Shah ast Hussain (as)

This section ends the road part of the Juloos e Mehndi Hazrat Qasim .
There are pictures of the Juloos that I shot in the Bada Imambara premises that I shall post later.I had a talk with Nawab Jaffar Mir Abdullah, I gave him the link of my Word Press posts.I had misplaced his visiting cad, I found it today , spoke to him on mobile.
He was shocked to hear about the reaction of the Shia hardliners to my hacked Buzznet site.
Any way I told him with the kind of misguided hot head among the Shias , who with their volatile temperaments are hell bent on sabotaging and stopping Azadari speaks volumes of their spiritual indiscipline..Their spitual leaders should restrain their actions, see that there is calm and peace in both communities , I have decided to keep away from this simmering cauldron of Hate.. the city of my birth Lucknow.
These are the last few pictures of the Juloos.

Posted by photographerno1 on 08 May 2007
Filed Under: firoze shakir, mehndi juloos hazrat qasim | No Comments »

Hazrat Qasim

Hazrat Qasim was the youngest son of Imaam Hassan (A.S.). Qasim was born in 47 A.H., three years before his father was martyred. When Imaam Hussain prepared to leave Madina in the month of Rajab 60 A.H. Qasim mother Umme-e-Farwa asked Imaam Hussain to take her and Qasim with him. Imaam Hussain agreed. Hazrat Qasim, although only 13 years old, had, like his cousins Aun and Muhammad, learnt fencing from Hazrat Abbas and Hazrat Ali Akber. Hazrat Abbas was very fond of Hazrat Qasim.

On the night before Ashura when Imaam Hussain was passing by Umm-e-Farwa’s tent he heard Qasim say to his mother, “Mother, tomorrow Uncle Abbas, Ali Akber and I will defend Imaam Hussain. Mother, if I get killed please do not weep for me.” Umm-e-Farwa replied, “My son although I dearly love you, I shall not weep for you. Nothing will make me prouder than to see my son give his life for Islam”. When Imaam Hussain heard this conversation he prayed to Allah to bless Hazrat Qasim and Umm-e-Farwa.

On Ashura day after Aun and Muhammad had fallen in the battlefield, Hazrat Qasim came to Imaam Hussain and begged for permission to go and fight. Twice Imaam Hussain refused saying “Qasim you are young and your mother’s only son”. Hazrat Qasim was very disappointed. He went to his mother. When she saw her son so disappointed she remembered that just before he died, Imaam Hassan had written a letter, given it to Umm-e-Farwa saying ,”If ever you find Qasim in difficulty, give him this letter.” She gave Hazrat Qasim the letter. In the letter it was written, “My son Qasim, a day will come when my brother Hussain will be facing an enemy army of tens of thousands. That will be the day when Islam will need to be saved by sacrifice. You must represent me on that day.”

Hazrat Qasim read the letter. He smiled. He rushed to Imaam and gave him the letter. After reading the letter Imaam Hussain said, “O my brother’s son, how can I stop you from doing what your father wanted you to do. Bismillah, go. Allah be with you”.

Imaam Hussain tied Imaam Hassan’s turban on the head of Hazrat Qasim and helped him mount his horse.As Qasim was riding out, Imaam Hussain said “Inna Lilla-hi Wa Inna Ilai-hi Raji’oon”. Hazrat Qasim said “O my uncle - Do not be upset. I do not fear death. Death for Islam will be sweeter for me than honey”. Hazrat Qasim came to the battle field. He was a very handsome boy. When the enemy saw him, they began to murmur, “How can we kill someone whose face is shining like moon?”

In a loud and a clear voice Hazrat Qasim introduced himself and cried out a challenge for single combat. He killed several famous warriors who came forward.

Every time he felled an enemy Hazrat Qasim would stand on his stirrups, look behind and wave to Hazrat Abbas, just as a pupil would seek approval of his teacher on any assignment, Hazrat Abbas would proudly wave back. When the enemy saw his bravery and realized that they could not possibly over power him in single combats, they came from behind and one of them hit Hazrat Qasim on the head with a sword.

Hazrat Qasim tried to go on fighting but alas he was so young and he was so very thirsty! He fell from his horse crying out, “YA AMMAHO, ACCEPT MY LAST SALAAMS.” Imaam Hussain and Hazrat Abbas rode out. The soldiers tried to stop them, when finally they came to where Hazrat Qasim had fallen they saw a dreadful sight!! Hazrat Qasim’s body had been trampled by the horses of the soldiers who had tried to stop Imaam Hussain and Hazrat Abbas. Hazrat Abbas was so angry when he saw this that he began to shake with fury. He took out his sword and wanted to attack the enemy. Imaam Hussain restrained him saying “Abbas, have patience, dear brother. Do not give them an excuse for saying that we attacked them first”.

Was Qasim body carried to the camp to his mother? This is not very clear. It is reported, however, that Imaam Hussain took off his abaa, spread it on to the ground, gathered the pieces from the ground as one gathers flowers from a garden!

http://www.world-federation.org/IEB/IslamicResources/JourneyTears/journ-tear15.htm

Qasim’s martyrdom mourned
[29 Feb, 2004 l 0257 hrs
TIMES NEWS NETWORK]

courtesy Times of India

LUCKNOW: As the 10th day of Moharram approaches, functions in the city too proceed towards their culmination. The seventh day of this month mourns the death of Hazrat Qasim, son of Imam Hasan.

‘‘Though all the companions and members of Bani Hashim were killed on 10th of Moharrun , each day is fixed for the mourning of a particular martyr” says Yasa Rizvi. Likewise 7th of Mohurrum is decicated to Qasim,the 13-year-old son of Imam Hasan,elder brother of Imam Hussain.

As the legend goes, Imam Hussain solemnised Qasim’s marriage to his daughter on this day . “In Lucknow, the tradition of mehndi is considered to be the most important one at the time of marriage, so on this day Mehndi processions are taken out,” explains Yasa Rizvi.

The biggest procession is ‘shahi Mehndi ka juloos’ taken out from the Bada Imambara, culminating at Chota Imambara. With elephants, camels, alams, and mehndi accompanied by sozkhans (those who recite elegies) in it, thousands thronged the streets of Hussainabad to watch it.

The tradition of mehndi was started by Mohammad Ali Shah, the third Nawab of Lucknow, recounts Yasa Rizvi. Earlier in the day big majalis were held at Shia Degree College,Imambara Ghufran M’aab ,Imambara Agha Baqar,Madarsa-e-Nazmia and Afzal were Maulana Agha Roohi,Maulana Kalbe Jawwad,Maulana Meesam Zaidi and Maulana Hameedul Hasan, who narrated the maryrdom of Hazrat Qasim.

The Wedding of Hazrat Qasim (a.s)

[Shakir 2:220] On this world and the hereafter. And they ask you concerning the orphans Say: To set right for them (their affairs) is good, and if you become co-partners with them, they are your brethren; and Allah knows the mischief-maker and the pacemaker, and if Allah had pleased, He would certainly have caused you to fall into a difficulty; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.

Allah (swt) has said in the above Ayat that orphans should be mixed in with your family, so that they do not feel left out. In other words, if there is an Orphan boy then you should marry him with your daughter and if it is an orphan girl then marry her to your son. The inheritor of the Quran –meaning Imam Hussain (as) followed this principle by marrying the Orphan boy of Imam Hasan (as) (Hz Qasim) to his own beloved daughter (and as they of the same ‘Kuf’). This was to show the world what care Orphans should receive and was inline with the commandments of Allah (swt).

This marriage is allowed in the laws set by our Prophet Muhammed (saw)and even endorsed by many Shia scholars. So it amazes me how anyone can even reject or criticize it. For instance Mullah Mohammed Taqi Ba’ghani (Maqtal writer) writes in his book Majalis-al-Mutaq’een (Majlas-e-Sabih-ashar) the whole episode of the wedding. Even Mohammed Hussain Dhakko (lanatullah) has accepted the status of Mullah Mohammed Taqi Ba’ghani in a book written by Molana Nehmat Ali Sidhu Qummi called Tofah-e-Shaykhia, Published Faisalabad by his own writing on pages 11-13.

After this there should not be any objections about the Mehndi Ceremony, which is associated with the remembrance of the Aqd of because it is only a way to express grief and sorrow of Hz Qasim (as) and allowed in Islam.

Furthermore Shaykh Abbas Qummi (Author of Mifateh) has written in his book “Nafs-al-Mahmoom” pg 171 (Persian) that “In our views there should not be any reason to reject the wedding”. Even Mullah Hussain Kashfi in his book “Rozatul Shuhada’ wrote on the issue. Mullah Kashfi who was a very well known scholar of Hirat and lived in the time of the Wazir Mir Ali Sher, who had a very large collection of books, which were not found in other places.

It is incorrect to suggest that in the tradegy of Kerbala, a happening like this does not seem logical but remember that Aemma’s (as) actions have hidden reasons and it is not necessary that we to know about that.

There have also been both sunni and shia researchers, who have recorded this happening of this ceremony from the tradegy of Kerbala. For instance, in the book “Ghaib-e-Wasail”, it has been written that on the 21st of Rabi-al-Awwal 1255 AH, Abul Fateh Mohiddeen Adil Mohammed Ali Shah saw Hz Zainab (as) in his dream and she was reciting the following elegy “Oh Qasim (son in law), congratulations on the wedding”. From this dream the Imambargha Hussain Abad in Lucknow started to carry out the Mehndi Ceremony and the organizer Hakeem Abu Ibrahim Faizabadi gained fatwa’s from all leading Marja’s, which is all recorded in Tarikh of Lucknow, Vol 2, Pg 150. The famous poet Tamna Matufi 1332 always used to read about the wedding of Hz Qasim (as) infront of all Ulema and Mujtahideen. Here is an example :

“Rukh sai sar kaya sehrahai Qasim noshah nai bas kai pir janat kai podo sai hava anay ko hai”

Even Agha Darbandi Mujtahid who died while reading the elegies of Kerbala used to read about the ceremony of Hz Qasim (as) infront of people may they be Arab, Turk or Persian and no one rejected or challenged on what he said (Asrar-e-Shahadat, Pg 307). Even today you will find a room in the remembrance of the ceremony of Hz Qasim (as) in Kerbala called “Hujlah-e-Qasim” and has been their throughout the years of many leading Shia Scholars, who have even themselves used to go their to pray. This proves the case that it is their to remember and grieve the great son of Imam Hasan (as).

The following are some references of Shia Scholars who have endorsed the wedding of Hz Qasim (as). Thus being ;
1. Mullah Syed Ali Naqi Lucknowi, Maqalaat-e-Syed-al-Ulema, pg 224-230, Published Karachi, Pakistan. 2. Mullah Mohammed Hussain She’hrabi, Tareek-al-Baqa’, pg 73-74, Vol 1, Published Iran. 3. Mullah Syed Baqir Kanjavi, Maza Mir-al-Awliyah, pg 262-263, Published Iran. 4. Mullah Shaykh Jafar Shostari, Majalis Waiz-wa-Aza’, pg 114-116, Published Iran. 5. Mullah Shaykh Fakhruddin Tareehee’ Najafi, Al-Muntakhab Tareehee’, pg 373, Published Iran. (To further endorse this person, please also refer to the book ‘Roza tul Jannat’ by Agha Khonsari Mujtahid, Vol 5, pg 350, Published Iran). 6. Dr Kalbe Sadiq, Science aur Ghaiba-e-Islam, pg 186.

This is only a brief analysis and I hope this helps to remove any doubts on the ceremony of Hazrat Qasim (as).

I will continue this series, that I shot in Lucknow 2007.

May 8th, 2007

Posted by photographerno1 on 08 May 2007
Filed Under: mehndi juloos hazrat qasim | No Comments »