Issue No: 327
22nd March 2019
14th Rajab 1440 A.H.
Salamun alaykum,
Shaking the house:
A cultural tradition among the Iranian community is practice of “khooneh tekouni” or “khooneh larzish” which literally means "shaking the house". This act is undertaken just before commencement of the Persian new year. The communities of Afghanistan, Iran, India, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and other Balkan regions commence the year with Nowroz -the first day of spring- celebrated on 21st March when the spring vernal equinox takes place.
How is the house shaken?
Shaking the house does not really involve movements to make the house physically tremble or shiver. One can imagine the state of ruin that would result were this to be carried out as such in our dwellings!
What “khooneh tekouni” or “khooneh larzish” means is that everything in the house is thoroughly cleaned, from the drapes to the furniture. It is an act of cleaning a whole house from top to bottom.
Spring cleaning:
In regions that experience climates of cold winter the thorough cleaning of a house is undertaken in the first warm days of the year. This would typically be with the commencement of spring. Thus, this yearly activity has come to be familiarly known as spring cleaning.
In our everyday conversations the term spring cleaning has come to be synonymous with any kind of heavy-duty cleaning or organizing one’s affairs. Likewise, a person who gets their affairs in order before an audit or inspection could also be said to be doing some spring cleaning.
Audit and Inspection:
One is too familiar with the processes of audit and inspection. One encounters them in the formal setting of work or daily occupation. Educational settings are familiar with Ofsted! Even in the home setting these processes do occur, albeit in an informal manner. Remember the chores you need to complete and your partner undertakes a check all round!
All along the efforts in doing the task are to work towards a successful outcome so as to gain a standard of compliance in the audit or inspection exercise. One would not leave any stone unturned in preparing for this activity.
Thus, spring cleaning is undertaken so as to attain outstanding outcomes in this exercise. Failing to be successful in this procedure would result into consequences.
The grand audit:
All humans too will undergo an audit. It will be an audit that is far beyond the imagination of all the compliance /inspection agencies of this physical world. This grand audit is of a different realm. It is an audit of the journey of life by man on this earth which is to be undertaken by Allah SWT on the day of judgment.
“So, by your Lord, We would most certainly question them all, As to what they did.” (Sura Al Hijr 15:92/93)
Are you ready for the Divine audit?
Have you prepared, put your affairs in order and ready for the Divine inspection?
Now that we are in the spring season and undertaking the spring cleaning is it not time to likewise consider giving one’s nafs-self- a thorough spring cleaning?
Will you undertake “khooneh tekouni” -shaking the house- for your nafs?
Why not take advantage of Rajab to undertake the spring cleaning of nafs?
Reflect on above as you celebrate the auspicious birth date of Amiral Muminin Imam Ali bin Abi Talib a.s.
Heartiest Felicitations on the Happy and Auspicious Occasion of the Birth Anniversary of Amiral Muminin Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (A.S.)
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah.
Sheikh Fazle Abbas Datoo
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Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat