Thirst Relief – Al Furaat

Salaamun Alaykum

I am Hira Hyder

This Muharram I am humbled to collaborate with a prestigious platform such as The Zahra Trust Canada and raise funds for their Thirst Relief program.

The name which I have wholeheartedly allotted to my personal fundraiser campaign is ‘Al Furaat’ — which in Arabic translates to: ‘sweet and thirst-subduing water’.

Al Furaat, also known as the river of Euphrates is located in Karbala, Iraq; which entails a profound Islamic history and spiritual significance for the Muslim Ummah.

Merely decades after the demise of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), as a result of prevalent political propagandas over the past decades, the faith of Islam and its followers reached a revolutionary crossroads.

When the self-proclaimed, tyrant Caliph of Islamic states, Yazid ibn Muawaiya, grandson of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb and Hind bint Utbah audaciously distorted the fundamental pillars of Islam to fit his political agenda, legitimised illicit-acts and declared to the Muslim Ummah that there was no such thing as a divine revelation and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) along with his family exaggerated the divine message, Imam Hussain ibn Ali (AS) the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Lady Khadija (SA) initiated political negotiations with Yazid ibn Muawiya to put an end to his tyranny, blasphemous antics in regards to Islam, the Quran and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

However, fuelled by greed of power and position; Yazid ibn Muawiya blatantly refused to change his inhumanely unjust and tyrannical ways. It was then, that Imam Hussain ibn Ali (AS) migrated with his family — women and children, to the land of Karbala; inviting the Muslim ummah to join his caravan along the way, while preparing for jihad as a last resort to preserve the essence of Islam .

Upon the arrival of Imam Hussain ibn Ali’s (AS) caravan on the plains of Karbala, they desired to settle near Al Furaat. In response to this knowledge, the opposition forcibly compelled Imam Hussain ibn Ali’s (AS) caravan to be removed elsewhere; while depriving the companions, noble women and children of water resources amidst the sweltering desert heat. This was one of the many war crimes inflicted upon Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) household, the Ahlulbayt (AS) which eventually lead to the massacre of Karbala, on the day of Ashura.

In remembrance of Karbala’s martyrs who were ardent advocates of Islam’s core message; truth, justice and humanity as well as the widowed women, orphaned children of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) household who had been held captive and purposefully deprived of food and water — I aspire to raise funds for those underprivileged communities who are presently deprived of a basic human right; water, a necessity of life.

May Allah (SWT) accept our trivial efforts and aid us in maintaining pure intentions of receiving rewards as well as praise solely from our Creator