Muharram: The Time to Introspect
By: Syed Mustafa Ahmad
In Islam, all months are sacred in their own ways. However, some are more auspicious and offer various lessons to the Ummah on various aspects. The common thread among all the months is same. All the months want something common from the followers or believers.
Every year, months come and go. It is a usual process. It will go on and on. But, what about us. We are human beings. Our days are numbered. For a purpose, we have been sent here. Though month’s mean time, human beings and particularly the Muslims mean something else. If we talk about Muharram, the first month of the Islamic Calendar, it demands a lot from us. What it demands, is briefly discussed here.
The first is sacrifice. The tenth day of Muharram makes it amply clear that the life lived for God is a true life. Sacrificing everything at the altar of the real beloved is the demand. Hazrat Imam Hussain and his pious progeny proved it at Karbala, Iraq. No materialism came before them. Well, they cut themselves for the truth.
The second is fight against injustice. Yazid, the leader of the materialistic people, manipulated Islam for his tastes. However, Imam Hussain brought it back on the track. For Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) sacrificed whatever he possessed. How could Imam Hussain allow Yazid to use Islam for his personal whims and slaughter the pious teachings of Islam at the altar of a disloyal beloved?
The third is truth. Imam got martyred but didn’t allow truth to bow down. At that time, there were many champions of truth. They used pulpits to disseminate truth. Their efforts were theoretical in nature. However, Imam cut himself and his family to plant the flags of the truth deeper and deeper. He gave it a practical shape. He irrigated the roots of Islam with the blood of his family.
The fourth and last is self-introspection. Every year, we remember Imam and his progeny. It is our faith to mourn over his martyrdom. We believe all of them are alive. However, the question is are we really following Imam in letter and spirit? Have not we reduced Muharram to some rituals? Isn’t it all about fighting among themselves in our areas?
Muharram means patience. Imam Hussain (AS) is a live example of this. Unless we abstain from immoral activities, Imam can never be happy with us. If we want to honour Muharram in the real sense, we must bid goodbye to those things which were forbidden by him.
The universal lessons of Muharram and Karbala need a practical dimension. How long shall we weep on one hand while follow the path of Yazid on the other? This hypocrisy has to be shunned at the earliest. Long live Imam and his progeny! May Allah shower His blessings on the pious graves of the Progeny of the Last Prophet! May Muharram bring decency in our lives!
(The writer is from Hajibagh, HMT, Srinagar)
