Imam Husain’s Uprising – Manifestation of the Holy Qur’an (10)

Our heartfelt condolences to all on the anniversary of the heartrending epic of Ashura, the world’s most tragic event. The following is the 10th and last episode of our series: “Imam Husain’s Uprising – Manifestation of the Holy Qur’an”.

On the eve of this fateful 10^th of Muharram in 61 AH, when the Omayyad commander Omar ibn Sa’d renewed the demand that Imam Husain (AS) give pledge of allegiance to the libertine Yazid’s Godless rule or risk an immediate attack, the Imam had asked for a night’s respite to pray and supplicate to God. As a matter of fact, the Imam gave respite to the enemy forces to contemplate on their blasphemous decision to gang up against the blessed Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny).

On the morning of 10^th Muharram or Ashura, the brave Horr ar-Riyahi, along with a few conscientious persons, after spending a restless night which in his own words he found himself hovering on the edge of the fires of hell, took the courageous decision to extricate himself from the clutches of Satan by deciding to leave the 30,000 strong Omayyad forces and join the small group of Imam Husain (AS). His move was not in pursuit of any material gain but for courting glorious martyrdom for the sake of God and Islam.

Earlier the previous night, Shimr Zi’l-Jowshan, who had arrived in Karbala on Moharram 9 with instructions from the tyrannical governor of Iraq, Obaidullah ibn Ziyad to Omar Ibn Sa’d to either handover command of the Omayyad forces or attack and kill the Prophet’s grandson, announced that he had brought a letter of security for the Imam’s brother, the valiant standard-bearer, Hazrat Abbas (AS), if he defects. Hazrat Abbas (AS) spurned Shimr’s offer and scoffed at his claim of being a kinsman of his mother, Omm al-Baneen, saying he will never leave the Imam’s side till the last drop of his blood.

On the morning of Ashura, Imam Husain (AS), who was “Qur’an an-Nateq” or the Heavenly Scripture in Action, readied himself for martyrdom, along with 72-odd steadfast companions including sons, brothers, nephews, kinsmen, and friends, all of whom refused to endorse the illegitimate rule of the Godless tyrant, Yazid bin Mu'awiyah.

The Imam, reciting the ayahs of the holy Qur’an, rode his mount towards the battlefield and calling on the cowardly hypocrites asked them as to why they wanted his innocent blood, knowing fully well that he was the Prophet's successor and their well-wisher in both the life of this mortal world and the Hereafter.

There was pin drop silence during the speech of the speech of the Imam, who told the misled forces: The reason my words have no effect on you is because your hearts are sealed with cruelty and your stomachs are filled with haraam – that is, forbidden food and drinks, or even permitted food but procured through unlawful means like bribe, usury, theft, usurpation of others’ prosperities, and the grants given by illegal and oppressive rulers for obeying their instructions.

The Imam said: You are the same ignorant people of this Ummah and are of the corrupt parties who left the Qur’an behind; you are from the group of criminals who kill the descendants of the prophets of God.

The Imam then recited ayahs 54, 55 and 56 of Surah Houd:

“He (Prophet Houd) said, ‘I call Allah to witness —and you too be [my] witnesses— that I repudiate what you take as [His] partners,”

“Besides Him. Now try out your stratagems against me, together, without granting me any respite.”

“Indeed I have put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no living being but He holds it by its forelock. Indeed my Lord is on a straight path.”

When one of the enemy soldiers asked: What is the basis of your claim that the Prophets and their progeny are superior to others? Imam Husain (AS) answered by reciting ayah 33 of Surah Aal-e Imran:

“Indeed Allah chose Adam and Noah, and the progeny of Abraham and the progeny of Imran above all the nations;”

The enemy soldiers were struck with remorse and it is reported that so impressive were the words of the Imam that even some started crying. This state created panic among the commanders of the Omayyad army, its chief commander, Omar ibn Sa'd, who had been promised the governorship of Rayy in northern Iran if he killed the Prophet’s grandson, gave orders for beating of drums so as to disturb the Imam’s speech. He then shot the first arrow towards the Imam’s camps, which was followed by a volley from the enemies.

Nonetheless, Imam Husain (AS) and his followers refused to yield and fighting bravely the 30,000 troops against all odds, courted martyrdom in combat. Among the martyrs were the Imam's valiant brother and standard bearer of the group, Hazrat Abbas (AS), who lost both his hands while trying to bring water to the thirsty camp from the besieged River Euphrates. The Imam also saw the tragic martyrdom before his eyes, of not only his 18-year son, Ali Akbar, who bore a striking resemblance to the Prophet, but also his six-month infant son, Ali Asghar, whose throat was savagely targeted by an arrow when the Imam took the child and asked the stone-hearted enemies to at least provide water for the innocent baby. After cruelly martyring Imam Husain and beheading him while alive, the cowardly enemies looted the camp and took as prisoners, the womenfolk and children of their own Prophet. The martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS) thus unmasked hypocrisy and became a rallying point for justice and freedom. It serves till this day as a catalyst for reforms and revolutions, and steadfastness against oppression and colonialist designs, as demonstrated by Islamic Resistance movements all over the world.

When Imam Husain (AS) was making his last stand amidst the shower of arrows, the hurling of spears, and the sword blows, with his innocent blood pouring on the burning sands of Karbala, he continued his sermonizing, in the hope of at least saving some of these misled elements from the fires of hell. He said: “O people, this is Husain the son of Ali, regarding whom the Prophet had said: Husain is from me and I am from Husain; O God, I dedicate him to You for the benefit of Your creation.

With the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS), his soul, along with the souls of those who sacrificed their life for the sake of God, flew towards the ethereal heavens, but the fragrance of their bodies remained in the soil of Karbala to serve as eternal symbols of faith and resistance against injustice.

Even when the cowardly enemies severed the heads of the martyrs and cruelly mounted them on lances to take them as trophies to the court of Obaidollah ibn Ziyad the tyrannical governor of Iraq who had ordered killing of Imam Husain (AS), the pleasant tone of the Imam’s recitation of the holy Qur’an echoed in the city of Kufa to the utter astonishment and fear of the Omayyads.

AS/MG