In order to understand the Message of Ashura we need to understand the event and mission of Ashura and the various causes behind it. We need to first understand why this incident of Ashura and Karbala took place? We are all aware when and where this incident took place. History informs us about the era, place, land and the people involved in this incident but by just knowing these little things we cannot understand the reality behind any event. The reality cannot be acquired unless we get inside the background of any event and find out the people and causes behind the event. Any event cannot be understood till the time man reaches the real cause and reasons behind the event and without this the event becomes a puzzle. The way the event of Ashura is still a puzzle for certain minds even after hundreds of years of this event; and even for those who consider that the event of Ashura is a resolved subject. According to certain Scholars the event of Ashura started on the morning of the tenth day of the month of Mohurrum and its first phase ended on the eve of Ashura; which means the battle ended.

In history on the domain of time the battle of Karbala is a very short battle as against long battles that are mentioned in history like battles going on for forty, fifty years and more than half century. But the depth, breadth and the direction of battles is not dependent on the numbers of years it was fought for but instead the basis of its direction, depth and breadth are those causes and reasons for which they are fought.

An incident is present in history where a courageous person from an Arab tribe was chasing a grasshopper for hunting and during this chase this creature went inside the tent of someone from another tribe. On this the person said that this grasshopper has taken refuge with us and anyone who takes refuge with us we don’t hand it over to its enemies. The hunter said that this my prey and I have my rights over it. This argument turned into a fight and one of them killed another person with his spear on which a battle started between the two tribes that went on for forty years. If we assess on the domain of time then this battle went for a very long period of forty years but if we ponder over this battle then there is nothing more than five minutes to talk about this because there is nothing else in this battle apart from the issue that two tribes fought with each other for a grasshopper and this battle went on forty years. On the other hand there is another battle in history with the name of Karbala that started at dawn and ended in the evening; which means on the domain of time this is the shortest of battles and maybe on the basis of period there won’t be any other battle shorter than this which did not even last for a complete day.

Now compare these two battles; one for forty years and other for few hours. The forty years battle is not having matter worth five minutes whereas this battle of few hours has so much profundity, intensity, vastness and depth. It has so many active causes behind it that even fourteen hundred years are not enough to ponder over it. Since fourteen hundred years human being is trying to understand its incidental reality but still he is not in a position to say that he has reached its depth but instead till now human being is considered as ignorant about the battle of Karbala and knows nothing.

Karbala is an ocean and an ocean means that collection which has no edges; this means it has an edge but by standing on one edge the edge at the other end cannot be seen. An ocean is that collection of water whose base cannot be reached easily. Another law of the oceans and seas is that there is nothing available on their shores though the froth of the sea reaches its shore and sometimes the waves of the sea throw some of the creatures inside it on the shore.

If someone is in search of jewels, diamonds and pearls then he should not search for it on the shore and neither could he find it by swimming on its surface because these are present in the depths of the ocean on its bed. But going down the ocean is not the task of an ordinary man. The ocean does not grant opportunity to an ordinary man to reach its depth because it does not opens its chest and treasures for an ordinary person. Divers are required to go down the ocean; those who are brave-heart, courageous and people of such senses are required who when they return from the ocean should have precious pearls in their hands. These precious pearls which they get from inside the ocean should then become the capital for them and also for their nation and community.

This is the reason that those wandering on the shores of Karbala since fourteen hundred years only remained on its shore. The only difference that happened to them was that they left population, desserts and reached the shore of this sea but only up to the shore. They did not enter the ocean because if they would have jumped inside this ocean the situation of the Muslim nation would not have been what it stands today. The type of diamonds and pearls present inside Karbala and the characters present inside Karbala only comes in the hands of divers. It comes in the hands of that person who can reach the depth of the ocean. One who knows to reach its bed and is not afraid of the darkness and dangers, Karbala opens its breast for him but not for the people of the shore. Though Karbala does not leave anyone abandoned thus those sitting on its shore might still take care of their bellies and fill their pockets because such things are also found on the shore of Karbala. But we can’t say that they have got their hands on the jewels. People have gone to the shore of Karbala but still have returned dry.

This point should be kept in mind that Karbala is not an ocean of water but an ocean of blood. To go down the ocean of blood we don’t need a scuba diver who can go to the depths of water but for the ocean of Karbala we need those who can swim in blood, get soaked in their own blood, can do scuba diving in blood and can get the pearls present in blood. If the pearls present inside water are so precious which the entire world desires then the pearl present inside blood are much more precious. The pearl coming out of water becomes a pride for the body of human being but the pearl coming of blood becomes a prestige for the soul of human being. It is possible that a person by wearing a pearl coming out of water around his neck can give an impression that he possesses a precious jewel. But the one who goes down the ocean of Karbala acquires the awareness, sense and recognition which everyone is not fortunate to achieve. If a person comes out wearing these on his existence then his entire existence becomes a glowing sun for the entire world and the entire nation (Ummat). His bright rays light up the entire world. Karbala is an esteemed source of sense (Shaoor), awareness and recognition (Maarifat). This sea possesses infinite jewels inside it.

This is a divine principle that human being understands certain things only when some ideals and examples of it are present inside human being. As an example what is meant by ministry and presidency? Even if a person does not become a minister or president still he understands the meaning of ministry and presidency. But there are certain things which until unless man tastes he cannot understand its meaning; as an example unless man tastes bravery he cannot understand bravery. If for hundred years also bravery is discussed in front of a coward still he does not understands the meaning of bravery. If there is a shameless person who has not tasted self-respect he can never appreciate the taste of self-respect. Though he might have been listening to stories of honour and self-respect; he would rhyme his head on discussions about bravery and valour but still he is unable to absorb the meaning of self-respect and honour. Many communities have been raised up by constantly listening to stories of bravery and valour but today everything other than bravery and self-respect is seen in them. If just by listening a person could become brave and self-respected then the one who has listened to the stories and talks about bravery and self-respect would be the most courageous and honoured person.

The commander of faithful (a.s) delivered several sermons in Kufa, this bravest person demonstrated the charms of bravery, delivered valiant sermons, presented the proofs of his self-respect in Kufa, taught the people of Kufa the meaning of self-respect but when the event of Karbala took place neither bravery nor self-respect was seen in the people of Kufa.

There is no God but Allah, this man is so mature! There is no God but Allah, this man is so eloquent! There is no God but Allah, this man is so brave!

What he intends to narrate is that the words of astonishment used to come out from the people when they used to see Ali (a.s). Everyone is certain and believes that no orator is greater than Ali (a.s) has been born and will be born. No valiant greater than Ali is born and this most eloquent and brave person delivered sermons in Kufa, make them feel their self-respect and courage but at the time of the event of Karbala there was everything other than bravery and self-respect seen inside these Kufi’s. They had no material of self-respect and bravery inside them. Why? You cannot understand religion by just becoming a listener of religion, by listening to talks of bravery you cannot become brave; by listening to stories of self-respect you cannot become self-respected. A person does not become honoured till the time the material of self-respect and bravery gets inside him. A person cannot develop bravery unless he acquires that material of bravery and tastes bravery; thus a coward will never understand bravery. Since how long sermons are being delivered to the community, the incident of Karbala has been narrated, in different languages, different style and methods but when the time of examination comes then we realize whether after listening to these speeches whether we have understood something or not.

Allah (s.w.t) also takes examination similar to the practice of examination we have in our academic system. We first sit, study and listen in the classroom; the teacher teaches and we listen after which exams are conducted. Sometimes the same teacher who taught conducts the exams and sometimes there are board exams. The examiner in board exams is not the one who was teaching; someone teaches and someone else takes the exams. The one conducting exams sometimes is a very rough person and sometimes could be a soft person. Sometimes he allows the students to copy and sometimes does not, thus there are strict examiners as well as soft examiners. The more the examiner is hard the exam will also be equally tough but those who pass out by giving exams in front of hard examiners they possess more abilities and capabilities. Those who pass out by copying from others in front of soft examiners are not accepted by anyone because passing out by copying in exams is equivalent to failing.

The people of Kufa had listened to many sermons on bravery, self-respect, crusade, religion, laws, Quran and Ahlulbayt. In Nahjul Balagha only the twelfth portion of the sermons of Ameerul Momineen (a.s) is present and there are eleven more equivalent portions; or we can say that at present we have one volume of the sermons of Ameerul Momineen (a.s) and eleven more such volumes are present. These sermons were delivered by Ameerul Momineen (a.s) for the people of Kufa and then the examination for the people of Kufa was conducted and that too board exams. For this board exam a very hard and tough examiner was sent to the people of Kufa. They were examined through Ubaidullah ibn Ziad.

Everyone is aware about the incident of Ubaidullah’s entry into Kufa that he entered Kufa at night. He had a veil on his face and since the people of Kufa were waiting for Imam Hussain (a.s) as he would arrive anytime. Hence when a veiled person entered Kufa that too at night they mistook him for Hussain ibn Ali (a.s). They all gathered immediately and started preparing for this reception, they started to raise slogans and slogans of life and death (zindabad, murdabad) were being raised. Ubaidullah moved his house around for sometime and the people of Kufa thought that he is definitely none other than Imam Hussain (a.s) and thus got into more excitement; and when Ubaidullah moved his horse much faster the people of Kufa thought that Imam Hussain (a.s) has liked their slogans and therefore they started to raise slogans more loudly. Those who were inside their homes considering that Imam Hussain (a.s) has arrived came out in the ground of Kufa. Everyone gathered around Ubaidullah and started saying O Imam, O Imam, O Guide, O Guide, O Hussain ibn Ali, and O Hussain ibn Ali. The name with which they called more was Abu Abdillah which was one of the Kuniyah (as father of a particular child) of Imam Hussain (a.s). They started to express to their mistaken Imam as: O Aba Abdillah we were desirous to meet you, since long we have been waiting for you , we wrote letters to you and were calling you to come soon, come soon (Al Ajal, Al Ajal).

The people of Kufa wrote 9,000 letters and in all these letters the sentence which was written the most was “Al Ajal Al Ajal”, O Imam come soon, it is late, the opportunity will be lost, we are prepared, the crop is ripe, the field is ready and it is just waiting for you to arrive. They all requested him to remove his veil and make them see his face. We all want to see your bright face and some requested him to bring his hand forward so that they can kiss it. Some requested him to come down from the horse so that they can kiss his feet and he kept on moving his horse around them counting the number of people and identifying them.

His purpose for being veiled was to spend some time, trick them for sometime, circle around them and make them circle for sometime so that it can be seen who amongst them are betrayers and who are loyal, who are religious and for Allah whereas who are for their self only. Ubaidullah passes some time and does not remove the veil from the face. The false claimants of faith give him a warm welcome and say that he is our Imam and our Imam has come. They keep on calling him and asking him to take a step we are with you. Ubaidullah kept on staring at all of them precisely and when the entire community gathered he removed the veil from his face. The hands that were raised for slogans and the jaws that were open for slogans remained open and hands remained where they were. They did not have that much strength to bring their hands down and close their mouths. Everyone was thunder stuck and silent, their feet were trembling, fear hovering over them, lost their colour and their souls left. He was one and they were a big quantum; if all of them would have just slapped him once he would have died then and there. Those who had listened to so many sermons of bravery, have prayed behind the bravest Imam, have participated in the company of the most valiant Imam and they were themselves big Army Generals and commandos living in cantonment (Kufa was a cantonment type city); and were big claimants of faith. But when Ubaidullah removed the veil from his face they were shivering and their voice was not coming out. Someone said that why are you all silent, why your voices are not coming out, why are you not saying Long Live Hussain now, why your throats have choked up; he is just a man. Thus the examination of faith was conducted because they were the big claimants of faith, boasters and considered themselves as the most privileged ones in the world; who have written in their letters that at present in the entire world there are no believers better than the people of Kufa. Therefore Allah (s) sent an examiner amongst them and it was not that Allah (s) has sent Ubaidullah towards Kufa but instead Allah(s) has given him this opportunity. The entire case was busted by the entry of one Ubaidullah, the wrists got open and faith turned into rumbles, bravery was lost and self-respect was lost. If such a big crowd would have hurled just one small pebble at him, he would have got buried under it, it was dark also and if they would have just slapped him once he would have died there but the community that has only heard about faith and do not possess any bravery, self-respect and faith; for them one Ubaidullah is enough. The community would be in thousands and millions but if just one Ubaidullah issues a statement in press their souls leave their bodies. Ubaidullah keeps the veil on his face for sometime, typically for one or two years in the beginning and goes around the community to see that who comes in front and who stays behind. Till the time there is veil on the face of Ubaidullah a Kufi considers him as a saviour and asks him to bring his hand forward to be kissed, whereas below the veil is Ubaidullah. The people of Kufa knew very well Ubaidullah ibn Ziad and also knew his father Ziad ibn Abih. They knew that these are cruellest persons who have no mercy on anyone and neither has Allah(s) kept any mercy inside him and that is the reason he has been sent as an examiner.

Karbala is the name of Sense (Shaoor), it is the name of Recognition (Maarifat) and it is the name of reality. In Kufa there were seventy two thousand people whereas in Karbala there were only seventy two bodies; but what was the difference between these seventy two martyrs and those seventy two thousands? The difference was that those seventy two thousand have only heard the name of bravery whereas bravery was truly present inside these seventy two. The people of Kufa had only heard the name of Self-respect whereas the supporters of Hussain had tasted self-respect and honour. The people of Kufa had only heard the sermons whereas the martyrs of Karbala have heard and acted upon the sermons. They went down the depth of Karbala whereas the people of Kufa could not even reach the shore; they failed in the first stage of examination itself.

Karbala is the name of an ocean of blood. Why were the people of Kufa scared after looking at Ubaidullah? This was because they understood this much that speaking in front of Ubaidullah is equivalent to stepping inside the ocean of blood. On the night before Ashura Imam Hussain (a.s) turned off the lamp and gave his companions religious justifications (to leave him) and it is natural that people look for religious justifications to save their skin from any difficult task. These seventy two got the religious justification on the night before Ashura when Imam Hussain (a.s) said that I have lifted your allegiance from me, those who want to leave can get benefited by the darkness of night and leave; tomorrow would be the final encounter where everyone would be killed.

This is the difference between the people of Kufa and Karbala. Here one Ubaidullah and against him seventy two thousand are shivering; whereas in Karbala an army of thousands, the lamp is turned off and it is told to them that your Lord is also pleased and Hussain is also pleased with you so you can leave but when the lamp is turned on again everyone gets up and says: O Master, we have come to be drowned in that ocean of blood not to leave from here. Why are you taking us away from this shore, we have come up to the shore and now let us go inside this ocean as well.

One who is not prepared to swim in his own blood cannot become one from Karbala. One from Karbala means swimming in blood and Kufi means shaking your heads after listening to sermons but running away when the time for demonstrating bravery and self-respect comes. A person from Kufa is not just the one who is born in the city of Kufa and on his identity card it is written that his place of birth is Kufa but instead a Kufi is one who possesses the traits of the people of Kufa (of that era). This is because the majority of those who were living in Kufa at that time were not born in Kufa instead they were born outside Kufa but were settled in Kufa and since these traits got developed in them they became people of Kufa (Kufi’s). Imam Hussain (a.s) did not deceive anyone, he did not bring anyone with him to Karbala by misleading or misguiding them, he did not say to anyone that come with us and you will get paradise instead he said that if you leave us then also you will get Paradise and there is no need to live with us. Those companions also proved that they had not come for Paradise, they have come for righteousness and they knew to swim in their own blood and not just once even if Allah(s) gives them life thousand times and they die thousand dies; and cut into pieces thousand times and then again brought back to life still we are prepared to sacrifice our lives at your feet.

Today is also the time of examinations, there is one night of Kufa and one night of Ashura. What was the night of Kufa? The night of Kufa was the one in which Ubaidullah entered Kufa whereas the night of Ashura was the one in which Hussain ibn Ali turned off the lamp. And now we have to prove whether we are the believers of the night of Ashura or the night of Kufa. Whether we want to consider those who are veiled as our Imam or we want to stand in ranks against not just one but against thousands of Ubaidullah. Whether we want to stand against tyrants like Shimr and Kholi who exceed one another in terms of cruelties? In the morning we have to definitely die but what type of death? That type of death where the bodies would be first wounded, then heads would be separated from the bodies and then the ladies would be made captive, they would be taken across streets and despite of being aware of all these still we have to demonstrate resistance and perseverance till the last drop of our blood along with our Imam in this active battle. These two nights come over every community meaning that this type of night will come over every community and now it is up to the community to turn this night into the night of Ashura or the night of Kufa. The claimants of faith should think that today is the same night, same eve, same era and decide whether to make it the night of Kufa or night of Ashura. In the night of Ashura is salvation whereas in the night of Kufa is assassination.

In the night of Ashura a person takes bath in blood but then lives forever whereas in the night of Kufa a person survives but dies the death of humiliation everyday. In the night of Ashura he dies for once but comes to life forever whereas in the night of Kufa a person lives for once but then dies forever. So now the selection is in our hands. On the night of Ashura they were not told that tomorrow you have to kill instead it was told that you have to be killed. This is Ashura and this is the lesson which it gives to community. It is giving this message to the people and followers of Ashura and Karbala. Ashura and Karbala is repeatedly calling and saying that the community which learns to die can never be killed by anyone and no one can destroy them. But those who try to save their skin and struggle for their salvation in the night of Kufa assuming that they will survive no can protect them from death. Today we have to show the difference between the night of Ashura and night of Kufa. The mere claims for faith are not enough instead the faith will be examined and tested. A tough examination of our faith is done through Ubaidullah; Allah(s) has kept an Ubaidullah for every era and created a veiled person for every era so that people could be kept under deceit for some time but then one day he removes his veil. For some days people think that he has come to assassinate our enemies but on the day of Ashura he removes his veils and then says for whose assassination he has come for; he has come to assassinate the people and followers of Ashura and Karbala.

The real enemy is not that suicide bomber or one who has dropped the bomb; he could be a rented worker or someone who has been deceived, he could be a terrorist but fundamentally the one who is doing all this is Ubaidullah. The entire world is shivering from his fear, the army camps are also shivering, cantonments are also shivering and even after making atom bombs still they are shivering. We need Karbala and seventy two bodies against Ubaidullah; those who have learnt to take bath in their own blood. The message of Karbala is giving preference to death with dignity over life of humiliation. The message of Karbala is to eradicate the fear of everyone from our heart and keep alive the fear of only Allah(s). To live a life of fear from others is not the basis of dignity. The forces of arrogance and Yazeed are dominating the Muslims by making them victims of fear and awe. Karbala is giving this message to every human being that if you are Muslim and you have faith on Allah then never be afraid of these hollow forces.

The message of Ashura is that in any circumstances you should not remain unconcerned from your religion, ideology and other Muslims. In order to keep you unconcerned from religion suicide attacks are done on you, your religious gatherings and processions are bombed but even if your heads get cut you should not leave this ground.

Ashura gives this message to entire humanity and specifically Muslims that even if you have to soak yourself in blood still you should not submit to any Yazeed or a tyrant, you should never come under the pretence and deception of any Yazeed, do not take veiled persons as your Imam and Rahber (guides) and those beasts who by wearing the veils of sympathy, welfare, freedom and democracy are deceiving the entire world you should never believe in their deceptive slogans.

Karbala is also giving us this lesson that by making religion as a place of refuge do not keep yourself protected under the shelter of religion but instead you should become a shield for religion. Do not acquire things from religion and spend on yourself and your children instead sacrifice your wealth, goods, children and your life on religion.

This is the message of Ashura that when truth and righteousness is being stampeded and falsehood and evil is being promoted then never forego your responsibilities by taking support of explanations and justifications. Ashura also tells us that do not sacrifice truth and reality with pragmatism or circumstantial justifications even in stringent conditions. Karbala is not just the name of cutting heads but instead sacrificing all your pragmatisms (i.e. present reasons for not doing to something due to practical difficulties).

The message of Karbala is rather then wasting your age waiting for conditions to improve and become suitable you should come forward and take the reins of the era in your hand; rather than getting whipped by circumstances snatch the whip from the hands of circumstances.

Ashura is pleading to listen to Karbala from its inheritors rather than listening from dramatics and tricksters. The call of Karbala is either to become a martyr by getting inside the caravan of Hussain or carry the message of martyrs to the entire world by entering the caravan of Zainab (s.a).