Muharram teaches us to be just and honest

We may recall here that a distinguished poet has aptly observed that the Muharram crescent has appeared in the sky so that the people of the world will once again start wailing recalling the martyrdom embraced by the beloved grandson of holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him)! Hazrat Imam Hussain (A), on the burning sands of Karbala more than 1400 years ago while fighting an unequal war on the day of Ashura i.e. on the 10th day of the holy lunar month of Muharram, with 4,000 soldiers sent by the local governor of Kufa on behalf of his master cruel hearted Yazid, son of erstwhile deceased Caliph Hazrat Muawia.
Mentionable in flagrant violation of the agreement entered into by Hazrat Imam Hussain (A) and Yazid's father Hazrat Muawia that after Muawia's death Hazrat Imam Hussain (A) would be the next Caliph of the Islamic state, Muawia illegally nominated his son Yazid in his life time to be the next Caliph. As a result Yazid flagrantly declared himself as the next Caliph and wanted to perpetuate the rule of his father.
A question may now arise as to how Imam Hussain got himself directly involved in the aforesaid unequal fight? The reason behind was that the people of Kufa being oppressed by the governor, Obaidullah, invited Hazrat Imam Hussain (A) to come to their help. The kind hearted Imam could not keep quiet, and he decided to proceed towards Kufa with a view to helping them. Before he left for Kufa he, however, detailed his cousin Muslim to go to Kufa to ascertain whether the invitation extended to him was genuine. On receipt of a favourable reply from Muslim, Hazrat Imam Hussain (A) left Medina with only a few soldiers and his family. While on his way to Kufa he heard the sad news of death of Muslim and as a result he was very much distressed, but he continued his onward march.
After crossing some distance the Imam and his party were intercepted by an Arab tribal chief Al-Hore and his cavalry. Consequently the Imam was obliged to change his route and proceeded by the western side of river Euphrates leaving Kufa on his right. But the governor of Kufa did not like the movement of Hussain (A) and his small party in the vicinity of Kufa. He dispatched, as medicated above, 4,000 soldiers under the leadership of Omar bin Saad. When such was the position the Imam camped with his companions at Karbala on the bank of river Euphrates on the first day of the lunar month of Muharram.
The Imam proposed for an amicable settlement considering the plight of his helpless companions particularly in view of the hardship and suffering of the women and infants. But the commander of governor Obaidullah's soldiers declined to accept the compromise proposal. And neither the revered Imam was allowed to meet Yazid so that he could discuss the matter with him, nor he was allowed to go back to the place wherefrom he came. Because of the blockade Imam's men were not even allowed to reach the bank of the river to take water for drinking.
Finding no other way out the Imam decided to fight this unequal war at Karbala without surrendering to the enemy. The enemy commander ordered heartless Shimar to take Hazrat Imam Hussain dead or alive to Kufa. All the members of the Imam's family embraced martyrdom. On the 10th day of the lunar month of Muharram when the Imam was proceeding towards the river with his infant son on his lap for a little water to quench his son's thirst, a spear from the enemy side struck the son and he died then and there. The bewildered and aggrieved Imam then sat down in front of his tent and a little later another flying spear from enemy side struck his chest and he also embraced martyrdom.
When the enemy soldiers understood that the valiant Imam breathed his last, they immediately jumped on his body and desecrated it and lynched it in different ways. This was inhuman and without any parallel in human history. This is how, the eye-ball and beloved grandson of the holy Prophet (SM), Hazrat Imam Hussain (A), laid down his life and embraced martyrdom some 14 hundred years ago for a just and noble cause in the month of Muharram. Thus the month of Muharram itself is significantly holy, however, for the most tragic incident in human history which teaches us to be just and honest, and fight for a noble cause.
Kazi Aulad Hossain is a retired govt high official.