In the terms of the peace treaty signed between Muawiya and Imam Hasan
(a.s.), the right to the Caliphate had been expressly reserved for Imam Hussain
(a.s.). However upon the death of Imam Hasan (a.s.), Yazid, Muawiya's son took
over rule and began interfering with the fundamentals of the faith. He practised
every vice and wickedness freely with the highest degree of impunity and yet
held himself out as the successor of the Holy Prophet (SAW). He further demanded
allegiance from Imam Hussain (a.s.). The light that had been brought to the
people by the Messenger of God was in danger of being extinguished. The task of
keeping alive Islam in its original purity now centered on Imam Hussain (a.s.),
his family and his small band of followers.
Imam Hussain (a.s.) left
Medina for Hajj and it was his intention to leave for Kufa after performing
Hajj. But soon after arriving in Mecca Imam Hussain (a.s.) was informed of the
plot to assassinate him during Hajj. The Holy Imam, to safeguard the great
sanctuary of Mecca, decided to leave for Kufa before
the Hajj.
On the way to Kufa the Imam was informed of Muslim
Ibne-Aqeel's murder. Soon after, Hur Ibne-Yazid-e-Reyahi arrived on the scene at
the head of the caravan with instructions from the Governor of Kufa to keep a
close watch on Imam Hussain (a.s.) and to prevent him from taking any other road
than the one to Kufa.
Imam Hussain (a.s.)questioned Hur on the object
of his journey and was informed by Hur that "I have been instructed to
take you to Kufa and I, in the face of the Governor's orders cannot allow you to
go back." The Imam flatly refused to accede his wish. As a comprimise,
Hur suggested: "Under the circumstances you may if you choose adopt a
third course, with the condition that I will keep watch over you." So
together they took a different road.
On the second day of Muharram in
61 A.H. they reached a spot where, Imam Hussain(a.s.)'s horse, Zuljanah,
mysteriously stopped and would not move any further. Upon this, the Holy Imam
declared: "This is the land, the land of sufferings and tortures.
Here shall we be martyred and our children killed. Here shall our tents be
burned and our family arrested. This is the land about which my Grandfather, the
Holy Prophet (SAW) had foretold."
Meandering through the desert, the caravan now reached its destination - a
destination which Allah had willed for it. The march of Hussain(a.s.) and his
kinsmen in this world had ended; but it was just the beginning of their march
towards their real goal.
More and more platoons kept arriving in this
expansive plain. When Umar Ibne-Sa'd arrived with a large force, he opened
negotiations with the Imam. But all efforts proved fruitless due to Yazid's
obsession for extracting allegiance from Imam Hussain (a.s.) - a declaration
that would mean compromising with the devil - and this the Imam could never do.
The
conflict at Kerbala was the primeval conflict of right against wrong, godliness
against devilry. It is common knowledge that the path of virtue has always been
strewn with the thorns of oppression and persecution, and those on the right
path have had to wage not a battle of survival of themselves, but in sacrificing
their own lives hastened the extinction of those on the wrong.
History
records various instances of God-fearing persons caring little for their
priceless lives when occasion demanded them to stand face to face with heathen
forces. But no anniversary of their sufferings ever pervades our mind to the
extent which Kerbala does. His method of dying for truth was suigeneris. He
selected his most dear and near ones for the performance of this duty. Thus he
placed at the altar of sacrifice all that was close to his heart and then
finally made an offering of his own life and through his death he has earned a
deathless fame.
The martyr is remembered for the firmness and
patience, courage and endurance which he displayed under the most tragic
circumstances on the scorching plains of Kerbala.
The Imam asked the
enemies that had assembled: "Why do ye desire to kill me? Did I
commit any sin or crime? Did I plunder anybody? Did I interfere with anyone's
affairs?
You have killed all my companions, my children, my brothers, and
even my little baby; now I tell you to leave me. I will migrate to Yemen, to
Iran or even to far off Hind (India). Stain not your hands with my blood, which
is the blood of the Holy Prophet himself, for you will not have salvation. It is
for you to decide. I tell you, shed not my blood and save yourselves.
Yet there was no response...
Every awakened mind will surely confess that it is not possible for any
mortal to understand the great heavenly personality which enacted the absolute
submission to the Lord on the field of Kerbala.
Having lost every one of his
faithful comrades including his baby son, himself wounded from head to foot with
arrows struck in his holy body, with his blood flowing from the wounds, his
clothes drenched with the blood of his comrades, his kith and kin whose dead
bodies he removed from the field of massacre to a tent in his camp to spare them
from being trampled. Imam Hussain (a.s.) was now seated on his horse, in the
midst of such undefinable agony the Holy Imam ever remained mindful of the Lord
and his submission to Him with the desire not to leave this world without
offering a single one of the prayers perscribed by Him for man.
While
the Imam was in prostration offering his prayers, Amr Saad called upon his
warriors to go cut his head off. No one came forward so Amr Saad asked Shimr to
go behead the Imam. They approached the Imam who was still in prostration and
stood above him, sword in hand. Seeing that the Imam had concluded his prayers,
Shimr mounted Hussain's back and prepared himself to cut the head. The Imam
being too weak and having lost a lot of blood could not fight.
Bibi Zainab
who was watching rushed forth and said: "O Amr Saad, I appeal to
you to as the granddaughter of the Prophet of Islam to save my brother's
life.....O son of Saad Bin Wakkas, will you stand here and atch my brother being
slaughtered so mercilessly without a drop of water? In the name of God, I appeal
to you to save Hussain's life."
They were quiet and acted completely oblivious to her pleas and appeals. The Imam saw this and did not want his sister to see his head severed in front of him, so he said with what little strength he had left: "My Sister, I appeal to you to return to the camp immediately. For the sake of the of the love you bear for me, hasten to the tent. It will give me the greatest pain if you remain here any longer."
Zainab rushed back to camp weeping. She went to Imam Zain Al-Abidin's tent and stood with him at the exit to the camp. They felt that nature itself was sharing their grief, because a strong gust of wind arose and carried red particles of burning desert sand. In the distant panorama they saw a spear with Imam Hussain's head on it. They heard the drums of Yazid's army proclaiming the end of the battle. Zainab with a shriek wailed : "O my brother Hussain, my brother Hussain! At last they have killed you, they have beheaded you without a drop of water."
She then fell unconscious into the arms of her nephew. He gently put her down on the floor and prostrating his head on the ground exclaimed: "O God, we mortals resign ourselves to Thy Will. From thee we have come and unto Thee shall be our return."
Taken from "Martyrdom of Imam Hussain" : Yousuf Lalljee