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The
Leader of the Martyrs
By: Sister
Sarah Ismail
Muharram is one of the four months
declared sacred by Allah (swt) in the Holy Quran. It also marks a new
year in the Islamic calendar. While it is being celebrated by those in
the Muslim countries with all sorts of feasts, joy and laughter, there
are those who receive it by commemorating the martyrdom of the Holy
Prophet’s (saw) grandchild Imam Husayn (as) with grief, tears and
sorrow.
On the 10th day of this month,
in 61 Hijrah, Imam Husayn Bin Ali (as) was martyred in Karbala,
Iraq, along with 72 of his friends and family. They were martyred with
such cruelty that those responsible for committing these vicious acts
cannot be called Muslims, let alone human beings. Such was the loyalty
of those who claim to be Muslims but who were more keen to received
worldly rewards as promised by Yazid, son of Muawiyah (may Allah curse
him eternally).
“Peace
be on you O Aba Abdillah and on the souls that died with you!
Peace be
on you, O fearless warrior of Allah, the one who was killed, but to whom
blood revenge is still denied.
Peace be on Husayn
And on Ali the son of Husayn
And on the sons of Husayn
And on
the Companions of Husayn”
- Excerpt from Ziyarat-e-Ashura
Who is Imam Husayn?
Imam Husayn (as) was born on the 3rd
of Shaaban 4 Hijrah in Medina. When the news of his birth
reached the Holy Prophet (saw), Prophet Muhammad (saw) came to the house
of Imam Ali (as) and Sayyidah Fatimah Al-Zahra (as) where he recited the
adhan and iqamah to the ears of the newborn child. And on the 7th
day of his birth, he was named Al-Husayn which means “the junior of
Al-Hasan”, his elder brother.
When the angel Gabriel descended from the
heavens to congratulate the Holy Prophet Muhammad on behalf of Allah (swt)
and himself and to inform him that the newborn child would be martyred
by his own ummah in a hot desert called Karbala in bloodshed and thirst,
the Holy Prophet (saw) wept profusely and said, “By Allah, those who
kill Al-Husayn will never get my intercession on the Day of Judgment!”
The Holy Prophet (saw) was the first
person to cry for Imam Husayn’s foretold martyrdom. He loved Imam Husayn
(as) dearly and took him as his own son. Whenever he held the pure,
innocent child in his hands, he would always kiss the neck of Imam
Husayn (as).
The Holy Prophet (saw) said,
“Husayn is of me and I am of Husayn. Oh
Allah! Be pleased with whoever pleases Al-Husayn.”
Imam Husayn (as) was brought up under the
care of his Holy Grandfather (saw), his father, mother and brother. With
such holistic personalities in the house, Imam Husayn (as) acquired all
the qualities of an Imam (as) simply by being brought up in the Holy
Prophet’s (saw) family. He attained perfection at its highest level in
all aspects; courage, knowledge, piety, ethics etc.
When his elder brother, Imam Hasan (as),
was martyred on 28 Safar 50 Hijrah by his own wife Ju’da daughter of al-Ash'ath
b. Qays, it was Imam Husayn (as) himself who undertook the washing and
shrouding of his brother’s body, and buried him with his grand mother,
Fatima, daughter of Asad b. Hashim b. Abd Manaf, in Jannat al Baqi.
As decreed by Allah, Imam Husayn (as) was
appointed to take the full responsibility of the Imamate.
Why did he
take up this revolution?
There are numerous reasons which we can
conclude from the revolution. In this article, we have summed it to nine
reasons.
Reason #1:
Imam Husayn (as)’s most crucial challenge
is to restore Islamic conduct and way of life in the hearts and minds of
people at that time.
People have become accustomed to the
unIslamic rule of the Umayyads. They, the Umayyads, have significantly
fabricated the hadiths that brings about disastrous effect on the
people; particularly those who are not able to differentiate what is
right or wrong. This is one of the grave reasons why people went astray.
The hadiths is the second most important after the Holy Quran; it
contains the traditions of the Holy Prophet (saw) and those men who are
appointed to pen the false hadiths do not mind to exchange hell-fire
with the rewards promised by the Umayyads. They wrote hadiths which
suits the likes of the Umayyads which we know that contradicts the true
message of Islam.
Reason #2:
(Religious obligation)
Defending the rights of Imam Husayn (as)
as he is the one who deserves the caliphate and to fulfill the will of
the Holy Prophet who has told him of his destiny.
Reason #3:
(Social Obligation)
The ummah suffered a lot of injustice
during the Umayyad’s era and he, Imam Husayn (as), was responsible for
the ummah as he should be the first one to protect and defend it.
Imam Husayn (as) received hundreds, if
not, thousand of letters from the people of Kufa; asking him to come and
be their caliph. They wrote to the Holy Imam pleading, while some even
threaten the grandson of the Holy Prophet to come and eradicate the
injustice and evilness of Yazid ibn Muawiyah (la). Imam Husayn (as) knew
of the consequences which were foretold by the Holy Prophet (saw), he
had no choice but to accept the invitation from the people of Kufa. If
he did not go there and Yazeed conquered Kufa, the people would accuse
him of not helping them since they already asked him for his help.
But Imam Husayn (as) did went to Kufa and
they betrayed him. They did not help him.
Reason #4:
(The economy of the Muslims)
During the rule of bani Umayyad, taxes
were levied but the money was kept for Yazid and he could do anything he
wants with it, abandoning the welfare of the people abandoned. There is
a need to free the Muslim economy and put it into proper use.
Reason #5:
(Caliphate)
To reshape khilafah
(caliphate) and to show to the people that a caliph (a ruler) is not an
imam and he is not masoom (infallible). There is a big difference
between a caliph and an imam. The Imam is a supreme leader and he must
be followed. Khilafah as a government is an earthly position while
Imamah is a position given by Allah SWT and an Imam must be followed
even if he (AS) is not in power like a caliph.
Reason #6:
There was no freedom of choice in the life
of Muslims at that time. The Umayyads imposed laws which have to be
followed or else they took away their lives. Such laws or bidahs
(innovation) which we have mentioned before mostly violate Islamic
teachings but people become so frightened that they do not mind to sin
rather than being killed.
Reason #7:
(Amar Ma’ruf Nahi Munkar)
The 7th and 8th
branches of religion (furoodeen) which is enjoining good and
forbidding evilness can be seen clearly from the revolution of Imam
Husayn (as). When al-Walid ibn Utbah, the then governer of Medina, asked
the Holy Imam to pledge allegiance to Yazid, Imam Husayn’s answer was
clear and direct:
“Ameer (Governor)! I belong to the
Ahlul Bayt (family) of the Holy Prophet (saw). Allah has
consigned to and charges us with the Imamate (spiritual and political
leadership of the Muslims). Angels pay us visits. Yazid is a wicked
sinner, a depraved reprobate, a wanton drunkard, a man who sheds blood
unjustly, and a man who openly defies Allah’s commandments.
A man like me will never yield
allegiance to a person like him.”
Reason #8:
To show to the people the evilness and
hard-heartedness of the Umayyads even though they knew very well the
status that of Imam Husayn (as); they killed the Holy Prophet’s grandson
in a most gruesome manner without even sparing him a drop of water and
paraded the daughters of Bibi Fatimah (as.)
Reason #9:
The Umayyads has made efforts to make
people forget about the Ahlulbayt and in turn, they have started
insulting/cursing them.
It is because of the revolution of Imam
Husayn (as) that we are still Muslims and we know who are the Ahlulbayt
(as) is and till today, the Majlis of Ahlulbayt can be witnessed from
all over the world.
Endnote:
From these reasons we learn to understand
and realise the important message behind this revolution. It is for the
generation of today to reflect and ponder the reality of life. Ask
ourselves “Who are we?” and “Why are we here?” The world is but a
transition and just like the Holy Imam (as) sacrificed his family and
friends for Islam, we need to realise what our roles is and start
performing it.
Imam Husayn’s revolution has not ended
yet, it will continue with the advent of the Imam of our age, Imam Mahdi
(as) who will fill the world with justice just as it is now filled with
oppression.
The following excerpt from
the last will and testament of the Late Ayatullah Ruhullah Khumayni (A.R.)
is most touching and relevant:
"The memory of this great epic event (Ashura) must be kept alive.
Remember, the cries of damnation and all the curses that are rightfully
raised against the cruelty of the Bani Umayyayah caliphs towards the
Holy Imams, are reflected in the heroic protests against cruel despots
by the nations through the centuries. It is the perpetuation of such
protests that shatter oppression and cruelty. It is necessary that the
crimes of the tyrants in each age and era be indicated in the cries of
lamentation and in the recitals of elegies held for the Holy Imams"
“Never oppressed and
be not the oppressed one”
Bibliography: Kerbala and Beyond (Yasin
T. al-Jibouri)
A Brief History of the Fourteen Infallibles
With thanks to Brother Hassan, Brother
Arif and Brother Kadhem |