Sunni-Shia strife - The Economist

We need to shed the arrogance that other traditions are inferior to ours, or ours is superior to others. To God, we are all the same, and he has given us the free will to figure living in harmony.  

If we can learn to respect the otherness of others,without having to agree with others, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

 At least start the process this month, please visit  every mosque, and learn to see the differences in a positive way, grow your heart as God has given you.   If you are stuck in the idea that others are definitely wrong because your tradition is right, get out of that mindset, it breed arrogance in you, and arrogance is the root cause of all conflicts and evils in the society and God's wisdom is against it. 
Ramadan is suppose to imbue a sense of humility in us, and Taqwa is all about conflictlessness, to be like God, and to be just, merciful and kind.

Test your prejudice, and if you wish to be free, make an effort to see the otherness of other. Visit a mosque a day, here is my experience if the last three years http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/

The sword and the word

In the struggle between the two strands of Islam, the Sunnis are on the rise
http://www.economist.com/node/21554513?story_id=21554513&fsrc=sky|INews

Courtesy of the Economis

IT SEEMED historic. Muslim scholars, 170 in number and representing nine schools of legal thought (including four main Sunni ones and two Shia), gathered in Amman and declared that, whatever their differences, they accepted the others' authority over their respective flocks. Implicitly, at least, they were renouncing the idea that their counterparts were heretics. Some called that meeting in Jordan in 2005 the biggest convergence since 969, when a Shia dynasty took over Egypt.

Many of the globe-trotting greybeards who met there, and at a similar gathering in Qatar in 2007, remain actively and optimistically engaged. But seen from the outside, feuds between Sunnis, who make up roughly 80% of the world's Muslims, and the Shia minority (most of the rest), remain savage and are, in some ways, worsening.

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• »The sword and the word
• AQAP tries again

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• Middle East
• Iran

In conservative Sunni monarchies (especially those with restless Shia populations) dislike and suspicion of Iran, the Shia bastion, is running higher than ever. Theology intertwines with geopolitics—and an incipient strategic-arms race. Far beyond the Gulf or Middle East, from western Europe to North America, Sunni agitation (often Saudi-sponsored) is intensifying against the supposed heresies contained in Shia teaching.

Belgian police are investigating the firebombing of Belgium's biggest Shia mosque in March, which killed the imam. The suspect they arrested claims to be a Salafist (hardline Sunni) protesting against Shia backing for the Syrian regime. Grieving worshippers chanted Shia slogans at the scene, eerily echoing far bloodier incidents in places such as Pakistan (recent examples include a murderous grenade assault on a Sunni demonstration in April and an attack on a bus in February that killed 18 Shia passengers).

European Shia-Sunni acrimony is part of a many-sided contest over the future of the continent's tens of millions of Muslims, says Jonathan Laurence, a scholar at Boston College. The religious authorities in migrant-sending countries like Turkey and Morocco struggle to keep their people loyal to their own varieties of Sunni practice: they see Shia Islam and hardline Sunni groups like the Salafists as equally dangerous and insidious temptations for their sons and daughters in Europe.

Strife even reaches places like South-East Asia where few Shias live. Malaysia has presented itself to the world as a tolerant Muslim-majority state. But it bans the preaching of Shia Islam, with particular ferocity since December 2010, when dozens of Shias were arrested. They say they were merely practising their faith (which is legally allowed), not preaching it.

Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a Qatar-based preacher often described as the de facto spiritual guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, has recently kept up a barrage of verbal attacks on the Shias. He is president of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, a loose Brotherhood-inspired body designed to pronounce on issues of common concern to Muslims. Founded in the friendlier climate of 2004, its top ranks also include Shia clergy.

One God, many arguments

But Mr Qaradawi now attacks Shias for compromising the oneness of God (about the worst thing a Muslim can do) by ascribing semi-divine status to the people they regard as Muhammad's legitimate successors. Another accusation is that Shias poach souls in Sunni lands.

Time was when Mr Qaradawi praised the feats of Hizbullah, the Iranian-backed Shia militia in Lebanon, as fighters against Israel. But in recent punditry he has stressed the gap between Sunni and Shia beliefs and passionately called for regime change in Syria, where, among other things, a Sunni majority is rebelling against a ruling elite whose Alawite belief (see table) is a Shia offshoot. Senior Shia clergy have deplored his hardening line. Mr Qaradawi, whose utterances command attention from Marseilles to the north Caucasus, also backs Bahrain's Sunni rulers in their anti-Shia stance.

Paradoxically enough, one reason for the worsening in intra-Muslim relations is the declining role of the West. At the time of the Amman gathering in 2005, Iraq was in the grip both of horrific Sunni-Shia violence and of American occupation. It was possible to convince ordinary Muslims (however unfairly) that America was to blame for stoking this tension; and that, for dignity's sake, followers of Islam should stand together against the outsiders' game of divide-and-rule. Now the American occupation of Iraq is over, and hatred between Sunnis and Shias there has a ghastly momentum of its own: the Shia prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, has accused a Sunni vice-president, Tariq al-Hashemi, of complicity in terrorism and forced him to flee. On April 30th he was charged with multiple murders.

But perhaps the biggest change is that Sunnis think they are now winning the global contest. Seven years ago it seemed that Shia Islam, whether in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, was on the march. Hot-headed Sunnis who yearned to see a government or movement that would confront Israel in the name of Islam had to find role-models across the sectarian divide, in Iran, or in the mullahs' Lebanese protégés in Hizbullah.

These days zealous Sunnis need no longer look to swashbuckling Shias for inspiration. The real action is unfolding in their own homelands, at least in north Africa or the Levant. Nor need they look abroad for political ideology: the Arab spring has established the Sunni sort of political Islam as a powerful, domestically based force that has emerged from the underground or from exile. Rachid Ghannouchi, for example, Tunisia's best-known Islamist, has returned from London to become probably the most powerful figure in the land. Vali Nasr, a professor at the Fletcher School of Tufts University in America and a former adviser to the Obama administration, says that—rightly or wrongly—Sunnis believe that Western sanctions are weakening Iran, and that the combined efforts of Sunnis and the West will also topple Iran's only Arab ally, Syria. From a Sunni perspective, these impending victories outweigh the travails of their co-religionists in majority-Shia Iraq.

Intra-Muslim relations are not universally bleak. An Iraqi adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet”, featuring star-crossed love across the Muslim sectarian divide (rather than the clan loyalties of Verona), has won acclaim there, and was performed at the World Shakespeare Festival in Stratford-upon-Avon. Egypt's handful of Shias, a nervous bunch, have declared support for a Muslim Brotherhood (in other words, Sunni) presidential candidate. In campaigns for freedom and justice in the Middle East, Sunni-Shia distinctions can melt away. “We are all part of the same struggle,” says Maryam al-Khawaja, an activist from Bahrain's aggrieved Shia majority. She co-starred this week with Sunnis like Manal al-Sharif, a Saudi woman detained for defying that country's ban on women driving, at the Oslo Freedom Forum, a lively get-together for foes of state oppression.

Historic compromises between ancient rivals are most likely either when both sides acknowledge a stalemate, or else when some outsider forces them together. State repression may do that sometimes—but it is a sad and slender hope for those who yearn for intra-Muslim accord.

Who is a progressive Muslim?

Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, I thank you for writing this piece. Your writings have been an inspiration to me since I have known and met you in Dallas some 17 years ago. Several of us have attempted to define the word progressive in so many ways including my friend Mirza Beg and me, who have written similar pieces, but this is a master piece and I am pleased to share this treasure with the Muslims who carry the banner Progressive Muslims.
 

A few, just a few traditional Muslim scholars hate the word progressive, they are stuck, kind of stick in the muds (Urdu: lakeer kay faqeers). Progressive means stepping out of the religion to them. Religion to them is their own private club, where they determine who qualifies to be a member and who is not, they are too eager to opine and too quick to deny the Mussalmanity (Muslimness) of others, if the others do not comply with the prescribed length of their pants or the inches of hair covering for women.

The title Progressive could also mean conservatives sticking to the Quraan, a paradoxical way of defining it. Indeed, Prophet Muhammad was also a progressive reformer who changed the world, who changed the ways people lived their lives and who helped them step out of the little fiefdoms in conflicts with each other into a large Aalameen where they all can co-exist with their own cultural uniquenesses.

Each one of us is indeed a part of the big pie, just like the other parts with all the imaginable labels from Wahabbi, Sunni, Sufi, Shia, Ismaili, Bohra, WD Muhammad, Ahmadiyya, WAhle-Hadith, Ahle-Sunnat, Deobandi, Salafi and every possible label.   You will find a similar distribution amongst Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhist and even among religions with a fewer numbers like Sikhs, Jains, and others as well. A majority of Muslims are moderates and shy away from titles like progressive. We need to understand the word progressive and you have done a fabulous job, it is not a separator! Thank you.

When I chose to label myself as Muslim, I chose the label “Muslim” and nothing but Muslim.  After 9/11, we fought hard about the prefixes like Terrorist and other uncouth and reckless words.

I had resisted all temptations to be labeled with a pre-fix. However, when I was attacked by a few among us while defending another label, I yielded to add Sunni to my label to let them know that I am not an Ahmadiyya-Muslim, but I am right in defending their right to believe and practice their tradition.

All of us are one of the 73 tribes that Prophet Muhammad had rightfully predicted based on human fitra (nature). We need to respect that and honor the Prophet, he could not be wrong.  The arrogant ones among us believe that they are the righteous ones and the other 72 are not. What was said was that all the 73 have to compete in doing good, only one will be the first rank and the other 72 will pass the exam in the school at varying grades. How many times you have been surprised that in your school,   the one you thought will not make it did make it with “flying colors”. Let Allah be the judge and remember we have to be free from Prejudice that is what makes us Muslims and this was one of the many driving reasons for me to be a Muslim.

As an activist, I humbly request fellow Muslims to resist the temptation to label yourselves or label other Muslims when you talk about them. Can you do that? Don’t worry what others do, do your duty and let God be the judge. We need to come together to create a better world for the entire humanity, lets us become Mukhlookhul Aalameen. Amen!

Jazak Allah Khair
Mike Ghouse
Muslims together committed to building cohesive societies.
www.Islamtogetherfoundation.com  

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Who is a Progressive Muslim

By Asghar Ali Engineer AT the Asian Muslim Action Network (Aman) assembly which took place in Pattani, Thailand in February this year, a discussion took place as to the prerequisites of being a progressive Muslim. I was asked to speak on the subject, and the following is what I had to say. A progressive Muslim is one whose actions are firmly grounded in the Quranic values of truth (haq), justice (adl), compassion (rahmah), wisdom (hikmah), and he or she does service to others rather than being served by others. A progressive Muslim does not believe in sectarian Islam (Sunni, Shia or Ismaili, Deobandi or Barelvi, Ahl-i-Hadith or Salafi streak), but rises above all these sects and gives importance to the Quran above everything else. Adhering to progressive Islam one does not adopt a sectarian approach, but is respectful of entire humanity, and of human dignity as per the Quran: “We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of our creation” (17:70). Thus, one leaves ideological and theological differences to Allah alone and does not condemn anyone who differs with oneself as kafir, as often many sectarian-minded Muslims do. Such an approach widens the differences and intensifies conflict. A progressive Muslim uses, as per the Quran, wisdom (hikmah) and goodly words (mawizat al-hasanah) in discussions. He does not try to be judgmental. A progressive Muslim is least influenced by personal prejudices and always gives more importance to knowledge than his own opinion. The Quran condemns prejudiced opinion (zan) and promotes knowledge (ilm). Also, openness of mind is a seminal quality which helps avoid arrogance born more out of ignorance than knowledge. Those who have little knowledge are more arrogant and those who have a greater degree of knowledge know the limitations of their own knowledge and hence tend to be humble. A progressive Muslim first of all studies his/her own religion in depth and tries to understand as objectively as possible the causes of differences between different religions while showing full respect to the beliefs of others. It is those who do not know their own religion, much less that of others, who condemn the religion of others. The Quran says, “And abuse not those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest, exceeding the limits they abuse Allah through ignorance” (6:109). Further in the same verse, Allah says, “Thus to everyone people have We made their deeds fair-seeming; then to their Lord is their return so He will inform them of what they did.” Thus ultimately it is Allah who will judge. We human beings, when we judge, we judge more out of ignorance and arrogance of our own ego than based on knowledge and selflessness. The key words in this verse are that for ‘every people’ ‘We made their deeds fair-seeming’ to ‘them’. Then who are we human beings to condemn the beliefs and deeds of others? Let Allah alone be the judge of who is right and who is wrong in their beliefs. A progressive Muslim celebrates pluralism, as diversity is the creation of Allah. If Allah had desired He could have made entire humanity one community. (5:48). The Quran also says, “And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your tongues and colours. Surely there are signs in this for the learned.” Thus, a progressive Muslim will never have any prejudice against the speakers of any language or the people of any colour or creed, for they are all creations of Allah. Likewise, both men and women are the creation of Allah and both need to be treated with the same degree of dignity. Allah has created all species in couples and it is necessary for survival of all species. No species will survive unless it is created in couples. Thus the feminine of the couple is as important as the masculine, and in human beings both genders must be treated equally. Gender relations reflect social and cultural constructs while equality and fair play are Islamic values. A progressive Muslim knows this and treats both men and women with equal dignity, ensuring equal rights to both. In today’s context, gender equality becomes a crucial test for a progressive Muslim. Female servitude was purely a feudal cultural creation; Islam opposes it and pronounces the doctrine of gender equality in clear terms (2:228). A progressive Muslim knows that certain Sharia provisions establishing male superiority were in response to the cultural needs of a patriarchal society rather than based on the Quran and Sunnah. Thus, a progressive Muslim will give importance to Quranic pronouncements in gender-related matters and not condone the feudal female servitude, considering such provisions of existing Sharia laws as eternal and unalterable. A progressive Muslim, therefore, would strive to reconstruct Sharia laws today in order to accord rights to women which the Quran gives them. One believer cannot be superior to another believer. Male superiority is a human construct and human construct cannot override divine injunctions. Also, physical differences, i.e. bearing children, etc. should not result in determining who is superior or inferior. A progressive Muslim would also accord seeking knowledge priority, as knowledge has been equated with light, and ignorance with darkness (zulmat). Allah brings out believers from darkness to light. The Prophet (PBUH) has said that a moment’s reflection is more important than a whole night’s worship (ibadat). Thus knowledge has priority even over worship. These are some of the characteristics of being a progressive Muslim. Those who imbibe these characteristics will survive the challenges of time and not face difficulty in keeping pace with changing reality. Source: The Dawn

# ##  

Resolution Shia-Sunni

Salaam,

I participated in a Sunni Shia Dialogue to save lives in Chicago, and we have now completed our request and a resolution that we are requesting Imams, Khateebs, Scholars, Muslim Organizations, community leaders, and opinion leaders, to sign.

Please look at this and consider signing. We are hoping to be able to make a very strong statement.

God bless,
Sheila Musaji


Communiqué of the Shia-Sunni Dialogue to Save Lives

A national Planning Meeting of The Shia-Sunni Dialogue to Save Lives was held in Chicago on December 25, 2006 to develop strategies to systematically involve Muslims in the United States in reducing violence and saving lives of victims of Shia-Sunni conflicts. The deadly conflict between Shias and Sunnis in Iraq provided the backdrop for the urgent tone of the all-day session, hosted by Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, on behalf of Sound Vision Foundation and co-chaired by Dr. Esmail Koushanpour, Executive Director, Islamic Cultural Center, Northbrook, IL, and Imam Khalid Fattah Griggs, Community Mosque of Winston-Salem, NC.

The twenty-two participants from Chicago and across the country recognized that Muslims in the United States are ideally situated to take a leading role in the Shia-Sunni Dialogue to Save Lives process because of the relative lack of sectarian conflict between the groups in this country and the presence of Muslims whose relatives and friends are still living in the midst of sectarian conflict.

The Muslim community in the US feels the pain of the victims of Shia-Sunni violence in Iraq, Pakistan and Lebanon. A primary impetus for this feeling of empathy is the saying of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, “The Muslim Ummah is like a single body; when one part of the body is sick, the whole body catches a fever.”

As a result of its deliberations, the Planning Group concluded that it is imperative that the Muslim community in the United States actively and methodically engage in critical dialogue and education concerning Shia-Sunni Dialogue to Save Lives. To facilitate this process, the Planning Group for the Shia-Sunni Dialogue to Save Lives developed the following Resolution and Recommendations for Action:

RESOLUTION

Whereas, the Quran mandates Muslim unity in the verse: “And hold fast, all together, by the Rope of God, and be not divided among yourselves; And remember with gratitude God’s favor on you when you were enemies, and He united your hearts so by His favor you became brothers; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it; thus does God make clear to you His signs that you may follow the right way.” (Quran 3:103)

Whereas, the Quran makes an unequivocal stand for justice in the verse: “Oh you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, God is a Better Protector to both (than you)” (Quran 4:135)

Whereas, although sectarian divisions and some conflicts have existed among Muslims, the magnitude of the Shia-Sunni conflict in Iraq has little precedent in the Muslim history with the indiscriminate targeting of innocent men, women and children, and the destruction of ancient, venerated mosques

Whereas, the seeds for divisiveness for the entire Muslim world, including Muslims in the United States, are being sown through the Shia-Sunni conflict in Iraq

Whereas, the Muslim community in the United States is composed of thoughtful, caring Shias and Sunnis concerned about the future of Shia-Sunni relations in this country and around the world

Whereas, the differences between Shias and Sunnis have not precluded Shias from making the annual Hajj to GodÕs House in Makkah, Saudi Arabia or being accepted as Muslims by an overwhelming majority of past and present Sunni jurists

BE IT RESOLVED

That the Planning Group for the Shia-Sunni Dialogue to Save Lives calls upon all Muslim Imams, Khateebs, Organization and Opinion Leaders in the United States to engage their local/national constituencies in critical intra-faith dialogue and education about Shia-Sunni relations and how to promote cooperation. Dialogue helps to isolate extremist fringes. Best practices should be shared
That interested Muslim Scholars, Imams, Khateebs, Masjids, Organization and Opinion Leaders, and Individuals assist efforts like the Shia-Sunni Dialogue to Save Lives in crafting a strategy that can be employed throughout the country to increase understanding and enhance cooperation between the groups

That a national Shia Sunni dialogue be held in Chicago on Saturday, April 21, 2007
That Muslims of Arab and South Asian origin residing in the United States organize intra-faith dialogue between Shias and Sunnis of their area of origin residing in this country, share best practices, and promote similar efforts with relatives, friends, and leading Muslims in their home countries.

Recommendations for Action (Individuals)

Ask the Imams, Khateebs, Masjids, Muslim Organizations and Opinion Leaders you know to sign the attached resolution and send us their name, title, organization name (only for identification purpose), mailing address, email, and phone numbers

Ask leaders to participate in April 21, 2007 National Shia-Sunni Dialogue to Save Lives Develop a personal relationship with a Sunni if you are a Shia, and with a Shia if you are a Sunni. Share meals together in each others’ home or in a public facility.

Organize and/or attend an Intra-Faith Dialogue or educational session on the core beliefs of Shias and Sunnis. You may be surprised to learn that almost all the core beliefs of both are the same.

Discourage others from making comments that are disparaging to either Shias or Sunnis.

Emphasize the message of the sanctity of human life in the Quran.

Make dua that Allah help this Ummah overcome Shia-Sunni conflict and violence.

Recommendations for Action (Organizational)

Get your organization to sign the attached RESOLUTION.

Publicly declare your Islamic Center, Masjid, or Muslim Organization open to ALL MUSLIMS, and work towards making this testimony a reality.

Request Muslim scholars from both the Shia and Sunni communities, including the various Fiqh councils in North America, to issue fatwas: Reaffirming that the adherents of both Sunni and Shia Schools of Jurisprudence are Muslims.

Condemning sectarian violence and killing.

Make dua that Allah help this Ummah overcome Shia-Sunni conflict and violence and that Allah join the hearts of the Believers in unity.

If you are an imam/khateeb, please sign and fax or email the attached resolution.

If you are not an imam, get your masjid and imam to sign and then fax or email the resolution.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE FORM, SIGN AND FAX TO THE NUMBER ON THE FORM:
http://www.theghouseteam.com/mg/WMC_Files/Shia_Sunni_Resolution_020707.pdf

OR
www.WorldMuslimCongress.com
and DOWNLOAD, SIGN & FAX - SHIA- SUNNI RESOLUTION


SHIA-SUNNI DIALOGUE TO SAVE LIVES

TO BE SIGNED BY IMAMS, KHATEEBS, MASJIDS, MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS AND OPINION LEADERS
Whereas, the Quran mandates Muslim unity in the verse: “And hold fast, all together, by the Rope of God, and be not divided among yourselves; And remember with gratitude God’s favor on you when you were enemies, and He united your hearts so by His favor you became brothers; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it; thus does God make clear to you His signs that you may follow the right way.” (Quran 3:103)

Whereas, the Quran makes an unequivocal stand for justice in the verse: “Oh you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, God is a Better Protector to both (than you)” (Quran 4:135)

Whereas, although sectarian divisions and some conflicts have existed among Muslims, the magnitude of the Shia-Sunni conflict in Iraq has little precedent in the Muslim history with the indiscriminate targeting of innocent men, women and children, and the destruction of ancient, venerated mosques

Whereas, the seeds for divisiveness for the entire Muslim world, including Muslims in the United States, are being sown through the Shia-Sunni conflict in Iraq

Whereas, the Muslim community in the United States is composed of thoughtful, caring Shias and Sunnis concerned about the future of Shia-Sunni relations in this country and around the world

Whereas, the differences between Shias and Sunnis have not precluded Shias from making the annual Hajj to GodÕs House in Makkah, Saudi Arabia or being accepted as Muslims by an overwhelming majority of past and present Sunni jurists

BE IT RESOLVED

That we call upon all Imams, Khateebs, Masjids, Muslim Organizations and Opinion Leaders in the United States to engage their local/national constituencies in critical intra-faith dialogue and education about Shia-Sunni relations and how to promote cooperation. Dialogue helps to isolate extremist fringes. Best practices should be shared

That Muslim scholars, from both the Shia and Sunni communities, including the various Fiqh councils and Imam organizations in North America, issue fatwas:

a) Reaffirming that the adherents of both Shia and Sunni Schools of Jurisprudence are Muslims

b) Condemning sectarian violence, killing, and destruction of property as un-Islamic and inhuman That Muslims of Arab and South Asian origin residing in the United States organize intra-faith dialogue between Shias and Sunnis of their area of origin residing in this country, share best practices, and promote, finance, and transplant similar dialogues in their home countries with the help of relatives, friends, and leading Muslims

Signature:________________________

Name:___________________________

Title:____________________________

Name of the organization:_________________________________________________

For identification only or endorsed by the above organization

Email address:________________________Phone:____________________________

Mailing address:________________________________________________________

City:_____________________________State:_________zipcode:________________

If you are an imam/khateeb, please sign and fax or email this to the address below. If you are not an imam, get your masjid and imam to sign and then fax or email. Please get as many Muslims as possible to sign the petition.

Note: Please send the signed resolution Fax: 708-430-1346; email malik AT SoundVision.com or mail c/o Sound Vision: 9058 S. Harlem Ave. Bridgeview IL 60455.

Muharram - together

AA,

Muharram is one of the most sacred months for Muslims, and it is also the month of mourning. One phrase always echoes in my mind " Islam Zinda hota hai her karbala ke baad". Islam revives after every tragedy like Karbala. The Shia Muslims have many activities lined up to commemorate the Shahadat of Imam Hussain and let's join them in the commemoration.

I pray that with the commemoration of Ashura

• May Allah guide us to seek a new beginning for Muslims in Iraq and elsewhere.
• May this Ashura make us the torch bearers, the cause and reason for peace and justice.
• May this Ashura become the cause for all Muslims to come together
• May Allah help us bring peace to the mankind.
• May Allah make the Shahadat of Imam Hussain become the reason for us to remove our differences and come together for peace, security and prosperity of Muslims and every human being.

Mike Ghouse
www.WorldMuslimCongress.com

A HOMAGE TO HAZRAT IMAM HUSAIN

Dr. Mustafa Kamal Sherwani

Oh ! the son of Prophet, the saviour of men,
The sultry noon of the horrid summer,
When long back this day, your pious blood,
Fell to the soil in a ruthless way,
Haunts me like a frightening dream.

The arrow, so cruel that pierced the throat,
Of a thirsty babe who could not shriek,
The devilish hands that severed the head,
From your body, the holiest then,
Make me tearful night and day.

One could foresee through your pains,
We would learn a moral so high,
In chain would spring the countless heads,
To follow your spirit in the righteous cause,
Alas! Craven we are, could not do.

We lament your sorrow and cry so hoarse,
You might think, a creed has come,
To hold your banner in the benighted world,
To trim the evils as you did,
Alas! We are a smirch on your name.

Our talks are bold, our hearts are weak,
Our tongues are sharp, our minds are meek,
Our hands and legs are shivery all,
Make us man and give us a call,
Our hopes are shimmering in your grave.

Pangs of conscience ask me oft,
Why the flame of virtue is soft?
Why the sun of evil has its reign,?
Why our blood is cold when vice is hot,?
Are we on the brink of death,?
Summon the courage ,you all the men !

Tread on the path of martyrs, the great,
Else, the Last Day will see your awful fate,
Your abode will be the dreaded Hell


MUHARRAM

From Wikipedia
Muharram (Arabic: محرم ) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sanctified months of the year. Fighting in this month is looked down upon and is often put to the side in respect for Islam. Since the Islamic calendar is lunar, Muharram moves from year to year when compared with the Gregorian calendar.
The first day of Muharram is the start of the Islamic New Year. The Festival of Muharram takes place during this month. The shia Muslim celebrate it in a different way in which they commemorate the Battle of Karbala and consider this a month of sadness and mourning. The commemoration reaches its climax on the tenth day of Muharram, known as Ashurah.
This is the day Husayn ibn Ali, the grand son of the prophet Muhammad was killed alongwith his family members and friends in the Battle of Karbala. This day is important in relegions other than Islam also. It is, for example, related by the jews to the time of Moses when he crossed the Red Sea escaping from the Pharaoh. Sunni Muslims often fast on this sacred day. However, some Sunni Muslims do not even recognize this day at all.
This month of Muharram also has traditions which have no support from Islamic teachings. For example, the celebration of the Muslim new year, and the partying and card giving, etc, associated with it is considered to be a bidah and even haraam to all Shia muslims because they feel it is a time to mourn and it is haraam to express any happiness.
Muharram is so called because it was unlawful to fight during this month; the word is derived from the word ‘haram’ meaning forbidden. It is held to be the most sacred of all the months. This month is most sacred to the Shi’a Muslim community and heavy mourning activities on the first ten days of the month are observed by Shi'a Muslims to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the beloved grandson of Prophet Muhammad. Some Muslims fast during these days but the shia muslims do not fast as they consider fasting a sign of happiness. The tenth day is called Ashurah, meaning, ‘the tenth’, and it is a day of voluntary fasting. The shia just stop eating and drinking but do not fast till the evening. The Sunni Muslims also fast during Muharram and on the tenth day as recommended by the Prophet Muhammad during his lifetime.
The Prophet Muhammad was asked: "Which prayer is the best after the obligatory (five daily) prayers?"
He said: "Prayer during the middle of the night."
The Prophet was then asked: "Which fast is the best after the fast of Ramadan?"
He replied: "The (voluntary fasts during the) month of God that you call Muharram."
On 1 Muharram, the Islamic New Year is observed by some Muslims.
On 1 Muharram, Shi'ite Muslims begin the observance of the Commemoration of Muharram which marks the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala. Imam Husayn entered Karbala.
On 7 Muharram, access to water was banned on Husayn by Yazid's order.
On 10 Muharram, the Day of Ashurah is commemorated by Muslims as the anniversary of the martrydom of Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. But the Shi'ite Muslims attach much greater importance to this day.
On 25 Muharram, Fourth Imam Ali ibn Husayn was martyred.
On 27 Muharram, Mesum was martyred.
The Remembrance of Muharram
(Arabic: احتفال محرم or مناسبة محرم) is an important period of mourning in the Shi'ite branch of Islam.

Shi'ite Muslims in Bahrain strike their chests during the Remembrance of Muharram.
The remembrance marks the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala when Husayn bin Ali, a grandson of Muhammad, was martyred. Muharram is the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The Shi'ite sect is the main sect that commemorates the death of Husayn ibn Ali by arranging 'majalis' (gatherings) to review Islamic teachings and to commemorate Husayn's sacrifice. The mourning reaches its climax on the tenth day, known as Ashura.
This event is observed in the first month of the Hijra year, Muharram. Mourners, both male and female, congregate together (in separate sections) for sorrowful, poetic recitations performed in memory of the martyrdom of Husayn, lamenting and grieving to the tune of beating drums and chants of "Ya Husayn." Passion plays are also performed, reenacting the Battle of Karbala and the suffering and death of Husayn at the hands of Yazid. It is not a festival -- the event is the saddest event for Shi'a Muslims and it is a period of intense grief and mourning.
Many of the male participants congregate together in public for ceremonial chest beating (matham) as a display of their devotion to Husayn and in remembrance of his suffering. In some Shi'a societies, such as those in Bahrain, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Iraq, some male participants inflict actual wounds upon themselves, using knives or razors swung upon chains [1]. This practice is rare and viewed as being extreme and is discouraged and banned in some countries with significant Shi'a populations, such as Iran.
For the duration of the remembrance, it is customary for mosques to provide free meals (nazar) on certain nights of the month to all people. These meals are viewed as being special and holy, as they have been consecrated in the name of Husayn, and thus partaking of them is considered an act of communion with God, Husayn, and humanity.
In South Asia, a number of literary and musical genres, produced by both Shias and Sunnis, that have been inspired by the Battle of Karbala are performed during the month, such as marsiya, noha and soaz. This is meant to increase the peoples understanding of how cowardly the enemies fought The Battle of Karbala against Husayn and his followers.
In Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica all ethnic and religious communities participate in the event, locally known as "Hosay" or "Hussay". In Indonesia, the event is known as Tabuik (Minangkabau language) or Tabut (Indonesian).
Many of the events associated with the remembrance take place in congregation halls known as "Hussainia".

Sunni-Shiite split

The Quiz - http://www.csmonitor.com/slideshows/2007/shiitesunni/index.html

Islam's Sunni-Shiite split

A look at the historic divide within the Muslim world
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0117/p25s01-wome.html

By Dan Murphy Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
To the outsider, the differences between the Sunni and Shiite Islamic sects are hard to recognize.
The five pillars of Islam – daily prayer; fasting during Ramadan; alms giving; the pilgrimage to Mecca; and belief in one, unitary god – are at the core of both faiths, and most mainstream clerics in each denomination recognize adherents of the other side as "legitimate" Muslims.

The Koran is the sacred text for both. They believe Muhammad was the prophet and that there will be a resurrection followed by a final judgment when the world ends.

Adding to the potential confusion is the insistence of many Muslims not to be identified as Shiite or Sunni, saying they are Muslims and Muslims only.

But, as recent events in Iraq and Lebanon have shown, the differences between the believers are not only seen as important by the communities but now, as they have for centuries, rest at the core of bloody political struggles.

While there are superficial differences between the sects – differences in prayer and carrying out ritual ablutions, for instance – the arena of conflict between the two has long been political.
The split between the two main branches of Islam is nearly 1,400 years old, and started with a fight over who should lead the faithful after the prophet Muhammad's death in 632. One side believed that direct descendants of the prophet should take up the mantle of the caliph – the leader of the world's faithful. They were known as the Shiat-Ali, or "partisans of Ali," after the prophet's cousin and son-in-law Ali, whom they favored to become caliph. In time, they came simply to be known as Shiites.
The other side, the Sunnis, thought that any worthy man could lead the faithful, regardless of lineage, and favored Abu Bakr, an early convert to Islam who had married into Muhammad's family. "Sunni" is derived from the Arab word for "followers" and is shorthand for "followers of the prophet."
The Shiites were the eventual losers in a violent struggle for mastery that lasted decades, a fact now reflected in their minority status within global Islam.

But while the civil war now raging between Shiite and Sunni in Iraq is sometimes cast as an extension of this age-old religious struggle, today's conflict is about something slightly different.

While religious differences are real and remain important, the breakdown over Shiite and Sunni in Iraq is about group identity as much as it is about disagreements over proper worship.

In Iraq, many Sunnis and Shiites who are not particularly devout are participating in the bloodshed, fighting to advance group interests.

"I think that Sunni and Shiite group identifiers have become more important in a lot of ways that are not essentially religious,'' says Barbara Petzen, an expert at Harvard University's Middle Eastern Studies Center.

Nevertheless, there are some key religious differences. Shiite veneration of the holy family, that is, the descendants of Muhammad, has contributed to a much more centralized and hierarchical clergy than in the Sunni world.

All religious Shiites nominally observe the advice of an ayatollah on how to follow the law of Islam, or sharia, in the modern context. For many in Iraq, this role is fulfilled by Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Sunni Islam is much less centralized. In this respect, the differences between Sunni and Shiite Islam superficially approach the differences between the Roman Catholic Church and most Protestant denominations.

Though a majority in Iran and Iraq, Shiites make up just 15 percent of the world's Muslims. Their history of defeat and frequent subjugation has also led to a cult of death and martyrdom within Shiism.

The major Shiite holidays celebrate the glorious defeats and martyrdoms of Imam Ali and Imam Hussein, Ali's son, as typified by the preeminent Shiite holiday of Ashura, which marks the slaughter of Hussein and his followers outside the Iraqi city of Karbala by a Sunni caliph in 680.

In Iraq and Iran, the holiday is marked by elaborate processions of men reenacting their own passion play, many of whom self-flagellate with chains to the beat of drums.

Such expressions of piety are looked at with disgust by hard-line Sunnis like the clergy in Saudi Arabia, who view the veneration of Hussein and other members of the prophet's family as a violation of monotheism. This view has frequently led extremist groups like Al Qaeda to attack Shiites as heretics.

The fact that Shiites have long been oppressed – first under the Ottoman Empire, later under states like Iraq and Saudi Arabia – has led to a strong identification with the injustices suffered by Hussein, and have lent a political dimension to Shiite worship. Ashura celebrations, for instance, were banned under Saddam Hussein, who feared they could lead to spontaneous uprisings.

One of the most important distinctions between Shiite and Sunni belief is veneration of the imams.
Most Shiites believe that there were 12 legitimate successors to Muhammad as caliph, and that the final imam, now called the Mahdi, disappeared when he was taken up in the arms of God. Many Shiites believe the Mahdi will return to earth one day and play the role of savior. A battle between the forces of good and evil will ensue, ending in a thousand-year reign of peace and the end of the world.

In practice, this leads to occasionally apocalyptic rhetoric from leaders like Iraq's Moqtada al-Sadr and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.

• Staff writer Matt Bradley contributed reporting.

Denominations

Denominations

Articles on the subject will be added and a brief description of the uniqueness of each one of the 10 different denominations will presented as we move along. Please remember, we will strive to keep every one on par without throwing negative light on any group. If we fail in that area, please point the mistake and send me the correction, we will appreciate you and credit you with the paragraph, sentence, phrase or the word.

Quotes:

"The division is not based on religion, it is neither in the Qur'aan nor is it in the Hadith. Differences are politically motivated, as to who should have the influence and governance. The differences have been accepted with resistance, a hard pill to swallow. On the other hand over a period of time, followers have created basis to justify it religiously. There is indeed a greater desire in Muslims to be called just Muslims and some day Insha Allah, it will materialize. Personally, most of us do not want any classification and that is the right attitude. But we are bound to use it for a while.

Mike Ghouse

The Division

None of the words describe the differences within the Muslim community in its approach to Islam. However, given the deficiency of the language, I have used the word Denomination, as, much of the Christian world uses the word denomination to denote the range of beliefs within the followers of Christ. The other words used are "Sect" in general. In India, even the word "Caste" is used.

The Muslims are making an effort in the last 5 years, to recognize plurality of approaches to Islam, however, in the past century the attitudes were not to recognize members of other groups as fellow Muslims. Even today, Pakistan officially denies the Ahmadiyya denomination the right to call themselves Muslims, it was purely politically motivated for the convenience of the politicians. In India, in smaller towns in the northern belt, there is a caste system among Muslims like the Caste System in the Hindu faith where it is un-common to have marriages between members of different castes. However, religiously there is no restriction in a Muslim marrying a non-Muslim either gender. But over the time, it has become one way, i.e., A Muslim man can marry a woman of other faith, conversion is not required religiously but the practice has been otherwise.

Originally, there were Muslims, and that's all it was, Muslim (pronunciation - Moo-Slim) After the death of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the difference gave birth to differences in approaches - still it was not based on religion, rather it was the question of political leadership that divided the community.

Thus the ones followed the first leader Caliph Bakr (ra) became the followers of tradition called Sunnah, hence Sunni Muslims and the ones who followed the leader, whom they believe should have been the leader came to be known as Shia, followers of Ali (ra) who was he first person to become a Muslim and is the Son-in-Law of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Over a period of time each group developed it's own theological grounding. (A separate Page will be dedicated to understanding the Shia-Sunni differences). The Sunnis developed 4 schools of thought namely: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali. Whereas the Shia developed the Jafaryia and two sub schools of thoughts. The Major one is "Jafaryia" also known as the "Twelvers" and "Seveners" and "Fivers" depending on the Imams each sub group recognizes after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Usually Jafaryia and Twelvers is used to mean Shia.

The division is neither in Qur'aan nor was it in Hadith. The differences have been accepted with resistance, a hard pill to swallow. I believe, understanding the differences will lead to accepting that there are different ways of asking the divine to help and may actually lead us in to Plurality. We have accepted the different schools, and in fact great scholars like Imam Zia Kavakci will explain the differences with utmost respect.

Most commonly accepted estimates are 85% Sunni and 15% Shia and denominations within each other.

THE KNOWN DENOMINATIONS OF ISLAM

1. Al-Ibadiyyah
2. Al-Khawariji
3. Ahmadiyya
4. Bohra/Shia
5. Ismaili/Shia
6. Shia
7. Sufi
8. Sunni
9. Wahhabi/Sunni
10. Others (will be added as we find out)

Let's accept our unique differences, but show our civility, integrity and faith in God to bind us and make us better humans. That really is the bottom line. You can pray all you want, but that is for you, Serving mankind is serving God, all else is selfish and we need to develop a good balance between the two.

Mike Ghouse