The Greatest Ever
Sacrifice
Ashura
is the story of loyalty, bravery, piety, magnanimity and
self-sacrifice. It is the eternal saga of persons who
created epics to safeguard humanitarian principles so that
the coming generations can live in dignity with heads held
high in the defense of truth. On this day, the Prophet’s
grandson courted martyrdom in order to inspire mankind in
the fight against injustice and exploitation. In the words
of American historian Washington Irving the spirit shown by
Imam AL -Hussain (AS) remains immortal since he presented the
lasting example of heroic bravery.
Karbala thus
stirs up human conscience and brings tears to even the
coldest of hearts. The Imam had with him the choicest of
companions. They were unanimously behind him and his holy
cause to the last drop of their blood. When Yazid’s army
tried to lure away his companions through promises of
security and posts, they disdainfully spurned the offer,
saying for them Imam AL- Hussein was the ultimate goal of life.
When the Imam said they are free to leave if they wished
since it is only his hand or life that Yazid was seeking,
they replied with one voice: Even if we are killed seventy
times and raised to life again we will stand steadfastly by
your side without the least thought of ever deserting your
great cause.
On the eve of
Ashura as silence prevailed over Karbala, especially in the
camp of the Imam, only the whisper of prayers and the sounds
of sharpening of weapons could be heard. The Imam was heard
reciting ayah 178 of Aal-e Imran that reads: “And let
not those who disbelieve think that Our granting them
respite is better for their souls; We grant them respite
only that they may add to their sins; and they shall have a
disgraceful chastisement.”
Karbala
draws the line between truth and falsehood. Imam AL
-Hussain (AS) till
the last moment even after all his companions, brothers,
sons, kith and kin had been killed, still appealed to the
evil forces of Yazid to realize the wrong they were
committing by fighting him. He said he was ready to forgive
them but they kept shouting for his surrender. The Imam
refused saying that such a thing was impossible. He will
never submit to oppression nor will he acknowledge the
un-Islamic rule of the Omayyuds who have no authority to
call themselves caliphs. He recounted to them the sayings of
the Prophet in his honour. He reminded them how the Prophet
had referred to his grandsons, saying:
“Hassan
and Hussain are the Two Leaders of the Youth of Paradise.”
He also drew
attention to another famous saying of the Prophet that
“AL- Hussein is the Beacon of Guidance and the Ark of
Salvation.”
He also told
them the irrefutable words of the Prophet that his progeny
the Ahl al-Bayt along with the Holy Qur’an are the two very
precious things or the Saqalayn, and whoever leaves either
of them has definitely gone astray. The cowardly enemies
could not say no to what he said but the perishing greed of
the mortal world had made them blind to salvation in the
Hereafter. In fact, they had sold their souls to the devil
in the belief that Yazid would reward them with riches and
posts such as the governorship of Rayy in northern Iran.
They thus ended up losers in both the short of life of this
world and in the hereafter. Yazid did not reward them
anything and neither could death tarry to delay their date
with the burning inferno.
“AL-
Hussein
is from me and I am from AL- Hussein”,
had said Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and
his progeny). The first part of the saying was evident since
AL- Hussein was the grandson of the Prophet. Alas! It took fifty
years after the passing away of the Prophet for the Muslims
to realize the meaning of the second part of the Prophet’s
saying “I am from AL- Hussein.” The great sacrifice
of Imam AL- Hussein (AS) for the irrigating the sapling of Islam
with his lifeblood and that of his near and dear ones,
proved the inseparability between the grandfather and the
grandson. So deeply committed was the Imam to the mission of
grandfather that he even allowed his 18-year old son, Ali
Akbar, who bore a striking resemblance to the Prophet to
court martyrdom through battle. While bidding farewell to
the son in the full blood of youth, he said: “O God! Be
witness that I am sending him to the battle field who is
most similar to Your Prophet in appearance, gait and manner
of speech, to the extent that whenever I longed for my
grandfather I would cast a look at my son.”
The evil
hordes of Yazid did not hesitate in surrounding and killing
this handsome youth despite claiming to be Muslims and
followers of the Prophet.
As fighting
escalated on the Day of Ashura, Imam AL- Hussein’s (AS) valiant
brother, Hadhrat Abbas was given permission to fetch water
for the thirsty camp. He dashed towards the River Euphrates
with a goatskin water carrier flung across his shoulders and
after scattering the enemy forces, he filled it up, but
never did he taste a single drop of water in view of the
acute three-day thirst of the children and others in the
camp. This was valour at his very height. On his return
towards the camp he was surrounded on all sides and martyred
after assassins hiding behind palm trees ambushed him by
cutting off both of his hands and riddling the goatskin
water carrier with arrow. What broke the spirit of the
valiant Abbas (AS) was the flowing of the water on the
ground at a time when his brother and the children and women
in the camp were in the state of extreme thirst. Today the
magnificent shrine of Hadhrat Abbas that stands a short
distance from that of Imam Hussein (AS) bears witness to the
faith, courage and self-sacrifice of the two. Abbas, whose
threshold is revered as Bab al-Murad or the Gateway of Needs
stands as the silent sentinel, serving by God Almighty’s
command as the succour who soothes aching hearts and answers
supplications. Karbala is thus an everlasting saga that
continues to teach human beings in every age the purpose of
creation, the goal of life and the Greatness of the One and
Only Creator.
The voice of
Imam AL- Hussein (AS) still reverberates from Karbala. The Imam
showed the significance of the daily 5-times a day prayer.
When one of his companions Amr bin Ka’b longed to pray the
Noon prayer in the heat of battle under his leadership
before attaining martyrdom, the Imam asked him to seek a
brief respite from the enemy for performing the prayer. Ibn
Sa’d, the commander of Yazid’s forces refused to give any
respite. Nonetheless, the Imam stood for prayer in the heat
of battle. Two of his companions, Saeed bin Abdullah and Ibn
Qarzah Ka’bi stood in front like human shields against the
shower of arrows. They were hit by the enemy and achieved
martyrdom but never did they hesitate for a moment in their
defense of truth. Soon the tragedy of Karbala reached its
climax. When all had been martyred, the Imam (AS) fought
till the last drop of his blood. The moment he prostrated
for the afternoon prayer, the cowardly enemies pounced upon
the Prophet’s grandson and mercilessly martyred him even
severing his head and mounting it on spears amidst wild
exultations. But it was clear who was the real victor of
Karbala. It is Imam AL- Hussein (AS), whose name and mission has
remained immortal while empires have vanished and the bones
of mighty rulers reduced to dust.
Tasua: Eve
of the Fateful Day
The epic of
Imam AL- Hussein (PBUH) resembles a book of timeless wisdom that
continues to offer mankind unique lessons. Imam AL- Hussein (PBUH)
and his high ideals do not belong to any particular era and
time of history. They are not confined to any land and
people. In fact, they are transcendental and belong to all
ages and all humanity. Let us travel down the corridors of
history over a millennium and three and a half centuries ago
to take a look at the reasons and causes of the greatest
ever tragedy that occurred in 61 AH corresponding to 680 CE.
We are referring to the era about 50 years after the passing
away of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and
his progeny) and 20 years after the martyrdom of Imam Ali (PBUH).
Before
leaving the mortal world, the Almighty’s last messenger to
mankind introduced to the ummah his Ahl ol-Bayt or
immediate family members and said that along with the Holy
Qur’an, the revealed word of God Almighty, they should be
obeyed as guides in order to achieve prosperity in the world
and salvation in afterlife. He cautioned against
disobedience and introduced the Ahl ol-Bayt, as his daughter
Hadhrat Fatema, her husband Imam Ali, and the couple’s two
sons, Imam AL- Hasan and Imam AL- Hussein (peace be upon them). The
spotlessly pure character of these personalities and their
endurance for the sake of Islam was evident to all Muslims.
Moreover, on the explicit command of God, the Prophet
proclaimed Imam Ali (PBUH) as his vicegerent after the
farewell pilgrimage at the place called Ghadeer-Khom, as is
testified by all denominations of Islam.
Unfortunately, after the passing away of the Prophet, a
group of people in the pursuit of worldly greed ignored his
words and caused sedition in Muslim ranks. They distanced
themselves from spiritual blessings and caused deep anguish
for the Prophet’s Ahl ol-Bayt. Hadhrat Fatema Al-Zahra (peace on
her) was martyred within 95 days of the departure of her
father while strongly protesting the injustice being done to
Islam and the Prophet’s teachings. Her husband Imam Ali (PBUH),
the Prophet’s first divinely-designated successor, was
literally forced to confine himself to his home for 25 years
until the Muslims had to come begging at his door to take up
the caliphate after the havoc caused by quarter century of
misrule. However, within five years, despite his enlightened
rule, this great soul, beset by hypocrites and seditionists
was martyred in the state of prayer by a kharejite or
renegade in the year 40 AH during the blessed month of
Islam. Next, in less than a year, his son and divinely
designated successor, Imam Hassan (PBUH) was forced by the
rebel governor of Syria, Mua’wiyah ibn Abu Sufyan, and the
hypocrites within his own camp in Kufa, to accept an imposed
treaty and relinquish the caliphate. Ten years later, Imam
Hassan (PBUH) was martyred in Medina through a dose of
poison given by the conspirators. Imam AL- Hussein (PBUH), the
younger grandson of the Prophet was now the heir to the
divine legacy of his brother, father and grandfather, but
found the Omayyuds entrenched as usurpers of the political
rule of Islam.
For the next
ten years Imam AL- Hussein (PBUH) endured with patience the
misrule of the crafty Mua’wiyah, who before his death in
Rajab 60 AH nominated his libertine and infidel son Yazid as
caliph, thus violating all clauses of the treaty he had
signed 20 years earlier with the Prophet’s elder grandson
Imam Hassan (PBUH). The situation of the Muslim state was
now chaotic and Yazid who openly indulged in capital sins,
worsened matters by demanding pledge of allegiance to his
oppressive and unauthorized rule from Imam AL- Hussein (PBUH) by
writing a letter to his governor in Medina. How could the
Prophet’s successor tolerate such indignity and the
trampling of the tenets of Islam by an oppressive usurper?
The Imam rightfully spurned the demand by saying: “If I were
to pledge allegiance, I should first separate myself from
Islam.” He meant to say in clear terms that Yazid was an
infidel and it was un-Islamic for anyone to acknowledge him
as ruler. The Imam decided to defeat injustice and hypocrisy
even if it cost him his life, in order to awaken human
conscience. Thus started the greatest uprising that was to
leave a permanent mark on history and historical events.
During the
four months of Imam AL- Hussein’s sojourn in Mecca, developments
took a speedy turn. He started receiving letters from the
people of Kufa inviting him to come to Iraq and accept their
leadership. He received some 18,000 letters of support that
denounced the misrule and tyranny of the Omayyud usurpers.
He sent his cousin Muslim bin Aqeel to Kufa to assess the
situation and the latter received the allegiance of 18,000
Iraqis. When Yazid learned about the enthusiasm of the
people of Kufa and Iraq for the Prophet’s grandson, he
appointed a savage brute named Obeidollah bin Ziyad as the
governor of Kufa. Obeidollah was an avowed enemy of the
Prophet and the blessed household and after entering Kufa
through a trick by disguising himself he unleashed a reign
of terror, intimidating people. The Kufans who were fickle
of faith, forgot their promises and soon betrayed Muslim bin
Aqeel to the enemy. As a result the emissary of the Imam was
martyred after a gallant fight on 9th Zilhijja.
When the Imam heard the news of the martyrdom of his cousin,
he said: “He did his duty and now it is our turn.” The Imam
then moved towards Kufa, firm and confident of his decision,
and well aware of the situation that he would face.
One of his
letter read: “I am not taking up arms in order to rejoice or
laud over what I possess. I am neither making mischief nor
indulging in oppression. I am ready to fight for the sole
goal of seeking reform of the ummah of my grandfather the
Prophet of God. I want to enjoin good and forbid evil and
guide the affairs of the people as my grandfather and father
did.”
On entering
Iraq, the Imam was met by an enemy force under the command
of Horr. Imam AL- Hussein (PBUH) took pity on the thirsty and
tired enemy forces, and in a display of lofty humanitarian
values, gave them and their horses, water to drink. Horr,
despite being an officer of the Omayyud regime was a
conscientious man at heart and desired the peaceful solution
of the crisis. He had respect for the Prophet’s family and
allowed the Imam to reach Karbala and set camp on the banks
of the River Euphrates. Soon a larger detachment of enemy
forces under the command of Omar Ibn Sa’d entered Karbala
and forced the Imam to move his camp away from the river
bank. Ibn Sa’d, although a son of a companion of the Prophet
called Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, had sold his soul to the devil
in the greed of becoming a governor if he succeeded in
forcing the Imam to surrender. He was soon joined by a most
savage brute called Shemr bin thil-Jowshan who demanded that
either the Imam surrender or engage in battle. The Prophet’s
grandson and his small group of 72 companions had no choice
but to fight the cowardly enemy until martyrdom in the
unequal combat, since submission to tyranny and blasphemy
was out of question.
The 9th
of Moharram, commemorated as Tasua till this day was
a fateful night. A strange silence prevailed over the plain
of Karbala on this night. The tranquility concealed
history’s greatest uproar. One side were the forces of truth
and righteousness, engrossed in the worship of God despite
the thirst of the past few days since water had been cut to
their camp. On the side were the hordes of falsehood
reveling in the thoughts of worldly positions, wealth and
pleasures, if they kill the Prophet’s family. The silence of
the night was broken by the serene voice of Imam AL- Hussein (PBUH).
The Imam called for turning off the lamps and thanked his
companions for their unflinching loyalty. He said that he
knew of no better and more loyal companions than them and
asked them to leave and save their lives under cover of
darkness since the enemy wanted him and not them. These
words evoked an electrifying response. The companions vowed
never desert him even if they were killed, raised to life
and killed repeatedly seventy times. The elderly Muslim bin
Owsaja rose and said: “By God, I will never leave you alone
and hold God as witness since I had observed the respect
that the Prophet had towards his grandson.” The Imam’s
brothers, nephews and sons also yearned for martyrdom. The
faithful brother Hadhrat AL- Abbas and the young nephew Qasem ibn
AL-
Hasan, wept bitterly and vowed to stand beside him until the
last drops of their blood. The Imam prayed for all. On that
memorable night, the heroes prepared for the martyrdom of
the Day of Ashura, and engraved their names till eternity in
the pages of history in order to salvage humanity and all
humanitarian values.
(Part 1)
The
Immortal Epic of Karbala
Muharram is here again. The month that witnessed history’s
most heart-rending tragedy has come to refresh the immortal
saga of the epic of Ashura. It is the start of the season
that redraws the eternal line between truth and falsehood,
between right and wrong, between humanitarian values and
bestial savagery, between Islamic solidarity and seditious
discord, and between faith and disbelief.
It is the
time of the year that moistens the eyes of anyone with even
a grain of conscience. It evokes a feeling of grief and
inspiration that has set in motion many a reformatory and
revolutionary movement in history, not necessarily limited
to Islam and Muslims.
No wonder,
the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (may his
soul rest in peace), who salvaged Iran from the satanic jaws
of the US and set it on the road to progress as an aspiring
model for all peoples and nations determined to be masters
of their destiny, used to say: “Whatever we have achieved is
because of Muharram and (the following month) Safar; so
safeguard the legacy of Muharram and Safar.”
The
life-inspiring mourning ceremonies of Muharram that are held
wherever the followers of the blessed Ahl al-Bayt or
Household of Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah upon him
and his progeny) are found around the globe, commemorate the
heroic stand of his grandson Imam AL- Hussein (PBUH) against
injustice and corruption. He preferred to drink the elixir
of martyrdom rather than give oath of allegiance to a tyrant
who had no authority whatsoever to rule Muslims.
In
commemoration of this tragedy Islamic Iran, as well as
countries that have sizeable populations of the devotees of
the Prophet’s Household, are draped in black. The Mosques,
Hussainiyas, Takiyas, Imambaras and Ashurkhanas, have come
alive with discourses of the immortal saga of Karbala. The
faithful flock to these gatherings to renew their allegiance
to Imam AL- Hussein (PBUH) and the Martyrs of Karbala.
This grief is
not out of frustration but is because of the lessons of
leading a dignified life that it teaches.
In the year
61 AH (680 CE) when the caliphate that had been set on a
destructive course at Saqifa Bani Sa’dah by those who turned
their backs on the divine commandment of Ghadeer, fell to
the lot of the Godless debauchee Yazid, the son and grandson
of the archenemies of Islam – Mu’awiyah and Abu Sufyan who
became reluctant Muslims as late as 8 AH at the fall of
Mecca – the Prophet’s grandson decided to launch his
immortal uprising to save Islam.
Reflect on
the Imam’s words, which continue to ring resonantly in the
ears of all freedom-loving persons refusing to put their
necks under the yoke of hegemonic powers: “If you do
not have religion (i.e. belief in religion), at least be
free persons in your worldly affairs.”
It means be
true to your own self rather than resorting to deceit, lies,
betrayal, slander, oppression, usurpation of other’s rights,
massacre, and all other devilish designs that go against the
innate nature of mankind.
This is the
message of Imam AL- Hussein (AS) to all conscientious people of
all generations. It is the message of the triumph of blood
over swords. It is the message of the victory of the highest
humanitarian values against sophisticated hypocrisy. It is
the message of the success of virtue versus vice. It is the
message of fraternity for nullifying the fratricidal plots
of terrorists of all hue and colour. It is the message of
severed heads heralding the defeat of hordes without a cause
that paraded in chains the children and womenfolk of the
Prophet’s Household on the presumption they had won the
encounter in Karbala.
In short, it
is the message preached by the parched lips and lifeblood of
not just the Prophet’s grandson, but his faithful companions
and family members including his valorous brother Abbas who
refused to let the waters of the Euphrates distract him from
his mission while the river bank came virtually under his
control, his 18-year old son Ali Akbar who bore striking
resemblance to the Prophet, his 6-month son Ali Asghar whose
neck was targeted by an arrow, and his youthful nephew Qasim
who described martyrdom as “ahla min al-asal (or sweeter
than honey).”
(Part 2)
The
Immortal Epic of Karbala
It was the
year 60th year of the Hijra. The month was Rajab.
On the 22nd of the month, Muawiyah the crafty
Omayyad who had seized the caliphate by deceit, died. But
before dying, Muawiyah violated yet another clause of the
treaty he had made twenty years earlier while usurping the
caliphate from the Prophet’s elder grandson, Imam AL-
Hasan (PBUH),
that he would not appoint anyone as his successor, and the
caliphate should return to the Prophet’s Household. Muawiyah
who had martyred Imam AL- Hasan (PBUH) through a fatal dose of
poisoning in 50 AH ten years ago, now conspired to deprive
the Prophet’s Household of their inalienable right by
passing on the rule of the vast Muslim realm to his
libertine and Godless son, Yazid, who cannot eve by
considered a Muslim. He was neither a Christian although a
crucifix used to hang from his neck and in his wild drinking
parties he would say: If the sharia of Mohammad prohibits
the drinking of wine, I have adopted the religion of Jesus
and I am free to drink. But Muawiyah before dying had
advised Yazid that he should deal with three of the strong
opponents of the Omayyads with caution. Of these three, two
of them, that is, Abdullah ibn Zubayr and Abdullah ibn Umar,
could be bought off and silenced through promise of high
posts, deceits and threats.
But the third and most important of them all, that is, the
Prophet’s younger grandson, Imam AL -Hussain (AS), can neither be deceived
nor silenced, so it is better not to provoke him, for this
could prove fatal to the Omayyads. The rash Yazid, however,
intoxicated by cups of heady wine and military power,
ignored his father’s advice, and the first thing he did was
to write a letter to his governor of Medina, demanding that
an oath of allegiance should be taken from Imam AL- Hussein (AS).
Waleed, the
governor of Medina received Yazid’s letter on Rajab 28, that
is, six days after the death of Muawiyah, which was not yet
publicly announced. The letter read: From Yazid the new
caliph to Waleed bin Otba. Muawiyah has died and made me his
successor. You should immediate demand allegiance to my rule
from the notable people of Medina even if it means resorting
to force, and whoever refuses allegiance should be killed
and his head sent to me in Damascus.
Waleed
understood whom Yazid actually meant although there was no
reference to Imam AL- Hussein (AS) in the letter. mention in the
lettewho well knew the holy Prophet’s grandson Waleed knew
well Imam AL- Hussein, and wished that he would have died before
rather than being forced to undertake such a dreadful task.
But he feared for his own miserable life at the hands of
Yazid and sent a messenger to the Imam’s house the same
night requesting an urgent meeting.
Imam AL- Hussein (AS) on receiving the message to come to the
governor’s residence knew that Muawiya was dead, and sensing
foul play he took along with him his valiant kinsmen the
Bani Hashem including his brother Hadhrat AL- Abbas. Waleed
received the Imam courteously and informed him of Muawiyah’s
death. The he cautiously raised the matter of allegiance to
the new caliph. The Imam realized that this was a trap and
retorted that he would think the matter over and at any rate
what use would be an oath of allegiance in the dead night
without the general public knowing it. Waleed agreed and as
the Imam rose to leave, the villainous Marwan ibn Hakam, an
avowed enemy of the Prophet and the Ahl al-Bait, who would
later seize the caliphate from Yazid’s son,
asked Walid
not to let the Imam go. At this act of insolence Imam AL-
Hasan
raised his voice saying: Do you threaten me? I make it clear
that no member of the Prophet’s Household will ever take an
oath of allegiance to a corrupt person like Yazid. At this
the Bani Hashem who were standing outside rushed into the
governor’s chamber and escorted the Imam out. That very same
night the Imam decided to leave Medina for Mecca along with
his household in order to avoid possible armed encounter
with the Omayyads, which would not have served the cause of
Islam at this stage.
(Part 3)
The
Immortal Epic of Karbala
It got dark
and silence overshadowed everywhere. But in a sacred and
enlightened spot, Imam AL- Hussein (AS) sat. He was visiting the
tomb of his grandfather, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of
Allah upon him and his progeny) to pay his last respects
before departing from Medina on his fateful journey. He
raised his hands in supplication, saying:
"O
Allah! This is the grave of Your Messenger and I am the son
of the daughter of Your Prophet. You know what I am going
through. O Allah! I am devoted to good and I detest evil. I
beseech You, O the Lord of glory and honor, and adjure You
by this grave and what it holds, to choose for me whatever
pleases You and Your Prophet."
Imam
AL- Hussein
(AS) bade farewell to his grandfather’s tomb with a torrent
of tears. The sweet memories of the days of the Prophet
flashed across his mind. How the Prophet used to play with
his two grandsons, how he used to seat them on his
shoulders, how he used to remind Muslims to love and honour
them, how he used to tell his companions: Hasan and AL-
Hussein
are the Leaders of the Youth of Paradise, how he had
assembled the two along with their parents, Imam Ali and
Hadhrat Fatema under his cloak when God revealed to him:
“Allah
desires to keep away uncleanness from you Ahl al-Bait and
keep you pure as pure can be.”
Imam AL-
Hussein
(AS) with eyes swelling with tears remembered how he along
with his elder brother and parents had accompanied the
Prophet by God’s command to the Mobahela with the Christians
of Najran and how the Christians seeing these five bright
visages had withdrew their challenge to invoke divine cures
on the liars, and finally decided to come to terms with
Islam. Among the Prophet’s famous saying reverberating that
night was the hadith: “AL- Husseinon minni wa ana min al-AL-
Hussein,”
which means “AL- Hussein is from me and I am from AL-
Hussein.”
Alas, so
clear words had not been heeded by the Muslims, who had
turned away from the Door of Guidance, i.e. the Prophet’s
Ahl al-Bait; and were bowing at the threshold of usurpers,
tyrants and debauchees.
Imam
AL- Hussein
next visited the tomb of his dear mother, Hadhrat Fatema
Zahra (peace upon her). He paid respects and took her leave
in a most tearful manner, He remembered the hardship that
this noble lady had endured to raise him and his brother and
sisters. He also visualized in his minds eye, how his
mother, the noblest lady of all time, had suffered after the
Prophet’s passing away during the brief period that she was
alive, including the incident of the unruly crowd that had
assembled at her door to demand that Imam Ali (AS) come out
and take an oath of allegiance to the new regime in power in
Medina. He recalled how those ruffians threatened to burn
down the house with the Prophet’s family including the
littler children inside, and how the main conspirator had
flung open with force the door in the face of Hadhrat Fatema
pinning her to the wall and causing broken ribs and a
miscarriage. Now the oppression of the Ahl al-Bait was about
to reach climax with a tyrant like Yazid ruling the Muslim
ummah.
Thus in the
dead of night well before the break of dawn, Imam AL-
Hussein
(AS) left Medina along with his family and children
including the infant son Ali Asghar who was only a few days
old. The Imam in his letter to his brother Mohammad al-Hanafiyya,
who was from a different mother, wrote:
“In the Name
of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. This is the will of
AL- Hussein, the son of Ali. I am leaving Medina, but my
departure is not for seeking comfort neither out of fear. My
goal is to reform the religion of my grandfather, Prophet
Mohammad (SAWA). Wherever I am, I enjoin on people the doing
of goods and dissuade them from evil. "
The news of
arrival of the Imam and his family in Mecca spread in the
city. The people came out to welcome him in order to see the
visage that reminded them of the Prophet and to hear a word
from him in the tone that evoked memories of the Prophet.
The people hailed the news of the Imam’s refusal to
acknowledge the rule of Yazid. Muslims gathered around him
and soon letters started arriving from Iraq, the hotbed of
revolution and discontent against the Omayyads. Most of the
letters were from Kufa the chief city of Iraq as well as
from Basra. Kufa was the capital of his father Imam Ali (AS)
for over four years during the only instance of the rule of
social justice.
The people of
Kufa had gathered in the house of Suleiman bin Sorad al-Khazaie,
the leading personality of the city and the conqueror of
Transoxiana in his younger days. Suleiman asked them to
remain loyal in their covenant to Imam Hussein (AS). Then all
unanimously said: "We will extend any help to Hussein, who is
the Imam and the son of the Imam.
Initially the
Imam did not answer the letters. The number started
increasing and soon rose to several thousands. The people
complained about the tyranny of the Omayyads and the
trampling of Islamic rules by Yazid. The Imam decided to
send his cousin and brother-in-law, Muslim ibn Aqeel to
probe the situation in Iraq. When Muslim arrived, 18,000
people pledged allegiance to the Imam. The news alarmed
Yazid in Damascus and he immediately dispatched the cruel
Obeidollah ibn Ziyad as the governor of Kufa. Ibn Ziyad
entered the city at night through deceit making the people
believe that he was Imam Hussein. Immediately after taking
control of Kufa he unleashed an atmosphere of fear and
intimidation. The situation of the dramatically changed, and
the fickle-minded Iraqis broke their allegiance to Imam
Hussein. The Kufans deserted Muslim and soon after a brave
fight, the valiant Muslim was brutally martyred by Ibn Ziyad.
(Part 4)
The
Immortal Epic of Karbala
The Omayyad
regime spared no effort to try to assassinate Imam AL-
Hussein
(AS) in holy Mecca. As the Hajj season approached it sent
assassins disguised as pilgrims and carrying arms concealed
in their ehram or special Hajj clothing in clear violation
of the tenets of the pilgrimage during which not even a
small insect should be killed in and around Mecca. The Imam
sensed the sacrilege. He did not want the holy land of Mecca
to be defiled with blood. He thus took another revolutionary
step to offset Yazid’s plot by changing his own personnel
Hajj ritual into Umrah and leaving the Hejaz for Iraq
unknown to the assassins. He thus fulfilled God’s
commandment and saved the Hajj and the Hajis from violence
and desecration. On the way towards Iraq he replied to the
letters sent by the Kufans. In one of his letters he wrote:
"O
people! The Prophet of Allah (SAWA) had said, "Whoever
witnesses an unjust ruler sanctioning the prohibitions of
Allah as permissible, breaking the covenant of Allah,
opposing the practices of the Prophet of Allah (SAWA),
treating God’s creation sinfully and cruelly, but after
seeing all these misdeeds he did not oppose him by words or
actions, then Allah will surely punish him as He wills."
On his way to
Iraq he came across Zohair bin Qayn, who was an opponent of
the Ahl al-Bayt. Imam Hussein (AS) magnanimously invited
Zohair for a meeting with him and after the meeting Zohair
became a completely transformed man. He realized where faith
actually was and joined the Imam, saying he was ready to
court martyrdom rather than live in such a state of
abjectness when a Godless tyrant like Yazid was ruling the
Muslim world. On the way to Iraq, the Imam came across the
famous Arabic poet, Farazdaq coming from the direction of
Kufa. On seeing the Imam, he saluted saying: "Greetings to
the Prophet’s pure Ahl al-Bait.” Asked about the situation
in Kufa and its people, he said with a heavy sigh: “their
hearts are with you but their swords are against you,
because the regime has bribed and bought the tribal leaders
of Iraq.”
Later Imam
AL- Hussein (AS) met another group coming from the direction of
Kufa. After exchange of greetings, he was told that Qais,
his second emissary to Kufa following the martyrdom of
Muslim ibn Aqeel, was arrested by the agents of the
tyrannical governor Obaidollah Ibn Ziyad, who told him to
speak against the Imam among the people. But Qais lauded
Imam AL- Hussein, Imam Ali and the Ahl al-Bait (peace upon them),
and censured Ibn Ziyad and Yazid. So He was thrown down from
the palace on Ziyad's order and cruelly martyred
Imam
AL- Hussein
(AS) was now more resolved to continue his fateful journey.
He recited verse 23 of Surah Ahzaab of the Holy Qur’an,
which reads:
"Of the
believers are men who are true to the covenant, which they
made with Allah: so of them is he who accomplished his vow,
and of them is he who yet waits, and they have not changed
in the least;"
The Imam
briefed his companions on the purpose of his mission, saying
that he was not traveling to Iraq for glory or wresting
powers from the regime, but his journey was for a far
worthier task, and that was salvaging of Islam by giving his
lifeblood. He advised all those who did not want to
accompany him to depart in peace. On hearing these words,
some of the Bedouin tribes that had joined the Prophet’s
grandson in the hope of booty, decided to desert him. But
the faithful companions who numbered 72 refused to budge and
said they will die along with him since there is no greater
reward than paradise.
(Part 5)
The
Immortal Epic of Karbala
As the
caravan of Imam Hussein (AS) pushed its way through the
harsh Arabian desert, a group of people appeared on the
horizon from the direction of Kufa. As they neared, it
became clear that it was an armed band of cavalry. But the
commander and his forces were panting with thirst. The Imam
knowing that this was the vanguard of the Omayyad enemy sent
to stop him, received the cavalry and ordered that they
should be provided water to drink. The Imam, who would later
be deprived of any drop of water by the Omayyad hordes,
provided even the horses with water. The commander
introduced himself as Horr ibn Yazid ar-Riyahi, who was from
Kufa and was not related by blood to the tyrant Yazid. The
Imam asked, are you with us or against us? They answered: We
have come to block your path.
The Imam
looked at the face of the army men and after realizing that
they were from Kufa, asked them:
Aren't you
those who wrote thousands of letters to me and invited me to
Iraq?
At that time,
a member of the Imam's caravan recited the Athaan since it
was time for the prayer. Both the groups stood for
performing the prayer and asked Imam Hussein (AS) to lead
the prayer since there was nobody more worthy than the
grandson of the Prophet. After the prayer, the Imam gave
instructions for continuing the journey. But Horr blocked
the Imam's path with his army, saying I have been sent to
stop you from coming to Kufa.
At this the
Imam delivered a moving sermon, saying: O people, fie upon
you that you invited us to your help and when we accepted
your invitation, you are drawing swords against us. But know
that we never yield to humiliation. God, His Prophet and the
faithful do not favour the following of these evil people,
and prefer dignified death to such humiliation.
On hearing
the Imam’s sermon Horr desisted from any untoward action and
decided to keep track of the Imam's caravan, but the words
of the Imam continued to ring in his ears and created a
strange storm in his heart.
On the 2nd
of Moharram Karbala appeared on the horizon. The Imam had
arrived at his rendezvous. He instructed the setting up of
the camps beside the River Euphrates. Karbala had not seen
such a sight nor will it ever see such a spectacle in the
future.
Horr pitched
his camp in a different direction. A day or two later, day,
a fresh Omayyad force of 4000 soldiers arrived in Karbala
under the command of Umar ibn Sa'd, who repeated the
illogical demand that Imam Hussein (AS) give allegiance to
Yazid. The Prophet’s grandson refused. Ibn Sa’d forced the
Imam to relocate his camp away from the river. In the next
days more detachments of the Omayyad regime started arrived
in Karbala. Among these was a force under Shemr Zil-Jowshan,
who handed to Ibn Sa’d the letter he had brought from the
cruel governor of Kufa, Obaidollah ibn Ziyad. The message
read: "O Son of Sa'd, I did not send you to deal politely
with Hussein. If he does not surrender, attack him and his
companions. Kill them all and stampede their corpses under
the hoofs of horses. You will be given a handsome reward.
But if you cannot do it, hand over the command of the army
to Shemr.
Shemr was
hard-hearted savage with no respect for Islam and its
humanitarian laws. At first Ibn Sa’d tried to resist, but
then tempted by the offer of a handsome reward that included
the governorship of Rayy and its surroundings, in what is
now modern Tehran, he made up his mind to attack Imam
Hussein (AS). Finally on the 6th of Moharram,
over 20,000 more fully armed Omayyad soldiers arrived in
Karbala to fight the Prophet’s grandson.
Karbala was
now divided in two fronts. On one side was a fully equipped
force in tens of thousands, while on the other side was a
small group including women and children. On one side flew
the red flag of the Omayyad usurpers, on the other side flew
the flag Green Hashemite Flag of Islam. On one side were
drunken soldiers who had sold their souls to Yazid and the
Devil for the transient gains of the mortal world. On the
other side were devoted persons, engrossed in prayer and
supplications, and determined to achieve the everlasting
bliss of paradise by achieving martyrdom. In short,
disbelief and infidelity had arrayed its forces against
faith and absolute belief in God Almighty. It was Truth
versus falsehood, and truth was determined to triumph even
though it was deprived of water.
(Part 6)
The
Immortal Epic of Karbala
Night came
and the plain of Karbala plunged into a mysterious silence.
There were rejoicings and merrymaking in the Omayyad camp,
while the companions of Imam Hussein brought their tents
close to each other and dug a ditch to block the enemy's
path. The Imam after leading the prayer took a look at them.
Then his voice broke the night's silence. He said: I saw no
better companions than you and no family better than mine.
Then he said in a moving voice: You can withdraw your
pledge. I permit you to leave, because the Omayyads are
after me and not you. You can take advantage of the darkness
of night to leave.
The brave and
devout companions of Imam AL- Hussein (AS) said with one voice
that they would stand as firm as mountains. Even if we are
killed seventy times and raised to life again, we will be
with you and not leave your cause. Hadhrat Abbas the brave
brother of Imam Hussein (AS) rose and said: God forbid the
day that we leave you alone. After him Muslim bin Aousajah
rose up and said: "O son of the holy Prophet, how we can
leave you alone while the enemies have besieged you from
everywhere? What answer will we have to God on Judgement
Day? I will defend you and fight till I achieved martyrdom
with you."
Sa'd bin
Abdollah Hanafi said: "O son of the holy Prophet we will not
let you alone so that God knows that by helping you after
the holy Prophet we have assisted His Prophet."
Zohair bin
Qayn: " By God, I wished to be killed and lived one thousand
times to prevent your killing and to protect the life of the
members of the holy Prophet's household.
The 13-year
old nephew of the Imam, Hadhrat Qasem said: dear uncle, will
I be killed in this battle? The Imam said: I want to know
what do you think about death.
He replied:
O, dear uncle, I think this type of death which is aimed at
removing oppression and aiding the religion of God is
sweater than honey.
Imam Hussein
(AS) took a deep breath and said: Yes, my nephew, you too
will achieve martyrdom, and so will your six-month old
cousin Ali Asghar. At this Qasem felt emotional and asked,
whether the despicable assassins enter the camp since it is
not possible for little Asghar to go to the battlefield. The
Imam replied that he himself will taken him to the
battlefield to test the enemies’ by asking for water for Ali
Asghar but they will shoot him with an arrow and martyr
him.
The Imam's
teenage nephew rose and embarked on preparing his weapons to
confront the enemy on the day of the battle. Imam Hussein
(AS) raised his hands to pray to God for his companions.
Then with a humiliating glance took a look at the enemy's
camp and recited verses 178 and 179 of Surah Aal-e Imraan of
the Holy Qur’an:
"And
let not those who disbelieve think that Our granting them
respite is better for their souls: We grant them respite
only that they may add to their sins: and they shall have a
disgraceful chastisement. On no account will Allah leave
the believers in the condition which you are in until He
separates the evil from the good;"
(Part 7)
The
Immortal Epic of Karbala
Another day
dawned in Karbala. While Ibn Sa'd and his soldiers were
hasty to kill Imam Hussein (AS), Horr was in a state of deep
pondering and regretted his decision to have blocked the
path of the Imam. He had thought of a peaceful settlement of
the dispute but now the trend of events indicated an
imminent battle. He reflected on the both sides. On one side
was the Prophet’s grandson who was the embodiment of truth
and justice. On the other side was the greedy force of the
tyrant Yazid who respected no humanitarian value. He
wondered how could absolve himself. He approached the army
commander and asked: O Ibn Sa’d, do you really intend to
fight Imam Hussein?
Iin Sa'd:
Yes, by God.
Horr trembled
on hearing the reply. The person who was standing beside him
said: O Horr what happened to you? You have never been so
worried. I always thought that no one was more brave than
you.
Horr
answered: I am standing between truth and falsehood and have
to choose between hell and Paradise.
He suddenly
rose and said: by God I choose Paradise, even though I am
killed or burned alive.
Horr made the
brave and conscientious decision of leaving the camp of
Yazid and joined Imam Hussein along with his son. He was
full of remorse. With tearful eyes, he sought God’s
forgiveness, saying: O Lord Forgive me for the sin I have
committed in causing this trouble to the children of Your
Prophet.
On
approaching the Imam’s camp, he said: "O son of the
Messenger of God, my life be sacrificed for you. I am Horr,
who blocked your path. By God, I did not believe they would
treat you in this way. Now I repent and ready to sacrifice
my life for you. Will God accept my repentance?
The Imam
answered kindly: "Yes, I have accepted your repentance and
so has God the All-Forgiving. May God's mercy be upon you."
The Imam said
he was a guest, but Horr insisted that he and his son should
take the battlefield.
With tearful
eyes, the Imam reluctantly agreed. Horr’s son attacked the
enemy and fought bravely till he fell down from his horse.
Horr rushed to the battlefield and before he could reach his
dying son, he saw the Imam already there beside the youth.
He thanked the Imam and now darted towards his former
comrades and attached them. He displayed heights of bravery
until he was also martyred.
Karbala is
thus the exhibition of love and self-sacrifice. It is the
epic enacted by a small group of 72 great men. One by one
the companions of the Imam fought and tasted the elixir of
martyrdom. Abis bin Shabib ash-Shakeri was a brave man. He
came to the Imam and said: by God, today no one is more
endeared to me than you. I sacrifice my self for the sake of
Islam and your household. He fought like a lion and was
eventually martyred.
At this time,
a rider approached the Imam and greeted him, saying: May my
parents be ransomed for you, O Son of the Messenger of God.
I am Hashem bin Otba. If my cousin Ibn Sa'd has broken his
allegiance to you, your father and your grandfather, I am
stand steadfast along with you and am prepared to sacrifice
my self for you. The Imam prayed for him.
Hashem dashed
to the battlefield and challenged his cousin Ibn Sa’d to
combat. Ibn Sa’d was afraid to face him and ordered several
horsemen to attack him. Hashem fought bravely, killed many
of the enemy and finally attained martyrdom.
Wahb bin
Abdullah, a newly married Christian along with his mother
and wife have was passing through Karbala, when he saw the
tragic scene of the one-sided battle. Wahb, now new the
meaning of the dream in which he had seen the Prophet of
Islam giving tiding of paradise to him. He decided to
embrace Islam along with his wife and mother, and in defense
of the Imam, he marched to battlefield, fought bravely and
attained martyrdom. |
