Timeless Lessons From Karbala: Lesson 4/5 - Generosity

'A'udhu billahi min al-shaytan al-rajim . Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim wa bihi nasta'een. Wa as-salaatu wa as-salaamu 'alaa sayyidina wa nabiyyina wa habibi qulubinaa wa shafi'i nufusina Abil Qasim Muhammad wa 'alaa ahli-bayti at-tayyibin at-taahirin. A'dhamal lahu ujuruna wa ujurakum bi masaa'ibina bi sayyidina wa mawlaana Abi 'Abdillah Al-Husayn 'alayhi as-salaatu wa as-salaam.

Thank you again my dear sisters and brothers for joining us this afternoon as we reflect upon Timeless Lessons and Virtues that we attain from the Tragedy of Karbala from Imam Al-Husayn, alayhi as-salaam, his children, his family members and his companions.

Over the last several days we have spoken about very important and unique themes that every single human being in reality seeks to embrace that of God consciousness, that of sincerity, yesterday compassion and mercy, and today, In Shaa Allah Ta'ala with tawfiq from Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, we hope to reflect upon the theme of generosity.

Firstly, why generosity as amongst those most important lessons that we learn from Imam Al-Husayn, 'alayhi as-salaat wa as-salam on the day of Ashura? Of course like I mentioned a couple of days ago, that really any of the most perfect qualities that the human being desires has been illuminated and manifested on the 10th of Muharram in the land of Karbala sixty one years after Hijrah, for the one who knows the story and for the one who studies its beauty.

But specifically, when it comes to our generosity, we realize that it is a quality or an attribute that is embraced by all people regardless of faith, regardless of religion. We all love people who give and we all love to receive, and we know the meaning of generosity as being something that is embraced you know across the world. Which is why we see that arguably the most beloved person within humanity is Nabi Allah Isa 'alayhi as-salaam, Jesus.

Why? Because Jesus was known not only for his humility, not only for his abstinence from this world, not only for his worship and devotion to God, but because he was always willing to give out of himself to those around him. Which is why we love personalities like the Messenger of God, sallalahu 'alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam, who in spite of the fact that he exerted himself for twenty three years for his community to demonstrate his intense love and care for them, his Ummah, every single one of us are included within that.

It is incredible to see that in the last moments of the life of the Messenger of God sallalahu 'alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam, when the angel of death was removing his soul from his body, he asks the angel of death, he says 'O Malik al-Mawt, tell me this pain that I am feeling, is this what everyone feels?' Meaning that even that moment is difficult for the Messenger of God sallalahu 'alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam. And they stated, the angel stated to the Messenger of God 'Ya Rasul Allah, Oh Messenger of God, rather for your, for anyone other than you, it's far more painful and intense.' Which what does the Prophet respond out of his love, out of his compassion, out of the desire to give out of himself, he states 'Shaddid 'alayya wa khaffif 'alaa ummati,' intercede on our behalf. And he states 'Make the intensity of the pain inflict me and make it easy upon my community, sallalahu 'alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam.

We love people who give out of themselves, who give out of their time, who give out of their wealth. God states within the Holy Qur'an "Lan tanaal ul-birra hattaa tunfiqu min maa tuhibbun"(3:92). That 'You will never attain righteousness,' you will never attain this unique quality and characteristic. It is high up there on the spiritual ladder of attaining proximity and closeness to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, 'You will not attain it until you give out of that which you love the most.'

And if you go to many commentators of the Holy Qur'an in regards to this verse, they often speak to this verse being wealth because they say the human being loves wealth more than anything else. And perhaps this commentary is accurate because we recognize how attached we are to sort of physical, materialistic, tangible things and how important our wealth is to us.

We work to make money, we work so that we can live a sort of comfortable lifestyle and so on and so forth. We work so that we can save for retirement and all of these other things. But at the end of the day, in addition to that, we realize that in this part of the world, perhaps that we are afforded with so many privileges, that wealth is not necessarily always the most valuable thing in our minds or in our lives.

And if you go back to that verse it states "Lan tanaal ul-birra hattaa tunfiqu min maa tuhibbun"(3:92), that 'You will never attain righteousness until you give out of that which you love the most.' And today we recognize that one of the, amongst those things that we love the most is our own time, is our own convenience. Why would we want to go to the grocery store when the groceries can get delivered to us? When we are just a couple of clicks away from our, you know, iPhones toward really accessing anything it is that we want? Life is very convenient in that way, which is why for so many people its is difficult to spend out of their own time for instance.

And when we come toward Karbala and the story of Imam Al-Husayn, 'alayhi as-salaat wa as-salaam, we see that everyone who gives on that day demonstrates the true meaning of generosity and the true meaning of altruism. Because they're consistently giving, but they are not giving out of their wealth or they are not giving out of their time, but they are literally giving out of themselves.

And before I get toward these examples that I want to reflect upon really, really, briefly this afternoon, again we want to be in a mindstep, mindset whereby we are seeing the story but plunging into the depths of it to ask ourself the question, what is it that I can sacrifice? What is it that I can give in the way of humanity? In the way of value? In the way of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala? Walking in the footsteps of Imam Al-Husayn, 'alayhi as-salaat wa as-salaam. What is it that I can give out of myself?

Is it my time? Is it my wealth? Is it sometimes just a smile? You know, not to sound trivial or not to sound sort of cliche, but it's those smallest things which really make an incredibly great difference when we talk about the big spectrum of things. That one deed that we perform sincerely in the way of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, that one thing that we give in the way of God to demonstrate generosity and altruism to our Lord, is the greatest and the most complete deed that we can perform.

Which is why many of you are familiar with narrations that say that if your right hand gives, that 'If your right hand gives, your left hand shouldn't know.' In a way to demonstrate again that when we give, when we're generous, it's not about putting on a show, it is about the sincerity beyond the giving.

In Arabic language, the word that is often employed for charity, be it the obligatory charity or sort of charity on a more broader larger spectrum, is known as Zakat. And the word in the Arabic language, 'Zakat' comes from the root word 'to purify' because it is not only the purification of your own wealth when you give out of your wealth, but it is the purification of our own hearts and our souls because we are tending to do something solely for the Lord of the worlds, Rabb Al- Alameen.

So when we fast forward then toward Karbala and the lessons that we attain from Imam al-Husayn, 'alayhi as-salaat wa as-salaam, we see mothers giving out, giving out of their own wombs, literally giving their children to Imam Al-Husayn, 'alayhi as-salaat wa as-salaam. We see spouses giving their husbands to Abi 'Abdillah Al-Husayn 'alayhi as-salaam because of a call toward higher value.

But perhaps the greatest, but perhaps the absolute greatest lesson in generosity and altruism that we see on the 10th of Muharram is that of our master Abul Fadhl Al-Abbas, the son of 'Ali ibn Abu Talib 'alayhi as-salaat as-salaam. Why is there this galvanization when it comes toward the intensity of love that we have toward Abul Fadhl al-'Abbas 'alayhi as-salaat as-salaam? Is it just because of his courage and valour in battle? Is it just because he has his own specific Ziyarah that we go and when we perform when we visit the Holy city of Karbala?

No! It is far greater than that. Abul Fadhl Al-'Abbas is not only great because of his courage in battle, is not only great because he is the son of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. He is not only great because he is the brother of Imams Al-Hasan wa Al-Husayn, but rather what makes him unique is that he is the perfect and core example of loyalty, fidelity, altruism and generosity.

This man was ready to give out of his own life in order that he brings back water for the children of Al-Husayn, 'alayhi as-salaat as-salaam. That when he reaches that water, he utters according to many poets, that famous line. Or according to many narrators, that famous line, 'Ya nafs, min ba'dal Husayn huni. How can I drink, how can I drink this water while my Master Husayn is thirsty?' Would anyone have blamed Abul Fadhl Al-'Abbas 'alayhi as-salaam if he had lifted up that water and if he'd have drink it? Nobody would have, nobody would have. He was also tired, he was also thirsty, he was also in pain, he also had to go through so much on the 10th of Muharram.

But Abul Fadhl al-'Abbas 'alayhi as-salaam consistently demonstrates to us what it means to be generous, the highest level. To literally give it your all, to give out of your own physical body, to give out of your own energy, to give out of your own comfort, because he was known as the one who would of course, take care of Lady Zaynab 'alayha as-salaat wa as-salaam. And he would be the hope that the children of Imam Al-Husayn, 'alayhi as-salaat wa as-salaam, had when they would look upon Abul Fadhl Al-'Abbas.

Giving and generosity is not only limited to our wealth. And from the lessons that we learn and that we gain during the course of these days of Ashura, again it's important that we internalize them. And we think about how we can illuminate these qualities? How can I give out of myself? How can I serve my society, my community, my religion in a way that is better than what I am doing right now?

There is always this opportunity for growth during the course of life. And these days in which we honour Imam Al-Husayn, 'alayhi as-salatu wa as-salam, it's all about enlivening those values and those characteristics and those qualities and those themes in order that In Shaa Allah Ta'ala we see ourselves amongst those who walk in the footsteps of the son of the daughter of the Messenger of God, Imam Al-Husayn, 'alayhi as-salaat wa as-salaam.

We ask Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala for tawfiq. Wal hamdulillahi Rabb Al-Alameen. Wa sallillahumma 'alaa sayyidina wa nabiyyina Muhammad wa 'alaa ahli-bayti at-tayyibin at-taahirin.