The Hidden Truth about Karbala

Introduction to the First Edition

Imam Husayn ibn Ali (a.s.) had to quit Medina because the Yazidite army wanted to kill him. Yazid demanded a complete submission to his tyrannical regime. The Imam (a.s.), as the personification of Haq (Righteousness), the lofty similitude of the Almighty – the Noor (Light), refused to accept the supremacy of the Apolyon. According to the Qur’an,[^1] if Haq bows down to earthly demands, there will be utter corruption and chaos in heaven and earth and their inhabitants. Therefore, God’s ambassador, the personification of Haq, the very essence and symbol of Truth, never submit to the evil powers. Thus it is that Imam Husayn (a.s.), like his father Imam Ali (a.s.) and other prophets of yore and the Imams who succeeded him, never submitted to the tyrannical regimes of their times. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Zechariah and Jesus all suffered at the hands of the tyrants, but never submitted to their demand to abandon their mission of propagating the faith in One Unique God who will raise the dead and hold everyone to account.

While leaving Medina, Imam Husayn (a.s.) explained:“I leave Medina to bid the good and to forbid the wrong [al-Amr bil Ma’roof, wen-Nahi anil Munkar].[^2] This in fact is the entire corpus of religion and the quintessence of Truth and the fundamental philosophy of faith. Imam Ali (a.s.) said that every worship is like a droplet in the abysmal ocean when compared to al-Amr bil Ma’roof and an-Nahi anil Munkar.

Karbala is an eternal Truth where Haq could not be coerced into submission, even at the cost of sacrificing lives. When shown a preview of the events that were to take place at Karbala, from Adam (a.s.) down to every succeeding Prophet (S), it was to admit the greatness of Husayn’s sacrifice.[^3]

The afflictions that Imam Husayn (a.s.) had to face and which were echoed in the voice of Lady Zainab in her mission [as attempted to be portrayed by Mr. A.K. Ahmed] were, in fact already prophesied. Karbala is an ocean. No single book or in fact any number of books can fully do justice to the subject. Mr. A.K. Ahmed deserves to be complimented for his effort. He has been working on the subject for over three years. As a friend, he has an interesting personality. Being a close relative of my brother Mr. Asghar Sa’eed, I have had great moments when I could bridge up the aesthetic distance’.

25th Rajab, 1427 AH Sayyid Muhammad Ali Musavi

[^1]: Qur’an, 23:17.

[^2]: Haeri’s Balaghatul Husayn, Tr. In Urdu by Baquer Naqvi, P.108-118, Lucknow, 1.

[^3]: Qur’an, 57:22, Bihar, vol. 2 p. 34- 35, Nawasikhut Tawarikh, vol. 6, p.470-471.