis e hussain is biddet then it became clear that you are in the folds of wahabies.You people have tampered some of the important hadith and wishes of Rasulallah (SWS) like the first three caliphs, for mere worldly gains.You wouldn't be reciting the holy Quran today if Imam Hussain had sccumb to Yazid's demand, like the Muslim umat of that era had accepted Yazid's( the scum of earth) preaching.My dear, Imam Hussain has set an example for us to follow the path of Allah alone, and never to bow down against any power in this world.Imam Hussain's family and companions were tortured in hunger and thirst and then all the men were slain and butchered and women harrassed by the Yazid's army . Imam Hussain faced all the sufferings as to hold pillars of Islam firm as were laid by Rasulallah (SWS).Allah forbid, if at any junction an army of kafars isolate you with your family and ,butcher your children, molest your females and play with your father's amputated head, will you stop wailing.Will you not think of that incident and grieve again and again in life. Yes,you will, because you are a human being and biologically emotions are within you.You cant suppress emotions, they are to be let out.Hence, whenever we revive the incident of Karbala, we wail, as it is very natural.By hearing the incidence of karbala, we can asses the love of Allah that is within us.The incidence of martyrs of Karbala incites the Islamic values within us and as a result we tend to refrain from sins.Rasulallah (SWS) has always preached every minute detail under the command of Allah, he never ever include any act of worship on his own or by copying neither Jews or christens.How did you ever come up with the idea that Rasulallah (SWS) liked the way Jews fasted on 10th of Moharram and hence he observed it.You people are sick and enemies of ''Ahle Baith'' ( moulana Ali (RA), Ma Fatema Zehra (RA)and his descendents) like the first 3 caliphas,you can distort all the hadith and Raulallah's wishes that referred to Ahle Baith.These atrocities on Ahle Baith by the so called custodians of Islam, have culminated to fragmentation of Islam. May Allah again bring us all under the umbrella of true teaching of Islam as preached by Rasulallah (SWS).

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

ANSWER:

Quoting Tampered Hadiths.

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

A brother had asked very similar questions to your questions, and I am posting you the answers to those questions as well. We will try to address all the balance issues of your questions/comments at the end of this article, Insha Allah.

Your comment: Whether Weeping is in human’s nature and its attachment is with the heart or not?

Your comment: If someone is put to death by torture, whom we love, then, will we weep in his respect or not?

Weeping is indeed embedded in human nature and its attachment is indeed with the heart. The act of weeping is beyond the control of one whose heart is pained by some calamity. Weeping and crying with the eyes is not prohibited in Islam, but what is prohibited is wailing and beating one’s self with his hands, etc. This act of wailing was specifically prohibited by the Messenger of Allah (saws).

It is reported in an authentic narration that the Prophet (saws) said: "Allah does not punish a person for shedding tears or feeling pain in his heart. But He does punish, though he may show mercy, because of (what he utters with) this," and then he (saws) pointed to his tongue.

The Prophet (saws) wept on the death of his son, Ibrahim, and said: "The eyes shed tears and the heart feels pain, but we utter only what pleases our Lord. O Ibrahim! We are aggrieved at your demise." He (saws) also wept when his grand daughter, Umaymah, daughter of Zainab, died, and said, "This (weeping) is the mercy that Allah has placed in the hearts of His servants. And surely Allah bestows mercy upon those who are merciful among His servants."

It is reported that the Prophet (saws) said: "Four practices of the pre-Islamic days of Ignorance will continue to be practiced by my ummah: taking pride in one's parentage, giving a person a father other than his own genealogical father, believing that rain is caused by some stars, and wailing over the dead." He (saws) further said: "A mourner, unless she repents before her death, will be raised on the Day of Judgement wearing a garment of tar and an armor of blistering puss."

Your comment: If on the day of Eid, any death occurs in our family, shall we celebrate that day as a Eid?

Your comment: Is it suitable to celebrate Marriage, Birthday or any other function in the month of Muharram?

Your comment: Do we celebrate or do we attend such happy occasion when there is a death of our beloved?

If a death occurs in the our family on the day of Eid, obviously, we will be sad and thus not celebrate the Eid. But that does not mean that every year on the day of Eid, he gathers his friends and family and mourns and wails and beats himself in memory of the dead person.

The Messenger of Allah said in an authentic narration: “Any person who believes in Allah and the Last Day, is not allowed to mourn for more than three days. Except if the husband dies, then the mourning period for his wife/wives is four months and ten days.”

Your comment: If someone is put to death by torture, whom we love, then, will we weep in his respect or not?

Your comment: If Prophet Muhammad (P.) can weep on Hazrat Husain (p), Why can’t we?

There is not a muslim in this world who is not grieved and saddened at the torturous and agonizing ‘shahaadah’ of Imam Hussain ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and his ‘ahle-bayt’. Whenever a muslim reads about that painful day, his heart feels pain and his eyes shed tears. Indeed, what happened to Imam Hussain (r.a.) and his family, and the way they were brutally murdered in hunger and thirst, is one of the darkest recorded pages in the annuls of Islamic history. May Allah honor the martyrs of Karbala and grant them the highest level in Paradise, and take full retribution from the people who murdered them. Ameen.

But whatever happened on that tumultuous day in Karbala, it does not allow people today to gather and wail, sing sad poetry in congregation, and beat themselves with their hands and blades! However sad and depressed we might be, we cannot do anything against the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws). This act and type of wailing was absolutely prohibited by the Messenger of Allah (saws), nor did he ever do anything of this sort when his beloved uncle Hadrat Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib (r.a.) was brutally murdered and his body cut open in the Battle of Uhud. After Hadrat Hamza (r.a.) was killed by the spear of Habashi, the enemies of Allah, dismembered and cut away his ears and his nose. Then, Hind bint Utbah, the wife of Abu Sufyan, ordered that the body of Hadrat Hamza (r.a.) be torn open, and she, in her revenge and anger, tried to take a bite from the actual flesh of Hadrat Hamza’s (r.a.) heart!

We cannot imagine the pain and grief of the Messenger of Allah (saws), when he heard about this, but he did not organize a ‘matam’ for Hadrat Hamza! Nor did he (saws) ever gather all his family and friends in the mosque every year on the anniversary of the death of Hadrat Hamza (r.a.), and start wailing, and singing ‘marseeyas’, and start beating himself on his chest! Nor did he ever gather all his companions in the mosque every year, and repeat the story and legend of the martyrdom of Hadrat Hamza (r.a.) and 70 of his companions on the anniversary of the Day of Uhud!

Yes, all muslims are sad and their hearts feel pain at the martyrdom of Hadrat Hamza (r.a.), at the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (r.a.) and every other martyr who gave his life in the cause of Allah. But we do, what our beloved Prophet (saws) commanded us to do! We pray for them, and beg Allah to grant them an honorable place in Paradise. We implore Allah, that he make our ‘imaan’ strong, and supplicate Allah to choose us among his martyrs.

The ‘majaalees of matam’ that we see today was started many years after the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (r.a.). Some unscrupulous people used the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain (r.a.) and his family in Karbala to give fiery speeches to make mere political and monetary gains! Today in the name of Imam Hussain (r.a.) they organize a huge business, gather people, organize food, pay the ‘speakers’ to give fiery and glowing speeches, pay the singers of ‘maraseeyahs’: all in the name of ‘ibaadah’ and Islam!!

And these unscrupulous leaders have been successful in breaking up the one ‘ummah’ or community of Islam into various sects, each with its own set of beliefs and narratives. They have been successful in taking a small percentage of muslims and brain-washed them into worshipping and invoking Personalities in Islam, rather than invoking the One and Only Allah. They have been successful in taking away the simple guidance of the Holy Quran away from these muslims.

Just look at the Anger and Wrath of Allah described on those who break up their religion into sects:

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-55: And you all belong to one and the same ummah, and I (Allah) am your Lord; so fear Me Alone! Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects, and each sect rejoicing in what it has. Well, leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time. What? Do they think that, by continuing to provide them with wealth and children, We are solicitous for their welfare? Nay, they do not understand the reality of the matter!

If one were to read and understand the Holy Quran, even only once, he would realize soon enough, that the Only Being worthy of worship and invocation is Allah Alone. These same leaders claim again and again that the Glorious Quran cannot be understood by everybody! These same leaders claim that the Holy Quran can only be understood by them, and thus anybody who wants to understand the Quran must come to them! These same leaders claim that the Quran is full of hints and innuendoes and if not understood through them, you will be misguided!

But Allah says several times (at least 25 times) that the Quran and its message is easy, plain, direct and simple to understand.

The choice is very simple: Do we take Allah’s word as Supreme, or do we take the word of these self-made leaders?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 12 Surah Yusuf verse 1-2: Alif. Laam/ Raa. These are the verses of the Book that makes its object perfectly clear. We have sent it down as a Quran in Arabic, so that you may understand it well.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 89: We have sent down to you this Book, which makes everything plain, and is a guidance, blessing and good news to those who have surrendered themselves entirely.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 19 Surah Maryam verse 97: O Mohamed, We have made this Quran easy, and sent it down in your tongue so that you should give good news to the pious and warn the stubborn people.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anam verse 70: And leave alone those who have taken their ‘deen’ as a sport and past time, and have been deluded by the life of this world. Nevertheless, you go on admonishing them by reciting the Quran to them, lest any person should be seized because of his own deeds; and that too, at a time, when there would be no protector, no helper and no intercessor to rescue him from Allah; when no conceivable amount of ransom would be accepted from him. This is because such people shall be seized, in consequence of what they themselves had earned.

May Allah give us the wisdom and the courage to read and understand the simple message of the Holy Quran. May Allah guide us, and help us to take guidance from the plain and easy message of the Glorious Quran. May Allah make the ‘ummah’ of muslims as one ‘ummah’, and take full retribution from all these self-made leaders and self-proclaimed holy men, who have broken Islam into pieces and sects.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-56: And you all belong to one and the same ummah, and I(Allah) am your Lord; so fear Me Alone! Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects, and each sect rejoicing in what it has. Well, leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time. What? Do they think that, by continuing to provide them with wealth and children, We are solicitous for their welfare? Nay, they do not understand the reality of the matter!

We will try to answer your specific questions or comments:

Your comment: You seem to be writing doctrine of holy Quran , but always quoting the tampered versions of hadith to suit your explanations.

Brother, we endevour to only quote the ahaadith of the Messenger of Allah (saws) which are authentic. And Allah is our witness, we have not tampered with any of the hadiths of the Messenger of the Allah. Now you have accused us of quoting ‘tampered versions of hadith’, and we challenge you or any brother on the forum to state which hadith quoted by us has been tampered with! May Allah forgive us all.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 27 Surah Al Naml verse 64: Bring forth your evidence, if indeed what you say is the Truth!

Your comment: You people have tampered some of the important hadith and wishes of Rasulallah (SWS) like the first three caliphs, for mere worldly gains.

Allah will not hold you or me accountable for the deeds of the first three caliphs, or, for that matter anybody else who has passed away.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 134: They were a people who passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned, and you shall have the reward of what you will earn. And you will not be questioned as to what they did.

We swear by Allah, we have not, and we do not intend to make one penny from this forum! This forum was created for the Pleasure of Allah and the Propagation of the True Deen of Islam to our Dawoodi Bohra brethren, and anybody else who cares to give a serious ear to the words of Allah in the Holy Quran, and the authentic narrations of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

We seek our reward with our Lord and Creator, Allah Alone. We have absolutely no copyright on any of our articles and the brothers and sisters are welcome to copy, forward, send, save, publish, participate, or do whatever else they deem fit with the Message of Truth! Thus if anybody has made a penny out of this forum, Allah is our witness, we are unaware of it!

Your comment: You wouldn't be reciting the holy Quran today if Imam Hussain had sccumb to Yazid's demand, like the Muslim umat of that era had accepted Yazid's( the scum of earth) preaching.

To understand the situation, we will just try and give an overview of the Islamic political landscape after the death of the Prophet (saws) and the first four Khalifas. After the death of Hadrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), Muawiya took over the position of Khalifa after an agreement with Hadrat Hassan bin Ali (r.a.), who basically abdicated because in his opinion and wisdom, enough bloodshed and disputes had already taken place between muslims, and he did not want the Muslim ummah to suffer any further.

But after the death of Muawiya, and against Islamic principles of transfer of Khilaafa, Muawiya appointed his son Yazid to be the leader. Now Imam Hussain(r.a.) and the other big and noble companions of the Prophet (saws), did not agree with the transfer of leadership of the muslims like a king nominates his son!! They argued rightly that this principle of transfer of leadership was un-Islamic and refused to give "bayt" to the new leadership of Yazid. The leadership of the muslims should be left to the muslims, and they should decide who was the most capable. But Yazid did not want to listen to reason, and waged a war against the people who he thought "revolted" against his leadership, and sought to take the "bayt" of Imam Hussain(r.a.) by force. Imam Hussain (r.a.) took up the challenge and sacrificed his life to implement an Islamic principle, and he was absolutely right, as said in the books of history by all the eminent Islamic scholars, whether they are Shias or Sunnis. The other leading companions of the Prophet (saws) did not acknowledge Yazid as the Khalifa either, but did not take a stand like Imam Hussain(r.a.). History has witnessed that these companions of the Prophet (saws) never gave "bayt" to Yazid, but they did not openly come up against him either, and Allah will judge them for their intentions and deeds accordingly. But Imam Hussain(r.a.), being a good muslim, would not allow Yazid to take over the leadership against the Islamic principle of transfer of Khilafaat from father to son, and realized the implementation of this principle for future generations. And thus he gave up his life to implement the proper and Islamic principle of transfer of Khilafaat and refused to give "bayt" to the leadership of Yazid. But Yazid, in his hunger for power and leadership, did what kings do, and crushed the "rebellion". And Allah Alone Knows Best what conspired. Allah will reward Imam Hussain (r.a.) for what he did, and Allah will judge Yazid for what he did. But be rest assured, Allah will not ask us about them!

What I do not understand here, is, you say that I, or I assume the muslims would not be reciting the Quran today, if Imam Hussain (r.a.) had succumbed to Yazid’s demand! The collection and compilation of the Glorious Quran was not done by Imam Hussain (r.a.), as it was done years before him in the term of the 2^nd and 3^rd Khalifas, and in the life time of Imam Ali bin Abi Taalib (r.a.). The Holy Quran is a book of guidance revealed by Allah for all of mankind, and the revelations were all completed before the death of the Prophet (saws). And at no time in the history of Islam, has the Quran been threatened with annihilation!, simply because Allah has promised in the Holy Quran to protect the Quran Himself.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 15 Surah Al Hijr verse 9: It is We (Allah), Who has sent down this Quran, and We Ourselves will preserve it!

Your comment: My dear, Imam Hussain has set an example for us to follow the path of Allah alone, and never to bow down against any power in this world.

I could not agree more with you here! No one, absolutely no one, deserves that we bow down to him, except Allah, the Lord of the Universe! If anybody claims that Prophet Mohamed (saws), Imam Ali (r.a.), Hadrat Fatema (r.a.), Imam Hasan ibn Ali (r.a.) Imam Hussain (r.a.) or any other true muslim ever bowed down to anybody else other than Allah, is a LIAR! No one deserves this right and act of worship except Allah Subhanah Alone, and anyone who gives up this right of ‘sajdah’ to anybody, and bows to any other thing or being with Allah, is guilty of the heinous crime of ‘Shirk’!(associating partners in God-head with Allah).

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Fusselat verse 37: Do not do ‘sajdah’ to the sun and the moon, but do ‘sajdah’ to that Allah, Who Created them, if you really are indeed His worshippers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 13 Surah Raad verse 15: For it is Allah Alone before whom everything in the heavens and the earth do ‘sajdah’ willingly or un-willingly. Even the shadows of all things do ‘sajdah’ to Allah in the morning and evening!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 48-50: And don’t they observe anything created by Allah: how it casts its shadow right and left, doing its ‘sajdah’ to Allah Alone? Thus do all things express their humility to Allah. All the animate creation in the heavens and the earth and all the angels do ‘sajdah’ in adoration to Allah Alone. They do not show any arrogance at all, and fear their Lord, Who is above them, and do whatever they are bidden by Allah.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 77: O you who believe, do ‘rukoo’ and ‘sajdah’ to Allah Alone, worship Allah Alone, and do righteous deeds. It may be that you attain true success.

Your comment: Rasulallah (SWS) has always preached every minute detail under the command of Allah, he never ever include any act of worship on his own or by copying neither Jews or christens. How did you ever come up with the idea that Rasulallah (SWS) liked the way Jews fasted on 10th of Moharram and hence he observed it.

The two authentic ahaadith that we quoted are listed below:

It has been reported in an authentic narration that when the Prophet came to Madinah and found the Jews fasting on the day of 'Aashurah’. He asked them: “What is this fast?” They said: “A great day. Allah saved Moses and the tribes of Israel from their enemies on this day and therefore, Moses fasted on this day.” The Prophet (saws) said: “We (muslims) have more of a right to Moses than you,” so he fasted on that day also and ordered the people to fast on that day.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) fasted on the day of 'Aashurah and ordered the people to fast on it. The people said: “O Messenger of Allah, it is a day that the Jews and Christians honor.” The Prophet (saws) said, “When the following year comes--Allah willing--we shall fast on the ninth (of Muharram also).” The death of the Prophet came before the following year."

The reference of the first hadith is Sahih Al Bukhari 6.261, and was reported by Ibn Abbas (r.a.)

The reference of the second hadith is Sahih Muslim 2528, and was reported by Abdulla ibn Abbas (r.a.).

If you read the hadiths carefully, it does not say that the Prophet (saws) copied the fasting of Aashoora from the Jews and Christians. The Prophet (saws) himself used to fast on the 10^th of Muharram before Prophethood, and when he saw that the Jews and Christians fasting on that day too, he declared that he would fast the following year on the 9^th also, so that the muslims would be different from the practice of the Jews and the Christians.

And brother, we did ‘not come up with the idea’, but quoted only the authentic hadiths from the books of hadiths. And Allah be praised, both the hadiths are quoted by a narrator who is accepted and revered by the whole Ummah of Islam, whether they are Shias or Sunnis!

Your comment: You people are sick and enemies of ''Ahle Baith'' ( moulana Ali (RA), Ma Fatema Zehra (RA)and his descendents) like the first 3 caliphas,you can distort all the hadith and Raulallah's wishes that referred to Ahle Baith.

Allah Alone will decide on the Day of Judgement, who was on the True and Straight Path of Islam and who was astray. Allah Alone will decide who followed the example of the ‘ahle-bayt’, and who invoked and worshipped them instead! Allah Alone will decide who followed the words and Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), and who distorted his Sunnah! And Allah Alone will decide who followed the path shown by the Glorious Quran, and who followed the path shown by their self-made leaders and self-proclaimed holy-men!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzab verse 66-68: On the Day their faces are rolled about on the Fire, they will say, “Would that we had obeyed Allah and His Messenger!” And they will say, “O our Lord, we obeyed our CHIEFS and our GREAT MEN, and they led us astray from the Right Path. O our Lord, give them a double chastisement and curse them severely”.

Your comment: These atrocities on Ahle Baith by the so called custodians of Islam, have culminated to fragmentation of Islam.

I beg to differ on this statement of yours. Alhamdolillah, the majority of the muslims stayed on the Straight Path, as shown by Allah and His Messenger (saws). A minority of the ‘ummah’ of Islam (maybe 5-10%) took the ‘shahaadat’ of Imam Hussain ibn Ali (r.a.) and his ‘ahle-bayt’ and used it to further their own political gain. Today almost all of the fragmentation in Islam is in the segment who claim to be the true lovers of Hadrat Ali (r.a.), Hadrat Fatema (r.a.), and their descendants! There are so many sects and creeds in these supposed ‘lovers of Hadrat Ali (r.a.)’, that they themselves do not agree, nor pray with each other! Each one has its own leader, whom they follow blindly; The Ayatollahs, the Aga Khoees, The Druze Imam, The Aga Khan, The Itna-ashari Dai, The Sulaimani Dai, The Dawoodi Bohra Dai, etc. etc. And the one thing common between all of them, is that all their leaders claim that they are either the direct descendants of Imam Hussain(r.a.), or they are his appointed Dai’s. Thus only they and their families have been exclusively appointed to understand and preach the Quran!! Almost all of them are unanimous in preaching that the knowledge of the Quran can only be acquired by them or their family members, and thus the followers are not allowed the read and understand the simple message of guidance from the Glorious Quran themselves! May Allah take full retribution from the people who broke this One Ummah of Islam into sects and creeds, and who intentionally keep the simple and clear guidance of the Holy Quran away from the common muslims.

Allah says in Chapter 45 Surah Al-Jathiyah aayat 17: "Then they differed amongst themselves after the knowledge (of Islam) had come to them, only because they wanted to wrong one another. Your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning the matters in which they have been differing."

Just look at the Anger and Wrath of Allah described on those who break up their religion into sects:

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-56: And you all belong to one and the same ummah, and I(Allah) am your Lord; so fear Me Alone! Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects, and each sect rejoicing in what it has. Well, leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time. What? Do they think that, by continuing to provide them with wealth and children, We are solicitous for their welfare? Nay, they do not understand the reality of the matter!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rome verse 31-32: … and turn wholly towards Allah, and fear Him, and establish Salah, and do not be of the ‘mushriks’ (people who invoke others with Allah), who have set up their separate creeds and divided themselves into sects, each sect rejoicing in what it has.

Dear Brother, we hope we have made ourselves extremely clear and given you enough evidence from the Holy Quran. Allah guides whomever He wills and leaves to stray whomever He wills!

May Allah guide us all to read and understand the Holy Quran, so that we can determine the Right and Straight Path of Islam from its guidance. May Allah give us the wisdom that Islam means to submit our will to that of Allah, and not to that of some self-proclaimed leader! May Allah have mercy on all of us and guide us all to Abd-Allah (slaves of Allah), rather than Abd-Syedna (slaves of Syedna)

May Allah guide you and us all to the Siraat al-Mustaqeem

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan