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The month of Muharram is the month of  mourning for Ashoura. A event that was so horrific that nothing in history before or after can compare!! The massacre of Imam Hussein(as) and his 72 companions resulted in victory for Islam. Because of these brave men the religion of the Holy Prophet(saw) was maintained. So every year we mourn this event because of the endurement and punishment that Hussein(as), his family and companions, went through in their stance against the corruption of Yazid and his army to save Islam.

Those who love Hussein(as) ,wish with all their hearts they could have been their to have laid down there lives for him but, the reality is we weren’t. So to feel the pain or I mean, to feel a teaspoon if that, of his pain we perform lutmia’s. Lutmia’s are series of sad lyrics that are put together that bring remembrance of Ashoura. When these lyrics are being recited the listeners will hit themselves with the palms of there hand on their chest and mourn. Sometimes because of our devotion for Hussein(as) and unexpressed love we will use chains to hit our backs. Some might make a small cut on their head which allows a small amount of blood to come out, and will continuously hit  the cut to try to feel Hussein’s(as) pain. But as extreme as it may sound to some, all this can’t come close to the pain Hussein(as) felt, pain that was caused by: arrows that pierced his entire upper body. (The arrows that were used were arrows used to hunt camels) Cuts on his body that were caused by a army of 70,000 men. His body trampled on and ripped apart by the horse of the enemy. (purposely) His head cut of his body and put on a spear. All his companions and some family members killed, including his 6 month old baby, who was struck with a arrow in his trot. The rest of his family taken as prisoners of war an abused and whipped. Most of them were women. So like I was saying, as extreme as it sounds it’s nothing compared to the event that took place in Karbala.

Please NOTE: These Latmia’s are preformed after the mourning of Huseein(as) in Majalis. Majalis’s are the moments of the battle and, what led up to the battle which are put into a speech type lecture. So Majalis’s are the center of Ashoura not Latmia’s.

Now once again we are ridiculed by our Sunni brothers and Sisters. They say:” It’s haram to hit yourself because it causes you pain”. So, is this form of loyalty beyond Islamic law? Lets see. Did our Sunni brothers so quickly forget about the  companion of  Prophet who they say expressed his loyalty and love to the prophet when he the Prophet(saw) lost a tooth in the battle of Uhad.

His name is Hazrat Uwais Qarni(ra) he was a compaion of the Prophet Muahmmad(saw). He also was a companion of  Imam Ali(as) and was in the battle of Suffin.

Sahih Muslim: Book:31 Hadith:6170– Usair b. Jabir reported that a delegation from Kufa came to ‘Umar and there was a person amongst them who jeered at Uwais. Thereupon Umar said: Is there amongst us one from Qaran? That person came and Umar said: Verily Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) has said: There would come to you a person from Yemen who would be called Uwais and he would leave none in Yemen (behind him) except his mother, and he would have the whiteness (due to leprosy) and he supplicated Allah and it was cured except for the size of a dinar or dirham. He who amongst you meets him should ask him to supplicate for forgiveness (from Allah) for you.

Sahih Muslim: Book:31 Hadith:6171– ‘Umar b. Khattab reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Worthy amongst the successors would be a person who would be called Uwais. He would have his mother (living with him) and he would have (a small) sign of leprosy. Ask him to beg pardon for you (from Allah).

Sahih Muslim: Book:31 Hadith:6172–  ‘………..Umar (again) said: Did you suffer from leprosy and then you were cured from it but for the space of a dirham? He said: Yes. He (‘Umar) said: Is your mother (living)? He said: Yes. He (‘Umar) said: I heard Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) say: There would come to you Uwais b. Amir with the reinforcement from the people of Yemen. (He would be) from Qaran, (the branch) of Murid. He had been suffering from leprosy from which he was cured but for a spot of a dirham. His treatment with his mother would have been excellent. If he were to take an oath in the name of Allah, He would honour that. And if it is possible for you, then do ask him to beg forgiveness for you (from your Lord). So he (Uwais) begged forgiveness for him………….. So the people came to know about (the status of religious piety) of Uwais. He went away (from that place)………..

A Hadith Qudsi according to our Sunni brothers:  Abu Hurayra repoerted- “Allah, Exalted and Mighty is He, loves of His creation the God-fearing, the pure in the heart, those who are hidden, and those who are innocent, whose face is dusty, whose hair is unkempt, whose stomach is empty, and who, if he asks permission to enter to the rulers, is not granted it, and if he were to ask for a gentle lady in marriage, he would be refused, and when he leaves the world it does not miss him, and if he goes out, his going out is not noticed, and if he falls sick, he is not attended to, and if he dies, he is not accompanied to his grave.”  (I have not been able to find this hadith but, it’s Quoted form every Sunni site I go to).

But anyways after hearing this they asked him, “O Messenger of Allah, how can we find someone like that?” He, upon whom be peace and blessings, said, “Uwais al-Qarani is such a one.”Concerning the hadith of the Prophet, upon whom be peace and blessings, “More people shall enter Paradise through the intercession of a certain man from my Community than there are people in the tribes of Rabi`a and Mudar,”[1] al-Hasan al-Basri said: “That is Uwais al-Qarni.”

So just what happened according to our Sunni brothers? According to the Story Uwais al-Qarni heard that the Prophet had lost a tooth in the battle of Uhad. Because of his love and devotion to him he broke all his teeth in his mouth because he was not sure which tooth is was. This was a sign of his love for him. The man had never even seen or, got to see the Holy Prophet face to face.

Straight of a Sunni website, all I had to do is copy and paste

The story of the great Ashiq Ar-Rasool

Once the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him), while speaking to Sahaba-Ikram (companions), said: “There is a person in my Ummah (followers) whose prayers would bring forgiveness to as many sinners as the number of hair of the sheep in the tribes of Rabia and Mazar.” The two tribes were well known for raising sheep during the time of the Holy Prophet. The disclosure made the Sahaba-Ikram very curious. They asked the Holy Prophet about the name of that person and the place he lived in. The Holy Prophet first hesitated, but on their insistence told them the name of a person who lived in Qarn, Awais Qarni.

The Holy Prophet continued: “On the Day of Judgment, Awais would be accompanied to paradise by 70,000 angels who’d resemble him.” The reason the Holy Prophet gave for this was: “Since Awais prayed all his life in seclusion so as not to be noticed, Allah would also keep his purdah (cover).”

When people asked the Holy Prophet whether Awais Qarni had even come to see him, he said: “No, he never saw me, but he has the privilege of seeing me through Kashf (spiritual revelation), and he has reasons for not being able to see me. He is the only one to take care of his blind mother.”

Again Sahaba-Ikram asked if they could see him, to which the Holy Prophet replied: “No, only Umer bin Khattab and Ali would meet him, and his identification is – he has thick hair all over his body, and a white patch on his left hand.” He directed Hazrat Umer and Hazrat Ali: “When you see him, convey to him my salaam (greetings) and ask him to pray for my Ummah.”

“And who’d be the right person to receive your Abaya (the cloak the Holy Prophet used over his clothes) after you leave the world?” the Sahaba asked.

“Awais Qarni,” said the Holy Prophet.

When the Holy Prophet left the world and Hazrat Umer became the caliph, he, along with Hazrat Ali, went to Qarn to look for Awais Qarni. No one knew about him. However, the people of Qarn told them that outside the town there lived an insane person who laughed at the crying people and cried for those who laughed. When Hazrat Umer and Hazrat Ali reached there they saw a person praying amidst the grazing sheep. When he finished his prayers, he saw the visitors and said: “It is the first time anyone has ever seen me praying.”

“What’s your name?” Hazrat Umer and Hazrat Ali asked. “Abdullah (the servant of Allah).”

“Tell us your real name?”

“Awais.”

“Show us your hand,” Hazrat Umer and Hazrat Ali immediately kissed the white patch the Holy Prophet had talked about. Then they presented to him the holy dress and asked him to pray for the Ummah as directed by the Holy Prophet.

Hazrat Awais Qarni took the dress and stepped away to offer prayers: “O Allah, unless you forgive the sins of the followers of the Holy Prophet I won’t wear his dress.” Then they heard a voice: “I’ve forgiven some of them.” All of a sudden came in front of him Hazrat Umer and Hazrat Ali. “Why did you come in front of me? Unless I had sought Allah’s forgiveness for the entire Ummah I would not stop my prayers.” Then he donned the Abaya of the Holy Prophet and disclosed that Allah had forgiven the number of people equivalent to the hair of the sheep of the Rabia and Mazar tribes.

Afterwards, Hazrat Umer asked him why he didn’t receive the honour of seeing the Holy Prophet. In response to this Hazrat Awais asked them to tell whether the brows of the Holy Prophet were wide or dense? Both Sahabas could not answer the question. Then he asked another question: “Which tooth of the Prophet was martyred in the battle of Uhad? Why didn’t you break all your teeth for the love of your Prophet?” Saying this, he showed his toothless mouth. “When I broke my first tooth I thought it might be the other one. Then I broke the other one. Still I was not satisfied. When I had broken all my teeth only then I received some relief.”

Seeing so much devotion to the Holy Prophet and his extraordinary Tasawwaf, Hazrat Umer wished to give up his Khilafat and adopt the ways of Hazrat Awais Qarni. Sensing his thought, Hazrat Awais said, “You should have given up Khilafat for anyone else, and dedicated yourself entirely to Allah.”

Hazrat Umer asked him for some advice. “O Umer, you recognize Allah and there is nothing better than the sense that no one recongizes you but Allah.” Then he thanked them for taking all the trouble to come and see him. Very much impressed, Hazrat Umer and Hazrat Ali returned home filled with great regard for Hazrat Awais Qarni.

Soon after that, the people of Qarn came to know about his spiritual excellence and they started regarding him as a great saint of Allah. Since he didn’t like to be known as a saint, he left for Kufa where, while fighting for Hazrat Ali in the battle of Safain, he was martyred.

Hazrat Awais Qarni always considered worldly life a temporary sojourn and often said, “Sleep with the remembrance of death, and rise with the thought that you will not live long.” He received spiritual training directly from the Holy Prophet. Often the Holy Prophet said: “Awais is the best amongst Ta’beens (the successors of the companions of the Holy Prophet).”

Now after hearing this story and hearing the Prophet Muahmmad(saw) say: “Hussein is form me and I am from him, Allah(swt) loves whoever loves Hussein”. Was it only Hussein’s(as) blood spilled in Karbala? Is our action of mourning of Hussein haram? You put the puzzle together, I’m done talking. Salaamu alaykum.