Muharram: Remembering the Massacre at Kerbala And Its Lasting Impact

Every year Muslims remember one of Islam’s most tragic and devastating events. The massacre at Kerbala is where The Prophet's son Imam Hussain was killed in a brutal massacre, an event that has inspired the Urdu saying “Islam Zinda Hoota Hai har Karbala Ke Baad” – such tragedies revive the faith.

It’s a time to pause to reflect on the injustices happening across the globe, regardless of religion, color, race, or ethnicity.

Perhaps the most palpable violation of human rights and genocide the world is witnessing today is being committed by Israel in Gaza. Kerbala shows us how much humans can endure and how essential it is to unite to overcome oppressive behavior.

It was seventh-century Arabia and The Prophet was challenging prevailing ideas of ethnic and tribal superiority, resulting in inequalities determined by kinship, affiliation, and wealth. He emphasized creating a society where everybody is treated with equality and respect. 

Despite fierce opposition, prophet Muhammed uprooted an oppressive power and social structure. He brought unity, peace, and justice by uniting warring factions and giving them a sense of community. 

Within 50 years after his death, Muslims conquered part of the Byzantine Empire and accumulated wealth. They acquired the luxuries of emperors deviating from the life of democratic and modest Khulpha e Rashedeen. The first Umayyad ruler, Muawiya, abolished Islamic democracy and appointed his son Yazid as a successor. 

His rapid rise to power and corrupt character created a moral crisis. It transformed Muslim society and led to the creation of elites, who were now more interested in power and wealth than upholding the foundational ideals of equality and justice. Imam Hussain saw that Muslims were deviating from the guidelines promoted by The Prophet.

Yazid ordered Hussain to pledge allegiance to him, and Hussain refused because he believed Yazid's rule to be unjust and illegitimate. 

Imam Hussain was going to Kufa at the invitation of the local Muslim community. However, by the time he reached Karbala, his entire caravan of 72 people was blocked by Yazid's army. He found nobody to support him among the Muslim community. All of them were frightened of Yazid's power and influence, whose army had killed his opponents.
 

His rejection of the pledge of allegiance to Yazid led to a massive ten-day standoff at Karbala, in modern-day Iraq, between Umayyad's enormous army and a few of Imam Hussain's followers, which included his half-brother, wives, children, sisters, and closest friends. In the end, his supporters betrayed him, while his family stood by him.

Despite terrifying odds, he chose to stand his ground, knowing that he and his followers may not survive at the end of the conflict. He stood for righteousness and justice and ultimately sacrificed his life for Islam. It is an incredibly tragic story and a constant reminder for all Muslims to stand up for what is right. 

Yazid's army surrounded Imam Hussain, his family, including children, and his seventy-two companions as he deprived them of food and water. Yazid's army then massacred them, including Imam Hussain's six-month-old son Baby Aliasgher, and imprisoned and paraded the ladies from Kabala, Iraq, to Damascus, Syria.

We should remember the bravery of Hazrat Bibi Zainab, the younger sister of Hussain. Had it not been for her, the details of the battle of Karbala would have gone unreported. At Yazid’s court, she publicly rebuked the ruler and his followers without showing any fear, even after witnessing the slaughter of her brother and her two teenage children. 

She spoke fearlessly about Hussain's refusal to legitimize an unjust ruler and preference to die to uphold fundamental Islamic ideals. It was a shining example of defiance against the power of a tyrant.

Muslims also revere Bibi Zainab for saving Hazrat Zain al-Abidin, a surviving son of Hussain, as well as Bibi Sakina, Hussain's daughter, from enslavement. After her release and return to Medina, she continued to spread Hussain's mission and raise her voice against oppression.

It was Imam Zain al-Abidin, Hussain's only male surviving descendant, who played an essential role in the aftermath of Karbala. During a period fraught with internal disputes, and crises among Muslims, he kept Islam's spiritual and ethical spirit alive by continuing to teach and give sermons in Masjid-e-Nabawi.

We know from modern history what happens when humans fail to stand up against corruption and evil ideologies. We can even equate the people of Kufa to German society in the 30s and 40s, whose silence and complicity in Adolph Hitler's rise to power led to the massacre of six million Jews. 

Some historical leaders have emulated Hussain's courage and philosophy using peaceful means. Icons such as Martin Luther King, who fought the evil of segregation and poverty, and South Africa's Nelson Mandela, who opposed apartheid, come to mind.

Indian civil rights leader Mahatma Gandhi paid direct tribute to Imam Hussain, "If I had 72 companions like Hussein, I would have freed India in 24 hours from the British; the progress of Islam resulted from the supreme sacrifice of Imam Hussein; I learned from Hussein how to achieve victory while being oppressed."

Imam Hussain is a living legacy for Muslims — Shia and Sunnis need to work together to uphold the legacy and sacrifices he made. Muslims should use this day to cement our unity and despite our differences, we must give each other the benefit of the doubt and not assume ill intentions based on things that happened hundreds of years ago. 

We know that unity is stressed in the Quran, which states, "And hold fast all together by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you) and be not divided among yourselves and remember with gratitude Allah's favor on you" ( 3:103). It also states: "The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islam). So, make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy" (49:10). 

Finally, we should remember the prophetic words of Imam Hussain himself on the subject of standing united for justice, "Those who are silent while others are oppressed are guilty of oppression themselves."

Dr Basheer Ahmed is the former professor of Psychiatry South Western Medical school, Dallas, and president of American Muslims for Human Rights. He can be reached at bahmed05@yahoo.com