AL-HUDA
Foundation, NJ U. S. A
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The Ashura and Muharrem
by Dr. Shahid Athar
While the Iranian revolution had increased apprehension
and distance between Shia Islam and USA, the current situation
in Iraq and war on terrorism has brought them closer to each
other. Thus American people and policy makers must try to
understand the core of Shia Islam.
Muhurram, the first month of the Islamic calendar which
marks the concept of emigration (Hjjra) in the cause of God is
also sacred for many other reasons. It was the tenth of this
month that Prophet Noah ( sailed his arc, and it was this day
that Prophet Moses led Israelites to the exodus from Egypt. Jews
used to fast on this day but Prophet
Muhammad advised Muslims to fast both ninth and tenth of
Muhurram.
However, it is the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain and seventy
one members of his family and associates which took place of
this day at Karabala that Muslims remember most. Caliph Muawiya
called for appointing his son Yazid to follow him. After
Muawiya's death his son Yazid declared himself the Caliph
starting an unprecedented tradition.
He demanded allegiance from Husain, son of Ali ibn Talib
(Prophet's cousin, son-in-law,and the fourth caliph). At that
time, Imam Husain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad was the
Islamic religion symbol living at that time. The people of Kufa
(the capitol of Iraq) did not like the rule of Muawiya or his
son Yazid because of their certain
policies and practices of Islam. So they invited Husain to come
to Kufa to talk Yazid out of Caliphate. Thus Imam Husain set out
to Kufa at the invitation of the people on a mission of peace,
along with his family and associates. He should have rebelled
and declared himself the caliph in Medina, but he did not. On
his way to Kufa, it became evident to Imam Hussain that war was
the being forced upon him, when the army of Yazid stopped him at
Karbala. He made an offer of peace in asking: a) he be allowed
to return to Medina b) he be taken to Yazid for a direct one to
one talk c) he be sent to a Muslim land. Hur bin Yazid, with
20,000 men strong did not accept any of his orders from the
governor of Iraq, Abdullah bin Ziyad to his mistake and defected
to the side of Hussain just before the starting of war. For ten
days, while Hussain and his caravan camped at Karbala, they were
surrounded by the hostile force and deprived of food and water.
On the tenth day, orders to force Hazrat Imam Hussain to accept
allegiance or to kill him were given to Shamir, commanding 5000
to 10,000 soldiers. All male members of Hussain's family and
close associates were killed. He was last to be killed and
beheaded. He had sixty-seven wounds on his body. A seven month
old infant son of Husain was also killed by an arrow while in
Husain’s lap who was asking for some water for the baby. Their
bodies were run over by horses or desecrated and then left to
decompose. Seventy-two heads were taken of Kufa at the tip of
spears and presented to the court of Ibn Ziyad, then across the
desert to Damascus to face Yazid. The prisoners of war were
mostly women and children and one man in his twenties Zainul
Abedin who was very sick in the tent, thus spared.
Key lessons from the martyrdom of Imam Hussain.
1. Islam is not a religion of compromise. Living with peace with
forces of oppression is wrong. If Imam Hussain had pledged
allegiance to a tyrant ruler, he could have saved his neck, and
would have most likely given a high post by the Caliph who would
have allowed him to do his prayer, fasting, and other ritual
acts of worship. But he was the
grandson of a prophet who said, "One of the greatest jihad is to
stand up to a tyrant ruler, and say a word of truth. "Therefore,
Imam Hussain in one of his speeches on the way to Karbala said,
" To live with an oppressor is a crime in itself" He also knew
Quran, and knew that striving in the cause of God brings immense
reward, " Those who believe,
and suffer exile and strive with might in God's cause, with
their goods and their people, have the highest rank in the sight
of God, They are the people who will achieve salvation. (9:20)"O
you who believe! Shall I read you to a bargain that will save
you from a grievous penalty? That you believe in God and in his
messenger, and you strive in the cause of God with your property
and your people, that will be the best for you if you knew it.
11(69:10-11) "And strive in the cause of God as you ought to
strive". (22:76)And those who strive in our cause-we will
certainly guide them to Our Path. For verily Allah is with those
who do good" (29:69)
2. The second lesson is the concept of ownership of life and
giving it to the cause of the owner. Our body and life belong to
our Creator, and should be spent on His cause. Even if we do
that, all we are doing is returning it to the original owner.
There is a great reward for martyrdom. A martyr is next to
Prophets in heaven. "And if you are slain or die in the cause of
God, Forgiveness and Mercy from God are far better than they
could amass, and if you die or are slain, lo it is unto God that
you are brought together" (3:157-158) "Those who leave their
homes in the cause of God and are then slain or die, on them
Allah will
bestow good provision. Truly God is He who bestows the best
provision." (2:58-59)
3. The third lesson, is standing up to trial when Muslims are
called. This has to be a criterion for entering into Heaven.
Quran mentions, "
Do you think you will enter the Garden (of Bliss) without such
(trails) as come to those before you." (2:214) and "God has
purchased of their believers their persons and their goods. For
theirs (in return) is the Garden (of Paradise)". (9:111)
All of the prophets had tests of their own. Prophet Abraham had
many tests, including being thrown into fire.
4. The fourth lesson to learn from the story of Imam Hussain is
that of sacrifice. To strive in the cause of God at the expense
of life is the ultimate sacrifice. Can we sacrifice our money we
love so much for charity, our precious time for the education of
our children, can we sacrifice our false pride in our race,
color, language, and national origin, and of our sect, and
accept all humans as our brothers and sisters?
Now let us ask Shias what are they mourning and why are
they mourning? If they are mourning the death of Imam Hussain,
Quran tells us that martyrs are not dead. "And do not call those
who die in the way of God as "dead", no they are living, only
you do not see them. (2:154)
If they are mourning his defeat, certainly if he would
have surrendered to Yazid and pledged allegiance to him, he
would have been defeated, but he did not, in fact his sacrifice
prevented kingdom and monarchy to establish a form of government
in Islam, and caliphate continued for hundreds of years. It is
this death of Yazid's ideology
about which a poet said:
In the murder of Hussain,
Indeed is the death of Yazid.
For each Karbala
Is the revival of Islam.
Muhurram is not just for ten days, and then going back
to the old business as usual. For a Muslim "who stands up to
strive in the cause of God, for him the place is Karbala, the
month is Muhurram, the day is Ashura. He is Imam Hussain and his
opponent is Yazid." ( Dr. Ali Shariati )
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Shahid Athar, MD,FACP,FACE is author of 125 articles and 7 books
including "Reflections of An American Muslim" and "Healing the
wounds of Sept.11,2001".
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