From Repentance to Resistance: Muharram Lessons for a Fractured Age

Introduction:

As this week unfolds, these commemorations invite us to read history not as nostalgia, but as guidance. In Islam, memory is meant to refine conduct, strengthen conscience, and bring worship into public life.

9 Muharram: Tasu’a

Tasu’a is the eve of Ashura, the final night before the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (pbuh) and his companions in Karbala. In humanity memory, it is a night of loyalty, grief, and the last clear choice before sacrifice. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says:

حُسَيْنٌ مِنِّي، وَأَنَا مِنْ حُسَيْنٍ، أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ أَحَبَّ حُسَيْنًا، حُسَيْنٌ سِبْطٌ مِنَ الْأَسْبَاطِ (بحار الأنوار، ج 43، ص 261)

Husayn is from me and I am from Husayn. May Allah love whoever loves Husayn. Husayn is a true grandson of mine and a leader of his people.

Message for Today: For Muslims today, Tasu’a asks whether we side with convenience or conscience when truth becomes costly.

9 Muharram: Deliverance of Prophet Jonah (Yunus – pbuh) from the Fish

The Qur’an recalls how Prophet Yunus  (pbuh) left in distress, was swallowed by the fish, and was then restored after turning back to Allah in praise and repentance. It is a story of divine mercy meeting human frailty at the very edge of despair.

Message for Today: When life feels closed in, return to Allah before hopelessness hardens the heart.

9 Muharram: Birth of Prophet Moses (Musa – pbuh)

In the Qur’anic account, the mother of Moses (pbuh) is inspired to place him in the river, with the promise that he will be returned and made one of the messengers. A child hidden by fear becomes a prophet (pbuh) preserved by providence.

This statement speaks directly to our time: vulnerabilities are not signs of abandonment; rather, they may be precisely where divine care is most actively present.

Message for Today: Protect the weak, and trust Allah with what you cannot control.

9 Muharram: Birth of Lady Mary (Maryam – pbuh)

The Qur’an honours Lady Mary (pbuh) as the woman whom Allah selected, purified, and raised above the women of her time:

وَإِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَى نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ (آل عمران، ۴۲)

“Behold,” the angels told Mary, “God had chosen you, purified you, and given you distinction over all women.

In a culture that prizes visibility and performance, Lady Mary (pbuh) reminds us that holiness is often quiet, inward, and steadfast.

Message for Today: Let dignity be measured by piety, not publicity.

10 Muharram: Martyrdom of Imam Husayn (pbuh) in Karbala (Ashura)

Ashura should not be viewed merely as the day on which Imam Husayn (pbuh) and his companions were martyred. Rather, Ashura stands as an enduring symbol of sacrifice and selflessness in the defence of truth, justice, and faith. It marked a turning point in the moral freedom of humanity and remains one of history’s greatest testimonies to the triumph of faithful principle over materialistic power.

It is reported that whenever one of his loyal companions attained martyrdom on the Day of Ashura, Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) would recite the following Qur’anic verse:

مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَضَى نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلًا (الاحزاب، ۲۳)

“Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah. Some of them have fulfilled their pledge, while others are still waiting; yet they have never changed in the least.” (Al-Ahzab 33:23)

This noble verse reflects the highest ideals of honour, loyalty, and humanity embodied by Abu Abdillah al-Husayn (pbuh). It also reveals his eagerness to sacrifice everything he possessed – his life, his wealth, his family, and all that was dear to him – for the exaltation of Allah’s word and the preservation of the true spirit of Islam.

Message for Today: Hardships and trials encountered in the path of truth should make us more steadfast in our commitment to what is right, not weaker or more willing to compromise.

10 Muharram: Adam (pbuh) and Eve Descend to Earth

The Qur’an describes Prophet Adam (pbuh) and his wife living in Paradise before being told to descend to earth after the test. Their story is not simply about loss; it is the beginning of repentance, responsibility, and moral history.

Message for Today: Islam does not deny failure; it teaches that failure can become the doorway to return when repentance is sincere.

10 Muharram: Prophet Noah (pbuh) Leaves the Ark

The Qur’an records the moment Prophet Noah (pbuh) is told to disembark with peace and blessings after the flood. It is the language of survival, gratitude, and the beginning of a renewed human witness.

Message for Today: Be a bearer of divine mercy and guidance after every storm in your own life and in the lives of others.

10 Muharram: Birth of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim – pbuh)

Your calendar marks this day for the birth of Prophet Abraham (pbuh), the father of monotheism. The Qur’an repeatedly honours him among the elect and gives him the noble greeting:

إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ (نحل، ۱۲۰)

“Indeed, Abraham was a nation unto himself, wholly devoted to Allah, steadfastly upright, and he was never among those who associated partners with Him.”

Abraham’s life is a call to principled faith: conscience before custom, truth before comfort, and God before all else.

Message for Today: Build a faith that can stand firm when alone and under pressure.

10 Muharram: Meeting of Jacob and Joseph (pbut)

The Qur’an narrates the reunion when Prophet Joseph (pbuh) receives his parents and says:

فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَى يُوسُفَ آوَى إِلَيْهِ أَبَوَيْهِ وَقَالَ ادْخُلُوا مِصْرَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ آمِنِينَ (یوسف، ۹۹)

When they entered upon Joseph, he welcomed his parents close to himself and said, ‘Enter Egypt, if Allah wills, in safety and security.

This event is significant for families, schools, and learning communities: every sorrow and hardship can be the beginning of divine relief and mercy.

Message for Today: Know that within every difficulty there is also peace and ease. Do not lose hope.

11 Muharram: Passing of Adam (pbuh)

In the Qur’anic frame, Prophet Adam’s story begins with error, repentance and descent to earth, so his passing reminds us that human life is finite and that dignity lies in returning to Allah. The first human teaches us that greatness begins with humility.

Message for Today: At a time when many live as though they are permanent, Adam reminds believers to prepare for accountability and to live gently with one another.

11 Muharram: Captivity of the Surviving Family of Karbala

After the massacre, the surviving women, children and Imam Zayn al-Abidin (pbuh) were taken from Karbala to Kufa. Islam memory sees this as the tragedy’s second face: not only bloodshed on the battlefield, but public humiliation afterwards.

Message for Today: Protect dignity, especially when power seems already to have won.

11 Muharram: Movement of the Caravan of Captives from Karbala

Yazid sent the caravan of captives from Karbala toward Damascus, subjecting them to hardship and attempting to distort the truths of Karbala and seek revenge on the Prophet’s family (Ahl al-Bayt – pbut). However, God had ordained something else. This same caravan came to reflect the oppression of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) and, in this view, the idea that Yazid had departed from Islam.

Message for Today: This calls us to protect the vulnerable, document injustice honestly, and refuse to let the weak disappear from public memory.

11 Muharram: Passing of al-‘Allāmah al-Ḥillī

al-Ḥillī was one of the great Shi’i jurists and theologians, passed away in 1325. His works remain standard references in Islamic scholarship and a reminder that religious civilisation is built by learning.

Message for Today: Honour Muslim scholars by reading, reflecting and living what they taught.

12 Muharram: Entry of the Ahl al-Bayt (pbut) into Kufa

The captives of Karbala were brought into Kufa, and their suffering became a public rebuke to the power that had claimed legitimacy. In Islamic memory, this entry is one of the most painful yet most enlightening episodes of Imam Husayn’s revolution.

Message for Today: Physical captivity in this world does not prevent a person from making a meaningful impact – as exemplified by the captives of the Karbala caravan, who became the bearers of Imam Husayn’s message. What is truly tragic is the captivity of the soul in bondage to anything other than God.

12 Muharram: Martyrdom of Imam Zayn al-Abidin (pbuh)

Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him) is a clear example of patience, reliance on God, and resistance to oppression through supplication and raising public awareness. His luminous words in Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya are a remarkable reflection of his profound understanding of faith and monotheism.

Message for Today: In times of hardship, turn to the weapon of prayer and seek relief from Almighty God.

13 Muharram: Burial of the Martyrs of Karbala

On this day, the pure bodies of the martyrs of Karbala were laid to rest by the Bani Asad tribe. Yazid’s army exerted their utmost effort to desecrate, humiliate, and destroy the martyrs of Karbala. The heads of all the martyrs were severed from their bodies, and the soldiers trampled upon their corpses with iron-shod horses, leaving these sacred bodies under the scorching sun for three days. Yet, what God wills surpasses the desires of the entire world. Karbala is now one of the most sacred and revered pieces of land on Earth, while the names of Yazid and the Umayyads are forever entwined with curses and ignominy.

Message for Today: Learn about the lives of the martyrs of Karbala. Discover the qualities that made them worthy of the privilege of martyrdom in the camp of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him): faith, loyalty, sincerity, courage, and steadfastness in the defence of truth.

13 Muharram: The Captives in the Court of Ibn Ziyad

On this day, the caravan of the captives of Karbala arrived at the court of Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (the governor of Kufa). It was there that Lady Zaynab (pbuh) and Imam Sajjad (pbuh), through their eloquent, powerful, and courageous speeches, shattered the propaganda machine of Ibn Ziyad and the Umayyads, conveying Imam Hussain’s message of fighting against oppression and corruption to the ears of the people of Kufa.

Message for Today: Tyranny may stage itself as certainty, but truth can still speak in chains. Do not confuse performance of power with moral legitimacy.

15 Muharram: Birth of Sayyid Ibn Tawus

Devotional calendars associate this day with the birth of Sayyid Ibn Tawus, who was born in mid-Muharram 589 AH in Hillah and became one of the major Shia moral and spiritual scholars. His writings shaped later piety and devotional culture.

Message for Today: Let knowledge deepen worship, and let worship discipline knowledge.

7 Tir: Martyrdom of Ayatollah Dr Mohammad Beheshti

Ayatollah Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Beheshti was far more than merely a Muslim politician. He embodied the qualities of a Muslim scholar, philosopher, and mystic, possessing both the power of eloquence and a deep commitment to reason alongside his unwavering faith. He represented a model of political engagement grounded firmly in the lofty teachings of Islam. It was precisely for this reason that the enemies of Islam and humanity could not tolerate his presence and positive influence, and ultimately resorted to the physical elimination of him and his companions.

Message for Today: Like Martyr Beheshti, uphold faith and rationality together, side by side. They are two sides of the same coin, inseparable and mutually reinforcing.