About
Imam Hussain (AS)
IN THE house of the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf),
which presented the best image of both the worlds - the heaven and the
earth - a child who benefited humanity as if he was Divine Impression
reflecting the earth, was bron on the 3rd night of the month of Shaban.
His father was Imam Ali(a.s.), the best model of kindness towards his
friends and the bravest against the enemies of Islam, and his mother was
Hazrat Fatimah(s.a.), the only daughter and child of the Holy
Prophet(pbuh&hf) who had as universally acknowledged, inherited the
qualities of her father. Imam Hussain(a.s.), is the third Apostolic
Imam. When the good news of his birth reached the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf),
he came to his daughter's house, took the newly-born child in his arms,
recited adham and iqamah in his right and left ears respectively, and on
the 7th day of his birth, after performing the rites of aqiqah, named
him al-Husayn, in compliance with Allah's(swt) command. Hassan(a.s.) and
Hussain(a.s.), the two sons of the Holy Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib(a.s.) and
Hazrat Fatimah(s.a.),our Lady of Light, were respected and revered as
the "Leaders of the Youths of Paradise" as stated by the Holy
Prophet(pbuh&hf).
The Holy Prophet Muhammad(pbuh&hf) had
openly prophesied that the faith of Islam would be rescued by his second
grandson Hussain(a.s.), when Yazid, son of Muawiayh, would endeavour to
destroy it. Yazid was known for his devilish character and brutish
conduct. He was known as the most licentious of men. The people having
known and understood the character of Yazid, formed a covenant by which
Muawiyah could not appoint Yazid as his successor. This undertaking was
given by Muawiyah to Imam Hassan(a.s.) from whom Muawiyah had snatched
power. Muawiyah violated this undertaking and nominated Yazid who
succeded his father. Immediately as he came to power, Yazid began acting
in full accordance with his known character. He started interfering in
the fundamentals of the faith and practised every vice and wickedness
freely with the highest degree of impunity and yet held himself out as
the successor of the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf), demanding allegiance to
himself as the leading guide of the faith. Paying allegiance to Yazid
was nothing short of acknowledging the devil as God. If a divine
personality like the Holy Imam Hussain(a.s.) had agreed to his
authority, it would be actually recommending the divil to humanity in
place of God. Yazid demanded alleginace from the Holy Imam Hussain(a.s.),
who could have never agreed to it at any cost. The people fearing death
and destruction at the hands of the tyrant had yielded to him out of
fear. Imam Hussain(a.s.) said that come whatever may, he would never
yield to the devil in place of God and undo what his grandfather, the
Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) had established. The refusal of the Holy Imam(a.s.)
to pay allegiance to this fiend, marked the start of the persecution of
the Holy Imam(a.s.). As a result he had retired to Medina where he led a
secluded life. Even here he was not allowed to live in peace, and was
forced to seek refuge in Mecca where also he was badly harassed, and
Yazid plotted to murder him in the very precincts of the great sanctuary
of Kaabah. The people of Kufa getting tired of the tyrannic and satanic
rule of Yazid, had written innumerable letters and sent emissaries to
Imam Hussain(a.s.) to come over and give them guidance in faith.
Although Imam Hussain(a.s.) knew the ultimate end of the invitations, he
as the divinely chosen Imam could not refuse to give the guidance sought
for. When the Holy Imam(a.s.) with his entourage had reached Karbala,
his horse mysteriously stopped and would not move any further. Upon this
the Holy Imam(a.s.) declared: "This is the land , the land of sufferings
and tortures." He alighted from his horse, and ordered his followers to
encamp there saying: "Here shall we be martyred and our childern be
killed. Here shall our tents be burned and our family arrested. This is
the land about which my grandfather the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) had
foretold, and his prophecy will certainly be fulfilled." On the 7th
Muharram water supply to the Imam's camp was cut and he torture of
thirst and hunger started. The Holy Imam's(a.s.) camp consisted of
ladies, innocent chidlren including babies and some male members of the
Holy Prophet's(pbuh&hf) family; along with a samll band of some faithful
friends of Imam Hussain(a.s.) who had chosen to die with the Holy Imam,
fighting against the devil for the cause of Allah(swt).
The Day of Ashura ( 10th of Muharram
):
At dawn the Imam(a.s.) glanced over the
army of Yazid and saw Umar ibn-e-Sa'ad ordering his forces to march
towards him. He gathered his followers and addressed them thus:" Allah
has, this day, permitted us for our martyrdom. So Perpare yourselves to
fight against the enemies of Islam with patience and resistance. O sons
of the noble and self - respecting persons, be patient! Death is nothing
but a bridge which you must cross after facing trials and tribulations
so as to reach Heaven and its joys. Which of you do not like to go from
this prison (world) to the lofty palaces (Paradise)?" Having heard the
Imam's(a.s.) address, All his companions were overwhelmed and cried out
," O our Master! We are all ready to defend you and your Ahlu l-bayt,
and to sacrifice our lives for the cause of Islam."
Imam Hussain(a.s.) sent out his
companions from his camp one after another to fight and sacrifice their
lives in the way of the Lord. Lastly, when all his men and children had
laid down their lives, Imam Hussain(a.s.) brought his six- month old
baby son Ali Asghar(a.s.), and offering him on his own hands, demanded
some water for the baby, dying of thirst. The thirst of the baby was
quenched by a deadly poisoned arrow from the brute's forces, which
pinned the baby's neck to the arm of the helpless father. At last when
the six-month old baby also was killed, Imam Hussain(a.s.) addressed
Allah(swt): "O Lord! Your Husayn has offered in your way whatever your
had blessed him with. Bless Your Hussain, O Lord! with the acceptance of
this sacrifice. Every thing Hussain could do till now was through Your
help and by Your Grace." Lastly Imam Hussain(a.s.) came into the field
and was martyred, the details of which merciless slaughter are heart
rending. The forces of Yazid having killed Imam Hussain(a.s.), cut and
severed his head from his body and raised it on a lance. The severed
head of the Holy Imam(a.s.) beagn glorifying Allah(swt) from the point
of the lance saying,` Allahu Akbar'. "All glory be to Allah Who is the
Greatest!" After the wholesale, merciless and most brutal slaughter of
the Holy Imam(a.s.) with his faithful band, the helpless ladies and
children along with the ailing son of Imam Hussain(a.s.), Imam Ali
Zain-ul-Abideen(a.s.), were taken captives.
Some Sayings of the Holy Prophet
During his Lifetime with Reference to Imam Husayn:
- Hassan(a.s.) and Hussain(a.s.) are
the leaders of the Youths of Paradise.
- Hussan(a.s.) is from me and I am
from Hussain(a.s.) , Allah befriends those who befriend Hussain(a.s.)
and He is the enemy of those who bear enmity to him.
- Whoever wishes to see such a person
who lives on earth but whose dignity is honoured by the Heaven
dwellers, should see my grandson Hussain(a.s.).
- O my son! your flesh is my flesh and
your blood is my blood, your are a leader , the son of a leader and
the brother of a leader; your are a spiritual guide, the son of a
spiritual guide and the brother of a spiritual guide; you are an
Apostolical Imam , the son of an Apostolical Imam and the brother of
an Apostolical Imam; your are the father of nine Imams, the ninth of
whom would be the Oaim (the last infallible spiritual guide).
- The punishment inflicted on the
murderer of Hussain(a.s.) in Hell would be equal to half of the total
punishment to be imposed on the entire sinners of the world.
- When the Holy Prophet(phuh&hf)
informed Hazrat Fatimah(s.a.) of the Martyrdom in store for his
grandson, she burst into tears and asked, "O my father! when would my
son be martyred?" "In such a critical moment," he replied," When
neither I nor you, nor Ali would be alive. " This accentuated her
grief and she inquired again," Who then, O my father, would
commemorate Hussain's martyrdom?". The Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) said,
"The men and the women of a particular sect of my followers, who will
befriend my Ahl-ul-Bayt, will mourn for Hussain and commemorate his
martyrdom each year in every century."
Ibn Saad narrates from ash-shabi:
Imam Ali(a.s.) while on his way to
Siffin, passed through the desert of Karbala, there he stopped and wept
very bitterly. When interrogated regarding the cause of his weeping, he
commented that one day he visited the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) and found
him weeping. when he asked the Apostle of Allah(swt) as to what was the
reason which made him weep, he replied, "O Ali Gabriel has just been
with me and informed me that my son Hussain would be martyred in
Karbala, a place near the bank of the River Euphartes. This moved me so
much that I could not help weeping."
Anas ibn Harith narrates:
One day the Holy Prophet ascended the
pulpit to deliver a sermon to his associates while Imam Hussain(a.s.)
and Imam Hassan(a.s.) were sitting before him. When address was over, he
put his left hand on Imam Hussain(a.s.) and raising his head towards
Heaven, said:"O my lord! I am Muhammad Your slave and Your prophet, and
these two are the distinguished and pious members of my family who would
fortify my cause after me. O my Lord! Gabriel has informed me that son
Hussain would be killed. O my Lord! bless my cause in recompense for
Hussain's martrydom, make him the leader of the martyrs, be You be his
helper and guardian and do not bless his murderers".
Khwaja Mu inu d-Din Chishti says:
He gave his head but did not put his
hand into the hands of Yazid. Verily, Hussain is the foundation of "La
ilaha il Allah". Hussain is lord and the lord of lords. Hussain(a.s.)
himself is Islam and the shield of Islam. Though he gave his head (for
Islam) but never pledged Yazid. Truly Hussain(a.s.) is the founder of
"There is no Deity except Allah." |