Adam Chehouri WRITE

Much has been said and written about Imam Hussein and the event of Karbala, examining the historical role of the Imam but rarely have the purpose for which Hussein sacrificed himself been  particularly  inspected. In Arise and Bear Witness , Dr Ali Shariati examines the concept of sacrifice, that idea we call ‘martyrdom’ from an intellectual, philosophical and scientific point of view.   In order to understand the true meaning of martyrdom, the ideological school from which it originates is first clarified. We understand from the first few pages the choice of the title Arise and Bear Witness , the Islamic meaning to martyrdom, in opposition to ‘death’ or ‘to die’ in non-Islamic rites. Therefore, Shariati dissects the concept of martyrdom within the context of its school of thought, viewing Hussein and the battle of Karbala as an eternal and transcendent phenomenon rather than solely a tragic event to cry about.  

Where shall we begin? An ethical question that Dr Ali Shariati tries to provide an answer in seven parts. A close friend of mine introduced me to Dr Ali Shariati's philosophy after I had noticed the amount of shares and likes his Facebook page receives. Although he died in 1977, his sociology on religion and discussions are today examined by scholars and are unfortunately valued more than 20 years after his death. Upon listening of Sayed Ammar Nakshawani's lecture on Shariati famous work Fatima is Fatima , I decided that it is important that I enter the knowledge of Ali Shariati. Where shall we begin? A title that captivated me and by the end of the first part I realized why Dr Ali Shariati is considered one of the most influential Iranian intellectuals of the 20th century. I invite you to read this book on the following links either read it online or download it from  Google Play Books .