The great sacrifice at Karbala

History has witnessed the conflict between good and evil in every era and in every colour. It has witnessed Khalil (Abraham) walking gracefully in the flames and the Messiah (Jesus) nailed to the cross; it has witnessed the calm face of Socrates illuminated with the heat of poison and Husain intoxicated with the goblet of martyrdom. History has witnessed that on one side is evil and the throne and crown of evil, wealth and power, and the soldiers of the army; against it are truth and the helplessness of truth, humility and asceticism and when the uproar of battle subsides in this line-up, then the banner of evil is seen to be high and of truth to be low. But history has witnessed that this victory of the overt is the defeat of the covert and the defeat of the overt is the victory of the covert.

The capital of self of truth in every era has remained the spiritual purity and moral dignity, knowledge and direction, sincerity and love of man. In opposition to it, evil possesses ignorance and darkness, internal depravity and moral waywardness, division and enmity of humanity, exploitation and slavery; and rank and authority as well as army and power are at hand in order to establish the authority of these curses. This is the reason that whenever any prophet, leader, sage or wise man rose with the lamp of rectitude and guidance, he put his life at stake.

Such a time came upon Husain too, but the reward for ‘telling the truth’ which he received was not destined for any spiritual leader before this. Someone had sacrificed his self, some his life, some his wealth and son for the sake of truth, but the great martyr simultaneously presented the offering of all sacrifices:

‘Husain ibn-e-Ali Karbala ko jaate hain

Magar yeh log abhi tak gharon ke andar hain

(Husain, the son of Ali, walks towards Karbala

But these people still hide in their homes)

 

Guzre the Husain ibn-e-Ali raat idhar se

Hum mein se magar koi bhi nikla nahi ghar se   

(Husain, the son of Ali, passed by this road last night

But not one among us stepped out of our homes)

These were the very days when some 1300-odd years before, a small caravan of Prophet Muhammad’s family had alighted in Karbala on the banks of the Euphrates. It consisted of children and the aged, women as well as the sick, there were some 70-72 individuals. They included relatives and helpers and the commander of this caravan was Husain, the son of Ali, the maternal grandson of the Prophet of Islam. He refused to take the oath of allegiance at Yazid’s hand because Yazid had forgotten the teachings of Islam in the intoxication of wealth and power. He did not have respect for Man in his heart. He had meant to customise vice and immorality in society anew and Husain did not agree to this. On one side were ignorance, vice and disorder, on the other spiritual purity, goodness and peace. The reward for one was wealth and the throne of grandeur; the return for the second, miseries and rigor mortis. Husain opted for the latter. The result was evident, he was martyred alongwith his children and the aged, relatives and helpers. The heads were raised upon spears, corpses were trampled, tents were burnt and women were paraded in the bazaars of Kufa and Syria as prisoners. But all witnessed that this defeat of the overt was the victory of the covert, its traces of memory are still fresh and will remain alive and bright till the end of time.

It is the custom of the nations of the world that they always keep the memories of their elders and leaders alive and obtain the warmth of life from them. The memory too of the great and spirited sacrifices presented by Husain and his comrades in the path of truth and loyalty will always be celebrated and it is impossible that any eye remains dry after hearing of the miseries and adversities suffered by these martyrs.

But the Ashura of Muharram was not merely a day for the renewal of Islam only. The series of sacrifices is linked to one another. That day the cross became alive, the fire of Abraham again became a bed of roses, Socrates obtained a new life. This one lamp had brightened the flames of so many lamps. Today when we refresh the memory of the martyrs of Karbala and embellish the rows of weeping and mourning, we do not merely take the names of Husain and his comrades; we actually light the lamps of goodness and intelligence, humanism and spiritual purity, morality and affection within the curtains of these memories, and pay tribute to that human passion which remained elevated even raised upon the cross, kept making a sting into an antidote and remained verdant even after bathing in its own blood. If by refreshing the grief of the martyrs of Karbala and celebrating their memory, a ray of these virtuous passions does not burst in our hearts and the eyes remain devoid of perception despite being tearful, then this would mean that we have not even understood the meaning of this martyrdom and its spirit.

The conflict between good and evil carries on even now. Whether we evaluate our national circumstances or analyse the international situation, the struggle of these two will be seen everywhere. On one side are those elements which regard freedom of thought and expression as solely their right and are pushing society towards spiritual and moral abjectness and material poverty on the basis of deceit, hypocrisy and violence. On the other side are those people who are striving for moral and spiritual elevation and material contentment; who want freedom of thought and expression. If we have understood the correct meaning of the sacrifices of the martyrs of Karbala, then we will be the seekers of the victory of good in the present battle between good and evil too and will indeed consider the temporary victory of evil as defeat, however high-sounded it may be.

‘Insaan ko bedaar to ho lene do

Har qaum pukaregi hamare hain Husain’

(Let every man become conscious

Every nation will shout that Husain belongs to us)