By Seyyed Ali Shahbaz

Today the 11th of Sha’ban is celebrated every year in the Islamic Republic of Iran as “Day of Youth”.
It is obvious that the specification of the date and the month means that unlike cultures where the concept of God Almighty, spiritual values, and moral etiquettes are absent, in Iran the youth are guided towards faith, virtue, ethics, and aesthetic issues.
In the Islamic system, youth and their great energies of exuberance, intellect and inborn talents cannot be left to go waste or spent in waywardness, especially since God’s Last and Greatest Messenger has emphasized on safeguarding the pristine purity of the youth.
As a matter of fact, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), who grew up in the pre-Islamic society of Mecca as the Most Truthful (Sadeq) and Most Trustworthy (Amin) Youth, whose spotless character was vouched by one and all, presented to Muslims the most perfect role model for youths.
His famous Hadith regarding his two grandsons stands out in this regard:
“Hasan and Husain are the Leaders of the Youth of Paradise”.
It means that in order to build a truly Islamic society of faith, virtue, wisdom, and moral etiquettes, the paragons of perfectness should be followed.
Sha’ban 11, however, is not the birthday of either of the Prophet’s grandsons, who despite their impeccable youthfulness, progressed respectively into their forties and fifties, when martyrdom cut short their life
Then why has the Islamic Republic of Iran chosen this particular date as the Day of Youth?
The answer is all evident, especially when we look up at the Islamic calendar of events relating to the Immaculate Ahl al-Bayt of the Seal of Messengers.
We find that it was on this day that a great-grandson of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) who bore a striking resemblance to his illustrious forbear and for whom Divine Providence should depart from the mortal world in the full bloom of youth, was born.
He was the son of the Marty of Karbala, Imam Husain (AS), and was named “Ali” in honour of his grandfather, the Commander of the Faithful and the Leader of the Pious, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS).
History remembers him as “Akbar”, which means the Elder, and also signifies to his greatness. His mother was the virtuous lady Layla, the daughter of Abi Murrah, the son Urwah bin Mas’oud Thaqafi – a person lauded by the Prophet for his firm faith.
Irrespective of the date of his birth, whether it was 33 AH or 43 AH, Ali al-Akbar (AS) grew into a picture of faith, virtue, piety and moral perfection. It is said that at his sight, people would admire his handsome stature and recall the Prophet to whom he bore a striking resemblance.
This was indeed a test and tribulation for those who despite their claim to be followers of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) were Muslims in name only, since Islam had not entered their bleak and black hearts.
It was thus to remove the mask of hypocrisy from the faces of these charlatans that Imam Husain (AS) reached Karbala, the rendezvous of martyrdom, along with his dearest and nearest of kin, including the youthful Ali al-Akbar (AS), who was representing his great-grandfather on the fateful Day of Ashura (10 Muharram 61 AH).
When the Godless hordes of Yazid failed to heed his words of guidance and insisted that he either yield to the forces of evil and injustice or face death, the 57-year old Leader of the Youths of Paradise sent to the battlefield, his youthful son with the words:
“O Allah, be Witness, now I am sending in Your way, the one who resembled Your Messenger the most, to the extent that whenever we desired to have a view of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), we used to look at the face of this youth.”
Ali al-Akbar (AS) bravely fought in the uneven struggle against heavy odds, before falling to a spear aimed at his chest by an Omayyad commander, who through this perfidious act confessed that he was not a Muslim.
After the Immortal Epic of Ashura when the martyrs of the Prophet’s progeny were laid to eternal rest, the Survivor of the Tragedy of Karbala, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS), laid his martyred brother at the feet of his martyred father, in order to signify his prime position as the eternal guide of all youngsters who strive for faith, virtue, piety and wisdom.
Thus, we recite in the Ziyarah while saluting Ali al-Akbar (AS):
“Peace upon you, O son of the Messenger of Allah,
“Peace upon you, O son of the Prophet of Allah,
“Peace upon you, O son of the Commander of the Faithful,
“Peace upon you, O son of Husain the Martyr,
“Peace upon you, O the Martyr and son of the Martyr,
“Peace upon you, O the Oppressed one and son of the Oppressed,
“May those who killed you be deprived of the Mercy of Allah; may those wronged you be deprived of the mercy of Allah; and may those who gave their tacit approval on hearing of your fate be deprived of the mercy of Allah.”