Will somebody turn off that alarm?!
As my alarm clock rang, feelings of insecurity began to run through
my skin. My body turned cold and the hairs on my arm raised as a thought
entered my mind -- was my final presentation this morning? "Man. This
is 35 percent of my grade," I thought to myself. I quickly ran to my
computer to check the syllabus, and to my dismay, I was right. How could
this have slipped my mind? I started to draft an email to my professor,
and thoughts of Hussein's sacrifice in Karbala began to surface...
Long ago, Hussein, a distinguished spiritual leader in Arabia faced
an incredible challenge: accept the rule of a wicked tyrant and live, or
reject the immoral leadership and be martyred?
Hussein was no ordinary cleric. His grandfather, the Prophet of
Islam, denoted Hussein as a "Chief of the Youth of Paradise." As a
result of Hussein's authority, Yazid, the newly appointed leader of the
Muslim Ummah (nation) required the allegiance of Hussein in order to be
effective. However, Hussein accepting the leadership of Yazid would mean
legitimizing a corrupt drunkard who engaged in pedophilia among other
vices.
Pressure was put on Hussein to accept the authority of Yazid; the
climax of which occurred in the desert of Karbala, when Hussein and his
group of 120 friends and family were surrounded by the forces of Yazid,
numbering in more than 30,000 (yes, that is the right number of zeros).
At this point, Hussein was posed a final ultimatum: accept the
leadership of Yazid or be mercilessly butchered.
On the 10th of Muharram (first month of the Islamic calendar) in the
year 680 C.E., Hussein and his companions were murdered. The forces of
Yazid spared no one, even decapitating the 6-month-old baby of Hussein.
Once dead, the bodies of Hussein and his companions were trampled by
horses, and the women of Hussein's family were paraded over 500
kilometers and imprisoned. While Hussein and his family were killed on
that Muharram 10th day, known as Ashura, a message of righteousness and
reformation was born.
Bidding Good
As a child, I would watch superhero's on TV say, "All that is
necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." However,
the story of Hussein is not one of imagination; rather, a real life
super hero who spurred a revolution, founded on the idea of standing up
for good, no matter what the price. After the death of Hussein, the lay
people within the Muslim Ummah woke up to the atrocities of their
government. Yazid's reign was soon toppled, lasting only three years.
Patience
In the second chapter of the Quran (verses 155-158), God promises
that every person will be tested with challenges. He further says, in
order to be successful during these challenging periods, one must remain
patient, believing "to God I belong, and to him I shall return."
Frequently, one might feel a sense of control or ownership. However,
God indicates in the above verse that there is little that is under our
control and in fact, we don't even own our bodies. In effect, the only
thing that we control, and have ownership over, is our actions.
When we are put into challenging situations, and are tested, our goal
should be to control what we can control -- our actions. The rest
should be put onto the shoulders of God such that we may remain patient,
assuming that justice will be dealt. While Hussein was killed on the
day of Ashura, his message of righteousness has survived more than 1,400
years, a clear indication of victory.
Hypocrisy
It is notable to distinguish that the lives of Hussein and his
companions were taken by the hands of other Muslims. In fact, a striking
metaphor can be drawn from this situation as the majority of Muslims on
the sands of Karbala were not on the side of righteousness that tragic
day. Hussein and his companions numbered fewer than 200, while the
opposition was more than 30,000. Hussein was reported to have said that
"as long as people live favorable and comfortable lives, they are loyal
to religious [moral] principles. However, at hard times, the times of
trials, true religious [moral] people are scarce."
A "hard time" certainly made its way into my life as I contemplated
what to write my professor. Missing the final presentation would
certainly mean failure. However, the initial thought of crafting an
elaborate excuse to somehow justify my forgetfulness vanished. Instead, I
used the opportunity to define my character with honesty -- fessing up
to the mistake and embracing the spirit of Hussein's stand for
righteousness on the sands of Karbala.
The result? My professor replied, noting that I was the first student
to have missed the final presentation without an elaborate excuse;
appreciating my honesty, she let me give the presentation second!
You can take a guess at who set the curve. :-)
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