The Imam alayhis-salam put his hand on the pulse of both the...

The Imam alayhis-salam put his hand on the pulse of both the nation and the government and when he found that the government was deviating from the way of the true religion, he took hold of the nation to straighten this deviation. He alayhis-salam said: ‘I have not come forth out of pride or arrogance, nor to cause corruption, nor as an oppressor, but I have come forth to seek the reform of the nation of my grandfather Muhammad.

I wish to order the good and forbid the evil and follow the way of my grandfather and my father ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib.’ He alayhis-salam also said: ‘Now, I summon you to revive the features of the truth and to slay innovation. If you answer my call then you will be guided to the ways of righteousness.’ He alayhis-salam also said: ‘And I summon you to the book of Allah and to the way of His prophet.

If you hear what I say and follow me I will lead you to the path of righteousness.’ In the thought of the supreme religious authority (marji’) Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Husayni al-Shirazi, we can clearly sense today the effects of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn alayhis-salam and the extent of its influence on the survival of the Islamic religion and in protecting it from the guiles of the enemy, all because of the historical stance that he took and the sacrifice he made on the day of al-Taff.48 We can also discern with ease from amongst these effects that the power of government, however great and developed that might be, can never compare with the power of the nation.

The power of government is partial and is derived from the power of the nation above which there can be no power as long as the nation remains firmly upon the religion and follows it. The Imam alayhis-salam, alongside his knowledge by divine will of what would happen to him and to his family on the day of Ashura, also knew of the outcome of events and of the future.

His uprising did not only uncover the scandals and crimes of the Umayyad regime but there was a mission behind this uprising; namely to make clear the reality of the Islamic 48 Al-Taff is another name for Karbala. religion and to clarify its features for everyone.

The result of the battle of Karbala was the uprooting of the Umayyad government despite its tyranny, influence, power, wealth and military might at a time when the society was not even allowing itself to consider the question of overthrowing the Umayyads because of their might and despotism.