Part – 1

Islam is one of the major world religions. Every fifth person on the face of this earth is a Muslim. Muslims are found in the Middle East, in north, west and east Africa, in Asia and Eastern Europe. In modern times, Muslims are found in large numbers in Western Europe, the Americas and Australia through immigration as well as conversion. Recent statistics show that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the USA. With the vast world turning into a “global village,” such a wide-spread religion followed by over a billion people indeed deserves a careful study.

“Obedience to the Creator and serving His creation” Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him_PBUH)).   The word Islam simply means submission to the will of God and is derived from the word meaning peace.   As such, the religion of Islam teaches that in order to achieve true peace of mind and surety of heart, one must submit to God and live according to His Divinely revealed Law. The most important truth that God revealed to mankind is that there is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God, thus all human beings should submit to Him. Islam is a monotheistic religion. It teaches that there is only one God who is the Origin and Creator of the universe. For Muslims, God has many names each describing his different attributes.   Islam is the same guidance that God revealed through all His Prophets to mankind. It is both a religion and a complete way of life for over a fifth of the world’s population.   Allah is the most inclusive of the Names of the One God. It is an Arabic word of indicating the One who is adored in worship and who creates all that exists.  

Allah is the same God worshipped by Muslims, Christians and Jews, the One God who created us, Who is not seen, and Who has power over all things.

Islam is not a new religion because “submission to the will of God”, i.e. Islam, has always been the only acceptable religion in the sight of God. For this reason, Islam is the true “natural religion”, and it is the same eternal message revealed through the ages to all of God’s prophets and messengers. Muslims believe that all of God’s prophets, which include Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, brought the same message of Pure Monotheism. For this reason, the Prophet Muhammad was not the founder of a new religion, as many people mistakenly think, but he was the Final Prophet of Islam. By revealing His final message to Muhammad, which is an eternal and universal message for all of mankind, God finally fulfilled the covenant that He made with Abraham, who was one of the earliest and greatest prophets. Suffice it to say that the way of Islam is the same as the way of the prophet Abraham, because both the Bible and the Qur’an portray Abraham as a towering example of someone who submitted himself completely to God and worshipped Him without intermediaries. Once this is realized, it should be clear that Islam has the most continuous and universal message of any religion, because all prophets and messengers were “Muslims”, i.e. those who submitted to God’s will, and they preached “Islam”, i.e. submission to the will of Almighty God.

The foundation of the Islamic faith is belief in the Oneness of Almighty God – the God of Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus. Islam teaches that a pure belief in One God is intuitive in human beings and thus fulfills the natural inclination of the soul. As such, Islam’s concept of God is straightforward, unambiguous and easy to understand. Islam teaches that the hearts, minds and souls of human beings are fitting receptacles for clear divine revelation, and that God’s revelations to man are not clouded by self contradictory mysteries or irrational ideas. As such, Islam teaches that even though God cannot be fully comprehended and grasped by our finite human minds, He also does not expect us to accept absurd or demonstrably false beliefs about Him. According to the teachings of Islam, Almighty God is absolutely One and His Oneness should never be compromised by associating partners with Him – neither in worship nor in belief. We are all aware that Allah is One and Absolute, yet we commit the sin of evaluating Him in our day to day operations. When we are preoccupied with work and worldly matters, we so comfortably delay our prayers until we feel free. When we are in trouble, we tend to postpone our prayers unless our difficulty eases. On the flipside, when we are at ease, we become so lost in this world that we forget our origin and end. We implore Allah at least ten times a day to steer us away from the path of those who incurred His wrath and have been led astray, yet our casual approaches to fulfilling our duty to Him – by performing all our obligations and avoiding all that is prohibited – has only the opposite effect. You can find further detail in Science, Mathematics, and Allah.

The revelation which Prophet Muhammad received from God during almost twenty three years of his mission was compiled in a book form and is considered by all Muslims as the Holy Scripture of Islam. This revelation is known as “The Holy Qur’an”.   The Qur’an is miraculous from many dimensions. For example, no human being can write such perfect guidance on so many subjects. The language used in the Qur’an is of a supreme nature and has the unique quality of conveying oceans of meaning in simple but powerful words. From the time it was revealed, the Qur’an remains in its original, pure, and unaltered form. The topics of the Qur’an include stories of past prophets and moral lessons learned from them descriptions of the afterlife, commentary on

the events during the times of early Muslims, practical code of daily conduct, nobility of character of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his family, and spiritual and metaphorical appeals to the human intellect to know God in the world outside and within the soul. Muslims read passages from the Qur’an in their daily prayers.

People who follow Islam are called Muslims. In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of God. Muslims are not confined to a certain race, origin or nationality. The Muslim population today is spread over a vast range of races, nationalities, and cultures. Islam is one of the major world religions. Every fifth person on the face of this earth is a Muslim. Muslims are found in the Middle East, in north, west and east Africa, in Asia and Eastern Europe. In modern times, Muslims are found in large numbers in Western Europe, the Americas and Australia through immigration as well as conversion. Recent

statistics show that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the USA. With the vast world turning into a “global village,” such a wide-spread religion followed by over a billion people indeed deserves a careful study.

Islam does not discriminate against people and teaches us that all people are equal in the eyes of Allah. Muslims believe that Allah will only judge us according to our individual deeds. Islam teaches that human beings are born pure and sinless. It teaches that this world is a test and that we will be judged on how well we did in this test on the Day of Judgment. We do not all have the same test, which is why we see some people having to face lots of problems whereas others seem to live in comfort. Some of us are being tested for patience when in trouble and others for acts of kindness to those less fortunate than themselves. Islam teaches that on the Day of Judgment, Allah will judge us according to our deeds and will reward and punish accordingly. Muslims believe that if people follow the Commandments of Allah, they will be allowed to enter Heaven after being judged by Allah. Muslims believe that Allah is the only Judge of deeds and He is the only one who can reward and punish people on the Day of Judgment. Islam also teaches that Allah is Merciful and that if we sincerely repent for our sins and endeavor not to repeat them, Allah will forgive us

1. There is one unique incomparable God

2. God is just.

3. God sent Prophets through whom His revelations were brought to mankind. Muslims believe in a chain of Prophets starting with Adam including Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and ending with the last one – Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon all of them).

4. The world is never devoid of divine guidance.

5. There will be a day of Jugdement when every individual will have to account for his/her actions.

According to the most authentic traditions narrated in the collections of all Muslim schools of thought, the Ahlul Bayt (AS) (literally People of the House) of the Prophet are one of the two sources of guidance for humankind after the departure of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from this world. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) reminded the Muslim community time after time to adhere to the Qur’an and Ahlul Bayt, in order not to go astray after him. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also informed us that these two are inseparable until the end of time. Therefore, in order to understand the Qur’an and the tradition of the

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), we should refer to the Ahlul Bayt (AS). The position of the Ahlul Bayt is a result of their individual piety and knowledge. After the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Ahlul Bayt consists of Fatimah al-Zahra (SA), Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), Imam Hasan (AS), Imam Husain (AS), and the nine descendants of Imam Husain (AS).
In the month of Muharram 61 AH (approx. 20 October 680 AD), an event took place in Iraq at a place known as Kerbala on the bank of the river Euphrates. It seemed in those days insignificant from the historical point of view. A large army which had been mobilised by the Umayyad regime besieged a group of persons numbering less than a hundred and put them under pressure to pay allegiance to the Caliph of the time and submit to his authority. The small group resisted and a severe battle took place in which they were all killed.

It appeared at that time that like hundreds of similar events, this battle would be recorded in history and forgotten in time. However, the events that occurred on the 10th day of Muharram in Kerbala were to become a beacon and an inspiration for future generations. In this article, we shall examine briefly the principal adversaries.

The leader of the small band of men who were martyred in Kerbala was none other than Husain (A), son of Ali bin Abi Talib (A) and grandson of the Holy Prophet (S). Who was Husain? He was the son of Fatima (A) for whom the Holy Prophet (S) said, “Husain is from me and I am from Husain. May God love whoever loves Husain.” [1]

With the passing away of his brother Hasan(A) in 50 AH, Husain (A) became the leader of the household of the Holy Prophet (S). He respected the agreement of peace signed by Hasan (A) and Muawiya, and, despite the urging of his followers, he did not undertake any activity that threatened the political status quo. Rather he continued with the responsibility of looking after the religious needs of the people and was recognised for his knowledge, piety and generosity. An example of the depth of his perception can be seen in his beautiful du’a on the day of Arafat, wherein he begins by explaining the qualities of Allah, saying:

” (Oh Allah) How could an argument be given about Your Existence by a being whose total and complete existence is in need of you? When did you ever disappear so that you might need an evidence and logic to lead (the people) towards You? And when did You ever become away and distant so that your signs and effects made the people get in touch with you? Blind be the eye which does not see You (whereas) You are observing him. What did the one who missed You find? And what does the one who finds You lack? Certainly, the one who got pleased and inclined toward other than You, came to nothingness (failed).”

On the other hand, we have Yazid, whose father (Muawiya) and grandfather (Abu Sufyan – the arch-enemy of the Prophet) had always tried to sabotage the mission of the Holy Prophet, and who showed his true colour by stating in a poem, “Bani Hashim had staged a play to obtain kingdom, there was neither any news from God nor any revelation.” [2]

Mas’udi writes that Yazid was a pleasure-seeking person, given to wine drinking and playing with pets. It is no wonder that Husain’s response to Yazid’s governor, when asked to pay allegiance to Yazid was, “We are the household of the prophethood, the source of messengership, the descending-place of the angels, through us Allah had began (showering His favours) and with us He has perfected (His favours), whereas Yazid is a sinful person, a drunkard, the killer of innocent people and one who openly indulges in sinful acts. A person like me can never pledge allegiance to a person like him …” [3]

The revolution of Husain (A) was an Islamic movement spearheaded by one of the great leaders of Islam. The principles and laws of Islam demanded that Husain (A) act to warn the Ummah of the evil situation which it was in, and to stand in the way of the deviating ruler. As Husain (A) himself remarked when he left Madina for the last time, “I am not rising (against Yazid) as an insolent or an arrogant person, or a mischief-monger or tyrant. I have risen (against Yazid) as I seek to reform the Ummah of my grandfather. I wish to bid the good and forbid the evil.” [4]

Hussain (A) was killed on the battlefield as he did Sajdah. His head was removed from his body on the plains of Kerbala, mounted on a spear, and paraded through villages and towns as it was taken to Damascus and presented at the feet of Yazid.

Why is Husain (A) regarded as the “leader of the martyrs” ? It is because he was not just the victim of an ambitious ruler. There is no doubt that the tragedy of Kerbala, when ascribed to the killers, is a criminal and terrible act. However when ascribed to Husain (A) himself, it represents a conscious confrontation and a courageous resistance for a sacred cause. The whole nation had failed to stand up to Yazid. They had succumbed to his will, and deviation and regression towards the pre-Islamic ways were increasing.

Passiveness by Husain (A) in this situation would have meant the end of Islam as we know it. Thus Husain (A) took upon himself the responsibility of the whole nation. The greatest tragedy was that one who stood up for the noblest of causes, the defence of Islam, was cut down in so cruel a manner.

It is for this reason that the sacrifice of Husain (A) is commemorated annually throughout the Muslim world. Our sorrow never abates as we relive the tragedy. As Allama Iqbal says in his Baqiyat (in Urdu):

Ronay wala hoon Shaheed-e-Kerbala key gham men main,
Kya durey maqsad na dengey Saqiye Kausar mujhey

I am one who weeps at the plight of the Martyr of Kerbala
Won’t the reward be given to me by the Keeper of Kauser (Imam Ali (A))

The commemoration of Ashura on the 10th of Muharram every year serves to remind us of the sacrifices of the family of the Prophet (S). It also makes us aware of the people, then and now, who tried to destroy Islam and the family of the Prophet (S) and all that they stood for – as well as those who watched, listened and did nothing.