The
great Epic of
ʿĀshūrā
in Karbalā
is a multi dimensional issue that must be well understood before we can
appreciate its significance. Two major
preludes to the
ʿĀshūrā
tragedy
are
the Divine event of al-Ghadīr al-Khum, and the Saq
ī
fah
Intrigue. Without a good knowledge of these two events,
the episode of
ʿĀshūrā
seems to be a useless and foolish experience in physical and superficial
bases. World renowned thinkers have a
much deeper opinion about the epic of
ʿĀshūrā.
Let us
review a few of these quotes:
“I have learned
from Husayn how to be oppressed yet victorious.”
Mahatma Ghandi
"I wanted to know the best of the life of one who
holds today an undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind.... I became more than ever convinced that it was
not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of
life. It was the rigid simplicity, the
utter self-effacement of Hussain the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense
devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his
absolute trust in God and in his own mission to save Islam. These and not the sword carried
everything before them and surmounted every obstacle."
[i]
Mahatma Ghandi
“If Husayn had fought to quench his worldly desires, as
alleged by certain Christian critics, then I do not understand why his sister,
wife, and children accompanied him.”
Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870) –
English novelist, Victorian era
“The best lesson which we get from the tragedy of
Karbalā is that Husayn and his companions were rigid believers in God. They illustrated that the numerical
superiority does not count when it comes to the truth and the falsehood.
The victory of Husayn, despite his minority, marvels me!”
Thomas Carlyle (1795 – 1881) –
Famous British historian
“In a distant age and climate, the tragic scene of the
death of Husayn, will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader. Without his martyrdom, Islam would have
extinguished long ago. He was the
saviour of Islam and it was due to his martyrdom that Islam took such a deep
root, which it is neither possible nor even imaginable to destroy now.”
Edward Gibbon (1737 – 1794) – Considered the
greatest British historian of his time
Having
read the unprejudiced statements of these honourable and influencing non-Muslim
personalities, we now go through the adventures of Karbalā to throw more
light on this unique Jih
ā
d
.
Please
click “
The Review of al-Ghad
ī
r
” as the first prelude
to the Epic of
ʿ
Āshūrā
.