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

What are the religious rules for the parents following the birth of a child?

A number of things are reported to be recommended following the birth of a child, amongst them are the following:1. Bathing the baby as ghusl for him. Apparently, the one bathing the child is required to have the intention of ghusl. 2. Covering him with a white cloth, and it is disliked to use a yellow one.3. Reciting the Adhan of the prayer in the right ear and the Iqamah in the left ear.4. Placing water from the Euphrates River and a small amount of the earth of the grave of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) on the top and the bottom of his mouth. If the said is not available, rain water can be used instead. Also it is recommended to place honey and date on his jaw from the outside.5. Choosing a good name for him. It was reported that the most truthful names are those which indicate servitude to Almighty Allah, like Abdullah and Abdul-Raheem. And the best names are the names of the prophets (peace be upon them) and their best is Muhammad. It has been reported also to name the baby "Ali". It is also reported that poverty does not enter a house where its residents are named Muhammad, Ahmad, Ali, Hasan, Husein, Ja'far, Talib or Abdullah, and amongst the females Fatima. It is also reported that it is recommended to name the baby boy at his birth "Muhammad" for at least seven days, and after that either continue naming him that or change it at that time.6. Cutting the hair of the baby on the seventh day, donating its weight of gold or silver to the needy.7. Circumcising the boy on the seventh day.8. The "Aqeeqah": the sacrificing of a sheep, a goat, a cow or a camel. It is better to choose a male animal for the boy and a female animal for the girl.

Is there any difference between the covenant (ahd) and the promise (wa’d)? If someone says, “I promise (wa’d) to Allah that I will do something”, is this a valid covenant (ahd), although he hasn’t used the word ‘ahd’? Are the rules of covenants applicable to this statement?

It is obligatory to act upon the covenant (ahd) with Allah almighty. If one does not do so it is a sin and a kaffarah must be given. Whereas, it is not obligatory to act upon the promise (wa’d) and there is no kaffarah for doing so. It is better not to do either of them. Doing good deeds when possible and avoiding bad deeds when possible is better than obligating oneself with additional religious duties.

Is it allowed to buy a hunting dog, but just to keep at home and not for the purposes of hunting?

If the dog was trained for hunting then it is permissible to buy it even if it is for other purposes.