Virtues of Ahl-ul-Bayt & Matrydom of Imam Husayn

[Ala'uddin Al-Athary]

Bismillah, Assalamualaikum Dear Brothers and Sisters, As the new year of Muharram has come upon us we embark on a new year to improve our lives for the benefit of both the worlds. Ameen.  Today we address a topic that unfortunately many Sunni Muslims in North America have become alien with and confused because of the environment prevailing. Alhamdullilah still many Masjids of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah are carrying out programs on the incident of Karbala for the first ten days and specifically on the 9th. Check your local centre's. Who are the Ahl al-Bayt?  Allamah Jalaaluddin Abdurrahman As-Suyuti was born in Cairo and died there in 910 A.H. He travelled to various places in search of knowledge and visited Egypt, Syria, Hejaz, Yemen, India and Africa. His fields of specialization were, the exegesis of the Holy Quran, Traditions, Jurisprudence and Arabic Grammar. At the age of forty years he withdrew from public life and spent all his time writing, compiling and translating books. At the time of his death he had completed nearly 600 books on a range of subjects, including poetry. He was one of the greatest scholars of his time in Cairo, and a well-known figure among his contemporaries. In his own home-town in the district of Isyut he was considered by the people to be a holy personality having miraculous powers. He was a follower of the Shadhali Tariqa and a graduate of Al-Azhar University, the world's oldest university and Sunni Islam's foremost seat of learning.  Below are quotes from an authentic source and book called from Allamah Suyuti - THE DEAD BECOME ALIVE BY THE GRACE OF THE HOLY FIVE "Ihyaail Mayyit be Fazail-e-Ahlul Bayt" more than 60 hadith are narrated. 1. It has been recorded in the commentaries of Ibn Mundhir, Ibn Ibi Hatim and Ibn Murduwya; and also in the Mujmaul Kabir of Tibrani that Ibn Abbas said: "When the verse, Say I do not ask for any recompense for this except the love of my nearest relatives" was revealed, I asked, O Messenger of Allah who are your nearest relatives whose love is obligatory for us? The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "Ali, Faitma, and their two sons." i.e. Hasan and Husayn (as). 2. Tirmidhi, Husna and Al-Hakim record from Zaid bin Arqam that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I am leaving amongst you those things that if you remain attached to them you will not deviate after me. (they are) The book of Allah and my Progeny, my Ahlul Bayt. They will not separate till they reach me at the pool. So be careful how you behave with them (after me). 3. Tirmidhi, Husnah and Tibrani quote Ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Love Allah for His countless bounties upon you and love me because you love Allah, and my Ahlul Bayt because of me. 3. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also said: The love of Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon him) for a single day is better than a worship of whole year.  - Yanaabiul Mawaddah, pg. 241 Regarding these radiant individuals, Imam Rabbani, Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi, Mujjadid Alf Thani - the 25th Grand Master of the Naqshbandi Tariqa declared, "And there is another way close to the spiritual sovereignty and this is the way of the Saints and the general friends of Alla h, and this way is marked by its characteristic passion and it carries the guarantee of mediation and the leader and chieftain of the saints of this way is `AlÄ« al-MurtadÄ . And this grand office is reserved for him. On this way, the feet of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) are on `Ali's head and Fa tima and Hasan and Husayn are included with him. I believe that he enjoyed this position even before his physical birth, as he did after it, and whosoever has received the divine blessing and guidance, has received it through him, because he is closest to the last point on this way and the centre of this spot belongs to him. And when his period ended, the grand office passed on to Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them both) and then on to each one of the Twelve Ima ms, individually and elaborately. And whosoever received guidance in their life and after their death, received it through these Saints. And the refuge and place of shelter of the Saints of high ranks are these Saints, (because they are the centre of all spiritual activity) and the sides tend to converge on the center".  - Maktubaa t Imam Rabba ni« Lahore, Pakistan: Nur Co., n.d. Hadith of the Cloak A'isha reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) went out one morning wearing a striped cloak of the black camel's hair that there came Hasan b. 'Ali. He wrapped hitn under it, then came Husain and he wrapped him under it along with the other one (Hasan). Then came Fatima and he took her under it, then came 'Ali and he also took him under it and then said: Allah only desires to take away any uncleanliness from you, O people of the household, and purify you (thorough purifying) - Sahih Muslim Question: Should we remember Imam Husayn and Karbala in this time? Shaykh-ul-Islam's clarification in light of the Quran and Sunnah (Urdu) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0Lw6Aeo7gE&feature=related Shahadat/Martyrdom of Imam Husayn from Ahlus Sunnah Perspective from Shaykh Ninowy (English)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un4nkFtH1mk&playnext=1&list=PLAED9445696D2FD8B&index=13 Shahadat/Martyrdom of Imam Husayn lecture by Shaykh Habib Ali Jifri (Arabic)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQfecMzNhFk Question: Some contemporary graduates of the Deoband School in South Asia and the Salafi/Wahhabi school of thought defend Yazid based on the Hadith of Constantinople.  Shaykh ul Islam Professor Tahir ul Qadri (who has many Ijaza's in Hadith, etc) clarifies this gross misconception due to these graduates lacking authentic Ijaza's in Hadith resulting in misinterpretation and misguidance of the masses. In fact, this hadith is about the 1st expedition of Muslims to Constantinople and Yazid did not even participate upto the 8th expedition.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g87cnHvIhzs Question: What is the Position of Yazid and his followers in Islam? Shaykh ul Islam Dr. Tahir ul Qadri answers this question as well  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp33LZj_YbY&NR=1  Yazid and his followers are destined to hell. Shaykh ul Islam refuted the unqualified Zakir Naik's view on Yazid.  Surah Hud verse 18: Who doth more wrong than those who invent a life against Allah? They will be turned back to the presence of their Lord, and the witnesses will say, "These are the ones who lied against their Lord! Behold! The Curse of Allah is on those who do wrong!  Shaykh Kamaluddin Muhammad bin Musa Damiri "Abu Hanifa, Malik and Ahmad have two statements about cursing Yazeed, Tasreeh (i.e. to curse him by taking his name) and another one is with Talweeh (i.e. to curse without taking his name and only by using hint e.g. May Allah curse the killers of Imam Hussain)" - Hayaat ul Haywaan, Volume 2 page 175 records  Sharh Fiqhul Akbar of Imam Abu Hanifa: "Following the murder of Husayn, Yazeed said 'I avenged the killing of my kaafir relatives in Badr through killing the family of the Prophet".  - Sharh Fiqhul Akbar page 88 Allamah Sayyid Mahmood Alusi al-Baghdadi (d. 1270 H) renowned scholar of Shafi School states: "Amongst the Shaafi's we are in agreement that it is permissible to curse Yazeed" - Haseeya Nabraas, page 551 Prayers in the Holy Month of Muharram http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=3&ID=4888&CATE=345 Undisturbed Thoughts on Imam Hussain Part 1 - By Imam Muhummed Al-Asi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKE-zvYj7pw Undisturbed Thoughts on Imam Hussain Part 2 - By Imam Muhummed Al-Asi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL-Gp60V0zc&feature=related InshaAllah we will go into the details of Karbala from Imam Tabari in the next email...