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The article is inspired by the book “al-Minbar al‑Husayni Nushu’uh wa Hadheruh wa Afaq al-Mustaqbal” by Shaykh Saad Mourad al‑Saidi.

Several aspects have contributed to the perpetuity that the uprising of Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH) achieved. Some of these aspects are subjective and internal, relying upon the uprising’s principles and objectives, and upon the uprising’s symbols and prominent figures led by Abu Abdillah al‑Husayn (PBUH) and the delightful party from his auspicious family and devoted companions.

Other aspects, not limited to the periodic and thematic frame of the incident, enacted an important effect to the continuity of the uprising’s impelling, bestowals, and expansion, so that it becomes a societal progressing cause and a current state of affairs. The uprising was therefore not restricted to its geographical or periodic borders.

Perhaps, the most outstanding factors of these external factors – if we can say so – are these commemorating sessions and ceremonies held every place and time, particularly, in the first ten days of the inviolable Muharram each year, where the incident of Ashura is being depicted from several perspectives and viewpoints.

These blessed commemoration and lamentation ceremonies refused to leave Imam al‑Husayn’s Karbala – as previous incidents – to become merely an abandoned reminiscence in the bending folds of the history books. Rather, they made it expand to every area in life until it became a ceaseless aid to everyone with valued principles. It created a society vibrant with vigor and bestowals, stirring towards its objectives with firm steps.

The Husayni dais is among the most beneficial factors in the continuance and perpetuity of the Husayni revolution’s ember. It is ardent and incandescent with its noble principles.
It is the roar of the apostolic and honorable ones in the face of tyranny and despotism.

It was upon us, to focus on the Husayni dais’ origins and development and understand the impacting factors in its making, due to several factors. Such as the significant role conducted by the dais in our present era, while withstanding the great burden of educating, preparing, and connecting the Muslim nation to the concepts of Islam and the school of the Household (PBUT). Also, because of its historic role, aiming to preserve the revolution of Karbala and to keep it alive and ardent in the mind, while causing empathy and being responded to by the souls. Moreover, we did so, because the Husayni dais has become part of the religious heritage of the Shiite sect.

In this article, we will try to shed light upon the dais’ history and its establishment as a religious and societal phenomenon through studying and discussing the opinions stated regarding the originating of this phenomenon and then representing the correct one.

The Definition of the Husayni Dais

Initially, it is adequate to understand the conventional meaning of the word “Minbar” [“dais”].

The Conventional Meaning of the Husayni Dais

The Husayni Dais can be defined as a type of religious preaching used by the majority of the Muslim Shiites[1], where the preacher moves at the end of the ceremony – in a special artistic way – into recalling a grievous tragedy from the tragedies of the killing of Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH), his household, and his companions at the day of Ashura. He might also recall incidents which transpired to the Imam’s family after his slaying in the Days of Captivity[2]. Such reminiscence is accompanied by selected poetry, as elegies, regardless of it being from Arabic literary poetry or popular colloquial poetry.

We have elucidated the dais’ relation to Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH), in particular, among the Imams of the Household (PBUT), as it is a dais where mentioning tragedies, related to Imam al‑Husayn and no other Imam, is obligatory. That is due to the tormenting grievous character which distinguishes the incident of Imam al‑Husayn’s martyrdom (PBUH), his household, and his companions. Also, due to what had befallen his women and children of the captivity’s miseries, which did not occur even to those at a higher rank than him, such as his grandfather (PBUH&HF), his father Ali, his mother, and his brother (PBUT), and due to what the Shiites have inherited from their Imams who accentuated the importance of reminiscing these tragedies.

Consequently, it is not called the ‘Alawi Dais’, as it is not a dais which focuses on – for example – the eloquence of Imam Ali (PBUH) or his blessed biography, and such is the case for the rest of the Household (PBUT).

Origin and Roots of
the Husayni Mourning Ceremonies

The roots of the weeping, lamenting, and mourning ceremonies over Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH) dates back to before the incident of Karbala, and the martyrdom of Imam al‑Husayn, where it progressed, evolved, and continued, and will do so, till the end of time.

These mourning ceremonies can be divided into two categories:

Category One:Identified as being the unprompted spontaneous mourning ceremonies. These are usually solo mourning ceremonies, emanating from the emotion of sorrow and grief over what had befallen Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH) of tragedies and calamities. These mourning and bewailing ceremonies are divided into two parts:

Part One: Ceremonies which transpired before the incident of Karbala and the martyrdom of Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH);

These mourning ceremonies were first held by the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF). This happened when he informed about the death of al‑Husayn and cried for him, once al‑Husayn was a little child and Jibrail informed the Messenger about the slain of Imam al‑Husayn at the hand of his nation. As narrated from Asmaa Bint Umais:

. . . when al‑Husayn was born . . . the Prophet came to me and said, “O Asmaa, hand me my son,” so I handed him over in a white cloth. Then he recited the Call to Prayers in his right ear, and the Call to Establishing the Prayers in his left [ear], then he placed him on his lap and cried. Asmaa said, “May my father and mother be your ransom, why are you weeping?” He said, “Because of my son here,” I said, “He is a newborn.” He said, “O Asmaa, the transgressed faction [from my nation] will kill him, may Allah not grant them my intercession.”[3]

In another narration, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) began crying and reciting elegies over his son, al‑Husayn, in front of his companions, as he said:

. . . “Indeed my son al‑Husayn will be killed on the soil of al‑Taff, and indeed my nation will be tested after me.” Then he went to his companions while weeping, and among them were Ali, Abu Bakr, Omar, Hudhaifa, Ammar, and Abu Dhar, may Allah be satisfied with them. Then they said, “What is making you weep, O Messenger of Allah?” And he said, “Jibrail has informed me, that my son al‑Husayn will be killed after me on the soil of al-Taff, and he brought me this sand and informed me, that his resting place would be in this.”^{^[4]}

Among these mourning ceremonies, is what that the Commander of the Faithful (PBUH) did when he passed by Karbala on his way to Siffin; as reported:

Abdullah Bin Najie [narrates] from his father that he traveled with Ali (PBUH), and he was the keeper of his ablution bowl, and when he arrived in Nineveh, heading towards Siffin, Ali (PBUH) suddenly said, “Patience, Aba Abdillah! Patience Aba Abdillah, at the shore of the Euphrates.” I said, “Who is this Aba Abdillah?” Ali (PBUH) said, “I came to the Prophet (PBUH&HF), and his eyes were running over with tears, so I said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, has anybody angered you? Why are your eyes running over [with tears]?’ He said, ‘Jibrail [just] left and told me that al‑Husayn would be killed at the shores of the Euphrates.’ He hence said, ‘Will you like to smell the sand [of his grave]?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ Then he stretched out his arm, took a fistful of dirt, and handed it over to me, thus I could not hold my tears back from running over.”[5]

Part Two: Bewailing and weeping over Imam al‑Husayn which transpired after his martyrdom, as the Household (PBUT), a great number of the Companions, and the Mothers of the Believers and Followers[6] all wept, bewailed his death, and mourned over him. These incidents can be counted along the solo spontaneous unprompted mourning ceremonies, which occurred from these people, in sorrow and agitation over the tragic calamity. Such examples are:

A.The bewailing of Lady Zaynab (PBUH) over her brother Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH) on the 11th day of Muharram. This occurred when the women were transported to Kufa as captives, then they slapped [themselves in grief], and yelled when they passed by Imam al‑Husayn’s body (PBUH), and Zaynab said:

O Muhammad! May the Lord of the Heaven send His blessings over you, this is Husayn in the open, covered in blood, his limbs are cut off. O Muhammad, your daughters are captives, your offspring are slain, exposed to the wind.’ Consequently, she made every foe and friend cry.”[7]

B.The weeping of the Hashemitte women and the Ansar in Medina, when the news of the killing of al‑Husayn arrived. As reported:

Um Loqman, daughter of Aqeel Bin Abi Taleb, went out when she heard the death announcement of al‑Husayn, and she had her sisters with her; Um Hani, Asmaa, Ramla, and Zaynab – the daughters of Aqil Bin Abi Taleb, may Allah have mercy upon them. She was crying over her slain ones while saying:

What would you say, if the Prophet said to you,

“What have you done, and you are the last of the nations,

With my descendant and family, after my demise,

Of them are captives and slain ones, stained in blood.

Is this your gratefulness, for my advisement of you?

That you inherent me, by wrongdoing my kinship?”[8]

C.The statement of Um Salama, the Mother of the Believers, when she became aware of the killing of Imam al‑Husayn:

”Have they really done it? May Allah fill their graves with fire.” Then she cried until she became unconscious.[9]

D. The report of Zayd Bin Arqam:

When the head of Imam al‑Husayn was brought to Ibn Ziyad, and placed between his hands, Ibn Ziyad began to jag al‑Husayn’s (PBUH) front teeth with his cane[10],while Zayd Bin Arqam, the companion of the Messenger of Allah, was present. Thus, he said to him, “Hold! Raise your stick from these front teeth, for I have seen the Messenger of Allah kiss them.” He was then overwhelmed and began crying, then Ibn Ziyad said, “Why are you crying? May Allah make your eyes cry. By Allah, were you not an old man that has become senile, I would have beheaded you.”[11]

E.The statement of Al-Hasan al-Basry: It has been reported that when al-Hasan al-Basry was informed of the killing of Imam al‑Husayn, he cried until he trembled, then he said:

O such disgrace, over a nation that killed the son of the daughter of their Prophet! By Allah, the head of al‑Husayn will be returned to his body, then his grandfather and father will take his revenge on Ibn Marjanah⁽[12]⁾.[13]

These are examples of the weeping of the Household, the Companions, and the Followers over al‑Husayn (PBUH) and the mourning over him after his martyrdom. These solo mourning ceremonies are undoubtedly the true seeds of what later became known as the Husayni mourning ceremonies – the second category of the [types of] mourning ceremonies.

Category Two: Identified as the public purposeful mourning ceremonies. These ceremonies were preplanned and had a desired objective. They later resulted in the emergence of “the Husayni Dais”, a religious, societal, public phenomenon with its noticeable presence in the Shiite circles. In this article we wish to be familiar with the following; the first person to have planted the seed of the blessed Husayni mourning ceremonies witnessed by us today in our Shiite community, and the circumstances and causes that aided in the originating and evolving of these mourning ceremonies, named “the Husayni Dais”.

Opinions on the Originating and Establishment of the Husayni Dais

Several opinions have been mentioned regarding identifying the first person to have held the Husayni mourning ceremonies, representing the foundation of the rise of the Husayni dais and the expansion of its school.

The most imperative opinions are:

1. The Repenters

Some orientalists believe, that the first ones to have held mourning ceremonies over Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH) were the army of the Repenters as they left Kufa and reached the graves of the martyrs of Karbala. Here they held mourning ceremonies for three days, and cried and wept loudly at the grave of Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH). The orientalists report:

When the Repenters rose in the year 65 HE, coinciding with, 684 CE, they took their weapons there, and they raised their voices together in loud weeping, and they cried, and they supplicated to Allah that He forgives them for their abandonment of the grandson of the Prophet at a difficult time. Their leader shouted, “O Allah, have mercy upon al‑Husayn, the martyr, son of a martyr, the guide, son of the guide, the righteous, son of the righteous. O Allah, bear witness that we stand with their religion and walk on their path, and that we are enemies of who killed them, and allies to their lovers.” This is the seed of the condolences and scenes of the mourning ceremonies being depicted each year on the 10th of Muharram, everywhere the Shiites are present.^{^[14]}

Examining the first opinion

Two remarks can be made to this opinion:

Firstly: The mourning ceremonies that the Repenters held at the grave of Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH), are among the spontaneous unprompted mourning ceremonies since the Repenters did not head towards Karbala, with the purpose of making mourning ceremonies there. Rather, they passed by Karbala on their way to face the Umayyad enemy.

Secondly: Regardless of what has been reported about the nobility of the Repenters’ stance and the truthfulness of their intentions, as they stirred toward an incident among the rarest historical incidents, where the participants pushed themselves into being killed in an outstanding sacrificial way – despite all this – the Repenters do not enjoy the legal and religious qualities, which makes their actions something to be imitated by the Shiites, and admired by their Imams and scholars.

2.The Buyids

Whoever reviews the historical sources that reports about the incident of year 352 HE almost three centuries after the incident of Karbala – when the Buyids held power in the government of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad – will find that Mu’iz al‑Dawla al-Buwaih[15], on the day of Ashura of that year – ordered people to:

. . . close their shops and the markets, and stop the selling and buying. And to express sorrow, and to wear collars which they have made out of rough clothes, and women to leave their hair unbound, and to blacken their faces, while they have ripped their clothes in the city, and slapped their faces in sorrow over al‑Husayn Bin Ali, may Allah be satisfied with them both, and people did so accordingly . . . [16]

Some Shiite scholars have aroused suspicion regarding the above mentioned, for Sayyid Mohsin al-Hakeem commentate the reports of the historical sources concerning the women’s described appearances in the encyclopedia, A’ayan al-Shia:

There is [a degree of] exaggeration, for by the necessity of the religion, is it prohibitted for women to show their hair in front of a foreigner. Hence how can Mu’iz al‑Dawla engage in such, and he is doing so out of religiousness?! And how can the religious people allow him to do so?![17]

One of the scholars reports that these convoys of sorrow and weeping did not have men and women blend, together since; “Women would come out at night, and men at day.”[18]

Nevertheless, all the sources mentioning this particular period, notice this phenomenon in Baghdad, but some of these sources did not suffice with noticing and noting this phenomenon, rather, the historians expressed their opinions in this matter. Al-Hafez Jalal al‑Din al-Suyuti mentions the incident of Karbala, and then he comments:

This was the first day al‑Husayn were mourned in Baghdad . . . and this heresy continued for years.[19]

Also, al-Dhahabi reports in Tarikh al-Islam:

This was the first day he was mourned in Baghdad.[20]

This statement has been repeated by others, from the old and current [historians] until an understanding was born, with the essence; the Buyids were the first ones to have held the Husayni mourning ceremonies, believing that the mentioned lamentation appearances should be accompanied with the reciting of elegies, and the orating of the killing of Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH) – the two establishing factors in the phenomenon of the Husayni Dais.

Discussing the second opinion

Some remarks must be made to this opinion:

Firstly: The historical sources that wrote about the Day of Ashura, year 352 HE, report that it was the first day Imam
al‑Husayn (PBUH) were bemoaned in Baghdad, while not mentioning that it was the first day a mourning ceremony was held for al‑Husayn, or that it had not been held at any other place before. Therefore, it is possible that other mourning ceremonies were held that preceded this date in other places, other than Baghdad – if we were to acknowledge the account of these sources.

Secondly: The Buyids – regardless of what has been said about them – were nothing more than sultans and emirs in charge of the government in Baghdad. They did not have the legal qualification and the religious sanctity, which makes their deed tradition and an example [for others to follow].

Thirdly: The Imams of the Household (PBUT) were the ones to establish the Husayni Dais.

3.The Household

The birth of the Husayni dais and the lamentation ceremonies of Ashura witnessed today, are the result of the promulgated appeals, in addition to, the advice by the Imams of the Household (PBUT), to gather and listen to poems and prose recitations for Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH). It is also the result of their emphasizing on establishing such gatherings with displays of weeping and grieving over his tragedy (PBUH). In this context, Imam al-Sadeq (PBUH) said to Fudhayel regarding these ceremonies:

I love these gatherings, so do revive our cause, O Fudhayel. May Allah have mercy upon whoever revives our cause. O Fudhayel, [if] he who mentions us, or [if] he whom we are being mentioned to, have [tears] the size of a fly’s wings come out of his eyes, Allah will forgive his sins even if they were like the ocean⁽[21]⁾.[22]

Imam al-Redha (PBUH) also said:

He who remember our tragedy and cries due to what had befallen us, is with us in our ranks on the Day of Resurrection. And whoever reminds people of our tragedy and cries and makes people cry, will not have his eyes cry on the day where the eyes will cry [i.e., the Day of Judgment], and he who sits in a gathering where our cause is revived, will not have his heart die, the day where the hearts will die.^{^[23]}

The reports from the Household (PBUT) on advisements and teaching are many and varied in this regard, and they themselves would [also] make these ceremonies themselves. Sayyid Mohsin al-Amin says:

Indeed they – i.e., the Imams of the Household (PBUT) – wept over al‑Husayn, and considered his tragedy amongst the greatest tragedies, and they ordered their Shiites, loyalists, and followers to do so, and they urged [them]. They recited poems to bewail him and would cry when they heard such [poems]. They made the day of his death, a day of sorrow and weeping, and criticized whoever regarded it [the day of his killing], as a day of celebration, and they ordered [people] to leave the accomplishment of tasks on this day and to avoid saving something on it. The reports from them on this matter are numerous, almost reaching the status of being frequent. They were narrated from them by their lovers and entrusted ones among their Shiites, with narrator-chains linked to them.[24]

It is worth mentioning that the Husayni dais and mourning ceremonies, in reality, depend on two main parts:

A. The speaker and lecturer represented by the Husayni orator and sermonizer.

B.The audience and attendees in the Husayni mourning ceremony.

To make these daises successful in delivering their messages and the accomplishment of their objectives, both speaker and audience are supposed to fulfill their role completely. Therefore, it is upon the Husayni orator and preacher to be proficient in his orating and to agitate his listeners. On the other side, it is upon the attendees and listeners to interact and listen to the speaker and the Husayni orator, and to revive the tragedy in their hearts, and, subsequently, weep over Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH), and attain every lesson and example from his uprising.

Consequently, we find that the narrations of the Household (PBUT) regarding the emphasizing on establishing Husayni mourning ceremonies, focused on two important aspects: the first aspect is the actuation on reciting poetry and elegies over Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH) and its great reward, and this is upon the orator and speaker. The second aspect is their request to their Shiites, to attend these mourning ceremonies, and to weep over Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH), and to show what Allah exalted is He, has prepared of great reward to the weepers. We will mention some examples from the narrations that relate to these two aspects.

Narrations That Actuate the Reciting of Poems for Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH)

The Imams of the Household (PBUT) encouraged people to compose and recite poetry for Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH) and that which accompanies this act of weeping and wailing. These actions represented the first initial displays of the Husayni dais and the memorial gatherings and mourning ceremonies. Back then poetry was considered to be of high significance and with great effect on the society, holding some sensitive consequences, especially concerning the critic of the authority at the time, for their slaying of al‑Husayn and his companions.

Shaykh Ibn Qawlaweih has dedicated a special chapter in his book Kamil al-Ziyarat, Chapter 33, with the title, “The Reward of He Who Recites a Poem for al‑Husayn Thus Wept and Made Others Weep.” The book is among the Hadith books that have gained great attention from the Shiite jurisprudential scholars.

Ibn ‘Amara al-Munshid, narrates after he went to Imam Jafar Bin Muhammad (PBUT):

He [the Imam] said to me, “O Aba ‘Amara, recite to me about al‑Husayn (PBUH).” He [Aba ‘Amara] reports, “I recited to him, and he cried, and I recited to him, and he cried, and I recited to him, and he cried.” [Aba ‘Amara continues] reporting, “By Allah, I kept reciting, and he kept crying until I heard the crying from [inside] the house . . . then he said to me, ‘O Aba ‘Amarra he who recites poetry for al‑Husayn (PBUH) and [thus] makes 50 [people] cry, will achieve Paradise, and who recite for al‑Husayn and makes 40 cry will achieve Paradise’ . . . ”[25]

In another narration the Imam (PBUH) said:

Who recites for al‑Husayn a verse of poetry, thus cry and make 10 [others] cry will achieve Paradise . . .[26]

We also have this report from from Shaykh al-Toosi’s book, Ikhtiyar Ma’arefat al-Rijal:

Jafar Ibn ‘Affan al-Tai’e came to Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH), and he [the Imam] placed him near him, and said, ”O Jafar.” He said, “At your service, may Allah make me your ransom.” He [the Imam] said, “I have been informed that you recite poetry over al‑Husayn and do so excellently,” he [Ibn ‘Affan] said, “Yes, may Allah make me your ransom.” He said, “Recite”. [Ibn ‘Affan then said,] “So I recited to him, and he, including those around him, cried, [and he cried] till tears were [visible] on his face and beard.”[27]

This [stressing from the Household] continues till the degree where Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (PBUH) interferes with the method of vocalizing elegies, as he asks some reciters to make their reciting delicate and sad, for [it has been narrated] that Abi Haroun al-Makfoof said:

Imam Abu Abdillah (PBUH) said to me, “O Aba Haroun, recite to me about al‑Husayn” . . . I recited to him, and he cried. He [then] said, “Recite to me like you usually do (meaning delicately)” . . . I recited for him:

Come by the tomb of al‑Husayn

And say to his pure bones . . .

He [the Imam] cried, and then he said, “More.” . . . I vocalized the next poem . . . He cried, and I heard the crying from behind the curtain.[28]

Lastly, we will mention the incident of the poet D’ebel Bin Ali al-Khuza’i when he came to Imam Ali Bin Musa al-Ridha (PBUH) in Morou, and many Shiite sources have adduced this incident with different details. Among which is this; when D’ebel came to Imam al-Ridha he said:

“I have composed a poem, and made it upon myself not to recite it to anyone before you,” so he [the Imam] asked him to sit down until the gathering were narrowed, then he said to him, “Bring it.” And so, he recited his poem to him with the beginning:

“Schools of Verses vacant of reciting

The house of the Spirit’s fields are deserted”

Until he finished it, and when he was done, [Imam] al‑Ridha stood up and went into his chamber. Then he sent his servant with a cloth made of silk containing 600 gold coins. He said to his servant, “Tell him, ‘Use this in your travel and excuse us.’” Then D’ebel said to him [the servant], “No, by Allah, this is not what I desired, nor what I traveled for, but tell him, ‘Give me a piece of garment from your garments’ and return these to him,” and al-Ridha (PBUH) returned them [back] to him, saying, “Take it,” and then he sent him a jubbah from his clothes.[29]

Narrations Regarding Weeping over
Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH)

The narrations that stress on the weeping over Imam
al‑Husayn (PBUH) are several and various, and they are narrated in numerous sources. Such as what al-Shaykh Ibn Qawlaweih has narrated in Kamil al-Ziyarat:

Ali Bin al‑Husayn (PBUH) used to say, “Any believer whose eyes became filled with tears over the slaying of al‑Husayn bin Ali, till a tear went down his cheek, will, verily, have Allah accommodate him in chambers in Paradise for ages, because of this tear.”[30]

It has been narrated from Imam Muhammad bin Ali al-Baqir (PBUT) regarding what to do on the day of Ashura:

. . . let him [the Muslim] wail over al‑Husayn (PBUH), and weep, and enjoin whoever is in his house to weep, and to commemorate his [the Imam’s] tragedy in his house by expressing grief for what happened to him, and to meet others with weeping over the tragedy of al‑Husayn (PBUH) . . . [31]

Imam Jafar Bin Muhammad al-Sadiq (PBUT) said:

Every grief and weeping is disliked, except the grief and weeping over al‑Husayn (PBUH).[32]

Imam Ali Bin Musa al-Ridha (PBUT) said:

The day of al‑Husayn has made our eyelids sore, and our eyes hang down [from the weeping], and it has made our revered one dishonored in Karbala and made us inherit agony and calamity till the Day of Perish. Verily, let the weepers weep over al‑Husayn, for the weeping over him diminishes the great sins.[33]

He (PBUH) also said, while talking to one of his companions, al-Rayyan Bin Shabib, when Bin Shabib came to him at the first of Muharram:

O Bin Shabib, if you were to weep over something, then weep over al‑Husayn Bin Ali Bin Abi Taleb, for he was slayed like a sheep is slain. And 18 men of his household, with none like them, were slayed with him . . . O Bin Shabib, if it pleases you to live in the built chambers in Paradise with the Prophet (PBUH&HF) then curse the killers of al‑Husayn. O Bin Shabib, if it pleases you to gain a reward, such as the reward of those martyred with al‑Husayn Bin Ali (PBUH), then say whenever you mention him, “O, I wish I were with you so that I could gain a great victory.”[34]

As a result of the blessings of these illuminating instructions and advice from the Household (PBUT), a blessed phenomenon was born amid the society of the followers of the Household, the phenomenon of the gatherings and establishment of mourning ceremonies. These gatherings and mourning ceremonies sought to commemorate the virtues of the Messenger and his Household, and their suffered injustice, particularly, that which occurred to al‑Husayn (PBUH) and his household on Ashura. They also study the religious matters, accompanied by preaching and guiding and urging the Muslims to hold on to the Islamic teachings. Usually, the task of administrating these mourning ceremonies and the conveying of the religious content is conducted by a person with scientific, ethical, and particular artistical qualities. Subsequently, these Husayni mourning ceremonies have become among the distinct signs of the followers of the Household (PBUT), and by the ceremonies’ grace, Shiites have become conscious individuals, attached closely to their religion, sect, and religious leadership.

Preface

The word, the speech, and the saying. They all enjoy an exceptional status in Islam, which ascribed them with significant importance, and designated them with important oversight and responsibilities, since they can be the manifestation of good or evil, depending on the speaker or writer’s usage. If he proselytizes good and virtuousness – they are good, if he proselytizes evil and depravity – they are evil. Because of these terms’ great significance in Islam, Allah, glorified and sublime be He, appointed a watcher and an overseer for the uttered words, as He said in His verse, exalted is He:

Not a word does he utter, but there is a watcher by him, ready.[35]

Speaking, is an operation of connecting contents of the human mind with voices produced by the phonation and content from conventional denotations from the social environment where this operation is conducted. Speaking, and oral communication are the foundation of languages.

Furthermore, the word holds an important and tremendous role in preaching and counseling, and it is the core constituent in the media and promulgation since it is the most important apparatus to express the propositions of the enlightened mind and to spread the eminent principles and creative thoughts. Rather, the word is considered the most outstanding axis, and the active fortified support, relied upon by the different and varied media, despite their development, change of platforms, numerous tools, and capacity.

Moreover, the word – and the varied use of speaking – has an outstanding effect, for it is an active incentive factor in agitating and absorbing the senses and emotions, and articulating what lies inside the heart, mind, and thought. As Imam al-Sadeq (PBUH) described speaking:

The demonstration of what is inside one’s heart of purity and dirtiness, knowledge and ignorance.[36]

It is an operation of connecting contents of the human thoughts by voices produced by the phonation, and connecting conventional denotations in the social environment where this operation is conducted. Writing, however, is used to depict the uttered in a planned manner, i.e., it distinguishes the pronounced.[37]

The written or heard word is, therefore, the core element in the media domain, surrounded by different media platforms.
It is the channel of connection and understanding between the author of the message or the media worker, and the people and recipients. Therefore, the delivered word, or the presented message, must be faultless in its formation, containing strong meaning and solid indication, with an author believing and standing by what he presents.

Likewise, the author must boast a correct methodology, and great presentation and convincing skills. He must possess high qualifications in the use of reasoning and argumentation, remote from deceiving, lying, stalling, and empty sophistries, which are swiftly discovered by the truth and uncovered by time, subsequently resulting in the author being exposed among people, hence lose their trust. He will lose their high regard for him. In the end, nothing [coming] from him will be trusted, nor accepted. His repute among them will be lost, and his credibility will tremble, regardless if the author is a person, such as a speaker or media worker, or a media, such as the paper or satellite channel, etc.

The audible or readable media are a religious, ethical, societal, political, educational, and edificational responsibility we must regard and protect to the best of our ability, in preparation for the establishment of the proper society and the advancement of its members.

The multiplying and diversity of the media, the spreading and development of the communication tools, in addition to the easy accessibility of these, particularly, in the last two decades, have made this huge world like a little village transmitting information between its parts about an event, when it occurs, and from its source. The masses interact with the event when it has just transpired at utmost speed.

Moreover, everyone has become a recipient entangled with what the media delivers and broadcast of information, documents, events, incidents, news, and pictures. For the modern media has become the close companion and dear friend of the society, family, and individual, regardless of their intellectual and theological classes and levels.

Whether we like it or not, one of these new media must have entered our home, disputed some of our qualities, and enforced upon us its will in general. Subsequently, we have left the pillars of our culture, qualities, and environment behind it, and we might even have turned the back of the shield[38] toward them, as a result of the media’s influence, convincing, innovation, creativity, liberty, and liberality.

What is the understanding of the media then? What are the most known media tools and instruments? What are their most important purposes, objectives, and constituents? What are the characteristics and qualities of the Islamic media? What is the jurisprudential view of the media from the Islamic perspective? What is the role of the Husayni Dais, and its media effect in the Islamic society as a sample?

The presentation of this research will be based on conciseness and articulacy, as this research is regarded an entrance to a wider study of the media’s jurisprudence from the Islamic perspective.

The Media

The media work is based on a sort of intercommunication to notify the other part of a certain idea. The methods and setups of the contact and communication vary. They might appear in several forms, such as the dais oration, cultivating seminars, debate circles, printing of writings, books, and novels, publishing of magazines and papers. In addition to voice and video messages, as radio and TV, satellite channels, and the dramatic art’s platforms such as the acting in theaters and cinemas, fine art galleries, and several other renewable methods, platforms, and forms, known as the media.

Therefore, every instrument which transmits opinion, thoughts, and views of the people is, in reality, a media. It is the channel or the link the opinion uses to cross over to people. Usually with a word or saying as the basis.

Thus, media are a group of instruments and tools by which an author expresses his opinions and thoughts, and transmits his views and knowledge – the message’s content and essence – to the recipients or listeners, directly or indirectly, by its different types and methods, such as the radio, television, theatre, the read press, conferences, or the dais, etc.

The idea is the media work’s basis, and it might be a political, religious, societal, economical one. The idea must be clear and understandable, truly able to create impact and receptiveness, and instigate the desired conduct from the recipient, while being able to serve his interests. The recipient must need this idea while the idea must be congruent with the general good.[39]

Constituents of the Media Work

The constituents and basis of the media work rely upon four basic firm components – all indispensable – to complete the media picture and the desired objective:

The First Component: The media worker, or the author of the media message.

The Second Component: The listener, the recipient, and the addressee, as individuals or a group.

The Third Component: The message or the represented content, of thoughts, culture, information, news, etc., to the listener, the recipient, and the addressee.

The Fourth Component: The media instrument or platform, which is the intermediary between the media worker and the recipient, regardless of it being the dais, the paper, the radio, or the satellite channel, etc.

The message of media, is a divine, ethical, and educational one, similar to the message of the prophets, guardians, and scholars, if not a completion of them.

Therefore, the media message must be established upon high content, sound thoughts, and noble objectives in what serves the nation and its members, remote from misleading, deceit, and evasion, and intellectual, ethical, and theological corruption. This is the main purpose which the media message is shaped for, and this is the conduct of the adherent media worker.

Islamic Media

The Islamic media is a constructive apostolic proselytizing media and a method to influence the masses and the general opinion regarding religious beliefs. It is greater than merely being an operation of informing or a media, due to the assuming of an existing, or possible, relation of loyalty [among the parts]. Islamic Media is not advertising, as it rejects any means of alteration or distortion.[40]

In the Holy Qur’an, the Islamic media are named, “Tabligh” (proclamation), or “Balagh” (announcement). It is the operation of conveying the heavenly realities and guidance to the people, without lying, alteration, or falsification. It is the mission of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF), the prophets, and the guardians, as [noted] in Allah’s words, exalted is He:

And the duty of the Messenger is only to convey (the Message) plainly.[41]

But if they turn away – We did not send you as a guardian over them. Your only duty is to convey (the Message).[42]

O Messenger, convey what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message. Allah will protect you from mankind. Verily, Allah does not guide disbelieving people.[43]

Hence, the Islamic media is an operation of conveying information and realities in an Islamic manner to the recipient. It is characterized by being a media with high ethical principles, an exquisite code of conduct, and noble valued premises, derived from the teachings of the true Islamic religion and inspired from the line of conduct of the honored Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF) and his pure Household (PBUT).

It must be a clear media – not deranged – but frank without any indistinctness. It must also be transparent and without any abstruseness. Modest in method and presentation, with the proper means and ways, and with honorable intentions and goals, characterized by righteousness being its objective, while its words must be the truth.

The Islamic Media does not become deviated, nor does it deviate others, nor follow the crooked nor despicable ways in presentation and articulation. It does not use allurement, deceit, or lies. Rather, its method is ascertainment, scrutiny, and clarity, and steadiness, born from the truth of Islam and the Muslim’s belief. It is based upon investigating the science fields and gaining certainty, and avoiding the fields of assumption, delusion, misgrounded conceit, and doubt.

Allah, exalted is He, said:

And do not occupy yourself with what you have no knowledge of. The hearing, and the sight, and the hearts – all these will be questioned.[44]

The Islamic media’s approach is accompanied by gentleness and wisdom, and proper guidance when proselytizing the way of the true religion, like the Maker has ordered His honored Messenger (PBUH&HF), and He, glorified and sublime be He, said:

Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good advice, and debate with them in the most dignified manner.[45]

Then Allah, blessed and exalted is He, praised the Messenger for his method of treatment with people and his way of proselytizing when spreading the Islamic message when, He said, glorified and sublime is He:

It is by the grace of Allah that you were gentle with them. Had you been harsh, hardhearted, they would have dispersed from around you.[46]

Just like when He ordered Musa and Haroun (PBUT), when He sent them to Pharaoh, and said to them:

Go to Pharaoh. He has tyrannized. But speak to him nicely. Perhaps he will remember, or have some fear.[47]

This method and technique of proselytizing and presenting, inaugurates the spirit of affection and brotherhood in the Islamic Society, and plants friendliness and love between its members, regardless of their different layers and sects, in adherence to His saying exalted is He:

And hold fast to the rope of Allah, altogether, and do not become divided.[48]

The Islamic media rely upon every single media available in the Islamic and human society, from the readable, audible, or visual media, to seminars, programs, and conferences, with firm, guided and purposeful offers and presentations.

The honored Prophet (PBUH&HF) had his instruments – as history tells us – in promulgating and transmitting the message to us. Thus, you will notice that he used to invite people to Islam through sort of seminars or conferences – if we can say so – as when he gathered and invited his tribe and family to announce his prophethood, in accordance with the words of Allah.

Exalted is He, said:

And invite your close clan.[49]

At times he would benefit from the public gatherings and seasons, such as the Hajj and ‘Umra pilgrimage, and the trade seasons, to speak to people and present the new religion, and articulate its rules, traditions, and legislation.

He (PBUH&HF) would also benefit from the dais of poetry and the poets to defend Islam and safeguard the honor of the Muslims, and that type of dais was an active instrument in the society back then.

Likewise, he made the speeches in the prayer gatherings, and the speeches of the Friday and Eid prayer and other prayers, into important media tools, which he employed in spreading the teachings of the new religion, fastening its belief, and spreading its concepts and principles among the Muslims. This was also the case for other instruments in that era.

The Islamic Media - The Most Important Instrument of Enjoining the Right and Forbidding the Wrong

Every media affair and instrument is encompassed by the law of enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, with its conditions and rulings. Everything that is good, of uttering or proper conduct, in the human society is the spirit and continuity of this law.

To conduct the responsibilities of the purposeful Islamic media, and present the Islamic thinking’s illuminated contours, and defend the pure religion and its devoted men from misgrounded conceit and falsehoods, and expose false rumors created against the Islamic society and its members, and articulate and spread the pure realities, and articulate the real news from their sources, are all considered from the basic Kifa’i[50] duties. These conducts are the firm religious abutments in the Islamic religion, with His words, exalted is He, as evidence:

And let there be among you a community calling to virtue, and advocating righteousness, and deterring from evil. These are the successful.[51]

Also, His words, Exalted is He:

You are the best nation that ever emerged for humanity: you enjoin the right, and forbid the wrong, and believe in Allah.[52]

We witness in the above that Allah is praising the nation with being better than other nations when they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, as He praised them for their belief in Him, glorified and sublime be He. If this were to indicate anything, it would indicate the obligation of enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong.

Allah, glorified and sublime be He, also emphasizes and orders this law in Luqman the Wise’s advice to his son, where He conveyed through Luqman:

O my dear son! Establish worship and enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and persevere whatever may befall thee. Lo! That is of the steadfast heart of things.[53]

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) has also said:

People will still be fine for as long as they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, help ye one another unto righteousness and pious duty. They will be deprived of blessings if they do not do so, and they will be empowered over each other, and they will not have any aide in the earth nor the heaven.[54]

It has been narrated that Imam al-Baqer (PBUH) said:

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said, “Who asks for the acceptance of people with what discontent Allah, will have his extoller among people turned into his criticizer. And who gives preference to the obedience of Allah, glorified and sublime be He, with what angers people, will have Allah, glorified and sublime be He, keeping him away from the enmity of every enemy, and the envy of every envier, and the aggression of every aggressor, and Allah glorified, and sublime be He, will be his aide and supporter.”[55]

Jaber also narrates from Imam al-Baqer (PBUH) that he said:

In the last age, there will be a people following a dissembling people. They study and perform asceticism, foolish novices. They do not obligate enjoining the right nor forbidding the wrong, only if they were to become certain not to be afflicted damage. They demand [people] to understand them[56]and they use excuses. They track the slipups and mistakes of scholars. They embark upon the prayers and fasting and everything that does not harm themselves, nor their money, and if the prayer were to harm what they do with their money and bodies, they would reject it. Just like they rejected the loftiest and noblest of duties – enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, a great duty that inaugurates [the other] duties – at that [stage] Allah’s wrath will be carried out upon them. He will encompass them with His punishment. Hence the righteous will perish in the land of the wicked, and the small in the land of the large. Enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong is the path of the prophets and the method of the righteous people. A powerful duty that inaugurates [the rest of] the duties, it safeguards the sect, legitimizes earnings, repays injustices, builds societies, takes vengeance on the enemies, and corrects state of affair. Therefore, reject in your hearts, utter with your tongues, and throw it at their [i.e., the wrongdoers] faces, and do not fear the blame of the blamers for the sake of Allah. There would be no hindrance if they were to draw lessons and return to righteousness. Rather, hindrances will be for those who wrong people, and wrongfully commit violations in the earth, and painful punishment is prescribed for them. Combat them at that [stage] with your bodies, and loathe them in your hearts, without demanding authority, nor wishing for money, nor wanting triumph by injustice, until they return to the command of Allah and set about in obeying him.^{^[57]}

It has been narrated from Imam al-Sadeq (PBUH) that he said:

Enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, are two creations of Allah. Whoever adheres to them, will be treasured by Allah, and whoever forsake them, will be forsaken by Allah the Exalted.[58]

The religious obligation upon the people of Islam is to hold onto the duty of enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, at every situation and time, depending on the individual’s abilities, and with the condition of it being beneficial.

Islamic media, promulgation, proselytizing, and counseling are thereby among the most outstanding examples of the duty of enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong. The law has no partiality, tolerance, or silence, particularly in forbidding the wrong. Otherwise, the media would have become the dead of the living regardless of it is a person, group, or media, for as the Commander of the Faithful said:

Whoever abandons forbidding the wrong, by his heart, hands, and tongue, is the dead of the living.[59]

Thus, some words might elevate someone to the status of the prophets and reformers through its pure proselytizing and noble words, or contrarily, it might drop one into the abyss of the corrupters and deviators, if one were to forsake the true word and stray from the right path.

Jurisprudence of the Media

After knowing that the prime axis in the media are the speaking or saying, by which one addresses people’s intellects and hearts, and by, and through which the message of the media worker, preacher, or proselytizer, regardless of it being heard or written, reaches people; it is upon us to know the viewpoint of the Islamic Law to the media, also defined as the Jurisprudence of Media.

The Jurisprudence of Media is the tool to understand the law’s position from an Islamic viewpoint. This understanding happens through the evidence and the sayings of the Islamic law and [the articulacy] of its purposes and objectives inside the Islamic rulings’ frame, in addition to the essence of its speeches and method of articulacy within its legal objectives defined by the holy law.

Islam has dedicated great importance to the media and emphasized the importance of benefiting from it in spreading the Islamic proselytizing, broadcasting its principles, and teaching its rulings. That is due to the evident role conducted by media in affecting people, molding their intellect and thoughts, building their cultures and directing it in an adequate direction, spreading awareness about the desired objectives with noble standards and principles.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) would benefit from any available tool to proselytize and preach. He would choose any paved road to spread and announce his message, in different ways and with varied colors, depending on the needs of the current state and situation.

Furthermore, the media must be established upon truth and objective facts and simultaneously be distant from lies, deceits, fact manipulation, and the propagation of deviation, doubt, and destructive ideas. Not to mention the necessity of distancing itself from the corruption of the intellect and ethics by appealing to the urges and emotions, and the spreading of turpitude.

It must also be a media adherent to esteemed manners, noble values, and the Islamic teachings, elevating the society to a status possessing high ethics and conduct, to evoke thoughts and opinions, in harmony with the noble objectives which Islamic Law aims at establishing among people.It must respect the individual and sanctify the intellect, and address them with the proper logic.

Jurisprudence of Media in the Dear Book

The primary evidence, used from the Holy Quran to understand the Islamic Law’s stance on the jurisprudence of media, while simultaneously defining its way and method, is in my opinion Allah’s words, exalted is He:

. . . and speak with beauty [i.e., kindly] to mankind . . .[60]

Beauty is the antonym of ugliness, i.e., everything which violates the Islamic Law, the intellect, modesty, traditions, good ethics, and good habits in the society. While, ugliness is every invitation to the deviation, and decadence of the proper conduct and right path of the adherent Islamic society.

Therefore, beautiful speaking means any lawful, rational, or traditional action, which leads to a proper saying or conduct, in addition to any utterance, action, or behavior which leads to its adherence and advocating. It also means any lawfully, rationally, and traditionally proselytizing of forbidding wrong and ugliness, in addition to the impelling on evading it, orally, by action, or in behavior, in accordance with the border of the Islamic law and general culture.

Allah, exalted is He, said:

And say, the truth is from your Lord.[61]

I.e., distant from hurting others and exemplary punishment, even if they disobeyed the religion, belief, and sect, rather, [say the truth] with wisdom and fair advice, for the Holy Quran says:

It may be that Allah will ordain love between you and those of them with whom ye are at enmity. Allah is Mighty, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.[62]

This is what the Islamic adherent media are established upon and directed toward so that it creates an aware doctrinal society that is coherent and proper.

Beauty is thereby a comprehensive name, embracing every denotation of beautifulness, as goodness, appropriateness, the enjoinment of the right and prohibition of the wrong, the spread of the religious teachings, a kind tongue, the avoidance of spreading turpitudes, vile deeds, drivels, obscenity, and nosiness, and the advocation of peaceful coexistence between the society’s members.Rather, it is everything that is categorized under the denotation of beauty, and some holy narrations have noted this.

Such as, what Shaykh al-Kulayni narrates from a narrator chain from Jaber Bin Yazid, from Imam al-Baqer (PBUH), regarding Allah’s words in the Holy Quran, glorified and sublime be He, “And speak with beauty [i.e., kindly] to mankind,” the Imam said concerning this:

Say to people the best of what you desire [others] to say about you.[63]

Also, what was narrated in al-Kafi from Muawiyah Bin Ammar, about Imam al-Sadeq (PBUH) regarding Allah’s words, glorified and sublime be He:

“and speak with beauty [i.e., kindly] to mankind,” [the Imam commented:] Speak with beauty, and do not say other than good, until you understand what it is.[64]

Hence, knowing what the media worker enjoins, and understanding what he proselytizes and forbids, are among the most important conditions of enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, as it is among the constituents of the proclamative media work.

The beautiful saying is everything from enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, to the teaching of laws, rules, and counseling in order to apprehend the benefits of the world and the hereafter. All this is encompassed in Imam Jafar al-Sadeq’s word, “and do not say other than good, until you understand what it is.” Since the symptoms and diseases of the tongue are many, talking without consideration was forbidden, and the attendance of the heart was enjoined, i.e., to understand the truth of something first, then utter the pure truth[65].

Shaykh al-Tabarsi said:

Disagreement occurred regarding His saying beauty, so they[66] said, “it is the good, beautiful speaking and high manners, and that which is among what pleases Allah and is loved by Him” – [Narrated] from Ibn Abbas. And they said, “it is enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong” – from Sufyan al-Thawri. Al-Rab’e Bin Anas said, “And speak with beauty to mankind, i.e., [speak with] politeness.”

Jaber narrates from Abi Jafar al-Baqer (PBUH) regarding His saying “And speak with beauty to mankind”: “Say to people the best of what you love to be said to you, for Allah loathe the curser, the swearer, and the slanderer of the believers, the vulgar and user of vulgarities, the importunate imposing asker, and He loves the clement, modest, and self-restraint.”

Disagreement occurred in another aspect, for it was said, “It is general[67]. It is for the believers and the unbelievers, according to what has been narrated from Imam al‑Baqer (PBUH).” It was also said, “It only regards the believer.”

Those who said it was generally disagreed [also], for Ibn Abbas and Qutada said, “It is abrogated with The Verse of the Sword . . . “

The majority said, “It is not abrogated . . . “ As Allah, Exalted is He, said: “Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and fair advice, and reason with them in the better way. Lo! Thy Lord is best aware of him who strayed from His way, and He is best aware of those who go aright.”[68]And He said in another verse, “Do not insult those they call upon besides Allah, lest they insult Allah out of hostility and ignorance.”⁽[69]⁾.[70]

Other holy verses point toward the same sense and indications, like His, Exalted is He, words, “O you who believe! Be conscious of Allah, and speak accurate words,”[71] i.e., accurately.

Shaykh al-Toosi said:

Accurate words means accurate without corruption, pure from the impurities of lies, deception, and drivel.[72]

Shaykh al-Tabarsi said:

And speak accurate words; i.e., in accordance with the Islamic law.[73]

From the holy verses we have His sayings, exalted is He:

. . . and speak to them with kind words.[74]

. . . unless you have something proper to say[75]

I.e., goodness, the seeking of the lawful, beneficence, and [preserving] relations, etc. And Also:

Kind words and forgiveness are better than charity followed by insults. Allah is rich and clement.[76]

Obedience and upright speech. Then, when the matter is settled, being true to Allah would have been better for them.[77]

And who is better in speech than someone who calls to Allah, and acts with integrity, and says, “I am of those who submit?”[78]

They are those whom Allah knows what is in their hearts. So ignore them, and admonish them, and say to them concerning themselves penetrating words.[79]

And such deeds, that Allah has ordained to be the tongue’s work, and it must also have the truth of the saying and articulacy in the promulgation and announcements.

Saying the rightness whatsoever shines through these holy verses as in His saying, exalted is He:

And say, “The truth is from your Lord”[80]

The Master, glorified and sublime be He, has ordered us to say and proselytize the truth. He sent the prophets and messengers to guide people to the truths, and He sent the scripts and heavenly books, to articulate and explain it to the whole world.

Jurisprudence of the Media in the Holy Traditions

It has been mentioned to you that among the most outstanding examples of enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, are the Islamic media, promulgation, proselytizing, and counseling with all their truthful, purposeful, realistic forms, expressions, and pictures born from the spirit of the Islamic religion, planting virtue among the society’s members in a firm and solemn way.

It is possible to bring forth a large group of narrations as evidence in this subject as these narrations can be implemented in understanding the Islamic law’s stance from the Islamic outlook in the jurisprudence of media. However, since we do not have the domain to enumerate several narrations, and since we see that the most suitable narration to articulate this, is the advisory of Imam Jafar al-Sadeq (PBUH), where he advises his Shiites and lovers. Suleiman Bin Mehran narrates:

I came to Imam al-Sadeq, Jafar Bin Muhammad (PBUT), and a company of his Shiites was present, and I heard him saying, “O assembly of Shiites, be adornments[81] for us, and do not become [a cause of] disgrace for us. Speak beauty to people, and guard your tongues, and abstain it from nosiness, and ill-speaking.”[82]

The meaning of his saying (PBUH), “Be [like] adornment for us, and do not become [a cause of] disgrace for us,” is; be people of piousness and devoutness and good deeds, so that you become like ornaments for us, for the beauty of the characteristics of a man’s followers is an ornament for him. As people will praise him for the good disciplining of his companions, contrary to if these companions were impious. In this case, they would become the reason behind people defaming their leader, and they will become a disgrace and would shame him.

The main purpose in this matter is to heed Taqqiya[83] and decent coexistence with the dissenters. Such that the lack of these qualities do not become a reason for people to detest their Imams, and talk ill about them. As noted in the context of what follows [in the advisory], “speak beauty to people” and the [former] holy verse – whose essence and indications we articulated before – is embodied here.

Then al-Majlisi said:

The main purpose here [in the narration] is to use proper language with the dissenters, out of caution, and that is also the case with guard your tongues, i.e., protect them from what infracts caution, and with nosiness, superfluous and redundant talk is [meant].[84]

And ill-speaking is; everything that refutes the Islamic law, intellect, traditions, customs, proper manner, and good habits in the society. Rather, it is every invitation to decay and deviate from the proper conduct, and the right path in the adherent Islamic society, and every invitation to shred its unity, peaceful coexistence, and the settlement of its members.

The adherent media worker, or the apostolic promulgator, must avoid the rough, rude and ugly expressions which would incite what’s inherent in the souls, and incite the interior of the heart, and inflame emotions and feelings, stirring it toward the circle of ignorance and partisanship. For the first steps, and missteps, of the tongue, are many, and therefore the Imam (PBUH) forbade speaking without thinking, being aware, and without the attendance of the heart, in order for one to be able to evaluate and understand the reality of something and speak the right and truth.

Musa Bin Ismail son of Imam Musa Bin Jafar narrates from his father, and his father narrates from his grandfathers (PBUT):

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said, “May Allah have mercy upon the servant who uttered goodness thus was rewarded or was silent[85] toward the wrong [conducted against him].”[86]

Al-Fakher al-Razi said:

The researchers said, “The talk of people with people; is either about religious matters or worldly matters. If about religious matters; it is either about proselytizing belief – and this talk is with the non-believers – or proselytizing obedience – this talk is with the impious ones. However, proselytizing belief must be with a proper language, as Exalted is He, said to Musa and Haroun, “But speak to him mildly; perchance he may take warning or fear.”[87]

Allah, Exalted is He, ordered them to be lenient with Pharaoh regardless of their sublimity, and Pharaoh’s end with non-believing, disobedience, and tyranny toward Allah, Exalted is He, and He said to Muhammad, “Had you been harsh, hardhearted, they would have dispersed from around you.”[88]

In proselytizing the impious ones, proper language is effective. Exalted is He said, “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good advice and debate with them in the most dignified manner.”[89] And He said, “Repel evil with good, and the person who was your enemy becomes like an intimate friend.”[90]

Nonetheless, in the worldly matters, it is known out of necessity, that if it were possible to reach the objective with kindness, then nothing else would be preferred.

Thus, it has been proven that all the ethics of the religion and the world are embodied in, His, Exalted is He, saying, “speak beauty to people.”[91]

Jurisprudence of Media,
the Consensus Rule, and the Intellect

All Muslims – regardless of their different sects and groups – would not disagree on, enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, being regarded consensually obligatory by all Muslims, in addition to what previously was presented from the Holy Book, and the purified prophetic tradition. Furthermore, this consensus is established among all Muslims.

The media – its content and essence – are among the most important tools for enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, as previously mentioned, as it is characterized as a media of virtue, not vice, a media of truth and awareness, not deceit and ignorance, a media incorporated with the language of the Holy Quran, and embraced by its clear understandings. A media supported by the guidance of the purified established prophetic traditions and their indications in different directions, in addition to enjoying the Muslims consensus.

Rather, the heavenly laws consented to spread knowledge, virtue, and brotherhood among the general population of the society, despite the different and various media.

I would not be exaggerating if I were to say: the entire proper human society unanimously agreed to this, as it sees fit that the adherent media must sway this direction and walk this path in spreading the act of enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, at full thrust.

The adherent media must do so while being remote from the misleading one, which uses Machiavelli’s philosophy, “the end justifies the means”, as a slogan in their thinking, approach, presentation and method in order for it to mislead and become misled, distort and become distorted. To spread the spirit of disunion and call others non-believers among the Muslims. To plant hatred and enmity, and to spill blood among the sons of the nation, for the human, is revered and esteemed by Allah, glorified and sublime be He.

Likewise, must he become revered and respected in the human society, and if its members are not related by belief and religion, then [at least] they are created like each other, revered by Allah, Exalted is He.

The Commander of the Faithful, Ali (PBUH) said to Malik al-Ashtar in his covenant to him, when he sent him as a governor of Egypt:

Let your heart feel mercy, love, and kindness for the citizens. Do not become a carnivorous animal, seizing [the opportunity] to devour them, for they are of two types; either a brother for you in the religion or an equal in creation.[92]

The intellect makes enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, obligatory by it itself and needless of the command of the Islamic holy law, and such is the case for media.[93]

However, the wise one, the intellectuals, and the exalted people, in addition to the people of the Islamic Law and the religion would all distance themselves from – and the proper intellect would despise – what is being broadcasted on different, international, regional, and local media. From the spreading of lies, alteration of truth, falsification of events, advocating of vice and vile deeds with all their prologues and necessities, to the presentation of corrupted and deviated thoughts, through their dark media in different pictures with beautiful, stunning forms, attractive shining colors, and by the use of high-class techniques.

For these matters erupt from the devil and his sons’ inventions, with their different forms and names as the international Freemasonry and Zionist movements, and the arrogant countries and colonists, etc. These entities seek to control the resources and determination of the nations and to incapacitate their ambition and hopes, by controlling the aspects of their lives and constants of their thinking to manipulate their minds and view of their reality. They do so, with planning and perspectives from a completely contrary reality through these deviating media, and under exquisite and catching terms, like modernity, advancement, liberation, liberty, and globalization. Such headings that are like a fata morgana amid the reality, and which are only practiced partially, similarly to the newest fashion, and the change of forms and appearances.

That is the manifestation of the holy verse:

In order to make the devil’s suggestions a trial for those whose hearts are diseased, and those whose hearts are hardened. The wrongdoers are in profound discord.[94]

Then the addressing is directed to the believers in His saying, Exalted is He:

O you who believe! Do not follow the Devil’s footsteps. Whoever follows the Devil’s footsteps enjoins obscenity, and the wrong. Were it not for Allah’s grace toward you, and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever. But Allah purifies whomever He wills. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.[95]

The Husayni Dais as a Sample

The Husayni dais is an Islamic media effectual in counseling, proselytizing, and promulgation, and also influential among the members of the human society in general and the Islamic society in particular. Although the Husayni dais, actually, was dedicated to presenting the uprising of Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH) while articulating its objectives, and elaborating its reasons and most significant purposes, accompanied with the demonstration of the injustice Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH) suffered, in an emotional manner. In addition to the articulation of what occurred to him of oppression, slaying and exemplary punishment, and inhumane and unethical oppression at the hands of the Umayyad’s and their followers, and what occurred to his family and companions in the Battle of al-Taff on the 10^th of the inviolable Muharram, year 61. AH, which would embarrass the humanity, in addition to Arabism and Islam.

The emotional method is the method that the Imams of the Household (PBUT) adopted when commemorating the sorrowful incident of al-Taff and the occurrences of tragedies and calamities for the Master of the Martyrs, Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH), because the receptiveness of the audience usually is more emotional than intellectual.[96]

The emotional agitation and the mobilization of it, is a way of comprehending and studying the message of Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH) and absorb its objectives and gist.

That is due to the message of Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH), being the message of his grandfather al-Mustafa (PBUH&HF), and its objectives, the objectives of Islam, and his path, the path of his grandfather (PBUH&HF) in faith and human reforming, establishing, and perfecting. The Imam’s message is an example of his grandfather’s saying (PBUH&HF):

Husayn is from me, and I am from Husayn.[97]

For indeed, the message of the Husayni dais is the message of Islam, and its method is proselytizing belief, human perfecting, and reforming. hence, the message of the Husayni orator must be the message of Islam, and its objective the exact objectives of Islam, and its essence the essence of al‑Husayn’s message and proselytizing.

Just as al‑Husayn was representing the Messenger of Allah’s (PBUH&HF) proselytizing and method – which represents the laws of Allah, glorified and sublime be He, on His earth – the Husayni orator is supposed to represent al‑Husayn’s (PBUH) proselytizing, uprising and objectives on his dais.

Objectives of al‑Husayn’s (PBUH) Uprising
and its Slogan

Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH) did not conduct his uprising for worldly purposes or contemporary interests, nor for the demand of governance, money, or esteem, for He (PBUH) owned the means to all that. He possessed their origins and springs, and while everybody needs these [worldly matters], he renounced them all, out of honor, knowledge, devotion, faith, adequacy, generosity, braveness, clemency, humbleness, asceticism, and gallantry.

Rather, his uprising was a manifestation of the Messenger’s ardor to not lose the message, and the fear of the guardian to neglect the bequest, and the concern of the believer to preserve the honor of the religion. Therefore, he (PBUH) said on his way to Karbala:

This world has changed and has become masked. Its good has gone back, and nothing is left, only remnants like the leftovers in the plate, and a despicable life resembling the cattle’s [effort] in grazing in a bad field. Do you not see that righteousness is not complied with, and that wrong is not being prevented[?] Let the believer wish to meet Allah while being righteous, for I do not consider death other than happiness, and living with the oppressors as discontent.[98]

Then he raised his slogan when he opposed the oppressors and hypocrites who had used the religion as a cover to hide their atrocities, corruption, and crimes.

He announced his uprising’s goals and said (PBUH):

I have not revolted while being false, nor ungrateful, nor corrupt, nor oppressing. Rather, I revolted to demand reformation in the nation of my grandfather (PBUH&HF). I want to enjoin the good and forbid the wrong, and walk on the path of my grandfather, and father, Ali Bin Abi Taleb (PBUH). Those who accepted me for the acceptance of righteousness, [know;] Allah is more entitled to righteousness[99], and who retorts this from me, I will have patience until Allah judges with righteousness between the people and me, and He is the best of judges.[100]

The Goals of the Husayni Dais

Imam Zayn al-Abedin (PBUH) has announced the goals of the Husayni dais, when he stood in front of the tyrant Yazid and said to him:

O Yazid, allow me to ascent these ladders to speak words of Allah which have the satisfaction [of Allah in them] and reward and remuneration to this gathering.[101]

These were the noble objectives of the dais and the grand values and high examples which are being presented on it.

By raising the great Husayni slogan, the Husayni dais has deprived the rulers and tyrants of their sleep, and bewildered the hypocrites and enemies of the family of Muhammad, and perplexed the missionaries and orientalists.

Furthermore, the dais built a loyal, sincere society, implanted the true Muhammadan belief in it, outlined the paths of sacrifice and loyalty for them, and raised the banner of freedom and refusal of injustice amongst them.

The Husayni Dais – An Effective Media

The Husayni orator is the media worker adherent to Imam al‑Husayn’s (PBUH) uprising’s objectives, holding on to its slogan, path, and course. His dais is the only lively, and live media, the media worker – or the Husayni orator – communicates through, in presenting his objectives and essence to the recipients and listeners in the society.

Moreover, lively interaction and conscientious association are created between the Husayni orator on one side, and the members of the society and its different classes on the other side. This result in the deepening of the intellectual coherence, the cultural harmony, and the educational liaison.

The Husayni dais represents a comprehensive school of thought, education, and culture, with the essence of its message open to all the religious, historical, literary, scientific, societal, managerial sciences and other sciences also. It articulates the school of thought's relation to the life of the nation, its role in establishing and perfecting the Islamic society, its deep correlation to the leaders of the nation, and the strength of the adhering to their message conducted on the dais with sincerity in presentation and essence.

Therefore, the Husayni orator has a grave Islamic legal responsibility, and a great ethical message, one that he must feel the grandeur and significance of before he ascends the dais, and he must be at a level that qualifies him to elevate, and to prepare for spiritual perfecting and awareness building.

This responsibility forces the Husayni orator to bring forth his dais-tools, and literary potential in method, essence, and execution, before ascending the dais. The most important amid them, is sincerity, and pure intentions and objectives, for orating is a divine aptitude bestowed by Allah to the prophets, the guardians, the reformers, the wise, and the apostolic ones.

Also, he must be capable and knowledgeable in the subject he presents on the dais, packed with confidence in the method, administration, and management of the aspects in front of the masses so that he wins and captivates the hearts, in addition to the minds.

The Husayni Orator
– Between the Internal and External Media

The responsibility of the Husayni orator was made greater and more pivotal since the Husayni dais was the active media and the channel between the Husayni orator and the members of the society. All made possible due to the expansion and spreading of this channel, and the world’s following and inclination toward it, regardless of their different religions and sects, orientations and propensities thanks to the spreading of satellite channels and the internet, and the easiness of acquiring and connecting to it. In addition to the adherence of some satellite channels to broadcast the Husayni dais’ lectures and commemoration ceremonies of different orators from various countries and places.

These factors made the Husayni orators’ mission larger and more critical in spreading the message of the Imam (PBUH), and the thoughts of the Household (PBUT), than the past eras because the external open media differs from the internal enclosed media. In the latter, the areas commemorating the Husayni ceremonies were not many and only existed among a limited intellectual and cultural layer in defined countries with similar theological mindset. In addition, that which were orated to the attendees would usually not be spread outside thegatherings or the countries where these commemoration ceremonies were held.

This would allow the orator to present unusual narrations, and contributed with some allowance when debating subjects concerning others belief, without limitations or curtailment, in accordance with the nature of the attendees, and the culture where the commemorations were held.

Today, however – with the spread of the commemoration ceremonies and lectures in different countries, and the broadcast through the ether to several satellite channels – the followers among the listeners and viewers represents a variety of cultures and intellectual and theological orientations, and different religions and sects, both heavenly and man-made ones. Thus, the responsibility upon the Husayni orator increased and was amplified, and his relation to the audiences enlarged, with their different cultures and intellectual understandings.

Therefore, the presentation and content on the dais must differ from previous times where the attendance, culture, and country were limited. The method of the orators must be in accordance to what were narrated by Abi al-Silt Abdel-Salam Bin Saleh al-Harawi:

I heard Abi al-Hassan Ali Bin Mousa al-Ridha (PBUH) say, “May Allah have mercy upon the servant who relieves our cause”, so I said to him, “How does he relive your cause?” He said, “He studies our knowledge and teaches it to people, for if people were to know the advantages of our words, they would follow us.”[102]

Being an adherent to the knowledge of the Household (PBUT), and drinking from their luminous fount, while delivering the advantages of their words and knowledge to all people – although all the Household’s words are advantageous – with wisdom and fair advice in method and presentation, with scientific evidence, proof, and argument, all provides great assistance when addressing the minds. It is the most appropriate way to reach the hearts of all people, and the key to disseminating the thoughts of the Household (PBUT) to all the other cultures and different sects. Subsequently, their method will become the source, their words will be firm, and their knowledge will be established in the mind, in preparation to follow them, being adherent to their method, and accept their guiding, distant from slandering and cursing, and entering into presentation-sensitive matters.

The Imams of the Household (PBUT) spurned against this in their conduct and behavior with all society’s members and different social classes, religious and theological sects, various cultures and orientations, in a matter that achieves peaceful
co-existence amid all Muslims in general, and the members of one society in particular. This is the firm behavior conducted by the Household (PBUT), in accordance with the behavior of their grandfather al-Mustafa (PBUH&HF) that Allah has praised in the Holy Quran:

It is by the grace of Allah that you were gentle with them. Had you been harsh, hardhearted, they would have dispersed from around you.[103]

And you are of a great moral character . . .[104]

And who is better in speech than someone who calls to Allah, and acts with integrity, and says, “I am of those who submit?” Good and evil are not equal. Repel evil with good, and the person who was your enemy becomes like a close friend.[105]

It has also been narrated by the Commander of the Faithful (PBUH):

I hate for you to become cussers, but if you were to describe their deeds, and mention their states, that would be more proper . . . [106]

Describing actions and revealing their states, are stronger and more articulate as arguments and evidence, and firmer as proofs, and that is what the wise believer strives for, the fair-minded intellectual searches for, and what the seeker of truth with integrity enquires. Not like those who follow the desires of the heart and holds onto the (wrong) opinion of the predecessors, in which they were mistaken and thereby were misled. Allah, Exalted is He, says in the Holy Quran:

And when it is said to them, “Come to what Allah has revealed, and to the Messenger”, they say, “Sufficient for us is what we found our forefathers upon.” Even if their forefathers knew nothing, and were not guided?[107]

In this regard, Imam al-Sadeq (PBUH) also narrates:

May Allah have mercy upon a servant who makes us beloved to the people, and not hated by them. Yet, by Allah, if they were to narrate the advantages of our words, they would be appreciated [by people], and no one would be able to remark them.[108]

In another narration the wording is:

Be ornaments for us and do not be [a cause of] disgrace for us. Make us beloved by people, not hated. Attract all amicability toward us, and push everything atrocious away from us.[109]

Allah Exalted is He also said:

Do not insult those they call upon besides Allah, lest they insult Allah out of hostility and ignorance. We made attractive to every community their deeds. Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them of what they used to do.[110]

The subject of insulting Allah, Exalted is He, in the holy verse, refers in reality to the insulting of theHousehold (PBUT):

. . . the insult of them was ascribed to His sanctified self out of glorification and aggrandizement, and the insulting of Allah glorified and sublime be He, is not truly meant here, for no one would insult Him, as some of the narrations noted . . . [111]

Here we have the ethics of the Holy Quran, and the ethics of the Great Prophet (PBUH&HF), and the ethics of his pure Household (PBUH), and this is their advice and guidelines to the believers.

Thereby, the Husayni orator must adhere to this completely, and hold fast onto the good word and sober composed scientific method on the dais, such that the status of those which message he desires to deliver to people [i.e., the Household] becomes elevated, and in a fashion that would make them beloved and treasured. But also in order to strengthen their amicability in people’s hearts, and transmit their knowledge to the entire world, by presenting their thoughts and knowledge, and following their line of conduct and behavior, and by doing so, the orator removes every atrocity their enemies try to attach to them and their method through lies and slander. Remote from the use of cursing and offense, and crossing the borders of appropriate presentation, and the harming of others.

This matter applies to the rest of the media, such as the press, and the publication of books, etc.

Acting in disaccord to this, might afflict harm to them (PBUT), or be a cause for atrocity for them, and might cause people to repulse them, and distance themselves from them, and thereby one would have stained them and disobeyed their orders. We seek refuge in Allah from this.

It has been said to Imam al-Sadeq (PBUH):

O son of the Messenger of Allah, we see a man in the mosque publicly cussing your enemies, and he mentions their names. He said, “What is his matter – may Allah curse him – defaming us like this?! And Allah, Exalted is He, has said ‘Do not insult those they call upon besides Allah, lest they insult Allah out of hostility and ignorance.’”[112]

And in a message from Imam al-Sadeq (PBUH), he wrote to his companions and Shiites:

Be careful to curse the enemies of Allah where they can hear you, thus they will curse Allah out of hostility and ignorance, and you must know how they curse. Those who curse the guardians of Allah have transgressed into cursing Allah, and who is more oppressing in the eyes of Allah, than those who are the cause of cursing Allah and His guardians. Careful, careful! Follow the command of Allah, and there is no power but in Allah.”[113]

Allah, exalted is He, also said:

If you do good, you do so for yourselves; and if you commit evil, you do so against yourselves.[114]

I asseverate, that we today are in more need to adhere to this important matter on the honored dais, and to walk in accordance with its guidance and premise, with the expansion, speed, spread, and variety of media communication channels, to deliver thesciences and knowledge of the Household (PBUT). Their science and knowledge addresses the intellect directly and makes the heart comply in acknowledgment. It is pure, immaculate, and delighted, without flaw or defect to the far corners of the world, and all humanity, thus it enters into their mind and souls without permission, effortless and without struggle and cost.

The Culture of the Husayni Orator
and His Line of Conduct

Moreover, the Husayni orator must possess a great level of belief and devoutness, firmness, wisdom, and awareness, because the apostolic orator is a mirror for others, reflecting their deeds and mistakes. It is upon him to guide them to the correct path and to be cautious not to walk the wrongful line of conduct himself, and to be remote from it. Otherwise, his image will swiftly shatter in front of people, and his status will tremble in the society. Thus, no words would be accepted from him, nor trusted, and his words would become ineffective and worthless for them. Subsequently, their regard for him would decline, and their hearts would reject him.

He must understand that his responsibilities are a part of the responsibilities of the prophets, guardians, and apostolic reformers. Rather, he is an apostolic reformer, an ambassador, and the uttering tongue of Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH). He is the Imam’s sword which he strikes the ignorant, the oppressors, and the apostates with. He must be brave in his presentation, with no fear of anyone, as long as he is right, and must utter the truth, and live up to this revered quality and he must be sincere in enduring this apostolic responsibility.

The apostolic responsibility forces the orator’s speaking to regard that which satisfies Allah, glorified and sublime be He, and brings near His mercy and contentment in everything which benefits the people in their worldly life and the hereafter, and strengthens their belief and their determination. Thus, he must not purchase the satisfaction of the created with the discontentment of the Creator, nor become a tool played with, by the devil, [used to] empty his poison and wickedness with, consequently becoming a corrupter on earth.

Imam al-Baqer (PBUH) said:

Whoever listens to an utterer has worshipped him. If the utterer was working for Allah, glorified and sublime be He, he [i.e., the listener] has worshipped Allah, and if the utterer was working for the devil, he has worshipped the devil.[115]

Accordingly, that which satisfies Allah, Exalted is He, contains reward and remuneration, as it contains the guidance of peoples and what is best for them.

The Husayni orator must possess a certain level of general knowledge, so that he enriches the dais with research and debate, and widens the horizon of the listeners with the ongoing thoughts, views, and theories in the society, regardless of the listeners’ scientificand cultural level. Rather, with what is ongoing in the surrounding world in general, at least.

He must do so by asking and inquiring through research and following-up, in addition to his knowledge and awareness on his society’s culture, and what surrounds it of events, problems and views in all domains.

By doing so he would have enlightened the mind of the listeners and recipients, and clarified the right path in life for them, in a proper way with clear gist, not unfamiliar ones, and evident scientific facts, not hypothesis amid what the hearts and intellects accept, not [what] the temper and self avoids or raises queries and dubiety about.

Furthermore, he must have verified what he transmits on the dais of narrations and information, and must be able to distinguish the true from the false ones, even if he comes upon esteemed, verified and examined books.

His presentation of ideas and views must only occur after he researches and scrutinizes them, and after having traced their origin and source, and then researching and debating the texts with prominent, knowledgeable, and investigating people. As the orator might mingle or muddle without noticing, as a result of presenting every opinion he meets – or meaning he hear, or something he reads from a book – on the dais, without scrutinizing, reviewing or contemplating it. This is the plague of the dais and it causes the demolishing of its constructive role in creating an aware Islamic society.

When on the dias, the orator must avoid narrating personal matters, and own opinions, and what the bias desires. He must not be insolent with people, nor stultify their thoughts and intellects, nor ridicule them for their disagreement with his personal views, e.g.

His presentation must be based on knowledge and reason, not dreams, nor private nor personal imaginations, and he must rely on what the sect consented on and what is well known among them. The orator must also avoid the abnormal opinion and information, which might make the stubborn rejecting and impugning it, the ignorant doubting and halting it, and the educated wondering and abhorring it particularly, those distant from the school of the Household (PBUT). For they are not familiar with their knowledge and science, nor having researched their meaning and denotation with the existing different views of them.

Rather, his presentation must be based upon scientific premises, rational principles, and constants from the Islamic law, where one cannot impugn their preliminaries, nor their results, regardless of the culture of the follower or listener.

He must avoid that the dais becomes a battlefield and a tool for the political and societal battles occurring in the society, for the dais is loftier and more exalted than so.

The purpose of the dais must stay sincere to Allah, glorified and sublime be He, and to what His Messenger al-Mustafa (PBUH&HF) was sent for, and to what the pure Household (PBUT) were boded. Moreover, it must not be used as a tool to corrupt and disturb people, nor to praise the oppressors, nor defend them.

Yet, it is allowed to exploit the people of straying and deviation – those whose deviation in the religion was affirmed and had surfaced for people to witness – to shield the nescient, simple minded people from being influenced by their deviated thoughts and corrupted views or become deceived by them. Also, to articulate the manner of the deviation, dubiousness, and cause of corruption of in the society. Not approaching them with exemplary punishment, insolence, and nullifying only, as this does not solve the problem, nor lift the misgrounded conceit.

It is upon the Husayni orator to believe that ascending the dais, is not a craft nor profession he lives of, with his only concern and purpose being to gain money through it and negotiate as he would in a trade when selling and purchasing an item! Or use the dais to achieve authority or status to satisfy his desire of appearance and fame.

Accordingly, it has been narrated by Imam Zayn Al‑Abedin (PBUH) that he said:

Be careful to preside by using us, thus Allah will take you down, and be careful to live of [using] us, thus Allah will increase your poverty.[116]

Verily, it is an apostolic work, with the mission of building and reforming the nation. It has been strongly attached to the message of the prophets, guardians, and apostolic reformers, who sacrificed everything precious and dear for the sake of the principle and belief, and to reach the lofty objective in spreading apostolic awareness, and promulgate Islamic law and the true divine beliefs.

The Husayni orator possess an apostolic, proselytizing, and purposeful media tool, and a noble, lofty objective – to proselytize the affirm path of Imam al‑Husayn (PBUH), the walk in the direction of the message of his grandfather (PBUH&HF), and the consolidation of Islam’s principles.

Therefore, the Husayni dais is regarded amid the most important effective and influential media tools in the society today. Alive and lively, connecting the knowledgeable awareness, the scientific enlightenment, and the religious depth due to its bestowals of reward and remuneration and investment of time, and for what it creates of social bonding and spiritual establishment amid people, previously and newly, in the present and the future. For the dais still pulsates bestowals and life despite the media and its tools’ development.

The last of our prayers is Praise to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

-2-

THE JURISPRUDENCE OF THE MEDIA

– THE HUSAYNI DAIS AS A SAMPLE

His Eminence Sayyid Mahmoud
al-Muqaddas al-Ghurayfi

[1]We said majority, because the followers of the Ismailis in the African* Subcontinent, known as the Bohras, follow the example of the Twelver Shiites, and conduct such commemorations. While the Zaidi Shiites do not establish this type of commemoration.
* [The author might have meant the Indian Subcontinent, which seems more accurate.]

[2] The days that began after Ashura, i.e., the 11^th Muharram year, HE 61, until the end of the month of Safar, the same year. Subsequently, after the Imam’s killing, his women and children were taken as captives the 11^th of Muharram, from Karbala to Kufa, and then to Damascus, which they reached at the beginning of Safar, the same year, and then they returned to Medina. It is said, that they came by Karbala on their way back, at the 20^th of Safar. See: Al-Tabari, Muhammd Bin Jurayr.Tarikh al-Omam wal Mulook. Vol. 4, p. 354. And; Ibn al-Athir, Ali Bin Abdel‑Wahed. Al-Kamel fil Tarikh. Vol. 4, p. 87. And; Al‑Khawarezmi, al-Muwafaq Bin Ahmad. Maqtal al‑Husayn. Vol. 2, p. 84.

[3] Al-Khawarezmi. Maqtal al‑Husayn. Vol. 1, p. 136. Also: Al-Tabari. Dhakhaer al-‘Uqba. P. 119.

[4] Al-Tabarani. Al-Mu’ejam al-Kabir. Vol. 3, p. 107.

[5] Ibn al-Maghazeli. Manaqeb Ali Bin Abi Taleb. P. 312-313.

[6] [The Followers, “Al-Tabi’oun” in Arabic: The title for those who did not accompany, nor meet the Prophet, but accompanied one of his companions. They came after, i.e., followed the era of the Prophet or were contemporaneous, yet did not meet him.]

[7] Al-Baladhary, Ahmad Bin Yahya Bin Jaber. Ansab al-Ashraf. Vol. 3, p. 206.

[8] Al-Mufeed. Al-Ershad. Vol. 2, p. 124.

[9] Sibt Ibn al-Jouzi, Yousuf Bin Faraghli. Tadhkirat al-Khawass. P. 267. See also: Ibn Hajjar, Ahmad al-Haitami. Al-Sawa’eq al-Muhreqa. P. 296. Also: Ibn al-Athir, Ali Bin Abdel-Wahed. Al-Kamel fil Tarikh. Vol. 4, p. 93.

[10] [Special cane made from reed].

[11] Al-Dinawari, Abu Hanifa. Al-Akhbar al-Tewal. P. 260. See also: Al-Tabari, Muhammad Bin Jurair. Tarikh al-Omam wal Mulook. Vol. 4, p. 349. And: Ibn al‑Athir, Ali Bin Abdel-Wahed. Al-Kamel fil Tarikh. Vol. 4, p. 81. And: Sibt Ibn al-Jouzi, Yousuf Bin Faraghli. Tadhkirat al-Khawass. P. 257. And: Ibn Katheer. Al‑Bidaya wal Nihaya. Vol. 8, p. 207.

[12]Ibn Marjana: A nickname for Ubaidullah Bin Ziyad. He was discredited because of Ziyad’s mother [as his father was conceived illegitimately], in the Age of Jahiliya (the Age of Ignorance).

[13] Sibt Ibn al-Jouzi, Yousuf Bin Faraghli. Tadhkirat al-Khawass. P. 267-268. See also: Al-Baladhary, Ahmad Bin Yahya. Ansab al-Ashraf. Vol. 3, p. 227-228.

[14] Nicholson, Reynold. Tarikh al-Arab al-Adabi fil-Jahiliya wa Sadr al-Islam. P. 329.

[15] Mu’izz al-Dawla: Ahmad bin Buwaih bin Fanakhasro bin Tamam, from the lineage of Sabor Dhil-Aktaf al-Sasani, born year, 303 HE, in Daylam. He had Persian origins, but he became like the Arabs. He gained control over Baghdad year, 334 HE under the caliphate of Al-Mustakfi, and ruled for 22 years then died in Baghdad year 356 HE. Source: Al-Zerkali, Khayr al-Deen. Al-‘Alam. Vol. 1, p. 105.

[16] Ibn al-Athir, Ali Bin Abdel-Wahed. Al-Kamel fil Tarikh. Vol. 8, p. 549.

[17] Al-Ameen, Mohsin. A’ayan al-Shia. Vol. 2, p. 486.

[18] Al-Shehrestani, Hibatuldeen. Nahdhat al‑Husayn. P. 175.

[19] Al-Suyuti, Abdel-Rahman Bin Abi Bakr. Tarikh al-Khulafa’e. P. 432.

[20] Al-Dhahabi, Muhammad Bin Ahmad. Tarikh al-Islam. Vol. 26, p. 11. See also: al‑Dhahabi in his book Al-‘Ibar fi Khabar man Ghabar. Vol. 2, p. 300.

[21] [Great, many.]

[22] Al-Humeiry. Qureb al-Esnad. P. 36.

[23] Al-Sadooq. Al-Amal. P. 131.

[24] Al-Amin, Mohsin. Eqna’a al-La’em ‘Ala Eqamat al-Ma’atem. P. 174.

[25] Ibn Qawlaweih, Jafar Bin Muhammad. Kamil al-Ziyarat. P. 209.

[26] Ibn Qawlaweih, Jafar Bin Muhammad. Kamil al-Ziyarat. P. 211.

[27] Al-Toosi, Muhammad Bin al-Hasan. Ikhtiyar Ma’arefat al-Rijal. Vol. 2, p. 574.

[28] Al-Sadooq, Muhammad Bin Ali. Thawab al-‘Amal. P. 83-84.

[29] Al-Mofid, Muhammad Bin Muhammad. Al-Irshad. Vol. 2, p. 264.

[30] Ibn Qawlaweih, Jafar Bin Muhammad. Kamil al-Ziyarat. P. 201.

[31] Ibid. P. 326.

[32] Al-Toosi, Muhammad Bin al-Hasan. Al-Amali. P. 162.

[33] Al-Sadooq, Muhammad Bin Ali. Al-Amali. P. 190.

[34] Al-Sadooq, Muhammad Bin Ali. ’Uyoun Akhbar al-Ridha. Vol. 1, p. 268-269.

[35] The Holy Quran. Sura Qaf, Verse 18.

[36] Al-Majlisi. Bihar al-Anwar. Vol. 68, p. 285.

[37] See: Dr. Ahmad Zaki Badawi. Mo’ajam Mustalahat al-I‘elam. P. 153.

[38] [Turning the back of the shield toward someone or something: An Arabic metonymy, used to describe someone who used to take good care of someone/something and then ceased to do so.]

[39] See: Dr. Ahmad Zaki Badawi. Mo’ajam Mustalahat al-I’elam. P. 85.

[40] See: Dr. Ahmad Zaki Badawi. Mo’ajam Mustalahat al-I‘elam. P. 130.

[41] The Holy Quran. Sura al-‘Ankaboot, Verse 18.

[42] Ibid. Sura al-Shurah, Verse 48.

[43] Ibid. Sura al-Ma’eda, Verse 67.

[44] The Holy Quran. Sura al-Isra’a, Verse 36.

[45] Ibid. Sura al-Nahel, Verse 125.

[46] Ibid. Sura Aal ‘Imran, Verse 159.

[47] Ibid. Sura Taha, Verse 43-44.

[48] Ibid. Sura Aal ‘Imran, Verse 103.

[49] The Holy Quran. Sura al-Shu’ara, Verse 214.

[50][Kifa’i duty: A general duty obligatory for every Muslim, but when conducted by a single Muslim, the rest are released from this obligation.]

[51] Ibid. Sura Aal ‘Imran, Verse 104.

[52] Ibid. Verse 110.

[53] The Holy Quran. Sura Loqman, Verse 17.

[54] Al-Toosi. Tahdhib al-Ahkam. Vol. 6, p. 181.

[55] Al-Kulayni. Al-Kafi. Vol. 2, p. 372-373.

[56] [I.e., to bear over with their mistakes.]

[57] Al-Kulayni. Al-Kafi. Vol. 5, p. 55-56.

[58] Ibid. P. 59.

[59] Al-Mufeed. Al-Maqna’a. P. 808-809.

[60] The Holy Quran. Sura al-Baqarah, Verse 83.

[61] Ibid. Sura al-Kahf, Verse 29.

[62] Ibid. Sura al-Mumtahana, Verse 7.

[63] Al-Kulayni. Al-Kafi. Vol. 2, p. 164-165.

[64] Al-Kulayni. Al-Kafi. Vol. 2, p. 165.

[65] Al-Mazandarani. Sharh Usool al-Kafi. Vol. 9, p. 31.

[66] [I.e., the linguists.]

[67] [I.e., speak with beauty to all.]

[68] The Holy Quran. Sura al-Nahel, Verse 125.

[69] Ibid. Sura al-An’am, Verse 108.

[70] Shaykh al-Tabarsi. Tafsir Majm’a al-Bayan. Vol. 1, p. 286.

[71] The Holy Quran. Sura al-Ahzab, Verse 70.

[72] Al-Toosi. Al-Tebyan. Vol. 8, p. 366.

[73] Shaykh al-Tabarsi. Tafsir Jawam’e al-Jam’e. Vol. 1, p. 376.

[74] The Holy Quran. Sura al-Nisa, Verse 5.

[75] Ibid. Sura al-Baqara, Verse 235.

[76] Ibid. Sura al-Baqara, Verse 263.

[77] Ibid. Sura Muhammad, Verse 21.

[78] Ibid. Sura Fussilat, Verse 33.

[79] The Holy Quran. Sura al-Nisaa, Verse 63.

[80] Ibid. Sura al-Kahf, Verse 29.

[81] [Fine examples.]

[82] Al-Toosi. Al-Amali. P. 440.

[83] [Precautionary dissimulation.]

[84] Al-Majlisi. Bihar al-Anwar. Vol. 65, p. 152-153.

[85] [I.e., tolerant – took no action.]

[86] Ibn Babaweih al-Qummi. Al-Imama Wal Tabsira. P. 37.

[87] The Holy Quran. Sura Taha, Verse 44.

[88] Ibid. Sura Aal ‘Imran, Verse 159.

[89] Ibid. Sura al-Nahl, Verse 125.

[90] Ibid. Sura Fussilat, Verse 34.

[91] Al-Fakhr al-Razi. Tafseer al-Razi. Vol. 3, p. 169.

[92] Abduh, Muhammad Sharh Nahj al-Balagha. Vol. 3, p. 84.

[93] [I.e., obligatory in the eyes of the intellect.]

[94] The Holy Quran. Sura al-Hajj, Verse 53.

[95] Ibid. Sura al-Noor, Verse 21.

[96] See: Dr. Ahmad Zaki Badawi. Mo’ajam Mustalahat al-I’elam. P. 110.

[97] Al-Tabari. Dhakha’er al-‘Uqba. P. 133.

[98] Ibn Sh’eba al-Harrani. Tuhoof al-‘Uqool. P. 245.

[99] [I.e., accept Allah.]

[100] Al-Majlisi. Bihar al-Anwar. Vol. 44, p. 329-330.

[101] Ibid. P. 137.

[102] Shaykh al-Sadooq.’Uyoun Akhbar al-Ridha. Vol. 1, p. 275.

[103] The Holy Quran. Sura Aal ‘Imran, Verse 159.

[104] Ibid. Sura al-Qalam, Verse 4.

[105] Ibid. Sura Fussilat, Verse 33-34.

[106] Abduh, Muhammad. Sharh Nahj al-Balagha. Vol. 2, p. 185.

[107] The Holy Quran. Sura al-Ma’ida, Verse 104.

[108] Shaykh al-Kulayni. Al-Kafi. Vol. 8, p. 229.

[109] Ibn Babaweih. Fiqeh al-Ridha. P. 356.

[110] The Holy Quran. Sura al-An’am, Verse 108.

[111] Al-Mazandarani,. Sharh Usool al-Kafi. Vol. 10, p. 49.

[112] Al-Sadooq. Al-Iteqadat fi Deen al-Imamiyyah. P. 107.

[113] Al-Kulayni. Al-Kafi. Vol. 8, p. 7-8.

[114] The Holy Quran.Sura al-Isra, Verse 7.

[115] Al-Kulayni. Al-Kafi. Vol. 6, p. 434.

[116] Al-Boroujourdi. Jam’e Ahadeeth al-Shia. Vol. 13, p. 461.

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Preface

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