Ashara Mubaraka 1421
	Surat
	Reflections on the 4th Waaz - 5th Moharram

• Today’s w`aaz referred to the topic of khidmat in several ways. Rasulallah (s.a.) said to his ashaab that there is one amongst you who will fight on the taaweel of the Qur’an just as I have fought on the tanzeel (the external). Of those assembled with him one immediately asked, “Is it I, Rasulallah?”

• Good breeding should have prevented anyone from asking in such a manner but after he was told, “No”, a further two rose one after the other to ask the same question - only to be given the same answer.

• It was now that they asked after the identity of this man and Rasulallah answered, “The repairer of the sandal.”

• A little way away from them Amirul Mumineen (a.s.) was sitting with Rasulallah’s sandal in his hands which he was mending. Such an exalted figure, of unparalleled status, he that was to battle for the establishment of the meanings of the book of Allah, yet he saw no belittlement in doing the job of repairing Rasulallah’s footwear.

• Behind Molana Ali’s act lies a profound meaning yet it shows his great humility because no form of khidmat was too small. This job of mending a sandal would be considered menial at any other given time yet here it is transformed because of the status of the person to whom it belongs. Molana told us that we should never consider any form of khidmat as being beneath us because any khidmat is the khidmat of Aqamola. As Syedna-l-Qadi-ul-N`uman (q.r.) writes, even if it is the cleaning of a bathroom or, as he explained further that the anbiya, despite their lofty status, nevertheless still used their own hands for their personal hygiene.

• Khidmat is an action that seeks only the recognition and pleasure of Awliyaullah (a.s.) and no other reward. It is an action by which we endeavour to come close to our Mola. One of the most vital forms of khidmat is that which is done by expending the wealth Allah has given us and in today’s w`aaz Aqamola mentioned the khidmat of niyaaz; how Mumineen, according to their capacity, offered khidmat of a whole day’s niyaaz, or for part of a niyaaz, or for a hundred thaals, or 52 thaals or even just one thaal.

• In Syedna Abdeali Saifuddin’s (r.a.) time there were those who would suggest that this made getting close very easy, all one needs to do is spend one’s wealth on salaams to Molana and the accompanying mullasahebs and one can get ahead. One person’s answer to this was that if this is so and one can get ahead by just spending money then why do these critics not do so? Why? Because they do not want to get ahead and by saying these kinds of things they wish to hold back others.
• In the course of mentioning these khidmaat Molana recounted one zikr of the shahadat of Imam Husain (a.s.) for the first time. It was the zikr of the birds who came to offer him water. One bird flew over Husain who lay upon the ground thirsting for water. The bird felt great remorse that he was unable to do anything and flew off unable to bear to look any longer. He joined a flock of birds seeking respite from the searing heat in a tree. As he sat there he heard them all talking mainly about their need to find food and water.

• He said to them that “Whilst you sit here thinking of your own needs, Husain is lying parched upon the ground saying, “Thirst, thirst!” with a dry tongue!”

• The birds felt remorse but because they didn’t have hands felt unable to do anything. The first bird told them, “It is true, we don’t have hands but we do have beaks; we can all take small amounts of water in them and offer it to Husain.”

• The flock flew to the river and each took a small amount of water before flying towards Husain. The birds made their offering and Husain accepted their khidmat but he did not take their water. He had just seen Ali Akbar slain in thirst, his six-month-old son Ali Asgar was slain as Husain asked for water for him and the women children of ahle bayt were still in the camp having been without food and water for as long as he had.

• In `Ashara we receive two types of nourishment, one for the soul and one for our bodies.

• Today we learned of the 4 jewels:

• This bayaan was a morsel that everyone found easy to swallow as Aqamola went to considerable length in giving examples of how these four thieves set about stealing the four jewels.

• After w`aaz we take sherbet, salawaat and niyaaz and as we partake of both of these forms of sustenance we should remember those birds in the tree who were preoccupied with thoughts of their physical needs when the other bird reminded them of the state of Husain. We must never forget that all of these dishes of spiritual and physical nourishment are intended to assist us in one ultimate aim and that is the matam and fida`ii upon Imam Husain and his Da`ii Aqa Burhanuddin. Every thing we do in between, even khidmat itself, should be to assist us in the fulfillment of that objective.

• May Allah t`aala preserve our beloved Mola to continue to accept the khidmaat, fidagiri, matam and buka of Mumineen, Muminaat and their children until the day of Qayamat.

Anjuman-e-Saifee Surat.

 
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