Prophets (as) and Imams (as) are the vivid examples and leaders that true Mu’mins (believers) should practically follow and not just worship. The example of Imam Hussain (as) is the lesson of uprising against tyranny and injustice, the movement of honorable believers who preferred martyrdom to humiliation, and who have shown us what it means not to surrender.
By Anastasia (Fatima) Ezhova*
Commemorating Arbaeen: How Can We Follow Imam Hussain (as) at the Present Era?
Arbaeen is indeed an excellent occasion to think over the meaning of the uprising of Imam Hussain (as). Millions of people gather for Arbaeen processions on the way to Kerbela, carrying colorful flags, some wearing funeral clothes; the movement displays the magnificence of Imam Hussain’s (a) path. Meanwhile, other worshippers gather at special meetings devoted to Arbaeen in order to read Ziyarah and the Holy Qur’an, also singing mourning Latmiyyas.
Even post factum Arbaeen is worth some reflection. The question arises: is this just an ordinary act of worship limited within a mosque, a hussainiyyah or some sacred places? Really, for some people Ashura and Arbaeen is just about crying, screaming, even beating themselves, and they even think they worth some kind of reward from Allah for that, and they strive to get this reward – in fact, often they do it just to improve their worldly private affairs." Of course, reading duas for improving somebody’s life is legitimate. But isn’t it a kind of hollowing-out the meaning of Imam Hussain’s (as) revolution?
Prophets (as) and Imams (as) are the vivid examples and leaders that true Mu’mins (believers) should practically follow and not just worship. The example of Imam Hussain (as) is the lesson of uprising against tyranny and injustice, the movement of honorable believers who preferred martyrdom to humiliation, and who have shown us what it means not to surrender.
Islam is not the religion of self-humiliation. Islam doesn’t see anything praiseworthy when people act themselves like voiceless sheep submitting to corrupt and unjust rulers calling this “piousness” and “patience”. Islamic patience is something vice versa: it’s patience in obtaining a victory over tyrants and transgressors and relying on Allah Who is the only King (Al-Malik) and Master. In its very essence Islam is a revolutionary doctrine. It’s a religion of strong and free people who don’t surrender and don’t allow to humiliate themselves. And Imam Hussain (as) is a Leader of such people. His Eminence has said: “Death with dignity is better than a life of humiliation”. The slogan of Ashura uprising was: “Go far from us, humiliation!” (Never to humiliation!)
Who challenges the tyrants refusing to surrender to humiliation at the present era? Who demonstrates a strong will to resist against the arrogant and oppressive powers nowadays? Who are not broken with wars, sanctions, aggressive and unlawful pressure? Who follows Imam Hussain (as) not just in some acts of worship, but in practice?
*Anastasia (Fatima) Ezhova is a Russian political analyst, writer and journalist. She was born in 1983. After a long journey, Ms. Ezhova converted to Islam in 1999. She graduated from Moscow State University (faculty of philosophy) in 2005. Ezhova is also a member of an editorial board of "Musulmanka" Islamic female magazine.
