۝ ʂʇɴɐɥɗəɭə ɟo ʞɐəɗ

ISTANBUL - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati attended an Ashura ceremony in Turkey on Thursday. 

Below is a summary of Sheikh al-Habib’s Muharram speech 1431.*

No one has ever given a lesson in freedom as Imam Hussain son of Ali (peace be upon them both) did. On the day of Ahsura, the master of all freemen, the leader of all righteous ones, Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) called out in a loud voice: “Be free in your lives”. Until today, this call deeply touches people’s souls and consciences and it will continue to have the same magnificent impact on future generations. Until today, Imam Hussain’s call shines a light of hope in this world of darkness, as a release from the world of slavery and a guide to the world of freedom.

Imam Hussain, the master of all martyr’s definition of freedom is not limited to what has been proposed as a definition of freedom. It might be said that a freeman, is he who has been given the right to freely express his views, elect his political leaders and live as he likes. Indeed this definition of freedom is evidently incomplete because it is limited to this world of slavery (i.e. the Dunya). It is as if one tells you, you may live freely in your prison, you may choose any prison cell you like to spend your life in and you may eat and drink however much you want to but you have to remain in your prison, would you then consider yourself a freeman?!

Similarly, possessing a freedom limited to the right of election, right of opinion and expression etc… is an incomplete, rather a restricted, freedom. When you dedicate your effort, time and abilities to living in luxury, increasing wealth, and building reputation, you will in fact find yourself enslaved by this world and chained to its ornament. For example, if you take a look at the western societies, you will find that they offer a relatively considerable degree of freedom to an African migrant to eventually take control and become a president as it has happened in the United States.

However, despite a considerable degree of freedom being existed, western societies are enslaved by capital. Capitalists steer the economy and have a powerful control over societies and politics. Citizens living in western societies therefore work day and night for capitalists; they dedicate their time, skills and effort to gaining a great amount of wealth and becoming upper-class citizens. They spend their entire life indulging in the pleasures of this world without developing their spiritual dimension or working towards the hereafter.

The master of all freemen, Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) completely rejected such definition of freedom; which cannot transcend beyond the bounds of this lowly world. Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) has introduced a different definition of freedom to the whole of humanity which teaches humans to avoid satisfying themselves with the worldly pleasures; as he (peace be upon him) has said: “All things that are under the sunlight in the east and west, in oceans and lands, and plains and mountains; all these are just like a shadow for the true disciples of God and the people of the acknowledgement of Him.

“Is there no free man who will leave this valueless world to its people? Paradise is the only price of your bodies; hence, you should avoid selling them with any other price. He who satisfies themselves with the worldly pleasures is surely satisfying himself with the worthless.” * Indeed, he who acknowledges God will find everything in this world is nothing but a shadow, whereas the real eternal pleasures exist only in the hereafter.

Therefore, humans should not sell themselves for a low price, because paradise is the only price of their bodies. In addition, in order for humans to be truly free, they have to free themselves from all worldly pleasures as Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) has taught us.

This guy. What an asshole.

Finally, a positive story.

Namaz-e-Ayaat due tonight!

“US, UK behind Chabahar [Husayniyya] terrorist attack”

One explosion struck a group of mourners west of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. The other bomb targeted a procession in the town of Khalis, north of the capital.

Apparently India handles Ayodhya like Israel handles East Jerusalem?