Updated 13 November 2013
Imam Redha (A.S.) said: “The one for whom the day of A'ashura is a day of tragedy, grief and weeping, Allah The Mighty, The Glorious, shall make the Day of Judgment, a day of joy and happiness for him.” Bihar al Anwar, vol. 44, pg. 284
In less than half a day on the 10th of Muharram (known as the day of Ashura) in the year 61 A.H., Imam Hussain (AS), the grandson of the Holy Prophet of Islam (SAW) and 72 of his family members and companions, were brutally killed on the plains of Karbala in Iraq.
The events of this tragic day included the heartless killing of his 6 month old child, the cowardly attack on his flag bearer, Hazrat Abbas (AS) as he went to get water for the children of the camp, the murder of other young members of Imam’s family including the brutal killing of Imam’s youthful son Ali Akbar, the trampling of the holy body of Hazrat Qasim (AS) by the horses of the army of Yazid, and many others.
The lessons that we can take from the events of this tragic day are endless, including:
• Hold a strong and firm belief in Allah and strive to achieve His pleasure alone
• Never bow down to tyranny and oppression
• Never support injustice or an unjust cause
• Distance yourself from humiliation
• Purify your inner being so that you can be an outward role model
Charles Dickens has said:
“If Husayn fought to quench his worldly desires, then I do not understand why his sisters, wives and children accompanied him. It stands to reason therefore that he sacrificed purely for Islam.”
And Thomas Carlyle has said:
"The best lesson which we get from the tragedy of Karbala is that Husain and his companions were rigid believers in God. They illustrated that the numerical superiority does not count when it comes to the truth and the falsehood. The victory of Husain, despite his minority, marvels me!"
On the day of Ashura, Imam Hussain (AS) stood up against oppression, injustice and tyranny; however, when we look around us, it is these same vices that make up the world we live in today. The events currently unfolding across the world in Palestine, Bahrain, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan and other countries are some examples.
As we mourn on the day of Ashura, we keep in mind the pain and anguish felt by Imam Mahdi and we yearn for his reappearance.