SRINAGAR, TUESDAY, 10 MUHARRAM-UL-HARAAM 1433 AH ; 06 DECEMBER 2011 CE

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2011/Dec/6/karbala-fight-between-good-and-evil-2.asp

KARBALA Fight between Good and Evil

HUSSAIN WELTERED IN BLOOD AND DUST FOR THE SAKE OF TRUTH
DR. SYED AMIN TABISH

Allah having made this life a place for testing and adversity, the victory was not made only for the
righteous over the evil, but the material victory was distributed evenly over the two sides, according
to the level of the material capabilities and according to the merits that are derived from the material
capabilities as well, even though the victory of the merits is on the side of goodness alone, always.
Quran emphasized on one matter that there is no other way for it, and that is to follow the Sunna of
the prophet which includes his sayings and his acts and the things that he liked, because Quran did
not include all the details of the teachings that would cover the needs of all of the believers. Thus,
the matters that were not covered by the Quran clearly were explained by the prophet's Sunna, thus
Quran said (And whatsoever the messenger giveth you, take it. And whatsoever he forbiddeth,
abstain (from it), 59:7) and this reference was explained by that the Prophet (sallal ho alihi wasallam)
doesn't decide by himself but express about Allah by the way of the inspiration, so it (the Quran) said
(Nor doth he speak of (his own) desire, It is naught save an inspiration that is inspired, 53:3,4). The
prophet also assured this when it came to his true successors who he gave their names. The
Prophet (sallal ho alihi wasallam) had to assure this thing about his sucessors, since not all muslims
were expert in all of the laws (teachings) of the message, because of the short life of the Prophet
(sallal ho alihi wasallam) relative to the new muslims who converted into Islam in the last years of
the Prophet’s (sallal ho alihi wasallam) life while people who were expert in the laws were not
abundant and most of them turned to some problems that are not so much important, or never
important at all. Thus, the prophet moved his wisdom to his successors who he assigned by their
names and their properties and assured that people must get back to them for everything that a
faithful man would not see in the reported acts (Sunna) and Quran clearly, and he explained this by
that his successors do not decide by themselves but express it by the way of a direct inspiration.  
Thus, the believers followed the Quran in returning back to the Prophet (sallal ho alihi wasallam)
himself and follow his Sunna as long as the Sunna is parallel to Quran in expressing (the will of)
Allah. They also followed the will of the Prophet (sallal ho alihi wasallam) about returning to his
successors and following their Sunna considering it a parallel line to the original Sunna. Thus, it was
natural to take every saying and every act and every satisfaction expressed by one of the prophet's
successor, and is as a third source beside Quran and Sunna and explain the Quran and Sunna and
enter Islam to be fixed forever beside what is fixed in Quran and Sunna.
Martyrdom exists as an active and powerful force in the ideology of Islam and to understand why it
has such powerful roots and such great symbolic weight it's necessary to examine the different
levels at which the concept manifests itself. It exists initially at the Qur'anic level and then takes on
an expanded and active life in the minds of the Muslims through the unfolding of its significance in
tafsir (Qur'anic explanation) and in history. It is a 'living' idea, vibrantly alive in the hearts of Muslims.
With the Qur'an and hadith furnishing a rich foundation, the tree of martyrdom grew like a powerful
oak within the house of Islam. Early events of historic Islamic importance added weight to the power
of the Qur'anic tenets and the groundwork was laid for a perception of martyrdom, which while falling
short of being a fully developed philosophy, nevertheless ran as a consistent and dynamic current
throughout Islamic history.

The Qur'an says: "And say not of those who are slain in the Way of God: 'They are dead.' Nay, they
are living, Though you perceive it not." (Qur'an 2:154) and,"Think not of those who are slain in God's
way as dead. Nay they live, finding their sustenance in the Presence of their Lord...." The deaths of
members of the Prophet's (sallal ho alihi wasallam) family (the ahl al-bayt) and his close companions
reinforced the importance of the Qur'anic verses and imbued martyrdom with an emotional
resonance that continues to impact the hearts of Muslims and thus their destinies. Concurrent with
these themes is the refusal to subjugate or compromise Qur'anic principles no matter what the
personal cost of refusal. If the refusal results in death then this should be accepted, as the person
would die a martyr and be a recipient of the special rewards attendant to martyrdom. As Ali (a.s.)
says: "...nothing in this world can compensate the loss of self-respect, nobleness of mind, and
honor."
It is necessary to be able to look beyond the enticements of the material world for martyrdom to
become acceptable since anyone deeply rooted in the world would find himself unable to sacrifice
life (a most valuable possession) for an intangible idea - a connection to unseen realities.
With the martyrdom of Al-Hussain ibn Ali the Qur'anic concept of martyrdom became emotionally
embedded in the consciousness of Muslims, thus gaining added force from the emotional link joining
Muslims to the household of the Prophet (sallal ho alihi wasallam). Husayn's death takes on the
aspect of a divine command which he carried out, with the purpose of convicting, before the entire
Islamic world, those who were corrupting Islam and by doing this he re-vitalizes it. His martyrdom is
seen as a choice to stand for truth against destroyers and distorters of truth, a choice made with
awareness of its difficulty, and a standard and ideal inspiring future generations. About this choice
Hussain (a.s.) says: "...there is no shame in the death of a youth if he intends truthfulness and
engages in the struggle as a Muslim (with nobility and the highest standards of behaviour)... For then
if I live I shall have no remorse and if I die I shall incur no blame. It is sufficient humiliation for you to
live and be coerced."

Hussain became a symbol for a world view of the unceasing battle between good and evil. He
typified the concept of revolt against a corrupt, established order and losses suffered by the
revolutionaries were perceived in terms of wronged martyrs. In this way a struggle can take on an
immense mythical quality which has the capability of stirring masses of people who would otherwise
remain on the sidelines never stirring outside their own sphere of personal interests. With each loss
and death on the side of the oppresssed there is an increase in their fervor and thus their strength
grows. According to Thomas Carlyle “The best lesson which we get from the tragedy of Karbala is
that Hussain and his companions were the rigid believers of God. They illustrated that numerical
superiority does not count when it comes to truth and falsehood. The victory of Hussain despite his
minority marvels me! Hussain and his followers made sure that their martyrdom gave a fatal blow to
Yazid’s oppressive rule. Karbala haunted Yazid till his eventual death two years later.
Charles Dickens has said “If Hussain fought to quench his worldly desires, then I do not understand
why his sisters, wives and children accompanied him. It stands to reason therefore that he sacrificed
purely for Islam.”

The tragedy of Karbala took place some 49 years after the departure of the Prophet (sallal ho alihi
wasallam) in 61 Hijri (AD 680). All the first four Caliphs had first been acclaimed by the people of
Medina but this right and duty had now been brushed aside in favour of the courtiers at Damascus.
The solemn pledge to hold a ’shura’ was broken. None of the previous Caliphs had thought to
impose their own sons on the community, and had looked beyond the narrow loyalties of a family,
towards their brother in faith. When Amir Mu’awiyah died, Yazid was acclaimed as the successor. It
marked the decisive emergence of dynastic monarchy triumphing over the religion of God. The
moment Yazid came to power he started demanding the oath of allegiance (bay’ah) from everyone
using unfair means. The approach of Yazid was proof enough of the kind of Muslim he was. He
showed complete disregard for the tenets of Islam.
Ibne Aseer (A renowned historian Allamah Ali bin Abil Karam more famous as Ibne Aseer Jazari) in
his Tareekhe Kamil described Yazid: “Yazid was notorious and well known for his love of numerous
musical instruments, passion for hunting and play with young boys, dogs, monkeys, etc. Every
morning he rose still drunk. His monkeys and young boys wore gold caps. If a monkey died, he
spent a considerable time in mourning it.” Al Bidayah Wal Nihayah, Ibn Kathir narrates “Traditions
inform us that Yazeed loved worldly vices, would drink, listen to music, kept the company of boys
with no facial hair, played drums, kept dogs, making frogs, bears and monkeys fight. Every morning
he used be intoxicated and use to bind monkey with the saddle of a horse and make the horse run.”
Yazid’s message was delivered to Imam Husain as well but he said a firm no. Acknowledging
Yazid’s authority by the Prophet (sallal ho alihi wasallam) grandson at this point would have meant
confirmation of his evil deeds and Caliphate. For Yazid, Hussain’s seal of approval was the one most
needed. The meaning of allegiance to Yazid was not merely the acceptance of a new ruler, but it
meant to sell one’s Religion and faith in slavery to a tyrant.”

The battle of Karbala finds great similarity with the one at Badr. The battle of Badr was the most
important among the Islamic battles of Destiny. For the first time the followers of the new faith were
put into a serious test. Had victory been the lot of the pagan army while the Islamic Forces were still
at the beginning of their developments, the faith of Islam could have come to an end. It was the holy
the Prophet (sallal ho alihi wasallam) at Badr who fought with 313 die-hard supporters against a
formidable army of some 950 men. This battle laid the foundation of the Islamic State and made out
of the Muslims a force to be reckoned with by the dwellers of the Arabic Peninsula.  56 years later it
was his grandson with just 72 loyal men, who fought against an impossible opposition of several
thousands to save Islam from the clutches of tyranny.

Karbala was a battle of truth against falsehood, humanity against villainy, righteousness against evil,
justice against corruption. The much loved grandson of the Prophet  stood in the scorching heat of
Karbala along with his companions, devoid of water but determined. His loved ones, including his six
month old son, fell martyr one after the other. In spite of this he repeatedly invited the other party
towards righteousness and forbade them from evil and immorality, but it all fell on deaf ears. When
the time arrived for him to march ahead all alone, he did it in a fashion which was reminiscent of his
illustrious father Ali.

Hussain fell in the desert of Karbala on that fateful Friday, the 10th of Moharram 61H. The bodies of
the martyrs including the Imam were not only refused a proper burial but were trampled under the
horses’ hooves and were left for the birds. The Kufan army looted the belongings of Hussain. Imam’s
family including his women-folk and tender children were humiliated and taken captives after burning
down their camps. The women were paraded with uncovered heads. It wasn’t Islam! The severed
heads of the martyrs including Hussain were raised on spears. How Yazid played with Hussain’s
head and the emotions of Imam’s family is a well documented fact. Karbala to this day remains a
heart-wrenching story of exemplary courage and bravery to uphold the real principles of Islam.
According to Edward Gibbon “In a distant age and climate, the tragic scene of the death of Hussain
will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader.”

Karbala stands for courage, self-sacrifice, integrity, honesty, vision, and bravery beyond words. It
symbolises all that is pure and true. Karbala teaches us that real battles are always fought in the
minds and not on ground. Yazid was powerful and yet he lost the battle for truth. Allama Iqbal said,
“Imam Hussain uprooted despotism forever till the Day of Resurrection. He watered the dry garden
of freedom with the surging wave of his blood, and indeed he awakened the sleeping Muslim nation.
Hussain weltered in blood and dust for the sake of truth. Verily he, therefore, became the bed-rock
(foundation) of the Muslim creed; la ilaha illa Allah (There is no god but Allah).” When we finally have
all the answers then we would understand the real message of Karbala. Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti
(RA)”

 “It’s Hussain the Prince, it’s Hussain the king,

He is Faith, and Faith’s Defender most daring,
He preferred death to Yazid’s allegiance,
With his blood, Islam has verily been living.”

It is widely regarded as an event which saved Islam. Hussain bin Ali is credited with saving Islam
from oblivion by offering timely sacrifice to draw the line of demarcation between real Islam and the
version promoted by the Tyrant Yazid. Imam Hussain's revolt, staged against the tyranny, injustice,
and repression of the regime and torture, which violated the Islamic concept of a just Islamic polity
and society, was to uphold the ideals and values of Islam propounded in the Qur'an and the
traditions of the Prophet, to rescue the higher human values, moral, social, political and spiritual, and
to preserve the true spirit of Islam. The battle of Karbala' became the everlasting stage on which,
more than anything else, the great spirit of an Imam of the Ahl al-Bayt was put for eternal display,
not in mere words or traditions recorded in books, but against the background of the greatest
tragedy in human history. 
He gave his life but wouldn't give his hand in the hand of Yazid (for allegiance, bay'ah)  
Verily Hussain is the foundation of la ilaha illallah. The Prophet (salallaho alaihi wasalam) said:
Hussain is from me and I am from Hussain [Narrated by Tirimdhi in Merits of Al-Hassan and
Hussain]. Imam Ibn Kathir (rah) writes: You are Hussain bin Ali bin Abi Talib bin Abdul Muttalib bin
Hashim Abu Abdullah al Qarshi al Hashimi (Radhi Allaho Anho), the grandson (of Prophet), son of
his daughter Fatima Az Zahra (Radhi Allah Anha), bouquet of flowers for Prophet (salallaho alaihi
wasalam) in this world who got martyred in Karbala”. The Leader of youth in paradise (Hussain) gets
martyred! Verily he, therefore, became the bed-rock (foundation) of the Muslim creed; la ilaha illa
Allah (There is no god but Allah).

Ronay wala hoon Shaheed-e-Kerbala key gham men main,Kya durey maqsad na dengey Saqiye
Kausar mujhey
 I am one who weeps at the plight of the Martyr of Kerbala
Won't the reward be given to me by the Keeper of Kauser - (Allama Iqbal)

[Prof. Syed Amin tabish, FRCP, FAMS, FACP, Postdoctoral Fellowship, Faculy of Medicine (Bristol
University, England), is Medical Superintendent; Head, Hospital Administration and Chairman, Accident &
Emergency Department, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar]