Ajmal Masroor: Over the next three days Muslims all over the world would be fasting to thank God for saving the Jewish people from the tyranny of Pharaoh in Egypt. Muslims would be showing their gratitude to God for sending Moses, one of the greatest prophets, to have lead the Jewish people from the enslavement by the Egyptian tyrants. They would stand in expressing solidarity with the pains and suffering of the Jewish tribes at the hands of the brutal tyrants. They would fast, offer extra prayers and reflect on the moment when Moses and the Jewish tribes crossed the parted Red sea. What a miracle it must have been! It may seem implausible to some people but for those of us who have faith in God, we believe, for God it was simply a command and his creation simply submitted. The irony is the mighty Red sea readily submitted to the command of God but Pharaoh refused. In fact he claimed to be “the supreme God”. His arrogance and desire for power and control caused his ultimate demise. The submissive sea swallowed him and his entire entourage. His mummified body still remains a sign for those who may equally desire to reject God and cause tyranny! God changed the nature of the sea and made it separate and the powerful waves of the sea along with its weighty volumes of water to stand still until the Jewish people had safely crossed. God wished his messenger Moses to deliver the Jewish people freedom and liberty, he wished them to have spiritual salvation and send down to them the Torah as a guide. He gifted them heavenly food – “manna and salwa”. He gushed forth many springs from the earth for them to quench their thirst and have access to clean water. God showered the people of Moses with all the worldly and heavenly blessings. Only thing God wanted in return was for them to live a Godly life and be good to their fellow human beings. Moses is no longer with us but his teachings of freedom, liberty, justice, fairness, Godliness and morality live on. His traditions have been passed down through generations and upheld by the great Prophets who followed him including, the great king Dawud (David), the mighty Sulaiman (Solomon), the guardian of Maryam (Merry) Zakariya (Zachariah), the miraculous I’sa (Jesus) and the final messenger Muhammad (peace be upon them all). Fasting on these days are not to be taken lightly, for the defeat of Pharoah marked the defeat of all types evil and freeing of Jewish people signaled the coming of the victory for the goodness and decency in the world. Muharram is not just a name for the first month of the Arabic calendar but for me this month carries a number of momentous events that pave the way for significant changes in the outlook and attitude of people generally but those who claim to be believers in particular. It provides an opportunity to hold internal and external honest conversations between various belligerent and pugnacious sectarian factions found in our midst. Historic grievances could be addressed through recognition of the common experiences and epic advances can emerge out of inter and intra interactions. The first on my list is the Jewish-Muslim relations. Today it is unfortunate that the Jewish-Muslim relation is at its worse level ever. If Moses and Muhammad were alive today, would they sanction many of the activities perpetrated by their so-called followers? Would they condone the subjugation of people in their name? Would they embrace the extremism and hate mantra that is championed by some of the adherents? Would they bless the violence against each other’s followers? The answer is obviously no; they would abhor, detest, condemn and expend all their energy to change these bigoted mindsets. You would have to be totally brainless to come to any other conclusions! Yet why do some Jewish people support or actively take part in subjugating the Palestinians? Why do some Muslims preach hatred towards the Jewish people? Why do some people from both communities perceive and treat the other as subhuman? The second important event that needs our seriously attention is sacterian divide found steeped in the Muslim community. We will never forget the murder of Hussain, the grandson of the blessed Prophet Muhammad (S). Yazid’s army brutally killed Hussain and his family for no apparent reason except to retrain his power and deep level of envy of the popularity of Hussain. Muslims all around loved Hussain and detested Yazid’s oppression. The grandson of the Prophet challenged the tyranny of Yazid and the consequence was grave. His entire family was exterminated in Karbala on this month and according to most historians on the 10th day of Muharram. This tragedy would forever symbolize the reasons why no one should ever support tyrannical rulers, dictators and despots anywhere in the world. Yet over a thousand years have passed since that tragic incident and the Muslim world is still plague-ridden with the tyrants and illegitimate rulers. From Egypt to Bangladesh there are only brutal dictators and authoritarians regimes destroying the Muslim society. There are many Yazid’s today who assassinate and execute their political opponents and critiques without even batting an eyelid. Those Muslims who are fasting on A’shura must ask themselves what lessons have been learned and what have they done to end tyranny from the world? It is easy to fast but it is harder to remember the reasons behind the fasting. Do not forget Moses struggled against Pharaoh and won; therefore part of our thanks giving fast should incorporate our resolve to rise against and defeat injustice. Muslim world must be freed, just like Moses freed the Jewish people from the hands of Pharaoh. Fast in A’shura but let your fast make you truly free! Muslims mourn the heartless murder of Hussain and his family, we pray for their souls peaceful rest and best return from God. However, some Shi’a Muslims express their lamentation through self-flagellation, beating their chest and back with sharp objects drawing blood and making a public mourning ceremony. Sunni Muslims find this practice totally unacceptable and not in line with the teachings of Islam. However, both the Shi’a and Sunni Muslims agree that all forms of oppression, murder and despotism must be condemned. Even though Muslim universally agree that life of another human being is sacred and should not be taken, some fanatics and extremists still inflict violence and cause mayhem. In the last few years the sectarian Shi’a-Sunni violence in Pakistan and Iraq has seen the loss of thousands of innocent lives of men, women and children. We have seen people planting bombs and gunning down people in places of worship. Of course there have been agent provocateurs causing internal turmoil and rift but Muslims must rise above their sectarian labels and not get provoked or lured into these inhuman activities. What is the point of fasting in A’shura if people defeat the real Raison dêtre of this fast? What is the point of claiming virtue through dogma if the real meaning of preserving human life is lost? The lessons I draw from the fast of A’shura are: 1. Muslims and Jews should make every effort to come together and stand firmly against all forms of injustice and tyranny. 2. Despots and illegitimate rulers should never be supported but collectively defeated 3. Sectarianism is the biggest internal sickness plaguing the Muslim world and it must be brought to an end immediately. 4. Virtue and God is found in fairness and justice; it is our moral and religious duty to create a fairer society so everyone is free to explore their personal potential and collective wellbeing. 5. Moses and Muhammad (peace be upon them) are messengers of the same God and the followers should never forget that.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 15:27:58 +0000
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