These message highlight the real philosophy behind the historic and divine event of Ashura.
Imam Khomeini the world religious and spiritual leader said at one of occasions in this regard as following:
“The Imam Hussein (PBUH) intention was to enjoin the good and forbid the evil. All deviations are due to the sins that are carried out and apart from the straight path of unity (of God) everything must see how the Imam (as) lived, understand his uprising and what he intended to do when he forbade the evil. One of his intentions was to defeat the corrupt rulers.”
Imam Khomeini said one of the objectives pursued by the grandson of the holy prophet of Islam was establishing a government and administration of good and pious people.
“The Master of Martyrs (as) sacrificed his life and his children. He sacrificed everything even though he knew what would happen. If one reads his sayings when he left Medina and in Mecca and when he left Mecca, one realizes that he knew very well what was awaiting him. Imam Hussein (PBUH) did not come to just see through a series of events, no, he came to take the government in his hands, and this is something to be proud of. This is because the government should be in the hands of someone who is like the Master of Martyrs (PBUH), or like his followers...”
The tyrant rulers from Umayyad dynasty had put Islam in danger due to their atheistic behavior and hostile actions towards Islam.
“The fact that the Master of Martyrs left Mecca at a time when pilgrims were coming to Mecca, shows that his uprising was a great political uprising. It was an Islamic-political uprising because the Imam (PBUH) was thinking of Islam and the Muslims, and of defeating the Umayyad dynasty. If it was not for this uprising, Islam would have been obliterated...”
According to Imam Khomeini, the grandson of the holy prophet relieved Islam from clutches of dictators and evil rulers who were distorting the genuine teachings of divine religion.
“He was thinking of Islam and the Muslims and he did what he did, so that as a result of his jihad and sacrifice, in the future Islam would spread among people……else is evil. This evil and these sins must be obliterated.”
The founder of the Islamic Republic said that the pure teachings of Islam can be revived and kept alive by promoting the legacy of Imam Hussein (PBUH) and keeping alive the culture of Ashura for generations to come. The culture of Ashura will also prevent the human societies from falling into pits of social and moral decline.
Millions of mourners across the globe are commemorating Ashura, the tenth day of the lunar month of Muharram, on which the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein (PBUH), and his companions were martyred in an unequal battle.
Black-clad mourners are taking to the streets and mosques in different parts of the world, including Iran, to honor the day, which marks a height of mourning ceremonies in Muharram.
Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and 72 of his loyal companions, were martyred on Ashura in the battle of Karbala against the second Umayyad caliph, Yazid I, more than 14 centuries ago. Imam Hussein was killed after he refused to pledge allegiance to the tyrant ruler.
The mourning services have been in place worldwide since the beginning of Muharram.
The annual Muharram ceremonies, which have been performed for many centuries, symbolize the eternal and unwavering stance of truth against falsehood and humanity’s struggle against injustice, tyranny and oppression, the cause for which Imam Hussein was martyred.