They burn themselves out and illuminate humanity.
They burn themselves out and illuminate humanity. If they do not shed their light, no human organization can shine. But what is the basis of the sanctity of martyrdom? It is evident that merely being killed can have no sanctity. It is not always a matter of pride. Many a death may even be a matter of disgrace.
Martyrdom is the death of a person who in spite of being fully conscious of the risks involved, willingly faces them for the sake of a sacred cause or as the Holy Qur’an says, in the cause of Allah (fee Sabeelillah). Martyrdom has two elements: firstly life is sacrificed to achieve a sacred cause and secondly it is made consciously and willingly. A martyr through his blood immortalizes his entire being. His blood forever flows in the veins of the society he belongs.
Every other group of people can make only a part of its faculties immortal, but a martyr immortalizes all his faculties.” Ayatullah al Uzma Sayyid Ruhullah Musawi al Khumayni, while extolling this great felicity says “Martyrdom is eternal honor”, and “Martyrdom is the secret of victory.” The best and the most prominent example of struggle against oppression for enjoining good and forbidding evil is embodied in the exalted personality of Imam Husayn (a.s.), the grandson of the Holy (S), whose martyrdom was an event of momentous political and religious significance in the Islamic world and has a powerful impact upon the Muslim community in particular and humanity as a whole, from the time it occurred in the middle of the seventh century (61 A.H.
/ 680 A.D.) right up to the present day and for all times to come. To understand the struggle at Karbala (in Iraq), we need to turn back a few pages of history. It was a Divine Decree and the need of the hour for Imam Hasan (a.s.), the elder grandson of the Holy Prophet (S) to enter into a peace treaty with Mu’awiyah, the son of Abu Sufyan and father of Yazid, thus shifting the temporal rulership to him.
But before shifting the caliphate to him, Imam Hasan (a.s.) laid down some specific terms and conditions for Mu’awiyah to abide by, which were readily accepted by him. The terms being: (1) That Mu’awiyah will abide by the Holy Book (Qur’an) of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (S). (2) That he shall have no authority to nominate anyone as his successor, and the Caliphate will be surrendered back to the custody of Imam Hasan (a.s.) to be followed by his brother Imam Husayn (a.s.).