“Oh, Allah, You are my only trust in every calamity. You are my only hope in every hardship. You are the only promise in anxiety and distress, in which hearts become weak and (human) action becomes slight, whereby one is deserted and forsaken by his own friends, and the enemies take malicious pleasure and rejoice at his misfortunes. Oh, Allah, I submit myself to You. My complaint is to You alone against my enemies, and to You alone is my desire and request. Who else other than You can relieve me from grief? You alone are the custodian of every blessing and the master of every excellence and the last resort for every desire.” —the prayer of the Imam-Husayn (AS) on the Day of Ashura
This book is one of the many Islamic publications distributed by Mustafa Organization throughout the world in different languages with the aim of conveying the message of Islam to the people of the world. Mustafa Organization is a registered Organization that operates and is sustained through collaborative efforts of volunteers in many countries around the world, and it welcomes your involvement and support. Its objectives are numerous, yet its main goal is to spread the truth about the Islamic faith in general and the Shi`a School of Thought in particular due to the latter being misrepresented, misunderstood and its tenets often assaulted by many ignorant folks, Muslims and non-Muslims. Organization's purpose is to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge through a global medium, the Internet, to locations where such resources are not commonly or easily accessible or are resented, resisted and fought!
In 680 C.E., a small band of the Prophet Muhammads family and their followers, led by his grandson, Husain, rose up in a rebellion against the ruling caliph, Yazid. The family and its supporters, hopelessly outnumbered, were massacred at Karbala, in modern-day Iraq. The story of Karbala is the cornerstone of institutionalized devotion and mourning for millions of Shii Muslims. Apart from its appeal to the Shii community, invocations of Karbala have also come to govern mystical and reformist discourses in the larger Muslim world. Indeed, Karbala even serves as the archetypal resistance and devotional symbol for many non-Muslims. Until now, though, little scholarly attention has been given to the widespread and varied employment of the Karbala event. In Reliving Karbala, Syed Akbar Hyder examines the myriad ways that the Karbala symbol has provided inspiration in South Asia, home to the worlds largest Muslim population. Rather than a unified reading of Islam, Hyder reveals multiple, sometimes conflicting, understandings of the meaning of Islamic religious symbols like Karbala. He ventures beyond traditional, scriptural interpretations to discuss the ways in which millions of very human adherents express and practice their beliefs. By using a panoramic array of sources, including musical performances, interviews, nationalist drama, and other literary forms, Hyder traces the evolution of this story from its earliest historical origins to the beginning of the twenty-first century. Today, Karbala serves as a celebration of martyrdom, a source of personal and communal identity, and even a tool for political protest and struggle. Hyder explores how issues related to gender, genre, popular culture, class, and migrancy bear on the cultivation of religious symbols. He assesses the manner in which religious language and identities are negotiated across contexts and continents. At a time when words like martyrdom, jihad, and Shiism are being used and misused for political reasons, this book provides much-needed scholarly redress. Through his multifaceted examination of this seminal event in Islamic history, Hyder offers an original, complex, and nuanced view of religious symbols.
How a Christian called al-Wahhab fought on the side of Imam Husayn at Karbala against the forces of darkness. That battle between tyranny and freedom took place long ago but it continues today. All sincere believers, Christians and Muslims alike, can join in.
This is my humble effort to compile a short but comprehensive book about the history of the Grand Terror Attack on Islam in Karbala 680 CE. Holy son of Rasool Allah (sawaw) Wali Ullah Maola Imam Hussain (asws) gave the greatest sacrifice in Karbala to save Tauheed and Deen of Allah. This task of sacrifice was completed by the holy daughters (sa) of Rasool Allah (sawaw) in Kufa and Shaam. Imam Hussain (asws) and Syyeda Masooma Zainab-al-Kubra (sa) defeated all the evil forces of the universe. Yazid (l.u.) wanted to disfigure the face and foundation of the Deen of Allah by his personal judgement i.e. Qiyas and Zunn. Imam Hussain (asws) is the saviour of Islam, Humanity and Ethical values. He (asws) stood against injustice, dictatorship, terrorism, vulgarity and Bid'ah (innovation in Deen by Qiyas & Zunn). If the sacrifice of Karabala was not there, then today there would have been one Yazid (l.u.) in every house, people would have been living like pigs without discrimination of holy relations and Halaal & Haraam.
Educated in Europe, working for much of his life in the USA and then around the world in the oil business, Haeri has a unique perspective to offer on the political history of the region. Interwoven with episodes from his own life he traces the collapse of the old consensus as dictators supported by the West destroyed the social ties that held the country together for centuries. Mixing with government ministers and meetings with Ayatollah Khomeini shaped his view of a people betrayed by higher interests. In this autobiography the colours, smells, sounds and political realities on the ground in Iraq come to life.But Shaykh's concern has always been spiritual rather than political, the struggle in each one of us for truth against the winds of expediency and greed that drive the world today rather than the particular shaping of a nation state. An acknowledged Shaykh of several Sufi orders, his main aim is to make accessible to younger generations the Islamic transactional way of life (Din),
"Surely, whoever follows me will be martyred. Whoever does not follow me will not witness the Triumph." These were some of Imam Hussain's last words before leaving Medina. He set out from Medina towards Kufa, and ultimately to Karbala, knowing the great sacrifice that he would make. He foretold of his fate and knew that his movement will only result in a crushing military defeat. But he also knew the great value - the great triumph - that was to be gained. He set out not to achieve any immediate results or short term goals. Rather, his movement was meant to build an eternal legacy and achieve lasting reform in the nation of his grandfather. But what and how did Imam Hussain reform the nation of his grandfather? Why did Imam Hussain sacrifice as he did? What was the context in which this sacrifice and tragedy took place? What was the role of the remainder of the Household of the Prophet before and after the tragedy? What was Imam Hussain's goal and how did he triumph despite the grand massacre? Understanding Karbala is an in depth historical and theological analysis that attempts to answer these far-reaching questions about Imam Hussain's movement. Based on the work of Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Saeed al-Hakeem, the book looks at the driving factors behind Imam Hussain's journey. It sets the theological framework for studying the movement of the Household of Prophet Muhammad, and then begins to analyze their choices as seen in their words and actions, as well as the historical context in which they operated. The book also looks at the great triumph Imam Hussain aimed for and was able to achieve through his movement. By studying the short and long term effects of the grand tragedy, the book sheds light on Imam Hussain's objectives and achievements, and how the remainder of the Household of the Prophet worked to preserve that triumph.
Hussain is a man whose story has transcended generations and borders for over 1300 years. Hussain's selfless pursuit for moral justice in the face of brutal oppression has inspired hope for millions. The battle of Karbala, where Hussain and his loyal companions bravely stood against an army of thousands, forever changed the course of history. As we remember the tragedy of Karbala, one wonders how the intricacies of this story, that we hear every year, reached us? How do we know exactly what happened on? How do we know the names of those who fought and died alongside Imam Hussain? How do we know of the dialogue that happened in Karbala both during the battle and the night prior among the tents of Imam and how did all this information reached us? In this book we shall be exploring the brief history of the that is the narration of Karbala. A brief description of major events after the tragedy of Karbala have been presented.
