MUHARRAM: Beyond Mourning

Karbala lingers beyond mourning, softly asking us to carry its truth into our daily lives.

- Dabirah Hassan

As the moon of Zilhajj sets, Muharram unfolds its solemn wings. With it returns not merely a season of mourning, but a season of reflection and purpose.

After the sacrifice of Ibrahim (A.S.), dawns the moment of the Prophet’s own offering. Ibrahim gave Ismail in submission; the Prophet, in love, gave Hussain to the Divine.

Allama Iqbal beautifully encapsulates this profound continuity:

غریب و ساده و رنگین ہے داستان حرم نہایت اس کی حسین، ابتدا ہے اسماعیل

"The tale of the sanctuary is simple, humble, yet full of colour; Its climax is Hussain (A.S.), its beginning is Ismail (A.S.)."

This couplet binds two sacred sacrifices, offered on the altars of Mina and Karbala. Both were acts of absolute surrender to the will of Allah: one father raised the knife in obedience, and one grandson walked into a storm to revive a fading truth.

Iqbal further deepens the connection:

الله الله بائے بسمہ الله پدر معنى ذبح عظیم آمد پسر

"Allah, Allah! The ‘Ba’ of Bismillah was the father; The son became the meaning of the Great Sacrifice."

Here, the “Ba” of Bismillah symbolises Imam Ali (A.S.), referring to his foundational role in Islamic knowledge, guidance, and guardianship.

This literary and spiritual metaphor views Hazrat Ali (A.S.) as the doorway to divine wisdom, just as “Ba” is the entry to the Qur'an.

Iqbal suggests that the “Great Sacrifice” (Zibh-e-Azeem) is Imam Hussain (A.S.), uniting the trial of Ismail with the martyrdom at Karbala.

Why Did Imam Hussain Rise?

Imam Hussain (A.S.) did not rise against Yazid out of personal rivalry. He sought neither power nor position. His mission was Islah, moral reform. He declared:

"I did not rise out of arrogance, nor for corruption or oppression. I rose to seek reform in the nation of my grandfather. I want to enjoin good and forbid evil, and follow the path of my grandfather and my father." (Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 44, p. 329)