By Saira Ulfat, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
For us Muslims, the pinnacle of their faith is that we should devote our entire life, riches, and possessions to serving our Creator, whole and sole Owner, and our Sovereign Lord, the Almighty Allah. What could be a better source of solace for us than leading our life in the cause of Allah and eventually attaining martyrdom in this path? This was best exemplified by the Grandson of the holy Prophet (pbuh). That he sacrificed his life for his beliefs and unwavering faith, has placed him above all the martyrs of Islam, and therefore he will rise to the prominent place of “Syyidus Shabab Al-Jannah” (the leader of all young people in paradise) on the Day of Reward in the hereafter.
Inspired by the life and sacrifice of Imam Hussain RA, every devout Muslim’s dream is to become a martyr. In Islam, martyrdom or Shahadat is the trust that Allah has bestowed upon a true believer. The true measure of this achievement is to turn this trust over to his master in the greatest possible way and to face this world and its harsh realities with an unwavering and unshakable faith.
The martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA) on the 10th of Muharram, 680 AD, was a watershed moment in Islamic history. He and his family were mercilessly murdered and thus they attained martyrdom for refusing to swear loyalty to Yazid, who orchestrated injustice and cruelty and represented tyranny and inhumanity. On the other hand, Imam Hussain’s (RA) unshakeable dedication to justice and righteousness inspires Muslims. What was their fault? Only that they could not bear to see the order and system of Allah and His Messenger being violated, and they refused to accept Yazid as the legitimate Caliph! Therefore, Yazid fought against them and brought about the incident of Karbala to kill the same Imam Hussain who grew up in the arms of the Messenger of Allah.
Who used to play on the blessed shoulder of the Holy Prophet? History is witness to the fact that when Imam Hussain RA organised to go to Kufa, messages were coming to Hazrat Imam Hussain from there. Kufa had been made the capital of Hazrat Imam Ali, and therefore, the people there were considered to be sympathisers with him.
From there, Hazrat Hussain started receiving letters in which he was requested to set out for Kufa. The Imam agreed and thus he decided to go there, but Hazrat Zubair stopped him and said that he should not trust those Kufis. They get ready to do anything with verbal words, but when they see the sword in the field, they become rebels, he said. Hazrat Zubair further insisted that even if the Imam wants to go there, he should not take his family with him. However, it was God’s will that he should go there and face the reality and the tyranny of the ruthless oppressors. They went there but the people of Kufa meted the same treatment as predicted by Hazrat Zubair. They were either afraid of Yazid’s tyranny or hypocrites who secretly supported him but pretended to be the Imam’s well-wishers, and very few people among the Kufis supported Hazrat Hussain.
Today, every member of the human fraternity remembers the Karbala incident, and harbours deep love and admiration for Imam Hussain RA. While Imam Hussain’s tragedy inspires young people to render sacrifice of life for the truth, his merciless martyrdom deeply pains our hearts.
Yazid cut off the glorious head that our Prophet (peace be upon him) used to kiss a thousand times. Scholars disagree on where Imam Hussain’s (RA) head would have been buried; whether in Medina, Syria, Karbala, or in Najaf al-Ashraf, all being recorded as the burial places of the sacred head of Imam Hussain RA.
Authoritative Sunni scholars like Sheikh Ali Gomma, former Grand Mufti of Egypt who served at Sunni Islam’s largest seminary Al-Azhar University in Cairo claim that the holy head of Imam Hussain is presently preserved at Masjid al-Hussain, the Imam Hussain Mosque in the heart of Cairo. Mufti Ali Gomaa has addressed the matter of Imam Hussain’s head in some of his writings and public addresses and discussions about Islamic history. According to the former Grand Mufti of Egypt, the head of Imam Hussain RA is believed to have been brought to Cairo, Egypt, and it is traditionally said to be located in the Imam Hussain Mosque in the heart of Cairo.
On the other hand, Shia scholars hold two opposing views: some believe the head was returned to Karbala and buried with the body, while others claim it was buried in Najaf near Amir ul-Mu’minin’ Maula Ali’s mausoleum. Notable scholars, like Sheikh Al-Kulayni, Sheikh Al-Tusi, and Ibn Shahrashub, have stated differing perspectives, citing various narrations. According to Allama Muhammad Baqir, and Allama Qorbi, Yazid sent the caravan of Karbala from Syria to Medina. They also carried Imam Hussain’s blessed head. This view was also held by the great Sunni scholar of Hadith in India Shah Waliullah Muhaddis Dehlvi. According this view, after arriving in Medina, Hazrat Zainul Abideen buried his blessed head close to the tombs of Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Fatima (RA) without saying a word to anyone.
As a matter of fact, the actual burial site of Hazrat Imam Hussain’s head remains unknown due to conflicting traditions and interpretations, leaving the issue open for future investigation and further scholarly debate.
