The Changing Times
Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi
وَالْفَجْرِ
وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ
1. By the Break of Dawn,
2. And the Ten Nights
[Surah Fajr 89; Verses 1-2]
Modern times reflect the nearness of the reappearance of Imam Al-Mahdi (atfs). Many of the atrocities, injustices and signs have become manifest in society. But we have become so absorbed in our mundane lives that we have turned a blind eye towards these issues.
The Prophet (saws) said:
“The one who wakes in the morning and is unconcerned with the affairs of the Muslims, is not a Muslim.”
It has been narrated that Imam Ali (as) said ‘the end times will be ridden with civil war and bloodshed’, specifically naming the countries as well.
One major misconception we have developed is that we think total destruction and desolation on earth needs to occur in order for Imam Al-Mahdi (atfs) to arise. No, rather the Imam will arise when we are all in dire need for his return, genuinely pleading and beseeching Allah (swt) for the his return.
It is said that Dua Kumayl contains a deeper secret which relates to the reappearance of Imam Al-Mahdi (atfs).
Despite modern hostility and misconstrued beliefs towards Islam, it was in fact Islam that brought life to the world since the Prophetic mission. During that time, the global western superpowers had tremendous control and influence in the world, whilst the Arabian peninsula was deemed primitive and unsophisticated region. And so, the Prophet (saws) was raised from this region as a mercy to mankind and established intellectual development.
(The Sayed proceeds to mention numerous brilliant examples of how Islam revived the western world in history (13:30-18:30min).
Another misconception today is that the media provokes the notion of a ‘Jihad war’, describing it as the only fundamental doctrine of Islam. Jihad(struggle) comes in 2 forms—A minor jihad and a major jihad. It is the minor jihad which relates to defensive war(which is a universal right), whereas the major jihad should be the main point of focus. It is the struggle for self-perfection and virtue. This is what we should be gravely concerned about in order to revive the true message of Islam. Humanity predominantly consists of genuinely innocent people, however we have failed to transmit the truth as best we can. Remove ignorance from a society and you’ve removed the enemy from the society.
After all, Imam Hussain (as) continuously attempted to communicate and come to an agreement with the opposition in order to avoid the breakout of an unnecessary war. Imam Hussain (as) has inspired millions and is known by over 1 billion people today, because he stood for a universal message that concerns everyone. What have we done to market the message of Hussain? (refer to our lecture summary on ‘Lady Zaynab and the Power of Media’ to see how this can be done: https://conch-greyhound-sdy3.squarespace.com/lectures/lady-zainab-and-the-media It only takes one person today to stand up in the face of oppression and injustice to start a revolution, demanding justice for the Shia.
What is magnificent about the Shia nation is that if someone truly has Iman(faith), whenever they slip off the track, their pure belief leads them back on to the straight path.
Imam Zayn Al-Abideen (as) told us to instil three types of love in our children for it will guide them back to the straight path if they veer off:
Love of the Prophet (saws)
Love of the Quran
Love of the Ahlulbayt (as)
Another vital factor which aids in the revitalisation of our nafs(soul), is to be in constant contact and communication with the scholars, for they help invigorate our souls and excite a need for change. They are the ones that strive towards achieving unified ummah(community). We do not find fundamentalism within our Shia sect, but rather we witness the spectacle of millions people marching in solidarity towards one location (Karbala).
When we say ‘Labayka Ya Hussain’, we are making a pledge to stand against oppression, to help society, to revive the message of Hussain (as), to lead people towards Imam Al-Mahdi (atfs).