KARACHI: “Every year, in these 10 days of Muharram, I gather whatever I have and put up this stall here for the one who taught me the meaning of sacrifice in the name of love,” said Fatima Zehra, as she poured the sharbat into steel glasses for passers-by.

Ms Fatima and her sister Rida Zehra set up a sabeel for the first 10 days of Muharram. They have been doing this for the last five years by spending savings they make throughout the year.

Their items are water, Rooh Afza, and seasonal shakes sometimes. The day Dawn visited them, they were serving mango shakes as well. Their stall is situated behind the T-ground in Federal B Area Block 15.

Surrounded by a large number of passengers and passers-by, Ms Fatima and Ms Rida set up a small table with 10 glasses and a couple of steel jugs.

From children to grown-ups, a large number of residents set up sabeels from their own resources

“There is no distinction. We serve everyone regardless of their gender, race, sect, and colour. We only have one aim, and that is to preach Husainiyat, which is not limited to a particular sect; it is for everyone,” Ms Rida added.

Ms Fatima told Dawn that initially, she was reluctant to the idea of putting up a stall that is run by women due to multiple reasons. She was scared that she might get harassed or won’t be able to execute it properly.

“But, I was wrong because it has been five years, and not once I was catcalled or harassed. The people, who come here, make sure to pay their respects to the martyrs of Karbala. The shopkeepers around have told us multiple times to report anything untoward to them, however, we have never experienced any such thing,” she said.

“We carry the love of Karbala in our hearts, and sabeels are a way to promote multicultural activities in the city. This way, we give the message that there is nothing but love, respect and kindness associated with our sect. We embrace everyone by serving them in the name of our beloved Imam Husain and other martyrs because that’s all we can do,” Ms Rida said.

Karachi has a very rich culture when it comes to religious activities.

Sabeels are set up at every corner of the city, mostly by organisations, but over the last few years, people have started setting them up on their own as well. One such sabeel that catches public attention is set up in Gulshan-i-Iqbal near Maskan, and the reason why it captivates the attention is the fact that it is run by children in shifts under the supervision of adults.

These children live in apartments on the street, and every year in Muharram, they set this stall up through donations.

“We start collecting donations from people living in our building a month before Muharram. Every year, regardless of what sect our neighbours belong to, they contribute as much as they can. I have an orphan Sunni friend, and his mother volunteers to make five jugs of sherbet every day until the sabeel ends,” 12-year-old Ali Raza said.

“When I was around seven years old, my father brought me here. My family has been living here ever since we moved to Karachi, and now it is an unavoidable part of my life. I wait for this season every year,” Murtaza Rizvi, 17, said.

“The children learn from actions, not just from mere words. We aim to instil the love of religion through practice in their hearts and that is why we let them set up this sabeel. Its entire management is looked after by these kids, we only help them through guidance,” said Zafar Abbas, an elderly man supervising the kids.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2023