The lives and deaths of these Imams have occupied centuries and pages. They strike at the political disorder which has haunted the Prophetic faith community since its early days. Today we find scholars supporting “peace” by supporting the same sort of injustices perpetrated by the Ummayads; and on the other extreme we see a cult of political martyrdom that lacks the higher aspiration and spiritual ethics of true sacrifice. Muslims, Sunni or Shi’i, fail to contextualize their longings for dignity and justice with legal traditionalism that seeks stability at all costs. The evocation of the necessity of rule (imamat ad-darurah) allows tyranny in the absence of an ideal, and has its roots in the tribulations of the early community with the rise of the Ummayad Dynasty. We need to contemplate the maxim, “Necessity makes the unlawful lawful”(Ad-daruratu tubiyh al-mahzurah) when discussing societal change and tumult. The need for stability is what has also driven some Sunni theologians to downplay the sacrifice of Imam Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them), and to continue to downplay the currents of change that have gripped the Arab World this decade. Syria and the post-revolutionary failures in the region are machinated out of neglect, and are used as political props to warn those who dare to improve societal ills. It is a misfortune that leading religious figures give credence to the stagnation of tyranny in the name of stability, while simultaneously denouncing the extremists. For this neo-Ummayad status quo, Imam Husayn presents a quandary that is most easily dealt with by neglect. They also look to appropriate the political reconciliations of Imam Hasan for their own ends. The truth is that the lives and actions of the grandsons of our Messenger (peace & blessing upon him and his family), although seemingly different, are in reality not. One gave up the mantle, while the other sought its rectification based upon a higher calling. Their actions and destinies are united in their concern for the preservation of faith and life. We would do well to remember that far from the nihilistic starkness of rulers and rebels alike, the truth is a higher calling clearly seen in the opacity of temporal life. almadinainstitute.org/blog/hasan-husayn-principles-over-power/
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 21:51:59 +0000
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