Muharram Moonsighting Information

In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful

May Allahs blessings be upon Prophet Muammad () and his immaculate family.

Peace and blessings be upon Imm usayn (a), Imm Alas-Sajjd (a), the son of Imm usayn (a), the children of Imm usayn (a),and the companions of Imm usayn (a)

Salmunalaykum,

May Allah bless us, our families, and our communities.

According to multiple moon sighting reports tomorrow, Sunday July 7, 2024 will be the first day of Muarrum al-arm 1446 AH.

I extend my sincerest condolences to the Imm of our time, Imm al-Mahd (aj), our great marji and scholars, the Muslim Ummah, and the Bay Area and SABA Muslim community on the commemoration of Imm usayns (a) shahdah.

Once again, we are commemorating the month of Muarram, a time that serves to rejuvenate our allegiance and faith. Muarram is an opportunity to uplift our knowledge(marifa) and develop a deeper, stronger connection with passion and love(ishq). This connection can inspire us to better our actions. The ultimate outcome of participating in the majlis (gatherings) during Muarram and afar should be to become ambassadors of Karbal, upholding the principles for which Imm usayn (a) sacrificed his life.

Imm usayn (a) clearly mentioned that the main purpose of standing against the oppressive tyrant Yazd was to seek the reform of his grandfathers (the Prophets) community:

Indeed, I have risen to seek reform in the ummah of my grandfather.

His mission was not merely to fight Yazd; he aimed to reform the culture, mindset, and entire atmosphere that had become contaminated with corruption and mischief. If the ummah had not been contaminated, Yazd would not have been able to carry out his horrible actions and cause such tragedy.

Whenever the Muslim ummah is not alert and becomes contaminated with heedlessness, accepting oppression(ulm), and losing focus on their connection to Allah, their innate nature, and the teachings of the Prophets and Imms, injustices occur. This is evident in the actions of the Zionist regime in Gaza, who kill women and children mercilessly, or in Myanmar, where the Rohingya face persecution, or in parts of India where extremist Hindus oppress minorities and many other oppressed regions.

Imm usayn (a) in one of his speeches gave the example of Ban Isrl who killed 313 prophets and then went on with business as usual the next day. The same is happening in Gaza.This indifference to injustice is what pushed Imm usayn (a) to take a stand. After the tragedy of Karbal, the prisoners did not allow the oppressors to have peaceful sleep; they created questions in peoples minds and awakened hearts. This is called isl ummat jadd the reform of the Prophets community.

The takeaway is that we need to awaken ourselves from heedlessness. We must come out of selfishness and understand that we are one ummah. Anywhere there is injustice, it is a threat to humanity. Imm usayns message is universal and should not be taken out of context to promote personal agendas. It is based on the pure teachings of innate nature and the guidance of Allah, defining what is right and wrong. For example, occupation is wrong; the occupier cannot play the role of the oppressed and claim freedom, while the occupied are considered the oppressors like the example of Palestine.

Let us sincerely pray for all those who are being oppressed around the world in countries like Sudan, Kashmir, Yemen, Burma, Syria, Palestine, Bahrain, Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Ukraine, Lebanon, and everywhere else in the world.

As we enter the month of Muarram, some recommended actions to take advantage of are fasting for the first nine days, mourning for the months of Muarram and afar (especially the 10th of Muarram to be solemn and away from happiness), going to the majlis, and partaking in the az of Sayyid ash-Shuhad. May Allah accept our mourning during these months.

Let us remain on the highest level of etiquette during the mourning ceremonies of Muarram and afar, which often draw large crowds to our centers. The love of Imm usayn (a) should unite us. Let us treat all attendees as guests of Imm usayn and do our best to please the Ahlul Bayt (a) by upholding a welcoming atmosphere that attracts people to their beautiful message.

We pray that Allah gives us the tawfq to actualize our duties and responsibilities. OAllah, for the sake of Imm usayn (a), hasten the appearance of our beloved Imm al-Mahd (aj) and give us the tawfq to be of his loyal companions.

With Dus

Nabi R.Mir (Abidi)

Residentlim of SABA Islamic Center