Ashura, the Day of Victory
By: Dr.A.R. Qavidel (Clinical Psychologist – Javan Counseling Center)
Thursday the 20th September 2018 was the day of Ashura or the 10th of Muharram in Iran and countries to its west, while in the Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent, Ashura was on Friday – because of the late sighting of the crescent of Muharram.
Ashura is indeed the Day of victory for Islam and Muslims, because of the selfless sacrifice of Imam Husain (AS), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) in Karbala in 61 AH (680 AD) to save humanity and humanitarian values. Ashura is commemorated not only by the Shi’a or those Muslims exclusively following the path of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt but also by Sunni Muslims as well as all freedom-loving people throughout the world as a day of mourning for the sufferings that Imam Husain (AS) patiently endured.
Imam Husain (AS) needs no introduction. He was the son of the Prophet’s Immaculate Daughter Hazrat Fatema Zahra (AS), while his Father was the Peerless Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS). His elder brother was the Immaculate Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS), while God decreed Nine Infallible Imams among his descendants, with the last one being Imam Mahdi (AS) the Promised Savior of mankind.
The merits of Imam Husain (AS) as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and as elaborated by the Prophet, including the verses of Mubahela, Purity, Surah Dahr etc., and the Hadith of Thaqalayn, Ark, Youths of Paradise, and so on, are outside the scope of this brief newspaper article.
The Tragedy of Karbala
History has recorded that the years during the reign of Muawiyah, the usurper of the caliphate, were years of angry protest against him by Imam Husain (AS) because Muawiyah had breached the terms of his treaty with Imam Hassan Mojtaba (AS), distorted the letter and spirit of the laws of Islam, and in 60 AH, designated his lecherous son, Yazid, as caliph.
When Yazid demanded pledge to his ungodly rule, Imam Husain (AS) left Medina and went to Mecca, where some 12,000 letter were sent to him by the people of Kufa inviting him to come to Iraq and deliver them from Omayyad rule.
Yazid sent assassins to Mecca to murder Imam Husain (AS undetected in the midst of the Hajj pilgrimage. The Imam, in order to safeguard the fundamentals of Islam and to prevent the desecration of the Holy Ka’ba – the Symbolic House of God – from the shedding of blood, journeyed towards Iraq.
At the Karbala, the Imam was besieged by Yazid’s army, which cut his access from the River Euphrates, unless he surrendered. The Imam refused and preferred to accept the challenge of an unequal battle between his small group of seventy-odd companions and the several-thousand strong Omayyad army.
Imam Husain (AS) and his companions bravely courted martyrdom, and through their faith and courage set lasting examples for posterity on how to achieve victory in death against tyranny.
By choosing martyrdom, the Prophet’s Grandson deprived the evil regime of its false claim to legitimacy. Indeed, he shook the foundations of the Omayyad dynasty and thwarted its perverse designs. That is the reason he remains immortal to this day, and the tragedy of Karbala is commemorated with full fervor.
However, holding mourning assemblies and mourning the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS) are not enough to do justice to the sacred Islamic ideals. Rather, those values must be understood and promoted by all, and not only with words but with deeds as well.
Along with all those who await the appearance of Imam Mahdi (AS( let us join together and supplicate to God:
Who will avenge the blood of the martyrs of Karbala? Where is Hasan (AS) and where is Husain (AS)? Where are the children of Husain (AS)? Where is the impenetrable defense that broke the back of the oppressive tyrants? Where is the "Awaited Savior" who will set the have-nots and the depressed on their feet?
Sayings of Imam Husain (AS(
Addressing the army of Yazid, the Imam said: By Allah, neither will I give in to the humiliation of honoring tyrants like you, nor will I flee like slaves…
Life under the oppression of tyrants is death, and death for the sake of justice is everlasting life.
Surely some people worship Allah for the joys of paradise -- this is the worship of traders. Some worship him for their fear of hell – this is the worship of slaves. Yet, some worship him selflessly because He is worthy of worship and this is the worship of "freemen"
He who tries to achieve something through acting disobediently to Allah will miss what he expects and fall into what he fears.
Ziyarat or Salutation for Imam Husain (AS)
Here are some phrases from the Ziyarat-e Wareth:
Peace on you, O Successor of Adam, the Purified of Allah!
Peace on you, O successor of Noah, the Prophet of Allah!
Peace on you, O Successor of Abraham, the Endeared of Allah!
Peace on you, O Successor of Moses, who Conversed with Allah!
Peace on you, O Successor of Jesus, the Spirit of Allah!
Peace on you, O Successor of Muhammad, the Chosen of Allah'
Peace on you, O successor of Ali, Commander of the Faithful!
I testify that you kept up the prayer, and paid the poor rate and ordered good actions and forbade sinful actions, and obeyed Allah and his Messenger till the last breath. So, may Allah curse the people who assassinated you, and may Allah curse the people who oppressed you, and may Allah curse the people who heard of it and were pleased with it!
Ashura is thus the Day of Victory for the faithful and the Day of Defeat for the forces of evil. The Prophet said:
"Indeed, the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS) creates warmth in the hearts of believers which never gets cool.”
Thursday the 20th September 2018 was the day of Ashura or the 10th of Muharram in Iran and countries to its west, while in the Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent, Ashura was on Friday – because of the late sighting of the crescent of Muharram.
Ashura is indeed the Day of victory for Islam and Muslims, because of the selfless sacrifice of Imam Husain (AS), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) in Karbala in 61 AH (680 AD) to save humanity and humanitarian values. Ashura is commemorated not only by the Shi’a or those Muslims exclusively following the path of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt but also by Sunni Muslims as well as all freedom-loving people throughout the world as a day of mourning for the sufferings that Imam Husain (AS) patiently endured.
Imam Husain (AS) needs no introduction. He was the son of the Prophet’s Immaculate Daughter Hazrat Fatema Zahra (AS), while his Father was the Peerless Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS). His elder brother was the Immaculate Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS), while God decreed Nine Infallible Imams among his descendants, with the last one being Imam Mahdi (AS) the Promised Savior of mankind.
The merits of Imam Husain (AS) as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and as elaborated by the Prophet, including the verses of Mubahela, Purity, Surah Dahr etc., and the Hadith of Thaqalayn, Ark, Youths of Paradise, and so on, are outside the scope of this brief newspaper article.
The Tragedy of Karbala
History has recorded that the years during the reign of Muawiyah, the usurper of the caliphate, were years of angry protest against him by Imam Husain (AS) because Muawiyah had breached the terms of his treaty with Imam Hassan Mojtaba (AS), distorted the letter and spirit of the laws of Islam, and in 60 AH, designated his lecherous son, Yazid, as caliph.
When Yazid demanded pledge to his ungodly rule, Imam Husain (AS) left Medina and went to Mecca, where some 12,000 letter were sent to him by the people of Kufa inviting him to come to Iraq and deliver them from Omayyad rule.
Yazid sent assassins to Mecca to murder Imam Husain (AS undetected in the midst of the Hajj pilgrimage. The Imam, in order to safeguard the fundamentals of Islam and to prevent the desecration of the Holy Ka’ba – the Symbolic House of God – from the shedding of blood, journeyed towards Iraq.
At the Karbala, the Imam was besieged by Yazid’s army, which cut his access from the River Euphrates, unless he surrendered. The Imam refused and preferred to accept the challenge of an unequal battle between his small group of seventy-odd companions and the several-thousand strong Omayyad army.
Imam Husain (AS) and his companions bravely courted martyrdom, and through their faith and courage set lasting examples for posterity on how to achieve victory in death against tyranny.
By choosing martyrdom, the Prophet’s Grandson deprived the evil regime of its false claim to legitimacy. Indeed, he shook the foundations of the Omayyad dynasty and thwarted its perverse designs. That is the reason he remains immortal to this day, and the tragedy of Karbala is commemorated with full fervor.
However, holding mourning assemblies and mourning the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS) are not enough to do justice to the sacred Islamic ideals. Rather, those values must be understood and promoted by all, and not only with words but with deeds as well.
Along with all those who await the appearance of Imam Mahdi (AS( let us join together and supplicate to God:
Who will avenge the blood of the martyrs of Karbala? Where is Hasan (AS) and where is Husain (AS)? Where are the children of Husain (AS)? Where is the impenetrable defense that broke the back of the oppressive tyrants? Where is the "Awaited Savior" who will set the have-nots and the depressed on their feet?
Sayings of Imam Husain (AS(
Addressing the army of Yazid, the Imam said: By Allah, neither will I give in to the humiliation of honoring tyrants like you, nor will I flee like slaves…
Life under the oppression of tyrants is death, and death for the sake of justice is everlasting life.
Surely some people worship Allah for the joys of paradise -- this is the worship of traders. Some worship him for their fear of hell – this is the worship of slaves. Yet, some worship him selflessly because He is worthy of worship and this is the worship of "freemen"
He who tries to achieve something through acting disobediently to Allah will miss what he expects and fall into what he fears.
Ziyarat or Salutation for Imam Husain (AS)
Here are some phrases from the Ziyarat-e Wareth:
Peace on you, O Successor of Adam, the Purified of Allah!
Peace on you, O successor of Noah, the Prophet of Allah!
Peace on you, O Successor of Abraham, the Endeared of Allah!
Peace on you, O Successor of Moses, who Conversed with Allah!
Peace on you, O Successor of Jesus, the Spirit of Allah!
Peace on you, O Successor of Muhammad, the Chosen of Allah'
Peace on you, O successor of Ali, Commander of the Faithful!
I testify that you kept up the prayer, and paid the poor rate and ordered good actions and forbade sinful actions, and obeyed Allah and his Messenger till the last breath. So, may Allah curse the people who assassinated you, and may Allah curse the people who oppressed you, and may Allah curse the people who heard of it and were pleased with it!
Ashura is thus the Day of Victory for the faithful and the Day of Defeat for the forces of evil. The Prophet said:
"Indeed, the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS) creates warmth in the hearts of believers which never gets cool.”