Why Studying Imam Husayn (A) and Karbala is Important?

When you and I recall the great name of Husayn, one of the things that indeed come to our mind is: it is difficult to see anyone other than his grandfather and his father whose name is uttered and mentioned as much as this illustrious individual. He is one of the masters of the youth of paradise. His name evokes tremendous passion, commitment, loyalty and love throughout the world.

His legacy, his teachings, his life and his words deserve to be studied by each and every human being for the advancement and prosperity of humanity. He is the grandson of the Holy Prophet, the light in the eyes of Ali and Fatimah, the tremendous inspiration towards the Ahl Al-Bayt and the Imams chosen by God. A man who has truly been the centre of the thoughts and the remembrance of millions of human beings.

Sayyid ash-Shuhada', the master of martyrs, Al-Imam Al-Husayn Ibn Ali, salawat Allahi wa as-salamu alayh. If this is not sufficient, the association with Allah, that which the messenger of God has placed when he says: Husaynun minni wa ana min Husayn. I am from Husayn and Husayn is from me. Then I ask you tell me of any other human being in history who has brought the hearts and minds in the millions on an annual basis in this several million people march towards the city of Husayn, the city of martyrs?

And that is Karbala. Tell me any other human being other than Husayn. Who has been the instrument and has been the inspiration behind the shaking of the foundations of the tyrants and the despots, and those that have ruled through injustice? When they hear Husayn, they are fearful. Tell me anyone other than Husayn whose name is chanted and uttered with so much passion and emotion around the world on an annual basis by so many millions of human beings without coercion, without any force?

Around every corner of the globe there is a Husaynia or a mosque or an Imambarga or a few people marching, crying out Labbayka ya Husayn. Tell me of any other human being whose shrine has been destroyed so many times, yet built so many times, once again to continue to be the beacon of hope for those who are oppressed and those who are seeking justice.

Truly Husayn is the father of the revolutionaries. Truly Husayn is the father of the free. Truly the name Husayn invokes such tremendous loyalty and association that is unique.

There are groups of people who come forward and argue the following. They have an objection. They say studying history is what? Problematic. Why? There was a famous British philosopher, his name is Frederick Castleton. He came forward and he has a book. His book is Philosophy of History or History of Philosophy. He comes forward and he says the following. He says it is very difficult for a historian to look at any event in history without placing their own opinion on it. They can not just narrate it. They can not just place it before humankind. They have to have their two cents, they have to have their analytical viewpoint towards that event or incident that they narrate. Therefore narrating history is problematic, because it becomes subjective.

And interestingly, we have a school within the Muslim Umma that argues we should not be studying history, we should not be looking at the lives of these individuals, we should not be analysing these events. Why? It says because the past is past. Let bygones be bygones. A famous scholar by the name of Imam Al-Gazali, followed by millions of people today around the world. His books are read, people are what? Very much in love with him.

He says we should not necessarily reflect on what happened on the tenth of Muharram. He says Yazid made a mistake and therefore, consequently, we should not delve into this because it creates too much friction. And what is interesting about this school of thought and this opinion is, it is clearly contradictory to the Qur'an. It is clearly contradictory to the teachings of the Holy Prophet of Islam himself. Why? The Qur'an comes forward with the stories of prophets and non-prophets.

The Qur'an comes forward and analyses, for example, the personality of Pharaoh, Fir'awun. 72 times in the Qur'an, Fir'awun is mentioned and his life looked at in different angles. Not because he is a role model, but so that you and I can stay away from anything that Fir'awun did. That he becomes an example of evil and traits that you and I must distance ourselves from. The study of history is presented in the Qur'an.

The Qur'an is not a book of history. However, it has highlighted the need to carefully scrutinise and analyse what the people of the past did. So that we can take important lessons, so that you and I are able to be what? Are able to be guided and that we can look at what is right and indeed what is wrong.

And that is why you see today in many countries around the world, in the vast majority of educational establishments, they study history, because what? It illuminates, it gives us patterns, it allows us to study trends, it allows us to step back and reflect. However, sometimes the study of history is done only for fun and entertainment. Sometimes people read history only for enjoyment.

This is where the Qur'an rejects and says: Bismi-Llah, Al-Rahmani, Al-Rahim "lakad kana fi qisasihim ibrah" (12:111). There is in the stories a bridge, 'ibrah' in Arabic means what? Means something that takes you from one place to another a physical construction, like a bridge. When you and I study history, it is as if we are walking that bridge and transcending time; in order for us to be living amongst those environments. And here is one thing, people often when we examine historical accounts, like that of Sayyid Ash-Shuhada', like that of the Sira of the Holy Messenger of God, like that of Amir Al-Mu'minin and Sayidatu Al-Nisa Fatimat uz-Zahra', salawatu Allahi wa as-salamu alayhum [Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa Aali Muhammad].

When we analyse their lives and study historical accounts, some people come forward and say how do we know this is actually what happened? How do we know this is a true reflection of these events that these illustrious individuals actually went through? Do we have to subject the historical accounts to the same scrutiny that 'Ulama today do towards narrations of Fiqh and jurisprudence? Do we have to make sure that they are so sound and they are so strong in order for us to accept these narrations? Because there is a process that our scholars for 1400 years have delved into to ensure that our prayers and our duties as far as what? As far as the Ahkam of Shari'a, the Islamic law is pristine because, narration after narration is studied in accordance with, for example, with 'Ilm ul-hadith or 'Ilm ur-rijal to study the authenticity of these particular narrations. Do we need to do so for historical narrations or no?

You see, not enough attention has been placed when it comes to historical works. And as far as their defining authenticity or establishing whether some are tremendously weak and some are very strong. And on that basis we use an important principle, which you and I need to be aware of. Which I must highlight before we start this wonderful movement. I prefer the word movement to journey, when I study the lives of the Ahl Al-Bayt, because a journey has an end, a movement is continuing.

The more we delve into the illustrious life of Ali and Husayn and all of the Ahl Al-Bayt, the more we become enriched. The more we feel in love with them, the more we get close to Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala. And that movement has no end.

Recently there was a famous author who has written about what? About the life of the Messenger of God. Her name is Leslie Hazelton. She had written extensively. She said last week I heard her myself. She said, People tell me that after the Prophet of Islam, was the golden years of Islam. I say, how can it be the golden years? Within 50 years, the body of his grandson is mutilated. His family is what? Paraded from street to street, being beaten, being enslaved. The body of the grandson as well as other family members are trampled.

50 years by the same Ummah or part of the Ummah that declared that they will follow the Messenger of God. How do we understand this? In the courtyard of Yazidi, when he was poking the head of Husayn, there was a man who was from Rome, an ambassador of the Roman king. He stood up and he said, oh Yazid, who is this head that you are poking? He said, It is not of your business.

He said, I wish to know because if when I go back to my king he will ask me what did you see, Narrate to me, what did you witness? Who is the father and who is the mother of this man? He says the father is Ali, the mother is Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet. This man was enraged with anger.

A Roman Christian ambassador, looked at Yazid and said, woe be to you. I am a great descendant of Dawood, the Prophet, and we have something that we think belong to Jesus. And I am honoured and continuously placed in high esteem in my community. And you have the grandson of your Prophet and you treat him this way.

The question that we have to pose today is have we understood Husayn? Have we appreciated about Aba Abdillah and his legacy? Have we unraveled the secrets behind his success and his eternal remembrance?

But here is a very important question. When we remember Karbala, when we remember Aba Abdillah al-Husayn, and everything that he stood for, often what is associated is the day of Ashura, the 10th of Muharram. And what a day Ashura is. Truly, Ashura is a day where justice defeated injustice, where freedom broke the shackles of slavery, where human rights were demonstrated, where sacrifice was manifested, where the army of Allah eternally defeated the army of Shaytan. Ashura is indeed something much more than a day in history. It means so much to so many people.

Yet Aba Abdillah al-Husayn is much more than Ashura. When I wish to understand who Husayn is, when I wish to be truly moved, when I wished my life to resemble that of the grandson of the Holy Prophet, I need to understand this great individual much more than one day. Very surely, without a shadow of a doubt, Husayn is the ship of salvation, and the lantern of guidance.

Some people come forward and say, this is too much praise, this is exaggeration. This is not something that you should say about this particular individual. What do we say back to them? We say to them, you are missing the point, and you are missing the means of salvation. Latch onto Husayn before it's too late. Why? In order to love Allah, you need to love Husayn. And to love Husayn, you become in love with Allah because this is the promise of the Prophet of Islam.

He says: "ahabba Allah man ahabba Husayn", Allah loves whomsoever loves Husayn. In order to understand the messenger of God, to obey and follow Rasul Allah, you need to love and follow Husayn. And when you love and follow Husayn, you are automatically loving and following the Prophet of Islam.