Man is dependent on time and time is subservient to the All Powerful Allah. He can stop time if He wills or can increase its pace. If He wills, time can be compressed and if He wills, it can be extended. If we look at the manifestations of the night and day and parts of the earth, we see that today’s science has squeezed distances. If there are parts where there is darkness for months, there are also means of light and people carry on with their lives. Delay and hastening are demands of the human nature. Mirza Ghalib says,
In solitude and separation, don’t even ask about how the poet digs or excavates himself through the web of life
To pass the night and to turn it into morning, (i.e. to live) for me is no less than digging a channel of milk
Effect of time in a single life
Until a person does not reach maturity he does not know what is night or day. He slept, woke up, played around and time passed by in such a way that no one said this infant has now grown up and we saw him growing but could not realize how he was growing. Time made him young and then slowly as time passed he moved towards old age. Now the vibrancy of youth and its liveliness cease to exist. There is neither thought of adornment nor dressing up well. Then as days passed by, bones became feeble and weakness while standing and sitting reminds one of the hereafter. Luxuries and anger start to pack up. Jafar Ali Asar says,
Where is that heart and that pleasure of the spring of life now
Night and day have simply turned into a point of separation
Implementation of reward or punishment takes place in the light of hope
Man estimates delay and hastening based on patience or the lack of it and measures it on the scale of day and night. But he does not pay attention to the fact that this same measurement of day and night has so many events which occur during its course that the entire day appears lengthy. Sometimes, if one is unable to sleep, nights are so long that they seem to last forever. This is the sign of Divine Power which calls out from the depths of human nature that, o man, try to measure the divine interests based on the scale of your unknown feelings. These are the same nights and days which lengthen during difficulties and fly by in good times. Time neither stops nor does its speed up, neither decreasesnor increases. These are all human thoughts which are used to console the heart.
Divine Intent
How can man understand or comprehend Divine Intent through his limited intellect? It is not permissible to analyse or discuss divine intent and whoever attempted to do so, failed miserably.
Delay means not achieving a desired result within the stipulated time and hastening means to complete the work before the specified time.
Imam Husain’s (a.s.) Martyrdom
The delay in punishment due to which the killers of Imam Husain (a.s.) boast about it and are roaming free like the outlaws of Naharwaan, despite the existence of a completely dominant Divine Justice,the lovers are complaining about this delay: O our Master! Till when shall we weep? It is true that we have been created to lament but every teardrop is calling out for respite.
The Event of Karbala
On 2nd Muharram 61 A.H. a caravan encamped on the sands of Nainawa. The tents were first set up on the banks of the river Euphrates but were later moved away on the orders of Hurr and his army increased the vigilance of the banks. We try to portray a general view of the battle which neither has any parable in the past nor will have one in the future:
There will never be another Karbala after Karbala
It is worth noting that Karbala is an example of such a spiritual, authentic, organized, preeminent and guiding implementation of Divine Command which helps the seekers of truth to walk on the right path. The minimum strength of the army facing the followers of Imam Husain (a.s.) in Karbala is reported to be three thousand. It should be borne in mind that when the army of Hurr blocked the path of Imam Husain (a.s.) and Hazrat Abbas (a.s.) had pulled out his sword but retracted patiently upon the order of Imam Husain (a.s.), if at all the war would have taken place and had Imam Husain (a.s.) not observed patience, Hurr would never see the dawn of Ashura. The tombs of Wahab-e-Kalbi and Habib Ibn Mazaahir while pointing towards the Divine Throne would not tell the story of courage. And finally a thinker of the east would not have said the following about the sacrifices of the righteous.
He inscribed ‘There is no God (except Allah)’ in the desert
He inscribed the lines of our salvation
If after 1400 years, renowned poet of the East, Allamah Iqbal, rising above a Saqifahesque atmosphere, says,
I have learnt the secrets of Quran from Husain (a.s.)
I have thrown the flames in his fire
If there is delay in the descent of divine chastisement then the reason for the delay is also clear. The seekers of truth and intellectuals would have failed to understand the great sacrifice of the martyrs of Karbala and they would have complained in the hereafter due to the lengthy duration of 1400 years. Therefore time passed by and Allah brings from darkness to light whomsoever his wishes. These murderers of Imam Husain (a.s.) and those approving of their action were given respite basis this divinely planned delay while chastisement kept following them.
We very well remember the fact that there has been a delay in chastisement for the enemies of Ahle Bait (a.s.). Even today, the pen is forced to write about the darkness which spreads due to cold bloodedness and vain talks about it. This is not an imagination but a reality that after the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.) the day became gloomy and dark. Tall waves emerged in the water of Euphrates. These were signs of Qiyamat but not Qiyamat itself. This was because Qiyamat is dependent on the moratorium given by the Master of the Day of Judgment who has deferred the chastisement to an appointed time. It is mentioned in traditions all those who were involved in this unjust murder died within thirty years of the event. Imam Husain (a.s.) had said to Abdullah Ibn Hurrr Jofi on his way to Karbala to go far away so that his (a.s.) voice does not reach his ears. Remember that whoever hears my call for help and does not come to help me will die within three years i.e. chastisement will follow him. (3 years mentioned here is worth noting. This is one the sayings of Imam). One of the traditions which I came across is as follows: A man visited a lover of Imam Husain (a.s.). At night, he said to the host that Imam Husain (a.s.) said that not only my killers but even those who hear my call for help but did not help me will be destroyed in three years. I have heard his call for help and was also in the army of Yazeed and also fought against Imam Husain (a.s.). There are just two or three days left for years to pass by but the words of Husain (a.s.) have not yet been applicable for me. Just before sleep, he went to put off the lamp. First his beard caught fire due to the flame of the lamp and then he was completely burnt down to hell. The host said, “How truthful is my master Husain!”
The question is that after the incident of Karbala why was there no such chastisement which would descend upon the enemies of Imam Husain (a.s.) in the east and the west so that they would either be destroyed or identified by the chastised faces. Hence it is mentioned in traditions that “Delay is a chastisement of transformation”. There are very few for whom this is applicable. This could be because Imam Husain (a.s.) put a condition of those who will hear his call for help and gave a moratorium of three years. The grandson of the merciful Prophet (s.a.w.a.) who is addressed as the satisfied soul and was invited by God towards Him gave this world a moratorium. God destroyed Firaun and Qaaroon, but has kept Satan alive. The delay in chastisement is an indicator of the intensity of the chastisement.
Deferment and Chastisement
When we think of the word deferment, there is no one who does not think about taking account of his actions, sins and way of life. However his eyes are covered with the veil of negligence and he despite using this grace of time in reflecting, self-correction, seeking forgiveness and acquiring piety is blaming Allah for not sending chastisement. Even today the proponents of oppression are openly supporting such statements and have become even more shameless in their false propagandas. Mosques are filled with the lovers of Imam Husain (a.s.) who are weeping and calling out to Imam-eZamana (a.t.f.s.). “How much more should we mourn? You are the avenger of Husain’s blood. When will you take revenge from each and every one of them? Throughout the world, the followers of Imam Ali (a.s.) and the lovers of Imam Husain (a.s.) are being killed but they have not despaired even for a moment for the revenge of the blood of Imam Husain (a.s.).”
Delay in Divine Punishment to the killers of Imam Husain (a.s.) is a Deferment
The first reason which can be understood is a deferment in which, every lover of Imam Husain (a.s.) should review himself and check within his own society whether vices such as lack of Hijaab, shamelessness and unwanted talks have not set in. Is there lack of Amr bil Ma’roof and Nahi anil Munkar in families? Have human values taken a back seat against worldly material progress? These are testing times. Ten days of Azadari is an institution which invites us to a good end and to consider this deferment in chastisement as an opportunity from God and a divine bounty is the essence of mourning. The second reason is the one which the followers asked Imam (a.s.) and he (a.s.) replied for the satisfaction of his lovers:
Imam’s (a.s.) Reply
Ibne Baabwayh narrates from a reliable chain that one day Abu Salt asked Imam Reza (a.s.) that it is narrated in traditions that one day a person asked Imam Sadiq (a.s.), “Will the chastisement on the murderers of Imam Husain (a.s.) befall after the reappearance of Imam (a.s.) and will Imam (a.s.) seek revenge from the children of the murderers?” Imam Reza (a.s.) testified to this statement and replied in the affirmative. Abu Salt asked again, “What will be the sin of those from the progeny of the killers of Imam Husain (a.s.) who will face this chastisement or be killed?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “The demand of Divine Justice is that if a person unjustly kills someone in the east and someone else in the west is satisfied with that killing, he will face the same punishment which the actual killer will face.”It means that the gap of time or distance is immaterial. Anyone who is satisfied with oppression will face the same punishment as the oppressor himself. Imam Sajjad (a.s.) in relation to this once said, “Allah had prohibited the Bani Israel from hunting fishes on Mondays. One of the groups of Bani Israel disobeyed this divine order due to which it was punished and post that whoever hunted fishes on Monday would be chastised.”
How is it possible that a group of people who have killed the children of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and insulted him (s.a.w.a.) are getting respite in this world? This does not mean that they will not be eligible for chastisement in the hereafter. If delay is a chastisement of transformation then it will be treated the same way even in the hereafter and those who are satisfied with your killing and will be alive at the time of Imam’s reappearance will be killed by the sword (Zulfiquar) of Imam-e-Zamana (a.s.).
Another person asked Imam (a.s.), “If hunting for fish on a Saturday makes one eligible for instant chastisement, why does God not chastise the faces of the enemies of Ahle Bait (a.s.) and the killers of Imam Husain (a.s.) which is a graver sin than that?” (Similar questions are asked by the opponents as well). Imam (a.s.) replied, “There are many people on whom Allah sent chastisement but not on Satan. Rather, He gave him moratorium and it is wrong to say anything against Divine Wisdom. There are many people who have committed few sins in this world and there are many others who have committed many sins. A painful chastisement awaits both of them in the hereafter.”
Ibne Qulwayh narrates from reliable chain that Imam Baqir (a.s.) said, “Many of the killers of Imam Husain (a.s.) have been killed but the blood of Imam Husain (a.s.) still demands more. When all of them will be killed during Raj’at and Qiyamat, that is when the revenge will be completed.” He (a.s.) added, “Allah revealed to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), ‘When I avenged the death of Hazrat Yahya, 1 killed 70,000 people and will also kill 70,000 people while avenging the blood of Husain (a.s.)”. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said, “100,000 killers of Husain (a.s.) have been killed but revenge is not yet complete.” Imam Sajjad (a.s.) says, “Never it has occurred that My father encamped at a place but he did not remember Hazrat Yahya (a.s.) while settling or moving out from there. He used to say that an infallible Prophet was killed and his head was given to a woman of bad character who was an adulteress and its revenge was not complete until Allah destroyed 70,000 of his killers. By Allah! The revenge of my killing will also not be completed until hypocrites, sinners and those satisfied with my killing, whoever they are and wherever they would be, amounting to a number of 70,000 people are killed. My son Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) will reappear in the last era and kill 70,000 hypocrites as a part of my revenge.”
Even those are enumerated in the killers of Imam Husain (a.s.) who are satisfied with his killing and they have been punished, are being punished and a big portion of the chastisement awaits them in the form of reappearance of Imam-e-Zamana (a.s.). Those who will survive Raj’at will face such a chastisement in the hereafter which is unimaginable.
Salutations on those mothers whose pure milk runs in the form of blood within the mourners of Imam Husain (a.s.) and who are restless due to the delay in the chastisement of his killers. They are so restless that their hearts crumple and tears flow. Yet each eye awaits the reappearance of Imam (a.s.). When will you reappear and avenge the blood of Husain (a.s.)? · Hasten your reappearance! Amen.
