Roshd Islamic Shia Website : Ocassion Letters 2009/12/28
Martyrdom of Imam Hussain - Master of Martyrs (PBUH) : The Red Birth 

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

The Red Birth

The more ambitious a person is in achieving his clear and cut goal, the less obstacles and difficulties are able to discourage him from reaching his goal. Such person is not a quitter, and will go to extreme lengths to achieve his goal firmly and tirelessly. On the other hand, the person who has not reached certainty toward his goal and is doubtful, is searching heavily to find the slightest problems to prevent pursuing his goal.

On the day of Ashura, Hussain (PBUH) watches the body of his companions on the ground as he enters the battlefield; however, neither the loss of his children and brothers nor observing the corpse of his martyred companions, which he could not remove from the battlefield, didn’t make him to desire the battle any less. In such condition, Hussain (PBUH) has a high spirit and passionate to fight the enemy.

One of the people, who were present in Karbala and had seen Hussain ibn Ali (PBUT) in the last few hours of the battle, describes the spirit of Imam (PBUH) in surprise,

“I swear to Allah (SWT) I have never seen a man who has lost his children and family members in a battle and yet be as brave heart, persistent, courageous and as fearless as Hussain (PBUH), neither in the past nor after the battle in Karbala. Despite being heavily wounded and thousands of soldiers had surrounded him, when he attempted to attack with his sword, the enemy would run off like herds of sheep and empty the battlefield… Once he scattered the soldiers, he would go back to his original spot and say, ‘There is no change and power except from Allah, the Most High and the Great.”(1)

… Hussain (PBUH) was the only one you could feel in this land full of enemies. In the heart of enemy’s army, at each moment there were a number of soldiers in front of his sword. Arrows were thrown toward him like rain. At one moment an arrow hit the forehead of Hero of Karbala. Imam Hussain (PBUH) pulled the arrow out with his hand but his blood poured on his provoked face.

As the blood covered his face, he could not see the enemy well enough. He attempted to wipe the blood with his shirt, but was struck in the heart with another arrow. As a consequence of the arrow the entirety of all that love and faith, and the embodiment of all that glory and sacrifice fell to the ground. The enemies all gathered and each individual would strike Hussain (PBUH) and he fell on the ground of Karbala. As he breathed his last moments he said, “O Lord! I am satisfied with Your decree, and no one is worthy of worship but You.(2) His face shone with divine love as he was getting close to martyrdom. Hilal ibn Nafi’ was standing by Umar Sa’ad. When he heard of Hussain’s (PBUH) fall, he ran towards Hussain (PBUH). He describes the scene as such, “I saw Hussain (PBUH) as he was dying. By Allah I have not seen anyone so covered with blood, and yet very beautiful as Hussain ibn Ali (PBUT)! His face full of light and beauty made me forget my thoughts of killing him!”(3)

Hussain (PBUH) stared at the sky with his eyes covered in blood, and supplicated to his Lord. And after a few moments this pumping heart stops, and everything began anew. Hussain (PBUH) the Master of Martyrs only had a birth, for he has not died. His martyrdom was indeed a red birth. In Karbala nothing ended. This was an end to a new beginning

(The above is a selection taken from "The Blood of God, a Report on the Day of Ashura of Year 61 A.H” By Hujjatul Islam Jawad Muhaddithi)

The Roshd Website offers condolences to all the freemen of the world, especially your dear friend, upon Ashura (the tenth day of Muharram), the martyrdom anniversary of the leader of the trustful and the freemen, Sayyid al-Shuhada, Imam Hussain (PBUH), and his loyal companions.

Roshd Islamic Shia Website

Footnotes:

1. I’laam al-Wara, p. 243 – ‘Ayaan al-Shia, vol. 1, p. 609 – Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 4, p. 345

2. Maghtal al-Hussain by Mughran, p. 283

3. Al-Majalis al-Saniah, Sayyed Muhsin Amin, vol. 1, p. 123