Is it wrong to commemorate his martyrdom every year?

Courtesy : http://www.al-hadi.us/religion/index.html

I find it very unfortunate to discuss this question. Disturbingly, there are people who accuse the Shia'a of bida'a (innovation) because, every year, they intensely and passionately commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, his family and companions at Karbala'. Every year and for 10 days, the followers of Ahlul Bayt commemorate and mourn over the tragedy of Karbala'. Is is really wrong, in principle, to commemorate Imam Hussein's martyrdom? What are these troubled and hateful people afraid of? Why do they not commemorate Imam Hussein as well? Is it really against the Sunnah to do so? Let me put it in a simpler way: is it wrong to commemorate the loss of a loved one? Is it not humane to do so? Did the prophet prohibit us to do so?? For the record, the true Ahlul Sunnah do not oppose this commemoration. The people who oppose this practice can not claim to be from Ahlul Sunnah. They are quite different and have their own agenda: oppose the Shia'a and make Kafir those who do not share their viewpoint.

Let me quote what ibn Katheer said in al-Bidaya wal-Nihaya and this exactly what these people say today about the Shia'a who commemorate the martyrdom of al-Hussein: 

Every Muslim will be saddened by the killing of Imam Hussein. He is from the leaders of the Muslims, and the son of the daughter of the messenger of Allah who is the preferred of his daughters. He was a great worshipper, courageous and generous. But it is not good when the Shia'a show their grief and sadness which is mostly artificial (theatrical) and hyprocritical.

His father was greater than him and he was killed. However, they do not commemorate his killing as they do for al-Hussein. His father was killed on a Friday while he was heading to Salat al-Fajr on 17th of Ramadan year 40 A.H. Similarly, Uthman was greater than Ali according to Ahlul Sunna wal-Jama'a. He was killed while under-siege in his residence in the month of Dhul-Hijja year 36 A.H. Yet the people do not commemorate his killing. Similarly, Umar is greater than Uthman and Ali. He was killed while praying Salat al-Fajr and reading the Quran. Yet, the people do not commemorate his killing. Similarly, al-Siddiq was greater than him and yet, the people do not commemorate his killing. And the prophet, who is the master of all in this world and the hereafter. He died as the prophets before him died. Yet, no one commemorates their death as these ignorant Rawaffid do for al-Hussein....

فكل مسلم ينبغي له أن يحزنه قتله رضي الله عنه، فإنه من سادات المسلمين، وعلماء الصحابة، وابن بنت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم التي هي أفضل بناته، وقد كان عابداً وشجاعاً وسخياً، ولكن لا يحسن ما يفعله الشيعة من إظهار الجزع والحزن الذي لعل أكثره تصنع ورياء. وقد كان أبوه أفضل منه فقتل، وهم لا يتخذون مقتله مأتماً كيوم مقتل الحسين، فإن أباه قتل يوم الجمعة وهو خارج إلى صلاة الفجر في السابع عشر من رمضان سنة أربعين، وكذلك عثمان كان أفضل من علي عند أهل السنة والجماعة. وقد قتل وهو محصور في داره في أيام التشريق من شهر ذي الحجة سنة ست وثلاثين، وقد ذبح من الوريد إلى الوريد، ولم يتخذ الناس يوم قتله مأتماً. وكذلك عمر بن الخطاب وهو أفضل من عثمان وعلي، قتل وهو قائم يصلي في المحراب صلاة الفجر ويقرأ القرآن، ولم يتخذ الناس يوم قتله مأتماً. وكذلك الصديق كان أفضل منه ولم يتخذ الناس يوم وفاته مأتماً، ورسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سيد ولد آدم في الدنيا والآخرة، وقد قبضه الله إليه كما مات الأنبياء قبله، ولم يتخذ أحد يوم موتهم مأتماً يفعلون فيه ما يفعله هؤلاء الجهلة من الرافضة يوم مصرع الحسين. ولا ذكر أحد أنه ظهر يوم موتهم وقبلهم شيء مما ادعاه هؤلاء يوم مقتل الحسين من الأمور المتقدمة، مثل كسوف الشمس والحمرة التي تطلع في السماء، وغير ذلك. وأحسن ما يقال عند ذكر هذه المصائب وأمثالها ما رواه علي بن الحسين: عن جده رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال: ((ما من مسلم يصاب بمصيبة فيتذكرها وإن تقادم عهدها فيحدث لها استرجاعاً إلا أعطاه الله من الأجر مثل يوم أصيب منها)). رواه الإمام أحمد وابن ماجه.‏

Now the reasons why it is not wrong to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein:

1. Is it wrong to periodically remember your lost loved ones? Is it inhumane? Is it Haram?? Is it wrong, inhumane and Haram to weep for them when remembered?? When the prophet lost his beloved uncle Abu Talib and his beloved wife Umna Khadija, two priceless losses and few days apart, the prophet called that year the year of Sadness (A'am al-Huzn). Badriddeen al-A'aini reported in U'umadatul Qari the following:
   
   
   ....because Abu Talib and Khadija died within three days. Sa'aed said in his book Kitab al-Nussuss that the prophet named this year the Year of Sadness...
   وأيا ما كان، فلم يشهد أمر أبي طالب لأنه توفي هو وخديجة في أيام ثلاثة، قال صاعد في (كتاب النصوص) : فكان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يسمي ذلك العام عام الحزن،
   
   Imam Abdul-Wahab al-Sha'arani wrote in Kashf al-Ghumma A'an Jami'i al-Ummah:
   
   Then Umna Khadija died after Abu Talib, and the prophet named that year the Year of Sadness.
   ثم توفيت خديجة رضي الله عنها بعد أبي طالب فسمى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ذلك العام عام الحزن
   ibn Mandhur al-Afriqi wrote in Lissan al-A'arab:
   
   The year of Sadness: it is the year in which Umna Khadija and Abu Talib died, so the prophet named that year the Year of Sadness.
   Tha'alab reported this from ibn al-Aa'arabi, who said: they both died 3 years before the Hijra (the migration to Medina).
   وعامُ الحُزْنِ: العامُ الذي ماتت فيه خديجةُ -رضي الله عنها- وأَبو طالب فسمّاه رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- عامَ الحُزْنِ.
   حكى ذلك ثعلب عن ابن الأَعرابي، قال: وماتا قَبْل الهِجرة بثلاث سنين.
   In fact the prophet never stopped remembering Umna Khadija, even while he was married to his other wives. This fact is well-known among the scholars of both denominations. This consistent remembrance made Umna A'aysha so jealous that she used to ill-describe her. The details of her jealousy can be found here: Umna Aysha.
   
   The point is the prophet continued to remember his beloved wife long after her death. This is the Sunnah of the prophet. For the prophet to declare the year he lost his uncle and his wife the Year of Sadness indicates that his loss affected him for a while. Therefore, remembrance of Imam al-Hussein is not against the Sunnah.
   
   

Why Imam Hussein (a.s.) Is not being forgotten?

The importance of the history of life of Imam Hussein (also Husayn) (a.s.) which has been converted to one of most sensational epics of human history is not only because of arousing most powerful waves of sensations of millions of people around itself every year and creates a ceremony which is more sensational than other ceremonies, but its importance is mostly because that: It has no “motive” other than pure religious and humanly and popular sensations and feelings and this magnificent ceremony that observes in respect and commemoration of this historical incident has no need to preliminaries and advertisements and it is unexampled in its kind in this aspect.

Most of us know this truth, but the point which has not been truly cleared for lot of people (especially non-Muslim thinkers) yet and still is remained like a puzzle in their minds is that: Why is this historical incident which has several similar examples in “quantity and quality” emphasized so much? Why does the ceremony which is observed in respect and commemoration of this memory set up more magnificent and more sensational from the last year?

Why today that there is no sign of “Umavi (related to Umayya) party” and their companions and heroes of this incident must have been forgotten, the incident of Karbala has become eternal?!

The answer to this question should be sought among the main motives of this revolution; we assume that analyzing this matter is not so hard and complicated for persons who are familiar with the history of Islam.

In more clear way, the bloody incident of Karbala is not a chart of a battle between two political competitors for achieving the throne of leadership or estates or lands.

Also, this incident has not been emanated from the explosion of hatreds of two hostile tribes which begins for gaining tribal privileges.

In fact, this incident is a clear scene of the battle between two doctrines related to individuals and beliefs that its blazing fire has not been extinguished during the adventurous history of mankind, from the farthest times to today; this fight is the continue of the fight of all prophets and reformer men of the world and in other hand it is the continue of the battles “Badr and Ahzab”.

We all know that when prophet of Islam (s.a.) arose as the leader of an intellectual and social revolution, for saving the mankind from all kinds of idolatry and superstitions and saving people from the claws of ignorance and oppression and collected the oppressed and truth-wanting groups of people who were the most important elements of evolution around himself, at this time oppositions of this reforming movement who were rich idolaters and usurious persons pf Mecca as their heads used all of their forces for repressing this voice of freedom and creativity of these anti-Islamic acts was in hands of “Umavi party” and their leader Abu Suffian.