53 Reasons NOT To Believe Khuzaima Qutbuddin

Burhanuddin Moula al-Hayy al-Muqaddas RA and Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin Moula TUS – Jami’ Juyushi Cairo

Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin reciting Azaan in Jame’ al Anwar

In the dust of Kerbala, amongst those seventy two brethren, lies the one who heard the call to freedom when others turned a deaf ear. His mother aptly named him ‘Hurr’ – the one who is free. He heard the ‘azaan’ of the grandson of the one who had first called humanity to Islam. Freedom lies in being bold. When Hurr heard Imam Hussain’s call, he had to dig deep, and face the inner turmoil of facing the choice of two distinct possibilities – hell or heaven. That moment of rewriting his destiny must have been full of trepidation, as despite being a mighty warrior, he trembled like a leaf caught in a powerful gust of wind. However, his courage gave him the strength to hear and respond to the call of the Moula that offered salvation. The moment he spurred his steed towards Imam Hussain and lay his head at the feet of Moula, he was liberated.

Our entire lives we have heard the voice of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin. He spoke to us in a language only those with heart could hear. He spoke to us when we were near, at his feet, with that benevolent gaze that communicated without words. He spoke to us when we were far, in our hearts, with his dua that traversed the length and breadth of the globe. So when the news of that day came, our ears, accustomed to his soothing voice and comforting call, could not hear what was too painful to hear. It was the deafening blow of fate, the shock of which will ring in our ears for all our lives.

In our lives he called to us. At times it was “Aawo, aawo, maaru haath thaami lo!” and at times it was “Aawo, aawo, maara saathe Hussain par roi lo! Roi lo!”.  In a post-Englightenment world, haggling over conflicting notions of liberty and what it means to be ‘free’, Moula showed us that true freedom lay in surrendering mind, body and soul to Moula – through free will and reasoned choice, not through blind faith. Hurr heard the call of Moula, internally reflected, contemplated through reasonable thinking and came to a conclusion born out of his free will. No one coerced him. It was his choice and his alone.

We heard Moula then and we hear him today. That voice is silent now, but we hear his call loud and clear. His son, his rightful heir, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin speaks to us in the language of Burhanuddin Moula. His every breath, every salaami, every gesture, every gaze – is a call which resonates throughout the world. And we hear it.

Imam Sadiq once said “Call to us silently. Be our silent Duat……beckon others through your actions”.  Moula’s silent call, through the familiar look and walk of Burhanuddin Moula, is heard by mumineen. For those who are hard of hearing, Moula articulated his call through words filled with compassion and concern, but alas that call fell on deaf ears.

For our brethren who have lost their way, do not be afraid. The secret of freedom is courage. We are who we are by our responses to everything in life. The parable of Kerbala is not just about the number of those with Hussain, but more importantly about their stalwart courage in the face of unimaginable odds. Just like Hurr, every age sees those who are destined for greatness, facing a choice. That choice will ultimately decide whether we are enslaved by ideological misconceptions of liberty and freedom, where “reasonable thinking, logic, science” reign unchecked and unbalanced without faith – OR – we are liberated from all the confines of this existence and become free here and in the hereafter. There is a choice, a very clear one. There is still a chance. Imam Hussain did not turn away from Hurr when he came. In the space of a few hours, Imam Hussain undid the sins of a lifetime and transformed the fortunes of Hurr. Join us, without fear of bycott or rejection. We are one.

Moula! We hear your call, and by virtue of reason and faith in tandem, we say “Labbaik!”. We are here, before you and at your side. We will follow you to the ends of the earth and back. There are those who will do anything to muffle and mute your call, but your voice will always resonate within us.

As long as the ‘mu’ezzin’ calls out five times a day, may you always remain the voice of Burhanuddin Moula.