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IN
THE house of the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf), which presented
the best image of both the worlds - the heaven and the
earth - a child who benefited humanity as if he was
Divine Impression reflecting the earth, was bron on the
3rd night of the month of Shaban. His father was Imam
Ali(a.s.), the best model of kindness towards his
friends and the bravest against the enemies of Islam,
and his mother was Hazrat Fatimah(s.a.), the only
daughter and child of the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) who had
as universally acknowledged, inherited the qualities of
her father. Imam Hussain(a.s.), is the third Apostolic
Imam. When the good news of his birth reached the Holy
Prophet(pbuh&hf), he came to his daughter's house, took
the newly-born child in his arms, recited adham and
iqamah in his right and left ears respectively, and on
the 7th day of his birth, after performing the rites of
aqiqah, named him al-Husayn, in compliance with
Allah's(swt) command. Hassan(a.s.) and Hussain(a.s.),
the two sons of the Holy Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib(a.s.)
and Hazrat Fatimah(s.a.),our Lady of Light, were
respected and revered as the "Leaders of the Youths of
Paradise" as stated by the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf).
The
Holy Prophet Muhammad(pbuh&hf) had openly prophesied
that the faith of Islam would be rescued by his second
grandson Hussain(a.s.), when Yazid, son of Muawiayh,
would endeavour to destroy it. Yazid was known for his
devilish character and brutish conduct. He was known as
the most licentious of men. The people having known and
understood the character of Yazid, formed a covenant by
which Muawiyah could not appoint Yazid as his successor.
This undertaking was given by Muawiyah to Imam
Hassan(a.s.) from whom Muawiyah had snatched power.
Muawiyah violated this undertaking and nominated Yazid
who succeded his father. Immediately as he came to
power, Yazid began acting in full accordance with his
known character. He started interfering in the
fundamentals of the faith and practised every vice and
wickedness freely with the highest degree of impunity
and yet held himself out as the successor of the Holy
Prophet(pbuh&hf), demanding allegiance to himself as the
leading guide of the faith. Paying allegiance to Yazid
was nothing short of acknowledging the devil as God. If
a divine personality like the Holy Imam Hussain(a.s.)
had agreed to his authority, it would be actually
recommending the divil to humanity in place of God.
Yazid demanded alleginace from the Holy Imam
Hussain(a.s.), who could have never agreed to it at any
cost. The people fearing death and destruction at the
hands of the tyrant had yielded to him out of fear. Imam
Hussain(a.s.) said that come whatever may, he would
never yield to the devil in place of God and undo what
his grandfather, the Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) had
established. The refusal of the Holy Imam(a.s.) to pay
allegiance to this fiend, marked the start of the
persecution of the Holy Imam(a.s.). As a result he had
retired to Medina where he led a secluded life. Even
here he was not allowed to live in peace, and was forced
to seek refuge in Mecca where also he was badly
harassed, and Yazid plotted to murder him in the very
precincts of the great sanctuary of Kaabah. The people
of Kufa getting tired of the tyrannic and satanic rule
of Yazid, had written innumerable letters and sent
emissaries to Imam Hussain(a.s.) to come over and give
them guidance in faith. Although Imam Hussain(a.s.) knew
the ultimate end of the invitations, he as the divinely
chosen Imam could not refuse to give the guidance sought
for. When the Holy Imam(a.s.) with his entourage had
reached Karbala, his horse mysteriously stopped and
would not move any further. Upon this the Holy
Imam(a.s.) declared: "This is the land , the land of
sufferings and tortures." He alighted from his horse,
and ordered his followers to encamp there saying: "Here
shall we be martyred and our childern be killed. Here
shall our tents be burned and our family arrested. This
is the land about which my grandfather the Holy
Prophet(pbuh&hf) had foretold, and his prophecy will
certainly be fulfilled." On the 7th Muharram water
supply to the Imam's camp was cut and he torture of
thirst and hunger started. The Holy Imam's(a.s.) camp
consisted of ladies, innocent chidlren including babies
and some male members of the Holy Prophet's(pbuh&hf)
family; along with a samll band of some faithful friends
of Imam Hussain(a.s.) who had chosen to die with the
Holy Imam, fighting against the devil for the cause of
Allah(swt).
The
Day of Ashura ( 10th of Muharram ):
At
dawn the Imam(a.s.) glanced over the army of Yazid and
saw Umar ibn-e-Sa'ad ordering his forces to march
towards him. He gathered his followers and addressed
them thus:" Allah has, this day, permitted us for our
martyrdom. So Perpare yourselves to fight against the
enemies of Islam with patience and resistance. O sons of
the noble and self - respecting persons, be patient!
Death is nothing but a bridge which you must cross after
facing trials and tribulations so as to reach Heaven and
its joys. Which of you do not like to go from this
prison (world) to the lofty palaces (Paradise)?" Having
heard the Imam's(a.s.) address, All his companions were
overwhelmed and cried out ," O our Master! We are all
ready to defend you and your Ahlu l-bayt, and to
sacrifice our lives for the cause of Islam."
Imam Hussain(a.s.) sent out his companions from his camp
one after another to fight and sacrifice their lives in
the way of the Lord. Lastly, when all his men and
children had laid down their lives, Imam Hussain(a.s.)
brought his six- month old baby son Ali Asghar(a.s.),
and offering him on his own hands, demanded some water
for the baby, dying of thirst. The thirst of the baby
was quenched by a deadly poisoned arrow from the brute's
forces, which pinned the baby's neck to the arm of the
helpless father. At last when the six-month old baby
also was killed, Imam Hussain(a.s.) addressed
Allah(swt): "O Lord! Your Husayn has offered in your way
whatever your had blessed him with. Bless Your Hussain,
O Lord! with the acceptance of this sacrifice. Every
thing Hussain could do till now was through Your help
and by Your Grace." Lastly Imam Hussain(a.s.) came into
the field and was martyred, the details of which
merciless slaughter are heart rending. The forces of
Yazid having killed Imam Hussain(a.s.), cut and severed
his head from his body and raised it on a lance. The
severed head of the Holy Imam(a.s.) beagn glorifying
Allah(swt) from the point of the lance saying,` Allahu
Akbar'. "All glory be to Allah Who is the Greatest!"
After the wholesale, merciless and most brutal slaughter
of the Holy Imam(a.s.) with his faithful band, the
helpless ladies and children along with the ailing son
of Imam Hussain(a.s.), Imam Ali Zain-ul-Abideen(a.s.),
were taken captives.
Some Sayings of the Holy Prophet During his Lifetime
with Reference to Imam Husayn:
1.
Hassan(a.s.) and Hussain(a.s.) are the leaders of the
Youths of Paradise.
2.
Hussan(a.s.) is from me and I am from Hussain(a.s.) ,
Allah befriends those who befriend Hussain(a.s.) and He
is the enemy of those who bear enmity to him.
3.
Whoever wishes to see such a person who lives on earth
but whose dignity is honoured by the Heaven dwellers,
should see my grandson Hussain(a.s.).
4.
O
my son! your flesh is my flesh and your blood is my
blood, your are a leader , the son of a leader and the
brother of a leader; your are a spiritual guide, the son
of a spiritual guide and the brother of a spiritual
guide; you are an Apostolical Imam , the son of an
Apostolical Imam and the brother of an Apostolical Imam;
your are the father of nine Imams, the ninth of whom
would be the Oaim (the last infallible spiritual guide).
5.
The
punishment inflicted on the murderer of Hussain(a.s.) in
Hell would be equal to half of the total punishment to
be imposed on the entire sinners of the world.
6.
When the Holy Prophet(phuh&hf) informed Hazrat
Fatimah(s.a.) of the Martyrdom in store for his
grandson, she burst into tears and asked, "O my father!
when would my son be martyred?" "In such a critical
moment," he replied," When neither I nor you, nor Ali
would be alive. " This accentuated her grief and she
inquired again," Who then, O my father, would
commemorate Hussain's martyrdom?". The Holy
Prophet(pbuh&hf) said, "The men and the women of a
particular sect of my followers, who will befriend my
Ahl-ul-Bayt, will mourn for Hussain and commemorate his
martyrdom each year in every century."
Ibn
Saad narrates from ash-shabi:
Imam Ali(a.s.) while on his way to Siffin, passed
through the desert of Karbala, there he stopped and wept
very bitterly. When interrogated regarding the cause of
his weeping, he commented that one day he visited the
Holy Prophet(pbuh&hf) and found him weeping. when he
asked the Apostle of Allah(swt) as to what was the
reason which made him weep, he replied, "O Ali Gabriel
has just been with me and informed me that my son
Hussain would be martyred in Karbala, a place near the
bank of the River Euphartes. This moved me so much that
I could not help weeping."
Anas ibn Harith narrates:
One
day the Holy Prophet ascended the pulpit to deliver a
sermon to his associates while Imam Hussain(a.s.) and
Imam Hassan(a.s.) were sitting before him. When address
was over, he put his left hand on Imam Hussain(a.s.) and
raising his head towards Heaven, said:"O my lord! I am
Muhammad Your slave and Your prophet, and these two are
the distinguished and pious members of my family who
would fortify my cause after me. O my Lord! Gabriel has
informed me that son Hussain would be killed. O my Lord!
bless my cause in recompense for Hussain's martrydom,
make him the leader of the martyrs, be You be his helper
and guardian and do not bless his murderers".
Khwaja Mu inu d-Din Chishti says:
He
gave his head but did not put his hand into the hands of
Yazid. Verily, Hussain is the foundation of "La ilaha il
Allah". Hussain is lord and the lord of lords.
Hussain(a.s.) himself is Islam and the shield of Islam.
Though he gave his head (for Islam) but never pledged
Yazid. Truly Hussain(a.s.) is the founder of "There is
no Deity except Allah." |
