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“Thus, the man who has found ‘existence’ through birth, finds ‘essence’ through choice.”
– Ali Shariati
The Story of Horror
On Aashura Day, October 10, 680, Horr was a commander of Yazid’s forces at Karbala. Yazid had amassed 4,000 soldiers to fight against Husayn who had 72 supporters. Yazid was a corrupt Khalif who resolved to kill the Prophet’s grandson, Husayn, unless he swore allegiance to him as Supreme Leader of Muslims. In spite of the danger, Husayn refused to give allegiance to the unworthy Yazid.
The Supreme Commander of Yazid’s forces in Karbala was Omar-ebn-Sa’d. Horr asked Omar-ebn-Sa’d if the killing of Hussayn could be avoided. Omar-ebn-Sa’d said “the Governor of Kufa refused my suggestion for a peaceful resolution; the massacre of Husayn and his supporters is inevitable and imminent”.
Horr realized the horror of the killing of Husayn. He decided that he had to choose between evil and good, worldly comfort and imminent death. Horr chose good in spite of imminent death.
Horr rode his horse from Yazid’s camp to Husayn’s camp. He asked for forgiveness from Husayn for his past transgressions against him. Husayn forgave him. Horr requested and insisted to be the first to fight against the soldiers of Yazid. Horr became the first martyr of Karbala!
An analogous story is of Omar-ebn-Sa’d. He also was horrified at the thought of killing of Husayn. He was promised a good worldly reward if he managed the battle well. He chose the world instead of the good and led the army that killed Husayn.
Both men had to make a choice on an identical circumstance and both chose differently.
On the annual commemoration of Aashura, for the last 1,344 years, Shia Muslims (currently over 150 million) remember Horr with reverence and Omar-ebn-Sa’d with revulsion.
Personal Anecdotes
Three choices make me feel good about myself. (At age 81, it is a good pastime 😊)
- When I returned from the USA, in 1973, with a green card in hand, I had to make a choice – settle in India or in the USA. After much troubling thought, I chose to live with my parents in India.
Due to this decision, my life has been happier and more meaningful, my parents were happier, and my children grew up with grandparents in their home! - Around 2001, I decided to give 10% of my professional income to “Good Causes”, mostly charity. In 2002, I upped the percentage to 20%. Till 2019, my last pay check from professional work, I stayed true to my decision.
This decision made me more humane and generous, less self-centred, and increased my self-esteem. - Around 2010, my brother-in-law requested me to talk, from India, with my sister Senabhen, living in the USA, on the phone daily for about 30 minutes. Senabhen suffered from Parkinsonian disease and her speech was impaired but it was important that she keep speaking in order to exercise her speech muscles. For the next 12 years, till Senabhen passed away, she and I enjoyed this pleasant ritual almost daily.
This decision made me closer to my dear sister, brought joy to her and me, and was the basis of a book I authored titled “My Favourite Thoughts”.
I cherish another anecdote, concerning my brother Zoeb.
Some of my friends, and I, all about 15 years of age, were chatting on the street outside our home. A stranger came out from a neighbour’s home, after talking with one of the beautiful girls there. One of my friends made a snide remark like “Outsiders come to snatch our girls!” The stranger was a hothead. He went to his car, behind our backs, and brought out a rod, apparently to hit my friend with it. Zoeb, who was around 19 at the time, and passing by on the street, saw this, physically accosted him and stopped him!
Zoeb’s courageous decision, taken in the twinkling of an eye, saved my friend from serious harm, the rest of us from a traumatic experience, and is an inspiration for us.
One makes lots of choices in life. The reason the above stand out are that they were all motivated, primarily, by love in spite of perceived worldly loss.
A spiritual choice for our times
Unapologetic bigotry is prevalent in our world today.
We can:
- Join the chorus of hate;
- Stay silent; or
- Push back against bigotry and expose it as an evil.
The spiritual consequences of the choice may be profound.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.