Ashura was not an event that took place on a single afternoon in the year 61 AH, detached from its context before and after. It has roots in the events of the past and the social transformations of the Muslims from the time of the Prophet’s (PBUH) passing until the year 60 AH. Its consequences and the impact it has had on the thoughts and actions of Muslims have continued to expand, reaching up to today and extending until the Day of Judgment. Despite the numerous epic, revolutionary, educational, and spiritual interpretations of the Karbala uprising and the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (AS), it seems that the depth of this divine movement is far richer than what has been presented so far. Therefore, Ashura carries messages for everyone, for all time, and Muslims should use Ashura to reach higher levels of faith, understanding of religion, awareness of duty, and commitment to fulfilling their responsibilities.
One of the messages of Ashura and the Husayni movement is the message of revival. In many movements, after a while, those who wrongly occupy positions of power and authority cause the initial goals and lofty values to diminish or be forgotten. Gradually, people become accustomed to these deviations and innovations and do not react significantly. In such situations, the true heirs of that movement or its real followers step forward to revive the original messages, content, and objectives. They work to awaken the dormant society and draw attention to the principles of the movement and the necessities of religion. This task is often accompanied by self-sacrifice, as those who revive religious traditions must be ready to sacrifice themselves so that the society awakens and the religion is revived.
The Karbala movement was also a revitalizing movement for the core of religion and the laws of Allah. A study of the words of Sayyid al-Shuhada (AS) reveals his strong emphasis on reviving the faith, implementing God’s commands, restoring tradition, fighting against innovation and corruption, and calling for the judgment of God and the Qur’an.
In one of his statements, he says: “I call you to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet. The Sunnah is dead, and innovation has been revived. If you listen to my words and follow my command, I will guide you to the straight path.”[1] He also mentions the motivation for his correspondence and invitation to the people of Kufa: “The people of Kufa have written to me and asked me to come to them, hoping that the signs of truth will be revived and innovations will die.”[2] On his way, when he encounters Farazdaq, he describes the situation as follows: “O Farazdaq! These people have abandoned obedience to God and followed Satan. They are spreading corruption on Earth, neglecting the laws of Allah, indulging in drunkenness, and appropriating the wealth of the poor and the destitute for themselves. I am more deserving to rise for the help of God’s religion, to honor His faith, and to strive in His way, so that (the word of Allah) may be exalted.”[3]
On the day of Ashura, Imam Husayn (AS) demonstrated the greatest act of sacrifice, giving his own life, the lives of his children and infants, his relatives and companions, and the captivity of his wife, sisters, and daughters, all in the service of this great act of revival. Through the Karbala uprising and the Ashura movement, and the struggles of Ashura’s martyrs, Islam regained its dignity, and the sanctities of Allah were once again respected, enabling God’s religion to be supported. In fact, the important message of Ashura is the revival of forgotten values and the revitalization of the fundamental principles of Islam that had become weak.
(Taken from the book “Messages of Ashura,” authored by Hujjat al-Islam Jawad Modhadi (with abbreviations and additions))