Confidence in their commander
Dinvary and Amali say, “Hussein (a) ordered assistants to join all the tents lied next to each other(s) and take up a position in the front part of the campsite, afterwards. He also commanded them to dig the ground on the other side of the tents to make a moat and fill it with woods and reeds lest enemy may rush them into the camp from their back and fall upon them”. Within the only left minutes, the assistants were resting assured. They had confidence in the promises of prophets that are verily true, in the incitement of these promises they behaved single-minded and purposeful, therefore. Enjoying credence in prophet’s promises and trusting the way they are in, the martyrs, their heart privileged with faith in God, were going to defend.
heavy burden of responsibility & Faithful assistants
Now, we have to cast an eye on the great presence of Imam Hussein (a), the leader of nobles. One gets the impression that Hussein (a) is the only one who shoulders the heavy burden of responsibility. Surely, it is the case. Hussein (a) sees the greatest burdens of duties imposed on him. He gives way to every grief by himself. It seems that Hussein (a) has undertaken everything. He shows great concern and does wholeheartedly for his loyal assistants and his family. Although duties are packed down, he shoulders all these works by himself. When he makes the final notice in the gathering of assistants, (Imam gave them the choice to leave or to stay), he might ease himself, his loyal assistants do not break fealty, however. The positive feedback that Imam got from his assistants caused them to close up and to become more intimate. As members of a whole body, they therefore formed a ring around Imam (a). Seeing assistants flattered in zeal as well as careful and effortful for the sake of their Imam put the youths of Imam’s family on their mettle and give them ardor to save and defend the sanctuary of their family. Likewise, these facts rouse the jealousy of every single person in the sanctuary. Free from all worries for his own life, Imam, however, is heavy of heart and he feels sad for those who at their last resting-place, lay down their life in a short while. Imam (a) breathed a sigh of relief only when he made his final notice (Imam gave assistants the choice to stay with him or to leave Karbala). Everybody came to know his duty afterwards. Imam was pleased, therefore.
What happened to Hor caused him to become Imam Hussein’s faithful assistant
To find a path, not shut toward martyrdom, renders easy all difficulties. However, there is a logic behind martyrdom and it has to be tagged with a rule rather than merely life abandonment or lam from the burden of duty. Assistants found comfort as they decided to die for the sake of Hussein (a) because they got hold of every condition for martyrdom. For example, In the case of Hor Reyahi, one can say that attention to Obaydullah’s orders and the stress arose from this obedience, in his view, was bitterer than loss of life. Hor had submitted himself to the wrong claims of Obaydullah‘s and this slavery puts heavy burden on his self-esteem. He felt his devotion to Obaydullah Ebn Zeyad waver he felt wavering towards his devotion to Obaydollah. First, he found Yazid’s army treading on every single right claim; he found his duty soon afterwards. He had met the truth of Hussein’s full innocence. The enemies were using force of arm to pursue their wrong claims and Hor was conversant with this fact. Hor took it easy to die because, on one hand he had found Hussein (a) above guilt and offence, Obaydullah, on the other hand had issued a one-sided and unjust command. He, unjustly, had maintained a choice - for himself- to kill Hussein (a) or to release. As a result, Hor by no means stands this commandment issued by Obaydullah. Now, Hor prides himself on heavy losses he sustains for the sake of Hussein (a). The mother who breast-fed Hor is also proud of training such a son. His ardent friends, the people around him, his zealous partisans, his fellow soldiers and senior officers are proud of him. They boasted Hor’s decision ,because the one-sided verdict passed by Obaydullah against Hussein (a)not only it was different from the terms and conditions in agreement with Imam Hussein(a) which was put in writing by Omar Ebn Saad but also an imposition on imposition. Surely, he disregards his life as important anymore. As late as Hor is alive, he considers himself bound to save the lives of Bani Hashem’s youths, to keep safe the lives of Shiite Muslims in that battlefield, and to preserve Shiite posterity, as well. He, also, takes over the responsibility for protecting the women in the household of the messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Surely, Hor considers himself bound to safeguard the sanctuary of prophet (pbuh), he regards his own life as unimportant, however.
The same considerations had placed too many stresses on Imam Hussein (a). He had to pay heed to his call of conscience. He could not turn a deaf ear to the words of people who had turned to gaze at his acts. Therefore, in his first step Imam Hussein (a) went by Hor’s proposal - Hor, first, was an envoy from Obaydullah until the day of Ashura in which he left Obaydullah and teamed up with Hussein (a). Then, Imam found enemy’s proposals against reason and more than one can stand, so, unlike the days before he breathed a sigh of relax because he was not tied up with Obaydullah’s proposals anymore. This set Imam (a) at real liberty. Then , asking help from his excellence of self-confidence, Imam Hussein (a) stood up.
It is Ashura and Imam (a) is happy because he does not find anything expedient to care about, any longer. In all his life Prudence for the sake of Islam and expedients had inflicted him too many sufferings, However Imam (a) does not suffer pain any longer because he has found his duty and he knows that on the afternoon he will find comfort by the side of Allah. On the day of Ashura Imam finds himself out of all duties but one, to lose his life for the sake of his holy goals and to suffer martyrdom for the sake of Allah. Of course, his faith and responsibility makes death easy for him. Even if it is difficult to die but the weight of duty and painfulness of enemy’s impositions exceed the due weight of death.
Why Hussein (a) didn’t treat like his older brother
Days ahead of Ashura, an idea was formed in many minds. People thought Bani Omayyides sought for compromise prudently to come to terms with Hussein (a) like the happy medium they found with Imam Hassan Mojtaba (a). They thought that Imam Hussein (a) took part in a trade-off to find the middle grounds with Bani Omayyides in order to save the lives of his Shiite assistants and lives of his family too. If Imam Hussein (a) had come to terms with Bani Omayyides, they would have been banishing Imam (a) to an unknown border and enforcing him to accept everything. If Imam (a) had compromised. Imam Hussein (a) however could not shoulder an infamy like this. He could not hear every offense while his breath is held. If he had made a deal with Bani Omayyides, he would have been hanging on people’s words dishonoring his household in mosques and treating his family disrespectfully in the gatherings of people. Imam (a) could not stand being away from Ummah (Muslims) to show them the right way and to lead them and other Muslims in the world to the truth. Surely, Imam Hussein (a) could not give and take with Bani Omayyides.
