Imam al-Husayn's (a) Sermon in Mina: Difference between revisions

'''Imām Ḥusayn (a)'s sermon in Minā''' is a fiery, critical khutba or sermon by [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] in [[58/677, two years before [[Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan]]'s death, against the deviations of the [[Umayyad]] government from the right path. The significance of such a sermon in [[Mina]] during the [[hajj]] period was because of its disclosures against Mu'awiya's government. The sermon was delivered to [[Sahaba]] and [[Tabi'un]] and some scholars take it to be evidence that Imam al-Husayn (a) already had plans for his [[Uprising of Imam al-Husayn (a)|uprising]]. The first part of Imam al-Husayn (a)'s sermon in Mina was cited by [[Sulaym b. Qays al-Hilali]] in his book, and the second, and the third parts were cited by [[Hasan b. Shu'ba al-Harrani]] in ''[[Tuhaf al-'uqul]]'' and [['Allama Majlisi]] in ''[[Bihar al-anwar]]''.

Here are some headlines of Imam Husayn (a)'s sermon in Mina:

Here are some issues about which Imam Husayn (a) talked in this sermon: verses of the [[Quran]] as well as [[hadiths]] regarding the virtues of [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]], especially [[Imam 'Ali (a)]]; the story of [[Sadd al-Abwab]] (closing the doors); the [[Event of Ghadir al-Khumm]]; [[Mubahala]]; the [[Conquest of Khaybar]] by Imam 'Ali (a); [[Hadith al-Thaqalayn]]; the obligation of scholars to resist cruel rulers; enjoining the good and forbidding the wrong; the reconciliation of the elders with cruel rulers and their failure to resist the violation of the pact of God and His [[Prophet (s)]]; reproaching the attachment to this world; and deceptions of the rulers.

At the end of the sermon, Imam Husayn (a) says: "O God! You know that everything we did was not prompted by the competition for the power, nor for a search for the worthless wealth of this world; rather it was done to demonstrate to men the shining principles and values of Your religion, to reform the affairs of Your land, to protect and secure the indisputable rights of Your oppressed servants, and to act in accordance with the duties, traditions and ordinances You have decreed."

Some people believe that the sermon cited in Tuhaf al-'uqul is a different sermon that was delivered by [[Imam Husayn (a)]] in another year. The evidence for this view is taken to be the content of the two sermons and their different audiences.

Imam Husayn (a) delivered the sermon in 58 A.H. (677), two years before Mu'awiya's death, in Mina. Mu'awiya had escalated his pressures on [[Shiites]] and oppressed his political opponents. In order to uncover Imam Husayn (a)'s motivation for delivering the sermon and the circumstances under which it was delivered, Sulaym b. Qays refers to the consequences of four official letters of Mu'awiya to his agents and staff.

The sermon was an enclosure of Mu'awiya's deviations and a preliminary for the [[Event of Karbala]]. With this sermon addressed to such a large audience, Imam Husayn (a) propagated his message to different Islamic lands.

According to [[Sulaym b. Qays]], one year before Mu'awiya's death, [[Husayn b. 'Ali (a)]], [['Abd Allah b. 'Abbas]] and [['Abd Allah b. Ja'far]] went to [[hajj]]. Imam Husayn (a) gathered men and women and friends of Banu Hashim as well as some people from Ansar who knew him and his household. He then sent some people and said: bring to me all the righteous Sahaba who have come to hajj this year.

After the invitation, over 700 people gathered in [[Mina]] around Imam Husayn (a)'s camp; most of these people were [[Tabi'un]] (people who met the prophet (s)'s companions) and about 200 of them were Sahaba. Imam Husayn (a) stood up in order to deliver his sermon; after praising God, he said:

Imam Husayn (a) recited and interpreted all Quranic verses concerning their virtues as well as what [[the Prophet (s)]] had said about his father and mother and his household. The Prophet (s)'s [[Sahaba]] verified all these by saying: "yes, we swear to God that we heard these remarks from the Prophet (s) and we testify for that", and [[Tabi'un]] said: "we swear to God that we heard these remarks from righteous and trustworthy Sahaba". Then Imam Husayn (a) said: "I swear you to God that you convey these remarks to anyone whom you trust". According to Sulaym, one of these remarks was that [['Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]] was the Prophet (s)'s brother. When the Prophet (s) made the [[Pact of Brotherhood]] between pairs of his Sahaba, he made a pact between 'Ali and himself by saying to 'Ali: "you are my brother and I am your brother in this world and the afterlife" and 'Ali (a) replied: yes.

He then said: I swear you to God, you know that the Prophet (s) purchased the location of his mosque and houses and built 10 rooms there, 9 rooms for himself and one room in the middle for my father, 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a), and he then closed all the doors to the mosque except that of my father's room. Some Muslims talked to the Prophet (s) about this and the Prophet (s) said: "I did not close your doors and keep 'Ali's door open except by the divine order. Then the Prophet (s) banned sleeping in the mosque except for 'Ali (a). Now [[janaba]] occurred in the mosque, his house and the Prophet (s)'s houses and they had children in these houses. People said: yes. Imam Husayn (a) said: do you know that [['Umar b. Khattab]] liked to open a small window, the size of his eye, from his house to the mosque, but the Prophet (s) did not allow him to do so saying that: God has commanded me to build a clean mosque in which nobody resides except me and my brother and his children. People confirmed: yes.

Then Imam Husayn (a) said: I swear you to God, do you know that the Prophet (s) had appointed 'Ali (a) for [[wilaya]] and told his audience to propagate this message to others? People said: yes, we swear to God. Imam Husayn (a) said: I swear you to God, do you know that the Prophet (s) told Imam 'Ali (a) in the [[Battle of Tabuk]]: "you are to me like [[Aron (a)]] to [[Moses (a)]], and you are the ruler of every believer after me"? People said: yes, we swear to God. Imam Husayn (a) said: I swear you to God, do you know that when the Prophet (s) called [[Najran]]'s Nazareth for [[mubahala]], he only took with him 'Ali (a) and his wife, [[Fatima al-Zahra (a)]] and their sons, [[Hasan b. 'Ali (a)]] and [[Husayn b. 'Ali (a)]]? They said: yes, we swear to God. He said: I swear you to God, do you know that the Prophet (s) gave the flag to 'Ali (a) on the [[Khaybar]] day, saying that "I give the flag to someone who is loved by God and the Prophet (s) and who loves God and the Prophet (s); who continuously attacks the enemy and never escapes and God conquers the Khaybar fort by his hands? They said: yes, we swear to God.

Imam Husayn (a) said: do you know that the Prophet (s) sent 'Ali (a) for the announcement of [[Bara'a Verses]] and said: "nobody announces [this message] except me or someone from me"? They said: yes, we swear to God.

Then Imam Husayn (a) said: do you know that 'Ali (a) had private meetings with the Prophet (s) every day and met him every night in his house, and whenever he asked the Prophet (s) a question, he answered him, and when he did not speak, the Prophet (s) began to talk? They said: yes, we swear to God.

Then Imam Husayn (a) said: do you know that the Prophet (s) preferred 'Ali to Ja'far and [[Hamza b. 'Abd al-Muttalib]] when he told Fatima al-Zahra (a): "I marry you to the best man in my household whose belief in Islam is earlier than all, whose patience is greater than all, and whose knowledge is more than all? They said: yes, we swear to God.

Imam Husayn (a) went on: do you know that the Prophet (s) told 'Ali (a) to wash his corpse after his death and told him that [[Gabriel]] will help him in this? They said: yes, we swear to God.

Thus Imam Husayn (a) cited everything in the Quran or the Prophet (s)'s words concerning 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a) and his household and swore his audience, and they confirmed it. Then Imam Husayn (a) asked them if they heard the Prophet (s) saying that "everyone who thinks that he loves me but hates 'Ali (a) is a liar. A person who hates 'Ali (a) does not love me". Someone asked the Prophet (s): why? He replied: "Because 'Ali (a) is from me and I am from 'Ali (a); everyone who loves him loves me too and everyone who loves me loves God. And everyone who hates 'Ali (a) hates me too and everyone who hates me hates God"? They said: yes, we swear to God that we have heard this.