ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Hidden Truth about Karbala Chapter 18: Imam Husayn’s journey to Karbala Those, who strive for a cause, do not care for the odds or the consequences. Imam Husayn (a.s.) left Medina for the cause of Islam; to save Islam from the corruption, innovation and distortions introduced by the Banu Umayya. Islam was no longer the simple way of life, in which bereft of pomp and pretensions, the ruler was hardly distinguishable from the ruled.

When Imam Ali (a.s.) went into the bazaar of Kufa, he could not be differentiated from the ordinary citizens. As the Caliph , Imam Ali (a.s.) made it clear that he was not to be feared and shunned. He was one among them, though he held the ultimate authority. Even people, who did not profess Islam, felt safe under his rule. The Banu Umayya always considered Islam the religion to be an empire and nothing more. They could hardly understand, nor did they care to understand the philosophy of Islam.

For them, Islam was a monarchy heritable by those who had the money, means and power to suppress the masses. Instead of being the creed providing to the poor, help in this world and hope of salvation in the life to come, Islam was made into the creed of the oppressive ruler wielding his sword in the name of Islam while they were, in fact, cutting the faith into shreds.

This terrifying image of the Banu Umayya is now being imposed upon Muslims allover the world by the opportunistic detractors of Islam. This terrorist image is the only everlasting contribution of the Banu Umayya to Islam. It was then high time for someone to take up the cause of the real Islam, to bring out and expose the corruption, innovation and distortions introduced by the Banu Umayya in Islam.

It was time for somebody to take up the cause of the poor and the oppressed, and to retrieve for them the Islam that had changed their very way of life and made them intellectuals instead of the robbers, dacoits and murderers that they were before the advent of Islam. When Imam Husayn (a.s.) took up this cause, he had no fear of numbers or the immediate result. He knew that he was grossly outnumbered. He knew that he and his followers would certainly loose their lives in the strife.

He also knew that ultimately posterity would realise that the truth would prevail over falsehood. He established that even in the face of huge numbers and heavy odds, the truth never bows down to falsehood.