“Those who die for God live forever; those who fight against God perish forever. Blessed are those who sacrifice their lives for the pleasure of God. Rest assured that you can never succeed in misleading and misguiding me. You are aware of my connection with the Prophet. A son of Ali, the Lion of God, can neither tremble nor retreat. He can never submit to evil forces. He can never be afraid of any enemy however strong and powerful he may be. Remember that the secret of a man's greatness lies in his unshakeable faith in God. He should always be grateful to the Almighty God in whatever circumstances he may be; God's ways are inscrutable. Whatever He does is always the best. I am not in the least displeased with my fate. I am fully conscious of whatever lies in store for me. I can never weep over the loss of this world and try to escape death when it comes to me I will rather welcome Death if it comes to me in the way of God. I shall submit to Death cheerfully, joyfully and happily, for Paradise Is a much happier abode than this world. This world is not a place worth living. Fortunate is he who dies for Islam.” Hazrat Abbas (AS) on the day of Ashura.
Every year on the 8th day of the Holy month of Muharram we all gather at the mosque to listen to the tragic heartbreaking events of the martyrdom of Hazrat Abbas (AS). We hear about how he was the defender and protector of Imam Husayn (AS), the women and children of the camp of the Imam. However, have we ever sat back and pondered over what we can learn from this great personality that is Abbas Alamdaar, the standard bearer of the army of Islam, justice, truth and equality.
Hazrat Abbas (AS) was born into the family that was the embodiment of Islam, he was guided and bought up by his father for 14 years, his brother Imam Hassan for a further 10 years and finally by Imam Husayn for another 10 years, making him the chest that held the treasure of the knowledge of the Imams. This spiritual guidance and knowledge given to him made Abu Fadl Abbas (AS) a great scholar in his own right. He was the one that had the knowledge of the gate of the city of knowledge of RasulAllah (SAW).
Abbas (AS) lived a simple life having no attachment or desire for this dunya. He was bought up in the household whose linage was from the man that was sent as a ‘mercy to mankind’. For this reason Hazrat Abbas (AS) was filled with the light of God on Earth in which this world has little importance but instead he based his life in devotion to Allah (SWT) and love for humanity, dedicating his time to helping the poor and needy, just like his father who was known as the ‘father of the orphans’.
However, Hazrat Abbas (AS), is most commonly known for his bravery, courage and loyalty in defending Islam and the Ahlul Bayt (AS) at every opportunity, for it was not only at Karbala where Hazrat Abbas (AS) valour was demonstrated. He also defended his father at Siffin, stood by Imam Hassan (AS) throughout his struggle with Muawiyah and was a constant shield for his beloved Imam Husayn (AS). Therefore, just as his father, Imam Ali (AS), had been the loyal protector of our beloved Prophet (SAW), Hazrat Abbas (AS) was the defender of Islam through defending the Imam’s message of Islam.
The bravery and courage of Hazrat Abbas (AS) came about due to his tremendous loyalty and love for Imam Husayn (AS). Loyalty is one of the noblest characteristics of a human. However, it was the loyalty of Hazrat Abbas (AS) demonstrated throughout his whole life which reached its peak at Karbala, where he refused to take a sip of water from the cool Euphrates due to the cries of thirst of the children and the knowledge of the thirst of his beloved master Husayn (AS). It was these acts of self-sacrifice of Hazrat Abbas (AS) which makes him a beacon of light in a world full of selfish desires, where loyalty will be sacrificed for worldly conquests of fame, fortune and status. It was the loyalty of Hazrat Abbas (AS) which prevented his lips from momentarily drinking the cool water of the Euphrates but instead earned him the reward of drinking from the cup of eternal martyrdom.
For a human love is an emotion that is one of the strongest emotions a human possess. It can either be used for extreme good or extreme bad. There are two types of love in the world, conditional love is love which is temporary, based on needs, when once fulfilled is no longer existent. However, unconditional love is not based on needs and is love for the sake of Allah, an eternal love with no boundaries of space and time and will always result in success in this world and the next. A love that will neither be lost or be betrayed, but will be reciprocated with the greatest blessings from Allah (SWT).
This is the love that Abbas (AS) had for Husayn (AS), a love which was unbound from the time that Hazrat Abbas (AS) was born and will last for eternity. A love that was demonstrated along with loyalty on the plains of Karbala, making Hazrat Abbas ‘Baab al-Hawaij’ for the whole of humanity for eternity, so that all of our heart's desires can be fulfilled.
There are many lessons to be learnt from the life of Hazrat Abbas (AS), such as how to shun this world for the devotion to Allah. To love and hate only for the sake of Allah, and that ultimately only with the truth and loyalty to Islam and each other, and the courage and bravery to stand up for the truth, even if it is against ourselves, will we be truly successful in this world and the next, and gain us our eternal place in paradise alongside Hazrat Abbas (AS) and the Ahlul Bayt (AS) inshaAllah!
Hazrat Abbas (AS) throughout his life was the protector of the Imams and the standard bearer of Islam, he was able to do this through the tremendous qualities of bravery, loyalty, love and courage. It is these qualities that we must implement in our lives, as we too have an awaited Imam (AS) whose army inshaAllah we will fight behind and who we will have to protect. InshaAllah with these qualities of the Abbas (AS) we too can become the standard bearers of the army of the awaited saviour of Islam
May Allah give us all the bravery, strength and courage to defend Islam just like the the ‘moon of the Hashimites’, Abu Fadl Abbas (AS), and may He always strengthen the love and loyalty for the Ahlul Bayt (AS) in our hearts.
Youth article by Shabana Bibi