The month of Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar year. An
important and tragic event took place on the tenth of Muharram that shook the
Muslim world. It was the murder of Imam Husain (A.S.), his family members, and
his close friends by the army of Yazid. Yazid was at that time the despotic
ruler of the Muslim world, who came to power as the self-proclaimed “sixth
caliph of Islam” after the death of his father, Mu’awiya. Yazid gave himself the
title of ameer-ul-mu’mineen, meaning “commander of the faithful.”
Husain was one
of the two grandsons of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.A.W.), and the younger of the
two sons of Hazrat Fatima (A.S.), the daughter of the Holy Prophet. The Holy
Prophet loved his two grandsons, Hasan and Husain, dearly, and since he had no
surviving sons of his own, he used to call them his “sons,” out of affection.
There are
numerous traditions, recorded by many historians, which indicate the great love
and respect the Holy Prophet had for his grandsons. According to one tradition,
the Holy Prophet declared that Hasan and Husain were the “Princes of the Youth
of Paradise.” Prophet Muhammad (S.A.A.W.) took his grandsons with him, along
with his daughter Fatima and son-in-law Imam ‘Ali (A.S.), to face the challenge
of the Christian delegation from Najrain, which had come to dispute with the
Holy Prophet about his divine mission. The Christians were awe-struck at the
sight of the Holy Prophet and his family, and withdrew the challenge. This event
became known as Mubahila, and is recorded in the Holy Qur’an in chapter 3
verse 61.
Historical
Background
During the
caliphate of Imam ‘Ali, Mu’awiya declared himself the governor of Syria. After
the assassination of ‘Ali by a Kharijite, ‘Ali’s elder son, Imam Hasan,
succeeded him, being judged as the most qualified and deserving by the people.
By this time, however, Mu’awiya had amassed enough support in and around Syria
to unilaterally declare himself caliph of whole Islamic world. In order to avoid
bloodshed, preserve unity, and in fact to save the religion of Islam from
destruction, Imam Hasan signed a peace treaty with Mu’awiya. The treaty included
these terms: (1) Mu’awiya would be the temporal political head of the Muslim
empire; (2) Mu’awiya would not appoint his own successor, but would leave the
caliphate to the will of the majority (which favored Imam Husain); and, (3)
Mu’awiya would allow the Muslims to live in peace, free from oppression,
especially those belonging to the Hashimite tribe (the tribe of the Holy Prophet
and his family).
Mu’awiya
violated the terms of this treaty and, near his death, designated his son Yazid
as his successor. Yazid was an immoral and ruthless man with no sense of
justice. He employed bribery and coercion to win support. Imam Husain, as the
protector and guardian of the religion established by his noble grandfather,
Prophet Muhammad (S.A.A.W.), refused to swear allegiance to him. Yazid realized
that he could never legitimize and consolidate his rule without the allegiance
of Imam Husain, the grandson of the Holy Prophet. Consequently, he decided that
he would either force the Imam to submit to his rule, or else he would have him
killed.
In the 61st
year after Hijra (680 AD), Imam Husain, while performing the pilgrimage in
Mecca, received the news that assassins had been sent by Yazid to kill him.
Desiring to protect the sanctity of the Holy City, he interrupted his pilgrimage
and headed towards Kufa, in modern-day Iraq on invitation of the people there to
come and teach them about Islam. He took with him his family members and close
friends, including his six-month-old infant son, Ali Asghar. His journey to Kufa
was intercepted by a detachment of Yazid’s army, led by a commander named Hur.
Hur had orders to re-direct the Imam to camp in the desert plains of Karbala, on
the banks of the River Euphrates. In order to avoid bloodshed, Imam Husain chose
not to resist, and followed Hur’s directions. He and his companions were forced
to camp at a great distance from the river, which was the only source of water
in the area.
On the seventh
day of Muharram, Ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa, ordered that food and water
supplies were to be blocked from reaching Imam Husain’s camp. In the meantime,
the ranks of Yazid’s army were increasing by the thousands. The blistering sun
scorched the desert sand, and the thirst was becoming unbearable in Husain’s
camp. The children especially were becoming dehydrated and weak, and Imam Husain
pleaded with Yazid’s army to supply water at least to those children, but to no
avail.
On the tenth
day of Muharram, Yazid’s army was ready to attack the small band of defenders in
Imam Husain’s camp. One by one, his friends and relatives took permission to go
out and fight and each one laid down his life in the defense of Islam. Two of
his nephews, who were only ten years old, were among the brave soldiers who died
fighting. The commander of Husain’s forces was Abbas, his brother, who had
inherited his chivalry from his father ‘Ali, the Lion of Allah. Abbas asked
Husain’s permission to go and fight his way through to the river and bring back
some water for Sakina, Husain’s four-year-old daughter, and the other children.
The Imam reluctantly gave him permission to go and fetch water. Abbas took an
empty flask, charged into Yazid’s army, cut through the ranks, and arrived at
the river. While he filled the pitcher with water, he himself did not drink a
drop, for he reasoned that he could not do so while Imam Husain, Sakina, and the
others were still thirsty. Abbas did not make it back to the camp, however. The
whole army of Yazid converged upon him. He died defending the precious pitcher
of water.
Imam Husain’s
six-month-old son, Ali Asghar, was on the verge of death from dehydration.
Husain brought him out of the tent to show his pitiful condition to the soldiers
in Yazid’s army, pleading for at least enough water to save the infant’s life.
The enemy denied his request. A heartless archer from the enemy army shot an
arrow that struck the infant, killing him in his father’s own arms.
Soon, Imam
Husain was left alone to face Yazid’s army, since all the able-bodied male
members of his camp had died fighting one by one. He made a final plea to the
army of Yazid, reminding them of his kinship with the Holy Prophet of Islam, the
love and respect which the Holy Prophet had used to show him, and the numerous
traditions in which the Holy Prophet had warned the Muslims not to disobey or
injure him. He reminded them of his desire to uphold the truth and his status as
one of the true protectors of the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. He asked to be
allowed to leave the Muslim kingdom, so that Yazid would not perceive him as a
threat to his power. Finally, he clearly warned them that by shedding his blood,
they would be subjected to the wrath of Allah (S.W.T.) and they would lose any
hope of the intercession of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.A.W.). The commanders of the
opposing army were unmoved, and reiterated their desire to kill Imam Husain
unless he chose to submit to the authority of Yazid. Husain was left with no
choice but to take a firm and final stand against falsehood, and to fight for
the preservation of Islam. He fought bravely, and in the end he achieved
martyrdom.
The
Significance of Imam Husain’s Martyrdom
Immediate
outcome of Imam Husain’s actions:
Muslims and non-Muslims alike have acknowledged that Imam Husain saved Islam
from destruction by sacrificing his life. Yazid had been successful in winning
over the allegiance of the great majority of Muslims, and the rest of the Muslim
world was in a state of moral slumber. The principles of Islam were being
plundered, the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet was being tampered with, and phony
traditions were being concocted to justify the rule of Yazid. It was the
singular sacrifice of Imam Husain and his faithful followers that shook the
Islamic world out of its slumber. The Muslims were forced to ask themselves why
the beloved grandson of the Holy Prophet had been murdered so brutally. It then
dawned upon the people what the true nature of Yazid and his supporters
was.
Long
term outcome of Imam Husain’s actions:
Imam Husain, by challenging Yazid and in the process laying down his life,
changed the world and re-shaped human destiny forever. Yazid, and indeed all
future despots, were put on notice that they would not be tolerated, and that
truth and justice would be upheld and would ultimately succeed, regardless of
the costs. The Iranian revolution that uprooted and overthrew an unjust
government, and the liberation of Lebanon from foreign occupation are two of the
more recent exemplars of these principles laid down by Imam Husain.
Imam
Husain’s Philosophy:
Professor Syed
Jafar Raza Bilgirami beautifully describes Imam Husain’s philosophy. He states
that at Karbala, Imam Husain came to rebuild a system of life. He gave a
practical embodiment to the rational concept of justice. He successfully placed
the spirit (savage, war-making qualities in man) and the appetite (greed for
material things and lust for power) under the command of reason (‘Aql).
In Karbala, he formulated a new code of life to safeguard the peace and security
of human society for all times to come.
Imam
Husain’s Foresight and Planning for the Battle of Karbala:
Imam Husain
chose not to flee or hide from Yazid, because that would not have exposed
Yazid’s corruption of Islam and would have served to legitimize his unjust rule.
He knew that by rejecting Yazid’s demands, he would most likely be killed.
However, he also did not want to die like any other martyr. He wanted his death
to serve as a starting point for a revolution that would strengthen justice and
oppose tyranny for all times to come. This type of stance needed planning and
wisdom. As pointed out by scholars, Imam Husain’s planning encompassed three
factors:
1. The choice
of location;
2. The choice
of companions; and,
3. Foolproof
arrangements for passing on the event to the annals of history.
The Choice
of Location:
Imam Husain
chose not to stay in Mecca because he did not want his blood to desecrate the
Holy Precincts. Besides, if he were to be killed by hired assassins, then the
killers’ motives would not be clear and his death would fade away on the pages
of history. So he chose to travel to Iraq (the den of the tyrant himself), where
his mission would receive the maximum publicity, and where Yazid’s evil would be
best exposed. The events of history proved that Imam Husain was right.
The Choice
of Companions:
Hujjatul-Islam
Maulana Ali Naqvi has written that in Karbala, the largest number of true
Muslims gathered in the entire history of Islam. Imam Husain was not seeking the
best fighters, since his goal was not to fight to win a physical war. He was
looking for men of principle, true Muslims, firm and patient, who would go
through the utmost hardships successfully.
His companions
included men of different tribes, coming from different parts of Arabia and
beyond. They included, among others, an elderly companion of the Holy Prophet,
some liberated slaves, and a young newlywed Christian couple. The age of his
supporters ranged from six months to a ripe old age of over 90.
The
heterogeneity of Imam Husain’s supporting group indicates that he did not want
the confrontation with Yazid to be misrepresented as a struggle between two
clans, or a campaign for gaining power.
Preserving
His Sacrifice in the Annals of History:
Imam Husain
took women, children, and all of his family members with him. This strategy
ensured that after his death, his message would be spread through his family
members, and that Yazid would not be able to suppress the truth or falsify Imam
Husain’s motives. History proves that it was a brilliant move. His sister Zainab
(A.S.), through her scholarly and bold speeches, and with no fear of the tyrant
Yazid, eloquently proclaimed the truth and exposed the falsehood of Yazid in his
own court. He was speechless and humiliated before her. His court was full of
dignitaries, both local and from other nation-states, and his own supporters.
They were shocked to hear the truth put forth so forcefully, and many were
brought to tears. The same scene was repeated in the bazaars and marketplaces of
the country, all along the travel route of the surviving captives. Husain had
laid the foundation of the revolution with his blood. His sister Zainab stirred
the revolution with her oratory. That revolution changed the world forever.
Statements
of Historians and World Leaders:
This unique
historical sacrifice of Imam Husain and his small band of 71 male supporters has
caught the attention of historians, scholars, and writers throughout the world,
in all periods of history. Some of the more notable quotes and insights are
given below:
“Of that
gallant band, male and female knew that the enemy forces around were implacable,
and were not only ready to fight, but to kill. Denied even water for the
children, they remained parched under the burning sun and scorching sands, yet
not one faltered for a moment. Husain marched with his little company, not to
glory, not to power of wealth, but to a supreme sacrifice, and every member
bravely faced the greatest odds without flinching.” - Dr. K. Sheldrake
“If Husain
had fought to quench his worldly desires, as alleged by certain Christian
critics, then I do not understand why his sister, wife, and children accompanied
him. It stands to reason therefore, that he sacrificed purely for Islam.”
- Charles Dickens
“The best
lesson which we get from the tragedy of Cerebella is that Husain and his
companions were rigid believers in God. They illustrated that the numerical
superiority does not count when it comes to the truth and the falsehood. The
victory of Husain, despite his minority, marvels me!” - Thomas Carlyle
“In a
distant age and climate, the tragic scene of the death of Husain will awaken the
sympathy of the coldest reader.”
- Edward Gibbon
“The tragedy
of Karbala decided not only the fate of the Caliphate, but also of Mohammadan
kingdoms long after the Caliphate had waned and disappeared.” - William Muir
“Imam Husain
uprooted despotism forever, till the Day of Resurrection. He watered the dry
gardens of freedom with a surging wave of his blood, and indeed he awakened the
sleeping Muslim nation. If Imam Husain had aimed at acquiring the worldly
empire, he would not have traveled the way he did. Husain weltered in blood and
dust for the sake of truth. Verily, therefore, he becomes the foundation of the
Muslim creed ‘La Ilaha Il-lallah,’ meaning, there is no deity but Allah (God).”
- Sir Mohammad Iqbal
“A reminder
of that blood-stained field of Karbala, where the grandson of the Apostle of God
fell, at length, tortured by thirst, and surround by the bodies of his murdered
kinsmen, has been at anytime since then, sufficient to evoke, even in the most
lukewarm and the heedless, the deepest emotion, the most frantic grief, and an
exaltation of spirit before which pain, danger, and death shrink to unconsidered
trifles.” - Browne’s History
of Persia
References:
The
Martyrdom of Imam Husain by
Yousef N. Laljee
The
Spirit of Islam by Ameer
Ali
Imam
Husain and Planning of the Incident of Karbala by S.G. Haider
Imam
Husain and His System of Life by Syed
Jafar Raza Bilgirami
