“O my dear son! Know that this life of yours passes by as hours go by, and not by anything else. Also, be mindful that you cannot attain one blessing without losing another. Therefore, beware of long desires, for how many are those who have longed for something but never reached it…”
A passage from the will of Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him) to his son.
After the tragic event of Karbala and the arrival of the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Syria, Yazid, drunk with pride and rejoicing in his victory, held a grand celebration in the Grand Mosque of Damascus. In this public gathering, where all the captives were present, an official speaker was appointed to defame the Commander of the Faithful and Imam Hussain (peace be upon them), continuing the policy that had begun during the time of Muawiya.
When the speaker finished his speech, Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him) stood up and said, “Allow me to stand on these wooden planks and speak words that will please God, and the listeners will earn reward for hearing them.” Yazid, initially fearful of the consequences of Imam’s speech, opposed him. However, under pressure from the people’s emotions, he eventually relented and allowed the Imam to speak.
When Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him) mounted the pulpit, he began his speech by praising and thanking God. He continued to address the gathered people, who had, due to years of misguided propaganda under Muawiya and his son Yazid, forgotten the explicit instructions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding the Ahlul Bayt, and were unaware of the status, position, and responsibilities of the family of the Prophet in the framework of religion. Imam then introduced himself, saying:
“Whoever knows me knows me, and whoever does not, let him know that I am the son of Mecca and Mina[1]. I am the son of Zamzam and Safa…”
This statement refers to the idea that although we did not perform Hajj this year, nor stayed in Mina, nor slaughtered sheep, Mina belongs to us[2]. Just as Mecca, Medina, and even the Kaaba, were once dead lands with no soul, it was we who revived those dead lands through our journey to Karbala[3]. Anyone who brings life to a dead land inherits it. It is not by slaughtering sheep or camels that one owns Mina, for Mina will not come to life with these acts. Mina comes to life by sacrificing one’s father, brother, uncle, and companions, and offering captives and martyrs in the way of God. Therefore, we are the owners and inheritors of Mina, just as we are the inheritors of Safa, Marwa, Zamzam, and the Kaaba. It was our uprising that revived the Kaaba, honored Hajj, and preserved the dignity of the pilgrimage. Otherwise, slaughtering sheep, circumambulating the House of God, and running between Safa and Marwa are easy tasks that anyone can do.
Then he continued: “I am the son of the one who was taken up to the heavens… I am the son of the Messenger of God, and the son of Ali al-Murtadha.” And then he said, “I am the son of Fatimah al-Zahra, the daughter of the master of the women of the worlds.”
With this speech, the war that had begun with Yazid’s demand for allegiance from Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) and had started in Medina, came to an end with the victory of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) in Damascus. Following the words of Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him), the political atmosphere in Syria changed. The people, who had gathered to celebrate Yazid’s victory, were awakened from their slumber, and their celebration turned into a gathering of weeping, lamenting, and mourning.
Excerpt from the book “Hamasah and Irfan,” by Ayatollah Jawadi Amuli (with further explanations).
Footnotes:
[1] Mina is a land near Mecca where sacrifices (a part of Hajj rituals) are made.
[2] Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) did not perform the Hajj pilgrimage in the year 60 AH due to a plot by Yazid’s agents to assassinate him in Mecca. After performing the lesser pilgrimage (Umrah), he set out towards Karbala.
[3] (Tahdhib, Vol. 7, Page 152)