:: Ekhwan - Brotherhood of the Dawoodi Bohras :: Hikmah @ Ekhwan Blog ::

It has been a long time since I have been part of a community project and have learnt a lot from the gurus there. The project has been an issue of debate since the past year or so as there is little that has been done from the part of the already tight volunteers. The project has been live since 1997 and wow thats eternity when it comes to the age of the Internet. Now we stand questioning that whether or not its worth the effort.

My friends, some of them who have worked hard enough to keep this project going and have contributed their time heftily "working in the trenches" have also been questioning the worth and value of their time.

Recently, we had asked our community members to comment on what they would like to see from the project and what were their expectations from the project. To my astonishment, no one even bothered to comment. One of them asked for a lot of content. Let me sketch my feelings on the entire scenario.

Community projects are for the community and by the community. People wish to have a lot more from the projects that are devoloped for the community but forget that they need to put a lot of input themselves when it comes to reaping the gains. Where we stand the community grows in terms of quantity but not quality.

If you want your community to grow and reap benifits from it then you should consider contributing activly to its growth. Content does not come from mere writers. Quality writers are needed and then those who would take the innititive to publish that content. What about those who have to keep the infrastructure intact to make the content available. Does the community lack people of such expertise or is there a different reason why talent does not want to contribute to a community project where there is less exposure to the world of fame and glamour.

Lets face it we are not enthusiastic enough to work our way through.

It is surely a karam of Aqamola (tus) and the Sa'adat of this Burhani era that Mumineen are now recieving the barakaat of Haqaa'eq asbaaq. There was a time when people used to take mannat of Hajj to even recieve the barakaat of tawil. Kitaabs such as Daaim were recited to ellite groups of Dawat during the zuhur. The Doat of Ale Mohammed (SA) have been told to "give or hold without any account". Thus, this barakaat has spread beyonf boudaries. Young people who sought raza for the asbaaq from Shz Saheb were granted permission even though they had not recited tawil. There are categories of people. Some just attend because its a status issue for them, some are enthusiastic to learn but havent completed the prior stages of ilm. Some have been given raza for their long khidmat even though they lack far in knowledge. And there are people who have passed the stages of knowledge and reached to the level of haqa'eq gradually.

The results are quite simple. The categories resulting from the above mass are known by all but no one knows where he stands and so do I. These an be listed as
1. People who take it as a status issue just satisfy their ego and skip general asbaaq of zahir and tawil thinking that they are far beyond and higher for such knowledge. One who elevates himself above knowledge and khidmat is far lower in status.
2. There are people who have not attended Zahir but if they do have the ikhlas ilm reaches to them by the nazaraat of Moula (TUS) and these people should further seek knowledge.
3. There are those who have by some means recieved it as a blessing and will reep its benifits later on.
4. There are people who still have long way to go in achieving knowledge.

Knowledge is so wast an ocean that no one can ever drink to its last drop and such is the barakaat in the hearts of Awliya Kiraam. May Allah Subhanahu bless our beloved Moula (tus) a long life. Ameen

Today the exams of our madrasa started. Shk Husain Hafizji, Shk Huzaifa and M Aliager bhai have come for the Imtehan from India. I went early morning to pick-up Shk Huzaifa bhai from Dubai for the Writtens. The Papers were simple enough and I expect that the kids must have done good enough.

Its difficult to manage extreme conditions and if there are people like me, I am sure its more difficult to manage the situation. I am not much of a high goer but it does matter to some people who take it seriously. One cannot understand another person unless he is in that person's shoes. It is very difficult for each person to understand the other person's responsibilities and burdens unless you are in the same situation. At times I find myself trying to see a situation from the perspective of the other person but its way too difficult. So I should understand.

The orals also were fine and I find myself quite relaxed after a long week. Ego is something that man has brought with himself to this world and to cope with ones own ego is far more difficult then to deal with the ego of our contemporaries. I am quite proud of my kids of saniya, they did put in a lot of effort and were better then my expectations.

It has been many years since I last did Ashara out of Moula's (TUS) hazrat. I had been preparing to go for Ashara khidmat when it was announced that no one was to go to Mumbai. I didn't get a chance to go for waaz and also was tempted not to go to Mumbai, don't know why. My good friends did offer me accomodation at their place and I am thankful to them, but I just didn't want to go.

Well, this was the first time I was in Sharjah during Ashara and it was not anything like when you are doing Ashara with Moula (TUS). I did make up my mind and plungged into khidmat here. Here the IT Committee that was formed some 3 years back had now changed with many people coming in and an additional department to look after, the sound system - along with the relay. There was a lot of work and everything needed to be streamlined. People are new and need to be handled with care. I was a bit rough at times and that is a problem that I faced while handling the job.

As for everywhere our committee was no exception, I would like to quote a friend of mine, "There are too many Chiefs and no Indians". It is hard for a person who is in lead to tell a programmer to go sit and do data entry, but someone had to do it. I did try and set an example as I went on but did it work or not is not yet clear.

We did do a good job as a team. There are many people who work hard and as volunteers they need applaud. I am very much thankful to our Amil Saheb Qusai Bs Jamaluddin for supporting us as a committee by not only backing our plans but financially making us fit. The one thing everyone on the team appreciated was that on the day of Ashura, during the maqtal, he mentioned our team with a lot on emphasis and priority. He said that "The one group he would especially want to mention are those who are behind the curtains and are not seen in public...these are the IT Committee."

We all had a great feeling that each and everyday we had listened to Moula (TUS) and we done deedar. All because of the technology that is meant to serve our faith and our Moula (TUS). 2 waaz relayed through sattelite and one waaz 65 minutes video recording. Azeem Nemat. On the eve of Ashura we listened to the live kalemaat of Moula (TUS) for 30 Minutes and then Moula's paighaam for 15 Minutes. On Ashura another recording in which Mola (TUS) councelled Mumineen. May Allah bless him with a long life.



After about 5 years or so I was to deliver the bayan bayn al-Salatain on Ashura. I had been doing little preparations and had jotted a few points to mention in the wasila. I would like you, my reader, to know that it is the most difficult and easy of all tasks to make people weep on Imam Husain (AS). I was shivering before I stood up and it was not the first time I have spoken in public. I am used to it. But this time was unique. I just wished from my inner most part that Mola (TUS) bless me to fullfil his khidmat. As I stood next to the thakt and started the wasila the fear vanished. The fear was not what is called stage fear but of properly doing my part of Khidmat. I felt as if I was lifted in air as soon as I started. Al-Hamdolillah, by the dua of Moula (TUS) and his nazaraat it was a piece of cake.

I felt much relaxed after the wasila and now as I listen to the recording I feel that I could not have ever done it were it not for the sake of Imam Husain (AS) and his Dai (TUS).

Apart from all this, its so relaxing that Mustafa bhai, who was in portugal for waaz, both of us co-ordinated the reflections though we could not finish all of them but atleast we did some of it through the internet. The most incredible thing was that we were miles and miles away from the venue and alhamdolillah it was a great achievement and both Mustafa's niyat and mine took good shape. Qusai Bs also helped print and distribute the reflections in Sharjah and asked Shz Saheb to be distributed in Dubai too.