As we said, the
great history of Karbala as we know has been altered both verbally and
spiritually. By verbal alteration we mean, we have added some details
to the history which makes the brilliant and bright figure and the
beautiful face, so ugly.
Spiritual
Alteration:
Unfortunately,
the historical event has been altered by us. The spiritual alteration
is more dangerous than verbal alteration and what has caused this
great event so feckless, is the spiritual alteration, not the verbal
one.
What does
spiritual alteration mean?
When we narrate a
sentence, we might not change it, neither adding nor deducting from
it. But, when we interpret the same sentence, we might interpret and
justify it so that it is quite discrepant with the real meaning of the
sentence.
The historical
Events and affairs have on one part some causes and motivations and on
the part, some goals. Alteration of a historical even means that
either the causes and motivations of the event
have been otherwise or the
goal and purpose
are interpreted in another way.
The historical
even of Asoura has some cause and motivations on one hand and some
high goals and purposes on the other hand; but, we Muslims, Shiites of
Hossein Ibn Ali (peace be upon him) have altered the event; i.e. Imam
Hossein (p.b.u.h.) had motivations for his movement, but we considered
some other motivations for him.
Hazrat Aba
Abdollah (p.b.u.h.) created a great extraordinary movement and the
conditions of a sacred and majestic movement are available in movement
of Aba Abdollah (p.b.u.h.) unique in the world. But, what are the
conditions?
-
The first condition for a sacred movement is that its goal is not
personal and individual, but it is general, humanistic. Once, some
one commences a movement for himself, once, some one commences it
for the sake of the society, for the sake of humanity, for the sake
of truth, the right, monotheism, justice, equality, not for himself!
In fact, when he commences the movement, he is no more considered as
an individual, but it is him accompanied by humanity.
-
The second condition for a movement’s being sacred is that the
movement is conjoint with a foresight, a comprehension and a strong
clairvoyance.
-
The third condition for sacredness of a movement is that it is
unique. It means that it serves as a light within the darkness, an
exclamation within the silence, a movement within the deep quiet,
i.e. when absolute suffocation prevails and the people are not
allowed to speak, suddenly, a man comes and breaks the silence. He
moves, he brings light to the darkness. Imam Hossein (p.b.u.h.)
started such a movement. He stipulated the reason of movement:
“Corruption has filled our world, nation of my grand father is
corrupted,
I rebelled to improve. I am a reformer”.
He cleared the goal of his movement.
I upraised for calling people to goodness, to revive the religion,
to fight with corruption.
My movement is an Islamic Reformist movement.”
But, we stated
his goal otherwise. We made two skillful alterations. Once, we said
Hossein Ibn Ali rebelled to be killed, to pay for sins of the nation.
If we are asked how we made the conclusion? Has Imam Hossein himself
stated it? We reply: “Oh! It is not up to us! He was killed so that we
are forgiven! We do not know that we have borrowed the idea from
Christianity.
One of the
principles of Christianity is the case that Christ was crossed to be a
sacrificed1. The title of Christ (p.b.u.h.) is the
sacrificed. From viewpoint of Christians, this view is in the context
of Christianity, that Christ was crossed to pay for sins of the
nation. We did not think about origin of this view, that it is
discrepant with Islam. Hazrat Aba Abdollah (p.b.u.h.) fought with
sins, but we interpreted that He fought to make for our sins a guard.
We said Imam Hossein (p.b.u.h.) is insuring our sins and narrated it
this way: “ I insured you against your sins, what will I take in turn?
You should cry for me, instead I will forgive your sins.” Alas!
The second
spiritual alteration made in interpretation and justification of even
of Karbala, is that: “Do you know why Imam Hossein (p.b.u.h.) began a
movement and was killed? He was ordered to go and to be killed.” It
means that the movement can not be follows. It is not related to
general instructions of Islam. Imam Hossein (p.b.u.h.) shouted and
said that the cause of his rebel was to comply with general principles
of Islam. And no private order was needed. The private order comes
when the general orders are not sufficient.
Why did the
family of prophet say the movement shall be kept alive and the people
shall cry on Imam Hossein? Their intention was something we
metamorphosed. We interpreted it as a condolence for Hazrat Zahra (p.b.u.h.).
We said She accompanies her great son in paradise and is restless so
that we cry for him to condole her! It is an indignity for Hazrat
Zahra!
Another group of
the people said: Imam Hossein (p.b.u.h.) was killed innocently in
Karbala by a group of aggressors. This is pitiful! We know that Imam
Hossein (p.b.u.h.) was innocent, but there are too many innocent
people who are killed every day by the aggressors, without bearing any
value to be mentioned for years and centuries. If you find in the
world, some one whose blood has not been wasted, it is only Hossein
ibn Ali (p.b.u.h.).
Every drop of
his blood is so valuable which can not be described. Those who have
mentioned Hossein ibn Ali (p.b.u.h.) should remain alive, meant that
his goal has been sacred, not that his blood is wasted. Hossein ibn
Ali (p.b.u.h.) created a school of thought and tried to keep it alive.
Keeping alive his movement was for taking a ray of soul of Hossein ibn
Ali on our souls. His school was a school of making human being, not a
school of making sinful people. Imam Hossein (p.b.u.h.) is a guard of
pious action, not a guard of sin.