Value of Azadari in Ayat Khomeini’s sight

By: Ahlulbayt/ Zahraa Hashim

These are a few excerpts from the book “The Ashura Uprising (Qayam)” a collection of words and messages by Ayatollah Khomeini (AR):

The political aim of these tears and prayers is to draw people together and their collective attention to God that will result in their unity and mobilization for an Islamic aim. A lamentation gathering is for people to cry for the Master of Martyrs and be rewarded for it in the Hereafter. However, the important point is the political aspect that was designed by our infallible Imams (AS) in the early days of Islam, and will last to the end, to get all the people gathered under one single banner, one single ideology and nothing can bring about such unity as readily as the mourning for Imam Hussein (AS). These Ashura mourning sessions are dissemination against tyranny, against the arrogant taghuts; it is reciting the oppression of the oppressed and it must go on indefinitely. It is the blood of the Master of Martyrs that sets fire to the blood of all Muslim nations and it is these Ashura bands and passion players that excite the people and prepare them for sacrifice to preserve Islam and Islamic purposes, these mourning demonstrations must be continued.

He (Imam Hussein (AS)) has saved Islam to this day. The Prophet (SAW) has said: "I am from Hussein", meaning that the sacrifice of lives by Imam Hussein (AS) has preserved the religion of Islam and, we, too, must protect it. These youthful people are not attentive enough. Surely, there is a group who are injected with the idea that there should be no mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS). This is because lamentation for the martyrs of Ashura moves the people to such an extent that they get ready for anything. When people observe that Imam Hussein's (AS) children were cut to pieces, it becomes easy for them to sacrifice their lives. And, the feeling of welcoming martyrdom made our nation advance the cause. This is the meaning, the message that the Ashura event at Karbala has conveyed to all directions and to all nations making them wish martyrdom for themselves, a martyrdom like that of Imam Hussein (AS).

These lamentations have preserved the Master of Martyrs; His ideology has been preserved by the cries of mourning and by tears shed, by these passion plays, elegies and breast-beatings. If instead of these actions, some saints would stay at home, confined to a room in which they would do nothing but recite Ashura prayers and use rosary beads, nothing would have survived. It requires clamour, every school of thought or ideology demands clamour. No ideology can be saved and maintained unless tears are shed for it and breasts are beaten. The antagonists merely do not understand, they are like children; they do not know the role of the clergy and of those who preach in the pulpits of Islam. You, too, may not know it. This is a role that has kept Islam alive. It is a rose that has been kept in full bloom by irrigation with tears. It is these recitations of pains and anguish (suffered by the martyrs on Ashura) that has kept alive the ideology of the Master of Martyrs. If someone near to one of us is slain, we cry and mourn and raise black banners; we weep, shed tears and hold mourning sessions. Our passion plays, recitation of elegies and bemoaning from pulpits and at meetings, are just cries to revive the ideology of the Master of Martyrs. These cries and lamentations are the things that have kept us alive and have advanced the movement that could not take one step forward it there was no Master of Martyrs. The Master of Martyrs is present everywhere - "All lands are Karbala!"; all pulpits are thresholds of Imam Hussein (AS); all altars belong to the Master of Martyrs.

Imam Hussein (AS) saved Islam by his blood, should we remain silent while he sacrificed so much to perpetuate the true Islam? We must cry and mourn everyday; we should climb up the pulpit everyday to preserve the movement and the ideology, these moves owe the Master of Martyrs a great deal!

The first time they seized and took me away, on the way from Qum some of the agents said they had been sent for me but were frightened by the tents (set up for the Ashura lamentation gatherings) lest the mourners would become aware and, as a result, they fail to accomplish their task. Not only minor elements such as those who had taken me, but even great powers are afraid of these lamentation tents!!! The major powers fear the organization, which, without a single hand to run it, has gathered these mourners together, has welded national elements together, so solidly all over the country, for all times especially in the 2 months of Muharram and Safar.

The antagonists' specialists had made comparative studies of the circumstances of nations including the Shi'a people and found out that as long as these Ashura gatherings and lamentations are in force, as long as elegies for the innocent and condemnation of the oppressors are voiced at these meetings, they (the antagonists) shall not achieve their aims.

END