Arba'een

The topic of the speaker at the Arba'een Majalis that I've been attending is the Sermon of Hammam by Imam Ali (a.s)- the qualities of a pious man, and the Majalis have really opened my eyes. There are over one hundred qualities mentioned in the sermon and each one carries so much depth and meaning that it's scary that we aim to tick all these boxes by the time we die.

And that's another thing. A lot of things have happened recently to make me more aware of death. Seeing other people's problems has made me think that life is truly over-rated and death, for some, could be an escape. I'd like to be among those "some people" for whom death is salvation rather than a dreaded deadline, which means a tonne of preparation and a lot of sorting out. A lot.

Heartbreaking

A while back, I heard the most heartbreaking Hadith in a lecture. The narration said that after the reappearance of the Imam (a.f) of our time, his first inaugural speech will be at Masjid al Kufa. He will be addressing masses upon masses of people outside the mosque, he will be speaking, but nobody will be able to hear him. Why? Because the people will be sobbing upon seeing his blessed face, in awe of his presence and beauty, in disbelief that their saviour has finally arrived.

I imagined the scene. Cameras everywhere, a beautiful man standing outside a mosque, millions and millions of people gathered together in anticipation, his lips moving but the only audible sound being that of people's wailing and crying. Just wanted to break your hearts too.

Alhamdulillah

One word: Alhamdulillah! A very close friend of mine got back from Iraq, I got into the University that I wanted to, have been to some amazing majalis in the last couple of days, and Sayed Hossein Qazwini is in London for Arba'een. Could I want anything more right now? I think not.