Salam Alaykom,
In the light of the new Hijri year, I wish to express my warmest greetings and most sincere condolences on the occasion of the martyrdom of the Prince of Martyrs and Father of Freedom, Imam Hussain bin Ali (as). This time, many years ago (approximately 1400) saw a revolution in the Islamic and free world. His plight was one that reiterated the duty of man to stand up in the face of tyranny; it is one that reflects the very society in which we live today where a profound silence is the only retaliation to crimes against humanity. It is my aim, during the first 10 days of the month of Muharram and leading to the day of Ashura to touch upon the legacy Imam Hussain (a.s). Despite the fact that I can claim no adequate knowledge of the greatness of this iconic figure as I can never give full justice to him, I will attempt to address a few of the things that bring to light the legacy left behind.
'A Hussiani Legacy' is a phrase that a dear friend of mine mentioned when talking of the importance of Imam Hussain (a.s), the tragedy of Karbala and the duty which we have to uphold the message that he left behind. I would like to quote a short passage from a sermon from the late Sayed Fadlullah (r.a) which seeks "to highlight some of the legacies of Imam Hussain (a.s.) that will put us on the straight path and fill us with spiritual and moral values. Some of the narrators have conveyed to us his categorization of these who worship Allah. He said some people have worshipped Allah for the purpose of gaining his gifts, to attain a place in Heaven or other blessing – this is the worship of merchants. Some worship Him for the purpose of avoiding his punishment. This is the worship of slaves – who are afraid of being punished. Some worship him out of gratitude to Him for His graces, since worshipping is a manifestation of gratitude. It is the worship of the free." (Sayed M. H. Fadlullah delivered the Friday prayer sermon, 11th January 2008 A.D, 2 Muharram 1429 H.)
In light of this quote, the notion of being 'free' is one of the most important ones that were left behind. For those who hold a belief in Allah (s.w.t), it is the worship as a display of gratitude. For those who do not, Imam Hussain (a.s) asks of them to "be free in this world." The definition of being 'free' is being "able to act or to do as one wishes; not under the control of another," or "to be able or permitted to take a specified action," or "to be subject neither to foreign domination nor to despotic governmentnot," and most importantly to "not be a slave." (Oxford Dictionary of English, ed. Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2010. ) With these key terms in mind, it begs the question; what were those under the Ummayid rule thinking when they followed through with the order to kill Imam Hussain (a.s) and 72 of his closest family and companions. Arguably, they may have been fully aware of their actions and genuinely did want to kill the Imam despite him being the Grandson of the Prophet; this, in effect, would suggest that the Prophet was the intended target as he said quite clearly that "Hussain is of me and I am of Hussain." (Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v4, p172.) In reference to the suggestion that to be 'free' is to not be made subject of a "despotic government," it once again begs the question as to the intentions of those employed as soldiers against the Imam. To bring forth a brief example, after the sermon delivered by Imam Hussain (a.s) before the battle, Hurr ibn Yazid turn to ask whether his comrades had not been swayed and deterred by his words upon which Omar ibn Sa'ad replied, "Had it been for me I would have accepted his proposal. But your master is adamant on his death." This puts emphasis on the idea that those who rose against the Imam were effectively "slaves" to the despotic government of the Ummayid rulers and were lured by promises of fame and riches for the death of him. Again, ibn Sa'ad embodies this notion when he turns to the camp of the Imam and fires the first arrow, then turning to his comrades and shouting "Bear witness for me with the Amir (prince/leader) that I was the first to shoot."
This idea of being 'free' is one that is fundamental to the religion of Islam itself. It brought forth the idea that mankind had the right of "freedom of thought, freedom of speech and freedom of action (but within a correct and reasonable framework.)" (Shirazi, Freedom in Islam: The New Order for the World of Faith, Freedom, Welfare and Peace.) With "freedom of thought," did they not consider the consequences of murdering the Grandson of the Holy Prophet? With "freedom of speech," were they not dissuaded by the eloquent sermon of the Imam before they slaughtered him and did they not consider their freedom to speak out against the tyranny of the Ummayid regime? I will explore this theme of "freedom of speech" in another post, inshaAllah. With "freedom of action," they were not obliged to succumb to the orders of the Ummayids and had the freedom to walk away and join the path of the righteous. One person who deserves particular mention here, not only due to the meaning of his name, but for being one to embody the true essence of being 'free' is Hurr ibn Yazid ('Hurr' is the word for 'free' in the Arabic language.)
Hurr ibn Yazid was a Commander who had been given orders by Obayd Allah ibn Ziyad to prevent the Imam from entering Kufa, thus ensuring he would take the route towards the land of Karbala. Upon meeting the Imam in a place called Dhu-Hasm, both he and his army were thirsty; Imam Hussain (a.s) ordered for them and their horses to be provided with water from their provisions. Hurr, being a man who acted upon his right to think and act was heavily affected by the sermon of the Imam before the battle. He is said to have mounted his horse and when questioned replied, "I fear for the day of judgement. What answer shall I give Allah when he will ask me about the Grandson of the Prophet being thirsty and at the mercy of my men?" He went directly to the camp of the Imam, aware that he had made the distinction between tyranny and justice and that he was headed towards the path of the righteous in joining the small ranks of Imam Hussain (a.s). With a bowed head, he approached the Imam begging for forgiveness, fully acknowledging that it was he who had effectively led him here by which the Imam replied, "Your mother named you Hurr, which means free. You truly are free in this world and the hereafter. I consider you my guest; my only regret is that I do not have water or food to offer you as my guest." Hurr highlights the importance of being 'free' as he turned away from his original comrades to join a small group of people who were effectively doomed with death. Yet the righteousness of Imam Hussain's (a.s) uprising was more than adequate to make him decide to join his ranks and fight by his side.
Looking past the tragedy of Karbala and assessing one of the key moral messages that are left behind, Imam Hussain's (a.s) revolt sought to emphasise on the importance of freedom and justice. He rejected a life of humiliation and tyrannical rule, demonstrating the necessity of sacrificing in exchange for dignity. He became a "freedom fighter... one who recognised the truth of freedom and stood by it." (Q Fatima, Imam Hussain ibn Ali (a.s): Freedom, Truth, Justice) It goes without saying that this is not the only message that became a lasting legacy after Ashura; inshaAllah within the next few days I will look at a few more and make my best effort to give what little justice I can to the lasting legacy of Imam Hussain (a.s) and the tragedy of Karbala.
Ws.
* Disclaimer- This is a piece of my own work and is a display of my own understanding of the mentioned topics, unless stated otherwise by references. I do not hold any responsibility for any other content in the referenced texts. I do not claim to be a scholar of Islamic History or hold full knowledge of the topics and urge for forgiveness if I have been inadequate in my analysis. For God is more aware of my intentions, I do not seek to create hatred or present an incorrect presentation of the topics. May the blessings of the Lord be upon the Prophet Muhammed and his Holy Progeny (a.s).
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