THE BATTLE OF KARBALA
The events of The Battle of Karbala are an exposition of patience, fervent love and contentment. The level of sacrifice the family of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did in this battle is unresolvable in the history of Islam. All prophets went through trials and tribulations. Prophet ﷺ said that the level of distress he ﷺ went through, no other prophet had gone through that level of stress. It is for this reason, the children of Prophet ﷺ got martyred in The Battle of Karbala. Allah Ta'ala desired the sacrifice and patience that the children of Prophet ﷺ displayed in Karbala.
Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Hazrat Khadija(Radi Allaahu Anha); the second son of Hazrat Ali(Radi Allaahu Anhu) and Hazrat Fatimah(Radi Allaahu Anha) went to Karbala on the command of Allah Ta'ala and Prophet ﷺ. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) had to reawaken the religion of Islam for the ummati leading up to the Day of Judgement. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) had to publicize the teachings of The Holy Quran. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) had to protect and restore the dignity of the caliphate of Islam. Associates of Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu), Tab'ieen, and Islamic scholars of the time subsequently got martyred in The Battle of Karbala.
Well before The Battle of Karbala, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had informed of the martyrdom of Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu). Prophet ﷺ said, 'Jibreel(alaihis salaam) informed me that my grandson Al-Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) will be martyred after me in the land of al-Taff (Karbala), and brought me this soil (turbah) and informed me that this is the soil of the place he will be martyred'. (Tabaqat by Ibne Sa'ad).
Prophet ﷺ gave that soil to his wife Hazrat Ummul Mu'mineen, Hazrat Salmaah(Radi Allaahu Anha) and said, 'when you see this soil turned into blood, know that Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) has been martyred'. (Musnad).
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also informed Hazrat Ali(Radi Allaahu Anhu) and Hazrat Fatimah(Radi Allaahu Anha) of the impending martyrdom of Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu).
Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) came from Madina to Mecca for Hajj. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was receiving invitation letters from the people of Kufah. (An Iraqi town, which was the centre of Hazrat Alis's(Radi Allaahu Anhu) caliphate.
They wrote that they were ready to give an oath of allegiance (bayet on his hand). If Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) did not accept the invitation, then on The Day of Qayamat they would testify that they were ready to give their oath of allegiance, but Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) didn't come.
The sinner, wicked evil-doer, tyrant and murderer, Yazeed had recently been given the caliphate. The people of Kufah had previously betrayed the family of Prophet ﷺ. They had martyred Hazrat Ali(Radi Allaahu Anhu).
Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was persuaded not to go to Kufah because the people of Kufah had martyred his father, Hazrat Ali(Radi Allaahu Anhu). He(Radi Allaahu Anhu)' said that he accepted that fact, but he was not prepared for a testimony against him on The Day of Judgement by the people of Kufah.
However, Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) agreed to depute his cousin, Hazrat Muslim Ibne Aqil(Radi Allaahu Anhu) to Kufah to observe the situation. The people of Kufah gave oath of allegiance to him, of which he informed Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu). But he didn't know that they would betray him. The newly installed governor, Ibne Ziyaad lured them into greediness and they broke their allegiance, and accepted the hypocrite Ubayd Ibne Ziyaad as their helper and advisor. Ibne Ziyaad martyred Hazrat Muslim Ibne Aqil(Radi Allaahu Anhu) and his two sons(Radi Allaahu Anhum) during the Fajr prayer in The Jame Masjid of Kufah.
When the news of the martyrdom of Hazrat Muslim Ibne Aqil(Radi Allaahu Anhu) reached Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu), he(Radi Allaahu Anhu) made a decision to leave for Kufah.
Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Zubayr, Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Abbas and Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Umar(Radi Allaahu Anhum) dissuaded him. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) said that he understood the situation, but he(Radi Allaahu Anhu) had to go. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) said, 'I saw Prophet Muhammed ﷺ in a dream and he ﷺ entrusted a task to me, which I shall perform whether it benefits me or not'.
There were only two days remaining before the Hajj, but Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) still decided to leave because it was the command of Prophet ﷺ. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) also had information that Yazeed had already deployed thirty of his men to Mecca disguising as Hajjis. They were instructed to martyr Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) in the first available opportunity. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) didn't want blood spilling on the blessed and pure earth of Mecca.'
Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) had spent four months and six days in Mecca. Before setting out for Kufah, he(Radi Allaahu Anhu) assembled his associates and gave a sermon: 'you may be thinking that I will go to Kufah and they will welcome me. They have all betrayed. They have given an oath of allegiance to Yazeed. I am pleased with you. You are free to go back to Madina. From here onwards, it is my trials and tribulations'. But his family and associates said that they would not betray him and accompany him to Kufah.
Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was called into Kufah by deception.
On the 8th of' Dhul Hijjah, Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu), with a caravan consisting of his family members and associates set out for Kufah. They arrived in Karbala on the 2nd of Muharram. The horses and the camels stopped and refused to proceed from there. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) asked for the name of the place. 'Someone passing by told him that it was Karbala. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) told his people that this was the land Prophet ﷺ informed him of. This is the place from where the soil was given to his grandmother, Hazrat Umme Salmaah(Radi Allaahu Anha). They were to set up their tent there.
From 2nd of Muharram to 7th of Muharram, the governor of Kufah, Ibne Ziyaad continuously sent messages and started deploying his army to set up blockades. On 7th of Muharram the water was cut off from the camp of Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu).
On the 9th of Muharram, at the time of Asr, a military commander of Yazeed came to Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) and asked him to give an oath of allegiance to Yazeed or prepare for war against Yazeed. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) refused to give the oath of allegiance to Yazeed.
Yazeed was a sinner, a wicked evil-doer, a tyrant who declared every haraam to be halal. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) said that this oath of allegiance to Yazeed would become a certification of all haraam to be halal. The religion of Islam will be stained. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) outrightly rejected the offer of bayet to Yazeed. The military commander said that it was the last night and the following day, they would have to face each other in the battlefield. On the 10th night of Muharram, there was no light in Hazrat Imaam Hussein's(Radi Allaahu Anhu) camp. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) assembled everybody in the camp and delivered a sermon: ' I will be martyred tomorrow. And those of you who are with me will also be martyred. I am pleased with you. I am giving you permission to leave the camp and go back to Madina'. But everybody, in one voice said that they will not betray and were ready to be martyred. There were seventy-two people in the camp.
On the day of 10th of Muharram, in the battlefield, Hazrat Imaam Hussein's(Radi Allaahu Anhu) army was martyred one after another. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) picked up the bodies of his martyred soldiers and brought them back to the camp. Apart from the prophets, this level of trial and tribulation, patience and bravery would only be seen in Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu). His(Radi Allaahu Anhu) son, Hazrat Zainul Aabideen(Radi Allaahu Anhu) fell ill and was constantly going in and out of unconsciousness. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) stopped him from going into the battlefield. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) turned to his sister Hazrat Zainab(Radi Allaahu Anha) and said that it was now his turn to go into the battlefield. She(Radi Allaahu Anha) knew her brother would be martyred, but she displayed extreme composure and patience as an encouragement to her brother. She(Radi Allaahu Anha) told Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) not to worry as he(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was the preserver of the religion of Islam. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) bid his last farewell to his family members. They all knew that he(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was not coming back alive. What they must have gone through is unimaginable. Just as he(Radi Allaahu Anhu) stepped out, a screaming voice came from the camp. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) went back and saw her daughter Hazrat Sakina(Radi Allaahu Anha) crying. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) tried to comfort her, but she(Radi Allaahu Anha) asked him when would he(Radi Allaahu Anhu) be back. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) told her that today she would be orphaned. She(Radi Allaahu Anha) then asks who is an orphan? He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) said that an orphan is whose father has passed away. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) set out for the battlefield and faced the army of Yazeed. It is reported that the army of Yazeed was from eighteen thousand to eighty thousand. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) delivered a sermon to the Yazeed army: 'Praise be to Allah, and durood and salutations upon Prophe t ﷺ. O people of Kufah! Identify and see who I am. Am I not the son of your Prophet's ﷺ daughter? Have you not heard Prophet ﷺ saying about my brother and me; 'these two sons of mine are the chiefs of young men in Paradise'. Don't stain your hands with the blood of the grandson of Prophet ﷺ. This had no effect on the Yazeed army.
It was the time of Asr. Hazrat Imaam Hussein(Radi Allaahu Anhu) got off his horse for Namaaz. He(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was granted martyrdom while he was in sajda.
**
This article is an abridged English translation of Urdu sermons delivered by his eminence, Peer Syed Imroz Dean Saifi, Hanfi, Maturidi of Masjid Anwaar e Madina, Surrey BC Canada
If there is an inaccurate translation, please pardon it and not let it be a means to negatively reflect on the honoured presenter.
