Mahdi Mahmud :
About 1400 years have passed; till now the Muslim Ummah is laden with grief by remembering the tragic event of Karbala. The month of Muharram is commemorated with diverse arrangements like public speech by the scholars on the philosophy of Husaini Movement, threnody, lamentation and mourning processions. The number of Husain lovers is increasing in a galloping manner every year to the path of Karbala, Iraq and that is being marked as the largest gatherings for the last 8-10 years.
How is it possible that people of different sects of Islam including followers of other religions- Christians, Hindus are taking Husain as the Iconic figure against injustice and oppression? It is not the intention of the columnist to find the intrinsic reasons behind this startling happening; moreover, isn’t it natural to happen like this?
A claimant of being a Muslim can’t be a real follower of Muhammad (Sm) if he does not follow the Sahih Hadiths, The Sirah of the Prophet (Pbuh) and the Traditions of the just Sahaba-e- keram.
We can turn to the issue of Muharram once again by taking the Hadith, “Hussain is from me,and I am from Hussain” (Sahih Tirmizi)
Yes! Husain bin Ali was a part of the physical and the spiritual self of the Prophet Muhammad (Sm). And so, the Prophet used to address his grandson Husain as his own son. Husain learnt his lesson directly from the house of revelation. His father is Ali-‘The lion of Allah’ and the’ gate of the City of Knowledge’. His mother is the best woman of all time- Fatima (Ra) the gracious.
Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) told appropriately, “Husain is from me.”
Again it is worth mentioning, Prophet Muhammad was born in the ‘Era of Ignorance’ and cleansed the land of Arabia and the world from the filth of polytheism, disbelief, injustice, tyranny and safeguarded the flag of Tawhid from the dark claws of the evils. Likewise, Imam Husain (Ra) also protected the Muhammadan Creed from the vengeance of the successors of the vanquished ones of Badr, Uhd, Khandak and he tilted the throne of monarchy and nepotism and unveiled the true face of the deviators and hypocrites.
Muhammad (pbuh) brought the truth and Husain ensured the lasting of it until the last days of human race. Karbala is the teaching of uprising against injustice and oppression. Karbala shows the pragmatic applicability of Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh). The uprising of Husain was not a mere struggle for throne. The sacrifice of Imam was not for petty love of any woman as it is ascribed in the mythological novel ‘Bishad Sindhu’. The Prophet of Allah had predicted the event of Karbala by the information given to him by Allah at the time of the birth of Husain Bin Ali.
Narrated from Umme Salmah (Ra) that the Prophet (Sm) said to one of his wives (‘Aisha/Umme Salmah),” An Angel entered the house whom I didn’t saw before. He said to me, This son of yours Al-Husain will be killed and if you wish I can show you the soil from the earth where he will be killed. Then he took out some red soil.”[Musnade Hambal]
In another Hadith from Anas bin Malik (Ra) it is clealy mentioned that Husain will be butchered by a group from the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (Sm) (Musnade Ahmad).The theme of these Hadiths are commented to be authentic by Muhaddis Albaani.
That means, the martyrdom of Husain was not an accident ; rather the tragedy of Karbala was the dernier outcome of the set of events from the very beginning after the demise of the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) till the 10th day of 61 Hijra. Imam Husain saved the Muhammadan Islam by the blood of his own, his brother, his two sons (one of whom was 6 months old) and by the repression to his family members ,children and women.
Yes ! It was not an suicidal attempt, rather in Imam’s own words :
“I never revolted for any worldly purpose, but I rose seeking reformation for the nation of my grandfather Muhammad (Pbuh). I intend to enjoin good and forbid evil, to act according to the Traditions of my grandfather and my father Ali ibn Abi-Talib.”
It is the gist of Husainy Movement .Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil was the motto. His Jihad was against Umayyad monarchy and nepotism .There was not a single way out to cure the disease in the Ummah without this greatest sacrifice. It was the time when the era of ignorance was back in the disdasha of Islam. So, Imam stood up, rose higher, walked to his ultimate destination- Martyrdom and knocked the unconscious Ummah with the massage, “Arise and bear witness!”
It was that Husain, whose saddle was the Holy Prophet during playing (Tirmizi), for whom Prophet Muhammad lengthened the sujud/prostration of prayer as little Husain was on his back-playing (Tirmizi), it was that Husain, about whom Prophet (Pbuh) told that, he (Holy Prophet) is the friend of the friends of Husain and enemy of the enemy of his beloved grandson (Ibne Majah), when decreed by Allah to choose any one of the two-Husain, the grandson or Ibrahim, the son-to stay alive and other one to die, the Prophet (Pbuh) chosed Husain to live (Tarikh-e-Baghdad), whom the Prophet addressed as his own son (Tirmizi), whom the Prophet kissed, embraced and took the fragrance of the body (Tirmizi) and he who was from the Holy progeny of the Prophet (pbuh) -loving whom is obligatory–after the martyrdom of him-Al Husain, the Ummah woke up and the Umayyad monarchy tilted.
In this regard of the mission of Husain (Ra), the novelist Charles Dickens said, “If Husain had fought to quench his worldly desires, then I do not understand why his sister, wife, and children accompanied him. It stands to reason therefore, that he sacrificed purely for Islam” (‘Charles Dickens’ Miscellanies’, p.61.)
“If it is Yazid to be the leader of Muslim Ummah, then, it is the end of Islam.”-Imam Husain (Ra)
“Don’t you see that the right is not conveyed and the wrong is not prohibited, Let believer wish to die and righteously meet their God.”-Imam Husain (Ra)
Everyday is Ashura, in every footstep. And every ground is Karbala. It is the obligation of the believer to keep Karbala awakens in the humanity.
Mourning speeches from the pulpit, drop of tears, lamentations and reciting elegy are the ways to do so.
Prophet Yaqub (As) cried for eighty years and lost his eyesight after the estrangement of his son Yousuf (Al Quran 12:85 and, Tarikh-e-Tabari, part 13, pg-32), Prophet Muhammad (Sm) cried after the martyrdom of Hazrat Hamza (Sirah-e-Halabiyya), he cried for the martyrs of the war of Mutah (Bukhari), Asma – the wife of Zafar, Fatima Zahra and other women there-cried after the martyrdom of Zafar ; and the Prophet -while crying in the anguish of the demise of Zafar, said, “People should cry for man like Zafar.” (Kamil-fit-Tarikh)
After the demise of the last Prophet (Sm), Ummul Mumeneen Aysha (Ra) along with other women lamented and beat themselves in grave agony (Musnad-e-Hambal). Hazrat Fatima Zahra (Ra) secluded herself away from the people and cried continuously for her father from the very first day of his demise till her death.(Aqd’ul Farid, Kanj al-Ummal).
When Imam Husain (Ra) came to this world, Archangel Jibril brought the news of his being butchered and his family members being repressed by (some prople of Ummah of Prophet in future) hearing that the Prophet lamented. (Tarikh ibn Kathir, part-11, pg-29-30..Al Kamil fit-Tarikh, Musnad-e-Hambal)
After the martyrdom of Imam Husain (Ra) every now and then, Zainul Abedin, the son of Imam Husain arranged mourning gatherings and cried a lot. This tradition is still alive by the descendants of the Imam and the lovers of Ahl-Bayt.
Even, Ibn Abbas,Anas bin Malik, Zaid ibn Arkam, Umme Salmah (Ra) the alive just Sahaba’e Keram, Ummul Mumeneen and Tabee’ins followed the Tradition of lamentation for Husain (Ra). Crying and Lamentation for the closed ones are the signs of love.
Allah said in the holy Quran: “Say, [O Muhammad], “I do not ask you for this message any payment [but] only love for my household.” (Al Quran 42:23)
Mourning for the Martyrs of Karbala enhances love for those self-sacrificed ones and for Islam. Anguish turns into potency and propels us to the way of the truth.
But doing anything in the name of mourning which is excess and out of the rules of Islam. It proves the ignorance of the crooner .The tradition of shedding blood by self flagellation is forbidden according to the teachings of the great Jurisprudents of the followers of Ahle Bayt. Moreover it is against the sacred philosophy of the sacrifice of Ashura.Imam Husain (Ra) didn’t sacrifice even a small drop of his blood in vain.
History is the mirror-image of the future .More is a nation conscious of their history, more it is developed. Constructive study of the history of 1400 years of Islam can help us resolve disunity, can enrich our Islamic tradition and can bring forward the long cherished Islamic Renaissance.
Better I conclude with a finishing touch by the Great Poet Josh Malihabadi on the Husaini movement: “Let humanity awaken and every tribe will claim Husain to be their own.”
About 1400 years have passed; till now the Muslim Ummah is laden with grief by remembering the tragic event of Karbala. The month of Muharram is commemorated with diverse arrangements like public speech by the scholars on the philosophy of Husaini Movement, threnody, lamentation and mourning processions. The number of Husain lovers is increasing in a galloping manner every year to the path of Karbala, Iraq and that is being marked as the largest gatherings for the last 8-10 years.
How is it possible that people of different sects of Islam including followers of other religions- Christians, Hindus are taking Husain as the Iconic figure against injustice and oppression? It is not the intention of the columnist to find the intrinsic reasons behind this startling happening; moreover, isn’t it natural to happen like this?
A claimant of being a Muslim can’t be a real follower of Muhammad (Sm) if he does not follow the Sahih Hadiths, The Sirah of the Prophet (Pbuh) and the Traditions of the just Sahaba-e- keram.
We can turn to the issue of Muharram once again by taking the Hadith, “Hussain is from me,and I am from Hussain” (Sahih Tirmizi)
Yes! Husain bin Ali was a part of the physical and the spiritual self of the Prophet Muhammad (Sm). And so, the Prophet used to address his grandson Husain as his own son. Husain learnt his lesson directly from the house of revelation. His father is Ali-‘The lion of Allah’ and the’ gate of the City of Knowledge’. His mother is the best woman of all time- Fatima (Ra) the gracious.
Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) told appropriately, “Husain is from me.”
Again it is worth mentioning, Prophet Muhammad was born in the ‘Era of Ignorance’ and cleansed the land of Arabia and the world from the filth of polytheism, disbelief, injustice, tyranny and safeguarded the flag of Tawhid from the dark claws of the evils. Likewise, Imam Husain (Ra) also protected the Muhammadan Creed from the vengeance of the successors of the vanquished ones of Badr, Uhd, Khandak and he tilted the throne of monarchy and nepotism and unveiled the true face of the deviators and hypocrites.
Muhammad (pbuh) brought the truth and Husain ensured the lasting of it until the last days of human race. Karbala is the teaching of uprising against injustice and oppression. Karbala shows the pragmatic applicability of Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh). The uprising of Husain was not a mere struggle for throne. The sacrifice of Imam was not for petty love of any woman as it is ascribed in the mythological novel ‘Bishad Sindhu’. The Prophet of Allah had predicted the event of Karbala by the information given to him by Allah at the time of the birth of Husain Bin Ali.
Narrated from Umme Salmah (Ra) that the Prophet (Sm) said to one of his wives (‘Aisha/Umme Salmah),” An Angel entered the house whom I didn’t saw before. He said to me, This son of yours Al-Husain will be killed and if you wish I can show you the soil from the earth where he will be killed. Then he took out some red soil.”[Musnade Hambal]
In another Hadith from Anas bin Malik (Ra) it is clealy mentioned that Husain will be butchered by a group from the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (Sm) (Musnade Ahmad).The theme of these Hadiths are commented to be authentic by Muhaddis Albaani.
That means, the martyrdom of Husain was not an accident ; rather the tragedy of Karbala was the dernier outcome of the set of events from the very beginning after the demise of the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) till the 10th day of 61 Hijra. Imam Husain saved the Muhammadan Islam by the blood of his own, his brother, his two sons (one of whom was 6 months old) and by the repression to his family members ,children and women.
Yes ! It was not an suicidal attempt, rather in Imam’s own words :
“I never revolted for any worldly purpose, but I rose seeking reformation for the nation of my grandfather Muhammad (Pbuh). I intend to enjoin good and forbid evil, to act according to the Traditions of my grandfather and my father Ali ibn Abi-Talib.”
It is the gist of Husainy Movement .Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil was the motto. His Jihad was against Umayyad monarchy and nepotism .There was not a single way out to cure the disease in the Ummah without this greatest sacrifice. It was the time when the era of ignorance was back in the disdasha of Islam. So, Imam stood up, rose higher, walked to his ultimate destination- Martyrdom and knocked the unconscious Ummah with the massage, “Arise and bear witness!”
It was that Husain, whose saddle was the Holy Prophet during playing (Tirmizi), for whom Prophet Muhammad lengthened the sujud/prostration of prayer as little Husain was on his back-playing (Tirmizi), it was that Husain, about whom Prophet (Pbuh) told that, he (Holy Prophet) is the friend of the friends of Husain and enemy of the enemy of his beloved grandson (Ibne Majah), when decreed by Allah to choose any one of the two-Husain, the grandson or Ibrahim, the son-to stay alive and other one to die, the Prophet (Pbuh) chosed Husain to live (Tarikh-e-Baghdad), whom the Prophet addressed as his own son (Tirmizi), whom the Prophet kissed, embraced and took the fragrance of the body (Tirmizi) and he who was from the Holy progeny of the Prophet (pbuh) -loving whom is obligatory–after the martyrdom of him-Al Husain, the Ummah woke up and the Umayyad monarchy tilted.
In this regard of the mission of Husain (Ra), the novelist Charles Dickens said, “If Husain had fought to quench his worldly desires, then I do not understand why his sister, wife, and children accompanied him. It stands to reason therefore, that he sacrificed purely for Islam” (‘Charles Dickens’ Miscellanies’, p.61.)
“If it is Yazid to be the leader of Muslim Ummah, then, it is the end of Islam.”-Imam Husain (Ra)
“Don’t you see that the right is not conveyed and the wrong is not prohibited, Let believer wish to die and righteously meet their God.”-Imam Husain (Ra)
Everyday is Ashura, in every footstep. And every ground is Karbala. It is the obligation of the believer to keep Karbala awakens in the humanity.
Mourning speeches from the pulpit, drop of tears, lamentations and reciting elegy are the ways to do so.
Prophet Yaqub (As) cried for eighty years and lost his eyesight after the estrangement of his son Yousuf (Al Quran 12:85 and, Tarikh-e-Tabari, part 13, pg-32), Prophet Muhammad (Sm) cried after the martyrdom of Hazrat Hamza (Sirah-e-Halabiyya), he cried for the martyrs of the war of Mutah (Bukhari), Asma – the wife of Zafar, Fatima Zahra and other women there-cried after the martyrdom of Zafar ; and the Prophet -while crying in the anguish of the demise of Zafar, said, “People should cry for man like Zafar.” (Kamil-fit-Tarikh)
After the demise of the last Prophet (Sm), Ummul Mumeneen Aysha (Ra) along with other women lamented and beat themselves in grave agony (Musnad-e-Hambal). Hazrat Fatima Zahra (Ra) secluded herself away from the people and cried continuously for her father from the very first day of his demise till her death.(Aqd’ul Farid, Kanj al-Ummal).
When Imam Husain (Ra) came to this world, Archangel Jibril brought the news of his being butchered and his family members being repressed by (some prople of Ummah of Prophet in future) hearing that the Prophet lamented. (Tarikh ibn Kathir, part-11, pg-29-30..Al Kamil fit-Tarikh, Musnad-e-Hambal)
After the martyrdom of Imam Husain (Ra) every now and then, Zainul Abedin, the son of Imam Husain arranged mourning gatherings and cried a lot. This tradition is still alive by the descendants of the Imam and the lovers of Ahl-Bayt.
Even, Ibn Abbas,Anas bin Malik, Zaid ibn Arkam, Umme Salmah (Ra) the alive just Sahaba’e Keram, Ummul Mumeneen and Tabee’ins followed the Tradition of lamentation for Husain (Ra). Crying and Lamentation for the closed ones are the signs of love.
Allah said in the holy Quran: “Say, [O Muhammad], “I do not ask you for this message any payment [but] only love for my household.” (Al Quran 42:23)
Mourning for the Martyrs of Karbala enhances love for those self-sacrificed ones and for Islam. Anguish turns into potency and propels us to the way of the truth.
But doing anything in the name of mourning which is excess and out of the rules of Islam. It proves the ignorance of the crooner .The tradition of shedding blood by self flagellation is forbidden according to the teachings of the great Jurisprudents of the followers of Ahle Bayt. Moreover it is against the sacred philosophy of the sacrifice of Ashura.Imam Husain (Ra) didn’t sacrifice even a small drop of his blood in vain.
History is the mirror-image of the future .More is a nation conscious of their history, more it is developed. Constructive study of the history of 1400 years of Islam can help us resolve disunity, can enrich our Islamic tradition and can bring forward the long cherished Islamic Renaissance.
Better I conclude with a finishing touch by the Great Poet Josh Malihabadi on the Husaini movement: “Let humanity awaken and every tribe will claim Husain to be their own.”
