Why Venerating Imam al-Hussein?

Several sects of Muslims deal with personalities and historical events. They may hold contradictory beliefs and attitudes to the principles of Islam and Muslims, yet some of them believe in Imam al-Hussein and consider him as the Infallible Imam whom must be followed. This is because he represents Islam, for he sought his revolution against Yazid to be only the promotion of noble virtues and prevention of vices as well as a fundamental reform in the ummah of his grandfather, the Prophet Muhammad, and his father, Imam `Ali. Some of them believed that Yazid was the successor (khalifah) to the Prophet Muhammad and had jurisdiction over all Muslims; in consequence, whoever managed a revolution against him was indeed wrong in their vision, even if such a person was Imam Al-Hussein. While Yazid repeatedly infringed the human rights and murdered several people, a third group believed otherwise. They held that both Imam al-Hussein and Yazid were right and had the right to fight for rescue the religion of Allah; nonetheless, this was the strangest and most dangerous position. How can two such different extremes (in attitude and principles) be united?

On the eve of Ashura, the 10th of Muharram 61 AH/ 680 AD, the tents of the camp of Imam al-Hussein were full of men who were staunch believers in Allah and in Imam al-Hussein's revivalism and revolution. Some of them were busy with praying and others read the holy Qura`an. While the tents of the camp of Yazid were filled with the people whom had no care and concern for the mankind and humanity.

Since the martyrdom of Imam al-Hussein in the Battle of Ashura the followers of Imam al-Hussein have been trying to hold and propagate the rituals of the Ahl al-Bayt in a variety of ways. They do so by feeding people, taking part in the various commemorative sessions and shedding tears over the afflictions happened unto their leader, viz. Imam al-Hussein. It is in this way that every rite performed will keep the flame of that global revolution alive. It is a revolution not for certain limited sectors but encompassing all the world without dissemination because it is to rescue the general human rights. On the contrary, the followers of Yazid symbolized injustice, tyranny, terrorism, abuse, and encroaching upon the rights of others.

Therefore, Ashura is still regarded as an open battle between good and evil. To those who revere Ashura, their heroes find expression in the Divine prophets and messengers who culminated their reform movements in Imam al-Hussein's eternal revolution. This is because he sacrificed himself and his family to rescue and safeguard the religion of Allah and to maintain the dignity of the humanity.

* By Sayyed Hasan Al-Hashimi