We also say that knowing that one will not be victorious...

We also say that knowing that one will not be victorious does not remove the apparent responsibility to rise up if the conditions for an uprising apparently exist. Al-Majlisi has narrated from al-Khara’ij wal Jara’ih of al-Rawandi (a 6th century scholar) who narrated from Mina: “Ali (as) heard a clamour amongst his army, so he asked: ‘what is this?’ They said:’ Mu’awiyah died’.

He (as) said: ‘no he has not, by the one in whose Hands is my soul, he will not die until this community all supports him.’ They said: ‘so why are you fighting him?’ He (as) said: ‘I want an excuse between myself and Allah, the Exalted’ [^3] . The uprising of the Master of the Martyrs (Imam Husain a.s) was for a…