Proclaim Good & Forbid Evil

"If you do not march forth, Allah will chastise you grievously and will replace you with other people, while you will in no way be able to harm Him. Allah has power over everything." Quran 9:39

No people can live successfully, fruitfully, and triumphantly without vivid memory of their past. Ashura is one such occasion. Muslims recall the tragic event around the 60th year after Prophet Muhammad ﷺ migration from Makkah to Madinah when his noble grandson Imam Hussain رضي الله عنهم was leading his family to migrate to Kufa.

Reciting Divine words, reflecting Prophetic advice, and studying history enable us to crystallize our insights. However, when we attempt to draw the imagery of Karbala, no heart could be so hard as not to be pierced with tragic feelings while replaying that Day of Ashura. Words can not do justice to the sacrifices made on that day. Imam Hussain رضي الله عنهم and his family kept their heads high, faces bathed in blood and tears, looking one upon another with unwavering spirits. Others stood in dolorous pain, looking up to the highest heavens, fixing their eyes upon it, crying out, asking help from the Only Helper while others made lamentations. On the 10th of Muharram, we try to recall their pain, suffering, and sacrifices to inspire us and to understand what it means to make a sacrifice to uphold truth and justice.

Sacrifice today is generally understood as surrendering something for the sake of something else. Selfless and unasked giving is a rarity. Giving one's entire self and offspring for His pleasure is unimaginable. Muslims must understand and learn from the unparallel yesterdays of the Prophet ﷺ and his progeny.

We have been largely overwhelmed by a culture that has emptied our memories, made us apologetic for who we are, and stripped us along the way of the sheerest hope of self-definition. We are presumed pastless and are left to repair our self-esteem. It is Imperative for us today to define ourselves by our ongoing tribulations and those who met them out to us. Otherwise, we cannot be collectively successful if we have no idea or, worse, have the wrong idea of who we were and who we are. If that is the case then getting replaced seems to be the only path. (refer to 9:39).

The intent of this writing is to invite reflection -- to make ourselves act for an almost forgotten legacy of the sacrifices made by our beloved Prophet ﷺ and his progeny.

O Allah ﷻ bestow upon us courage to enjoin, proclaim and promote Good and the perseverance to prevent Evil. O Allah, send your peace and blessings on Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, his family, his companions, and those who follow them until the day of Judgment. Ameen!