Karbala, Then and Now

What the story of Karbala means to us as Muslims is not just about how the family of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was brutally martyred. What it is about is how it happened while the land was being ruled by Muslims and at the hands of Muslims. That’s why it is such a terrible and heinous event. 

We mourn them, but more than that, we mourn our people. We mourn our condition. We wonder if we would be any different today. Not that we would take part in something so vile and demented, but would we be so callous as to let such evil be in charge when we have such purity and almost perfection around us?

These are the questions and problematic scenarios that haunt us. The events leading up to Karbala were haunting. We read them and think…but…how? Someday, our children and grandchildren will read and watch the events of today and think the exact same thing.

Hardest Ali’s (R) time as Khalifa was tremulous. Muawiya had Hadrat Hassan (R), the next Khalifa chosen by the people, first, abdicate in his favor and then poisoned him to secure his place as the next ruler, with Yazid, his son, as the next Khalifa, which is against the rules of Islamic law. According to Shariah law, the people are supposed to vote for their Khalifa. 

This started a dangerous trend of hereditary leadership. The people were against this not just because they had not chosen Yazid to be their leader but also because Yazid did not possess the character of a leader. Until now, the people were used to leaders such as Hadrat Ali (R) and Hadrat Hasan (R), and now here was Yazid, a person with extravagant ways. He did not care for his Akhira or the people he was supposed to be ruling. He drank publicly, enjoyed the company of women, and spent money without care. 

They took their concerns to the only person they thought could help them.  At the time, Hadrat Hussain (R) resided in Madinah with his family. People asked Imam Hussain (R) to do something about this.  In the meantime, Yazid asked Imam Hussain to take the oath of loyalty, which he, of course, refused. That put Imam Hussain’s life in danger. 

Hadrat Hussain’s (R) decision to confront Yazid with his family was a testament to his unparalleled courage and unwavering determination. His intention was not to wage war, as evidenced by his lack of an army, but to seek a peaceful resolution. This act of bravery is a source of inspiration for all. 

However, he was not a naïve man, and neither was his family. They all knew they were going to their martyrdom. The Muslims who took off with them told them what the mission was and asked them if they could back out if they liked because they were most likely walking into a trap. There were still people in the Muslim Ummah who would go to the ends of the world with the Grandson of the Prophet (PBUH). 

So, Hadrat Hussain (R) set out to Iraq, Karbala, with no intention of fighting or taking the oath of loyalty with Yazid, knowing full well what that meant. He also set political traps for Yazid all over the Muslim world, so even if they didn’t make it out, his leadership would crumble. He was wise enough to know that the people would not let him rule in peace if Yazid did what he had planned. 

It is important to note that Muawiya and Yazid had become as powerful as they were because no one stood up to them. The tyrants thought they could get away with anything; they knew the ummah was weak and busy with their material lives. They were able to take hold without anyone rising until then. The ummah had forgotten their duty. They were depending on the few to handle matters for them. They had forgotten that this was their job as well. 

Hadrat Hussain (R) knew the sacrifices required to make the people rise up and realize their jobs. Tyrants can be stopped, and tides can be shifted, but it takes hard work and many sacrifices. Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) family did their duty to us. The world was shaken by the news of what had happened. The political and historical landscape changed from then on. 

Every so often, the Muslim Ummah needs to be shaken, and sacrifices need to be made so the faces of true evil can be revealed. In doing so, Allah demands sacrifices from his beloved. We see that today. The world has been shaken once again. The death and destruction of the innocents in Palestine and the way the world is realizing and coming out on the streets to call out the evil that has been committing these crimes against them for centuries is nothing less than a miracle. 

Every Karbala has a reason and ends in the triumph of the Hussain of the time. The question we need to ask ourselves is what team we will end up on.