Saviour of Humanity by NADEEM NAQVI is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
An event, which took place in the land of Iraq some 1400 years ago, is still fresh in the human memories. Even the best healer–time–has not been able to heal this tragic episode.
The beloved grandson of Prophet Mohammad (P.U.H.), Husain with only 72 followers, who were symbol of humanity, peace, love, brotherhood, submission, etc. fought a battle against the evil to the surprising ratio of 72:100,000. These 72 worriers were deprived of even the basic necessity–water–for three days. All this happened in the desert of Iraq where thirst is the biggest enemy of human life.
After the demise of Prophet Mohammad (P.U.H.), the so-called Muslim of that time used sword to spread Islam—which was not admissible to the family of the Prophet. Moaviyah and his illegitimate son Yazid took the reins of Islam by sword and money power. Yazid started interfering in the fundamentals of the faith and practiced every vice and wickedness freely with the highest degree of impunity and yet held himself out as the successor of the Holy Prophet, demanding allegiance to himself as the leading guide of the faith. Pay allegiance to Yazid was nothing short of acknowledging the devil as God. People under this ruler were at unrest. From Kufa–another town in Iraq–the residents wrote letters to Husain assuring him to uproot the rule of Yazid and thus requiring his help. On frequent reminders, Husain started his journey from his birthplace Medina towards Kufa. On the way, news reached Husain that most of his true followers were killed and the remaining ones have turned hostile under the influence of Yazid. This made Husain to turn towards Karbala—a town on the banks of Euphrates. On the way, Yazid's force in the command of Hur were given water to quench their thirst by Husain’s men, much of the stored water was utilised in this human gesture. On the destined land, the Yazid’s forces stopped Husain and demanded him to accept Yazid as the Caliph of Islam. To this Husain objected and asked for way so that he could move towards India and professed India to be a land of peace, unity, love, respect, and sovereignty. The only option given to him was to accept Yazid as the Caliph or to die.
Remember battlefield is only for the worriers but with Husain there were ladies, children and aged friends. It was the terrorist ideas of Yazid that his men were all prepared for the war, to suppress the noble voice of real Islam.
Firstly, the Yazid’s army stopped the water supply to the camps of Husain—the one who quenched their thirst in the desert on the way to Karbala. In this desert with no water for three days the youngest son of Husain–Ali Asghar, only six months of age–could not have his mother’s nectar either, made Husain to beg for water from the terrorist of that time. He addressed the army to give some water to the child in order to save his life and child is loveable to the hardest criminal. The address of Husain was answered in form of dart, which transfixed the thirsty neck of Ali Asghar and also the arm of Husain. These acts are of terrorist not of humans.
In spite of all this, the 72 worriers of Husain did not fight against the forces of Yazid jointly hoping death after death of thirsty worriers could make some effect on the mind and soul of the evil forces. All were killed and their heads were cut and fixed on the spheres and their bodies were marred by the horses—making the episode of Karbala a blot on the humanism of humanity.
Husain’s will was to move towards India, though he could not come here physically but Indians has given Husain and his ideology due respect. All the great personalities of India; Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Bhagat Singh, Pandit Chander Prakash, Swamy Kaljuganand, Munshi Premchand, Raghupati Sahay ‘Firaq’ Gorakhpuri, to name a few, have practiced or praised Husain’s character and ideology.
On the first movement against British, Mahatma Gandhi took only 72 men with him saying, “Husain fought against the tyrant ruler with 72 men and Husain’s principles can lead India to glory”.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru –
“Generations down line since the tragedy of Karbala have been deeply effected by the innocence of Imam Husain and his men. It has always been and will be a source of learning the ethics to lead a noble life”.
Pandit Chander Prakash –
“Lord Krishna in Bhagwat Gita’s chapter 12 has mentioned 14 qualities to be found in man for him to become the ‘Apostle of God’”. Panditji said, “Accumulation of all the 14 qualities are only in Imam Husain, as described by Lord Krishna in Bhagwat Gita”.
Swamy Kaljuganand on his teachings of Karbala has given some points, which are as under –
I. All the humans are brothers irrespective of cast, creed, and colour.
II. No discrimination according to wealth and birth. All are creation of God.
III. Follow the truth until death.
IV. Face the cruel and fight against cruelty.
Raghupati Sahay ‘Firaq’ Gorakhpuri –
“Name of Husain is nectar for humanity. This name wettens my eyes and I fall short of words to describe his everesting personality”.
Rulers of India–not only Muslims–have have been mourning on the tragedy of Karbala year after year. Many Hindus and Sikhs decorate Tazia (Tableau of Husain’s grave), Alam (Sacred flag) and do Matam (Breast-beating) on the advent of Muharram and believe in Husain’s saying, “DEATH OF HONOUR IS BETTER THAN LIFE OF DISHONOUR”.
It is the love of our fellow Indians that we mourn our forefathers on the roads of our country without a slightest fear of anything. We spread the word of Husain—LIVE AND LET LIVE.
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