Introduction
Karbala is a historical word. It contains a stream of blood in
its root. Muharram is the month for a profoundly somber engagement with what
happened at Karbala—in present-day Iraq—on the tenth day of the 61st year of
Hijra (10 October 680 CE). On that day, barely fifty years after the Prophet
Muhammad's (s) death, his beloved grandson, Husain®, was martyred on the battlefield, together with several
members of his own family. Their struggle was aimed at the
ultimate goal of awakening human beings of all times to uplift the human spirit
beyond short-sighted materialistic pursuits, and establish a just and equitable
order in society.
Context of Ashura:
With just 72 valiant followers and family members, the grandson
of Prophet Mohammad(s.) faced the military might of the Muslim empire ruled
then by a despot, Yazid bin Mu‘awiya. Hussain(R.) refused to sanctify Yazid's
reign through baya'a (allegiance) and consequently, he and his
small contingent were martyred in the most brutal of fashions. The accompanying
women and children were imprisoned for months in the dark alleys of Damascus. On every Ashura, the 10th day of the Muslim calendar month of
Muharram, many Muslims all across the world commemorate Hussain's great
sacrifice, but tragically the central message of Karbala appears to evade the
broader Muslim thinking today.
It was a matter of principle for Imam Hussain(R.)-
one of human dignity and honor. Challenging the newly introduced monarchical
system of government was another important feature of this struggle. In his
last sermon before departing from Madina on his journey towards Karbala, Iraq,
he made clear his mission: "I seek to reform the Ummah of my
grandfather." An armed struggle for that purpose was never his intended
route. He believed in conveying the message through love and compassion. It was
a message motivated truly by humanity.
Karbala is an
example
Karbala has imparted a new meaning to the term struggle and
left an example for the humankind to strive with patience and constancy in the
face of extreme situation without losing standards and self esteem. It has
given a meaning that comfort and safety should not to be an obstruction in the
higher struggle for the rewards of the hereafter. Imam Hussain (R.) did not
give up his struggle even though he was abandoned by the multitudes that had
offered him support at the start nor did he surrender while facing unbeatable
odd consequences. He not only gave his life in the name of Islam but also
sacrifices all his family for the cause of Allah SWT. Imam Hussain (R.)had declared
his noble mission right from the birth to fight for Islam and save its value
and traditions all over the world.
Significance of
Karbala
The event of Karbala always evokes
strong emotions and deep intellectual thoughts which touch and affect the whole
existence of those who seek to find a path through it. But the significance of
this event goes much beyond the mere unveiling of the corruption and
deviations. Karbala changed the course of history and continues to inspire all
truth-seeking revolutionaries.
The remedy to the malady
lies in mainstreaming the message of Karbala both within the worldwide Muslim
communities and among those who are interested in deciphering the foundational
themes of Islamic discourse. At a higher level, Hussain's message of defiance
against illegal rules, oppression and personal sacrifice for the cause of humanity is
applicable for a broader audience for generations to come.
Recklessness makes man worse than animals. The
Holy Qur'an on this regards :
"And certainly We have created for hell
many of the jinn and the men; they have hearts with which they do not
understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears
with which they do not hear; they are as cattle, nay, they are in worse errors;
these are the heedless ones." (7:179). Karbala killed
Another significant of Karbala
is that we have to engage women in our movement. We know tireless
struggle of Hussain's sister Zainab ibne Ali, who as an eyewitness of the
tragedy propagated details of the event far and wide among Muslims. While in
chains, she courageously challenged Yazid's policies on his face in his court
in Damascus soon after the battle at Karbala.
Reawakening
of Muslim Ummah
Karbala teased the heedlessness of the masses. Water can bring
back an unconscious man into consciousness, but to awaken a heedless community
from the deep slumber of ignorance, blood is required. The blood of Imam
al-Hussain (R.) affected the collective consciousness of a sleeping Ummah and
caused tremors which shook the very foundations of the Umayyad regime and led
to their complete uprooting in the period which followed.
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has said:
"Surely there exists in the hearts of the believers, with respect to the
martyrdom of Hussain, a heat that never subsides."
This heat of faith
and awakening of consciousness has led to innumerable revolutions in human
history, both in individual lives and in society as a whole. The message of
Imam Hussain(R.) still resonates in the hearts of truth seekers. It inspires
leaders to fulfill their obligations with respect to opposing evil and
protecting goodness. It enjoins all those who heed the call of truth to rise
against the unjust powers and confront evil: Many
Muslim societies have been ruled by the dictators and monarchs who are just
forwarding the western agenda. “They are suppressing their own people just to
please their western masters. West is attempting to continue its hegemony over
Muslim countries using the power leverage. Karbala is definitely a source of
inspiration for awakening in Muslim Ummah.
Palestine is burning, Kashmeer is crying, Arakan is lamenting, Afgan is waving. Common situation with
various dimensions exists in every Muslim land. Yet we have all heard: Every
day is Ashura, every land is Karbala. So there is no choice to Muslims without Unity. They will have to awaken. Karbala is the power house to supply energy for this purpose.
Conclusion
It is not necessary to go to the bank of Forat to learn the lessons of Karbala. It can be earned by observing any Muslim land today.
The spirit and revolution of Karbala, like all
teachings of Islam, require a pure heart and a sincere truth seeking soul to
affect. Karbala can bring about revolution in our lives only if we observe it
along with all other teachings of Islam.
May Allah make our souls adapt to the
teachings of Karbala, allowing it to bring a revolutionary change in our lives,
eliminate ignorance, illuminate us, and lead us to salvation in both worlds.
