During the Imamate of Imam Hassan\nal-Askari (PBUH), the Abbasids used fear to suppress the people of Qum, and\nbrought oppression and horror in ruling this area. They placed \u201cMousa Ibn\nYahya\u201d as the governor of the province of Qum who was a cruel man and distant\nfrom any emotions. He gave people a hard time and was very unfair to them. The\npeople of Qum who had never seen such cruel rule, sent their most respected men\nto Imam Hassan al-Askari (PBUH). Imam taught the representatives a supplication\nto be recited in the Qunoot of each prayer, so that Allah (SWT) removes this\nmajor difficulty from their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This supplication, similar to the\nothers has been narrated by the Prophet\u2019s Progeny (PBUT), and offers a great\nencyclopedia, and in fact it is a political charter, a strategic and\nself-protective principle for moving forward. One can find educational methodologies,\ncultural views and political awareness in this prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this supplication, Imam Hassan\nal-Askari (PBUH) describes the situation in which a tyrant governor rules, and\nthe difficult condition in which the Shia lived in (and are still living since\nthe era of the Imams (PBUT)). Imam (PBUH) is teaching his followers how to deal\nwith a situation when no action can be taken, and benefit from supplications as\na defensive mechanism. Therefore, the nature of this supplication is such that\nthe span of time does not affect its meaning or usefulness; one can benefit\nfrom it at the time of trouble in the society and request the Lord for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam Askari (PBUH) praises Allah (SWT)\nin the first part of the supplication and then speaks of the difficulties and hardship\nwhich the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) endure; he describes the\ncircumstances very eloquently, in a manner particular to the Prophet\u2019s Progeny\nas such:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cO Allah!\nCalamities have surrounded us, the curtain of bewilderment has befallen upon us,\nand suffering has crushed us. Those who\nwere not protectors of your religion have become our leaders, those who have\nbecome the sources of hatred and animosity (institutions of corruption), the\nsame people who have cancelled your rituals, and have committed to destroy Your\nservants and Your cities have held on to our destinies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
O Allah! Our wealth (whom You have\nbestowed upon us), after we distributed it amongst us, went hand in hand and\nwas usurped, and as divine rule and statehood was forced away from us through\nlobbying, despite being chosen (by Allah to be the Imam of the people) were\ndeemed valueless. Thus, the result came to be usurping the money of the orphans\nand the widows (from the public treasury) to purchase entertainment. The\n(unbelievers) forcefully ruled over the believers, and the corrupt (man) of\neach tribe took over their affairs; therefore no defender has saved them from\ndestruction, and no patrol seeks to protect them, and no caring person exists\nto quench a thirst. Thus, the pure seekers are on the verge of being wasted,\nand are held captive, and have allied with sorrow and belittlement\u2026..\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here Imam Askari (PBUH) speaks of the\nera\u2019s political situation: the unorganized situation, the messed up social\nnorms, the lost values and weakened beliefs, and the horrific losses which have\nbefallen Islamic communities. It is\nclear that the words of the Imam is not limited to the rule of the Abbasid\nDynasty, but rather, a call to identify the heresies and deviations of all\ncorrupt rules. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another section of the\nsupplication, the Imam says, \u201cO Allah! Do not leave a shelter for corruption,\nexcept that you destruct it, and do not leave a shield for it except that you\ncollapse it, and do not leave a unified word (for it), unless you disseminate\nit; and do not leave (it) an army, unless you make it worthless; and do not\ngive it any height, unless you make it one with dirt; and do not leave for it a\nwaving flag, unless you collapse it; and do not leave it any greenery unless\nyou destruct it. Disperse its friends\nfrom unanimity, and after unified words, disunite it; and after governing the\ncommunity, dishonor it\u2026.\u201d(1), (2) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This section of the supplication,\nspeaks of the Imam\u2019s pain and great sorrow, whom has turned to the One Lord\nasking for the removal of the corrupt from the Earth. In effect, by this\nsupplication, the Imam is breathing a breath of life into the human soul, and\nthis reminds us of an important pillar, that no matter how much unrighteousness\nspreads, yet the Divine Hand is so powerful that it can remove its massive\nvolume. So why the hopelessness?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But at the end, the Imam (PBUH) prays\nfor the Awaited (May Allah Hasten His Appearance); the same man who will spread\njustice among the Ummah, destroy tyranny, and establish God\u2019s rule, which will\nrevive hopes, servants and nations. Imam\n(PBUH) requests the assistance, success, and persistence for the goals of Imam\nMahdi (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paying more attention to the details\nof this prayer will prove how the Shia point of view does not accept ignorance\ntowards oppression and divergence from the origin of religion. Even when the social condition does not allow\nany action, recognizing and rejecting by heart the type of divergence and those\nwho promote such is important. Likewise the supplication is a ground for\nexpressing hatred for oppression and corruption. Similar supplications have also been narrated\nfrom Imam Askari (PBUH) that have had strong effects on people; they not only\nawakened people from individualism, which created a sense of sympathy with\nothers, but also continues to make them sensitive to the corruptions in society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(The above is a\nselection taken from, \u201dThe Life of Imam Hassan al-Askari (PBUH)\u201d, by Late Baqir\nSharif al-Qurashi (with some changes and additions))<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Roshd Website offers condolences\nto all Muslims, especially you dear friend, upon 8th of Rabee al-Awwal, the\nanniversary of the Martyrdom of the flag of guidance, the light of piety, the\nore of wisdom and knowledge, the 11th Imam of the Shiites, Imam Hassan ibn Ali al-Askari\n(PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Mahaj\nal-Da’awaat, p. 63<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Considering\nthe deep concepts proposed by Imam through the supplication, our effort has\nbeen to reflect an exact translation of the main concepts. To this goal the\npersian translations of Seyyed Hassan Islami and Muhammad Sadwiq Shariat have\nbeen used.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
During the Imamate of Imam Hassan al-Askari (PBUH), the Abbasids used fear to suppress the people of Qum, and brought oppression and horror in ruling this area. They placed \u201cMousa Ibn Yahya\u201d as the governor of the province of Qum who was a cruel man and distant from any emotions. He gave people a hard […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28248],"tags":[23706,17778,23709,23707,23365,18418,17955,18104,23705,23708],"class_list":["post-4709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","tag-2014-01-10","tag-allah","tag-emotions","tag-horror","tag-imam-hasan-askari","tag-occasion-letters","tag-people","tag-place","tag-prayer-a-cry-for-justice","tag-qunoot"],"yoast_head":"\n