Again, this argument can be applied to the period of time between Jesus (a) and our Holy Prophet (s). In that period, people split into warring factions and many turned away from faith. In fact, this can be said about any period of time between successive prophets.
The occultation is a test for us. It is a trial by which the perseverant and firm in faith are distinguished from others. A companion once asked Imam Baqir (a) when the day of relief – the day of Imam Mahdi’s (a) emergence – would be. The Imam (s) is reported to have replied, “Woe! Woe! The relief will not be until you are winnowed, then winnowed, then winnowed again until God Almighty removes the tainted and retains the pure.”[337]
It is also reported that Imam Askari (a) said,
Surely, my son is [the Awaited One (a)] after me. He will bear the traditions of the prophets in long life and occultation. Hearts will harden due to his prolonged period. No one will remain steadfast in his belief in [the occultation] except those whom God has written faith in their hearts and supported them with a spirit from Him.[338]
The occultation is a trial for us and a test of our faith and perseverance. This outlook is not one of despair or pessimism. Rather, it inspires hope as we look forward toward the state of justice and equity and are proactive in preparing for it.
Hope and Despair
Pessimism and despair have become widespread social ills. They grow out of a number of reasons. Many people grow up and live in a generally pessimistic environment. A person growing up within a pessimistic family will likely take on the dangerous tradition of pessimism. And when many youth are asked about their approach to life, they say that it is trial and error. They try to experience things and decide afterwards whether it was a good or bad experience. The approach itself is dangerous as it leads to the accumulation of bad experiences and ultimately to pessimism.
An individual should always be proactive and thoughtful in approaching life. He should plan and seek advice whenever he embarks on any important life decision. It is narrated that the Holy Prophet (s) once said, “I advise you to, should you undertake any matter, to reflect on its outcome. If it be good, continue forward. If it be ill, do not undertake it.”[339]
So how can we solve the problem of pessimism?
First, a spiritual environment goes a long way in solving the problem. The environment of the mosque, where prayers, supplications, and worships are regularly established, fosters hope and a sense of community. God says, “Behold! The hearts find rest in God’s remembrance!”[340]
Second, choosing the right friends and companions is a key to leading a successful life. A successful friend with the right attitude will help the individual be more hopeful and ultimately reach success.
Third, we need to ensure that our general culture is one of hope and optimism. In our gatherings and at our mosques, our attitude as a community needs to be positive in order for us to foster a positive and proactive youth. Such an attitude will allow each individual within the community to continue to persevere despite hardship and adversity. This is what we learn from the stances of our Immaculate Imams (a), especially the stance of Imam Hussain (a) in Karbala. The tragedy of Karbala is a stance for the principles and values by which we live and continue to persevere towards a brighter future.
The Banner of Hussain
In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
The word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice. Nothing can change His words, and He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing.[341]
‘Word’ is used in the Holy Quran to indicate two different meanings. In some instances, it is used to indicate a truthful statement. For example, God says in one verse, “Your Lord’s word has become due upon them.”[342] This verse is itself a reference to a promise God made to Satan in another verse – “I will surely fill hell with you and all those who follow you.”[343]
‘Word’ could also refer to existence as a reflection of God’s attributes. So for example, the existence of the Holy Prophet (s) is a reflection of God’s divine attributes, and thus the Holy Prophet (s) may be referred to as a ‘Word.’ That is why God says in the Holy Quran,
O Mary, God gives you the good news of a Word from Him whose name is Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, distinguished in the world and the Hereafter and one of those brought near [to God].[344]
The Holy Quran described Jesus as a ‘Word’ because he was a reflection of God’s divine attributes. “Indeed the case of Jesus with God is like the case of Adam: He created him from dust, then said to him, ‘Be,’ and he was.”[345] God also says, “If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord, the sea would be spent before the words of my Lord are finished, though We replenish it with another like it.”[346] The words referred to in this verse are the instances of existence that reflect the divine attributes of God. The Holy Quran also says, “Then Adam received certain words from his Lord, and He turned to him clemently. Indeed He is the All-clement, the All-merciful.”[347] Our noble traditions mention that the ‘Words’ which Adam received were the lights circling around the Throne. He asked about these lights and he was told that these are the lights of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) and his Immaculate Household (a).[348] We also read in our supplications, “God created you as lights and made you to encircle His throne.”[349]
As for the verse we began this chapter with – “The word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice”[350] – ‘word’ in this context holds the second meaning we described. The reasoning for this lies in the verse itself. God describes the word as one of justice, and justice is a description of an outside existence more than mere words and speech. The word described in the verse is an existence that reflects the divine attributes of God. However, what specific existence is referred to in this verse?
In one tradition Imam Sadiq (a) describes this verse as a reference to the Twelfth Awaited Imam (a). The verse was inscribed on the forehead of the Imam (a) when he was born and he will be the fulfillment of this promise. Thus, there was luminous existence that began with the Holy Prophet (s) and which will be completed and fulfilled by Imam Mahdi (a). Of course, this Word of God has different aspects in which it is fulfilled. From a theoretical and legislative standpoint, this Word was fulfilled during the time of the Holy Prophet (s). God says, “Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam as your religion.”[351] But fulfillment on a practical level “in truth and justice” has not yet taken place. So when is the day that this practical fulfillment will occur?
That is the fulfillment of the divine promise that will come with the emergence of our Awaited Imam (a). The Holy Prophet (s) describes that day and says,
If there was naught left in the world but one day, God would extend that day until a man of my progeny emerges to fill the earth with justice and equity after it has been filled with injustice and inequity.[352]
That is why we read in the supplication in the month of Shaban,
O God for the sake of this night and for the sake of the one who was born tonight, Your proof and [this night’s] promise that You have joined with increased favor. Thus Your word has been fulfilled with truth and justice; surely there is no changing Your word.[353]
We also read in the supplication following the visitation of Aal Yaseen,
O God, send you blessings upon Muhammad, Your proof in Your earth, Your vicegerent over Your land, the caller unto Your path, the administrator of Your justice, the insurgent by Your command, the master of the believers and the perdition of the disbelievers, the eliminator of darkness and the illuminator of right, the speaker of wisdom and truth, and Your fulfilled word on Your earth.[354]
The blessed verse – “The word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice” – refers to the emergence of the Awaited Imam (a) who will fulfill Islam’s complete application “in truth and justice” on the Earth. God says in continuation of the verse, “Nothing can change His words, and He is the All-hearing, the All-
knowing.”[355]
This word began with the Holy Prophet (s) and will be fulfilled by the Awaited Imam (a). It is narrated that Imam Ali (a) once asked the Holy Prophet (s), “Is the Mahdi one of us [the Holy Household] or of another?” The Holy Prophet (s) replied, “He is of us. God will conclude with us just as He began with us.”[356] In another narration, Imam Ali (a) told his companion Kumail ibn Ziyad, “O Kumail, there is no knowledge except that I begin and there is no secret except that Al-Qa’im (a) will seal.”[357]
This luminous existence of the Holy Household is one and indivisible. A comparison between any two of our Immaculate Imams (a) will yield nothing but similarity in purpose, thought, and action. In this chapter, we will discuss specifically the similarities between Imam Hussain (a) and our Awaited Imam (a).
The Purpose
To analyze any phenomenon, whether natural or social, one must go back to its root causes. When studying natural phenomena, we look at physical cause and effect. When studying social phenomena, we look more towards purpose and motivations.
So for example, if we were to study the phenomena of floods and hurricanes we would have to look at the natural causes of such catastrophes, including global warming and climate change.
When it comes to social phenomena, we need to look at purpose and motivation. For example, why do millions of individuals walk towards the tomb of Imam Hussain (a) during the season of Arbaeen? The cause of this is clear for anyone who would look with an analytical and objective view. The purpose of these crowds walking towards Imam Hussain (a) is to revive the memory of the Household of the Holy Prophet (s). In one narration Imam Sadiq (a) asked his companion Fudail, “Do you gather and narrate?” Fudail replied in the affirmative. The Imam (a) said,
I love those gatherings. Revive our matter, O Fudail – may God have mercy on those who revive our matter. O Fudail, whoever remembers us and sheds [a tear the size of a] fly’s wing, God will forgive his sins even if they were more than the spume of the sea.[358]
It is also narrated that Imam Rida (a) said,
Whoever remembers our tragedy and cries for what befell us shall be with us on our level on the Day of Judgment. Whoever reminds [others] of our tragedy, crying and making others cry, his eyes will not cry on the day when all eyes cry. Whoever attends a gathering where our memory is revived, his heart will not die on the day when all hearts die.[359]
Revolution is a social phenomenon which must be analyzed in depth. Revolutions are of two types, proactive and reactive. A reactive revolution occurs as a result of accumulating pressures that lead to an explosive social environment. For example, Marxist thought emphasizes that when class struggle reaches a tipping point, the proletariat will revolt against the bourgeoisie. On the other hand, Islamic teachings emphasize the importance of proactive revolutions – ones that are not the result of emotion and groupthink, but of carefully planning and clear goals.
Imam Hussain’s revolution was a proactive movement following a conscious and well-studied plan. This can be seen in two key aspect of the movement.
First, Imam Hussain (a) did not impose a revolution on his followers but allowed them their free choice throughout. He was not like the Umayyad general Tariq ibn Ziyad who during his conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, “O my warriors, whither would you flee? Behind you is the sea, before you, the enemy. By God, you have left now only the hope of your resolve and your patience.”[360] The Umayyad army’s movement at that time was reactionary, based on nothing but necessity and a need for food and shelter.
On the other hand, Imam Hussain (a) told his companions,
I don’t know of any companions better than my companions, nor a family more pure and rooted than my own. May God reward you on my behalf. I see that the day the enemy will transgress against us is tomorrow. I give you leave to take off in the night, there is no blame or fault on you if you leave. The night has shrouded you, so ride into the night. Let each one of you take a member of my household [as a guardian] and disperse in the lands and cities. May God reward you all. These people ask for me, not for you… and if they get to me they will be too preoccupied to go after anyone else.[361]
Imam Hussain (a) wanted his companions to participate in the revolution out of their own choice and resolve. The revolution must stem from their conviction and aspiration, as well as their faith in the plan laid down by the Holy Household.
Second, the motivation for the revolution was not simply a refusal to pledge allegiance to Yazid. That is an important part of it, as Imam Hussain (a) had declared,
Governor! We are the household of the Prophet (s), the core of the message, and the harbor of Angels. By us, God has introduced His message, and to us He will return it. Yazid is a deviant, a miscreant, a drunkard, and a murderer. He has publically professed his deviance and impiety. Someone like me will never give homage to the likes of him.[362]
But that is not the sole and driving reason for revolution. Neither were the letters of the Kufans who declared, “The fruits have ripened. The pastures have greened. The rivers have swollen. [The time has come and you will find] armies mustered at your command.”[363] If that were the case, then his revolution would have been reactionary and a result of public sentiment rather than the conscious and well-studied plan we know it to be.
Of course, the Imam’s (a) actions were influenced by the circumstances of his time. But the driving purpose behind his revolution and his every action is his divinely given role as the guardian of Islam. As he wrote to his half-brother Muhammad ibn Al-Hanafiyya,
I do not set out due to discontent, nor out of arrogance. I do not rise as a corruptor, nor as an oppressor. Rather, I wish to call for reform in the nation of my grandfather. I wish to call for what is good, and to forbid what is evil.[364]
Imam Hussain’s (a) revolution was not simply a military movement – otherwise it would have clearly been a defeat. Rather, his movement was a spiritual one aiming to awaken the Muslim nation from its deep slumber and veer it off the course of deviance that it had taken. Through his revolution he was able to achieve this noble goal. A single look at history will show that the massacre at Karbala became a cause of numerous revolutions that shook the Umayyad throne – the Repenters’ Revolt, the rebellion of Medina, the Revolt of Mukhtar, the Revolt of Zayd, and numerous others.
The same is true of the revolution of our Awaited Imam (a) – it is above all a spiritual revolution. The Holy Prophet (s) said,
If there was naught left in the world but one day, God would extend that day until a man of my progeny emerges to fill the earth with justice and equity after it has been filled with injustice and inequity.[365]
Imam Mahdi (a) is not described as filling the earth with soldiers or arms. Rather, his purpose is to fill the earth with justice and equity. It is the same purpose as that of his forefather Imam Hussain (a) who set out to call for reform in the nation of his grandfather the Holy Prophet (s). They are movements to call for what is good and to forbid what is evil.
The Goal
The goals of the two revolutions are one. It is the same goal as all other prophets and messengers. God says in the Holy Quran, “Certainly We sent Our apostles with manifest proofs, and We sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that mankind may maintain justice.”[366]Mankind is meant to establish justice on earth. This relies on two main factors.
First, the economic factor which as addressed the Holy Quran. “Do not give the feeble-minded your property, which God has assigned you to manage.”[367] This verse means that wealth is sustenance for you and your communities and is a primary pillar in the establishment of civilization.
Second, the legal factor which sets the framework for the establishment of justice. There must be a framework for enforcement of just laws and a just allocation of wealth.
The goal of the divine messages is to establish a just and prosperous civilization. That was the goal of Imam Hussain (a) as he set out from Medina. That is also the goal of our Twelfth Imam (a).
In
one narration, Imam Rida (a) is reported to have said,
If you were to cry for anything then cry for Hussain ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (a). He was slaughtered along with eighteen men of his family unlike anyone else on earth. The seven heavens and the earth cried for his murder. Four thousand angels came down to earth to support him but were not given permission, so they remain dusty and unkempt until the emergence of Al-Qa’im (a). Their rallying cry will be, ‘Revenge for Hussain (a).’[368]
Reprisal for Imam Hussain (a) is not a personal vendetta, or vengeful or bloody retribution. Imam Hussain (a) did not revolt for a personal, tribal, or sectarian purpose. Rather, the reprisal of Imam Hussain (a) is the reprisal of God. The texts have repeatedly said this, including in the visitation of Imam Hussain (a) when we read, “Peace be upon you O reprisal of God and the son of His reprisal.”[369] Imam Hussain (a) led a movement to call for what is right and forbid what is wrong – a Quranic mission as outlined by the verse, “There has to be a nation among you summoning to the good, bidding what is right, and forbidding what is wrong.”[370] This is the divine mission for which reprisal is sought. It is not a personal, tribal, or sectarian vendetta. It is a continuation of his movement for which he expended himself and all that he held dear.
The Base
The revolutions of Imam Hussain (a) and Imam Mahdi (a) are the same when it comes to their support as well. Each revolution requires a class of individuals to believe in the revolution and its purpose and to pursue its goals with conviction. This group of individuals is the backbone of the revolution. God refers to such individuals when speaking of His Prophets,
How many a Prophet there has been with whom a multitude of godly men fought. They did not falter for what befell them in the way of God, neither did they weaken, nor did they abase themselves; and God loves the steadfast.[371]
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