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Imam Husayn(A.S.), The Saviour of Islam,
Compiled by Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi, Richmond 1984, pp.160
The book, IMAM HUSAYN the Saviour of Islam, compiled by Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi, contains seven sections that discuss different aspects related to the event of Karbalâ. In addition, all seven sections are written or translated by either Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi or Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi.
The first section: Husayn – The Heir of the Divine Guides, takes a general look at the event of Karbalâ in a very factual way. It answers questions such as ‘Who was Imam Husayn?’ ‘What did he do?’, ‘Against whom?’, and ‘Why?’. Due to its factual nature, this section of the book can easily be used in an Islamic History class, since it provides an accurate historical account of what took place through the Shî`ah perspective. The language used is also quite simple and easy for children and adults alike to understand.
The next section entitled: The Martyr – An Analysis, discusses the status and sanctity of martyrdom in Islam, using Imam Husayn a as an example. I feel that this chapter provides the reader with a much deeper insight into the issue of martyrdom and even jihad, even exploring the rationale and way of thinking of a martyr. Furthermore, it puts into perspective the struggle of Imam Husayn a and reminds us of his greater mission. For example, the author discusses the response people should have to martyrdom: on one hand martyrdom should be celebrated (since it is a form of success) – this is the individualistic point of view, and on the other hand, martyrdom should be mourned (since it was the tragic chain of events that lead to the death of pious people) – the societal point of view. This article, therefore, goes in some depth to analyze the concept of martyrdom. One drawback of the article is its language, which is slightly complex (for children) and sometimes difficult to follow.
The subsequent section, The Martyrs of Karbalâ, is once again quite factual, in that it lists the names of the people martyred in Karbalâ according to: their tribe, their relation to Imam Husayn a, whether they died in Karbalâ or afterwards, and their relationship to the other martyrs. In my view, this section would probably be of most use to a young scholar who is conducting research on the event.
‘The Family of Imam Husayn’ is the fourth article in the book. It sheds some light on the women and children in Imam Husayn’s a family, particularly about their cultural and familial origins. Again, I feel this that a scholar seeking to verify a few facts on the event of Karbalâ would benefit most from this article, as is the case with the following one.
This article, entitled ‘Hind or Uraynab, A Good Example of Umayyad Propaganda’, is perhaps the most distinct in the entire book. It discusses the narration of an event involving the marriage of Imam Hasan or Imam Husayn a to a woman named Uraynab or Hind, who chose to marry the Imam instead of Yazîd. Thus, the narration implies that the conflict between Imam Husayn and Yazîd originated due to a fight over a woman, and had little to do with ‘the Truth’. However, what is strange about this narration is that it has six uniquely different versions. In order to indicate the various flaws in the event, the author chooses to analyze and crosscheck all six of the narrations, and to evaluate them historically. In doing so, the author successfully illustrates an example of an Umayyad-fabricated narration, which happens to have no basis whatsoever. I feel that this article would be an excellent exercise for older students studying the event of Karbalâ. The teacher could distribute all six versions of the narration to different groups and then ask the students to re-narrate the event to the entire class, while the other students could be listening and finding the discrepancies in that particular narration by comparing it to their own.
The book then includes ‘The Selected Sayings and Letters of Imam Husayn’. In most of theses letters and sayings, Imam defines and again re-defines his purpose of traveling to Karbalâ, for example he says: “I am not rising (against Yazîd) as an insolent, or an arrogant [person], or a mischief-monger or as a tyrant. I have risen as I seek to reform the ummah of my grandfather. I wish to bid the good and forbid the evil …”. Therefore, it is a good way of reminding ourselves about the Imam’s goal, and his aspirations for his followers. On the other hand, the sayings can also be used to inform non-Muslims about the tragedy of Karbalâ.
The book finally ends with a section entitled ‘The Life of Imam Husayn’, which happens to be the longest section of the book, and is reproduced from Shaykh al-Mufid’s Kitabu ‘l-Irshâd. It is a semi-detailed account of the entire life of the Imam, starting from his birth, going on to talk about the period of his khilafa, to the cause of his death and his place of burial. It then includes a chronological list on the life of all fourteen Ma`sûmîn.
In conclusion, I find that this book gives the reader the benefit of a diverse array of perspectives, due to its coverage of a wide range of topics explored by different scholars. This, of course, would be a disadvantage to a reader in search of a book that deals exclusively with the deeper meanings of the tragedy of Karbalâ, and more so, for a reader who is only looking for a light, simple read. In addition, except for the two more complicated articles, which did not quite match the tone of the others, the book is an all-rounder, which would suit the needs of a person who was just beginning to look into the real history concerning the tragedy of Karbalâ. I personally enjoyed reading the book IMAM HUSAYN The Saviour of Islam, as it provided me with a deeper understanding of the philosophy that Imam Husayn a wanted to impart to his followers, both present and future, using different themes and tones of discussion.
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