DR. KIRMANI’S CORNER
This section is developed through the weekly reflections of Dr. Sayed Shabbir Kirmani, our respected resident scholar. Each week, Dr. Kirmani will share his thoughts on faith, current affairs, and community matters, offering valuable insights on how Islamic teachings relate to both global and local events.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
The Living Word: From the Cave of Hira to the Sands of Karbala
We often treat the Quran as a static text—a holy object to be recited for blessings. However, looking through the lens of Allameh Tabatabai’s Tafsir al-Mizan, we discover that the Quran is a dynamic blueprint that demands to be “lived” before it can be fully understood. To grasp its practical application in our modern lives, we must trace the thread that runs from the Mabath (the inception of the mission), through the protection of Abu Talib, to the sacrifice of the Caravan of Imam Hussain.
Mabath: The Awakening of Awareness
The mission began in the Cave of Hira with a single command: “Read” (Iqra). In Tafsir al-Mizan, this command is not interpreted merely as literacy, but as a call to “read” reality through the eyes of the Divine. The Prophet (pbuh) was asked to view the world not as a random collection of atoms, but as a creation of a “Lord who created.”
In a world of digital distraction, we are often “asleep” while walking. The lesson of Mabath is to cultivate spiritual literacy. Before you react to a crisis, “read” it. Ask yourself: Where is God’s hand in this? To practice the Quran is to wake up from the slumber of heedlessness and view every interaction as a sign (ayah) from God.
Abu Talib: The Manifestation of Shelter
When the Prophet descended from the cave, he needed a shield. The Quran asks in Surah Ad-Dhuha: “Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?” (93:6).1 Tabatabai’s methodology emphasizes that God operates through Asbab (causes and means). While God is the ultimate Protector, the physical vessel for that protection was Abu Talib. He did not just “believe” in the mission; he acted as the operational fortress for it, enduring the starvation of the Boycott to keep the message alive.
We often wait for God to help the vulnerable, forgetting that we might be the help He has sent. The life of Abu Talib challenges us to be the “Cause.” Identify the “orphan” in your life—the colleague being bullied, the friend struggling with depression—and be their shelter. Your faith is proven not by how much you pray, but by how safe people feel in your presence.
The Caravan of Karbala: The Great Transaction
If Abu Talib was the shelter, the Companions of Imam Hussain were the investors. Surah Al-Baqarah states: “And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking means to the approval of Allah…” (2:207).
Tafsir al-Mizan describes this as a transaction where the buyer is God and the price is eternal life. On the day of Ashura, the companions—from the elderly Habib to the young Qasim—were not victims; they were willing merchants. They realized that anxiety comes from holding onto the “self,” while peace (Sakina) comes from selling it to a higher purpose.
Analyze your daily anxieties. Usually, they stem from fear of losing things that don’t belong to us (status, wealth, time). The practical lesson from the Caravan is to “sell” your worries. When you dedicate your work, your parenting, and your struggles to God, you are no longer bearing the burden alone; you have completed the transaction.
So it may be said, that to live the Quran today is a three-step journey:
Read Reality (Mabath): Wake up to the divine purpose in every moment.
Be the Shelter (Abu Talib): Use your power to protect the truth and the vulnerable.
Make the Trade (Karbala): Exchange your temporary ego for eternal peace.
May we have the ability to receive the Divine Mercy and extend it to others!
With Duas,
Dr. Kirmani