Hazrat Abbas Sermon at Kaaba - 8th Muharram 1435/2013
Bismi-Llah, Al-Rahmani, Al-Rahim. Al-hamdulil-Lahi Rabbi 'l-Alameen. Wa as-salat wa as-salam 'ala Sayyidina, wa 'Adhimina, wa habibi qulubina, wa shafi'i dhunubina, Abil Qasim Muhammad [Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ali Muhammad]. Wa 'ala Ahli baytihi, at-tayyibin, at-tahirin. Wa ashabi al-ghurr al-mayamin. Al-hamdulil-Lahi alladhi Ja'alana min al-muttamassakina bi wilayat Sayyidi Mawlaya Ali Ibn Abi Talib [Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ali Muhammad]. "Al-hamdu lil-Lahi alladhee hadana li hadha, wa ma kunna linahtadiya lawla ann hadana Allah" (7:43).
Amma Ba'ad, all praises due to Allah, who honoured his house with the birth of this man's father and made it a qiblah for all the Muslims when it was a house before. All evil creatures and infidels. How could you close the way for this holy pious Imam? How could you close the way for he was more worthy and nearer to the House than you are? Were it not for the Divine will, the Divine mystery, and the Divine test, the house would have leaned towards him, and the Hajar al-Aswad, which you seek to kiss and touch, would have sort to kiss and touch his hands.
Were it not that the will of my master was in conformity with the will of Allah. I would have attacked you like an angry eagle attacks the sparrows in the air. And sacrificed my life for my master. Do you think you can scare us with death when as children we used to play with death? Don't you reflect and don't you contemplate, how could you respect the man who has intoxicants and drinks from intoxicants? And leave the man who drinks from the pool of Kawthar. How could you go towards the man who has dancers around him and leaves the man who has the revelation of the Qur'an around him.
How could you go towards the man who has impurity surrounding him and leave the man who the verse of purity was revealed about? Don't you see that the Quraish, what they did to his grandfather? They are now trying to do to his grandson? That's in the same way the Quraish had to get through Amir al-Mu'minin to get to Rasul Allah. Likewise, you are going to have to get through me to get to my Master. Only by killing me, can you reach Al-Husayn. May Allah's wrath overtake you, and overtake your sons, and overtake all your descendants.
The First of our Salwat in the honour of Rasul Allah Muhammad salla Allahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam [Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa Aali Muhammad]. The Second in honour of Amir al-Mu'minin Ali Ibn Abi Talib [Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa Aali Muhammad]. The Third, with your loudest voices in honour of the Imam of our time, Imam Sahib al-Asr Wa az-Zaman [Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa Aali Muhammad]. Respected brothers and sisters, as-salamu alaikum, wa Rahmatu Allahi, wa barakatuh.
The sermon in question was the sermon of Abbas bin Ali ibn Abi Talib salawat Allahi wa as-salamu alayh [Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa Aali Muhammad]. And it is regarded as one of the most powerful sermons in Islamic history. Unfortunately, the sermon has not been dissected with the depth that it deserves. The Sermon itself was given by Abbas Bin Ali on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah, the period of Hajj. As we know, each of the sermons of Ahl ul-Bayt is a sermon that seeks to guide the human being in each and every area of their life. Until today, we have an unbelievable number of sermons from the Imams of Ahl ul-Bayt, and indeed a great number of sermons from the Holy Prophet himself, as in, if you ever look for eloquence and you looked for knowledge combined in any personality, then when you look at the Holy Prophet's and his family, you find each of their sermons, without a doubt, has a combination of the both.
If you would like sermons, for example, on economics or on politics or on sociology or on anthropology. Each of the secular science, you will find that the Imams of Ahl ul-Bayt have a sermon on each area. And indeed, therefore you find that the need for us to examine the sermons that have been left behind for us from the Prophets and from the Ahl ul-Bayt alayhum as-salam, as indeed the farewell sermon of the Holy Prophet, for example, the sermon of Ghadir is hardly ever examined in depth.
All we ever examine of the Sermon of Ghadir is just a couple of lines from the sermon. Otherwise, the sermon of Ghadir was a much longer sermon than what we have given credit for. Likewise, you find that Imams of Ahl ul-Bayt have left behind for us some unbelievable sermons. As in when Sharif Radi compiled Nahj ul-Balagha. The reason Sharif Ar-Radi compiled Nahj ul-Balagha was he wanted to collect Ali Ibn Abi Talib's sermons. Ali Ibn Abi Talib's greatest sermons were compiled within the Nahj. Yet, if you ask many of the followers of Ahl ul-Bayt, how much of the Nahj have you actually read, you will find that the followers of Ahl ul-Bayt have neglected the Nahj. That's why it's a source of pride for me when I come here and recite. But the Saturday morning Nahj ul-Balagha class without a doubt allows us to open our doors on to the eloquence of Ahl ul-Bayt and their sermons. You find Imam Amir al-Mu'minin left behind many a sermon which Sharif Ar-Radi compiled.
Sayyida Fatimatu az-Zahra salawat Allahi wa as-salamu alayha [Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa Aali Muhammad] had her famous sermon, true famous sermons which require thorough examination. You find, Sayyida Zainab alayha as-salam, a sermon in Karbala, a sermon in Kufa, a sermon in Sham. You need all each and every one of these to be examined and memorized. Not just examined, unfortunately, we have memorized the lyrics of people of no use in our lives. When the reality is we should memorize the lyrics of personalities like this. The wisdom from the sermon of Fatimat uz-Zahra when Fadak was taken from her. Or the wisdom of the sermon of Sayyida Zaynab in Sham is not just simple Arabic poetry. The tenants of the religion of Islam, the principles of the religion of Islam, the ethos of the religion of Islam is all within that sermon.
And, you know, sometimes these sermons of Ahl ul-Bayt were given to make it clear to the people exactly what the theological message of the religion of Islam. Therefore, when you come towards this sermon, this will be one of the only times that this sermon of Abu 'l-Fadhl al-Abbas is examined. If you want to ask many people, what you know about Hazrat Abbas, many will turn around you and say, well, to tell you the honest truth, all I know is that on the 10th of Muharram, he gave his life away valiantly. You say so Abu 'l-Fadhl who lived for 33 years, you only know about one day of his life. You don't know anything else about his life. You will find many will turn around and say, to tell you the truth, I don't know much. That one day was a great day and I really haven't been bothered to research much else about his life.
Never will you find a community that has underestimated the value of Abbas, son of Ali, like our communities. Instead of honouring his words and researching his message, we have neglected him to a man remembered only in for his sacrifice on that day. That sacrifice, without a doubt, is a sacrifice unequalled. Yet, he had certain sermons before Karbala and during Karbala. He had certain poetry before Karbala and during Karbala, which was very much underestimated. And one of the sermons which was underestimated is this sermon I quoted at the beginning of my lecture tonight. This sermon was found as a manuscript in Qutub Khana in Lucknow. As you know, Lucknow has an unbelievable history of the legacy of Ahl ul-Bayt. Ahl ul-Bayt, when their followers were in oppression, what happened was a lot of the literature of the school of Ahl ul-Bayt was either burnt or it was lost. Certain scholars who travel far and wide to preserve some of this literature. Of the scholars who travelled far and wide, they were someone went towards Iran, others went towards Iraq. Others went towards Cairo, Egypt. Others went towards other parts of the world. There was a few scholars who went towards India and the hub of some of the greatest pieces of literature of the school of Ahl ul-Bayt was in Lucknow. In the Nasir-e-Millat library in Lucknow, which is one of the most famous libraries in Lucknow, there is a work a manuscripts of this sermon of Abu 'l-Fadhl Abbas, with him standing at the Ka'aba before Imam Al-Husayn left for Karbala.
This sermon, the analysis of it has been examined by the renowned Iranian historian Ali Akbar Mehdi Puor. Ali Akbar Mehdi Puor managed to find the manuscript from that library. A manuscript, where he had found that the origin of the sermon had been discussed by Ayn al-Arasin al-Hindi. Ayn al-Arasin al-Hindi had a book called "Sa'adat ul-Kiram". In that book, he had managed to compile a manuscript. Sometimes we neglect these manuscripts, and it doesn't help that the British library has taken half of them. But what happens is that sometimes we have neglected some of these manuscripts. There is a need for us to invest more money in looking at the manuscripts of the Ahl ul-Bayt. Those original manuscripts where you have to use that magnifying glass and the different technology in the world today to read the words carefully. In Lucknow, there is the sermon of Abu 'l-Fadhl Abbas, which was preserved in one of the old books. And the sermon was a sermon that he gave by the Ka'aba in front of everybody in Mecca, just as Imam Al-Husayn was about to leave towards Karbala.
This sermon is one of the most beautiful sermons I have ever read from the Ahl ul-Bayt. And if ever you want to know the devotion of Abu 'l-Fadhl towards master, Imam Al-Husayn. Then this sermon gives you the sign of devotion, the sign of valour, the sign of bravery, all in one human being. In one human being you will never find loyalty like Abu 'l-Fadhl. And in this sermon, standing on the Ka'aba in front of all the Muslims, he delivered this powerful sermon. I am going to examine the sermon tonight. But before we go into the sermon itself, let's just have a context of what conditions faced Imam Al-Husayn, alayhi as-salam, before he went towards Karbala.
In order to understand, why Abu 'l-Fadhl gave that sermon by the Ka'aba in front of all of the Hujjaj that year. Let me explain. Fifty years after Rasul Allah died, Islam was in an absolutely awful state. Mu'awiya bin Abu Sufyan had changed the Caliphate into a Kingdom. In the past, it was a Khilafat then it became a Mulk. Mu'awiya, having changed this into a kingdom, had now brought in many in non-Islamic practices into the state. As you know, he had controlled Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan. Today, if you ask someone what is Sham. They say Sham is Syria. When Mu'awiya was a Khalifa, Sham was not Syria. When Mu'awiya was Khalifa, Sham was Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan. That's why when he was ready to fight Ali ibn Abi Talib, he didn't just fight with Sham under him. He fought with four countries against Ali ibn Abi Talib. You find that Mu'awiya had established themselves powerfully. And when you had established themselves powerfully, he had four governors in the parts of the Muslim world.
In Madina he had Waleed bin Uthba, in Mecca he had Amr bin Sa'id, in Kufa he had Nouman bin Basheer and in Basra he had Ubaidullah bin Ziyad. Mu'awiya, before he died was thinking to himself, how can I get Yazid in smoothly? How can I have a smooth transition. So what did Mu'awiya do? He spoke to a couple of his governors. He spoke to Mughaira bin Sha'aba, he spoke to Ziyad bin Abee. He asked them, Yazid, my son, I want to get him in. How do I get him in smoothly? They said to him, you can't bring Yazid now. Said Why? He said, everybody is in awe of Yazid. Everybody respects Yazid. No, not at all. You know what they said. They said everybody disrespects Yazid. Said Yazid bin Mu'awiya is a drunkard. You know, your son don't let him now be announced as khalifa. No one will respect him at all, no one will take him as a Khalifa.
So, Mu'awiya thought then what do you think I should do? So one of them said to him, if you want to get Yazid in, use one of the Hadith which Muhammad has narrated and apply it to Yazid. He said, what do you mean? He said that as Hadith which says those who fight in the battle of Constantinople, Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala forgives all their sins. You pay a couple of scholars, send Yazid to Constantinople, let him fight over there. We will make up that the Hadith was about Yazid and that everything he's done before is forgiven. Mu'awiya called Yazid. Yazid was the type of person who had no interest in any of these things. He told him Yazid come here, he said what is it? He said, I want you to go towards Constantinople. He said, Why? He said, because there is the narration, which I need to use. You go there. Can I take my girlfriend with me? He used to go out with this girl, called Umm Kulthum. Said yes, you could go out with her, you could take her.
Yazid went near the Constantinople war. Now, that Hadith of Rasul Allah that "those who are forgiven for fighting in Constantinople." That war had already taken place before. But if you want to play with the world of Hadith, you could delete that previous war and make this war be the one narrated by him. So, Yazid reached the outskirts of Constantinople war. He knew there is a plague in the war. So he decided, I am not going to fight. I will stay in a house over there with my Umm Kulthum.
And that's why he used to say that, I am happy here in the FarqaDooni alone with Umm Kulthumy. Yes, he used to enjoy being alone with her. Eventually when the battle was over Yazid came back, the narrators wrote, "Yazid bin Mu'awiya all his past sins are forgiven, because the war of Constantinople, Rasul Allah said whoever fights there, all his past sins have been forgiven, now Yazid is completely forgiven. Mu'awiya, therefore in his final days told Yazid. He said, "Yazid, beware of four men. These four men will always give you trouble." He said, "Dad, who are they?". He said, " 1. Abd ur-Rahman bin Abu Bakr, 2.Abdullah bin Umar, 3. Abdullah ibn Zubayr, 4. Husayn, son of Ali". Yes, he said these four. These four give you trouble. Make sure as soon as you become khalifa, you are able to silence these four.
Do you know what is ironic about those four names? All of them are sons of famous Sahaba. Correct or no? Abdul Rahman son of Abu Bakar, Abdullah son of Umar, Abdullah son of Zubayr, Husayn son of Ali. When Zakir Naik comes on television says Yazid, may Allah be pleased with him. It's your companions, kids who hated him, not just us. Yes? Its your companions Abu Bakr, Umar, Zubayr and Ali. Their sons were the ones who Mu'awiya said are the danger. So what Yazid is good? And your companion sons are good?
You sound that when Yazid therefore came into power, the day his dad died, he wrote a letter to his governor in Medina, Walid bin Uthbah. He wrote a letter, he said, "I want allegiance from Abdullah bin Zubayr, Husain bin Ali, Abdullah bin Umar." Waleed bin Uthbah was Yazid's governed Medina. Waleed straight away, who did he ask for advice? Marwan ibn Al-Hakm. The poison of this religion, there's about two, three names. Yes? And one of them is Marwan ibn Al-Hakm. Every time you see trouble in Islam, yes, this evil man is in the middle. And you have a group of Muslims in the world today. What do they say, Marwan ibn Al-Hakam, Radhi Allah Anh. Yes, it's good. We write "May Allah be pleased". Yes, "may", we're not even sure to it Allah it will ever happened for people like this. No, actually, we are sure that people like this are poison on earth.
Waleed bin Uthbah came to Marwan bin Al-Hakm, he said to what should I do? My father said to me, and now he's died, that there are three I have to be aware of". Abdullah bin Zubayr, Husayn bin Ali, Abdullah bin Umar ibn Al-Khattab. Marwan looked at him, he said, "listen to me. Abdullah bin Umar is no one to be scared of. He won't do good, nor will he do bad. He's just in the middle. You know, there are certain people, yes, waste of time. Abu Hurraira and Siffin said, "Salah is good with Ali, food is good with Mu'awiya." And when they fight each other, the middle is the best for Abu Hurraira, correct? There are certain people who had neither side. He said, " Abdullah bin Umar ibn Al-Khattab". He said, "Abdullah bin Umar would do nothing." He said, there are two dangers, Husayn ibn Ali, Abdullah ibn Zubayr. So he said to him, what should we do? He said, "you have to kill both of them." He said they have to pledge allegiance to you and if they don't pledge allegiance, you will kill them.
Waleed bin Uthbah sent Abdullah bin Amar bin Uthman. When he sent Abdullah bin Amr bin Uthman, he came to Imam Al-Husayn and came to Waleed. He came and saw them. He said, "listen, the Khalifa had sent a message to the governor, the governor wants to see you." Imam Al-Husayn looked, he said, " that must mean that Mu'awiya has died, yes?" He said yes, Mu'awiya has passed away. He said then he wants to see me? He said Al-Waleed. He said, "very well, we will go and see Al-Waleed". Imam Al-Husayn and Abdullah bin Zubayr went to see Al-Waleed. Al-Waleed said, "listen, you have to pledge allegiance to Yazid, son of Mu'awiya. He is now your khalifa and you have to pledge allegiance to him." He Imam Al-Husayn said Muawaiya has died? He said yes, he's died. He says so Yazid has taken over? He said yes. He said, OK, you want my pledge of Allegiance to be public? Is that's what you intend? He said, yes. He said very well then. And if you want my pledge of allegiance be public, give me a night to think about this. Imam Husayn, that night went home.
When he went home that night, Marwan, just before Imam Husayn left, Marwan said to Waleed, "KILL HIM." So what do you mean kill him? He said, " you should have beheaded the man here in Medina." He said, "What are you talking about?" He said, you have let Husayn go, I am guaranteeing you will not catch him again, you as a governor. Waleed looked at him said, "Marwan, that's the grandson of Rasul Allah. I might politically befallen him, but I am not going to kill the man. How do I answer my rule in the Day of Judgment." He said, " doesn't matter. You should have killed him. Now he is in escape. Imam Al-Husayn that night, brought Bibi Zainab, Bibi Umm Kulthoom, Layla, Ramla, Rabab. He bought all of them, Sukaina, Ruqaiya everyone. He said to them, we're going to have to leave Madina. He bid farewell to the grave of his grandfather, Rasul Allah. He bid farewell to the grave, he left Madina on the 28th of Rajab in 66 A.H. He went from there they told him to take an alternate route. Yes. Otherwise they're going to kill you.
He said, I don't fear anyone on my way. I will be on my way. Me, my family, my children. Some people come and saying you are taking your family and your kids with you? And the reply, as we all know, is what, if his religion is to survive, then all of us must be sacrificed. He reached Mecca on the 3rd of Sha'ban. Yes, in the 66 A.H. When he reached Mecca, everyone in Mecca came and said salam to Imam Al-Husayn. Everyone came and the people heard the news that Mu'awiya died and Yazid had become Khalifa.
When the people heard the news, the news reached where? Kufa. When the news reached Kufa, Sulayman bin Surad al-Khuza'i Gathered all of the followers of the Ahl ul-Bayt in Kufa. He said to them, "listen, Yazid is now Khalifa, Imam Al-Husayn has left Medina. He's now in Mecca. He is not going to give ba'yah to Yazid. All of you ready to write a letter to Imam Al-Husayn and we tell him that we are ready to fight Yazid all of us together? So all of them said yes. He then began writing letters to Imam Al-Husayn. Imam Al-Husayn, alayhi as-salam, where was he? In Mecca. He was in Mecca in Shaban. Ramadan, yes. It is at this point that Muslim ibn Aqeel is sent towards where? It is at this point that Muslim ibn Aqeel is sent towards Kufa because the letters are arrived. Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhul Qa'da. Suddenly Imam Al-Husayn recognizes that the people of Mecca, yes, while they all love him and visiting him, none of them are really willing to support him his claim against Yazid and rising against the oppression of Yazid. None of them are willing. Yes, there are many who love Ahl ul-Bayt. Yes, we have many in the world who loves but practice is different from love. There are many Urdu Majalis to Ahl ul-Bayt, but when you tell them to practice those Majalis, they go anywhere. Imam Al-Husayn, while in Mecca recognized that's a lot of these Meccans are neglecting, they are not willing to rise against Yazid. And Yazid's governor in Mecca, Amr bin Sa'id had been given an order, behead Husayn bin Ali by the Ka'aba.
In Islamic law, can you kill an ant in Hajj or no? If you are in Hajj and an ant comes on you, can you kill? Can you kill a mosquito in Hajj ? If any animal comes on your shoulder, can you kill them or no? You find that he said behead Husayn bin Ali even if it's by the Ka'aba. Some companions came to Imam Al-Husayn. They said to Imam Husayn, "Don't go towards Kufa, don't go towards Karbala". The people of India will look after you. He said, no, I am going to my journey. The people of Yemen were good with your grandfather. He said, no, I am going on my journey. And Imam Al-Husayn, alayhi as-salam on that period of Hajj, the people who are doing their Umrah, then on that period just before Hajj was beginning and everyone was going to Arafah, had decided that I have to leave Mecca because they want to come and behead me. Just before he left, just before he left.
Abbas son of Ali could not take the way they had neglected Imam Al-Husayn. No one, you love your brother, you can't take someone insulting your brother. Correct? You can't take someone hurt your brother. But further than that you can't take someone insulting your brother if your brother is a chosen authority of Allah on the earth. Correct? Abu 'l-Fadhl did something no man accept Abu Dharr Al-Ghaffari before him had done. He stood on the Ka'aba and gave one of the most powerful sermons in front of every Hajji that's here in Mecca. You guys are doing Hajj, correct? You're doing Hajj and you're also part all of this. So let me tell you what I think of all of you. Imagine, set the scene, people are doing the Tawaf of the Ka'aba, Abu 'l-Fadhl stands on the Ka'aba and the words, he recites, are phenomenal. Let's look at the lines one by one.
Do you know how he begins to sermon? "All praises due to Allah, who honoured this house with the birth of his father. [Subhana Allah] Only one man was born in that house. Only one man was given a distinction that he was born in the Ka'aba, correct or no? However much history tries to delete this merit of Ali ibn Abi Talib, he remains the only man in Islamic history to be born in the Ka'aba. Do you know how history tried to delete this merit from the Ali ibn Abi Talib or no? The first way they tried to delete this merit from Ali ibn Abi Talib was what? The first way they tried to delete the merit was by not including this in the famous books. Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Abu Dawood and Ibn Majan, none of them mentioned Ali ibn Abi Talib born in the Ka'aba. None of them, because Bani Abbas did not want Ali ibn Abi Talib to have such a distinction. They didn't want the line of Ali, Ja'far As-Sadiq, Musa Al-Kadhim, Ali ibn Musa, Muhammad bin Ali, Ali ibn Muhammad to have such a distinction. So they deleted any memory that Ali ibn Abi Talib was born in the Ka'aba, but they replaced him being born at Ka'aba with someone else. They said Khadijah had a nephew who was born in the Ka'aba and that's the only man to be born in the Ka'aba. Tell me, what Khadijah's nephew was born in the Ka'aba, but where are you bringing this nonsense from.
But to remove the merits of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib being born in the Ka'aba, the first thing they did, not mention him. Even though if you're looking at Al-Mustadrak Al-Sahihayn of Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri, or if you look, for example within Muruj al-Dhahab [wa maʿadin al-jawahir] al-Mas'udi, they narrated clearly when Fatima bint Al-Asad was pregnant, she was leaning by the side of the Ka'aba. While she was leaning by the side of the Ka'aba, the Ka'aba opened up for her. She went inside. Then when she emerged back out, she had given birth to Ali ibn Abi Talib and remained the only lady to have ever given birth in the house of Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala.
And that's why the poet says when Mariam wanted to give birth, Allah chose her, remove yourself from the Holy Land. Whereas when Fatima wanted to give birth, Allah told her enter the Holy Land and give birth. You find therefore until today the crack where Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib was born in the Ka'aba. Do you know what the Saudis do every year? I went to Umrah on 2000, I saw the crack was open. We went a few years later, they tried to close it. A year later opened, a year later they tried their hardest to close it. You're trying to close the sign of Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala on this earth . What are you trying? Every year they seek to realize that crack. And I wish Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala grants all of you that who haven't been to the Hajj get chance to go to Hajj, so that you could go near the are where Imam Ali was born. That corner where Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib is born, that corner. This year in Hajj they cemented it.
Last year on to Hajj, it was fully opened. However much you try, you will never remove the merits of Ali ibn Abi Talib from the earth. Therefore what you find. Imam Ali Talib is the only man in history to be born in the Ka'aba. Abu 'l-Fadhl points to this at the beginning of his lecture, beginning with Khutba, why honour the Ka'aba? Do you know what he says, "All praise due to Allah, who honoured this house with the birth of his father". Notice the words of Abu 'l-Fadhl.
The Ka'aba didn't honour Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ali ibn Abi Talib honoured the Ka'aba. What a line! What a line! The Ka'aba didn't honour Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ali ibn Abi Talib gave honour to the Ka'aba. If the Ka'aba was only clay, than the clay became had the soil which was Ali ibn Abi Talib. Abu 'l-Fadhl points to this, he says, "All praise is due to Allah who honoured this house with the birth of his father." You know what the third point is on this, just in case all of you forgot. Yes! This man, his father is the man who Allah had allowed to be born here.
And you want to neglect him when he is alone. You want him forced him out of this area. Don't you remember it was only a few years ago, that his father Allah who opened the door for him. Is that not a sign for all of you? What does he say "All praise is due to Allah who honoured this house with the birth of his. Father and made it a Qibla when it was nothing before." The Ka'aba was nothing before, it was what? The house of Allah, but there were all those idols in there. The birth of Ali ibn Abi Talib was the sign of Islam in the horizons was the sign of the light of Islam emerging. Those were the first lines Abu 'l-Fadhl Abbas said by the Ka'aba, "All praise is due to Allah who honoured this house with the birth of this man's father and made it a Qiblah for the Muslims when it was nothing before." Then he says to them, "All evil creatures and infidels" You know Abu 'l-Fadhl, he's not scared of anyone. Yes? I don't care if there's a million people at Hajj, I am Abbas, son of Ali. Yes. All evil creatures and infidels. Yes. You close the way for this pious and Holy Imam.
You people, Mecca is the attacking Kufa or Mecca? Please, remember these lines, because every year we have Kufa is attacked. Why doesn't anyone attack Mecca? What did Mecca do for Imam Al-Husayn? What did Medina do for Imam Al-Husayn? So why these speakers are attacking Kufa every year? A speaker who is not a historian, if it's not your job, don't do the lecture. "All evil creatures and infidels." Yes, you close the place of this pious and Holy Imam. You know what he means, pious? What is he trying to tell them? That this man from a young age had piety running through his veins. That when him and his brother Hasan would see an old man doing wudhu. Have you ever seen two young men see an old man doing wudhu and they come instead of rebuking him. Tell him, old man, old Sheikh, can you look at our wudhu? Can you say to us which one of us is doing his wudhu in the wrong way?
Have you people forgotten this man in the event of Mubahila was the son of Rasul Allah who Rasul Allah took him to the Christians. You closed the way for this pious and Holy Imam. Then he says, "how could you close the way, for he who is more worthy and nearer to the house than you are." Imam Al-Husayn's grandfather is the one who gave freedom to that house. Isn't he? Wasn't that house full of idols. Did not Ali ibn Abi Talib blessed on the shoulders of Rasul Allah and break all those idols that were opening in Mecca. You are closing the way, for he who is more worthy and nearer to the Ka'aba than you are. Which one of you is worthy of this house? Which one of you give me your names? Which one of you?
There's not one of you who could say My grandfather is Rasul Allah, my grandmother is Khadija, my mother is Fatima and my father is Ali. Yet, you close the way for him. Then he says a wonderful line. Wa Allah! This line shows you the love of this man, not just for his brother, but for Islam as a whole. He says, "were it not for the divine mystery, the divine will, and the divine test, then that house would have lean towards this man." And the Hajr al-Aswad which you seek to touch and kiss, would have sought to go and touch and kiss him. Don't we really real to touch Hajr al-Aswad, as it is the dream for all of us to touch Hajr al-Aswad? Correct or no? You know what did Abu 'l-Fadhl Abbas says? He says, if it wasn't for Allah will, Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala, there are certain things you can't just let be shown if it wasn't for Allah's will. You see Hajr al-Aswad? All of you are dying to kiss it.
I swear, if it wasn't for Allah's will, that Hajr would want to kiss Imam Al-Husayn, alayhi as-salam. Because every stone on this earth was created for the love of Husayn and the family of Husayn, alayhum as-salam. If this is what he says, were it not for the Divine will, the Divine mystery and the Divine test, that house would lean towards him and the Hajr al-Aswad which all of you have come to Hajj to kiss and touch. That Hajr al-Aswad which all of you have come to kiss and touch.
It would go towards kissing and touching him. Then listen to this line. This is the line of Abu 'l-Fadhl. Listen to what he says. If it wasn't for the fact that my brother's will is in conformity with Allah's will. Yes, my master's will is in conformity with Allah's will. I would of attacked all of you like an angry eagle attacks a sparrow in the air. Do you know what that line is? That's the man who's saying everyone in Hajj against me. I will win. I am not scared of any of you, but I know Imam Al-Husayn's will is in conformity with Allah. If Imam Al-Husayn has not allowed me to fight, I have to submit to Imam Ali Husayn. Ultimate submission isn't you showing your muscles in front of people. Ultimate submission is when your Imam tells you something is wajib, you act it. When he tells you something is haram, you stay away from it. If it wasn't for the divine will and the divine mysteries, that house would have lean to him, Hajr al-Aswad also would have kissed him and then he says about himself, "if it wasn't that my master's will was in conformity with Allah's will, then I would have attacked all of you. Like what? Like an angry eagle attacks the sparrow in the air." Yes, angry eagle, it seems a sparrow in the air. its not like let him go that sparrow. I look at each of you as sparrows and I am the eagle waiting to look after each of you just in case none of you know who I am. Yes.
Then he looks at them and he says, Do you trying scare me and my master with death? Do you trying scare me and my master with death. Yes? When as children, we used to play with death. Who you trying to scare with death? You trying to scare Husayn bin Ali with death? You forgot at Jamal what Husayn bin Ali had done to Zubayr and Talha and Ayisha's army? You forgot at Siffin what Husayn bin Ali done to Mu'awiya's army. And just in case you don't know about me, let me remind you that when I was a kid, I used to play with death. Siffin, he was only about, what, 10, 11 years old. When he used to sit on his horse, they'd see a statue of a man they have never seen before. They would never think he's a young man. His mother, Umm ul-Baneen, her side of the family was extremely tall. So when Imam Ali wanted to marry her, he wanted a family who had great, glorious people of great stature.
And Siffin, just before he went out to fight, the opposition had this man who had said, who can come out and face us. We are the bravest of warriors. Where is Ali ibn Abi Talib and fight me? Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib turn around to the young Abbas. Yes, he saw him, say Abbas, get yourself ready, so get himself ready. He said, wear your mask. He wore his mask. He said, go out there on the battlefield. And when he calls you again, that man, when I give you permission, go out and fight. I used to play with death. Death is nothing to me, I used to play with it, it was a game. He came out, the man said, name yourself, few on the horse. He was wearing a mask. He turned on to his father, father, said no. The man said again, name yourself. He turn out to his father, father said no. He turn around again, name yourself, his father said, tell them who you are.
He removes the mask and he said, "Ana Qamar Bani Hashim, Abu 'l-Fadhl Abbas, I am the moon of Bani Hashim, Abu 'l-Fadhl Abbas". The opposition in the Mu'awiya's army said but there are already two moons in Muhammad's army. Hasan and Husayn. He said, they are the sons of Muhammad. I am the son of Ali. It's the role of the son of Ali to protect the sons of Muhammad. I am the...they are the eyes and I am the hands. It's always the role of the hands to protect the eyes, correct?
In Abu 'l-Fadhl Abbas standing at the Ka'aba he said to them, you try and scare us with death, me and my brother? When we were younger, we used to play with death. Then he tells them, do you not reflect? You were doing Hajj every year, you do not reflect? You don't see what is happening? You were supporting the man having intoxicants, when you could be supporting the man who drinks from the pool of Kawthar? Yazid bin Mu'awiya drinking from the alcohol, Husayn bin Ali is going to drink from the fountain of Kawthar, what are you doing? Do not reflect, you are supporting a man with dancers when you have a man in his house revelation of the Qur'an came. Do you not reflect? You are supporting a man of impurities and you have neglected the man who Ayat at-Tathir was revealed at him.
Reflection, there's so many who do Hajj, but have they reflected on their meaning in life, on the purpose of their life, on their relationship with the Qur'an, on their relation with the Ahl ul-Bayt? Even us, even us. We go to the desires, which has got no point whatsoever, and we neglect the family who gave everything to us. Even us, we go to the intoxicants and we have forgotten the man who will give us from the pool of Kawthar. Even us, We are the ones who are most of the people with impurity, and we have forgotten the family of purity.
Us, Abu 'l-Fadhl are not talking just to them, to us. Don't you see how history continues to say is reflecting itself, repeating itself? The Quraish tried to kill his grandfather and now they're trying to kill him, correct or no? Did not Yazid's grandfather tried to kill Husayn's grandfather? Are you people not thinking that this is Yazid bin Mu'awiya bin Abu Sufyan. Only 50 years ago, Abu Sufyan tried to kill Muhammad, can't you see what's happening? But then he says a wonderful line, he said, in the same way the Quraish had to get through Amir al-Mu'minin to get to Rasul Allah, all of you have to get through me to get to my brother. What a line! What a line! You have to get through me to get to my brother, you have to kill me and you have to behead me, and only then you could get through to my brother, because his life was a submission to his Master Husayn. Every moment in his life was, how can I look after Abu Abdullah? How can I protect Abu Abdullah?
And that should be the thing in our heads every day, tattooed on our foreheads. How can we look after Imam Al-Husayn? How can we protect the legacy of Imam Al-Husayn? Abu 'l-Fadhl said, you want to get through to my master, you have to get through me. May Allah's wrath be on each and every one of you and your grandsons and your descendants and he came down from the Ka'aba and he went with his family and their companions.
And, you know, the poet says every qafila is going towards Arafah but one qafila is heading towards Karbala. Every qafila that's here is going towards Arafa, but one qafila. Which qafila? Husain's qafila, Zainab's qafila, Akbar's qafila, Qasim's qafila, Muslim and his family's qafila all of them are heading towards Karbala, correct? And not so without a doubt. You will never in your life see a man who exemplified loyalty to his brother like Abu 'l-Fadhl. That sermon of the Ka'aba, exemplified what his brother meant to him.
And that's why of 10th Moharrum, when he saw companion after companion dying. Yes? He saw Zuhair, when he saw Muslim, when he saw Hurr, when he saw the young men dying and when then he saw Akbar, then he saw Qasim, then he saw A'wn, he saw Muhammad, then he saw Aba Abdillah, wahidan on the plains of Karbala, standing there was a strange, yes? But you know, he kept on coming to Imam Al-Husayn, please let me go out and fight, please. And Imam Al-Husayn would say to him, "Abbas, wait, wait". He say, "Aba Abdillah, let me let me go out and fight these." And Imam Al-Husayn would say to him, "no Abbas, wait wait until he heard a cry from the children, yes? He also came on calling Al-Atash! Al-Atash! Al-Atash! Yes? He heard the children crying and he heard Imam Al-Husayn call out, "Hal min nasirin yansuruna?" "Is there any helper to help us?".
He came, he said, "Aba Abdillah, I beg you, allow me to help you". "Allow me to protect you. Allow me to honour you. O my master, allow me to be the one who gives away his life for you". Imam Al-Husayn replied to him, "Abbas can you hear Sukayna's cries?" He heard Sukayna crying "Al-Atash, Al-Atash". He said, " yes master. I can hear." He said, "Then Abbas, why don't you go and bring her some water? Go and bring the children water". He said, " its my honour my master, I will go and bring them water". That would be the final time many of those children will see their master. My dear brothers and sisters, I want to narrate you a short story, because when I am sitting here and I see this Bariyat, this bariya takes me back to Bab al-Hawaij in Karbala, yes? This bariyat when I look at it, I remember rubbing my cheeks on Bab al-Hawaij. I remember rubbing my cheeks on that grave in Karbala.
Those who are been to Karbala, may Allah allow you to got to Karbala. May Allah allow you to sit by your Dhari' like the Dhari' of Abu 'l-Fadhl, yes? You know in one narration mentions, in Iraq, a number of years ago, there was a young man who was sitting by the Dhari' of Abu 'l-Fadhl. While he was sitting by the Dhari', he was sitting there and everyone was doing the matam, some people were beating their chests. He looks around, he saw everyone, he was crippled in his feet. Yes, he wanted to stand up to do the matam with everybody else but, because he was crippled he couldn't stand up. And he also couldn't move his hands. Yes? He was someone who was physically challenged. So he was there by the grave of Abu 'l-Fadhl. He saw everyone there, he narrates, he said, "I saw everyone beating their chests remembering Abu 'l-Fadhl and I wished I wished, oh Abu 'l-Fadhl, I wish there was a day I could do that for you.
But, you know, that I am physically challenged, he said at that moment, a young man walked towards me. I had never seen light shining like the light from the face of this man. He said he looked at me and said, Young man, why don't you stand up and beat your chest? He said, I would love to, but my feet are crippled. He said, OK, try standing now. He said, I stood on my feet for the first time in my life. I had never had a moment like that. Yes, he said. Then a moment he looked at me, he said, Why don't you beat your chest? Yes, he said that I looked at him and I said to him, I would love to do it, but my hands are crippled. He said, the man looked at me and he said, "Wa Allah, if I had hands I would have given them to you, but they took my hands on the 10th of Muharram".
Those hands have been taken away, the narration mentions that he walks towards the Furat. On the way towards the Furat there was a great opposition towards him. There were a number of soldiers stationed by the Furat, he managed to fight and kill over eighty of those soldiers. He go towards the Furat and when he go towards the Furat he knew that he wanted to collect the water. But you know, he hadn't drank water for a while, his lips were dry. He looked at that water. He looked at that water and thought to himself, shall I drink? But no, how can I drink from the cold water, while my brother drinks from the sap of death. So he put that water. He collected it. May Allah give all limitations my dear brothers and sisters. On his way back, he began to ride his horse.
Suddenly a man came from behind and struck the right arm of Abu 'l-Fadhl Abbas. He tried to hold the flask and he tried to hold the flag, all of a sudden a man cut the left arm of Abu 'l-Fadhl. Now he was without both of his arms. He was still trying to hold the flag for Aba Abdillah, all of a sudden, Hurmala ibn Kahil shot an arrow on the right eye of Abu 'l-Fadhl Abbas. He fell down towards the ground. Sheikh an-Na'ini narrates, I was giving majlis of Abu 'l-Fadhl in Karbala. He said I gave majlis and went home. In my dream I saw Fatimatu az-Zahra alayha as-salam. She was crying and crying. So I said to her, Fatimah, my grandma why do you cry? Have I said something wrong in majlis of Abbas? She said, I want you to tell every speaker for Abbas to relate the following moment. He said: what is it? She said, I want you to tell every speaker, that when he narrates Abbas falling from the horse, make sure he mentions that normally when someone falls from the horse, they fall with the hands in front of them. But my Abbas fell in the ground with no hands in front of him in Karbala. So when he fell on the ground they began to attack him.
Sayyida Zaynab noticed the flag, the flag was still high. But then the flag fell, she turned around to Aba Abdillah and she said: Abbas's flag is fallen. Aba Abdillah rode on his horse, he went towards his brother's body. The body was on the ground. Do you know the streaked Abu 'l-Fadhl so much that he couldn't hear and he couldn't see. Yes, he couldn't hear anything, he couldn't see anything. So when he was on the ground, he knew that there's planning to be some people around him, so he called out: " oh soldiers, I beg you, don't kill me, my brother Husayn is going to be here in a moment". Yes, but then he found the lips of Imam Al-Husayn on his cheeks. When he found the lips of Imam Al-Husayn on his cheeks, the first thing he looked at him. Aba Abdillah looked at him and began to wipe all the blood from Abu 'l-Fadhl.
But you know, Abu 'l-Fadhl what he did in that moment, he turned around. He said, "Abu Abdullah, I beg you wipe all the blood from my eyes. He said to him, "I beg you wipe the blood away from my eyes. I would wipe it away but I don't have any hands to wipe the blood away". In that moment Aba Abdillah took the head of Abu 'l-Fadhl in his lap. But Abu 'l-Fadhl removed his head, Aba Abdillah put the head back, Abu 'l-Fadhl removed his head. Aba Abdillah wanted why, all of a sudden he heard a cry, at this moment you put my head in your lap but in a few moments, who will take your head in their lap, ya Aba Abdillah? Aba Abdillah wanted to take him back towards the tent, Abbas said to him, "Ya Aba Abdillah don't take me back leave me here." He said to him why he said I promised Sukayna water, I don't want to let her down. I say to him, "Abu 'l-Fadhl if you didn't want to let Sukayna down, I wish you had seen the way they whipped Sukayna after you died.
Inna Lil-Lahi, wa inna Ilahi Raja’un.(2:156). Raise your hands brothers and sisters, this is the night of Bab al-Hawaij. This is the night of Bab al-Hawaij, raise your hands. Make it as if its a plead in the name of Abu 'l-Fadhl to night. Yes, there are mothers there who wanted to be reunited with their sons. There are fathers there who want to be reunited with their daughters. There are husbands and wives who want to be reconciled. There are people whose children are mentally, physically challenged. Tonight, use Abu 'l-Fadhl with your du'a. Ya Allah, raise us with Abu 'l-Fadhl on the Day of Judgement. Ya Allah, allow us to kiss the shrine of Abu 'l-Fadhl. Ya Allah, allow us to cry by the shrine of Abu 'l-Fadhl. Ya Allah, raise our sons like Abbas. Ya Allah, allow our daughters to follow the message of Abbas. We pray to Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, with a Surat ul-Fatiha before it, the loudest of you Salawat.
