New Year - Hijri 1427

New Year has arrived and has shadowed us with enormous bounties especially the barakaat of live audioviz relay of Aqa Moula (TUS)'s first waaz mubarak.

We wish you all heartiest mubarakbadi on the auspicious occasion. The year is starting with the deedar of our beloved Moula (TUS) and lets all pray that it remains the same the whole year through.

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."

A quote of bill cosby and it is to remind myself to keep focused on one thing, pleasing the only human soul we will forever love and stay bound to, in this world and the hereafter, our beloved Moula Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (TUS).

We humbly request your kind remembrance in your dua during these auspicious days of barkaat of buka and matam on Imam Husain (AS) especially on the day of Ashura.

Wassalaam,

Abdy Syedna wa Amatehi (TUS),

Juzar Shk Yusuf bhai,
Maria Mu. Juzar
Mohammed Mu Juzar

Preps for the Satellite Relay on Tuesday

It was almost after zawal that I recieved a phone call from Janab Qusai BS, our Amil Saheb, that Huzurala (TUS) has with karam given raza for Audio Video relay of the first waaz. I was at carrefour with my wife and kid and I didnt know what to say for a few minutes. My heart began to pound in happiness and I seemed as if I was in the floating on air. I snapped myself ot of it to reply to Janab but the happiness just could not be held back.

I kept offering sajadaat as we proceeded home. We were to meet at night after magrib namaaz for fine tunning all audio and other related equipment for Ashara but this was yet an addtional joy. We had recieved our 12ft x 10ft Da-Lite rear projection screen a few days back and it was ready for its first debut.

As soon as we were over with the equipment in the control room and had set-up the reciever, the camera controllers, the DVD-R, the amplifiers and other stuff we began the task of fixing the gigantic fast-flod screen. It was the first time we had fixed one and obviously it was to take time, 2 hours. It was ready and all set for the relay. Some more work is pending and we will be on it tommorrow, Insha'allah.

I am personally grateful to Qusai BS for his support to the IT Committee which will prove its worth as time goes by. We are all here for khidmat and as the bohras believe and practice, it is our Moula's nazaraat that gives us strength. That why most of the bohras believe in community service and the benefit of the human race on the whole.

I do hope that more and more waaz will be relayed, Insha'allah.

Ashara 1427 in UAE

Well, at last the wait is over and I was told from Mumbai that I won't b getting a moze any more. All Ummal are at their own mowaze and also other Qasre Aali and Asateza will be going for khidmat. I knew that chances were dim but still was trying my best. I thought that I could go for khidmat this year coz from next year again it would be with Moula (TUS).

Well, what ever happens is for the better but I was really very much depressed in the beginning that with all heart I wanted to go for khidmat and had made up my mind but didnt get a chance.

I am thinking of trying to write more for DBNet in line to Ashara, might it give me the sawab of khidmat I long wished to perform.

Shz Aliasger BS Kalimuddin will be coming to Dubai and I am quite happy knowing that will get more barakaat of Sabaq on the hands of Shz Saheb. Lets see how everything turns out. I want to go to Dubai for listening waaz also.

Use what talent you possess - the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best

Henry Van's words make me think that I should try my best to prepare for doing the waaz if I was to be granted the moze. The words give me light as I start preparing myself for the azeem khidmat.

I will start picking up and looking at awraaq and kitabs from tonight as soon as I return from the purchase trip with the IT committee for the Ashara preparations in Sharjah. We have to go a leap forward and acquire more techinically sound stuff looking at the future rather then the immediate now.

Doing waaz in Ashara

It has been sometime since I have really done any preparation for doing a waaz that too in Ashara, maybe 7 years. Thats a long time. Since 1419 H I haven't done waaz and maybe if I get a moze this year I might have to prepare for one. It is realy tough making people weep in rememberence of the sacrifice of Imam Husain (AS) and is the greatest of all Khidmats and lots of responsibility.

I have done araz for khidmat husainiyah since there is a farman that no one attend Ashara with Huzurala (TUS). I would have prefered to attend with Moula (TUS) but then this is the second best choice if I had to make one. Waiting for farman is also tense since at times waaz must be prepared according to the locality and the maturity of the people who are to listen to it.

I haven't had it difficult to deliver a speech or a bayan on a particular subject ever. And I guess this is the barakat of Jamea Saifiyah only. Offcourse the nazaraat of my beloved Moula (TUS) is the soul of all my strength. I write as I ponder and think on what to do. How wil I prepare myself for such a huge responsibility and by heart beats faster as I think of the farman to go to any xyz place for waaz. Surely, I rely on my Moula's Nazaraat rather then my own capacity which is not only too short to handle such an enormous duty but also has caught what I call, rust, due to the long break.

I have a lot of mawaad and content for the purpose but still feel nervous. I can feel the fear in my veins as tears roll on my cheeks. But I have to do what I have to do. I wait to serve. They also serve who stand and wait.

Mumineen are hungry to cry aloud and mourn Imam Husain (AS) and recieve more ilm during ashara and it is the Dai of Ale Mohammed (AS) who not only has the right but the power to deliver it to them. We Khidmat Guzaars are merely tools in his hand.

I do humbly ask all readers and my friends to remember me during these days. And I am sure I will do the best to make my Moula (TUS) happy with all his help and nazaraat. May Allah bless Moula (TUS) with sehat and afiyat forever. Ameen.

Little Knowledge is a dangerous thing

The so called "Leading web portal of the Dawoodi Bohras" has messed up its worth once again. Though it does several times but when it comes to the very self of my eternal love, "My Moula", I can't bare it. I do not want to abuse anyone but just jot down what's happening and ask you why is the one stop shop called the leading portal for its little knowledge. Well If you have got me then yes I am talking about Malumaat.

I happened to visit the front page of malumaat as I do for they have information that the other portal does not at times. The reasons are many and one is "youself", who do not contribute to mumineen.org or contribute less. Another reasons are techincal and policy matters. One could also be of quality. We did not do news but only Akhbar of Moula (TUS) but malumaat did everything and put in randomly on their page. Now we started a section dedicated to Akhbar of all Bilad Imaniyah and people can contribute. We rejected photos that were poor of quality and didn't publish them even if we had no other content for the event. We opt for quality and quantity. Visit the technical blog of mumineen.org

Its a community project and the community must step up to keep it going, its you th contributor who can make the difference.

Back to what I read today on malumaat. Its written that Moula (TUS)'s waaz was relayed from Saifee Hospital. WAAZ?? Thats what I call little knowledge. I don't boast to be the all knowlegeble but at least reasonble and have been a student ever. Acquiring as I go.

Oh, I forgot another blunder on the following page, http://malumaat.com/akhbar1426/mumbai/index25.html Look at the naming conventions of the photos. TEHNIYAAT. I don't think this was an Eid Milan programme where people visited to offer greetings. Mumineen visited the hospital to ask, enquire about Huzurala (TUS)'s well-being and pray for Moula (TUS) thats what is meant by Mizaaj Pursi as far as I know.

I leave it to you to understand if malumaat = information is correct and is a leading portal.

How a boss thinks

Have you ever wondered the reason behind flared-up sessions of a staff meet when the boss makes a heated speech to encourage the whole staff? Well here is one:

Lou Holtz - "On this team, we're all united in a common goal: to keep my job."

I had rather be first in a village than second at Rome.

Julius Caesar; such well said as he was fond of honor more then he feared his death. He was a mighty warrior and a well organized general. The historians rank him with Alexender the great. History will always remember such brave men and such men have strived for dignity. He was not ambitious as brutus told about him. He was a well talented man who deserved the position he hath held among the citizens of his nation. It was his government that made him an undisputed king, though un-crowned. Was he really ambitious. Even if he were did not he deserve it? And so do those who have such high potential.

Here is the what happened, as depicted by Shakesphere:

As Caesar lies in a pool of blood in the Roman Senate, Brutus tells a crowd of plebians what has just happened, and why Caesar's unrelenting ambition for power lead to his assassination. The crowd cheers Brutus on, wishing him to be the new Caesar. Brutus exits stage, and offsider Antony delivers this famous eulogy:

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do live after them. The good is oft interred with the bones,
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus,
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious...

Julius wasn't really such a bad..and so on, but from starting off endorsing Brutus's action, he reminds the crowd that bloke, that his death was regrettable, and after reading aloud Julius Caesar's will, that expressed how fond he really was of his citizens, the crowd instead becomes enraged at the conspirators. A riot ensues.

I love the words of Antony, so wonderful is his speech that leaves the beholders and the listeners speechless. I thought I should quote it here.

Mark Antony:
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him;
The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interréd with their bones,
So let it be with Caesar…. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answered it….
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest,
(For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all; all honourable men)
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral….
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man….
He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?
O judgement! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason…. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

Eid al-Adha 1426

Photos by Shz Idris Bs Badruddin (DM) for mumineen.org

Reach Out For Your Dreams

Why are we afraid to chase our dreams... Why does one person find it difficult to set out and achieve that which they desire, while others can some how set out, without so much a care in the world. What makes some people achievers, while others remain simply dreamers.

Is it the difference in their internal makeup? Is it in the way they were raised? The environment they grew up in? When one studies the lives of "achievers" one thing becomes evident. What is it that tends to shine through in case after case?

In my opinion the most evident factor is that there simply isn't a set pattern. These "super achievers", if you will, come from all walks of life. These folks emerge from all social classes. Varying degrees of socioeconomic backgrounds. Some from affluent families, while others emerge from economically depressed areas, and all corners of the earth.

Some of these people are college educated, others are schooled through lessons that life has taught them; the school of hard knocks. Many from a combination of both. However, all understand that knowledge in any form is a constant thing to be acquired. Skills are constantly upgraded.

While each person has come face to face with giving up, they opted to befriended perseverance, and used it to their advantage. Somehow they've found a way to overcome the point at which one wants to give up, trudged ahead and reached a point of achievement.

Yet at this point most often they tend to move onto other areas of achievement. Not accepting the status quo. Choosing to move forward towards new goals, and things that stand in their path. Though they may come from vastly differing backgrounds, each has found within themselves their ability to turn dreams into reality.

When you read this it is my hope that you take from this the knowledge that you, are just as they are. You are in fact an achiever. Just like these people you will have adversity. You may have more then your fair share of shortcomings. You may experience what seems to be at the time an inordinate amount of failure in your life.

Even so, you are still an achiever. You have more greatness in you then you can ever know. I hope that you will choose to use the power of persistence to your benefit, as all those achievers before you have. In doing so I am certain you will accomplish much more than you can imagine you are capable of at this point in your life. Dare to dream, but even more importantly, dare to put action behinds your dreams...
Yours in success,

BEST REGARDS

ABDE SYEDNA TUS
MUFADDAL M. QASIM BHARMAL
KAMPALA - UGANDA
Malumaat @ Yahoogroups

People who can't bare the sight of you land up doing their own laundry

There are people in this world who want to have all the skills of other people. We call such a person "Jack of all, king of none". These people often look at society with mis-trust and want to have all the skills just to isolate themselves. Instead of trying to cope-up with the temperments of other people and adjust in the society and taking advantage of the skill-sets other people they try to manage it all. The result is that they loose out. They cannot focus on their own skills and leave their jobs incomplete. Just for the sake of competing with others and feed their insecurities these people neglect the best people available for the job.

Leaders can't be from this category. Leaders are people who delegate their work. Delegation skills are the most important of all skills needed to be a leader or a head of the department. This skill requires you to tackle the most stubborn person for getting a job well-done. On the other hand if a leader tries to do everything by himself or tries to delegate the a job to a non-qualified person just to feed his insecurity, then it will end up in turmoil.

I was watching "Kittu Sab Janti Hai" a TV show on Sahara One which gives much insight in the above passage. The show is like this. The new boss Yuvraj seeks to be a perfectionist and for some reason tries to put down Kittu and hand over her work to someone else, the granddaughter of the defence minister. On the other hand he plays the same trick with Jogi a political reporter who has good reach and insider contacts that are badly needed for News channels. He replaces this guy for some personal reason maybe, with the son of the Finance Minister. Yuvraj thinks that his channel is in no need of such people as Yogi and Kittu and that the channel is not dependent on their skills.

I am not sure what the turn-out of the show would be but this attitude has already landed Yuvraj into trouble and embarrasment once and I am sure this is what happens in real life as well.

Imam Ahmd al-Mastur (AS) has said in epistoles of the brethren of purity - Ikhwanus Safa that we should "Seek the help and aid in every work or skill from the concerned people".