MUHARRAM AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE (6)
By:Syed-Mohsin
Naquvi
29 January 2006
This is the sixth article in the
series on Muharram and its significance.
We began this series with an
introduction to the concept of Imamat in Islam. The first article in
this series introduced that concept from the holy Qur’an. The second
article presented a view of the same concept from Hadeeth by way of
a book review.
In the third of the series
we looked at the historical background of the ceremony of Hajj and
its connection to the event of
Karbala.
In the fourth article of
the series we came back to the direct historical background of the
Karbala story itself. We quoted a passage from a Ph.D.
thesis on Islamic history and presented to our readers the
background of how Yazeed came to power in the month of Rajab of the
60th year of Hijra and he commanded the governor of
Madinah to send for Husayn and insist on his Ba’yat. Husayn left
Madinah on the 28th of Rajab for Makkah after having
refused to that demand.
Husayn stays
in Makkah until the month of Zil-Q’adah. During that stay he
receives a number of letters from the people of
Iraq who were asking him to come to
Iraq and free them from the oppressive rule of the
Umayyads. Husayn does not respond to those letters for a while. His
friends exhort him not to go to
Iraq.
In the fifth of this
series we discussed how the event of
Karbala has been viewed in history. In that we quoted
some of the opinions expressed by great scholars in the past both
Muslim as well as non Muslim. We ended that discussion with a
question. The question posed was: How could different people view
Karbala with such different opinions? How could one
person view Karbala as the epitome of supreme human sacrifice in a
great cause, another would look at it simply as a struggle for power
between two parties and yet another would rule that Imam Husayn was
killed quite legitimately because he had raised the banner of revolt
against a legitimate Muslim government?
Before we discuss some of those issues, another opinion has been
published. That is, it was all on Allah’s Will that
Karbala should happen the way it did happen. In effect,
saying that no one can really be blamed for the oppression, torture,
murder and plunder, because nothing happens in this world without
Allah’s authority.
In
this article we address that issue.
Was the event of Karbala Allah’s Will?
In the beginning of the Qur’an, in
Chapter 2, Sura Baqarah, the story of creation is told. It tells the
Muslims how Allah first created the
Paradise, Hell, the Earth the Seas and the Mountains, and
of course the Angels and the Jinn. Allah then called the angels and
the chief of the Jinns (Iblees) and said, “Behold, I am going to
create a vicegerent on Earth. When I blow my Spirit into him, you
all should fall prostrate to him.”
With that,
Allah created Adam with clay and blew his Spirit into his figure. As
Adam rose, the Angels fell prostrate as commanded, but Iblees
refused. Allah asked him: “O Iblees, what kept you from obeying my
command?”
Iblees said: “I am better than him, I am created of Fire and he from
Clay.”
The story is then continued in chapter
7, Sura A’araaf:
Allah reprimanded Iblees for his disobedience and promised to send
everyone to the Hellfire who followed Iblees. Iblees asked for a
reprieve for a given time, which was granted to him but the promise
of the Hellfire also stands.
My
question to my readers is: If nothing happens without Allah’s Will,
then Iblees disobeying Allah was on Allah’s Will; and in later times
those who would follow Iblees would also do that by Allah’s Will.
If
that is true, then why would Allah throw the disobedient ones into
the Hellfire? After all, they were following His Will.
If
we follow this line of reasoning, then we will have to accept that
Allah is UNJUST. But that goes dead against the basic belief of
TAWHEED. Allah is Supreme, He does not subject His creations to
unjust pressures; He does not even put a burden on anyone that is
greater than one can bear. All those things are confirmed by
Qur’anic verses.
In
spite of that, this confusion arose very early on the understanding
of the Muslim elite. Let us look at an episode in the life of Imam
Abu Haneefa, one of the four Imams of FIQH and theology who lived in
the second century of Hijra.
Imam Abu
Haneefa lived in
Koofa,
Iraq but he travelled from
Iraq to Madinah to see the Imam J’afar as-Sadiq and
actually sat in his lectures for two years. He used to say: "if
those two years were taken away, then there was nothing left in my
life's work." However, he also disagreed with the Imam J’afar
as-Sadiq in many aspects of theology and the law. During one of his
own lectures at one time, he expressed his doubts about the Imam's
theological ideas. He said that he could not understand three things
that the Imam J’afar talked about:
(a)
If there is a God and He is the Creator, the Provider and the
Sustainer of all beings and all things, then how is it possible that
we cannot see Him? We must be able to see Him somewhere sometime.
(b)
If God is Omniscient and he is the Creator of Good and Evil then how
can the Satan (Iblees) be punished for his refusal to prostrate to
Adam, and also how could we, the sinners, be punished on the Day of
Judgement for our sins? God created us and we are what
we are as He created us; and we do what we do as He wills.
(c)
How can the Satan be burnt in Fire when he himself is made of fire?
A disciple of
the sixth Imam named Bahlool was sitting among the audience. When
the lecture ended and people were dispersing to go home, he picked
up a rock and threw it straight at Abu Haneefa hitting him in the
forehead. Abu Haneefa was hurt, but not badly. Bahlool ran but, soon
he was rounded up and brought to Abu Haneefa. He, in utter surprise,
looked at Bahlool and asked him the reason for hitting him. Bahlool
countered: 'Well, what is the matter?' Abu Haneefa said that he was
hurt and was aching in the forehead. Bahlool said: "Where is the
pain, I cannot see it!" When Abu Haneefa insisted on being hurt and
having pain, Bahlool said: 'What kind of existence is that of your
pain that I cannot see?' Abu Haneefa was obviously furious at the
impertinence of this counter questioning and said: 'You have hit me
with a rock and I am hurt.' Bahlool said: 'Man is made of dust and
this rock is also made of dust, how could dust hurt dust?' Abu
Haneefa was now losing his patience, he said: 'You are going to be
punished for your unprovoked attack on me which is clearly a
mischief.' Bahlool persisted by saying: 'Why would you want to
punish me? I am what God made me, and I did as I was destined to do
- all will belongs to Allah.' Abu Haneefa got the
message. Although, he was left speechless momentarily by Bahlool's
reasoning, his writings still contain these basic ideas. A great
majority of the followers of Abu Haneefa, therefore, do not believe
in man's free will and they believe that Allah will be seen by all
on the Day of Judgement sitting on His throne.
Having
said that, we must explore as to where does this idea come to Abu
Haneefa in the first place? Abu Haneefa lived in the middle of the
second century of Hijra. He died in 150 Hijra, 140 years after the
passing away of the Prophet. The generations of the Companions, that
of the Followers of the Companions and at least two more generation
had passed since that time. That means many people must have
discussed these issues. But how come, an idea so diametrically
opposed to the Qur’anic concept of Allah’s Justness and Man’s free
will, and Allah’s Punishment and Reward took roots in the Muslim
society?
The idea must have come
from some thing in the early history of Islam. Let us
look at one episode in the early history of Islam. But before that,
let us look at some of the Qur’anic verses which are relevant to our
discussion here.
Karbala in the 61st year of Hijra saw an
unequal battle. A group of 72 people under the leadership of Husayn
bin Ali came together and they stood up to a tyrant’s 30,000 strong
army. They were able to prolong the fighting over the period of some
ten hours. Then they were all butchered one by one. How were a bunch
of 72 able to hold off a well-armed army of 30,000 for ten hours?
Where did they get that strength and will?
Obviously, those people
were made of the best human material one can imagine. But a lot has
to be said about the leadership shown by Imam Husayn at
Karbala. It was his commitment to the ultimate sacrifice
in the way of Allah, martyrdom, that gave strength and courage to
his 72. Of course, the concept of martyrdom is Qur’anic.
|
[3:169] Do not even think that those who are killed in the
cause of GOD are dead; nay, they are alive and are closer to
their Lord, enjoying His provisions.
|
Not only that
the companions of Husayn had read and understood this verse (as well
as the rest of the Qur’an) fully and deeply, they were guided by a
leader who was the grandson of the Prophet and had seen Islam taking
shape inside his own home. He had seen the entire Qur’an being
collected in his home. He was the son of Imam Ali, who would always
go to battlefield with full commitment to receive martyrdom, never
to return without first achieving his goal. This was confirmed by
the Prophet himself on the Day of Khyber, when he called Ali after
21 days of continuous failure at the hands of other Companions, and
gave him the Alam saying:
“Tomorrow shall I give this Alam to a
man who attacks repeatedly and never retreats. He loves Allah and
His Rasool, and Allah and Rasool love him; Allah will give victory
on his hands.”
Imam Ali proceeded to the fort of Khyber. Pulled the gate with one
hand, entered the fort, fought the battle, killed some of the best
Jewish commanders inside the fort and led the Muslims to victory.
Of
course, Imam Ali was also guided by the holy Qur’an in his
commitments in Allah’s way. But there were those among the
Companions of the Prophet who had doubts and showed their doubts in
times of trials.
The
Qur’an says:
|
[8:15] O you who believe, if you encounter the disbelievers
who have mobilized against you, do not turn back and flee.
|
|
[8:16] Anyone who turns back on that day, except to carry out
a battle plan, or to join his group, has incurred wrath from
GOD, and his abode is Hell; what a miserable destiny!
|
So, the Qur’an ruled
unequivocally about the basic tactic at the battlefield for Muslims
– when confronted with hostile attackers is, do not run away, anyone
running away from the active battlefield other than in a tactical
retreat, will end up in Hellfire. That is why, the
Prophet, when gave the hadeeth about Imam Ali on the Day of Khyber
he made that exception about him: … he attacks repeatedly and does
not retreat……
What is sad is the fact that in view of such a clear commandment,
there were some among the Companions of the Prophet who did run away
from an active battlefield and then tried to justify their running
away. Qur’an confirmed that many times.
Let us look at some
episodes from the Battle of Hunayn, which occurred right after the
Conquest of Makkah in the 8th year of Hijra. Here is what
the Quran has said about that battle:
|
[9:25] GOD has granted you victory in many situations. But on
the day of Hunayn, you became too proud of your great number.
Consequently, it did not help you at all, and the spacious earth
became so straitened around you, that you turned around and
fled.
|
Let
us look at a few hadeeth reports about this episode to elaborate the
point we are pursuing here:
1. Abul Fida
writes in his Tareekh: When both forces came face to face and
began fighting, the Muslims suffered a defeat and they ran in such a
way that one did not care about the other.
2. Ibn al-Wardi
says that when the Muslims ran, the Prophet asked Abbas to call the
runners back. Abbas said – “O Apostle of Allah, how is my voice
going to reach them? How will they hear me?”
The Prophet replied to Abbas – “It is your job to call, it is upto
Allah to make that call reach the ears of the runners.”
3. Buhan-ud
Deen Halabi Shafici writes in his Seerat al-Halabiyya:
Abu Sufyan
bin Harith was holding the stirrups of the Prophet’s mount and the
Prophet was watching those Muslims who were running away; the
Prophet kept calling them back –“O people, where are you going?” but
no one was listening to him. He then asked Abbas to call them (with
a loud
voice) back and address them as those who had pledged their support
under the tree of Sumrah.
4. Bukhari has
recorded a story narrated by Abu Qatada in his Saheeh: When
the Muslims were defeated on the day of Hunayn and ran for their
life, I was among them. Suddenly I noticed that Umar bin Khattab was
also running with me. I said to him (while running away) – “What
happened to us?” Umar replied – “Allah’s Will.” Later on, we all
came back to the Prophet.
Umar
bin Kahttab is one of the most senior Companions of the Prophet. He
is running way from an active battlefield while the Prophet is
calling everyone back. Not only that, he actually tries to justify
his escape from the battle.
A
great majority of Muslims value Umar’s statements and actions even
more than those of the Prophet of Islam, and in fact would accept
his ideas in contradiction to Qur’an. This episode is a clear proof
to that trend. Both Abu Haneefa as well as Muslims in later times
who insist on sweeping the event of Karbala under the rug saying
that all that was Allah’s Will, are actually following the reasoning
presented by Umar at Hunayn.
I,
most humbly apologize, if I have hurt anyone’s feelings in this
writing.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Syed-Mohsin Naquvi