THE TRADEGY OF KARBALA PART 1 In The Name Of Allah, The Most Merciful & The Beneficent On the 10th of Muharram 61 A.H., a most abominable and tragic event occurred in the desert of Karbala that resulted in the martyrdom (shahadah) of Hussain Ibn Ali radhiAllahi `anhu, the grandson of our Prophet sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam and the son of his daughter, along with most of the members of his family and their supporters. It should be borne in mind that this tragedy did not take place all of a sudden like a bolt from the blue. It was in fact the manifestation of the plot of Sabayees which had claimed the life of Uthman radhiAllahi `anhu, the third Caliph and the son-in-law of the Prophet sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam twenty-five years earlier. Caliph Uthman´s martyrdom took place on 18th of Dhul-Hijjah, 36 A.H. We must not overlook the fact that the struggle between the forces of good and evil is a continuous process which never ends. In the history of mankind, evil has reigned supreme most of the time whereas the triumph of good has been sporadic and short-lived. Another well-established fact is that the evil forces, even if subdued and subjugated, never acknowledge total defeat. On the contrary, they become submissive for a while and lay low, waiting for an opportunity to strike back. Often the evil forces, when subdued, go underground but never abandon their struggle to cause rift and strife among their opponents. The Prophet of Islam sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam brought about an incomparable and unprecedented revolution in the history of mankind, a unique miracle for all times, and established a state and government to dispense justice to the people over a vast tract of the globe. In the words of the Qur´an: وَقُلْ جَآءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَـطِلُ And say, “Truth has come and falsehood has vanished…” [Surah al-Isra : 81] But toward the end of the Prophet´s revolution, the evil forces put on a disguise and lay low, waiting for the right moment for a counter-attack. Thus, immediately after the demise of the Prophet sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam, insurgencies raised their ugly heads against the Islamic state. False prophets and defiants of Zakat challenged the central authority and waged wars against the state of Madeenah. These were the counter-revolutionary forces, determined to disintegrate the newly established Islamic state; but through resolute and prompt action, Abu Bakr Siddique radhiAllahi `anhu, the first Caliph, defeated them and consolidated the achievements of the Prophet´s Islamic Revolution. It was a great service to Islam rendered by the first Caliph who had a short but glorious reign. In the next twenty years which include the reigns of Umar radhiAllahi `anhu and Uthman radhiAllahi `anhu, the second and third Caliph of Islam, many more countries were conquered under the banner of Islam and the Muslim empire extended over a vast expanse of the globe, comprising Iraq, Syria, Iran on one side and a large part of North Africa including Egypt and Morocco on the other. But the historical process has its immutable laws. As the Revolution of the Prophet sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam was challenged by the reactionary movements on the Arab land, the same happened with the conquests of those two Caliphs. The first target of these reactionaries was Umar radhiAllahi `anhu who was assassinated by Abu Luloo Feroze, a Persian slave from Iran. It was purely an Iranian plot hatched by Hurmuzan, an Iranian general, who thought that if Umar radhiAllahi `anhu was removed from the scene, the empire of Islam would fall like a house of cards. But by the grace of Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala, it survived the calamity. Abdullah Ibn Saba, a Jew from Yemen, under the garb of a Muslim, took his sojourn at Madeenah. He had all the trappings of an expert plotter and the Jewish genius at intrigues, an attribute of his clan. He planted subversive ideas among the people. He pleaded for the usurped rights of the house of the Prophet sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam, carried out a propaganda campaign against Caliph Uthman radhiAllahi `anhu and incited the people to revolt. He declared Ali radhiAllahi `anhu to be the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam and dubbed Uthman radhiAllahi `anhu as a usurper. He told people that every Prophet has a wasee and Ali radhiAllahi `anhu is the wasee of Prophet Mohammad sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam and, therefore, entitled to be the caliph after the Prophet. He also preached the divinity of Ali radhiAllahi `anhu, thus striking at Tauheed, the very root of Islam. The Iranians, who had embraced Islam only a few years before, were taken in by this propaganda because they had a long history of kingship and hero-worship. They were familiar with the divine rights of kings, and hero-worship was diffused in their blood. They readily accepted these ideas and became their champions. Abdullah Ibn Saba travelled all over the Muslim lands and set up his propaganda centers at Basra and Kufa, but his attempts failed in Damascus. Then he went to Egypt where he formed a party of his supporters. Consequently, the last two years of Caliph Uthman´s radhiAllahi `anhu reign were filled with machinations, intrigue, and turmoil all over Muslim territories. It culminated in the most unjustified murder (martyrdom) of Caliph Uthman radhiAllahi `anhu who was the ruler of a vast empire and had tens of thousands of soldiers under his command but refused to shed the blood of Muslims in self-protection. Governors of provinces from all over the empire besought the Caliph to allow them to send troops to quell the uprising and to protect his person from the rebels who had surrounded his residence, but he remained strict and steadfast in his decision. It is perhaps a unique and unprecedented episode in the entire history of mankind that a very powerful man, like the Caliph Uthman radhiAllahi `anhu, refused to use authority for his personal safety and let himself be assassinated. - PART 2 (continued from Part 1) The murder of Habeel (son of Adam) by his brother Qabeel is perhaps an incident comparable to Caliph Uthman´s radhiAllahi `anhu assassination. When Qabeel declared his intention to kill Habeel, the latter announced his resolve, in the words of the Qur´an, لَئِن بَسَطتَ إِلَىَّ يَدَكَ لِتَقْتُلَنِى مَآ أَنَاْ بِبَاسِطٍ يَدِىَ إِلَيْكَ لاًّقْتُلَكَ إِنِّى أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَـلَمِينَ If you do stretch your hand against me to kill me, I shall never stretch my hand against you to kill you, for I fear Allah; the Lord of all that exists. [Surah al-Ma`idah:28] [Read the tafseer of Surah al-Ma`idah Ayah 28] So, Habeel was assassinated by his brother and that was the first act of homicide in the history of mankind. It was a totally unjustified murder in which the victim refused to offer resistance as in the assassination of Caliph Uthman radhiAllahi `anhu. For such an act, Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala has declared His reward and punishment in the Qur´an, مِنْ أَجْلِ ذلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَى بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْساً بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً وَمَنْ أَحْيَـهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً Because of that, We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. [Surah al-Ma`idah:32] [Read the tafseer of Surah al-Ma`idah Ayah 32] Before Caliph Uthman´s assassination, Abdullah Ibn Salam radhiAllahi `anhu, a Jewish scholar who had converted to Islam, addressed the rebels surrounding the residence of the Caliph in these words, “O people! Beware of murdering a caliph of a Rasool (Messenger of Allah) for, I am a scholar of Torah and I tell you that Allah avenges the murder of His prophets and the murder of the deputies of his prophets (caliphs). There has hardly been any murder of a prophet which Allah has not avenged by inflicting death on seventy thousand people and the murder of a caliph by inflicting death on thirty five thousand people.” Now it is on record that, after the martyrdom of Uthman radhiAllahi `anhu, the conflict and strife among the Muslim continued for almost five years. Civil war broke out and three major battles — Jamal, Siffeen and Nahrwan — were fought, causing eighty four thousand deaths of Muslims at the hands of other Muslims. Many a pious and good Muslims were slained by the sword of fellow Muslims. Amongst them were eminent Companions like Talha, Zubair, Ammar Ibn Yasir and many more radhiAllahu anhum. Ali radhiAllahi `anhu, the fourth Caliph, also sacrificed his life in this strife. Ameer Mu´awiya radhiAllahi `anhu was also attacked but survived. Amar Ibn Al-Aas radhiAllahi `anhu survived a murder attempt due to an alibi; his proxy was killed instead. The schism and strife among the Muslims caused by Abdullah Ibn Saba and his followers claimed countless valuable lives. How Muslims Fell Victims to the Traps An instance from the authenticated record of the battle of Jamal is narrated here to illustrate how Muslims fell victims to the traps laid by the Sabayees. After the occupation of Basra, Umm-ul-Momineen A`aisha radhiAllahi `anha received a message from Caliph Ali radhiAllahi `anhu for talks and negotiation. It should be remembered that she was never a claimant for the caliphate. Her only demand was that the murderers of Uthman radhiAllahi `anhu must be punished immediately. Ali radhiAllahi `anhu offered to accept her demand if his hands were first strengthened by a declaration of allegiance to him by her group. Both the armies of A`aisha radhiAllahi `anhu and Ali radhiAllahi `anhu were facing each other and camping on the battle field when these negotiations started. The news of this negotiation reached Abdullah Ibn Saba and Malik Ibn Ashter Nakhey. They immediately pursued their nefarious plot to undermine the peace talks. Accordingly, under the cover of darkness, they, along with some of their followers, mounted an attack on Umm-ul-Momineen A`aisha´s camp and the rumor was spread that the attack was made by the forces loyal to Ali radhiAllahi `anhu. At the same time, they sent the word to Ali´s radhiAllahi `anhu camp that Umm-ul-Momineen A`aisha´s forces had initiated the attack. Consequently the opposing armies clashed with each other with all their might, leaving thousands dead on the battle field. It is a very painful part of Muslim history that no investigation to discover the truth in time was ever successful. During the reign of Caliph Ali radhiAllahi `anhu, the Muslim empire did not exist as a single state under one central authority but broke up into various power centers. Ameer Mu´awiya radhiAllahi `anhu, the governor of Syria, demanded avenge of Uthman´s murder. “The assassins of Uthman radhiAllahi `anhu are in your camp and they are your advisers. I will not declare allegiance to you unless they are punished,” he insisted. It should be borne in mind that Ameer Mu´awiya radhiAllahi `anhu did not put forward his claim to the Caliphate and was contented with the governorship of Syria. Whether his demand and pressure on Ali radhiAllahi `anhu was justified or not is an open issue, and everyone is entitled to have an opinion. May Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala shower His blessings on him. Part 3 (continued from Part 1 and Part 2) Caliph Ali radhiAllahi `anhu was killed by a Khariji, and Hassan radhiAllahi `anhu accepted the allegiance of the people at Kufa, a big army base. It appeared that another conflict was in the making. Hassan Ibn Ali radhiAllahi `anhu, leading a forty thousand strong contingent, marched to Madeenah where he had to confront Ameer Mu´awiya radhiAllahi `anhu, the governor of Syria, who faced him with a huge army. A small squad was leading the army of Hassan radhiAllahi `anhu. It was rumored that the squad had a clash with the enemy and suffered a defeat. The persons responsible for spreading this rumor were never identified. Upon hearing the rumor, the Kufi forces revolted against Hassan radhiAllahi `anhu and not only looted his camp but also manhandled him. He had to take refuge in Chosroes´ palace. But this incident shook the confidence of Hassan Ibn Ali radhiAllahi `anhu in his Kufi supporters; he therefore sent a word to Ameer Mu´awiya radhiAllahi `anhu for peace talks. Ameer Mu´awiya radhiAllahi `anhu not only accepted the offer but also sent a blank cheque, so to say, for a settlement in accordance with the terms of Hassan radhiAllahi `anhu, who laid down the following conditions: The tax collections from the province of Ahwaz shall be paid to Hassan (radhiAllahu `anhu). A grant of two million dirham shall be paid annually to Hussain (RadhiAllahu `anhu), his younger brother. Banu Hashim shall be preferred in the distribution of allowances and grants. A general amnesty shall be declared for all who took part in the battle. Ameer Mu´awiya radhiAllahi `anhu accepted all these terms and peace was restored in the sprawling empire. Strife and civil war came to an end and the state was unified under one central authority as he forced allegiance from all the dissidents. Hassan radhiAllahi `anhu commenting on the transfer of authority, said, “If Mu´awiya was the rightful successor to the Caliphate, he has received it and if I had that right, I, too, have passed it on to him; so the matter ends there.” This was in accordance with the prophecy of the Prophet sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam about Hassan radhiAllahi `anhu when he had said, “Through my son Hassan, Allah will bring about peace between two warring factions of Muslims.” It was an honor bestowed on Hassan radhiAllahi `anhu by Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala but the Sabayees were highly indignant at his peace move. They called him names and taunted him with the words “Ya Aar Al-Momineen” (O, Shame for the believers!) and “Ya Mozill Al-Momineen” (You, the debaser of the Believers!). Ostensibly they were his supporters, but in fact expressed their utter resentment at his action for peace making which ushered in an era of twenty years of unity and tranquility in the Muslim empire. Muslims belonging to Ahl Al-Sunnah Wal-Jama´ah (the Sunni sect of Islam) do not include Ameer Mu´awiya´s reign in Al-Khilafah Al-Rashidah (the period of Rightly Guided Caliphate). But Ameer Mu´awiya´s twenty years reign is still considered to be the best period in the entire Muslim history after Al-Khilafah Al-Rashidah, because during his reign all the functions of a Muslim state: - maintenance of peace, - dispensation of justice, - struggle for the supremacy of Islam, - dissemination of the Word of Allah were performed admirably well. Part 4 - (continued from Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3) Hassan Ibn Ali radhiAllahu `anhu lived for ten years during the reign of Ameer Muawiya radhiAllahu `anhu, and after the peace agreement between the two, they had a very close and friendly relationship. However, Hassan radhiAllahu `anhu was poisoned to death, most probably by the same group who were enraged at his armistice with Ameer Mu´awiya radhiAllahu `anhu. By no stretch of imagination this heinous deed can be ascribed to Ameer Mu´awiya radhiAllahu `anhu who had no grudge against Hassan radhiAllahu `anhu. Before we discuss the nomination of Yazeed as a successor to his father, it would be appropriate to understand some basic and relevant issues. Firstly, the differences in belief (aqeeda) and juristic interpretation (fiqh) among the various sects of the Muslim Ummah have been grossly exaggerated. The Sunnis have no disagreement regarding belief, and have only some minor differences over the interpretation of the Shari´ah. In fact, there are only two sects in Islam, i.e,. Sunni and Shi´ah, because they differ over beliefs as well as over the interpretation of Shari´ah. There are certain differences which do not cause the parting of ways. For instance, opinions about historical events and personalities can be overlooked. If one considers Ali radhiAllahu `anhu better than Abu Bakr radhiAllahu `anhu, one can do so because it does not contravene any basic tenet of Islam. However, the concept of the Infallible Imamate is unacceptable because it strikes at the very root of the concept of Prophethood. Only the prophets were continuously guarded against and protected by Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala from any sin, and with the termination of Prophethood the privilege of infallibility has been taken away by Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala from all the progeny of Adam. The door of personal judgment (Ijtihad) is open while the door of Divine Revelation (Nabuwwah) has been closed forever. Ijtihad, the exercise of personal judgment within the framework of the guidance provided by the Qur´an and the Sunnah (the sayings and doings of the Prophet) is a privilege vouchsafed to every Muslim who is well-versed in the teachings of Islam. The possibility of an error of judgment can never be ruled out because to err is human. But any judgment or decision made in good faith and with a clear conscience has a reward for the judge, regardless of the correctness of the judgment. That is the belief of the Muslim Ummah. In the light of this principle, we can judge the actions of all the caliphs of Islam to be without malice and can hold any opinion we like provided it is not derogatory to their status as the Companions of the Prophet sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam. Yazeed’s Nomination By His Father Now let us look at the issue of Yazeed´s nomination by his father, Ameer Muawiya radhiAllahu `anhu, as an heir-apparent to the caliphate. According to authentic historical records, it was done on the advice of Mugheera Ibn Sho´ba radhiAllahu `anhu who was a very intelligent and far-sighted Companion of the Prophet sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam. He argued that on the death of Ameer Mu´awiya radhiAllahu `anhu the issue of his succession, if remained uncertain, might plunge the Ummah once again into a war as had happened in the pre-Mu´awiya period; hence it was advisable to nominate a person to wield authority in the event of Ameer Mu´awiyah´s death. He also suggested the name of Ameer Mu´awiya´s son Yazeed for the job. Now it is open to question whether this decision was justified or not, but no aspersions should be cast on Ameer Mu´awiya or Mugheera radhiAllahu `anhum who arrived at the conclusion with a clear conscience and in good faith. Both occupy venerable positions in the order of merit of the Companions of the Prophet. Mugheera radhiAllahu `anhu was one of those who swore allegiance to the Prophet sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam under the tree (on the occasion of Baiy´ah Al-Ridwan) and Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala has commended all of them who took part in that [see Surah al-Fath Ayah 18] He remained a faithful friend and supporter of Ali radhiAllahu `anhu throughout his life. But much water had flown under the bridge since Ali´s times and he could apprehend danger in the absence of most of the influential Companions of the Prophet sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam who had died by then (60 A.H.). The new generation did not have that sense of responsibility or moral embellishment as the old had. In view of such arguments, they took a decision counter to the democratic spirit inculcated by the Prophet sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam among his followers. Nevertheless, they cannot be condemned as having ulterior motives of their own, apart from the good of the Ummah, because the Sunnis believe in the diction which asserts: All Companions of the Prophet were just. We can differ with the Companions, but we cannot malign them as mala fide. Now look at the other side of the picture. Many prominent dignitaries among the Muslims including the three Ibad Allah — i.e., Abdullah Ibn Zubair Abdullah Ibn Omar, Abdullah Ibn Abbas radhiAllahu `anhum as also Hussain Ibn Ali radhiAllahu `anhu and Abdur Rehman Ibn Abu Bakr radhiAllahu `anhu — not only disapproved of Yazeed´s nomination but also declared it against the spirit of Islam. The historic comment of Abdur Rahman Ibn Abu Bakr radhiAllahu `anhu, when he was asked for allegiance to Yazeed´s heirship, is well worth taking note of. He said, “Now instead of acting upon the Prophet’s and the rightly guided Caliphs’ tradition, do you want to adopt the tradition of Caesar and Chosroes?” Also, the fact cannot be overlooked that, except these five prominent Muslims, many others, including a large number of the Companions of the Prophet sallAllahu `aalyhi wa sallam, swore allegiance to Yazeed´s nomination. All these people cannot be maligned and declared mala fide. The only right conduct for us could be to absolve all those who supported Yazeed as well as those who opposed him of all blame because they all acted according to their convictions and for the good of the Muslim Ummah. (continued in next post) Book: The Tragedy of Karbala Author: Dr. Israr Ahmad Download PDF in Urdu: Saniha-e-Karbala_Book
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 10:00:00 +0000
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