Karbala's Lessons

“By the dawn and the ten nights.” — [Quran 89:1–2]

Bismillah al-Rahman al-Raheem

Have we ever tried to understand the importance of the sacrifice made by Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) and the lessons we can learn from all the pain and tragedy that happened in Karbala?
Have we ever tried to make a sincere and honest effort to implement into our lives all that we learn, do and prove to be during the month of Muharram?
The first step towards personal improvement always has to be taken by ourselves, not only reflecting on the teachings we receive and hear when attending Majalis but we must also reflect on ourselves and ask ourselves the following questions:

Would Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) be proud of me?
Am I walking the same path that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) walked?
Am I really being true to my words and fulfilling my duties?
Am I really following the truth or do I just say it when I’m in the presence of others?
Am I striving for the salvation of my soul or to impress others?
It is with these questions in mind that I write this article, with the intention of benefiting the reader, God willing.
Before starting the approach, I ask you to send blessings on the Prophet and his family.

Importance of Mourning

Let’s try to understand the importance of mourning the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) the rewards for those who mourn and the punishment for those who organize festivities during the month of Muharram.
Fasting on the day of Ashura?

Imam Ali al-Ridha (peace be upon him) said: “God will provide for the needs of this world and the Hereafter of whoever does not try to provide for his needs on the Day of Ashura. The Honorable the Exalted God will make the Resurrection Day a day of pleasure and happiness for whoever makes the Day of Ashura his day of calamity, mourning, sorrow and crying. If one considers the Day of Ashura to be a blessed day for him and hoards things up in his house on that day, whatever he hoards up will not be blessed. He will be resurrected along with Yazid, Ubaydillah ibn Ziyad and Umar ibn Sa’d — may God curse them — on the Resurrection Day.”
[Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha]

Imam Jaffar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said about the fast on the day of Ashura: It is a fast about which there is nothing in the book or an established Sunnah except the Sunnah of the family of Ziyad for their murdering al-Hussain ibne Ali (peace be upon him).
[al-Kafi]

Imam Ali al-Ridha (peace be upon him) said about the fast on the day of Ashura: ‘It is the fast of ibn Marjanah. You are asking me about the day in which the adopted ones of the family of Ziyad for their murdering al-Hussain (peace be upon him) were fasting. It is an ominous day for the family of Muhammad, (peace be upon them). For people of Islam it is an ominous day. A day, which is ominous for the people of Islam is not a day of fasting or a day of blessing. Monday is an unblessed day because Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, took His Holy prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, from this world. The family of Muhammad, (peace be upon them), has been hurt on Monday, so we took it as an ominous day and our enemies took it as a day of blessing. On the day of ‘Ashura’ al-Hussain, (peace be upon him) was murdered and ibn Marjanah took it for blessing but the family of Muhammad, (peace be upon him), took it as an ominous day. Whoever fasts on this day or takes it for blessing will come in the presence of Allah, most Blessed, most High, with metamorphosed heart and will be raised with those who established the Sunnah of fasting on that day and took it for blessing.
[al-Kafi]

As we fight for the salvation of our souls, we must keep in mind these sayings of our Imams (peace be upon them) because we definitely don’t want to be resurrected on the side of falsehood and unbelief, we don’t want and we don’t seek the same fate as those who hurt the family of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon them), may Allah remove his mercy from all those who turned against Imam Hussain (peace be upon him).
In some small narrations, one of the ways of mourning is mentioned: poetry. As we can see below.

The correct way to recite

Abu Haroon al‑Makfoof said: I presented myself before Imam Jaffar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) whereupon he said to me: “Recite for me a poetry” and so I recited for him. He said “Not in this manner. Recite for me as you recite poems and elegies over the grave of Hussain (peace be upon him)” and so I recited for him (again).
[al-Bihar]

Rewards for those who recite poetry about al-Hussain (peace be upon him)

Imam Jaffar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: There is none who recites poetry about al-Hussain (peacebe upon him) and weeps and makes others weep by means of it, except that Allah makes Paradise incumbent upon him and forgives his sins.
[Rijal of Shaykh al-Toosi]

How to mourn if you can’t go to Ziyarat

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) mentions the manner of mournig at home as follows: He should mourn over al-Hussain (peace be upon him), weep for him and instruct the members of the house to weep for him. He should establish the mourning ceremony in the house by exhibiting lamentations and grief over him; the people should meet one another in their homes and offer condolences and consolation to each other over the calamities which befell him.
[Kaamil al-Ziyarat]

Remember Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) but don’t just remember it with your mind, remember it with your heart and soul, remember it with every part of your being, because his family and his companions gave themselves in body and soul to protect the faith and the right path.
You must remember them with every part of your being for the faithful companions ended up in pieces! They gave their life for Islam, they gave everything they had so that today we could stand here and claim that we are the followers of Ali ibn Abu Talib (peace be upon him) but how many times do we really honor what we say we are? Do we have what it takes to be a true Shi’a? Now that we are aware of a certain part of the importance of mourning Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), we can proceed to an analysis of certain lessons that we can learn during the month of Muharram and with the tragic story of Karbala.

Learning with the light of the Quran
How many things do we take for granted? How many things do we not value enough until we lose them, then after we lose them we begin to understand the value of such things and seek to have them all back?
This is an important question to ask during this period of mourning, it is a question to make us reflect on our attitudes, so let’s look at a specific Quranic verse where Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) is mentioned and how can we learn from him!

Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah the Exalted hasten his return) regarding the verse “Kãf-Ha-Ya-’Ayn-Ṣãd.” [19:1], said: the Kãf is the name of Karbala, the Ha is the tragedy (halaak) of the progeny, the Ya is Yazeed (may Allah withdraw His mercy from him) the oppressor of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), the Ayn is the thirst (‘atash) of Hussain and the Ṣãd is his patience (sabr).
[Kamal al-Deen]

Now that we understand the meaning of this verse, let’s address the lessons we can learn from it.

Kãf is for Karbala

There is no day like the day of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), there is no day like Ashura.

Imam Hassan Mujtaba (peace be upon him) said: there is no day like your day (Ashura), oh Aba Abdillah!
[al-Bihar]

Yes, there is no day like Ashura and comparisons should be avoided but in any case it is undeniable that the lessons we learned from our beloved Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) can be applied in our lives when we eventually find ourselves in complicated or misleading situations, the sacrifice was made in Karbala to protect the word of Allah but also to teach us how to handle certain things in the right way.

‘Ayn is for ‘Atash al-Hussain

The thirst of Imam Hussain (peaced be upon him) during the tragic events of Karbala can show us how often we take everything for granted in our lives, it shows how we are negligent and ungrateful when it comes to the most simple things in this world, because our minds are being deceived by the great pleasures of the world, the great acquisitions and ambitions, this happens so constantly that it ends up making us blind to the things that really matter but we don’t value them simply because they are simpler.
We are so neglectful that we don’t understand how blessed we are every day just by waking up every day in a comfortable bed, we ignore the little blessings and focus on our desires when in fact we have so much at our disposal and we just don’t learn to deal with it or maybe nor do we want to handle it properly.
But it is also obvious that we all have different struggles, problems and sufferings and none of them are invalid, we as believers must advise, understand, help and protect each other.
Many people play the sad role of pointing the finger and judging but I think that if someone wants to point out our problems, that person should also bring the solution to them!
That’s why I always take great care when advising my brothers in faith so that I don’t show disrespect for their pain, we have to understand and welcome our brothers, we have to show respect, we need an exemplary akhlaaq.
In order for us to understand the small blessings, we need to reflect and respect the suffering of others.

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? [Quran 55:61]

Ṣãd is for Sabr al-Hussain

Imam Hussain’s patience (peace be upon him) in the face of such calamity shows us that we can often lose our minds over such simple things that would be easily resolved if we had a little more patience with life and its ways, patience is a virtue that comes to us when we fully trust in Allah (the Exalted), patience comes to us when we faithfully follow the ways of Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them).
Many of us say “May my life be sacrificed for you Aba Abdillah, how I wish I was in Karbala so that I could lay down my life for Islam!” but how many of us would really be prepared to face so much pain, tragedy and sadness? How many of us would have the patience to move on after so much suffering?
The lesson in this is that we must practice more patience in our lives to learn to move forward, to learn how to fear God even if calamity befalls us.

Sayyida Zainab al-Kubra (peace be upon her) said: I saw nothing but beauty.

How many of us have reached the level of Taqwa and Tawakkul to act with as much patience, eloquence and grace as they did?

Ha is for Halaak al-Hussain

The tragedy of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) shows us that many of us simply would not be ready to face something like what happened in Karbala, we are very lost in this era where all information is easily accessible, but rarely is it. used for the right reasons.
it is a lesson that shows us how we should focus on our personal development, as people and as Muslims, it is a lesson that shows us that we should prepare for the return of Imam Mahdi (may Allah the Exalted hasten his return) and that we should be ready to be true Shi’a and not just claim the title without giving due honor.

Amir ul-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) turned his face to the group that was following him and asked them about their beliefs. “We are your Shia, Amir ul-Mu’minin,” they answered. He said, “But I cannot see the marks of the Shia on your faces.” “What are the marks of the Shia?” asked they. He (peace be upon him) said: The Shia are pale-faced because of staying up at nights, atrophied-stomached because of fasting, and dry-lipped because of prayers to Allah. The dust of the submissive covers them.
[Sifat al-Shia]

Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) said: Our Shia are only those whose voices do not exceed their hearings and detestation does not exceed their bodies. They do not burden others with their loads. They do not ask anybody other than their friends even if they starve. Our Shia do not bark like dogs or covet like craws. Our Shia’s livings are hardly sufficient and their dwellings are roving. Our Shia are those who dedicate a definite right in their wealth. They help each other, do not worry about death, and exchange visits in their graves. I asked: Where can I find such people? He (a) answered: You will find them living in the outskirts and among the marts. They are the intendeds in Allah’s saying: They are humble towards the believers and dignified to the unbelievers.
[Sifat al-Shia]

Imam Ali al-Ridha (peace be upon him) said: Our (true) Shia are those who submit to our orders, carry out our directives, and dissent from our enemies. He who does not enjoy such characteristics is not one of us.
[Sifat al-Shia]

Loyalty of al-Abbas, moon of Bani Hashem

We often mention the loyalty of Abbas ibn Ali (peace be upon him) but how many times do we really learn something from that loyalty? How many times do we ignore and neglect the teachings that are placed before us?
If we really want to learn from al-Abbas’ loyalty, we must reflect on our attitudes towards our family and friends, are we loyal to those who trust us?! Do we respect them? Did we help them?
In today’s times we tend to think that we shouldn’t care about others in order to focus on ourselves, but in fact it’s quite the opposite! From the Islamic perspective, self-improvement goes hand in hand with altruism and a pure heart, a heart with good intentions.
We must do our best to honor Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) in every way possible! And within these aspects is loyalty, our brothers and family must be safe close to us knowing that they can trust and count on us, we must show loyalty, respect and dedication.
The paradox of focusing on yourself is there, you shouldn’t use it as an excuse for selfishness and lack of compassion and solidarity, you can focus on yourself and help others, be loyal and trustworthy.
Honor Islam, Honor Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them), avoid gossip, avoid prejudgment, avoid speaking ill of others behind their backs, avoid breaking the trust people place in you, be an adornment to others Imams (peace be upon them).

Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said: a believer is a brother of a fellow believer. Cursed is the one who accuses a brother, cursed is the one who cheats a brother, cursed is the one who does not give advice [when able to], and cursed is the one who backbites a brother.
[al-Bihar]

These were some lessons derived from Karbala and my reflections on them, I hope they can benefit the readers and help them on the long walk of life, my advice and thoughts are always things I learned or am still learning and so I like to pass on, some they may need it, others not so much and as I said, each person has their own time of change, improvement and development, we should not rush or pressure anyone because only Allah knows the sufferings that each one carries in their hearts; what we can do is always strive to have an exemplary character and seek to be loyal to our brothers in faith, help and support them so that everyone can evolve together and so that everyone learns healthier and better ways of living.

may Allah bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, hasten the return of al-Qa’im and curse all those who oppressed Ahlul Bayt and all those who still deny their rights.