I begin in the name of God, and the one to whom I owe my entire existence; my master Hussain (peace and blessings be upon him) - the torch of justice that shall never be extinguished.
Before embarking on a journey or beginning a new endeavour, preparation is of utmost importance. And what better time to take our initial steps towards spiritual reform, than upon the onset of the new Islamic year? The following are some useful points of reflection which can help to set the foundations upon which we can build and make the most of this mourning period.
1. Why Muharram?
The first point we must reflect upon and thoroughly comprehend is the significance of Imam Hussain's remembrance. Why is it that we narrate his tragedy year upon year? Why are the same incidents repeated from the pulpits annually? To understand this question, one must fully acknowledge and appreciate the central position that Imam Hussain and his supreme sacrifice hold in relation to this religion. Karbala is not merely a tragedy that is heart-breaking and therefore we cry over it. Neither can it be compared with other revolutionary stories in the history of mankind. While there are specific lessons to be learnt, such as humanity, perseverance, kindness, resistance, patience, and so on; above and beyond this, Imam Hussain embodies the core principles and beliefs which form the basis of our religion. No event in history showcases Islam in its true essence nor in its entirety, the way Imam Hussain does on the day of Ashura. His performance on that day defines for us our primary focus in this life, and the purpose of our existence - to serve God. He perfectly demonstrates what it means to devote oneself to the service of God. He shows us how to love God, and what it means to submit to His will and be content with His decree. Despite enduring tragedy upon tragedy, he remained so firm in his submission, that even with his head mounted upon a spear, his lips continued to utter nothing but the praise of his Lord. How great a person must he be, who after witnessing the brutal massacre of his near and dear, still finds it within himself to do nothing but turn to His Lord and thank Him for the chance to sacrifice in His way? This, to me, encompasses the very essence of Islam - ultimate submission. To what extent does our love for God dictate our thoughts, actions and decisions? Are we so immersed in our love for Him, that we set aside our own desires and find inner-contentment so long as He is satisfied and pleased?
We must not allow our understanding of Karbala to remain shallow. Engaging in deep reflection on this tragedy is essential to understanding its magnitude. It is only then, that one is able to truly appreciate the importance of reviving the remembrance of Imam Hussain every year.
2. Why tears?
We must also understand the significance of the commemoration in itself. Why is it important that we mourn him? Why not simply remember the tragedy, and take lessons from it? Surely it would be just as beneficial - what does mourning achieve? What are we gaining by crying and conducting mourning rituals in the way that we do?
There are several layers to this. Firstly, any attempts of watering down the tragedy by removing the emotional aspect, and strictly intellectualising it, is to simply undermine its gravity.
Islam is a holistic religion, which takes into consideration the human being's natural instincts. People tend to resonate more with events or individuals when they connect with them emotionally. Crying upon Imam Hussain is the best way to remember him and uphold his message. Had the crying element of Imam Hussain's remembrance not existed, I doubt many of us would feel as strongly and connect as closely with the tragedy. It evokes passion, and is therefore a way of ensuring his remembrance is kept alive. And had there been a better way than this, our Imams would surely have recommended it. Which brings us to the second point. Crying upon Imam Hussain is the sunnah of the Prophets, RasoolAllah, and all the Imams (pbut). The Imams themselves would pay people handsomely to narrate the tragedy and recite poetry for Aba Abdillah (as).
Thirdly, does Imam Hussain gain anything from our tears? Does Allah gain anything? Of course not. These tears only benefit our own souls and hearts, just like every other act which Allah has prescribed as compulsory or recommended for us. These tears soften our hearts which have been hardened as a result of the abundance of our sins. They humble us. And last but not least, these tears bring ease to the heart of the Mother of Hussain, Lady Fatema al Zahra (as). When she heard of the tragedy that shall befall her beloved son, she asked the Prophet (pbuh), 'who will mourn my son? Who will remember his tragedies and weep upon him?' To which the Prophet (pbuh) promised, that Allah would create a nation, who would remember her beloved Hussain year after year, weep upon him, and will ensure that his remembrance never ceases.
3. Change!
Muharram, like the blessed month of Ramadhan, is a chance for spiritual cleanse. We enter Muharram dressed in the sins we have collected over the year, and cleanse ourselves with our tears. The last thing we want is to fall back into our same sinful habits after the mourning period has finished. Don't limit Muharram to shedding a few tears on a sad story. There is so much we can take from it, and we can utilise it to better ourselves as humans, Muslims and as Shia of the Ahlulbayt. We should seek to become individuals who make Imam Hussain proud to call his Shia.
Can we truly claim to love Imam Hussain whilst committing that which hurts him? Let's not be hypocrites. In ziyarat warith we say يا ليتنا كنا معكم فنفوز معكم - 'if only we were present with you at Karbala, we would have succeeded with you.' How much do we actually mean this? How can we claim that we would willingly give our life for Imam Hussain, when we cannot even give up minor acts of disobedience? How can we cry upon the wounds of Hussain, whilst wounding the Hussain of our time with our actions? How do we, as lovers of the Ahlulbayt, allow for our deeds to be the cause of our Imam's (atf) tears?
Imam Hussain is Allah's sign upon this earth. His remembrance is Allah's remembrance and he is our pathway to reaching Allah (swt). Let us therefore use this month to make new pledges to Allah and our Imams. Take active steps to change that which is lacking in you, and remove any barriers which are obstructing you from reaching Allah (swt).
4. Give back - Serve Hussain
Imam Hussain is the reason that we wake up as Muslims everyday of our lives. Be it salah, fasting, Hajj; everything that we have of Islam, and everything we are today, is due to him and his great sacrifice. We are forever indebted to him, and will never be able to repay even an iota of what he has given for us. However, Allah says in the Qur'an:
هل جزاء الإحسان إلا الإحسان
"Is the reward for good [anything] but good?" (55:60)
It is incumbent upon us to give back and show gratitude to those who have favoured us. And truly who has favoured us more than Imam Hussain (as) has? All he went through, and all he witnessed on that fateful day, he did for us - so that this pure religion reaches us intact. During his final moments, when he stood alone on the battlefield, surrounded by the corpses of his beloved, he remembered us. His Shia. So how can we owe anything less than our entire lives to him? Use your time, your skills, talents, wealth, and knowledge to give back to Imam Hussain. Do not selfishly enter each Muharram intending only to gain from it. Offer something to the Imam (as) in return. Show him that you have worked towards serving him and his message.
The above are reminders to myself before anyone else. I pray we can all make the most of these holy days and may Allah accept our 'aza for the sake of Fatema al Zahra (as) inshaAllah.
