When the reins of the government were in the hands of BaniUmmayah during the rule of the third caliph, Uthman, the social conditions of the society were at an all time low. Historians have recorded this decline in moral and social values. The decline was so distinct during the rule of Moaviyah – especially after the martyrdom of Imam Hasan (a.s.) – that if this period of Moaviyah’s rule is compared with the times of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) and that of Hazrat Ali (a.s.), then many glaring differences come to the fore.
In this period, the ethics, morals and behaviour of the Muslims had undergone a big transformation. Corruption had spread its tentacles to all levels of society. The customs of the Romans and Persians that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) and his Ahlul Bait (a.s.) had so successfully uprooted from the society, had once again gained prominence. Quran and traditions were interpreted incorrectly for personal benefit. Religious laws were censored and under the complete control of the government. The teachings and training of the BaniUmmayah had changed the public mindset to such an extent that the people had become meek and submissive in face of the persecution perpetuated by Moaviyah and were always trying to flatter him. This in turn strengthened the ego and reinforced Moaviyah’s rule.
Those matters in which seeking public opinion was a practice was now entirely at the discretion of the rulers (like making Yazid as the ruler). People were being coerced to accept the rule of BaniUmmayah at the point of sword. Laws of the Islamic Shariah, which were common among the people, had now become an object of ridicule.
Moaviyah declared Yazid as his successor in a gathering in Masjid-ul-Haram and exhibited such disgraceful behaviour that it is hard to find a similar example in the chronicles of history. In his pursuit to make his son as the next Caliph, he neither adopted the course of selection nor did he solicit the advice of the elders. Instead, while he was proclaiming Yazid as his heir apparent, his oppressive soldiers had mingled with people with the instruction that if anyone raised the head of rebellion, he should be instantly beheaded. Neither was Moaviyah concerned about the sanctity of Masjid-ul-Haram, nor did he respect the lives of the Muslims. The very Muslims who were in the forefront of Jehad and who considered martyrdom as an honour and who were not materialistic, cherished their freedom, were content, and preferred justice and equity, who had never bowed their heads before kings and were never afraid of the rulers and who always thought of making Quran and its laws common among the people had now sold their selves to Moaviyah who was a self-indulgent and pleasure seeker and who idolised. this world. Now for these same Muslims, the world had become the focus of their attention. Good food, beautiful dresses and palatial houses had blinded their vision, made them negligent to counsel and had hardened their hearts. The world and its attractions had corrupted their morals. The love of money had compelled them to bear all kinds of humiliations. They surrendered themselves to the one who was not only a foe of Islam, but of the whole mankind. And they kept aside such exalted qualities like shame, courage, good morals, bravery and honour. In order to fulfill the orders of Moaviyah, Yazid and IbneZiad, they trampled upon the rights of the people and the rules of the society. They were neither afraid of God, nor terrified of the day of judgement. Yazid had already publicly announced that Islam and Quran were nothing but a farce perpetuated by the BaniHashim. And if anyone refused to be a party to his corrupt and evil designs and did not trample upon the rights of the people or did not act in an un-Islamic way as ordered by Yazid, as was done by the ruler of Khorasan (refer to the book “MoaviyahibnabiSufyan” p. 189) then that person was either killed or kept under house arrest or imprisoned.
Unlawful activities were rampant among the officers of Moaviyah, and among the general masses at large. Now they were not concerned as to who was their ruler – be it Moaviyah or Yazid because their personal benefits lay in the leadership of either of them and they were inclined towards both of them. . The social life of Islam had stagnated and reached a stalemate. Not only had the people stopped enjoining good and forbidding evil, but if anyone would gather so much courage so as to perform these noble acts, the rulers and their spies would immediately place constraints upon him. In fact it seemed that there was no such thing as enjoining good and forbidding evil in the religion of Islam and neither had the Quran or the traditions of the Prophet (s.a.w) had made any reference about it. The religious scholars of the time were not permitted to write anything except that which was commanded by the rulers. They were compelled to send blessings upon Moaviyah and his son Yazid, and at the same time they had to send curses on the good and pious people.
The general atmosphere of anxiety” and economic concern had encircled the people in problems and difficulties. The public treasury (BaitulMaal) which was created for the welfare of the masses and for their economic upliftment was now mostly used for conferring monetary rewards on the sychophants and bestowing favours upon the influential. The political allies of BaniUmmayah were looting the public treasury at will. The conditions had deteriorated io such an extent that slave girls were being purchased from the money collected in the “BaitulMaal”. Moreover, gatherings of gambling, dance and wine had become popular.
Intellect and all other sciences as also religion were on a steady decline and had slumped to their lowest ebb. The Islamic nation had collectively grown so weak that no one had the courage to raise his voice against the atrocities of the rulers. Matters had reached to such a point that Islam existed only in name, and Quran was respected only as a formality. Religious laws and punishments were mere puppets in the hands of the rulers. That Islam, which once prided itself on its religious laws and directions, was now seen as a pastime while its laws were being shamelessly trampled upon and insulted.
Knowledge had stagnated to such an extent that even a respected person like Ibne Abbas who was among the foremost person to accept Islam, and a well-known interpreter of Quran, was now prohibited from interpreting the Quran. The government had also restricted him from saying anything in favour of the Ahlul Bait (a.s.). Neither the interpretation (Tafseer) of Quran could be referred to, nor the traditions of Holy Prophet (s.a.w). Prohibited (Haram) and Permitted (Halal) were decided on the whims of the government without any basis. In short as Imam Husain (a.s.) said “the sunnat of the Prophet was being trampled upon, and innovations (bidaat) had become commonplace.” Neither anyone was acting according to the truth nor anyone was abstaining from evil.
Social and moral values were declining. What can be a better example to prove the paucity of their thoughts and beliefs than the incident wherein the soldiers and the courageous men of the nation wrote innumerable letters to Imam Husain (a.s.) inviting him to establish peace and justice in the country, so that the Shariah could be followed in letter and spirit, and evil could be uprooted from the land. But when Imam Husain (a.s.) sent his cousin Muslim ibneAqeel to Kufa as his representative, these very people, in their greed for wealth and riches, forgot their promises, religion and allegiances and abandoned him. Finally Muslim ibneAqeel was martyred in Kufa – forlorn, in a foreign land. When Imam Husain (a.s.) himself reached Kufa, then he along with his relatives and companions was martyred in Kerbala. And the treatment meted out to his kith and kin is well known and publicised among the scholars and the lay men.
Obviously when corrupt and degraded rulers like Moaviyah, Yazid, Muslim ibneOqabah, Mughairah, Ziyad, Umar-e-Saad etc. rule the Islamic nation then outcome will be nothing but a decline in morality, social unrest and intellectual stagnation. Such a society cannot walk hand in hand with the pious and noble servants of Allah. In such situations a revolution like the revolution of Imam Husain (a.s.) can set matters right. A revolution in which the hands of Hazrat Abbas (a.s.) are severed on the banks of the Euphrates, where a youth like Ali Akbar is slain by the enemies, where the body of Qasim is trampled under the feet of horses. And the limit is that even a six-month-old infant like Ali Asgar was not spared, and is made the target of the Hurmulah’s arrow. And bear in mind that this revolution is incomplete without the imprisoning of the ladies and without the fiery sermons of an aunt and her nephew. Sermons, which jolted mankind from its slumber and removed it from the dark era of barbarism and gave it a refined and dignified life.
Yesterday and Today – A comparision
If we take a look around us, we will observe that the moral and spiritual degradation of our society is even worse than that which was observed at the time of Yazid. If not worse, then atleast at par with the times of Yazid. Today, we respect the wealthy and the affluent, while people of knowledge and learning are ignored. The desire for the world and the lure of riches has blinded us. Neither Islamic teachings are given any emphasis nor training is given any significance. The Islamic shariah and the religious scholars have been made the object of mockery and jokes. People of religion and faith are being considered lowly. Shamelessness is being propagated, whereas wearing a veil is seen as a symbol of backwardness. Innovations are being seen as a part of religion and vice versa. People are refusing to pay their religious taxes like Khums and zakat, in much the same way as Qaroon refused to pay his dues. Differences and disputes are at its peak. No stone is being left unturned in humiliating the righteous people. Society is meandering in the darkness of ignorance and deviation. Neither is there any guide, nor any leader. And it is not that only one particular Muslim nation or area is dealing with these problems, but the entire Muslim community is confronted with them. What we now today need, is an exalted reformer, who will be from the progeny of Imam Husain (a.s.) and who is called as “Mahdi” in Imamite traditions. But this great revolution requires people of the kind who are willing to sacrifice their wealth, life, time, in fact their entire existence. If someone is like this, only then he has the right to, say
فَیَالَیْتَنِیْ کُنْتُ مَعَکُمْ فَاَفُوْزَ مَعَکُمْ۔
“If I would have been with you then surely I would have found salvation” In other words in this turbulent times our greatest responsibility is to adhere to Quran and Ahlul Bait (a.s.), and to fulfill that promise which we had made to our Creator in the previous world in “Alam-e-Zer”. And to maintain relations with the Ahlul Bait (a.s.) who are the beloved of Holy Prophet (s.a.w).
Imam Baqir (a.s.) says:
وَ جَدْتُ فِیْ کِتَابِ عَلِیٌّ اِذَا ظَھَرَ الزِّنَا مِنَ بَعْدِیْ ظُھَرت مَوْتُ الْفَجَاۃِ وَ اِذَا مَنَعُوْا الزَّکٰوۃَ مَنَعَتِ الْاَرْضُ بَرَکَاتِھَا مِنَ الزَّرْعِ وَالثَّمَارِ وَالْمَعَادِنِ کُلِّھَا وَ اِذَا جَارُوْا فِی الْحُکْمِ وَ تَعَاوَنُوْا عَلٰی الْاِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَ اِذَا نَقَضُوْا الْعَھْدَ سَلَّطَ اللہُ عَلَیْھِمْ عَدُوَّھُمْ وَ اِذَا قَطَعَتِ الْاَرْحَامُ جُعِلَتِ الْاَمْوَالُ فِی اَیْدِیْ الْاَشْرَارِ۔
“I found in the book of Hazrat Ali (a.s.) who said Afer me when adultery and evil become common, untimely deaths occur, and if people cheat while weighing, then Allah will embroil the people in famines and decrease sustenance. And when people will not pay their zakat, then the earth will suppress its bounties like grains, fruits and minerals. And when oppression shall be perpetuated through judicial laws and people will assist each other in sins and enmity and when promises shall be broken, then Allah will make their enemies dominant over them. And when people will break off relations, then Allah will hand over their wealth to the wicked and evil people”
(Ref: Mustadrak-o-SafinatilBehaar;vol. 1 p. 18-19) This is exactly the condition of society today. So let us seek refuge from these vices and beseech Allah to include us in the army of Imam Mahdi (a.s.) and make us steadfast like the helpers and lovers of Imam Husain (a.s.), who gathered below his tent and sacrificed their lives for him in Karbala. Then let us raise our hands and pray before our Lord that “O Allah! You hasten the reappearance of Your last Hujjat”
