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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." |