Imam Husain’s uprising – manifestation of the Holy Qur’an (6)
Sep 16, 2018 04:46 UTC
Welcome to the 6th episode of our daily series titled: “Imam Husain’s uprising – manifestation of the Holy Qur’an”.
Today on the 6th of Muharram, Imam Husain (AS), almost surrounded by the Omayyad armies converging upon Karbala, sent his loyal companion Habib ibn Mazaher al-Asadi, under cover of darkness towards the tribal areas of the latter’s clansmen, the Bani Asad, to urge them to rally to his aid. Some 90 tribesmen answered his call of the besieged grandson of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). They rode towards Karbala, but the commander of the Omayyad forces, Omar ibn Sa’d, on being informed of the situation, dispatched a 400-strong force under Azraq ash-Shami to block their entry. After brief skirmish, seeing that the odds were heavily against them, the Bani Asad tribesmen dispersed while Habib returned to Imam Husain (AS), who was the least perturbed and said: There is no Power except that of God and we are content with the Will of the Almighty Creator.
The 75-year old Habib, who had the honour of the company of the Prophet and of Imam Ali and Imam Hasan (peace upon them), was to attain martyrdom on 10th Muharram, the Day of Ashura, fighting the Omayyad hordes to the last drop of his blood in defence of Islam, justice and all other virtues.
As the “Qur’an an-Nateq” or the Speaking Qur’an, Imam Husain (AS) was the embodiment of God Almighty’s Revealed Word for the guidance of mankind. Every step he took was in accordance with the enlightening ayahs of the Heavenly Scripture.
On the 6th of Muharram, the Imam wrote a brief letter to his brother Mohammad al-Hanafiyya, and followers of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt in Medina, emphasizing: “Indeed, anyone joining me (in Karbala) will attain martyrdom, while anyone who does not join me will not attain victory.”
The letter of the Prophet’s grandson has several messages. Firstly, it shows that Imam Husain (AS) was aware of his impending martyrdom, along with his loyal companions, in his epic stand against the tyrannical rule of Yazid.
Secondly, after explicitly spelling out the fate of everyone standing firm beside him, he meant to say that all those desiring any other objective in siding with him, should leave – as could be clear by his emphasis on several occasions that he was waiving aside the pledge of allegiance to him by his companions so that they were free to leave him without any hesitation.
Thirdly, there is no victory for his killers even if they celebrate his death and the imprisoning of the children and womenfolk of the Prophet’s Household with festivities, as would soon be evident by the ignominious end of the perpetrators of the Tragedy of Karbala, such as the battlefield commanders Omar ibn Sa’d, Shimr, etc.; as well as Obaidullah ibn Ziyad the cruel governor of Iraq in Kufa, and Yazid the Godless and tyrannical ruler himself in Damascus.
Fourthly, the Imam’s message may also refer to the numerous uprisings launched by followers of the Ahl al-Bayt to avenge the innocent blood of the martyrs of Karbala with varying degrees of success, but never fully victorious by the sword alone.
Karbala was a strange battlefield. Thought the encounter was between the forces of truth and the forces of falsehood, the voice of Azaan or the call to the daily ritual prayers, was reverberating from both the sides, that is, the small group of Imam Husain (AS) and the large armies of the Omayyad regime. The two opposing groups were praying towards the same Qibla, that is, the Holy Ka’ba in Mecca, the focal point of Islamic worship. They were testifying to the Oneness of God Almighty and the mission of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). It was surprising that the Omayyad army in their prayers were ritually sending salutations on the Prophet and his progeny, and yet these misled souls had gathered in Karbala to either capture of kill the Prophet’s grandson, in violation of the letter and spirit of the daily prayers. This was indeed the height of hypocrisy, and a big question mark on the very claim of the Omayyads and their armies to be Muslims, because if they were really Muslims they would not damn themselves to the fires of hell, by blocking the waters of the River Euphrates and making preparations to kill Imam Husain (AS), who was not just the most righteous person of the age, but, as per the Prophet’s saying Leader of Youths of Paradise.
On the other side, the small group of loyal companions had full faith in the Holy Qur’an and were cognizant of the fact that truth and righteousness, as well as the path to paradise lay with Imam Husain (AS), and thus death in his company means attaining the pleasure of God Almighty. They were also aware that Yazid, his regime, and his army, were the hordes of Satan, and therefore it was incumbent upon true believers to confront these forces of falsehood.
While Imam Husain (AS) was on his way to Karbala, he was frequently reciting in his pleasant voice the ayahs and surahs of the Holy Qur’an that would enrapture any listener. When a person named Bashr ibn Ghalib al-Asadi came to the Imam and described the situation of Kufa as disturbed, the Imam agreed. And when Bashr asked him about the meaning of ayah 71 of surah al-Isra’, where God says: “The day We shall summon every group of people with their Imam,” Imam Husain (AS) said: Here God means to say that Imams or Leader are of two kinds. The leaders who invite people toward the right path that leads to the bliss of paradise, and the leaders who mislead the masses and end up in the fires of hell.
It was obvious that while Imam Husain (AS) was Leader of mankind on the basis of God’s commandments in the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet’s hadith, Yazid and the whole Omayyad regime had not legitimate authority to rule, and by claiming leadership of Muslims, were leading whoever followed them to the path of Satan and eventually the fires of hell.
Before reaching Karbala, a detachment of Omayyad troops led by Horr ar-Riyahi received instruction from Obaidullah ibn Ziyad, the cruel governor of Kufa, to block the path of Imam Husain (AS). The Imam of mercy, on the seeing the thirst of Horr’s forces, immediately provided water for them and their mounts. When Horr informed the Imam of his intention, the Imam described the Yazid and the Omayyad regime like the Pharaohs who mislead people towards the fire of hell, and recited ayah 41of Surah Qasas: “We made them leaders who invite to the Fire, and on the Day of Resurrection they will not receive any help.”
In Karbala, as the army of Yazid intensified its blockade of waters of the River Euphrates, the Imam’s young daughter Hazrat Sakinah with tears in her eyes complained to her about the sufferings being inflicted by the Omayyads on the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt. The Imam calmed her by reciting ayah 19 of Surah Mujadilah in which God describes the mischief and misery of the enemies of truth:
“Satan has prevailed upon them, so he has caused them to forget the remembrance of Allah. They are Satan’s confederates. Look! Indeed it is Satan’s confederates who are the losers!”
Thus by launching the immortal epic of Ashura, Imam Husain (AS) exposed for all time the ugly face of falsehood, while revealing the radiant visage of truth and righteousness that always triumphs over evil and wrongfulness.
AS/ME
Tags
