Why Imam Husayn ('A) went to Karbala When He knew he'd be Martyred?

In regards to the shahada of Husayn, if a person wants to look at the actions of Imam Husayn, they can look at his generosity. They can look at what he did whilst in Madina Al-Munawara. They can look at what he did whilst going towards Karbala. All of these are mentioned in the books of history, the qualities of Imam Husayn through his action. But shahada, by far, is the greatest.

Of the things that he has given, this shahada was the greatest. Often I quote here, when it comes to look at the philosophy of this sacrifice, I quote here one of the examples that one of the ulama' had given to understand the sacrifice of Husayn, alayhi as-salam, because someone who doesn't believe in this person as an Imam, or he doesn't take Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, as Lord of the worlds, may read this story and take something else from his mind.

For example, he reads that the followers of Ahl Al-Bayt believe that an Imam is aware of when he is going to die. He knows that he is going to die. Amir Al-Mu'minin, alayhi as-salam, is aware. His daughter, Umm Kulthum, says, why are you going then to the Masjid? He says, 'La mafar min qadha Illah'. There's no running away from that which has been destined by Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala.

In the same way, Imam Husayn knows that he's going to be killed in Karbala. He knows that Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala: "Inna Allaha yara', aw yasha 'an yaraka, qatila", Allah wishes for you to be killed, and He wishes for your women to be made captive. He knows this. Someone reads that he knows that this is going to take place. Why then does he go to that place? Isn't this him going towards his own destruction? Someone may think of this.

The answer is very beautiful, to understand this sacrifice. The example that is given is that two people are walking. They are walking in the field, speaking to one another. Next to them is a train track that goes through the countryside. They live 15 or 20 minutes away from this place. They know the area very well. As they are walking, they are walking, they are walking. They get to a part where this train track goes across a bridge and underneath there is water. There is a very large drop. As they are walking and walking and walking, they get to the bridge. They notice that half of this bridge has been broken. Half of this track has broken.

What is going to happen? They know that 20 minutes away, there is a train. It comes every single day, for example, at 2 P.M. It passes this place at 2 P.M. Every single day. It's one 40. I know that when this train will get here, the driver will not be aware that this track has broken, the bridge has broken, and an accident will take place, and every single person in that train will die. I know it. The fall that will take place, every single one will die. What do they do? They start walking backwards. Let's go back and find this train. Let's find this driver. They walk back to try and meet the train midway. They see the train, for example, is a few hundred meters away. One of them says to the other, there's a few options we have.

Either as this driver is going, I wave to him, I throw, for example, a pebble on his window, stop, stop, stop. He's not going to stop. Or I stand in front of this train. As soon as he sees me, what will he do? As soon as he will see me, he will press the brakes to stop, not to kill me. I'm going to stand a bit far away, but as soon as he sees me, he is going to stop. Either he will stop in time and I will live, or he won't be able to stop in time and I will die. If the second happens, you run towards the driver and tell him that this person hasn't committed suicide. Rather, he has protected all of the 200 people in the train from dying and going towards their death.

In the same way, Imam Husayn alayhi as-salam, says, I realized that Banu Umaya and Yazid had broken this track that was the track of Islam, that was the path to Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala. I go to Karbala. When I go to Karbala to speak against injustice, to speak in support of human values, I may be killed. If I am killed, it is the job, that second person, it was the job of that second person to go and tell the driver this person has not committed suicide. He has saved all of the people in this train.

In the same way, he says, it was the job of Zaynab Al-Kubra. Tell the people, Husayn has not committed suicide. Husayn's sacrifice has saved the Iman of every single believer till the Day of Qiyamah ['ala Muhammad wa 'aali Muhammad salawat! Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa Aali Muhammad].

'Inna laka fi 'l-jinani la darajatin la tanaluha illa bi shahadah'. O Husayn, this was your shakhsiyyah! The actions you gave, the blood that you allowed to spill from your body, from the heart, from the depths of your heart, this blood that spelt, that fell on the plains of Karbala.These were the actions that you gave. Brothers in Islam, there are certain things that he was given in Akhirah, solely for this shahadah.

What type of flame is Husayn alayhi as-salam? What type of flame and candle that he has made every single person who is a believer into a moth, circumambulating this flame of Husayn alayhi as-salam?

You have come again like a flame is placed and the moth is going around. You have gathered again to do tawaf of the flame that is Misbahu al-Huda, wa as-Safinat un-Najah.