Heartfelt condolences to all our listeners on the anniversary of history most bloodcurdling tragedy.
Today is the 10th of Moharram, the Day of Ashura, on which in the year 61 AH, Imam Husain (AS), the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), along with his brothers, sons, nephews, and loyal companions, was cruelly martyred in Karbala, beside the River Euphrates, in the state of thirst, by devils in human form. Stay with us for a special feature on this occasion.
Imam Husain (AS) needs no introduction. He created an immortal epic, which has jolted the conscience of all persons with an iota of humanity, irrespective of their race, religion, language or geographical domicile. He stood bravely on the battlefield, refusing to yield to tyranny and injustice after days of negotiations with the cowardly enemies who tried in vain to persuade him to swear allegiance to the ungodly rule of the libertine Yazid. He had a cause for the sake of the God, and he was defending it, in order to breathe life into the society – not just of his time but for all ages and places. In several rousing sermons he told the cowardly forces that had ganged up against him – fully knowing that as the son of the Most Immaculate Pair, Imam Ali and Hazrat Fatema Zahra (peace upon them), he was the most virtuous living person of his time – to repent, reform, rectify their behavior and come to the path of God. Even after they had martyred several of his companions and kinsmen, he was ready to forgive them, if they repented and reformed themselves. They, however, refused to listen to the voice of reason. The Imam continues to defend himself against the attacks of the enemies. As the time approached for the noon prayer, he called on the enemy to stop fighting for some minutes in order to hold prayer and spend the last moments of his life in servitude to God. The evil enemy did not agree. The Imam stood in prayer while his companions shielded him from enemy attacks with their life.
"O Allah! It is You in Whom I trust amid all grief. You are my hope amid all violence. You are my refuge and provision in everything that happens to me. How many grievances that weaken the heart, leaving me with no means to handle them, during which friends desert me while the enemy rejoices. I lay it before you and complain of it to You, because of my faith in You; You Alone. You are the Master of all grace, the Possessor of all good, and the Ultimate Resort of all desire."
What you heard was part of a supplication to God of Imam Husain (AS) on the day of Ashura. It shows his firm faith and will. History tells us of scenes and tragic sights which are extremely difficult for writers, poets and artists to depict. One by one the Imam’s companions fell in battle including his 18-year old son, Ali Akbar (AS), who bore a striking resemblance to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). The last one to be martyred in this immortal epic was Imam Husain (AS) himself. He became the sacred offering and the "Great Sacrifice" to Allah, or in the words of the holy Qur'an the “Zibhin Azeem” that had ransomed Abraham's offering of Ishmael in antiquity. A three-pointed arrow hit the Imam in the chest. Deeply embedded, he could not dislodge it. The blood gushed out of his holy chest. He fell down to the ground swimming in a pool of his blood. The bloodthirsty Omayyad hordes were not satisfied. Their hatred for the Ahl al-Bayt was too blazing to be extinguished by this. The notorious criminal from the army of Yazid, Shimr Zil-Jawshan, walked over to the fallen Imam, sat on his chest and cut off his head from the back of his neck, while the Prophet's grandson was still alive.
The epic of Ashura is indeed a struggle between truth and falsehood. ON one side is faith, virtue, love, awareness, freedom, quest for justice, self-sacrifice and all humanitarian values. On the other side Yazid and the Omayyads are symbols of vice, evil, sins, tyranny, cruelty, and all devilish characteristics. Ashura is the manifestation of righteousness. Although the tragedy of Ashura took place on one single day, its impact will remain alive for ever and every year the first ten days of Moharram are commemorated by the faithful all over the world. On the day of Ashura, the Imam and his companions fought bravely, with thirsty lips, and achieved martyrdom, while the survivors of the tragedy were taken captives and dragged to Kufa and thence to Damascus, by the cowardly enemies, who fully knew the status of the Prophet’s progeny. The martyrdom of Imam Hussein and 72 of his companions created the greatest ever epic. As compared to other events, Ashura is a short event which took place in a short time. But it is one of the greatest events which have continued to attract the most attention throughout history. Although the enemies succeeded in killing the Imam, the real victory belonged to Imam Husain (AS) and his cause. The revolutionary movement and the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS) and his companions became inspirational for the free-born people of the world in quest of justice and freedom.
The Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Ruhollah Khomeini (may his soul rest in peace) had said: “The memory of this great epic event (of Ashura) must be kept alive. Remember, the cries of damnation and all the curses that are rightfully raised against the cruelty of the Omayyad rulers towards the Infallible Imams. These are reflected in the heroic protests against cruel despots by nations over the past centuries. It is the perpetuation of such protests that shatter oppression and cruelty. It is necessary that the crimes of the tyrants in each age and era be focused upon in the cries of lamentation and in the recitals of elegies held for the Infallible Imams.”
In the West, thinkers and scholars, like Thomas Carlyle, Edward Gibbon and Edward Browne, (to name only a few) have paid glowing tributes to Imam Husain (AS) and his movement. Today, the mourning ceremonies for the Martyrs of Karbala, in one form or another can be seen throughout the world. Muslim migrants to North America, Europe, Australia, Persian Gulf Arab states, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, have taken with them the culture of mourning for the Martyrs of Karbala. They have aroused the conscience of the local people and infused in them the spirit of freedom and dignity based on firm faith in the One and Only God and His commandments. Thus Ashura remains an immortal call for people all over the world, and for all time to come, to differentiate between right and wrong, truth and falsehood, and virtue and vice.
source : irib
