The Second Awakener – Dawn Breakers

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Section 2

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Section Two: The Second Awakener

Without the presence of Shaykh Ahmad, Siyyid Kázim grappled with feelings of isolation and immense responsibility. With limited time remaining, he faced the daunting task of preparing his band of followers for the imminent advent of the Promised One. Moreover, he found himself besieged by formidable adversaries – other Shí’a leaders entrenched in their positions of power and authority. These leaders vehemently opposed the Shaykhi teachings, refusing to embrace the call for the purification of Islam, the pursuit of virtuous living, and a shift towards spiritual understanding over literal interpretations.

Geo-politics of the Middle East at the time of Siyyid Kázim

During Siyyid Kázim’s lifetime, most of the Middle East was under the rule of two Islamic Empires: the Persian Qájár Empire, which had Tihrán as its capital and governed Persia, and the much larger Ottoman Empire, which had Constantinople as its capital and governed much of the rest of the Middle East and parts of North Africa. The Qájár Empire ruled areas where the population was mainly Shí’a. The Ottoman Empire and the regions it ruled were mainly Sunní, except for a few small areas such as the area around Baghdad which had a large Shí’a population. These two branches of Islam were and still are often bitterly opposed to each other. This geopolitical landscape shaped the religious and cultural dynamics of the region where Siyyid Kázim resided.

Siyyid Kázim had established his base in Karbalá’, a city about 55 miles (about 86 kilometers) southwest of Baghdad. This region, although relatively close to Persia, was part of the Ottoman Empire [see map below]. It had and still has a large Shí’a population because the area holds profound significance for the Shí’a due to its association with the revered Imáms.

³⁷Istanbul, Turkey

³⁸Most of the population in the region where the Dawn-Breakers unfolds were the branch of Shí’a Islam known as Twelver Shí’a [Ithná-’Asharíyyih ]. The reason they are called Twelver is because they believe in 12 Imáms. The 1st Imám was Imám ‘Alí. Imám ‘Alí was the cousin of the Prophet, and His foster brother. ‘Alí married the Prophet’s daughter, Fátima. Fátima is given a very high station especially by the Shí’a [she is seen as being Immaculate, Pure] and is usually called Fátima-az-Zahrá [zahrá means ‘the one that shines, the radiant’]. All the subsequent Imáms are the male descendants of the 1st Imám, Imám ‘Alí and Fátima. The Imámate was passed on from father to usually the eldest son or surviving son. ‘Alí and Fátima had two sons, Hasan & Husayn. After Imám ‘Alí was assassinated [he was assassinated in Kúfa and buried in Najaf], Hasan became the 2nd Imám.