It has been said that Imam Hussein's a.s. stance at Karbala was a stance of truth and justice against falsehood. That he stood up for humanity is a message that is understood by all races and all religions. Why and how is this so? One must look and understand Imam Hussein a.s.
Allama Tabatabai mentions in the book Light Within Me that “When man with a pure heart and a pure spirit looks at the permanent factuality of the universe and at the same time observes the instability and transience of its various parts, he realizes that this world and its manifestations are a mirror which reflects the existence of one eternal truth.”
One can spend a lifetime wondering about their own purpose, and in Imam Hussein a.s we have a true example of real purpose. It is the one truth of the existence of Allah swt that we need to acknowledge that our soul seeks and where life is taking us. It is what the Holy Prophet Muhammad pbuh brought to the world. Imam Hussein a.s never stopped for a moment in his life to continue this message. The wilayat of Imam Hussein a.s. is nothing but to show the message of Tawheed as God’s authority over the creation.
Imam Hussein’s words in Dua Arafah are guidance for us, “O God, I make Thee my quest and bear witness to Thy Lordship, acknowledging that Thou art my Lord and to Thee is my return. Thou originated me by Thy blessing before I was a thing remembered.” But the Imam is not only a spiritual guide but the concept of wilayat e ziamat which is the following of Ahlul Bayt in all aspects of life means that they are the ultimate authority over us. This means one must have utmost conviction in obedience to the Imam and this is the only path to Allah swt. The obedience which was seen in the examples of Hazrat Habib ibne Muzahir and Zohair al Qaine and most of all in Hazrat Abbas a.s. The Holy Imam could never leave his stance in upholding the message of Islam and because of belief in Wilayat is why his followers would never leave his cause. And when those who came to fight the principles of Tawheed they were called upon. Imam Hussein a.s life and purpose was only to save the message of the Holy Prophet and refusing the allegiance to anything other than this. Imam Hussein a.s was fighting those who were against the Holy Prophet who was Rahmata lil Aalameen, as is indicated in the Holy Quran, “We sent thee not but unto mankind as a whole” Holy Quran 34:28.
Yazeed as his father Muawiya and his father Abu Sufyan, were enemies of Allah swt and were claiming leadership over muslims. They were opposed for years on end but the way of Allah swt was such that an example was needed to show utmost sacrifice to the message of Islam, for mankind to take note and take heed. And so it came that Imam Hussein a.s and his followers were at Karbala proceeding on their path to Allah swt. They were oppressed severely and Imam Hussein a.s as the Imam of the All Merciful Lord still tried to save the humanity within his enemies too. He spoke to them the day of Ashura,
"Now then! Consider my family, and ponder as to who I am and then admonish yourselves. Then do you consider that killing me and plundering my sanctity and respect is lawful for you? Am I not the grandson of your Prophet (S.A.W.) and the son of his Vicegerent and cousin, who was the foremost in believing and the bearer of witness upon everything that the Prophet (S.A.W.) had brought from Allah? Was not Hamza, the chief of Martyrs, the uncle of my father? Was not Ja'far, who flies with two wings in Paradise, my Uncle? Did not the Tradition of the Prophet (S.A.W.) reach you in which he has said about me and my brother that both of us are the chiefs of the youth of Paradise?
Then if you agree to what I say, and verily what I have said is nothing but the truth, then it is better, for by Allah, from the time I have realized that Allah dislikes the liars, I have never ever spoken a lie. Then if you do not believe to what I say, there are alive among you the companions of the Prophet (S.A.W.). Go to them and ask them and they shall bear testimony to the truthfulness of my speech. Ask Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari, Abu Sa'eed Khudri, Sahl bin Sa'ad Sa'edi, Zayd bin Arqam and Anas bin Malik, they will tell you that they have heard this tradition from the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) regarding me and my brother. Is not this sufficient to refrain you from shedding my blood?”
He came many times to speak to the people present at Karbala not to save himself but only to fulfil his role as Imam, to guide the people. The words of Imam Hussein a.s to the army of Yazid “O people if you have no faith, if you have no sense of accountability, then at the least be free men!” resonates with all faiths. Even at the point of the brink of his death the Imam knowing he was to die with his body covered in wounds, would look into the eyes of the ones about to take his life and they would see the compassion in his eyes and tremble and drop their daggers, he was trying to save what little humanity they had left.
Consider the events on the day of Ashura, the oppression of Umar e Saad to the camp of Imam a.s and that his entire family and followers were kept away from food and water for three days. One after another companions of Imam Hussein a.s were slain in the way of Allah swt and the description of what had occurred, what the Imam had to endure then after this and his nephews, brother and sons including a six month old innocent baby which each time broke his heart and weakened him so severely and yet he never wavered in his mission. To realise that it was only for this time when each one of us, who have come to the right path, would learn about the truth. This noble man came to save our faith which our whole existence is based around. That our connection right now to the Almighty Lord was saved because of Imam Hussein a.s. and our life means nothing but what he has done for us, one can only break down and fall to the ground and cry out for what the enemies of Allah swt did to him.
Imam Saheb uz Zaman atfs has spoken in Ziarat Nahiya, “They did not take into consideration their duties with respect to you. They did not hesitate to slay you and your group of followers. How great was their sin of plundering your belongings. You were bearing the tribulations of the battle with so much patience that the angels of the sky were astonished. Then the enemies surrounded you from all the sides and began to give you one injury after another and made you fatigued. No helper remained between you and your women and children. You were still deflecting the crowd of attackers with persistence and patience away from your women and children. Till the time they forced you down from the horse-back. And you descended to the earth, wounded. The horses were trampling you with their hooves. The atrocious-army fell upon you with their swords... Peace be upon the one who was bathed in the blood of his own wounds. Peace be upon the one who was attacked with spears from all sides. Peace be upon the one who was inflicted with every kind of atrocity. Peace be upon the one whom the killers surrounded. Peace be upon the one who was buried by the villagers. Peace be upon the one whose jugular vein was severed with cruelty. Peace be upon the one who warded off the enemies all alone. Peace be upon the one whose hair was dyed red in blood. Peace be upon the blood-smeared cheeks. Peace be upon the dust-smeared body. Peace be upon the teeth that were hit with an (oppressive) baton. Peace be upon the glorified head which was raised (on the lance.) Peace be upon the corpses that lay uncovered, and the tyrants of this ummat shook them violently as they ran about like wolves. And like the camivores they inflicted injuries upon them. Peace be upon you, my master and peace be also upon those Angels who collect around your blessed tomb and circumbulated your holy courtyard and remain present for your ziarat”
After the martyrdom of the Holy Imam as blood poured from rivers and thunder and lightning spread in the sky and earthquakes shook the earth as it could not endure this most tragic event, Bibi Zainab a.s came to the body and said “Oh my Lord accept this humble sacrifice to You.” Such is the understanding of Allah swt of the Ahlulbayt that even this the greatest of all martyrs is referred to as a small or humble act in the presence of the most High. And history is a witness that the principle of truth and justice came before the life of Imam Hussein a.s and his family and in this example he saved humanity.
Youth article by Kazim Mirza
