The Hindu : Imam Hussain's martyrdom

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Friday, Mar 14, 2003

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Imam Hussain's martyrdom

CHENNAI MARCH 14 . Muharram, which marks the victory of virtue over evil, commemorates the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the younger grandson of Prophet Mohammed. It was on the tenth day of Muharram that he, with many members of his family and 72 others, was brutally killed in public by Muawiya, the ruler of the day in Syria. Muharram every year reminds us of the most cruel time faced by Imam Hussain owing to the tyrannical ways of Muawiya and his son, Yazid. Being the son of Fatimah, Prophet Mohammed's daughter, Hussain was his maternal grandfather's most beloved. Prophet Mohammed loved him so much that he used to kiss his grandson's forehead saying, "He who befriends Hussain, befriends me and he who hurts him, hurts me." The 61st year of the Hijri calendar (638 AD) proved to be most unfortunate as Muawiya, the ruler of Syria, enthroned his tyrant son Yazid, who sought pleasure in seeing people die while writhing in pain.

When Yazid offered Imam Hussain position in power, he refused and asked him to mend his fiendish ways and devilish means. Having failed to appease Hussain with various political gains Yazid threatened to harm his near and dear ones and his followers. But Hussain did not wilt under pressure. Then Yazid challenged Hussain to meet his match in an open conflict. Desiring not to opt to the way of confrontation, Hussain proceeded to Madina. On the second day of Muharram, the unarmed caravan of Hussain reached Karbala only to be attacked by a 6000-strong army of Yazid, which burnt all the camps of Hussain and his followers making women run without their veils and water.

This was followed by Hussain's elder son, Ali Akbar, being slashed to pieces by a brutal general of Yazid. His younger son, Ali Asghar, was beheaded and the head was displayed on the tip of a spear. Completely dehydrated daughter Sakina died. Finally when only Hussain was left, Yazid asked him if he accepted his authority. Hussain said that his subservience was only to Allah. At this Hussain was shot by a volley of arrows by Yazid's army. Even after he died Yazid's soldiers kept on trampling over his mortal remains. This sacrifice is remembered all over the world during the Muharram.

Firoz Bakht Ahmed,

New Delhi.

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