The Mahdi Times December Issue | Page 50

THE MESSAGEOF KARBALA December 2011 By: aliwaley The questions and issues surrounding the martyrdom of Imam Hussain a.s and the tragedy of Karbala arise in the minds of every other Muslim such as 'What do we understand from the tragic incident of Karbala?" "What message did Imam Hussain a.s try to spread while shedding his blood in Karbala?" "Why do we commemorate this month of grief?"  The Muharram period is time to revive and renew the spirit of Islam in our hearts while remembering our pledge to the grandson of Muhammad (pbuhahf). A pledge to fully understand the message of this most significant event in history. The message my friends, is the message of faith in one God and the continuation of regular prayer and Submission to this One God. Our beloved Imam (a.s) spread this message through a battle. The battle between justice and falsehood, freedom and slavery, humanity and oppression, between those who are really alive and between those whose conscience is dead, although they do not perceive.  When Prophet Muhammad (pbuhahf) informed Lady Fatima (a.s) of the martyrdom of her son, Hussain (a.s), she burst into tears and asked her father: "O my father!  When would be my son martyred? " The messenger of Allah (pbuhahf) replied: "At such a critical moment when neither I nor you, nor Ali would be alive." She (a.s) then 50 asked: "Who then, O my father, would remember and cry over my Hussain, each year in every century?" To this, the Prophet (pbuhahf) replied: "The men and the women of a particular group of my followers, who will befriend my Ahlul-Bayt (a.s), will mourn for Hussain (a.s) and commemorate his martyrdom each year in every century."  Imam Hussain (a.s) for the sake of keeping alive Islam and all humanitarian values refused to bow in front of tyranny and the inhuman nature of Yazid (l.a) and valiantly courted the most heartrending tragedy of history in the year 61 AH.  Our beloved Prophet (pbuhahf) has said about his grandson: "Hussain is from me and I am from Hussain."  He (pbuhahf) has also said about his two grandsons: "Hassan and Hussain are the leaders of the youth of paradise."  These two ahadith of the Prophet (pbuh) reveal to us the importance of Imam Hussain (a.s) and highlights the value and superiority of Imam Hussain (a.s) as the leader of paradise. Thus, explaining to us the fact that the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (a.s) was a great loss to the Muslims.   Imam Ali (a.s) said: Surely Allah has chosen for us followers (Shiites),