Roots and the Series of Events that culminated to the Ashura Massacre 2

On Saturday, 6th Muharram, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sayyid Zakzaky (H) continued discourse on the foundation that led to the Ashura tragedy. As usual, the venue, Baqiyyatullah Husainiyya Zaria was full of teeming audience who graced the Ashura mourning assembly.

After the conquest of Makkah, the Tulaqah and their offspring settled at Madinah en masse. As hypocrisy came to be known at Madina, this mass settlement thus increased the number of hypocrites. At this juncture, there was threat from the Roman Empire. So the Prophet (SAWA) ordered all able men to prepare for the arduous Tabuk expedition. All capable ones complied except the hypocrites who gave flimsy excuses to dodge participation and thus preferred to be left behind. There was the plan to stage a coup at Madina when the Prophet went for this tasking expedition. He assigned Imam Ali (AS) to stay and take charge of the affairs at Madfnah. The hypocrites made folly of the Imam saying that as a known warrior of the first order, he was left amidst women and children. Imam followed after the prophet and complained. The prophet comforted him back with the well known manzila tradition.

The Romans were scared and thus fled back. No war was fought. On the way back the hypocrites planned to kill the Prophet. They planned to hide under some rocks in a hilly area so that they coul lay ambush on the Prophet in the dark. Through divine inspiration, the Prophet came to know about their evil plans. So he immediately sent Khuzaifatul Yamaniy to go and keep vigil at the planned site. Khuzaifa saw the culprits and knew each and every one of them by name. When the prophet arrived at the site he ordered the rocks to roll down. Those marauders were forced to escape for their dear lives. Some sustained injuries. Among them was the one who got fracture on the legs which made him to be limping for the rest of his life. Another was paralyzed on the arm. Later there were fabrications that those people sustained injuries in the defence of the Prophet!

Back at Madinah, about 84 people tendered various excuses for not attending the journey to Tabuk. Allah debunked all their flimsy excuses with the revelation of Quranic verses and promised the chastisement of hell fire to them. However the three (Ka’ab and two others), who said the truth, were forgiven through revealed verses ofthe Quran.

Again during the farewell pilgrimage, at Mina, the Prophet said that he would announce his successor the following morning. They were certain that the Prophet woul name Ali bn Abi Talib. Fourteen (14) people went in the darkness of night to Ka’aba and signed a document pledging disloyalty to the wilaya of Ali at all cost. They declared: If Muhammad dies or was assassinated, the leadership shall never be allowed to fall on Ali bn Abi Talib.

They said that if they allow Ali in the first instance, Banu Hasheem would lead in perpetuity. So they wanted to set precedence by establishing a dynasty to be based on tribal Quraishite power shift. One could clearly see the influence of the jahili Arab staunch feudal mentality coupled with the dire love of Worldly ruler ship. At Ghadeer Khumm, the Prophet raised the hand of Ali and declared that “whoever I am his master, Ali is his master.” People were ordered to give the oath of allegiance there which they did. Among the signatories of the disloyal document signed at the Ka’aba, two dared to enquire from the Prophet whether the issue of Ali’s appointment was from God or otherwise. He replied in the affirmative. Then they gave allegiance.

The Prophet was quoting the verse: “—therefore whoever breaks (his oath), breaks it only to the injury of his own soul, and whoever fulfills what he has covenanted with Allah, He will grant him a mighty reward.” (Q: 48: 10). The Prophet (SAWA) even mentioned the successors after wards one after the other: Hasan, Husain, Ali ibn Husain, Muhammad Baqir — up to the awaited Saviour, Imam Mahdi (AF).

Before the demise of the holy Prophet (i.e. after the Tabuk adventure) the Munafiquun (hypocrites) had been conducting series of meetings in Madinah on the ways to actualize the Ka’aba disloyalty declaration. They got additional forty signatories, totaling to 54. The Prophet organized an army battalion to march for an encounter with the Romans. This was put under the command of Usamah bn Zayd. Majority of the prominent companions of the Prophet were in this contingent.There were murmurings that the commander was young. They delayed orders to the extent that the Prophet prayed that: may the curse of Allah befall upon those who stayed behind the battalion of Usamah.

They marched to the outskirts of Madina and camped there. Some returned and when the Prophet saw them at his sick bed, he sensed their hidden agenda. He thus ordered for an ink and a paper to write a will. They prevented it. This was the well known calamity of Thursday as reported in traditions. Some even ascribed insanity to the Noble Prophet! So there was no point of writing for they were determined at all cost to perpetrate their plan against the Leadership of Imam Ali.

The Noble Prophet answered the call of his Lord. As funeral prayers and burial arrangements were being prepared, there was turmoil in the Prophet’s mosque. Imam Ali enquired what was happening only to be informed that a Caliph has been appointed! What a betrayal. What happened at the Saqifa was everything but not Shura (mutual consultation).It was all chaos, confusion and wrangling. Different family clans of the Quraish did not accept the new Caliph.

The Ansar started to assemble in Fatima’s house to register their displeasure on the betrayal of Imam Ali. Seeing this, the Quraish factions decided to foster unity in diversity so as not to allow the Ansar an upper hand. Thus an uneasy quraishite alliance was formed. Again, here, one can see clearly the effect of the jahili Arab staunch feudal mentality. When the Ansar were undaunted in their solidarity, those in Authority threatened to set Fatima’s house ablaze. They threatened to kill Imam Ali if he refused giving allegiance to the new dynasty.

What happened was unfortunate. However the truth has to be told. Some scholars urge the issue of the Wilaya of Imam Ali to be swept under the carpet of history. Yet others were deliberately confused and keep on confusing others. Albani, for example, has endorsed the chain of narrators of the Hadith mandating the Muslims to the wilaya of Ali after the prophet. However he queried the text. He was of the opinion that whenever God destines a particular happening, it has to occur. He was ignorant or deliberately refused to acknowledge the fact that there is destination takwiniy and destination Shar’iy.

Malam (H) cited the example of the event that occurred when Prophet Musa (AS) assigned Haroun (AS) as his deputy. Bani Israel rebelled and followed Samiri. Then does it mean that God has not destined Bani Israel to follow Haroun? This is a clear example of the destiny Shar’iy where man has a free will to choose. Similarly, Shar’an, Ali (AS) was appointed by God. People did not obey, Period. Thus, with the denial of the right of Imam Ali, the Quraish succeeded in re establishing tribal dynasties in the name of Islam. This was part of the series of events which ultimately led to the occurrence of the tragedy at Karbala.