We read in history that some people endure all kinds of suffering and tyranny...

We read in history that some people endure all kinds of suffering and tyranny, and the distress of travel in order to visit the grave of Husayn (as). Others demolished the structures in its precincts and also inundated it, so that the signs which mark the resting place of Husayn (as) might be effaced. In addition, they killed the pilgrims and cut off their hands to prevent people from visiting the tomb of Husayn (as) in the past, [and blow them up today with bombs].

The Three Peculiarities of the Al-Taff Battle Theatre The most prominent peculiarities of this arena with regard to loyalty and repudiation are three: It was a field which inherited loyalty and repudiation. These two were not new to this theatre; it inherited them from earlier theatres in the long struggle between the prophets and their followers on one side and the despots on the other.

Secondly, it was a separating theatre that classified the people since 61 A.H., into two distinct groups that are opposed on the question of loyalty and repudiation. Thirdly, it was a legator from which we inherit loyalty and repudiation. Had it not been for this legacy which we received from Karbala these twin concepts would not have been preserved for us. The Umayyads corrupted loyalty and repudiation just as they corrupted many of the fundamentals and laws of religion.

They robbed the people of their loyalty and repudiation by deflecting their courses. Through his death and the death of that band of his family members and companions, Husayn (as) restored the two to their rightful places.

Below is an exposition of these three peculiarities: An Inherited Theatre The battle theatre of Al-Taff was that of confrontation between truth and falsehood, monotheism and polytheism; a call towards servitude and submission to God, and an invitation to taghut, and empowering it over the people by enslaving them.

This was the fiercest and the most desperate type of confrontation in history because it was a struggle on the question of loyalty and repudiation between loyalty to God and repudiation of taghut on one side and loyalty to taghut on the other.

This encounter was not new that started in Karbala in 61 A.H, rather it was an extension of the contest of civilizations that run along the lines of accepting and denouncing, with the prophets and their followers on one side and despots, dictators and their courtiers on the other.