Download Mohsin Raza Malik October 12, 2016

The civilisation of Karbala
Mohsin Raza Malik October 12, 2016
Mohsin Raza Malik
Mankind has experienced a number of human civilisations since the creation of this
world. Undeniably, these civilisations have been instrumental in extensively
transforming various cultures and communities around the world. However, having
failed to impart any lasting ideology to the collective human conscience, most of these
civilisations are now just the relics of past after becoming mere an attraction for the
archaeological museums or anthropology students. The ancient civilisation of
Mesopotamia was one of them which flourished in the area between the river Tigris and
Euphrates.
Many centuries after the extinction of Mesopotamian civilisation, this area witnessed
another atypical and anomalous civilisation- the civilisation of Karbala. Close to the
bank of Euphrates River in present-day Iraq, the desert of Karbala was the cradle of this
peculiar civilisation. This civilisation was essentially founded on “Hussainism”; the
ideology and practices of Imam Hussain (AS), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH). Similarly, Imam Hussain’s family members, close relatives and some loyal
companions were the only inhabitants of this civilisation.
There are a number of peculiarities and oddities that distinguish it from any other
civilisation in the world. A small cluster of tents was the only physical layout of this
civilisation. The tenet-dwellers never tried to erect grandeur or magnificent structures in
line with other grand civilisations. Instead, they just stood for a transcendent idealism.
This civilisation also didn’t physically last for centuries. Its lifespan was barely 9 days.
However, besides influencing the minds of billions of people worldwide in some way,
this short-lived civilisation has left indelible imprints on Islamic history and culture.
This civilisation is also known for experiencing the most bizarre asymmetrical war in the
world history. The size and strength of belligerents can just be a matter of surprise to
the military strategists. Imam Hussain’s army was composed of 72 soldiers only, whose
ages range from 6 months to 80 years. They had been denied food and water for 3
days. Nevertheless, in the Battle of Karbala, this small army courageously confronted a
detachment of Yazid’s army comprising as many as 30 thousand regular well-equipped
soldiers. Not a single soldier of Imam Hussain ever gave in. Thus the battle of Karbala
has shown very well that one can defeat individuals but can’t defeat an ideology by
means of force.
“Life is nothing but a particular ideology, and a constant endeavour to translate this
ideology into a reality,” said Imam Husain (AS). This is what ‘Hussainism’ is all a about.
This ideology calls for the strict adherence to a set of absolute principles no matter
whatever be the consequences, and whatever it costs. It essentially maintains that it is
not the power but principles that always matter and make all the difference. It also
represents an unwavering resolve that urges not to submit before the evil forces of the
time under any circumstances. At the same time, it also stands for an optimism and
hope in the face of utter despondency and darkness.
The civilisation of Karbala, along with its complementary ideology, has somehow
become the strongest motivating force in the contemporary world. This force is
instrumental in attracting more than 2 million people to Imam Hussain’s shrine in
Karbala twice a year. Currently, this gathering is also reckoned as the largest peaceful
human gathering on the globe. It has already outnumbered the pilgrims who gather in
Mecca to perform Hajj every year. Moreover, on the day of Ashura every year, hundreds
of millions of people around the world solemnly commemorate this incident by paying
homage to the martyrs of Karbala.
The Red Shi’ism, which is essentially an important aspect of ‘Hussainism’, is generally
consider to be the ideology behind the Iranian Revolution. Dr Ali Shariati, the ideologue
of the Iranian Revolution, urged to launch a Jihad for achieving the goal of social justice,
even to the extent of embracing martyrdom like the Imam Hussain (AS). In this
particular context, he maintained, “Every day is Ashura and everyplace is Karbala.”
Similarly, this ideology has been a great source of inspiration for the oppressed and
suppressed people in the world through the ages.
The Crucifixion of Jesus has great religious significance in the Christian civilisation.
Undoubtedly, the prophet Jesus (AS) set a great precedent by sacrificing his life for the
sake of truth. However, in some way, the martyrdom of Imam Hussain takes
precedence over the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus was offered Last Supper by their Roman
persecutors before his crucifixion. But Imam Hussain was absolutely denied food and
water for 3 days before his martyrdom. Not only did Imam Hussain sacrificed his own
life, but also patiently saw his beloved sons, close relatives and loyal companions being
mercilessly slaughtered in front of him. Therefore, keeping in view some fundamental
aspects of human psychology and physiology, we can rightly maintain that the supreme
sacrifices offered by the great martyrs of Karbala are simply unparalleled in the history
of mankind.
The civilisation of Karbala also endeavoured to preserve some fundamental principles
which have now become the hallmark of modern democracies. One of the primary
reasons for Imam Hussain’s refusal for pledging allegiance to Yazid Ibn Muawiyah was
latter’s unjustified and irregular appointment as the Caliph of Muslims. This appointment
was made in utter violation of a peace treaty earlier concluded between the Umayyad
Caliph Muawiyah Ibn Abu Sufyan and Imam Hassan, the elder brother of Imam
Hussain, who had step down in favour of the former. Under this treaty, Muawiyah was
supposed not to nominate his successor during his reign, thereby allowing the Muslim
community to choose their next Ameer (head of state). However, Muawiyah arbitrarily
nominate his prodigal son Yazid as his successor who was a known violator of Islamic
injunctions. Therefore, by revolting against the authoritarian rule of Yazid, Imam
Hussain apparently tried to preserve certain democratic traditions in the Muslim polity.
Essentially in accordance with the saying of Prophet Muhammad (PBHU) that “the best
Jihad is to speak the truth before a tyrant ruler”, the civilization of Karbala has also
promoted the true concept of Jihad in Islam. The Battle of Karbala was not merely a
typical Muslims-versus-Infidels crusade. In fact, Yazid and his followers were apparently
Muslims who had pretended to confess the Islamic faith. On the other hand, besides
Muslims, people from diverse ethnicities and religions were also part of Imam Hussain’s
army. Despite their Christian background, Imam Hussain’s loyal companions like John
Bin Huwai and Wahab al-Kalbi fought shoulder to shoulder with others in the Battle of
Karbala.
The Karbala has shown us that it is not the theological dogma but a moral or principled
standing that matters when it comes to Jihad. This fact had also already been
established in the Battle of Nahrawan in 659 AD where the anarchist Khawarij were
perished by the state army under the command of Caliph Hazrat ALI (AS). Today, there
visibly exists a considerable degree of confusion vis-a-vis taking any principled position
against the extremists and violent none state actors all over the word. Numerous
militants from different terrorist outfits like Al-Qaeda, Daish etc. are beheading the
Muslims in the name of Islam. Had our Muslim scholars and historians absolutely
disowned these Khawarij and the perpetrators of Karbala after outrightly condemning
their dark deeds, nobody would ever have dared to exploit the scared name of Islam for
their nefarious objectives in the 21st Century.
In a nutshell, Imam Hussain endeavoured to preserve some universal human values.
These values have constantly been preached and propagated by all the Messengers of
God. The civilisation of Karbala represents the humanism and free thinking. It has
actively strived to liberate the humanity, which is currently in countless shackles.
Therefore, all human beings, irrespective of colour and creed, should be grateful to
Imam Hussain- the greatest benefactor and saviour of humanity.