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The Lessons of Muharram

by M Arshad Ali
THE histoiy of the world abounds . with ' Irian's sacrifices for the sake ^jf. his elevating to higher life, ennobling his self and fulfilling the purpose of his existence in response to the call of time. Such sacrifices are sornetimes ritualised in order for the posterity to observe, remember and relive the occasion so that the inculcation of the values strengthens them not to be. found wanting in the face of similar challenges. Two occasions reminiscent of sacrifices of abiding influences appear in quick succession to the Muslims in the course of just a month — the Eid-uI-Azha and the Muharram — the one taking place on the 10th of. the last month and the other on the same date of first month of the Hijri year. The former embodies the supreme sacrifice of the patriarch Abraham and the other enshrines that of Hazrat Imam Hussain (R). both replete with lessons of immense significance for mankind, especially emboldening them with the spirit that knows no complacence in the way of fulfilling divine commands.
With the revolving year Ashura, the tenth of Muharram, appears not to 'tell in mournful numbers' the tragedy of Karbala but to remind us of the injunctions of the Almighty Allah, revealed through the teachings of the holy Quran and demonstrated by the last and . the greatest Prophet Muhammad (SM), nay, to translate those into reality. The -tragedy of Karbala is not only catas- , trophic of the Hussain family, the direct descendants of the Prophet but of the entire humanity as it unleashed the forces of destruction. of the democratic Institution^— the rule by people’s conserit. lt was' the reversal of the good in the hand of the evil — Hussain
symbolislng the: fortner and Yazid-typifying the latfer-What. however, comes out In bold -re Ifef is that the sacrifice done for the establishment-of the good 'shines upon our tears' arid gains universal -acclqim irrespective of any.-dfstfhciion.be-tween cast and creed inspiring all to consider-ritf’offerings greater in the. struggle, against, the evil when,trutfr is pitted' against falsehood, - _ „ - ■
The rise of Yazid isperhaps the most ignoipiniouS ipcident in the history of-Jstafif.jt is he who destroyed, democracy, established despotism "and absolute monarchy . to Tfurl doVfh people into the abyss of deprivation and disappointment, destitution and. drudgery. TO rescue them from such a-deplorable state of affairs Hussain (RI appeared on the Scene, -The murderous army ofYaiid sieged him along with his family and companions', in* -the^ dreary deserLof KarbE^a oirtfie?bank- of the EuphraTe^jwhfl6^e_was' making his-fourty-tiTKufa-, the •then. capital oyraqrfiojnuster strong suppdft foxdtiS'rtghteous ’ struggle. The.'mindlesS cruelty of the Yazid affnyassriffied such an Inhuman proporttrffi as-did riot allow any. jof- Hussain s entourage includirrg'the postnatal babies to have S drop of drinking ’wat-err" Their heippusnes^ knew--no bounds stooping- td the, basest* resort -of killing, the child Jdi -ASgaf (sons of Hazrat'Htissfuaj-'trying.for' - wat'ecto-qaeKchJii&tfflrat. --- '
The poignance of'the situation baffles ifhaginatton to.de-pict fts dimension.,Hazrat Hfjs-sairi did not,' gpweviSf, loose heart nor did he deviate an inch frbm the right path^by way„of a compromise with the evil forces ...He was ’staunch to. the end' against tije -tremendous odds -as, ft wais_to.‘ hirn the In-volvenfent'of filefemdSmerital questions of ethics — the duty
that God enjoins upon the faith-Jul — and he was found equal to discharging it with the utmost sincerity and greatest sacrifice.
, A little bit of compromise on ’ his part might have saved his : life and the lives of his family and companions, may be he might have waxed and wallowed in the feudal luxury that could well ensue from his surrender to Yazid — luxury and debauchery incarnate along with all the attendant vices. Had he resorted to so doing, an abysmal degradation would have been his lot. He could not have succeeded in the trial that tested his allegiance to God as .. well as to the nation and the faith. Temptation for worldly happiness could not stand in the way of fulfilment of his du-
ties ordained by his Creator. Dark oblivion, that could have engulfed him in the event of his failure to prove himself equal to the task he was assignee! to. itself proved futile. He emerged out victorious and that is why, the great poet and philosopher Iqbal is found chanting 'Islam zinda hota hat har Karbala ke bad' (Islam emerges victorious after every incident of the dimension of Karbala).
Hussain’s sacrificing spirit demonstrates the inherent invincible spirit of the faith of Islam that enjoins upon its followers to do right, being an example to others to do right and exercising to see that right prevails and eschewing wrong, being an example to others to eschew wrong and exercising to
see that wrong and injustice are defeated.
With every advent of Ashura many people are found mourning the colossal loss indulging in lamentation over the poignant tragedy and diabolical sufferings that befell Imam Hussain (R). his family and compatriots in the battle of Karbala. The emulating part of the sacrifice remains uninculcated, and therefore, unadhered to — the exemplary teaching of Hazrat Hussain that galvanises people to wage the struggle between truth and falsehood, between right and wrong between good and evil even if it demands of man the greatest sacrifice of laying down his most precious possession which he calls life. It is a struggle that is as old as humanity. Hussain’s is an example that provided sure stim-
uli at different stages of history. Our freedom fighters were inspired by example of the kind to become deathless by courting death in our liberation war — the war for justice against injustice, for moral elevation against depravation, for right against wrong as represented by them against the occupation forces of Pakistan.
The noble sacrifice of Hussain (R) will continue to activate people in their struggle for establishment of the rights of the deprived usurped by the immoral elements of the society for all times to come. It is in this perspective that the rebel poet Nazrul Islam calls upon us not to bewail but to sacrifice: Tyag chat marsta krondan chahi na.
The writer is Inspector of Colleges (OJfg) DU.