Condolences to the all the Muslims of the Universe and all freedom and justice loving people on the occasion of the anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Commander of the Faithful, the Brother of the Prophet Muhammad(S), Imam Ali ibn ibn Abi Talib(A).

Also, on the advent of the Nights of Qadr (Power, Destiny, Fate), which range from the 19th of Ramadhan to the 27th of Ramadhan, it is important to focus on our belief, on our sins and on reforming ourselves, first internally and on a personal and individual level, then on a familial level and then on a social level.

Throughout the world, we can see much oppression and injustice, we can see natural resources plundered, we can see global chaos, and in these days the words of Dua al-Iftitah:

O Allah, we ardently desire that in [his] kind, just, and fair era,
     Thou should reactivate Islam and stimulate its followers,
     and humble and humiliate the imposters and their double-dealing,
     and include us among those who invite people unto Thy      obedience,
     and lead them to Thy approved path,
     and give us the good of this world and the world to come.

 

and also

O Allah, we feel uneasy about and are disturbed by
     the departure of our Prophet,
     Thy blessings be on him and on his family,
     the absence of our guardian-friend,
     too many enemies,
     our numerical scarcity,
     widespread disorder,
     and the vicissitudes of time.

So send blessings on Muhammad and on his family,
     and help us to overcome this state of affairs at once.

Disperse the ominous clouds hanging over our heads;
     lend a helping hand to achieve success;
     bring in the rule of justice and fair play;
     make us bright, free from grief;
     and take care of us.
Through Thy mercy, O most Merciful.

 

It is important for all to reflect on this supplication, which as mentioned in previous editorials is recited daily during the blessed nights of the Month of Ramadhan.

We should also reflect and read the Quran and reflect upon the contents therein; while there is a spiritual value in reciting Quran; there is far more benefit from every perspective – be it personal, spiritual, educational, mental, sociological, political, economical, etc – in reading the Quran and reflecting upon it’s words and learning from it.

You can listen to the entire Quran here on Islamic Digest by going to our Quran Library.

Allah, the Mighty the Sublime has told us that the Nights of Qadr are more valuable than 1000 (one thousand) months in terms of their spiritual weight; we should all strive to gain the most benefit from these nights and achieve the pleasure of Allah, which will by its very nature give us calm and peace in our hearts; after all; in the Quran, Allah says:

Verily it is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts find peace

(Quran, Surah Yusuf (Joseph), Ayah (Verse) 28)

It is important to mention that we can learn much from the lives of the great Prophet(A)’s of Allah, from Adam(A) to Muhammad(S) and all those in between, from Moses(A) to Jesus(A) to Abraham(A) and so on; in light of this; you can watch two important movies about two important personalities; Saint Mary(A) and Prophet Jesus(A) on Google Videos; and you can buy high quality versions of the same from Doxmart, and get them with Doxmart’s immediate download facility.  The links are as follows:

1. Saint Mary(A) (Maryam al-Muqaddasah / Maryam-e-Moqaddas)
   (Persian (Farsi) with English Subtitles)
   Watch Online (Low Quality): Google Video
   Buy for yourself (High Quality): Doxmart 
2. The Messiah (The story of Jesus(A) son of Mary(A) from an Islamic Perspective)
   (Persian (Farsi) with English Subtitles)
   Watch Online (Low Quality): Google Video
   Buy for yourself (High Quality): Doxmart

Finally; as Muslims, we must strive towards perfection, as this is part of our aim in being lovers of Allah; we must move constantly towards achieving perfection since Allah is Perfect and loves perfection; we must also rid ourselves of vices and ills within ourselves; and Ramadhan is the perfect time to accomplish this.

On behalf of the entire Islamic Digest team, we ask Allah to help those who seek Truth and Justice, and we pray that Allah hasten the return of our Master and Saviour, the son of al-Hasan al-Askari(A), our beloved Imam al-Mahdi(AJ), for truly the world needs him more than ever in these troubling times.

Finally, in remembrance of Imam Ali(A); we present this Lamentation in Farsi (Persian) with English subtitles translated and put together by our respected and beloved brothers and sisters at Zahra Productions.

The video is called Firaq As Ali(A) (Separation from Imam Ali(A)):

With Salaams and Dua’s

Shabbir

—
Shabbir R Hassanally, Co-Editor
islamicdigest.net