Another Perspective to The Battle of Karbala

[Saiyan0321]

I was thinking about the events of the Ashura and the battle for Karbala and the significance that it held and i came upon a perspective to it.


In Islamic history, there exists no moment more eulogized than the stand of Hazrat Husayn (R.A) at the battle of Karbala. The battle has been well documented and recounted every year on the days of Muharram when the Ashura is observed however the impact of this incident is far deeper than simple religious overtones. Hazrat Husayn (R.A) made a stand against falsehood when Mauwiyah broke the pact between Hazrat Hasan (R.A) and himself when he appointed a successor to the caliphate of the Rashidun Empire, bringing forth dynastic rule in contrast to the nascent democratic positions of the Islamic Rashidun Empire. The successor was his son Yazid who made it very clear to the all those that opposed his succession that they would either support him or die. His terror was felt all over the now Umayyad Empire and all that remained of the old Rashidun Empire was one man who took his entire family to fight against this injustice. In the end he had to watch as his entire family was martyred, fighting valiantly and falling one by one until he remained alone. Enslavement and death was all that was in front of him and but he did not see that. With each blow and each strike, he saw the end of Falsehood as each martyr fell, an immortal truth prevailed until he fell and with his fall truth triumphed over the falsehood of Yazid.

The incident is taught to us in our childhood and it is repeated every year where each day and its each second stands documented however the importance of it is sometimes lost to us. Hazrat Husayn (R.A) did not fight for power or for the right to rule one of the largest empires in the world but for one thing only and that was the truth. He stood against an army that outnumbered him 1 to 300 and stood for the absolute truth against a cruel king that he knew would damage the empire, the social structure of the society and the religion itself beyond repair. When people told him that he must stand down and allow things to flow and not create a conflict, he didn’t listen because it was evident to him that this falsehood must be confronted no matter what, even at the expense of his life, even at the expense of his entire family’s lives and his tribe’s existence. He knew the merciless nature of the enemy and he knew that the path he took would lead him to face a military might of one of the largest empires in history which held the might that had fought the best in the world. Yet he did not hesitate and he did not stop even when others called him names or called to him that his steps were rash. The Inspiration at the battle of Karbala was that you must face falsehood openly and without hesitation no matter what price is asked to pay because the only way falsehood can be countered is through truth.

When it is said that his sacrifice saved Islam and the Muslim world, it is generally meant that he displayed the valor and bravery against falsehood which was unprecedented and gave an example to all the Muslim world that truth will always prevail over falsehood and such was his sacrifice that today truth prevailed. Hazrat Husayn (R.A) is considered the greatest of martyrs and is loved by all and his heroic sacrifice is known to all whereas the falsehood is cursed, abused and is remembered only as a lesson of what the arrogant and proud gain. We all must take inspiration from his sacrifice as well and fight all falsehoods in our life through truth and this battle will be hard just as it was for Hazrat Husayn (R.A) but the end result is evidence enough that no matter what, truth will prevail and those that would take the place of Yazid, would fall to the ground and would be remembered only in curses whereas those that would stand on the battlefield against the many forms of Yazid, would find themselves remembered and honored. There is a lesson for the wise in this event which Allah had given to the world and that is that those that stand with truth will always be victorious no matter the hardships and those that stand with falsehood for their self-interest and hunger for power will only find themselves abused and forgotten. The lesson is for the many Yazids that would plague the world that no matter how many you kill, truth will not be suppressed and no matter how many you enslave, falsehood will not succeed. Karbala stands witness to this fact and testifies it every second of every day.


@Joe Shearer @Nilgiri @Cabatli_53 @T-123456 @Saithan @DalalErMaNodi

 

[Nilgiri]

All I know is this the set of events (incl Ali's end, father of Husayn) that caused the schism between Sunni and Shia in Islam.

I have not read much past that...other than knowing it holds a great significance in the religion....since these events of the Rashidun + ummayad + 2 strifes/fitnas .... happened right after the events of the Koran and thus bear high significance to the larger culture today.

 

[Saiyan0321]

All I know is this the set of events (incl Ali's end, father of Husayn) that caused the schism between Sunni and Shia in Islam.

I have not read much past that...other than knowing it holds a great significance in the religion....since these events of the Rashidun + ummayad + 2 strifes/fitnas .... happened right after the events of the Koran and thus bear high significance to the larger culture today.

Indeed it did and previously Shiaism was not a sect at all it basically had no form nor doctrine. It was simply a group of like minded individuals that felt that the first Caliph should have been Hazrat Ali R.A and his right was taken from him. Infact even after the battle of the first Fitna, the idea was still political division however with the rise of the Umayyad and the events that happened at Hijaz post this, made the Shia into a sect where they would meet in secret and created their own doctrines and religious traditions and their own version of shariah law.

 

[Saiyan0321]

However his sacrifice would have a huge bearing since it became the central doctrine of Shia to fight and rebel against any monarch that is against Islamic principle whereas in mainstream Sunni thinking, it was being popularized that even if the leader is unislamic or cruel, you should not fight him lest you weaken the Islamic power from the Civil strife. This was a major doctrine difference but here is the thing. Hazrat Hussain R.A and his sacrifice was heroic even amongst Sunnis so we can conclude that where meek surrender was being popularized, he brought forth the concept of stand for freedom and truth even at the expense of your life and this was a major shift from what was being slowly preached and what would be preached in the decades to come and Hazrat Hussain R.A became the analogous figurehead that would be given to the hero that stood against a cruel king. The Sufi also drew this habit of blunt admission of truth from his example.

 

[Nilgiri]

However his sacrifice would have a huge bearing since it became the central doctrine of Shia to fight and rebel against any monarch that is against Islamic principle whereas in mainstream Sunni thinking, it was being popularized that even if the leader is unislamic or cruel, you should not fight him lest you weaken the Islamic power from the Civil strife. This was a major doctrine difference but here is the thing. Hazrat Hussain R.A and his sacrifice was heroic even amongst Sunnis so we can conclude that where meek surrender was being popularized, he brought forth the concept of stand for freedom and truth even at the expense of your life and this was a major shift from what was being slowly preached and what would be preached in the decades to come and Hazrat Hussain R.A became the analogous figurehead that would be given to the hero that stood against a cruel king. The Sufi also drew this habit of blunt admission of truth from his example.

This is interesting, is this part of reason there was a switch from Sunni to Shia in Persia during Safavids?...because it more easily aligned with say Persian political goals and maybe ambitions....to have this basis of bulwarkism concept to solidify a nationalist character more easily within the larger Islamic realm (which was itself hugely influenced now by Persian culture).

I remember reading when Humayun took refuge in Persia, he was encouraged to convert to Shia islam by the Safavid Shah, which he did (though somewhat nominally if I remember right).

This is another thing I have really not read much on.

 

[Captain_Azeri_76]

Shia refers to Shia tun Ali or Shiat Ali which means "The party of Ali" or "The following of Ali" -
You have to separate the Shia from the Alevites and Alawis, the Shiites have nothing to do with these ideologies and the Shia already arose during the first Shura, in where Hz. Ali got excluded. At its core, the Shiites are of the opinion that the leadership of the ummah had to be Hz. Ali...
Everything that is said nowadays has been perverted and instrumentalized