Alexander Khaleeli: Muharram [1]
What is it that brings us back every year when we know how it'll all end? We know the end, we know every detail of the torture and suffering of Imam Hussain (as) but it remains new to us every time.
Why do we remember the past? Why do remember this Month, an event that occurred 1400 years ago yet we are back here commemorating another year of Martyrdom? This is History. Think about it, in school we learn about the Romans, where has it brought us today? Does it still have any relevance today? That's ancient History, but History MATTERS because it shapes how we see ourselves. As well as History informing our understanding of who we actually are, History is endless and the flow of History continues. History is constantly in the process of being made and it is through History we understand the past and SHAPE it.
What about Islamic History? how does Allah (swt) want us to view History and the Tragedy of Karbala? In Qur'an [12:109] 'And We sent not before you [as messengers] except men to whom We revealed from among the people of cities. So have they not traveled through the earth and observed how was the end of those before them? And the home of the Hereafter is best for those who fear Allah ; then will you not reason?' it mentions 'Aqiba (the end/outcome) and this is repeated 6x throughout the Qur'an where God tells us to look at the fate of the liars, wrongdoers, oppressors etc.
In History they'd travel to learn, they'd pass by the Ancients of Lut and Saleh and learn from their story. We must travel and learn from Historic sites too rather than simply google-ing pictures. Go and stand at the base of the pyramids and see how they endured the test of time.
In the Qur'an [22:46] 'So have they not travelled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.' Aside of the emphasis on travelling, what is meant by 'ears by which to hear' - it is referred to those people surrounded by the Prophet (pbuh) that lacked 'Aql. In this verse Allah (swt) mentions 3 organs: eyes, ears, hearts. This intelligently depicts the types of knowledge: eyes (empirical), ears (revelation), hearts (rational)
The heart is what we can deduce, and the ears being Qur'an and Hadith through revelation, but the eyes are the only senses that cannot tell us the difference from right and wrong.
'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' - George Santayana
History follows a pattern: the archetypes/underlying realities remain the same despite the faces and names changing.
It's ironic how a month ago we commemorated Ghadir where Imam Ali's hand was held up and it was 'Al Yawm akmaltu lakum deenakum' (completion of deen) but now we're mourning a loss of such a figure. Ghadir to Karbala is what we must study.
This year we must learn how not to be the enemies before we learn how to become lovers of 'Aba Abdillah Al-Hussain (as)
