Imam Hussain- The epitome of justice and tolerance

Today (Shaban 3rd) is the birthday of the blessed one; Imam Hussain ibn Ali. He was the grand son of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and son of the 4th rightly guided Caliph Hazrat Ali (ra) and Bibi Fatima (ra), the cherished and honored woman on the earth after Mother Mary (Mother of Jesus).

Imam Hussain remains an icon of principles in the Islamic world. He refused to surrender to the unjust ruler Yazid, who destroyed the concept of leadership through consensual democracy and began a spiritually destructive greedy dynasty. However, the sacrifice of Imam Hussain is looked up as the revival of the faith and justice, as encapsulated in a couplet in Urdu language, “Islam zinda hota hai, her karbala ke baad”.

Here is an article written by my facebook friend Syed Hassan Kazim, who wrote this nearly an year ago for ''Hindustan Times''. He discloses, “it is not completely mine as I have used some quotations from some historical figures also regarding Imam Hussain(as) and his martyrdom.”

The best thing you can do as a Muslim or not a Muslim is to reflect on the people who stood up for justice and righteousness and pay homage to the soul of Imam Hussain.

Link: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/07/imam-hussain-epitome-of-justice-and.html

Mike Ghouse
http://www.worldmuslimcongress.org/

Imam Hussain- The epitome of justice and tolerance

He gave his head but not his hand of allegiance in the hand of Yazid

The Holy Prophet every now and then insisted his Umma not to forget Hussain. This insistence of Prophet Mohammad shows that those who will forget Karbala and the Martyrdom of Hussain will cause compromises in his mission. The so called custodians of Islam or the radicals who are killing innocents in the name of Islam have forgotten Imam Hussain and the basic tenets of Islam just as the zealots who went on massacring thousands in Gujarat in the name of a peaceful religion like Hinduism forgetting the tolerance taught by Rama, the Hindu representation of God.

It's most important today to tell the people about the sacrifice of Imam Hussain and his mission which will let them realise that the people who every now and then commit the barbaric acts of terrorism and call themselves Muslims are just terrorists and the majority of world's Muslims think these acts as going against all the ideals and principles of Islam.

Imam Hussain demarcated the truth from the falsehood forever when he said to the ambassador of Yazid ," A person like me would not give the oath of allegiance to a person like Yazid.", which means that the good or the truth cannot be bowed down by the falsehood or evil, no matter how powerful is the tyrant or the dictator.

Imam fought the battle with Yazid on the spiritual plane, he opposed Yazid's might with his nobility of character, confronted power with powerlessness, met multitudes with want of material support and defied oppression with suffering and martyrdom. It has been more than 1400 years since the battle of Karbala was fought, but even after centuries is remembered with unmatchable enthusiasm.

While I was in my hometown Muzaffarpur in Bihar on the 10th day of Muharram which is called Aashura, I got in touch with a police officer who was offering flowers at the Karbala there. On being asked the reason behind his attachment with Imam Hussain's cause he replied," Please do not think that remembering the sacrifice of Imam Hussain is a copyright of Muslims only. Imam Hussain's martyrdom has given voices to the voiceless. His sacrifice was the ultimate level of tolerance and non-violence in which after losing every one of his companions and his family members he stood firm on the path of righteousness. We remember him because he is worth remembering."

In a sermon while proceeding towards Karbala Imam Hussain said to his followers," O' people The Prophet of Islam has said that if a person sees a tyrannical ruler transgressing against Allah and oppressing people, but does nothing by word or action to change the situation, then it will be just to God to place him where he deservingly belongs. Do you not see to what low level the affairs have come to…. Do you not observe that the truth has not adhered and falsehood has no limits? And as for me, I look upon death but a means of attaining martyrdom. I consider life among transgressors an agony and affliction."

About 1200 years later Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech in which he said," To suffer in solace while they should protest makes cowards of men." These words of Abraham Lincoln reflect exactly what Imam said some 1200 years ago that oppressors and transgressors from the true path of justice would emerge all the time. If there remains no one on the earth to object over there transgressions that they will go unchecked. One should always point out to these tyrants of the right path of justice. This is the lesson we learn from Imam Hussain.

Hussain was a spiritual superpower that is an icon not only for the Muslims but also for each and every person with whom injustice is being done in whatever form, no matter to which religion he belongs. Nearly each and every revolution of the world got inspiration from the martyrdom of Imam Hussein.

The tragedy of Karbala took place some 1400 years back but Karbala has a universal appeal and in today's climate of violence, terrorism and communalism, it is more relevant than ever.

While addressing the enemy in Karbala Imam said one of the most inspiring words ever been said, “If you do not have religion, at least be a free man in your life of this world." because a free man can differentiate between the good and evil more easily than a biased one.

The mission of Hussain did not and could not come to an end just by the martyrdom of 72 individuals, it's everlasting, acting as a catalyst in nearly every age, era and place. Today at the remotest corners of the globe the tragedy of Karbala is remembered.

Imam Hussain raised Islam to its purest form by not letting evils to distort, corrupt or insult and destroy a peaceful religion like Islam, a non violent resistance. He taught us not to take life but sacrificing one's life in the path of truth and righteousness.