To believe is one thing, to have faith is another. Faith and belief must rise together in a unifying crescendo if we are to harbor any thoughts of standing for the truth alongside our Awaited Imam.

Before we think of enjoining good, we need to make sure that we ourselves are sincerely attempting to live our lives according to the ways of the Ahlul Bayt. People's feelings do matter, and Islam advocates kindness and compassion. We have to realize that Allah's mercy is a characteristic that we need to adopt in our lives as well – as Islam does emphasize us to try and live the characteristics of Allah's names.

Du'a is the weapon of the believer because a Muslim's strength lies in assistance from his Merciful Creator Allah. Through supplications he establishes connections with Him and as a result, receives His favors and assistance in times of hardships and sees the Right Path clearly without difficulty.

According to numerous studies, youth spend approximately eight hours a day with forms of media such as television, radio, etc. All the different forms of media are either solely devoted to music or have music in the background – so that's almost eight hours a day of music exposure!

To condemn Azadari because certain people take it to extreme levels or have introduced elements of Shirk into it is no different from the Wahabis who wish to destroy our holy shrines because some people exaggerate the status of the Ahlul Bayt, or the non-Muslims who condemn Islam because of the actions of a few extremists and terrorists.

 As the thirst for material goods has no end, we always feel short of resources to satisfy our ever-increasing desires. Our Imam says that if we control our lust for this material world and abandon our desires, we can be rich, as being rich is not about having wealth of this world but rather a mental state whereby one feels content and Ghani in his heart.

It is unfortunate that during this time, the people surrounding the near-death person often forgo some of the obligatory and recommended acts and supplications. According to the Ahlul Bayt, if these acts are performed correctly for the sake of Allah, not only is there reward for the persons who carry out those funeral rites, but there is also great potential for the deceased to be rewarded with a better final destination.   

If every day is Ashura, this means there are "Hussains" being killed for the sake of Islam every day. Be it because of their beards or Hijabs, it is happening. There are "Zainabs" and "Sakinas" being deprived of their basic human rights every day – take a look at what is happening in Iraq, Palestine, Somalia, and all over the world.

Knowledge and faith, when combined together, yield good results. The separation of one from the other leads to evil. The knowledge contained in a crooked heart is like a torch in the hand of a thief or a weapon in the hand of a criminal. The present superpowers have knowledge but lack in faith; the result is exploitation and persecution of the weak. On the other hand, when faith is combined with ignorance, it leads to deadly results. In the period of Imam Ali, the Kharjites, and in our age, the Taliban are typical examples of this phenomenon we see. Where faith is devoid of knowledge, the bigotry and brutality is born.

If today we claim to lament and grieve the suffering of the holy women of the Imam's household, surely it behooves us to not insult their memory and observe the Hijab that they were so mercilessly deprived of. Indeed, that is the least we can do to express our sympathy and prove how real our tears are.