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Join the Al Zahraa Centre Community in Brighton! Salaam Alaikum dear brothers and sisters, We are pleased to invite you to become part of the growing community at Al Zahraa Centre in Brighton, a space committed to unity, service, and spiritual growth for all Shia Muslims along the South Coast. Whether you’re interested in Islamic education, social events, family activities, or volunteering, we welcome you to connect with us and stay updated through the following platforms: Event Announcements & Registrations Subscribe here to be the first to know about upcoming events: https://lu.ma/alzahraacentre Instagram Follow us for updates, photos, and stories from our community: instagram.com/alzahraacentre YouTube Catch up on previous talks, events, and activities: youtube.com/@alzahraacentrebrighton1 TikTok Follow us for short clips and moments from our gatherings: tiktok.com/@alzahraacentre Whether you’ve just moved to the area or have been here for years, we would love to see you, hear from you, and grow together as a community. Let’s build something meaningful together. Jazakum Allahu Khayran Al Zahraa Centre – Brighton

Assalamu alaykum everyone, Insha’Allah you are in the best of health. I was reluctant to make this topic because I feel quite ashamed that I’m unable to shed any tears for the Ahlulbayt and Imam Hussain (عليه السلام). I’ve tried to solve this issue on my own but it seems so far I haven’t succeeded. For brief context as some may already know I’m a revert from Ahlul-Sunnah to the Ahlulbayt school of thought. This is my first Muharram actually acknowledging what took place during the tragic events leading up to the 10th of Muharram and Ashura. I don’t know why but whenever I watch lectures, although inside I deeply feel pain, I cannot shed any tears. I don’t know if this is because over the years I have become numb due to life circumstances, or, Allah forbid, my heart has become hard. My feeling instead is anger. Anger at myself for previously being ignorant, anger at those who lied and hid the story of Ashura etc. Instead of being able to cry I’m filled with the urge to do action, any form to make sure I don’t let down the Imam of our time (عليه السلام) like Imam Hussain (عليه السلام) was let down by people. Because I have to hide my faith in my house I cannot openly participate in Muharram in lamenting the events, which also discourages me from expressing my emotions out of fear being questioned etc. I’m scared this will affect my iman. My family aren’t practicing so of course there is the added temptations with the pressure to conform to their way of life. Any advice is welcome. Jazak’Allah, from your sister in Islam.

AOA Plzzz HeLppp..! Kiyaa Mola kii khaayii hwii Qasam hum wapis lesakty jese ek shadii shuda jory ka jhagra hogayaa and unme sy kisi ek ye Qasam khaayii k mola kii Qasam ab main baat nahii karoonga / karoongii And wo ab baat karnaa chaah rahy toh kiyaa wo molaa kii Qasam ko trdy ya Qasam wapis ly sakty ?? Plzzzz Help Karein Plzzzzz

Hello, I have some questions on my mind. My birthday is on October 15th, in the beginning of ashura. It is my 18th birthday and I want to celebrate it but I dont know if it is right to do so in that specific time. My family members told me a couple of stories about people who disrespected the sad period and were faced with difficulties later on in life. I wanted to know a couple more peoples views on this topic, have you heard any stories about people partying during ashura? If so, did anything happen to them?

I know Muharram is a time of mourning and beating your chest but do you people need to be naked? Can you not slap yourself with a shirt on?

Folk Tales: Nabatieh’s Rituals of Sword and Blood By: Ahmed Mohsen Published Friday, December 9, 2011 Shia Muslims in south Lebanon continue to practice rituals of bloodletting during Ashura that are frowned upon by the religious establishment. In the southern town of Nabatieh, on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram, known as Ashura, young men carrying swords and dressed in white march through the central square remembering Imam Hussein with their blood. The show starts at 6am. The town strains to accommodate everyone as families line the streets. The curious come to salute the men who cut their heads with razors and swords. The participants here are the heirs to the tragic slaying of Imam Hussein, the Prophet’s grandson. An elderly woman, proud of her two sons who will cut their heads, says “this is an ancient ritual.” She remembers it when she was a little girl, when Nabatieh had no buildings. The town square was wider and no one used loudspeakers. The ritual was real and the number of men with swords was small, because the number of people was small. A man in his forties who has taken part in the ritual since he was a boy has now brought his own son. The older generations understand how the young men feel. They were once just like them, cutting their heads in honor of Imam Hussein. At the Husseiniya, a Shia religious center, they do the difficult work. They cut the head a little, it is then marked by the barbers for the “Haydar beaters.” When they start to beat their heads near the cut, blood begins to trickle out until it covers their faces and clothes. As they leave the Husseiniya in groups no one can distinguish the color of the blood, is it red or black? Hezbollah and its supporters, the followers of Ayatollah Khamenei and the supporters of Sayyid Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, do not take part. In fact, they reject the ritual and consider it to be forbidden, but Nabatieh does not know the word forbidden. “It is a matter of custom,” a spectator claims. The ritual has been forbidden in the neighboring villages so now everyone comes to Nabatieh; this is why “you see them in their thousands.” According to a woman who has come to watch, the men performing the ritual look “like butchers, slaughtering themselves,” and she claims it upsets religious women. According to someone who has performed the ritual, the letting of blood is followed by confusion in the head and this is why many faint, one after the other. At 11am, more crowds stream into Nabatieh’s open squares. Hands fall down on swords and razors cut the tops of heads relentlessly. The pavement is now a deep red. Everyone seems used to the ritual. They even justify it with incredible folk stories. A girl speaks of “a wheelchair bound woman who tried everything. She only walked when she cut her head.” A man reminds them of another story about a man “Ali, who cut open his head.” But the wound healed quickly, within two minutes. The stories in Nabatieh are endless. Despite the copious amounts of blood, the spectators hear a sorrowful voice chanting “O Hussein, O Martyr. O Hussein, O Stranger.” What is strange is that a young man, now almost drowning in his own blood, does not look particularly religious, just like so many of the men who cut their heads. He has soft long hair and is wearing a pair of jeans with fashionable rips. His sideburns are wide, like movie stars and he has a beautiful voice. He could have been a professional singer, not a butcher with a sharp sword and a white shirt. He was covered in so much blood that all you could see on his shirt is the number 10 and the name Del Piero, a famous Italian football player. He says that he has to take part because “only sheep watch and do not take part.” He accuses the crowd of being sheep and a young woman responds saying “He is doing this for us then, not for Imam Hussein.” The young women does not appear to be religious, but she cannot hide her fondness for “Nabatieh’s rituals on the tenth day.” She realizes that the playboy who is cutting his head is doing so only so that she and her friends can see him. She believes that if he loved Imam Hussein, he would pray regularly. She laughs sarcastically and says, as if she was not revealing a secret, “Three quarters of those men do not pray.” In the afternoon, the blood is drained and has turned black on peoples faces and is smeared across the white shirts. They are white on purpose, to highlight the ritual. On the way back home, everyone walks over the blood, forgetting to lay flowers on the tombs of the martyrs. This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition. http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/folk-tales-nabatieh%E2%80%99s-rituals-sword-and-blood