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The sad first month of the Islamic calendar during which the family of the Holy Prophet were faced with a great ordeal and tragedy.
1. It's absolute injustice and needs to stop asap
5
42%
2. There is nothing wrong with consuming delicious foods on Ashura
1
8%
3. Khichdo is not a delicious food so no problem
6
50%
User avatar
By Moonbeam
#14930
Hasin, the food has to be such that it can attract people to come to mosque as well.
dnt really agree with this statement. Why should food be a factor to attract Shia of Ali (as) to come and commemorate the martyrdom of his son? If they are coming beacuse of kichro then it is sad really. And if people don't come in the case that only daar and rotli is served, then no one loses except those who didn't come.

If on the other hand food is made for the public in mnazi moja for example and used to do tabligh to the general public on 'ashura day then it wuould be relevant. Like the way the holy Prophet (saw) did in dawatul dhul 'ashira.
User avatar
By Muntazir
#14933
In the name of Subhaan.

Salaamun 'aleykum

I like the idea of Br. Manji:
How about we make this year's Ahura a different experience. Let us form a group of youths who will on the day of Ashura arrange for some cooked food that will be distributed in the love of Hussain to a community of poor people.... Sure some may be doing this already... no harm in joinging hands in a good cause...
It is however not necessary to do it group wise, but individually is much better. Just try to give out food, water, juice, ... whatever you can to help the poor. And this should continue for the rest of our lives not just today or tomorrow.

If brothers are ready then we can contribute some money and buy water coolers and place it on corners for people to drink. Prepare yourselves for khidmat e-Ahl al-Bayt ['a.s].

Those who wish to do khidmat but can't will still benefit insha'Allah by their niyyah.

Jazaakallah.
User avatar
By abuali
#14953
Yesterday i read in the mosque notice board a remindef to mumineen not to engage in worldly affairs on the day of Ashur.

When reading this we normally think about closing down our business or not going to school.

My humble question then is with the blessings of the maarifat of the great grief of this day why dont we apply the same idea to what we eat that day?

Isnt eating food that one enjoys a worldy act? Isnt eating to one fill a worldly act? Isnt eating ice cream a fun and enjoyable act?

Did not our mazloom imam mention the effect food has one a person in his last speech to the accursed ibn saad (la)?

Is it not recommended by our Aimmah (as) not to eat meat and delicious foods when one is performing ziyarat of our mazloom Imam?

Is removing meat from the menu so difficult for us? Is giving up delicious food for a day so hard for the followers of the one who ate roti that was as hard as a rock all his life?
User avatar
By Muntazir
#14969
In the name of al-Qawiyyu.

Salaamun 'aleykum ya akhi.

May 'Allah give us the strength to atleast feel the pain of the smallest companion of Imam al-Hussein ['a.s] if not Imam ['a.s] himself, and all those who suffered on a day like this... and struggle to know why Kerbala was already known by Adam Safiyyullah.

Please keep us in your prayers in these nights ya ikhwaan al-Kiraam, nas'alukum ad-Du'aa!
User avatar
By abuali
#15008
Br. Manji suggested a brilliant idea about distribution of food in the name of Imam Hussain (as).

I am wondering if things moved forward? (apologies for not having contributed to the idea earlier due to not getting enough time on Ask).

If not, we can still move it forward.

Since, kullu yaumin Ashura, kullu ardheen Karbala (Every day is Ashura, every land is Karbala), we can have a continuous food distribution program throughout the year, say once a week, in the name of Imam Hussain (as). Lets feed good food in the Imam's (as) name and communicate his message to our brothers and sisters in Tanzania. And on ashura next year we can distribute simple food to the same people to express our grief on his martyrdom.
User avatar
By Reyhana
#15024
(bism)
(salam)
In THE PRAYER’S ALMANAC ‘’english version of mafaateeh al jinaan’’,its clearly written that on the day of Ashura [at the time of asr] one should partake SIMPLE and LITTLE FOOD,so its clear that one should avoid having delicious food or any food that is ones favorite as one tends to overeat what one likes and Ashura is the day of lamenting not filling ones stomach. Pilipili provided to enhance the taste of khichro or sambharo served with other dishes should be avoided on this day as it makes people eat more and more.

Lets see some of the hadith from our Prophet and Aimmah about this grief striken day and how it should be spent:
The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said:

Surely, there exists in the hearts of the Mu' mineen, with respect to the martyrdom of Hussain (A.S.), a heat that never subsides.

Mustadrak al-Wasail, vol. 10,pg. 318

So if we think of ourselves as momins then for us, the day of Ashura should be the most heart rending day in which FOOD should be the last thing on our minds.

Imam Ali Reza (A.S.) said:

The one for whom the day of A'shura is a day of tragedy, grief and weeping, Allah The Mighty, The Glorious, shall make the Day of Judgment, a day of joy and happiness for him.
Bihar al-Anwar, vol,: 44, pg: 284.

Imam Ali (A.S.) said:

Surely, Allah has chosen for us followers (Shi'ites), who assist us and are happy at our happiness and are sad in our sadness.

Ghurar al-Hikam, Vol: 1/ pg.: 235.

Ashura should be a day of intense sadness for all of us and one who is in intense grief doesn’t feel like eating even a morsel leave aside eating delicious food.

Now lets see what our Aimmah did on this SORROWFUL DAY:
A'bdullah Ibn Sinaan says:

I arrived in the presence of my master, Imam Sadiq (A.S.) on the day of Ashura and found him pale and grief-stricken, with tears streaming from his eyes like falling pearls.

Musadrak al-wasail,vol.6, pg. 279.

Imam Ali Reza (A.S.) said:

With the advent of the month of Muharram, my father Imam Musa Kazim (A.S.) would never be seen laughing; gloom and sadness would overcome him for (the first) ten days of the month; and when the tenth day of the month would dawn, it would be a day of tragedy, grief and weeping for him.

Amaali Saduq, pg,:111

Isnt it our duty as followers of Ahlul Bayt to leave aside our physical desires and spend the day of Ashura as our Aimmah used to do???

Let me conclude by mentioning one last hadith of great importance:
Imam Ali Reza (A.S.) said:

One who refrains from seeking his (worldly) desires on the day of Ashura, Allah shall grant him his desires of this world and the hereafter.

Wasail al-Shia'h, vol. 14,pg.504.

Following the above hadith we refrain from buying or selling [trading] on the day of Ashura,we try to refrain from involving ourselves in any worldly enjoyment or gain,so isn’t eating desirable food one of the worldly enjoyment? Shouldn’t we refrain from that too???Cant we eat anything simple on that day???

Lastly I would like to say that though some of us do not count khichro as delicious food but still it’s a favorite for many of us,so if that’s the case then it should be avoided. Here In Bujumbura, in the past we used to have Khichro on Ashura [its one of the favorite dish of majority over here],but ALHAMDULILLAH for some years now we have replaced it with daal and dry veg curry.

NOTE: It would not be out of place to mention here that as most of the people are in faako [which is very much recommended] on that day , so naturally at asr time, even if simple food is served, they tend to overeat as they have not had anything from morning, so extreme care should be taken by each individual to eat less on that day.

Serving sabeel and food to the less fortunate is one of the most important acts on this day as apart from serving humanity , it also helps in spreading awareness about this day, as naturally people tend to ask reasons for doing these acts.
Last edited by Reyhana on 18 Jan 2011, 10:25, edited 4 times in total.
By Hussaini
#15129
S.A

Sorry to chime in late on this topic but my few cents of contribution is that all it goes down to the intention of the person eating that khicdo or ice cream on the day of Ashoora. Intention counts most, you could be even eating the not celebrity food but in your heart you do not have any remorse about the tragedy would have no value unlike otherwise whereby you could be eating khicdo or ice cream not with the intention of celebrating.
User avatar
By abuali
#15132
Rehana wrote:Imam Ali Reza (A.S.) said:

One who refrains from seeking his (worldly) desires on the day of Ashura, Allah shall grant him his desires of this world and the hereafter.

Wasail al-Shia'h, vol. 14,pg.504.
I wonder what the Imam (as) meant by 'worldly desires'. It seems to include the halaal desires such as for food, rest, etc
User avatar
By Zaheer
#15171
Mazhar wrote:Salaam Brother Muntazir,


I suppose the ice cream is a means of rehydrating people, now i know one may ask, why not water? But the fact of the matter is that people dont drink enough water, at least not as much as they should be drinking, and even if a person does drink enough, the event of kerbala is such that one may forget or may even feel the need to not drink water.

It is very important that we get the message of Kerbala, in that as Br Muntazir has said-it is putting our feet on the ground and walking in the stride of the Holy ones.

Ilt dua
Zaheer Likes This! [up]
User avatar
By abuali
#15178
Hussaini wrote:S.A

Sorry to chime in late on this topic but my few cents of contribution is that all it goes down to the intention of the person eating that khicdo or ice cream on the day of Ashoora. Intention counts most, you could be even eating the not celebrity food but in your heart you do not have any remorse about the tragedy would have no value unlike otherwise whereby you could be eating khicdo or ice cream not with the intention of celebrating.
Alaykum Salaam brother

I agree, intention is the deciding factor on all actions, good or bad.

The question is however not about personal intention (inshallah, individually we all love Imam Hussain(as) and grieve over his martyrdom), the question is about changing the communal practice of serving food that is considered delicious on the very day that Imam was mercilessly murdered.
#15397
So I guess we have agreed, eating delicious foods is not something to be done on Ashura day.

Leaving Ashura, isn't khichro served in almost all muahrram-safar majalis after Ashura?
User avatar
By abuali
#15406
Muhammad Mahdi wrote:So I guess we have agreed, eating delicious foods is not something to be done on Ashura day.
Except at least one person who voted that there is nothing wrong in doing so. It would be interesting to read his/her views on why he/she feels so.
Muhammad Mahdi wrote:Leaving Ashura, isn't khichro served in almost all muahrram-safar majalis after Ashura?
I dont think its that common is it?

https://youtu.be/-3CI0FBr5ss?si=UNYS9HXtS24Gbr-P

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