19/08/2021
4 lessons from the day of Ashura
1. Oneness of God
Ultimately, all that Hussain did on that day, he did for Tawhid – the oneness of God. Rising up against tyranny in order to reform the mission of his grandfather, whose sole purpose was preaching one God, Allah, through the religion of Islam. The sheer faith he had in Allah can be reflected in this prayer he recited before his martyrdom,
“Although this world is considered to be pleasant, the reward of Allah is magnificent and meritorious; and if the body is created for death, then martyrdom in the way of Allah is the best for man; and if sustenance is distributed and assured, then man should not strive hard to seek it; and if the gathering of this wealth will result in leaving behind, then why should man be avaricious?”.
2. Never allow yourself to be humiliated
Among his many speeches, Hussain in one speech mentioned that the authorities gave him only two choices: humiliation, or death, carrying on to say,
“and we do not accept humiliation.”
3. It’s never too late to repent
One of the heroes of Karbala that met his martyrdom is known as Hurr (which means free). He was one of the commanders of the opposing army, and his actions were instrumental to leaving the camp of Hussain stranded and under siege in Karbala. It was only in the final few hours before the battle that he switched sides to the army of Hussain and to certain worldly doom, asking the repentance of Hussain for his actions. He was one of the first people to be martyred by the army of Yazid. The story of Hurr is proof that it is never too late to repent, and no sin is too heavy to come back from. Hussain said to Hurr after he repented,
“surely you are free as your mother had named you.”
4. When life is hard, remember that Allah is watching
Hussain came from the house that knew nothing but the pleasure of Allah. When companion after companion and family member after family member fell on the battlefield, Hussain would utter,
“It’s bearable only because Allah is its witness.”
