adminImam Hussein is the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon Him) from his daughter Fatima and his cousin and son-in-law Ali Bin Abi Talib.
He was born on the third of Sha’ban in the year 4 AH in the city of Medina.
Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him) used to call him and his brother Hassan as his beloved sons.
He is the one who chose their names after they were born.
Being from the Prophet’s progeny, Imam Husayn was one of the twelve imams entrusted with divine leadership of the Islamic nation This right was, however, usurped from his father Imam Ali soon after the death of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Nevertheless, he remained conscious of the fact that he was the vanguard and custodian of Islam. When Islamic decadence discrimination reached its peak during the reign of Muawiyah Bin Abo Sofiyan and his son Yazid in Damascus in Syria, Imam Hussein rejected the leadership of Muawiyah and Yazid because of their corruption, oppression, slavery and injustice.
Hence the event of Ashura, which occurred on the 10th of Muharram at Karbala in 680 A.D in Iraq, is about Imam Husayn staging a strong resistance against the tyranny, injustice, and repression of the Yazid regime against torture and execution of pious Muslims, which violated the Islamic concept of justice, morality and human dignity.
The impetus of this revolt was to uphold the ideals and values of Islam provided for in the Holy Qur’an, to rescue the higher human values, moral, social, political and spiritual, and to preserve the true spirit of Islam.
The event of Karbala in absolute terms marks the commitment of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson and his household to the teachings of God, teachings that serve justice and right, hence serve humanity.
Islamic sources point to the fact that this tragic event which culminated in the martyrdom of Imam Husayn and his followers at Karbala’ deeply influenced the tide of time in various ways, in the fields of philosophy, political thought, social reform, and cultural resurgence of the Muslim world and the oppressed of the world.
The Islamic world widely acknowledges that Husayn initiated a movement that has proved to be an archetype representing an eternal struggle of truth against falsehood, justice against injustice and tyranny, human dignity against dehumanisation, the revolt of the oppressed against oppressors, and overpowering of the strong by society’s weak.
Accordingly, it can be said with certainty that the dynamic Husayn movement, which stands unequalled in its greatness and fills pages upon pages of history, continues to be recreated as a popular platform and convenient weapon to repel the repressive forces, imperialism and Western domination in many parts of the developing world.
In the Iran, Imam Khomeini recreated and revived the spirit of “Ashura” through his messages against the despotic Pahlavi rule and the exploitive domination of alien powers over the developing nations throughout the world.
By so doing, Imam Khomeini, not only succeeded in bringing about the Islamic Revolution in Iran and through it, influencing the entire Muslims world, but rekindled the flame hidden in “Ashura” as the prime mover of a continuing process in human history for evolving a better society that could safeguard the principles of justice, social equity, and the cultural independence of the developing world.
In the Middle East and some parts of North Africa, the recent Islamic Awakening in countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Bahrain may as well be considered as a replica of Imam Husayn’s revolution which has become more and more effervescent and more articulated and serves as the source of inspiration for all the free spirits and all freedom-loving people.
Indeed, for anyone who cherishes truth and justice above all else, every day must be “Ashura, and every land Karbala”.
The battle for truth and justice is an ongoing one, and must be fought daily.
Ashura is the epitome of the struggle and justice in Islam.
In physical terms, Imam Husayn might have lost the battle of the Karbala, but in spiritual terms, he is one of the greatest victors the world has seen. His martyrdom is the embodiment of the highest of sublime human and social values and ideals. It is the everlasting scene of manifestation of the bond of life and justice, epic and mission, faith and fortitude, liberality, dignity and unity for Muslims today.
The sacrifice of life, though respectable in itself, is not by itself sufficient to define that which is characteristically humane.
The sacrifice of life that is characteristic of the human being is one which is based on faith in the truth. Within the religious circles, sacrifice of life is considered to be proper only for the sake of spiritual goals.
The term “martyrdom” is often employed to describe this kind of self-sacrifice.
The term “martyr” in Christianity means witness which is the same as the meaning of Shaheed in Islam.
In Catholic literature the “martyrs” had precedence over the saints and were considered perfect examples of Christianhood.
On this basis, Islam and Christianity employ similar terms with a common meaning for martyrdom and in practice this concept and phenomenon in the Christian culture has much similarity with Islam.
Early Christian stories tell us of the persecution and martyrdom of followers of Jesus Christ (Peace be upon him).
Jesus himself is said to have showed Peter “by what kind of death he was to glorify God” (John 21:19). And he promised his disciples, “some of you will be put to death” (Luke 21:16).
There was an appointed number of Christians who would be martyred, as John said in Revelation 6:11, “. . . until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.”
The History of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle is replete with names of individuals, communities and even whole families who sacrificed their lives in order to liberate the masses from oppression and colonial injustice.
Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi are among the most prominent martyrs of Zimbabwe in addition to the thousands of fallen heroes and heroines of Zimbabwe who lie at various liberation shrines dotted in and outside the country.
These people sacrificed everything that they loved in order to put an end to the brutal, and cruel and dictatorial leadership of the colonial Rhodesian government.
The blood of these martyrs is the greatest source of peace and harmony pervading the nation of Zimbabwe today.
In Islam, Imam Husayn’s martyrdom provides evidence of the moral victory of right over wrong, of virtue over vice, of principle over compromise, of the oppressed over the oppressor, of the denied over the denier; the ultimate victory of blood over the sword.
It is imperative that, the Muslim word marks the event of Ashura, we remain conscious of the fact that the Islam we enjoy today is a superlative manifestation of the great task of annihilating oppression and injustice performed by Imam Husayn through his martyrdom.
The sacrifice of Imam Husayn was about standing in the face of oppression, no matter the cost.
The martyrdom of his children and tens of his followers should teach us how these people explained to the world by their death, through martyrdom, the meaning of life; that living is truly of value that offers itself for a cause greater than its self, that to die with honour is better than living in subjugation to injustice.
The lesson is not only that Imam Husayn was prepared to fight for what is right, but that he was willing to die for it; selflessness, not selfishness; humility not ego.
Our sorrows should never abate as we relive the tragedy of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn.
The memory of Karbala should excite and evoke the tradition of resistance against tyranny and inequity across the world. Imam Husayn’s colossal struggle and monumental martyrdom, which was so poignant, should continue to serve as a beacon of light to all the oppressed of the world who struggle for freedom, justice and unity.
As we mark the event of Ashura, the martyrdom of Imam Husayn should remain the everlasting stage on which scenes of love and loyalty, bravery and sacrifice, nobility and high spirituality are showcased against treachery and betrayal, human abasement and wretchedness, perversity and depravity hence the saying, “Everyday Is Ashura And Every Land Is Karbala.”
Mohammad Assadi- Head of Cultural Centre of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Online Reporter