2. The founding of a supreme council for all Islamic organisations
to discuss affairs and confirm activities by majority opinion. For
Allah has said: {And your affairs are settled by mutual
consultation} and Amir-ul-Mu’minin ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
alayhum-as-salam has said:
‘I adjure you by Allah to organise your affairs’.
3. Creating complete awareness by alerting the nation to its points
of weakness and strength so that the former may be eliminated
and the latter may be benefited from. This calls for millions of
books. The Imam alayhis-salam said:
‘He who has knowledge of his times cannot be taken unawares’
4. The adoption of fine morals as in Allah’s words: {You were the
best nation brought out for the people, enjoining the good}
like adopting reason and critical examination, flexibility, and
affability, co-operation, sincerity, consultation, and mutual
respect and the like, and {and forbidding the evil} like
weakness, cruelty, despotism, sectarianism, hatred and feuding.
5. The organisation should maintain links with the populace and not
become isolated from it as can be seen today in some Islamic
organisations where pride, conceit and snobbery are present as
well as the adoption of innovations and other things that will
distance them from the public and will prevent them from being
able to attract the people and will lead in the end to their failure.
Imam ‘Ali alayhis-salam said: ‘He who acts despotically on his
own opinion will perish.’ Imam Husayn alayhis-salam said: ‘You
should know that the needs that the people have of you are among
the blessings of Allah upon you.’
6. The following of jurists (fuquha) and authorities (maraji’). Imam
Husayn alayhis-salam said:
‘The running of affairs and rulings are in the hands of the
scholars of Allah who are certain of that which Allah has made
lawful or unlawful.’
If the organisation distances itself from the religious authorities,
which have been chosen by the nation, it will fail even if the
organisation creates an authority for itself upon whatever pretext
Benefiting from Ashura
45
or excuse. The nation should follow the true authorities and
should not be fooled by falsities.
7. The recruiting of Islamic talent such as scholars, preachers and
thinkers, teachers, and staff as well as infrastructure such as
publishing houses, libraries, printing presses and schools. All
these talents are important in ensuring the arrival at the desired
goal, for the seas are made of raindrops and the deserts from
grains of sand!
If we make the gatherings in remembrance of Imam Husayn alayhis-salam
a starting point for building an authentic and true Islamic nation,
distinguished by the consultation of the religious scholars and the
following of their rulings, and party pluralism, and the just rule of Islamic
laws, then we will have conveyed a great deal to Imam Husayn alayhissalam
who sacrificed himself, his family and his companions for nothing
less than implementing Islam and rescuing the people. In the ziyarat of
Imam Husayn alayhis-salam are the words of the Imam alayhis-salam
addressing Allah: ‘ . . . to rescue Your servants from ignorance and the
confusion of losing the way.’
Then the despotic organisations in all their forms will vanish, and power
will be distributed amongst all the classes and groups whether that be
power of governing or arms or knowledge or wealth. Capabilities will
appear and bear fruit and the realities of knowledge in the fields of
agriculture, manufacture, trade, education, and in the military will be
become manifest. The lands snatched from Islam will be returned and their
people will be rescued from the claws of colonisers. All this however
requires an increase in sincerity of purpose combined with piety in the
issues of Imam Husayn alayhis-salam. For Allah accepts the works of the
pious as he has said: {Indeed Allah accepts from the pious}. If we do all
this, we will have participated in explaining the goal of Imam Husayn
alayhis-salam and in continuing on the path he took.
Husayn – The sacrifice for mankind
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