SHAFAQNA- Repentance in Islam is returning the high standing to a sinful one near Allah when repenting. Returning this high standing is achieved when a sinful person himself repents with sincere intention and the others have nothing to do in this concern. This way is always open before the sinful because the divine religion is the religion of hope, the source of love and the spring of mercy. Imam Husayn (as) was the mirror of the wide mercy of Allah, mercy on people, mercy to lovers and mercy to enemies. The very existence of Imam Husayn (as) flowed with love; his speech was full of love and his condu ct was full of love. Since he had faced his enemies, the army of Yazeed, on his way, he tried to guide them and bring them to the straight path of Allah. He did everything he could to guide and reform them.
He tried that before the war and du ring the war too by saying and doing. He could save those, who were ready to be guided, from hell and made them among the people of paradise. The last call of Imam Husayn (as) to guide those who were ready to be guided was when he became alone with no supporter when all his supporters had been martyred. He said, “Is there any one to support us is there anyone to protect the women of the messenger of Allah?”
This call was heard by Sa’d bin Harth al-Ansari and his brother Abul Hutoof bin Harth. They waked up from their inadvertence. These two brothers were from al-Ansar and from the tribe of al-Khazraj but they had no good relation with AhlulBayt (as). In fact they were among the enemies of Imam Ali (as) and from the Kharijites of al-Nahrawan whose motto was “judgment is only to Allah” and a sinful had no right of the rule and government. Was Imam Husayn (as) sinful and Yazeed was not?!!
These two brothers left Kufa under the leadership of Umar bin Sa”d in order to fight Imam Husayn (as) and kill him. They arrived at Kerbala. When the day of Ashura came, they were with the army of Yazeed. The war broke out and bloods were shed and they were still with the army of Yazeed. When Imam Husayn (as) remained al one and aidless, they were still with the army of Yazeed. But when Imam Husayn (as) called out this call, they waked up and said to themselves: “Al-Husayn is the son of the messenger of Allah and we look forward to the intercession of his grandfather on the day of resurrection.” They left the army of Yazeed and joined Imam Husayn (as). They defended Imam Husayn (as) and fought against the army of Kufa bravely. They killed several enemy warriors and they were wounded with many wounds until they were martyred.
Allama Kamraei in his book “the element of courage” says, “When the women and children heard the voice of al-Husayn calling for help: “Is there any supporter to support us” they began crying and weeping loudly. When Sa’d and his brother heard this painful call and the crying of the women and children of AhlulBayt (as), they turned their horses and hastened towards al-Husayn (as). Then they came to the field of fighting and attacked the enemy army. They fought near Imam Husayn (as) and killed some enemy warriors. They were wounded with many wounds and were martyred in the same place.”
Every one should hear the wonderful story of these two brothers which arouse in the soul expectation and hope of unexpected successes as it has been with the Prophets.
Because of the speciality of the light of hope, every Prophet has got some certain qualities that has connected him with the unseen and breathed in him a new spirit that he has not been desperate until the last breath. They did not consider the mere approaching a sin as a sin and disobedience and they did not consider such a person as a sinful or criminal unless he committed that sin. They hoped that the divine mercy would appear on everyone to save him from keeping on sins because the divine mercy is hidden from the all.
Prophet Ya’qoob (Jacob) (as) had suffered a bitter separation for many yea rs until his eyes became white because of sorrow. He did not find his son Yousuf (Joseph) nor did he get any news about him. In fact the news came opposite to what he wished but he faced that news with quietness and patience and at the same time he hoped his son to be live. He expected his coming back and he always prayed Allah for that.
The spiritual change happened to these two brothers was a response to the call of Imam Husayn (as) who hoped to guide those people even at the last moment of his honorable life. And at last it became clear that the light of guidance, which was hidden from people, could penet rate deeply into the enemy army while their swords were still dripping with the innocent bloods.
This change of these two brothers was one of the rarest things in the world of existence on the one hand and on the other hand it was Imam Husayn’s high spirit of hoping which made that wonderful change after the enemies had tighten their control for twenty years and after deviation, injustice and oppression had ruled during all that period. But at last the light of guidance appeared as Joseph (as) had appeared from behind the unseen.
There is a wonderful secret that Allah has confided to the human soul and made it hidden from people. It is this very unknown secret that arouses hope in the preachers and people of the truth and says to them: do not despair of having an influence on people because the secret of guidance hidden inside the souls of people is something hidden from all the preachers and reformers for in every moment it is possible that a change in the selves may take place and from behind the unseen a ray from the light of guidance may appear.
“O my Lord, the changing of Your arrangements and the promptness of Your accountings have prevented those, who know You, from trusting in a gift (to be continuous) or feeling safe from misfortunes (to afflict them at any time).”
The body is a shadow for the soul and a screen hiding the intellect and the intellect in its turn is a screen on the power of mind in man. This power of mind is also a screen on the soul that it covers and hides it. And the most hidden thing is the secret hidden inside man which lies behind one’s motives and tendencies. No any scientific power could reach that site or discover that sec ret place. All the secret powers are uncovered by one of the powers available in man. The first secret power is intuition and intelligence. Intelligent people can read the intellect and know what ideas there are in the minds of the others according to their deportments, dialects, hand writings and miens.
The hidden mind is uncovered by the power of faith with the light of physiognomy which is higher than the first uncovering power. As for the hidden soul it can be uncovered by the light of Prophethood which is higher and more powerful than all the uncovering powers but no one is able to discover the secret of the soul and to know what happens in this secret place. There is as pecial divine ray connected with the Sacred Existence (Allah) and hidden by the “Position of Pride” and there is no means between the mercy of Allah and His people. Every human being has a special connection with his Creator and this connection is uncovered to anyone so that preaching should be required continuously and reformers and preachers remain expecting the continuous influence of their speeches and preaches on the other side.
Saints and guiding people live with continuous hope and expectation renewing one time after another. Their care leads them to guide people and show them the right path. Therefore, the reasons of the spiritual change are hidden to people and thus the high position of knowing Allah is related to the state of depending (on Allah), hoping and expecting. Whenever knowing Allah is deeper inside man’s heart, the spirit of hoping becomes stronger and firmer in him and whenever the spirit of hoping is strong, one becomes more knowing of the secrets of the existence and expects new and delightful news day after another.
The higher souls are those which delve more into the secrets of the existence and discover them little by little and get out of it new news.
Now the Muslim preachers should not be deprived of the spirit of hoping and the difficulties and distresses should not make them despair because the circumstances of this age are not more difficult than those of the first age of the mission.
It is said that Sheikh Muhammad Abduh of Egypt has said in one of his meetings, “I feel desperate of reforming the state of the Islamic nation.” A foreigner woman, who was present there, said to him, “I wonder at hearing this inauspicious word of “despair” from the mouth of one like this sheikh!” Sheikh Muhammad Abdu fel this mistake immediately and acknowledged the right saying of that woman.
Imam Husayn (as) had the spirit of hoping more than all the other guiding people and all the Prophets except his grandfather Prophet Muhammad (S). He was like a falcon that flew to the highest tops and highest places to discover the most distant secrets of the existence. We have to listen to the call of hoping from the tongue of Imam Husayn (as) to get the spirit of hoping which refreshes our souls.
Let the selves be sacrificed for you O Husayn! It is you whom we ask for help in every distress! It is you who teach us the criterion of truthfulness and the invitation to the truth so that we need neither the sheikh of Egypt nor the chief of Egypt! It is you who teach people lessons of sacrifice and redemption! All the others have learnt from you and we have to learn from you the secrets of monotheism and divine knowledge. Your high soul has reached a rank that no one has reached even the Prophets! In your courtyard we smell the fragrance of the hope of goodness and the light of guidance even if the swords eat from our fleshes and drink from our bloods!
Your great intrepidity at those dark ages and in those dreary lands and your coming to Kufa in that way and your great hope appearing in your words are brimful springs from which we water our thirsty souls with hope and expectation. You have said, “The command comes down from the Heaven. Every day He is in (some fresh) business! If the fate has come, so praise be to Allah and if the fate prevents hope”
“O my Lord, the changing of Your arrangements and the promptness of Your accountings have prevented those, who know You, from trusting in a gift (to be continuous) or feeling safe from misfortunes.”
And at last you closed your eyes away from this world hoping that those of the longing hearts when passing by your tomb might wake up and the breeze of life might blow over them and enliven their Hearts to set about preaching and carrying out their duty to guide the people37 and by that they might be able to attract the sinful and disobedient people to the field of repentance and turning and lead those who have deserved the torment of hell to the bliss of Paradise.
Repentance of two brothers at the last hours of Ashura
