Re: ~! Yazid? Was he really what they make him out to be?
**Fraudz:
My experience of Majlis is mostly TV programs and so I do not know a lot in details regarding Majlis. Regardless, I can understand significance of majlis, as long as it keeps itself with recalling the events that happened during Karbala. It reminds what happened to the descendents of Prophet (SAW) in the hand of so-called Muslims (Yazidies). **
I actually have been to a number of majalis, in Pakistan and in US and must say that there are some that were more discussing the tragedy in a very sensible manner, narrating the events and the loss, and ppl were teary eyed and some sobbing, and then there were those where the masjid looked like a mosh pit with ppl jumping up and down and beating themselves. I could never really relate to it.
I was called a yazidi or somrthing like that when I told ppl at one such gathering that iw as not going to do matam..oh well, like a yazidi (if there is such a thing now) would spend several hours in some masjid 45 minutes from his house...anyhooo
*I believe that all Muslims should keep remembering what happened in karbela, as that brings the feeling of closeness towards Prophet (SAW) and his descendents that one can easily forget when involved in day-to-day living. I believe that after hearing majlis, if a Muslim does not feel remorse and tears does not come out, that person in reality has no love of Prophet (SAW) and in that case, Iman of such Muslim is debatable. *
we should thus also remember the events that impacted the prophet directly and was a source of grief to him whethet it was the brutal attack on him in taif or the passing of his son. Remorse, pain and hurt is not always accompanies with flowing tears, atleast not for everyone. And even facing the hardest tragedy in my personal life, I never got sad to a point that I started beating myself in grief. While I can understans that there may be those who get so worked up that they beat themselves, which to me seems contrary to what religion teaches, however, I find it highly suspct when at one majlis no one is beating himself, and at another majlis, everyone is doing it. That seems like a display and a ritual more than anything.
*As for matam, Zanjir things and hurting oneself with knives, I personally feel it is too much, but I respect the beliefs and involvement Shias find when event of Kerbela is mentioned and thus, I feel better to keep my eyes close (without criticism). I believe that if Shias really love the way they show they love the descendents of Prophet (SAW), than certainly that would be envious for me. *
On the other hand I always found matam repulsive and zanjeer and knives matam even more so, and coud not find any basis to do that. All shias dont do that anyways..
as far as the politics part goes, I meant that in my view the tragic events at kerbala, or the dispute regarding succession or chice of khalifa after the prohets passing, do nothing to change God's word so that is not a religion issue but a politics issue, as no matter who you think was right or wrong (well hopefully no one thinks yazid was right) I meant with the initial power dispute..so no matter who was right or wrong, it did not change what was revealed.