Sufism

Hussain ibn Ali was a 7th century revolutionary leader who made  the ultimate sacrifice for social justice  in the face of corruption and tyranny.  He gave everything he had, including his life, for the honour of those around him. Hussain ibn Ali was born in 620 AD to a family famed for their values of love, honour and peace. Raised by his grandfather Muhammad (the last prophet of Islam), Hussain was known for his integrity, generosity of spirit and blindness to colour and social class. It was for this reason that people flocked to him and his family. Hussain ibn Ali is buried today in the land of Karbala, Iraq, where millions of visitors come annually to pay homage. Hussain was a man of integrity and honour. Despite cultural expectations of him as a ‘prince’ of his tribe and a prominent figure in the Islamic Empire, Hussain would shun the grandeur of his status in favour of breaking bread with the poor and needy. He broke all cultural moulds, brought ...

Today I wanted to write about a man who, like Hussain, serves as an example for us in our daily lives. History is full of inspirational figures, but rarely do we see an entire family of piety. Hussain’s father Ali taught him the morals and values that are spoken about at length on this website. So let me tell you about Ali… When I feel wronged by a person and angry, I often sit in my room and allow the rage to build, my eyes wandered across my bedroom wall where there are dozens of cards pasted there with scribbled quotes that I’ve come across and loved. One it particular stands out from the rest: “Patience is for a person to bear that which befalls him and to suppress his anger with that which enrages him.” Ali ibn Abi Talib. In that moment I remembered what I had read once about Ali ibn Abi Talib in his final days. As he stood in prayer in the mosque of Kufa, a man waited in the shadows. As Ali prostrated, the assassin got up quickly unsheathing a sword he had hid...