Why Yazid should be Cursed!!!

Many Muslims have adopted a diplomatic and face-saving stand on cursing Yazid. At least where killing of the Prophet’s son (according to the Verse of Mubaahelah) Imam Husain (a.s.) is concerned, they advance a range of excuses exonerating Yazid of the crime. In a last-ditch attempt they claim that the matter is not very clear and assuming silence (as opposed to cursing) is a more prudent.

While these excuses are untenable and the subject matter of another article, the door on cursing Yazid will never shut as Imam Husain’s (a.s.) murder was not his only crime. As we have seen in this article, Harrah was another stigma on Yazid that cannot be washed away with the biggest ocean of excuses. Because even if these Muslims belittle Imam Husain’s (a.s.) status by considering his killing to be insignificant, do they dare to make the same concession regarding the violation of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), his shrine, his city, his companions and other members of his nation?

Opinion of Sunni scholars

We have listed the view of renowned Sunni scholars on Yazid’s role in Harrah and merit in cursing him:

1)Ibne Kaseer, the renowned Ahle Sunnah scholar and student of Ibne Taymiyyah in Al Bidaayah wa al Nihaayah (Urdu), vol 8 pg 1,146, records:

Yazid committed a major sin by ordering Muslim b. Utbah to make Medinah permissible (Mubaah) for three days. This was a most horrible mistake. Many companions and their children were slaughtered. We have already mentioned that he had Ubaidullah b. Ziyaad kill the grandson of the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) Husain and his companions and in those three days numerous heinous acts were perpetrated in Medinah about which nobody knows except Allah. Yazid wanted to secure his governance but Allah did against his wishes and punished him. Surely Allah killed him likewise. Allah established His grip over the oppressor’s towns, no doubt His grip is intense.

Likewise, Ibne Kaseer writes in Al Bidaayah wa al Nihaayah (Urdu), vol 8 pg 1,146:

Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said whoever perpetuated injustice and frightened the residents of Medinah, the curse of Allah, His Angels and all people is on such a person.

2) Amro b. Bahr al-Laysi (exp. 255 H) deemed Yazid to be an accursed. Popularly known as Al-Jaahiz, he stated in his book Al-Risaalah al-Haadiyah al-Ashar, pg 398:

The evil deed which Yazid committed by killing Hussain and took the daughters of Allah’s messenger as slaves and hit the lips of Husain’s (head) with the stick and scared the people of Medinah and destroyed the Kaabah, shows that he (Yazid) was rough, stone-hearted, Naasibi, possessed bad thoughts, venom, hatred, hypocrite, was out of the pale of faith, a transgressor and an accursed, and who ever forbid cursing the accursed is himself an accursed person.

Yazid’s role in Harrah and in terrorizing its citizens is more evident than the midday sun. This makes him worthy of being cursed till the Day of Judgement. No excuse and pretext is acceptable.

And for those who continue to resist cursing him even after this, there is the book of Sibt ibne Jauzi titled appropriately:

‘Al-Rad ala al-Mutassib al-Aneed al-Maane min Zamme Yazid’

which means:

‘Rebuttal to the stubborn fanatic who refrains from cursing Yazid’

Duty of the Muslims
Today, when visitors go to Medinah, they witness a spotless Masjidun Nabawi in all its splendour and glory. However, they must recollect the dreadful incident of Harrah. When they see the shrine of our beloved Prophet (s.a.w.a.), his pulpit, the strip between the shrine and the pulpit, the mosque flooring, the imposing walls, they must call to their minds the ruthless murder, rape and looting that the walls and flooring, the shrine and the pulpit have witnessed. They must remember Yazid who appointed Musrif on this mission and made all this possible.

Instead of glossing over this crime and other more heinous crimes Muslims must distance themselves from Yazid because those who are pleased with an action are like the perpetrators of the action. Instead of worrying about defending Yazid, these Muslims must be worried about their own hereafter. Why align oneself with an accursed person and assume the burden of his crimes when it is far easier and rational to criticize him and share no blame for his crimes and in this way please Allah and His Prophet (s.a.w.a.).

Reference:http://www.seratonline.com/2012/01/22/12840/harrah-another-proof-of-yazids-transgression/

Harrah – Another proof of Yazid’s transgression

A group of Muslims seek to exonerate Yazid b. Muawiyah of all his crimes. As a matter of fact, these Muslims do not even acknowledge the crimes and for the most evident crime of killing the son of Allah’s Prophet ” Imam Husain b. Ali (a.s.), they are quick to gloss over it with the most weird claims including the ridiculous one of Shias themselves having killed Imam Husain (a.s.)!

Grand Mufti of Mecca defended Yazid(l.a) in one of his speech

To such Muslims, it is fitting to point out that not every crime perpetrated by Yazid is easy to sweep under the carpet. Although no crime can parallel the killing of Imam Husain (a.s.), Yazid is responsible for many crimes that are evident even to the most biased historian and no one doubts even for a moment that Yazid is the perpetrator of these crimes. If the most biased historian was to ignore Imam Husain’s (a.s.) killing under one pretext or another, there is no way for him to ignore Yazid’s other crimes. The incident of Harrah is one such crime and all Muslims regardless of their sect are unanimous that the responsibility for Harrah lies at the doorstep of Yazid b. Muawiyah.

But first an interesting comparison to underscore Yazid’s antecedents.

Who is most despicable, Yazid or Firaun?

Yazid is often referred to as the Firaun of the Islamic nation. But this comparison is not entirely fair to Firaun. Yazid was far worse than Firaun and he dared to commit some of the most heinous crimes in the history of mankind that even Firaun hesitated from committing.

A very interesting incident that occurred in Yazid’s court highlights how he was far more wretched than Firaun. After the incident of Karbala, the women of Imam Husain’s (a.s.) household were brought in Yazid’s court devoid of their veils. Along with the women was Allah’s Proof ” the son of Imam Husain (a.s.) ” Imam Zainul Abedeen (a.s.). Yazid began gloating over his success in front of his courtiers and sought to belittle the exalted status of Imam Husain (a.s.) and his father ” Ameerul Momineen (a.s.). However, Zainul Abedeen (a.s.) despite being fettered in heavy chains and shackles was not intimidated and gave a fitting reply to Yazid’s taunts. This sparked off a dialogue between Yazid and Zainul Abedeen (a.s.) in which Imam (a.s.) as expected, held the upper hand and crushed Yazid’s arguments with utter disdain. This did not go down well with Yazid and he turned to his advisors to counter Zainul Abedeen (a.s.). His advisors advised him to condemn Zainul Abedeen (a.s.) to death.

When Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.), who was merely two years and some months old at the time, heard this suggestion made by Yazid’s advisors, he addressed Yazid, ‘They have recommended to you as opposed to the recommendation of the courtiers of Firaun. When he (Firaun) asked their opinion regarding Prophet Moosa (a.s.) and Prophet Haroon (a.s.), they said: Give respite to him and his brother, while these people recommend that you should kill us, whilst there is a reason for this.’

Yazid was confused with this argument and sought the reason for Firaun’s benevolence towards Prophet Moosa (a.s.) and Prophet Haroon (a.s.) in this matter.

Imam Baqir (a.s.) clarified, ‘The reason why Firaun did not kill Moosa (a.s.) was because he (Firaun) was of legitimate birth, while a Prophet and his children are only slain by the illegitimate ones.’ When Yazid heard Imam’s (a.s.) explanation he became silent and hung his head in shame. (Nafasul Mahmoom, Section 13, from Isbaat al-Wasiyyah of Masoodi)

It is apparent that Yazid was subdued by Imam Muhammad Baqir’s (a.s.) arguments and his silence only affirms his guilt. His sending the captives back to Medinah is further admission of this guilt. What is ironical however is that even though Yazid had accepted that he was wrong in slaying the son of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), he still finds widespread support from his ardent fans who 1,400 years after Karbala insist on affixing his name with the reverential suffix ‘May Allah be pleased with him’ something that is reserved for the Holy Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) choicest companions like Hazrat Salman Muhammadi (r.a.), Hazrat Abu Zarr Ghaffari (r.a.), Hazrat Miqdaad (r.a.), etc.

Yazid’s reign lasted for three years and nine months. In a short period of just 45 months, Yazid perpetrated crimes that would make even the most oppressive tyrants shudder. In the very first year of his reign (61 AH), he dispatched a huge army to murder the son (according to the verse of Mubaahelah) of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) ” Imam Husain (a.s.). The army was given explicit orders to show no mercy to Imam Husain (a.s.), to cut all water supply to his tents, to surround him and his women, to kill the men mercilessly, to take the women captive and parade them on the streets without their veils.

Yazid stands exposed

After Imam Husain’s (a.s.) martyrdom, news of Yazid’s transgressions spread far and wide. The people of Medinah dispatched a delegation to Syria to get first-hand information of Yazid’s offenses. As was expected the delegation was disgusted with Yazid’s corrupt ways and returned to inform the Medinites of his innumerable vices ” alcoholism, chess addiction, seeking entertainment with singing girls, dogs and monkeys, indulging in intercourse with mehram women (mother, sister), abandoning prayers, and topping all this by murdering the grandson of their beloved Prophet (s.a.w.a.).

The Medinites were appalled to hear that the Caliph of the Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) nation indulged in such unmentionable indecencies. They began cursing Yazid openly and finally drove out his governor ” Usman b. Muhammad b. Abi Sufyan, along with Marwan b. Hakam and other members of Bani Ummayyah from Medinah. They appointed Abdullah b. Hantala as the governor and gave him their allegiance.

Yazid retaliatesObviously a man of Yazid’s status and tyrannical temperament would not take such a rebellion lying down. He immediately dispatched a large army towards Medinah under the command of Musrif b. Aqbah Muri (also called as Mujrim). When Musrif approached Medinah, he camped at a place called Harrah-e-Raqim (Sangistaan), which is at a distance of one mile from the mosque of Suroore Ambiya. Seeing Yazid’s army camped outside their city, the Medinites came out to fight the army. Yazid’s army was equipped with lot of ammunition and overwhelmed the Medinites in every department. Consequently the Medinites were no match against this army and a large number of them were killed in the ensuing battle. The accursed Marwan b. Hakam was constantly inciting Yazid’s army to attack the Medinites. Finally the Medinites realized that they could not successfully counter the army and retreated to Medinah and sought shelter in the shrine of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.).

Medinah under attack

However, Musrif was not satisfied at overcoming the Medinites in battle. Being Yazid’s associate, he wanted to complete their humiliation and wished to be remembered in history for this. So he entered Medinah with all pomp and splendour at the head of his massive army. This incident became famous as the incident of Harrah and occurred in Zilhajj 63 A.H., three months before Yazid’s death.

On entering the city of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) ” Medinatun Nabi, Musrif perpetrated such adversities that indeed he and his master, Yazid, will be remembered in history for a very long time. On entering Medinah, Musrif and his army showed utter disdain for the Holy Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) shrine, which was only to be expected from Yazid’s henchmen. They entered the revered shrine of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) along with their horses. They used the shrine as a horse-stable. As in a stable, their animals urinated and excreted in the holy shrine. The animals even littered the strip between the pulpit of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and his grave, which according to traditions is a garden from Paradise.

However, they were not content with defiling the shrine of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.). They were intent on unleashing their tyranny and oppression on the Medinites in a most inhuman manner. They set about doing this most systematically. Musrif and his army began butchering the Medinites mercilessly. In this regard, they did not make any discrimination between the Muhaajireen and the Ansar, the companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.a.), women and children. They killed whoever got in their way. We have outlined below a historical record of their butchery from various sources, Shiite as well as Ahle Sunnah.

Rape, murder and plunder
Madaini narrates from Zohri that Yazid’s army killed 700 famous Medinites from the Quraysh, Muhajireen and Ansar. In addition to these, they also massacred 10,000 other unknown Medinites, including women, children and men ” both free men and slaves.

Abul Faraj narrates ” 200 from the progeny of Abu Taalib (a.s.) were martyred. Two of these were the children of Abdullah b. Jafar ” Abu Baqr b. Abdullah b. Jafar and Aun-e-Asgar b. Abdullah b. Ja’far. Aun-e-Akbar was martyred in Karbala along with Imam Husain (a.s.).
Masoodi narrates ” Jafar b. Muhammad b. Ali b. Abi Talib (a.s.) was also slain in the incident of Harrah. Apart from the progeny of Abu Taalib (a.s.), several from Bani Hashim were massacred viz Fazl b. Abbas b. Rabiyyah b. Haaris b. Abdul Muttalib, Hamzah b. Abdullah b. Nawfal b. Haaris, Abbas b. Utbah b. Abi Saeed. In addition to these, 4,000 other known personalities were slain from Quraysh and Ansar. Many other unknown and ordinary Medinites were also killed.

Musrif also made the wealth, honour and women of the Medinites permissible for his men for three days. In this period, his men did as they pleased. They looted the houses of the Medinites and ravaged their daughters and women. They did not follow any law except that of Yazid and considered permissible everything under the sun and even raped women inside Masjidun Nabawi ” the most sacred mosque for Muslims after Masjidul Haraam.

Madaini narrates ” After the incident of Harra, there were 1,000 women who gave birth to children whose fathers were not known and these were referred to as the children of Harrah. According to another report there were 10,000 such women. As per a report in Akhbaar al-Daul, Yazid’s men raped 1,000 virgin girls.

Shaikh Sulaiman Balkhi Naqshbandi in Yanabiul Mawaddah writes ” The Medinites were subjected to a course of tyranny and oppression for several days. It was impossible for any Medinite to enter Masjidun Nabawi. To the extent dogs used to enter the Masjid and urinated on the venerated pulpit of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) on which he (s.a.w.a.) narrated many a sermon and revelation.

Ibne Hajar also reports about dogs defiling Masjidun Nabawi. Then he narrates how Musrif forcibly took oath from the Medinites on behalf of Yazid and in this manner tried to complete their humiliation and disgrace. Those who rejected his invitation were killed immediately.

Reference: http://www.seratonline.com/2012/01/22/12840/harrah-another-proof-of-yazids-transgression/

Reply to Dr Zakir Naik ka Yazeed (lanatullah alaihe)

Answer to the well wishers of Yazid (L.A)

By: Dr. Sakhawat Hussain Sandralvi

It's a shame that Mufti Mohammad Rovais Khan Ayyubi has written four fake, insulting, and full of lying articles in a newly born weekly newspaper called Nida-e-Waqat (New York) in which he insulted Sayyid-us- Shuhadaa Imam Hussain (a.s.).

His quotations and statements are false, his claims are not genuine. Mufti has written that Shias have killed Imam Hussain (a.s.) to protect Yazid and his army. Let me clarify that Shias are loyal to their Imams even in severe hardships.

Zakir Naik, well wisher of Yazid(l.a)

We have been commemorating the days of martyrdom for 1369 years (since the tragedy of Karbala). Shias never wrote letters to Imam Hussain, but the letters were written by disloyal so called Muslims of Kufa to Imam Hussain. All of them wrote to Imam that we do not have any Imam please come, we will make you Imam. Mufti, Shias always have Imams and they don't appoint Imam, they believe that Imam is appointed by Allah.

Lovers and Defenders of Yazeed

The famous historian Tabari narrates that twelve thousand letters were written to Imam Hussain, but according to him there were only two free Shias living in Kufa so two people can not write twelve thousand letters. Mufti further more writes that Yazid was not responsible for killing Imam Hussain (a.s.) I ask Mr. Mufti the following questions and I will pursue to the next issue in the next article :

1. In the letter which was written to Waleed by Yazid Why did Yazid ask for Waleed to send head of Imam Hussain with the answer of this letter?
2. Why didn't Yazid condemn the killing of Imam Hussain(a.s.) and his faithful companions?
3. Why Yazid did not fire Obaidullah -ibn-Ziad, Omar-ibn-Saad, and Shimmr from their posts?
4. Why Yazid insulted the head of Imam Hussain in his court if he was not happy with this killing?
5. Who arranged all the jashans in Damascus besides Yazid?
6. Who ordered to insult the grand daughters of Prophet and the other ladies of Ahlulbait in the market of Damascus?
7. If Yazid was not the planner of killing of Imam Hussain (a.s.) why he asked Imam Zain-ul-Abideen that who is winner of this war ?
8. When Sayyida Zainab asked Yazid if Prophet comes today and sees his grand daughter heads uncovered will he support you or us why he did not reply?
9. When Abdullah-ibn-Omar cursed on Yazid while saying you are killer of Imam Hussain why he did not deny?
10. If Yazid was not responsible for the tragedy of Karbala why he kept Ahlulbait in jail for one year?
11. If Yazid was not responsible for the tragedy of Karbala why he awarded the killers of Imam Hussain(a.s.)?
12. If Shias were the killers of Imam Hussain how come none of 3,80,000 killers who were killed by Mukhtar never claimed Shiaism?

Mufti writes that Shimmr was the real brother of Umm-ul-Baneen, Mufti should know he was neither brother nor cousin.

Who wrote letters to Imam Husain(a.s) and invited him to Kufa?

Objections : The Shi’a of Imam Ali a.s invited Imam Hussain(as)"by writing letters and requesting that he come to Kufa so that they can recognise him as their Imam.

Our Reply:
There are few words in this sentence, highlighted.

1- Shia of Imam Ali a.s. This is the first word. The definition of this word is not something tough to find. Therefore, to say all people of Kufa were Shia of Imam Ali a.s is out of logic. In the history of Islam up till that time, there was not any city with majority of Shia of Imam Ali (a.s.), especially Kufa suffered harsh treatment for 20 long years by Muawiyah's illegitimate brother Zeyad and then his son Ubedullah Ibn Zeyad. Shia of Imam Ali a.s were persecuted, killed and were forced to live under oppression. Therefore yes, those weak shias of Imam Ali a.s did write to their Imam when Muawiyah died and ray of hope emerged. And yes they were the only few who believed in Imamat and called upon there Imam. They were not the opportunistic and there faith is clearly visible from the contents of their letters. Due to the activity of these shia of Imam Ali a.s, other inhabitants of Kufa, common muslims who believed in Imam Ali a.s not as Imam but the fourth Caliph along with first three found opportunity in throwing the tyrant umayyad oppression and joined in calling upon Imam Hussain( a.s) for help not as Imam but as the son of the fourth caliph, grandson of Holy Prophet (s.a.w )and leader of youths of paradise (Abdullah Ibn Zubair was not that influential at that time as compare to Imam Hussain a.s even to common muslim of those era. Plus he himself was in hidings in Makkah and even tried to stopped Imam Hussain a.s from rising against Yazid).

Now lets see the content of the letters and see;

Letter written by minority shias of Imam Ali (a.s)

“We do not have any leader [who could lead us in war] therefore please come to us so that through you, we can gather to aid the truth [Haq]. And Nauman bin Bashir is in Dar ul-Amara, we neither attend Friday prayers nor the Eid prayers with him. When we get the news that you are coming, we will make him expel him and send him to Syria”.

This letter was sent through Abdulah bin Hamdani and Abdullah bin Daal and this was the first letter to be written by the minority Shia to Imam Hussain [as] which he received in Makka on the 10th of Ramadhan.

Letter written by other than Imam Ali's (a.s) shia

“Fields are flourishing again and trees are bearing fruits and ponds are flowing. Thus, you can come whenever you want towards an army, that is prepared for you”

This letter had seven signatories namely Shabath bin Rib’I, Hajar bin al-Jabar, Yazid bin Haritth, Yazid bin Raweem, Azrah bin Qays, Umro bin al-Hajaj al-Zubaydi, Muhamad bin Umari Tamimi.

See Tarikh Tabari, Volume 6 page 197.

Just compare the content of these letters written initially with the above one. The earlier letters contained the beliefs of the senders, cited the injustice of Muawiya and his descendant, the admission of Hussain’s right of Imamate, whilst the above cited letter made reference to nothing save material acquisition. In every society, there exist a segment of opportunists who always fly with the direction of wind.

So those were these common muslims of kufa, who did not show up. Letters were written by both, but shia of Imam Ali a.s were either killed or imprisoned or few managed to joined Imam Hussain a.s in Karabala. The common muslim were again made quite or even forced to join and assist syrian Army. Therefore the name of Yazid's army commander was Omar Bin Saad Bin Abi Waqas (very respected Sunni sahaba's son) and not some Ibn Ashtar.

Also look at the letter written to yazid( l.a) at that time and by whom,
“Muslim bin Aqeel has come to Kufa and the Shia have given the oath of allegiance to him on behalf of al Hussain bin Ali. If you have any need of Kufah then send a strong man there who will carry out your orders and act in the same way as you would against your enemy. Al Nauman bin Bashir is a weak man or he is acting like a weak man”

History of al Tabari, Volume 19 page 30

Those who wrote this letter were:

    Abdullah bin Muslim bin Saeed Hadharmi
    Ammarah bin Uqbah
    Umar bin Saad bin Abi Waqas

In Short all the types of people wrote letters( Sunnis and Shias alike) to Imam Hussain(a.s), to fulfill their various objectives and only true followers (Shias) of Imam Hussain supported him. So dont blame Shias of Ali but blame the people of Kufa in not supporting Imam Hussain(a.s).

One more thing which I want to add here is, well people of Kufa did not support Imam(a.s) but then who were the murderers of Imam and his family and friends, and what were their beliefs and why do we not come together to curse such people.(Yazid,Shimr, Umar-e-Saad etc.)

Whoever support Yazid and praised him killed Imam Hussain(a.s.)

Whoever today loves Yazeed and Muawiyah and praises them then his group is the one who killed Imam Hussain
The conversation is nonesense if there is no agreement on the definition of Shia and Sunni and its also nonesense if we want to turn it into a sectarian thing to attack the sunnies of today or the shias of today as they have no direct role in that event.

The shias of Hussain were 72 people plus all the ones who got jailed and persecuted for standing with Imam Hussain and the rest were common muslims, but if we suppose that shias killed Hussain, where were sunnis ? Why they didnt even invite him or protect him? Hussain was the grandson of Holy Prophet(s.a.w) and most pious and God-fearing person on earth.

Well , if you define Sunnis to be followers of Abubakr and Shia to be the followers of Ali, then you can say that Abu bakr gave the leadership to Umar and Umar to Uthman and Uthman made Muawiya the governor of shaam, Muawiya opposed the caliphate of Ali and later became leader by force and gave it to Yazeed(l.a) so Abubakr is to be blamed for killing of Imam Husain !!!

Who invited Imam Husain(a.s) to Kufa?

Who invited, well people of Kufa invited. People of Kufa includes majority sunnis, minority shia of Imam Ali a.s and plus those who saw the majority looking upon Imam Hussain a.s for help and for their worldly gains decided to follow the direction of flowing river.
Again, a sunni brother asked : why would sunni invite as they do not believe in Imamat?

Reason: because for sunnis Imam Hussain a.s was the only living grandson of Prophet s.a.w, the most pious and the leader of youth of paradise. They found him the best option to rule as compare to Yazid. Main stream sunnis were not only in Hijaz but in Kufa also the maority was of those main stream sunnis. Imam Hussain a.s did travel to Makkah first but he saw the place is not free from his killers and so as medina which was under yazid's governor. People of Kufa were willing to fight for justice as it was near Umayyad capital as compare to Hijaz and they were the one getting affected first.

Abdullah Ibn Zubair also left medina and went into hiding in Makkah, Abdullah Ibn Umar accepted Yazid's rule and Abdur Rehman also went into hidings and it was only Imam Hussain a.s who rose his voice against tyranny. Therefore main stream sunni muslims chose Imam Hussain a.s along with Shias of Imam Ali a.s for help.

Caliph Umar founded this city and made his people to live in it. Umar ruled for 10-12 years followed by Uthman (Bani Umayyan) for another long period. Ruler of Kufa was cousin of Uthman (foster brother may be) and then comes Imam Ali a.s who ruled for just 5 yrs and then again 6 months of Imam Hassan a.s followed by 20 years of Muawiyah.

Imam Ali a.s did not make Kufa his capital as Shias were in majority. Imam Ali a.s is not only shia leader. It is shias first Imam and sunnis 4th Righteous Guided Caliph so he made that city capital because it was close to western borders where people were making more fitna.

Conclusion: Its nothing about sunni or shia - people are gonna go round thinking their fellow muslims are responsible for the massacre - it was SO long ago and we can't compare the killers to anyone living today. I went to a sunni mosque where they were mourning and remembering ashura.
We are all here to learn from each others.

Initially, Sunnis did not kill imam hussain (ra)

.. Yazid Army did , and all muslim were against it.
Who is Yazid compare to Imam Hussain (ra)

. Imam Hussain is a Sayed and also Sayed shabab aljannah.
Imam Hussain (ra)

was the first person in this world who looked like our prophet (pbuh)

Who are Shias?

There were no such thing as Ahle Sunnah or Sunnis at the time of Imam Husain(a.s) . Also there was no such thing as Shia Isna Ashari or any other Shia sect at that time. It was Muslims all the way through. Everything kicked off later on after the Prophet's [pbuh] death. First the Muslims were divided into two groups. Those who selected and accepted Hazrath Abu Bakar [ra] as the first Khalif of the Muslims were known as just Muslims. They had nothing to do with Ahle Sunnah or being Sunni because Ahle Sunnah didn't start to develope until Imaam Abu Hanifa's time. From there on Sunnis start to form and other Ahle Sunnah groups started to emerge. Those people who opposed the meeting in Sakeefa and rejected the appointment of any Khalif by the Ummah because they believed that the Prophet [pbuh] named, nominated and appointed his successor, like every great leader does which was Hazrath Ali [ra], were later on named as Shiayaan-e-Ali [ra]. This is were the Shia, with the ideology of Khilaafath-e-ilahiya, started to develope. This was the birth point of the main stream Shia of today. Also the term Shia was used in general. Shia means follower/supporter. This term was used for everyone on common grounds for example: during the battle of Jamal and Safeen the common Muslims were also divided into two groups. Shia-e-Ali [ra] and Shia-e-Aisha [ra] during the Battle of Jamal then Shia-e-Ali [ra] and Shia-e-Muavia during the battle of Safeen. The situation is the same when it comes to Hazrath Hassan [ra] and Ameer Muavia or Hazrath Hussain [ra] and Yazeed. The followers and supporters of each and everyone was known as a Shia. So when you talk about Shia regarding history it depends on who's Shia you are talking about. It was the Muslims who accepted Hazrath Abu Bakar [ra] as the first Khalif. It was the same Muslims who accepted Hazrath Umar [ra] as the second Khalif. It was the same Muslims who accepted Hazrath Usmaan [ra] as the third Khalif. It was the same Muslims who pesterd and persuaded Hazrath Ali [ra] to become the fourth Khalif when no one dared to take on Khilaafath after the murders of the previous two Khalifs. It was the same Muslims who betrayed Hazrath Ali [ra] during the battles of Jamal and Safeen. It was the same Muslims who pesterd and persuaded Hazrath Hassan [ra] to become the fifth Khalif of the Muslims and later on betrayed him by joining the camp of Ameer Muavia or refusing to fight him. It was the same Muslims who accepted Ameer Muavia as the sixth Khalif and Yazeed as the seventh. It was the same Muslims who informed Hazrath Hussain [ra] of Yazeed's intentions and ways regarding the Quran and Sunnah. It was the same Muslims who promised aid and support to Hazrath Hussain [ra] and invited him. It was the same Muslims who let Hazrath Hussain [ra] and his companions down for example Hazrath Muslim bin Aqeel [ra] etc by being afraid of standing up to Yazeed's governers, companions, army etc and by being afraid of Yazeeds response.

Imam Hussain (as) fought with Yazid ibn Muawiya to save Islam

Imam Hussain (as) fought with Yazid ibn Muawiya in 61 AH to save Islam. Yazid needed Imam Husain's Bayat (oath of allegiance) to legitimized his rule as Imam Hussain (as) was the rightful successor. Imam Hussain (as) refused to give his allegiance as he knew that Yazid was not only corrupt and oppresive but also an enemy of Islam, who wanted to destroy Islam and take revenge of his uncles and family members who had fought with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and died in the early battles.

When Imam Hussain (as) was told that he had to give Bayat to Yazid otherwise he would be killed, Imam Hussain (as) replied that: a man like him could not give Bayat to a man like Yazid ibn Muawiya.

By saying this Imam Hussain (as) was trying to tell everyone that what Yazid believed in was totally opposite to what Imam Hussain (as) believed in. Yazid was the follower of Shaitan while Imam Hussain (as) was the follower of Allah (SWT).

Imam Hussain (as) knew that himself, his friends and family were to die in Karbala. He also knew that this was the only way that he could show to the other Muslims that Yazid was an enemy of Islam and was in fact destroying it.

Imam Hussain (as) wanted people, when they heard about the events of Karbala to know that it was not for power but for Islam and this is how to get into the army of Imam Hussain (as) you needed to be a believer and not a soldier. Imam Hussain's (as) army had all kinds of people:

Imam Hussain (as) had rich, noble men. He had freed slaves. He had old and young men. He had men who had done wrong and repented (e.g. Hazrat Hurr - the commander of Yazid ibn Muawiya army). He had pious men.
Imam Hussain (as) was very kind and always thought about others before himself.

When Imam Hussain (as) was traveling to Karbala knowing what was going to happen to him and his family, he met Hazrat Hurr - the commander of Yazid army and his soldiers. Imam Hussain (as) knew that this was the army sent by Yazid ibn Muawiya to fight Imam Hussain (as) and his followers.

This was the army that was going to stop Imam Hussain (as) and his followers from getting water. This was the army who was going to kill Imam Hussain (as) and his family and friends.

Although Imam Hussain (as) knew all this, when Imam Hussain (as) saw how thirst the army looked and that they had no water, Imam Hussain (as) immediately told his brother Hazrat Abbas (as) to give their water to the army of Hazrat Hurr.

Not only did Imam Hussain (as) and his men give water to the army but also to their horses.

Whenever other Muslims heard about the events of Karbala, they would ask themselves, why it was that men from different backgrounds, different circumstances, different ways of life, all came together to fight and die with Imam Hussain (as).

Every Muslim regardless of his colour, his race, his background, his financial situation, his age, could identify himself with one martyr in the army of Imam Hussain (as) and through him understand why Imam Hussain (as) did what he did.
Imam Hussain's sacrifice started a Hussaini Revolution that not only took down Yazid's rule, but still continues after 1400 years today and is revived every year in Muharram with mass commemorations accross the world by Shia Muslims.

Imam Hussain (as) and Martyrdom in the way of Truth (Islam)

Imam Hussain (as) was a man of faith and action. During nights, he worshipped Allah (SWT) in privacy, while during the day he worked hard and guided the people. He was constantly mindful of the poor and the needy, and he used to visit them and cheer them up. He used to tell his followers: "Be always in touch with the needy, for Allah (SWT) does not love the arrogant".

Imam Hussain (as) always helped the poor as much as he could. At night he would carry sacks of food to the houses of the poor by following the footsteps of his father Imam Ali (as) and leave them near the doors. He worked hard to eradicate poverty, establish justice and acquaint the people with Allah (SWT).

During the time of Imam Hussain (as) a tyrant called Yazid ibn Muawiya became the ruler. Yazid called himself the successor of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw), but this was a lie. He used to spend the income of the Islamic realm on drinking, gambling and wild parties. Public wealth was wasted for supporting his regime and the rights of the poor were trampled upon. In this way he totally scorned the instructions of Islam.

When Yazid ibn Muawiya became ruler of the Muslims he immediately demanded Imam Hussain (as) to recognize him as the ruler and accept his leadership (give Bayat); but Imam Hussain (as) was the true successor of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and could not accept and endorse the leadership of an oppressor. Imam Hussain (as) began to enlighten and awaken the people about Yazid ibn Muawiya and exhorted them to dissociate from him. He would tell them: "Do you not see that the truth is being trampled upon and the falsehood and oppression are prevailing? In such conditions, a Muslim must be ready for martyrdom in defense of the right. Martyrdom and self-sacrifice for the sake of truth is victory and success, while life with the oppressors is no more than shame and disgrace."

At that time the people of Kufa (Iraq) were loving followers of Imam Hussain (as) who had been suffering at the hands of Yazid and his father, Muawiya. They invited Imam Hussain (as) to Kufa to lead them against Yazid and his wicked rule. Imam Hussain (as) had indeed decided to rise up and fight, and so he accepted the invitation and set off for Kufa.

When Imam Hussain (as) and his followers were near Kufa, they were met by Yazid's troops under the leadership of Hazrat Hurr. The troops wanted to arrest Imam Hussain (as) and his followers and take them to Yazid. Imam Hussain (as) told them: "Never will I accept disgrace and surrender to Yazid ibn Muawiya. Death for me is superior to disgrace and I am ready to defend Islam and the Muslims until I get martyred."

At a place called Karbala Imam Hussain (as), his family and helpers were surrounded by Yazid's troops. Imam Hussain (as) and his followers stood firm as they fought against thousands of troops of Yazid. Finally, on 10th Muharram, 61 AH (the day we call 'Ashura'), they were martyred.

Imam Hussain (as) and his followers were martyred, but they did not submit to injustice and oppression. They defended Islam and the Muslims. With their blood they saved Islam and the Holy Qur'an from the danger of annihilation at the hands of Yazid ibn Muawiya. Imam Hussain (as) fought against oppression and defended the religion of Islam, and by doing so he taught the world the greatest lesson on freedom and righteousness.

For this reason we call Imam Hussain (as) "Sayyid al-Shuhada" which means lord of the martyrs. Now the turn has come for us to safeguard and defend Islam. We must shoulder this magnificent responsibility.

Imam Hussain (as) his kindness, charity and love for the poor

Imam Hussain (as) is the grandson of Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). He was well known for his kindness, charity and love for the poor.

One day when Imam Hussain (as) was riding through the streets of Madina, he came across some beggars who had gathered together to eat the food that they had begged for during the day. The beggars saw Imam Hussain (as) and invited him to join them.
Imam Hussain (as) was not allowed to take anything given in charity (Sadaqah) as he was from the family of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw). Sadaqah is forbidden (Haraam) for all members of the family (Ahlul Bayt) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw). Imam Hussain (as) got off his horse and sat down with the beggars.

Imam Hussain (as) then explained to them that although he would love to eat with them, he could not because as a member of the family of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) he could not take Sadaqah. As an alternative he invited all of the beggars to his house for food so that they could all eat together.

The Ethernal wisdom of Ashura

Students of the so called historical method argue that in terms of immediate history, nothing was achieved as a result of the events on `Ashura, i.e. Muharram. They say that it was a tragedy, but its overall effect on the political events of the period was negligible.

This is their conclusion and when they are asked why the Islamic books of history, written by scholars many centuries ago, devote more space, more pages, more words, to that event than to any other in the history of Islam, why there are more books devoted to that event in Islamic history than to any other, they shrug their shoulders and mumble something about the Shi`i influence on the writing of history. Yet, many of the writers are not members of the Shi’a. The famous Islamic historian Tabari devoted nearly two hundred pages to the story. No other event receives as much attention from him. He most certainly was not a member of the Shi`a.

Cosmic Nature of the Martyrdom of Imam Husayn (A)

Yet Imam Husayn (A) was not merely the example of a great martyrdom, he was also the exemplar of bravery and fortitude. He fought a brave and fierce fight against so many. Such was his power and strength, such was the aura of his person and he was by no means a young man that the only way his enemies could kill him was by a whole group of them attacking him at the same time and stabbing him together. The humiliation of the death was total; the vindictiveness and wickedness of this action by men is illustrated by the fact that his clothes were ripped from his body and then horses ridden over it.

The Paradigm of all Unjust Deaths

The lesson is clear to us all: it shows the lengths of human wickedness. Imam Husayn (A) exemplifies all suffering humanity. In that martyrdom, in those blows to his body, in the trampling of horses over it, Imam Husayn (A) is the model, the paradigm of all unjust deaths, of all humans suffering.

Steadfastness in the way of Right Path

In this, his martyrdom teaches suffering men to endure, to remain steadfast in their belief in God. It also has a lesson to teach men who are more fortunate, that the world is a transitory place, worldly success is not an end in itself, and that man should always be aware of the suffering Imam Husayn (A) experienced. By their awareness of this they will learn to treat worldly success with humility.

In the real sense of cosmic history, the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (A) is a mighty triumph, a wondrous victory. Who would know the name Yazid today except for the fact that he was responsible for the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (A) ? Otherwise he would just be another of the thousands of despots, tyrants, and bullies that have abused their authority, another footnote in the history of man. However, because his tyranny and wickedness was responsible for the good, the noble, the pure Imam's martyrdom , he, by killing the Imam, the human model of goodness and bravery, has become the human model of injustice and wickedness.

The Victory of Truth over Falsehood

The triumph of Imam Husayn (A) lies in the fact that his inspiration has moved men to grieve for him throughout the centuries. The pure light of ennobled humanity in the Imam has motivated generation upon generation of the Shi'a, to suffer endless hardship, to keep his memory alive.

The first beginnings of the majlis, the sessions held in honour of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (A). are to be discerned in the first gatherings of the surviving family of the martyred Imam. Very soon these gatherings of grief developed outside the family to include others.

Not long afterwards there was the majlis of the Kufan penitents, the tawwabin, when they gathered at his graveside to lament, to grieve, to prepare for martyrdom in the battle that was to come, to try, in some small way, to make them worthy of the sacrifice Imam Husayn (A) had made for them and all mankind.

The triumph of the martyred Imam is such that every year on `Ashura, in places all over the world, the faithful gather together to remember the Imam.

A Threat for Tyranny

All despotic regimes have felt threatened by these majlises. Throughout the centuries they have tried to prevent them. At one time even the site of Imam Husayn (A)'s grave at Karbala' was ploughed up.

They feared the grief and lamentation for Imam Husayn (A) because in that grief and lamentation people remembered the goodness, the justice, the kindness, the gentleness, and the bravery of the martyred Imam (A). These were not qualities that tyrannical governments wished people to think about; their concern was bribery, corruption, nepotism, and naked force. They saw the threat to their world, to their values, to their position. Seeing it, they sought to suppress the memory of Imam Husayn (A). However, such was the power, the influence, the glory of that memory, that they could not remove it from the hearts of men, from the Shi’a of all the Imams, the Shi`a of Imam Husayn (A).

The Importance of a Global Platform

In one of his historic statements Imām al-Ĥusayn (A) clearly says that the main reason behind his uprising is to seek reform in the Muslim nation. Then he describes the path he would undertake to meet this aspiration:

“I would like to invite towards good and shun the evil.”

In order for him to carry out this reform immediately, the best place to go to was Makka, where pilgrims from all over the Muslim world would come to perform 'Umra and Ĥajj. They would listen to his message, wake up, and relate the same to their people on their return.

Historical records tell us that while in Makka, Muslims from different countries used to visit Imām al-Ĥusayn (A) day and night, and listen to what he had to say.

Opposition against Falsehood

The movement of Imām al-Ĥusayn (A) reveals the personality of Imam (A) as a great freedom seeker. He never allowed himself to submit to any government that does not obey the laws of God. In fact it is a practical manifestation of ‘Islām’ (submission to the will of God). Submitting to every call of disbelief or polytheism is to alienate from the path of utter submission to Almighty Allāh. Not surrendering to falsehood and remaining very steadfast in his stance, he taught every future human being 'the lesson of steadfastness' by not submitting to falsehood and oppression. And this unwavering stance remained until his martyrdom.

Seeking Refuge in Allah

Imam al-Ĥusayn (A)'s move to Makka also alludes to something highly important. His refuge to the Divine sanctity of safety, perhaps demonstrated that his only refuge is Allāh in whose house there is always safety:

“In it are clear signs and whosoever enters therein is safe” (Quran, 3:97)

Seeking refuge in the Divine sanctity, however, should transport us to a loftier meaning: one who really seeks refuge in Allāh is safe from all kinds of polytheism and oppression. It is not necessary for us to limit our understanding to the physical and tangible import of the verse.

The safety referred to in the verse, however, is a legislative direction which creates responsibilities on the Muslim nation. In other words, Almighty Allah commands us to observe security in His house. No one is allowed to shed blood in there; no animal is to be injured, etc. But if some like Hajjāj bin Yūsuf al-Thaqafī, out of their disbelief, were to transgress the limits, they can endanger the lives of the like of the selfishly motivated 'Abdullah bin Zubayr who despite having sought asylum in the holy precincts of the Ka'ba was killed therein.

However, the safety can also refer to seeking the shelter of 'one's spirit' in Almighty Allah. This meaning can also be understood by looking at some recommended supplications to be recited near the Ka'ba:

O Allāh, surely You said ” and whosoever enters therein he/she would be safe"; therefore, save me from the punishment of Hell Fire.

Therefore, one who seeks the protection of his spirit from Almighty Allah would undoubtedly be safe from every calamity that would ruin his spiritual life. If his physical life were to be sold for an exalted aim, he would never lose. Instead he would attain a lofty station and eternal salvation.

If the leaders who govern Muslim nations of the world today were to understand and apply this lofty concept they would never assist terrorist and tyrant regimes whose evil nature is more apparent than ever today. Every concerned Muslim should try to understand and heed to the call of Imām al-Ĥusayn (A) which still echoes in the hearts and minds of the truth-seeking human beings:

Indeed you know that the Messenger of Allah (s) said during his lifetime:
"Whoever observes a sovereign legalizing what God has made unlawful, violating the covenant of God, opposing the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, and treating the creatures of God sinfully and oppressively, and does not oppose him with his speech and action, God has a right to bring him to the same fate as that of the tyrant…"

"Don't you see that what is true and right is not acted upon and what is false and wrong is not forbidden?..."

"Is there any protector who defends the sanctuary of the Messenger of Allāh?"

Imam (A) voluntarily allowed himself to be the greatest sacrifice on this earth, seeking to fulfil the will of God. On this day, nearly fourteen hundred years ago, the Imam prepared himself for martyrdom. The symbols of his martyrdom are many, the suffering dreadful.

He watched as, one after another, his followers went to their deaths; as, one after another, his kinsmen went to their deaths; even his baby son was slaughtered in his arms as he gave him a farewell hug.

Bravery of Imam Husyn (A)

The fact is that these petty scholars with their tendentious criticisms are concerned only with the narrow details of political history. They do not perceive the cosmic nature of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (A). For them, history is the restricted study of immediate cause and effect in political developments. But real history is about something far more important than that. Real history concerns men's relationship with God and how that relationship affects men's relationships with each other. Real history attempts to show the cosmic significance of events, not their narrow immediate political results.

The tragedy of Karbala', the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (A), is one of those events of cosmic significance. Its lessons concern not just one group of men and their relationship to the world, but all mankind. It is a moral paradigm. It teaches sacrifice and opposition to injustice: it teaches integrity of purpose, love of family, gentleness, and bravery. In fact, in the account of the tragic journey and martyrdom of Imam Husayn (A), there are lessons in all the moral virtues. Perhaps the one that strikes most of us most forcefully is our own inadequacy in comparison with the enormous sacrifice Imam Husayn (A) made on behalf of mankind.

The Paradigm of all Unjust Deaths

In the real sense of cosmic history, the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (A) is a mighty triumph, a wondrous victory. Who would know the name Yazid today except for the fact that he was responsible for the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (A) ? Otherwise he would just be another of the thousands of despots, tyrants, and bullies that have abused their authority, another footnote in the history of man. However, because his tyranny and wickedness was responsible for the good, the noble, the pure Imam's martyrdom , he, by killing the Imam, the human model of goodness and bravery, has become the human model of injustice and wickedness.

The Victory of Truth over Falsehood

The first beginnings of the majlis, the sessions held in honour of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (A). are to be discerned in the first gatherings of the surviving family of the martyred Imam. Very soon these gatherings of grief developed outside the family to include others.

Not long afterwards there was the majlis of the Kufan penitents, the tawwabin, when they gathered at his graveside to lament, to grieve, to prepare for martyrdom in the battle that was to come, to try, in some small way, to make them worthy of the sacrifice Imam Husayn (A) had made for them and all mankind.

The triumph of the martyred Imam is such that every year on `Ashura, in places all over the world, the faithful gather together to remember the Imam.

A Threat for Tyranny

The Importance of a Global Platform

“I would like to invite towards good and shun the evil.”

In order for him to carry out this reform immediately, the best place to go to was Makka, where pilgrims from all over the Muslim world would come to perform 'Umra and Ĥajj. They would listen to his message, wake up, and relate the same to their people on their return.

Historical records tell us that while in Makka, Muslims from different countries used to visit Imām al-Ĥusayn (A) day and night, and listen to what he had to say.

Opposition against Falsehood

Seeking Refuge in Allah

"Whoever observes a sovereign legalizing what God has made unlawful, violating the covenant of God, opposing the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, and treating the creatures of God sinfully and oppressively, and does not oppose him with his speech and action, God has a right to bring him to the same fate as that of the tyrant…"

"Don't you see that what is true and right is not acted upon and what is false and wrong is not forbidden?..."

"Is there any protector who defends the sanctuary of the Messenger of Allāh?"

Imam al-Ĥusayn (A)'s move to Makka also alludes to something highly important. His refuge to the Divine sanctity of safety, perhaps demonstrated that his only refuge is Allāh in whose house there is always safety:

“In it are clear signs and whosoever enters therein is safe” (Quran, 3:97)

Seeking refuge in the Divine sanctity, however, should transport us to a loftier meaning: one who really seeks refuge in Allāh is safe from all kinds of polytheism and oppression. It is not necessary for us to limit our understanding to the physical and tangible import of the verse.

The safety referred to in the verse, however, is a legislative direction which creates responsibilities on the Muslim nation. In other words, Almighty Allah commands us to observe security in His house. No one is allowed to shed blood in there; no animal is to be injured, etc. But if some like Hajjāj bin Yūsuf al-Thaqafī, out of their disbelief, were to transgress the limits, they can endanger the lives of the like of the selfishly motivated 'Abdullah bin Zubayr who despite having sought asylum in the holy precincts of the Ka'ba was killed therein.

However, the safety can also refer to seeking the shelter of 'one's spirit' in Almighty Allah. This meaning can also be understood by looking at some recommended supplications to be recited near the Ka'ba:

O Allāh, surely You said ” and whosoever enters therein he/she would be safe"; therefore, save me from the punishment of Hell Fire.

Therefore, one who seeks the protection of his spirit from Almighty Allah would undoubtedly be safe from every calamity that would ruin his spiritual life. If his physical life were to be sold for an exalted aim, he would never lose. Instead he would attain a lofty station and eternal salvation.

If the leaders who govern Muslim nations of the world today were to understand and apply this lofty concept they would never assist terrorist and tyrant regimes whose evil nature is more apparent than ever today. Every concerned Muslim should try to understand and heed to the call of Imām al-Ĥusayn (A) which still echoes in the hearts and minds of the truth-seeking human beings:

Indeed you know that the Messenger of Allah (s) said during his lifetime:The lesson is clear to us all: it shows the lengths of human wickedness. Imam Husayn (A) exemplifies all suffering humanity. In that martyrdom, in those blows to his body, in the trampling of horses over it, Imam Husayn (A) is the model, the paradigm of all unjust deaths, of all humans suffering.

Lessons from the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain(A.S)

A.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 Allah brings immense reward,
" Those who believe, and suffer exile and strive with might in Allah's cause, with their goods and their people, have the highest rank in the sight of Allah, 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 Allah 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 Allah 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)

B.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 Allah, Forgiveness and Mercy from Allah are far better than they could amass, and it you die or are slain, lo it is unto Allah that you are brought together". (3:157-158)

"Those who leave their homes in the cause of Allah and are then slain or die, on them Allah will bestow good provision. Truly Allah is He who bestows the best provision." (2:58-59)

C.The third lesson, is standing up to trial when we are called. This has to be a criterion for entering into Heaven. Allah says:
Do you think you will enter the Garden (of Bliss) without such (trails) as come to those before you." (2:214)
"Allah 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 Ibrahim (PBUH) had many tests, including being thrown into fire.

D.The fourth lesson we learn from the story of Imam Hussain (RA) is that of sacrifice. To give life in the cause of Allah 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 other Muslims as brothers and sisters?

Now let us ask ourselves what are we mourning and why are we mourning?

If we 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 Allah as "Dead", no they are living, only you do not see them. (2:154)

we 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 which the poet mentions.

In the Murder of Hussain,
In deed is the death of Yazid.
Each Karbala revives Islam.

Muhurram is not just for ten days, and then going back to the business as usual. For a Muslim who stands up to fight in the cause of Allah, for him the place is Karbala, the month is Muhurram, the day is Ashura. He is Imam Hussain and his opponent is Yazid.

Muhurram is not just for Shia but for all Muslims.

IS CRYING FOR DEAD CAUSES PUNISHMENT TO THE DEAD???

You would have heard this 100′s of times and people are fed up with this idea that holy prophet (s.a.w) had said this and so if someone cries for dead, the dead is punished; and this propaganda increases in moharram

so let us see what ayesha had to offer in this regard

we find in musnad ahmad

Abu bakar says that when rafi’I bin khadeej died, we heard ibn umar that dead is punished when his neighbors cry for him. I came to umra and told him so he replied that Ayesha said that holy prophet asws said this about a jew lady that these people are crying and she is being punished; then Ayesha recited the verse that none will bear the weight of others

[Musnad ahmad, urdu, vol 11, page 31, narration 24616]

Sheikh hamza says isnaad sahih
[Musnad ahmad, takhreej of ahmad shakir and hamza ahmad, vol 17, page -234]

We further find

Ibn umar said that holy prophet asws said that dead is punished when his family cries for him; when someone asked this from Ayesha, she said that he has hallucinated, holy prophet asws said that people are crying where as he is being punished for his sins

[Musnad ahmad, urdu, vol 11, page 84]

Sheikh hamza says isnaad sahih

[Musnad ahmad, takhreej of ahmad shakir and hamza ahmad, vol 17, page 287]

Sheikh shoaib says isnaad sahih on condition of sheikhain [musnad ahmad, vol 40, page 347-348, narration 24302 ]

Yet again, we find

Urwa said that once Ayesha told him that o nephew! Ibn umar erred in listening, actually holy prophet asws passed by a grave and he said that he is being punished due to his deeds and his family is crying for him; otherwise by god! None will bear the weight of others

[Musnad ahmad, urdu, vol 11, page 178-179, narration 25144]
Sheikh hamza says isnaad sahih
[Musnad ahmad, takhreej of ahmad shakir and hamza ahmad, vol 17, page 390]
Sheikh shoaib says isnaad are sahih, narrators are all thiqa and narrators of sheikhain
[musnad ahmad, takhreej of sheikh shoaib; vol 41, page 181-182 narration 24637]

Again we find

Abu bakar said that when rafi’I bin khadeej died, I heard Abdullah bin umar that dead is punished due to weeping of his neighbors. I came to umra and told him about this; he said that Ayesha said that may allah forgive abu abdurrehman, he is not lying but he has forgotten; holy prophet asws passed by grave of a jew lady on which people were crying, so he said that people are crying where as she is being punished

{molvi zafar iqbal says that narration is sahih as per bukhari, muslim and ibn haban}
[musnad ahmad, urdu, vol 11, page 210]

Why Shias prostate on the mud of Karbala?

Abu Said Al Khudri narrates:

The Messenger of Allah used to practice Itikaf (in the mosque), in the middle third of Ramadan. After the twentieth night, he used to return home on the twenty-first, and those who were in Itikaf with him would return to their homes as well. In Ramadan, in which he practiced Itikaf, he would pray the night prayers on the night in which he returned home, and then address the people, instructing them as Allah commanded him. He said, "I used to practice Itikaf for these ten days (i.e. the middle third of Ramadan), but I now intend to stay in Itikaf for the last ten days. Whoever was in Itikaf with me should stay at his place of seclusion. I have certainly been shown (the date of) this Night (of Qadr), but I have forgotten it. Search for it in the odd nights of the last ten days (of Ramadan). I also saw myself (in a dream) prostrating in mud and water." On the twenty-first night, the sky was covered with clouds and it rained, and the rainwater started leaking through the roof of the mosque onto the praying place of the Prophet. With my own eyes, I saw the Prophet, upon completion of the morning prayer, leaving (the mosque) with his face covered with mud and water.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.235

Abu Hazim narrates:

Sahl bin Sa'd was asked about the (Prophet's) pulpit, as to what was it made of. Sahl replied: No one is still alive among the people who knows about it better than I. It was made of tamarisk forest wood. So and so, the slave of so and so, prepared it for the Messenger of Allah. When it was constructed and placed (in the mosque), the Messenger of Allah stood on it, facing the Qibla, and said, "Allahu Akbar", and the people stood behind him (in prayer). He recited and bowed, and the people behind him bowed. Then he raised his head, stepped back, descended and prostrated on the ground. He then again ascended the pulpit, recited, bowed, raised his head, stepped back, descended and prostrated on the ground. This is what I know about the pulpit.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.374

Hazrat Maimuna said:

The Messenger of Allah used to pray on a Khumra (a palm leaf mat large enough to place one's face, while in prostration).

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.378

Jabir bin Abdullah narrates:

The Messenger of Allah said: I have been given five things which were not given to any of the Prophets before me. These are:

1. Allah made me victorious by inspiring awe (and fear in my enemies) for a distance of one month's journey.

2. The earth has been made a place of prostration for me, and a place to perform Tayammum. Thus, my followers can pray wherever (i.e. in any lawful place) they like, when the time of prayer is due.

3. War booty has been made lawful for me.

4. Every Prophet was sent only to his own nation, but I have been sent to all mankind.

5. I have been given the right of intercession (on the Day of Resurrection).

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.429

Abu Sa'eed used to relate that he had seen the Prophet prostrating on wet mud, so much so that he could see mud stains on his forehead.

Saheeh Bukhari, Part I, p. 104

Hazrat Maimuna said:

The Messenger of Allah was once praying while I was experiencing my menses and sitting beside him. Sometimes his clothing would touch me during his prostration. She added: He prayed on a Khumra (a small palm leaf mat).

Saheeh Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 8, Number 376

The Prophet used to place his forehead on the earth while prostrating.

Saheeh Bukhari, Part 1, p. 97

The Prophet declared that the best place for prostration was the earth, or upon something that grows from the earth.

Kanz-ul-Ummal, Part 4., p. 113(Famous Sunni book of Hadith)

As it is proved that it is the Sunnat of Prophet of Allah to prostate on mud, hence Shias prostate on the mud of karbala as it is superior to other mud on earth beacause it contains the blood of martyr grandson of Holy Prophet(s.a.w), Imam Husain(a.s).

Note : All the above references are from authentic Sunni books.

Banu Umayyah revived the custom of jahiliyah

Amputations of the head and moving the heads from one place to another, the mistreatment of the dead bodies out of sheer passion of revenge, that was prevalent during the days of ignorance (al-Jahiliyyah), started again among the Muslims during Umayyad era.

Case 1:

The very first head that was amputated from the body during the Islamic period was of Ammar Ibn Yasir (RA), the famous companion of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF). Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in his Musnad narrates a tradition as follows, that has also been mentioned in the Tabaqat of Ibn Sa'd that:

In the Battle of Siffin, when the head of Ammar Yasir (RA) was cut off and was taken to Muawiyah, two people were arguing over it, each one claiming that he had killed Ammar.

Sunni references:
- Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Traditions #6538, #6929 Printed in Dar al- Maarif, Egypt 1952 - al-Tabaqat, by Ibn Sa'd, v3, p253

Case 2:

The second head that was amputated from the body was for Umro Ibn al- Hamaq, who was among the companions of the prophet (Allah's blessings on him and his cleansed progeny). Muawiyah alleged that he has participated in the assassination of Uthman. When efforts were carried out for his arrest, he hid in a cave, where a snake bit him. The people who were in his pursuit cut off the head from the dead body and took it to Ziyad. He then sent it to Muawiyah in Damascus, where the head was roamed around the city and was finally presented to his wife in her lap.

Sunni references:
- al-Tabaqat, by Ibn Sa'd, v6, p25
- al-Isti'ab, v2, p440
- al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, v8, p48
- Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, v8, p24

Case 3:

The same atrocity was committed against Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr (RA) who was the Governor for Imam Ali (AS) in Egypt. When Muawiyah captured Egypt, he was arrested and was killed. His dead body was placed in a belly of a dead donkey and then was brutally burnt.

Sunni references:
- al-Isti'ab, by Ibn Abd al-Barr, v1, p235
- History of al-Tabari, v4, p79
- History of Ibn Kathir, v3, p180
- History of Ibn Khaldoon, v2, p182

Case 4:

After this, it became a tradition for people who sought vengeance after their enemies were killed. Imam Husain's (AS) head was amputated, and was taken from Karbala to Kufah and from Kufah to Damascus. The body of Imam Husain (AS) was brutally ruined by the running of horses.

Sunni references
- History of al-Tabari, v4, pp 349-351,356
- History of Ibn Kathir, v3, pp 296-298
- al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, v8, pp 189-192

The Reward of Loving Ahlul-Bayt

I found the following astonishing tradition in one of the most famous Tafsir book of the Sunni brothers, that is, "Tafsir al-Kabir", by Fakhr al-Razi who is a leading Sunni scholar with multiple specialties in Tafsir, Fiqh, and theology. This tradition can also be found in other Sunni commentary books of Quran, "Tafsir al-Kashshaf," written by al-Zamakhshari, as well as "Tafsir al-Tha'labi."

I will present some traditions transmitted by the Sunnis which clearly specify the individuals whose love is obligatory.

The Messenger of Allah said:

He who dies with love of the family of Muhammad is a Martyr.

And behold! He who dies with love of the family of Muhammad is forgiven.

And more! The one who dies with love of the family of Muhammad is died repented.

Lo! He who dies with love of the family of Muhammad is died as a believer with a COMPLETE belief.

And no doubt! The one who dies with love of the family of Muhammad, the angle of death gives him the glad tiding of Paradise, and so do the two angels who question him (Munkar & Nakeer).

And verily he who dies with love of the family of Muhammad, will be led toward the Paradise as the bride is led to the house of her husband.

Behold! And he who dies with love of the family of Muhammad, for him there will open two gates in his grave toward the Paradise.

Lo! And the one who dies with love of the family of Muhammad, Allah will make his grave a sacred place of visit for the angels of mercy. And verily he who dies with love of the family of Muhammad, has died on Sunnah.

And no doubt! The one who dies with the HATE of the family of Muhammad, will arrive in the day of
judgment while it is printed on his forehead that he is desperate from the Mercy of Allah.

Behold! He who dies with the HATE of the family of Muhammad, has died unbeliever.

And verily he who dies with the HATE of the family of Muhammad, will never hear the smell of Paradise.

Sunni references:
Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhr al-Din Muhammad Ibn Umar al-Razi, Pub. in Egypt (1357/1938), under commentary of verse 42:23, Part 27, pp. 165-166.
Tafsir al-Kashshaf, by al-Zamakhshari
Tafsir al-Kabir, by al-Tha'labi

Fakhr al-Razi and others mentioned the above tradition under the commentary of the following verse of Quran, in which Allah tell his Messenger:

"(O Prophet) tell (people) I don't ask you any wage (in return for my prophethood) except to love my near kin. And if anyone earns any good We shall give Him an increase of good (in return for it)" (Quran 42:23).

It has been widely reported by the Sunni commentators of the Holy Quran that:

Ibn Abbas narrated: When the above verse (42:23) was revealed, the companions asked: "O' the Messenger of Allah! Who are those near kin whose love Allah has made obligatory for us?" Upon that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "Ali, Fatimah, and their two sons." He (PBUH&HF) repeated this sentence thrice.

Sunni references:
1. Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, Part 27, pp 165-166
2. Tafsir al-Tha'labi, under the commentary of verse 42:23 of Quran
3. Tafsir al-Tabari, by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, under verse 42:23
4. Tafsir al-Qurtubi, under commentary of verse 42:23 of Quran
5. Tafsir al-Kashshaf, by al-Zamakhshari, under commentary of verse 42:23
6. Tafsir al-Baidhawi, under the commentary of verse 42:23 of Quran
7. Tafsir al-Kalbi, under commentary of verse 42:23 of Quran
8. al-Madarik, in connection with verse 42:23
9. Dhakha'ir al-Uqba, by Muhibbuddin al-Tabari, p25
10. Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal,
11. al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p259
12. Shawahid al-Tanzeel, Hakim Hasakani, al-Hanafi, v2, p132
13. Many others such as Ibn Abi Hatam, al-Tabarani, etc.

Then the Prophet (PBUH&HF) continued:

"Verily Allah has dedicated my wage (of prophethood) to love of my Ahlul-Bayt, and I shall question you about it on the day of judgment."

Sunni references:
Dhakha'ir al-Uqba, by Muhibbuddin al-Tabari, p26
lal-Sirah, by al-Mala

In another tradition, we read:

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said: "I advice you to be kind to my Ahlul-Bayt for verily I will dispute you about them on the day of Judgment, and whoever I dispute him shall enter the Fire." He (PBUH&HF) also said: "One who regards me by regarding my Ahlul-Bayt, he has taken a promise from Allah (to enter the Paradise)."

Sunni references:
l al-Tabaqat, by Ibn Sa'd
l al-Sirah, by al-Mala
l al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p231

Furthermore, al-Kateeb and Ibn Hajar narrated on the authority of Anas Ibn Malik saying:

The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "The title of the Book (Saheefah) of believer is love of Ali Ibn Abi Talib."

Sunni references:
Tarikh, by al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi
al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 9, section 2, p193

In the above tradition, "The Book of believer" refers to the way a believer conducts the affairs, i.e., his daily life, and his diary.

On the commentary of the Quranic verse: "Lo! those who believe and do good, the Beneficent will appoint for them love (Quran 19:96)," al-Hafidh al-Salafi wrote: Muhammad Ibn Hanafiyyah said: "There will not be a believer unless in whose heart love of Ali and his family exists." In this connection, al-Bayhaqi, Abu al-Shaikh, and al-Daylami reported that the Messenger of Allah said: "A servant (of God) will not be a (true) believer unless he loves me more than his own soul, and loves my progeny more than his own soul and his own family." See al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, pp 261-262 quoted from al-Hafidh al-Salafi, al-Bayhaqi, Abu al-Shaikh, and al-Daylami).

al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad narrated:

The Messenger of Allah said: "He who loves me and loves these two: al-Hasan and al- Husain, and loves their father and mother, he will be with me in Paradise."

Sunni reference:
Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v5, p641
Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, on the authority of Imam Ali (AS)
Fadha'il al-Sahaba, by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v2, p693, Tradition #1185
al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p264

It is also narrated that:

The Messenger of Allah said: "Verily the prosperous and the only prosperous and the true prosperous is he who loves Ali in his lifetime and in his hereafter."

Sunni reference:
Fadha'il al-Sahaba, by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v2, p658, Tradition #1121
al-Riyadh al-Nadhirah, by Muhibbuddin al-Tabari, v3, p176
Majma' al-Zawa'id, by al-Haythami, v9, p132
Sharh Ibn Abil Hadid, v2, p429

Nine descendants of Imam Husain(a.s) are included in Ahlul-Bayt(a.s)

Only five members of Ahlul-Bayt were alive at the time of the Prophet (PBUH&HF). They were Prophet Muhammad, Lady Fatimah, Imam Ali, Imam al-Hasan, and Imam al- Husain. They were mentioned as Ahlul-Bayt by the Prophet (PBUH&HF) and the most important Sunni collections testify to this fact.

However the nine descendants of Imam al-Husain were not alive at that time so that the Prophet could not cover them by his mantle! But the Prophet did, in fact, mention their names and their numbers.

Let us review some traditions from Sihah Sittah:

The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "al-Mahdi is one of us Ahlul-Bayt."

Sunni reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4085

also:

The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "The Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatimah (the Prophet's daughter).

Sunni references:
Sunan Abi Dawud, English version, Ch. 36, Tradition #4271 (narrated by Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet)
Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4086
al-Nisa'i and al-Bayhaqi, and others as quoted in:
al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p249

By the above traditions, the Prophet extended Ahlul-Bayt up to Imam al-Mahdi (AS). So Ahlul-Bayt are not just those five, and Imam al-Mahdi is the last member of Ahlul-Bayt, but he was not born at the time of the Prophet so that he could take him into the Cloak as well!

Also the messenger of Allah said:

"There shall be twelve Imams/Caliphs/Amirs for my nation"

Sunni references:
Sahih al-Bukhari, Arabic-English, v9, Tradition #329;
Sahih Muslim, English version, Chapter DCCLIV, v3, pp 1009-1010, Traditions #4476 -->
#4483;
Sunan Abi Dawud, v2, p421 (three traditions);
Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v4, p501;
Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v5, p106;
Others such as al-Tiyalasi, Ibn al-Athir, etc.

These 12 Imams will cover till the day of resurrection as Sahih Muslim testifies. The last of them is surely Imam al-Mahdi (AS) who will appear in the last days and who is also from Ahlul-Bayt as the above tradition specified. There are other traditions in the Sunni collections in which the Prophet (PBUH&HF) has even mentioned the name of all these twelve individuals one by one. (see Yanabi' al- Mawaddah, by al-Qundoozi al-Hanafi).

Who was Yazid?

In order to learn more clearly as to how far the views expressed by Imam Husayn about Yazid are indisputable according to the history of Islam, one should refer to the following remarks of Mas'udi in respect of Yazid.

"Yazid was a pleasure-seeking person. He was a man, who kept beasts of prey. He had dogs, monkeys and panthers. He always arranged wine-drinking parties. One day after the martyrdom of Imam Husayn while he was sitting in such a party, Ibn Ziyad was seated on his right side,Yazid turned to the cupbearer and recited two couplets which are translated below:

"Give me a cup of wine which should satiate my bones. Then give another such cup to Ibn Ziyad, the man who is my confidant and who has strengthened my position and the foundation of my caliphate".

Yazid meant to say that Ibn Ziyad by killing Imam Husayn had strengthened the foundation of his caliphate.

Thereafter Mas'udi writes about the injustice and oppressions committed by Yazid and then says: "In the Muslim ummah Yazid was like Pharaoh amongst his subjects" and then writes: "It is not so, because Pharaoh was more just to his subjects". He adds: "The injustice, intrepidity and impiety of Yazid also penetrated into the Muslim ummah".

The sins committed by Yazid were also committed by his favorites and they adopted his ways and manners. During the period of his caliphate music became current in Makkah and Madina, and all sorts of amusements and funs began to be used. The people began to drink wine openly. It is also the more surprising that the man, who claimed to be the successor to the Holy Prophet and occupied the seat of the caliphate, had a pet monkey, which was named Abu Qays. Yazid used to bring it in his drinking parties and he spread a mattress for it. He also mounted it on the back of a she-ass, and made it participate in the horse-race. One day Abu Qays won the race. The monkey was then dressed in red and yellow silken clothes and cloak, and an embroidered cap was placed on its head".

This was the import of the sentence that Imam Husayn wrote to Mu'awiya about Yazid. However, this person attained to the Islamic Caliphate and pressed Imam Husayn to take the oath of allegiance i.e. to acknowledge him to be the lawful successor of his (i.e. Imam Husayn's) grandfather, the Prophet of Allah.

Imam Husain(A.S.)-The Chief of Martyrs

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