Years later...

Years later, followers of this way and their religion contain more people than the followers of the religion of the Prophet himself. The real Shiites are Ali, Abu Dharr, Fatima, Husayn, Zaynab and all of the Emigrants and . But those like Ali ibn Omayyad are the first Moslems to conti­nue the practice of dissimulation (pious fraud) even th­ough the Prophet had forbidden it. They remain, loyal to this beneficial principle and do not relinquish it until their death.

It is when the fire of a new faith alights upon their spirits and a movement full of danger begins in society, based upon experiment, choice and obligatory tests where one speaks to the self clearly and without deceit that the wonders of humanity appear. The glories are accompanied by feelings of inferiority, contempt, strengths as well as weaknesses. All these are hidden within the spirit and all of them reveal themselves.

Now in this frightening compound, there are people who are not Moslems, and yet bear the difficulties with patience, silence and three years of hunger and loneliness. They share the shadow of danger. They also take part in God's great revolution of humanity. In this most sensitive moment of the beginning of the history of Islam, they share the pain, understanding the position of Muhammad, Ali and their .

But the black cloud of ignorance covers the comfor­table and happy city which is filled with conservatism, contradiction, painlessness and shamelessness. Some Mos­lems can be seen among them whose skirts are contamina­ted and their hands are frail. They are busy gaining secu­rity and comfort. Are they the viewers or the players in this tragedy? The question arises because in their imagi­nation they believe they have religion. They love religious people. They feel themselves to be enlightened.

The families of the Hashimi and Abdul Muttalib tribes cut themselves off for three years from their city, their people, their freedom and even their means of liveli­hood and live in this confinement. Is it possible to leave the valley in the middle of the night and , hidden from the eyes of the spies of the Quraish, get some food for the hungry who are waiting in jail? Could it be that a liberal family member or friend might out of kindness bring them some bread.

Hunger sometimes reaches the point that they take on the image of 'black death'. But as they had prepar­ed themselves for a 'red death', they are patient.