Ghulam Yasin Nizami
The utmost productive part of the lessons of Karbala is to mold the very purpose of life. The Purpose is, philosophically, the reflection of being human; it proposes to set up the human values. The ground of substantiality is the heavier norm in the teachings of Karbala. Human existence can’t be thought through one’s visage but deeds; and in Karbala, Imam Husain (A.S) proved that there is no predefined pattern that we must fit into, however the way we live in turn defines what we are. The ultimate aim of spending life in the chamber of survival unambiguously is to cull the truth: obedience to Allah, freedom from vice, end of impiety. Karbala stands out as a beacon, a revolutionary ideology that has the power to change human conduct and transform society. How right the sage of the subcontinent, Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti, was when he emphatically declared: “Husain is the faith”. The message of Karbala is not constrained by time and space: it is eternal, as emphasized by the tradition every day is Ashura and every land is Karbala. And it is not limited to any particular sect, race or creed. It is universal. Any one put it best when he said that Let man awaken; every nation will cry out “Husain is ours”. The name of the Imam contains within it a sublime substance that has the power to shake mankind out of its petrified slumber. Karbala has the alchemic power to turn lead into gold. Two distinct philosophies emerged on the day of Ashura in 61 A.H: Husainiat and Yazidiat (a third characteristic that of the spineless Kufis also emerged but that is a discussion for another time). With different names and with different faces, the Yazids of the day continue to propagate the philosophy of Yazidiat, its identifying characteristics being arrogance, tyranny, amorality and naked ambition. Yazidiat today has abundant manifestations, some of its more recognizable forms being terrorism, global neo-imperialism, economic injustice and oppressive regimes. And just as the Imam unmasked and challenged Yazidiat 1,400 years ago, so too must the Husaini revolution continue in its struggle against oppression of all shades. The need is to recognize the components of Husainiat and to apply these to cure the spiritual and moral disease that is Yazidiat. The Imam’s message is stunningly clear across the expanse of space and time: resist the oppressor and side with the oppressed. This is beautifully communicated through one of the Imam’s sermons, quoted in Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s The Martyrdom of Husain: You witness the existing state of affairs. The world has changed its colors. It is completely devoid of virtue. Don’t you see that truth has been relegated to [the] background? Falsehood is deliberately being acted upon. It is high time a believer should try to defend the truth for the sake of Allah. It is an offence in itself to live with oppressors. This is the key to the dilemma Imam Husain had to face; only his choice was between the Pledge of Allegiance to Allah over allegiance to the political tyrant. The choice was self-destruction, or preservation of Islam and the Muslim peoples, societies, the enduring value structures transcendent and inextinguishable over time. This is the ethereal message of Karbala to all mankind, indiscriminately. With regard to the inherent message of Supreme Sacrifice defined for Muslims in the Glorious Quran: Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my Life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the cherisher of the world. Ever Since Karbala, until eternity, all Muslims have to stand up for Imam Husain and the Al Bait’s unconditional commitment, sacrifice and martyrdom to save Islam’s unifying principles, to perpetuate the sanctity of human life. I end with Imam Husain’s own worlds: If the religion of Allah can be saved only through my sacrifice, here I stand in presence of god, offering in live and gratefulness, all that I possess, the lives of me and my dear ones ready for all the sufferings and humiliation, for all this belongs to Allah and Allah is always with me. The religion of Allah must be saved. Where are the swords of the enemies? Come and get me, for I am ready. In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful, let Imam Husain’s martyrdom to save our souls not have been in vain; and when the Last Trumpet calls and our own time comes, let us not be afraid to make that Supreme and unconditional Sacrifice for Islam. Academic discussions among my people are a means of giving life to the dead hearts provided their aim is to understand my commandments. Karbala doesn’t end with this month but it is an unremitting process that has always prompted to establish the proximity of perfection. This battle against falsehood will never fade as Husain (A.S) didn’t announce its end. Instead, He said whether there is anyone who will carry out this revolution.
