Life is not merely breathing and existing, nor is it confined to the realm of “this world.” Indeed, what is eternal life, true happiness, dignity, and real personality? What is the boundary between “human life” and “animal life”? The answers to such questions can be found in the movement of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him).
The true lifespan of a person is measured by the righteous deeds they perform, not by the years they have lived. It is the active life, not the time-bound life. The real lifespan of a human being is what is spent in this world for the benefit of the Hereafter.
Understanding the world also enhances a person’s practical insight in life. The one who strives for the fleeting world is a loser; the one who works for the enduring Hereafter is a winner. Hussain ibn Ali (peace be upon them both) views this world as the remainder of a cup from which others have already drunk or as the leftover pasture that those before him have grazed. There is no good in it; it is subject to decay and change. He said this when he set out for Karbala:
“Indeed, the world has changed its face and become unfamiliar. Its good is in the process of disappearing, and nothing remains of it except the moisture left at the bottom of a cup, or the remnants of a pasture in which no good vegetation grows, only harmful, useless plants.” [1]
With this perspective, Hussain ibn Ali (peace be upon them both) yearns for the Hereafter and considers life in this world under the control of tyrants and oppressors to be a source of sorrow and misfortune, leading to destruction. This is the bitter, unpleasant life that worldlings find sweet, and for its continuation, they are willing to endure any humiliation and disgrace. However, life in the eyes of God’s saints, which was most vividly displayed during Ashura, is one of striving, effort, and jihad in the path of belief, and if necessary, death for honor and dignity, and martyrdom for the sake of God. These individuals, with their higher understanding of life, view a life of disgrace as a source of torture, agony, and something unbearable.
Yes! True life and finding an eternal life are realized through servitude and humility before God, which can extend even to the point of martyrdom in the path of God.
(Excerpt from “The Message of Ashura,” by Hujjat al-Islam Jawad Modhajhi (with some changes and additions))
Tags: resurrection – World
Footnotes:
[1] Tuhaf al-Uqoul, page 245