Delivering his Friday sermon on the occasion of Unity Week, Imam of Lucknow and Principal of Hawzah Ilmiyya Gufran Ma’ab, Maulana Syed Raza Haider Zaidi, congratulated the Muslim world and emphasized the importance of scholarly unity, stressing that the sacrifices of the Shia community for the cause of Islamic unity remain unmatched.
Speaking at the historic Asafi Mosque, he underlined that “if even one-tenth of the sacrifices made by Shias for the sake of unity had been offered by non-Shias, the situation of the Muslim world would have been completely different.”
Highlighting the challenges faced by the Muslim world, Maulana Zaidi recalled the martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, describing his loss as irreplaceable, and condemned attacks on Iran which caused heavy human and material losses. He further stressed that although there are no Shi’as living in Palestine, it is the Shi’a community that has consistently sacrificed in support of the oppressed Palestinians.
The Imam of Lucknow also addressed sensitivities within the Muslim community, saying: “Just as the practice of tabarra causes discomfort to some Sunnis, Shias too are deeply hurt when fabricated traditions are used to insult Imam Ali’s father, Abu Talib (AS), or when Yazid – the murderer of Imam Hussain (AS) – is called ‘may Allah be pleased with him.’ We urge our Sunni brothers to educate their communities and recognize the Yazids and Ibn Saads of our time – those whom some of your scholars have pledged allegiance to.”
Referring to the message of Ashura, he asked: “We mourned for two months and eight days, but how much change did we bring within ourselves, and how much change did we inspire in others?” Citing the example of Hazrat Hur (AS), who transformed within moments on the day of Ashura and attained paradise, he reminded the faithful that true remembrance of Karbala should lead to personal and societal transformation.
Maulana Zaidi also mentioned the story of Moroccan scholar Idris Husseini, who was not originally a Shia but embraced Shi’ism after studying the history of Imam Hussain (AS) and authored the book “Imam Hussain Made Me a Shia.” Similarly, he recalled that prominent scholar Sheikh Muhammad Saleem was inspired to become Shi’a after being deeply moved by the sermons of Lady Zaynab (SA), who fearlessly confronted the people of Kufa despite immense suffering.
“Imam Hussain (AS) brings transformation in people’s lives,” Maulana Zaidi concluded, underscoring that the legacy of Karbala continues to inspire change, justice, and unity across the Muslim world.
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