The first night of the mourning ceremony of the Master and Leader of Martyrs, Hazrat Aba Abdullah Al-Hossein (AS) and his faithful companions, with the presence of Mr. Esmaeil Zadeh, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic in Manila, Hojjat-ul-Islam Wal-Muslimin, Mr. Dr. Ahad Azadi Khah, Lecturer of the Hawzah and University and the respected representative in the 10th, 11th, and 12th terms of the Iranian Parliament, a group of embassy employees and resident Iranians and admirers of the Ahl al-Bayt from the Philippines, India and Pakistan, were held on Thursday, July 21, 1403, equal to the 5th of Muharram, in the cultural consultation hall of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Manila and Participants engaged in the recitation of Du'a Kumayl and Ziyarat Ashura, listened to the speeches of the speakers, and participated in mourning and chest-beating ceremonies.

 

 

The ceremony commenced at 7:00 PM, in accordance with the customs of Muharram, with the congregation of prayers, recitation of Du'a Kumayl, and Ziyarat Ashura. Following this, Mr. Abdolmajid Abolghasemi, the Cultural Counselor of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Manila, delivered a brief speech. He extended his greetings and respect to the sacred presence of Imam Hossein (peace be upon him), welcomed Hujjat al-Islam Dr. Ahad Azadi Khah, the esteemed representative of the Iranian Parliament, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic, embassy staff, compatriots, and respected Muslims. He also introduced the missionary cleric sent by the Center for Propagation.

 

 

The Cultural Counselor, while giving information about the prepared programs, expressed his hope that the devotees of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) from the 6th night of Muharram to the evening of Ghariban Hosseini (AS) will participate in the mourning ceremonies of these days with heartfelt devotion to Ahl al-Bayt (AS). Then, Hojjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, Dr. Ahad Azadi Khah, began his speech by praising the great Lord and expressing his condolences for the mourning days of Muharram Hosseini and He also thanked the mourners for their presence and briefly referred to the passages of Du'a Kumayl, emphasizing the importance of understanding and paying attention to the subtleties in this spiritually uplifting supplication.

 

 

Dr. Ahad Azadi Khah speech:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

And I entrust my affair to Allah. Indeed, Allah is Seeing of [His] servants.

Praise be to Allah, and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah and upon the family of the House of Allah, and curse upon the enemies of Allah from now until the Day of Meeting Allah.

And among the people is he who sacrifice himself, [seeking] the approval of Allah. And Allah is kind to [His] servants.

After extending greetings and condolences for the sorrowful days of Imam Hossein (peace be upon him), last night I mentioned some of the characteristics of Imam Hossein (peace be upon him) to our dear brothers and sisters

One of the characteristics of the beloved Imam is responsibility. Imam (peace be upon him) had a high level of responsibility, which made his name live forever in history. Today, not only Muslims but also non-Muslims are fascinated with the culture and civilization of our master, Aba Abdullah (peace be upon him).

The next feature I want to present to you tonight is a trait that is born out of responsibility. That is, anyone who is responsible must also possess this trait, and that trait is selflessness. Sometimes a person has no choice but to forgo their rights in order to properly fulfill their responsibilities. This is the very essence of self-sacrifice.

The verse I referred to at the beginning of my speech is about the selflessness and self-sacrifice of the Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali), who said that some believing people sacrifice themselves and their lives to attain the pleasure of God.

Imam Hossein (peace be upon him) attained the status of selflessness and self-sacrifice at Karbala. That revered Imam adorned the history of Ashura (the day of Imam Hossein's martyrdom) with the beautiful and lasting color of selflessness. He struggled so hard to fulfill his responsibility, which was to guide humanity, that he even sacrificed his six-month-old child for that sacred goal of guiding society. Even his 3-year-old child had to be sacrificed in this path. This is the meaning of selflessness and self-sacrifice.

 

The Quran states...

"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient." (Quran 2:155)

This verse means 'sacrifice'. In this verse, God Almighty says that He will test us in five ways: 1) Fear, 2) Hunger, 3) Decrease in wealth, 4) Loss of life, and 5) Loss of children. All five of these tests were carried out by Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) in Karbala.

First, Imam Hussain and his family, especially during the captivity, suffered from hunger. Second, after the martyrdom of their father, the children of Imam Hossein trembled in fear of their enemies. Third, Imam Hossein spent all his wealth on this cause. Fourth, Imam Hossein sacrificed his own life. Fifth, Imam Hossein offered his children as well so that the community would not go astray and people would be guided, and sin would decrease in society.

Today, if the people of Gaza are under the oppression of the Zionists, it is because of this eternal culture of Karbala that the Shia and Islamic countries rush to their aid and officially protest the injustice of Israel. You have seen the mass mobilization in London, the mass mobilization in Paris, protests of students in various American universities - all of these are signs that the blood of Imam Hossein has borne fruit.

 

 

Therefore, one of the most important characteristics of Imam Hossein (peace be upon him) is the quality of self-sacrifice and altruism. Sometimes people are not willing to give up even a small tradition or a single rial, and they get into conflicts with others over the smallest matters because they are not willing to give up the least of their rights. But Imam Hussein sacrificed the greatest of his rights.

When he brought his six-month-old son [Ali Asghar] to the battlefield, he knew that the child would not return. Even his mother Rubaab knew it better than anyone, but  Imam Hussein wanted to prove his sacrifices. He brought the cradle and placed it on his own hands on the battlefield, saying "If you have no mercy on me, at least have mercy on this six-month-old child and give him water."

At that moment, Hurmala aimed a three-pronged arrow at the throat of Ali Asghar, and when the arrow hit the child's throat, his whole throat was torn. Imam Hussein placed his hand under the child's throat, and the blood flowed onto the father's hands. He threw the blood towards the sky and said, "O God, I have succeeded in this test as well."

When he returned to the tents, he felt ashamed to bring the body of the child to his mother. He went behind the tents, dug a small grave, and placed Ali Asghar in it. As he was about to pour the soil, he heard a voice from behind - it was Rubaab, the mother of Ali Asghar, who had come and called out, "O Hossein, allow me to see the face of my son one more time."

Mentioning the plight of the martyrs of Karbala and holding a chest ceremony was another part of the program of the 6th night of Muharram. At the end of the event, the mourners were provided with food from the blessed table of the Master and Leader of the Martyrs.