In the name of Allah the most Merciful Beneficent
The event of Karbala always evokes strong emotions and deep intellectual thoughts which touch and affect the whole existence of those who seek to find a path through it. But the significance of this event goes much beyond the mere unveiling of the corruption and deviations perpetrated by Banu Umayya. Karbala changed the course of history and continues to inspire all truth-seeking revolutionaries.
Heedlessness makes man worse than animals. It deprives him of his biggest gift given by Allah – the faculty of intellect. The Holy Qur'an regards the heedless people as worse than animals and declares that the hell is the destiny of such people:
"And certainly We have created for hell many of the jinn and the men; they have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear; they are as cattle, nay, they are in worse errors; these are the heedless ones." (7:179)
Karbala killed the heedlessness of the masses. Water can bring back an unconscious man into consciousness, but to awaken a heedless community from the deep slumber of ignorance, blood is required. The blood of Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon him) affected the collective consciousness of a sleeping Ummah and caused tremors which shook the very foundations of the Umayyad regime and led to their complete uprooting in the period which followed.
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) has said: "Surely there exists in the hearts of the believers, with respect to the martyrdom of Hussain, a heat that never subsides."
This heat of faith and awakening of consciousness has led to innumerable revolutions in human history, both in individual lives and in society as a whole. The message of Imam Hussain still resonates in the hearts of truth seekers. It inspires leaders to fulfill their obligations with respect to opposing evil and protecting goodness. It enjoins all those who heed the call of truth to rise against the unjust powers and confront evil:
"O people! Verily the Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever observes a sovereign legalizing what God has made unlawful, violating the covenant of God, opposing the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, and treating the creatures of God sinfully and oppressively, and does not oppose him with his speech and action, God has a right to bring him to the same fate as that of the tyrant.' Indeed, these people (i.e. Yazid and the Umayyads) have committed themselves to the following of Satan and abandoned obedience to God. They have given currency to corruption, abolished the Islamic laws, plundered the public treasury, and made lawful what God has forbidden and unlawful what God has permitted. And I, of all people, have a greater right to act [in accordance with the Prophet's exhortation]."
"Indeed, I have not risen up to do mischief, neither as an adventurer, nor to cause corruption and tyranny. I have risen up solely to seek the reform of the Ummah of my grandfather. I want to enjoin what is good and stop what is wrong, and (in this) I follow the conduct of my grandfather and my father Ali ibn Abi Talib."
"Life under tyranny is not worthy of man, unless the people rise in an attempt to restore the higher values. Don't you see that what is true and right is not acted upon, and what is false and wrong is not forbidden? In such a situation, the man of faith yearns for the meeting with his Lord. Indeed, (in such conditions) to me death is happiness, and life under the yoke of tyrants is disgrace."
Imam Khomeini, who acknowledged that the Islamic Revolution had been possible because of Karbala, instructed on the observance of Muharram:
"Let the mourning congregations for the Master of the Oppressed and the Lord of the Free – congregations in which wisdom and intellect overcome ignorance, justice overpowers cruelty and oppression, trust rules out treason, and Islamic rule supersedes the rule of tyranny – be held with grandeur, eminence, and brilliance. And let the blood-smeared banners of Ashura be hoisted to mark the dawn of the day where the oppressed avenge the oppressor. Our sons and youth must not think that it is a matter of weeping only or that we are a weeping nation – this is what others want to brainwash you into believing and then repeating, because they fear those tears. They fear them because they are tears for the oppressed and a cry against the oppressor, and these processions stand up against oppression. These lamentation processions are a symbol of our victory; hold mourning congregations throughout, and let speakers read their elegies, and let people cry. Speakers must not condense elegies into a few words; speak at length about the tragedies of the Ahlul Bayt, as was the case before, and read elegies, poems, and narrations. The excellences of the Holy Progeny and the tortures inflicted on them must be rendered with such sincerity and passion that the people get ready for field action. They ought to know that our Infallible Imams (as) devoted their lives to promoting Islam."
But the question arises: why do many of the communities who observe mourning so religiously still remain plunged in ignorance and heedlessness? Why does the warmth generated after mourning on the immortal Chief of Martyrs not lead to internal revolutions in all the communities equally? Why do the tears not wash the hardened blots of sins from the hearts of the mourners?
One reason for this ineffectiveness of mourning is the lack of purity and sincerity in some of the people to such an extent hat even tears shed in Imam Hussain's remembrance do not awaken their souls. The other reason could be in the veil of ignorance put before eyes in the form of an overemphasis on rituals which have caused separation and deviation from the real message and goals of Karbala and have made the people oblivious of the true purpose of Karbala. Despite their importance, these rituals have taken center stage, and the true message of Karbala has been eclipsed.
The spirit and revolution of Karbala, like all teachings of Islam, require a pure heart and a sincere truth seeking soul to affect. Karbala can bring about revolution in our lives only if we observe it along with all other teachings of Islam.
May Allah make our souls adapt to the teachings of Karbala, allowing it to bring a revolutionary change in our lives, eliminate ignorance, illuminate us, and lead us to salvation in both worlds.
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Martyr Of Karbala: His Goals and Message, Our Responsibilities
In the name of Allah the most Merciful Beneficent
The Martyr Of Karbala: His Goals and Message, Our Responsibilities
Human history may be regarded as a series of crises and revolutions, its most important stages written with the blood of martyrs. In the history of Islam, al Husain ibn 'Ali, the martyr of Karbala, wrote one of the most brilliant chapters; a chapter which still and after more than thir¬teen centuries, echoes in the minds and hearts of Muslims everywhere
The martyrdom of Husain(AS) is of great significance in Islamic history. This is because of the man himself; his character, piety, valour, magnanimity, patience, his lofty goals and message for all of us, and his relation¬ship to the Prophet Muhammad(SAW), and the latter's love for him. It is further¬more of great significance because of what this martyrdom itself meant for the religion of Islam in exposing the wrong and upholding the right through the sharp contrast between him and his followers on the one hand and his antagonists on the other. He rejected the rule of a man who was generally agreed not to have been fit to rule. In this sense he was one of the greatest revolutionaries of all times.
The purpose of this brief write up is to discuss the lofty goals and aims of Imam Husain(AS)’s martyrdom in Karbala and his message for all of us. We intend to discuss questions like : was his great sacrifice necessary in the wake of circumstances and conditions prevalent in the contemporary Islamic world? What were the goals and aims of his martyrdom? Is the significance of his martyrdom confined to the times when it occurred or its significance is for all the times to come? What is message of his martyrdom for us in this age? And most importantly what are our responsibilities with regard to his lofty goals and martyrdom? Have we to be just passive mourners and lamenters? Or we have some higher responsibilities in this wake?
The martyrdom of Imam Husain ibn 'Ali (AS) and his companions in Karbala' proved to be the beginning of the downfall of the Banu Umayyads dynasty which had usurped the Islamic khilafah by deceit, repression, and corruption of the Muslim community. Though the Imam (AS) was martyred with his family and companions, and apparently his murderers seemed to emerge winners from the conflict, it was the martyr of Karbala' who was the real victor. The mourning ceremonies that have been held through the last hundreds of years to commemorate this most significant event in the history of Islam generally known as Muharram ceremonies, held during the month of Muharram in remembrance of the 'Ashura' movement, are a witness that Yazid(L) with all his worldly might has disgrace and failure as his destiny and Imam Husain ibn Ali(AS) emerged a true victor who faced intimidation, brutalities and sufferings but could not bowed down and showed the utmost steadfastness in Allah’s way. This incident has its background whose elaborate details have been given by Muslim historians. Briefly, it may be said that Imam Husain's revolt, staged against the tyranny, injustice, and repression of the regime and torture and execution of pious Muslims, which violated the Islamic concept of a just Islamic polity and society, was to uphold the ideals and values of Islam propounded in the Qur'an and the traditions of the Prophet (S), to rescue the higher human values, moral, social, political and spiritual, and to preserve the true spirit of Islam. It was basically aimed by the martyred Imam (AS)to rescue Islam as the message of the last Prophet, a message that had to endure, not only in the hearts and spirits of saints but on the plane of society, and he achieved his purpose most completely. The episode of Karbala' became the everlasting stage on which, more than anything else, the great spirit of an Imam of the Ahl al-Bayt was put for eternal display, not in mere words or traditions recorded in books, but against the background of the greatest tragedy in human history and scenes of love and loyalty, bravery and sacrifice, nobility and high spirituality, blood and battle, and also those of treachery and betrayal, human abasement and wretchedness, perversity and depravity. Due to his refusal to compromise with godlessness and tyranny, the Imam has been remembered as the very embodiment of tawhid, of la ilaha illallah, by all great Islamic mystics, thinkers, writers and poets.
The statement of Imam(AS) delineates his purpose for refusing the allegiance to Yazid(L):
“Indeed, I have not risen up to do mischief, neither as an adventurer, nor to cause corruption and tyranny. I have risen up solely to seek the reform of the Ummah of my grandfather (S). I want to command what is good and stop what is wrong, and (in this) I follow the conduct of my grandfather and my father, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib.”
In a letter that he wrote to the people of Kufah, in a short sentence he outlines the Islamic concept of a worthy ruler:
“By my life, the leader is one who acts in accordance with the Scripture, upholds justice in society, conducts its affairs according to what is righteous, and dedicates his self to God.
Was-salam.”
Addressing Hurr ibn Yazid Riyahi and his troops, who had been dispatched by 'Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, the infamous governor of Kufah, to intercept the Imam's caravan on the way and to stop him from entering Kufah, Imam Husain (AS)quotes this tradition of the Prophet (s), which states the duty of Muslims vis-a-vis corrupt and un-lslamic rulers:
“O people! Verily the Messenger of Allah (s) said: "Whoever observes a sovereign legalizing what God has made unlawful, violating the covenant of God, opposing the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, and treating the creatures of God sinfully and oppressively, and does not oppose him with his speech and action, God has a right to bring him to the same fate as that of the tyrant." Indeed, these people (i.e. Yazid and the ruling Umayyads) have committed themselves to the following of Satan, and abandoned obedience to God. They have given currency to corruption and abolished the Islamic laws, plundering the public treasury, making lawful what God has forbidden and forbidding what God has permitted. And I, of all people, have a greater right to act [in accordance with the Prophet's exhortation]”.
On reaching Karbala', a point where they had been forced to discontinue their journey and to disembark on the orders of Ibn Ziyad, the Imam stood up to address his companions. In that sermon “he declares that life under tyranny is not worthy of man, unless the people rise in an attempt to restore the higher values.Don't you see that what is true and right is not acted upon and what is false and wrong is not forbidden? In such a situation, the man of faith yearns for the meeting with his Lord. Indeed, (in such conditions) to me death is happiness, and life under the yoke of tyrants is disgrace.”
Giving the details of Imam Husain's refusal to accept a tyrannical and unjust ruler, starting from his journey from Madinah to Makkah and afterwards through its various stages until the Imam reached Karbala', the scene of his battle and martyrdom, historians refers to verses which are said to have been recited by the Imam on the night of the 10th of Muharram (the day of 'Ashura'):
O Time (dahr), fie on you of a friend.
How many are those you claim at the morn and eventide.
Many a friend, and many a one seeking revenge,
Yet Time is not satisfied with a substitute or proxy.
Truly judgement belongs to the Glorious One;
And every living soul takes the path [of death].
The above statements of Imam(AS) distinctly makes clear his purpose and motive behind the refusal of allegiance and uprising. The basic cause was the reformation of Muslim ummah which has been plagued by the evil of Banu Ummayds. The unjust and corrupt rulers of Banu Ummayd have distorted the message of Islam, in fact they were hypocrites who did not have faith in divine revelation and prophethood. The common Muslim ummah though despite being agonized by Banu Ummayds’ injustice done to them every day and their open opposition and violation of Islamic teachings, was still confused. This was a time which necessitated an open revolt against these hypocrites who have taken the garb of Muslims to deceive common people and to destroy Islam itself. Muawiya being very shrewd and clever did never manifest his true beliefs before the people, lest they should revolt, but his son Yazid , drunk in the wine of tyrannical power, openly refuted the prophethood and divine revelation. If Imam(AS) had not come forward and refused the allegiance to such a satanic regime , the whole Islam would have been destroyed.
It is important to note that the Imam's address to Time inspired a number of Muslim thinkers to propound a new revolutionary concept of Time with reference to the Qur'anic verses in the Surat al-'Asr. The Imam did not actually vilify time, but he condemned the time-servers. While addressing Time, Imam Husain (AS)indicated that man is not a time-server but time is at the service of man. He proved by his example that man has the power to turn the tide of time and he actually did it.
When falsehood is prevailing over the truth and when forbidding evil and bidding what is right is not practiced, it’s the time for a righteous one to stand up to reform the society. The Imam(AS)’s purpose is loud and clear from his so eloquent sermons.
We’ll return to this discussion for further extending it to our present context.
The Karbala in Our Context
In such conditions how can any discourse about the great struggle of al Husain ibn `Ali (AS) be unaccompanied with a discussion of the lamentable condition of the Muslim Ummah? Is it not the height of callousness and even hypocrisy to pass by in silence the aims and ideals for which he took a stand against the regime of Yazid and sacrificed everything? Is it not the very extreme of injustice to deprive the Muslim children and adults of the great potential of the majalis which are held in the memory of al Imam al Husain (AS)?
Is it right not to use the great devotion of the Muslim masses to the Ahl al Bayt (AS) and their great enthusiasm and zeal during the months of Muharram and Safar a time when the hearts are softened by the stupendous tragedy of Karbala' to receive the teachings of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives with al-Imam al Husain to inform and educate our children and adults about the ahkam of the Shari’ah and the akhlaq of the Ahl al Bayt (AS)? The Shiites have admired `Ali and his sons (AS), their leaders and guides, for centuries, and wept over accounts of their sufferings. Is it not time that we should start following them in deed, in all walks of our life? After all they are our Imams, our leaders and our teachers, who underwent those sufferings and hardships in order to instruct us and guide us on the Straight Path of Allah? Should we not question our sincerity if we persist in our refusal to be benefited by their efforts to improve our lot, to purify our souls and to guide our intellects?
The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said: Surely, there exists in the hearts of the Mu'mineen, with respect to the martyrdom of Husain (A.S.), a heat that never subsides.
How is that warmth utilized which is generated in the hearts of believers? Do our zakirs and khatibs use the occasion to narrate the purpose of this greatest sacrifice of humanity? Do our youths after attending the majalis feel any transformation in their lives? There are many such questions which need to addressed, but sadly the present state of our majalis does not seem to confirm the goals and aims of Imam Husain(AS)’s martyrdom.
The majlis should inform and instruct. It should inspire and enlighten. Like al Husain ibn 'Ali (AS), his zakir, who occupies the minbar of the Ahl al Bayt (AS), should aim at resurrecting the spirit of Islam and the message of the Qur'an. The majlis should instruct the people in the usul and the ahkam of the Shari’ah and the akhlaq of the Imams (AS). If the majalis of Imam Husain (AS) do not help our youths and adults to understand Islam profoundly, who else can stop them from falling into the clutches of deviate philosophical schools and from being swept away by the tide of the pagan Western culture? Would it not be more beneficial to discuss the great merits of the Ahl al Bayt (AS) as ideal human beings and ideal teachers of mankind, instead of discussing them as metaphysical entities to be revered but not to be obeyed, to be glorified but not to be emulated, to be invoked for assistance in worldly needs and affairs and to be ignored in vital matters of our duties, obligations, and responsibilities as Muslims?
Only when our majalis become classes. for dissemination of the teachings of the Ahl al Bayt (AS) which lie buried in hadith texts, only when our majalis become platforms of Muslim unity instead of being instruments of division and disunity, only when our majalis and manabir become the seats of the duty of al amr bil ma`ruf wa al nahy `an al munkar, only when the Qur'an is made again the book of our life and the light of our majalis, only then can it be said that our majalis and manabir are doing justice to al Imam al Husain (AS) and to the people whom the majalis were originally instituted to nourish spiritually, morally, and intellectually.
One of The Sermons of Imam Husain ibn ‘Ali (AS)
The following sermon of al Husain ibn 'Ali (AS) delivered during Mu'awiyah's reign at the time of Hajj in a gathering of eminent personalities of the period, not only shows the kind of issues that should be discussed during Hajj, but also is a good guideline for sermons which are delivered in majalis during Muharram and Safar. The sermon elaborates the responsibilities of scholars and common masses, if the people ignore their responsibilities pertaining to bidding good and forbidding evil or reformation of community, then as a result the seat of power is grabbed by unjust and tyrant authorities and they commit every act of injustice :
O people! Take a lesson from God's warning to His friends through His censure on the rabbis, when He says:
Why do the bishops and rabbis not forbid them to utter sin, [and consume the unlawful? Evil is the thing they are doing.] (5:63)
And when He says:
Cursed were the unbelievers of the Children of Israel by the tongue. of David, and of Jesus, Mary's son; that for their rebelling and their transgression. They forbade not one another any dishonour that they committed; surely evil were the things that they did. (5:78 79)
God has reproved them because they beheld the open vices and corruption of the oppressors, but did not forbid them from that on account of attachment to their favours and fear of what periled them. Whereas God says: ...So fear not men, but fear me .... (5:44)
And He says: And the believers, the men and the women, are friends of one another; they bid to honour and forbid dishonour (i.e. perform the duty of al amr bil ma'ruf wd al nahy `an al munkar), they perform the prayer, and pay the alms, and they obey God and His Messenger. They upon them God shall have mercy; God is Almighty, All wise. (9:71)
God mentions the duty of al amr bil ma'ruf wa al nahy `an al munkar before all other duties, because He knows that if it is performed and established in the society all other duties, the easy and the difficult, are also established. That is why al amr bil ma'ruf wa al nahy`an al munkar signifies invitation to Islam together with resistance against injustice, opposition to the oppressor, [proper] division of the public funds and booty, collection of alms and their correct distribution.
Then you, O company of men well known for your learning! You, who have a good name and are known [among the people] for your goodwill. God has given you honour with the people. The illustrious venerate you and the weak respect you. You. are preferred by him over whom you have no merit and over whom you have no power. The deprived seek your intercession in need, and you walk on the road with the majesty of kings and princes. Is it not that you have such honour and dignity because people place their hopes in you to stand for the establishment of Divine duties? If you fail to discharge most of those duties, then you have scorned the duties of leaders. You have forfeited the rights of the weak, though you have obtained your own claims. Neither you had to sacrifice your wealth nor endanger your lives for the sake of Him Who created you. Nevertheless, you desire that God should put you in the Paradise in the neighbourhood of His apostles, and you hope to be safe from His chastisement. Indeed I am afraid that you who harbour such hopes from God shall have to taste His vengeance. Because God had honoured you and raised you in station above others, for there are many servants of God who are not held in such high esteem as God has granted you among the people. God's covenants are broken before your very eyes, yet you are not dismayed, although you are alarmed if some of your ancestral compacts are endangered; as if the compact of the Messenger of Allah (S) were some insignificant and paltry thing! The blind, the dumb and the handicapped in towns are without protection and mercy, but you neither act as demanded by your high station nor care and have regard for one who attends to them. You have made your own life safe and secure by getting along with the oppressors and showing lenience and connivance in regard to their injustices, which God had com¬manded you to oppose and forbid. Indeed if you understand, the calamity that has befallen you is greater than the one which afflicts the people; because you have failed to safeguard the responsibility of the learned. Since the implementation of the laws and running of the affairs lie with the men of Divine knowledge, who are custodians of His [laws regarding the] haram and halal. But you have been wrested of this status. And it was not taken away from you except for your departure from righteousness, and on account of your disagreement regarding the Sunnah, after that it had been made clear and evident to you.
Had you the endurance to put up with adversities and hardships for the sake of God, the affairs of God would have returned into your hands and your lost authority would have turned to you again. But you allowed the oppressors to take your place and handed over the affairs of God into their hands, that they may act dubiously and indulge in their lusts. They got their authority because of your running away from death [which is inevitable] and due to your love of life, which shall [anyhow] depart from you. In this fashion, you submitted the weak into their hands, to be enslaved and exploited, permitting them to run the affairs of the country according to their whims, and to make ignominy their way of life through their [unchecked] desires, following the perverse and disobeying the Almighty. They have appointed a loud voiced orator for every pulpit in every town, and the country lies open and unprotected at their mercy. Their hands are free to do whatever they like, and the defenseless people are at the disposal of their mercy. Among them are merciless tyrants who oppress the weak, and men of authority who know neither the creation nor the Day of Resurrection. It is surprising and why shouldn't I be surprised when the country is in the hands of a faithless tyrant and the ruler of the believers is one who has no mercy for them. Indeed God is a judge between us in our disputes and contentions.
My God, You Know that whatever I have said is not for the sake of rivalry for power, nor for the sake of futile vanities of the world, but because we desire establishment of the landmarks of Thy religion, reform in Thy lands, security of Thy oppressed creatures, and the practice of Thy com¬mands and the duties laid down by Thee.
And you, [O company of the elect of the Ummah] , assist us and do us due justice. The oppressors have power over you and they act to extinguish the light of your Prophet (S).
And God suffices us, and in Him we put our trust. Towards Him do we turn, and towards Him all things shall return.
Now, those who go to mimbar must remember above words of Imam Husain(AS). If they are loyal to martyred Imam then they must adhere to his teachings and follow in sermons and speeches what he has asked us to do.
Lessons from the Karbala
Students of the so called historical method argue that in terms of immediate history, nothing was achieved as a result of the events on `Ashura, i.e. Muharram. They say that it was a tragedy, but its overall effect on the political events of the period was negligible. This is their conclusion and when they are asked why the Islamic books of history, written by scholars many centuries ago, devote more space, more pages, more words, to that event than to any other in the history of Islam, why there are more books devoted to that event in Islamic history than to any other, they shrug their shoulders and mumble something about the Shi`i influence on the writing of history. Yet, many of the writers are not members of the Shi’a. The famous Islamic historian Tabari devoted nearly two hundred pages to the story. No other event receives as much attention from him. He most certainly was not a member of the Shi`a.
The fact is that these petty scholars with their tendentious criticisms are concerned only with the narrow details of political history. They do not perceive the cosmic nature of the martyrdom of Imam Husain(AS). For them, history is the restricted study of immediate cause and effect in political developments. But real history is about something far more important than that. Real history concerns men's relationship with God and how that rela¬tionship affects men's relationships with each other. Real history attempts to show the cosmic significance of events, not their narrow immediate political results.
The tragedy of Karbala', the martyrdom of Imam Husain(AS), is one of those events of cosmic significance. Its lessons concern not just one group of men and their relationship to the world, but all mankind. It is a moral paradigm. It teaches sacrifice and opposition to injustice: it teaches integrity of purpose, love of family, gentle¬ness, and bravery. In fact, in the account of the tragic journey and martyrdom of Imam Husain(AS), there are lessons in all the moral virtues. Perhaps the one that strikes most of us most forcefully, is our own inadequacy in comparison with the enormous sacrifice Imam Husain(AS) made on behalf of mankind.
He watched as, one after another, his followers went to their deaths; as, one after another, his kinsmen went to their deaths; even his baby son was slaughtered in his arms as he gave him a farewell hug.
Yet Imam Husain(AS) was not only victim of persecution , he was also the exemplar of bravery and fortitude. He fought a brave and fierce fight against so many. Such was his power and strength, such was the aura of his person and he was by no means a young man that the only way his enemies could kill him was by a whole group of them attacking him at the same time and stabbing him together.
The lesson is clear to us all: it shows the lengths of human wickedness. Imam Husain(AS) exemplifies all suffering humanity. In that death, in those blows to his body, in the trampling of horses over it, Imam Husain(AS) is the model, the paradigm of all unjust deaths, of all humans suffering. In this, his death teaches suffering men to endure, to remain steadfast in their belief in God. It also has a lesson to teach men who are more fortunate, that the world is a transitory place, worldly success is not an end in itself, and that man should always be aware of the suffering Imam Husain(AS) experienced. By their awareness of this they will learn to treat worldly success with humility.
In the real sense of cosmic history, the martyrdom of Imam Husain(AS) is a mighty triumph, a wondrous victory. Who would know the name Yazid today except for the fact that he was responsible for the martyrdom of Imam Husain(AS)? Otherwise he would just be another of the thousands of despots, tyrants, and bullies that have abused their authority, another footnote in the history of man. However, because his tyranny and wickedness was responsible for the good, the noble, the pure Imam's death, he, by killing the Imam, the human model of goodness and bravery, has become the human model of injustice and wickedness.
The triumph of Imam Husain(AS) lies in the fact that his inspiration has moved men to grieve for him throughout the centuries. The pure light of ennobled humanity in the Imam has motivated generation upon generation of the Shi'a, to suffer endless hardship, to keep his memory alive.
The first beginnings of the majlis, the sessions held in honour of the martyrdom of Imam Husain(AS) are to be discerned in the first gatherings of the surviving family of the martyred Imam. Very soon these gatherings of grief developed outside the family to include others.
They feared the grief and lamentation for Imam Husain(AS) because in that grief and lamentation people remembered the goodness, the justice, the kindness, the gentleness, and the bravery of the martyred Imam. These were not qualities that tyrannical governments wished people to think about, their concern was bribery, corruption, nepotism, and naked force. They saw the threat to their world, to their values, to their position. Seeing it, they sought to suppress the memory of Imam Husain(AS). However, such was the power, the influence, the glory of that memory, that they could not remove it from the hearts of men, from the Shi’a of all the Imams, the Shi`a of Imam Husain(AS).
All despotic regimes have felt threatened by these majlises. Throughout the centuries they have tried to prevent them. At one time even the site of Imam Husain's grave at Karbala' was ploughed up.
In today’s world we witness a few scenarios of living Karbala. The defenseless people of Palestine have shown it recently. The usurper Zionist regime has unleashed a ruthless, tyrannical, unjust violence against these people. They have been besieged in their homes, denied food and medicine, bombarded from every direction, but still these brave and unwavering people have not compromised with their ideals, have not kneeled before an unjust power, have not acknowledged and placed their allegiance before an illegitimate regime. They have remained steadfast in times of persecution, endured countless brutalities patiently, have not given up their struggle or bowed before illegitimate , unjust power. They embraced hunger, thirst, death, destruction of life and property but did not compromise with their faith and did not accept humiliation. These are living examples of Karbala in our age.
May Allah make all of us understand the message of Great Martyr of Karbala, and follow his foot steps in our lives, so that we could attain salvation in our both worlds!
The Martyr Of Karbala: His Goals and Message, Our Responsibilities
Human history may be regarded as a series of crises and revolutions, its most important stages written with the blood of martyrs. In the history of Islam, al Husain ibn 'Ali, the martyr of Karbala, wrote one of the most brilliant chapters; a chapter which still and after more than thir¬teen centuries, echoes in the minds and hearts of Muslims everywhere
The martyrdom of Husain(AS) is of great significance in Islamic history. This is because of the man himself; his character, piety, valour, magnanimity, patience, his lofty goals and message for all of us, and his relation¬ship to the Prophet Muhammad(SAW), and the latter's love for him. It is further¬more of great significance because of what this martyrdom itself meant for the religion of Islam in exposing the wrong and upholding the right through the sharp contrast between him and his followers on the one hand and his antagonists on the other. He rejected the rule of a man who was generally agreed not to have been fit to rule. In this sense he was one of the greatest revolutionaries of all times.
The purpose of this brief write up is to discuss the lofty goals and aims of Imam Husain(AS)’s martyrdom in Karbala and his message for all of us. We intend to discuss questions like : was his great sacrifice necessary in the wake of circumstances and conditions prevalent in the contemporary Islamic world? What were the goals and aims of his martyrdom? Is the significance of his martyrdom confined to the times when it occurred or its significance is for all the times to come? What is message of his martyrdom for us in this age? And most importantly what are our responsibilities with regard to his lofty goals and martyrdom? Have we to be just passive mourners and lamenters? Or we have some higher responsibilities in this wake?
The martyrdom of Imam Husain ibn 'Ali (AS) and his companions in Karbala' proved to be the beginning of the downfall of the Banu Umayyads dynasty which had usurped the Islamic khilafah by deceit, repression, and corruption of the Muslim community. Though the Imam (AS) was martyred with his family and companions, and apparently his murderers seemed to emerge winners from the conflict, it was the martyr of Karbala' who was the real victor. The mourning ceremonies that have been held through the last hundreds of years to commemorate this most significant event in the history of Islam generally known as Muharram ceremonies, held during the month of Muharram in remembrance of the 'Ashura' movement, are a witness that Yazid(L) with all his worldly might has disgrace and failure as his destiny and Imam Husain ibn Ali(AS) emerged a true victor who faced intimidation, brutalities and sufferings but could not bowed down and showed the utmost steadfastness in Allah’s way. This incident has its background whose elaborate details have been given by Muslim historians. Briefly, it may be said that Imam Husain's revolt, staged against the tyranny, injustice, and repression of the regime and torture and execution of pious Muslims, which violated the Islamic concept of a just Islamic polity and society, was to uphold the ideals and values of Islam propounded in the Qur'an and the traditions of the Prophet (S), to rescue the higher human values, moral, social, political and spiritual, and to preserve the true spirit of Islam. It was basically aimed by the martyred Imam (AS)to rescue Islam as the message of the last Prophet, a message that had to endure, not only in the hearts and spirits of saints but on the plane of society, and he achieved his purpose most completely. The episode of Karbala' became the everlasting stage on which, more than anything else, the great spirit of an Imam of the Ahl al-Bayt was put for eternal display, not in mere words or traditions recorded in books, but against the background of the greatest tragedy in human history and scenes of love and loyalty, bravery and sacrifice, nobility and high spirituality, blood and battle, and also those of treachery and betrayal, human abasement and wretchedness, perversity and depravity. Due to his refusal to compromise with godlessness and tyranny, the Imam has been remembered as the very embodiment of tawhid, of la ilaha illallah, by all great Islamic mystics, thinkers, writers and poets.
The statement of Imam(AS) delineates his purpose for refusing the allegiance to Yazid(L):
“Indeed, I have not risen up to do mischief, neither as an adventurer, nor to cause corruption and tyranny. I have risen up solely to seek the reform of the Ummah of my grandfather (S). I want to command what is good and stop what is wrong, and (in this) I follow the conduct of my grandfather and my father, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib.”
In a letter that he wrote to the people of Kufah, in a short sentence he outlines the Islamic concept of a worthy ruler:
“By my life, the leader is one who acts in accordance with the Scripture, upholds justice in society, conducts its affairs according to what is righteous, and dedicates his self to God.
Was-salam.”
Addressing Hurr ibn Yazid Riyahi and his troops, who had been dispatched by 'Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, the infamous governor of Kufah, to intercept the Imam's caravan on the way and to stop him from entering Kufah, Imam Husain (AS)quotes this tradition of the Prophet (s), which states the duty of Muslims vis-a-vis corrupt and un-lslamic rulers:
“O people! Verily the Messenger of Allah (s) said: "Whoever observes a sovereign legalizing what God has made unlawful, violating the covenant of God, opposing the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, and treating the creatures of God sinfully and oppressively, and does not oppose him with his speech and action, God has a right to bring him to the same fate as that of the tyrant." Indeed, these people (i.e. Yazid and the ruling Umayyads) have committed themselves to the following of Satan, and abandoned obedience to God. They have given currency to corruption and abolished the Islamic laws, plundering the public treasury, making lawful what God has forbidden and forbidding what God has permitted. And I, of all people, have a greater right to act [in accordance with the Prophet's exhortation]”.
On reaching Karbala', a point where they had been forced to discontinue their journey and to disembark on the orders of Ibn Ziyad, the Imam stood up to address his companions. In that sermon “he declares that life under tyranny is not worthy of man, unless the people rise in an attempt to restore the higher values.Don't you see that what is true and right is not acted upon and what is false and wrong is not forbidden? In such a situation, the man of faith yearns for the meeting with his Lord. Indeed, (in such conditions) to me death is happiness, and life under the yoke of tyrants is disgrace.”
Giving the details of Imam Husain's refusal to accept a tyrannical and unjust ruler, starting from his journey from Madinah to Makkah and afterwards through its various stages until the Imam reached Karbala', the scene of his battle and martyrdom, historians refers to verses which are said to have been recited by the Imam on the night of the 10th of Muharram (the day of 'Ashura'):
O Time (dahr), fie on you of a friend.
How many are those you claim at the morn and eventide.
Many a friend, and many a one seeking revenge,
Yet Time is not satisfied with a substitute or proxy.
Truly judgement belongs to the Glorious One;
And every living soul takes the path [of death].
The above statements of Imam(AS) distinctly makes clear his purpose and motive behind the refusal of allegiance and uprising. The basic cause was the reformation of Muslim ummah which has been plagued by the evil of Banu Ummayds. The unjust and corrupt rulers of Banu Ummayd have distorted the message of Islam, in fact they were hypocrites who did not have faith in divine revelation and prophethood. The common Muslim ummah though despite being agonized by Banu Ummayds’ injustice done to them every day and their open opposition and violation of Islamic teachings, was still confused. This was a time which necessitated an open revolt against these hypocrites who have taken the garb of Muslims to deceive common people and to destroy Islam itself. Muawiya being very shrewd and clever did never manifest his true beliefs before the people, lest they should revolt, but his son Yazid , drunk in the wine of tyrannical power, openly refuted the prophethood and divine revelation. If Imam(AS) had not come forward and refused the allegiance to such a satanic regime , the whole Islam would have been destroyed.
It is important to note that the Imam's address to Time inspired a number of Muslim thinkers to propound a new revolutionary concept of Time with reference to the Qur'anic verses in the Surat al-'Asr. The Imam did not actually vilify time, but he condemned the time-servers. While addressing Time, Imam Husain (AS)indicated that man is not a time-server but time is at the service of man. He proved by his example that man has the power to turn the tide of time and he actually did it.
When falsehood is prevailing over the truth and when forbidding evil and bidding what is right is not practiced, it’s the time for a righteous one to stand up to reform the society. The Imam(AS)’s purpose is loud and clear from his so eloquent sermons.
We’ll return to this discussion for further extending it to our present context.
The Karbala in Our Context
In such conditions how can any discourse about the great struggle of al Husain ibn `Ali (AS) be unaccompanied with a discussion of the lamentable condition of the Muslim Ummah? Is it not the height of callousness and even hypocrisy to pass by in silence the aims and ideals for which he took a stand against the regime of Yazid and sacrificed everything? Is it not the very extreme of injustice to deprive the Muslim children and adults of the great potential of the majalis which are held in the memory of al Imam al Husain (AS)?
Is it right not to use the great devotion of the Muslim masses to the Ahl al Bayt (AS) and their great enthusiasm and zeal during the months of Muharram and Safar a time when the hearts are softened by the stupendous tragedy of Karbala' to receive the teachings of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives with al-Imam al Husain to inform and educate our children and adults about the ahkam of the Shari’ah and the akhlaq of the Ahl al Bayt (AS)? The Shiites have admired `Ali and his sons (AS), their leaders and guides, for centuries, and wept over accounts of their sufferings. Is it not time that we should start following them in deed, in all walks of our life? After all they are our Imams, our leaders and our teachers, who underwent those sufferings and hardships in order to instruct us and guide us on the Straight Path of Allah? Should we not question our sincerity if we persist in our refusal to be benefited by their efforts to improve our lot, to purify our souls and to guide our intellects?
The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said: Surely, there exists in the hearts of the Mu'mineen, with respect to the martyrdom of Husain (A.S.), a heat that never subsides.
How is that warmth utilized which is generated in the hearts of believers? Do our zakirs and khatibs use the occasion to narrate the purpose of this greatest sacrifice of humanity? Do our youths after attending the majalis feel any transformation in their lives? There are many such questions which need to addressed, but sadly the present state of our majalis does not seem to confirm the goals and aims of Imam Husain(AS)’s martyrdom.
The majlis should inform and instruct. It should inspire and enlighten. Like al Husain ibn 'Ali (AS), his zakir, who occupies the minbar of the Ahl al Bayt (AS), should aim at resurrecting the spirit of Islam and the message of the Qur'an. The majlis should instruct the people in the usul and the ahkam of the Shari’ah and the akhlaq of the Imams (AS). If the majalis of Imam Husain (AS) do not help our youths and adults to understand Islam profoundly, who else can stop them from falling into the clutches of deviate philosophical schools and from being swept away by the tide of the pagan Western culture? Would it not be more beneficial to discuss the great merits of the Ahl al Bayt (AS) as ideal human beings and ideal teachers of mankind, instead of discussing them as metaphysical entities to be revered but not to be obeyed, to be glorified but not to be emulated, to be invoked for assistance in worldly needs and affairs and to be ignored in vital matters of our duties, obligations, and responsibilities as Muslims?
Only when our majalis become classes. for dissemination of the teachings of the Ahl al Bayt (AS) which lie buried in hadith texts, only when our majalis become platforms of Muslim unity instead of being instruments of division and disunity, only when our majalis and manabir become the seats of the duty of al amr bil ma`ruf wa al nahy `an al munkar, only when the Qur'an is made again the book of our life and the light of our majalis, only then can it be said that our majalis and manabir are doing justice to al Imam al Husain (AS) and to the people whom the majalis were originally instituted to nourish spiritually, morally, and intellectually.
One of The Sermons of Imam Husain ibn ‘Ali (AS)
The following sermon of al Husain ibn 'Ali (AS) delivered during Mu'awiyah's reign at the time of Hajj in a gathering of eminent personalities of the period, not only shows the kind of issues that should be discussed during Hajj, but also is a good guideline for sermons which are delivered in majalis during Muharram and Safar. The sermon elaborates the responsibilities of scholars and common masses, if the people ignore their responsibilities pertaining to bidding good and forbidding evil or reformation of community, then as a result the seat of power is grabbed by unjust and tyrant authorities and they commit every act of injustice :
O people! Take a lesson from God's warning to His friends through His censure on the rabbis, when He says:
Why do the bishops and rabbis not forbid them to utter sin, [and consume the unlawful? Evil is the thing they are doing.] (5:63)
And when He says:
Cursed were the unbelievers of the Children of Israel by the tongue. of David, and of Jesus, Mary's son; that for their rebelling and their transgression. They forbade not one another any dishonour that they committed; surely evil were the things that they did. (5:78 79)
God has reproved them because they beheld the open vices and corruption of the oppressors, but did not forbid them from that on account of attachment to their favours and fear of what periled them. Whereas God says: ...So fear not men, but fear me .... (5:44)
And He says: And the believers, the men and the women, are friends of one another; they bid to honour and forbid dishonour (i.e. perform the duty of al amr bil ma'ruf wd al nahy `an al munkar), they perform the prayer, and pay the alms, and they obey God and His Messenger. They upon them God shall have mercy; God is Almighty, All wise. (9:71)
God mentions the duty of al amr bil ma'ruf wa al nahy `an al munkar before all other duties, because He knows that if it is performed and established in the society all other duties, the easy and the difficult, are also established. That is why al amr bil ma'ruf wa al nahy`an al munkar signifies invitation to Islam together with resistance against injustice, opposition to the oppressor, [proper] division of the public funds and booty, collection of alms and their correct distribution.
Then you, O company of men well known for your learning! You, who have a good name and are known [among the people] for your goodwill. God has given you honour with the people. The illustrious venerate you and the weak respect you. You. are preferred by him over whom you have no merit and over whom you have no power. The deprived seek your intercession in need, and you walk on the road with the majesty of kings and princes. Is it not that you have such honour and dignity because people place their hopes in you to stand for the establishment of Divine duties? If you fail to discharge most of those duties, then you have scorned the duties of leaders. You have forfeited the rights of the weak, though you have obtained your own claims. Neither you had to sacrifice your wealth nor endanger your lives for the sake of Him Who created you. Nevertheless, you desire that God should put you in the Paradise in the neighbourhood of His apostles, and you hope to be safe from His chastisement. Indeed I am afraid that you who harbour such hopes from God shall have to taste His vengeance. Because God had honoured you and raised you in station above others, for there are many servants of God who are not held in such high esteem as God has granted you among the people. God's covenants are broken before your very eyes, yet you are not dismayed, although you are alarmed if some of your ancestral compacts are endangered; as if the compact of the Messenger of Allah (S) were some insignificant and paltry thing! The blind, the dumb and the handicapped in towns are without protection and mercy, but you neither act as demanded by your high station nor care and have regard for one who attends to them. You have made your own life safe and secure by getting along with the oppressors and showing lenience and connivance in regard to their injustices, which God had com¬manded you to oppose and forbid. Indeed if you understand, the calamity that has befallen you is greater than the one which afflicts the people; because you have failed to safeguard the responsibility of the learned. Since the implementation of the laws and running of the affairs lie with the men of Divine knowledge, who are custodians of His [laws regarding the] haram and halal. But you have been wrested of this status. And it was not taken away from you except for your departure from righteousness, and on account of your disagreement regarding the Sunnah, after that it had been made clear and evident to you.
Had you the endurance to put up with adversities and hardships for the sake of God, the affairs of God would have returned into your hands and your lost authority would have turned to you again. But you allowed the oppressors to take your place and handed over the affairs of God into their hands, that they may act dubiously and indulge in their lusts. They got their authority because of your running away from death [which is inevitable] and due to your love of life, which shall [anyhow] depart from you. In this fashion, you submitted the weak into their hands, to be enslaved and exploited, permitting them to run the affairs of the country according to their whims, and to make ignominy their way of life through their [unchecked] desires, following the perverse and disobeying the Almighty. They have appointed a loud voiced orator for every pulpit in every town, and the country lies open and unprotected at their mercy. Their hands are free to do whatever they like, and the defenseless people are at the disposal of their mercy. Among them are merciless tyrants who oppress the weak, and men of authority who know neither the creation nor the Day of Resurrection. It is surprising and why shouldn't I be surprised when the country is in the hands of a faithless tyrant and the ruler of the believers is one who has no mercy for them. Indeed God is a judge between us in our disputes and contentions.
My God, You Know that whatever I have said is not for the sake of rivalry for power, nor for the sake of futile vanities of the world, but because we desire establishment of the landmarks of Thy religion, reform in Thy lands, security of Thy oppressed creatures, and the practice of Thy com¬mands and the duties laid down by Thee.
And you, [O company of the elect of the Ummah] , assist us and do us due justice. The oppressors have power over you and they act to extinguish the light of your Prophet (S).
And God suffices us, and in Him we put our trust. Towards Him do we turn, and towards Him all things shall return.
Now, those who go to mimbar must remember above words of Imam Husain(AS). If they are loyal to martyred Imam then they must adhere to his teachings and follow in sermons and speeches what he has asked us to do.
Lessons from the Karbala
Students of the so called historical method argue that in terms of immediate history, nothing was achieved as a result of the events on `Ashura, i.e. Muharram. They say that it was a tragedy, but its overall effect on the political events of the period was negligible. This is their conclusion and when they are asked why the Islamic books of history, written by scholars many centuries ago, devote more space, more pages, more words, to that event than to any other in the history of Islam, why there are more books devoted to that event in Islamic history than to any other, they shrug their shoulders and mumble something about the Shi`i influence on the writing of history. Yet, many of the writers are not members of the Shi’a. The famous Islamic historian Tabari devoted nearly two hundred pages to the story. No other event receives as much attention from him. He most certainly was not a member of the Shi`a.
The fact is that these petty scholars with their tendentious criticisms are concerned only with the narrow details of political history. They do not perceive the cosmic nature of the martyrdom of Imam Husain(AS). For them, history is the restricted study of immediate cause and effect in political developments. But real history is about something far more important than that. Real history concerns men's relationship with God and how that rela¬tionship affects men's relationships with each other. Real history attempts to show the cosmic significance of events, not their narrow immediate political results.
The tragedy of Karbala', the martyrdom of Imam Husain(AS), is one of those events of cosmic significance. Its lessons concern not just one group of men and their relationship to the world, but all mankind. It is a moral paradigm. It teaches sacrifice and opposition to injustice: it teaches integrity of purpose, love of family, gentle¬ness, and bravery. In fact, in the account of the tragic journey and martyrdom of Imam Husain(AS), there are lessons in all the moral virtues. Perhaps the one that strikes most of us most forcefully, is our own inadequacy in comparison with the enormous sacrifice Imam Husain(AS) made on behalf of mankind.
He watched as, one after another, his followers went to their deaths; as, one after another, his kinsmen went to their deaths; even his baby son was slaughtered in his arms as he gave him a farewell hug.
Yet Imam Husain(AS) was not only victim of persecution , he was also the exemplar of bravery and fortitude. He fought a brave and fierce fight against so many. Such was his power and strength, such was the aura of his person and he was by no means a young man that the only way his enemies could kill him was by a whole group of them attacking him at the same time and stabbing him together.
The lesson is clear to us all: it shows the lengths of human wickedness. Imam Husain(AS) exemplifies all suffering humanity. In that death, in those blows to his body, in the trampling of horses over it, Imam Husain(AS) is the model, the paradigm of all unjust deaths, of all humans suffering. In this, his death teaches suffering men to endure, to remain steadfast in their belief in God. It also has a lesson to teach men who are more fortunate, that the world is a transitory place, worldly success is not an end in itself, and that man should always be aware of the suffering Imam Husain(AS) experienced. By their awareness of this they will learn to treat worldly success with humility.
In the real sense of cosmic history, the martyrdom of Imam Husain(AS) is a mighty triumph, a wondrous victory. Who would know the name Yazid today except for the fact that he was responsible for the martyrdom of Imam Husain(AS)? Otherwise he would just be another of the thousands of despots, tyrants, and bullies that have abused their authority, another footnote in the history of man. However, because his tyranny and wickedness was responsible for the good, the noble, the pure Imam's death, he, by killing the Imam, the human model of goodness and bravery, has become the human model of injustice and wickedness.
The triumph of Imam Husain(AS) lies in the fact that his inspiration has moved men to grieve for him throughout the centuries. The pure light of ennobled humanity in the Imam has motivated generation upon generation of the Shi'a, to suffer endless hardship, to keep his memory alive.
The first beginnings of the majlis, the sessions held in honour of the martyrdom of Imam Husain(AS) are to be discerned in the first gatherings of the surviving family of the martyred Imam. Very soon these gatherings of grief developed outside the family to include others.
They feared the grief and lamentation for Imam Husain(AS) because in that grief and lamentation people remembered the goodness, the justice, the kindness, the gentleness, and the bravery of the martyred Imam. These were not qualities that tyrannical governments wished people to think about, their concern was bribery, corruption, nepotism, and naked force. They saw the threat to their world, to their values, to their position. Seeing it, they sought to suppress the memory of Imam Husain(AS). However, such was the power, the influence, the glory of that memory, that they could not remove it from the hearts of men, from the Shi’a of all the Imams, the Shi`a of Imam Husain(AS).
All despotic regimes have felt threatened by these majlises. Throughout the centuries they have tried to prevent them. At one time even the site of Imam Husain's grave at Karbala' was ploughed up.
In today’s world we witness a few scenarios of living Karbala. The defenseless people of Palestine have shown it recently. The usurper Zionist regime has unleashed a ruthless, tyrannical, unjust violence against these people. They have been besieged in their homes, denied food and medicine, bombarded from every direction, but still these brave and unwavering people have not compromised with their ideals, have not kneeled before an unjust power, have not acknowledged and placed their allegiance before an illegitimate regime. They have remained steadfast in times of persecution, endured countless brutalities patiently, have not given up their struggle or bowed before illegitimate , unjust power. They embraced hunger, thirst, death, destruction of life and property but did not compromise with their faith and did not accept humiliation. These are living examples of Karbala in our age.
May Allah make all of us understand the message of Great Martyr of Karbala, and follow his foot steps in our lives, so that we could attain salvation in our both worlds!
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