Before It Was a Tragedy, It Was a School
🌿 Karbala Was a School Before It Was a Battlefield
Every year when Muharram arrives, hearts turn towards Karbala and the tragedy of al-Husayn (peace be upon him). We gather, we weep, we remember, and we mourn together. But before we speak about the tragedy itself, we must understand the foundation behind it.
Karbala did not happen in a single day, in a few hours on the tenth of Muharram, and then it was over. Before Karbala became a battlefield, it was a school — a school of thought, of values, of virtues. Before it became a tragedy, it was a mission. Before it became a source of tears, it was a source of guidance for us.
Imam al-Husayn did not rise merely so that people would follow him, or mourn him, or cry for him. He rose so that people could understand his mission, his vision, his objectives — and live by them. As the Prophet declared:
حُسَيْنٌ مِنِّي وَأَنَا مِنْ حُسَيْنٍ
Ḥusaynun minnī wa anā min Ḥusayn
Husayn is from me, and I am from Husayn.
My continuity, my legacy, my teachings — the light of Islam and the Qur'an would continue through Imam al-Husayn. He sacrificed everything so that Islam itself would survive.
So on the first night of Muharram, the question is not what happened in Karbala, but what made Karbala possible. What qualities transformed ordinary men and women into eternal legends who will never be forgotten until the Day of Judgment? The Prophet foretold that the killing of al-Husayn would kindle a fire in the hearts of the believers that will remain until that Day and never cool.
Seventy-two companions, around a hundred and eleven martyrs on the plains of Karbala, and the women who carried the mission forward afterwards — Zuhayr ibn al-Qayn, Muslim ibn Awsajah, al-ʿAbbas, Zaynab, al-Qasim, ʿAli al-Akbar. Tonight we begin with ten foundational principles that made them who they became.
A note before the foundations: in the narrations, being Shia is not the same as merely loving al-Husayn. In the year 61 after Hijra, many loved Imam al-Husayn and knew he was the infallible Imam of his time whom they were bound to obey — yet they did not aid him when he needed them. Loving him was not enough; the foundations had to be built.
📿 Foundation One — Maʿrifa: Knowing Allah
Everything begins here. Without maʿrifa, without knowledge, we cannot unlock any door in life or understand any principle, virtue, or value.
Without knowing Allah, worship becomes a habit — mere physical movement with no meaning and no depth, because you do not realise Who you are speaking to. Without knowing Allah, sacrificing anything becomes impossible. And without knowing Allah, faith collapses under pressure. Imam al-Husayn warned of this in his hadith: people are slaves of this world — religion is only words on their tongues, switched according to self-interest. When pressure comes, only a faithful, patient minority remain on the path.
Imam al-Husayn gave the meaning of the famous verse — "I did not create jinn and mankind except to worship Me." He interpreted it himself:
مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْعِبَادَ إِلَّا لِيَعْرِفُوهُ، فَإِذَا عَرَفُوهُ عَبَدُوهُ، فَإِذَا عَبَدُوهُ ٱسْتَغْنَوْا بِعِبَادَتِهِ عَنْ عِبَادَةِ مَنْ سِوَاهُ
Mā khalaqa-llāhu-l-ʿibāda illā li-yaʿrifūhu, fa-idhā ʿarafūhu ʿabadūhu, fa-idhā ʿabadūhu istaghnaw bi-ʿibādatihi ʿan ʿibādati man siwāhu
Allah did not create the servants except that they should know Him; and when they know Him they worship Him; and when they worship Him they become independent of worshipping anything besides Him.
It is an equation: you know Allah, you worship Allah, you serve Allah, and you rise. Islam has one threshold — to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger. But īmān has endless levels. Even martyrdom has ranks: Imam ʿAli said that al-ʿAbbas, the brother of al-Husayn, will hold a station in martyrdom that all other martyrs will yearn for when they behold him on the Day of Judgment.
True worship begins with true knowledge, and the true Shia are those deeply rooted in it. Imam ʿAli is the door to the city of the Prophet's knowledge, the most knowledgeable after the Prophet, and his sons carried knowledge encrypted in their souls and intellects. So we must always seek knowledge — the more you seek light, the higher you rise in the sight of Allah, for "Allah will raise those who believed among you," and those given knowledge to even higher ranks. The Imams described their own:
By Allah, my Shia are those who are wise, knowledgeable of Allah and His religion, who act in obedience to Him and His commands, guided by His love.
And Imam al-Sadiq added: "Our Shia are those who are knowledgeable of Allah, acting by His command — people of virtue who speak the truth."
Many know about Allah, but they do not truly realise and know Him. A believer rooted in Karbala begins with maʿrifa — so if we want to rise together, we must rise with knowledge. Let every one of our youth ask: Is my intellect free from doubt and confusion? Have I answered the necessary questions about God and existence? When I pray, am I truly speaking to my Lord — do I feel it? The more you know, the more seriously you take your faith and your daily rituals; the less you know, the less serious and responsible you become. Allah said: "I did not create the heavens and the earth for you to play" — lāʿibīn — so weigh your words, thoughts, emotions, and steps, reflecting always on their consequences, in this life and the next.
⚖️ Foundation Two — Submission to Divine Guidance
Karbala teaches that guidance comes from Allah through His chosen representatives. I cannot reach Allah on my own; tens of times in the Qur'an He commands us to be guided through His prophets and to seek a divine means of drawing near to Him.
Why do we approach the Black Stone at the Kaaba? The Kaaba is a rock, a material thing — but through it I draw closer to Allah. So too through prayer, fasting, Hajj, righteous friends, mosques, community, and lectures: everything is a means to bring me nearer. As in the divine saying, "My servant, I created everything for you, and created you for Me." So never sell Allah for anything, for everything will vanish except the Face of Allah.
Allah commanded: "O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those vested with authority among you." And those vested with authority are Muhammad and ʿAli and the Ahl al-Bayt.
Many Muslims prayed, recited Qur'an, and claimed faith — yet they stood against Imam al-Husayn. Picture Karbala: Imam al-Husayn leading his congregation in prayer, while ʿUmar ibn Saʿd and his army held their own prayer too. See how cunningly Satan deceives people — making them perform the very same rituals while their hearts and minds are elsewhere, supporting falsehood, injustice, and the killers of women and children.
The companions of al-Husayn understood that salvation was with the Imam, not with the majority. Imam ʿAli said: "Follow the truth; do not follow the majority." Humans love to feel empowered by numbers, but Allah told us in the Qur'an that the truthful are the minority — so never expect the majority to support justice. And the Prophet, before he departed, said:
إِنِّي تَارِكٌ فِيكُمُ ٱلثَّقَلَيْنِ: كِتَابَ ٱللَّهِ وَعِتْرَتِي أَهْلَ بَيْتِي
Innī tārikun fīkumu-th-thaqalayn: kitāba-llāhi wa ʿitratī ahla baytī
I am leaving among you two precious things: the Book of Allah and my family, the people of my house.
They are the rope stretched from the heavens to the earth — hold to it, and we are saved together.
This submission is born from the profound love that defines the true Shia of Amir al-Muʾminin. Shia simply means follower — in truth, everyone is a Shia of someone: Lut was a follower of Ibrahim, and the people of Noah his Shia. Even on the plains of Karbala, Imam al-Husayn told the enemy, "You are the Shia of the house of Abi Sufyan; we are the Shia of ʿAli." And the Prophet set the standard:
لَا يُؤْمِنُ عَبْدٌ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ، وَأَهْلِي أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَعِتْرَتِي أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ عِتْرَتِهِ
Lā yuʾminu ʿabdun ḥattā akūna aḥabba ilayhi min nafsihi, wa ahlī aḥabba ilayhi min ahlihi, wa ʿitratī aḥabba ilayhi min ʿitratihi
A servant does not truly believe until I am more beloved to him than his own self, my family more beloved to him than his own family, and my progeny more beloved to him than his own progeny.
This is not selfishness — the Prophet is guiding us toward where perfection is found, for we are naturally drawn to it. If a person reads about ʿAli and feels no attraction, his fitra, his pure innate nature, has been corrupted by the world. So when you feel pulled toward money, power, fame, and popularity, re-examine your heart. What should attract us is humbleness, honesty, trustworthiness, sacrifice, and pure intentions toward others — even in a person who is poor.
So one question for the young ones: is seeking knowledge and faith a necessity or a luxury? By Allah, if you can answer tonight that it is a necessity, you will never miss a lecture in this mosque, and you will seek knowledge like one who is desperately thirsty.
🕯 Foundation Three — Baṣīra: Insight
After knowledge and submission to those with spiritual authority comes baṣīra, insight. Imam ʿAli said the insightful one is he who hears and reflects — not one who merely hears physically (yasmaʿ), but one who listens, reflects, understands, and benefits from the lesson (yunṣit). The intellects of the Imams were so sharp that they connected every word said to them. And Imam ʿAli gave us the key:
اُنْظُرْ إِلَى مَا قَالَ، وَلَا تَنْظُرْ إِلَى مَنْ قَالَ
Unẓur ilā mā qāl, wa lā tanẓur ilā man qāl
Look at what was said, not at who said it.
When we love a speaker, we accept everything from him; when we hate someone, even his right becomes wrong in our eyes. To break this, do not be swayed by personalities — see the content and benefit from it.
Many saw Imam al-Husayn, but few truly recognised him; many heard his speeches, but few understood. On the day of Ashura, Shimr could not comprehend a single word of the Imam's address — his intellect had been sealed, darkened, corrupted — while al-Hurr al-Riyahi, moved by that same voice, switched sides. Shimr was born pure; what, then, made Shimr into Shimr? We must ask ourselves honestly: if Imam al-Mahdi appeared now, whose heart and intellect would recognise him? Let me be optimistic — anyone who answered the call of al-Husayn this Muharram and came to the majalis is ready to answer the call of al-Mahdi when he rises.
Baṣīra means seeing reality beneath appearances. The army of Yazid looked powerful; the camp of al-Husayn looked weak. But insight allowed the companions to recognise who truly represented Islam. Allah commanded the Prophet:
قُلْ هَٰذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى ٱللَّهِ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِي
Qul hādhihī sabīlī adʿū ila-llāhi ʿalā baṣīratin anā wa man-ittabaʿanī
Say: This is my path; I call to Allah upon insight — I and those who follow me.
Not every claim is truth, and not every influencer is guidance. A Husayni believer develops insight before taking a position. Those who gave victory to al-Husayn were fully convinced he was the Imam of Allah — they knew with certainty they would die, and they did so willingly. He did not force them, beg them, or plead. On the night of the tenth he extinguished the lamp and told them, "Leave — no one will see you in the darkness." They answered: "We will never leave you alone, O Husayn. Even if we were killed, stabbed, burned, then resurrected, we would die a thousand times for you."
🩸 Foundation Four — Standing for Truth
Imam al-Husayn refused to legitimise oppression or make it appear normal. He famously declared:
إِنِّي لَمْ أَخْرُجْ أَشِرًا وَلَا بَطِرًا وَلَا مُفْسِدًا وَلَا ظَالِمًا
Innī lam akhruj asharan wa lā baṭiran wa lā mufsidan wa lā ẓāliman
Indeed, I have not risen out of arrogance, recklessness, corruption, or oppression.
He sought no worldly gain. "I want only to reform the nation of my grandfather," he said, "and to walk on the footsteps of my father and grandfather." He knew he could not fully reform it in the year 61 — but his sacrifice would. Allah commands in Surah al-Nisaʾ (4:135):
يَا أَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ ٱلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ
Yā ayyuha-lladhīna āmanū kūnū qawwāmīna bi-l-qisṭi shuhadāʾa li-llāhi wa law ʿalā anfusikum awi-l-wālidayni wa-l-aqrabīn
O you who believe, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves, or parents, or relatives.
Truth and justice are sacred, for I will be questioned about every word I spoke and every camp I supported. Imam al-Sadiq spoke of the end of times: before the arrival of al-Mahdi, people across the earth will be filtered and tested, so the pure may be distinguished from the impure. Nothing is random — Allah is the supreme influence over existence; nothing happens without His permission. When He brings conflict, division, and trial every age, it is to test our hearts and souls.
Imam al-Sadiq described the true followers: those who advance what is good, refrain from what is evil, display kindness, and hasten toward noble deeds — they race toward goodness and the realm of light. Standing for truth means honesty at school, at work, online, in business; choosing your friends wisely. Truth is not convenient — it is costly. You must let go, detach, and sacrifice.
🕊 Foundation Five — Prayer Before Victory
One of the most beautiful scenes of Karbala occurred on the day of Ashura. Arrows were flying, death was near, and companions stood shielding the body of Imam al-Husayn with their own as he led the congregational prayer. He asked them to make the enemy delay the fighting, saying: "Allah knows that I love prayer, the recitation of His Book, abundant supplication, and seeking forgiveness." For Allah commands:
وَٱسْتَعِينُوا بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَاةِ
Wa-staʿīnū bi-ṣ-ṣabri wa-ṣ-ṣalāh
And seek assistance through patience and prayer.
See how worldly people calculate everything politically: when ʿUmar ibn Saʿd first allowed the Imam his prayer, his own son warned him to be cautious — if the people witnessed al-Husayn's khushūʿ, his deep connection with Allah, he would move countless hearts. So they began attacking even his prayer.
Imam al-Baqir portrayed the true Shia of ʿAli: those with pale faces and gaunt bodies, lips parched from long standing in prayer, who love speaking to Allah and meeting Allah more than anyone else — some becoming addicted to that connection. The more unsafe and insecure you feel, the more you must seek your security in Allah, for in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace. As life reveals how dark it is, the heart finds rest nowhere but with Him.
So I ask our youth: though you are still young and full of dreams and do not yet see life as it truly is, know that the more you grow, the more you will find life filled with trials, hardship, and suffering — it will never become easy. As Imam al-Husayn taught, leave permanent rest to the grave. The more you grow, the higher the spirituality and the deeper the connection you will need — otherwise you risk, God forbid, questioning the justice of Allah, rejecting His tests, and casting away His blessings, which is the very essence of ingratitude and kufr.
🤝 Foundation Six — Loyalty
Loyalty was the heartbeat of Karbala. On the night of Ashura, Imam al-Husayn extinguished the lamp and told his companions they were free to leave — yet they remained loyal, choosing death beside him over life without him.
🌙 Foundation Seven — Sincerity (Ikhlāṣ)
The companions did not seek fame. Most were unknown before Karbala, yet today millions remember them — because of their sincerity. Allah said:
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ
Wa mā umirū illā li-yaʿbudū-llāha mukhliṣīna lahu-d-dīn
And they were commanded only to worship Allah, being sincere to Him in religion.
Imam al-Sadiq said: "No servant sincerely devotes himself to Allah for forty days except that springs of wisdom flow from his heart to his tongue." So here is a practical homework: pray Fajr on time for forty straight days, or take up any deed for the sake of Allah and hold to it for forty nights — that is when you become truly sincere in His sight.
We live in a world obsessed with being seen. But on the day of Ashura there were no cameras, no recordings. The companions did not know they would be remembered — they acted purely for Allah, and Allah made every name, story, and legacy shine until the Day of Judgment.
🌷 Foundation Eight — Sacrifice
Nothing great is achieved without sacrifice — no community is built without people offering their time, effort, and wealth. Allah said:
لَن تَنَالُوا ٱلْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ
Lan tanālu-l-birra ḥattā tunfiqū mimmā tuḥibbūn
You will never attain righteousness until you spend from that which you love.
Imam al-Husayn gave everything he loved for Allah. What else could move him to give his son ʿAli al-Akbar and his brother al-ʿAbbas? Know that Karbala was optional for him, not obligatory; he was not forced by Allah but undertook it willingly — for our sake, for the sake of this religion. So when you come to the majlis, you are truly honouring those sacrifices. Imam ʿAli said that Allah has chosen for the Ahl al-Bayt followers who rejoice at our joy and grieve at our grief.
🛡️ Foundation Nine — Dignity (ʿIzza)
Yazid placed Imam al-Husayn between two choices: humiliation or the sword. The Imam refused to be humiliated, vowing to fight on with his small band until they met Allah. And so the Shia of ʿAli, as Imam al-Baqir described, are those whose voices do not rise above their hearing; they do not bark, nor cackle like the crow, nor beg from people even if they die of hunger. They will never accept humiliation — they die with dignity.
✨ Foundation Ten — Living for a Greater Cause
The equation of happiness is to understand that your presence here, supporting this community and serving the mosque so we rise together, is a noble and sacred cause. Just as marriage seen through God's eyes is a sacred foundation, and raising a pure progeny is a sacred cause, so too working together for one sacred purpose keeps us happy — letting us appreciate every moment we breathe and use all of God's resources in His way. Allah said in Surah al-Anʿam (6:162):
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَالَمِينَ
Qul inna ṣalātī wa nusukī wa maḥyāya wa mamātī li-llāhi rabbi-l-ʿālamīn
Say: Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for the Lord of the worlds.
This is how you turn your whole life toward Allah. Imam al-Sadiq said that one who sleeps without wuḍūʾ sleeps like a corpse, while one who sleeps with wuḍūʾ turns his bed into a mosque, glorifying Allah even as he sleeps. Going to school can be the burden of the resentful child, or — through God's eyes — the path of the one who seeks knowledge and so walks upon the wings of the angels.
Allah guided us to this religion for one reason: to give everything we do value, essence, greatness, and sacredness. Islam turns the human being into a sacred creature — while the godless era we live in turns us into mere numbers without worth. Jesus was described as a word from Allah — one word, sacred. So when you do the simplest thing, even serving your mother, it is sacred in God's sight and He will reward you for it. This is how you turn your life, day and night, into a continuous reward.
And this is why we say every day is Ashura, and every night is Karbala: mentally, physically, and spiritually we prepare ourselves for Karbala every single day. If no tragedy or test will ever match the intensity of Karbala — for there is no day like Ashura — then one who prepares his heart for Karbala becomes undefeated and unbeatable, and the remembrance of the Ahl al-Bayt can never be erased.
🪦 The Tears That Began Before the Tragedy
Grieving, yes — we weep for al-Husayn, just as people wept for him before Ashura ever came. In a narration found even in the Sunni books, Jibraʾil brought the soil of Karbala to the Prophet, who smelled that clay and wept. This tragedy was wept over by the prophets, the saints, and all the creatures of existence — because without religion there is no proof, and without proof Allah would not judge us, and there would be no purpose to our existence. "We will never punish a people until We have sent a proof." Imam al-Husayn's sacrifice kept the religion alive, kept the proof standing, and so kept existence going.
It is narrated that the Messenger of Allah once told his beloved daughter Fatima of the martyrdom of her son — for he had been kissing al-Husayn upon his neck and chest, and when she asked why, he explained the reason. As a mother, she could not bear it. Her heart shattered, and she wept bitterly: "My dear father, when will this happen?" He replied: "It will occur when neither I, nor you, nor ʿAli are present." Imagine a mother hearing that her son would be surrounded, thirsty, and alone.
Her tears flowed heavier, and she asked: "Then who will weep for my son Husayn? Who will establish gatherings of mourning and remembrance for him?" The Messenger of Allah answered: "O Fatima, the women of my nation will weep for the women of my household, and the men of my nation will weep for the men of my household. They will renew these gatherings of mourning year after year, generation after generation. Blessed are the mourners of Husayn. Blessed are the eyes that shed tears for the son of Fatima. Blessed are the hearts that tremble when the name of Karbala is mentioned. Blessed are those who gather every year to offer their condolences to the family of Muhammad."
Then he said: "When the Day of Judgment arrives, you, O Fatima, will intercede for the women, and I will intercede for the men. Every person who wept for al-Husayn, we shall take by the hand and lead to paradise." And he said: "O Fatima, every eye shall be weeping on the Day of Judgment except the eye that wept over the tragedy of Husayn — that eye shall be joyful, smiling, delighted by the blessings of paradise."
اللَّهُمَّ ٱجْعَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْبَاكِينَ عَلَى ٱلْحُسَيْنِ
Allāhumma-jʿalnā mina-l-bākīna ʿala-l-Ḥusayn
O Allah, place our names among the mourners of al-Husayn.
Her grief never ended. Hers was the heart that had already established a majlis for Husayn long before Ashura arrived. It is narrated through her servant Fidda that among her final words to Amir al-Muʾminin ʿAli were:
اِبْكِ لِي إِنْ بَكَيْتَ يَا خَيْرَ ٱلْهَادِي
Ibki lī in bakayta yā khayra-l-hādī
Weep for me if you weep, O best of guides.
"Let your tears flow, for this day is the day of separation. I entrust my children to your care, O ʿAli. Do not forget the one who will be slain by the enemies upon the plains of Iraq — do not forget my Husayn."
And her last request was to be shrouded in the heavenly cloth Jibraʾil had brought down at the passing of Lady Khadija al-Kubra. When Khadija departed, Jibraʾil had brought five shrouds from paradise: one for Khadija, one for the Messenger of Allah, one for Fatima herself, one for ʿAli, and one for al-Hasan. As her final moments approached and her children stood near — al-Hasan on one side, little Husayn on the other, gazing into the face of his mother who was preparing to leave him — she asked: "O ʿAli, but where is the shroud of my son Husayn?"
What shroud could cover the body that would be trampled beneath the hooves of horses? What shroud could cover the chest upon which Shimr would sit? What shroud could cover the body the enemies would leave upon the burning sands? "Your son is a martyr," came the answer, "and martyrs are buried without shrouds." But she replied: "Yes, I know my son will be a martyr — but the tragedy of my Husayn is greater than that." She knew they would not merely deny him a shroud, but would strip away even the clothing from his wounded body.
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ ٱللَّهِ
As-salāmu ʿalayka yā Abā ʿAbdi-llāh
Peace be upon you, O Aba ʿAbd Allah.
Peace upon the great heart stained with blood. Peace upon the body from which even his clothing was taken. Peace upon the cheek resting upon the dust.
🌙 Final Reflection — Rooted in Karbala, Rising Together
Karbala asks us a single question on this first night: not what happened there, but what made it possible. The answer is ten foundations — knowing Allah, submitting to His guidance, insight, standing for truth, prayer before victory, loyalty, sincerity, sacrifice, dignity, and living for a sacred cause. These are not abstractions; they are the soil in which the companions were rooted, the reason ordinary men and women became eternal.
To be rooted in Karbala is to build these same foundations in ourselves — so that if the Imam's call ever came, our hearts would recognise it and answer. We weep, and our weeping is blessed; the Prophet wept, Fatima wept, the heavens wept. But the tears are meant to plant the roots. When every day is Ashura and every night is Karbala, we prepare ourselves until no trial can defeat us and no power can erase the remembrance of the Ahl al-Bayt.
اللَّهُمَّ ٱجْعَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْبَاكِينَ عَلَى ٱلْحُسَيْنِ
Allāhumma-jʿalnā mina-l-bākīna ʿala-l-Ḥusayn
O Allah, place us among those who weep for al-Husayn.