Shia Muslims in Western Diaspora

Abrar A bi-monthly newsletter published by the Abrar Islamic Foundation 45 CrawfordEdior: Place, DrLondon Saeed W!H Shehabi 4LP A bi-monthly newsletter Tel:Published 020 7724 by the 3033 Abrar 45Fax: Crawford 020 7724 Place, 7219 LondonEmail: W1H 4LP Vol 13, No 21(310) 16th -31st May 2017 [email protected] Tel: 020Website: 7724 3033 Dual functionality of fasting; worship and soul-searching Fax:www.abrar.org.uk 020 7724 7219 Of all the opportunities to meditate, worship or ment which leaves no time or space for personal Email: contemplate, the holy month of Ramadan pro- contemplation. The internet era is bombarding vides the best time to conduct soul-searching and people with unstoppable messaging services that Abrarhouse self-confidence building. Thirty days of continu- deprive people of personal peace and choice. @hotmail.com ous worship with total isolation from the earthly Even the Muslim daily prayers have been affect- Website temptations is bound to be the perfect chance for ed by the continuous disruptions of the prayers www.abraronline.net self-cleansing by any human being. Those as the smart phones force themselves on people Charity no. 293802 searching for spiritual fulfilment cannot achieve during prayers. The addiction to those devices that goal fully without re-visiting the holy month has no bounds. It is a social epidemic that de- of Ramadan to realise the extensive “facilities” it prives the people of their precious times of soul- provides for such an exercise. To be able to vol- searching, contemplation and worship. Fasting We stand for: untarily refrain from eating or drinking for 18 breaks this formidable addiction by presenting hours a day is simply remarkable. That is cer- different kinds of engagements. Quran recitation Inter-faith and inter- tainly a dream for the diet experts who are often is being promoted as a collective exercise which civilisational dialogue disappointed by the lack of will among their may be conducted throughout the month of clients who aspire to control their intake. Here is Ramadan. Competitions have been held to Respect for the human a total submission to God’s command to stop choose those with the best voices and styles. race and rights eating or drinking during the long summer days This means that people who have been targeted from before sunrise to after sunset. No enforce- by regimes for political purposes, can still prac- Cooperation for the ment forces are needed to ensure compliance tice soul-searching and proper worship. good of people with these divine commands. God Almighty has Of particular significance is the feelings by wor- left the sincerity of adoption of those principles shippers of the need to feed the poor. This has Moderation to the person himself. The personal faith is the led to social and relief movements whose work main driving force behind compliance with often concentrated on helping the poor and sal- Modernity God’s commands. While the state has responsi- vaging the dispossessed. Trusts are run to collect bility to provide the necessary environment to donations from the able people and distribute High standards of facilitate the conduct of personal and collective them among the needy. The feeling of hunger spirituality worship, fasting is a personal duty the conduct of forces the person to take broader view of the which is left to the individual himself. Muslim communities and how they are dealing The World’s Muslims are awaiting the advent of with those emerging social needs. For those with Ramadan towards the end of May in order to open mind, Ramadan provides a golden oppor- In this issue start fasting. This entails refraining from eating tunity in the process of change especially in the or drinking during the day. But it does not stop Arab and Muslim worlds. It is a time for reflec- Local Events 2 there. The self-cleansing exercise goes further. It tion as well. The Muslims thus possess a golden demands that pious worshippers must also stop opportunity to enhance the levels of their spiritu- other negative social habits; back-biting, steal- ality. This positive approach can provide an Muslim Affairs 3 ing, swearing or any other kind of bad behav- alternative to soul-searching. It is thus a time of iour. This is necessary for the fasting to be in multiple functions, the most significant of which Shia Muslims accordance with God’s commands. It is yet an- is the transformation of the person into a better in diaspora 4 other exercise in self-control and social correct- human; God-fearing, principled and disciplined. ness. Societies which face the prospect of frag- Hashi Mohammad on mentation due to the social illnesses, are sudden- ly required to organise mass gatherings and pray- youth challenges 5 ers. This leads to social cohesion, much needed at the present time when repressive regimes Women and Rama- work hard to disintegrate the Muslim societies. dan 6 The month of Ramadan is thus an opportunity to deal with the children and adults alike. Through- Ramadan stories 8 out history, societies have collected massive treasures of human experiences in collective worship and mass approach to implementation of God’s rules. The modern day life with its advanced techno- logical advances has created ungodly environ- Page 2 Local Events Persecution of Sheikh Qassim been chosen by the people. There were was chaired by successive movements by The Sanussis Shabir Razvi. The The Abrar’s Thursday meeting on in Libya, the Scholars Front in AlJge- young man spoke 4th May was addressed by two people ria. In recent times there were move- about his personal who talked on two ments that aim at creating Islamic rule experience and subjects. The first such as the AlTahrir Party and the how his hard was Jalal Fairooz Muslim Brotherhood. More extremist work enabled him who spoke about the movements include AlTakfir and Hijra. to achieve what predicament of There were also movements in Yemen, many like him Ayatullah Sheikh Iraq, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Turkey would not have Isa Qassim who was and Iran seeking to change the political achieved. It is a facing court verdict order. The motives for revolt range personal testimony intended to give in Bahrain. He said from religious to economic or social. encouragement and hope to young the country was The issue of governance is important in Muslim youth in UK. He described passing through one the Islamic teachings. There have al- how he managed to develop himself of the most danger- ways been revolts against the rulers and achieve high positions from the ous periods of its modern history. The since the four caliphs after the Prophet. slums of North London. His poor fam- highest religious leader in the country The battles of “the Transgression” hap- ily background did not hinder his pro- had been under persecution for several pened during the reign of Abu Bakr, gress. He encourages the Muslim years and was awaiting the decision by Abu Lulua assassinated Omar, Uthman youth to think, be optimistic, have the tribal Alkhalifa rule whether to be was murdered and Ali faced revolt by confidence and possess a sense of arrested or deported. His house has been Alkhawarej and was eventually assas- purpose (Full text, page 5). protected by hundreds of followers who sinated. God is the source of govern- vowed to defend him to death. The deci- ance, and Prophet Mohammad admin- Conference on Shia Muslims sion had been scheduled for 7th May istered just rule on people. He appoint- (but was postponed for two more weeks ed governors and commanders and A two-day conference was held by the until 21st May). Two years ago the de- sacked some of them. He also signed Edinburgh University on Saturday and cision had been taken to end the majori- treaties and agreements. His tradition Sunday 5-7th May “The Unthought in ty presence of the native Shia Muslims confirms his governing role. There are Islam; The Shi’a and Shi’ism in the through what could only be described as traditions among the Shia and Sunni Western Diaspora”. The aim was to “genocide”. The regime had failed to Muslims that call for obedience of the evaluate the presence of Shi’a Mus- end the people’s Revolution that started ruler. The speaker presented several lims in the West from various angles. in 2011, so it sought to revenge from hadiths (traditions) to show this. Both It was organised by the Centre of Is- their leaders most of whom are lan- Shia and Sunni Muslims agrees on the lamic Studies and guishing behind bars. Sheikh Qassim is need to obey the ruler and not to revolt facilitated by Dr a student of Martyr Mohammad Baqir against him, with differences in the Andrew Newman. Al Sadr who was executed by Saddam extent of this. There are also rules that He worked ex- Hussain in 1980. Senior religious lead- call for revolt if the ruler deviated and tremely hard to en- ers have called for the protection of the became oppressor. Revolting against sure a successful Sheikh and condemned Alkhalifa for unjust ruler is the right of the commu- outcome. The con- persecuting him and the rest of the peo- nity (Ummah). Like Shia Muslims, ference consisted of ple. The speaker said that the defeat of leaders of Sunni Muslims revolted two parts; formal those evil forces in Iraq, Syria and against unjust rulers. Imam Abu Hanifa and informal. On Yemen is pushing them to seek revenge revolted against AlMansoor when he the first day the in Bahrain. killed Prophet’s descendants. He also formal part was held in which five supported Zaid ibn Ali when he chal- papers were presented by distin- Islamic views on “Revolt” lenged the Umayyad rulers.

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