IMAM HUSSEIN (A.S.

): THE END OF A TRAGEDY AND THE

BEGINNING OF AN UPRISING

Mustapha Abdullah Kuyateh

Faculty of Arts
Department of Religious Studies
Islamic University College, Ghana
E-mail: ahpatsum2003@iug.edu.gh
Phone: (+233 243 153473)
Abstract

The history of Islam is made up of diverse untold tragic stories; one of such
stories is the happenings at Karbala. Karbala was a place where the martyrdom
of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) took place.
The movement of Imam Hussein (A.S.) was a method for dealing with one’s own
soul and with others, for he wanted to teach us a lesson about servitude at every
stage of his blessed movement. He departed from the safety of the for the sake of
Allah, while exposing his family into captivity when he saw that his Lord willed
for them to be captured. He exposed himself to the greatest forms of insult and
torture when he saw that his Lord willed for him to be killed. His sister Zainab
summarized all of these lessons when she confronted the oppressor of her era
saying: I didn’t see anything but it was beautiful. God willed for this group of
people to be killed, so they came out to be killed, and God will gather you and
them together to be judged. So wait and see who will be victorious on that day!
Such beautiful statements from Zainab should lead us to ask whether the
martyrdom of Hussein (A.S.) was the end of a tragedy or the beginning of an
uprising. Why did Imam Hussein not just sacrifice himself alone, but decided to
take his whole family to the battlefield? Hence the need for the current research
in order to find explanations to some of these questions, and which lessons could
be learnt therefrom.

Keywords: Imam Hussein, Tragedy, Uprising

Introduction

With the politics and climate of the world changing as fast as they are, it
becomes ever important to connect ourselves with the changing trend, else, we
perish out of ignorance. The martyrdom of Imam Husayn remains the biggest
tragedy in Islamic history still concealed by majority of Muslims around the
world. It is a tragedy that did not only affect Muslims, but also affects every
human society today. Husayn’s struggle was for the salvation of the whole of
mankind.

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 Considering his personality, Imam Husayn was the grandson of the Holy
Prophet Muhammad, through his daughter, Lady Fatima and son-in-law, Imam
Ali, peace be upon them all. Husayn was not just some Caesar or Hercules tale of
history, but rather who, as described by Prophet Muhammad, is considered the
leader of the youths of Paradise. In less than half a day on the 10th of
Muharram (Ashura) in the year 680 A.D. (61 A.H.), on the hot desert sands
of Karbala in Iraq, Imam Husayn(as), and 72 of his family members, friends and
followers, including his 6 month old infant son, were martyred under most
gruesome circumstances. These included His brother Hazrat Abbas (as) the
standard bearer, His young 18 yr old son Ali Akbar & his 4 year old daughter
Sakina who died while in prison in Damascus. The Oppressive ruler; Yazid son of
Mu'awiya son of Abu Sufiyan & his very large army of over 30,000 men,
committed these heinous crimes against the small group which included the
household of the Prophet. Lady Zainab (sister of Imam Hussain) also played a
key role especially subsequent to the battle to inform people of the truth.

The group, including the six-month infant Ali Asgar, was without food and
water for 3 days before their martyrdom. Ali Asgar was martyred thirsty in his
father's arms when his tender throat was pierced by a three-pointed poisoned
arrow, while his father implored the tyrants to allow water to the infant, after all
his other companions were martyred at their hands.

Imam Husayn resolved to defend his thirsty entourage from the killer
army’s onslaught, rather than submit to their forcible extraction of allegiance to a
criminal despotic regime which used the name of Islam. He was going to stand to
his principle to defend True Islam, even though he might be the last man standing
with no support, no help. He however ensured that his message was not limited to
his time. When he was proceeding forth, he continuously reminded us that his
mission was timeless and borderless. He sought to ensure that we too would be
‘Husayni’ in our outlook and efforts and that we would reject any “Yazidi” forces.
For this reason perhaps, he gave Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah an important
testament which to this day, remains the blueprint for his mission, and should also
form the plan of our life. The Imam stated:

“Now know that surely the aim of my stand is not inspired by vain
exultation, nor is it for the quest of kingdom. It is not to cause dissension,
nor to spread corruption. It is also not for the goal to wrong anybody
unjustly. Rather, the purpose of my stand is the reformation the Ummah
(nation) of my grandfather. I only intend to enjoin good and forbid evil
(and in doing so), emulate my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah and my
father Ali ibn Abu Talib (Baqir Sharif al-Qarashi: 2007).”

A look at two factors

The events which put the Ashura movement in motion stemmed from
these two factors-the outward Satan-the likes of Muawiyah, Yazid and the

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previous “caliphs” who came before them who laid the groundwork for the
destruction of Islam, and the inner passions and desires which also affect us today.
Without doubt, both of these have always worked in tandem with one another. It
is the small instigation and whisper of Satan which puts the wheels of the inner
desires in motion – giving them the lubrication and energy to run on their own.

A victory against corruption

The principle of dialogue through speaking is the well-known method of

explaining the messages of the Prophets (A), and this is what was referred to when
Almighty God said, “And each nation had its own warner.” But the corruption of
the leadership sometimes reaches the point where warning and explanation are not
sufficient to put an end to the greatest falsehood: the corruption of one who
corrupts the entire nation by his actions – because the people follow the religion
of their leaders.

Jeremy Pope (1997) believes that corruption is a complex and multifaceted

phenomenon with multiple causes and effects, as it takes on various forms and
functions in different contexts. The phenomenon of corruption ranges from the
single act of a payment contradicted by law to an endemic malfunction of a
political and economic system. The problem of corruption has been seen either as
a structural problem of politics or economics, or as a cultural and individual moral
problem. He added that the definition of corruption consequently ranges from the
broad terms of “misuse of public power” and “moral decay” to strict legal
definitions of corruption as an act of bribery involving a public servant and a
transfer of tangible resources.

The problem of corruption becomes gigantic when it is practised openly.

This was what emerged after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.A).
Those in power started demanding what they wanted and those who gave were
very open about it as well. Both parties regarded it as a norm. They never felt bad
about it because everybody else was doing it anyway. Those who chose not to do
it were considered stupid. This was the confronted by Imam Husayn and his
family including his followers; the reasons for which Husayn’s uprising remains
an indelible ink in the history of mankind.

It can be realised that since the beginning of human creation, there has
always been a struggle between corruption and justice (Qur’an chapter 2, verse
30). Corruption is also said to be highly related to materialistic tendencies, which
can be due to genuine needs caused by income or greed and the desire to live well
beyond one’s means. When this happens, it can easily lead to gross inefficiencies
both financially and in productivity. Those involved will find ways and means of
applying pressure on others whom they can prey upon, instead of providing
genuine service to such victims.

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 According to Sayyid M. Huassan ash-Shahristani (2001), the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (S.A.W.A), had openly prophesised that the faith of Islam would be
rescued by his second grandson Husayn, when Yazid, son of Muawiyah, would
endeavour to destroy it. So it would be necessary to establish a movement beyond
explanation and dialogue, an unusual movement in which blood is sacrificed in
order to eliminate corruption. This movement would awaken the nation from its
depths, to see the corruption of the leader’s soul after it had neglected the
corruption of the leader’s deeds! And thus the rule of the Umayyads collapsed
shortly after the killing of Hussein (A). His revolution was considered the source
of all revolutions which arose throughout the nation which hadn’t been seen
before the killing of Chief of Martyrs (A).

Ali Asghar Ridwani, in his work The Uprising of Ashura and Responses to
Doubts (2010), quoted the English writer Charles Dickens with regards to
Husayn’s uprising as saying: “If al-Husayn fought to quench his worldly desires,
then I do not understand why his sisters, wives and children accompanied him. It
stands to reason therefore that he sacrificed purely for Islam.”

Husayn’s call to change: everybody’s responsibility

Imam Husayn made various presentations as a step towards positive

change for the benefit of previous, existing, as well as future generation. As
Mahatma Gandhi has it that “unless the individual change takes place, the social
development is impossible.” Hence Gandhi gave utmost importance to character-
building and reshaping of attitudes and values (Ratan Das: 2005). Thus, it is
reported that whilst leaving Mecca, Husayn narrated the following tradition from
the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.A) saying: “O people, the Messenger of Allah
(S.A.W.A) said:

“Whoever sees an oppressive tyrant who legalizes what Allah has

forbidden, breeches Divine laws, violates the Prophet’s traditions, and
oppresses the worshippers of Allah, yet he does not oppose it in words or
deeds, Surely Allah will treat him in the same way as the tyrant.”
The above tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.A) clearly points
to the fact that Islam unequivocally disallows unjust rule. Exacting measures
against injustices of any kind are an integral part of Islam. Thus the Qur’an extols
the virtues of struggling against any oppression including authoritarian rule.
Hence the uprising of Imam Husayn is not a misplaced priority.

Imam Husayn also reminded us of our responsibilities against tyranny.

This was exemplified in one other speech he delivered at Dhu Husam, one of the
stations toward Iraq. He said:

"Do you not see that truth is not applied and falsehood is not prohibited?
[So] let the believers desire to meet God while one is in the right, for I do

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 not consider death but a bliss and living together with oppressors a
disgusting thing (Tabari:1983).”

This reading is not only indicated by these words and speeches that have
been successively transmitted by writers of biographies such as al-Tabari, Ibn al-
A'th'am, Sayyid Ibn Tawus and al-Mufid, every event in Husayn's journey to Iraq
shows that the Imam was not preparing for a military activity for overthrowing
Umayyad rule. Therefore, the Imam was not thinking, and he could not have
thought of military action, rather he was with full awareness, venturing into an
unparalleled act of tragic sacrifice in which he would surrender himself, his family
and his companions. The purpose of this was to jolt the sleeping conscience of the
nation, and imbue it with action and the spirit of courage and sacrifice.

What we should understand at this point is that, for every responsible

person, especially if he holds the responsibility of the Imamate or the Call for
Allah, should not remain neutral before such a reality – the reality of the
oppressive tyrant – but rather he ought to rebel against it in order to change the
status quo. Moreover, the tradition of the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.A)) is
considered a lawful basis for revolting against an oppressive ruler, unlike what
some jurists claim that we ought to obey our rulers even if they were oppressive
and obey their commands and adhere to their teachings.

As the Imam (a.s.) goes on with his sermon, he talks about the reality and
puts the theory in the tradition of the Messenger of Allah into practice to, and
defines his responsibility in all that:

“Certainly these people have come to staunchly obey Satan, and given up
obeying Allah, the Compassionate. They made permissible what Allah has
forbidden and forbade what Allah has legalized, and showed mischief and
took Muslims’ property to themselves. And I am more entitled than
anyone else to make the change (Sheikh Husayn Radi: 2006).”
In this speech, he was addressing the people and telling them that he is
taking action in order to change the ruler and reform the corrupt reality that has
surrendered to this ruler.
Therefore, we can deduce from this speech that the movement of Imam
Al-Hussein (a.s.) was reformative; that is, he himself was reformative, and that he
did not leave Mecca just to be martyred, knowing that he was ready for this fate
had it been imposed on him, eventually, for the sake of making the aspired
change.
Imam Al-Hussein (a.s.) was asserting that the then current reality was not
Islamic and that he would take action to turn it into an Islamic one, for Islam was
the trust Allah has entrusted him with. Actually, the Imam (a.s.) criticized the
reality that existed at that time, for he said:

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 “They take the public money for themselves,” i.e. they usurped the
nation’s money, split it among themselves, and used it for their own
interests, “and they enslaved the people,”
That is, they took the servants of Allah as their own slaves. In this respect,
we should also recall Imam Husayn’s (a.s.) famous speech, as recorded by Majma
Alamiy (2010):
“By God, I did not rise against the tyrannical rule of Bani Umayyad out of
selfishness or with the aim of oppression or corruption! But rather, I rose
to seek reform in my grandfather’s nation, I want to enjoin good and
forbid evil. Whoever accepts me not for myself but by accepting the truth,
then Allah is higher than the truth. And whosoever rejects me then I will
bear patiently until Allah judges between me and them, and He is the best
Judge.”
In this speech, the Imam (a.s.) is confirming that his movement seeks
reform in the nation, since he shoulders the responsibility of the nation, for one of
the Imamate’s requirements is to shoulder the nation’s tasks by setting straight
any kind of deviation and reforming any kind of corruption in it.

Contemporary lessons from Karbala

Some of the contemporary lessons that could be learn from the incidence
of Karbala include, but not limited to the following:
The connection between chastity and the defense of religion:
One of the lessons of Karbala is connecting between the highest degree of
chastity and the defense of the religion by whatever power the individual is given.
Thus we see Zainab (A) who observed hijab and shyness like no one else. She
would even try to keep her shadow from the view of outsiders by extinguishing or
turning down the lights when she was visiting the grave of her grandfather the
Holy Prophet (S). However when the time came, she was the tongue speaking in
the name of the sacred law even in the presence of the Imam of her time, Ali ibn
al-Hussein al-Sajjad (A). There is a saying that Islam owes its existence to
Muhammed but its preservation to Hussein. While this is correct, we could also
say that the origin of the reform movement was Hussein, while its preservation
belongs to Zainab.
The correlation between Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.) and Hussein (A.S.):
There is a great likeness between Ibrahim (A.S.) the beloved friend of God
and Hussein (A.S.) the sacrifice of God. God made the hearts of the people incline
towards both of them. What we notice amongst those who gather for the
remembrance of Hussein (A.S.) and establish his mourning is something truly
amazing! Just as we see people who don’t follow the sacred law throughout the
year attracted to perform the Hajj, we see the same group showing a loyalty
towards Hussein (A.S.) which is not in proportion to their nature. This shows us

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 that there is divine control over the hearts, and it appears that the movement
during these two seasons of Hajj and Muharram are an answer to the prayer of
Ibrahim (A.S.). The reason for loving the family of the Prophet (PBUH) in their
valley of martyrdom is no less than the reason for loving the family of Ibrahim
(A.S.) in their valley of barrenness!
Caution against trials:
Whatever we have done during the days of Muharram is a divine lesson in
which God tests us for the heat of love for Hussein (A.S.). The Holy Prophet
(PBUH) made it one of the tests of true faith. At the same time it is a claim against
us, because after we get these divine blessings the judgement against us is swifter
than if we hadn’t participated in them. The one who receives these blessings is not
like the one who does not, and the one who has knowledge is not like the one who
is ignorant. Is it enough to emerge from this season with tears and crying without
seeing an important change in our life?!

Conclusion
One of the important lessons of Ashura is to beware of coming to a bad
ending in our lives. Some of the companions of Ali (A.S.) participated in killing
Imam Hussein. There are many people like this in history who have been cursed
by the Imams and who were once their companions! All of us have to beware of
the hidden seeds of major corruption, especially in the area of our beliefs, as one
of the signs of the end of time is mental corruption. Some of the causes of this are
committing major sins, companionship with corrupt people, profiting from what is
forbidden, taking the material world over religion, finding pleasure in the fancy
words which the Devil distributes to his friends, as the Holy Qur’an says: “The
devils inspire their followers to argue with you.”

References:

1. Al-majma Alamiy Liahlil-Bayt (2010). I’laamul Hidayatil Imamul Husayn. Qum:

Al-Majma Alamiy Liahlil-Bayt.

2. Al-Qarashi, Baqir Sharif (2007). The Life of Imam Husayn (A): Research and

Analysis. Qum: Ansariyan Publications.

3. Ash-Shahristani, Sayyid M. Hassan (2001). A Brief History of the Fourteen

Infallibles. Theran: WOFIS.

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4. Das, Ratan (2005). The Global Vision of Mahatma Gandhi. New Delhi: Sarup and

Sons.

5. Pope, Jeremy, ed. (1997). National Integrity Systems: The TI Source Book.

Washington DC: TI and EDI.

6. Radi, Sheikh Husayn (2006). Al-Imam Husayn: Risalah wa Islah. Beirut: Dar

Mahajjatul Baidaa.

7. Ridwani, ‘Ali Asghar (2010). The Uprising of Ashura and Responses to Doubts.

Theran: ABWA Publishing.

8. Ibn Jarir at-Tabari (1983). Tarikh al-Tabari. (Vol.7: 301). Beirut: al-A’lamiyy

Publication.

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