A King was once strolling in  the woods with his advisor, when they came across a hut in which lived a very old farmer. The King took pity on him but wished to test his integrity. He therefore decided to put a series of questions to the man.

"How are you with that which is near?" asked the King.

The man was shrewd enough to understand the deeper meaning of the question.

"It has become far," replied the old man.

"How are you with that which is far?"

"I have come near it."

"How are your close friends with you nowadays?"

"They have all left me."

"How about the two?"

"The two have become three."

The King smiled and got up to leave.

"Do not sell it cheaply, O old man," he advised

The King’s advisor, who was listening to the question and answer session intently, was completely baffled. On their way back, the King asked his advisor what he had understood from the dialogue. The advisor requested the King to give him three days to ponder over it and the King agreed.

The next day, the advisor was still puzzled and so he decided to go back to the old man and ask him the meaning of the interrogation. Initially, the farmer refused to say anything. But then the advisor decided to tempt the man with money. The man bartered with him until the price of 30,000 dirham was agreed. The farmer started to reveal the meanings.

"The last thing that the King advised me to do was not to sell it cheaply.

He was referring to this very secret and I have sold it to you at a fairly good price.

"As regards the first question, the thing which was near to me was my matrimonial relationship with my wife. Naturally, in this old age it has gone far.

"The King then asked me about that which is far and I replied that I have to go near it. He was enquiring about my eyesight. In my youth, I could see  things, which were at a distance. Now I have to go near the things that are far so that I am able to see them properly.

"The third question was about my ‘close friends’. These were my teeth. I replied that they have all left me."

"Finally, the question of two becoming three relates to my legs. When I was young, I used my two legs to walk. But now I have to use a stick as my third leg."

The advisor was astounded at the wisdom of both the King and  the farmer and realised that the King had wanted to make the farmer rich through such a noble exercise. (Lessons of Life)

Islam teaches us to respect the elderly and the aged people. We should never undermine or belittle them for they have wisdom due vast experiences of life. Imam Musa Ibn Ja’ffar al-Kadhim(A) has said,

"Blessings of Allah are with the elderly people and an old man amidst you is like a prophet." (Ahsan al-Muqaal)

He(A) has also said,

"Respect the elderly people because in their respect is the honour of Allah". (Ahsan al-Muqaal)

Source: 40 Sparks of Wisdom

Almighty Allah(S) made Prophet Solomon(A) King of a vast kingdom, which included His entire creation. The Jinn and men obeyed his will and even the birds adhered to his commands, to the extent of using their wings to provide shelter for him. He was also given many other powers such as being able to talk to animals and control the wind so that it could carry him wherever he wished to go. Solomon(A) was blessed with an extraordinary power of perception and intelligence.

It is narrated that one day, a man entered the court of Prophet Solomon(A), looked around at all the people and went out again. When the court adjourned, one of the people present approached Prophet Solomon(A) and asked him whether he knew this strange man.

"The person you saw was the angel of death, Israel," replied Prophet Solomon(A). The man was taken aback and looked worried.

"Why was he staring at me as though he wanted to take my soul?" he asked.

"What do you want me to do?" enquired the Prophet.

"O Solomon!" exclaimed the man. "You have power over the wind. Command it to transport me to the land of Hind (India)."

As the man was a believer, Prophet Solomon(A) agreed and granted his wish.

A few days later, Prophet Solomon(A) saw the angel of death again. He asked him why he had been staring at the man so intently on that particular day.

"O Solomon!" replied the angel. "Allah commanded me to take the soul of that man on the soil of Hind. When I saw him sitting in your court, I could not understand how I could carry out Allah’s order. Nevertheless, as it was a divine command, I left for Hind and fortunately found the man there. I took his soul as Allah(S) had commanded." (Hayaat al-Quloob)

There is nothing more certain than death. It is a reality, which nobody can escape from. Allah, the Almighty says:

"Wherever you may be, death shall overtake you, even if you were in fortified towers". (4:78)

Source: 40 Sparks of Wisdom

A preacher was once giving a sermon to a large audience in the mosque. In the course of it he said: "O People! I tell you the truth. If only you knew the power of the sentence ‘Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem’ (In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful), you would say it before every action of yours. Whoever says these words before beginning any act will see wonders. One will even be able to walk on water."

A poor villager, who was sitting close to the pulpit, listened to this sermon attentively. He was a regular visitor to the mosque although his journey from his home was a very difficult one because he had to cross a large river on the way. The man did not have a boat and often had to wait until someone appeared who could transport him across. The route around the river was extremely long. However, when the man heard this sermon, he realised that he had found the solution to his problem.

When he reached the river on his way back, he did not hesitate, but recited ‘Bismillah …’ and stepped onto the water. By the grace of Allah he was able to walk on the water and soon reached the other side. This became a regular practice for the man, until one day, as he was crossing the river, it occurred to him that he had not thanked the preacher who had given him the solution to his problem. He decided to invite him to his house for a meal as a way of showing his gratitude to him.

The preacher accepted the invitation and both of them began walking back to the man’s house. On reaching the river, the man recited ‘Bismillah …’ and stepped out onto the water, as was his normal routine. He expected the preacher to do the same. But when he looked behind, he found that the preacher was still standing on the bank looking at him in bewilderment. The man told him to recite ‘Bismillah …’ just as he had preached.

"My dear man, I lack the faith that you have," replied the preacher. (Ma’arif min al-Qur’an)

We must inculcate the habit of reciting ‘Bismillah.’ before everything that we say or do in this life. Imam Ja’ffar ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq(A) has said, "Do not forsake Bismillah even if you write one line of poem". (Payaam-e-Qur’an)

Source: 40 Sparks of Wisdom

In His Name, the Most High

The Muharram 1429 (2008) Editorial is now live, you can find it here.  This editorial will be updated regularly, so keep checking.

Karbala.se will also be launching very shortly - insha Allah for the 3rd of Muharram 1429 (around January 12, 2008 - insha Allah).

Karbala.com will be launching shortly after, with insha Allah both sites being ready for Ashura 1429.

Please don’t forget us in your adiyaat for this special month.  To learn about Muharram, you can listen to the Story of Ashura, and some English language lamentational poetry using the two links below:

The Story of Ashura in English

Shaheed of Karbala - English Lamentational Poetry For Ashura

On the Event of Muharram 1429, we all give our condolences to the grandson of Aba Abdillah al-Husayn(A), our beloved Master(AJ), al-Hujjat ibn al-Hasan al-Askari(AJ), to all the righteous Ulema, and to the lovers of Husayn(A).

Peace be upon you O Aba Abdillah al-Husayn(A)!

Peace be upon those heads raised on spears!

Peace be upon the bravest of all infants, upon the murdered son of al-Husayn!

Peace be upon those who follow the path of al-Husayn(A)!

Peace be upon those whose heart breaks when remembering al-Husayn(A)!

Ya Husayn! Ya Husayn! Ya Husayn! Ya Husayn! Ya Husayn! Ya Husayn!

Ya Mahdi! Ya Zahra! Ya Haider!

Ya Allah, We beg you to hasten the return of the one who will avenge the innocent blood spilled on the barren plain of Karbala.

With Salaams and Dua’s

Shabbir and Fatema