When Iraqi football journalist Hassanane Balal received a text asking him to back a Muharram fundraising campaign, he thought he would just have to share a few posts on social media.
The last thing the Iraq Football Podcast host expected was to be asked to skydive from 14,000 feet.
“I was a bit taken aback by this because I have a huge phobia of heights,” he told The Athletic Ummah.
“But I thought about it for a few minutes and I said, ‘Listen, you know what? I’ll do it. … If I die, I’ll die a shaheed (martyr). I was doing it with charity and for Ahlul-Bayt (a.s),’” he joked.
This Muharram, Balal is teaming up with the British-based Imam Hussein Charity to raise funds for their Sky Dive for Al-Atash campaign.
He’s conquering his fear of heights with two other Shia Muslim creatives — motivational speaker Mohammad Taher and Shia Voice finalist Abo Talib Mohammed — to help the charity raise £15,000 in Muharram.
“The main thing for me is that I can raise awareness of the campaign, and hopefully, it will lead to a great amount of money being donated to the cause, insha Allah,” Balal said.
The jump takes place on July 21 in England, and Balal says he’s visualized how he’ll conquer his fear.
“I’m just going to go on that plane, I’m going to just close my eyes, and I’m just going to let the guy who’s attached to me just jump off,” he said.
“I’m going to read dua through the whole experience.”
Imam Hussain (a.s) and Iraq
Muharram is one of the most important months in the Islamic calendar. This is the month in which Imam Hussain (a.s), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF), was martyred in Karbala along with tens of his family and followers.
He was killed defending the Islam of his grandfather (PBUH&HF) against the army of the sinning tyrant Yazid ibn Mu’awiya (l.a), who tried to corrupt the religion by taking it away from from the two weighty things of the Holy Qur’an and the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s).
Ashura, the 10th day of the Islamic month, is the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussain (a.s) and his supporters. It’s considered a sad day by some Muslims — especially by Shia Muslims, who spend the day reciting and crying over the maqtal (the recitation of the events of Karbala), serving goods in the name of the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s) and donating to charity.
Muharram is particularly important in Iraq, where Imam Hussain (a.s) and the martyrs of Karbala are buried. Imam Hussain (a.s) is a huge part of Iraqi identity, Balal said.
“Iraqis are known for our hospitality, the way we welcome guests, the way we make people feel at home when they come to visit us,” he said.
“When it’s Muharram or Arbaeen (the 40th day after Ashura), we can welcome all these guests to Iraq and show them the Arabic hospitality, but also the akhlaq of Ahlul-Bayt (a.s).”
During Muharram and Arbaeen, it’s not uncommon for Iraqis to provide free food, goods and accommodation to the millions of pilgrims visiting Imam Hussain’s (a.s) mosque and burial site in Karbala.
Imam Hussain (a.s) is such an important part of Iraqi identity that local Sunni Muslims and even some Christians assist in Muharram preparations.
“In Iraq, it’s very normal for Christians or Sunnis to partake in the cooking of food in Muharram, the giving out of food, the helping [of] others,” Balal said.
“Imam Hussain (a.s) is not just for Iraqis. He’s not even just for Shias. Imam Hussain (a.s) is for all of humanity.”
It all comes from a genuine place of servitude to Allah (s.w.t) and the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s).
“It brings me great joy to see so many millions of people coming to Iraq to learn about the Imam (a.s), to visit the Imam (a.s); and by doing so, learning about Iraq as well,” Balal said.
Podcasting ‘the halal way’
Balal loves to showcase Iraq to the world. That’s why he founded the Iraq Football Podcast, one of the Arab world’s most popular sports podcasts with more than 144,000 Instagram followers.
His podcast is the go-to source for English-language Iraqi football news. Balal regularly interviews Iraqi football figures and has given Iraqi fans across the world insider access to their nation’s football news.
Balal says it’s very important he’s careful with what he posts given his reach.
“If you understand my relationship with these players, I know their families, I know everything about them,” he said. “If I wanted to, I could post all of this stuff and get millions of followers.”
“But that doesn’t serve my country, that doesn’t serve Iraqi football, that doesn’t serve any good purpose. Like, some things are bigger than my ego.”
Balal says he focuses on doing things “the halal way”: by following the example set by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF) and his Ahlul-Bayt (a.s).
“I try to be very respectful — and sometimes it’s hard, man,” he admits. “I receive a lot of distasteful messages, a lot of abuse. But, I’ve tried to find my own mechanisms of coping with it.”
“[I] don’t get drawn into lowering myself to that level where I’m sending people abuse back or whatever. … I want people to see my akhlaq and know that this is how all of Ahlul-Bayt’s (a.s) followers should be.”
“There’s no point in having all these followers if you can’t use it to serve Allah (s.w.t) and the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s) and make the world a better place”
Hassanane Balal
There’s a popular phrase associated with Muharram: “Every day is Ashura and every land is Karbala.” The line implies that Imam Hussain’s (a.s) movement — standing up for justice and challenging falsehood and oppression — should be kept alive every day and everywhere.
Balal takes that phrase to heart in his work. He knows some Muslim-run accounts and personalities are rude and demeaning online, even toward their brothers and sisters in Islam. So he keeps himself grounded by constantly asking himself if the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s) would be pleased with his conduct.
“Every day, I should have the same akhlaq the Imam (a.s) and his family had when they were in dire situations,” he said.
Being a good influence
Although skydiving for a religious fundraiser may seem out of place compared to Balal’s regular content, the football journalist believes it’s important he uses his page and influence to promote upstanding causes.
“There’s no point in having all these followers if you can’t use it to serve Allah (s.w.t) and the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s) and make the world a better place,” he said.
That’s why Balal is backing the Imam Hussein Charity’s campaign, even if there’s a chance he might faint from the experience.
“If it means getting out of my comfort zone and doing something that I’m terrified of [that] raises awareness of Muharram and raises money for people in need, then I’ll make that sacrifice,” he said.
Headline photo credit: @hassanane/Instagram