IRAQ – LAND OF TRANSCENDENTAL HISTORY,
SPIRITUALITY & UNCAPPED POTENTIAL

With a proud history of Nubuwwat and Imamat, who can overlook the rich spiritual heritage of the country known as the Cradle of Civilization, asks Ihsan Rahim.

Every inch of land in Iraq has a story to tell - whether you are in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, or the bustling capital of Baghdad, Iraq has a story to tell, whether you are Sunni or Shi’i. Iraq is host to prophets, Imams of Ahlul Bayt (AS), great scholars and historic battles.

With a population of only 28 million people and an abundance of oil resources, the disparity between the haves and have nots is abundantly clear for all to see. The devastation caused by 3 wars in the last 3 decades has left the country reeling, picking up the pieces after living for close on to 3 decades under the most repressive tyrant Saddam Hussein.

Starting with the city of Najaf al Ashraf, which hosts 4 prophets within a 3 kilometre radius. Wadi us Salaam is a cemetery of major significance as it is the burial place of Nabi Hud (AS) and Nabi Saleh (AS). It spans a good few kilometres of landscape.

Moving along, one reaches the major attraction in Najaf, namely the burial place of sayyidul awliyaa, asadillahil ghalib, ghalibu kulli ghalib, matloobi kulli talib, mowlana wa mowlal qownayn, wa abal Hasnayn, Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). This very same piece of land is also the resting place of Nabi Adam (AS) and Nabi Nuh (AS). Najaf boasts as the city of the start of Prophethood and Imamat. Najaf has a long proud legacy of producing the world’s leading scholars in Shi’i thought, amongst them the great visionary Shaheed Ayatullah Sayed Muhammad Baqir Sadr and his teacher, the grand marjah Ayatullah Sayed Abul Qasim al Khui. It is this established centre of theological excellence which has produced the world’s leading contemporary Maraji’, in the form of the highly revered Ayatullah Sayed Ali Hussein Al Sistani, Ayatullah Sayed Sa’id Al Hakim, Ayatullah Fayyaz, and the esteemed Ayatullah Bashir Husayn Najafi.

Travelling further inland, one reaches the agricultural city of Samarra, capital of the Islamic State during the rule of the Abbasid Dynasty. Samarra is the abbreviated name for Surra man Ra’a, which means “whoever sees it is pleased”. Present day Samarra is a diametric contrast, courtesy of the most devastating bomb blasts in February 2006 on the shrines of the 10th and 11th Imams of Ahlul Bayt (AS). Standing at these sacred shrines makes one reflect on the oppression the Imams faced in their lifetime, and continue to face even after being martyred.

Heading further inland takes one into Baghdad, which reminds us of the noble personalities of Abdul Qadir Jilani and Imam Abu Hanifa. What is clearly apparent is the deficient culture of Ziyarat there, despite them being referred to as Ghowsul A’dham and Imam al A’dham respectively. So after visiting the shrines of Abdul Qadir Jilani and Imam Abu Hanifa, I ended the day longing for an answer to my burning question: Why are the shrines of Imam Abu Hanifa and Abdul Qadir Jilani deserted?

My answer lies a few kilometers further down the road, across the Tigris River, in the city of Kadhimain, where the 7th and 9th Imams of Ahlul Bayt (AS) are buried. Who can forget the extreme forms of suffering endured by Imam Musa Kadhim (AS), when he was imprisoned under the harshest of conditions by Harun ar Rashid, the Abbasid ruler at the time. Who can forget the fact that Imam Jawad atTaqi (AS) was the youngest Imam of Ahlul Bayt (AS) to be martyred? So therein lies the answer to my question – the biological and spiritual proximity of these 2 Imams of Ahlul Bayt (AS) to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) far exceeds that of Abdul Qadir Jilani and Imam Abu Hanifa, who have both undoubtedly made an ineffaceable contribution to Islam.

Then there is the city that carries abundant weight in Islamic history, namely the city of Kufa, the capital city of the Islamic State during the time of Imam Ali’s rule. This sacred land being regarded as the fourth holiest site in Islam, after Masjid al Haraam in Mecca, Masjid un Nabi in Medina and Masjid al Aqsa in Jerusalem. It is this city of Kufa which has its history directly entrenched in the suffering of Imam Ali (AS) and Imam Husayn (AS). It is here where Imam Ali (AS) was assassinated while in Sajda, and cursed for a period of 90 years from the reign of Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan (LA). It is also here where the special envoy of Imam Husayn (AS), namely Muslim ibn Akeel was left in the lurch, high and dry by the people of Kufa after they succumbed to the fear tactics of ibn Ziyaad (LA). Despite this, it is important to note that the overwhelming majority of Imam Husayn’s loyal devotees came from the city of Kufa.

Let me now take you to the holy city of Karbala. What can one say about Karbala? Karbala is Karbala! This is the city which saw the greatest tragedy in the history of humanity. This is the battlefield where Imam Husayn (AS) defended Islam. This is the event in history from which all oppressed draw hope and inspiration.

One cannot claim to fully understand the spirit of Ubuntu without understanding the tragedy of Karbala. It is this battle which exemplifies humanness. Is there any battle in history where a family is in the battlefield, like Imam Husayn’s family who were with him at Karbala? Is there any battle in history where a request for water is met with a spear to the throat of 6 month old Ali Asghar, son of Imam Husayn (AS)?

As one visits Karbala, one takes note of every inch of land travelled, trying to reminisce the supreme sacrifice made on this land by the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA). Standing on the banks of the River Euphrates, one recalls the water supply being cut off from the camp of Imam Husayn (AS) on 8th Muharram, which served as the major form of suffering inflicted by the army of Yazid (LA).

So when one reflects at this time of the year on the great tragedy of Karbala, one struggles to comprehend how it is humanly possible to have the day of Ashura as a day of celebration. If one looks at the other events which are reported to have occurred on the day of Ashura, basic humanness points one to remember the most tragic of them all, in the same way that one would not celebrate on a day which coincides with the tragic loss of a loved one.

The Husayni mission and annual revival through global commemorations at the onset of the Islamic New Year has withstood the challenges for the past 1400 years. Flimsy attempts to dilute its significance have failed to succeed. Such is the universal impact of the Husayni mission at Karbala.

Visiting Karbala affords one the opportunity to apologize to Imam Husayn (AS) for being unable to help him when he needed help on the day of Ashura, but allows one to reaffirm our commitment to hoist the flag of the message of Islam for which he sacrificed his everything, namely to protect the message of his grandfather, arrasuluthaqalayn, nabiyyil haramain, imaamil qiblatayn, mehboobi rabbil mashriqayni wal maghribayn, jaddil Hassani wal Husayn, abil qasim al Mustafa Muhammad!

Ihsan Rahim was part of the group headed up by Mowlana Syed Aftab Haider, which embarked on a spiritual excursion to the sacred land of Iraq, under the auspices of the Ahlul Bayt (AS) Foundation of South Africa in October 2011.