Inner Voice

Live & Die for Allah

“Say: Truly my prayer, and my actions, and my life, and my death are all for God, the Cherisher of the Universe”. (Qur’an, Chapter 6; Verse 162)

This is the ideal Islam. A true Muslim surrenders to the love of Allah. All his actions are motivated by one thought only: God would be pleased by this work, so it must be done. Not only the external rituals and rites, but also his emotions and thoughts are submerged by love of God. He lives for Allah, and he dies for Allah.

This week, Muslims all over the world are commemorating the great martyrdom of Imam Husain and his companions. That tragedy is the perfect example of the way a Muslim should keep the love of Allah and His religion above all things.

To begin with, Imam Husain had not refused to submit to Yazid for any worldly reason. He made it perfectly clear in his will which he wrote at the time of departure from Medina. He writes:

“I am not leaving Medina for any worldly motive: I am leaving it so that I may establish the way of my grandfather (the Prophet) and my father (Ali); and so that I may exhort people to become righteous; and may dissuade hem from evil”.

This will explain in prose what Imam said in poem while he was proceeding to Iraq. He was frequently heard reciting these lines: “If the religion of Muhammad cannot be saved except by the sacrifice of my head, Then, O swords, come and take it”.

And to save the religion of Islam, Imam Husain sacrificed not one, but 72 heads. These sacrifices were made without any remorse, without any sorrow. On 10th Muharram, when every passing moment brought a new hardship for this small caravan, Imam’s face was radiating more and more content and pleasure. He was happy that his offerings were accepted by Allah.

It was this unblemished love of Allah which prompted Imam to say in the last moments of his earthy life: “I left and forgot everything in Thy Love: Allah! And I made my children orphan, so that I may see Thee, They have minced my body by their swords. But my heart is oblivious of these tortures; it is not inclined but towards thee. O Allah”

Thus Imam Husain showed how can a man live for Allah; how can he die for Allah. This death is not death; it is eternal life, as God has said: “And do not think those who are martyred in the path of Allah are dead. Nay! They are alive in the presence of God.”