Imam Hussain: The Martyr of Humanity

By Editor on 24th July 2023 • ( 0 )

Imam Hussain: The Martyr of Humanity

On July 22, 2023, I addressed at “Nazria-e-Pakistan Council, Aiwan-e-Quaid, Islamabad. The Director of programs Hameed Qaisar had invited me to speak as a key note speaker on the topic: “Imam Hussain: The Martyr of Humanity.” Eminent scholars, writers and journalists participated in the conference held on the mission of the sacrifice of Imam Hussain. I made an exclusive speech on the topic. The brief is presented here with.

Ibn Babawayh writes that at the time of Hazrat Imam Hussain’s birth, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) felicitated his daughter Hazrat Fatima and asked her to hand over the child to him. Hazrat Safia said: “Let us first wash the child and you can have him then.” But the Holy Prophet observed that there was no need to wash the new-born as Allah had sent him to this world all clean and pure. Once, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said about Hussain: “Hussain is from me and I am from Hussain; who so ever loves Hussain will be loved by the Almighty Allah.”

The saying of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) that he was from Hussain, means that the mission of the Real Islam would exist till doomsday and no one could then dare to damage the message of Islam. Keeping this in view great Muslim political and intellectual legend Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar had succinctly evaluated the mission of this great tragedy in a couplet. He had said:

“The martyrdom of Hussain is in truth, the death of Yazid.
Islam is resurrected anew after every Karbala.”

Right from the moment of his birth, Imam Hussain was the dearest to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) who took him along as one of the five members of his family, including himself, to be presented to the Ummah as the ones who held a special place of eminence in the eyes, most highly venerated in the spiritual confrontation with the pack of Christians. This event is mentioned in the Holy Quran as the verse of “Mubahilah.” Imam Hussain also has the single honour of being one of the “Ahl-e-Kisa”, whose purity and piety has been mentioned and acknowledged by the Holy Quran in the verse known as “Ayat-e-Tatheer” (The Verse of Purity).

Throughout his life, Imam Hussain proved to be a true follower of the tenets of Islam. There is no exaggeration to say that he was an embodiment of all human virtues and portrayed all the qualities which the Holy Quran has extolled for a Muslim leader, mentor, caliph and guide. His martyrdom at the plain of Karbala had already been prophesied by the Holy Quran in the Surah Al-Saffat in the verses from 105 to 108.

When Prophet Abraham was tested to sacrifice his son Ishmael, he succeeded in his mission assigned to him by God in a dream. A lamb became a ransom of Hazrat Ishmael. Then God said:

“We called out to him, saying; Abraham, you have fulfilled your vision. Thus, did We reward the righteous. That was indeed a hard test. We ransomed him with a Grand Sacrifice and left it for later generations.”

These verses clearly show that this grand sacrifice was reserved for the Ummah of the last prophet Hazrat Mohammad. Imam Hussain was chosen by Allah for this “Grand Sacrifice.” Referring to this verse Dr Allama Iqbal had said:

“Strange, simple and coloured with blood is the event of Karbala:
Its end is Hussain and its beginning is Ishmael.”

Imam Hussain was not interested in the crown, thrown and sceptre. He scoffed the worldly glory, grandeur and trappings of kingship. When he braced to topple the tyrannical regime of Yazid, the object was not to seize power but to liberate the oppressed Muslims from the ruthless brutalities of a depraved callous dictator. He went forth on that historic mission undauntedly by the massive might of Yazid’s army only to safeguard and preserve the pristine purity of Islam which was imperilled by the dictatorial monarchic regime of Yazid who was a renegade, drunkard, debauch, atheist, dictator and slighted the name of God and mocked at prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him). In a couplet, he had said:

“The Hashemites befooled the people to get political power;
neither he (Muhammad) received any revelation, nor any angel appeared before him.”

And so, the crusade was launched by Imam Hussain and a handful of his devoted followers and his own kith and kin against an autocrat, who had trampled upon the rights of his people, denied them justice, freedom and had drifted away from the virtuous path of Islam and had sold his soul to the devil. Imam Hussain made an impassioned appeal to Allah and prayed: “God save me from the nation of oppressors.” On entering Mecca, he turned his face to Medina and said: “Soon, my Lord will show me the right path.”

Imam Hussain knew that he was moving ahead towards his end, but he happily accepted the death of honour over the life of ignominy and disgrace. Once, in Karbala, he had candidly announced: “If Islam could not be implemented without my murder; let the swords mangle my body into pieces.”

The mission of Imam Hussain was the negation of monarchy and tyranny and establishment of Islamic political system “Khilafat” (Islamic Government), which is based on democratic norms, social justice, freedom, and human rights. The battle of Karbala was not a battle between two Princes. It was a battle between two Principles. It was a challenge to monarchy. Islam is antagonistic to monarchy. In the Holy Quran, in Surah Ale Imran, verse 159, it is said: “Counsel with them (companions) on the matters.” The Holy Quran supports counselling and strictly prohibits monarchy and dictatorship.

The mission of Imam Hussain was to save the religious, political, moral and social mission of Islam. His fight was for human rights. On 10th of Muharram, while addressing the hordes of Yazid, he had proclaimed: “O, people, I see the government treasury is being distributed as a bribe in the favourites and friends while the poor people are deprived of bread loaves. I see the sword of tyranny hovering over your heads. I have stood for your rights.”

The tragedy of Karbala has become an eternal beacon of truth and all that truth stands for over the ages, homage has been paid to the Chief of Martyrs by all whom truth is dear. “In a distant age and climate, the tragic scene of the death of Hussain will attain the sympathy of the coldest reader,” writes a great historian Edward Gibbon in his book titled “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”.

It is my considered opinion that it is the only great and grand tragedy of Karbala, which has shaken world conscience out of its slumber to feel the true spirit of Islam and all that this great faith stands for. The glorious tributes paid to Imam Hussain by Washington Irving, Marvin, Monsieur, Thomas Carlyle, Mahatama Gandhi and Nelson Mandela are the beacons of truth.

Hussaniyat and Yazidiyat are two antagonistic symbols. Hussain and Yazid are not two persons but are two ideologies. Hussain is the symbol of truth, justice, freedom, and humanity while Yazid is the symbol of monarchy, brutality, fascism, oppression, injustice, inhumanity and atheism.

The tragedy of Karbala teaches us to unite against aggression and tyranny and strive and sacrifice for human rights and Islamic tenets. When we claim that “Hussain is the Martyr of Humanity”, we mean he sacrificed for the freedom of all humans from dictatorship of man. He believed that the head that bows before God, cannot bow before humans. He stood for human dignity. He categorically announced that honourable death is better than the life of disgrace.

The division of Muslims into sects and factions is against the teachings of Islam. Islam is for all humans irrespective of their differences of caste, colour, class and country. Imam Hussain’s unprecedented sacrifice is for the establishment of an Islamic State based on equality, democracy and justice.