Mourning …

Part 3

B. Some say why cry for the events of ‘Aashura, why not instead be happy for the unimaginable lofty position attained by Imam Hosain (SBUH) … so close to Allah?!

On the one hand, it is an undeniable fact that hearing the hardships of others breaks the hearts of all caring and loving humans …

On the other hand, when human loses a loved one naturally he becomes sad from this separation … the more he loves and the more fondness he feels toward the lost person the more his sadness from his separation and thus harder his crying and mourning …

If the lost beloved is a believing and honorable person, loved by Allah and respected by others, with many virtues, surely the sadness for his separation is even more …

And if the beloved lost person is killed unjustly and oppressively in a grievous and heart breaking manner with heart rending sufferings and tragedies … the sadness is even deeper …

And if with him, his children and loved ones are killed oppressively in front of his eyes … and his women and children are captured by oppressors … the severity of sadness becomes more and more and … to a point where a truly loving heart may stop beating …

And if the persons killed and captured … are of the most beloved by Allah and …

And if that most beloved by Allah has not just been killed rather experienced martyrdom in the cause of Allah … AAAAAHHHHH!

Indeed martyrdom … has surely earned these Allah’s beloved ones unimaginable status with Allah and places in Heavens unattainable by just any one and eternal Salvation in the Presence of Allah and the supreme position of Allah’s Pleasedness …

While those who love them know of their sublime position with Allah … still knowing and remembering all the unjust hardship and oppression they- especially Imam Hosain and his loved ones- (SBUT) endured and knowing that his ultimate goal- which is the manifestation of the Truth and the one and only Religion of Allah on earth …- is yet unattained and that his last beloved i.e. he who is going to establish that vital and ultimate goal, is suffering Occultation, forsakenness, loneliness and …, break the hearts and disturb the minds of those who love him and …

From the one hand, the grand positions attained by the Prophet Mohammad, his daughter Hadrat Fatimah and the Infallible Imams (SBUT) through their self sacrifices in the cause of Allah, is an issue between them and Allah, and surely Believers are joyful for their positions and for being their followers …  but on the other hand, all the injustice done to them and all the sufferings they endured … have been another issue between them and humankind, and surely Believers have been sad and ashamed … these two issues are two completely separate matters. Alas! Knowingly or sometimes unknowingly some people mix these two totally separate issues and thus question the mourning for Infallible Ones (SBUT) …

All Praise is to Allah for creating such loving and benevolent creations to be the manifestations of His Love and Benevolence. We can never truly comprehend the extent of our indebtedness to them … For instance, Allah (SWT) gave Imam Hosain (SBUH) the choice to accept the help of angels and at the same time achieve Allah’s Pleasedness too … but the Imam (SBUH) chose not to accept that help and therefore to please the Loving and Benevolent Allah even more by actually clarifying- without any shadow of a doubt- the one and only Right Path for all Believers until eternity … Those 4000 angels- dusty and with disheveled appearance- are still circumambulating the Haram (Shrine) of Imam Hosain (SBUH) until the time when the Qaa'em (SBUH) shall Rise, so that they will be his helpers; and they have been repeating: "O' THE SEEKERS OF THE BLOOD OF HOSSAIN!"

The following statement from the Ziyaarat of Arba’een of Imam Hosain (SBUH) somewhat expresses how we owe our hope of salvation to his ultimate self-sacrifice:

"... (Hosain- SBUH-) made every effort and put his heart, mind, soul and life at the disposal of Thy Mission to liberate the people from the yoke of ignorance" 

Knowing the Imam’s (SBUH) sublime position with Allah should make us even humbler, for, we realize he (SBUH)- with such a great status- endured so much hardship, so lovingly and benevolently, so that we may recognize the Truth and the Benevolent Love of Allah and thus to be saved … that causes us to cry even more … for their hardships … and for humankind’s shortcomings, causing so much suffering for people so loved by Allah … and it causes us to feel ashamed too …

… And remembering that Hadrat Mahdi (SBUH), with the same love and benevolence …, has been suffering all limitations of the Occultation- which has been mainly caused by humankind’s ignorance, negligence, love of the world and …-, and not forgetting that he (SBUH) has been enduring many hardships while eagerly waiting to Appear in order to avenge the unjust shedding of the blood of all Prophets, Successors, Imams … and his mother Fatimah (SBUT) and to establish the ever-desired Truth of Allah on earth …, and keeping in mind that he (SBUH) has been crying tears of blood every morning and evening for Hosain (SBUH) …, should cause us to cry even more, for, we too- with our ignorance, love of the world and …- are playing an undeniable role in prolonging of this sad and heart breaking Occultation … an Occultation which is breaking Imam Mahdi’s (SBUH) loving heart the most …

Imam Hosain (SBUH) himself has said:

انا قتیل العبرة لا یذکرنی مؤمن الا بکی .

I am killed of the tear, and no Believer remembers me unless he cries.

(Kaamel al-Ziyaaraat, p. 108, Hadith 6; …)

Hadrat Mohammad and all the Imams (SBUT) themselves mourned for Imam Hosain (SBUT) and hosted mourning functions for the Imam (SBUH). This tradition started with the creation … all Prophets (SBUT) before Imam Hosain’s birth, through crying for him and La’ning (execrating …) his killers achieved their lofty positions with Allah, and they all enjoined their followers to do the same. (Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 44, baab 30; Kaamel al-Ziyaaraat, baab 21, p. 67; …)

Let us not forget that Imam Hosain (SBUH) is he about whom Hadrat Mohammad (SAWA) has said:

حسین منی و انا من حسین...

Hosain is from me and I am from Hosain …

(Shi’ah documents: Kaamel al-Ziyaaraat, p. 52; …/ sunni documents: Sonan Termadhi; Manaaqeb al-Hasan wa al-Hosain, 12, 345; Mosnad Ahmad Hanbal, 35, 440; …)

Hosain is my Reyhaaneh (heavenly flower) and the light of my two eyes.

(Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 43, p. 270; …)

He is Wali (lord …) of believers, redressor of justice seekers, refuge of shelter seekers, master of the youth of Heaven, means for deliverance and emancipation of the Ummah (nation of Islam), his command is my command and his obedience is my obedience, he who rebels against him is not from me.

(Moosoo’ah al-Imam al-Hosain ‘Alayheh al-Salaam, p.101; …)

To be continued …