#majalis

Esredes' heart dropped when he approached the remains of the village. The blizzard and hail combination last night had left more damage than he anticipated- roofs were caved in or full of holes, the very foundations were blown to the side or partially collapsed, and while it looked like no one had died, they were all huddled around fires shivering. Everything looked absolutely and utterly miserable.

"We're going to have to put aside the week to repair this," Esredes said to the little group he'd brought along. He'd thought it would be enough just to have a trusted circle of Mythirel, Marcelloix, Heilyn, Vette, Fiachna- whose sister Niamh had also decided to come, to which Esredes only reclutantly allowed- and Marchand was there too, he supposed. The man had technically joined them, and he might make himself useful on this task. But even despite these two uneasy allowances, as Esredes surveyed the extent of the damage done to the village their movement was taking shelter in, it was not near enough to make quick progress. Oh, they would all be suffering the entire week.

"Maybe I can convince a couple more people to come out here," Esredes said with a sigh as he tapped his linkpearl. Elouan was not a member of the movement proper, but he trusted him with this affair at the least. He explained the situation over the pearl to him and luckily, just as Esredes anticipated, he agreed to come right over and help.

"Let's get to work in the meantime," Esredes said. "I'll call over as many of the movement as available as the week goes on. With luck, we'll have this all functional by the end of the week." For now, he sent Fiachna off on that messenger task and got to work with the rest of the crew. Marchand made himself useful hauling the supplies and materials they did manage to bring along as well as those too injured to move around properly, while Heilyn got to work repairing the damage, even though it quickly became apparent it wouldn't be enough. Vette kept the campfires roaring and otherwise provided heat to the villagers who weren't lucky enough to be blooded with fire, melting away ice and snow that was in the way of them making any progress. Esredes tag-teamed with Marcelloix to haul and assist with the basic repairing he could do, transforming frequently to help hold things into place for others to nail down or get people and materials onto the roof.

The little group worked away for a couple hours, and had barely made a dent in the work. A couple little houses looked in better shape now, but far from finished, the debris from the storm to clear out seemed endless, and they didn't have nearly enough materials to keep at this forever. That's when Esredes heard his name with a familiar cheerful voice, and when he turned around his heart rose and dropped in equal measure. Elouan had showed up, as promised, along with Fiachna making his return. But with him he'd brought an entire crowd of others. Andromeda, Mercer, Aloysia, Ryousei, Majalis, Leigh, Alvere, Fuyu, Kainen, Azarah, Alastor, and for some reason even Ross who Esredes barely remembered the name of were all there too- along with an apparent delivery of more supplies, with a note from Adel saying they were from an anonymous wealthy source. And to all of it, Esredes blinked several times in a row. This village was confidential. It was private. The last thing these people needed was for their peace and solitude away from Ishgard to be disturbed by outsiders who could come back and mean them harm- No, no. Esredes, for once, quieted the thought as it came. These were not loyalists or outsiders, these were his trusted friends and associates that had come to help. A smile came to his face, and with it, the work continued.

Andromeda was familiar with handling housing in the cold- Shiva bless her country Garlean origins- and immediately helped lead and assist the rest in where to repair and bolster the damage done to the buildings, as well as having come with more materials of her own, and putting that magitek of hers to heal the injured with Fuyu. Mercer was good with lifting the heavier things and hammering, but he also got to work fixing broken metal. Meanwhile, Ryousei was on watch duty, surveying ahead to be sure the area was clear of any actually unwanted visitors who could try and bring the entire place down. You never knew even in this post-war world. Majalis and Leigh were focused on distributing supplies to ensure everyone remained warm and fed, Leigh coming with jarred foods and spare blankets, and once that was done Majalis moved on to assist Fiachna and Niamh with repairs. Kainen used his Dragoon jumping to more easily move materials around. Azarah and Vette both assisted Aloysia and Rossignol with getting a pot of soup going for everyone, a combination Esredes couldn't voice his protest to until it was too late. Aloysia insisted the vague, mushy concoction they had made tasted good, but Esredes wasn't about to trust it for a moment. Fortunately, Vette, Alvere, and Leigh came to the rescue, adding in the right ingredients to make it palatable.

— Lady Um Al Baneen (as)

-Mindegy, hogy cigi, pia vagy drog, csak ártson nekem.

Please remember to wear black whether you are outside or inside of your house. Black the colour of mourning, the colour of sadness, the statement for followers of the Ahlul Bayt (as) and their family Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa aali Muhammad (O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad) during this tragic time. Do not wear bright colours and refrain from wearing make-up. Put extra effort into your hijab (females and males) and remember Imam Hussain (as). By wearing black all the time it is a statement. You are in sadness; you are mourning for Imam Hussain (as) and the martyrs of Karbala (as). It is a constant reminder for the Tragedy of Ashura, and it will remind you to refrain from sin.

Make an effort to cover your house in black (or put away colourful items). Listen to the Ziyarat of Imam Hussain (as), Quran, Latmiyat and Dua. Do not watch TV for entertainment purposes, refrain from playing video games, remove yourself from materialistic things, and encourage others to do the same. Our grief is not limited to just being in Karbala, or being in a Majalis. Every Land is Karbala and we should be committed to ourselves in showing solidarity to the Imam of Our Time (atfs) (God The Exalted hasten his Relief The Honorable) in our grief and in offering our condolences.

Please also put many efforts into attending Majalis. Surely we are going to these where we are, because we have not been able to visit Karbala. Most lectures are scheduled during the first 10 days of Muharram and many people avoid going with excuses that relate to this life. “I’m too tired”, “The children have school tomorrow”, “I’ll just go tomorrow” as though every day is guaranteed. Lady Fatima Zahra (as) attends EVERY Majalis. She remembers and records the name of EVERY person who attends to mourn the martyrdom of her Sons, Family and Companions. The harder it is for someone to attend Majalis, the more blessings that person receives. This is especially important for children. Many people avoid taking their younger children and expect them to be able to start growing their faith when they are much older. The younger a child grows up with the traditions of the Ahlul Bayt (as) the stronger their love and faith will be. They will WITNESS firsthand the sadness the followers are experiencing, and they will be a part of it. Children are like sponges and they will learn in every Majalis. Cry for Imam Hussain (as), Hazrat Abbas (as), Sayeda Zainab (as) and those martyred. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said “Every eye shall be weeping on the Day of Judgment except the eye which has shed tears over the tragedy of Hussain”. Imam Hussain (as) said “One day the tears of my Shia’a will wipe away the pain of these arrows”.

Stay until the end of the Majalis and listen to the Latmiyyat/Eulogy/Poetry recitation. Recite with the reader and do not be shy to shout Ya Hussain! Ya Abbas! Ya Zainab! Ya Haidar! As this too is an offering of condolences to Lady Fatima Zahra (as) for the martyrdom of her son and Family.

Also make efforts to open your hearts to others, use manners when associating with others, be kind to others, be respectful and be welcoming. You cannot hurt or upset a follower of Imam Hussain (as). Share what you have, and give without expecting to receive in return. Be free in your generosity and be pure in your intentions.

Remember Imam Hussain (as) every time you drink water, and his thirst and the thirst of his Family and Companions (as).