Shafaqna English- “Reflections on the Ashura movement” is a book written by “Rasul Jafarian” in Persian, published by Ansarian Publication. Shafaqna English has translated some sections of this book.
The Uprising of Imam Hussain (AS) as a Timeless Archetype
From this perspective, the uprising of Imam Hussain (AS) became a transhistorical movement — a model that transcends time. The reason lies in the nature of the values it embodied, which were not limited to a specific historical moment. While the uprising was indeed against Yazid, the principles it upheld were — and still are — so universal and timeless that they are not bound to any particular era.
This is precisely why in the Ziyarah Al-Warith Imam Hussain (AS) is portrayed as the inheritor of the path of the prophets, viewed from a historical and moral lens that spans across time.
Other Contributing Factors to the Timelessness of the Uprising
Several other elements contributed to the immortality of this movement:
The leader was an immensely significant figure — the grandson of the Prophet — and he showed unwavering resistance. A large number of the Prophet’s (PBUH) family members were martyred in this tragedy. Given the central theological role of the Imamate in Shia Islam, particular emphasis was placed on this uprising.
As a result, Imam Hussain’s (AS) movement became the model for all subsequent uprisings, unlike many other revolts — even by Alawis or others — which never reached this iconic status in Islamic history.
Beyond its protest against the abandonment of Sharia and the fight against injustice, Imam Hussain’s (AS) uprising fundamentally invalidated the legitimacy of the Umayyad monarchy. It was a continuation of Imam Ali’s (AS) earlier efforts to challenge the rule of tyranny, reaffirming that the Umayyads had no rightful claim to leadership. This legacy continued in the revolts of later Alawi figures like Zayd ibn Ali, his son Yahya, and others, all of whom saw Imam Hussain’s (AS) stand as their ideological and spiritual model.
Imam Hussain’s (AS) Slogans and Their Lasting Impact
If we examine Imam Hussain’s speeches to understand the goals of his uprising, we’ll find that his rhetoric closely aligns with the slogans of later Shia movements. These goals were often articulated during the pledge of allegiance (Bay‘ah) — a central Islamic tradition where people swear loyalty to a leader for the fulfilment of certain religious and political ideals.
Since the Prophet’s (PBUH) time, Bay‘ah was offered on the basis of commitment to the Book of God and the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH). In Karbala, this was the first pillar of allegiance — a subtle rejection of the “Sunnah of the Caliphs” (especially the so-called Sunnat-al-Shaykhayn, or the tradition of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar), which had become foundational in Sunni political theology. Imam Ali (AS) had earlier refused this premise.
Part of the Book Reflection on the Ashura movement by Rasul Jafarian