With recourse to sound reasoning, we come to know that holding mourning ceremonies for Allah’s awliya’, especially the master and leader of all the martyrs Imam al-Husayn (as), is in accordance with logic because honoring Allah’s awliya’ through various ceremonies amounts to revering their great personalities and reviving their messages.
Without doubt, any nation or community which does not honor the great personalities of its history is condemned to failure and doomed to destruction. It is often a few great people who build history.
Some of Imam al-Husayn’s (as) messages
1. “In circumstances like these, I do not see death to be anything save prosperity and life with the oppressors is nothing but shame and distress.”1
«اِنِّي لا أری الموتَ إلاّ سعادة، وَالحياةَ معَ الظالمينِ إلاّ برماً.»
2. “Death with honor is nothing but eternal life while life with abjectness is nothing but death.”
«ليسَ الموتُ في سبيلِ العزِّ إلاّ حياة خالدة، وليست الحياةُ معَ الذلِّ إلاّ الموت الذي لاحياة معه. »
3. “Beware that the illegitimate son of an illegitimately born man (Ibn Ziyad) has given me two options: either to draw my sword and fight, or to wear the dress of abjectness by swearing allegiance to Yazid. However, acceptance of abjectness is very far from us.”
«ألا وإنَّ الدعي ابن الدعي قدْ رکز بينَ اثنتين، بينَ السلّةِ والذلّةِ وهيهات منّا الذلّة... »
4. “We are from Allah and to whom is our return. When the Islamic community is afflicted by the governance of the like of Yazid, we have to bid farewell to Islam.”2
«إِنّا للهِ وَإِنّا إِلَيهِ راجِعُونَ وعلی الاسلامِ السلام إذ قد بليت الأمة براع مثل يزيد. »
5. “I have risen not to create disunion and inequity nor oppression and corruption among the Muslims, but to rectify and reform the ummah of my ancestor the Holy Prophet (S). I want to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil. I desire to revive the way of my grandfather, the Holy Prophet (S), and my father ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib.”3
«... إنّي لم أخرج أشراً ولا بطراً ولا مفسداً ولا ظالماً، وإنّما خرجت لطلب الاصلاحِ في أمةِ جدّي صَلَّی اللهُ عَلَيهِ وآله، أريد أنْ آمر بالمعروفِ وأنهی عن المنکرِ وأسير بسيرةِ جدّي وابي علي بن ابي طالب عليهِ السّلام. »
Without doubt, any nation or community which does not honor the great personalities of its history is condemned to failure and doomed to destruction. It is often a few great people who build history.
Some of Imam al-Husayn’s (as) messages
1. “In circumstances like these, I do not see death to be anything save prosperity and life with the oppressors is nothing but shame and distress.”1
«اِنِّي لا أری الموتَ إلاّ سعادة، وَالحياةَ معَ الظالمينِ إلاّ برماً.»
2. “Death with honor is nothing but eternal life while life with abjectness is nothing but death.”
«ليسَ الموتُ في سبيلِ العزِّ إلاّ حياة خالدة، وليست الحياةُ معَ الذلِّ إلاّ الموت الذي لاحياة معه. »
3. “Beware that the illegitimate son of an illegitimately born man (Ibn Ziyad) has given me two options: either to draw my sword and fight, or to wear the dress of abjectness by swearing allegiance to Yazid. However, acceptance of abjectness is very far from us.”
«ألا وإنَّ الدعي ابن الدعي قدْ رکز بينَ اثنتين، بينَ السلّةِ والذلّةِ وهيهات منّا الذلّة... »
4. “We are from Allah and to whom is our return. When the Islamic community is afflicted by the governance of the like of Yazid, we have to bid farewell to Islam.”2
«إِنّا للهِ وَإِنّا إِلَيهِ راجِعُونَ وعلی الاسلامِ السلام إذ قد بليت الأمة براع مثل يزيد. »
5. “I have risen not to create disunion and inequity nor oppression and corruption among the Muslims, but to rectify and reform the ummah of my ancestor the Holy Prophet (S). I want to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil. I desire to revive the way of my grandfather, the Holy Prophet (S), and my father ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib.”3
«... إنّي لم أخرج أشراً ولا بطراً ولا مفسداً ولا ظالماً، وإنّما خرجت لطلب الاصلاحِ في أمةِ جدّي صَلَّی اللهُ عَلَيهِ وآله، أريد أنْ آمر بالمعروفِ وأنهی عن المنکرِ وأسير بسيرةِ جدّي وابي علي بن ابي طالب عليهِ السّلام. »
Notes:
1. Mukhtasar Tarikh Damishq, vol. 14, p. 218.
2. Khwarazmi, Maqtal al-Imam al-Husayn (as), vol. 1, p. 184.
3. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 44, p. 328.
