The Patience of Imam Hussain (AS)

The power of going to the battlefield of martyrdom; sacrificing oneself and loved ones, the grand sacrifice that is so great that no matter how big the enemy is, it will appear small and unimportant before it. This bright sun will continue to emanate more light in the Muslim world day after day till his light encompasses the whole humanity. Today, Imam Hussain a. Today the situation is as such that when impartial intellectuals learn about the history of Islam, and the story of Imam Hussain a. Even for those who do not know anything about Islam, yet they recognize the notions of freedom, justice, dignity, elevation, and lofty human values, Imam Hussain a.

Today, wherever humanity has undergone some defeat, either political, military or economic, the roots of it can be traced to ignorance or abasement. That is, either they do not have the knowledge and necessary understanding, or they understand but have sold themselves cheap.

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They have bought into abasement and have submitted to viciousness. Man, if your essence and existence is to be sold, it has only one price, which is the divine heaven. If you sell it to anything cheaper than heaven, you are at loss. All those who in different places around the world have surrendered to coercion and money of the wealthy and powerful, and have accepted this abasement, --whatever position they are in: Many politicians of the world have sold themselves.

Dignity is not simply represented by holding high positions like a king or a boss. Sometimes a person is sitting on a throne, bullying a thousand people boastfully. Meanwhile, he is under the coercion of another power or center. He might be a captive of his own desires and lust; but today's political captives will not reach the latter, because they are captives of major powers. The prophets save humans; so, in the Quran, one important purpose of prophethood is said to be establishing justice.

The movement of Imam Hussain a. He said that he did not rise up for the cause of wickedness, amusement, corruption or oppression. The people of Iraq invited Imam Hussain a. So, it is not that Imam Hussain a. When a power takes all the capacities of a community or some communities under control, and acts tyrannically, if the men of truth do not oppose him, refuting his actions, they have actually endorsed his actions.

That is, oppression is endorsed by the men of truth, without them really wanting it. This was a sin committed by the elites from among the Bani-Hashem, and the children of the prominent figures of the early years of Islam. Imam Hussain, however, would not tolerate it, and hence he rose up.

The Virtues of Imam Husayn (a) and His Companions

It is narrated that after Imam Sajjad a. Son of the Messenger of Allah, you see, you went and what happened? The daughter of Imam Ali a. The children of Imam Ali a.

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But the caravan returned with only one man -- Imam Sajjad a. If they had not gone, their bodies might have survived, but the truth would have died. The soul would have died out. Consciences would have been shattered. Logic and reason would have been condemned throughout history, and even the name of Islam would not have remained.

Why didn't he refuse to fight with several thousand-fighter army of Yazid, in spite of having only 72 people in his army? Why didn't he try other methods? He knew what was going to happen, yet he brought Zeinab, his wives, his children, and his brothers with him. Like the day of Mubahila, it was again a matter of clarifying the truth and promoting Islam in the real sense of the word. That shows the importance of promoting Islam. Imam Hussein brought his dear ones and his wives and children to Karbala in order to clarify the truth.

One can clearly notice in his lifestyle all the methods that could have been used by a descendant of the Holy Prophet s. We can clearly see everything in the lifestyle of the Lord of the Martyrs a. All these things are tangible in the lifestyle of the Lord of the Martyrs a. Later on he stood up against a great deviation and laid down his life.

He was an infallible Imam. Infallible Imams' extensive knowledge and insight are beyond our heads. He asked people to help him and when a group of people from Kufa expressed their willingness to accompany him on this path, Imam Hussein a.

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• Imam Hussain ibn Ali (peace be upon them).

And this became a lesson and Imam Hussein a. That is to say, he backed up his action with the order of Islam. He said that his duty was what he was doing. He said that he had to express his opposition, no matter what the consequences were. He said, "It is good if my destiny is a victory and if my destiny is martyrdom, so much the better. This was a perfect instance of self-sacrifice and it safeguarded Islam. This move preserved Islam. This move institutionalized values in society.

If Imam Hussein a. The event that could have prevented that great deviation had to shock people and history as much as the deviation did. This shows Imam Hussein's a. Of course this is easier said than done. What Imam Hussein a. That is to say, the dimensions of his action are far more than what we estimate. We usually ignore aspects and details. Once I spoke about Imam Hussein's a. His patience was not limited to enduring thirst or seeing his companions being killed. These things are relatively easy to tolerate. The kind of patience that is difficult to practice is to listen to influential, aware and respectable people who keep creating doubts and telling you that what you are doing is dangerous and wrong.

Who did those things? These prominent figures of that time were constantly telling Imam Hussein a. If it were somebody else, somebody who did not have that determination and stable character, he would have thought, "Well, I did my duty. These people are talking like this and the world is acting like that, so I should just say what I am supposed to say and do nothing else. In this regard our magnanimous Imam r. I explained this in another meeting and I do not want to go into the details now.

This was how Imam Hussein a. Did women also play a role in the event of Ashura? Blood gained a victory over the sword on the day of Ashura, and Zeinab al-Kubra s. This was because the forces of righteousness were apparently defeated in a military fight in Karbala, but Zeinab al-Kubra's s.

That victory was due to the role she played after the day of Ashura. That is a very important point. The event proved that women are not on the periphery of history. It proved that women can have a central role in important historical events. This has been pointed out in several places in the Holy Quran as well. But Zeinab al-Kubra s. The story of her life is a tangible event. She played a brilliant role, making the enemies - who had apparently won the battle and slain all their opponents - feel humiliated in their own base.

She branded them with permanent disgrace and turned their victory into a defeat. That was what Zeinab al-Kubra s. She proved that it is possible to turn feminine morality and modesty into glory and a great jihad. The greatness of Zeinab al-Kubra's s. Her unforgettable sermon in Kufa's marketplace was not just an ordinary speech. It was not just the personal opinion of an important figure.

Her sermon was a great and beautifully-worded analysis of the Islamic community's situation at that time. The sermon included the most profound Islamic concepts.

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See how strong her character was. Her brother - her Imam and leader - had been martyred in a desert just two days before. Her dear ones, her children, and many other people had been martyred. She and tens of other women and children were taken captive on the same day. They were paraded in different places. Some of the people who were watching them were cheerful and some were shedding tears. She spoke like her father did when he was delivering a sermon to his people during his rule.

She spoke with the same tone. Mallon also travels widely.

Who is Imam Hussain? Why did he launch an uprising? - www.newyorkethnicfood.com

He studied for several years in Germany, earned his Ph. He has also written many books and articles, including Neighbors Muslims in North America published by Friendship Press in Rizvi called me asking me to speak on Imam Husain, I was of course happy to do it. I have always had a great respect for the Shias, and your long and rich mystical and philosophical traditions. Rizvi told me that I was to speak to you at the Islamic Center and told me where it was, I was doubly delighted.

But even more to the point, I have often driven by the Center and wanted to visit. As you know, I am a Christian and have spent many years studying Islam and engaging in Christian-Muslim dialogue. I must say that while there are many importance differences between Christianity and Islam, differences, which I believe, must be understood and treasured. Both Christians and Muslims believe that God is powerful indeed omnipotent.

The named Al Qadir and al Muktadir gives witness that in the Muslim tradition. Both Christians and Muslims take great consultation in the belief that our God is not only powerful but also good and just.

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In fact, the justice, the power and the goodness of God are qualities upon which believers meditate and from which we draw strength in difficult times. One of the great mysteries which we as believer encounter is the suffering of the good and righteous persons. Among the Jews, the figure of Jo, a Jew. Among the Christians, the person of Jesus, and among the people of the Shia faith, Imam Husain, are pivotal figures in the eternal question not just of human suffering but the suffering of the good person.

When the suffering of the good person as in the case of Jesus or Imam Husain suffer at the hands of evil people, the questions become even sharper. It is clear that he was a man of compassion and patience. Even after the death of his father Ali ibne Abi Talib, Imam Hasan was unwilling to risk the suffering and bloodshed of many people by challenging the Khalifah Muawiyah in Damascus. Imam Husain was not a rash person or one who was unaware of reality. He knew that challenging the ruling power would accomplish nothing and just cause the death and suffering of the people.

However neither was Imam Husain a person of no principles. Imam Husain had patience and wisdom but he was a man of principle who would only accommodate so much. You know the weakness and the ultimate treachery of the Kufans. The historians, al Tabari, recount the events of Karbala in details. Attack after attack reduced the number of the followers of Imam Husain. Although al Tabari states that the Imam had told his followers that they were free to escape, most of them chose to stay, and to stay with him. In the afternoon of the 10 th of Muharram, the battle got brutal. Imam Husain witnessed the death of his son Ali al-Akbar, the death of his nephew, Qasim ibne Hasan ibne Ali, and a young man who had come to the rescue of his uncle.

In a way, the outcome could hardly have been otherwise, given the fact that the party of the Imam consisted of 72 men against armies of over several thousands. As you know, the end of the Imam was especially cruel. While holding his son Ali Asghar, in his hands, Husain pleaded for water for the child, and the child was killed by an arrow in the arms of the father. Imam Husain was severely wounded. Amr, struck the blow which ended the life of the grandson of the Prophet.

The women were taken as captives and although Ubaidullah wanted to kill Ali, the surviving son of Imam Husain, the boy was spared by the brave intervention of his aunt, Zainab who was mentioned today earlier. How much can you do in this world if you do good deeds all day and night? Allah swt tries and tests you in your body, wealth, or child ren when He wants to make sure that you reach that position. If you remain patient, you can achieve that position by your patience.

Now let us return to Imam Husayn. When the Imam left Mina he did not go to Mecca to prevent himself from being killed because he wanted to preserve the sanctity of Mecca. He performed the umrah al- mufradah 19 instead of the hajj and left for Karbala. But before leaving, he delivered a speech where he clearly informed people that he is going to be killed:. Imam Husayn a clearly says that he wants to be patient to achieve the reward that does not have measure. The Imam even used the verb ajr which derives from the same root of ajr used in verse Through his patience, the Imam achieved an unlimited position in which Allah swt gave him whatever he wants whether for himself, his family, or for those who sincerely love him.

The mentioned rewards are so much that makes it difficult to understand why. While busy with this thought, a person came asking him what he was thinking about. One day, a king and his companions left their palace to go hunting. During the trip, the king got lost. It was getting dark and he was not able to find any of his companions to show him the way. After lots of struggles and attempts, all he found was a tent of an old lady who lived with her son.

Their only possession apart from the tent was a goat that provided them with milk as their only food. Not even knowing the true identity of their guest, they slaughtered their goat and prepared a good meal for him. Then they prepared a bed for him to sleep. The next day, the king found his companions. When he returned to the palace he called for a meeting in which he asked for an appropriate way to reward those people. All the ideas they came up with were rejected by the king because he said the old lady and her son gave me all they had while they were not in debt to me, so now even if I give them my entire kingdom it will not compensate for what they did for me.

Hearing this story helped Allamah realize why Allah swt treats Imam Husayn a in such a way: Thus, Allah swt grants so much reward not only for Imam Husayn a but also to those who visit him. He gives those rewards to Imam Husayn a and has yet more to give. Of course, this is, indeed, an excuse for Allah swt to provide for His creatures, since He is always looking for excuses to give due to His boundless generosity.

It is a shame that sometimes we can be so indolent that we do not even give Him an excuse to help us and offer us His abundant blessings. The tragedy of Ashura is not only the tragedy of the Ahlul Bayt a ; it is our tragedy. We are also those whom condolences are offered to. In Ziyarat Ashura, we refer to it as our tragedy when we say:. I ask Allah swt to give me because of my pain and suffering over your loss the best reward that a person who faces a tragedy receives.

We do not just participate in the mourning congregations to offer condolences; rather, we are here because it is our tragedy - we have lost our Imam. When we meet on the day of Ashura, we are recommended to say to each other:. Today, on the day of Ashura, Imam Husayn a reached a lofty status by being patient in the face of this tragedy, a status which he could not have achieved without experiencing it.

The true lovers and mourners of Imam Husayn a can join him by having the same patience, a patience which resembles the patience of Imam Husayn a with fortitude, honour, and love for Allah. One of the greatest virtues exhibited by Imam Husayn a and his companions on the day of Ashura is love for Allah swt.

Love is a higher level than obedience. It is love that kept the companions of Imam Husayn a with him even after he gave them permission to leave. Another virtue exhibited by Imam Husayn a is honour and dignity — he chose to stand against oppression and living a life of humiliation. Finally, Imam Husayn exhibited unwavering patience. Without patience we cannot achieve anything, and if we do, we cannot maintain it.

According to the narrations, patience in relation to faith imiin is like the head to the body. The three types of patience are with respect to a performing obligatory acts, b refraining from forbidden acts, and c during a calamity. A believer is patient with respect to these difficulties, and this patience is rewarded in the hereafter. Imam Husayn a gave everything he had for Allah swt , and for this reason Allah swt grants him abundant rewards not only for him but also his visitors.

The tragedy of Ashura is thus not only the tragedy of the Ahlul Bayt a ; it is also our tragedy. The true lovers and mourners of Imam Husayn a can join him by resembling the same qualities. Skip to main content. View this page in our App. Abstract On the day of Ashura, Imam Husayn a and his companions displayed the greatest morals while their enemies possessed the vilest traits.

Love for Allah Sometimes we obey Allah swt because we do not want to get punished or blamed by Him. The following verse shows the cenral position of justice: This is because Imam Husayn demonstrated that although life is indeed important, there are features that outweigh physical life, as he said: Death is better than losing you honour.

However, regarding the fact that Yazid ordered the Imam to pledge allegiance, Imam Husayn says: This is why in one of our supplications we implore Allah swt: The Prophet Muhammad s suffered more than any other prophet: Narrated from the Prophet s: But before leaving, he delivered a speech where he clearly informed people that he is going to be killed: Our suffering over the loss of Imam Husayn a The tragedy of Ashura is not only the tragedy of the Ahlul Bayt a ; it is our tragedy.

In Ziyarat Ashura, we refer to it as our tragedy when we say: When we meet on the day of Ashura, we are recommended to say to each other: