Once more Muharram has come, and the hearts of free men\nincline toward Hussain (PBUH), the son of Ali (PBUH), and their eyes are fixed\nupon Ashura, the event which took place more than 1300 years ago. Even after\nsuch a long passage of time, not only Shiite Muslims are attracted to this\nevent, but all Muslims and other free believers. Why the remembrance of Imam\nHussain (PBUH) is tied so much to Muharram? Why hasn’t Ashura faded from\nhistory after a passage of 13 centuries? Why do Muslims gather every year to\nmourn for Hussain (PBUH) and his companions? And why hasn’t this event faded\ninto history like thousands of other events that have long been forgotten?\nThese are some of the questions that might come up while one is thinking about\nthis event. In this article we want to briefly investigate the concept of the\neternal message of Imam Hussain’s (PBUH) uprising (Qiam). After 13 centuries,\nshould we maintain the remembrance of Ashura, or was it an event that belonged\nonly to a specific period of history? Is the reviewing and renewal of such an\nevent only a sensational and illogical act?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since a long passage of time has not caused Ashura to be\nforgotten, is it possible that this event will be forgotten by the next\ngenerations? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first thing that comes to mind while studying and\nconsidering the event of Ashura, is its non-material motive. Hussain the son of\nAli (PBUT) was not only aware that he would be defeated, but he had also been\ninformed that he would be martyred and that his family would be captured. Both\nthe Great Prophet (PBUH&HP) and Imam Ali (PBUH), who had a special\nknowledge of certain future events, had made such predictions. Many people\ntried to stop him, but he saw it as his divine duty to keep the religion and\nthe Prophet’s (PBUH&HP) Sunnah alive. Now is it reasonable to say that the\nmotive of his uprising was to gain a powerful position and governorship? An\nuprising, which from its beginning coincided with great hardships and\neventually resulted in the martyrdom of all its participants?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the contrary! The divine motive of Imam Hussain (PBUH) and\nhis companions is observed in each moment of the event of Ashura: While each\ncompanion tried to precede the other in becoming martyred, while his\nsix-month-old infant son passes away, while Imam Hussain (PBUH) devotes all his\nexistence to Allah (SWT), and while in the last moments of his life he says:\n“O! My Lord I am content with what You have destined; I have submitted to\nYour will; There is no one worthy of worship other than You.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider these verses of the Holy Quran: “Everyone on it\n(the earth), is destined to perish \u2013 And there remains the Face of your Lord,\nwhich is full of glory and honor.” (55: 26, 27) These verses are saying\nthat when everything else has been destroyed, Allah (SWT) remains and bestows\neternity to the people who join Him. The believers, who all of their aspects of\nlive have connected with Allah (SWT), are considered to be eternal like their\nunique Creator. It is obvious that such an event would never fade or be\nforgotten, because in each moment of the event, it has tied and joined with\nAllah (SWT), Who is the only one who will not perish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The divine motive of Ashura was the pure motive of obtaining\ncloseness to Allah (SWT). Thus the goals of this uprising were in accordance\nwith and consistent with the unchangeable nature of the human. So it would be\nimpossible for man to one day forget that he wants to be free from every\ncruelty. It is impossible that one day man would forget to love his Creator.\nTherefore, we can conclude that man’s nature would not let him\/her forget this\nevent, even after 13 centuries. Man will remember this event until the end of\nhis life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The extent of the influences of this uprising is so vast, not\nonly Imam Hussain’s (PBUH) followers were influenced by it, but all the free\nmen of the world. As far as the deep and vast influence of such an event\nexists, the remembrance of Imam Hussain (PBUH) and his companions is alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From what was briefly mentioned, we obviously deduce that\nforgetting such an event is impossible. Now the question is this: Do we really\nneed to study this event today? What can this event mean for the man living in\nthe 21st century? What results would it have for modern-day life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since the early days Islam’s main objective was to give\nfreedom to mankind from tyranny and oppression. Therefore, those who saw their\ninterests in danger with the rise of Islam, started to oppose Islam in any\npossible way. However, through the strong leadership of Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP) and his divine assistance, the religion was protected against\ndangers posed by infidels and polytheists. Because of Islam, Muslims were able\nto identify the polytheists as the real enemy of their religion and never\ncompromised in defending their religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) passed away, the enemies\nchanged their technique. They gradually changed the religion and introduced\nsuperstitions. Many who were really enemies of Islam professed to be Muslims,\nbut they were really hypocrites. The hypocrisy of enemies worked well for them.\nThey succeeded in reaching key positions in government, but this time they\ncarried religious titles. They were able to do things that they could not do when\nthe Prophet was alive. As time passed, they were able to make more changes to\nIslam. The situation was getting worse until the fiftieth year after Prophet\nMuhammad’s (PBUH&HP) demise. At that time a character named\n“Yazid” declared himself as “Amir al-Mu’minin” (Master of\nthe believers) \u2013 the successor to the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) and to Allah\n(SWT). After that Yazid took control of the Muslims and demanded that his\norders be followed as a part of the religion. In other words, he thought of himself\nas a God-like man. One of his orders, to fire on the Ka’ba with a catapult, had\nto be followed without question. At such a period of time, Imam Hussain (PBUH)\ncame to the scene to rejuvenate the true Islam with his clear insight. He came\nto purge the religion from superstitions and whatever the hypocrites had added\nto it. This is why it is said: “Imam Hussain’s sacrifices kept Islam\nalive.” The Great Prophet of Islam once said of his grandson:\n“Hussain is of me and I am of Hussain.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the uprising of Imam Hussain (PBUH) is not limited\nto a one day battle between a minority of pious men and a majority of wrong\nbelievers and oppressors. This uprising has an everlasting divine message for\nhumanity that can be used at all times. The utilization of this message leads\nto freedom for all mankind from oppression and tyranny and eventually getting\ncloser to Allah (SWT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The enemies of Islam are continuously attacking it in this\ncentury as well. They know very well that the only way to defeat Islam is to\nalter the core principles. Hence, we truly need to understand the message which\nImam Hussain’s (PBUH) uprising bears with it. The message can help to protect\nthe true Islam which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) brought for the whole\nworld. We need to protect our beliefs from fake concepts and forged information\nand provide the elements of the “justice-for-all” government of\nal-Mahdi (PBUH) which is promised to us in Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH&HP)\ntradition. In fact, the uprising of Imam Hussain (PBUH) draws the border between\nright and wrong and rejuvenates the spiritual nature of mankind which has died\nin our era as a result of materialism. Therefore, the need for this message\nwith such results has increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, an Infallible Imam completes the religion of Allah\n(SWT). Whether he fights or makes peace, accepts or denies an issue, all are\ndone in accordance to the rules of the Holy Quran and the traditions of the\nProphet Muhammad (PBUH&HP). Islam is not just limited to a certain period\nof time. The concepts of Islam can be found in the Holy Quran, the Prophet’s\ntraditions and the teaching and actions of the Imams (PBUH). The concepts of\nIslam are practical for every Muslim during his lifetime. It is important to\nunderstand the true human needs at every period of time and find appropriate\nsolutions by applying religion in our lives. According to the narration of\nal-Thaqalayn from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP): “Imam and Quran are\nalike.” The Holy Quran contains deep meanings, and the more one thinks\nabout them, the more he can benefit. The character and deeds of the Imam are\nlike verses of the Holy Quran; the more one deliberates, the more he\nunderstands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event of Ashura\nalso supports this statement. It was a decision of Imam Hussain (PBUH), and he\nacted upon it. The culture of Ashura has remained a basis and principle for the\nculture of Shiism. A clear revision of this culture can bear a new message and\na new insight. Therefore, if the event of Ashura were not a link in the chain\nof Islam, this chain would have been broken in two, and its followers would\nhave fallen into a deep hole of ignorance and superstitions prevalent at the\ntime. The rise of Imam Hussain (PBUH) has removed ignorance from Islam during\nthe past and for the future; otherwise, Islam would have been altered many\ntimes during history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As it was mentioned\nearlier, the uprising of Imam Hussain (PBUH) has not only affected the Shiite\nIslamic societies, but also people of other faiths. We will review some of the\nimportant social and individual effects of this movement in the following\nparagraphs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I \u2013 Social Effects<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The uprising of Imam Hussain (PBUH) and his companions caused\na significant effect on the Islamic community of that time as well as those of\nlater centuries. Some of the social effects are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00d8 Removal of Ignorance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In many narrations and scripts for pilgrimages (Ziarat), the\nmost important social message of this movement is considered to be\n“fighting against ignorance in the society and people’s unawareness.”\nThe tyrants of that time had done everything to diminish the limits between\nright and wrong, and Imam Hussain (PBUH) intended to redefine that for the\nsociety. This movement not only caused a general awareness in Islamic\ncommunities, but also enlightened the non-Muslim communities as well. For\ninstance, some of the representatives of non-Muslim counties in Yazid’s palace\nand some of the monks were deeply affected and eventually were guided on the\nright path. Indeed, the guidance which is a result of this uprising is still in\nplace and leads many free men to the right path. Further, the martyrdom of Imam\nHussain (PBUH) and his companions proves the trueness of Islam. The first goal\nof the movement of Ashura is to bring about awareness in people of reasonable\nthoughts and behaviors. Obviously if this movement were based exclusively on\nemotions and taking advantage of people’s emotions, then it would not encourage\npeople to refer to their intellect, and it would not lead to general awareness\nin society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00d8 A General Uprising:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were a number of uprisings after the movement of Ashura\n(both in that period of time and in later years) against oppression and tyranny\nof governments. Among them, the uprising of the people of Medina was one of the\nmost important ones. Those who started the movement were not thinking about\nvictory, but they decided to stand against tyranny as a social duty. There were\nother Islamic and non-Islamic movements in later years which had the teachings\nof Karbala in mind. Moreover, there were many religious and non-religious\nuprisings throughout history which had set their goal to fight against\noppression. But most of them had affected their own period of time and not\nfurther; or they had taken advantage of people’s emotions and were later\nforgotten. On the contrary, the event of Ashura was not limited to a few years\nafter its taking place; it affected societies from the first day until the\npresent time. Further, the motivation of this movement was divine, unlike other\nuprisings, and therefore, it calls upon people to rise up against oppression\nbased on divine values and human principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00d8 An Uprising Only for the Sake of Allah Almighty (SWT) :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Obviously, the most important and ultimate effect of Imam\nHussain’s (PBUH) uprising, whether socially or individually, is only to act for\nthe sake of Allah Almighty (SWT). Imam Hussain (PBUH) sacrificed all he had for\nAllah (SWT). He did not even consider victory at the battlefield as a condition\nto rise up against the oppressive government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He told his companions and family on the night before the\nbattle (the night of Ashura) that: “These people have animosity only for\nme; you can take advantage of the dark and leave. Know that whosoever stays\nhere will be killed tomorrow.” Furthermore, in the hardest condition of\nthe day of Ashura, Imam Hussain (PBUH) said: “This is easy for me because\nAllah is watching me.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
II \u2013 Individual Effects<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The uprising of Imam Hussain (PBUH) affects every individual\nand constructs a practical path for social improvements. Some of the most\nimportant individual improvements are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00d8 To practice the commands of Allah (SWT) and to abandon sin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whoever benefits from the event of Ashura in any way will\nreceive a sensation of obedience toward Allah (SWT) and a unique pleasure in\nsubmission to His command. Furthermore, even the act of committing a sin will\nappear ugly and unpleasant to that individual. However, the extent to which an\nindividual leaves his sinful behavior depends upon his individual capacity for\nunderstanding the event of Ashura and Imam Hussain’s (PBUH) movement. This fact\ncan be seen through individual experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00d8 Freedom:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After so many years, one of the quotes of Hussain (PBUH) is\nstill remembered \u2013 “If you do not believe in religion, at least be free in\nyour world.” This saying invites the whole world to practice freedom. The\nmessage of Hussain (PBUH) continues, and his followers reject submission to\noppression. Freedom from enslavement by tyrants or any one except Allah (SWT)\nis one of the points of Imam Hussain’s (PBUH) revolution that can be used to\nrealize the true values of Islam in this day and time. Hence, those who are in\nlove with Hussain (PBUH), no matter what religion they have, will try to free\nthemselves from misfortune and obedience to any one except Allah (SWT) by\nfollowing Hussain’s (PBUH) path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00d8 Patience and strength:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shiite Muslims and others who think about the events of\nAshura have learned from the patience of Imam Hussain (PBUH) such that in the\nmost difficult situations of their lives, they remember their beloved leader.\nTherefore, they remain steadfast and patient in difficulties by remembering the\ndifficulties Hussain (PBUH) faced:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– Surrounded in the hot desert without any water, and\nthe river blocked for three consecutive days by the enemy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– The killing of his six-month old infant son with an\narrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– The killing and subsequent mutilation of his young\nson, who was the most similar in looks and moralities to Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hussain (PBUH) never complained and did not stop thanking and\nremembering Allah (SWT). This was the only way his broken heart could be healed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Human demands for the teachings of Ashura are not only still\non the rise after many centuries, but they are increasing at a fast pace due to\nthe age of technology. One reason is that as humans quickly satisfy their\nmaterialistic needs, they feel the need to improve their spiritual capabilities\nas well. Such development can help them in their lives and take them closer to\nthe goal and purpose of life, that is, perfection and becoming closer to Allah\n(SWT). The event of Ashura, nowadays, has such a critical responsibility. If\nthe people of 1300 years ago could not fully understand what Hussain Ibn Ali\n(PBUT) had accomplished at that time, mankind today has more capability of\nunderstanding what Hussain’s (PBUH) movement was all about. They have more to\nponder over at their own level of concentration. By comprehending the\nphilosophy of his movement, humans may be able to do something about the\npresent spiritual problems, such as their routine life and apathy toward their\nCreator and the Resurrection Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, one could contemplate the ceremonies held for\nthe martyrdom of Imam Hussain and Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) (the household of the\nProphet (PBUH&HP)) by Shiite communities from a different point of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The human body is totally dependent upon its soul. Unlike the\nmaterialistic part of the body, the soul is everlasting. That is why the\nspiritual connection is deeper and more sophisticated than the physical or\nmaterialistic connection. But when does a spiritual connection happen between\ntwo distinct individuals? The answer is when they have the same\nspiritual\/divine values. The connection between Shiite Muslims and the\nhousehold of the Prophet (PBUH&HP) is a spiritual relationship, which is\nmuch deeper and stronger than any materialistic relationship. Therefore, the\nsad the tragic ceremonies that Shiite communities hold are absolutely logical,\nsince their spiritual relationship continues to exist, even though the souls of\nthose martyrs are not in this world. Allah (SWT) says: “Do not think of\nthose who are killed in the Way of Allah as dead. Nay, they are alive with\ntheir Lord and receive sustenance from Him.” (The Holy Quran, 3:169). Thus\nShiites have a spiritual connection with their Imams (PBUH) even centuries\nafter their martyrdom, since they are alive and a spiritual relationship is\nindependent of time and place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the same reason Shiites cry and commemorate the martyrdom\nof their beloved Imams (PBUT). There is an advantage to their tears. Crying is\na good means for increasing the love and care for a beloved one. So, crying and\nweeping is a result of love and improves that love in its nature. This way the\npeople who sincerely love Allah (SWT) and Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) can escalate their\nspiritual level and get closer to perfection. It is true that weeping is not\nthe only way to improve spirituality, but there lies a hidden point in weeping.\nThe presentation of real love and the proof of a claim of a lover is\ndemonstrated when the lover forgets every other one but his beloved. Indeed\nweeping fulfills this mission in its best way; it also clears one’s mirror of\nheart and prepares the heart for being influenced by the best humans in all of\ncreation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, the remembrance of Ashura and Imam Hussain’s (PBUH)\nmovement should be undertaken with logic and wisdom at all times. There are\nmany ideological and moral needs, which can be satisfied by understanding his\nmovement, which can lead to improvement of the spiritual life of the human\nbeing, as well as avoid any possible superstitions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Once more Muharram has come, and the hearts of free men incline toward Hussain (PBUH), the son of Ali (PBUH), and their eyes are fixed upon Ashura, the event which took place more than 1300 years ago. Even after such a long passage of time, not only Shiite Muslims are attracted to this event, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28276,28246],"tags":[18004,17953,18000,17745,18005,18002,18001,18003],"class_list":["post-3850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-beliefs","tag-ali","tag-articles","tag-ashura-and-today","tag-beliefs","tag-first","tag-hussain","tag-muharram","tag-son"],"yoast_head":"\n