The Day of Ashura is the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar, which marks the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS), the holy Prophet’s (PBUH&HP) grandson, and his companions in the battle of Karbala. They were all slain in such a horrific way that it is difficult to find such cruelty alike in the history of humankind. They were violently martyred after they were besieged and prevented from obtaining water to drink, and so they departed this life thirsty- this was for no crime other than their refusal to swear allegiance to Yazid, the notorious tyrant of the time [1].
Imam Hussain (AS), along with his family members and companions, showed the highest degree of moral standards in dealing with calamities they went through. He made any effort to clarify the truth and goals for which they rose up and were ready to sacrifice their lives. This article focuses on some of the most prominent virtues Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions displayed on this day; the ones that –if practiced- will finally lead to the salvation of humankind:
Imam Hussain (AS) taught the faithful believers, in practice, that they should not hesitate to sacrifice everything for the religion of Allah to protect it when it is at risk. He rose up against Yazid when he noticed this dictator openly violated the commandments of Allah.
He announced: “Don't you see that truth has been replaced by falsehood? We must be prepared to sacrifice everything precious in support of Truth!”. Ali Akbar (AS), Imam’s eldest son, asked him in this regard if they were on the right path. Imam (AS) replied in the affirmative. Ali Akbar (AS) then said: “Then, it makes no difference if death comes to us or if we approach death.”
Imam Hussain (AS) believed that living under a tyranny was nothing but living in hell:
“To me, death is nothing but happiness and living under tyrants nothing but living in a hell” [2].
In Karbala, when Imam Hussain (AS) was placed in a dilemma by the oppressors to be humiliated by swearing allegiance to Yazid or to fight and die with glory, he said he would not accept humiliation and obedience to mean people [3].
In another famous narration, he said: “If you don't believe in any religion and don't fear the Resurrection Day, at least be free in this world” [4]. In other words, if you do not follow a specific religion or believe in the Hereafter, at least be humane in your worldly affairs. This saying of Imam (AS) invites the whole world to reject submission to oppression; to practice freedom.
The most important social message of Imam Hussain (AS)’s revolution is fighting against people’s unawareness. The tyrants of that time had done everything to diminish the limits between right and wrong, and Imam Hussain (AS) intended to redefine that for the society:
“I never revolted in vain, as a rebel or as a tyrant, but I rose seeking reformation for the nation of my grandfather Muhammad (PBUH&HP). I intend to enjoin good and forbid evil, to act according to the traditions of my grandfather, and my father Ali ibn Abi-Talib (AS)” [5].
Imam Hussain (AS) and his loyal companions were all patient in the face of traumatic events, among which are: being surrounded in the hot desert and prevented from obtaining water for three consecutive days by the enemy, martyrdom of his six-month-old infant son, his young son, Ali Akbar (AS), his brother Abbas ibn Ali (AS), his relatives and companions before his eyes, etc.
Imam (AS) never complained about these and instead would say: “We, the household of the Prophet (PBUH&HP), are subservient to whatever Allah has destined us. We will be patient on this calamity, which has happened to us. Of course, Allah the Almighty will give us the reward of the patients. We will be surrounding the Prophet (PBUH&HP) in the Paradise” [6].
On the day of Ashura, when the battle was in full swing, he told his companions: “Be patient O ' the son of the nobles. Death is only a bridge that takes you from misery and loss to the vast Paradise and the eternal graces” [7].
Imam Hussain (AS) and his blessed companions were living examples of what the Quran taught: “So be patient, with a patience that is graceful” (70:5); patience which was not out of helplessness or weakness but was a demonstration of steadfastness and bravery.
Fidelity and promise-keeping was the other prominent feature of Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions. See how Imam (AS) described his companions on the night before Ashura: “I do not know companions more loyal and better than my companions” [8]. That night when Imam (AS) told them they were free to leave and give up before the battle, his brother, Abal-Fazl al-Abbas (AS), said: “Why should we do such an act? To live after you, never! May Allah forbid such a day!” The others, too, unanimously said they would never betray their Imam.
Or, in another example we see, on the day of Ashura, after Abbas (AS)’s right hand was cut off by the army of Yazid –when he had gone to get some water for the children and women- he bravely recited these epic verses: “By Allah, if you cut my right hand, I will never stand back, and I will protect my religion, and I will support the Imam who stands firm in his belief and is the grandson of the pure and truthful Prophet [9]”.
These were only a few examples of what made Ashura and Imam Hussain (AS)’s uprising an epic that will never fade from the memory of humankind. Every year, millions of people around the world commemorate this tragedy, express their sorrow, and remind themselves to firmly stand against tyranny as Imam Hussain (AS) did. This has also affected the people of other faiths, as Mahatma Gandhi has said:
“I learned from Hussain (AS) how to be wronged and be a winner, I learned from Hussain (AS) how to attain victory while being oppressed [10]”.
References
Mahdi (as) is a messianic figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the end of times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH& HP) who will appear while Jesus Christ (Prophet Isa-ibni Maryam) accompanying him and will lead the believers to rule the world and fill it with justice and peace. This is what the Quran says:
And We wanted to confer favour upon those who were oppressed in the land and make them leaders and make them inheritors. (Al-Qasas 28:5)
The name Mahdi is derived from the Arabic root h-d-y, commonly used to mean "divine guidance". Though Imam Mahdi features in both Shia and Sunni understandings of Islam, they differ in his attributes and status. Among Twelver Shi’as, Mahdi is believed to be the son of the eleventh Imam, Imam Hasan al-Askari (d. 874), and is said to have been on divine occultation (ghaybat) by God’s will. However, the Sunnis assert that he (Imam Mahdi) is a descendant of Lady Fatimah (SA), the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, and it is unknown whether he was born or not.
According to our belief, one of the most extraordinary acts of worship is to wait for the promised saviour, and this waiting means trying to provide the conditions for his reappearance.
In the Shi'a Islam, or the school of Ahlul-Bayt, the eschatological Mahdi was commonly given the epithet al-Qa'im, which can be translated as “he who will rise”, signifying his rise against tyranny in the end of all times. Distinctively Shi'a is the notion of the temporary occultation of Imam Mahdi, whose life has been prolonged by God’s will.
As in above mentioned, the Sunnis also believe in the promised Mahdi and many hadiths about him have been narrated in their books. Abu Dawood quotes Prophet Muhammad (PBUH & HP) as saying: " Mahdi will be from my household, from the descendants of Fatimah”. And another hadith states: “Even if only one day remains [until the doomsday], God will lengthen this day until He calls forth a man from me, or from the family of my house, his name matching mine and his father's name matching that of my father. He will fill the Earth with equity and justice just as it had previously been filled with injustice and oppression”. (Furnish, 2005, p. 14) According to narrations before the arrival of Imam Mahdi, the earth would be filled with chaos. While divisions and civil wars, moral degradation, and worldliness would be prevalent among people, injustice and oppression would be rampant throughout the world. The Dajjal (The Anti-Christ) would appear and will spread decadence and corruption in the world. With an army bearing black banners, which would come to his aid from the east, Imam Mahdi would confront the Dajjal. Jesus would pray behind Imam Mahdi and then will kill the Dajjal. The Sufyani, another representative of the forces of the dark, also features in the traditions. He will rise in Syria before the appearance of Imam Mahdi. When the latter appears, the Sufyani, along with his army, will either be swallowed up en-route to Mecca by the earth by God's command or defeated by Imam Mahdi.
In Imamiyyah (Twelver Shiism), the largest Shi’a branch, believing in the messianic imam is not merely a part of the creed, but is the pivot. For the Twelver Shi'a, Imam Mahdi was born but disappeared after a while, and he would remain hidden from humanity until he reappears to bring justice to the world at the end of time, a doctrine known as the Occultation. This Imam on occultation is the twelfth imam, named Muhammad, son of the eleventh Imam, Hasan al-Askari. According to the Twelvers, the Mahdi was born in Sammara around 868, though his birth was kept hidden from the public. He lived under his father's care until 874 when the latter was killed by the Abbasids.
Shi'a scholars have argued that the prolonged lifespan of Imam Mahdi Mahdi is not at all unreasonable given the longevity of the Prophet Noah, Khidr and Jesus, as well as secular reports about long-lived people. According to scholars Imam Mahdi is viewed as the restorer of true Islam, and the restorer of other monotheistic religions after their distortion and abandonment. He establishes the kingdom of God on earth and Islamizes the whole world. As a matter of fact, in their true form, it is believed, all monotheistic religions are essentially identical to Islam as "submission to God." It is in this sense, that one should understand the allegation that al-Mahdi will impose Islam on everyone. His rule will be paradise on earth, which will last for several years until his decease.[1]
References:
- (Sachedina, 1981, p. 176-178)
Whenever you want to make a big decision, you might think about what would be the right choice; which one is better and going to lead you to the right way. When the choice is made and you have followed one way or another, again thousand thoughts appear. And one of those thoughts or questions is: “Was that predestined? Is it me who is making the choice or it was made for me before? What is my will in it?
Once a man asked Imam Sadiq (AS), “Does Allah make human beings to do or not to do a thing?”
He answered, “Allah is More Just to make a person do a thing and then punish him for that” [1].
Imam Reza (AS) also replied to a similar question with this phrase, “Allah is More Just and Wise to do such a thing” [2].
Divine wisdom and justice do not allow Allah to decide about good and evil acts of human beings, who are created to have a free will and the right to decide for their own fate. He directly refers to the fact that human beings are responsible for what they do and He just shows them the truth in the Holy Quran. They are to choose which way to take and what to do.
“and say 'This is the truth from your Lord. Let whosoever will, believe, and whosoever will disbelieve it.” (18:29)
“Indeed, We have guided him to the path, he is either grateful or ungrateful” (76:3)
So, none of the things we do in this world is the result of divine determinism. But we know that Allah has the ultimate will. He makes decisions, which no one can change. Where does His Will stand regarding human being’s will?
Are human beings the final decision-makers and Allah has no role and consideration in the decisions they make, or Allah makes the final decision and human beings have no part in the things that happen to them , and they have no free will? None! They both work together. For everything we do, both our will and Allah’s will play their own parts. [5]
Let me give you an example. Imagine a person who is in a terrible financial state and decides to go to his neighbor’s house to steal some money from their strongbox. The moment he decides to do such a thing, he knows that the money does not belong to him and might put the neighbor in trouble. He knows that stealing is not a good thing to do, and it’s against the laws of humanity, Islam, Christianity, and any other faith. At the end of the day, he decides to steal the money and goes to his neighbor’s house.
Well, the guidance is given by Allah, in the holy books, in one’s heart and thoughts, but it’s the person who makes the final decision. One might think that “Well, Allah could stop that man from stealing that money. Why didn’t he?”
The answer is that he surely could, but it is against his greater will to praise the ones who do what he commands them to do and the ones who decide to harm themselves, others, the earth, or the whole world. That is where the difference is made.
To sum up, one should know that Allah wanted us to decide and to choose, and that makes the difference between human beings and other creatures. Allah decides about certain things and guides us to the right path through signs and words He had sent to us. However, we are the ones who choose the way we want to take.
Which way is yours?!