On the day of Ashura, Hussain ibn Ali (PBUH) found the enemies all set for combat to the extent that they banned water from his camp and children, and were awaiting any signal to commence the battle. Despite this situation, Hussain (PBUH) was not willing to begin the battle, as he had mentioned when entering Karbala. Moreover, he wanted to give the enemies advice as much as possible. Imam Hussain (PBUH) wanted them to recognize truth from falsehood; also, he did not want anyone to participate in killing him unknowingly and ignorantly, and to fall into eternal calamity, while being unaware of the truth. In the morning of that day (Ashura), after organizing his army, Imam Hussain (PBUH) got on his horse, stepped away from his tents, and addressed the army of Umar Sa’ad with a loud voice:
“O people! Listen to my words and do not rush into combat so that I would fulfill my duty of advising you and explaining the reason for my trip to this region. If you accept my explanation and treat me with fairness, indeed you will find salvation and you will have no reason to fight me. But if you do not accept my explanation and do not treat me fairly, you can get together and perform whatever erroneous action you decide to do with me without any delay. However, it shall not be concealed from you that my supporter is Allah (SWT) Who has revealed the Holy Quran, and He is the friend and supporter of the good.”
One of the historians has narrated that “when Hussain ibn Ali (PBUH) realized that the people of Kufa were determined to kill him, he took a Quran, opened it, put it on his head, and addressed the army of enemies, “May the judge between me and you be this book of Allah (SWT) and my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP). O people! For what sin have you considered shedding my blood lawful? Am I not the son of the daughter of your Prophet? Have you not heard the saying of my grandfather about me and my brother that, “These two are the masters of the youth of paradise”?…”
And later he said:
“O servants of Allah! Fear Allah and refrain from this world, because if it were to be given to an individual or only one person were to stay in it forever, the prophets would have been more appropriate for this possession, and pleasing them would have been more suitable. Never! Because Allah (SWT) has created this world to be transient; its news become old; its blessings pass away; its joys turn into grieves; it is an inferior residence and a temporary home. So prepare provisions for your journey to the Hereafter, and the best provisions for the Hereafter are piety and fear from Allah (SWT)…”
This is the kindness and sympathy of an Imam and a Divine leader towards his cruel enemy; this is the virtue of Hussain (PBUH) that in all instances, even the last moments of his life, he says nothing but remembrance of Allah (SWT). In the last moments of his life when all his companions were martyred and he was facing the cruel army alone, Imam Hussain (PBUH) faced the heaven and prayed to his Lord, the Lord of the universe, for the last time:
“I am patient with your fate and destiny, O Allah! There is no God but you. O helper of the help-seekers! I have no God but you. I am patient with your rulings and destiny. O rescuer of those who have no rescuers! O the Living One Who has no ending! O Reviver of the dead! O Allah, You judges everyone based on their deeds! Judge between me and these people, O the best of Judges!”
And, the Imam when putting his face on earth while his body was mixed with blood, said:
“In the name of Allah; and with the help of Allah; and in the way of Allah; and in the religion of the Messenger of Allah”
(Selected from “The Words of Hussain ibn Ali (PBUT) from Medina to Karabala”, by Muhammad Sadiq Najmi)