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THE STORY OF KARBALA - PART
14
WHAT DOES KARBALA TEACH US
Husayn had shown
by his acts as well as his various discourses during the seven days of
Muharram at Karbala, that this conflict was much more universal in
nature, and that he knew that he was going to live for ever through his
martyrdom.
Yazeed died as uselessly as he lived, only three years after the battle
of Karbala took place. While trying to race a baboon, he fell from his
horse and broke his neck. As history has recorded, those who were appa-rent
victors at Karbala have disappeared without trace. While the plain of
Karbala was transformed from a deserted piece of barren land into a
bustling town, of which, the cen-tral monument is Husayn's glorious
tomb. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the tomb in reverence, all
the year round, day and night. Husayn's martyrdom is observed with
solemn deference all over the world, every year during the first ten
days of the month of Muharram, by his followers. Public gatherings are
held, speeches are made in which the story of Karbala is retold in
touching tones and prayers are made to the effect that may the almighty
Allah grant the same courage and strength to his followers in their hour
of trial as he did to Husayn. At the end of these gatherings, the
audience stand up and pay homage to Husayn and his companions in the
following formal terms:
I wish I was with you ( at Karbala ) and would therefore, have attained
the same exalted station ( as you did ).
Although, the observance of commemoration of Husayn in Muharram has only
recently started in the Western countries, they are a part of the Muslim
culture in India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and other eastern countries.
New centers have been established in Canada, the USA, and in many
European countries where these practices of Muharram are done with all
the elaborate details. The main element of these commemorative practices
is the message of Husayn, which is also the message of the Prophet of
Islam, that is Islam in its purest form. That is as follows:
1. Islam is a universal religion
2. Islam is the religion of human rights and common sense
3. Islam upholds the basic right of every person to hold his/her own
views
4. Islam stands for the poor, the downtrodden and the weak
5. Islam teaches to side with the Mazloom and fight the Zalim
6. Islam appeals to human conscience and consciousness to see the right
from wrong
7. Islam appeals to man through his own awareness and power to
distinguish between good and evil.
8. Islam does not impose the law by brute force.
Karbala is a gift to humanity. The story of Karbala teaches us the
following lessons:
1. It teaches the parents how to love and cherish their children -
however, when comes the time of sacrifice, the parent is in the
forefront to sacrifice his/her child for the right cause.
2. It teaches men and women how a husband should behave with her wife,
and vise-versa. Even when the family is threatened for life, property,
and honour, how sensible people keep their heads and act according to
Allah's and nature's laws.
3. It teaches the faithful that your beliefs and your convictions are
the most important thing in the world.
4. It teaches the faithful to find the right Imam and follow him
5. It teaches the faithful that helplessness and lack of power in this
world do not mean a thing as long as one has chosen the right path and
he/she is convinced that he/she is on the side of the truth.
One example from our times will suffice to explain this point.
A few days ago, 25 young girls were burnt to death inside a school
building in Saudi Arabia. When the fire started in the building,
children ran to the gate to save themselves from getting burnt. The
religious police of Saudi Arabia would net let them get out of the
building because they did not have the proper HIJAB on!!!!!!
When tents were burning in Karbala, Zaynab Husayn's sister approached
her 24 year old nephew, Ali Zayn al-Abideen and asked him: "Nephew, you
are our Imam now, what is your command about us, shall we all get burnt
to death or save our lives and go out of the tents without our HIJAB?"
Ali Zayna al-Abideen replied: " Aunt, saving your life is wajib, go out
and save yourselves and the children."
The head coverings (chadars) had already been looted from the heads of
the ladies by the enemy soldiers. However, Zaynab was the daughter of
Ali and Fatima, the garn-daughter of the Prophet of Islam. She did not
need anyone else to tell her what was the law. She had grown up with
Islam. BY this one act, Zaynab showed to the world the importance of the
Imam of the time. At the same time, Ali Zayn al-Abideen's reply showed
that Islamic law is what it is, but common sense always prevails.
Thank you for reading.
Sincerely,
Syed-Mohsin Naquvi |