The martyrdom of Imam Hussain ibn 'Ali ('a) and his companions in Karbala'
proved to be the beginning of the downfall of the Banu Umayyah dynasty which had
usurped the Shi'a khilafah by deceit, repression, and corruption of the Muslim
community. Though the Imam ('a) was martyred with his family and companions, and
apparently his murderers seemed to emerge winners from the conflict, it was the
martyr of Karbala' who was the real victor. The mourning ceremonies that have
been held through the last fourteen hundred years to commemorate this most
significant event in the history of Shi'a are generally known as Muharram
ceremonies, as they are held during the month of Muharram in remembrance of the
'Ashura' movement. This incident has its background whose elaborate details have
been given by Muslim historians and I need not cite them here.
Briefly, it may be said that Imam Hussain's revolt, staged against the tyranny, injustice, and
repression of the regime and torture and execution of pious Muslims, which
violated the Shi'a concept of a just Shi'a policy and society, was to uphold the
ideals and values of Shi'a propounded in the Qur'an and the traditions of the
Prophet (S), to rescue the higher human values, moral, social, political and
spiritual, and to preserve the true spirit of Shi'a . It was basically aimed by
the martyred Imam ('a) to rescue Shi'a as the message of the last Prophet, a
message that had to endure, not only in the hearts and spirits of saints but on
the plane of society, and he achieved his purpose most completely. The episode
of Karbala' became the everlasting stage on which, more than anything else, the
great spirit of an Imam of the Ahl al-Bayt was put for eternal display, not in
mere words or traditions recorded in books, but against the background of the
greatest tragedy in human history and scenes of love and loyalty, bravery and
sacrifice, nobility and high spirituality, blood and battle, and also those of
treachery and betrayal, human abasement and wretchedness, perversity and
depravity. Due to his refusal to compromise with godlessness and tyranny, the
Imam has been remembered as the very embodiment of Tawhid, of La laha illallah,
by all great Shi'a mystics, thinkers, writers and poets. In the words of the
great Indian Sufi of Iranian origin, Khwajah Mu'in-al-Din Chishti:
He gave his life but wouldn't give his hand in the hand of Yazid (for
allegiance, bay'ah). Verily Hussain is the foundation of La ilaha illallah
Mahmoud Ayoub in his study of the devotional aspects of 'Ashura', Redemptive
Suffering in Shi'a , justifiably interprets the Imam's message to Muslims as a
call for enjoining good and prohibiting evil. In a will he made to Muhammad ibn
Hanafiyyah while departing from Makkah, the Imam declares:
"Indeed, I have not risen up to do mischief, neither as an adventurer, nor to
cause corruption and tyranny. I have risen up solely to seek the reform of the
Ummah of my grandfather (S). I want to command what is good and stop what is
wrong, and (in this) I follow the conduct of my grandfather and my father, 'Ali
ibn Abi Talib."
In a letter that he wrote to the people of Kufah, in a short sentence he
outlines the Shi'a concept of a worthy ruler:
"By my life, the leader is one who acts in accordance with the Scripture,
upholds justice in society, conducts its affairs according to what is righteous,
and dedicates his self to God. Was-salam."
Addressing Hurr ibn Yazid Riyahi and his troops, who had been dispatched by 'Ubaydullah
ibn Ziyad, the infamous governor of Kufah, to intercept the Imam's caravan on
the way and to stop him from entering Kufah, Imam Hussain ('a) quotes this
tradition of the Prophet (s), which states the duty of Muslims vis-a-vis corrupt
and un-lslamic rulers:
"O people! Verily the Messenger of Allah (s) said: "Whoever observes a sovereign
legalizing what God has made unlawful, violating the covenant of God, opposing
the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, and treating the creatures of God sinfully
and oppressively, and does not oppose him with his speech and action, God has a
right to bring him to the same fate as that of the tyrant." Indeed, these people
(i.e. Yazid and the ruling Umayyads) have committed themselves to the following
of Satan, and abandoned obedience to God. They have given currency to corruption
and abolished the Shi'a laws, plundering the public treasury, making lawful what
God has forbidden and forbidding what God has permitted. And I, of all people,
have a greater right to act [in accordance with the Prophet's exhortation]."
On reaching Karbala', a point where they had been forced to discontinue their
journey and to disembark on the orders of Ibn Ziyad, the Imam stood up to
address his companions. In that sermon he declares that life under tyranny is
not worthy of man, unless the people rise in an attempt to restore the higher
values.
Don't you see that what is true and right is not acted upon and what is false
and wrong is not forbidden? In such a situation, the man of faith yearns for the
meeting with his Lord. Indeed, (in such conditions) to me death is happiness,
and life under the yoke of tyrants is disgrace.
Giving the details of Imam Hussain's refusal to accept a tyrannical and unjust
ruler, starting from his journey from Madinah to Makkah and afterwards through
its various stages until the Imam reached Karbala', the scene of his battle and
martyrdom, historians refers to verses which are said to have been recited by
the Imam on the night of the 10th of Muharram (the day of 'Ashura'):
O Time (dahr), fie on you of a friend.
How many are those you claim at the morn and eventide.
Many a friend, and many a one seeking revenge,
Yet Time is not satisfied with a substitute or proxy.
Truly judgement belongs to the Glorious One;
And every living soul takes the path [of death].
It is important to note that the Imam's address to Time inspired a number of
Muslim thinkers to propound a new revolutionary concept of Time with reference
to the Qur'anic verses in the Surat al-'Asr. The Imam did not actually vilify
time, but he condemned the time-servers. Otherwise Time, as interpreted by Iqbal,
the contemporary philosopher poet of the Indian subcontinent, is, in the light
of the Qur'an and the Prophetic traditions, an expression and manifestation of
the continuing process of God's creativity as well as the creativity of the
human being. While addressing Time, Imam Hussain ('a) indicated that man is not
a time-server but time is at the service of man. He proved by his example that
man has the power to turn the tide of time and he actually did it.
The tragedy of Karbala', which was in the words of Imam Khumayni the symbol of
blood's triumph-the blood of the martyrs-over the sword, transformed not only
the history of Shi'a but also human history for ever. Hussain ('a) initiated a
movement that proved to be an archetype representing an eternal struggle of
truth against falsehood, justice against injustice and tyranny, human dignity
against dehumanization, the revolt of the oppressed against oppressors, and
overpowering of the strong by society's weak. The un-lslamic rule of the
Umayyads was challenged after him by his followers and descendants, such as Zayd
ibn 'Ali, Yahya ibn Zayd, and before them by Mukhtar al-Thaqafi and the Tawwabin,
which created a ferment that finally resulted in the overthrow of the Umayyads
and the coming to power of Banu 'Abbas, who deceitfully claimed to avenge the
martyrdom of Hussain ('a) and to advocate his revolutionary mission.
However, this movement continued to be inspired by the message of 'Ashura'
during the reign of the 'Abbasid caliphs and afterwards. The emergence of Shi'i
Sufi movements, like those of the Sarbidaran, the Nuqtawis, and the Mar'ashis,
as well as the Fatimi-lsmaili sects, culminated in the victory of the Safawi
Sufi order in Iran, who made it a point that the 'Ashura' movement should
continue as an inspiring force and dynamic principle in Muslim polity and
society. It were the Safawis during whose reign the 'Ashura' commemoration
ceremonies took a particular shape.
The remembrance of the tragedy of Karbala' as a ritual did not remain confined
to Iran and Iraq, but also influenced the socio-political and cultural life of
Muslims in the Indian sub-continent. As a result of this, in India, particularly
in Avadh, there developed a culture that was inspired by the spirit of 'Ashura'
which was all-embracing. Other Muslim sects and even non- Muslims came under the
cultural influence of this movement.
Unfortunately this movement, which represented a resurgence of the 'Ashura'
culture in literature and other art forms, gradually degenerated in the course
of time in Iran, Iraq, and the sub-continent, losing its revolutionary spirit.
One of the greatest contributions of Imam Khumayni is that he recreated and
revived the spirit of 'Ashura' through his messages against the despotic Pahlavi
rule and the exploitive domination of alien powers over Muslims throughout the
world. Some of his disciples and contemporaries have also contributed to this 'Ashura'ic
resurgence of Shi'a , Shari'ati and Mutahhari in particular. Imam Khumayni and
other champions of the revolutionary ideology of Shi'a in Iran made use of the
traditional ritual 'Ashura' ceremonies to reach the common Muslim masses for
effectively conveying their message to the grassroots of the Muslim society.
There have been various attempts in the Muslim world to reinterpret and
reconstruct Shi'a ideology to meet the challenges of time. Ghazali demolished
what was in his view un-lslamic in the ideas of Muslim philosophers; Jamaluddin
Asadabadi, popularly known as Afghani, emphasized the importance of Ijtihad and
propagated a pan-lslamic ideology; his followers in Egypt and the Arab world,
particularly Muhammad 'Abduh, Rashid Rida' and others, revived the practice of
Ijtihad in the Sunni world. Before them, Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi and Shah
Waliullah had made attempts to awaken Muslims to the needs of the time and
revive the Shi'a spirit. In the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries Sayyid
Ahmad Khan and Iqbal tried to reconstruct Shi'a beliefs according to the
challenges of the time and the ascendant supremacy of science and Western
philosophy. In the words of Iqbal, all the earlier Muslim thinkers had failed in
their mission because they destroyed the prevalent philosophies but could not
reconstruct Shi'a ideas on a secure ground, and they failed to influence the
Muslim society in general.
This failure, in my view, is due to these thinkers' inability to reach the
Muslim masses and convey their message to them in a popular idiom. The success
of Imam Khumayni and the other ideologues of revolutionary Iran found the
popular platform of the Muharram ceremonies as a convenient weapon against the
repressive Pahlavi rulers, imperialism and Western domination, particularly the
exploitive American dominance of the East, to awaken Muslim masses and revive in
them the spirit of martyrdom inspired by the episode of Karbala'. Because of
this they succeeded in their movement, while others had failed to achieve the
desired end.
Imam Khumayni not only rekindled the flame hidden in the hearts of the pupils of
'Ashura' culture, but also vehemently criticized the so-called 'ulama' and
fuqaha' who, as time-servers, interpreted Shi'a and Shi'a laws according to the
convenience of the rulers and the exploiting class.
One who makes a study of al-Kawthar, a selection in two volumes of the speeches
of Imam Khumayni, as well his writings on the Shi'a government, in particular
his lectures on wilayat-e faqih, one would be surprised to find that the most
vehement criticism of Muslim clerics, Shi'i and Sunni, was made by a Muslim
scholar. It was because Imam Khumayni understood profoundly the spirit of the 'Ashura'
movement and was angry that the so-called 'ulama' and rawdeh-khwans had
transformed its true spirit into a mere ritual of lamentation over the martyrdom
of Hussain ('a) and his companions, making it a regular means of their
livelihood. He criticized and condemned these persons and rejuvenated the true
spirit of 'Ashura' among the Muslim masses, who were sincerely devoted to
Muharram ceremonies. These ceremonies provided him with the most effective
weapon to propagate his message based on the Shi'a values of justice and truth.
Had there been no such platform to reach the masses, he might have also failed
in his attempt to revive true Shi'a values and reawaken the Muslim masses. It
was here that the secret of his success lay. The important milestones of his
movement could not have been covered without taking recourse to 'Ashura'.
The tragic event of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain ('a) at Karbala' deeply
influenced the tide of time in various ways, in the fields of philosophy, kalam,
political thought, social reform, and cultural resurgence of the Muslim world.
In India (and also Pakistan and Bangladesh), a culture developed that was
inspired and motivated by the 'Ashura' movement. Even during the period of
Muslim decadence that culture has, in the words of Iqbal, produced the cream of
Muslim poetry and literature in the form of the elegies (marathi) in Urdu, which
have exercised a great influence on the Indo-Muslim culture, an influence that
extended to non-Muslim communities as well. Presently one can find the influence
of the 'Ashura' movement in this region even in non-Muslim literature and
culture. Even in the so-called progressive (Marxist and modern) literature,
particularly poetry, one can find Karbala' and 'Ashura' used as metaphors to
depict the present reality. All these aspects may be elaborated in the form of a
lengthy article or even a book, but here, for the purpose of brevity, I would
abstain from going into details.
Of course, there emerged some movements in the Muslim world inspired by the 'Ashura',
but could not leave a lasting effect and died away after a short time. Imam
Khumayni's success in bringing about the Shi'a Revolution in Iran and, through
it, influencing the entire Muslims world, lies in the fact that he made the 'Ashura'
movement the prime mover of a continuing process in human history for evolving a
better society that could safeguard the principles of justice, social equity,
and the cultural independence of the East. The impact of the 'Ashura' movement
on Muslim polity and culture and its role in changing and moulding the history
of Shi'a and the world may be discussed in detail under various heads such as:
its impact on Muslim theology ('ilm al-kalam), mysticism, and philosophy, its
impact on socio-economic reforms in the Muslim world, its impact on political
upheavals in the Muslim world, and its impact on culture, literature, fine arts
and other creative expressions of Muslim ethos. Imam Khumayni played the most
influential role in our times in translating the revolutionary and creative
potential of this movement into reality through his writings, speeches,
leadership, and his reinterpretation of the fundamental principle of "enjoining
good and prohibiting evil."
It is necessary to elaborate certain significant aspects of the commemoration
ceremonies of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain ('a). Generally these ceremonies are
viewed from two angles: one is the spiritual, pietistic angle that considers
them a means of catharsis and redemption; the other is the socio-political
approach that regards it as instrumental in the realization of the Shi'a ideals
for which the great sacrifice (dibh-e 'azim) was made.
The former approach, which treats the 'Ashura' rituals from a pietistic angle,
gives importance to mourning, lamenting, breasting beating in remembrance of the
mazlum Imam and considers sorrow as the means of participating in the sufferings
of the Imam ('a), his family, and companions. This approach is supported by the
traditions of the Imams ('a) of the Prophet's Family. There are traditions that
emphasize that the tragedy of Karbala' was predestined and all prophets of God
from Adam to the Seal of the Prophets (S) had been informed of the sacrifice of
Hussain ('a) through Gabrael in advance. They themselves mourned and made it
obligatory for all believers to mourn and be sorrowful in the remembrance of
this great tragedy. Fatimah al-Zahra' ('a), the bereaved mother of Hussain ('a),
is believed to be the host of the mourning observances, and she is the main
addressee of all expressions of sorrow and the condolences that are offered, in
this world as well as the other world, and, it believed, she will intercede in
favour of her son's mourners on the Day of Judgement.
Authentic traditions record that Imam 'Ali ibn al-Hussain Zayn al- 'Abidin ('a)
mourned his father and his companions throughout his life after Karbala'. He was
present at the site of the tragedy and witnessed all the sufferings of his
father. Moreover, he had to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of the
womenfolk and children of his family after 'Ashura' and he passed through the
tribulations of the journey of the captive family of the Prophet (S) from
Karbala' to Kufah and from Kufah to Damascus, putting up with all the
humiliation with exemplary equanimity, patience, and firmness of character. He
is regarded by the Sufis as one of their early great masters, who also
emphasized the value of God's fear and sorrow for the sake of purifying the
heart and soul. His collection of supplications, known as al-Sahifat al-Sajjadiyyah
or al-Sahifat al-kamilah, is a valuable source of ma'rifah and high
spirituality.
The other great mourner of Karbala' was Imam Hussain's sister, Zaynab, known as
"Zaynab-e Kubra" and "Thani-e Zahra" (i.e. the Second Fatimah). She bore the
martyrdom of her two young sons, 'Awn and Muhammad, without shedding a tear, but
was the first to mourn her brother. After the episode of Karbala', Imam Sajjad
and Zaynab made continuous efforts to create the institution of mourning for the
martyred Imam as a vehicle for the revolutionary message of Shi'a against
perverse socio-political conditions that negated the Shi'a ideal of a healthy
society ruled by committed and competent leaders. The institution of mourning
over Imam Hussain became a vehicle for the propagation of almost everything that
Shi'a stood for. It was not the martyrdom of an ordinary moral, no matter
however pious or saintly. It was the martyrdom of an Infallible Imam and the
greatest wali and vicegerent of God and the God-appointed heir to the Prophet's
authority and spirituality. To those who understood the sublime spiritual
station of Hussain ibn 'Ali it was as if the Prophet himself had been martyred
at Karbala'. And what greater calamity could be imagined? As the martyred Imam
represented the highest embodiment of Shi'a , his martyrdom was the greatest
crime that could be perpetrated against Shi'a and God.
As we know, the chiefs and elders of Quraysh had conspired to murder the Prophet
(S) on the night of his migration to Madinah. Acting out a plan aimed to mislead
the waiting assassins, 'Ali ibn Abl Talib slept on the Prophet's bed that night,
while the Prophet (S) left the town. Later, for a decade, the Quraysh, led by
Banu Umayyah, and in particular Abu Sufyan, unrelenting in their hostility
against Shi'a and its prophet, made repeated attempts to annihilate the Muslim
community in Madinah, which formed the nucleus of the expanding revolutionary
creed. When these attempts did not succeed, they joined the fold of Shi'a , and
this time all their efforts were aimed to recapture the supremacy they had lost
due to the Prophet's movement and to destroy Shi'a from within. The martyrdom of
Imam Hussain and his companions at Karbala' was viewed by Banu Umayyah as a
great victory in the course of a long struggle against Shi'a and its prophet.
Their sense of triumph is reflect in the following verses of Ibn al-Ziba'ra that
Yazid is reported by historians to have recited when, after the battle Karbala',
Imam 'Ali ibn al-Hussain ('a) and the women and children of the Prophet's family
were brought as captives into his court at Damascus:
Alas! Had only my elders that were slain at Badr,
seen the torments of Khazraj by the edge of the sword.
They would have cried 'hurra!' and given cries of joy,
and said: Bravo, O Yazid, for what you have done!
We have killed the elect of their chiefs,
avenging by his death, the viclims of Badr.
The clan of Hashim dallied with kingdom,
and there was neither any revelations nor any news from the heavens.
I am not of Khindif should I fail to take revenge,
from the family of Ahmad for what they have done.
As can be seen, the vengeful spirit that pervades these verses is one that
characterized the pagan Arab tribes of the Jahiliyyah. It is a base spirit that
still wallows in the loyalties and attachments of a barbaric tribal society that
is a stranger to the message of Shi'a of a universal creed based on higher moral
and spiritual values.
Besides mourning for the martyrs, 'Ali ibn al-Hussain ('a), Zaynab ('a) and her
younger sister, Umm KulthEm, made very forceful orations describing the
sufferings of 'Ashura' and its aftermath that moved the listeners to tears.
These orations and elegies composed by Zaynab ('a) and 'Umm Kulthum ('a)
extempore exercised great influence on the Muslims and were instrumental in
propagating the message of 'Ashura' and the message of Imam Hussain's sacrifice.
These may be taken as the early foundations of the 'Ashura' movement and
beginnings of the mourning ceremonies.
There are equally authentic traditions of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq ('a) and Imam
'Ali al-Rida ('a) exhorting their followers regarding the observance of mourning
in remembrance of Imam Hussain ('a) and his companions as a means of redemption.
In traditions ascribed to the Prophet (S), Fatimah ('a) and the Imams ('a) of
the Prophet's family there is another significant aspect to be taken note of. A
recurring theme that characterizes them is that not only the prophets and the
angles mourned the martyrdom of Imam Hussain and his companions, but also the
whole cosmos mourned this tragedy. Strong winds began to blow on that tenth of
Muharram and when the Imam was beheaded after he fell in the field of battle,
there arose tides in rivers and oceans as if they would flood the entire earth,
the stars collided, the sun was eclipsed, mountains moved from their places and
the seven heavens rained blood, as blood gushed forth from the ground. Such
descriptions of the effect of Imam Hussain's martyrdom on the whole order of
being persuade his devotees to participate in a mourning ritual that encompasses
all the natural and supernatural realms. If not taken literally, these
traditions may be treated as metaphorical expressions of a tragedy possessing
cosmic dimensions. There is no doubt that these traditions served as the source
of inspiration for the devotees and made them feel one with the whole universe
and its purpose.
Later, when ta'ziyyah, majalis and rawdah khwani became popular rituals among
the Shi'ah, sufis, and some other Muslim sects, gradually more and more such
descriptions were improvised and many events that never occurred were
intertwined with the historically recorded events and authentic traditions of
the Imams ('a). This was done sometimes intentionally and sometimes due to
ignorance by rawdah khwans, zakirs and poets. In poetry there might be some
justification for the flights of imagination at the pretext of poetic license,
but in written prose works such mixing of myth with history and attributing
inauthentic or totally false traditions to the Imams ('a) is unpardonable. This
practice was started by some professional rawdah writers with a view to gaining
popularity among naive audiences by touching their most sensitive chords to make
them weep. Mulla Wa'iz Kashifi, the author of Rawdat al-shuhada, is severely
criticized by Muhaddith Nuri in Lu'lu' wa al-marjan, and by Mutahhari in
H'amaseh-ye Hussaini. Muhaddith Nuri devotes the major part of his book to
describing how sinful it is to attribute some sayings or occurrences that have
no authentic basis.
Imam Khumayni at the risk of losing popularity among the naive and inviting
wrath of professional akhands all over the Muslim world boldly restrained the
devotees from unnecessarily shedding their blood during mourning ceremonies and
advised them to donate their blood for the cause of defending the Shi'a
revolution. He also transformed the concept of intizar, waiting for the
appearance of the Twelfth Imam ('a), from a passive state of waiting into active
adherence to the Shi'a principle of amr b'il-ma'ruf wa nahy 'an'il-munkar. This
injunction was aimed to give to the participation of mourners in the ceremonies
a consciousness of the relevance of the ongoing socio-political struggle of
Shi'a and the Muslim world against imperialism and oppressors by following the
example of Imam Hussain ('a). Thus he successfully synthesized the ritual
mourning with social action. He did not disapprove of mourning, but rather
encouraged it with a view to making it the main source of a revolution.
Every religion and culture has its own myths along with its history and set of
beliefs or ideology. The myths woven together with historical facts create the
ethos and milliue of the popular Shi'i psyche. The ta'ziyah and majalis provided
a basis for the integration of the entire cosmos into the community of Imam
Hussain's devotees. They served as a perpetual instrument of keeping alive the
memory of the tragedy of Karbala' by all possible means.
The other approach which made use of 'Ashura' as a vehicle of social and
political action may be reconciled with the spiritual and ritual view of the
sufferings of Imam Hussain (a) in a creative and innovative way. The Shi'i ethos
is dominated by an urge to relive the sufferings of the Holy Family ('a) every
year. The Shi'ah re-enact the sufferings of Hussain ('a) and his family with
renewed vigour year after year. In this enactment of reliving 'Ashura', men and
women, young and old, all participate with a unique sense of commitment and
devotion. Thus the 'Ashura' sufferings have come to occupy the very core of
their own individual existential experience. That is why poetry inspired by this
interiorized subjective experience becomes a genuine and authentic expression of
collective human suffering and attains universal validity. For the mourners of
Imam Hussain ('a), 'Ashura' is the "Eternal Now." This experience occurs in a
pure and real space time continuum, a duration that is eternity. It transcends
serial mathematical time of day-to-day life and renders meaning and purpose to
human existence.
This experience prompts every member of the community of Hussain's devotees to
participate in jihad and a holy struggle against untruth, injustice and all
forms of repression and exploitation of the weak (mustad'ifin) by the oppressors
(mustakbirin). This Qur'anic terminology was for the first time used in
historical and modern context by Imam Khumayni and was further popularized by
'Ali Shari'ati. Mahmoud Ayoub, in Redemptive Suffering in Shi'a , says. "No one
can deny the far-reaching significance of the main rituals (i.e. five daily
prayers, fasting of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage ritual of hajj) to the entire
Muslim community. But we wish to argue here that the special rituals of the
Shi'ah community, the rituals of ta'ziyah and ziyarah, present an intensity of
feeling and a total encompassing of space and time unparalleled in the general
piety of the Sunni Shi'a ". (p. 277) As mentioned earlier these rituals, which
acquired prevalence during the reign of the Al-e Buwayh and found specific forms
during the Safawi regime, continued to inspire and stimulate the Shi'i psyche
for a long time, despite Shari'ati's claim that the Safawis exploited Shi'i
sentiments for capturing power and were later responsible for rendering the
mourning rituals soulless formalities. Shari'ati is justified in criticism of
the Safawis to an extent, but his view that Iranians adopted many elements of
the paraphernalia of the rituals by borrowing from Christian passion rituals
during this period as a result of diplomatic and cultural contacts with the
West, is controvertible. It is not yet established that the Shi'ah did not make
use of certain symbols of mourning such as the 'alam, dari', the coffin etc.
before coming into contact with the West. It may be conjectured contrarily as
well that the Christians borrowed the idea of passion plays during crusades from
the Shi'i 'Ashura' rituals of Aleppo and other Syrian towns. Whatever may be the
case, the rituals played a vital role in the Shi'i milieu and psyche.
Rituals are essential elements in every religion, but during the periods of
decline of a community they are taken as substitutes for the true spirit of a
faith and religion is reduced to mere ritualism. Shari'ati called the ritualized
form of Shi'i faith tashayyu'-e siyah ('black-clad Shi'ism,' that is, a Shi'ism
given to passive mourning) as against the true Shi'i creed which he called
tashayyu'-e surkh ('red Shi'ism,' the red colour symbolizing blood, sacrifice,
struggle and martyrdom), which stands for active struggle against all that is
untrue and unjust. Shari'ati and Murtada Mutahhari used the 'Ashura' idiom for
awakening and arousing Iranians to the political relevance of Muharram
ceremonies, paving through their speeches and writings the ground for the
overthrow of the vicious Pahlavi regime.
But the main inspiration came from Imam Khumayni's interpretation of the true
spirit of Karbala', which in his view, is not a battle limited to any particular
period of time but a continuing struggle in the "Eternal Now." By the means of
Muharram ceremonies he revitalized and re-energized the downtrodden Muslims to
fight courageously, fearlessly, and selflessly unarmed against the most heavily
armed regimes in the region which enjoyed total support of a superpower like the
US. He brought about a metamorphosis of the Iranian ethos and, as a result,
there emerged from the fire of Phoenix a revolutionary nation of free men and
women.
Freedom is at the core of Imam Hussain's message. The Imam fought for freedom of
all humanity from hunger, poverty, tyranny, exploitation and injustice. He chose
death for himself as a free being and by choosing death he chose God and His
Will. In his speech delivered before his journey to Iraq he spoke of his choice
in the following words:
O God, You knows that we did not seek, in what we have done, acquisition of
power, or ephemeral possessions. Rather, we seek to manifest the truths of Your
religion and establish righteousness in Your lands, so that the wronged among
Your servants may be vindicated, and that men may abide by the duties (fara'id),
laws (sunan) and Your ordinances (ahkam).
Imam Hussain ('a) recited some verses in answer to Farazdaq, whom he met soon
after he started on his journey from Makkah, when he was informed by the poet
that while the hearts of the Kufis were with the Imam (a), their swords were
with Banu Umayyah. The gist of these verses is that "If bodies be made for
death, then the death of a man by the sword in the way of God is the best
choice." The choice of violent death in the way of God was not a better choice
only in the eyes of the Imam ('a), but all men among his relatives and his
companions chose death in the way of god of their own free will. Death was not
forced on the them by the choice of Imam Hussain ('a) either, rather, several
times, particularly on the night of tenth Muharram, the Imam advised and
persuaded them to leave him alone with the enemy. The old and the young among
his family members and companions declared that death in the way of God was a
better choice in their view. The Imam ('a) blessed them with eternal freedom for
their free choice. The responses of Muslim ibn 'Awsajah, 'Abbas ibn 'Ali, 'Ali
Akbar ibn al-Hussain, al-Qasim ibn al-Hasan and others brought tears to the eyes
of the Imam ('a). Not only men but the womenfolk of his family and those
accompanying his companions offered their loyalty and exhorted their husbands
and sons to make their own free choice for sacrificing their lives. They
encouraged their men to welcome death on the day of 'Ashura'.
Women played a very important role in the 'Ashura' movement of the Imam ('a),
highlighting the role and freedom that Shi'a has bestowed upon them. Imam
Khumayni was perhaps the first religious leader to have successfully brought
women into the active ranks of his movement for the freedom of Muslims in
particular and the oppressed people of the world in general. Hence it would not
be an exaggeration to say that the spirit of Ashura' was re-incarnated in him.
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