The word 'ali is used 226 times in the Hebrew scriptures. The following study examines all of these occurrences at least briefly. The Massoretic text of the Hebrew Bible is the source, but I have ignored the Massoretic pointing of the word 'ali, rather examining each context for clues to which pointing and consequently which meaning of the word is to be preferred.
Most of the time the word 'ali is a preposition, either with or without the first person singular pronominal suffix. The first occurrence with the pronominal suffix is in Genesis 20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. The following texts, the great preponderance of passages including the word cali, seem to have the same meaning, that is, “upon me” or something similar. Genesis 27:12; 13; 30:28; 33:13; 34:12; 34:30; 42:36; 48:7; 50:20, Numbers 11:11; 14:35; 22:30; Judges 7:2; 19:20; 20:5; 1 Samuel 17:35; 21:15; 22:8,13; 23:21; 2 Samuel 1:9; 3:8; 14:9; 15:33; 19:38; 1 Kings 2:4; 14:2; 22:8,18; 2 Kings 16:7; 18:14; 1 Chronicles 22:8; 2 Chronicles 18:7; 18:17; 36:23; Ezra 1:2; 7:28; Nehemiah 2:8; 2:18; 6:12; 13:22; Esther 4:16; Job 7:12; 7:20; 9:11; 10:1; 13:13,26; 16:9,10,13,14,15; 19:5,6; 19:11; 19:12; 21:27; 29:13; 30:1,12,15,16; 31:38; 33:10; Psalm 3:1(2); 3:6(7); 13:2(3); 13:6(7); 16:6; 17:9; 22:13; 27:2,3; 31:13; 32:4,5; 35:15; 35:21; 35:16,26; 38:2(3); 38:16(17); 40:7,12; 41:7; 41:9(10); 41:11; 42:4(5); 42:5(6); 42:7(8); 42:11(12); 43:5; 54:3(5); 55:3(4); 55:4(5); 55:12(13); 56:5(6); 59:3(4); 60:8; 69:9(10); 69:15(16); 86:14; 88:7(8); 88:16(17); 88:17(18); 92:11(12); 109:2; 109:5; 116:12; 119:69; 139:5; 142:7(8); 143:4; Proverbs 7:14; Ecclesiastes 2:17; Song of Solomon 2:4; Isaiah 1:14; 61:1; Jeremiah 8:18; 11:19; 12:8,11; 15:16; 18:23; 49:11; Lamentations 1:15; 3:5,20,61,62; Ezekiel 3:22; 8:1; 11:5; 35:13; 37:1; 40:1; Daniel 4:34; 4:36; 7:28; 10:8; 10:16; Hosea 7:13; Hosea 11:8; Joel 3(4):4; Jonah 2:3(4); 2:7(8); and Malachi 3:13.
The first occurrence of the word as a preposition without suffix is in Genesis 49:17, which is a poetic passage. Indeed, the form is typical of poetic style. Genesis 49:17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. Similarly the word appears to be used as a simple preposition without suffix in Genesis 49:22; Deuteronomy 32:2; Job 6:5; 8:9; 9:26; 15:27; 18:10; 20:4; 29:3,4; 30:4; 33:15; 36:28; 38:24; 41:30; Psalm 49:11; 50:5,16; 92:3(4); 94:20; 108:9(10); 131:2; 142:3(4); Proverbs 8:2; 30:19; Isaiah 18:4; Lamentations 4:5; and Micah 5:(6)7.
In 1 Samuel 1-4 is found the story of the house of Eli. The name is also mentioned in 1 Samuel 14:3; 1 Kings 2:27; This proper name of the high priest and judge of Israel before Samuel is written 'Ali. The pointing with the long e merely reflects the more complex vowel system of Hebrew as compared to Arabic. Arabic cognates with a appear in Hebrew with either a or e, and often preferably e. The segholate character of Hebrew thus clouds the fact that the name is precisely the same as the Arabic c Ali. There are some striking parallels as well as direct contrasts between the Biblical Eli and Imam cAli (as). The first cAli had two unrighteous sons who led the people into disaster. The second one had two sons who became righteous leaders. There is a parallel between the two figures from a historical perspective as well. The Samaritans claim that Eli caused the rift between Samaritans and Jews by his false claim to the priesthood. The division between Shi’ite and Sunnite Islam surrounds the claims of the figure of Imam cAli (as).
The first clear passage in which the word must be translated as the imperative singular of the verb “to go up” is in 1 Samuel 25:35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person. Similarly the word occurs in Isaiah 21:2; 40:9; Jeremiah 22:20; and 46:11.
The word appears with the meaning of “leaves of” in Nehemiah 8:15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
The first text that requires reevaluation is Exodus 8:(5)9.
And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?
It is not likely that anyone would pretend that the phrase “glory over me” makes any sense at all. The assumption of the translator is that the word here is the preposition with the pronominal suffix, which is of course the dominant usage of the word in the Torah, especially in the prose passages. There seems to be no questioning of the preposition and suffix themselves, while the hesitancy about how to understand the verb placed with the preposition and suffix is of longstanding debate, going back to the Septuagint (LXX) underlying the Vulgata expression constitue mihi, appoint me (a time). Reference to the Masoretic text has led most translators to reject the Septuagint and Vulgata alternative for something presumably based on the Hebrew text, whether or not it makes sense.
Those translators requiring meaning in their translation have tended to read an unwarranted expression into the Hebrew in the sense of “do me the honor to...” an interpretation that goes back at least to Luther. Wavering between sense and nonsense is illustrated by the Webster original, which was “Glory over me” and the revised Webster which is “Command me,” apparently accepting the LXX over the Masoretic text. In sum, three alternatives are to be found in the more commonly known translations. The first follows the LXX-Vulgata tradition. The second tries to make sense of the Hebrew Massoretic text by attributing unattested meanings to the preceding verb. The third translates the Massoretic verb correctly, producing nonsense in the word cali by insisting that it is a preposition with suffix.
An alternative is to accept the Massoretic verb as it stands and attribute a non-prepositional meaning to the word cly. The choices are one of the verb forms “to rise,” or one of the proper or common noun meanings. The position requires the latter, rather than the imperative verb. The choices are thus basically “glorify my leaf,” “glorify a pestle or pistil” or “glorify cAli.” The common nouns do not make sense, and the second meaning is not even attested in Scriptural Hebrew. An Arab will immediately suggest a reference to the Deity, as “exalted.” This word, however, in the Hebrew text, would consist in an Arabicism. We are thus left with the enigmatic “glorify cAli,” in reference to an unknown named figure, or reference to God under the term, something that appears to be more or less without precedent in Biblical Hebrew. The reflexive sense of the verb could be thought to imply the necessity of a preposition before the object. However, the lack of the preposition is almost the rule in poetic passages, and is not lacking in the Torah as well. Thus these two alternatives are otherwise perfectly feasible.
The rest of the texts must be examined in the light to two questions. The first is whether or not the word should be translated as one of the common alternatives noted above (as a preposition, a preposition with the suffix, the verb imperative, or as “leaves of” or “pestle.”). Once these meanings are eliminated, we are left with the alternatives of Exodus 8:(5)9. The second task is to determine whether the text refers to Imam Ali (as) or some other figure.
There is nothing in Exodus 8:(5)9 to indicate whether a human or divine figure is meant. The Muslim reader will immediately doubt whether the word is an epithet of God, since it is generally used so in the holy Qur’an. The translators of the Bible, however, have generally neglected that possibility, probably from hesitance to impose an Arabicism on the Biblical Hebrew text rather than bias. We can only hope to answer the question by an examination of all of the texts. Failing that, recourse to extra-biblical sources will be necessary
Such texts as Numbers 11:13 and 14:27 could conceivably be translated cAli as well as a form of interjection, something on the order of “ya Ali!” Numbers 11:13 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.
Numbers 14:27 How long (shall I bear with) this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. The second occurrence, however, in Numbers 14:27 can only be translated as in the Authorized Version. Even without this evidence, however, the structure of the sentences makes the authorized translation preferable.
The structure of Numbers 14:29 is neutral, and would actually as such allow the translation with cAli as easily as “against me.” The witness of verse 27, however, speaks against cAli as the better alternative. Numbers 14:29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me.
Numbers 21:17 is the second text that translators have been willing to leave in a form void of meaning, in the figure of the flying well. It is doubly troublesome in lacking an explanatory context.
Numbers 21:17 Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it. The authorized translator writes words more appropriate to Alice in Wonderland than to scriptural translation. Most others do little better. Douay, Darby, The Jewish Publication Society Bible, The Twenty-first Century King James, Green’s Literal Translation, The Modern King James Version, The New King James Version, la Bible nouvelle edition de Geneve, the Webster and most other are satisfied with this interpretation. The Bible in Basic English tries to avoid the problem of the flying well by replacing it with the obedient well that comes when called: Then Israel gave voice to this song: Come up, O water-spring, let us make a song to it. Other translators have recognized the problem and tried to make sense of it by referring to the springing up of the water from a fountain. Among these are Finnish translation of 1938, the Swedish translation of 1917, and la nuova Diodati 1991. These are roughly “surge out, o well!” English translators are willing to depend on the ambiguity of the word “spring” in English. A few translators assume a preposition between the verb and the noun, thus making the noun the direction of movement rather than the vocative. This relieves us of the rather forced speech to a well. Among these are the redivierte Schlachter Bibel 1951 Da sang Israel dieses Lied: «Kommt zum Brunnen! Singt von ihm! It is rare to find help from the LXX in this dilemma, but perhaps Luther’s original is such an example Da sang Israel dieses Lied, und sangen umeinander über dem Brunnen. The translators in the revision of Luther have succumbed to the general fascination with nonsense. Even the Vulgata is surprisingly interpretive with the LXX with tunc cecinit Israhel carmen istud ascendat puteus concinebant. Young makes a novel contribution by rejecting the Masoretic pointing of the word, thus changing it from an imperative to the preposition. (Young’s literal translation. Then singeth Israel this song, concerning the well--they have answered to it. In so doing, Young is the only translator to write a grammatically sensible translation. However, by doing so, he suppresses the song itself, thus raising the issue of what “this” can possibly refer to. In sum, almost every possible configuration has been tried. The implication is that no translator actually knows what the verse means.
There is a construction that is completely normal and understandable in Hebrew, whereby cAli is the subject and the well the predicate: cAli is a well. It is not clear, however, to whom this proper name refers.
It is possible, but not necessary, to translate cAli as a proper name in Numbers 24:6.
The Authorized Version is As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. All translators seem to accept the interpretation “by the river.” Furthermore, it parallels what follows, “beside the waters.” Semantically and syntactically there seems to be no better alternative. If one understands cAli as a proper name here, the translation might read (following the Authorized Version otherwise): Ali is like the valleys that spread forth, like gardens, a river: as the trees... No linguistic arguments favour this interpretation. However, its position so close to Numbers 21:17, the similar references to water (well, river), and the further consideration that almost the entire book of Numbers contemplates the question of leadership authority, are factors that speak in favour of cAli as a proper name in this text also.
Deuteronomy 17:14 also deserves attention. The Authorised Version has this as When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me... The significant phrase is “a king over me” or cAli melekh. If cAli were an epithet (exalted), it should come after the word “king” rather than before it. As it stands, it could be translated “I will set cAli king like all the peoples that are around me.”
This implies that the personage of cAli is king of all the peoples around. The Authorised Version also has hermeneutical problems. The actual narrative relative to the establishment of kingship in Israel is found in 1 Samuel, and is clearly ill-advised. It requires the establishment of the unacceptable monarchy of Saul as a bridge to the acceptable dynasty of David (as). The critical study of Deuteronomy would date it as a later text, in which case there would be no problem. As it stands, the acceptability (with reservations) of the monarchy in Deuteronomy conflicts with the policy of Samuel. Probably the verse should stand as interpreted by the Authorised Version, whatever the hermeneutical problems may be.
In 1 Chronicles 28:19 there is an occurrence of the word that could well be translated as an epithet. The Authorised Version has this as All (this, said David,) the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern. The relevant phrase is “miyyadh YHWH cAli.” The translator has rearranged the words in translation probably because he does not, on the basis of philological reasons, accept the possibility of understanding cAli as an epithet. A Qur’anic translator would have thought of this alternative first and perhaps have ignored the other altogether, but would at the same time lay himself open to charges of Arabicism. Many translators have noticed the awkwardness of including “upon me” in the text, and have merely disregarded it, as does the American Standard Version: All this, (said David,) have I been made to understand in writing from the hand of Jehovah, even all the works of this pattern. Others reinterpret it as a preposition with an eliptical object as does the Revised Standard Version All this he made clear by the writing from the hand of the LORD concerning it, all the work to be done according to the plan. In the latter cAli is translated with some imagination as “concerning it.”
The more straightforward translation would be “The whole in writing from the hand of YHWH cAli made clear...” This could be understood as “He made clear the whole in writing by the hand of YHWH cAli.” The interpretation “cAli made clear the whole in writing by the hand of YHWH” ignores Hebrew syntax. cAli must therefore refer to God in this text. The concrete meanings of the words should probably give way to their more abstract meanings, thus “The whole by decree from the authority of YHWH cAli made clear...” If this is an acceptable interpretation, it would provide a Hebrew precedent for the use of the word as an epithet, the exalted, as in Arabic.
A strange syntactical configuration is one found in Nehemiah 5:7. The Authorised Version has this as Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. The relevant phrase is “with myself” which seems to translate libbi cali. The full phrase is “my heart reigned cali. The word is syntactically in the position of a prepositional phrase. This is the only occurrence of the expression in the Scriptures, and it may well not mean “I consulted with myself.” It would seem more likely to suggest that his heart, the seat of his cogitations, reigned over him, thus influencing him to act as follows. In any case no reference to a proper name can be inferred.
Much of the Book of Job is ambiguous, but the word cali appears in such a context only once, in Job 29:7. The Authorised Version has it When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street! No translators seem to see real alternatives to this interpretation. Several Spanish translations disregard the prepositional meaning and read “judicial” or something similar for cali. Another adjectival alternative might be “leafy,” but neither of these is relevant to the proper name Ali.
Psalm 7:8(9) has an interesting case. The Authorized Version renders this The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity (that is) in me. There is no reason whatsover to add “that is” to the text. The final word is just as clearly a vocative as is the word YHWH at the pausal midpoint of the verse. The two words parallel each other. In this case the word Ali most readily relates to God, and is thus possibly a second precedent for the epithet. On the other hand, there is no reason to prohibit addressing a human figure in the second clause, that is, appealing to Ali as judge.
An interesting expression appears in Psalm 42:6(7). This is rendered in the Authorised Version as O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. The relevant phrase is cali nafshi. There are several cases when the preposition occurs before a noun with the same suffix, and these are merely circumlocutions expressing possession. The same structure appears here. However, it appears ambiguously, since cali appears between Elohay and nafshi, and could stand as easily with one as the other. The expression could be interpreted as “my God exalted.” In this case cali would be an epithet referring to God, either as a proper name or as an attribute, but again an Arabicism unrecognized by Biblical scholars.
Another case of possible reference to God may be seen in Psalm 56:12(13). The Authorised Version gives Thy vows (are) upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. A more straightforward interpretation would render both words at the beginning as vocatives, thus cAli Elohim. This interpretation would require the third word, “thy vows,” to go with the rest of the sentence. The midpoint pausal does not exclude that possibility. The translation would then read “O exalted God, (by) thy vows will I render praises unto thee.” Again, this would require the acceptance of an Arabicism.
Psalm 57:2(3) presents another possibility of a vocative parallel. The Authorised Version gives I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth (all things) for me. Here again the Qur’anic translator would immediately see two parallel epithets after the word El. Many verses of the Qur’an terminate in precisely this way. Thus we should read “I will cry unto God most high; unto God Accomplisher, Exalted.” This is especially interesting, since it uses the expanded word from the same root as Ali, celyon. This form of the word Ali is the one generally used in Hebrew in reference to God.
Psalm 86:13 is ambiguous, and could be translated in either of two ways. The Authorized Version gives For great (is) thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. The alternative would be “For great (is) thy mercy, O cAli...” In this case the name again would refer again to God.
There is a final verse in Ezekiel 3:14 where the word could just as well be translated as an epithet of God. The Authorised Version gives So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. The alternative translation would be “...the hand of the LORD exalted was strong.”
The texts examined may be placed in several groups. The first includes cases of ambiguity which do not contribute toward finding the word cAli used as a proper name or epithet. The second includes cases of ambiguity in which the word cAli could just as well be translated as a proper name or epithet, but in which cases the translators have never chosen to do so. The third group includes cases of ambiguity in which the word cAli could best be translated as a proper name or epithet, but in which cases the translators have sought awkward alternatives, often adding words not found in the original.
The texts remain troublesome. There are texts that can clearly best be translated as referring to a proper name or epithet. These suggest that others, ambiguous ones, might also best be interpreted in this way. As we examine these to determine whether the name Ali (or the Hebrew segholate form Eli) is meant, we see that some of these, if they are interpreted as epithets or proper nouns, must refer to God. In that case, an Arabicism produces a parallel term to the common Hebrew term Elyon.
Nevertheless, there are two considerations to note. The first is that several of the ambiguous names, notably those in the Torah, associate the name cAli with a source of water. This brings to mind Qur’anic associations, specifically the pool of Kauthar and the role given to cAli (as) in that regard. While it is not possible to state that the word cAli in the Hebrew Scriptures is used in a prophetic sense in regard to cAli (as), there are passages that seem to be evocative of that. They are ambiguous, and perhaps refer to God, but the possibility remains that they are faint intimations, or perhaps more than faint intimations of a promised figure to come.
The second consideration is that non-Muslim Biblical scholars have not taken note of the fact that the epithet cAli as applied to God in the Qur’an has striking parallels in the Hebrew Scriptures, not only in the Psalms but in several other passages. This failure is only to be expected, since it requires the acceptance of an Arabicism. The positive result of this study is to show that the Hebrew Scriptures and the holy Qur’an are perhaps closer to each other in expression than has generally been acknowledged. In any case, either the acceptance of the term as meaning “exalted” on one hand, or as a proper name on the other, seems to be the best way of accommodating those texts of Scripture that until now have been glossed over with translations having little or no meaning. Either solution brings the Bible closer into accord with Islam.
From http://al-islam.org/londonlectures/
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Getting things done
Today I feel pretty good about getting several things done. My mom came over a little after eight this morning and we raked my back yard. After she left I worked on the front but didn't finish - I ran out of energy. But, there are now something like 23 bags waiting to be picked up by the garbage truck on Wednesday. The backyard looks much better!
I took my car for an oil change and tire rotation, bought groceries for the month (I splurged and went to Wild Oats since I got my tax return), did laundry, dishes, cleaned the bathroom and vacuumed and did part of my graduate school work. I still have plenty to do, but today was better than me just sitting around.
Mom and I saw Guess Who last night, loosely based on Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, a classic. It was good, it was funny.
The Pope died today. I don't really have any strong feelings about, but I have been interested in following it. I wonder what he is experiencing now in death, and I am also curious to see how the new Pope will be once the conclave makes a decision. For some reason, a large proportion of my co-worker friends are at least nominally Catholic. None of them seem to have been particularly disturbed by the Pope's decline, maybe because a lot of them aren't really practicing Catholics. I would like to see a new Pope take a stronger position in regards to sexual abuse scandals in the church. I read today that Pope Jean Paul II had been the first non-Italian pope in 455 years - amazing.
Anyway, just random thoughts so I'll leave it here for now.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Turkeys
I posted about turkeys yesterday but the post went into Internet oblivion at some point. Part of the problem is posting during my lunch, etc., at work I am posting blind - I can't view what I post due to firewalls and that creates a few problems now and then.
Anyway, yesterday on my way to work I saw a most unusual thing. In my suburban neighborhood in a big old tree as I was driving to work I saw a whole flock of wild turkeys. About a dozen BIG huge birds up in this tree in someone's front yard. I know where they came from - across the highway are some small farms and Fountain Creek and in the past year I've noticed some wild turkeys there - they've moved in recently. But to see them in the neighborhood was really interesting. I also saw some on Venetucci's farm that same morning. Neat-o! The morning mountains were beautiful with fresh snow.
Yesterday we finished CSAP, alhumdooleluh. The last day seemed to go smoothly; we do not yet know the outcome of the earlier problems.
The mountains had plenty of beautiful fresh snow on them again this morning, I'm sure, but I couldn't see it because it was snowing down here, too.
I'm starting to get caught up a bit in work - I've got tentative "plans" (meaning a lesson number or topic written down) for my classes for the rest of the year.
Next Tuesday I get to decide on scholarship money! I was appointed chair of the CSEA scholarship committee so I found some members and we're meeting next Tuesday to decide who gets the scholarship(s). That's kind of cool.
I get paid technically tomorrow but I went ahead and paid bills today and so I'm already broke. :) I don't like getting paid once a month sometimes because I get bills that come after the first of the month and are due before the next first of the month - very annoying if you ask me. If I get some tax return money I really need to get the oil changed and tires rotated in both of the vehicles, and I need to get a new headlight for one and probably wash that one, too. Maybe this weekend it will be nice enough to get some yardwork done.
I'm trying to work on Qur'an recitation again. I always seem to get to about the same spot before quitting; insha'allah this time I'll progress further and stick to it more - I'd really like to be able to sit and read it in Arabic.
Okay - enough rambling for now; woo hoo for Daylight Savings this weekend - more daylight in the evening, which I like. :)
Anyway, yesterday on my way to work I saw a most unusual thing. In my suburban neighborhood in a big old tree as I was driving to work I saw a whole flock of wild turkeys. About a dozen BIG huge birds up in this tree in someone's front yard. I know where they came from - across the highway are some small farms and Fountain Creek and in the past year I've noticed some wild turkeys there - they've moved in recently. But to see them in the neighborhood was really interesting. I also saw some on Venetucci's farm that same morning. Neat-o! The morning mountains were beautiful with fresh snow.
Yesterday we finished CSAP, alhumdooleluh. The last day seemed to go smoothly; we do not yet know the outcome of the earlier problems.
The mountains had plenty of beautiful fresh snow on them again this morning, I'm sure, but I couldn't see it because it was snowing down here, too.
I'm starting to get caught up a bit in work - I've got tentative "plans" (meaning a lesson number or topic written down) for my classes for the rest of the year.
Next Tuesday I get to decide on scholarship money! I was appointed chair of the CSEA scholarship committee so I found some members and we're meeting next Tuesday to decide who gets the scholarship(s). That's kind of cool.
I get paid technically tomorrow but I went ahead and paid bills today and so I'm already broke. :) I don't like getting paid once a month sometimes because I get bills that come after the first of the month and are due before the next first of the month - very annoying if you ask me. If I get some tax return money I really need to get the oil changed and tires rotated in both of the vehicles, and I need to get a new headlight for one and probably wash that one, too. Maybe this weekend it will be nice enough to get some yardwork done.
I'm trying to work on Qur'an recitation again. I always seem to get to about the same spot before quitting; insha'allah this time I'll progress further and stick to it more - I'd really like to be able to sit and read it in Arabic.
Okay - enough rambling for now; woo hoo for Daylight Savings this weekend - more daylight in the evening, which I like. :)
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Reveille
Well the first day back after spring break was relatively uneventful. I'm down to three classes to go for my master's, insha'allah. This current class seems kind of like a speech/grant-writing class, which is interesting.
Yesterday morning I heard reveille a little before six. I think it comes from Fort Carson, but I'm not sure. It is unusual to hear it, I think the air has to be just right. Kind of a weird thing. Living near a military base is just kind of weird. Like growing up with shaking windows from their military exercises, seeing military planes and flares all the time growing up - even those crazy two propeller helicopters. And running into people in fatigues all the time when you're out running errands, especially at this end of town. Not so much lately, though - most of them are in Iraq. I feel for their children left behind, I feel for them that many of them were just trying to make a living and serve their country and weren't trying to be involved in immorality and evil. But there is no excuse for what some of them have done now as soldiers.
Ah, time to go to work. Have a nice day.
Note: Fort Carson plays Reveille at 6 and Taps at 10pm, I've heard both. Also, when lightning strikes or other severe weather is a potential, they sound a siren with an announcement - I've heard that, too.
Yesterday morning I heard reveille a little before six. I think it comes from Fort Carson, but I'm not sure. It is unusual to hear it, I think the air has to be just right. Kind of a weird thing. Living near a military base is just kind of weird. Like growing up with shaking windows from their military exercises, seeing military planes and flares all the time growing up - even those crazy two propeller helicopters. And running into people in fatigues all the time when you're out running errands, especially at this end of town. Not so much lately, though - most of them are in Iraq. I feel for their children left behind, I feel for them that many of them were just trying to make a living and serve their country and weren't trying to be involved in immorality and evil. But there is no excuse for what some of them have done now as soldiers.
Ah, time to go to work. Have a nice day.
Note: Fort Carson plays Reveille at 6 and Taps at 10pm, I've heard both. Also, when lightning strikes or other severe weather is a potential, they sound a siren with an announcement - I've heard that, too.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Great Books
I was thinking if I were to recommend a handful of books to someone as must-reads, what would I recommend?
1. Lantern of the Path by Imam Sadiq (as) - this book is fantastic - it is very deep, you can read it over and over and over and never exhaust the growth and learning available within it. It has many short sections, so you can read a particular section of a page or two and ponder it without having read ten earlier chapters.
2. Self Building by Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini (as) - this is a great book that should be read cover to cover over a period of time. It is a wonderful guide for self-reform and an introduction to some gnostic concepts.
3. Sahifa Sajjidiya by Imam Ali ibn Husayn (as) - a very moving and inspiring collection of dua'as. Does anyone know of an edition that includes transliteration by chance?
4. Qur'an - goes without saying - but for those of us who speak English only I recommend a transliterated version and I recommend some good tafsirs like Light of Holy Qur'an and Al-Mizan.
5. Al-Ghayba by An-Nu'mani - an important read for any Shia to learn about our Imam (as).
6. Nahjul Balagha - another that goes without saying. However, I struggle with Nahjul Balagha - I think not being able to read the Arabic makes it difficult to get out of it what is really there for me. I know people say the Arabic itself is very difficult. What's the best translation/edition out there?
7. Adabus Salat by Imam Khomeini - Deeper in the gnosis and improving salat. Difficult, though. Needs to be digested very slowly.
I could add more but the point is to keep the list short. I would love to hear your thoughts on the most important books to read and why and your thoughts on these books.
1. Lantern of the Path by Imam Sadiq (as) - this book is fantastic - it is very deep, you can read it over and over and over and never exhaust the growth and learning available within it. It has many short sections, so you can read a particular section of a page or two and ponder it without having read ten earlier chapters.
2. Self Building by Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini (as) - this is a great book that should be read cover to cover over a period of time. It is a wonderful guide for self-reform and an introduction to some gnostic concepts.
3. Sahifa Sajjidiya by Imam Ali ibn Husayn (as) - a very moving and inspiring collection of dua'as. Does anyone know of an edition that includes transliteration by chance?
4. Qur'an - goes without saying - but for those of us who speak English only I recommend a transliterated version and I recommend some good tafsirs like Light of Holy Qur'an and Al-Mizan.
5. Al-Ghayba by An-Nu'mani - an important read for any Shia to learn about our Imam (as).
6. Nahjul Balagha - another that goes without saying. However, I struggle with Nahjul Balagha - I think not being able to read the Arabic makes it difficult to get out of it what is really there for me. I know people say the Arabic itself is very difficult. What's the best translation/edition out there?
7. Adabus Salat by Imam Khomeini - Deeper in the gnosis and improving salat. Difficult, though. Needs to be digested very slowly.
I could add more but the point is to keep the list short. I would love to hear your thoughts on the most important books to read and why and your thoughts on these books.
Friday, March 18, 2005
Wow
This has been a crazy week in many ways at work. We still never did find out who started the fires in our building last week. On Monday, we had the third meeting to try to determine the future of the department in terms of curriculum - a little stressful because not everyone agrees on what that future should be. Then another meeting after school. Tuesday, CSAP during the day and board meeting at night. Wednesday, school paper due, study hall duty, another lunch meeting, and a staff meeting after school at which we learned someone had made a mistake in administering CSAP and as a result, we may lose all the tenth grade math scores. Thursday, more CSAP with yet another problem that required us to take four tests instead of three - the kids were not happy taking another test instead of going to lunch. Another lunch meeting about the direction in the department. Teacher who made the mistake with CSAP on Tuesday put on administrative leave. Another meeting, this one about me chairing the scholarship committee and trying to figure out what that means I have to do.
It all seems like mundane stuff, but by last night I realized it was making me feel pretty stressed. I'm looking forward to Spring Break after this week just for a break from the craziness, but at the same time I'm not because I think it may end up being lonely and boring.
Well alhumdooleluh at least I can say it has been an eventful week and I am sure things will work out for the best somehow.
It all seems like mundane stuff, but by last night I realized it was making me feel pretty stressed. I'm looking forward to Spring Break after this week just for a break from the craziness, but at the same time I'm not because I think it may end up being lonely and boring.
Well alhumdooleluh at least I can say it has been an eventful week and I am sure things will work out for the best somehow.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Imam Ali b Husayn (as) - Whispered Prayer of the Lovers
I love this one! God bless you, I hope you all have a blessed Friday!
The Whispered Prayer of the Lovers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Name of God, the All-merciful,
the All-compassionate
1 My God,
who can have tasted the sweetness of Thy love,
then wanted another in place of Thee?
Who can have become intimate with Thy nearness,
then sought removal from Thee?
2 My God, place us with him
whom Thou hast
chosen for Thy nearness and Thy friendship,
purified through Thy affection and Thy love,
given yearning for the meeting with Thee,
made pleased with Thy decree,
granted gazing upon Thy face,
shown the favour of Thy good pleasure,
given refuge from separation from Thee and Thy loathing,
settled in a sure sitting place in Thy neighbourhood,
singled out for true knowledge of Thee,
made worthy for worship of Thee,
whose heart Thou hast captivated with Thy will,
whom Thou hast picked for contemplating Thee,
whose look Thou hast made empty for Thee,
whose breast Thou hast freed for Thy love,
whom Thou hast made
desirous of what is with Thee,
inspired with Thy remembrance,
allotted thanksgiving to Thee,
occupied with obeying Thee,
turned into one of Thy righteous creatures,
chosen for whispered prayer to Thee,
and from whom Thou hast cut off all things
which cut him off from Thee!
3 O God,
place us among those
whose habit is rejoicing in Thee and yearning for Thee,
whose time is spent in sighing and moaning!
Their foreheads are bowed down before Thy mightiness,
their eyes wakeful in Thy service,
their tears flowing in dread of Thee,
their hearts fixed upon Thy love,
their cores shaken with awe of Thee.
O He
the lights of whose holiness
induce wonder in the eyes of His lovers,
the glories of whose face
arouse the longing of the hearts of His knowers!
O Furthest Wish of the hearts of the yearners!
O Utmost Limit of the hopes of the lovers!
I ask from Thee love for Thee,
love for those who love Thee,
love for every work which will join me to Thy nearness,
and that Thou makest Thyself more beloved to me
than anything other than Thee
and makest
my love for Thee
lead to Thy good pleasure,
and my yearning for Thee
protect against disobeying Thee!
Oblige me by allowing me to gaze upon Thee,
gaze upon me with the eye of affection and tenderness,
turn not Thy face away from me,
and make me one of the people of happiness with Thee
and favoured position!
O Responder,
O Most Merciful of the merciful!
The Whispered Prayer of the Lovers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Name of God, the All-merciful,
the All-compassionate
1 My God,
who can have tasted the sweetness of Thy love,
then wanted another in place of Thee?
Who can have become intimate with Thy nearness,
then sought removal from Thee?
2 My God, place us with him
whom Thou hast
chosen for Thy nearness and Thy friendship,
purified through Thy affection and Thy love,
given yearning for the meeting with Thee,
made pleased with Thy decree,
granted gazing upon Thy face,
shown the favour of Thy good pleasure,
given refuge from separation from Thee and Thy loathing,
settled in a sure sitting place in Thy neighbourhood,
singled out for true knowledge of Thee,
made worthy for worship of Thee,
whose heart Thou hast captivated with Thy will,
whom Thou hast picked for contemplating Thee,
whose look Thou hast made empty for Thee,
whose breast Thou hast freed for Thy love,
whom Thou hast made
desirous of what is with Thee,
inspired with Thy remembrance,
allotted thanksgiving to Thee,
occupied with obeying Thee,
turned into one of Thy righteous creatures,
chosen for whispered prayer to Thee,
and from whom Thou hast cut off all things
which cut him off from Thee!
3 O God,
place us among those
whose habit is rejoicing in Thee and yearning for Thee,
whose time is spent in sighing and moaning!
Their foreheads are bowed down before Thy mightiness,
their eyes wakeful in Thy service,
their tears flowing in dread of Thee,
their hearts fixed upon Thy love,
their cores shaken with awe of Thee.
O He
the lights of whose holiness
induce wonder in the eyes of His lovers,
the glories of whose face
arouse the longing of the hearts of His knowers!
O Furthest Wish of the hearts of the yearners!
O Utmost Limit of the hopes of the lovers!
I ask from Thee love for Thee,
love for those who love Thee,
love for every work which will join me to Thy nearness,
and that Thou makest Thyself more beloved to me
than anything other than Thee
and makest
my love for Thee
lead to Thy good pleasure,
and my yearning for Thee
protect against disobeying Thee!
Oblige me by allowing me to gaze upon Thee,
gaze upon me with the eye of affection and tenderness,
turn not Thy face away from me,
and make me one of the people of happiness with Thee
and favoured position!
O Responder,
O Most Merciful of the merciful!
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Sermon of Hammam
From Self-Building:
Hammam was one of the companions of Imam' Ali (A), a very pious and God fearing man. He once asked Imam to explain at length the qualities of pious person. He wanted the explanation to be so graphic and so vivid that he could get the picture of a pious man in his mind's eyes. Imam knew that Hammam had a very tender heart and was disinclined to explain piety in the way that Hammam had requested and evading the subject he replied.
"Hammam! Fear God and do good deeds. Remember that God is always a companion of pious and good people! " But Hammam was not satisfied with this reply and wanted to say something more. He pressed so much and others joined him and seconded his request that Imam reluctantly delivered the following sermon. After praising the Lord and praying Him to bless the Holy Prophet (A) Imam thus, continued the sermon as follows:
"When God created mankind He was not in need of their obedience and prayers, neither was He nervous of their disobedience. Because, disobedience or insubordination of men cannot harm Him, similar obedience of obedient people cannot do Him any good. He is beyond the reach of harm and benefit. After creating man He decided for hi the variety of food which his body could absorb and assimilate, and the places which were congenial for him to live and to propagate. Among these human beings excellent are those who are pious and who fear God.”
"They possess pre-eminence and excellence because they always speak truthfully, rightly and to the point, their way of living is based upon moderation, and their mode of dealing with other men is founded on their good will, fellow feeling and courtesy towards them. They deny themselves the things prohibited by God. They concentrate their minds upon knowledge of things which will bring them eternal bliss. They bear hardships and sufferings as happily as they enjoy comforts and pleasures. If God had not fixed the span of life for each one of them, their souls in desire of attaining His Heaven and out of fear of falling into His displeasure, would not have stayed in their bodies for long."
"They have visualized mentally the glory of God in such a way that beyond him nothing in this world alarms, frightens or awes them. Everything other than His might appears to them as insignificant and humble. They believe in the Heaven and its blessings like a person who has been there and has actually seen everything of the Heaven with his own eyes. Similarly, their faith in the Hell and its torments is as strong as that of a person who had passed through its sufferings. They feel that the tortures of the Hell are around them and very near to them.”
"The ways of worldly people make them sorry. They harm nobody. They do not indulge in excessive eating and pleasure seeking. Their wants are limited. Their wishes are few. They have accepted patiently sufferings and adversities in this mortal and transitory life for the sake of eternal bliss which by the grace of God proved for them a very profitable transaction. The vicious world desired their fellowship but they turned their faces away from it. It wanted to snare them, but they willingly accepted every trouble and discomfort to free themselves from its clutches.”
“Their nights they spend in carefully studying the Quran, because, of their weaknesses and short-comings, and try to find ways from this Holy book for improvements of their minds. In the study of the Quran when they came across a passage describing the Heaven they feel highly attracted towards it and develop such a keen desire to reach it; that the Heaven with all its blessings is visualized by their minds, while a passage about the Hell frightens them and makes them feel as if they are seeing and hearing the raging fire and the groans and lamentations of those who are suffering the tortures of the Hell.”
"Nights they spend in praying before the Lord and requesting and beseeching Him to deliver them from the Hell. Days find them occupied with such works that clearly indicate their wisdom, depth of knowledge, virtuousness, and piety. Constant fasting, simple diet: avoidance of every aspect of luxury and regular hard work make them look lean and haggard, but they possess very sound and robust health. When people hear them discussing various problems of life they often take them to be whimsical fanatic or even half-witted. But it is not so, they are not satisfied with the quality and quantity of the work done by them in the cause of religion and humanity .The more they work the less they feel satisfied. Having set up a very high standard of efficiency for their work they fell nervous that indolence may not make it impossible for them to attain those heights.”
"If anyone of them is praised for piety, virtuousness and the good deeds done by him, he does not like to be so complimented; he is afraid that such praise may not allure him towards vanity, self flattery, and self glorification. He says, I know my mind and my work more than others, and God knows much more than me. O Lord! Please do not hold me responsible for what they have said about me. You know very well that I did not instigate them for such praises. Please Lord! Grant me excellence far greater than what they complimented me for. And Lord! Please forgive those of my sins short-comings which they do not know.”
"You will find every pious person possessing the following attributes. He is resolute though tender-hearted and kind. He is unwavering in his convictions and beliefs. He is thirsty for knowledge. He forgives those who harmed him, fully knowing that they have wronged him. Even when owning wealth his ways of life are based upon moderation. His prayers are models of humility and submissiveness to God. Even when starving he will maintain his self-respect. He will bear sufferings patiently.”
“He will resort only to honest means of living. Leading others towards truth and justice, will give him pleasure. He disdains avarice and greed. Though he does good deeds all the time, yet he feels nervous of his short-comings. Every night, he thanks God for having passed one more day under His Grace and Mercy. Every morning finds him starting the day with the prayers of the Lord. Of nights he is cautious that he may not carelessly waste those hours in comfort and ease. He starts his days happy with the thought the Lord has given him another day to do his duty.”
“If his mind wishes for something unholy and impious he refuses to obey its dictates. He desires to achieve eternal bliss. Worldly pleasures do not interest him. His wisdom is mixed with patience. His deeds reciprocate his words (he does what he says). Inordinate desires do not trouble him. He has few defects in him. He is courteous to others. He possesses a contended mind. He eats little, he does not harm anybody. He is easy to be pleased. He is strong in his faith. His passions are dead. His temper is controlled.”
"People expect good out of him and consider themselves immune from his harm. Even if he is found among godless people his name will be written in the list of Godly persons. If he is in company of those who always remember God, naturally his name will not be included amongst those who forget Him. He forgives those who harm him. He helps those who have forsaken him and have refused to help him. He is kind to those who have been cruel to him. He does good to those who do evil to him. He never indulges in loose talks. He has no vice in him, and his good qualities are outstanding, noticeable, and prominent, when facing dangers and disasters he is calm and undisturbed. In sufferings and calamities he is patient and hopeful. In prosperity he is thankful to God. He would not harm his worst enemy. He will never commit a sin even for the sake of his best friend.”
"Before anybody has to bear testimony to his fault he accepts and owns it. He never misappropriates anything entrusted to him. He never forgets what he has been told. He does not slander anybody. He does not harm his neighbors. When misfortunes befall any person he does not blame him, neither is he happy at the losses of others. He neither goes astray from the right path nor follows a wrong one. His silence does not indicate,. his moroseness nor his laughters are loud and boisterous. He bears persecution patiently and God punishes his oppressor. He is hard to himself and very lenient to others. He bears hardships in this life to attain eternal comfort and peace. He never wrongs a fellow being. If he avoids anybody it is to retain his piety and uprightness. If he forms contract with anybody it is on account of his kindness and clemency. He does not avoid anybody because of his pride and vanity, and he does not mix with others with ulterior motives of hypocrisy, pretense, and vile."
-Nahjul Balagha, sermon 193.
"The narrator says that Hammam was hearing the sermon very attentively when Imam reached the above passage, Hammam fainted and died it during the faint. Seeing this Imam said: “By God, I was hesitating to all this to Hammam because of this very reason. Effective advises on minds ready to receive them often bring almost similar result”.
Hammam was one of the companions of Imam' Ali (A), a very pious and God fearing man. He once asked Imam to explain at length the qualities of pious person. He wanted the explanation to be so graphic and so vivid that he could get the picture of a pious man in his mind's eyes. Imam knew that Hammam had a very tender heart and was disinclined to explain piety in the way that Hammam had requested and evading the subject he replied.
"Hammam! Fear God and do good deeds. Remember that God is always a companion of pious and good people! " But Hammam was not satisfied with this reply and wanted to say something more. He pressed so much and others joined him and seconded his request that Imam reluctantly delivered the following sermon. After praising the Lord and praying Him to bless the Holy Prophet (A) Imam thus, continued the sermon as follows:
"When God created mankind He was not in need of their obedience and prayers, neither was He nervous of their disobedience. Because, disobedience or insubordination of men cannot harm Him, similar obedience of obedient people cannot do Him any good. He is beyond the reach of harm and benefit. After creating man He decided for hi the variety of food which his body could absorb and assimilate, and the places which were congenial for him to live and to propagate. Among these human beings excellent are those who are pious and who fear God.”
"They possess pre-eminence and excellence because they always speak truthfully, rightly and to the point, their way of living is based upon moderation, and their mode of dealing with other men is founded on their good will, fellow feeling and courtesy towards them. They deny themselves the things prohibited by God. They concentrate their minds upon knowledge of things which will bring them eternal bliss. They bear hardships and sufferings as happily as they enjoy comforts and pleasures. If God had not fixed the span of life for each one of them, their souls in desire of attaining His Heaven and out of fear of falling into His displeasure, would not have stayed in their bodies for long."
"They have visualized mentally the glory of God in such a way that beyond him nothing in this world alarms, frightens or awes them. Everything other than His might appears to them as insignificant and humble. They believe in the Heaven and its blessings like a person who has been there and has actually seen everything of the Heaven with his own eyes. Similarly, their faith in the Hell and its torments is as strong as that of a person who had passed through its sufferings. They feel that the tortures of the Hell are around them and very near to them.”
"The ways of worldly people make them sorry. They harm nobody. They do not indulge in excessive eating and pleasure seeking. Their wants are limited. Their wishes are few. They have accepted patiently sufferings and adversities in this mortal and transitory life for the sake of eternal bliss which by the grace of God proved for them a very profitable transaction. The vicious world desired their fellowship but they turned their faces away from it. It wanted to snare them, but they willingly accepted every trouble and discomfort to free themselves from its clutches.”
“Their nights they spend in carefully studying the Quran, because, of their weaknesses and short-comings, and try to find ways from this Holy book for improvements of their minds. In the study of the Quran when they came across a passage describing the Heaven they feel highly attracted towards it and develop such a keen desire to reach it; that the Heaven with all its blessings is visualized by their minds, while a passage about the Hell frightens them and makes them feel as if they are seeing and hearing the raging fire and the groans and lamentations of those who are suffering the tortures of the Hell.”
"Nights they spend in praying before the Lord and requesting and beseeching Him to deliver them from the Hell. Days find them occupied with such works that clearly indicate their wisdom, depth of knowledge, virtuousness, and piety. Constant fasting, simple diet: avoidance of every aspect of luxury and regular hard work make them look lean and haggard, but they possess very sound and robust health. When people hear them discussing various problems of life they often take them to be whimsical fanatic or even half-witted. But it is not so, they are not satisfied with the quality and quantity of the work done by them in the cause of religion and humanity .The more they work the less they feel satisfied. Having set up a very high standard of efficiency for their work they fell nervous that indolence may not make it impossible for them to attain those heights.”
"If anyone of them is praised for piety, virtuousness and the good deeds done by him, he does not like to be so complimented; he is afraid that such praise may not allure him towards vanity, self flattery, and self glorification. He says, I know my mind and my work more than others, and God knows much more than me. O Lord! Please do not hold me responsible for what they have said about me. You know very well that I did not instigate them for such praises. Please Lord! Grant me excellence far greater than what they complimented me for. And Lord! Please forgive those of my sins short-comings which they do not know.”
"You will find every pious person possessing the following attributes. He is resolute though tender-hearted and kind. He is unwavering in his convictions and beliefs. He is thirsty for knowledge. He forgives those who harmed him, fully knowing that they have wronged him. Even when owning wealth his ways of life are based upon moderation. His prayers are models of humility and submissiveness to God. Even when starving he will maintain his self-respect. He will bear sufferings patiently.”
“He will resort only to honest means of living. Leading others towards truth and justice, will give him pleasure. He disdains avarice and greed. Though he does good deeds all the time, yet he feels nervous of his short-comings. Every night, he thanks God for having passed one more day under His Grace and Mercy. Every morning finds him starting the day with the prayers of the Lord. Of nights he is cautious that he may not carelessly waste those hours in comfort and ease. He starts his days happy with the thought the Lord has given him another day to do his duty.”
“If his mind wishes for something unholy and impious he refuses to obey its dictates. He desires to achieve eternal bliss. Worldly pleasures do not interest him. His wisdom is mixed with patience. His deeds reciprocate his words (he does what he says). Inordinate desires do not trouble him. He has few defects in him. He is courteous to others. He possesses a contended mind. He eats little, he does not harm anybody. He is easy to be pleased. He is strong in his faith. His passions are dead. His temper is controlled.”
"People expect good out of him and consider themselves immune from his harm. Even if he is found among godless people his name will be written in the list of Godly persons. If he is in company of those who always remember God, naturally his name will not be included amongst those who forget Him. He forgives those who harm him. He helps those who have forsaken him and have refused to help him. He is kind to those who have been cruel to him. He does good to those who do evil to him. He never indulges in loose talks. He has no vice in him, and his good qualities are outstanding, noticeable, and prominent, when facing dangers and disasters he is calm and undisturbed. In sufferings and calamities he is patient and hopeful. In prosperity he is thankful to God. He would not harm his worst enemy. He will never commit a sin even for the sake of his best friend.”
"Before anybody has to bear testimony to his fault he accepts and owns it. He never misappropriates anything entrusted to him. He never forgets what he has been told. He does not slander anybody. He does not harm his neighbors. When misfortunes befall any person he does not blame him, neither is he happy at the losses of others. He neither goes astray from the right path nor follows a wrong one. His silence does not indicate,. his moroseness nor his laughters are loud and boisterous. He bears persecution patiently and God punishes his oppressor. He is hard to himself and very lenient to others. He bears hardships in this life to attain eternal comfort and peace. He never wrongs a fellow being. If he avoids anybody it is to retain his piety and uprightness. If he forms contract with anybody it is on account of his kindness and clemency. He does not avoid anybody because of his pride and vanity, and he does not mix with others with ulterior motives of hypocrisy, pretense, and vile."
-Nahjul Balagha, sermon 193.
"The narrator says that Hammam was hearing the sermon very attentively when Imam reached the above passage, Hammam fainted and died it during the faint. Seeing this Imam said: “By God, I was hesitating to all this to Hammam because of this very reason. Effective advises on minds ready to receive them often bring almost similar result”.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
LOVE
From Al-islam.org.
In a famous hadith, the Prophet (s) is reported as questioning his followers concerning the "firmest handhold of faith" (awthaq 'urwat al-iman). When they cannot reply, he declares:
The firmest handhold of faith is to love for the sake of God and to hate for the sake of God, to befriend God's friends and to renounce His enemies.' [1]
In another tradition, Fudayl ibn al-Yasar, a disciple, asks al-Imam al-Sadiq, may peace be upon him, whether love and hate derive from faith; he replies:
Is faith anything but love and hate? [2]
It is also narrated that al-Imam al-Baqir, may peace be upon him, stated that:
Religion (din) is love and love is religion. [3]
It is narrated in a hadith qudsi that when God loves someone He becomes his ears, his eyes, his tongue, and his hands:
When I love him, then I shall be his ears with which he listens, his eyes with which he sees, his tongue with which he speaks, and his hands with which he holds; if he calls Me, I shall answer him, and if he asks Me, I shall give him. [7]
It is narrated that al-Imam al-Sadiq, may peace be upon him, said:
For every kind of worship there is another which surpasses it, and the love for us, the people of the Household, is the best form of worship. [15]
[1] Al-Kulayni, Usul al-Kafi, "kitab al-iman wa al-kufr," bab al-hubb fi Allah wa ai-bughd fi Allah," hadith 6, Tehran: Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyyah, ii, p. 126.
[2] Ibid., hadith 5, p. 125.
[3] Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-anwar, 'kitab al-iman wa al-kufr," "bab al-hubb fi Allah wa al-bughd fi Allah," Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-'Arabi, lxvi, p. 238.
[7] Al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, iv, p. 54.
[15] Al-Majlisi, al-Bihar, xxvii, p. 91.
Interview Questions for Sr. Freda:
1. Did you experience a particular moment that you knew your old faith was not right for you? Did you experience a particular moment when you knew you'd found the right one?
2. What made you feel love for Ahlulbait (as)?
3. What is your favorite kind of Islamic dress/hijab and why?
4. What is your favorite pasttime?
5. What do you think of the phenomenon of many women finding Islam in part due to relationships with Muslim men?
And response to questions from Br. Yousaf:
alright 5 questions for you masomma.
1: Consider for a while Earth is Flat , Now If i place a Ladies High heel shoe on top of North america what you think where would be colorado spring residing under the shoe ?
Well, Colorado Springs would be untouched by the shoe because it would be in the instep between the heel and the ball of th foot. Our mountains would get in the way if the shoe were positioned any other way. :)
2: Reverse you full name and then try to come up with name of any City in the world using those alphebets
yttaeb eniale anaid - let's see, Yonkers, Elmhurst, and Anchorage, is that want you wanted? :)
3: Tell us some thing about your stupidest stupidity
I'm trying to think some of the stupidest things I've ever done; I think a lot of them were in high school. Here is the story of the stupidest that comes to mind: When I was in high school, there was a fellow classmate who loved his car. So one day, as a joke, instead of calling him by his name, I called him by his license plate number "LBJ 805" - I still remember the number. Well, he recognized the number but didn't know what it was. So I seized the opportunity and pretty soon everyone in school was calling him LBJ 805, and he was about to go crazy trying to figure out what was going on and what that number was. We had so much fun, but after about a week I felt bad for him and told him what the number was. Well, one day several months later I was driving home with some friends at night and lo and behold, there in front of me is license plate LBJ 805! There was no one else on the road and so I just couldn't resist to start playing around, so I was turning my lights on and off, and tailgating and driving like an idiot trying to get a reaction from him, but he wasn't reacting. After a little while, I started to realize something wasn't right and started to get worried. So I went to the other lane and passed LBJ 805, and inside the car were his mom and dad - his dad being a police officer. I went to his house and apologized; I guess his mom and dad had been a party and his mom had gotten sick and so they left early and police man dad was taking sick mom home - man I felt terrible and I was sure I was going to get in a lot of trouble. But they accepted my apology and said they realized I was a friend of their son and let me go home without a ticket.....
4: Your profile pic Glasses are very out dated what are your plans to do some thing about them ?
Well the profile pic for blogger doesn't have me in it, the Haloscan doesn't either. The one at the bottom of the blog I am still wearing those, I got them last year sometime. I do have some older pics around somewhere with some outdated glasses, but I think these at least aren't granny glasses or big huge eighties glasses.... But if I ever win Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes I'll send you some money to pick out some frames for me, if you like (insha'allah). :)
5: How do you feel when people stare you wearing head scarf ?
I am pretty blind to it, I think I am so used to it that I am unaware of most of the stares. When I do notice it, I feel a little anxious, but I realize that most people don't mean anything by it - it is just kind of natural to stare at something different. Sometimes it is an opportunity for creating understanding - especially if it is children or certain people who are more open to asking about it. When I feel most uncomfortable is when I get a hate-filled stare from some big man, or get a drive-by of a car filled with young men shouting me down because of the hijab and then usually I just get out of that area as soon as possible. I also feel bad when a woman gives me an angry look and shoos her kids in the other direction - but those are really rather rare events, people are generally pretty tolerant of me looking different. In my experience, most Americans could care less how you dress unless they think you are a threat to them or unless you're in their family. In my average day-to-day experience, I almost forget I look different because what I wear is natural to me and I don't feel that I am treated differently, alhumdooleluh.
In a famous hadith, the Prophet (s) is reported as questioning his followers concerning the "firmest handhold of faith" (awthaq 'urwat al-iman). When they cannot reply, he declares:
The firmest handhold of faith is to love for the sake of God and to hate for the sake of God, to befriend God's friends and to renounce His enemies.' [1]
In another tradition, Fudayl ibn al-Yasar, a disciple, asks al-Imam al-Sadiq, may peace be upon him, whether love and hate derive from faith; he replies:
Is faith anything but love and hate? [2]
It is also narrated that al-Imam al-Baqir, may peace be upon him, stated that:
Religion (din) is love and love is religion. [3]
It is narrated in a hadith qudsi that when God loves someone He becomes his ears, his eyes, his tongue, and his hands:
When I love him, then I shall be his ears with which he listens, his eyes with which he sees, his tongue with which he speaks, and his hands with which he holds; if he calls Me, I shall answer him, and if he asks Me, I shall give him. [7]
It is narrated that al-Imam al-Sadiq, may peace be upon him, said:
For every kind of worship there is another which surpasses it, and the love for us, the people of the Household, is the best form of worship. [15]
[1] Al-Kulayni, Usul al-Kafi, "kitab al-iman wa al-kufr," bab al-hubb fi Allah wa ai-bughd fi Allah," hadith 6, Tehran: Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyyah, ii, p. 126.
[2] Ibid., hadith 5, p. 125.
[3] Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-anwar, 'kitab al-iman wa al-kufr," "bab al-hubb fi Allah wa al-bughd fi Allah," Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-'Arabi, lxvi, p. 238.
[7] Al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, iv, p. 54.
[15] Al-Majlisi, al-Bihar, xxvii, p. 91.
Interview Questions for Sr. Freda:
1. Did you experience a particular moment that you knew your old faith was not right for you? Did you experience a particular moment when you knew you'd found the right one?
2. What made you feel love for Ahlulbait (as)?
3. What is your favorite kind of Islamic dress/hijab and why?
4. What is your favorite pasttime?
5. What do you think of the phenomenon of many women finding Islam in part due to relationships with Muslim men?
And response to questions from Br. Yousaf:
alright 5 questions for you masomma.
1: Consider for a while Earth is Flat , Now If i place a Ladies High heel shoe on top of North america what you think where would be colorado spring residing under the shoe ?
Well, Colorado Springs would be untouched by the shoe because it would be in the instep between the heel and the ball of th foot. Our mountains would get in the way if the shoe were positioned any other way. :)
2: Reverse you full name and then try to come up with name of any City in the world using those alphebets
yttaeb eniale anaid - let's see, Yonkers, Elmhurst, and Anchorage, is that want you wanted? :)
3: Tell us some thing about your stupidest stupidity
I'm trying to think some of the stupidest things I've ever done; I think a lot of them were in high school. Here is the story of the stupidest that comes to mind: When I was in high school, there was a fellow classmate who loved his car. So one day, as a joke, instead of calling him by his name, I called him by his license plate number "LBJ 805" - I still remember the number. Well, he recognized the number but didn't know what it was. So I seized the opportunity and pretty soon everyone in school was calling him LBJ 805, and he was about to go crazy trying to figure out what was going on and what that number was. We had so much fun, but after about a week I felt bad for him and told him what the number was. Well, one day several months later I was driving home with some friends at night and lo and behold, there in front of me is license plate LBJ 805! There was no one else on the road and so I just couldn't resist to start playing around, so I was turning my lights on and off, and tailgating and driving like an idiot trying to get a reaction from him, but he wasn't reacting. After a little while, I started to realize something wasn't right and started to get worried. So I went to the other lane and passed LBJ 805, and inside the car were his mom and dad - his dad being a police officer. I went to his house and apologized; I guess his mom and dad had been a party and his mom had gotten sick and so they left early and police man dad was taking sick mom home - man I felt terrible and I was sure I was going to get in a lot of trouble. But they accepted my apology and said they realized I was a friend of their son and let me go home without a ticket.....
4: Your profile pic Glasses are very out dated what are your plans to do some thing about them ?
Well the profile pic for blogger doesn't have me in it, the Haloscan doesn't either. The one at the bottom of the blog I am still wearing those, I got them last year sometime. I do have some older pics around somewhere with some outdated glasses, but I think these at least aren't granny glasses or big huge eighties glasses.... But if I ever win Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes I'll send you some money to pick out some frames for me, if you like (insha'allah). :)
5: How do you feel when people stare you wearing head scarf ?
I am pretty blind to it, I think I am so used to it that I am unaware of most of the stares. When I do notice it, I feel a little anxious, but I realize that most people don't mean anything by it - it is just kind of natural to stare at something different. Sometimes it is an opportunity for creating understanding - especially if it is children or certain people who are more open to asking about it. When I feel most uncomfortable is when I get a hate-filled stare from some big man, or get a drive-by of a car filled with young men shouting me down because of the hijab and then usually I just get out of that area as soon as possible. I also feel bad when a woman gives me an angry look and shoos her kids in the other direction - but those are really rather rare events, people are generally pretty tolerant of me looking different. In my experience, most Americans could care less how you dress unless they think you are a threat to them or unless you're in their family. In my average day-to-day experience, I almost forget I look different because what I wear is natural to me and I don't feel that I am treated differently, alhumdooleluh.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Are we all Syeds and just don't know it?
The Atlantic Monthly | May 2002
The Royal We
The mathematical study of genealogy indicates that everyone in the world is descended from Nefertiti and Confucius, and everyone of European ancestry is descended from Muhammad and Charlemagne
by Steve Olson
.....
few years ago the Genealogical Office in Dublin moved from a back room of the Heraldic Museum up the street to the National Library. The old office wasn't big enough for all the people stopping by to track down their Irish ancestors, and even the new, much larger office is often crowded. Because of its history of oppression and Catholic fecundity, Ireland has been a remarkably productive exporter of people. The population of the island has never exceeded 10 million, but more than 70 million people worldwide claim Irish ancestry. On warm summer days, as tourists throng nearby Trinity College and Dublin Castle, the line of visitors waiting to consult one of the office's professional genealogists can stretch out the door.
I suspect that many people have had a fling with genealogy somewhat like mine. In my office I have a file containing the scattered lines of Olsons and Taylors, Richmans and Sigginses (my Irish ancestors), that I gathered several years ago in a paroxysm of family-mindedness. For the most part my ancestors were a steady stream of farmers, ministers, and malcontents. Yet a few of the Old World lines hint at something grander—they include a couple of knights, and even a baron. I've never taken the trouble to find out, but I bet with a little work I could achieve that nirvana of genealogical research, demonstrated descent from a royal family.
Earlier this year I went to Dublin to learn more about the Irish side of my family and to talk about genealogy with Mark Humphrys, a young computer scientist at Dublin City University. Humphrys has dark hair, deep-blue eyes, heavily freckled arms, and a pasty complexion. He became interested in genealogy as a teenager, after hearing romantic stories about his ancestors' roles in rebellions against the English. But when he tried to trace his family further into the past, the trail ran cold. The Penal Laws imposed by England in the early eighteenth century forbade Irish Catholics from buying land or joining professions, which meant that very few permanent records of their existence were generated. "Irish people of Catholic descent are almost completely cut off from the past," Humphrys told me, as we sat in his office overlooking a busy construction site. (Dublin City University, which specializes in information technology and the life sciences, is growing as rapidly as the northern Dublin suburb in which it is located.) "The great irony about Ireland is that even though we have this long, rich history, almost no person of Irish-Catholic descent can directly connect to that history."
While a graduate student at Cambridge University, Humphrys fell in love with and married an Englishwoman, and investigating her genealogy proved more fruitful. Her family knew that they were descended from an illegitimate son of the tenth Earl of Pembroke. After just a couple of hours in the Cambridge library, Humphrys showed that the Earl of Pembroke was a direct descendant of Edward III, making Humphrys's wife the King's great-granddaughter twenty generations removed. Humphrys began to gather other genealogical tidbits related to English royalty. Many of the famous Irish rebels he'd learned about in school turned out to have ancestors who had married into prominent Protestant families, which meant they were descended from English royalty. The majority of American presidents were also of royal descent, as were many of the well-known families of Europe.
Humphrys began to notice something odd. Whenever a reliable family tree was available, almost anyone of European ancestry turned out to be descended from English royalty—even such unlikely people as Hermann Göring and Daniel Boone. Humphrys began to think that such descent was the rule rather than the exception in the Western world, even if relatively few people had the documents to demonstrate it.
Humphrys compiled his family genealogies first on paper and then using computers. He did much of his work on royal genealogies in the mid-1990s, when the World Wide Web was just coming into general use. He began to put his findings on Web pages, with hyperlinks connecting various lines of descent. Suddenly dense networks of ancestry jumped out at him. "I'd known these descents were interconnected, but I'd never known how much," he told me. "You can't see the connections reading the printed genealogies, because it's so hard to jump from tree to tree. The problem is that genealogies aren't two-dimensional, so any attempt to put them on paper is more or less doomed from the start. They aren't three-dimensional, either, or you could make a structure. They have hundreds of dimensions."
Much of Humphrys's genealogical research now appears on his Web page Royal Descents of Famous People. Sitting in his office, I asked him to show me how it works. He clicked on the name Walt Disney. Up popped a genealogy done by Brigitte Gastel Lloyd (Humphrys links to the work of others whenever possible) showing the twenty-two generations separating Disney from Edward I. Humphrys pointed at the screen. "Here we have a sir, so this woman is the daughter of a knight. Maybe this woman will marry nobility, but there's a limited pool of nobility, so eventually someone here is going to marry someone who's just wealthy. Then one of their children could marry someone who doesn't have that much money. In ten generations you can easily get from princess to peasant."
The idea that virtually anyone with a European ancestor descends from English royalty seems bizarre, but it accords perfectly with some recent research done by Joseph Chang, a statistician at Yale University. The mathematics of our ancestry is exceedingly complex, because the number of our ancestors increases exponentially, not linearly. These numbers are manageable in the first few generations—two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-great-grandparents—but they quickly spiral out of control. Go back forty generations, or about a thousand years, and each of us theoretically has more than a trillion direct ancestors—a figure that far exceeds the total number of human beings who have ever lived.
In a 1999 paper titled "Recent Common Ancestors of All Present-Day Individuals," Chang showed how to reconcile the potentially huge number of our ancestors with the quantities of people who actually lived in the past. His model is a mathematical proof that relies on such abstractions as Poisson distributions and Markov chains, but it can readily be applied to the real world. Under the conditions laid out in his paper, the most recent common ancestor of every European today (except for recent immigrants to the Continent) was someone who lived in Europe in the surprisingly recent past—only about 600 years ago. In other words, all Europeans alive today have among their ancestors the same man or woman who lived around 1400. Before that date, according to Chang's model, the number of ancestors common to all Europeans today increased, until, about a thousand years ago, a peculiar situation prevailed: 20 percent of the adult Europeans alive in 1000 would turn out to be the ancestors of no one living today (that is, they had no children or all their descendants eventually died childless); each of the remaining 80 percent would turn out to be a direct ancestor of every European living today.
Chang's model incorporates one crucial assumption: random mating in the part of the world under consideration. For example, every person in Europe would have to have an equal chance of marrying every other European of the opposite sex. As Chang acknowledges in his paper, random mating clearly does not occur in reality; an Englishman is much likelier to marry a woman from England than a woman from Italy, and a princess is much likelier to marry a prince than a pauper. These departures from randomness must push back somewhat the date of Europeans' most recent common ancestor.
But Humphrys's Web page suggests that over many generations mating patterns may be much more random than expected. Social mobility accounts for part of the mixing—what Voltaire called the slippered feet going down the stairs as the hobnailed boots ascend them. At the same time, revolutions overturn established orders, countries invade and colonize other countries, and people sometimes choose mates from far away rather than from next door. Even the world's most isolated peoples—Pacific islanders, for example—continually exchange potential mates with neighboring groups.
This constant churning of people makes it possible to apply Chang's analysis to the world as a whole. For example, almost everyone in the New World must be descended from English royalty—even people of predominantly African or Native American ancestry, because of the long history of intermarriage in the Americas. Similarly, everyone of European ancestry must descend from Muhammad. The line of descent for which records exist is through the daughter of the Emir of Seville, who is reported to have converted from Islam to Catholicism in about 1200. But many other, unrecorded descents must also exist.
Chang's model has even more dramatic implications. Because people are always migrating from continent to continent, networks of descent quickly interconnect. This means that the most recent common ancestor of all six billion people on earth today probably lived just a couple of thousand years ago. And not long before that the majority of the people on the planet were the direct ancestors of everyone alive today. Confucius, Nefertiti, and just about any other ancient historical figure who was even moderately prolific must today be counted among everyone's ancestors.
Toward the end of our conversation Humphrys pointed out something I hadn't considered. The same process works going forward in time; in essence every one of us who has children and whose line does not go extinct is suspended at the center of an immense genetic hourglass. Just as we are descended from most of the people alive on the planet a few thousand years ago, several thousand years hence each of us will be an ancestor of the entire human race—or of no one at all.
The dense interconnectedness of the human family might seem to take some of the thrill out of genealogical research. Sure, I was able to show in the Genealogical Office that my Siggins ancestors are descended from the fourteenth-century Syggens of County Wexford; but I'm also descended from most of the other people who lived in Ireland in the fourteenth century. Humphrys took issue with my disillusionment. It's true that everyone's roots go back to the same family tree, he said. But each path to our common past is different, and reconstructing that path, using whatever records are available, is its own reward. "You can ask whether everyone in the Western world is descended from Charlemagne, and the answer is yes, we're all descended from Charlemagne. But can you prove it? That's the game of genealogy."
Copyright © 2002 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All rights reserved.
The Atlantic Monthly; May 2002; The Royal We; Volume 289, No. 5; 62.
The Royal We
The mathematical study of genealogy indicates that everyone in the world is descended from Nefertiti and Confucius, and everyone of European ancestry is descended from Muhammad and Charlemagne
by Steve Olson
.....
few years ago the Genealogical Office in Dublin moved from a back room of the Heraldic Museum up the street to the National Library. The old office wasn't big enough for all the people stopping by to track down their Irish ancestors, and even the new, much larger office is often crowded. Because of its history of oppression and Catholic fecundity, Ireland has been a remarkably productive exporter of people. The population of the island has never exceeded 10 million, but more than 70 million people worldwide claim Irish ancestry. On warm summer days, as tourists throng nearby Trinity College and Dublin Castle, the line of visitors waiting to consult one of the office's professional genealogists can stretch out the door.
I suspect that many people have had a fling with genealogy somewhat like mine. In my office I have a file containing the scattered lines of Olsons and Taylors, Richmans and Sigginses (my Irish ancestors), that I gathered several years ago in a paroxysm of family-mindedness. For the most part my ancestors were a steady stream of farmers, ministers, and malcontents. Yet a few of the Old World lines hint at something grander—they include a couple of knights, and even a baron. I've never taken the trouble to find out, but I bet with a little work I could achieve that nirvana of genealogical research, demonstrated descent from a royal family.
Earlier this year I went to Dublin to learn more about the Irish side of my family and to talk about genealogy with Mark Humphrys, a young computer scientist at Dublin City University. Humphrys has dark hair, deep-blue eyes, heavily freckled arms, and a pasty complexion. He became interested in genealogy as a teenager, after hearing romantic stories about his ancestors' roles in rebellions against the English. But when he tried to trace his family further into the past, the trail ran cold. The Penal Laws imposed by England in the early eighteenth century forbade Irish Catholics from buying land or joining professions, which meant that very few permanent records of their existence were generated. "Irish people of Catholic descent are almost completely cut off from the past," Humphrys told me, as we sat in his office overlooking a busy construction site. (Dublin City University, which specializes in information technology and the life sciences, is growing as rapidly as the northern Dublin suburb in which it is located.) "The great irony about Ireland is that even though we have this long, rich history, almost no person of Irish-Catholic descent can directly connect to that history."
While a graduate student at Cambridge University, Humphrys fell in love with and married an Englishwoman, and investigating her genealogy proved more fruitful. Her family knew that they were descended from an illegitimate son of the tenth Earl of Pembroke. After just a couple of hours in the Cambridge library, Humphrys showed that the Earl of Pembroke was a direct descendant of Edward III, making Humphrys's wife the King's great-granddaughter twenty generations removed. Humphrys began to gather other genealogical tidbits related to English royalty. Many of the famous Irish rebels he'd learned about in school turned out to have ancestors who had married into prominent Protestant families, which meant they were descended from English royalty. The majority of American presidents were also of royal descent, as were many of the well-known families of Europe.
Humphrys began to notice something odd. Whenever a reliable family tree was available, almost anyone of European ancestry turned out to be descended from English royalty—even such unlikely people as Hermann Göring and Daniel Boone. Humphrys began to think that such descent was the rule rather than the exception in the Western world, even if relatively few people had the documents to demonstrate it.
Humphrys compiled his family genealogies first on paper and then using computers. He did much of his work on royal genealogies in the mid-1990s, when the World Wide Web was just coming into general use. He began to put his findings on Web pages, with hyperlinks connecting various lines of descent. Suddenly dense networks of ancestry jumped out at him. "I'd known these descents were interconnected, but I'd never known how much," he told me. "You can't see the connections reading the printed genealogies, because it's so hard to jump from tree to tree. The problem is that genealogies aren't two-dimensional, so any attempt to put them on paper is more or less doomed from the start. They aren't three-dimensional, either, or you could make a structure. They have hundreds of dimensions."
Much of Humphrys's genealogical research now appears on his Web page Royal Descents of Famous People. Sitting in his office, I asked him to show me how it works. He clicked on the name Walt Disney. Up popped a genealogy done by Brigitte Gastel Lloyd (Humphrys links to the work of others whenever possible) showing the twenty-two generations separating Disney from Edward I. Humphrys pointed at the screen. "Here we have a sir, so this woman is the daughter of a knight. Maybe this woman will marry nobility, but there's a limited pool of nobility, so eventually someone here is going to marry someone who's just wealthy. Then one of their children could marry someone who doesn't have that much money. In ten generations you can easily get from princess to peasant."
The idea that virtually anyone with a European ancestor descends from English royalty seems bizarre, but it accords perfectly with some recent research done by Joseph Chang, a statistician at Yale University. The mathematics of our ancestry is exceedingly complex, because the number of our ancestors increases exponentially, not linearly. These numbers are manageable in the first few generations—two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-great-grandparents—but they quickly spiral out of control. Go back forty generations, or about a thousand years, and each of us theoretically has more than a trillion direct ancestors—a figure that far exceeds the total number of human beings who have ever lived.
In a 1999 paper titled "Recent Common Ancestors of All Present-Day Individuals," Chang showed how to reconcile the potentially huge number of our ancestors with the quantities of people who actually lived in the past. His model is a mathematical proof that relies on such abstractions as Poisson distributions and Markov chains, but it can readily be applied to the real world. Under the conditions laid out in his paper, the most recent common ancestor of every European today (except for recent immigrants to the Continent) was someone who lived in Europe in the surprisingly recent past—only about 600 years ago. In other words, all Europeans alive today have among their ancestors the same man or woman who lived around 1400. Before that date, according to Chang's model, the number of ancestors common to all Europeans today increased, until, about a thousand years ago, a peculiar situation prevailed: 20 percent of the adult Europeans alive in 1000 would turn out to be the ancestors of no one living today (that is, they had no children or all their descendants eventually died childless); each of the remaining 80 percent would turn out to be a direct ancestor of every European living today.
Chang's model incorporates one crucial assumption: random mating in the part of the world under consideration. For example, every person in Europe would have to have an equal chance of marrying every other European of the opposite sex. As Chang acknowledges in his paper, random mating clearly does not occur in reality; an Englishman is much likelier to marry a woman from England than a woman from Italy, and a princess is much likelier to marry a prince than a pauper. These departures from randomness must push back somewhat the date of Europeans' most recent common ancestor.
But Humphrys's Web page suggests that over many generations mating patterns may be much more random than expected. Social mobility accounts for part of the mixing—what Voltaire called the slippered feet going down the stairs as the hobnailed boots ascend them. At the same time, revolutions overturn established orders, countries invade and colonize other countries, and people sometimes choose mates from far away rather than from next door. Even the world's most isolated peoples—Pacific islanders, for example—continually exchange potential mates with neighboring groups.
This constant churning of people makes it possible to apply Chang's analysis to the world as a whole. For example, almost everyone in the New World must be descended from English royalty—even people of predominantly African or Native American ancestry, because of the long history of intermarriage in the Americas. Similarly, everyone of European ancestry must descend from Muhammad. The line of descent for which records exist is through the daughter of the Emir of Seville, who is reported to have converted from Islam to Catholicism in about 1200. But many other, unrecorded descents must also exist.
Chang's model has even more dramatic implications. Because people are always migrating from continent to continent, networks of descent quickly interconnect. This means that the most recent common ancestor of all six billion people on earth today probably lived just a couple of thousand years ago. And not long before that the majority of the people on the planet were the direct ancestors of everyone alive today. Confucius, Nefertiti, and just about any other ancient historical figure who was even moderately prolific must today be counted among everyone's ancestors.
Toward the end of our conversation Humphrys pointed out something I hadn't considered. The same process works going forward in time; in essence every one of us who has children and whose line does not go extinct is suspended at the center of an immense genetic hourglass. Just as we are descended from most of the people alive on the planet a few thousand years ago, several thousand years hence each of us will be an ancestor of the entire human race—or of no one at all.
The dense interconnectedness of the human family might seem to take some of the thrill out of genealogical research. Sure, I was able to show in the Genealogical Office that my Siggins ancestors are descended from the fourteenth-century Syggens of County Wexford; but I'm also descended from most of the other people who lived in Ireland in the fourteenth century. Humphrys took issue with my disillusionment. It's true that everyone's roots go back to the same family tree, he said. But each path to our common past is different, and reconstructing that path, using whatever records are available, is its own reward. "You can ask whether everyone in the Western world is descended from Charlemagne, and the answer is yes, we're all descended from Charlemagne. But can you prove it? That's the game of genealogy."
Copyright © 2002 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All rights reserved.
The Atlantic Monthly; May 2002; The Royal We; Volume 289, No. 5; 62.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Basketball
The team my brother coaches hosted their first playoff game ever last night because they were ranked second in the league, which is also their best ever. They beat Denver Waldorf something like 47 to 23. The losing team got a little bit of attitude in the last quarter and got two technical fouls for the assistant coach throwing down a clipboard and a girl shoving another girl. I hate to see people act that way, especially about a game. The girls should be taught to win and lose graciously. Jeff thinks they probably won't be able to win the next game against Stratton who is ranked pretty high for the whole state.
But anyway I know this game was important to my brother because he wanted to prove himself this season coaching this team. I think he succeeded. One thing he does which I appreciate is that almost every game he lets every person on the team play. He was very small when he was in school and felt lots of coaches never gave him a chance so he makes sure to give everyone a chance.
But anyway I know this game was important to my brother because he wanted to prove himself this season coaching this team. I think he succeeded. One thing he does which I appreciate is that almost every game he lets every person on the team play. He was very small when he was in school and felt lots of coaches never gave him a chance so he makes sure to give everyone a chance.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Senior of the Month
Taki Uncle - Senior of the Month
If you have a moment to read the article at the above link, please do. Taki Uncle is like a father to me. When I converted, he reached out to me from afar to make sure I had whatever I needed and has always been a true and devoted mentor. He doesn't get the recognition due to him, so this is something very nice.
If you have a moment to read the article at the above link, please do. Taki Uncle is like a father to me. When I converted, he reached out to me from afar to make sure I had whatever I needed and has always been a true and devoted mentor. He doesn't get the recognition due to him, so this is something very nice.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Thirty Lessons from Ashura
1. Align yourself with right no matter the cost.
2. Enjoin good and forbid evil.
3. Love those who are good and befriend yourself to them.
4. Do not be friends with those who do evil, are cruel or are foolish.
5. When you love someone, you should feel their pain and mourn their tragedies.
6. The more you love someone, the more you will feel for them.
7. You should love God and His messengers and guides more than you love yourself and your family.
8. There is nothing wrong with showing genuine emotion in response to oppression in public.
9. We should all fight oppression with whatever we have.
10. There is more than one way to fight; pick the one that suits the circumstances. Ask those who are wise about the right way.
11. Ask those who are wise about everything and follow them.
12. A follower should not only incline to his leader and listen to him, but reform his actions to be in accordance with his leader's. If he really loves him, he will work hard to avoid anything contrary to his leader's teachings. If he does not really love him, he is a hypocrite and offers lip service but will fail a real test if it comes.
13. If people let the memory of injustice fade, it is easier for tyrants to carry it out again.
14. God protects His message so that we may know it.
15. Godly people make great sacrifices for God's cause.
16. The right often lies with the few rather than the many. Don't be afraid to be a minority.
17. Hijab is precious. Family is precious. Brave, loving men are precious. Women who speak up when necessary are precious.
18. Nothing is more precious than God.
19. The jihad of men and women is different, but we must all practice patience, forbearance, and willingness to forgive someone who is truly sorry.
20. The length of your life as a Muslim is less important than what you do with that time. It is better to die at the pinnacle of your faith than to live another moment on its decline. We should dedicate ourselves to the cause of God and increasing our faith.
21. Prayer is so important that even on a battlefield you must keep it.
22. Young and old alike can do great things or terrible things.
23. God has a plan.
24. Thirst is terrible. Do not let anyone or thing go thirsty while you have the power to prevent it. When you drink, remember those who died thirsty because people prevented them from having it.
25. Silence or inaction can be VERY evil. You can be guilty without committing the action by letting it happen or deluding yourself that you can do nothing about it.
26. It is our duty to become educated and aware as much as possible. Ignorance is not bliss, it is sin if it is preventable.
27. We must be sensitive and compassionate toward the suffering of others. It is wrong to celebrate in the face of another's tragedy.
28. Do not let differences divide what the love of God can unite. Ashura is an occasion to be united in love of God and God's messengers and guides.
29. The one who sides with God can never be hopeless and the one who sides against God can never have hope.
30. The unrighteous seek to deceive or intimidate others to be in their ranks. Do not be deceived or intimidated.
2. Enjoin good and forbid evil.
3. Love those who are good and befriend yourself to them.
4. Do not be friends with those who do evil, are cruel or are foolish.
5. When you love someone, you should feel their pain and mourn their tragedies.
6. The more you love someone, the more you will feel for them.
7. You should love God and His messengers and guides more than you love yourself and your family.
8. There is nothing wrong with showing genuine emotion in response to oppression in public.
9. We should all fight oppression with whatever we have.
10. There is more than one way to fight; pick the one that suits the circumstances. Ask those who are wise about the right way.
11. Ask those who are wise about everything and follow them.
12. A follower should not only incline to his leader and listen to him, but reform his actions to be in accordance with his leader's. If he really loves him, he will work hard to avoid anything contrary to his leader's teachings. If he does not really love him, he is a hypocrite and offers lip service but will fail a real test if it comes.
13. If people let the memory of injustice fade, it is easier for tyrants to carry it out again.
14. God protects His message so that we may know it.
15. Godly people make great sacrifices for God's cause.
16. The right often lies with the few rather than the many. Don't be afraid to be a minority.
17. Hijab is precious. Family is precious. Brave, loving men are precious. Women who speak up when necessary are precious.
18. Nothing is more precious than God.
19. The jihad of men and women is different, but we must all practice patience, forbearance, and willingness to forgive someone who is truly sorry.
20. The length of your life as a Muslim is less important than what you do with that time. It is better to die at the pinnacle of your faith than to live another moment on its decline. We should dedicate ourselves to the cause of God and increasing our faith.
21. Prayer is so important that even on a battlefield you must keep it.
22. Young and old alike can do great things or terrible things.
23. God has a plan.
24. Thirst is terrible. Do not let anyone or thing go thirsty while you have the power to prevent it. When you drink, remember those who died thirsty because people prevented them from having it.
25. Silence or inaction can be VERY evil. You can be guilty without committing the action by letting it happen or deluding yourself that you can do nothing about it.
26. It is our duty to become educated and aware as much as possible. Ignorance is not bliss, it is sin if it is preventable.
27. We must be sensitive and compassionate toward the suffering of others. It is wrong to celebrate in the face of another's tragedy.
28. Do not let differences divide what the love of God can unite. Ashura is an occasion to be united in love of God and God's messengers and guides.
29. The one who sides with God can never be hopeless and the one who sides against God can never have hope.
30. The unrighteous seek to deceive or intimidate others to be in their ranks. Do not be deceived or intimidated.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Why Imam Hussein (as) is Called Abu Abdullah
It is and was a custom among Arabs that if a person possessed a characteristic, he may be called the father of that trait. For example, Abu Jahl was not called that because he had a son named Jahl, even though Abu Jahl literally means the Father of Jahl. Jahl means ignorance. But neither did this mean that his son was ignorant. Rather, this epithet was applied to him because he was said to personify ignorance so much so that he could be considered the father of that trait - the father of ignorance.
If Imam Hussain (as) had not sacrificed as he did on the plains of Kerbala, then today Allah swt would not be worshipped as He should be because the purity of Islam would have lost to the corrupted forms of Islam favored by the killers of Imam Hussein (as). As a result, none of us today would be worthy of the title Abdullah, or servant/slave of Allah swt. Thus Hussein (as) could be said to have given his life for the protection of the existence of Abdullahs today. Any person who is able to submit to Allah swt has this blessing through the sacrifice of Imam (as), hence he has the title of the "father of the worshipper of Allah."
- paraphrased from A Short Commentary of Ziyarat Ashura available on al-islam.org.
If Imam Hussain (as) had not sacrificed as he did on the plains of Kerbala, then today Allah swt would not be worshipped as He should be because the purity of Islam would have lost to the corrupted forms of Islam favored by the killers of Imam Hussein (as). As a result, none of us today would be worthy of the title Abdullah, or servant/slave of Allah swt. Thus Hussein (as) could be said to have given his life for the protection of the existence of Abdullahs today. Any person who is able to submit to Allah swt has this blessing through the sacrifice of Imam (as), hence he has the title of the "father of the worshipper of Allah."
- paraphrased from A Short Commentary of Ziyarat Ashura available on al-islam.org.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Forgiveness
One time I was at a Muslim lecture series and there was a young woman there who was with a Muslim a boy and was looking into Islam as a potential convert. One question she had, coming from a Christian background, was about the role of forgiveness in Islam. She noted that the topic of forgiveness did not seem to exist in the prevalent Islamic literature, whereas in Christianity it is a prevalent theme - we are forgiven for our sins, we obtain forgiveness by the grace of God, we are advised to forgive others. We have dhikr, "Astaghfirullah", seeking forgiveness, but it is hard to find much said about it, in how it is obtained or in the value of giving it.
But on the other hand, we do have lanaat. For example, from Ziyarat Al-Jami'a (imho, one of the most beautiful brief ziyaras), "May Allah (swt) curse the enemies of the family of Muhammad from amongst the jinns and humans and I dissociate by Allah from them...." And there are examples by name in Ziyaarat e Ashura.
The horrible events of Karbala beg the question of the role of forgiveness in Islam. Here were events in which people essentially set themselves up as enemies of God and Godly people and committed great oppressions against them culminating in massacre, imprisonment, and torture. The victims did not preach the perhaps misunderstood Christian concept of turning the other cheek. They taught and modeled standing up and fighting back against wrong. Imam Husain (as) did not go to Karbala to be a martyr, but he went because it was necessary to preserve Islam. He did not fight on personal principles, but on Godly principles.
There is the ideal in Islam of forgiveness, but the initial readings of someone new to the faith will not find it so easily as in Christian works. We are enjoined to overlook faults and to forgive shortcomings of one another. We are taught that when you wrong someone, God will not forgive you if you do not seek to fix that wrong so that the one you wronged forgives you, unless it is impossible for you to do so in which case you seek God's pardon on the victim's behalf. We are taught that God is Merciful beyond our comprehension, and that He makes our scales heavy with good deeds by accounting them more than their worth through His Mercy.
If we extend this idea that you must seek forgiveness from the one you wronged, we often need to seek forgiveness of ourselves but a great many of the sins we do our against ourselves. But they are also against God and so we have to seek His forgiveness. God said He may forgive anything except shirk, but we should be repentant and not use a belief in forgiveness as an excuse to persist in bad deeds.
When there is hope for reform, there is room for forgiveness. When it eases your soul, there is room for forgiveness. In most ordinary cases, forgiveness is a virtue that is good for you and for the one who harmed you. People are too stingy with forgiveness, but yet they expect Allah swt to not be stingy with forgiveness for them. Why not forgive?
When someone sets themselves up as an enemy of God, it is not our place to forgive. It is God's choice to judge. Our place is to enjoin good and forbid evil, to join good and to separate from evil. To bless good and curse evil. We must observe manners and decency and uphold rights of all mankind, even enemies. We must never sink to the denominator of our foes, because then they achieved a victory of corruption - of bringing us down to their level. No matter what is done, two wrongs never make a right. There is never an excuse to deny a human being his dignity, no matter what he may have done. The message of Karbala is powerful because the camp of Imam Hussain (as) unflinchingly maintained the moral right. They did not sink to the level of the oppressors. Had they engaged in even one small understandable act of anything but the highest moral virtue, then Karbala would have been a total loss for Islam and mankind. This is a message to take with us today and apply in our daily conflicts and to apply in the world conflicts.
But on the other hand, we do have lanaat. For example, from Ziyarat Al-Jami'a (imho, one of the most beautiful brief ziyaras), "May Allah (swt) curse the enemies of the family of Muhammad from amongst the jinns and humans and I dissociate by Allah from them...." And there are examples by name in Ziyaarat e Ashura.
The horrible events of Karbala beg the question of the role of forgiveness in Islam. Here were events in which people essentially set themselves up as enemies of God and Godly people and committed great oppressions against them culminating in massacre, imprisonment, and torture. The victims did not preach the perhaps misunderstood Christian concept of turning the other cheek. They taught and modeled standing up and fighting back against wrong. Imam Husain (as) did not go to Karbala to be a martyr, but he went because it was necessary to preserve Islam. He did not fight on personal principles, but on Godly principles.
There is the ideal in Islam of forgiveness, but the initial readings of someone new to the faith will not find it so easily as in Christian works. We are enjoined to overlook faults and to forgive shortcomings of one another. We are taught that when you wrong someone, God will not forgive you if you do not seek to fix that wrong so that the one you wronged forgives you, unless it is impossible for you to do so in which case you seek God's pardon on the victim's behalf. We are taught that God is Merciful beyond our comprehension, and that He makes our scales heavy with good deeds by accounting them more than their worth through His Mercy.
If we extend this idea that you must seek forgiveness from the one you wronged, we often need to seek forgiveness of ourselves but a great many of the sins we do our against ourselves. But they are also against God and so we have to seek His forgiveness. God said He may forgive anything except shirk, but we should be repentant and not use a belief in forgiveness as an excuse to persist in bad deeds.
When there is hope for reform, there is room for forgiveness. When it eases your soul, there is room for forgiveness. In most ordinary cases, forgiveness is a virtue that is good for you and for the one who harmed you. People are too stingy with forgiveness, but yet they expect Allah swt to not be stingy with forgiveness for them. Why not forgive?
When someone sets themselves up as an enemy of God, it is not our place to forgive. It is God's choice to judge. Our place is to enjoin good and forbid evil, to join good and to separate from evil. To bless good and curse evil. We must observe manners and decency and uphold rights of all mankind, even enemies. We must never sink to the denominator of our foes, because then they achieved a victory of corruption - of bringing us down to their level. No matter what is done, two wrongs never make a right. There is never an excuse to deny a human being his dignity, no matter what he may have done. The message of Karbala is powerful because the camp of Imam Hussain (as) unflinchingly maintained the moral right. They did not sink to the level of the oppressors. Had they engaged in even one small understandable act of anything but the highest moral virtue, then Karbala would have been a total loss for Islam and mankind. This is a message to take with us today and apply in our daily conflicts and to apply in the world conflicts.
Monday, February 14, 2005
Non-Muharram-y Interlude (Quiz from Son of Cheese)
1. Your name spelled backwards:
Yttaeb Anaid - It rhymes, I think...
2. Where were your parents born?
Colorado Springs, Colorado
3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer?
Muharram lecture in English from Dubai.
4. What's your favorite restaurant?
PF Changs, I guess.
5. Last time you swam in a pool?
Probably four or so years ago, when I visited Vancouver. They have women-only Muslim pool nights. But, I recently acquired one of those pseudo-Islamic swimsuits that look like jogging suits from jelbab.com. I'm tempted to try it out next time I go to a hotel and the pool is mostly deserted.... What do you think?
6. Have you ever been in a school play?
Yes. I was Tom Sawyer in the fifth grade play 'Tom Sawyer'. I don't remember this, but mom says I was a late replacement for a boy who couldn't memorize the lines. I was also a crow in Wizard of Oz in 1st grade, and a ghost in 2nd grade, and one of the Siamese cats in a Disney musical in sixth grade, the pianist for the Melodrama in 6th grade, and 'Ma' in some play in junior high.
7. How many kids do you want?
Let's take it one at a time and then we'll see. :)
8. Type of music do you dislike most?
Rude and obnoxious.
9. Are you registered to vote?
Yes!
10. Do you have cable?
Definitely - gotta have Discovery!
11. Have you ever ridden on a moped?
Not that I can recall.... I remember wanting one when I was in elementary school, though. I thought they looked COOOL!
12. Ever prank call anybody?
Yes, sadly, it was a favorite entertainment of me and some of my friends when we were little. Our favorites were to call up people named like famous people in the phone book (Jack Daniels, James Bond...) and to call people and pretend were doing official surveys and ask silly questions.
13. Ever get a parking ticket?
No.
14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?
Yes, I would. Especially if someone paid for it!
15. Farthest place you ever traveled?
Mecca
16. Do you have a garden?
Sort of. I have plants.
17. What's your favorite comic strip?
Calvin and Hobbes.
18. Do you really know all the words to the national anthem?
Yes. In junior high my choir sang it at a baseball game. Before I quit the whole music/singing thing.
19. Bath or Shower, morning or night?
Shower. I do both morning and night or any time of day as I feel like it.
20. Best movie you've seen in the past month?
Supersize Me
21. Favorite pizza toppings?
tomato and green olives
22. Chips or popcorn?
neither.
23. What color lipstick do you usually wear?
none
26. Orange Juice or apple?
both, depends on the day.
27. Favorite type of chocolate bar?
special dark
28 When was the last time you voted at the polls?
November, 2004. Just rub it in, Derek. :)
29. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato?
last summer. My mom usually keeps at least one tomato plant.
30. Have you ever won a trophy?
Yes, usually academic stuff but also for track.
31. Are you a good cook?
I don't know, I never really tried.
32. Do you know how to pump your own gas?
I sure hope so, I'd be stranded if I didn't... love ATM cards at the gas station!
33. Ever order an item from an infomercial?
No, but I came close. I've once or twice ordered something off the Internet after seeing the infomercial and then finding it ebay or somewhere else for less. Infomercials are evil, people - they will make you think you need anything - so...don't---watch!
34. Sprite or 7-up?
Either, but Sprite tastes better.
35. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to work?
Yes - McDonald's, Broadmoor Hotel, I think that's it.
36. Last thing you bought at a pharmacy?
I don't remember.
37. Ever throw up in public?
I don't think so. But once I missed Christmas because I got sick Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
38. Would you prefer being a millionaire or to find true love?
Can you take either one with you past the grave? Whichever one goes with me for the better.
39. Do you believe in love at first sight?
No, not really.
40. Ever call a 1-900 number?
No, but my friends and I used to make up 'bad' 1-800 numbers and call them to see if they were real. Sometimes they were, and they would tell you to call a 1-900 number, which we never did.
41. Can exes be friends?
If they can, they shouldn't be exes, most likely.
42. Who was the last person you visited in a hospital?
my dad, he just got out.
43. Did you have a lot of hair when you were a baby?
No.
44. What message is on your answering machine?
The one that came with the machine. It is really short and so telemarketers always get excited thinking they got hold of a life person and then they say, "Hello? Hello!" for half a minute into my machine....
45. What is in your backpack?
It's not a backpack but I've got my graphing calculator, purse (with digital camera, wallet, cellphone, qiblah compass, mohr, sunglasses, chapstick and few other things), and some papers that probably need to be taken out, and dua'a books.
46. Favorite thing to do before bedtime?
Read.
47. What is one thing you are grateful for today?
Health
48. What is the first concert you ever went to?
The only band I've ever been to in concert - Metallica. Well, I guess the second time GNR was there, too, but they sucked. Now I don't do concerts anymore.
Yttaeb Anaid - It rhymes, I think...
2. Where were your parents born?
Colorado Springs, Colorado
3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer?
Muharram lecture in English from Dubai.
4. What's your favorite restaurant?
PF Changs, I guess.
5. Last time you swam in a pool?
Probably four or so years ago, when I visited Vancouver. They have women-only Muslim pool nights. But, I recently acquired one of those pseudo-Islamic swimsuits that look like jogging suits from jelbab.com. I'm tempted to try it out next time I go to a hotel and the pool is mostly deserted.... What do you think?
6. Have you ever been in a school play?
Yes. I was Tom Sawyer in the fifth grade play 'Tom Sawyer'. I don't remember this, but mom says I was a late replacement for a boy who couldn't memorize the lines. I was also a crow in Wizard of Oz in 1st grade, and a ghost in 2nd grade, and one of the Siamese cats in a Disney musical in sixth grade, the pianist for the Melodrama in 6th grade, and 'Ma' in some play in junior high.
7. How many kids do you want?
Let's take it one at a time and then we'll see. :)
8. Type of music do you dislike most?
Rude and obnoxious.
9. Are you registered to vote?
Yes!
10. Do you have cable?
Definitely - gotta have Discovery!
11. Have you ever ridden on a moped?
Not that I can recall.... I remember wanting one when I was in elementary school, though. I thought they looked COOOL!
12. Ever prank call anybody?
Yes, sadly, it was a favorite entertainment of me and some of my friends when we were little. Our favorites were to call up people named like famous people in the phone book (Jack Daniels, James Bond...) and to call people and pretend were doing official surveys and ask silly questions.
13. Ever get a parking ticket?
No.
14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?
Yes, I would. Especially if someone paid for it!
15. Farthest place you ever traveled?
Mecca
16. Do you have a garden?
Sort of. I have plants.
17. What's your favorite comic strip?
Calvin and Hobbes.
18. Do you really know all the words to the national anthem?
Yes. In junior high my choir sang it at a baseball game. Before I quit the whole music/singing thing.
19. Bath or Shower, morning or night?
Shower. I do both morning and night or any time of day as I feel like it.
20. Best movie you've seen in the past month?
Supersize Me
21. Favorite pizza toppings?
tomato and green olives
22. Chips or popcorn?
neither.
23. What color lipstick do you usually wear?
none
26. Orange Juice or apple?
both, depends on the day.
27. Favorite type of chocolate bar?
special dark
28 When was the last time you voted at the polls?
November, 2004. Just rub it in, Derek. :)
29. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato?
last summer. My mom usually keeps at least one tomato plant.
30. Have you ever won a trophy?
Yes, usually academic stuff but also for track.
31. Are you a good cook?
I don't know, I never really tried.
32. Do you know how to pump your own gas?
I sure hope so, I'd be stranded if I didn't... love ATM cards at the gas station!
33. Ever order an item from an infomercial?
No, but I came close. I've once or twice ordered something off the Internet after seeing the infomercial and then finding it ebay or somewhere else for less. Infomercials are evil, people - they will make you think you need anything - so...don't---watch!
34. Sprite or 7-up?
Either, but Sprite tastes better.
35. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to work?
Yes - McDonald's, Broadmoor Hotel, I think that's it.
36. Last thing you bought at a pharmacy?
I don't remember.
37. Ever throw up in public?
I don't think so. But once I missed Christmas because I got sick Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
38. Would you prefer being a millionaire or to find true love?
Can you take either one with you past the grave? Whichever one goes with me for the better.
39. Do you believe in love at first sight?
No, not really.
40. Ever call a 1-900 number?
No, but my friends and I used to make up 'bad' 1-800 numbers and call them to see if they were real. Sometimes they were, and they would tell you to call a 1-900 number, which we never did.
41. Can exes be friends?
If they can, they shouldn't be exes, most likely.
42. Who was the last person you visited in a hospital?
my dad, he just got out.
43. Did you have a lot of hair when you were a baby?
No.
44. What message is on your answering machine?
The one that came with the machine. It is really short and so telemarketers always get excited thinking they got hold of a life person and then they say, "Hello? Hello!" for half a minute into my machine....
45. What is in your backpack?
It's not a backpack but I've got my graphing calculator, purse (with digital camera, wallet, cellphone, qiblah compass, mohr, sunglasses, chapstick and few other things), and some papers that probably need to be taken out, and dua'a books.
46. Favorite thing to do before bedtime?
Read.
47. What is one thing you are grateful for today?
Health
48. What is the first concert you ever went to?
The only band I've ever been to in concert - Metallica. Well, I guess the second time GNR was there, too, but they sucked. Now I don't do concerts anymore.
EVOLUTION OF MAJLIS OF IMAM HUSSAIN (AS)
I found this document, excerpted here, that outlines the origins of commemoration of Ashoura - specifically with majlis and recitations - other practices that are observed by some are not mentioned here.
The first majlis-e-Hussain was recited in the market-place of Kufa by a lady from whose head her veil had been ripped off, whose hopes and aspirations had been destroyed on the blood-drenched sands of Kerbala but whose indomitable spirit stepped forward to free the Islamic values from the yoke of tyranny and oppression. Standing on her unsaddled camel, she looked at the multitude rejoicing the victory of Yezid. As soon as people saw her, they were quiet. They knew that a historic moment for Kufa had arrived. Looking straight at them, the daughter of Ali said:
"Woe upon you O people of Kufa. Do you realise which piece of Muhammad’s heart you have severed! Which pledge you have broken! Whose blood you have shed! Whose honour you have desecrated! It is not just Hussain whose headless body lies unburied on the sands of Kerbala. It is the heart of the Holy Prophet. It is the very soul of Islam!"
The first majlis touched and moved the people of Kufa so deeply as to give rise to both the Tawwabun movement and al-Mukhtar’s quest for vengeance.
When the news of tragedy reached Medina in the third week of Muharram there was such intense weeping and wailing from the homes of Banu Hashim that the very walls of masjidun-nabawi began to tremble. Zainab, Umme Luqman, the daughter of Aqeel ibne Abi Talib came out screaming: "What will you say when the Prophet asks you: "What have you, the last ummah, done with my offspring and my family after I left them? Some of them are prisoners and some of them lie killed, stained with blood. What sort of ajr-e-risaalah is this that you disobey me by oppressing my children ?"
Fatimah Binte Huzaam, also known as Ummul Baneen, carried her young grandson Ubaidullah ibne Abbas and prepared to go out. When asked where she was going, she said that she was taking the orphan of Abbas to offer condolences to the mother of Hussain.
Marwan ibne Hakam reports that every afternoon men and women would gather at Jannat-ul-Baqee and there would be remembrance of the tragedy of Kerbala and the weeping and wailing could be heard miles away.
When the prisoners were finally freed by Yezid, Bibi Zainab asked for an opportunity to have rites of remembrance in Damascus. A house was made available to them and aza-e-Hussain went on for over a week. Bibi Zainab (A.S.) laid the foundation of aza-e-Hussain in the very capital of his murderer!
On their return to Madina, Bibi Zainab (A.S.) took over the leadership of aza-e-Hussain in the city of the Holy Prophet. This aroused such strong emotions in the people and such revulsion against the oppressor that Amr ibne Said ibne al-Aas wrote to Yezid to have Bibi Zainab exiled from Madina. This was done in the beginning of 62 A.H. Bibi Zainab (A.S.) died shortly afterwards.
We have no record of public orations by our Imams about the tragedy of Kerbala. We have, however, several ahadeeth about the merits of participating in the mourning ceremonies. In this connection we must remember that the regime was hostile to the shiahs and was anxious to cover up the tragedy of Kerbala.
Imam Muhammad Baqir (A.S.) issued a directive which gave a definite form to the keeping of the memory of Imam Hussain (A.S.) alive. He recommended that for those believers for whom it was possible and convenient they should go for the ziyarah of the grave of Imam Hussain. For those for whom it was not possible or convenient, they should gather together and hold mourning ceremony and weep. Ibn Qawlawayah p. 104
There is also the following tradition reported from the fifth Imam:
May Allah have mercy on a man who meets with another in order to remember our situation. There will be an angel with them who will seek forgiveness for them…………..If you gather together and occupy yourselves in remembering us, then our memory will be kept alive in your meetings and remembrances. The best of people after us are those who remember our situation and urge others to remember us. Ibn Qawlawayah p. 174/5
It is reported that al-Fudhayl Ibne Yasaar came to pay his respects to the Imam Ja’far Sadiq (A.S.)
After the exchange of usual courtesies, Imam asked al-Fudhayl: "Do you people ever organise majaalis to recall the martyrdom of Imam Hussain?" Al-Fudhayl, with tears pouring down his eyes, replied: "Yabna Rasulillah, indeed we do." The Imam said: "May Allah bless you. I highly approve of such majaalis."
It must be borne in mind that the Arabs mostly expressed their emotion through poetry. Poetry thus became the medium of describing the horrors of the tragedy of Kerbala, the cause of Imam Hussain and the atrocities which the ahlul-bayt were made to endure. There are today extant several poems which the poets recited in presence of our holy Imams and as such can be regarded as having been approved by them both as to form and substance.
The only historical account in prose that was written not long after the massacre of Kerbala was that of Abi Mikhnaf. His account is relied upon both by Tabari and Shaykh Mufeed (A.R.). Many other accounts were written and published after the ghaybah. The most well known amongst these are the Aamali by Shaykh Suduq (A.R.) and the great work of Allamah Majlisi (A.R.), the Bihar-ul-Anwaar.
While we have evidence of many eminent fuqaha and muhadditheen lecturing to their students on the various aspects of Kerbala, we can not assert with any confidence that they delivered public lectures on the subject. It is, however, authoritatively reported that Shaykh Allamah Majlisi and Shaykh Shushtari, whenever they spoke, whether to the students or in the public, they would end their lecture with a brief reference to the masa’ib of Imam Hussain.
by Muslim Bhanji
The first majlis-e-Hussain was recited in the market-place of Kufa by a lady from whose head her veil had been ripped off, whose hopes and aspirations had been destroyed on the blood-drenched sands of Kerbala but whose indomitable spirit stepped forward to free the Islamic values from the yoke of tyranny and oppression. Standing on her unsaddled camel, she looked at the multitude rejoicing the victory of Yezid. As soon as people saw her, they were quiet. They knew that a historic moment for Kufa had arrived. Looking straight at them, the daughter of Ali said:
"Woe upon you O people of Kufa. Do you realise which piece of Muhammad’s heart you have severed! Which pledge you have broken! Whose blood you have shed! Whose honour you have desecrated! It is not just Hussain whose headless body lies unburied on the sands of Kerbala. It is the heart of the Holy Prophet. It is the very soul of Islam!"
The first majlis touched and moved the people of Kufa so deeply as to give rise to both the Tawwabun movement and al-Mukhtar’s quest for vengeance.
When the news of tragedy reached Medina in the third week of Muharram there was such intense weeping and wailing from the homes of Banu Hashim that the very walls of masjidun-nabawi began to tremble. Zainab, Umme Luqman, the daughter of Aqeel ibne Abi Talib came out screaming: "What will you say when the Prophet asks you: "What have you, the last ummah, done with my offspring and my family after I left them? Some of them are prisoners and some of them lie killed, stained with blood. What sort of ajr-e-risaalah is this that you disobey me by oppressing my children ?"
Fatimah Binte Huzaam, also known as Ummul Baneen, carried her young grandson Ubaidullah ibne Abbas and prepared to go out. When asked where she was going, she said that she was taking the orphan of Abbas to offer condolences to the mother of Hussain.
Marwan ibne Hakam reports that every afternoon men and women would gather at Jannat-ul-Baqee and there would be remembrance of the tragedy of Kerbala and the weeping and wailing could be heard miles away.
When the prisoners were finally freed by Yezid, Bibi Zainab asked for an opportunity to have rites of remembrance in Damascus. A house was made available to them and aza-e-Hussain went on for over a week. Bibi Zainab (A.S.) laid the foundation of aza-e-Hussain in the very capital of his murderer!
On their return to Madina, Bibi Zainab (A.S.) took over the leadership of aza-e-Hussain in the city of the Holy Prophet. This aroused such strong emotions in the people and such revulsion against the oppressor that Amr ibne Said ibne al-Aas wrote to Yezid to have Bibi Zainab exiled from Madina. This was done in the beginning of 62 A.H. Bibi Zainab (A.S.) died shortly afterwards.
We have no record of public orations by our Imams about the tragedy of Kerbala. We have, however, several ahadeeth about the merits of participating in the mourning ceremonies. In this connection we must remember that the regime was hostile to the shiahs and was anxious to cover up the tragedy of Kerbala.
Imam Muhammad Baqir (A.S.) issued a directive which gave a definite form to the keeping of the memory of Imam Hussain (A.S.) alive. He recommended that for those believers for whom it was possible and convenient they should go for the ziyarah of the grave of Imam Hussain. For those for whom it was not possible or convenient, they should gather together and hold mourning ceremony and weep. Ibn Qawlawayah p. 104
There is also the following tradition reported from the fifth Imam:
May Allah have mercy on a man who meets with another in order to remember our situation. There will be an angel with them who will seek forgiveness for them…………..If you gather together and occupy yourselves in remembering us, then our memory will be kept alive in your meetings and remembrances. The best of people after us are those who remember our situation and urge others to remember us. Ibn Qawlawayah p. 174/5
It is reported that al-Fudhayl Ibne Yasaar came to pay his respects to the Imam Ja’far Sadiq (A.S.)
After the exchange of usual courtesies, Imam asked al-Fudhayl: "Do you people ever organise majaalis to recall the martyrdom of Imam Hussain?" Al-Fudhayl, with tears pouring down his eyes, replied: "Yabna Rasulillah, indeed we do." The Imam said: "May Allah bless you. I highly approve of such majaalis."
It must be borne in mind that the Arabs mostly expressed their emotion through poetry. Poetry thus became the medium of describing the horrors of the tragedy of Kerbala, the cause of Imam Hussain and the atrocities which the ahlul-bayt were made to endure. There are today extant several poems which the poets recited in presence of our holy Imams and as such can be regarded as having been approved by them both as to form and substance.
The only historical account in prose that was written not long after the massacre of Kerbala was that of Abi Mikhnaf. His account is relied upon both by Tabari and Shaykh Mufeed (A.R.). Many other accounts were written and published after the ghaybah. The most well known amongst these are the Aamali by Shaykh Suduq (A.R.) and the great work of Allamah Majlisi (A.R.), the Bihar-ul-Anwaar.
While we have evidence of many eminent fuqaha and muhadditheen lecturing to their students on the various aspects of Kerbala, we can not assert with any confidence that they delivered public lectures on the subject. It is, however, authoritatively reported that Shaykh Allamah Majlisi and Shaykh Shushtari, whenever they spoke, whether to the students or in the public, they would end their lecture with a brief reference to the masa’ib of Imam Hussain.
by Muslim Bhanji
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Ziyarat Journal
This is a report from last year's Muharram in Karbala. If anyone knows of other online diaries/journals from ziyarat in Karbala I'd like to read them.
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Iraq Report:, eyewitness account of the explosions
Abdul Hussain
Web Posted at: 10:55 pm
I left Iraq with a feeling of sadness, but not the same sadness that I felt entering it. That was the sadness at the approach of the month of Muharram, but I left with the sadness that in this day and age, in the land of the Imams , still there are those who seek to extinguish the fire from the Revolution of Al-Hussain (S). They fear its rememberance, for it teaches all that blood shall always defeat the swords. And these swords are the same ones that belonged to the army of Yazeed, only their wielders now seek to mask their identity. The Shia have always been opressed, be it by the poisoned pens or by the tyrant rulers, but under the wings of the imperial vulture seeking to overshadow Iraq, a false hope of respite and sanctuary had risen.
I arrived in Damascus International Airport at about 12.30am local time, but it took an hour to get through the bribe-prone officials manning the various 'security' controls. I was immediately greeted with bad news by my driver, who informed that the border was closed, but a few people managed to get through one way or another. He said that our best hope was to be there before sunrise, when there fewer police and easier to negotiate a path into Iraq. On this information, I left immediately from the airport to the Iraqi border, without stopping. The Syrian roads are awful, their main highway is a single lane pot-holed road carved through never-ending hills and mountains. Needless to say there is no streetlighting and only the most-experienced of drivers will do speeds over 120 km/h. We arrived at the Syrian control about 4.30am and I made my way to the passport control desk. A rather grumpy-looking man took a look at my passport, but threw it back rather roughly and said 'I'm off to sleep now, you will have to wait'. My initial disbelief was quickly set aside by anger and despite my pleading with him that only a small exit stamp that would take 10 seconds of his time was needed, he went into his room and locked the door. A two-hour wait inside this shoddy building surrounded by featureless desert with temperatures in the sub-zero range was not the best start to my trip. Needless to say there was no hospitality area, restaurants and cafes, but there were something resembling toilets. Thankfully, sleeping beauty awoke and duly smashed the stamp down on a new page in my passport (despite my telling him to do it on a partially filled one) and we were off. We paid the 'ikramiyah' (an almost official bribe) to one of the border guards to not search our car and hinder us any further and that was the last of the Syrian border. And that was the easy bit.
Having just entered the neutral zone, we came across what must have been a 3 mile que of cars and lorries trying to enter Iraq. The driver swerved onto the rough and careered past hundreds of vehicles until we reached the border post. A small sign printed in Arabic and broken English read 'border closed due to security reasons, please return to Syria'. A crowd had formered around a weary looking official (it was 6.45am), everyone wanted to know if they would open the border soon. The reply was 'Maybe, the Americans have closed it, it is up to them'. In the language of corrupt officials that means 'I'll let you through for the right amount'. It was bitterly cold and some had complained that they had been sleeping in the border for 4 days with nowhere to go. They cited an obscure regulation by the Syrian authorities that meant their visas would be made void if they re-entered Syria. I realised that this also applied to me and became aware that it I did not enter Iraq at this opportunity, I wouldn't be able to again in this entire trip.There were heated exchanges with the border guards but to no avail. At one point things got so bad that they started firing their guns into the air to clear the area. We waited, but with no toilets, shops or rest area and freezing temperature, the desert is a graveyard. I saw women and children huddled together in their cars, condensation covering the windows. Apparently, things had got so perilous for one family that they decided to cross the border illegally, by driving across the sand. The Americans spotted them and fired on them with a helicopter gunship killing them all.
It reached about 3pm and finally some American soldiers arrived. I asked why we couldn't enter Iraq and they said that at the request of the Iraqi Governing Council, the border had been closed. This was because a few days earlier, 4 terrorists had entered through this border crossing and blown up a police station. I told them that there families here who only wanted to return home, why couldn't they search them and then let them in? They shrugged their shoulders and said they were only following orders. A couple brought their young son who seemed to be very ill and asked only for medical attention, but they were turned back. A man brought his wheelchair-bound mother who had left Iraq a week ago to visit the Sayyeda Zaynab to ask why she couldn't be let back in to her own country, but likewise they were waved away. Things got desperate, the night had come and some had decided to turn back and try their luck with the Syrians, to let them back into Syria. However, my instinct told me there was hope from the words of the guard we spoke to at dawn. We bided time, and by 11.30pm the Americans had withdrawn. This was our opportunity. Our driver sped to the post, handed over $200 to the guard and quickly made his way past. It happened so fast, I don't think anyone noticed what had happened. We then went to the passport control desk and placed $20 in each of our passports. The smiling official stamped our passports and warmly said 'Welcome to Iraq'. Another $10 ensured we avoided the car and luggage search and entered Iraq with relative ease. Now I understand how any terrorist could enter Iraq easily, with $200 you can buy both countries' border guards and enter with a car-load of weapons. We stayed the night in the car in one of the rest areas on the highway as it was too dangerous to drive at night. I arrived home in Baghdad at 9.30am, two days after I had set off from London. Although I was very tired, I set out to Al-Kadhimiyyah for Ziyara almost immediately because I had promised to do so if I got through the border, what is known as a 'nithir'.
I spent my first couple of days in Baghdad, which seemed to have improved only slightly since my previous visit in the summer. There was a heavy and visible police presence in the city, which seems to have replaced the Americans as the main security force. Indeed, the lack of speeding American Humvees and teenage machine-gun wielding soldiers was apparent. Even at the gates of most government buildings or American bases were scrawny ICDC (Iraqi Civil Defence Corps) guards. No wonder the majority of explosions on American targets have hit Iraqis, they pay them $200 a month to become sitting ducks. In some ways, the city looks more at war now than it did last year. Everywhere you look there is barbed wire and concrete-blocks mounted around all kinds of buildings: schools, offices, police stations, hotels, even internet caf�s. Despite the large numbers of Iraqi police now patrolling the city in their shiny new 4x4s, there are still areas you do not venture into after 9pm. We were returning home late night and had to cut across one such area and we promptly saw a car-jacking in progress. A gang with pistols and automatic machine guns had trapped a car on the road using their cars as road blocks. We sped away and informed the first police patrol we came across. They replied that they weren't being paid enough to risk their lives and they drove away from the area in retreat. For Iraqis, $300 a month is a sizeable wage, but the lawlessness gripping the country means that it has become the price of a human life, and some will argue it is even much less than that.
The city centre was a nightmare, the traffic was horrendous, drivers of newly-imported and unregistered cars competed with taxis over priority. Cars driving on the wrong side of the road on to oncoming traffic was now a normal thing. You even see a double decker bus maneouvering on the pavement (sidewalk) to try to escape the traffic. To make matters worse, the poor souls employed as traffic police were having nervous breakdowns as every single one of their instructions was ignored. The only bright thing for drivers was that petrol was now available in abundance and queues had disappeared, the rate still being 20 dinars per litre (equivalent to 1.5 cents a litre). Police checkpoints were a regular sight but you felt that they were too unprofessional and undertrained to be effective. One evening, I was returning home from an internet caf� in an upmarket area when I heard a gunshot about 50 yards in front of me. I could see a car speeding off into the distance. As I got closer, I saw a middle-aged man lying dead on the floor with blood pouring from the bullet wound in his head. A crowd made up of the local shopkeepers gathered (I noticed they all had guns) and some said this was a feud over money while one man who claimed to know the victim said he was a Baathi and this was score-settling. The police arrived much belatedly and set-up a roadblock checkpoint in the area in the silly hope of finding the attackers. This was a regular event in Baghdad and typified the security situation.
Each area of Baghdad looked like a separate town, the contrast hugely. Enter Al-Aadhamiyyah, a mainly Sunni area with a reputation for being pro-Saddam. This was the place where Saddam made his last public appearance in front of a cheering crowd and the Imam Abu Hanifa mosque is where he fought his last stand against American troops before fleeing. It is a typical downtown area, masses of shops and restaurants, with pop music beating out regularly. An unveiled woman is the norm and you will frequently see spray-painted comments on walls about Saddam being the heroic leader. One such piece read 'Patience, Patience O people of Iraq, the great battling leader Saddam Hussain shall return'. Underneath it, someone had scribbled in Iraqi slang 'Return my arse'. That was the only smile I managed in this area, for most residents will tell you that the slogan is 'wa sa tabqa Al-Aadhamiyyah Baathiyah' meaning 'And Al-Aadhamiyyah will remain Baathi'. Black flags and banners are what greet you in the suburbs of Sadr City, with the voice of some Islamic speaker ringing out on cassette players. On each street corner there is a picture of some local martyr or that of the patron of the area, Sayyid Muhammad Al-Sadr. The sidewalks are crowded, little children crouched over their merchandise which they plead with you to buy. Beggars move between cars in traffic, hoping to receive a few dinars in their outstretched hands. A woman sits on the ground with two infants in her arms, she doesn't seem to have even the will to speak, her heartbreaking situation is ignored by all who stream past her. Suddenly the sound of drumbeats breaks out, a mourning procession comes into view. Men and young boys with zanjeels (chains) swing them against their backs in tandem, while marching in perfect order.
A relative of mine wanted to apply for a job in a factory that was opening soon, he had fixed an appointment with the manager and took me along. Apparently, the manager is a powerful man, a friend and deputy of the Trade Minister who oversees many new operations. Immediately upon entering his office, I felt uneasy, there was something that was not right about this man. His speech and manner was off-putting, his style was not that of a business manager. He said there were no jobs at the moment and that he could not even employ his son (an unlikely story) because his budget was so tight. He then digressed into how he had to look for poorly-paid jobs under Saddam because he spent his years in hiding. Somehow, this seemed a lie because his office was decorated with a style of someone used to a lavish lifestlye. We left without a result, but bumped into a worker who was off-duty. After some brief conversation, he told us that in fact the manager was an ex-Security official for the Baathi government in Basrah and had come to Baghdad under a new guise. He told us that no-one would say anything because they feared losing their jobs and feared him because of his connections. I was told that this was happening all over Iraq, Baathis taking up high-ranking posts because of their connections.
We made a few trips by car to Karbala before the walk and also to Najaf. It was there that I managed to meet with Sayyid Seestani. The little avenue leading to his house off Rasool Street had guards stationed at the corner. They were armed and one had a metal scanner in his hand. Standing with them was a young scholar who answered queries about the Sayyid and his office. After much negotiation I was allowed through to go to the Sayyid's house. The avenue is very narrow, with old houses lining it so that you cannot even look up and see the sun. A guard opened the door to the house and led me through to see Sayyid Muhammad Ridha Seestani, the Sayyid's son. I explained to him that I wanted a short audience with the Sayyid but he insisted that there were too many demands on his time and perhaps I should come back another day. I persisted and he finally relented in allowing me a 10 minute meeting. I was seated in a small waiting area adjacent to the main room. Eventually I was beckoned in, where the Sayyid was seated on the floor. I greeted him and apologised for taking up his time, then I rolled out my list of questions. The Sayyid was in good health, he smiled frequently and focused his attention entirely on what the speaker was saying. He never turned away when I was speaking and would not interrupt me until I finished talking. He does have a thick Iranian accent, but he does understand Iraqi slang and his replies in Arabic, whilst formal, were quite clearly said. He understood immediately what the question was and his replies were without hesistation. He was quite astute and his replies were said in certainty. He was seated on the floor and invited me to sit next to him. His voice was soft and his face quite warm and friendly. Even though this feeling of overwhelming respect was hovering inside, his humbleness relaxed me throughout the meeting. His house was very simple, we were served some traditional tea and offered biscuits. There were a few books piled in the corner and withstanding the electric ceiling fan, you would not be able to tell the difference between this house and one in 1904. The only sight of furniture was chairs for those in the waiting area. I conveyed the greetings of all ShiaChatters to the Sayyid who told me he was very proud of those who did not let distance stop them from gaining Islamic knowledge. I asked him a few personal questions such as his newfound voice in politics and his keeping himself in his house, and the Sayyid replied with a smile and short answer that 'you do what is best at the time'.
We began the walk to Karbala in the early hours on the 8th of Muharram. We were in Kadhimiyyah on the previous night where we attended the various majalis. Our group consisted of some of my relatives and friends from our area. We were a group of about 20 young men, each carrying a flag bearing Imam Hussain's (S) name and a bag containing provisions. We walked for about 2 hours at a time, stopping off to rest in tents set up by locals who lived along the route. We were invited to eat, drink and sleep, even shower before we set off again. The hospitality of these people was unbelievable and it made the journey almost easy. We stayed the night in a tent on the outskirts of a town called Iskandiriya and we set off again at dawn. By midday many of us had blistered feet, but the sight of seeing people walk barefoot made us ignore the pain.
We entered Karbala at 8pm on the 9th of Muharram, having passed at least three checkpoints where we were searched. But this was an underprepared security operation, not able to cope with the millions of pilgrims whom we saw in Karbala. The zanjeel processions criss-crossed the area by the shrines, with latmiyyat blasting out from hundreds of speakers. We managed to find a suitable place to rest in in the walkway between the shrine of Al-Abbas and Al-Hussain . There we left half the group with the bags while the other half went to do the Ziyara. There were officials who searched you rigidly on entry, but the crowds often surged past them. There were so many people that you dared not bend down to pick up your shoe that had come off, for fear of being trampled on. The atmosphere was supercharged, I felt overhwhelmed with emotion. It was a miracle that I actually made it to the dhareehs (the graves), not only was it so crowded, but the crush on my chest almost made me faint. One old man next to me was picked up by his son and thrown towards the grave so that he could reach it. Majalis were being read by several scholars and we eventually decided to set down opposite the shrine of Imam Al-Hussain (S). We managed to find a small space next to a tent housing Iranian pilgrims, but it got so uncomfortable and crowded that we decided to find another place. Apparently, it was next to this tent that one of the bombs eventually went off. We found some space in tents further away and slept the night there. After Fajr prayers, breakfast was handed out and we watched the processions that marched into Karbala.
After about 8.30am, we decided to try to make our way back to the shrine of Imam Al-Hussain (S) so that we could hear the Maqtal (story of his death) being read out. On our way there, as we were opposite the shrine of Al-Abbas (S) coming from the Baghdad Road, a loud explosion went off. It came from the direction of the Imam Al-Hussain (S) shrine. Suddenly the crowd of people started running and were coming towards us. We had no option but to turn back with them, or be trampled on. After about 2 minutes, another explosion went off, it seemed closer. We had stopped by now to see what was happening and after about 3 minutes, we started moving forward again. A few seconds later another bomb went off, this was the closest yet. We walked into one of the hotel lobbies, fearing anything could go off next to us. It was like an air raid, you thought bombs were being dropped. There was smoking rising above both shrines and there was a lot of shouting and screaming. People were running in all directions, desperately clinging on to each other. We stepped out to see what had happended but then another bomb went off. This was the biggest one and it shook us. Glass from the nearby buildings started raining down and we ran for cover. A lot of smoke and dust clouded over the area and we done a head count to make sure we were all together. After a few minutes, I decided to go and see what had happened. My relatives were trying to hold me back but I insisted on going forward. I saw the first few people being carted away, blood covering their bodies. As I got closer, I saw police trying to carry away the injured. What was worse was that there were some bodies whom people simply covered and didn't move. These were the ones whom died instantly. Small fires were burning and people calling out various names. A woman was hysterically looking for her child, she would inspect each of the bodies before going to the next. I tried to think how I could help, refer to my basic medical training, but when I saw the state of some of the victims, I knew I couldn't do anything. The closer I went, the worse the scene. I saw one man with his leg severed but hanging at the thigh by a tether. I saw a small child, his clothes drenched in blood lying next to what seemed to be body parts of his father. There was a head and torso attached, but no arms. The legs were missing as well. Ambulance crews were struggling to get past the crowds, so people resorted to lifting the injured themselves or wheeling them away on carts. Photographers from the media started taking photos of the bodies, but people soon became agitated and started threatening them. It was chaos, many Iranians were screaming and crying, a bomb had gone off next to one of their groups. Bodies littered the streets, those that weren't carried away were draped with a cloth. I counted over 30 dead bodies at the scene. Amazingly, after a short while, the processions started up again. People started coming into the shrines again and it seemed that the bombs were not going to stop the events of the day. Within half an hour, an incredible sight unfolded in front of me, ambulances carried away the dead, while mourners were marching into the shrines doing zanjeel. I eventually left about 11.30am, convinced by my relatives to go back to Baghdad to inform our worried family and friends that we were unharmed.
I was greatly hurt to discover that the Kadhimiyyah shrine was bombed too, because we had friends who were their that day. The next couple of days were spent attending funerals of those who had died in the blast. One of them was a man who had family members executed in 1991, and he leaves behind two small daughters and his wife. There were very few Americans on the streets, fearing a backlash against them. Most people agreed that suicide bombings were the work of Wahhabis but few ruled out American involvement. The common view was that America was at least aware of these attacks, if not the planner behind it. There was a lot of anger on the street, people speaking about using militias to control their areas and waging war against any foreign presence in the holy sites. I managed to make a visit to Samarrah, which was a depressing site. Some of the Iraqi security officials there wore the old uniforms of the Baath regime and the state of the shrines was miserable. There were no books in site and no Ziyara hung on the wall. The shrines and surrounding area were in need of heavy investment.
I had an uneventful journey back to London, stopping over to visit the Sayyeda Zaynab (S). It was a spiritually uplifting journey that was soured by the attacks, but they only reinforced my pride in being a Shia and determination to make our cause known. I too had thought that now Saddam had gone, we would see a golden era of freedom and education, but that is not what the powers that be want for us. For the first time, I really see the possibility of war in Iraq being close, not a civil one, but one against the occupying forces. If the Americans want to avert this, they should either drastically improve the security situation or leave and let the Iraqis deal with these problems.
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Iraq Report:, eyewitness account of the explosions
Abdul Hussain
Web Posted at: 10:55 pm
I left Iraq with a feeling of sadness, but not the same sadness that I felt entering it. That was the sadness at the approach of the month of Muharram, but I left with the sadness that in this day and age, in the land of the Imams , still there are those who seek to extinguish the fire from the Revolution of Al-Hussain (S). They fear its rememberance, for it teaches all that blood shall always defeat the swords. And these swords are the same ones that belonged to the army of Yazeed, only their wielders now seek to mask their identity. The Shia have always been opressed, be it by the poisoned pens or by the tyrant rulers, but under the wings of the imperial vulture seeking to overshadow Iraq, a false hope of respite and sanctuary had risen.
I arrived in Damascus International Airport at about 12.30am local time, but it took an hour to get through the bribe-prone officials manning the various 'security' controls. I was immediately greeted with bad news by my driver, who informed that the border was closed, but a few people managed to get through one way or another. He said that our best hope was to be there before sunrise, when there fewer police and easier to negotiate a path into Iraq. On this information, I left immediately from the airport to the Iraqi border, without stopping. The Syrian roads are awful, their main highway is a single lane pot-holed road carved through never-ending hills and mountains. Needless to say there is no streetlighting and only the most-experienced of drivers will do speeds over 120 km/h. We arrived at the Syrian control about 4.30am and I made my way to the passport control desk. A rather grumpy-looking man took a look at my passport, but threw it back rather roughly and said 'I'm off to sleep now, you will have to wait'. My initial disbelief was quickly set aside by anger and despite my pleading with him that only a small exit stamp that would take 10 seconds of his time was needed, he went into his room and locked the door. A two-hour wait inside this shoddy building surrounded by featureless desert with temperatures in the sub-zero range was not the best start to my trip. Needless to say there was no hospitality area, restaurants and cafes, but there were something resembling toilets. Thankfully, sleeping beauty awoke and duly smashed the stamp down on a new page in my passport (despite my telling him to do it on a partially filled one) and we were off. We paid the 'ikramiyah' (an almost official bribe) to one of the border guards to not search our car and hinder us any further and that was the last of the Syrian border. And that was the easy bit.
Having just entered the neutral zone, we came across what must have been a 3 mile que of cars and lorries trying to enter Iraq. The driver swerved onto the rough and careered past hundreds of vehicles until we reached the border post. A small sign printed in Arabic and broken English read 'border closed due to security reasons, please return to Syria'. A crowd had formered around a weary looking official (it was 6.45am), everyone wanted to know if they would open the border soon. The reply was 'Maybe, the Americans have closed it, it is up to them'. In the language of corrupt officials that means 'I'll let you through for the right amount'. It was bitterly cold and some had complained that they had been sleeping in the border for 4 days with nowhere to go. They cited an obscure regulation by the Syrian authorities that meant their visas would be made void if they re-entered Syria. I realised that this also applied to me and became aware that it I did not enter Iraq at this opportunity, I wouldn't be able to again in this entire trip.There were heated exchanges with the border guards but to no avail. At one point things got so bad that they started firing their guns into the air to clear the area. We waited, but with no toilets, shops or rest area and freezing temperature, the desert is a graveyard. I saw women and children huddled together in their cars, condensation covering the windows. Apparently, things had got so perilous for one family that they decided to cross the border illegally, by driving across the sand. The Americans spotted them and fired on them with a helicopter gunship killing them all.
It reached about 3pm and finally some American soldiers arrived. I asked why we couldn't enter Iraq and they said that at the request of the Iraqi Governing Council, the border had been closed. This was because a few days earlier, 4 terrorists had entered through this border crossing and blown up a police station. I told them that there families here who only wanted to return home, why couldn't they search them and then let them in? They shrugged their shoulders and said they were only following orders. A couple brought their young son who seemed to be very ill and asked only for medical attention, but they were turned back. A man brought his wheelchair-bound mother who had left Iraq a week ago to visit the Sayyeda Zaynab to ask why she couldn't be let back in to her own country, but likewise they were waved away. Things got desperate, the night had come and some had decided to turn back and try their luck with the Syrians, to let them back into Syria. However, my instinct told me there was hope from the words of the guard we spoke to at dawn. We bided time, and by 11.30pm the Americans had withdrawn. This was our opportunity. Our driver sped to the post, handed over $200 to the guard and quickly made his way past. It happened so fast, I don't think anyone noticed what had happened. We then went to the passport control desk and placed $20 in each of our passports. The smiling official stamped our passports and warmly said 'Welcome to Iraq'. Another $10 ensured we avoided the car and luggage search and entered Iraq with relative ease. Now I understand how any terrorist could enter Iraq easily, with $200 you can buy both countries' border guards and enter with a car-load of weapons. We stayed the night in the car in one of the rest areas on the highway as it was too dangerous to drive at night. I arrived home in Baghdad at 9.30am, two days after I had set off from London. Although I was very tired, I set out to Al-Kadhimiyyah for Ziyara almost immediately because I had promised to do so if I got through the border, what is known as a 'nithir'.
I spent my first couple of days in Baghdad, which seemed to have improved only slightly since my previous visit in the summer. There was a heavy and visible police presence in the city, which seems to have replaced the Americans as the main security force. Indeed, the lack of speeding American Humvees and teenage machine-gun wielding soldiers was apparent. Even at the gates of most government buildings or American bases were scrawny ICDC (Iraqi Civil Defence Corps) guards. No wonder the majority of explosions on American targets have hit Iraqis, they pay them $200 a month to become sitting ducks. In some ways, the city looks more at war now than it did last year. Everywhere you look there is barbed wire and concrete-blocks mounted around all kinds of buildings: schools, offices, police stations, hotels, even internet caf�s. Despite the large numbers of Iraqi police now patrolling the city in their shiny new 4x4s, there are still areas you do not venture into after 9pm. We were returning home late night and had to cut across one such area and we promptly saw a car-jacking in progress. A gang with pistols and automatic machine guns had trapped a car on the road using their cars as road blocks. We sped away and informed the first police patrol we came across. They replied that they weren't being paid enough to risk their lives and they drove away from the area in retreat. For Iraqis, $300 a month is a sizeable wage, but the lawlessness gripping the country means that it has become the price of a human life, and some will argue it is even much less than that.
The city centre was a nightmare, the traffic was horrendous, drivers of newly-imported and unregistered cars competed with taxis over priority. Cars driving on the wrong side of the road on to oncoming traffic was now a normal thing. You even see a double decker bus maneouvering on the pavement (sidewalk) to try to escape the traffic. To make matters worse, the poor souls employed as traffic police were having nervous breakdowns as every single one of their instructions was ignored. The only bright thing for drivers was that petrol was now available in abundance and queues had disappeared, the rate still being 20 dinars per litre (equivalent to 1.5 cents a litre). Police checkpoints were a regular sight but you felt that they were too unprofessional and undertrained to be effective. One evening, I was returning home from an internet caf� in an upmarket area when I heard a gunshot about 50 yards in front of me. I could see a car speeding off into the distance. As I got closer, I saw a middle-aged man lying dead on the floor with blood pouring from the bullet wound in his head. A crowd made up of the local shopkeepers gathered (I noticed they all had guns) and some said this was a feud over money while one man who claimed to know the victim said he was a Baathi and this was score-settling. The police arrived much belatedly and set-up a roadblock checkpoint in the area in the silly hope of finding the attackers. This was a regular event in Baghdad and typified the security situation.
Each area of Baghdad looked like a separate town, the contrast hugely. Enter Al-Aadhamiyyah, a mainly Sunni area with a reputation for being pro-Saddam. This was the place where Saddam made his last public appearance in front of a cheering crowd and the Imam Abu Hanifa mosque is where he fought his last stand against American troops before fleeing. It is a typical downtown area, masses of shops and restaurants, with pop music beating out regularly. An unveiled woman is the norm and you will frequently see spray-painted comments on walls about Saddam being the heroic leader. One such piece read 'Patience, Patience O people of Iraq, the great battling leader Saddam Hussain shall return'. Underneath it, someone had scribbled in Iraqi slang 'Return my arse'. That was the only smile I managed in this area, for most residents will tell you that the slogan is 'wa sa tabqa Al-Aadhamiyyah Baathiyah' meaning 'And Al-Aadhamiyyah will remain Baathi'. Black flags and banners are what greet you in the suburbs of Sadr City, with the voice of some Islamic speaker ringing out on cassette players. On each street corner there is a picture of some local martyr or that of the patron of the area, Sayyid Muhammad Al-Sadr. The sidewalks are crowded, little children crouched over their merchandise which they plead with you to buy. Beggars move between cars in traffic, hoping to receive a few dinars in their outstretched hands. A woman sits on the ground with two infants in her arms, she doesn't seem to have even the will to speak, her heartbreaking situation is ignored by all who stream past her. Suddenly the sound of drumbeats breaks out, a mourning procession comes into view. Men and young boys with zanjeels (chains) swing them against their backs in tandem, while marching in perfect order.
A relative of mine wanted to apply for a job in a factory that was opening soon, he had fixed an appointment with the manager and took me along. Apparently, the manager is a powerful man, a friend and deputy of the Trade Minister who oversees many new operations. Immediately upon entering his office, I felt uneasy, there was something that was not right about this man. His speech and manner was off-putting, his style was not that of a business manager. He said there were no jobs at the moment and that he could not even employ his son (an unlikely story) because his budget was so tight. He then digressed into how he had to look for poorly-paid jobs under Saddam because he spent his years in hiding. Somehow, this seemed a lie because his office was decorated with a style of someone used to a lavish lifestlye. We left without a result, but bumped into a worker who was off-duty. After some brief conversation, he told us that in fact the manager was an ex-Security official for the Baathi government in Basrah and had come to Baghdad under a new guise. He told us that no-one would say anything because they feared losing their jobs and feared him because of his connections. I was told that this was happening all over Iraq, Baathis taking up high-ranking posts because of their connections.
We made a few trips by car to Karbala before the walk and also to Najaf. It was there that I managed to meet with Sayyid Seestani. The little avenue leading to his house off Rasool Street had guards stationed at the corner. They were armed and one had a metal scanner in his hand. Standing with them was a young scholar who answered queries about the Sayyid and his office. After much negotiation I was allowed through to go to the Sayyid's house. The avenue is very narrow, with old houses lining it so that you cannot even look up and see the sun. A guard opened the door to the house and led me through to see Sayyid Muhammad Ridha Seestani, the Sayyid's son. I explained to him that I wanted a short audience with the Sayyid but he insisted that there were too many demands on his time and perhaps I should come back another day. I persisted and he finally relented in allowing me a 10 minute meeting. I was seated in a small waiting area adjacent to the main room. Eventually I was beckoned in, where the Sayyid was seated on the floor. I greeted him and apologised for taking up his time, then I rolled out my list of questions. The Sayyid was in good health, he smiled frequently and focused his attention entirely on what the speaker was saying. He never turned away when I was speaking and would not interrupt me until I finished talking. He does have a thick Iranian accent, but he does understand Iraqi slang and his replies in Arabic, whilst formal, were quite clearly said. He understood immediately what the question was and his replies were without hesistation. He was quite astute and his replies were said in certainty. He was seated on the floor and invited me to sit next to him. His voice was soft and his face quite warm and friendly. Even though this feeling of overwhelming respect was hovering inside, his humbleness relaxed me throughout the meeting. His house was very simple, we were served some traditional tea and offered biscuits. There were a few books piled in the corner and withstanding the electric ceiling fan, you would not be able to tell the difference between this house and one in 1904. The only sight of furniture was chairs for those in the waiting area. I conveyed the greetings of all ShiaChatters to the Sayyid who told me he was very proud of those who did not let distance stop them from gaining Islamic knowledge. I asked him a few personal questions such as his newfound voice in politics and his keeping himself in his house, and the Sayyid replied with a smile and short answer that 'you do what is best at the time'.
We began the walk to Karbala in the early hours on the 8th of Muharram. We were in Kadhimiyyah on the previous night where we attended the various majalis. Our group consisted of some of my relatives and friends from our area. We were a group of about 20 young men, each carrying a flag bearing Imam Hussain's (S) name and a bag containing provisions. We walked for about 2 hours at a time, stopping off to rest in tents set up by locals who lived along the route. We were invited to eat, drink and sleep, even shower before we set off again. The hospitality of these people was unbelievable and it made the journey almost easy. We stayed the night in a tent on the outskirts of a town called Iskandiriya and we set off again at dawn. By midday many of us had blistered feet, but the sight of seeing people walk barefoot made us ignore the pain.
We entered Karbala at 8pm on the 9th of Muharram, having passed at least three checkpoints where we were searched. But this was an underprepared security operation, not able to cope with the millions of pilgrims whom we saw in Karbala. The zanjeel processions criss-crossed the area by the shrines, with latmiyyat blasting out from hundreds of speakers. We managed to find a suitable place to rest in in the walkway between the shrine of Al-Abbas and Al-Hussain . There we left half the group with the bags while the other half went to do the Ziyara. There were officials who searched you rigidly on entry, but the crowds often surged past them. There were so many people that you dared not bend down to pick up your shoe that had come off, for fear of being trampled on. The atmosphere was supercharged, I felt overhwhelmed with emotion. It was a miracle that I actually made it to the dhareehs (the graves), not only was it so crowded, but the crush on my chest almost made me faint. One old man next to me was picked up by his son and thrown towards the grave so that he could reach it. Majalis were being read by several scholars and we eventually decided to set down opposite the shrine of Imam Al-Hussain (S). We managed to find a small space next to a tent housing Iranian pilgrims, but it got so uncomfortable and crowded that we decided to find another place. Apparently, it was next to this tent that one of the bombs eventually went off. We found some space in tents further away and slept the night there. After Fajr prayers, breakfast was handed out and we watched the processions that marched into Karbala.
After about 8.30am, we decided to try to make our way back to the shrine of Imam Al-Hussain (S) so that we could hear the Maqtal (story of his death) being read out. On our way there, as we were opposite the shrine of Al-Abbas (S) coming from the Baghdad Road, a loud explosion went off. It came from the direction of the Imam Al-Hussain (S) shrine. Suddenly the crowd of people started running and were coming towards us. We had no option but to turn back with them, or be trampled on. After about 2 minutes, another explosion went off, it seemed closer. We had stopped by now to see what was happening and after about 3 minutes, we started moving forward again. A few seconds later another bomb went off, this was the closest yet. We walked into one of the hotel lobbies, fearing anything could go off next to us. It was like an air raid, you thought bombs were being dropped. There was smoking rising above both shrines and there was a lot of shouting and screaming. People were running in all directions, desperately clinging on to each other. We stepped out to see what had happended but then another bomb went off. This was the biggest one and it shook us. Glass from the nearby buildings started raining down and we ran for cover. A lot of smoke and dust clouded over the area and we done a head count to make sure we were all together. After a few minutes, I decided to go and see what had happened. My relatives were trying to hold me back but I insisted on going forward. I saw the first few people being carted away, blood covering their bodies. As I got closer, I saw police trying to carry away the injured. What was worse was that there were some bodies whom people simply covered and didn't move. These were the ones whom died instantly. Small fires were burning and people calling out various names. A woman was hysterically looking for her child, she would inspect each of the bodies before going to the next. I tried to think how I could help, refer to my basic medical training, but when I saw the state of some of the victims, I knew I couldn't do anything. The closer I went, the worse the scene. I saw one man with his leg severed but hanging at the thigh by a tether. I saw a small child, his clothes drenched in blood lying next to what seemed to be body parts of his father. There was a head and torso attached, but no arms. The legs were missing as well. Ambulance crews were struggling to get past the crowds, so people resorted to lifting the injured themselves or wheeling them away on carts. Photographers from the media started taking photos of the bodies, but people soon became agitated and started threatening them. It was chaos, many Iranians were screaming and crying, a bomb had gone off next to one of their groups. Bodies littered the streets, those that weren't carried away were draped with a cloth. I counted over 30 dead bodies at the scene. Amazingly, after a short while, the processions started up again. People started coming into the shrines again and it seemed that the bombs were not going to stop the events of the day. Within half an hour, an incredible sight unfolded in front of me, ambulances carried away the dead, while mourners were marching into the shrines doing zanjeel. I eventually left about 11.30am, convinced by my relatives to go back to Baghdad to inform our worried family and friends that we were unharmed.
I was greatly hurt to discover that the Kadhimiyyah shrine was bombed too, because we had friends who were their that day. The next couple of days were spent attending funerals of those who had died in the blast. One of them was a man who had family members executed in 1991, and he leaves behind two small daughters and his wife. There were very few Americans on the streets, fearing a backlash against them. Most people agreed that suicide bombings were the work of Wahhabis but few ruled out American involvement. The common view was that America was at least aware of these attacks, if not the planner behind it. There was a lot of anger on the street, people speaking about using militias to control their areas and waging war against any foreign presence in the holy sites. I managed to make a visit to Samarrah, which was a depressing site. Some of the Iraqi security officials there wore the old uniforms of the Baath regime and the state of the shrines was miserable. There were no books in site and no Ziyara hung on the wall. The shrines and surrounding area were in need of heavy investment.
I had an uneventful journey back to London, stopping over to visit the Sayyeda Zaynab (S). It was a spiritually uplifting journey that was soured by the attacks, but they only reinforced my pride in being a Shia and determination to make our cause known. I too had thought that now Saddam had gone, we would see a golden era of freedom and education, but that is not what the powers that be want for us. For the first time, I really see the possibility of war in Iraq being close, not a civil one, but one against the occupying forces. If the Americans want to avert this, they should either drastically improve the security situation or leave and let the Iraqis deal with these problems.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)