By: Ghulam Hussain Ghazi
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The beloved religion of Islam has reached us after passing through the most delicate and perilous stages. How many tyrannical rulers with savage mindsets were imposed upon the believers and how mercilessly the blood of the faithful was spilled, this can be well understood from the tragedy of Karbala. In it, not even the family of our great Prophet Muhammad(ﷺ) was spared, the same family on whose blessed hands people and rulers had accepted faith and emerged from the darkness of ignorance into the light of civilization and culture.
It is a matter of profound sorrow that after the passing of the Prophet(ﷺ), the Arabs, driven by their innate tribal nature, fell back into tribal bigotry, attacked their benefactors and became entangled in fitnah (discord and trials).
Thus, in the incident of Karbala, on one hand, Imam Hussain (AS) received thousands of letters from the people of Kufa saying, “Come here, we are with you.” On the other hand, there was the Prophetic teaching and the duty to protect the honor of his grandfather, the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ): “Do not let fitnah arise, and let this newly born religion, which Allah Almighty loves, flourish and thrive.”
The grandson of the Prophet(ﷺ) chose a moderate and peaceful path for himself. He kept the letters before him but did not raise an army. He avoided war and set out for Kufa with only 72 members of his family and companions, all ‘Ahle Bait’.
This is the story of that great personality who preferred ‘principle’ over ‘peace’. This is Imam Hussain (AS), the son of Hazrat Ali (AS).
Earlier, his elder brother, the fifth Caliph Imam Hasan (AS), had also adopted the principle of peace. He handed over the caliphate to Muawiya, who was insistent on war and this brought benefit to the Muslim Ummah and the Banu Hashim. However, Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, after becoming an absolute ruler, violated all three conditions upon which Imam Hasan (AS) had surrendered the caliphate. Those conditions were simple: governance according to Shariah, that after Muawiya the caliphate would go to Imam Hussain (AS) and that the people would not be subjected to revenge, oppression, killing and barbarity.
Muawiya did exactly the opposite of all this and to top it all, he appointed his corrupt son Yazid as his successor, a person who had no regard for Shariah.
Now let us analyze Imam Hussain’s life from childhood to youth and up to the tragedy of Karbala. Childhood (4 AH to 10 AH): Being the Beloved Grandson of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
According to a narration in Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet of the End Times(ﷺ) was on the Masjid Nabvi pulpit when the young Imam Hasan (AS) and Hussain (AS) entered the mosque and came close. The Noble Prophet(ﷺ) descended from the pulpit, picked them up and made this historic prophecy: “Al-Hasan wal-Hussain sayyida shababi ahl al-Jannah” (i.e., Hasan and Hussain are the leaders of the youth of Paradise).
This shows that the center of the Imam’s upbringing was the Prophet(ﷺ) himself. Courage, generosity, and knowledge were all acquired from that blessed household.
From 10 AH to 50 AH: Entering the Threshold of Youth: This was the period of Caliph Uthman’s (RA) rule. A rebellion arose against the Caliph and fitnah broke out. Imam Hussain (AS) was among the defenders. According to Tarikh al-Tabri, Imam Hussain (AS) defended the house of Hazrat Uthman (RA). However, the fitnah had taken root and the third Caliph was brutally martyred in his own home.
It is important to note that Imam Hussain (AS) maintained the best relations with all the noble companions, including Hazrat Uthman (RA), Hazrat Ali (RA), Hazrat Talha (RA) and Hazrat Zubair (RA). There is no proven instance of any “bad relationship” with any of them.
Then came the caliphate of Ali (RA). The Fitnah continued. Imam Hussain (AS) stood with the Caliph in the Battles of Siffin and Jamal, but he did not fight. Hazrat Ali (RA) kept him away from active politics so that the foundation could be strengthened.
The Era of Muawiya (41 AH to 60 AH): Imam Hasan (AS) became the fifth Caliph. Makkah, Madinah, Iran, Iraq and the whole world accepted him and gave him allegiance. However, in 41 AH, he made peace with the rebellious governor of Syria, Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, on three simple conditions to save the Ummah from disintegration.
Imam Hussain (AS) did not break this pledge. For ten years he lived in Madinah, spending his time in worship, Hajj and teaching. He maintained correspondence with Muawiya, who acted against the principles of Shariah and caliphate, yet Hussain (AS) did not rebel. The reason was the same: to prevent the Ummah from falling into chaos.
An important point is that history does not record any personal enmity or conflict between Imam Hussain (AS) and any companion (RA). His differences were only with Muawiya and Yazid regarding the principles of governance, not with individuals or their personal conduct.
Imam Hasan (AS) vs. Imam Hussain (AS), Different Strategies, Same Goal: Both brothers adopted different strategies according to the demands of their times, but their objective was one: the establishment of caliphate according to Shariah and the strengthening of the true religion.
In 41 AH, Imam Hasan (AS) chose the path of reconciliation with rebellion governor Syria and was called the “King of Peace.” The conditions at the time were not favorable. The army was divided. Even his own commander, Ubaidullah ibn Abbas (a cousin of the Prophet ﷺ), lost heart and accepted a bribe of one thousand dirhams from Muawiya and left.
When Imam Hasan (AS) handed over the caliphate on three simple conditions, Muawiya quickly violated all of them. Ultimately, he appointed his son Yazid as successor and demanded allegiance from Imam Hussain (AS), which was completely against Shariah.
Even then, Imam Hussain (AS) did not opt for opposition or military mobilization. He simply chose not to give allegiance and lived in seclusion. However, Yazid was not willing to accept this. He wanted Hussain’s (AS) pledge or war at any cost. This led to the tragedy of Karbala in 61 AH.
The brutal treatment meted out to the Ahl al-Bayt (family of the Prophetﷺ) in Karbala was perhaps worse than what is done even to animals. Cutting off the head of the grandson of the Prophet(ﷺ) and placing it before a tyrant ruler, it is astonishing that the Muslim officials of that time tolerated it.
Civil war was inevitable at that time, yet Hasan (AS) and Hussain (AS), by offering their own blood and that of their family, prevented the outbreak of large-scale civil war in the Ummah.
What Was Gained and Lost in Karbala, the Muslims Lost were, first the unity of the Muslim Ummah was shattered. After 60 AH, the Ummah split along Shia, Sunni, Umayyad and Alid lines. The pace of conquests slowed down. Secondly the protective shadow of the Ahl al-Bayt was lifted. The direct leadership of the Prophet’s household, which used to eliminate fitnah, came to an end. Thirdly the political ethics became corrupt. Breaking pledges, writing letters and then denying them and the events of Kufa and Karbala became examples of distrust in history. Lying, deception and hypocrisy entered the politics of Muslim rulers, an element that still haunts the Muslim Ummah to this day.
What the Muslims Gained: First, revival of the Faith: The tragedy of Karbala established the principle that “power is not greater than religion”. Every tyrant ruler became a lesson for posterity. The Holy Quran also clearly commands: And do not incline toward the wrongdoers, lest the Fire should seize you” (Surah Hud: 113). Second was the Spirit of Accountability: Every year, the remembrance of Muharram asks the Ummah: “Are you with Yazid or with Hussain (AS)?”, i.e., are you with oppression or with justice?. Thirdly the Culture of Sacrifice inculcated in Muslim Ummah: This spirit of sacrifice became widespread later. Movements of the oppressed across the world drew moral strength from Karbala. The incident gave the youth the courage to stand firm on principles, not to abandon truth for the sake of jobs, money, or threats.
If Karbala is reduced only to sectarianism or mourning rituals, its political and moral message dies.
Impact on the Non-Muslim World: Thomas Carlyle says “Hussain fought for truth and justice and I learnt from it”, Mahatma Gandhi, while mentioning the tragedy of Karbala, said that Hussain (AS) taught us that victory can be achieved even by sacrificing one’s life.
In Summary: Imam Hasan (AS) lowered the sword and saved millions of lives. Imam Hussain (AS) raised the sword and awakened millions of consciences.
One saved the Ummah, the other awakened the Ummah. And this is the secret of Islam’s survival.
(References: Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Tarikh al-Tabri, Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah by Ibn Kathir, Maqtal al-Husain by al-Khwarizmi, Al-Luhuf fi Qatla al-Tufuf by Ibn Tawus, Maqtal al-Husain by Abu Mikhnaf, Al-Irshad by Sheikh al-Mufid, Bihar al-Anwar by al-Majlisi).
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