Hezbollah, an Extension of Ashoura

As the crescent of Muharram arrives, we cannot but remember our great martyrs who drew an ongoing path for Ashoura, those who embraced imam Hussein’s call on the 10th day of Muharram when he asked: “Isn’t there any supporter to support us? Isn’t there anyone to aid us? Isn’t there anyone to defend the sanctity of the prophet?” but received minimal responses back then.

Today, we remember our heroes who responded to their Imam over 1300 years after his call and endorsed the quote ‘Everyday is Ashoura and every land is Karbala’, thus they carried Ashoura’s spirit of pride and perseverance along with them in facing every obstacle, oppression or assault, and affirmed that righteousness will always triumph over criminality no matter how powerful the latter was!

From the school of Imam Hussein they emerged and through its lessons they dived, to be an inspiration to every aspirant and a wake up call to every droopy.

With the call ‘O’ Aba Abdullah’ they started every operation against the Israeli invader since 1982 and with the prayer ‘Peace Be Upon You O Aba Abdullah’ they opened their wills.

Hezbollah Martyred leader Sayyed Abbas Al-Moussawi spoke about Ashoura in one of his speeches saying: “One of the greatest lessons of Karbala is that it has inherent elements that could by their own pose ambition for every oppressed in this world, every oppressed without any exception and regardless his belonging or identity. Every oppressed in this world sees hope in Imam Hussein (as) and sees that the goals that Imam Hussein (as) drew are an expression of his ambition as an oppressed human being.”

From Imam Hussein’s school, Sheikh Ragheb Harb came out to say: “We are awaiting hunger, we are prospect to become hungry, this is why we must define our stance and continue to resist this enemy (Israel) regardless the price that shall be paid. If hundreds of thousands of us were martyred and we kept our value that is better for us than obeying the orders of the enemy!”

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah constantly reassures in his speeches that Hezbollah’s victories are because of its adherence to the virtuous path of Imam Hussein. In one of his speeches in the 10th of Muharram he stated: “We tell Imam Hussein (as) that our blood which is from your blood is triumphing over the sword and our sword is also triumphing over other swords. We will continue on your path and stance and we will repeat with you, on every tenth of Muharram, when the tyrants put us in front of two choices either war, just like Trump, Netanyahu, Daesh and the Takfiris do, or surrender, either war or humiliation, either submission or defeat, our stance is similar to your stance O aba Abdullah… How remote is humiliation! This sentence expresses our thoughts, culture, emotions, roots, basics, stance, attitude, jihad and presence in the battlefield, and with that we are truthful to Imam Hussein (as) when we say “at your service O Hussein”.

As for the significant Islamic Resistance martyred leader Hajj Imad Moghnieh who was labeled as the ‘Leader of the Two Victories’, Imam Hussein was his motive and goal.

His late mother, Hajje Um Imad had tackled this in one of her interviews to “momahidat.org” saying: “Hajj Imad was influenced since childhood by the story and martyrdom of Imam Hussein, and his martyrdom had the greatest impact on Hajj Imad’s journey in the resistance. The story was not just about the Month of Muharram, 10 days of Ashoura, mourning and crying. In contrast, he used to perceive it as a journey of faithfulness and used to consider that there’s a great secret behind the martyrdom of Imam Hussein and from him we derive power and determination… Hajj Imad used to argue about the traditional style of reviving Ashoura rituals and reciting the course of Imam Hussein arguing that there are much greater and deeper aspects of the incidents that fell back then. Thus, he used to read all the books that wrote about Imam Hussein and his revolution, and used to research and follow up everything related to his martyrdom and the goal behind Ashoura revolution.”

“Hajj Imad’s greatest concern was seizing Israel from existence and supporting the oppressed people in Palestine, he spared no effort to stand in the face of oppression just like Imam Hussein did, and this was the reason behind his success. It is his awareness that the solution comes only when taking this path,” hajje Um Imad assured.

She added: “I thank Allah that I am the mother of three martyrs who had a great role in the resistance, we have always been patient and we will continue like that, and the favor goes first to Imam Hussein and his household. Moreover, all the victories that we achieved are the outcome of Imam Hussein’s revolution, the virtuous blood that fell in Ashura, and the martyrs who followed the path of Imam Hussein.”

While Imam Hussein stood with only 72 companions from friends and family members facing an army of 100 000 soldiers over 1300 years ago, today he has an army of hundreds of thousands of soldiers who breath Hussein, cry Hussein, and vow pledge to revolutionize on the path of Hussein against any form of oppression until his goal of social equality and reformation is implemented.

“My master: I gave you my pledge to move forward, carrying my blood for the sake of Allah and merging it with the soil of Mount Amel, just like your blood merged with the soil of Holy Karbala,” Martyr Ali Ashmar’s will read.

“My brothers, I took a vow not to face Allah and my Master Imam Hussein (as) unless my body was torn into pieces, headless and armless, so that I would be Allah’s honest and faithful slave, and so that He confirms my faith to Imam Hussein, and the friends of Imam Hussein who sacrificed themselves defending him,” martyr Salah Ghandour opened his will saying.

As resistance fighters carry this spirit of sacrifice and devotion remembering Imam Hussein, their mothers continue their journey carrying the spirit of patience and satisfaction with the will of Allah remembering sister of Imam Hussein, Sayyeda Zeinab (as).

Sayyeda Zeinab witnessed all the crimes and calamities of Ashoura. She watched all her family members and companions getting killed and was taken to captivity, yet when the arrogant Caliphate Yazid asked her: “How did you see what Allah has exposed you to?” She answered firmly: “I have only seen beauty!”

Um Imad was quoted as saying: “I am a mother of three martyrs… When Hajj Imad was killed I couldn’t bear the news at the beginning… But I prayed and pleaded for Allah by Sayyeda Al-Zahraa, then I sat by myself and felt that if I weakened or collapsed” Israel” would feel that it has triumphed, therefore I took my decision to stay strong just like Sayyeda Zeinab (as).”

Um Imad is a sample of thousands of mothers who took the same decision.

So are the mothers of Hassan Zbeeb and Yasser Daher, the two martyrs who were killed lately in an Israeli strike on their residence in Damascus. They are mothers who blessed their sons, even more, they encouraged them to join the sensitive path of resistance, from the teachings of the everlasting, integrative school of Ashoura.

Hence, you can sense a unique warmth in houses of martyrs’ families. You see them accepting congratulations instead of condolences saying: “This is the least we can do after what Imam Hussein offered in Ashoura.”

Hezbollah’s slogan this year for Ashoura is “How could we stay after you”.

It was inspired from the incident in which Imam Hussein (as) told his companions on the eve of Ashoura “I permit you to leave now as the night has fallen.”

Their response was: “Why would we do that? To stay after you? May Allah never show us that!”

From the concept of “I have only seen beauty” and “how could we stay after you” they accept what Allah had exposed them to. With this spirit, faithfulness and certainty, how could anyone defeat such people?

Source: Al-Manar English Website