The Message - Muharram-ul-Haram 1438...

1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Food for Thought: - Sayings of Imam Ali (a.s.) 02

2 From The Editor’s Desk 03

3 Your Daily-Life Questions Answered 05

4 Imam Husayn (A.S.): The Heir of Prophet Abraham 06

5 The Philosophy of Martyrdom 24

6 Defying Death on the Day of Ashura 32

7 Some Lessons from Karbala 42

8 Merit of visiting the grave of Imam Husain (A.S.) 46

9 Loyalty of Companions of Hazrat Imam Husayn (A.S.) 52

Kids’ CornerKids’ CornerKids’ CornerKids’ Corner

10 What is Ashura? 61

11 Who is Hussain (A.S.)? 61

12 Why remember Ashura? 63

13 Beautiful Sayings of Imam Hussain (A.S.) 64

THE MESSAGE

Editor:Hujjat-ul-Islam Wal Muslimeen Sheikh Shabbir H. Lakhani (Maisami)

Editorial Board:Mr. Mazher Ali Jumani, Molana Sajjad Qaimi, Dr. Hussain Kanani,

Mr. HasnainNanjiani.

Annual Subscription:Pak. Rs. 500/=

For subscription and suggestions contact:

6, Jiwani Garden, JM-208/2, Amil Colony, Soldier Bazar # 3, Karachi – Pakistan

Email: [email protected] Web: www.zahraacademy.org

Disclaimer:The Editor does not necessarily agree with the views expressed in the matter published herein. The views and opinions presented in the Journal reflect the views of the authors

and not of the Journal or its Editorial Board or the Publisher.

Published by

Zahra (S.A.) Academy Institute of Islamic Education, Development & Relief

The Message Muharram-ul-Haram 1438 AH

2

1. Defend your religion with

the edge of blades, charge

forward [against the ene-

my] with your swords and

seek the help of Allah - you

will gain victory and [His]

assistance.

2. Do not be a slave to others

while Allah, the Glorified,

has made you free, for that

which is good is never

achieved except by over-

coming evil, and ease is

never acquired except

through difficulty.

3. Moving mountains is easier

than bringing hostile hearts

together.

4. The people are enemies of

what they do not know.

5. Neither does an ignorant

restrain himself [from

wrongdoing] nor does he

benefit from good advice.

6. The believers are such that

their good deeds are ex-

pected and people are safe

from their evil.

7. Loss of vision is better than

looking at something that

causes temptation.

8. Remembrance of the

Hereafter is a remedy and a

cure, whilst remembrance

of worldly life is the worst

disease.

9. There are three things

through which the intellect

of great men is tested:

wealth, position, and ca-

lamities.

10. Do good towards whomev-

er you like and you will rule

over them! Be self-

sufficient over whomever

you like and you will be-

come equal to them! And

be dependent on whomev-

er you like and you will be-

come their slave.

11. I wonder at the person who

hopes for favour from the

one who is above him, how

can he deprive the one who

is below him [of his own

favour]?

��

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Sayings of Imam Ali (A.S.)

Muharram-ul-Haram 1438 AH The Message

3

In the name of Allah, the

all mercy, the ever mercy.

Brothers and Sisters,

Salam Alaikum.

Muharram has arrived and the lovers of Ahl e Bait (a.s.) will be performing their religious rites in the way prescribed by our Imams since the last hundreds of years.

Historically Azadari has been done by Prophet (s.a.w.w.), Imam Ali (a.s.), Hazrat Fatima (s.a.) and all the Imams and they have guided us in remembering the great sacrifice of Imam Hussain (a.s.)

The great sacrifice was made by Imam Hussain (a.s.) and his family to save Islam. For Islam was facing danger from Yazeed who proclaimed the Kingship of Islam (and started calling himself Caliph of Rasool Allah s.a.w.w.). Now imagine if Imam Hussain (a.s.) had not stood against him today we would not have been able to differentiate between the actual Islam and the Islam of Yazeed. All haram things would have been made halal and all the respected personalities would have been turned into disrespect-ful personalities and Islam which

was sent by Allah (s.w.t.) through 124000 prophets, finally revealed through Hazrat Mohammad (s.a.w.w.), would have been changed into a different religion as we see in many sects of Islam today, who call themselves Muslims but when we see their practices and following we can clearly say this is not the original Islam. Today we have the landmark sacrifices of Imam Hussain (a.s.) which helps us differentiating between the true Islam and the Islam spread by Yazeed.

If anyone doubts about Yazeed being a good person or not should study Yazeed’s history and see his deeds.

� Shahadat of Imam Hussain (a.s.) and his companions.

� Taking the grand daughters of Prophet (s.a.w.w.) as prisoners.

� Sending his army to Madinah and killing more than 10,000 companion and Muslims in the holy city and flowing the blood stream in the Holy mosque and tying their hors-es in the Holy mosque.

From The Editor’s Desk


4

� Sending army to Mecca which engulfed the cover of Khana-e-Kaba in fire and damaged the house of Allah.

There are many more things in history which tells us about his anti-Islam and anti-Prophet activities, but the tragedy of Karbala is enough to prove what he was and what he wanted to do.

We the mourners have a duty assigned by our Imams and that is to keep the teachings and sacrifices of Imam Hussain (a.s.) alive in a way that there is no addition or subtraction in the actual history and that we should also follow his teachings.

Nowadays a lot of changes are being brought in the main stream Azadari which is a dangerous sign and we all need to be careful about that.

There is no need to use bad words for others, except for Yazeed and his companions and those who fought against Imam Hussain (a.s.) in Karbala. The message of Imam Hussain is message of love, harmony and justice, not of hatred and enmity.

On the other hand nowadays in Pakistan we are observing that the government machinery is

trying to create hurdles in the ways of Azadari of Imam Hussain (a.s.)

A Great Azadari conference was held on 24th Sept. 2016 at Nishtar Park; thousands of followers of Imam Hussain (a.s.) joined it and gave a clear message to all those responsi-ble, that we cannot bear any resistance in the way of Azadari and we have full right to perform our religious rites in our dear country Pakistan, as per constitution and as per the assurance of our great honora-ble leader Quaid e Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah (R.A.).

Hope we all shall try to perform Azadari as per the teachings of Ahl e Bait (a.s.) and the Govern-ment machinery will not take any steps which limits our right of being a bonafied Pakistani.

Let the message of Imam Hussain (a.s.) spread in the best possible way in our dear country.

Long live Islam,

Long live Pakistan.

Editor,

Shabbir H. Maisami (Lakhani)

��


5

Q.1: What is the im-

portance of performing

Azadari?

Ans.: Performing Azadari of Imam Hussain (a.s.) is a part of His (a.s.) mission because declaring the oppression of oppressor and mazloomiyat of oppressed is exactly the Deen. Those who oppose Azadari oppose Islam. It is Azadari of Imam Hussain (a.s.), which has given protection to Islam till today.

Q.2: During majalis of

Imam Hussain (a.s.) some

orators recite traditions

about which we do not

know whether they are

true or fabricated, while

others are definitely

fabricated. Is it allowed to

attend such majalis?

Ans.: It is a major sin to recite and hear(while declar-ing them to be true) those traditions about which one is sure that they are fabricated. If attending such a majlis amounts to the acceptance

and spreading the fame of such a false tradition reciter, it is not allowed to attend such a majlis. Attributing false traditions to the holy Imams is a violation of their rights. It is the duty of every mo’min to refrain from such acts.

Q.3: What is the Islamic

Law on wearing full black

during the months of

Muharram and Safar and

offering Salah in it?

Ans.: Wearing black for the mourning of Imam Hussain (a.s.) is preferable. Since wearing black is a sign of expressing grief and lamenta-tion, which is highly desirable, therefore praying in a black cloth is not makrooh.

Q.4: Is it allowed for men

to take off their shirts to

do matam, where women

are also present?

Ans.: There is no problem in it. However, it is necessary for women to avoid looking.

��

Your Daily-Life Questions Answered


6

Abstract

God, with His wise plan for His creation, does not create in vain or without purpose. It is not possible for us to perfectly understand every-thing about His plan. Howev-er, if we acknowledge the limits of our understanding, benefit from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and reflect on the history of mankind, we are able to understand some aspects of His plan and extract general lessons from historical events. This article outlines the historical role of Imam Husayn and the lessons derived from it.

The Ultimate End of the

Creation of Mankind

According to the Qur’an, God has created mankind for their own happiness and this can only be achieved through remembering Him, that is, to turn towards Him and to prevent anything that dis-

tracts us from Him. God has also made everything in the skies and the earth managea-ble to us so that we can responsibly benefit from them for our self-development. Throughout history there have always been pious and virtuous role models even in the darkest ages of ignorance and under the most tyrannical and despotic governments. Lady Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh, is a good example.

Thus, personal progress has always been an available option, but there are also positions available for man-kind as a species or as a community that need prepara-tion and other aspects to come together for them to be achieved.

In other words, happiness, which has always been possible to attain, would not be possible for society at large unless other aspects are in

Imam Husayn (A.S.):

The Heir of Prophet Abraham

By: Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali


7

place. In a just and supportive society, it is the masses, and not sole individuals, who can easily find their way to happiness. There are also aspects of happiness that cannot be achieved unless there is a virtuous society in which people’s relations are based on divine values and are free of egoism. Witnessing a virtuous society is far more attractive and effective than witnessing virtuous individu-als.

Providing happiness to humanity as a whole with the complications of social life is no simple task. It requires a just system for fair distribu-tion of good and opportuni-ties, and a great deal of knowledge and wisdom. Therefore, God’s second plan to provide humanity with maximum opportunities for happiness is through the establishment of an ideal society.

Prophet Abraham and

establishing a monotheis-

tic tradition by envisaging

the foundations of a God-

fearing society

Prophet Abraham plays a central role in history in implementing God’s plan for humanity. It is not possible to imagine how the world would be if Prophet Abraham and his progeny were not there. For example, can you imagine what our world would look like without the Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? If not, what helps us understand and relate to God today in a monotheistic way is due to Prophet Abra-ham.

Since he was a pure and wholeheartedly submissive servant, God communicated great part of the revealed messages and books after and through Abraham and his progeny. It is not accidental that more than half of the population of the world today is made up of the followers of Abraham.

Prophet Abraham managed to establish tawhid, or unity of


8

God, on a number of levels. Firstly, he had to establish tawhid in himself, a position not easily achieved, as he underwent a series of tests and trials. An important trial was to act on the Divine command to slaughter his son, Isma‘il, the son who was born after many years.[1]

Isma’il was also the son who helped him or was going to help him rebuild the Ka‘bah, the one that would be the father of the progeny of Abraham. But Abraham had to be ready to sacrifice him. Despite the tests and chal-lenges, Abraham remained steadfast and wholly obedient to God.

The Qur’an tells us that Prophet Abraham was chosen by God as His friend (khalil) (4:125). According to hadiths, one reason for this choice was that Abraham never asked anyone other than God for help. On the other hand, he never refused giving help to others.[2]

This is opposite to those who lack faith, who when they are told to spend on the poor they question doing so since they believe the poor should expect only God to give them (36:47). But when it comes to their own needs, they ask or demand everyone to help. Abraham was the opposite: he was helpful but would not accept help from anyone except God. Even when they wanted to put him in the fire and Gabriel offered to help, Prophet Abraham refused to ask him for help.[3] He was also known for his long prostrations to God.[4]

Prophet Abraham was also very hospitable. In a hadith from Prophet Muhammad, this has been introduced as one of the reasons why Abraham was chosen by God as His friend.[5] He very much liked to have guests at his home, and if he did not have guests, he would go out and find someone with whom he could share his meal with.


9

There is a story that illustrates Prophet Abraham’s servitude and humbleness. Once he left home to find some guests. Upon returning to his house, he found someone like a man in his house. Abraham asked him, “Who gave you permis-sion to enter this house?” That person repeated three times, “I entered by the permission of the Lord of this house.” Abraham quickly understood that this individual was Gabriel, and he quickly praised God. Gabriel said, “A servant of God is chosen by Him as His friend (khalil) and I am here to announce this to him.” Prophet Abraham was so humble that he did not think that it was he himself who was chosen. Instead he asked, “Please, let me know who the chosen one is so that I may serve him until I die.” He was then told that it was him.[6]

In some sources, it is said that at this time he joyfully went to his wife and shared the news. To better appreci-

ate Abraham’s humbleness and love for God, compare this with the story of Satan when God asked him to prostrate (sajdah) once for His vicegerent on the earth and Satan refused to do so. He refused to listen to God with respect to one sajdah for His vicegerent, thinking that he was better, but Abraham volunteered to serve a friend of God until the end of his life. Abraham was a true believer, one who was submissive to God.

After establishing tawhid in himself, Prophet Abraham tried to establish tawhid in his community, starting with his uncle Azar (who raised Abraham like a father). Prophet Abraham spread his campaign for tawhid by inviting others to think seriously about it and then by destroying all the idols.

Another important role of Abraham was that he rebuilt the Ka‘bah as the icon of tawhid. The Ka‘bah had been built before though it was in


10

ruins during that era. Prophet Abraham raised the founda-tions and erected the vaults of the Ka‘bah. God says in the Qur’an:

“As Abraham raised the foundations of the House with Ishmael, [they prayed]: ‘Our Lord, accept it from us! Indeed You are the All-hearing, the All-knowing.” (2:127)

Prophet Abraham rebuilt the Ka‘bah, which is the house of God, the “First house set up for mankind” and “blessed and a guidance for all nations” (3:96) to be the source of light, guidance, inspiration, and a reminder of monothe-ism and unity of mankind until the end of this world. Imam Ali said in his final will:

Fear God and keep God in mind with respect to your Lord's house, the Ka‘bah. Do not forsake it for as long as you live. If it is forsaken, you will not have any chance [to survive]. The least with which the one who has gone there

for it returns with is for-giveness of his previous sins.[7]

We should always be con-cerned for the house of our Lord as it should never be left empty or half-attended. As long as people worship God there and show respect to it, Islam is dignified. If, God forbid, there came a time when people stopped praying and performing tawaf there, it would be a thorough darkness and loss for humanity.

Prophet Abraham built the Ka‘bah with the help of his son, Isma‘il. God asked Abraham to call people for hajj – the pilgrimage to Mecca – after the Ka‘bah was ready. It is interesting that the Khalil (friend) of God was the one who invited people to the house of God, as stated in the Qur’an:

When We settled for Abraham the site of the House [saying], ‘Do not ascribe any partners to Me, and purify My House for those who go around it,


11

and those who stand [in it for prayer], and those who bow and prostrate. And proclaim the hajj to people: they shall come to you on foot and on lean camels coming from distant places.’ (22:26-27)

God made special plans for Abraham; one of them was this house and the tradition of performing the Hajj. If you look at the many rituals of Hajj, we retrace the steps of Abraham, and try to remem-ber what he and his family – Hajar and Ismail – did since these events are to illustrate and remind us of Abraham’s role.

In addition to fortifying the monotheistic tradition, Abra-ham took one step further and asked God for permission to build a society – a commu-nity of the faithful – around the Ka’bah, to make the land prosperous and secure. He asked God for he, Isma‘il, and the nation of their progeny to be submissive to Him:

Our Lord, make us submissive to You, and [raise] from our progeny a nation submissive to You, and show us our rites [of worship], and turn to us clemently. Indeed You are the All-clement, the All-merciful. Our Lord, raise amongst them an apostle from among them, who should recite to them Your signs, and teach them the Book and wisdom, and purify them. Indeed You are the All-mighty, the All- wise. (2:128 & 129)

Thus, Abraham and his son asked God for two things: a) to send a messenger to their progeny, and b) to raise that messenger from among themselves. Abraham’s ambitions were accomplished by the appointment of the final and seal of the Prophets from the progeny of Abraham: Prophet Muhammad. He would complete the message of Abraham by receiving the revelation, by providing the people with a perfect under-standing of tawhid, and by showing them the beautiful


12

values of obedience and submission. He brought all the teachings and guidelines together and acted as the perfect role model.

Thus, the historical role of Prophet Abraham is summa-rised as follows: Prophet Abraham rebuilt the Ka‘bah, the House of God, the “first house built for people” and “blessed and a guidance for all nations” (3:96), to be the centre of light, guidance, tawhid, and unity of mankind. This ‘House’ is the focal point for establishing the ideal community. God made Abraham an Imam for the people (2:124) so as to lead them in their efforts for establishing the ideal commu-nity and a just universal society.

Abraham knew this could not be achieved in his or Ismail’s lifetime, and so he asked God whether He would also appoint the Imams for the people from his progeny to accomplish this task. God confirmed this by excluding

those who were unjust (2:124) since it is clear that the unjust cannot lead people in establishing universal justice. The Imams must be free from any kind of injus-tice, whether it is personal or social; they must not have done injustice even to an insect.

Prophet Abraham also asked God to make among his progeny “a submissive nation” (2:128) who would be guided by “a messenger sent to them and from themselves” (2:129). Thus, a nation or community was going to be built around the House of God and the House of the people and to be guided by the Messenger of God, “a submis-sive nation” comprising of purified people who were taught “the Book and wisdom” (2:129 & 151; 3:164; 62:2).

Prophet Muhammad and

reviving the monotheistic

tradition and setting the

ground for a God-fearing

community


13

Prophet Muhammad started his mission by purifying and teaching the Book and wis-dom to the people of Mecca and then the rest of the world:

Blessed is this Book which We have sent down, confirming what was [revealed] before it, so that you may warn the Mother of Cities and those around it. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it, and they are watchful of their prayers. (6:92)

Thus have We revealed to you an Arabic Qur’an that you may warn [the people of] the Mother of the Towns and those around it, and warn [them] of the Day of Gather-ing, in which there is no doubt, [whereupon] a part [of mankind] will be in paradise and a part will be in the Blaze. (42:7)

The Prophet had a universal mission for all mankind and for all the generations to come: Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion to His

servant that he may be a warner to all the nations. (25:1)

However, he was to first begin with Mecca by estab-lishing a unified and submis-sive community to God built around the Ka’bah. Three verses speak of the Messen-ger’s ministry as that which will lead to the worldwide victory of the truth:

It is He who has sent His Apostle with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all religions, though the polythe-ists should be averse. (9:33 & 61:9)

It is He who has sent His Apostle with guidance and the religion of truth that He may make it prevail over all religions, and God suffices as witness. (48:28)

The main contrast is between truth and falsehood and between tawhid and shirk, not between Islam and other monotheistic religions. The Prophet’s success in his


14

universal mission depends on his ability to establish a community who can be witnesses for rest of humanity as he himself is a witness for the community:

Thus We have made you a middle nation that you may be witnesses to the people, and that the Apostle may be a witness to you… (2:143)

Elsewhere the Qur’an refers to the tasks of the Prophet and the way he was planned to establish that middle nation that could be a witness for other nations:

...those who follow the Apostle, the uninstructed prophet, whose mention they find written with them in the Torah and the Evangel, who bids them to do what is right and forbids them from what is wrong, makes lawful to them all the good things and forbids them from all vicious things, and relieves them of their burdens and the shackles that were upon them —those who believe in him, honour him,

and help him and follow the light that has been sent down with him, they are the felici-tous.’ (7:157)

The language used in this verse to explain some of the Prophet’s tasks easily appeals to all people, including just Muslims or believers in God. To enjoin ma’ruf (the good) and forbid munkar (evil), both of which can be understood through common sense; to permit tayyibat (that which is pleasant)[8] to prohibit khaba’ith (that which is disliked).[9]

Observing ma’ruf means refraining from murder, adultery, theft, and so forth and being kind, helpful, honest, generous, supportive, and respectful. These basic examples of ma’ruf and munkar can be understood by any person. Who could oppose a Prophet who com-manded to perform good actions and avoid doing wrong? Only those who are vicious and insist on doing wrong would oppose such a


15

call. Those who suffer from atheism, polytheism, or immoral habits and practices, without being arrogant or stubborn, would welcome such a prophet.

For example, Abu Dharr was a pagan though he was not a vicious person; he did not have a problem with doing ma‘ruf and avoiding haram. When the Prophet brought the divine message, Abu Tharr accepted it wholeheart-edly and soon became a close companion of the Prophet. However, there were people like Abu Sufyan, Abu Lahab, and Abu Jahl who had prob-lems with ma’ruf, let alone the sharia; they had moral problems and a vested interest in doing munkar.

A major focus of Prophet Muhammad was to revive tawhid, to invite people to return to the tradition of Abraham. The Prophet used to say, “Say there is not god but God, and you will be saved [or you will pros-per].”[10] Thousands of

people in Mecca and Medina accepted the message of the Prophet, and if they had consistently followed the same route after the demise of the Prophet, we would have witnessed an ideal society and would not have had to wait for hundreds or thousands of years to witness the ideal society in end of the time.

After the demise of the Prophet, there were many changes and complications. One significant problem was the division of the Ummah. The Prophet had emphasized on unity; he had called people to be united over the truth and the Word of God, and he had established a society united over tawhid. After the Prophet’s demise, many people who were new to the religion lost their direction and did not know who to turn to.

And unfortunately within fifty years of the demise of the Prophet, the situation went so wrong that someone declared himself as the Caliph and


16

successor of the Prophet who tried to give power to his son Yazid, a man whose values and beliefs were not on par with that of the Prophet or Abraham. At least it was undeniable that giving power to Yazid was a big mistake, as he did not observe any of the teachings of Islam. For the first time in the history of Islam, someone who was unashamed of sinning in public or pretending to be a practicing Muslim was going to rule. He drank, gambled, and publicly committed hideous acts.

His father, Mu’awiya, said that he rejoiced over Yazid as a child, yet as he grew, Yazid annoyed him so much that Mu‘awiya told him he wished Yazid was never born. Mu’awiya said this, a man who himself has a history of rebelling against Imam Ali and killed thousands, including some of the companions of the Prophet. Moreover, but he was wise enough to tell Yazid not to force Imam Husayn to

pay allegiance to him; he knew it is impossible for Imam Husayn to pay alle-giance to someone like Yazid.

Imam Husayn and pre-

serving the monotheistic

tradition by translating it

into a demand for justice

and dignity

Had Imam Husayn paid allegiance to Yazid, the message of God would have been entirely lost. Husayn was the representative of the line of tawhid, purity, honesty, and obedience to God. If he paid allegiance, the people would have been completely confused and gone astray; there would have been no hope for guidance afterwards. However, Yazid was deter-mined to have the allegiance of Husayn. He pressured Walid, the governor of Medi-na, to have Imam Husayn pledge allegiance (bay‘at).

This facilitated the event of Karbala whose roots go back to the time of the demise of


17

the Prophet, if not even earlier.

In response to Yazid’s de-mand, Imam Husayn replied to the governor of Medina:

O governor! We are the People of the Prophet’s House, and we are descend-ants of the Prophet. Yazid is a drunkard who murders without reason, and a person like me does not pay alle-giance to a person like him.[11]

It is not a matter of personal battle, but rather a matter of two separate ideologies. How could Husayn give legitimacy to Yazid and become his follower? Allegiance would mean that Imam Husayn and his followers would become Yazid’s followers. This means the end of Islam. The next morning, the governor’s deputy found Imam Husayn at the grave of Prophet Muham-mad and advised the Imam to pay allegiance because it was safer for his life. Imam Husayn replied, “We belong to

God and to Him do we return. If Muslim nation is to be ruled by a leader like Yazid, say goodbye to Islam. I have heard from my grandfather, the Messenger of God, say, ‘Caliphate is forbidden for the family of Abu Sufyan.’”[12]

Moreover, the destruction of Islam would have marked the end of the divine plan for establishing an ideal society, the facilitation of happiness and mankind’s salvation as a whole since there were no prophets to come. The Imam was faced with the challenge of either accepting Yazid’s request or resisting and willing to sacrifice his life. We all know that Husayn was not attached to the material world; neither did he have concern for his personal life. None of the Imams feared sacrificing themselves for God.

Husayn was the only one at that time who could save the Ummah. He was the only one to end the deviation, whether by accepting martyrdom or


18

protecting his life if he could oppose Yazid without being killed. Due to the escalating situation, it became clear that he had no other choice but to give his life; by doing so, he was better able to serve Islam. Husayn’s life was very productive, constructive, powerful, and inspirational for people. But sometimes there comes a day that a person like Husayn is killed to sacri-fice his life to protect the religion of God. He said, “Don't you see that the truth is not followed and the falsehood is not refrained from? The situation is so severe that a believer wishes to meet God (i.e. to die). And today I do not see death but as a prosperity, and living with tyrants is nothing but disgrace.”[13]

I humbly request everyone, whether a Shi‘a, Sunni, or non-Muslim, to explore the reasons why Husayn reached this conclusion. He lost his life and many members of the community were killed,

including some of the best companions of the Ahlul Bayt. The women and children endured much trouble and hardship. But there was one thing that was greater than all of these sacrifices: God’s pleasure.

The Ahlul Bayt did their best to preserve and save the teachings of Islam. Islam is greater than Husayn. Islam is greater than the children of Husayn. All were ready to sacrifice themselves for Islam to safeguard the message of God for the establishment of an ideal society. If Husayn had not opposed Yazid and had not been martyred as a result, there would no trace of Islam today.

Yazid ruled for a little over three years and committed many crimes that included three major ones: he attacked Mecca, he attacked Medina, and he killed Imam Husayn and seventy-two of his companions. It was only through the sacrifice of Husayn that people were


19

awakened to the real problem and the true colors of the ruler.

Imam Husayn had made his stance clear enough to remind us of the Prophet’s mission. The Prophet strived to awak-en the people’s conscience and teach morality through observing tawhid. After the Prophet’s demise, it was difficult for some people to know whom to follow, who was right and who was wrong. Imam Husayn brought such clarity to the issue such that after him, this issue no longer existed.

No one could say that the incident of Karbala resulted from two groups of Muslims disagreeing with regards to the Islamic position and therefore each acted upon his own ijtihad, or personal scholarly opinion.

The situation became so clear that the battle was between those who had humanity and those who lacked it. It was between the people who were

committed to Islam and its values and those who were egotistical. No one can say that what ‘Umar ibn Sa‘d – the commander of Yazid’s army– did to the women and children was because of a mistake in ijtihad. It was clearly kufr (disobedience).

Imam Husayn managed to clearly show people the distinction between the truth and falsehood, between a virtuous and immoral life. Anyone who is familiar with the event of Karbala, regard-less of the person’s religious affiliation, cannot be indiffer-ent to what happened in Karbala; he or she would certainly sympathize with Imam Husayn. Any rational person would believe the beauties exhibited in the camp of Imam Husayn to be appreciated, the merciless-ness of the opposite camp to be condemned, and the capacity for people to become so brutal and be led astray needs to be acknowledged.


20

Imam Husayn 1) preserved the teachings of Islam, and 2) opened a channel for Islam to reach the people’s hearts. As soon as people hear of the movement of Imam Husayn, they sympathize. They also realize that justice and dignity are the most important qualities. Who proved this better than Husayn? If you were to give your life for the sake of justice and dignity, you are victorious. And powerful, murderous, unjust oppressors will themselves be humiliated and will lose both this world and the hereafter.

Our response to Imam

Husayn’s call for help

Imam Husayn must be introduced to mankind and followed as a role model by all people, not merely by Mus-lims. Not much effort is needed; we simply need to ensure that people come to know the realities of Imam Husayn and the event of Karbala. Then he himself would do the rest. We should not keep the Imam for

ourselves; we should find out how to share by using differ-ent arts, skills, and talents to represent the Imam’s life to others.

Just as Prophet Abraham and Prophet Muhammad played key roles, Imam Husayn also did so in preserving the path of the Prophets as articulated and illustrated by Abraham, and paved the way for establishing the ideal commu-nity which in turn would establish universal justice, equality, and dignity for all.

It is not by chance or accident that in his uprising, Imam Mahdi will make many refer-ences to Imam Husayn. Among all his fathers who too were Imams, Imam Mahdi has special affinity to Imam Husayn. For example, when Imam Mahdi starts his move-ment, he will make an ad-dress while standing between the Rukn and Maqam of the Ka‘bah.[14]

A great portion of this speech relates to Imam Husayn and


21

his martyrdom. Why? The reason for the emphasis may be because Imam Mahdi cannot mobilise the masses to establish universal justice a dignified society without referring to Imam Husayn – without using the example and standards that Imam Husayn set up. Using Imam Husayn as an example before initiating any movement or revolution led by the Shi’a was common after the event of Karbala.

Thus, to pave the way for Imam Mahdi and help him in his universal mission we need to acquaint ourselves and people of the world with Imam Husayn. We should share his life and teaching through our words, actions, conduct, and character.

May God make the months of Muharram and Safar a great opportunity for us to increase our understanding of Imam Husayn’s role. We ask God to help us to comprehend our role today to respond to Imam Husayn’s call of “Hal

min nasirin yansurna (Is there anyone to help us)?”

Husayn began the great mission of bringing the Ummah back to the right track, but this mission is still in need of our help given that the Ummah is divided with its divergences. God has planned this Ummah to be a balanced nation so that it can be a witness for humanity to enable the achievement of God’s plan. We should re-spond to Imam Husayn by saying “Labbayk” and to help bring the Ummah to its original condition so that it can play the role of witness to humanity.

Conclusion

The divine plan for salvation includes the establishment of a moral and just society, in which opportunities are fairly distributed and people are treated with honour and dignity to better focus on their spiritual journey. God has sent His messengers with the Book and the Balance for people to


22

establish the social justice (57:25).

Among the Messengers, Prophet Abraham played an outstanding role in establish-ing the monotheistic tradition, hence, he is considered to be the founder of all Abrahamic religions. He also envisaged and worked towards estab-lishment of a just society centered on tawhid and built around the Ka‘bah.

Prophet Muhammad was sent to accomplish the tasks of all the Messengers and laid the theoretical and practical foundations for establishing a submissive, balanced, united, and just nation.

In a very critical time, when the legacies of Messengers were endangered by Yazid’s attempt to rule in the name of the Prophet’s Caliph and possessing Imam Husayn’s authorization to institutional-ise injustice in the name of Islam, and falsehood in the name of truth, Imam Husayn knew that the only way to

safeguard the divine plan for mankind and to preserve the tradition of Prophet Abraham and Prophet Muhammad was to sacrifice his life.

This saved the divine path from loss at that time and paved the way for the future.

Notes:

1. Another lesson we can learn

from Ibrahim is that we must

never lose hope in asking

Allah for our requests even if

we may think it has become

too late, as Allah is always

able to do what He wants.

For long time Ibrahim (a) did

not have any child. Perhaps

he never expected that in-

deed God was going to give

him not only healthy chil-

dren but also He is going to

make all later Prophets and

Imams through him. God

forbid, if he was to complain

about not having children,

then he would have lost this

opportunity.

Allah would not have hon-

oured him the way He did.


23

Allah allowed him to contin-

ue his legacy from both his

children Ishaq and Isma’il.

From Ishaq, he had Ya'qub,

Yusuf, Musa, Isa, and Bani

Israel, and from Isma’il, he

had Muhammad and all the

Imams.

2. Al-Burhan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an,

vol. 2, p. 177.

3. For example, see Bihar al-

Anwar, vol. 12, p. 31.

4. Tafsir Noor al-Thaqalayn, vol.

1, p. 554.

5. Ibid. p. 555.

6. Al-Kafi, vol. 4, p. 40.

7. Al-Kafi, vol. 7, p. 51.

8. That is, what people find to

be pleasant through instinct

or after some training

through receiving sufficient

data

9. That is, what human beings

instinctively or after some

training dislike or find to be

unpleasant and to liberate

are understandable and ap-

preciated by all human be-

ings. If terms like wajib or

haraam were used they

could not appeal to non-

Muslims or even to Muslims

who are not religious.

This is not to suggest that

there is anything wrong with

such terms; rather, it is a

matter of identifying the tar-

geted audience and then

deciding the most appropri-

ate language and tone.

Wajib and haraam are two

terms for the people who

follow shari‘a and obviously

the Prophet could not start

or limit his mission by ad-

dressing only the religious

Muslims by focusing on ‘ob-

serving the wajib’ and

‘avoiding haram.’

10. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 18, p.

202.


324.


326.


193.

14. For example, see Ilzam al-

Nasib fi Ithbat al-Hujjah al-

Gha’ib by Shaykh Ali Yazdi al-

Ha’iri.

��


24

Once more Muharram has

come, and the hearts of free

men incline toward Hussain

(A), the son of Ali (A), and

their eyes are fixed upon

Ashura, the event which took

place more than 1300 years

ago. Even after such a long

passage of time, not only

Shiite Muslims are attracted

to this event, but all Muslims

and other free believers.

Why Husayn (a.s.) Is Not

Being Forgotten?

The importance of the history of life of Imam Husayn (also Husayn) (a.s.) which has been converted to one of most sensational epics of human history is not only because of arousing most powerful waves of sensations of millions of people around itself every year and creates a ceremony which is more sensational than other ceremonies, but its importance is mostly because that: It has no “motive” other

than pure religious and humanly and popular sensa-tions and feelings and this magnificent ceremony that observes in respect and commemoration of this historical incident has no need to preliminaries and adver-tisements and it is unexam-pled in its kind in this aspect.

Most of us know this truth, but the point which has not been truly cleared for lot of people (especially non-Muslim thinkers) yet and still is remained like a puzzle in their minds is that:

Why is this historical incident which has several similar examples in “quantity and quality” emphasized so much? Why does the ceremony which is observed in respect and commemoration of this memory set up more magnifi-cent and more sensational from the last year?

Why today that there is no sign of “Umavi (related to

The Philosophy of Martyrdom

By: Grand Ayatollah Makarim Shirazi


25

Umayya) party” and their companions and heroes of this incident must have been forgotten, the incident of Karbala has become eternal?!

The answer to this question should be sought among the main motives of this revolu-tion; we assume that analyz-ing this matter is not so hard and complicated for persons who are familiar with the history of Islam.

In more clear way, the bloody incident of Karbala is not a chart of a battle between two political competitors for achieving the throne of leadership or estates or lands.

Also, this incident has not been emanated from the explosion of hatreds of two hostile tribes which begins for gaining tribal privileges.

In fact, this incident is a clear scene of the battle between two doctrines related to individuals and beliefs that its blazing fire has not been extinguished during the adventurous history of man-

kind, from the farthest times to today; this fight is the continue of the fight of all prophets and reformer men of the world and in other hand it is the continue of the battles “Badr and Ahzab”.

We all know that when Prophet of Islam (S) arose as the leader of an intellectual and social revolution, for saving the mankind from all kinds of idolatry and supersti-tions and saving people from the claws of ignorance and oppression and collected the oppressed and truth-wanting groups of people who were the most important elements of evolution around himself, at this time oppositions of this reforming movement who were rich idolaters and usurious persons pf Mecca as their heads used all of their forces for repressing this voice of freedom and creativity of these anti-Islamic acts was in hands of “Umawyi party” and their leader Abu Sufian.

But at the end their organiza-tion came to dissolution and


26

kneed in front of magnificence of amazing influence of Islam.

Obviously, this dissolution was not in the meaning of their annihilation and deracination, but it considered as a starting point in their lives, which means they converted their apparent and explicit anti-Islamic acts in to gradual and hidden acts, which is the program of any obstinate, weak and defeated enemy, and waited for an opportunity.

Bani Umayya tried to create a reactionary movement and bringing back people to the time of before Islam after the departure of Prophet (S) in order to penetrate in any leading Islamic system and as far as Muslims went farther than the time of Prophet (S) they saw condition more favorable.

Especially, some of “traditions of ignorance” which revived by other than Bani Umayya due to several reasons prepared conditions for an “ignorant revolution”.

For instance:

1- The matter of racism that Islam had red lined that revived again by some of caliphs and “Arab” race gain superiority to “Mawali” (non-Arab).

2-Different discriminations appeared which was not compatible with the soul of Islam in anyway and “Bait Al-Mal” that had prorated evenly between Muslims converted in to another shape and some inappropriate privileges had gave to some persons and privileges of different classes of people revived again.

3- Places and position that had been gave to people according to their abilities and scientific, moral and spiritual values had shared between the relatives of some of caliphs.

During these changes, “Muaviya” son of Abu Suffian found his way in to the Islamic government and gained the governorship of one of most important Islamic


27

regions (Shaam) and from that place flattened the road for conquering the Islamic government and reviving all traditions of ignorance by assistance of remaining persons of parties of igno-rance.

This wave was so much strong that got a pure man like Ali (a.s.) busy during all the time of caliphate to itself.

***

The appearance of this anti-Islamic movement was so much apparent that even their leaders were not able to hide that.

If Abu Suffian says that historical sentence with complete obscenity when he was transferring the caliphate to Bani Umayya and Bani Marwan:

“O Bani Umayya! Try and steal the ball of leadership from the field (and pass it to each other); I swear to the thing which I swear to there is no heaven and hell existed!

(And the rise of Mohammad had been a political move-ment)”.

And if “Muaviya” says in his sermon in Kufa after dominat-ing Iraq that:

“I have not come for you to perform prayer and fasting, I have come to rule you; anyone who opposes me I will destroy him!”

And if Yazid says when he is watching the heads of free-men who drank the juice of martyrdom in Karbala that:

“If my ancestors who had been killed in the field of Badr were here to see my revenge scene from Bani Hashim …!”

All these were proofs of the nature of this “reactionary and anti-Islamic” movement and as it advanced, it became more apparent and severe.

***

Could Imam Husayn (a.s.) keep silence and stay calm against this great danger which was threatening dear Islam and was raised to its


28

top in the time of “Yazid”? Did Allah and Prophet (S) and all pure arms which had made him grow want that?

Didn’t he have to break the deadly silence which was dominating the Islamic society by an extraordinary devotion and absolute self-sacrifice, and show the evil movement of this party of ignorance from behind the curtains of propa-gandas of “Bani Umayya” and write shining lines on the forehead of history Islam with his pure blood in order that an eternal and sensational epic remains for future?

Yes, Husayn (a.s.) did this and performed his great and historical duty for Islam and change the way of the history of Islam. He destroyed the anti-Islamic cabals of Umawyi party and neutralized their last tyrannical efforts.

This is the real feature of rise of Husayn (a.s.) and it clears from this point that why the name and history of Imam Husayn (a.s.) is not being

forgotten. He has not been belonged to one age and one century and one time, but he and his goal are eternal.

He drank the juice of martyr-dom in the way of truth and justice and freedom, in the way of Allah and Islam, in the way of freeing humankind and reviving human values; Do these concepts ever becoming old and forgotten? No… Never…!

Who Did Win?

Did Bani Umayya and their cruel and secularist soldiers win in this great fight? Or did Imam Husayn (a.s.) and his devoting companions win that who sacrificed all that they have in the way of love of truth and purity and for Allah?!

Noticing to the real meaning of “victory” and “defeat” answers this question: Victory is not the matter of returning safe from the battlefield or destroying the enemy, but victory is achieving the “goal”


29

and preventing enemy from reaching his goal.

By noticing to this meaning, the final result of this bloody fight clears completely. It is true that Husayn (a.s.) and his loyal companions drank the juice of martyrdom after a heroic battle, but they achieved their sacred goal completely from this glorious martyrdom.

The goal was to reveal the nature of reactionary and anti-Islamic “Umavi” move-ment and weak the public thoughts of Muslims up in order that they get informed about the cabals of these remainents of age of igno-rance and residuals of age of paganism and idolatry, which had been achieved successful-ly.

They finally cut the roots of oppression tree of “Bani Umayya” and removed the evil and disgraceful domina-tion of that usurper govern-ment over Muslims which its pride and honor was to revive

the traditions of ignorance and corruption and oppression by preparing the preliminaries of extinction of them.

“Yazid” government showed its real face to all people by killing superior men of the dynasty of Prophet (S) especially Imam Husayn (a.s.) the great leader of Islam and the beloved son of Prophet (S), and announced the disgrace of themselves, the claimants of succession of Prophet (S) everywhere.

And this is not strange that we see the motto of “revenge of these martyrs” or “ لT الرضا in all revolutions and ”محّمدevolutions which took place after the incident of Karbala that continued until the time of Bani Abbas who used this matter for gaining the power and reaching the governorship and after that chose the way of oppression.

What a victory more than this which they not only achieved their goal, but they became


30

examples of free persons of the world.

Why Do We Mourn?!

They say that if Imam Husayn (a.s.) won, so why don’t we celebrate? Why do we cry? Is this much of crying appropri-ate for that great victory?

Those who arises this objec-tion, do not know the “philos-ophy of mourning” and mistake it with cries of contempt.

“Cry” and flowing of tear drops from “eye” which is the gate of the heart of a human has four kinds:

1- Cries of Delight

Cry of a mother at the mo-ment of finding his beloved children after being lost for some years, or cry of happi-ness of a lover who meets her lover after a lifetime of deprivation are cries of delight.

Lots of parts of epic of Karbala are delightful and sensational and it follows with the flood of tears of delight

flows from the eyes of hearer because of those much of braveries, devotions, courage, freedom, and fiery speeches of men and women who were apparently captives; is this cry a proof of defeat?

2- Emotional Cries

The thing that is inside the chest of a human is “heart” and not a piece of “stone”! And this heart which draws the emotional waves of humans vibrates by watching the scene of an orphan child who dies in the arms of his mother waiting for his father to return home and draws the lines of these waves on the face by flowing tears and show that it is a living and full of humanly emotions heart.

If a heart beats by hearing the incident of dying an infant in the arms of his father and his agony in the flood of his blood in the incident of Karbala and throw its fiery sparks out as drops of tears, is this a sign of weakness and inability or the proof of


31

awareness that full of emo-tions heart?!

3- Cry of Conjunction of

Goals

Sometimes drops of tears show the goals; maybe those who want to say that they accompany the belief of Imam Husayn (a.s.) and are com-patible with his goal and follow his sect and doctrine express these matters by fiery mottos or by poems and epics; but sometime they might have been made up; but a person who sends out a drop of tear from inside the heart by hearing this heartrending incident ex-presses this truth more truthfully.

This drop of tear is the announcement of loyalty to the sacred goals of compan-ions of Imam Husayn (a.s.) and conjunction of heart and soul with them and the announcement of fight with idolatry, oppression, and expressing the hatred from impurities. Is this kind of cry

possible without the knowledge about his pure goals?

4- Cry of Contempt

This is the cry of weak and disabled persons who have failed to achieve their goals and see no more soul or courage for advancement in themselves; they sit down and start crying because of their contempt.

Never cry like this for Imam Husayn (a.s.) because he hates this kind of cry; if you cry it should be the cry of delight, emotions or conjunc-tion of goals.

But more important of mourn-ing, is familiarity with the thought of Imam Husayn (a.s.) and his companions and his sect and doctrine, and practical conjunction with the goals of his holiness and being pure and living pure and thinking right and acting correct.

��


32

How Do We Deal With

Death?

The issue of death and the way to deal with it is among the prominent elements of the bloody fight by the Bank of the Euphrates on the day of Ashura. From this angle, the event of Ashura is distinct among great historical events.

When Husayn (as) was leaving Hijaz and heading towards Iraq he announced that he would meet his death on that trip. He also informed the people of his own death and urged them to lay down their lives for the same cause and prepare themselves for their meeting with God. Throughout the journey to Karbala, Husayn (as) had been frankly telling his companions and the people he met that their destination was inevitable death. His companions entertained no doubts about it: they were absolutely sure.

The only excuse offered by those who wished to forsake Husayn (as) was their fear of death, and there are many instances of this in Husayn’s journey to Karbala. This is a remarkable feature of the battle of Ashura which distin-guishes it from other similar incidents. For a revolutionary leader to invite people to their death is very rare, if not completely unheard of. Such leaders invite the people to activism and revolution and request them to get ready to sacrifice their lives for it, if need be. Husayn’s case was different. He did not seek a military conquest as imagined by the people; he only wanted to embark boldly upon a tragic sacrifice unparalleled in history, in order to jolt the nation’s conscience. Husayn (as) had found that the Umayyads had succeeded in controlling the people’s will and rendering them subservi-ent through terror and exile.

Defying Death on the Day of Ashura

By: Ayatollah Shaykh Muhammad Mahdi al-Asifi, Najaf, Iraq


33

In this atmosphere the Umayyads tried to reinstitute pre-Islamic values and views in the new Islamic society with no significant opposition from the community. There-fore a strong jolting of the people’s conscience was necessary to restore the will they had been robbed of, and this could only be achieved by a tragic sacrifice unparalleled in history! Thus Husayn (as) prepared his family and his companions for this tragedy!

This feature of the event of Ashura makes it unique when compared to most other similar events in history. It is a deceitful mistake of history to have stripped Ashura of this feature. If the feat of defying death and seeking martyrdom be divorced from the event of Ashura it will be nothing more than an insur-rection against Umayyad rule by an extremely unequal military force. It would not have achieved its goals as expected by those who were advising Husayn (as) against

his journey to Iraq, without realising his intention. The Imam (as) was seeing what they were not seeing and knew what they knew not.

How Do People Face

Death?

Death is an important matter with regard to how people organize their lives. With respect to this natural phe-nomenon which is a part of God’s inexorable norms, people fall into two groups: the overwhelming majority who are apprehensive of death and try to escape it, and the minority who chal-lenge death and long for it.

The fear of death and chal-lenging death, play a signifi-cant role in organizing peo-ple’s lives and in determining their destiny. If a nation is afraid of death oppressive rulers will not need much effort to subjugate and cow them down. Their lives become subservient to the despot and they gradually lose their innate nature and


34

conscience, which form the basis of a decent life. Howev-er, a nation which has the power to face death without fear and proves it, cannot be made to bow down to the will of tyrants. It is impossible to rob such people of their will and goals.

We shall now dwell, to some extent, on these two situa-tions (i.e. fear of death and challenging death):

Fear of Death

Fear of death deeply affects people’s lives and has wide-ranging effects in society with respect to activism and struggle, so this phenomenon deserves a closer study. By God’s will, we will discuss, in what follows, the causes of this phenomenon, its negative effects on society, and the useful educative ways to cure minds of this condition.

Causes

Attachment to the world is among the most important causes of fear of death. If one

lives in this world like all people and enjoys its good things but his heart does not get attached to it, death will not frighten him. We shall discuss this point presently, God willing.

Another cause of fear of death is poor preparation for the hereafter, because of which one is afraid of embarking on a new phase of life that will be everlasting. It is to this fact that the following Qur’anic verse alludes, while address-ing the Jews, who believed that God preferred them over all other nations and that they were His friends to the exclusion of other people: "Say, ‘O Jews! If you claim that you are God’s favorites to the exclusion of other people, then long for death, should you be truthful. Yet they will never long for it because of what their hands have sent ahead, and God knows best the wrongdoers.”[1] This is a litmus test to gauge the truthfulness of their claim.


35

Lack of preparation for the hereafter results from getting wedded to the world, there-fore, this is the principal factor that causes fear of death. Something to this effect has been related from Imam al-Sadiq (as): “He who loves the world is humiliated”.[2] This narration could be analyzed and interpreted in this way: love for the world and at-tachment to it is among the causes of uneasiness towards death, and the two are in fact two sides of a single issue; he who loves the world becomes afraid of death.

Whoever fears death is humiliated because he does not have the ability to take a stand on a bold resolution, and when a man is unable to do so he becomes a compliant tool whose actions are de-pendent on those of the arrogant powers: This is the humiliation which Imam al-Sadiq (as) speaks about in this narration.

This is a precise yardstick by which a person’s readiness for

the hereafter, in this world, may be known. The more one’s attachment to the life of this world is, the less his preparation for the next; and the less one’s preparation for the hereafter is, the more his apprehension about death. Someone said to Abu Dharr (may God be pleased with him): “Why do we dislike death?” He replied: “Because you have built this world and demolished your hereafter; so you dislike moving from a refurbished place to ruins.”

Then he asked: “How do you consider our meeting God?” “The good doer will [meet Him] like someone who has been away and now returns to his family, the wrongdoer will [meet God] like the slave who had run away and now returns to his master.” The questioner added: “How do you see our condition with God?” He replied: “Put your works before the Book of God, the Blessed, the Sublime [for He says]: "Indeed the pious shall be amid bliss, and


36

indeed the vicious shall be in hell”[3] then the man said: “So where is God’s mercy?” Abu Dharr answered: "Indeed God’s mercy is close to the virtuous.”[4][5]

The Effects of Fear of

Death on Society

Fear of death leaves wide ranging negative effects on human life; it robs people of the power to resist and makes them easy prey for tyrants, who deplete the resistance Almighty God has bestowed their consciences, the strength He has endowed their will and the awareness He has given their minds. As a result, all the values, morals, will and resistance which God has given them is drained off.

This state of total draining-away and depletion is the despicable condition which God Almighty mentioned as part of the way the despots treat their people: “So he despised his people and they obeyed him.”

Pharaoh would not have been able to subjugate the people to his will and power without draining their values, morals, power of resistance, will and conscience which God had bestowed on them. [The verse refers to Pharaoh and his people.] Man becomes inconsequential as a result of total submission to tyrants. The instrument which is preferred most by the arro-gant is terrorising, because the fear of death makes it easy for anyone to sow the seeds of terror in any society.

Educative Methods for

Fighting This Situation

1. Curtailing expectations from life in this world.

2. Remembering God and yearning to meet Him.

First Method

Curtailing one’s expectation from worldly life and weaken-ing one’s relationship with it.

A firm attachment to the world and too much hope in it are among the greatest


37

fetters that hamper man’s progress towards God. When one frees oneself from them, he becomes less encumbered for the journey towards God Almighty and is never fright-ened by death. In fact he becomes indifferent to it, never worrying whether it falls on him or he falls on it, as Ali Akbar (as) said to his father as they approached Karbala: ‘Dear Father! In that case we do not fear to die, being on the right.’ Imam Husayn (as) replied: ‘May God reward you with the best of what He rewards a son for serving his father!”[6]

Second Method

Remembering God and making firm one’s longing to meet Him through death.

Death is, to the believer, a way of meeting God, and, meeting Him is the greatest joy. The life of this world screens one from experienc-ing the presence of God, and when death overtakes him the covering leaves his eyes "We

have removed your veil from you, and so your sight is acute today”[7]. At that time, the believer will behold the beautiful names and attributes of God, and His sublimity, beauty, omnipotence and greatness. To the believer, this represents the highest pleasure which is incompara-ble to paradise and its houris and all the blessings God has created in it.

It is recorded in Makarim al-Akhlaq that the Messenger of God (S) has said: “O Ibn Mas’ud! Curtail your hopes; when morning comes, say: ‘I may not see evening’ and when evening comes, say: ‘I may not see morning’. Re-solve on leaving the world and love to meet God and do not dislike to meet him, for indeed God loves to meet those who love to meet Him and he dislikes meeting those who dislike meeting Him.”[8]

The Messenger of God (S) also said: “When light enters the chest it expands.” He was asked: ‘Does that have a sign


38

by which it may be known?” “Yes”, he replied. “Withdraw-ing from the house of decep-tion, returning to the everlast-ing house and making prepa-ration for death before it descends”[9]

Ali (as) is reported to have said: “Arouse the desire for the delights of paradise in yourselves and you will love death and loathe living”[10]

Some Scenes of Confront-

ing Death in Al-Taff

In what follows I will recount one out of many scenes of al-Taff [the bank of the Euphra-tes where the battle of Ashura’ took place] where death was held in contempt and even positively sought for, and the longing to meet God exhibited. This was one of the most beautiful scenes that history has recorded in that regard.

The Imam gathered his companions and family on the night before the tenth of Muharram and asked them to go wherever they wanted and

leave him alone. He wanted them to be fully aware of their situation. He said to them: “I commend God with the best commendation and praise Him for both ease and difficulty. O Lord! I praise you for the honour you granted us through prophethood; You gave us hearing, sight and hearts; and taught us the Qur’an and made us compre-hend religion. So include us among the grateful.

“I do not know of any com-panions more loyal and better than mine; nor a family kinder and more devoted. May God bless you all for my sake. Listen! I think our appoint-ment with these enemies is tomorrow and I permit you all to go away and leave me; you are free and you [no longer] have any duty towards me. The night has provided you with cover so avail yourselves of it. Let each one of you hold the hand of [i.e. go with] one of my family (may God reward you all and disperse in the rural and urban areas of the


39

land [and take refuge there] till God brings relief. These people are only after me; should they get me, they will forget the rest.”[11]

His family’s reply:

The Imam had hardly finished his speech when that select group of his noble family declared that they would choose the way he took. They would follow him and never take a different course. So they all stood up with tearful eyes and said: “Why should we do that? The worst thing that can happen to us is to remain alive after your death? May God we do not live to see that day!”

His brother Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas was the first to reply, then the noble ones of the Prophet’s family followed suit. Then the Imam turned to the sons of his uncle Aqil and said:

“The killing of Muslim [ibn Aqil] suffices you a share, so you can go, for I allow you.”

The noble men of Aqil’s family started up and spoke passion-ately: “What do we say to the people? Do we say: ‘we have left alone our leader and our cousins, who are the best of cousins, without having shot any arrows together with them, nor getting pierced by a spear, nor struck by a sword, and without knowing what they had done to be killed?! Never! By God we will not do that. Instead, we will sacrifice our lives, wealth and families for your sake; we will fight on your side till we reach the same destination as you. Abominable indeed, is life after you!”[12]

His Companions’ Reply

With tears running down his cheeks, Muslim ibn Awsajah sprung up and addressed the Imam in these words: “Should we abandon you? What will be our plea with God for our inability to discharge our duty to you? I swear by God that I will never forsake you; rather I will pierce their chests with my spear and strike them with


40

my sword as long as its hilt remains in my hand. If I will have no arms with which to fight them I will pelt them with stones till I die on your side.”

Then Sa’ad ibn Abdullah al-Hanafi said: “By God we will not abandon you. [We will remain with you] till God ascertains that we have kept our duty toward His Messen-ger in your regard. By God if I know that I will be killed and then revived, then burnt, then [my ashes] blown away, then the whole process repeated seventy times, I will not abandon you, till I meet my death in your defense! How can I not do that [i.e perse-vere]when it is but a single death after which I will meet everlasting honour?”[13]

Zuhayr said: “By God, I would like to be killed, then revived, then killed again till I am killed a thousand times in this way, if only God the Almighty and Sublime will ward off death from you and these

noble souls of your family as a result.”

The rest of the Imam’s companions also declared their readiness to die sacrific-ing themselves for his sake. So he expressed his gratitude to them all and stressed that they would all meet their death the next day. Oh hearing this, they answered in chorus: “Praise be to God who honoured us by making us your helpers to be martyred along with you. Will you not be pleased that we should be together with you in your station, O son of the daughter of the Messenger of God (S)?[14]

The Imam had tested these people and found them to be the most loyal of men whose souls had been enlightened with the light of faith, who had freed themselves of all worldly concerns and who, as the historians inform us, were martyrdom-thirsty and poised to earn the blessings of the hereafter.


41

When Muhammad ibn Bashir al-Hadrami was informed that his son had been captured at the frontiers of al-Rayy he complained: I do not want my son to remain in captivity while I live after him. The Imam got the impression that the man wanted to get his son released from captivity so he allowed him to leave, saying: “You are free to go and work for the release of your son.” Al-Hadrami replied: “May wild beasts devour me if I leave you …”[15]

Al-Qasim ibn al-Hasan, an adolescent who had not reached puberty, said to Husayn (as) “Am I among those who will be killed?” Touched by this, he said: “How do you consider death, my son?” “Sweeter than honey, Uncle!” he replied. On hearing this, the Imam said: “Surely, by God, may your uncle be your ransom! Cer-tainly you will be killed along with the men with me after you meet a tough ordeal. My son Abdullah [the suckling

child][16] will also meet the same fate.

Notes:

1. Qur’an Ch: 62, Vs: 6 – 7.

2. Bihar 6: 128 (hadith 14)

3. Qur’an Ch: 8, Vs: 13-14

4. Qur’an Ch: 7 Vs: 56.

5. Bihar 6:137 (hadith 72)

6. Sheikh al-Samawi’s Ibsar al-

Ayn fi Ansar al-Husayn (a.s) pg

21-22.

7. Qur’an Ch: 50, Vs: 2

8. Makarim al-Akhlaq: 452.

9. Kanz al-Ummal: 76 (hadith

302).

10. Ghurar al-Hikam: 413 (Ch: 42

No. 25)

11. Ibn al-Athir’s Al-Kamil fi al-

Tarikh 4: 57, Beirut ed. 1965.

12. Ibn Athir’s Al-Tarikh, 4:58.

13. Al-Muntazam 5: 179; Tarikh al-

Tabari 6: 239.

14. Bihar 44: 298; Al-Bahrani’s Al-

Awalim: 350.

15. Tarikh Ibn Asakir 13: 54;

Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 1:150, al-

Maqarram’s Maqtal al-Husayn

(a.s) 165-170.

16. Al-Muhaddith al-Qummi’s

Nafas al-Mahmum 230.

��


42

Humanity has been provided with many lessons to learn from the events of Karbala. It is a source of divine enlight-enment and a true road to the salvation of mankind. The example of courage and forbearance set by Imam Hussain (a.s.), as he led his troops against a cruel enemy is a story history cannot forget. Following are some lessons that one can take from the events of Karbala.

Don’t Accept Humiliation

In one of his speeches, Imam Hussain (a.s.) said that the authorities in Kufa had given him only two options: humilia-tion or death. He carried on saying, “And we do not accept humiliation.”

A tradition reported by Imam Sadiq (a.s.) records that, other than not accepting humiliation, Almighty Allah has given to believers a choice in all matters.

Keep an Open Mind

This means thinking inde-pendently and being just in one’s judgments, not simply following others blindly and keeping one’s eyes closed. On the day of Ashura, Imam Hussain addressed Yazid’s troops (may Allah remove His mercy from them): “O follow-ers of Abu Sufyan! If you are not following the teachings of Islam, then as freemen, be independent of judgment. On what basis do you fight me now?”

A Deeper Understanding

of Death

Few people desire death. The Holy Qur’an challenges the Jews for not welcoming death in view of their alleged special relationship with Almighty Allah. Imam Hussain (a.s.) deepened our comprehension of death by drawing attention to the three points below: Death is written for everyone and no soul can escape it. He

Some Lessons from Karbala

Source: www.islamicinsights.com


43

said: “Death is an adornment of life as a necklace is an adornment of a beautiful woman.”

Death with dignity is prefera-ble to a life lived in humilia-tion. Dying for the cause of Islam is martyrdom and a great honor. In his farewell to relatives in Madina, the Imam said: “Whoever joins us will be martyred, those who remain behind will miss the victory.”

Awareness

Desertion is discouraged via military court martial and firing squads. A commander has never given troops permission to evade the battlefield before or after Imam Hussain. The Imam himself would like them all to be aware of the consequences of the impending action before any accepted the challenge.

Support the Truth

Imam Hussain (a.s.) an-nounced: “Don’t you see that

truth has been replaced by falsehood? We must be prepared to sacrifice every-thing that is precious in support of Truth!”

Truth is the essence of Islam and fortifies the values emphasized in the Holy Qur’an. Hazrat Ali Akbar asked his father: “Are we not on the right path?” The Imam replied in the affirmative. Hazrat Ali Akbar then said: “Then, it makes no difference if death comes to us or if we approach death.”

Never Too Late to Repent

Hurr al-Riyahi, the first commander to surround Imam Hussain’s (a.s.) troops and prevent their access to the water of Euphrates, provides an excellent illustra-tion of repentance. Regretting his action, he asked Imam Hussain if his repentance would be accepted. The Imam told him that it is never too late to repent. Hurr joined Imam Hussain’s camp and


44

was honored by being one of the first martyrs.

Fidelity and Loyalty

Fidelity is a characteristic admired by all. If friends meet in times of comfort and wealth but leave when hardships and difficulties strike, it is clear that their friendship is not true. On the day of Ashura, Imam Hussain told John, a servant of the renowned companion Hazrat Abu Dhar: “You have accom-panied us all the way but now you may go.” John replied: “It is not fair that I benefit from your company and hospitality but abandon you in your hardship.” His attitude exem-plifies fidelity, loyalty and true friendship.

Participation of the Ladies

Without Lady Zainab’s partici-pation in Karbala, the mission of Imam Hussain could not have been fulfilled.

The Pleasure of Allah

The objective of all believers should be to please Almighty

Allah. Imam Hussain said in one of his speeches that the only objective of the Prophet’s Holy Household (a.s.) is to please Allah. Whenever he saw family members mar-tyred, he would utter:

“It’s bearable only because Allah is its witness.”

Giving Preference to the

Needs of Others

In Islamic terminology, giving preference to the needs of others is referred to as E’sar. On the day of Ashura, the actions of Hazrat Abbas, brother of Imam Hussain, exemplify E’sar. Hazrat Abbas fought bravely to gain access to the water of Euphrates. He gave no consideration to his own thirst but strove instead to bring water to the tents for the women and children.

Patience in Adversity

Allah tells us in the Holy Qur’an that only those who remain patient will receive reward without measure. Imam Hussain, a living


45

example of what the Qur’an taught, was happy to “remain patient” in hardship and endurance and to await his Lords reward. His patience wasn’t out of weakness or helplessness, but it was a demonstration of his stead-fastness and bravery. Those who saw the Imam on the day of Ashura reported. “We have never seen a man remaining as composed as Imam Hussain, whereas his relatives and children were slaughtered before his eyes.”

Significance of Amr bil-

Ma’roof

Imam Hussain declared in a speech that the only objective of seeking this reform was to emphasize the significance of Amr bil-Ma’roof and Nahi-anil-Munkar (Enjoining good and forbidding evil).

Use of Lawful Means to

Reach a Goal

Imam Hussain tried to stop Umar ibn Sa’ad from pursuing his evil objectives. He said to him: “You are promised the

government of Ray (modern-day Tehran), yet you will never eat the wheat of that area.” Ibn Sa’ad responded: “Its barley will suffice!” Realizing that he couldn’t change Ibn Sa’ad’s mind, Imam Hussain said:

“Those who use unlawful means to achieve their objectives never attain them.”

Chastity and Hijab

After the tragedy of Ashura, women and children became prisoners of war and were taken first from Karbala to Kufa, and then to Damascus. They were tortured en route and forced to walk behind the soldiers who carried the heads of Imam Hussain and his companions mounted on spears. When they arrived at Yazid’s headquarter in Da-mascus, Imam Sajjad (a.s.) asked that the heads be removed from the proximity of the women and children in order to protect them from spectators.

��


46

Visiting the grave of Imam Husain (a.s) is recommended, while emphasis upon visiting his grave is among the necessities of the Religion. It is related that the visitation to his grave is essential upon every believer and is obligato-ry upon every man and woman. While one who abandons it, in fact has abandoned the rights of Allah and His Prophet, while abandoning it is ungrateful-ness with the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.w) and is a result of a defect in his belief and Religion. And the one who deliberately avoids it, he shall be among the dwellers of hell.

Imam Mohammad al Baqir (a.s) told Mohammad bin Muslim that, "Direct our Shi'ah to visit the grave of Husain bin Ali (a.s), for it has been made obligatory by Allah, the Mighty, the Sublime, upon

every believer who considers Husain (a.s) to be his Imam".

Imam Ja'far as Sadiq (a.s) says that, "Whenever anyone amongst you go for the Haj and then do not go for the pilgrimage of Imam Husain (a.s) has abandoned the right from among the rights of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.w). For the right of Husain (a.s) is made obligatory upon every Muslim by Allah".

He says that, "The one who dies without going to the head of the grave of Husain (a.s), while he still considers himself to be our Shi'ah, is in fact not our Shi'ah, and even if he goes to Paradise, he will remain as a guest of the inhabitants of Paradise".

It is related in numerous traditions that, "Do not avoid visiting the grave of Imam Husain (a.s) even during the

Merit of visiting the grave of

Imam Husain (A.S.)

Excerpts from the book, “Nafas-ul-Mahmum”

By: Sheikh Abbas Qummi (R.A.)


47

days of prohibition. And one who visits him (his grave) in fear (of the enemies), Allah will give him refuge from the great fear of Qiyamah and he will gain reward proportionate to the fear. And the one who fears due to their fear, Allah will bestow him a refuge under the shade of His empyrean while he shall remain alongwith Imam Husain (a.s) and shall be protected from the fear of the day of Qiyamah".

It is related in traditions from Imam Ja'far as Sadiq (a.s) that, "The wealthy should visit the grave of Imam Husain (a.s) twice every year, while the indigent should visit once every year". He (a.s) said, "Those who live near should visit at least once every month, while those who live far away, once every three years". It is also related from him that, "It is not fair to avoid it for more than four years".

It is related from Humran (bin A'ayan), that I went to visit

the grave of Imam Husain (a.s). When I returned to my home, Imam Mohammad al Baqir (a.s), accompanied by Umar bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Ali, came to visit me. Imam Baqir (a.s) said, "O Humran! Accept glad tidings that the one who visits the graves of the martyrs of the Prophet's family, intending Allah's proximity and solidarity to His Prophet, he shall be freed from sins similar to the day his mother gave birth to him".

Imam Ja'far as Sadiq (a.s) said, that when the day of Qiyamah approaches, an announcer will call out, "Where are the pilgrims of Husain (a.s)?" A large multi-tude will arise, computing whose numbers would not be possible by anyone except Allah, the Mighty, the Sub-lime. Allah will ask them, "Why did you visit the grave of Husain?" They will reply, "O Lord! We did that due to the friendship with the Prophet of Allah (a.s) and for the sake of Ali (a.s) and Fatemah (a.s),


48

and due to the sorrow that befell him". It will be said to them, "Here are Mohammad (s.a.w.w), Ali (a.s), Fatemah (a.s), Hasan (a.s) and Husain (a.s). Go and unite with them, you shall remain alongwith them in their status. Unite under the standard of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.w) and remain under its shade, that is in the hands of Ali (a.s) until all of you enter Paradise". Then they shall come to the standard from behind, the right and the left.

It is related in numerous traditions, that the visitation of Imam Husain (a.s)'s grave shall result in forgiveness of sins, be a means of entering Paradise, and grant liberty from hell. It shall also result in the negation of evils, eleva-tion of rank and fulfillment of desires. The one who goes to visit the grave of Imam Husain (a.s), while being cognizant of his right, Allah will forgive all of his past and future sins.

In another tradition it is related that, "His intercession will be accepted for seventy sinful people. And there is no desire that is asked at the head of his grave, except that Allah fulfils it".

Imam Ja'far as Sadiq (a.s) asked Abdullah bin Najjar that, "Do you go for the pilgrimage to the grave of Imam Husain (a.s) while sailing in the boats?" He replied in the affirmative. Imam (a.s) continued, "Do you not know that when your boat capsizes, it is said to you: O you who have been cleansed, while Paradise is pleased with you?"

Qa'ed Hannat told Imam (a.s), "People come to the grave of Imam Husain (a.s) with women who recite elegies and bring food along-with them". Imam (a.s) said, "Yes, I have heard it". Then he (a.s) continued, "O Qa'ed! The one who comes to the head of the grave of Imam Husain (a.s), being cognizant


49

of his rights, all his past and future sins shall be forgiven".

It is related that, "The pil-grims of the grave of Imam Husain (a.s) will enter Para-dise forty years before others, who will be engaged in accountability and abeyance. While his pilgrim will turn his sins into a bridge upon the door of his house, and will pass upon it as you pass upon the bridge while leaving it behind".

It is related, that it will be said to the pilgrims of Imam Husain (a.s) on the day of Qiyamah that, "Catch hold of the hands of anyone whom you befriend and enter them into Paradise". Then each man will catch hold of the hand of another until a man will say to another, "Do you not recognise me? I am the one who had risen for you on such and such day?" He shall enter him into Paradise without any hindrance or restrain.

Sulayman bin Khalid inquired from Imam Ja'far as Sadiq (a.s) that, "I have heard that you have said, that Allah beholds the earth every day and night for a hundred thousand times. Then He forgives anyone whom He pleases and He chastises anyone whom He pleases? And that He shall forgive the pilgrim of the grave of Imam Husain (a.s) and his family and anyone whom he inter-cedes for on the day of Qiyamah, whoever he be? Then shall the one, who is worthy of hell-fire, also be forgiven?" Imam (a.s) replied, "Yes, even the one worthy of hell-fire, provided that he is not an enemy of the Ahlulbayt (a.s)".

It is related in numerous traditions, that visiting his grave is equal to Haj and Umrah, and striving in the way of Allah (Jihad), and emancipation of slaves, rather it is equal to twenty Haj, and better than twenty Haj, rather Allah will write down eighty


50

Haj in his account. While his pilgrimage is equal to the Haj performed alongwith the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.w), rather the one who goes for his pilgrimage, being cogni-zant of his rights, will be equal to the one who has performed Haj hundred times accompa-nying the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.w). While the one who goes for his pilgrimage barefoot, with each step that he takes forward and back-wards, he will get reward of emancipating slaves from among the progeny of (Prophet) Isma'eel (a.s).

Imam Ja'far as Sadiq (a.s) says that, "If I relate to you the merit of visiting his grave, you shall abandon the Haj, while a group from among you would not go for the Haj. Woe be to you! Do you not know that Allah preferred Karbala to be the Sanctuary of His peace and affluence before He chose Makkah to be His Sanctuary?" Imam (a.s) continued, "One day Imam Husain (a.s) was seated in the

lap of his grandfather, while he was caressing him and smiling." Seeing this Ayesha said, "O Prophet of Allah! How much do you love this child?" He (s.a.w.w) replied, "Woe be to you! How should I not cherish him and not be pleased with him? He is the fruit of my heart and the light of my eyes. Beware! Verily my nation will kill him, then whoever visits him (his grave) after his death, Allah will write down one of my Haj in his account". Ayesha asked, "One of your Haj?" He (s.a.w.w) replied, "Yes, rather two of my Haj". Ayesha asked, "Two of your Haj?" and he replied, "Yes". And as much as Ayesha started inquiring, he started increasing the amount of reward (of Haj) until he reached ninety Haj alongwith his Umrah.

Qaddah says, that I asked Imam Ja'far as Sadiq (a.s) that, "The one who goes for the pilgrimage to the grave of Imam Husain (a.s), while being cognizant of his rights,


51

and is neither an arrogant nor a denier, what has he earned?" Imam (a.s) replied, "One thousand accepted Haj will be written down in his record, as also one thousand pious Umrah. And if he is a damned one, he shall be noted down as a felicitous one, and shall remain saturat-ed eternally in the blessings of Allah".

It is related in numerous traditions that going for his (Imam Husain's) pilgrimage results in the increase of age, safeguard of self and wealth, abundance of sustenance, relief from severity, and the fulfillment of desires. While the least reward of his pil-grimage is that Allah Himself guarantees the protection of his life and wealth until he returns back to his family, while on the day of Qiyamah too Allah will safeguard him fairly.

It is related, that when the news of Imam Husain (a.s)'s martyrdom reached the cities, a hundred thousand infertile

women came to the head of his grave and later all of them conceived. While the Arabs would tell their women, "Ifyou do not go to the grave of this magnanimous personality, you shall not conceive a son".

Imam Mohammad al Baqir (a.s) says that, "Imam Husain (a.s) of Karbala was killed as the one subjected to oppres-sion and severity, thirsty and devoid of any helpers, while Allah, the Mighty, the Sub-lime, took an oath upon Himself that there is none among the distressed, the ones subjected to severity, the sinful, sorrowful, thirsty and ailing, who come to the head of his grave and ask for desires, while intending proximity to Husain (a.s), except that Allah, the Mighty, the Sublime, will relieve him of his severity, fulfill his desires, forgive his sins, increase his age and multiply his sustenance. Therefore get warned O ye who have eyes."[1]

��


52

The narrator says that Ibn Ziyad called his companions for fighting against Husayn (a.s.) and they accepted. Though he held them in a low esteem they carried out his order. He offered Umar Ibn Sa'ad the command of the army, which he accepted blindly. Umar bin Sa’ad left Kufa with four thousand riding soldiers for fighting against the Imam (a.s.).

Ibn Ziyad sent many armed groups to support him till their number became twenty thousand on the night of the 6th Muharram of 61 A.H. Ibn Sa'ad surrounded Husayn (a.s.), putting him in an extremely difficult situation. He cut off water supply from him, his families, and his companions. They all suffered a terrible thirst.

The narrator says: Umar Ibn Sa’ad received a letter from

Ibn Ziyad. He had ordered Umar to start fighting imme-diately and had warned him for any delay. It made Ibn Sa’ad and his army to launch an attack on Husayn (a.s.).

Shimr Ibn Ziljushan (may Allah curse him) rushed ahead and cried: "Where are my nephews Abdullah, Ja’far, Abbas, and Uthman."

Husayn (a.s.) said to the sons of Ummul Banin: "Though he is a fasiq and evil-doer, give him a response."

The sons of Ummul Banin replied: "What do you want?"

Shimr said: "O’ sons of my sister! You are under protec-tion (amnesty). Do not get killed with your brother Husayn, and come to the service of Yazeed bin Muawi-yah, the Amirul Momineen!"

Abbas Ibn Ali (a.s.) shouted in response: "May your hands be

Loyalty of Companions of Hazrat

Imam Husayn (A.S.)

Excerpts from the book, “Lohoof (Sighs of Sorrow)”

By: Syed Ibne Tawoos (R.A.)


53

cut! May your offer of amnes-ty be cursed! O enemy of Allah! Are you asking us to leave our brother and master Husayn Ibn Fatima (a.s.), and to come under the command of the rejected, the cursed, and sons of those condemned by Allah?"

Shimr returned angrily to his army.

The narrator says: "When Husayn (a.s.) saw that the effect of his admonition was less, and the enemy was very eager to begin fighting he told his brother Abbas, If you could get a period, and delay the war, it will be nice. We may offer prayers during this night for Allah, as He knows that I am very fond of prayers (Salat) and of reciting His holy Book."

Abbas put up his proposal before them. Umar bin Sa’ad kept quiet. Amr bin Hajjaj Zubedi said to Sa’ad: "They are the family members of Muhammad; even if they were poor and low class people,

their requests would have been accepted."

Thus, their demand was accepted. The narrator says: Husayn (a.s.) who was in a sitting position fell asleep, and then woke up and said: "O sister! During this hour I saw in a dream my grandfather, Muhammad (S), my father Ali (a.s.), my mother, Fatima (a.s.), and my brother, Hasan (a.s.)." They said to me, "O? Husayn! You are coming to us very soon."

Then came the night of Ashura. Husayn (a.s.) gath-ered his companions. After praising Allah he turned towards them and said: "Now, verily, I do not find compan-ions better than you, nor any family more righteous than my family! Allah may give you the best rewards. Now the darkness of the night has covered you. So make its use. Each one of you may hold the hand of one of my family members and get dispersed in this darkness, and leave this


54

place because they do not want anyone except me!"

His brother, sons and the sons of Abdullah bin Ja’far said in one voice: "Why should we do like that?

To remain alive after you? May Allah never bring such a day."

The first one to speak thus was Abbas Ibn Ali (a.s.), and others also spoke one after another.

The narrator says: Husayn (a.s.) looked at the sons of Aqil and said: "The martyr-dom of Muslim is sufficient for you. All of you may leave. I permit you." According to another narration: "At that moment all the brothers and family members of Husayn (a.s.) spoke up unanimously: "O son of the holy Prophet (S)! What will people say about us, and what should we say to the people? That we left our elder, chief, Sayyid, the Imam, the son of the daughter of the Prophet, and did not threw an arrow along

with him? Nor held a spear in our hands nor did our sword fall on the enemy. No, by Allah! O son of the holy Prophet (S), we would never leave you. Rather our lives will guard your life until we die before your eyes. Whatever befalls you, will fall on us too. How wretched is the life after you!"

Thereafter, Muslim Ibn Awsajah stood up and said: "Shall we leave you alone, and return so that the enemy may surround you? No, by Allah! Allah may never allow such situation until I plunge my spear in the chest of your enemy till the time only its handle may remain in my hand, and I may crush the enemy under my feet. Even when I was unarmed I will fight with them. I will stone them, and will not separate from your honor until I drink the cup of martyrdom by your side."

It is said that Saeed Ibn Abdullah Hanafi got up and said: "No, by Allah! O son of


55

the Messenger of Allah! I will never leave you alone, unless Allah sees that we have remembered and acted upon the will of His messenger Muhammad regarding you. If I come to know that I were injured in your path and then will be burnt alive, and my ashes were dispersed in the air, and if this would be repeated for seventy times, even then I will not leave you until I see death and embrace martyrdom in front of you. Why not? This is only one death and thereafter, I will gain the eternal and everlast-ing generosity of Allah."

Thereafter Zohair bin Qain Bajali stood up and said: "By Allah! O son of the messenger of Allah! How much do I like to be killed one thousand times and to return to life so that, by this deed, Allah may protect you, your brothers, and the young members of your family from any damage."

A group of companions also uttered such words: "May our lives be sacrificed for you. We

shall protect you by our entire beings, and if, we get mar-tyred in your path, we would have fulfilled our promise of loyalty and would have kept our words."

The narrator says that during that night, the night of Ashura, Husayn (a.s.) and his companions remained busy in worship. The collective sound of their worship resembled the noises of a beehive. On that night men from the army of Ibn Sa’ad came and joined the camp of the Imam.

On the day of Ashura, for some hours, there was a heavy collective war, which rendered a number of com-panions martyred.

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) heard from his father that, "When Imam Husayn (a.s.) encountered Umar Ibn Sa’ad and the battle began, Allah sent down His Help. He caused shade over the blessed head of Husayn (a.s.). At that moment Husayn was provided two options: To be victorious over his ene-


56

mies, or to meet his God. He opted for meeting Allah."

It is said that at that time Husayn (a.s.) shouted, "Is there anyone to help us for the sake of Allah? Is there anyone prepared to defend the Prophet's (S) family?" At that moment Hurr Ibn Yazeed Riyahi turned towards Umar bin Sa’ad and said: "Do you want to fight against this man?" Umar Ibn Sa’ad replied: "Yes. By Allah! The easiest form of it is chopping off heads and cutting off the hands."

Then Hurr went and stood between his fellowmen. He began to tremble like a cane stick.

Muhajir Ibn Aus told him: "By Allah! Your action is very strange. If it were asked that who is the bravest man in Kufa, I could not have ignored you. But in what condition am I observing you?"

Hurr replied: "By Allah. I am, at present, finding myself in the position of opting for

either Heaven or Hell. By Allah! I will opt for nothing but Paradise; even if I were cut into pieces and then burnt." Then he drove his horse towards Husayn (a.s.) and while placing his hands on his head said: "O Allah! I have turned towards You, and I have repented. Kindly accept my repentance because I am guilty of causing unrest and anxiety to Your friends and to the children of the holy Prophet (S)."

He requested Husayn (a.s.): "May I be sacrificed for you. I am the same man who prevented you from returning to Medina and made things difficult for you. By Allah! I never imagined that these people would behave like this with you. I am repenting before Allah. Do you think that my repentance will be accepted?" Husayn (a.s.) replied: "Yes. Allah will pardon you. Please get down."

He submitted: "In my humble opinion, I can serve you better mounted than on feet.


57

My last coming down, as desired by me, is martyrdom." "Now that it is I who had revolted against you, kindly permit me to be the first martyr to be killed before your honor. Perhaps, tomorrow, on the Day of Justice, I may be one of those who will warmly shake hands with the holy Prophet (S)." Hurr said.

Imam allowed him. So Hurr went forward to fight and waged a good war. He killed many warriors of the enemy before getting himself mar-tyred. His pure body was brought to the Imam (a.s.) who cleaned his face and exclaimed; "You are indeed Hurr (Free) as your mother named you. You are free both in this world and in the Hereafter."

The narrator says: Burair Ibn Haseen Khuzair who was a pious and worshipper went to the battlefield and was confronted by Yazeed bin Ma’qal. They both engaged in fighting and Burair sent Yazeed to hell and continued

fighting till he attained martyrdom. May Allah be pleased with Burair.

Wahab bin Habbab Kalabi rushed out and exhibited nice firmness, waged a perfect jihad. His wife and mother were with him. He returned to them and asked: "O mother! Are you pleased (with my performance)?"

His mother said: "No. I will be pleased when you are mar-tyred before Husayn (a.s.)."

His wife said: "I give you an oath of Allah. Please do not give me your bereavement." His mother said: "End this talk here. Go and wage the battle by the side of the son of the Prophet's daughter, so that you may win the intercession of his grandfather on the Day of Judgement."

Wahab went back to the battlefield, fought constantly until both his hands were cut. His wife held up the mace and rushed to her husband and said: "May my parents be sacrificed for you! Continue


58

battling to protect the family of the Prophet of Allah."

Wahab looked at his wife so that she may return. The lady held the clothes of her husband and said: "I will never return until I also get killed along with you."

Husayn (a.s.) said: "May Allah give good rewards to your family. Please return to the womenfolk. May Allah have mercy on you." Then she returned to the womenfolk.

Kalabi went to battlefield as before, and fought until he was killed. May Allah be pleased with this martyrdom.

Thereafter Muslim Ibn Awsajah went to war. He, too, exhibited perfect jihad against the enemy and remained steadfast during the calami-ties of battle until he fell. He was still breathing when Husayn (a.s.) went towards him along with Habib Ibn Mozahir. Husayn (a.s.) said: "O Muslim! May Allah have mercy on you." Then Imam recited a Quranic verse: "Then

some of them (believers) carried out their responsibility, while others awaiting and they have not changed in the least;" (33:32)

Habib went close to him and said: "O Muslim! This condi-tion appears unpleasant to me. Congratulations to you for Paradise!" Muslim responded in a very weak voice: "May Allah also give you good rewards." Habib said: "Though I am also following you in this path, I like to hear every wish from you so that I may carry it out." Pointing to Husayn (a.s.), he (Muslim) said: "Wage jihad in the service of this master until death takes you up."

Habib said: "I accept your will wholeheartedly." At that moment he expired. May Allah’s pleasure be with him.

Thereafter Amr bin Qarzatul Ansari sought permission of Husayn (a.s.), which was granted by the latter. He waged a war like the war of the lovers. He continued courageous fighting, killed


59

many soldiers of Ibn Ziyad. His battle was excellent. He took and turned every arrow, which was shot at Husayn (a.s.) on his self. Similarly he bore every hit of the enemies’ swords wholeheartedly. Until Amr was on his feet, no harm reached Husayn (a.s.). Then the ever-increasing wounds made him fall down, bleeding profusely. Then he looked at Husayn (a.s.) and asked: O son of the Prophet of Allah! Have I fulfilled my promise?”

Imam replied, "Yes! You will be in the Paradise prior to me! Give my regards to the holy Prophet (S) and inform that I am coming after you”. He got martyred soon. May Allah bless him.

Thereafter Jaun, the black slave of Abu Zarr sought permission for battle. Husayn (a.s.) said: "You are at liberty and permitted to take a path to safety. As you were restful with us, and you need not fall in the troubles of our path."

He submitted: "O son of the Prophet of Allah! In my life of

ease and comfort I was extremely indebted to you. Now I will bear the difficulties, which you are undergoing. By Allah, my body’s odor is bad,my race is low, and my skin is black. Do oblige me so that by following the path to Paradise I may attain pleasant odor, pure race and a white face. By Allah, I will not leave you until my black blood mixes with yours." Thereafter, he fought fearlessly and became a martyr. May Allah be pleased with him.

The narrator says: Hanzala Ibn Sa’ad Shabami came and stood in front of Husayn (a.s.) to protect him with his chest, face and neck against the arrows, swords, and spears.

Then he turned towards Husayn (a.s.) and said: "Should I not proceed towards my God and join my friends?" Husayn (a.s.) said: "Go towards what is better for you than the world and whatever is in it. Do proceed towards the kingdom where there is no doom." Then he rushed


60

forward and fought a severe fight, like the great fighters, tolerated all troubles, and attained martyrdom. May Allah be pleased with him.

Then it was the time for noon prayer. Husayn (a.s.) ordered to Zohair Ibn Qain and Saeed bin Abdullah Hanafi to stand in front of them so that the remaining companions may perform the "Prayer of insecure time."

Every arrow which was thrown at Husayn (a.s.) was defended by Saeed Ibn Abdullah on himself, and he continuously defended the life of the Imam, and did not step back until he fell down on the ground and said:

"O Allah! Curse be on these people, as You cursed the people of Aad and Thamud. My God! Convey my salutation to Your messenger and let him know, how we are bearing the wounds inflicted on us. I seek my reward in helping the progeny of Your messenger." Then he attained martyrdom. May Allah be

pleased with him. In addition to wounds inflicted by sword and spears thirteen arrows were found in his body.

The narrator said: Suwaid Ibn Umar Ibn Abil- Muta, who was a man of God and always busy in worship, rushed forward and dashed like a lion freed from the cage. He bore numerous hits with perfect patience, until he became unable to move. He fell between the killed ones till he heard that Husayn was killed. He collected his latest energy and tried to fight the enemy, till he gained martyrdom. May Allah be pleased with him.

It is said: The companions of Husayn (a.s.) went to battle in front of him. They were as described by a poet:

A group, which is called out for

crushing the calamity,

Ought to be mounted on marked

horses and in rows,

They have covered their armor

by their chests,

And they are competing with one

another in giving away their lives.

��


61

Kids

Corner

Every day is Ashura, every land is Karbala

What is Ashura?

In the month of Muharram

61 AH an event took place in

Iraq at a place known as

Karbala on the bank of the

River Euphrates. It seemed

in those days insignificant

from the historical point of

view. A large army which had

been mobilised by the

Umayyad regime besieged a

group of persons numbering

less than a hundred and put

them under pressure to pay

allegiance to the Caliph of

the time and submit to his

authority. The small group

resisted and a severe battle

took place in which they were

all killed.

It appeared at that time

that like hundreds of similar

events, this battle would be

recorded in history and

forgotten in time. However,

the events that occurred on

Ashura (the 10th day of

Muharram) in Karbala were

to become a beacon and an

inspiration for future gener-

ations.

Who is Hussain (A.S.)?

The leader of the small band

of men who were martyred in

Karbala was none other than

Hussain (a.s.), son of Ali bin

Abi Talib (a.s.) and grandson

of the Holy Prophet

(s.a.w.w.). Who was Hussain?

He was the son of Fatima

(a.s.) for whom the Holy

Prophet (s.a.w.w.) said,

"Hussain is from me and I am

from Hussain. May God love

whoever loves Hussain."

With the passing away of his

brother Hasan (a.s.) in 50

AH, Hussain (a.s.) became

the leader of the household

of the Holy Prophet


62

(s.a.w.w.). He respected the

agreement of peace signed

by Hasan (a.s.) and Muawiya,

and, despite the urging of his

followers, he did not under-

take any activity that

threatened the political

status quo. Rather he contin-

ued with the responsibility of

looking after the religious

needs of the people and was

recognised for his

knowledge, piety and gener-

osity. An example of the

depth of his perception can

be seen in his beautiful du'a

on the day of Arafat, where-

in he begins by explaining the

qualities of Allah, saying:

" (Oh Allah) How could an

argument be given about

Your Existence by a being

whose total and complete

existence is in need of you?

When did you ever disappear

so that you might need an

evidence and logic to lead

(the people) towards You?

And when did You ever

become away and distant so

that your signs and effects

made the people get in touch

with you? Blind be the eye

which does not see You

(whereas) You are observing

him. What did the one who

missed You find? And what

does the one who finds You

lack? Certainly, the one who

got pleased and inclined

toward other than You, came

to nothingness (failed)."

On the other hand, we have

Yazid, whose father (Muawi-

ya) and grandfather (Abu

Sufyan - the arch-enemy of

the Prophet) had always

tried to sabotage the mission

of the Holy Prophet, and who

showed his true colour by

stating in a poem,

"Bani Hashim had staged a

play to obtain kingdom,

There was neither any news

from God nor any revelation."

Mas'udi writes that Yazid

was a pleasure-seeking

person, given to wine drinking

and playing with pets. It is no

wonder that Hussain's

response to Yazid's gover-


63

nor, when asked to pay

allegiance to Yazid was, "We

are the household of the

prophethood, the source of

messengership, the descend-

ing-place of the angels,

through us Allah had began

(showering His favours) and

with us He has perfected

(His favours), whereas Yazid

is a sinful person, a drunkard,

the killer of innocent people

and one who openly indulges

in sinful acts. A person like

me can never pledge alle-

giance to a person like him ..."

The revolution of Hussain

(a.s.) was an Islamic move-

ment spearheaded by one of

the great leaders of Islam.

The principles and laws of

Islam demanded that

Hussain (a.s.) act to warn the

Ummah of the evil situation

which it was in, and to stand

in the way of the deviating

ruler. As Hussain (a.s.)

himself remarked when he

left Madina for the last

time, "I am not rising

(against Yazid) as an insolent

or an arrogant person, or a

mischief-monger or tyrant. I

have risen (against Yazid) as

I seek to reform the Ummah

of my grandfather. I wish to

bid the good and forbid the

evil."

Hussain (a.s.) was killed on

the battlefield as he did

Sajdah. His head was re-

moved from his body on the

plains of Karbala, mounted on

a spear, and paraded through

villages and towns as it was

taken to Damascus and

presented at the feet of

Yazid.

Why remember Ashura?

Husain (a.s.) is regarded as

the "leader of the martyrs"

because he was not just the

victim of an ambitious ruler.

There is no doubt that the

tragedy of Kerbala, when

ascribed to the killers, is a

criminal and terrible act.

However when ascribed to

Husain (a.s.) himself, it

represents a conscious

confrontation and a coura-


64

geous resistance for a

sacred cause. The whole

nation had failed to stand up

to Yazid. They had suc-

cumbed to his will, and

deviation and regression

towards the pre-Islamic

ways were increasing.

Passiveness by Husain (a.s.)

in this situation would have

meant the end of Islam as we

know it. Thus Husain (a.s.)

took upon himself the re-

sponsibility of the whole

nation. The greatest tragedy

was that one who stood up

for the noblest of causes,

the defense of Islam, was

cut down in so cruel a man-

ner.

It is for this reason that the

sacrifice of Husain (a.s.) is

commemorated annually

throughout the Muslim world.

Our sorrow never abates as

we relive the tragedy.

The commemoration of

Ashura on the 10th of

Muharram every year serves

to remind us of the sacrific-

es of the family of the

Prophet (s.a.w.w.). It also

makes us aware of the

people, then and now, who

tried to destroy Islam and

the family of the Prophet

(s.a.w.w.) and all that they

stood for - as well as those

who watched, listened and

did nothing.

��

Beautiful Sayings of Imam Hussain (A.S.)

1. Whoever sorts out a

problem of a believer, God

sorts out his difficulties of

this world and the hereafter.

2. Act like the one who

believes in punishment for

sin and reward for good

deeds.

3. The true stingy is that

who refrains from greeting.

4. Among the signs of igno-

rance is arguing with irra-

tional people.

��


65


66

The Message - Muharram-ul-Haram 1438...

Documents

Transcript of The Message - Muharram-ul-Haram 1438...