Muharram 2005: Why did Imam Husayn(A) make a Revolution?

by islamicdigest.net and e-jihad.net are produced by mubahela.net


In His Name, the Most High, Lord of the Martyrs(A) and the Truthful(A)

"And think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead, they are alive, (and) by their Lord well provided" - (Quran, Surah Aal-i-Imraan, Verse 169)


As the month of Muharram, the month of revolution, the month of resistance to the aggressors and resistance to injustice, the month of our beloved Aba Abdillah al-Husayn(A), the grandson of the Prophet(S) who along with his family members, and few loyal companions was murdered on the barran plain of Kerbala, it is important to reflect on some of the reasons why al-Husayn(A) chose to make a revolution, why he chose to resist the corruption, injustice and tyranny propogated by Yazeed the son of Muawiyyah who had usurped the Leadership of the Muslim Ummah, and was governing the Muslims with a policy that involved co-ercian, violence, hatred, and out and out evil.

To this, the Rightful Leader of the Muslim Ummah at the time, Imam al-Husayn(A), could not remain silent, and he made his stand, his revolution, that has become amongst the most important milestones within Islamic History.

Some misguided individuals suggest that this was a battle between two sects, between families, between political rivals, however, those people have yet to understand that al-Husayn(A), was above these petty things. Those that suggest that the event of Ashura is a sectarian episode, and those who further suggest that Ashura is an event where Muslim faught Muslim, are sorely mistaken; for verily, anyone who makes even a cursory study on the character of Yazeed, will see that Yazeed had no shred of Islam within his character, and infact it could further be added that he had absolutely no morality, decency or even humanity within his vile and corrupt character.

A host of political, social and religious factors made al-Husayn(A) rise to challenge Yazeed. Amongst the key factors was the violation of the principles upon which Islamic rule is based. It is important to note that Imam Husayn(A) had the following goals in mind when he started his uprising:

1.
Paying due attention to the public opinion of the Ummah, and regularly consulting it in the conduct of affairs. Changing of the political conditions, the ruling system and the way of administering civil affairs, the treating the ummah in accordance with the divine standard set forth by Islam:
"....and consult them in the matter ..." (Quran, Surah Aal-i-Imraan, Verse 159)
2.
Law and principles stand above everyone. They are the standard according to which the ruler is evaluated. The legality of his position, and his right to exercise of power is similarly estimated. Awakening the political conscience of the ummah and making a powerful oversight body out of it, lest the ruler deviate or neglect Islamic laws.
"...so judge between people with justice and do not follow desire.." (Quran, Surah Saad, Verse 26
" ...therefore judge between them according to what Allah has sent down..." (Quran, Surah al-Ma'idah, Verse 48)
3.
Establishment of justice and equity between all the people, regardless of social status in the sphere of rights and obligations
"Surely Allah commands you to deliver trust back to their owner and when you judge between people you that you judge with justice.." (Quran, Surah an-Nisa, Verse 58)
4.
Assuring the leader be both efficient and righteous so that he can discharge his responsibilities:
The Prophet Muhammad(S) is reported to have said:
"We are commanded to place people in their right positions"
5.
Equity in economic distribution ought to be firmly instituted:
"Whatever Allah has restored to His Messenger from the people of the towns, it is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, so that it may not be a thing taken by turns among the rich of you and whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it, and from whatever he forbids you, keep back and be careful of (you duty to ) Allah; surly Allah is severe in retribution (evil)." (Quran, Surah al-Hashr, Verse 7)
Imam Ali(A), the brother of the Prophet Muhammad(S), and father of al-Husayn(A) is reported to have said:
"Even if all of it was my personal property I would have distributed it equally amongst the needy and poor. Then what is the situation when the property belongs to Allah"
6.
The right of criticizing, advising, guiding and discussing the policies of the leader should be respected and institutionalized. Emphasizing the legality of militarily opposing the unjust ruler.
"And from among you there should be a party who invite to good and enjoy what is right and forbid the wrong, and these it is that shall be successful" (Quran, Surah Aal-i-Imraan, Verse 104)
The Prophet(S) is reported to have said:
"The best of Jihad is that of a word of right spoken to unjust ruler"

Imam Husayn(A) witnessed the deteriorating political and social situation and clearly recognized that the general policy of the authorities was fundamentally against all Islamic principles. He was aware of the numerous and painful afflications that had engulfed the Ummah’s, and was determined to exercise his religious duty, being the duly sanctioned leader and central figure capable of restoring Islamic values; to re-educate the Ummah, thereby bringing it back in line with Islamic laws and to rectifying deviation and establish the Law and Justice of Allah upon the Earth.

Another reason, was also to break the wall of terror and fear - having a net result of tolerating the loss of certain fundamental human liberties and rights which destroy and blinker the Truth from the masses. al-Husayn(A) wanted to rekindle the fire of revolution and resistance - both internal resistance to evil temptations and thoughts, as well as the external resistance to the manifest evil in society, the injustice of the occupying regime, that was working on many angles to curb the Ummah's ability to resist and become aware of the Truth.

Thus he rose. His revoltution is rich in lessons and divinely inspired attitudes. Imam Husayn(A) was and is the embodiment of self-sacrifice - in every arena from the self-sacrifice of money, family, social status, etc - and he embodies the spirit of the true Islam of Muhammad(S), that always challenges terror and cruelty, coercian and vice, injustice and corruption.

He, along with his few companions and his family, including women and children, patiently traversed hundred of miles, moving both night and day. The epic protest he engendered come at an extremely critical political juncture. In fact, the Prophet(S)’s grandson had vowed to sacrifice himself, in order to establish Justice, and to re-awaken the Ummah from it's deep and coma-like slumber, al-Husayn(A) had vowed, that if it was required for the revitalisation of the True Islam of Muhammad(S), that the swords should cut him into tiny tiny pieces, decapitate him, and raise his head atop a lance then it should be so, but that the message and spirit of the true Islam of Muhammad(S), should not perish at any cost.
Ultimately, on this physical plain, al-Husayn(A) along with his sons, nephew's and few companions - all of whome numbered between 72 and 96 (the number's varying according to interpretations of various historical records, suffice it to say that the number was very few and insignificant against the strength of the Yazeedite forces that numbered in the thousands), were massacred on the barren plain of Kerbala in what is now Occupied Iraq.

However, what is important to realise is that while on the physical plain and to the casual observer, al-Husayn(A) may have been defeated so to say, the truth of the matter is that in his martyrdom, the martyrdom of his family and companions, the rape, burning and pillage of the tents of al-Husayn(A) that housed his family, from his wife, to his sister to his daughter
and to the families of his companions and to his own family, from all of this intense suffering, along the road from Kerbala to Kufa (again in what is now Occupied Iraq), from Kufa to Damascus (which at the time was the seat of Government for the Yazeedite Regime).

From the tears and blood, from the attempts at humiliating the noble souls of the family and companions of al-Husayn(A), the true Islam was salvaged, the true Islam was rejuvinated, and was re-invogorated, such that in 1979, in Islamic Iran, the call raised by al-Husayn(A) in 61AH (680 AD), was answered by one of the grandsons of al-Husayn(A), by our beloved Imam ar-Rahil al-Khumayni(A), and the victory of the Glorious Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Another fact that testifies to the overwhelming victory of al-Husayn(A) over the Yazeedite forces is the very fact that after nearly 1400 years, every year without fail, the believers from all corners of the world gather, and commemorate and remember the suffering of al-Husayn(A), they cry tears and lament, and to many an outside observer, it feels as if the event of Ashura happened very recently.

Through the spilling of the sacred blood in Kerbala on that fateful day of Ashura, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon and Palestine gain their inspiration, knowing that while they may not physically see victory in their struggle against injustice, tyranny and oppression, that through their martyrdom the victory of the Truth is guarenteed.

Words are never enough to convey the message of al-Husayn(A), and indeed, writers and poets have written volumes and volumes, and yet still more can be written, the event of Ashura, in that barren plain of Kerbala was a speck in history, but has become the most painful thorn in the eyes of the Oppressors and Tyrants the world over.

Ashura is not simply something that only Muslims should remember, Ashura is a message for ALL those struggling for Justice, for all those fighting tyranny, from our brothers in South Amerikkka fighting against the evil policies of the Amerikkkan Empire, to those in Chechnya and Kashmir who fight for their very lives. It is the core impetus behind the Islamic Resistance movements in Occupied Palestine, Lebanon, Occupied Iraq, Occupied Afghanistan, and all over the world where people are fighting against injustice and terror.

We can see from the actions of the Amerikkkan Empire today that it is hell bent on acting out it's plans for global hegemony, to increase it's own wealth and control the global reserves of Oil and other natura resources, to usurp such resources from the poor and destitute and re-apportion them to the fatcats that helped to create and sustain the Empire. To spread the corruption and vice that infects it's own society and that it's own people speak out against - to quote:

"No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our soil " (Mosh by Eminem)

Through all the suffering metted out to the family and companions of al-Husayn(A) following his martyrdom, the intention of the Yazeedite forces was for them to capitulate, yet they remained steadfast, and resolute, they didn't buckle under the pressure imposed by the Yazeedites, and they persisted in their line to be strong against the tyrants, corrupters and mischief mongers throughout the land.

al-Husayn(A) is known to have addressed Yazeed thusly, when ordered to give his allegience (signified by "giving his hand to Yazeed":

"By Allah, I will never give you my hand like a man who has been humiliated, nor will I flee like a slave"
The revolution of al-Husayn(A), was and is and will continue to serve as a pure example of dedication, perfection and resolution, as an example of how to confront the tyrants and oppressors, decievers and manipulators be they internal to ourselves or external, the lessons, as I have said, from the event of Ashura are manifold and words will never be able to do justice to the event. The lessons of Ashura are on every concievable plain, from the spiritual to the moral, from the religious to the political, from the economical to the humanitarian, etc, etc.

Therefore, it is critical that humanity, not just the Muslims, but ALL of humanity, study this revolution, learn from it, learn from the personality of al-Husayn(A), from the sacrifices of Zaynab(A) his sister, from the resolution of Abbas(A) his brother, from the strength of Habib(A) his companion, from the repentance and return to the Truth of Hur(A), the commander of the Yazeedite forces who turned and joined al-Husayn(A) and ultimtely was martyred on that barren plain of Kerbala.


The lessons from this event, from this eternal revolution, from this exegsis of the basic tenent of Islam, Tawheed, from this example of excellence and pure perfection, from this example of pure self sacrifice for a higher goal, from this eternal victory against the aggressors, are valuable for all, and especially for the downtrodden and oppressed nations of the World, and peoples of the World, from those in the ghettos of Harlem, New York, to those in the Shanty Towns of Lagos, from those sitting amidst the ruins of Aceh, to those sitting amongst the torn bodies in Baghdad and Rafah, every person on the face of this earth has much to learn from this eternal event, be they an infant, or a geriatric.

On the occasion of Muharram 2005, the islamicdigest.net Team, extends it's condolences to Adam(A), the creation of Allah, to Nuh(A) (Noah), the Prophet of Allah, to Ibrahim(A) (Abraham(A)), the Friend of Allah, to Isa(A) (Jesus(A)), the Spirit of Allah, to Musa(A) (Moses(A)), the one who spoke to Allah, to Muhammad(S), the Messenger of Allah, to the mother of al-Husayn(A), Fatimah az-Zahra(A) the pure daughter of the Prophet(S), to the father of the al-Husayn(A), Imam Ali(A), the brother of al-Husayn(A), Hassan al-Mujtaba(A), to all the sons and grandsons of al-Husayn(A), until our beloved Imam al-Hujjah(AJ), the heir of al-Husayn(A), who will appear at the end of days, and will fill the Earth with Justice and Equity as it is previously filled with Injustice and Tyranny.

We send our condolences to our beloved Leader(HA), in the absence of Imam al-Hujjah(AJ), Imam Ayatullah al-Udhma Sayyed Ali al-Husayn al-Khamenei(HA), the Wali Amr al-Muslimeen (Leader of the Muslim Ummah) and Qaid al-Mustadhafeen (Defender and Leader of the Oppressed); we send our condolences to the Leader of the Party of Allah (Hizbullah) in Lebanon, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah(HA), and to all the Righteous Ulema throughout the world, from those inside Occupied Amerikkka, to those in Occupied Iraq, Occupied Palestine, etc.