Cultural Models in the Movement of Imam Husayn (A)
Ahmad Abedini
In the introduction to this paper, I have indicated that the models that one can derive from the movement of Imam Husayn (A) cannot be limited to political dimensions or to the dimension of struggle for justice. One can also derive other models from this movement, such as the cultural model. From the standpoint of culture, one can derive models that would teach us how to defend the faith and morality. I will focus on some of the statements of Hadrat Sajjad (A) before lbn Ziyad and Yazid. Ibn Ziyad was insistent on providing a fatalistic interpretation of what happened to Imam Husayn (A) and his companions, thereby exonerating the regime and the people involved in the carnage in Karbala. Hadrat Sajjad (A) showed that the killing of these men of God were done by men and that what men do cannot be attributed directly to God. It was due to such exposition on the part of Hadrat Sajjad (A) that the then tyrant ordered that he be executed. Similar defenses of the faith and exposition of fallacy of fatalism or determinism were provided in the meeting of Imam Husayn's family with Yazid.
In the second part of the paper, I will present models of Islamic chastity and a defense of Islamic code of dress (Hijab) as provided by the family of Imam Husayn (A). For example, upon entering Kufa, the women accepted the scarves that were given to them. But they rejected the bread and dates, even though they were, both adults and children, suffering from hunger. They rejected the food, stating that they could not accept Sadaqah because it was forbidden to give it to the Ahl al-Bayt of the prophet Muhammad (S). Upon entering Damascus, they asked Shimr to allow them to enter from a gate where there would be fewer spectators and that he should send the heads of the martyrs before the caravan of the captives so that people would pay attention to the heads instead of watching the captive women. But Shimr refused to do so. The heads did enter the gate first, because Hadrat Sakinah (A) asked one of the disciples of Prophet Muhammad (S) for it and he paid 400 dinars to the person in charge of the heads of the martyrs to march the heads before the caravan. I will evaluate these events and also a similar event which occurred in the afternoon of Ashura. The captive women were tired, thirsty, wounded and hungry but they did not ask for anything but an Islamic cover. They did not ask from friends and foes to be given a food but they were ready to ask both the friends and foes to provide them with Hijab. I will conclude by asserting that no event or exigency can change the requirement of Hijab and that the category of Islamic code of dress is not susceptible to be changed due to individual or social pressures.
