Karbala

Title

Syed us Shohda

Father

Imam Ali (AS)

Mother

Bibi Fatima Zehra (SA)

Birth

3 Shaban ul Muazzam

Birth Place

Madina

Martyrdom

10 Muharram ul Haram

Spouse(s)

Umm Rubab(SA)

Burial Place

Karbala

Birth:

It was the third day of the month of Sha‘ban in the fourth year of Hijrah when the second cherished child was born in the blessed household of Hazrat Ali(as) and Hazrat Fatima(sa), peace be upon them both. As soon as this news reached the Messenger of Allah, he, filled with great joy, hurried to the house of Hazrat Fatima(sa) and said to Asma bint Umais, “Hand over my child to me.” Then the Messenger of Allah recited the Adhan in the right ear of Imam Hussain(as) and the Iqamah in his left ear.

At that very moment, Jibra’il(as), the trustee of divine revelation, descended and submitted: “O Messenger of Allah! Name this child after the younger son of Harun, whose name was Shabir. Since Shabir is a Hebrew word, you should give him its Arabic name, Hussain, because Ali holds the same rank with you as Harun held with Musa.” Thus, from the side of Allah, the name of Imam Hussain(as) was chosen. On the seventh day, his Aqiqah was performed, and after shaving his blessed hair, silver equal to its weight was given in charity.

The Childhood of Imam Hussain(as) with the Messenger of Allah:

In order to understand the greatness of Imam Hussain(as), let us look at those six years of the life of the Holy Prophet(saww) which he spent with his grandsons (Hasan and Hussain). During this period, the words and actions of the Prophet(saww) towards Hasan and Hussain which we describe as the Sunnah of the Prophet(saww) clearly reveal the greatness of Imam Hussain(as) to all Muslims.

Salman al-Farsi says:

I saw the Messenger of Allah placing Imam Hussain(as) on his lap, kissing him repeatedly, and saying: You are noble, the son of the noble, and the father of the noble ones. You are an Imam, the son of an Imam, and the father of Imams. You are the proof of Allah, the son of the proof of Allah, and the father of the proofs of Allah, whose last will be the Qa’im (Imam of the Time, may Allah hasten his reappearance).

Anas bin Malik narrates:

When the Holy Prophet(saww) was asked whom he loved most among the Ahl al-Bayt(as), he replied: Hasan and Hussain(as). The Messenger of Allah would always hold Hasan and Hussain(as) close to his chest and continuously kiss them.

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that he saw the Messenger of Allah carrying Hasan and Hussain(as) on his shoulders as he approached them. When he reached us, he said:

"Whoever loves these two children of mine, it is as if he has loved me, and whoever shows enmity toward them, it is as if he has shown enmity toward me."

The most exalted statement that reflects both the spiritual and physical relationship between the Messenger of Allah and Imam Hussain(as) is:

"Hussain is from me, and I am from Hussain."

Ethics and Conduct of Imam Hussain(as):

If we take a brief look at the ethics and conduct of Imam Hussain(as), we observe two major, strong types of connections.

The first is his connection with Allah. Imam Hussain(as) had a deep attachment to prayer, private communion with Allah, recitation of the Qur’an, supplication, and seeking forgiveness. Even when requesting a reprieve on the last night of his life, he said: “Allah knows that I love prayer, Qur’an recitation, supplication, and seeking forgiveness.” He performed twenty-five Hajj pilgrimages on foot.

The second is his connection with the people. This connection appears to be equally strong. One day, while passing through a neighborhood, he noticed some poor people spreading out their cloaks and eating dry bread. They invited him to join them. He dismounted from his mount, saying: “Indeed, Allah does not love the arrogant”

Then he said: “I have accepted your invitation, now you also accept mine.” In this way, he brought them into a position of dignity and hospitality, while simultaneously giving the people a profound practical lesson in humility and compassion.

This account is narrated from Shu’ayb ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Khuza‘i.

When Hussain ibn Ali(as) was martyred, there were bruises on his blessed back. When Imam Zain al-Abidin(as) asked about the reason for them, he replied:

"These are the marks of the sacks that my father used to carry on his shoulders at night, delivering them to the homes of widows, orphans, and the poor."

Important Lessons from the Above Sunnah of the Prophet(saww) and the Life of Imam Hussain(as):

1. He (Imam Hussain(as)) witnessed the narrations of many prominent Companions showing how dearly the Messenger of Allah treated him. Therefore, when we say "Hussain, Hussain" today, it is not an innovation (bid’ah), but a Sunnah of the Prophet(saww), and it is a duty for every Muslim.
2. The life of Imam Hussain(as) teaches us that despite being so beloved and dear to Allah and His Messenger, he never said, “I am a distinguished personality; I do not need to act righteously.” Rather, spiritual ranks are attained through deeds. The higher and better the deeds, the greater the rank a person receives. This honor is not merely due to lineage or ancestry, but it is earned through actions.
3. It can be observed that Imam Hussain(as) had a connection with Allah that was as strong and firm as his connection with the people. In contrast, if we look at the ascetics and recluses of the world, their deeds often show extremes—they either focus solely on their connection with Allah and neglect the people, or they engage only in charitable works and service to others while neglecting their spiritual connection with Allah, which is cultivated through prayer, Hajj, Qur’an recitation, and other acts of worship. According to Imam Hussain(as), one should not limit themselves to either of these extremes. If one wishes to be beloved to Allah, one must also maintain a good relationship with His creation.

In conclusion, we pray to Allah Almighty to grant us awareness of the life and character of Imam Hussain(as), and to enable us, by following in his footsteps, to sincerely worship our Creator while selflessly serving His creation. We also pray for the hastening of the reappearance of our Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance). Ameen.

Reference

¹A‘lam al-Nisa: in the Arab and Islamic world, Kahalah, Umar Rida, vol. 2, p. 91
²Al-Sayyidah Zainab, the pioneer of jihad in Islam, p. 42
³Al-Khasa’is al-Zaynabiyyah, pp. 52 and 53
⁴A‘yan al-Shi‘ah, vol. 7, p. 137
⁵ A‘yan al-Shi‘ah, vol. 7, p. 137
⁶Al-Ihtijaj ‘ala Ahl al-Lijaj, Tabarsi, vol. 2, p. 305
⁷A‘lam al-Nisa: in the Arab and Islamic world, same author, pp. 92 to 97
⁸Zabihullah Mahallati, vol. 3, p. 62 / Ja‘far al-Naqdi, p. —
⁹Zainab al-Kubra, daughter of Imam Ameer al-Momineen Ali bin Abi Talib, p. 62
¹⁰‘Awalim al-‘Ulum wa al-Ma‘arif wa al-Ahwal min al-Ayat wa al-Akhbar, p. 95
¹¹Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 45, p. 134
¹²Al-Baqarah, 155 to 157
¹³Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 45, pp. 116 and 115