Preparing the Grounds for the Uprising
Well, who should carry out that ordinance? Who should fulfill this task? One of the successors of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), when it happens at a time that this deviation has been created. Of course, provided that the situation is favorable, because Allah Almighty has not tasked us with something that does not benefit us. If the situation is unfavorable, whatever he does is of no use nor is it effective. The situation has to be favorable. Of course, the favorability of a situation also has another meaning, not that we say because it is dangerous, then the situation is not favorable, this is not what is meant. The situation must be favorable means that the human being should know that the result of what he has done is associated to him; meaning that it will be the delivering of a message to the people, people will find out and will not continue to be mistaken. This is that duty that someone should have fulfilled. At the time of Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) both that deviation was created and that opportunity was found.
Thus, Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) should rise up, for this deviation has appeared. Because after Mu‘āwīya someone has come to power who does not even respect the outward aspects of Islam. He drinks alcohol and commits offenses. He was clearly involved in harassment and did sexually deviated acts, speaks against the Qur’an, publicly recites poetry that was contrary to the Qur’an and denounces religion, and is publicly opposed to Islam. However, because his name was the leader of Muslims he does not want to do away with Islam. He is not a practitioner of Islam, nor is interested in and dedicated to it. Rather, with his deeds, he is like a rancid source of water that flows frequently and over flows its banks and fills all places, rancid water flows from him and will fill the whole of the Muslim society. A corrupt ruler is like this; because the ruler lives at the peak and whatever over flows from him will not stay there, contrary to ordinary people; rather, it flows and it covers the whole peak. Every one of the ordinary people has his own place. Of course whoever is higher, whoever has a higher post in society, his corrupt and his harm is greater. The corruption of ordinary people may remain with them or affect a few people around them, but those who are on the top post, if he becomes corrupt his corruption will overflow and every place and if he is righteous, his righteousness will fill every place. Such a person, with that corruption has become caliph of Muslims after Mu‘āwīya. The caliph of the holy Prophet! Is there a deviation higher than this?!
The grounds are also ready; the grounds are ready, what does this mean? It means danger? Yes! Of course there is danger. Is it possible for the one on top of power not to be dangerous for people who are opposing him? It is war, after all. You want to overthrow him from power and expect him to sit and look at you?! It is obvious that he will harm you back. So there is danger. That we say that the situation is favorable, it means that the atmosphere of the Muslim society is such that it is possible for the message of Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) to reach the ears of the people at that time and throughout history. If Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) wanted to rise up during the time of Mu‘āwīya his message would have been buried. This was due to the condition of the government during the time of Mu‘āwīya. The policies were in such a way that people would not have been able to listen to the legitimacy of the truth. Therefore this very honorable person was an Imam during the ten year period of Mu‘āwīya’s reign. He was an Imam but he did not say anything, did nothing, and did not rise up, because the condition there was not favorable. Before that there was Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.). He did not rise up either, because the timing was not good. Not that Imam Ḥasan and Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.T.) were not qualified for this task. There is no difference between Imam Ḥasan and Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.T.). There is no difference between Imam Ḥusayn and Imam Sajjād (P.B.U.T.). There is no difference between Imam Ḥusayn, Imam ‘Alī al-Naqī and Imam Ḥasan Askarī (P.B.U.T.). Of course, when this honorable man did this holy struggle, his status is higher than those who did not; but in terms of the position of Imamate they are the same. This happens for each one of these honorable men. Each one of them would have done the same and they would have attained that very position.
Well; Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) has also faced such deviation. So he must do that duty. The situation is also favorable. So there is no more excuse. Therefore, ‘Abdullāh b. Ja‘far, Muḥammad b. Ḥanafīya and ‘Abdullāh b. ‘Abbās, they were not illiterate, all were religious scholars, they were mystics, scholars, and knowledgeable; when they were telling the Imam (P.B.U.H.), “Sir! It is dangerous, don’t go!” They wanted to say that when there is danger in the way of a Divine duty, that duty is suspended. They did not understand that this duty is not a duty that can be suspended out of danger. This duty always has danger with it. Is it possible that man can rise up against such a power so mighty in appearance and it would not be dangerous? Is such a thing possible? This duty always contains danger.
A small copy of the work that was achieved during the time of Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.), was also achieved during the time of our Imam–Khomeini. Albeit, at that time the outcome was martyrdom and at this time the outcome was the forming of an Islamic state, they are the same, they are no different. The goal of Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) and the goal of our great leader, Imam Khomeini, was one. This issue is the basis of Imam Ḥusayn’s (P.B.U.H.) knowledge, the doctrinal knowledge (ma‘ārif) of Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) is a great portion of the Shi‘ite knowledge. This is an important foundation and one of the foundations of Islam.
Therefore, the goal included bringing back the Muslim society to the right direction. At what time? When the path has changed and ignorance, suppression, autocracy, and treason of those who have made the Muslims go astray and have laid the foundation and created conditions for the deviation of Muslims. Of course, history has got different periods; sometimes conditions are favorable and sometimes are not. During the time of Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) the conditions were favorable, the conditions of our time were also favorable. The Imam did the same; the goal was the same. However, when working toward this goal, one finds a path and wants to rise up against the government and the center of falsehood in order to bring back the Mulsim system and Islamic society to its proper direction, then there is a time when this uprising will end up forming a government, and there is a time when this uprising does not end up so, it ends up in martyrdom; is it not obligatory in this case? Yes it is; it is obligatory even if one gets martyred. Is the uprising of no use if one attains martyrdom? Yes it is; there is no difference. This uprising and this movement are important in both cases, whether one attains martyrdom or manages to set up a government; however each one has got its kind of importance, and it must be done; one must move.
This is what Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) accomplished. However, Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) was the person to accomplish this move for the first time. Before him it had not been accomplished, because before him, during the time of the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) and Imam ‘Alī (P.B.U.H.) this kind of deviation and grounds had not come into existence, or if there had been deviation in some cases, the grounds were not appropriate and expedient. During the time of Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) both were present–deviation and the grounds. Concerning Imam Ḥusayn’s (P.B.U.H.)movement this is the main issue.
Uprising, an Obligatory Task
So we can sum up this way; we can say that Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) rose up to fulfil that great obligation which includes the rebuilding of the system and the Muslim society or revolt against the greatest deviations in the Muslim society. This is done through the uprising and through commanding right and forbidding wrong, but he himself is also a great example of commanding right and forbidding wrong. Of course this task sometimes ended in the forming of a government–Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) was ready for this–and sometimes it resulted in martyrdom; for that he was also prepared. Why do we say this?
We get this from the words of Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) himself. I have chosen a few words from the sayings of Abū ‘Abdillāh (P.B.U.H.). Of course, there are many more, all of which state the same thing. First in Medina, that night when Walīd, the governor of Medina, summoned Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) to his court and told him that Mu‘āwīya has died, and you must swear allegiance to Yazīd. The Imam told him, “Okay, leave it till the morning”;
«وَ نَنظُرُ وَ تَنظُرونَ أيُّنا أحَقُّ بِالبَيعَةِ وَ الخِلافَة»
[And we shall see and you will be seeing which one of us deserved the vote of allegiance and the caliphate]. Let’s go and think about it. See whether I must be the caliph or Yazīd must be the caliph. The following day Marwān saw Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) in one of the alleys of Medina and said, “Abā ‘Abdillāh! Do you want to get yourself killed? Why won’t you swear allegiance to the caliph? Come, swear allegiance, and do not get yourself killed, do not bother yourself. In his answer the Imam (P.B.U.H.) said,
«إنّا لله وَ إنّا إلَيهِ راجِعُونَ وَ عَلَى الإسلامِ السَّلامُ إذ قَد بُلِيَتِ الاُمّةُ بِراعٍ مِثلِ يَزِيد»
[Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return, and goodbye to Islam, if the Islamic nation is examined through a ruler like Yazīd). Then one must say goodbye and farewell to Islam. When a governor like Yazīd attains a position, and Islam suffers from a ruler like Yazīd, the matter is not Yazīd. It is about anyone who is like Yazīd. The Imam (P.B.U.H.) wanted to say that, “Up to now whatever he had done was tolerable; but now the principles of religion and the Islamic system are at stake and it will be destroyed with the governance of a person like Yazīd.” We point to the fact that the danger of deviation is a serious threat. The matter includes the danger facing the Islam itself.
When leaving Medina and also when leaving Mecca, Abu ‘Abdillāh (P.B.U.H.) had some words with Muḥammad b. Ḥanafīya; it seems to me that this testament is related to when he wanted to leave Mecca, in the month of Dhul Ḥijja, when Muḥammad b. Ḥanafīya had also come to Mecca. He had some words with Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) and the Imam (P.B.U.H.) wrote some words as a testament and gave it to his brother, Muḥammad b. Ḥanafīya. In that testament, after testifying to the oneness of Allah he goes on to say:
«أنّي لَم أخرُج أشِراً وَ لا بَطِراً وَ لا مُفسِداً وَ لا ظالِماً»
[Verily, I did not revolt as an evildoer, a corrupted one, and an oppressor]; this means that some should not misinterpret and spread propaganda that Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) was also like those who rise up here and there just to rebel and hold power in their hands to show off, and enter the field of battle for pleasure and oppression and corruption. This is not our mission;
«وَ إنّما خَرَجتُ لِطَلبِ الإصلاحِ فِي اُمّةِ جَدّي»
[But I rose up to seek for reforms in the nation of my grandfather]. The tittle of this task is “reform”, I want to bring reform. This is the same obligation that had not been accomplished before Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.). This is the same obligation that had not been accomplished before. This reform is through “revolting” and revolting means uprising. The Imam (P.B.U.H.) mentioned this in his testament, and it is virtually asserted to mean that, firstly, we want to revolt and this uprising of ours is also for reform; it is not so that we must take over the rule [ḥukūma], it is not so that we must certainly go and be martyred, no; we want to reform. Of course, reform is not a small task. Sometimes the conditions are such that one take over the rule and holds the reins of power in his own hands. Sometimes he cannot do this, it cannot be done and he gets martyred. Nevertheless, both are uprising for reform. Then, he says,
«اُرِيدُ أن آمُرَ بِالمعرُوفِ وَ أنهَى عَنِ المُنكَرِ وَ أسيرَ بِسيرَةِ جَدّي.»
[I want to command right and forbid wrong and move along the path of my grandfather]. This reform, in another word, is an example of commanding right and forbidding wrong.
Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) wrote two letters in Mecca; one for the leaders of Baṣra and the other for the leaders of Kūfa. In the Imam’s (P.B.U.H.) letter for the leaders of Baṣra it says:
«وَ قَد بَعَثتُ رَسولي إلَيكُم بِهذا الكِتاب، و انا اَدعُوكُم اِلى كِتابِ اللهِ و اِلی نَبيّهِ، فَاِنّ السُنةَ قَد اُميتَت، و اِنّ البِدعَةَ قَد اُحييَت فَاِن تُجيبوا دَعوتي و تُطيعُوا اَمرى أهدكُم سَبيلَ الرَّشاد.»
[I have sent my messenger with this letter to you, and I am calling you to the Book of Allah and his Prophet, verily the tradition (of the Prophet) has died, and innovation (forbidden) is revived, if you respond to my call and follow my command I will show you the path to righteousness]. I want to do away with heretical innovation (bid‘a) and revive tradition (sunna); because they have killed tradition and they have revived heretical innovation. If you will follow me, the right path is with me; meaning that I want to accomplish that great duty which is the revival of Islam and the revival of the tradition of the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) and the Islamic system. Then in the letter to the people of the Kūfa, he said:
«فَلَعَمْرِی مَا الاِمامُ اِلاَّ الْعامِلُ بِالْکِتابِ، وَ الاْخِذُ بِالْقِسْطِ، وَ الدّائِر بِالْحَقِّ، وَ الْحابِسُ نَفْسَهُ عَلى ذاتِ اللهِ.»
[By my soul, there is no Imam except that he rules with the Book and implements justice, follows the right religion, comports himself on that by Allah.] The Imam and guide and leader of the Islamic society cannot be someone who is corrupt, dissolute, a betrayer and far from Allah and his prophets. He must be someone who acts upon the Book of Allah. This means to act upon it in the society not to do it in a quiet room, just praying. Rather, he should revive acting upon the Book of Allah in the society, pursues justice and equality, and embed right and truth as law of the society;
«الدّائِر بِالحَقِّ»
[Follower of the right religion]. That is, he would embed the code of conduct, rules, and regulations as truth and set falsehood aside.
«الحابِسُ نَفسَهُ عَن ذات الله»
[Who comport himself on that by Allah], apparently the meaning of this sentence is that, for one to comport himself in the Divine straight path, to preserve it on any condition, and not become a captive of satanic (evil) and materialistic attractions. That’s all. Therefore he defines the goal.
Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) left Mecca. Along the way at each of these stopovers, his holiness spoke with a different tone. In a stopover called “Baiḍa,” while Ḥurr b. Yazīd was with him, the Imam goes on and he goes along him, too. They reach this stopover and get off their animals. Perhaps before they rest or after a little rest, the Imam stood up and gave a speech to the soldiers of the enemy. This is what he said:
«ايّها النّاس، انّ رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وآله قال: مَن رَأى سُلطاناً جائِراً مُستَحِلًّا لحُرُمِ الله ناكِثاً لِعَهدِ اللهِ مُخالِفاً لسُنّةِ رسولِ الله يَعمَلُ في عِبادِ اللهِ بِالإثمِ وَ العُدوَان لَم يُغَيِّر بِقَولٍ وَ لا فِعل كانَ حَقّاً علَى اللهِ أن يُدخِلَهُ مَدخَلَه.»
[O people! The Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) said, “Whoever sees a ruler that is unjust, permitting the forbiddance of Allah, transgressing the covenant of Allah, opposing the tradition of the Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), and has done evils and transgressions to the servant of Allah, without changing him with words or actions, then Allah will be right to put him where he deserves.”] That means, if someone sees that a ruler is reigning in a society, who oppresses and makes lawful what Allah has made unlawful, and makes unlawful what Allah has made lawful, puts Divine commands aside, does not follow them and does not force others to act upon them, meaning that he acts with evil, enmity, and oppression among the people–that is a truly corrupt, oppressive, and unjust ruler, the perfect example of which was Yazīd–then;
«لمَ يغُيرِّ بقِولٍ وَ لا فعِل»
[does not change him with words or deeds]
,
«كانَ حَقّاً علَى اللهِ أن يُدخِلَهُ مَدخَلَه»
[Allah has the right to put him where he deserves]. On the Day of Judgment, Allah, the Omnipotent will afflict the one who chose to keep quiet without showing any difference or action with the same destination that He has afflicted the oppressor with. Meaning that they are going to be in the same line and in the same flank. The Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) had already specified what must be done if the Islamic system becomes deviated; and Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) also supports, relies on, and follows the same statement of the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.).
So what is our duty? Our duty became
«يُغَيِّر بفِعل او قول»
[To change with words or actions]. If one is placed under the same conditions–of course, when the timing is favorable–it is obligatory to rise up and take action against this action wherever it will end up; either to be killed or to stay alive, or whether it is apparently successful or not. Every Muslim must rise up and take action against this condition. This is the obligation that the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) has ordained. Then Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) said,
«وَ إنّي أحَقُّ بِهَذا.»
[And verily I am more entitled to this–uprising], I am more deserved from among the Muslims to rise up and take action because I am the son of the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.). If the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) has made this change–meaning this taking of action–obligatory for every Muslim, it is obvious that Ḥusayn b. ‘Alī (P.B.U.H.), the son of the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), the inheritor of the holy Prophet’s (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) knowledge and wisdom, is more obligatory more suitable to fulfill this task. (And that is why I took action); so the Imam states the reason for his uprising.
Four people joined Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) at a halting place (manzil) called ‘Udhayb where there is another statement from the Imam (P.B.U.H.), who said,
«اَمّا و اللهِ إنّى لَارجو أن يَكونَ خَيراً ما أرادَ اللهُ بِنا، قُتِلنْا أم ظَفَرْنا.»
[However, I swear by Allah that I am hopeful that whatever Allah intended for us, either it is a victory or martyrdom, is good for us]. This is an indication of that we said it makes no difference whether they were victorious or be killed. A duty is a duty. It must be fulfilled. The Imam (P.B.U.H.) said, “My hope is that what Allah, the Omnipotent, has chosen for us is good, whether we are victorious or be killed; it makes no difference; we are only doing our duty. After entering the land of Karbalā, the Imam (P.B.U.H.) said in his first sermon,
«و قَد نَزَلَ بنا مِنَ الأمرِ مَا قَد تَرَون.»
[Verily what you see is what is descended from the command.] Then he said:
«ألا تَرَونَ إلَى الحَقِّ لا يُعمَلُ بِهِ وَ إلَى الباطِلِ لا يُتَنَاهَى عَنهُ؟ لِيَرغَبِ المُؤمِنُ فِي لِقاءِ رَبِّهِ حَقّاً حَقّاً.»
[Do you not see the truth that is not practiced, and the false that is not prevented, the believer is rightful to eagerly desire to meet his Lord] till the end of his speech.
Then, Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) revolted to do an obligatory act. This obligatory act is directed at every single individual Muslims throughout history. This obligatory act is that any time one sees that the social system of Islam is faced with essential corruption and it is feared that the practical laws of Islam will be totally changed, every Muslim must revolt. Of course, under proper conditions, and when it is certain that the uprising will be effective and fruitful. Staying alive, not being killed, not being persecuted are among the conditions. These are not among the conditions. Therefore, Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) revolted and practically fulfilled this obbligatory mission for it to be a lesson for all.
1994/06/09
Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) did something that the people’s conscience awakened. Therefore, you see that after the martyrdom of Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) Islamic uprisings came into being one after the other. Of course, these uprisings were suppressed, but it is not important that a movement has been suppressed by the enemy. Of course, it is bitter but bitterer than that is that a society reaches a point that they are reluctant to show a reaction toward the enemy, and this is a great danger.
Pure Results of Imam Ḥusayn’s (P.B.U.H.) Uprising
Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) did something in such a way that those who were farther away from the early period of Islam yet their will for fighting the system of oppression and corruption that was found in all the periods of oppressive governments, was greater than the time of Imam Ḥasan (P.B.U.H.). All were suppressed. Beginning from the uprising of the people of Medina which is known as “Ḥarra”, until subsequent incidents; the incident of the “Tawwābīn” uprising and Mukhtār, until the periods of the Umayyad and ‘Abbasids, there were always uprisings within the nations. Who brought about all these uprisings? Ḥusayn b. ‘Alī (P.B.U.H.). If Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) had not revolted, could the spirit of lassitude and fears of responsibility have turned into the spirit of anti-oppression and accepting responsibility? Why do we say the spirit of accepting responsibility is dead? The reason is that Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) left Medina, the center of the elders of Islam, for Mecca. The son of ‘Abbās, the son of Zubayr, the son of ‘Umar and the son of the early Caliphs of Islam all were gathered in Medina but none of them were ready to assist Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.) in that bloody and historical uprising. Thus before the beginning of Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.)’s uprising even those close to him were not ready to take action. But after Imam Ḥusayn’s (P.B.U.H.) uprising this spirit was awakened. This is the big lesson in the tragedy of ‘Āshūrā that we must know along with the other lessons. That is the greatness of this event.
That,
«المَوعُودِ بِشَهادَتِهِ قَبلَ اِستِهلالِهِ وَ وِلادَتِه»
[His martyrdom was promised (determined) before his inception and birth], that even before the birth of that noble man,
«بَكَتهُ السَّماءُ وَ مَن فيها وَ الأرضُ وَ مَن عَلَيها»
[The heavens and the ones in it and the earth and the ones living on it cried for him], [thus] it was for this reason that attention was drawn to Imam Ḥusayn b. ‘Alī (P.B.U.H.) in this tremendous mourning and his mourning was respected and honored and, as phrased in the supplication (du‘ā) or pilgrimage prayer (zīyāra), they cried for him. Therefore, you see today that Islam has been survived through Imam Ḥusayn (P.B.U.H.), and you regard him as the reviver of Islam.
1993/26/01