Muharram and Martyrdom of Imam Hussain Require From Us More Than Maatam and Marsiya (Mourning and Elegy)!
By
Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, New Age Islam
17 July
2024
Main
Point:
For All
Mankind, Muharram Is A Marsiya—An Elegy On The Martyrdom Of Imam Husain Ibn Ali
AS, Prophet Muhammad's Noble Grandson. Not Just Muslims, Especially The
ShiitesAnd Many Sunnis But The Whole Humanity Cries Over The Tragedy Of
Karbala. Imam’s Sacrifice Of His Own Life And All His Precious Ones’ At The
Battle Of Karbala Continues To Be A Catharsis Even Today. But More Than Just A
Marsiya And Maatam (Mourning Or Commemoration), Muharram Epitomizes The Courage
Of Conviction Called ‘Jazba-E-Hussaini’ To Stand Up Against Religious
Corruption, Political Oppression, Moral Bankruptcy, Social Injustice, And
Tyranny (Zulm) In Its Various Forms.
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"The
most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity."
- Amelia Earhart
The 10th of
Muharram which coincides with the 17th of July this year marks a turning point
in our Indian history too. On the auspicious 10th of Muharram, Imam Hussain
(as) attained martyrdom and rescued humanity from the clutches of evil. He
refused to surrender to the Tyrant Yazid, who created a dictatorial dynasty
deviating from the consensual democracy (Shur’a) in Islam. Therefore,
the noble sacrifice of Imam Hussain (as) is looked up to as the revival of the
true Islamic principles of democracy, justice, fairness, and mutual consensus
in matters of religion as well as governance.
For all
mankind, Muharram is a Marsiya—an elegy on the martyrdom of Imam Husain
Ibn Ali AS, Prophet Muhammad's Noble Grandson. Not just Muslims, especially the
Shiites and many Sunnis but the whole humanity cries over the tragedy of
Karbala. Imam’s sacrifice of his own life and all his precious ones’ at the
battle of Karbala continues to be a catharsis even today. But more than just a Marsiya
and Maatam (mourning or commemoration), Muharram epitomizes the courage
of conviction called ‘Jazba-e-Hussaini’ to stand up against religious
corruption, political oppression, moral bankruptcy, social injustice and
tyranny (Zulm) in its various forms.
Over 1300
years ago, on this very day—the 10th of Muharram known in Islamic history as
the “‘Ashura Day”— the great tragedy of human history happened in the land of
Karbala in Iraq. On the day of ‘Ashura, or Yaum-e-’Ashura, several significant
historical events related to the Holy Prophets of Islam, Christianity and
Judaism took place. But the Battle of Karbala and the Martyrdom of Imam Husain
came as the completion of all previous prophecies. It signified the prayers of
Prophet Moses and marked the day when God saved the Children of Israel from the
Egyptian Pharaoh. It was also the fulfilment of an incomplete sacrifice of
Prophet Abraham’s son, Ismail, in the words of Shair-e-Mashriq (Poet of the
East)—Allama Iqbal. However, the event of Karbala remains an unfulfilled
mission of the Imam; repel injustice and replace the evil with the common good.
Today
wherever we look at our world, we find ourselves, our people, our planet and
humanity in deep crisis. Injustices, inequalities, mistrust, division,
prejudice, and ‘religious corruption’ are rampant. All this reminds us that the
tragedy of Karbala is not yet over. Everywhere in the world, there are some
scenes of Karbala. Wherever you step, you will find the land of Karbala. This
is precisely why Imam Husain’s grandson Ja’far as-Sadiq averred in Arabic: “Kull
Yaumʿ’AshuraWa Kull Arḍ Karbala”
(Every day is the day of '‘Ashura and every land is the land of Karbala).
Wherever
injustice is meted out to the oppressed, from the Middle East, Europe, and
America to Asia, Karbala is recalled. Whenever children die of hunger and
thirst even in the arms of their mothers, the atrocities of Tyrant Yazid on the
Innocent Imam and his helpless infants and toddlers, are recounted. Today when
we’re living in Akhir-al-Zaman (end times) or Kalyug, when human lives
are cheaper than animals, and humanity is being trampled, every drop of
unjustly shed blood deports our memory and consciousness back to the blood of
Hussain. This makes us weep and howl in the pain of humanity’s everyday Karbala
not only in every month of Muharram but in every moment.
While
commemorating Muharram and recalling Imam Hussain’s martyrdom, we often forget
those who stood by Hussain in his harshest times. Those who exerted concerted
efforts to fight for truth and justice, though they did not belong to the
religion of Imam. Imam Husain posed a question to humanity: ‘Hal Min
NasirinYansurna’ (Who will stand by us)? History witnessed that it was only
a handful of Muslims—his 72 family members and supporters—who were out there in
Karbala to lay down their lives. But while Yazid’s commanders were hell-bent on
a nefarious bid to split the Imam’s head, far from the battlefield of Karbala,
some brave Indians too left their homes to strive for justice and support
Husain’s family in Iraq. These soldiers—traced historically as ‘Hussaini
Brahmins’—travelled to Karbala in 680 AD to write a golden page in the age-old
history of Hindu-Muslim unity for justice and righteousness.
Fast as
wind, carving their way through the sand, and duned at lightning speed, this
caravan of "Hussaini Brahmins" was small in numbers, and is little
known. But their spirit re-enlivened the event of Karbala. Mainly from the Dutt
community and Mohiyals, found in Punjab, they are traced back to some Rajput
Mohiyals who stood by Hussain in Karbala. No wonder then why Imam Hussain
before he was martyred, had proposed: “I would live in Madina on my conditions,
or I wish migrate to Hindustan”.
Both of
these peaceful proposals were rejected by the Tyrant Yazid with all impunity.
Consequently, the innocent and immaculate Imam and all his noble family
members, near and dear ones were cornered at the River of Euphrates. They were
brutally tortured, dehumanized and persecuted so much so that even water was
denied to their little thirsty children and baby-feeding women. Even the
youngest 6-month-old son of Imam Hussain Ali Asghar was killed in an extreme
thirst for water. All these atrocities were executed on a written order from
Yazid. The Tyrant, high on his power was adamant on forcing Imam to bow down to
his despotism. He knew as long as the Imam was alive, he wouldn’t succeed in
his autocracy.
As we know,
people remember the dearest ones and the real well-wishers in their harshest
times. While Imam Husain wrote a letter
seeking help from his childhood friend Habib in Arabia, his elder son Ali Akbar
wrote a similar letter and sent it far away from Karbala……very far…to a
Hindustani Raja (Indian King), Raja Samudrgupt.
Strange as
it may sound, history is witness to this unlikely relationship. Over 1400 years
ago, the king of Iran, a Parsi by faith, had two daughters—Maher Bano and
Shaher Bano. Maher Bano was married to King Samdurgupt and was renamed
Chanderlekha. A few years later, Canderlekha’s younger sister, Shaher Bano, was
married to Imam Husain (as). Chanderlekha and Samudrgupt were the Queen and
King of India when they received the letter from Ali Akbar Ibn Husain AS.
King
Samudrgupt swiftly arranged for a group of brave Indian soldiers and ordered
them to depart towards Karbala. The army commander was Rehab Dutt, a Mohiyal
Brahmin. Unfortunately, by the time Rehab Dutt and his brave-heart soldiers
reached Karbala, Imam Husain was killed. This news disheartened the entire
Indian troupe. They decided to run their swords on their necks. “When the one
we came to help is no more, what should we do with these swords? they asked.
Just then, an Arab admirer of Imam Husain persuaded them to take the swords off
their necks and join the force of Janab-e-Mukhtar. Thus, these Indian soldiers
fought a memorable battle, exhibiting the best of Hindustani swords in Karbala
to avenge the death of Imam Husain A.S.
Even today,
the place of Karbala where these brave Brahmins resided is called ‘ad-Dayar-ul-Hindiyya’.
Some of these Brahmin were martyred at Karbala, some stayed back, while few
returned to Mother India. History remembers these Brave Brahmins by the name of
‘Hussaini Brahmins’. We must salute this lesser-known but truly great
saga of Hindu-Muslim unity. These Rajput Mohiyals or the Dutt family from India
fulfilled the sacred vision of holy the Prophet when he said: I feel the
fragrance coming from India. These "Hussaini Brahmins" also
strengthen the beautiful blend of our strong Indo-Islamic tradition. In the
words of a Hindustani poet:
Wah Dutt Sultan,
Hindu ka Dharm,
Musalman ka Iman,
Adha Hindu, Adha Musalman!
(Bravo! O
Dutt, the king who follows the Hindu religion as well as the Muslim faith, and
is half Hindu and half Musalman)
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A Regular Columnist with Newageislam.com, Ghulam
Rasool Dehlvi is an Indo-Islamic scholar, Sufi poet and
English-Arabic-Urdu-Hindi writer with a background in a leading Sufi Islamic
seminary in India. He is currently serving as Head of International Affairs at
Voice for Peace & Justice, Jammu & Kashmir.
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism