There is no denying that George W Bush had a great sense of humour. When awarding the then little known Dr Anthony Fauci with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work on HIV/AIDS in 2008, he remarked that Dr Fauci possessed “precision of thought and economy of expression” and that was exactly why he may never become a politician. As the son of a president and the then occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Bush Jr was keenly aware that clarity in thought and words was perhaps unbecoming of modern politicians. Why then, must the tragic events of Karbala be framed in a divisive and political lens and not one of selfless devotion, service and sacrifice? On Sunday, in a webinar titled ‘Josh Malihabadi’s Marsiya: Hussain Aur Inqilab” organised by Saba and Nader Nanjiani, renowned cultural critic and historian Ally Adnan exercised and effortlessly displayed that which POTUS 43 envied in Dr Tony Fauci; precision and economy.
This did not leave the viewer in tears and agony at the calamity that was the Battle of Karbala, rather this viewer walked away having filled in the gaps of his understanding around the true meaning of marsiya, its many shapes, its rich cultural lineage, its metamorphosis as an art form and how subcontinental culture made it its own under the figurative tutelage of giants such as Josh Malihabadi.
With this in mind, Adnan established that the concept of this world being temporal, to be treated as a transitory trial to separate haq from batil as being a central tenet of Islamic faith. One can argue that such a strand is common across most major world religions and that humanity preaches recognition of and perseverance for justice, but as Adnan swiftly progressed, he reminded the audience of the dichotomy between mourning and celebration
“Falsafi ko behas ke andar khuda milta nahi,
Dorr ko Suljha raha hai aur sirra milta nahi”
-Naz Khialvi
Adnan’s talk began with a deep and deliberate focus on etymology. Viewers and listeners were educated not only on the linguistic roots of the word marsiya but they were also exposed to the importance of remembrance or zikr with a verse from the Quran’s 51st chapter Surah Az-Zariyat which says:
“And keep remembering because remembering benefits the believers”
(51:55)
With this in mind, Adnan established that the concept of this world being temporal, to be treated as a transitory trial to separate haq from batil as being a central tenet of Islamic faith. One can argue that such a strand is common across most major world religions and that humanity preaches recognition of and perseverance for justice, but as Adnan swiftly progressed he reminded the audience of the dichotomy between mourning and celebration. While on one hand the selfless spirit of the martyrs at Karbala must never be forgotten and should be mourned, there is also an element of celebration for the Wrath that Yazid and his acolytes will face when presented in front of Allah. For as Adnan reminded us of Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar’s words, when transitioning to discussing Josh Malihadbadi’s Hussain aur Inqilab;
‘Qatal e Hussain Asal Mein Marg e Yazeed Hai
Islam Zinda Hota Hai Har Karbala Ke Baad’
While remembering the heart-wrenching carnage and suffering is important so is the celebration and remembrance of the grand example of courage, devotion and sacrifice that was set by the aal e-Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) on the battlefield. Adnan’s presentation whilst exceedingly aesthetically pleasing was also adeptly peppered with poetry that spoke to the topic at hand and accentuated its gravitas and solemnity. When discussing poetry and marsiya he went to great lengths to clearly explain the mubakki and ghair mubakki and the four types of marsiya and gave powerful examples of each. Adnan also explained the building blocks of marsiya and in effect poetry as consisting of radeef, beher, qaafiya and takhallus to name a few.
The presentation was replete with rich historical anecdotes ranging from the spread and growth of marsiya in India and the publishers that first took on the mantle of making this art form available for public consumption. What could have been elaborated on further had there been less time constraints, was how the artisans of the Indian subcontinent took ownership of the marsiya and made it their own to reflect cultural context and indigenous values. Ahsan Khan gave a beautiful recital towards the end of the presentation as other eminent scholars and audience members engaged in a healthy discussion around marsiya and its history.
Perhaps, the best feature of this very comprehensive webinar was the well-researched, fully contextualised, digestible and simple manner in which the history of each element of the marsiya was explained. Adnan not only spoke of the first marsiya post-Karbala but also tied Josh’s poetry to the struggle against the colonial oppressors of our motherland. It is no wonder then that striving for justice is so often misconstrued by so many quarters, contrary to the spirit of Islam and the Message of the last Messenger.
‘Husnain jaan-e-fatima
Hasunat jameeu khisaalihi
Yaani muhammad-e-mustafa
Yaani muhammad-e-mustafa
Sallu alaihi wa aalihi
Sallu alaihi wa alihi
Sallu alaihi wa alihi’
-Bedam Shah Warsi