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.

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.

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.