Seyed Hashem Moosavi
One of the emphatic recommendations of the Ahlul Bayt (pbut) regarding the uprising of Imam Hussain (pbuh) is to keep it alive. Imam Reza (pbuh) said: “Whoever considers Ashura as the day of his own calamity, Allah, the Almighty and Glorious, will make the Day of Resurrection a day of joy and happiness for him.” Similarly, Imam Sadiq (pbuh) stated: “Ali ibn al-Hussain (pbuh) wept for Ashura for twenty years and would not eat any food without weeping.”
Therefore, the effort to ensure that the movement of Hussain (pbuh) is not forgotten is one of the fundamental duties of the Shi’a, and this is a lesson drawn from the forgetfulness of Ghadeer.
Undoubtedly, there are various methods to revive the memory and significance of this great event, some of which have been particularly emphasized by the Imams (pbut). Among these are pilgrimage of Imam Hussain (pbuh) on Ashura and Arbaeen. Imam Sadiq (pbuh) said: “If people knew the merits of visiting the grave of Hussain (pbuh), they would die out of longing.”
Beyond the spiritual effects of these pilgrimages, what adds to the importance of these visits is their role in directing the pilgrim’s thoughts towards the movement of Ashura and understanding its unique lessons.
In this article, we will briefly refer to one of these directives and its lessons.
The sinister and harmful impact of abandonment of deeds on events of Ashura
The Story of Shuraih al-Qadi and Hani ibn Urwah
The lessons of Ashura should not be confined to the behaviour and words of Imam Hussain (pbuh)’s lifetime, especially during the last six months of his (pbuh) life. If we do so, we will undoubtedly limit the scope and educational value of the event and miss the grand university that Imam Sadiq and Imam Reza (pbut) depicted from this great incident. By analysing the event of Ashura, paying attention to the events before and after it, and studying the speeches and negotiations during the period of struggle, we understand that this great incident not only involves the actions of Imam Hussain (pbuh) and his companions (pbut), as well as his (pbuh) enemies but also the silence and omission of many individuals, whether they were friends or foes, had a significant impact and lesson.
This aspect, the study of omissions, is the dark side of history that, despite its considerable influence on historical developments, is often overlooked.
The story of Shuraih al-Qadi and Hani ibn Urwah is a historical example of omission that played a very serious role in the events of Ashura. After the death of Muawiya, around seventy leaders of the Shi’a of Kufa, including Shuraih al-Qadi, gathered at the house of Sulayman ibn Surad Khuzai and, after agreeing to oppose Yazid’s caliphate, pledged to invite Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) to Kufa and pledge allegiance to him as the Imam of the Muslims.
After receiving the letter from the leaders of Kufa, Imam Hussein (pbuh) sent Muslim ibn Aqil to Kufa to report on the city’s situation. Upon Muslim’s arrival in Kufa, he was well-received, and many people of Kufa pledged allegiance to him. When Yazid heard about this, he immediately sent Ubaidullah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Basra, as the new governor of Kufa to control the situation.
Ubaidullah, after establishing himself in the centre of government, immediately identified Muslim and arrested Hani ibn Urwah, with whom Muslim was staying. Hani was severely beaten and then imprisoned. The news of Hani’s imprisonment reached his tribe, and about four-thousand-armed people gathered around the governor’s palace. At this point, Ubaidullah ibn Ziyad felt the threat and sought a solution. He said to Shuraih “Go and meet Hani in prison and report what you see to the people.” When Shuraih visited Hani in prison, he saw him wounded. As soon as Hani saw Shuraih, he cried out “O Muslims! What is this situation?! What about my people?! Why did they not come to me?!”
Shuraih al-Qadi said “I wanted to convey Hani’s words and condition to his tribe who had gathered around the palace. But unfortunately, a spy of Ubaidullah was present, and I did not dare to do so!” Shuraih went to the people and assured them that Hani was alive, but he did not report the reality, thus committing an omission.
The Supreme Leader, Imam Khamenei, has an interesting remark about Shuraih’s omission that we will mention as a concluding note. He said, “Perhaps if Shuraih had done this one act, history would have changed. If Shuraih had told the people that Hani was alive but wounded and in prison and that Ubaidullah intended to kill him, given that Ubaidullah had not yet established his power, they would have rushed to rescue Hani. By rescuing Hani, they would have gained power, boosted their morale, surrounded the governor’s palace, and either killed Ubaidullah or sent him back to Basra. Then Kufa would have been for Imam Hussain (pbuh) and the event of Karbala would not have occurred!”
