The Press Release on the Tragedy at the Entrance of the Holy Shrine

The Press Release on the Tragedy at the Entrance of the Holy Shrine
2019/09/14

Indeed we are of Allah and to Him we shall return

It is with great sadness and pain that the news of the tragedy at the entrance of the holy shrine of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) has reached us, which led to the loss of tens of lives, as they repeated the chant “Ya Husayn”, their hearts filled with the love and grief for the Ahlulbait (peace be upon them), during their participation of the Tuwairich Run on the afternoon of Ashura.
We, therefore, pay condolences to the Imam of our Time (may Allah hasten his reappearance) as well as to their grieving families, and to all the believers and lovers of the Ahlulbait (peace be upon them).
We call upon those responsible in the Iraqi government and the Custodianship of the Holy Shrines to establish sound plans and to take precautionary measures to ensure that such a tragedy does not occur again.
Similarly, we call upon all the respected visitors to the holy shrines – may Allah honour them – to act in coordination with the brothers who have been tasked with managing the millions of visitors in order to enable the illumination of godly teachings and guidance, and the expression of love and sorrow for the Ahlulbait (peace be upon them). Indeed, such service during this season is amongst the greatest of deeds in the eyes of Allah Almighty, and He is the greatest supporter and the Guardian of the believers.
In conclusion, we supplicate to Allah Almighty to bless those pure souls and to raise them in the highest ranks with the Master of Martyrs and his noble companions, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon them all. We pray that He inspires their loved ones who they leave behind with patience and solace, and that He blesses the injured with a quick recovery, for He is the Most Merciful.

11 Muharram 1441

Day Questions

Is it obligatory to mention the name of the deceased with his/her father's name at the end of the Prayer of Wahshah?

It has been narrated that this prayer is ended by saying: "Allahumma Salli Ala Mohammad wa Aali Mohammad and send the reward to the grave of so and so". It is not obligatory to mention the name of the father of the deceased.

If one knows without a doubt that he himself is a sinner, but people do not know this and consider him pious and ask him to lead prayers, is it permissible for him to do so and will their prayers be accepted?

It is not permissible for him to present himself to lead the congregational prayer if he knows that he does not fulfil the requirements of the Imam of the prayer, in such a way he would be considered as cheating them.If they asked him to lead the prayer, it is permissible to do so, although it is better not to in this particular case as well. If he was praying alone and someone decided to pray behind him in congregation, then his prayer is in order and he has not committed a sin. If he was not qualified to lead the prayer, he should not apply the laws of the congregational prayer on him, for example, referring to the people praying behind him when he has doubts.

I have noticed a great commotion in regards to moon sighting issues. The Maraji have various edicts on this, which has led to some confusion and doubts in regards to Marja’iyyah and the concept of Taqleed. To remedy this, is it possible for the Maraji to get together to reach one conclusion and one edict on this issue?

What has happened in recent years is because of the differences in the ijtihad and in interpretations of the sources and narrations from the Imams of the Ahlulbait (peace be upon them). Some religious authorities – including his Eminence Sayyid Al-Hakeem (may Allah prolong his life) – have the opinion that the narrations from the Ahlulbait (peace be upon them) prove that most countries can have one Eid in such a way that if the crescent was seen in a country, it is sufficient to establish Eid in other countries as well, even if the distance between the two countries is relatively far. The details of the verdict of his Eminence are explained in his books of Islamic Laws. However, some other Maraji have the opinion that seeing the crescent in a country will prove it to be the night of Eid for other countries only if they share a horizon, so such sighting does not necessarily prove the Eid in other distant countries. If the differences in the edicts originate from the differences in Ijtihad and understanding of religious texts, then it is unavoidable, since a Mujtahid cannot change his opinions that are based on his own Ijtihad and research simply because of social pressure or similar reasons that are not related to what the religious texts indicate as per his understanding. As a matter of fact, doing so is considered as compromising against his duties in finding religious realities. Differences of these types indicate the authenticity of the Shia sect, and the piety and sincerity of its followers. The Marja’ tries his best – via his research and teaching – to reach the religious realities. At the same time, the believers try their best to find out the most knowledgeable Mujtahid who fulfills all the criteria of the Marja’ and to act upon his edicts. This shows the strength of faith that these two groups possess. Difference in opinions should not lead to conflicts or aversion. It should rather be dealt with calmness and wisdom for the sake of unity and the general interests of the believers.

If one hears someone recites the Quran, is it obligatory on him to correct the mistakes of his recitation?

Although it is a good thing to correct another person’s recitation of the Quran, it is not obligatory to do so.

News Archive