Imam Husayn's (a.s.) Revolution
- Updated On Monday, 25 August 2014
- Written by Allamah Qurashi
- Editor Fatimah Graham
- Supervisor Sayyed Roohullah Musavi
- Published on Friday, 14 February 2014
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- Hits: What caused Imam Husayn (a.s.) to rise up for such a revolution?
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Religious responsibility and a sense of social duty convinced the Imam (a.s.) of the necessity of the revolution. This prepared him for the ultimate sacrifice and the pledging of his life. 1. Religious responsibility Religious duty made it incumbent upon the Imam to rise up against the Umayyad regime: a regime which considered unlawful things lawful, trampled on God's laws, and opposed the practices of the Messenger of Allah (s). A group of Muslim scholars have clearly stated that it was obligatory for the Imam to start a Jihad in defense of Islam. Imam Muhammad Abduh, whilst discussing just and unjust rule according to Islam, alluded to the uprising of the Imam against Yazid's regime and views the Imam's uprising a religious duty.1 2. Social Responsibility Because of his social standing within the community, the Imam had a great responsibility to stand against the oppression and injustice that the Umayyads had wrought. 3. The Final Justification for Imam Husayn (a.s.) The final justification came for the Imam to declare jihad and confront the powers of injustice and apostasy when he began to continuously receive letters and reports from the important Islamic center, the city of Kufa. The people's letters placed divine responsibility on his eminence. If the Imam had not replied positively to the petitions of the people to save them from oppression, he would most certainly have been answerable to God. 4. Defense of Islam The most important factor motivating the Prophet's grandson to undertake an uprising was the defense of Islam from the dangers of Umayyad rule: the regime that wanted to destroy Islam, uproot it completely and annihilate its values. When Yazid placed himself on the seat of caliphate, he announced his disbelief and apostasy in the following words: "The Hashemites played a game to get rulership. Neither news, nor revelation came." 5. Protection of Islam The Islamic caliphate refers not only to the dominance of a nation. It is also the vicegerency of the Prophet (s) and a continuation of his illuminated personal rulership. Imam Husayn (a.s) realized that the position his grandfather had held had fallen into the hands of a drunkard, who did not recognize anything apart from his sexual lusts and selfish desires. On the basis of this, His Eminence rose up to restore the caliphate to its glory and create for it a brilliant future. 6. Freeing the Aspirations of the Nation During the time of Mu'awiyyah and Yazid, the Islamic community lacked purpose and any kind of freedom. It was like a lifeless body, absolutely bereft of sensation or capability, because it was tied up in the chains of slavery and suppression. The Imam stepped onto the field of jihad and sacrifice, so that he could bestow the spirit of respect and honor to the community. The martyrdom of His Eminence was the changing point in the history of Muslims and their lives. Suddenly, there was a complete change in the Muslim community and they armed themselves with determination and resolve. All those obstacles that had previously restrained them were removed and they were freed. 7. Freeing the National Economy The economy of the nation, and the lifeblood of social and personal life had been completely destroyed, because the Umayyads had blatantly taken over full control of the Public Treasury and kept all the funds, war booty and other income for their own disposal and utilized it in several ways: a) The purchase of consciences and faiths was one of Mu'awiyyah's economic policies. b) The Umayyads also utilized a great portion of public funds to form committees with the purpose of fabricating traditions of the Prophet to exalt the position of the Umayyads and decrease the status of the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.). c) They awarded huge grants, gifts and rewards to nobles to prevent them from objecting against the unlawful activities of the regime in curbing the rights of the people. d) The Umayyads spent money on vices such as wine, dancing and music. These are examples of the ways in which public funds were spent in a free and open manner, whilst at the same time, the general populace was suffering from poverty and hunger. His Eminence confiscated the land tax that was being transported to Mu'awiyyah. He also took over various funds that were on their way to the Damascus Treasury during Yazid's rule and distributed all these funds among the poor and needy. 8. Social Injustice Social injustice had spread to all corners of the Muslim world. There was nowhere that had escaped the atrocities of the Umayyads. Absence of peace and viewing the majority of people as inferior were rife during Umayyad rule. The Imam (a.s.) hastened to the field of jihad so that he could bestow honor and respect upon the Muslim nation and release them from the darkness of oppression that had afflicted them. 9. Terrible Atrocities toward the Shi'a Umayyad rulers tried their utmost to annihilate the Shi'a in several ways, including the following: a. Executing leading figures such as Hujr bin Adi, Amr bin Hamaq Khuzai, Saifi bin Faseel and others. b. Crucifying the Shi'a on date palms. c. Burying them alive. d. Demolishing their houses. e. Not accepting them as witnesses. f. Depriving them of the fixed stipend from Baitul Maal. g. Terrorizing and intimidating their women. h. Spreading murder and terror in their regions. The cruel steps that the Umayyad regime took against the Shi'a were some of the factors that motivated Imam Husayn (a.s.) to carry out an uprising against Yazid, in order that he may emancipate the Shi'a from these terrible circumstances and to defend them from injustice and oppression. 10. Destroying the name of Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.) The Umayyad regime tried its utmost to destroy the memory of Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.) and to remove their merits and virtues from people's minds. They resorted to the dirtiest means to achieve this, including the following: a. Fabrication of traditions to devalue the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.). b. Employing government machinery and educational institutions to train and bring up their children indoctrinating them with enmity towards the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.). c. Punishing those who praised the excellence of the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.) in the most terrible manner. d. Cursing them from pulpits, minarets and in their Friday Prayer sermons. di. Imam Husayn (a.s.) arranged a large political gathering in the Holy city of Mecca to inform the people of the dangerous program Mu'awiyyah had designed to remove the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.) from the Islamic arena. 11. Destruction of Islamic Values The Umayyads attempted to destroy Islamic values in such a way that no sign of it would remain in the life of Muslims. Some of the steps they took were as follows: Destruction of Muslim Unity The Umayyads spread discord and conflict among Muslims and re-ignited tribal prejudice and fighting between clans and Arab tribes so that no unity existed among Muslims. Destruction of Equality The Umayyads destroyed the justice and equality that Islam had proclaimed, because they gave preference to Arabs over non-Arabs and promoted an atmosphere of fear among Muslims, filled with turbulence and political division. Destruction of Freedom During the Umayyad regime, people were dealt with severely if they attempted to do anything according to their will, which was not in accordance with the ruler's wish, meaning that no one could demand their rights or say anything promoting the general good. The regime of guillotine and sword was established. 12. Destruction of the Fabric of Society By depriving society of a spiritual foundation, destroying the fabric of society and creating deviation, society became decadent. The signs of that decay and decadence manifested in oath breaking, neglecting to refrain from lying, lack of conscience and attracting people to vice. 13. Defending his Rights Imam Husayn (a.s.) rose up to defend his rights that had been usurped from him by the Umayyads, the most important of which was the Caliphate, the purity of which guarantees the purity of society. 14. Enjoining Good The Imam (a.s.) in a bequest to his brother, Muhammad Ibn Hanafiyah, explained the aim of his uprising against Yazid. His Eminence said: "I am not taking up arms in order to rejoice, or boast over what I possess. I am not making mischief, nor exercising oppression. But, I am ready to fight for the sole goal of seeking a reform of the ummah of my grandfather, the Apostle of Allah (s). I want to enjoin good and forbid evil." His Eminence chose death over life, because he witnessed that truth was being destroyed and falsehood becoming stronger. 15. Uprooting Innovation The Umayyad regime began to spread innovation among the Muslims with the aim being none other than the destruction and defeat of Islam. The Imam (a.s.) indicated this in his letters to the people saying "Sunnah is gone and innovation has been born."2 16. The Prophet's Orders When an advisor tried to persuade him from traveling to Iraq, His Eminence, Husayn (a.s.) replied: "I have been commanded and I will fulfill the command." Historians have stated that: "The Messenger of Allah (s) prophesied the martyrdom of His Eminence, Husayn (a.s.) and also informed the people of the great calamities that would befall him, and he always expressed sorrow at his killing and cursed his killers." 17. Respect and Honor The Umayyads wanted to force Imam Husayn (a.s.) into humiliation and degradation, but His Eminence did not accept this. His Eminence himself explained this on the day of Ashura: "Know that this man of evil ancestry has given us two options: to pull the sword or face humiliation. We could never accept humiliation." His Eminence then went on to say: "I don't see death as anything but success, and I don't see life with oppressors as anything but deceit." 18. The Deceit and Tyranny of the Umayyads Imam Husayn (a.s.) was certain that the Umayyads would never leave him alone and would leave no stone unturned to conspire against him and make his life difficult until he gave them a pledge of allegiance. The Imam was one of the most prominent personalities of the Islamic world and Muslims held him in high regard, because His Eminence was the grandson of their Prophet (s) and Chief of the Youths of Paradise. It is natural that such a thing was unbearable for the Umayyads, and they saw him as posing a great danger to their kingdom. References: 1 Nazaria Imamate Nazd Shia Ithna Ashari, p.334 2 Tabari, Tarikh 5/357