Ashura: Reflections on human rights

Muharram is one of the four sacred months; others are Rajab, Zhul Qadah and Zhul Hajj. Growing up as children, we used to remember the month of Muharram referred to in Hausa as watan cika ciki – a month of renewal and feasting. Muslims fast for two days and we were told that on the […]

Muharram is one of the four sacred months; others are Rajab, Zhul Qadah and Zhul Hajj. Growing up as children, we used to remember the month of Muharram referred to in Hausa as watan cika ciki – a month of renewal and feasting. Muslims fast for two days and we were told that on the 10th of Muharram, Ashurah day, people should give themselves a treat by preparing and serving delicious dishes to the needy, family and friends. We were told as children that everybody must go to bed on a full stomach on Ashura day as a protection against poverty in the New Year.  As we grew up and studied Islamic history, Ashura became our reference point as a milestone and a universal day for defence of human rights in Islam.
 Rizvi a Government Senior in Dallas notes that ‘in 680 AD, Imam Hussain, the third Caliph and grandson the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), his family and close companions made a journey to the city of Kufa after he had received 12,000 letters from the Kuffians pleading for him to intercede and free them from Yazid and his agents. In these letters, Imam Hussain was promised support, but all the while, Yazid who had caught wind of this, suppressed the uprising through bribery, threats and the like. On the way to Kufa, Imam Hussain and his 71 companions were stopped and besieged in Karbala by a military regiment of, by some accounts, 30,000 men.
On Ashura, or the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic Calendar, after three days without water under the hot desert sun, Hussain and most of his companions were slaughtered, with just a few of the party surviving. Every age group was represented among Imam Hussain’s companions, including his 6-month-old baby and were victims of this cruelty. Imam Hussain had begged for mercy and water for his baby, but he was cruelly denied. This is one story of many, and it is the gruesome atrocities of the event that led Charles Dickens to conclude that “if Hussain had fought to quench his worldly desires … then I don’t understand why his sister, wife, and children accompanied him. It stands to reason therefore, that he sacrificed purely for Islam.” After the massacre, the women of his family and his sickly child Zain Ul-abideen were bound and marched to Syria where they were further humiliated and oppressed.’
The horrors of the tragedy simply cannot be described in a short write up however, it is important to be aware of this historical event and its relevance to us, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. In different parts of the world, a wide range of events are organised to mark the martyrdom of Imam Hussain. The events are designed to create awareness and solidarity for those who are oppressed. The tragedy of Karbala is religiously commemorated by the Shia sect of Islam, but the message of Karbala is universal and is a historical reference for many activists and intellectuals.  
On Monday November 3 2014 I witnessed two events here in Kaduna. One was a procession organised by the members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria known as Shia who turned out all dressed in black. They gathered, men, women, children and the youth, by a mosque on the Western bypass and marched through the major roads in the city reciting historic record of Imam Hussain’s martyrdom.
The other event was a reflection forum organised by the Kaduna based Athaqalain Foundation at the Women’s Multipurpose Centre. It was attended by men, women and children from all walks of life. Most of them were members of the Islamic movement. The event began with Qur’anic recitation and opening prayers which added a sober mood to the setting.  The reflection message was delivered in Hausa by the leader of the Athaqalain Foundation, Sheikh Hamzah Muhammad Lawal. He began by welcoming all participants and reminding them about the importance of the event.
He said ‘On an afternoon like this, one thousand and sixty two years ago, Imam Hussain was killed. So we are gathered here to remember him. He was a principled and visionary leader who stuck to principles, defended citizens’ human rights and paid the supreme sacrifice along with his family and companions. Visionary leaders see that light which enables them to identify a mission on which they focus their energy. Imam Hussain had a cause and lived a life of principles (magda) His interest was in promoting the common good Maslaha. In Suratul Baqara, Allah told the angels that he would create human beings as Khalifah vicegerent on earth who will do His bidding. The interest of the angels came up and they responded ‘You want to create those who will spill blood and create chaos while we celebrate and sing your praises? The angels’ interest was clear, implying if some beings must inherit the earth, it should be us.
The world today is led by maslaha. An example is the United States of America USA where everything is guided by interests and the country has no permanent friends or enemies but permanent interests. This leads to hypocrisy, insincerity and double standards. Today, human beings are like the USA and only few will understand why Imam Hassain made such sacrifice. He was someone guided by vision and such a person rises above race, class, ethnicity and other worldly trappings in their affairs. Imam Hussain was guided by conscience qalb and resolve irada in his ways. That conscience is the inner voice that speaks to human beings and enables them to choose between what is right and wrong. Today two things kill our conscience and resolve.
One is ignorance, while the other is corruption.  People who are ignorant will sacrifice their future  for a packet of maggi or other paltry incentive. Another problem is corruption. Yazid bought people’s conscience and this is happening today. Corrupt leaders believe everyone has a price and they bribe them, infiltrate organisations and split their rank. This is happening today with government infiltration of the Labour Union and others through corruption. Once these corrupt people are able to buy the leaders of movements and organisations including  faith based organisations, they retreat to a corner and have a good laugh because they know they have finished with them and their cause is gone.’ Sheikh Hamzah Muhammad Lawal also underscored the event of Karbala and the universality of Imam Hussain’s sacrifice for all of humanity and not limited to Muslims. This will feature next week.