The Morning of Ashoura

When, in the morning, the soldiers approached Husain, peace be upon him, he raised his hands and said:

O, Allah, I entreat thee! In all sorrow and sadness, you are my support and the one upon whom I rely! And you are my hope in all my troubles! And in everything that happens to me and whatever comes down upon me, you are my power and certainty.

How many difficulties and sorrows there are which weaken the heart; and solutions and strategies fall short in solving them; and friends leave a person alone; and enemies unleash their cruel tongues. I have brought the weight of this sadness and troubles to you; and I complain to you about them; because I lean and gravitate toward you; and because I tend toward no other! So Allah, do away with all of these and take care of my affairs completely!

Thus, oh my Lord! You are the Waliy of all good things! And the holder of all Goodness; and the destination of all longing!

We could Never Abandon You!

Near sunset on Tasua, the ninth of Muharram, the Eminent Lord of the Martyrs, peace be upon him, gathered his companions. The Eminent Ali ibn Husain, Zain ul Abideen said, “At that time I was ill, but went close so I could hear what he was saying to them. I heard my father speak thus to his companions.

‘I praise Allah, with the best of all praises; and I praise him in times of happiness as well as in times of trouble.

O Allah! I truly praise and thank you for ennobling us with the Prophecy! And for teaching us the Quran! And that you made us experts, knowledgeable in religion!

Now, I know of no companions better and more loyal than mine, and no family that has more goodness or a better lineage than mine; therefore, Allah, on my behalf, give them the best possible rewards.

Know that I give you all my permission to leave; so, all of you may leave. I have unfastened your oath of allegiance to me and I have no claim or right upon you.

The night has come and covers you; ride it like a fast camel; and disperse!’

His brothers and children, and the sons of his brother and the sons of Abullah ibn Jafar and Muslim bin Ausjeh, and Zuhair ibn Al Qayn and a group of others stood; And all of them said in an pleading tone: ‘We won’t remain alive with you after you! May Allah not keep us alive after you! Never, never, will we do such a thing; rather we wish we had several lives and we could sacrifice them all for you!’”

Advice and Warning!

The journey of Imam Husain, peace be upon him, was a journey of guidance. The Imam is responsible for leading the people toward Allah, and that Eminent one never abandoned that mission. Thus, at a place called “Baida”, he stopped to speak to his companions, and to advise the companions of Hurr, perhaps to shed some light into their dark hearts.

He praised Allah and Glorified him and then said:

O people, The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him and his family said: Whoever sees that a-- tyrannical leader makes what Allah has forbidden permissible; and breaks the commitment with Allah, and acts contrary to the custom of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s greetings and salutations be upon him and his family; and, in the midst of servants of Allah sins and oppresses--and seeing all this remains silent, and not critical either through actions or through his speech, and does not refute or censure, then Allah has made it mandatory upon Himself to take that person to the same place that He takes the oppressive leader. [Hell]

Be aware that the Ummayyeds, those tyrannical and oppressive rulers, are continually following the Devil; they consider it their duty to obey him. They have abandoned obedience to the Merciful Lord; their nastiness and corruption is apparent. They have suspended all the limits that Allah set up. They consider all the spoils of war, and all the wealth of the Muslim treasury to belong to them personally. They permit what Allah has forbidden; and they forbid what Allah has forbidden.

I am more worthy than any one else (in preventing this matter and in forbidding it, and in taking the helm of the matters of the Muslims, so that the rules of the Quran and the Messenger of Allah will be acted upon)

Your letters have reached me! And your messages have come to me, saying t hat you have all paid allegiance to me; that you would not turn me over to the enemy; and that you would not leave me alone, with no support, and that you would not forsake me, throwing me into difficulties and misfortune.

If you stand firm in your allegiance now, this is the way of growth and blessings.

I am Husain the son of Ali, I am the son of Fatima, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s greetings and salutations be upon him.

My self is with your selves; and my family are with your families! (In terms of life, I claim no difference between us; and I have not set aside any wealth or position just for myself! Myself and my families are like you and your families)

However, I am your model and exemplar (whom you must follow; and know that I am your leader and Imam! And you have to imitate and follow me in the way that I forego a luxurious life, and I abandon all watesfulness, and in not touching the spoils of war and public wealth.)

And if you do not, and instead if you break your promise and remove the yoke of allegiance from your shoulders, I swear by my own soul that such an action is not improbable for you, nor would it be anything new!

You have done the same to my father, to my brother, and my cousin Muslim ibn Aqil;

Deceived and duped is the person who would fall for your enticement.

Because you have turned away from what would benefit you, and upset your own good fortune! You’ve destroyed and thrown away that (guidance and goodness) which was allotted to you.

And know this: Whoever breaks their oaths, will have to suffer the serious consequences of breaking an oath;

Of course Allah will make us free of all need of you, Greetings, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you!

Repent or Face the Hellfire!

The Eminent Lord of the Martyrs, Husain ibn Ali, peace be upon him, is famous for this statement:

“Death with dignity is better than life with lowliness.”

And, in fact, this couplet was one of his battle cries:

"Death is better than being afflicted with lowliness.

And lowliness is better than entering hellfire!"

Note: The second line of this couplet refers to an incident which involved Omar.

Omar the accursed, the usurper of the rights of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, was the same person who ordered the door of the home of Lady Fatima to be pushed open, thus crushing her between the door and the wall as she tried to protect herself from the gaze of her intruders, a blow which led to her death just months later.

Omar the accursed was dying, and the Eminent Amir ul Momineen, Ali ibn Abi Talib came to him, offering him a chance to repent for his deeds and thus save himself from the hellfire.

The Eminent Imam Ali, peace be upon him, said to him, “Confess that you usurped the khilafat from me (stealing the right of the leadership of the Muslim nation).”

In response, Omar the accursed said, “Such a confession would bring me low, and hellfire is better than being abased.” (I am satisfied to enter the hellfire rather than to make such a confession, which would make me abased.)

I Have Nothing to Fear from Death!

Hur ibn Yazid was becoming spiritually moved by Imam Husain, and concerned over his plight. He wanted to persuade him to pledge allegiance to Yazid, and thus spare himself a battle in which he would surely be killed.

He said: Oh, Husain: Before Allah I tell you—If you fight, you will be killed!

That Eminent one, in answer to Hurr, said: “Are you trying to frighten and threaten me with death? Do you think that if you kill me, all your problems will be solved?

I answer you in the same words of our (religious) brother from Ows who wanted to go to assist [in battle] the Prophet of Allah, Allah’s greetings and salutations be upon him and his family.

His cousin wanted to frighten him: ‘Where are you going,’ he asked him. ‘You will be surely be killed!’

The Owsi man answered: ‘I surely will go; chivalry and death hold no disgrace for me; there is no shame when one

--acts for the sake of Truth,

-- fights with a sense of satisfaction and submission to God

--sacrifice’s one life and and puts oneself in the rank of the upright, pious, and righteous.

--separates oneself from the damned and rejected

--fights and opposes the sinners and criminals.

Thus, if I live through this, I will have no regrets; and if I die, no one will blame me. How disgraceful it is for you, that you would remain alive and be oppressed and tyrannized and unable to defend your own rights!’T

Imam Husain continued in his own words, words which live on in history as the slogan of free and brave people everywhere:

• Being afraid of death is below me!

• How sweet and simple is death on the way of honor and bringing the Truth back to life!

• Death in the way of honor is nothing but eternal life; Living a life of lowliness is nothing more than a death without life!

• Are you trying to frighten me by death? You are off the mark!

• I am not one to be afraid of death. My spirit is greater than that. My determination is higher than to allow me to tolerate tyranny and oppression out of a fear of death!

• The most you can do is kill me! And Good for the person who is killed in Allah’s way! You have no power to destroy my majesty, or dissolve my honor and dignity and greatness!

THUS, I HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR FROM DEATH!

Stop Right Here!

The evil, treacherous, and ungodly Umayyid government feared allowing Imam Husain ibn Alib, peace be upon him, to enter Kufa. Perhaps the people’s hearts would once again rule over their pockets and they might rise in support of their true Imam. So, they ordered Hurr ibn Yazid Riahi, the commander of a large contingent, to force that Eminent one to stop at the desolate plain of Karbala. Imam Husain, peace be upon him, did not insist on going to Kufa; in fact, he offered to return to Medina, or go to a far off land like India, but the evil Umayyids thirsted for a confrontation, what they thought would be a chance to put an end to the religion of Islam forever.

When Commander Hurr refused to allow him and his followers to journey in any direction, and forced them to remain there in Karbala, Imam Husain, peace be upon him, spoke:

First he praised and glorified Allah, and then said:

“Harshness and tribulation is something that you are now seeing and realizing with your own eyes and ears; the world and its events have been turned inside out. The despicable side of the world is now visible and on top, while all the goodness of the world has turned away. And this turn for the worse is taking place at great speed. There is little left of goodness—like a few drops clinging to the bottom of an empty container. This life has become low and worthless—like a green pasture that has been plowed and upturned, it is in ruin and in disarray.

Don’t you see that no one is enacting the Truth? And no one is preventing falsehood and deceit from being enacted? In such a situation, the believer who seeks the Truth, must certainly long to see Allah, and to meet the Truth. [In other words, no more truth and goodness is to be found on earth, so the person who longs for goodness, longs for death and to find truth in the union with Allah].

I see death as nothing but good fortune and happiness; and life amongst tyrants as nothing but wearisome and disgusting.

Most people are the servants of this mundane world. The sum total of their religion is nothing more than saliva which runs off their tongues. As long as their livelihood is abundant, they are committed to protect their religion; but when they run into difficulties and problems, and are tested, the truly religious are found to be few in number.

The Journey to Martyrom Begins here

When the Eminent Lord of the Martyrs, peace be upon him, decided to set out from Mecca to Iraq, he delivered a speech, saying:

All Praise belongs to Allah. Whatever Allah wants will occur. There is no strength and no power except Allah; Greetings upon his Messenger, the one he sent.

Death is inevitable for all the descendants of Adam.

How I long to meet upon those of my family who have died and gone before me; like Jacob longed to see Joseph!

A place has been specified and chosen for me, upon which my body must fall: I must reach that place.

It is as if even now I can see the wolves of the desert between Nawawees and Karbala are tearing me apart piece by piece, and filling their ravenous stomachs to the brim with me.

No where can one escape from the day that the Pen of Destiny has inscribed; what satisfies Allah is what satisfies us, the Ahl Bait. We are patient and persevere in the face of His trials; and He will bestow upon us the complete and total blessings and rewards of the steadfast.

The family of the Messenger of Allah, can never be separated from him, any more than the weave of a fabric can be separated from the fabric. They will join with him in the highest heaven. And the Messenger of Allah’s eyes will be delighted upon seeing them, and thus, the promise that Allah gave to His Messenger regarding his close family will be fulfilled.

So, whoever is one of us, and is ready to sacrifice his life, to give up his life blood, and has prepared his soul to meet Allah—travel, move along with us, as I am ready to leave in the morning, may Allah, the Exalted so will.

When that Eminent one began to move toward Kufa, Farazdaq ibn Ghalib, who was one of the well know poets of the time came across him upon the way. When he met him, he said,

“O son of the Messenger of Allah! How can you trust the Kufans? They have killed your cousin Muslim ibn Aqil and his followers!”

That Eminent one sought Allah’s mercy upon Muslim ibn Aqil and said, “Muslim took this journey for the satisfaction of Allah. He did his duty; our duty is yet upon us.”

Then he recited this poem:

And if it is so that the world is considered valuable; then it must be known that the next life, which is the home of blessings and divine rewards, therefore is finer to that and more noble.

And if it is such that the human body was created to die; then it must be known that being killed by the sword in the way of Allah, therefore, is higher.

And if it is such that the sustenance of the Creator is apportioned into specified, pre-destined amounts, then it must be known that being less greedy in pursuing one’s livelihood is more beautiful and finer.

And if it is such that in the end, after gathering wealth, one must eventually leave it behind, then what benefit does something have that must be left behind, that a person should be stingy and greedy about it.

The Lord of the Martyrs recited this same poem on the day of Ashura, as a battle cry.

The poet Farazdaq also reported:

“When I had decided not to stay longer in Kufa, I returned. On my way back, Husain, peace be upon him, saw me and said:

‘O, Abu Faros! What news do you have of the place you have left?’

I said, ‘Shall I tell you the truth?’ He said, ‘Yes, I want the truth!’ I said, ‘The hearts of the Kufans are with you, but all their swords are in the service of the Umayyids! Support and help is from Allah!’

He said, ‘Yes, this is something you said out of honesty and truthfulness.
--People are the slaves and servants of mundane wealth.
--Whatever they say about religion is only empty words which run from their tongues.
--They stand up for their religion only insofar as it will provide them with an abundant livelihood.
--When they are faced with trials and test, it becomes so clear that those who are truly religious are few.

Impoortant Points of Testimony

When Imam Husain ibn Ali, peace be upon him, asked the Companions and Followers (those who had directly received information from the Prophet, or had received information from someone who had received it from the Prophet), to testify to the truth about Ali ibn Abu Talib and his followers, the Shi’a, here are some of the points he mentioned.

1. I ask you, by Allah: Do you know that, when the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s peace and greetings be upon him and his family established the “brotherhood pacts” among the first Muslims, he appointed Ali ibn Abi Talib as his own brother, saying, “You are my brother and I am your brother in this life and the next”? Thus, Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, was he brother of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s greetings and salutations be upon him and his family?

They answered, Oh, Allah, YES!

2. I ask you, by Allah: Do you know that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s greetings and peace be upon him and his family, appointed him—the Leader of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib, my father, on the day of Ghadir Khumm, and announced his Wilayat (divinely appointed spiritual and worldly leadership). And that he said that it is required of all those present to report this matter to those who are absent?

They answered : “Oh, Allah, YES!”

3. I ask you, by Allah: Do you know that the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s greetings and salutations be upon him and his family, in the final speech that he gave said, “I am leaving two precious and valuable things amongst you. One is the book of Allah and the other is my family. Hold onto both of these so you will not go astray?”

They answered, “Oh, Allah, YES!”

That Eminent one asked them to testify to some other points, then concluded:

4 I ask you, by allah, “Is there anyone here who has heard the Prophet of Allah say, ‘Whoever thinks that he likes me, and feels hatred toward Ali, is lying! It is imposible to like me and to feel hatred toward Ali.’ One of those present said to the Messenger of Allah, ‘O Messenger of Allah, how are these two related (how does one follow from the other?)’

The Messenger of Allah replied, ‘Because Ali is from me, and I am from Ali. Whoever likes Ali likes me, and whoever likes me, likes Allah. And whoever hates Ali, hates me, and whosoever hates me, hates Allah.’”

They all answered: “Oh, Allah, YES! We heard this!”

And then, according to the promise that they had made to Husain ibn Ali, they dispersed to report this gathering and the events that took place in it, in their towns and cities

No one denies Ali ibn Abu Talib (peace be upon him)

At Mina, in the lofty tent of the Eminent Husain ibn Ali, (peace be upon him) more than 700 people gathered, all of whom had directly known one of the Companions of the Prophet (people who had directly known the Prophet); 200 of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (Allah’s greetings and salutations be upon him and his family) were there.

Husain ibn Ali, peace be upon him, rose to give a sermon to those present.

He praised Allah and then said:

“You have all seen, known, and witnessed how this arrogant, conceited, and overbearing man [Muawiyyah ibn Abi Sufyan] has treated us and our followers, the Shi’a. I want to ask you to testify to something. If I speak the truth, then affirm what I say; and if I lie, then say I am lying.

--I ask you, by the right that Allah has over you, and by the right that the Messenger of Allah has over you, and by the right of my blood relationship that I had with your Messenger, to go back to your towns and cities and report this meeting, and my words here, just exactly as it occurred, to our families and tribes, to those in whom you place your trust and confidence, without a doubt. Report my words to them! Then, invite them, and call them to this matter of Wilayat [Wilayat refers to the right of the divinely appointed successorship of Ali ibn Abu Talib, and his line of infallible descendents to the spiritual and worldly leadership of the Muslim nation].

I do this because I am worried that this matter will recede from awareness and disappear, that the truth will be destroyed and be overtaken by dishonesty and deceit.

In this speech, Imam Husain, peace be upon him, mentioned and fully explained every point in the Quran in which Allah referred to the Ahl Bait, the family of the Prophet. Without leaving out anything, he narrated whatever the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s greetings and salutations be upon him and his family, said about his father (Ali ibn Abi Talib), and his brother (Hasan ibn Ali), and his mother, (Lady Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet) [Allah’s peace and blessings be upon them all].

For every point from the Quran he mentioned, and every report from the words of the Prophet, the Companions answered, “Yes, O Allah, it is just as Husain said. We heard these things from the Messenger of Allah; we were present and witnessed these things.” And each of the Followers, the ones who directly knew a Companion, said, “O Lord, a Companion of the Prophet in whom we had trust and confidence had said the same thing to us.”

And Husain ibn Ali (peace be upon him) said: I ask you, by Allah, to report this matter to those persons whom you trust and can rely upon in religious matters.

Gather and Testify

BACKGROUND: The Eminent Imam Hasan Mujtaba, peace be upon him, achieved martyrdom in 49 H.Q., when poisoned by Muawiyyah at the hands of Jo’deh, the daughter of Ash’ath ibn Qays, that Eminent one’s wife. Following this, intrigue, discord, and calamity continuously increased, putting the Shia, (the followers of the Prophet and of his divinely designated successor, Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him) increasingly under pressure. In all the Islamic regions, there was not one person who was close to Allah and did not fear for his or her own life and blood and who was not rejected, hated, and harassed. On the other hand, the enemies of God were free and easy, priding themselves in their corruptive ways, conceited and smug in their deviation.

One year before Muawiyyeh died, the Eminent Husain ibn Ali, the Lord of the Martyrs, peace be upon him, set out for the pilgrimage to Mecca, to the Sacred house of Allah. Along with him were Abullah ibn Ja’far and Abdullah ibn Abbas. That Eminent one gathered all of the men and women of the Bani Hashem, and all of their dependents (including their servants, their adopted children, those who had treaties with them, etc.). He also gathered the Ansar whom he knew (the people from Medina who had supported the Prophet when he migrated from Mecca to Medina), along with his own family and dependents.
He instructed messengers: “Do not leave behind even one person from the Companions of the Prophet who is known for piety and righteousness and worship; bring them all together to me at Mina (a station of the Hajj ritual).

--What was the purpose of this gathering? Why did the Imam take such great pains to be sure that all of those people who had known the Prophet, would be brought together before him? What did he have in mind?

The purpose was to ask these people who had known the Prophet, or who had directly received information from the people who knew the Prophet, to publicly testify about what they knew about the relationship of the Prophet with his divinely designated successor, Ali ibn Abu Talib. And to carry this testimony back to their communities after the Hajj. In this way, perhaps the lies, slander and treachery carried out by Muawiyyeh against Ali ibn Abu Talib (peace be upon him) and his followers could be brought to an end.

Pearls of Wisdom

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

On various occasions, the Eminent Imam Husain ibn Ali, peace be upon him, offered this advice for a healthy life in this world and the next.

• Teaching and learning plant the seeds of direct, esoteric knowledge.

• Long term experience increases wisdom [‘aql]. Nobility lies in piety. Practicing restraint and moderation leads to physical ease.

• The person who likes you diverts you from wrongdoing, while your enemy will provoke you to disgusting actions.

• Abstain from doing something that you will have to apologize for; a true believer does not do wrong actions that must be apologized for. The hypocrite is the person who transgresses daily, and then seeks forgiveness.

• To his son, the Eminent Imam Sajjad, Ali ibn Al Husain, he said: Oh light of my eyes! Beware of doing wrong to a person who has no aid or support other than Allah, the Majestic and the Mighty.

Do whatever you want, but first....

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Once a person approached the Eminent Lord of the Martyrs, peace be upon him, and asked him for help. The problem was that he could not control his behavior. Specifically, he was unable to avoid committing sins.

Imam Husain, peace be upon him, answered:

DO THESE FIVE THINGS; THEN COMMIT WHATEVER SIN YOU WANT.

1. Eat from other than the sustenance that Allah has provided you;
Then commit whatever sin you want.
2. Be independent of the support and protection of Allah;
Then commit whatever sin you want.
3. Choose a place where Allah cannot see you;
Then commit whatever sin you want.
4. When the Angel of Death comes to take your soul, turn him away;
Then commit whatever sin you want.
5. When the angels who guard hell fire want to throw you in, don't go;
Then commit whatever sin you want.

More Advice on Good Deeds

In the same speech in which he advised people about doing good deeds, the Eminent Lord of the Martyrs, Imam Husain, peace be upon him, had this to say about character, generosity and social relations.

The person who is generous becomes a grand, lofty person; the person who is stingy drags debases himself.

The most generous person is the one who gives to someone from whom he has no hope of repayment or reward.

The most forgiving person is the one who forgives when in a position of power and strength.

The most affable person is the one who makes up with those have broken off relations with him.

A tree depends on its roots, and grows through sending out branches and fruit. Anyone who hastens to extend benefit toward his brother, has built branches in his spiritual tree. Later, when he comes upon this tree, he will reap the good fruit of it.

If a person does good toward his brother for the sake of Allah, to please Allah, Allah will send this goodness to him in his hour of need; moreover, He will keep adversities from him in this life.

If a person alleviates the sadness and troubles of a believer, Allah will turn away the sadness and troubles of this life and the next from him. Whoever does good, Allah will do good unto him And surely Allah loves those who do good.

The Beauty of a Good Deed

The Eminent Lord of the Martyrs, Husain ibn Ali, peace be upon him, was the leader of his time. His task was to lead the caravan of humanity to virtue and goodness, to the ultimate limits of human growth, and eventually to transcend even those limits.

Imam Husain, peace be upon him, was an exemplar: he was the guiding light to follow. And, he also advised his followers, and the people of all time, on what path to take to achieve perfection.

“Oh people, take pride amongst yourselves for your praiseworthy traits and in the development of honorable morals. [In other words, don’t brag and boast on material and worldly achievements; achieve honor and respect through honorable traits and morals.]

Move quickly to achieve those results which have spiritual value. Don’t count on any good works which you do not hasten to complete. [Here the Imam is advising that we do not let any time lapse between the decision to do a good deed and the actual action. Just because we’ve thought about doing something good, doesn’t mean we’ve done it. We must begin, and begin swiftly]

Earn praise and commendation through the successful completion of your deeds. Don’t earn criticism and censure by being lazy and lethargic.

Know this: In some situations one person may do good toward another, and that person shows him no gratitude so he thinks he has no thanks. But Allah Himself is the reward. Allah’s generosity is greater and more abundant and his payment is the greatest.

And Know this: The requests that people ask of you are actually blessings for you from Allah. Thus, don’t face these blessings with weariness, lest they be transformed into adversity.

All good works carry praise and commendation and bring with them a good reward.

If you could see good deeds take human form before your eyes, you would find goodness to be like a lovely person with a beautiful face, pleasing to look act. Whoever looks upon that beautiful person would find joy and bliss.

If you would see bad and unscrupulous actions embodied in human form, you would see an ugly, repulsive person. Everyone would turn their hearts and eyes away from it.

Section 4a: The content of the Last Will and Testament

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

"This is the testament that Husain ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib makes to his brother Muhammad, who is known as ibn Hanafiyyeh.

'Surely, Husain ibn Ali testifies that:
There is nothing to be worshipped, no god, except Allah. He is One; he has no associate.
And, that truly Muhamhad, Allah's greetings and blessings be upon him and his family, is his servant and messenger, who came to the truth, from the Truth.
And that heaven and hell are real
The hour of judgment will arise; there is no doubt in that.
And Allah will raise all who lie in the graves.

I did not step forward for idle play or diversion, nor out of recklessness and arrogance. Nor to cause corruption, destruction, oppression, tyranny or injustice!

Rather, I come forth to rectify the religious community, the ommat, of my grandfather Muhammad, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his family. I want to enjoin the right and prohibit wrongdoing, and act according to the tradition and customs of my grandfather and the way of life of my father, Ali ibn Abu Talib, peace be upon him.

Thus whoever accepts me, accepts what is right; and Allah is the foremost in Truth and righteousness. As for those who reject me, then I will be patient and steadfast, until Allah rules on the rights between me and this group. And He is the best Ruler.'

This is my testament to you, oh my brother. Surely affirmation and success is only from Allah. I rely upon Him and to Him is our return.

Peace be upon you and upon all who follow guidance."

--Having written this, he stamped it with his signet, rolled it into a scroll, handed it over to his brother, Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyeh, and bd him farewell. Then, in the cover of darkness on the eve of the Third of Sha'ban, 60, H.Q. (680 C.E.) he, along with his entire family and all his dependents, left for Mecca.

Section 4: Last Will and Testament

Oppression had become widespread. Yazid, the son of Muwaviyyah, the son of Abu Sufyan, had boldly assumed the throne, wielding an unholy power over the Muslim nation. Muwaviyyah, had been installed as the governor in the Western provinces (current day Syria and Lebanon) of the early Islamic nation by Othman, the third usurper of the right of leadership over the Muslims. Muwaviyyah, like his father Abu Sufiyan was an enemy of Islam and used cunning and trickery to turn the people against the true Imams of the time: Imam Ali, peace be upon him, and following his martyrdom, Imam Hasan, peace be upon him.
After conniving in the murder of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, Muwaviyyah forged a treacherous peace with Imam Hasan. In this, he agreed among other things, to no longer malign the name of Ali, peace be upon him. Muwaviyyah also agreed that he would not appoint his son as his successor. No sooner than the peace treaty was agreed upon, Muwaviyyah broke each and every statute in it. He conspired to have Imam Hasan poisoned. Yazid, son of Muwaviyyah was named as Muwaviyyah's successor.
However ungodly he was, Muwaviyyah was clever and knew how to keep up a pretense of being a Muslim. His son, Yazid, however, was a profligate and drunkard who didn't make the slightest effort to keep up appearances. His ungodliness was known far and wide. The news of his unworthiness to hold the leadership of Islam, of his oppression and disregard for the rights of the Muslim nation had spread even to the far away province of Kufa in contemporary Iraq.
At the same time that Imam Husain, peace be upon him, was concerned about the ongoing disregard for Islam, the people of Kufa sent him letters, asking them to come to help throw off the yoke of the oppressor and restore Islam in their land.
With a large bag of letters and entreaties from the people of Kufa in hand, Imam Husain, peace be upon him, decided to leave Medina, and respond to the call of the people of Kufa. First, he would go to Mecca for the Hajj, and then proceed to the East. When leaving Medina, he composed his last will and testament and passed it to his half-brother, Muhammad, known as Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah.

Why did Imam Husain (peace be upon him) go to Karbala?

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Imam Husain, peace be upon him, the son of Ali ibn Abu Talib and of Lady Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet of Islam (Allah's peace and greetings be upon him and his family) began a movement. In the simplest sense, he moved, with his entire family and a handful of supporters, from his hometown of Medina to the desolate plains of Karbala. There he and his family were met with treachery and deceit. Finally the men were martyred and the women and children taken captive.
Was this movement part of a political statement? Was it a campaign to achieve vengeance? Was it a power ploy?
Once again, let's turn to the words of Imam Husain ibn Ali, peace be upon them, to find the motivation for this extraordinary journey.

In the course of a speech that he delivered on the necessity to command people to do right and to restrain them from doing wrong, and in which he referred to the uprising of oppressive rulers and the deprivation of the oppressed, and to the departure of the truth, he took stock of the reasons that compelled him to act.

He implored his Lord saying:

• Oh, Lord. You know that what has taken place on our part (in terms of commanding the right, forbidding the wrong, aiding the oppressed and opposing the oppressor) has not been done out of a greed for power or position, nor was it undertaken for self-aggrandizement or to achieve wealth and riches.
• Rather, we have done this so that we might see the signs of your religion, and make manifest a restoration in your towns and so that your oppressed worshipers might live in safety and so that your rules, laws, and the way of life that you commanded should be enacted.

He addressed those listening:

• Surely, Oh people! If you do not assist us in this, and act duly toward us, then the oppressive rulers will overcome you and use their power against you.
  
• They will seek to distinguish the light of your Messenger (Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him).
• And Allah suffices for us. We rely upon Him alone, and we will return eventually to Him, as will all things.

Conclusion: What was the uprising of Imam Husain about?

1. From his words we can gather that, at the time he was making his movement toward Karbala, he was concerned that unjust rulers were oppressing the people. People were not safe to carry out their worship. And, at this rate, all signs of religion would disappear from the land.
   
2. He wanted to restore those traces of religion, so that one could visibly see the signs of religious life. He sought to create safety for those who would worship Allah. Therefore, he spoke out against wrongs, and advised people to do the right. And, he warned that if the oppressed themselves did not align themselves with him, as was his right as the Divinely appointed leader of the Muslim community, then they would be overcome by the oppressive rulers.
   
3. At any rate, he was not depending on their actions or on their understanding. Rather, he knew his responsibility and relied on Allah alone for help. In the end, everything revolves upon Allah.

The Importance of the Imam, or Infallible leader

Who is the Imam, and why is it important to recognize the Infallible Imam?



Many have speculated about this, but let us, in keeping with the plan of this blog, allow the words of Imam Husain himself, peace be upon him, to guide us here.

One day, Imam Husain, peace be upon him, was speaking before his companions. He addressed them thus:

Oh, people! Truly Allah did not create his creatures other than that they might come to know Him.
And, when they know Him, they will become his servants and worship him--
And, through being His servants and worshipping him, they will be freed of needing to worship anything else.

At that point, one of his companions asked:
Oh, son of the Messenger of Allah! What does it mean to know Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He?

That Eminent one, peace be upon him, replied:
What it means to know Allah deeply, for the people of any era, is to have a deep knowledge of their Imam, whom they are obliged to follow.


Note: Here, by Imam, Imam Husain, peace be upon him, is referring to the divinely appointed leaders who took their posts, one after another, following the death of the Prophet Muhammad, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his family. Imam Husain is the third in this succession, and the final one, who hidden yet guides all of creation daily, is known as the Mahdi, the twelfth Imam. For more information on this, just ask!

The Radiance of Husain

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

The story of Karbala, a plain in what is now Iraq, is a story that is over a thousand years old, yet it is a story that lives on in the lives and hearts of those who care about truth, virtue, honor, respect, and dignity. It is a story that radiates light into a world of darkness. It is the story of the Radiance of Husain.

Allameh Sayyid Muhammad-Husain Husaini-Tehrani, who was a living example of what it meant to be a human being in this day and age for all of those who were privileged to know him, compiled a collection of the sayings of Imam Husain, peace be upon him. It was his wish that these sayings, speeches, mottoes and slogans would be translated in a free and flowing way, and made available as the signposts of guidance and contemplation for all of those who seek the truth. As he, an eminent scholar, refrained from making a commentary or explanation of these speeches, so I will refrain from doing so as well, except inasmuch as some otherwise obscure phrase or detail might need explanation.
Rather, we shall leave the words of Imam Husain, peace be upon him, and the depiction of his actions, to stand alone in their brilliance, to attract us to him, and to attract us to our own inner selves.

Who is this Husain, that all the world is enthralled with him
What candle is this, that all circle around it, like moths to the fire?