By Firoz Bakht Ahmed - RxPG NEWS - Westchester,CA,USA
Monday, January 29, 2007
Muharram has got Indianised over the years.
Quite spiritedly, fervently and emotionally like the Ramlila, Muharram in India - signifies the victory of virtue over evil. It commemorates the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the younger grandson of Prophet Mohammed. In India, it is revered by all communities, especially the Hindus in Varanasi, Lucknow, Allahabad, Amroha, Indore, Nagpur, Jaipur, Phagwara in Punjab, Bhopal and Kanpur.
Muharram is not a festival to be celebrated, rather it is to be observed with solemnity as a day of mourning.
The 61st year of the Hijri calendar - for the Arab world proved to be most unfortunate as Muawiah enthroned his tyrant son Yazid who - proving to be more depraved than his father - obliterated the Nizam-e-Shoora - and replaced with a tyrannical despotism.
When Yazid asked if he accepted his authority, Hussain said his subservience was only to Allah. At this Hussain was shot at by a volley of arrows by the Yezidi army. Even after Hussain died, Yazid's soldiers trampled over his mortal remains. This sacrifice is remembered everywhere in the world, but nowhere is it observed as in India for it has merged seamlessly into the Indian milieu.
Regarding the 'Indianisation' of Muharram and communal harmony on the occasion, Khwaja Hasan Sani Nizami, the sajjadanashin [spiritual successor of the saint and guardian at the holy place] of Dargah Nizamuddin, relates that Varanasi -the land of famous ghats [steps leading down to sacred waters] and Vedic saints- has a tradition of observing Muharram with many Hindu families fasting along with their Muslim brethren.
Varanasi's Shivala Mohalla boasts of the most artistic 'tazias' [replicas of Imam Hussain's tomb]. Tazia's ritual representation resembles the burning of evil effigies on the Hindu festival of Dussehra. Though identical in spirit, the tazia differs from the Dussehra in that it is buried while the effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhkarna are burnt.
Italian artist Bruno Cabrini's etchings depict Muharram processions with tazias during the 18th and 19th centuries in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra by the Hindus.
He has recorded his astonishment: 'How come these Brahmins observe Muharram with such devotion and sincerity and devotion even though they are dedicated Hindus and do not permit slaughtering of any animal in the manner prescribed by Islam?'
Beautiful imambaras [congregation halls]were erected by the Hindu rulers of Vijayanagar during the 16th and 17th centuries. Even the Scindias of Gwalior and the Holkar Maharajas of Indore used to conduct the special majalis.
A lot of credit goes to the Sufi saints for making Muharram an occasion to demolish religion, caste and class barriers, thus symbolising the day as one of amnesty and humanity - resembling that of Dussehra.
Jamia Millia Islamia' vice chancellor Shahid Mahdi said that Muharram alums are revered by most Hindus like the Ramlila processions. Sufi saints delivered sanity messages to feudal lords who tried to divide communities along religion, caste and creed.
There had been an effort to create a rift between the two major sects of Muslims - Shias and Sunnis.
It is well known that the Karbala tragedy was an outcome of the feudalisation of Islamic concepts, an unfortunate procedure initiated after the Prophet's death and consolidated by Muawiah's nomination of son Yazid to the throne.
The Sufi saints, along with the Shia ulema, encouraged the mix of indigenous elements from the rich cultural heritage of the land with that of Muharram - both conveying the message of peaceful coexistence.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
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Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Credit goes to the Sufi saints
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed - RxPG NEWS - Westchester,CA,USA
Monday, January 29, 2007
Muharram has got Indianised over the years.
Quite spiritedly, fervently and emotionally like the Ramlila, Muharram in India - signifies the victory of virtue over evil. It commemorates the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the younger grandson of Prophet Mohammed. In India, it is revered by all communities, especially the Hindus in Varanasi, Lucknow, Allahabad, Amroha, Indore, Nagpur, Jaipur, Phagwara in Punjab, Bhopal and Kanpur.
Muharram is not a festival to be celebrated, rather it is to be observed with solemnity as a day of mourning.
The 61st year of the Hijri calendar - for the Arab world proved to be most unfortunate as Muawiah enthroned his tyrant son Yazid who - proving to be more depraved than his father - obliterated the Nizam-e-Shoora - and replaced with a tyrannical despotism.
When Yazid asked if he accepted his authority, Hussain said his subservience was only to Allah. At this Hussain was shot at by a volley of arrows by the Yezidi army. Even after Hussain died, Yazid's soldiers trampled over his mortal remains. This sacrifice is remembered everywhere in the world, but nowhere is it observed as in India for it has merged seamlessly into the Indian milieu.
Regarding the 'Indianisation' of Muharram and communal harmony on the occasion, Khwaja Hasan Sani Nizami, the sajjadanashin [spiritual successor of the saint and guardian at the holy place] of Dargah Nizamuddin, relates that Varanasi -the land of famous ghats [steps leading down to sacred waters] and Vedic saints- has a tradition of observing Muharram with many Hindu families fasting along with their Muslim brethren.
Varanasi's Shivala Mohalla boasts of the most artistic 'tazias' [replicas of Imam Hussain's tomb]. Tazia's ritual representation resembles the burning of evil effigies on the Hindu festival of Dussehra. Though identical in spirit, the tazia differs from the Dussehra in that it is buried while the effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhkarna are burnt.
Italian artist Bruno Cabrini's etchings depict Muharram processions with tazias during the 18th and 19th centuries in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra by the Hindus.
He has recorded his astonishment: 'How come these Brahmins observe Muharram with such devotion and sincerity and devotion even though they are dedicated Hindus and do not permit slaughtering of any animal in the manner prescribed by Islam?'
Beautiful imambaras [congregation halls]were erected by the Hindu rulers of Vijayanagar during the 16th and 17th centuries. Even the Scindias of Gwalior and the Holkar Maharajas of Indore used to conduct the special majalis.
A lot of credit goes to the Sufi saints for making Muharram an occasion to demolish religion, caste and class barriers, thus symbolising the day as one of amnesty and humanity - resembling that of Dussehra.
Jamia Millia Islamia' vice chancellor Shahid Mahdi said that Muharram alums are revered by most Hindus like the Ramlila processions. Sufi saints delivered sanity messages to feudal lords who tried to divide communities along religion, caste and creed.
There had been an effort to create a rift between the two major sects of Muslims - Shias and Sunnis.
It is well known that the Karbala tragedy was an outcome of the feudalisation of Islamic concepts, an unfortunate procedure initiated after the Prophet's death and consolidated by Muawiah's nomination of son Yazid to the throne.
The Sufi saints, along with the Shia ulema, encouraged the mix of indigenous elements from the rich cultural heritage of the land with that of Muharram - both conveying the message of peaceful coexistence.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Muharram has got Indianised over the years.
Quite spiritedly, fervently and emotionally like the Ramlila, Muharram in India - signifies the victory of virtue over evil. It commemorates the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the younger grandson of Prophet Mohammed. In India, it is revered by all communities, especially the Hindus in Varanasi, Lucknow, Allahabad, Amroha, Indore, Nagpur, Jaipur, Phagwara in Punjab, Bhopal and Kanpur.
Muharram is not a festival to be celebrated, rather it is to be observed with solemnity as a day of mourning.
The 61st year of the Hijri calendar - for the Arab world proved to be most unfortunate as Muawiah enthroned his tyrant son Yazid who - proving to be more depraved than his father - obliterated the Nizam-e-Shoora - and replaced with a tyrannical despotism.
When Yazid asked if he accepted his authority, Hussain said his subservience was only to Allah. At this Hussain was shot at by a volley of arrows by the Yezidi army. Even after Hussain died, Yazid's soldiers trampled over his mortal remains. This sacrifice is remembered everywhere in the world, but nowhere is it observed as in India for it has merged seamlessly into the Indian milieu.
Regarding the 'Indianisation' of Muharram and communal harmony on the occasion, Khwaja Hasan Sani Nizami, the sajjadanashin [spiritual successor of the saint and guardian at the holy place] of Dargah Nizamuddin, relates that Varanasi -the land of famous ghats [steps leading down to sacred waters] and Vedic saints- has a tradition of observing Muharram with many Hindu families fasting along with their Muslim brethren.
Varanasi's Shivala Mohalla boasts of the most artistic 'tazias' [replicas of Imam Hussain's tomb]. Tazia's ritual representation resembles the burning of evil effigies on the Hindu festival of Dussehra. Though identical in spirit, the tazia differs from the Dussehra in that it is buried while the effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhkarna are burnt.
Italian artist Bruno Cabrini's etchings depict Muharram processions with tazias during the 18th and 19th centuries in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra by the Hindus.
He has recorded his astonishment: 'How come these Brahmins observe Muharram with such devotion and sincerity and devotion even though they are dedicated Hindus and do not permit slaughtering of any animal in the manner prescribed by Islam?'
Beautiful imambaras [congregation halls]were erected by the Hindu rulers of Vijayanagar during the 16th and 17th centuries. Even the Scindias of Gwalior and the Holkar Maharajas of Indore used to conduct the special majalis.
A lot of credit goes to the Sufi saints for making Muharram an occasion to demolish religion, caste and class barriers, thus symbolising the day as one of amnesty and humanity - resembling that of Dussehra.
Jamia Millia Islamia' vice chancellor Shahid Mahdi said that Muharram alums are revered by most Hindus like the Ramlila processions. Sufi saints delivered sanity messages to feudal lords who tried to divide communities along religion, caste and creed.
There had been an effort to create a rift between the two major sects of Muslims - Shias and Sunnis.
It is well known that the Karbala tragedy was an outcome of the feudalisation of Islamic concepts, an unfortunate procedure initiated after the Prophet's death and consolidated by Muawiah's nomination of son Yazid to the throne.
The Sufi saints, along with the Shia ulema, encouraged the mix of indigenous elements from the rich cultural heritage of the land with that of Muharram - both conveying the message of peaceful coexistence.
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