Researching the legacy of Imam Husain

[masumeh]

History has shown
us that the path of truth
and justice has always
been the most difficult
to tread. Each religion
has an event that
stands out and speaks
to humanity of the battle
between right and
wrong.
Judaism commemorates
the torture of
Hannah and her seven
sons at the hands of
the Greek king Antiochus
when they refused
to break Jewish
laws. In Christianity we
find the crucifixion of
Jesus by the Roman
king as another example
of the triumph of
truth over falsehood.
Islam’s example of
selfless sacrifice in the
face of tyranny and fallacy
is that of the martyrdom
of Imam Husain
by Yazid.
Imam Husain was
the grandson of the
Prophet of Islam, son
of his beloved daughter
Fatima and Ali.
From the moment of
his birth, Imam Husain
was surrounded by role
models that exuded
the concepts of patience,
courage, perseverance,
and integrity.
To address and
challenge all manners
of corruption and oppression
with bravery
was the way of the
Prophet and the way of
the Prophet’s family.
After the death of the
Prophet, Imam Husain
witnessed the martyrdom
of his mother, father,
and brother respectively
as they were
slain protecting and
preaching true Islam.
Yazid Ibn Muawiyah
was the second Caliph
of the Umayyad Dynasty.
Along with his
father and grandfather,
the family was known to
be open enemies of the
Prophet and his family.
When he came to
power he began changing
the rules of Islam;
making that which is
unlawful to be lawful
and vice versa.
Rightly so, true Muslims
were outraged at
his decrees, which were
slowly corrupting the
message of Islam.
However, anyone
that spoke out against
him was arrested and
tortured. He realized he
needed the support of
the Prophet’s family to
legitimize his caliphate,
and decided that Imam
Husain should pay allegiance
to him. He ordered
his men to get
this support, by any
means necessary…
even if it meant killing
Husain.

[masumeh]

Who was Husain continued …

When Imam Husain found out what Yazid
wanted of him, he absolutely refused. History
quotes Husain as saying “A man like me can
never submit to a man like him”. At the same time,
the citizens of an Iraqi city, Kufa found themselves
in need of trustworthy leadership, and sent hundreds
of letters to Husain begging him to lead
their community.
Husain had a difficult
decision to make. Yazid’s
intentions were well
known, but Husain had no
way to fight back. He decided
to make the ultimate
sacrifice, and despite the
danger, set off for Kufa,
stopping at a small strip of
land called Karbala along
the way.
Upon arrival in Karbala,
Husain and his family were
immediately besieged by
approximately ten thousand
of Yazid’s soldiers. They were ordered to
submit to Yazid’s rulership or die. Over the coming
days, Husain asked his followers to flee into
the safety of the night, and escape the forces of
the surrounding military.
He knew the military only wanted him, and that
his friends and family need not suffer. He warned
them, that once he was killed, they would be imprisoned
and tortured. Despite these warnings,
not a single person left the camp of Imam Husain,
and a portion of Yazid’s army defected to help
Husain.
Imam Husain’s camp was cut off from obtaining
water and soon ran out of food. On the tenth
day Imam Husain and 72 of his followers fought
against thousands of Yazid’s soldiers.
One by one, each man fell until only Imam
Husain remained. The grandson of the Prophet
too was finally killed, and in the most brutal and
cruel way possible. The bodies of the innocents
were beheaded and trampled with horses. Imam
Husain’s camp was burnt down and the women
and children imprisoned. The heads of the innocents
along with the chained survivors were
marched to Damascus to meet Yazid.
Following the massacre at Karbala, Muslims
were horrified that Yazid had so mercilessly and
blatantly killed the Prophet’s family, and rebelled
against him. Their eyes were opened to the importance
of preserving Islam as the Prophet had
taught it and remaining confident
in speaking the truth
even under extreme torture
as Imam Husain had experienced.
The martyrdom of Imam
Husain is remembered today
because it conveys the spirit
of struggle and protest
against injustice, untruth, and
corruption. It is an example
that can be applied in any
context and in any time period.
The idea that one must
fight for one’s beliefs and values
regardless of the obstacles
is the message of Karbala. Imam Husain sacrificed
his life, and that of his sons, nephews, and
friends.
The womenfolk of Imam Husain’s camp remained
loyal to the cause of truth even as they
were made to constantly suffer in doing so.
Karbala has taught us that every land will have
a Yazid, and so every land should have a Husain
that is willing to rise up against the dissolution of
truth and lead.
It is a missive to all people regardless of religion
to find a cause that we believe in and fight for
it through our words, our actions and our deeds
even when others are unwilling and fearful to take
up the mantle.
The Danish philosopher Kierkegaard said “The
tyrant dies and his rule ends, the martyr dies and
his rule begins.” and so is the case with Imam
Husain. Though he was martyred over 1300 years
ago, his noble death has inspired seekers of
peace and justice to struggle on the path of truth,
for he proved that the voice of one honest person
will always ring clear in the end.

[masumeh]

If Husain fought to quench
his worldly desires, then I
do not understand why his
sisters, wives and children
accompanied him. It
stands to reason therefore
that he sacrificed purely
for Islam

Charles Dickens


I learned from Husain
how to be oppressed,
yet victorious

Mahatma Ghandi

[masumeh]

Commemoration
of Imam
Husain’s
sacrifice

Muharram is the first
month of the Islamic
calendar, and the first
ten days of Muharram
are marked by Muslims
around the world
in remembrance of
Imam Husain’s sacrifice
that took place in
the first ten days of
Muharram centuries
ago. The tenth day is
referred to as
“Ashura” and is especially
tragic, as this is
the day that Husain,
his children, and his
companions were
killed.
Muslims around the
world, in each of the
52 Muslim countries,
and more than 130
other countries
around the world remember
Husain every
year in Muharram,
keeping in mind an
important proverb:
Every day is Ashura,
Every land is Karbala
The meaning of this
proverb is that it is important
to remember
the message and sacrifice
of Husain in
every aspect of life,
and to use it as an inspiration.

[masumeh]

Sayings of Imam
Husain

“O God, what did he
find who lost you, and
what did he lose who
found you?”
“Some people worship
God to gain His gifts;
this is the worship of
the merchants. Some
worship Him to avoid
His punishment; this is
the worship
of the slaves. Some
worship Him solely to
show gratitude towards
Him; this is the worship
of the free!”
“Death with dignity is
better than life with humiliation.”
“One who pursues a
goal through sinful
ways, will ironically distance
himself from that
goal, and will approach
what he was afraid of. “
“Wisdom will not be
complete except by
following the truth. “
“The most generous
person is the one who
offers help to those who
do not expect him to
help. “
“Tolerance is man's
ornament, keeping
promises is a sign of
nobility, and bonding
with others is a grace.”