sayyid hasan nasrullah speaks about the motives of the rise of imam hussain

7/27/2019 Sayyid Hasan Nasrullah Speaks About the Motives of the Rise of Imam Hussain

1/12

Sayyid Hasan Nasrullah speaks about the motives of the rise of Imam Hussain

In the Name of Allah the Most Beneficent the Most Merciful

My dear brothers and sister, Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuh.

I would like to present an analytical summary of the movement of Imam Hussain (pbuhaf), and his

rise and it's results in modern terminology, and see the objectives, the means and the results, and to

take lessons from it's wisdom for our own lives and our own objectives and path. We will try to

present this in an organised manner so that the idea becomes clear, especially for the youth.

Before we get to the year 60 of Hijrah, which is the year of the rise and movement of Imam Hussain

form Medina to Mecca and from Mecca to Iraq to Karbala. The actual battle took place on the 10th

day of Muharram of year 61 - just 10 days into the year 61. Before the year 60 by a few years, it is

well known that the ruler of the land of the Muslims was Mu'awiyeh Ibn Abi Sufyan, due to what

happened before that time and the peace treaty with Imam Hasan (pbuhaf) and what happened

after the peace. I do not want to go into that now. The important thing is that in the year 55 or 56Hijri, Mu'awiyeh decided to take allegiance from the Muslims for his son Yazeed, and to appoint

Yazeed as his prince and the future Khalifah. and indeed, he took the allegiance in Shaam (Syria) and

it's neighbouring areas, and he sent letters to his rulers in the cities and countries to take allegiance

for Yazeed as the prince and Khilafah after him. This was a new phenomenon, there was no prince-

ship before that, and it was the beginning of the "Mulk Al-Athoud" (ruling as King) about which we

have narrations from Rasulollah (pbuhaf) in which he warns us of this kingship which will befall the

Muslims.

This decision was faced with resistance and refusal by the Ahlulbayt and at their forefront was Imam

Hussain (pbuh), and also from the majority of the remaining Sahabah of Rasulollah who were still

alive, and also from the children of the Muhajiroon and Ansar, and especially in Medinah. This forced

them during the years after that to use a variety of methods to impose this option, and in one of the

years, Mu'awiyeh personally had to visit Medinah and to form a large meeting and to bring about

specific conditions to be able to impose this option. In those years also, many of the opposition

wrote to Imam Hussain and many of them visited him and sat with him and talked with him. From

Medina, from Mecca, form Iraq, Yemen and other places, and they offered him to lead a revolution

at that time in the face of Mu'awiyeh. But Imam Hussain (pbuhaf) asked everyone to be patient until

the death of Mu'awiyeh to see what will happen then. Of course, he had his reasons and analyses for

this which is not our subject right now due to time constraints.

In year 60 of Hijrah, Mu'awiyah passed away and Yazeed was announced as the Khalifah of the

Muslims, and he asked for allegiance to him as the Khalifah, because he is no longer a prince. And he

sent to the rulers to take allegiance from the people even by force. And he wrote a special letter with

a special request to the ruler of Medina, because it was very important for Medina to give allegiance.

Because Medina means the Ahlulbayt and Sahabah. Medinah means the remainder of Rasulollah and

the sons of the Muhajiroon and Ansar, which is why it was necessary for allegiance to be taken from

Medinah, so that the matter is established, and for the ruler to gain the right and authority to rule

which he needed.

Those of whom he specifically asked for allegiance from were three people: Hussain Ibn Ali Ibn Abi

Talib, Abdullah Ibn Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, and Abdullah Ibn Zubayr Ibn Al-Awwaan. These three in

particular he wanted allegiance from, and he wrote to the ruler of Medina: Whoever refuses, cut his

head off and send his head to me. I spoke yesterday about what caused Yazeed to dare to do things

to this level. What happened at that time happened, and the whole Ummah came under a new

humiliation. Imam Hussain (pbuhaf) was not surprised by this matter. He expected and was ready for


2/12

this situation from a long time ago. And he had a very clear choice, and his evaluation of the situation

was very clear, and the objective he wanted to achieve was also very clear. He had an evaluation of

the situation - as we say in our modern terminology - based on his realistic and correct analyses of

the state of the Ummah which is in pieces here and there. The leaders, the commoners, the people,

the rulers, the leaders in religion, politics, society and economy, Imam Hussain had a deep and clear

evaluation of it all. And he also had a deep and clear evaluation of the state of Islam. Not just theUmmah. Islam, the religion of Allah, the religion of Mohammad (pbuhaf) at this time, what is it's

state and situation in the year 60 of hijrah, and what will be the state of Islam and the Ummah in the

year 61 and 62 and so on to the future in the decades and the centuries. This evaluation was strongly

present in the mind and heart of Imam Hussain (pbuhaf). And based on this analysis and evaluation

and weighing of the situation and understanding the aspects of the matter, Hussain had to make his

decision and draw his path and appoint a clear objective and work to achieve it.

In the year 60 of Hijrah it is clear - and we will come back to this in a moment in the words of Hussain

- that Imam Hussain had a very negative evaluation of the state of the Ummah. This is clear. But

more importantly, Imam Hussain saw that the state of Islam and the state of the religion as a

Message, as values, as principle, as laws and as shari'ah, are in a very high level of danger and threat.This is a point I want to explain a little bit because there is a difference between the two matters. You

see in one instance, lets say for example in an Islamic country or even a non-Islamic country, a ruler

comes who wants to govern the people in this country. In one scenario, he comes to the people and

says I have no business with your religion. What you believe, there is Allah, there is no Allah, you

worship Allah or you worship statues or you don't worship anyone at all - I don't care. You pray or

you don't pray, you fast or you don't fast, you do Hajj or you don't do Hajj - I have no business with

that. What are your traditions and culture and you system of values - social and cultural - which

govern your life - I don't care. I want to rule over you and manage your affairs, and have power over

you. I want to do what I want, imprison whom I want, fight whom I want, have peace with whom I

want, and you don't interfere - I want to do what I want. Obviously this is a bad and hard scenario.

But what is this threat? It is a threat to the people, to their security, to their lives, to their settlement,

to their peace, to their calmness, to their prosperity, to the developments of their lives, but it may

not be a threat to their religion and their beliefs and their worship and their values and their

traditions and customs.

In a second scenario, a ruler comes and he doesn't just want to have power over the people, no! He

wants to change their beliefs, he wants to change their shari'ah, he wants to change the system of

values in their lives. Their religious and Islamic traditions and customs and way of life - he wants to

destroy it. He wants to return them to the original Jahiliyah. Here the matter becomes different. This

is called danger for Islam, danger for the religion, not just danger for the people.

I will give examples. For example, lets take the matter of the system of values. In Islam, Rasulollah

(pbuhaf) - in Mecca, in Medina, in Arabia, over 23 years - established a new system of values:

religious, social, ethical, and humanitarian - new - which didn't exist before in that society. For

example, of the values of this system is: There is no superiority of an Arab over a foreigner except by

piety. There is no superiority of black over white except by piety. We call these values, a system of

values - this is a value. The Qur'anic value is: The most honourable among you with Allah is the most

pious. Very well. The system of values which was there at the time of Jahiliyah - what did it used to

say? The Arab are better than foreigners. The white is better than the black. The master is better

than the slave. The rich is better than the poor. The man is better than the woman - and so on.

Rasulollah (pbuhaf) - the system of values which he brought - what does it say? There is no

superiority of an Arab over a foreigner, nor white over black, nor a man over a woman, nor such over

such except by piety. So then the point of value is piety. Even in that society, the Qurayshi was better

than a non-Qurayshi, and within Quraysh, the families and tribes used to compete to establish their

own superiority. Rasulollah (pbuhaf) came and said no, this is not a value.


3/12

In the year 60 of Hijrah, the system of values which was established by Rasulollah (pbuhaf) was

almost over. It was back again to the Arabs and who is better, and Quraysh and non-Quraysh, and

master and slave, and white and black, and Qaysi and Yemeni, and tribal quarrels - these were reborn

- on purpose - as part of an objective and as part of a campaign. This is one example. Of the

examples, is that the system of values which Rasulollah (pbuhaf) established and was not running inJahiliyah is this great respect and great sanctity for blood - saving blood and preserving the blood

from being spilled. Peoples wives, their wealth, their properties, their honour - this was a new

system of values which Islam established in Arabia. Before Rasulollah (pbuhaf), blood used to be

spilled with no accountability for the most simple reasons. The Arab tribes used to differ on the

schedule of the water - so they killed one another, on a flock of sheep - they killed one another, in a

line of poetry there was an error - many were killed, and wars were fought for long years - the war of

Bassous, the war of Dahis and Al-Ghabra', which are similar to some of the Arab quarrels these days.

There was no sanctity! Not for blood, not for women, not for wealth. Islam came to establish this

great sanctity, and to promise those who shed blood of people unjustly - even if it was just one

person, it is as though he killed all people.

In the year 60 of Hijrah, this system of values was almost over. The issue of shedding the blood of the

people, killing people, stealing peoples wealth, taking the daughters and wives of people - it was

something normal and common. The sanctities were no longer there. And this was proven in the year

61 as well. There is no more sanctity, not just for normal people! For the Ahlulbayt of Rasulollah

there is no sanctity! For the sons of the Muhajireen and Ansar there is no sanctity! For the daughters

of the Muhajireen and Ansar in Medina there is no sanctity! For the Mosque of the Messenger there

is no sanctity! For the Ka'bah and the House of Allah there is no sanctity! All of this became clear - in

61, 62, 63 of Hijrah - it's all in the books of history. So then, we suffice with these two examples,

because our speech might get lengthy. Here we have a situation in which there is a ruler who is

changing the traditions and customs, and the system of values, and the principles, and the system of

relations which Islam brought, and wants to return the Ummah to the original Jahiliyah. To the

original Jahiliyah! With it's values, and traditions and customs, and laws and so forth. And at the end

- this ruler wants to target all the symbols of the religion and all the strengths of the religion.

In the first scenario, the danger is on the people. In the second scenario, the danger is on the

religion! On Islam! On the message! In the first scenario, there is a type of enjoining the good and

forbidding evil - definitely obligatory. But the jurists of the religion - from the Sunnah and Shia and

the different groups - have placed conditions for enjoining the good and forbidding evil in the first

scenario. And they spoke of the capability, the means, the availability of supporters, the extent of the

danger of these actions, the probability of having an effect - this is there in the books of Fiqh. And

that's why in some situations, they used to say that enjoining the good and forbidding evil has limits

in the first scenario - because of the dangers, or not having any effect and so forth. But in the second

scenario, when the danger is on Islam as Islam, and on religion as religion, and on values as values -

these conditions are dropped. There are no longer any limits for the amount which must be paid, and

for the sacrifices that must be made.

In Badr, the defence was for Islam. In Uhod, the defence was for Islam - even before it is a defence of

the people - otherwise, if the Muslims had stood in Badr or Uhod and given up on Islam and given up

their religion, then Quraysh would have accepted them. So then, the stance in Badr and Uhod was

not a defence for the personal and material existence of Rasulollah and the companions of

Rasulollah. Rather it was a defence for Islam which Quraysh wanted to terminate by terminating

Mohammad (pbuhaf) and the believers with him. For this reason, it was the duty of the Muslims in

Badr to stand - despite the difference in weapons, and the difference in number, and the difference

in preparation, and the huge dangers - and the same in Uhod and so forth. Very well.


4/12

Based on this differentiation, we come to Hussain (pbuh). It is clear that the analyses of Imam

Hussain of the situation in year 61 Hijrah, this analysis says that the current state is of the second

type, and is not of the first type. And that the matters have to come to such a level so as to threaten

Islam as a religion, as a message, as values. And that's why I say that the movement of Hussain

(pbuh) - not me astaghfirullah. The big scholars and researchers, and me and you are their followers,say that the objective of the movement of Hussain (pbuh) exceeded the issue of normal betterment

or the issue of power, to what is beyond that, and that is to save Islam and to preserve Islam, and

revive Islam, and revive justice, and revive the religion, and revive the book and Sunnah, and revive

the way of Mohammad Ibn Abdillah (pbuhaf) in the Ummah. This was the objective.

Very well. Let us come - also so that we don't take too long in searching for the evidence - let us

come to the same person, the one who made the movement and revolution and the rise. Let's see

what Hussain (pbuh) says. Today for example, the resistance in Lebanon, the resistance in Palestine,

the resistance in any place, when they make a move and when they rise and make sacrifices and

jihad, people come and accuse them of an agenda. Let us come and see what they say about their

objectives! What is their analysis, what is their evaluation of the situation? We return to the words ofHussain (pbuh). He says, in what reached us from narrations, all of which brings us to the same

result.

Do you not see that the truth/justice is not enacted? And that falsehood/oppression is not being

prohibited?

So then, we are in a society, an Ummah in which truth/justice is suspended completely. The

suspension of truth/justice, if prolonged will lead to it being forgotten and lost. Not only is there a

suspension of truth/justice - falsehood/oppression is not being prohibited! And that nothing is left

from the religion - this is the proof, that what has remained from the religion of Rasulollah, from the

religion of Allah (swt), from the book and Sunnah, what has remained?And that nothing is left

from the religion except subabah like the subabah of a container. Meaning - a cup of water - after

you drink, what remains? Two drops? Three drops at the bottom of the cup - which will evaporate as

well. Subabah meaning - little which goes very quickly. And that nothing is left from the religion

except subabah like the subabah of a container, or little grass in a wabeel desert. What has

remained from the religion? It's like someone wants to live in a desert, in which there is only a little

grass which is not edible nor digestible in a wabeel desert - wabeel meaning bad, unfruitful and

corrupt.

And in another narration, the Imam (pbuh) says: Let the believer desire to meet his Lord while he is

on the truth. For I do not see death except happiness, and life with the tyrants except dullness.

Lets take another evidence. After the letter comes to the ruler of the Medinah, and Hussain refuses

to give allegiance, the next day morning, Marwan son of Hakam meets Imam Hussain and advises

him to give allegiance. Marwan, showing himself that he is realistic, and understands politics, says

that what have you got to do with this whole story? Go give allegiance and do not endanger yourself

to murder. Look at the answer from the Imam: We are for Allah and to Him is our return! - which is

said in times of tribulation, tragedy and troubleWe are for Allah and to Him is our return! And

goodbye to Islam! - He didn't say goodbye to the people, he didn't say goodbye to the Ummah

And goodbye to Islam! When the Ummah is troubled with a ruler like Yazeed. So then, his analysis,

is that the presence of this ruler over the Ummah means Islam is gone. Goodbye to Islam, nothing

will remain. And I did not rise in immorality or out of arrogance, nor as an oppressor or wrongdoer.

But Indeed, I rose to seek betterment in the Ummah of my grandfather. I want to enjoin good and

forbid evil. But what betterment? It is on this scale of betterment. When he sent his letters to the

leaders of Basra and Kufah, he wrote to them: And I have sent my messenger to you with this letter,


5/12

and I call you to the book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet - here we come and say what is

this situation now? - for the Sunnah - meaning the Sunnah of His prophetfor the Sunnah has been

deadened and the innovations have been brought alive. So if you listen to me I will lead you to the

path of salvation. So then, this is the analysis, this is the threat, this is the reality. To confirm this

meaning outside the words of Hussain (pbuh), we also take a few proofs.

When they returned to the Medina, someone asked Imam Zainul Abideen (pbuh): "Who is the victor?

For whom was the victory?" Then Ali Ibn Hussain Zainul Abideen (pbuh), who has just returned from

imprisonment of the journey from Karbala, said to this questioner: "If the Athan is recited, you will

know the victor." So then this is the dimension of the fight, and not a fight over power and little

political and social issues and so forth. Lady Zainab (pbuh) in the presence of Yazeed, while she is

locked in chains, and in front of her is the head of her brother and the head of the martyrs, in her

famous speech, she said: "Do what you can, and try your best, and continue your efforts, for by Allah

you will never erase our remembrance and you will not deaden our revelation!" So then the matter is

the matter of the revelation which descended upon Rasulollah, it is the matter of the remembrance

of Mohammad (pbuhaf).

This meaning is also confirmed in some poems and words of some of the Ummayyads on that day

when they said: "A day for the day of Badr!" Because what happened in Badr? From Imam Hussain's

side, his father Ali, and his uncle Hamzah - the uncle of his father, and his cousin Ubaydah Ibn Al-

Harith emerged to fight who? And to kill who? Utbah and Shaybah and Waleed - who are the

grandfather of Yazeed, the brother of the grandfather of Yazeed, and the uncle of his father or uncle

of I don't know who. Was the battle of Badr - since someone comes and says: "A day for the day of

Badr!" - was the battle of Badr and battle of families and tribes? No. Those who were with Rasulollah

from his family and Sahabah were - as I said - defending Islam. It was a battle of Islam and Shirk. A

battle of tawheed and idol worship. Then this one comes to say "A day for the day of Badr!" So this is

the reason for the battle which happened in the year 61 of Hijrah. And this was the objective of

Hussain (pbuh).

So long as this is the objective, that is: protecting Islam, defending Islam, stopping the attack on Islam

as a religion and principles and ideology and sharia and values, then this matter deserves all

sacrifices. There are no red lines in this path. And from here Imam Hussain took his choice. This is the

objective, now lets go to the options.

As for the options, Hussain (pbuh) - just like the other elites in that age, like the rest of Ahlulbayt, like

the rest of the sons of the Muhajireen and Ansar, like the rest of the Muslims - was placed under two

options: allegiance or murder. There is no third choice. But I tell you even if there was a third choice,

that he be left alone, Hussain wouldn't have remained silent, and Hussain wouldn't have let go,

rather he would have stood, and cried out, and objected, and proved, and spoken to the people in

Medina and in Mecca and in all Islamic regions, and after that, the matter would end with battle and

martyrdom. But this is a supposition. The reality is that all people were placed in front of two

options: either allegiance or murder. This matter is not on the 10th day! When some people hear the

speech of Hussain (pbuh) on the day of Ashura, they think this talk is just on the tenth day. No, it's

from Medina. From the first night the news arrived, Hussain was placed under two options:

allegiance or murder. And in Mecca, again between allegiance and murder, and it came to the extent

that people were sent to kill Hussain even if they found him holding onto the robes of the Ka'bah.

And this was the case during the whole journey until Karbala and in Karbala. Even on the tenth day,

Hussain (pbuh) spoke to them, but what was their logic: bow to the rule or Yazeed. That's it, either

murder or allegiance. There is no third solution. And that is why we find that Hussain (pbuh)

confirmed his decision on the tenth day, he was clear in the famous speech which we keep on

repeating in the occasions:


6/12

"Behold; the illegitimate, son of the illegitimate [by birth], has settled between two, between

unsheathing [the sword] and humiliation." Unsheathing is war, humiliation is a concept - but even

the humiliation here, he is not talking about personal humiliation, he is talking about the humiliation

of the Ummah, and the humiliation of the religion, and the humiliation of the message!

"And how impossible is humiliation from us! Allah refuses that for us, and his messenger, and thebelievers..." and so on. So then, Hussain (pbuh) took this option. And between him and himself,

between him and Allah, his duty - as we say nowadays - his religious duty was clear. Allegiance to

Yazeed - it's clear where it will lead to: the attack on the remaining droplets of the container and the

little grass. Meaning if there is still anything left from this religion in this Ummah - establishing

Yazeed and enabling Yazeed and giving legitimacy to Yazeed will destroy what is left.

And Hussain is not the Hussain who gives allegiance out of fear over himself to sacrifice the religion

of his grandfather Rasulollah (pbuhaf). The second option then is to go to battle. Then lets go to

battle. When going to battle, Hussain (pbuh) didn't have the slightest doubt that he was going to

martyrdom. A military battlefield victory was not viable. And neither was this a requirement! Hussain

(pbuh) came by analysis to an end that standing against Yazeed, even if it leads to my martyrdom andthe martyrdom of those with me, is guaranteed to expose all the masks, and expose all the

conspiracies, and is guaranteed to awaken the Ummah and shake it's feelings and emotions, and

wake it up, and make a strong pulse within it to become aware and to challenge and to oppose - and

this is what actually happened. So then, what serves the objective is martyrdom! The military victory

- if it had been achieved would have served the objective, however martyrdom if achieved would

serve the objective (better)! So Hussain (pbuh) was going to victory in all cases! He was going to

victory in all cases! Because victory is to achieve your objective! The defeat of the enemy is to fail to

achieve his objectives! That his campaign falls even if he stays alive. And your victory is to realise

your objective even if you become a martyr! This is the concept!

Which is why Hussain (pbuh) when he went out, after he departed the Medina and the letters

started to come to him and he wanted to leave Mecca, he sent to some of those who forsake him

saying that I am going, "Thus whoever joins us will be martyred, and whoever forsakes us will not

obtain the victory!" Therefore, the success of Hussain, the victory of Hussain, and the triumph of

Hussain is achieved by the martyrdom of Hussain! And the martyrdom with Hussain (pbuh)! So he

took this option and went. And he knew ever since he departed Medina that he is going to

martyrdom. But he had to utilise all the time and all the space and all the resources: the human and

promotional resources available in order to serve his objective. So it was not required for Imam

Hussain to have a battle whenever and wherever it may be. Like, ok lets get up in Medina, we are

depressed and we cannot live with falsehood anymore - two strikes of the sword, we are martyred

and the matter is over. This does not achieve the objective.

Hussain (pbuh) from Medina and until the tenth day - pay attention well - he utilised all of this time -

this space of time, and he utilised the space: Medina and the Mosque of the Prophet when he went

to say farewell, and Mecca - Mecca at the time of Umrah and Mecca at the time of Hajj - and until

Karbala, and he utilized all the abilities and human resources! Anyone he could have written to, he

wrote to! Anyone he could speak to, he spoke to! On the whole way from Medina to Mecca - he

didn't walk on the side road he took the main road - whoever he saw on the way to Mecca he used to

come down and speak to them, make them aware, explain to them, and awaken them. In Mecca, (he

had) meetings with individuals and in public. He remained months in Mecca near the House of Allah

(swt). All the Muslims who came for Umrah, or for Hajj - he met them and spoke to them gave

lectures to them. And on the way to Karbala while he and the caravan were on the way, when he

used to see a family or tribe or messenger, he used to go to them himself, speak to them and talk to

them. So he was utilising all the efforts. He was utilising the night and day in order to make the truth


7/12

clear and explain the truth, and to clarify the dangers that are threatening Islam and threatening the

Ummah. Every single speech, every movement, every effort, every activity - had a reason.

Even bringing the women and the children with the caravan had a reason. Because there was still

something - alhamdulillah remaining at that time - that they never used to kill the women. They used

to take them as booty. This is of the customs which was there in the jahiliyah and before jahiliyah.And of course, that they never used to kill the women was not for humanitarian and moral reasons.

They used to keep the women for immoral reasons and inhuman reasons! They used to take them as

booty, make them slaves, use them and so forth. So this is a point, a good point anyway remaining

from the time of jahiliyah - a good point from one angle - so Hussain brought the women with him,

so that they can be the voice that carries the message of the oppressed blood to the whole Ummah.

In order to open the role of Zainab, the role of the word of truth - after the blood was spilled for this

truth. Everything that Hussain did was very carefully planned and decided, and with great precision.

Nothing is based on coincidence, nothing is random, nothing just happens.

Until he reached Karbala, and Hussain saw that what would protect Islam and shield Islam, is a battleof heroic and historical proportions, in which there would be a great martyrdom of this level of

challenge, of this clarity, of this certainty, of this insistence, of this sincerity - and the women would

carry this everywhere so that it would extend throughout history. Thereby the Ummah is awakened,

and the generations are awakened, and Islam is protected, and all attempts to attack this religion

and this message will fail. He was looking for a type of battle which was impossible to conceal by

anyone, because the one murdered is the son of the daughter of Mohammad - the Prophet of this

Ummah peace be upon him and his family, and not some unknown character which could be

forgotten by time or ignored by history never. It was necessary that this great battle of martyrdom

and jihad should take place, and would be impossible to ignore or conceal or boycott or distort or

stop its effect - until the Day of Resurrection!

And that is why it is said that Islam began by Mohammad, and was protected and continued by

Hussain, and this is one of the explanations or meanings of the narrations of the Prophet: Hussain

is from me and I am from Hussain. Allah (swt) loves whoever loves Hussain.

And after Hussain, there was a rise of revolts in the Medina of the Prophet, in the event of Al-Harrah,

and other events which continued and changed the face of history, and the objective was achieved.

Many of those (rulers) who came afterwards, could be classified of the first type and not the second

type. Many of those who came afterwards were cautious not to be seen as against Islam or a threat

to Islam, rather some of them used to show great respect to the scholars, and to jurisprudence, and

to the schools of thought, and to knowledge, and to religiousness, and to the practices of Hajj and so

on and so forth.

So then, this pure blood, this event - the effect it had on the Ummah changed this reality. From

here, we find much focus on Hussain from his children, from his family, from our Imams, on this

occasion, on this remembrance, on this event, such that with every calamity, they cried for Hussain,

with the demise of every loved one, they cried for Hussain, visiting Hussain, sending peace upon

Hussain, Hussain who is present in every calamity and every event and every Jihad and every

happiness and every sadness. Because Hussain is the one who protected for us all of this.

The last section of the speech tonight, is to come to some morals and some conclusions. First of all,

what is reason for all these gatherings and discussions and study and research for us to understand

oh brothers and sisters and for all Muslims (in all their different groups and schools of thought) to

understand the greatness of this achievement which was realised by Hussain through his blood and

his rise and his martyrdom and it is the protection of their religion, and the protection of their


8/12

values, and the protection of their Shariah. Hussain did not protect one group or school of thought or

sect. Hussain rose for the sake of the religion of his grandfather and we are all believers in the

religion of his grandfather, and we follow this religion, and we seek a true and real understanding of

this religion regardless of our differences of opinion and schools of thought and beliefs and ideas and

discussions.

Hussain with his blood gained a crucial achievement in history in the interest of the protection of the

religion. Allah (swt) who promised to protect the religion, Surely We have revealed the Reminder

and We will most surely be its guardian. He (swt) protects it through whom? He protects it through

His Prophet peace be upon him and his family, through the Mujahideen with the Prophet, with the

Muhajireen and Ansar, with his Ahlulbayt, with his righteous Awalia, with the scholars, with the ink of

the scholars and the blood of the martyrs throughout history whom He supports and helps and

assists. The matter is not a miracle exclusively with nothing to do with the actions of man, and the

sacrifices of man and the struggle of man. Without the sacrifices and patience in Badr, without the

sacrifices and patience in Uhod, without the sacrifices and patience in Karbala, what could have been

the result of this confrontation between Islam and Polytheism? Between Monotheism and idol

worship? Between Islam and its values against the Jahiliyyah and its values? Therefore, Hussainthrough his blood, through his body, through the blood of his family and companions, placed a rigid

barrier against any threat to Islam as a religion and as values. Rather he strengthened and returned

and revived this Islam and forced this Islam even on those who could have conspired against it. That

was first.

Second, we must understand oh brothers and sisters, that this Islam which has reached us and this

is of the fruits of Karbala did not reach us just through academic universities and academic study

and research and the Hawza Ilmiyyah and the efforts in knowledge. Rather it reached us as a result of

all of these sacrifices which I mentioned, since the beginning of the Prophethood, to the martyrs in

Mecca who were killed while patient, and the martyrs before the Hijrah and after Hijrah, throughout

history there are significant sacrifices. This religion has reached us - carried by sacrifices, and blood

and martyrs and being oppressed, so much so that the Prophet said No Prophet has been hurt as I

have been hurt. And therefore, this Quran which is in our hands, this Islam which is in our hands

and I say this especially to the generation of the teenagerswe must understand its value,

understand its price, understand the sacrifices which brought it to us, and get to know it, and clasp

it, and hold fast to it, and keep it alive. Today, keeping Islam alive and keeping the truth alive might

not require much sacrifice, and much blood, and much patience from harm, as it was during history,

and this is our responsibility.

Tonight there is a virtuous tradition and good custom which the brothers wish to keep alive after

the end of the lecture between the lecture and the majlis which is taken from the night before

the tenth of Muharram, when well they wanted to start the war on Hussain on the ninth day of

Ashura, they were in a hurry to complete the battle with him. So Hussain asked them for time in that

night. Hussain asked them for time in that night, that its fine, just be patient with us for this night,

for we wish to pray to Allah (swt), we wish to recite the Quran, and indeed Hussain and those who

were with Hussain spent that night as it is mentioned in the narrations they stayed up the whole

night, between standing, and Ruku, and supplication to Allah (swt), and recitation of the Quran. In

following the example of this worship and this elevated state which was lived by the companions of

Hussain with him in Karbala, after the lecture inshallah the brothers and sisters will give out copies of

the Holy Qurans, and for a few minutes we will all recite this Quran, to confirm that the true

objective of the revolution of Hussain and the martyrdom of Hussain and the sacrifices of Hussain is

for this Quran to remain alive in our eyes and our minds and our hearts and our lives inshallah.

Third, to understand the magnificence of the sacrifices and offerings which were given by Hussain to

achieve this objective, not only in the level of intellect and thought, but even on the level of feelings


9/12

and emotions. Whoever does not understand these emotions, whoever does not comprehend these

emotions, whoever has not lived with similar emotions to the emotions of Hussain on the Tenth day

of Muharram cannot comprehend exactly what happened on the Tenth day, and what was the state

of Hussain, and especially in his last moments, and what was the state of Zainab which remained

with her until her demise.

Look my brothers and sisters, Hussain in order to achieve this objective and there is similar to this

matter throughout the history of humankind there is no other similar matter to this in the history

of humankind in order to achieve this objective, he went out first, and he could have not gone out

and he could have forsaken the objective and give allegiance to Yazeed and go to Damascus, and

maybe he would have been given a palace and a salary and slaves and servants and spend the rest of

his days and he is in comfort, and as for the destiny of Islam and the Ummah no problem. But he

did not give allegiance. He went out. But when he went out, he did not go out alone. He brought out

everyone with him. Anyone who related to Hussain in this world anyone who related to Hussain

and any thing which is related to Hussain meaning the wise and the not wise, the people and

money, everything this is a distinction in the movement of Hussain his wives, his children, and

even the breast feeding baby. He could have left the baby and the mother in Medinah. Why does hetake them with him? And he knows where he is going, to the battle, to death, to martyrdom. All his

sons he did not leave a single son from the children or teenagers in Medinah. Only one girl was left

who was ill and her movement would be difficult. Otherwise, all his sons, all his daughters, all his

wives, all his sisters, all his brothers except those who refused to come the sons of his brothers

who were in his care, the sons of his uncles, anyone who remained from his companions, and his

wealth. Everyone who was related to Hussain and everything which was related to Hussain Hussain

brought all of it with him to the field of sacrifice, and the field of donation, and the field of offering.

Very well.

Here we come a little to the subject of emotions. Me and you are able to begin to understand, and I

will try to make it clear. And I will also admit and say that maybe 20 or 30 years ago, this kind of

emotion we never used to understand, because we did not experience it. We used to speak about it,

discuss it, explain it from a mental or intellectual or theoretical position. But when someone lives

these emotions, the situations change. For example, I tell the fathers of the martyrs, the father of the

martyrs, the mothers of the martyrs, you can remember the moments and hours and days in which

you were informed of the martyrdom of your son and your loved one, and also I speak of the

martyrdom of brothers and the sons of the brothers what were your emotions? What were your

feelings? What were your pains?

Yes we used to stand strong, be proud of our martyrs, be honoured by our martyrs, but we are also

human and we have emotions, we feel pain and sorrow, and we are afflicted, and our sadness

climaxes, and especially when we become alone. Very well. Lets remember these feelings. Imagine

yourself with the emotions of a human who was carrying his breast feeding baby, who is thirsty, who

is unconscious because of thirst, and goes forward to a group imagine yourself like this and he

goes forward to a group and requests a drink of water for his thirsty baby, and they throw arrows at

him, and hit him with arrows and slaughter him from the artery to the vein, and he grasps the neck of

his father and his blood bursts out into the air.

Yesterday the sisters, and I thank them, all the sisters who came to the gathering of Sayyidul

Shuhada, and brought their children with them. You try it my brothers. Even when you go back

home, if you have a breast feeding baby, carry it in your hand like this because the touch, the touch

of your family, we have narrations from the Prophet, that the touch of your family gives a special

emotion. Imagine you are carrying your baby in your hand, a baby who is innocent, clean and pure,

and has nothing to do with all these matters, and imagine that he is thirsty, and then a bullet or an

arrow is shot at him from here or there. Of course, this pain we did not experience, but the fathers


10/12

and mothers whose children were killed have experienced it, in the war of Summer 2006, in Qana, in

the previous wars, in Gaza, and their children are killed every day in Iraq, in Afghanistan and in other

parts of the world. Very well. Imagine this emotion there. Imagine the emotion that someone who is

loved by you, a friend of yours, who makes you stronger and supports you and helps you and loves

you and fights in front of you, and in one of the moments, he is martyred. These emotions we also

lived. What are their feelings and emotions? Furthermore, imagine yourself in a moment that you areinjured with the injuries and the bullets, and in the last breaths you hear your wife, your daughters,

your sisters are screaming and there are people who want to take them as booty and steal from

them, and fire has caught her clothes and he hears all of this, but he cannot do anything. What is

his feeling? What is his emotion? Very well.

These emotions we experienced in separate times my brothers and sisters. A few years ago we

experienced one emotion, after a few years we experienced this emotion, after a few years we

experienced another emotion. But what is the state of the heart of that man whom all of these

emotions were cast into his heart in one moment and in a few hours!? What is his state? What a

heart this is? What a spirit this is? What patience is this? What sacrifice is this? What sincerity is this?

All of these feelings and emotions and pains all of it in one go!? On the heart of one man who is AbuAbdillah Hussain, and on the heart of a woman who is Zainab. But what was their reaction? The man

who carried in his heart all of these pains in one go, raises his hands to the sky and says: Are you

please oh Allah (swt)? Take until you are pleased. And that

That man raises his hands to the sky and says: Are you please oh Allah (swt)? Take until you are

pleased. As for that woman and here is the magnificence, and here is greatness, and here is

uniqueness - as for that woman and let any woman imagine that her brothers have been killed, and

he sons and her loved ones and dear ones and she will be taken as booty in a short while, and the

screams of the orphans are in her ears and in her heart she sits next to the body of her master and

her brother Abi Abdullahil Hussain, a body without a head, and raises her hands to the sky and says:

Oh Allah (swt)! Accept from us this sacrifice.

Brothers and sisters, and finally, in this blessed night, we learn from Hussain and Zainab, we learn

from the men with Hussain, the teenagers with Hussain, the children with Hussain, from the women

and teenage ladies with Hussain, we learn from them throughout history these lessons which are

filled with wisdom, with foresight, with knowledge, with feelings and human emotions, with purity

and chastity. We learn from them, yes, we understand that at a time, there is a human who is ready

to sacrifice himself and his family and everything he has for the sake of Allah (swt) and for the sake of

the people and the benefit of the people, and we want to be like that. We learn from Hussain when

the divine obligation calls us, and our divine duty calls us and our religious and historical

responsibility towards our religion and towards our Islam and towards our Ummah and towards our

values, and towards our home countries, to sacrifice our lives and our loved ones, and to sacrifice

everyone that is related to us, and everything that is related to us this we learn from Hussain in the

night before the tenth and on the day of the tenth.

At the end of this talk I do not need to confirm this meaning, but I know, and on this night of the

tenth of Muharram, I want to give in front of Allah (swt) this testimony, and to give in front of the

master of the martyrs this testimony. A testimony about you brothers and sisters, the respected

scholars, these loyal and honoured and truthful and sincere people, which carried the concerns of

our resistance for years, and refused oppression and humiliation and dishonour, and gave sacrifices.

Yes, this night I bear witness to the whole world, that you my brothers and sisters, that you are

rightly and truly the lovers of Abi Abdillahil Hussain, the adorers of Abi Abdillahil Hussain, that you

are sincere and genuine and truthful in your allegiance to Abi Abdillahil Hussain.


11/12

Your men your men, your women, your elderly, your young ones, you have proven this. We have

inherited from the fathers and grandfathers, a sentence which we say generation after generation:

We wish to have been with you oh Abi Abdillahil for we would have attained a great victory. And

our generation all praise be to Allah (swt) has faced this deservingly, and truthfully you were with

Abi Abdillahil Hussain throughout the years of the resistance. Your martyrs attained a great victory,

and your mujahideen and your family have created for this Ummah a great victory.

In the night of the tenth of Muharram, Hussain gathered his companions and said to them: Verily I

do not know any companions better than my companions, nor any family more loyal and virtuous

than my family. Indeed these people do not seek anyone other than myself they want me and they

would leave you so leave me and these people and go. This night has covered you, so take it as a

ride, and let every man from amongst you take the hand of a man from my family and leave me with

these people. They refused this. The men who were there in the night of the tenth refused this. The

women who were there in the night of the tenth refused this. And they let Hussain hear some words

which have remained for history, from one person saying to him: Should we go? While you are killed

and we remain after you? May Allah (swt) not make life after you worthy oh Hussain. And another

one saying: Oh son of Rasulollah, if I found that I would be killed then burned then scattered in thesky, then brought back to life, then killed then burned then scattered in the sky that being done to

me a thousand times - I would never leave you oh Hussain! And they remained with Hussain on the

tenth day.

And I bear witness that your men and women did not leave Hussain for decades in any of these

darkened nights. And in this spirit, you faced the invasion, and the previous wars and you faced the

enmity of the Summer 2006, and in this spirit in patience and truthfulness you faced the

aftermath of the war of Summer 2006. Many of the national institutions came to Lebanon and did

studies on what are the psychological effects of the war of the Summer on the people. And of course,

regrettably, many people lost their homes and their wealth and their loved ones. And when they

used to come to ask them, they found them to be patient, enduring, this one speaking of heaven,

and this one speaking of the Heareafter, and this one speaking of martyrdom, this one speaking of

the honour of martyrdom, this one speaking of Rasulollah, this one speaking of Badr, this one

speaking of Karbala, this one speaking of Hussain and this one speaking of Zainab. And they came to

a conclusion which says: we are looking at a reality which is unprecedented in history

unprecedented in history!

In this spirit in this spirit inshallah we will continue. Here is our strength before weapons, and

with weapons, and after weapons, here is our strength. Here, the weapons in the hands of the

resistance take a different meaning. Here, for the weapon there is a holy objective. And the

resistance becomes of a different nature and different identity. And as we know you, you have never

left the field empty in any of the days, so tomorrow as well, oh brothers, oh sisters, oh loved ones,

and to all those listening as well, tomorrow as well is a new day for Hussain. A new day for the

allegiance with Hussain, a new day for the renewal of our allegiance with Hussain and the grandson

of Hussain (Imam Mahdi) in the face of all the grand Satans, who are threatening our values, and

threatening what we hold sacred, and threatening the dignity of our Ummah and our homelands and

our nations. Tomorrow we will renew our allegiance with Hussain to keep alive the truth and to

deaden the false. Tomorrow we will renew our allegiance with Hussain to support every oppressed

in Lebanon and Palestine and Iraq and anywhere in the world. Tomorrow we will gather no matter

what the weather will be just as we do every year we gather tomorrow to make the world hear

our voice, and for the world to see the expressions on our faces, and the fists of our hands which rise

with strength to the sky and say: "Impossible is humiliation from us!

May Allah (swt) greaten your reward, and may Allah (swt) bless you, and give you the reward of the

lovers the believers who mourn for the family of Rasulollah and for Rasulollah and the family of


12/12

Rasulollah, and may He keep us and you - firm on the truth which we have believed in, and may He

make us victorious against our enemies and the enemies of this Ummah, and may He give us the

opportunity to realise all those hopes which were sought be the great Prophets of Allah (swt), and

the honoured awliya, and the great martyrs, who went ahead of us in meeting Allah (swt).

Peace be upon you oh my master and leader Oh aba Abdillah, and on the souls which departed inyour cause. Upon you all is my salam of Allah (swt) for as long as I remain, and for as long and the

night and day remain, and may Allah (swt) not make this my last time to visit you. Peace be upon

Hussain, and upon Ali the son of Hussain, and upon the children of Hussain, and upon the

companions of Hussain.

And Peace be upon you oh companions of Hussain and Zainab, oh companions of Rasulollah and

the mercy of Allah (swt) and His blessings.

sayyid hasan nasrullah speaks about the motives of the rise of imam hussain

Documents