Muharram commemorations were first held by Imam Husain’s sister Sayyeda Zainab (SA) and his son Imam Zainul Abideen (AS). In the month of Muharram, Muslims around the world collectively remember the martyrs of Karbala and reaffirm their pledge to carry forward the mission of Husain (AS). “And Allah will by no means give the unbelievers a way against the believers.” (Surah Nisa) “Our history, starting from Habil and Qabil, is the manifestation of the eternal conflict between the two poles of God and Satan, though in each period of time these two poles have disguised differently.” And the evil forces have always faced disgraceful defeat, as emphasized in the Holy Quran. These forces have existed since the time of Prophet Adam, as noted by the celebrated Iranian scholar Dr. It was decided in the hearts of those who draw inspiration from Karbala and single-mindedly resist the forces that terrorize, intimidate, humiliate and kill. The epic battle of Karbala, contrary to what you hear from some over-zealous ecclesiastics, was not decided in the battlefield. “A person like me cannot pledge allegiance to a person like you.” Despite all overt and covert pressure tactics, the beloved grandson of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) refused to yield, thus obliging the command of his Creator, who says in Surah Munafiqun that “the might belongs only to Allah and to His Apostle and to the believers”. When Yazid asked his governor Walid to Husain (AS) to forcibly demand an oath of allegiance from him, Husain (AS) refused. Karbala teaches us the importance of defiance and resistance against these forces. They exist even today, in various forms and manifestations, across the world. They have tried to disrupt social order, ban peaceful religious practices, create civil disturbance and target innocents on flimsy grounds. Despots, crooks and scoundrels have existed in every age and every time. As Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) famously said, ‘Kullu yaumin Ashura, kullu arzin Karbala’ (every day is Ashura and every place is Karbala). Muharram and Karbala are in a way symbolic their appeal cutting across the frontiers of time and space. Understanding the essence of Imam’s uprising is therefore essential to understand the philosophy of Karbala and the significance of these annual commemorations. The movement, which has gripped the hearts and minds of people throughout history, continues even today – in Kashmir, in Palestine, in Syria, in Iraq, in Yemen, in Bahrain, in Afghanistan. The movement about the eternal struggle of right versus might, just versus unjust, truth versus falsehood. It was the beginning of a movement for Islamic awakening and social reformation. Imam Husain’s (AS) uprising on the desert plains of Karbala 1400 years ago was not a struggle for paltry political gains or one-upmanship. It is a profoundly illuminating philosophy that defines the relationship between truth and falsehood, between righteousness and impiousness, between dignity and ignominy. Muharram, contrary to the popular perception, is not merely a poignant chapter in history, orbiting around a grief-centric ritual.

Kullo arzin karbala