Husayn (‘a) and Servitude | Alireza Panahian

Husayn (‘a) and Servitude

After Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (‘a) has caused our nature to flourish, what is next? When innate nature flourishes due to Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (‘a), this is the most beautiful flourishing of innate nature.

There is a luminous truth, which we have to find in our hearts, and start developing in order to reform our souls. We have to transfer it to society for our society to be reformed. We have to transfer it to the world for the world to be reformed too. Which virtue is that? Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (‘a) was in pursuit of this luminous truth, which was in Karbala. This concept is not a moral concept, and it’s not obeying God. This concept is not a social concept either. After the concept of innate nature, this concept is very crucial, underlying, and basic. After we have started with our innate nature, we must come to this stage. We have to start from here and reach to other concepts. This concept is “servitude.”

You are a servant. You need a Lord. Your Lord is the Lord of the universe. Where is He? You belong to someone. You have an Owner. He gives you sustenance. If a person’s innate nature flourishes, he will first search for his owner. Imam Husayn (‘a) returns us to our “true self.” After that, we will seek God. O Husayn (‘a), you open my innate nature. You’ve helped me to know myself. Husayn, you have given me the gift of making my innate nature flourish. If I struggle, God helps, and I return to my innate nature, what will I do for God?

What does it mean to meet God? I’ll read another tradition so that you will go to Husayn (‘a) and say, “Husayn, I want to meet you.” Someone asked Imam Sadiq (‘a), “What will be given to a person who goes to Imam Husayn’s (‘a) grave?” Imam Sadiq (‘a) replied, “It is as if he has met God on His thrown.”

Why did Imam Husayn (‘a) rise up? Why was Hazrat Zahra (s) crying? What did she want? To what point did she want us to reach? Was Imam Husayn (‘a) martyred for small things? Did Imam Husayn (‘a) rise up only to remove the poverty of just a few poor people? There are many uprisings like this in the world! Che Guevara, Gandhi, and who and who and who… There were many uprisings like this! Don’t you know the difference between Imam Husayn (‘a) and these people?!

Imam Husayn (‘a) wanted to do two important things. One is that he wanted to destroy servitude to tyrants. Completely. The other thing is that he wanted to prepare the environment for servitude to God. Karbala is the peak of the manifestation of being God’s servant, versus being the servant of a tyrant. God has placed these two facing each other in Karbala for you to see.

Imam Husayn (‘a) has shown us something that I hope we have understood. He showed us that indeed whoever is not God’s servant is the servant of others besides God. If a person is the servant of others besides God, he will become a criminal! I want to show you the end of this path, so you will be afraid of being the servant of others besides God. One of you may become a good person and start liking goodness. But, you know I don’t agree with this way of thinking. I always say you haven’t been created to become a good person. You have been created to become a servant. If you become a good person, like goodness, and get used to it, God will ruin your mood one day. In one case, this goodness was Ibrahim’s son Ismael, who was to become a prophet. God ordered to sacrifice him! Kill your child!

My friends, being a servant is different from being a good person. Good people, are you ready to become a servant of God? What does Ashura do to us? When Ashura comes, it turns religious people into servants of God. Do you know what Karbala did? The good people whom we are talking about, who aren’t servants and are only good people, committed the biggest crime in the history of human beings in Karbala. It is as if Imam Husayn (‘a) says, “Come and see the last part of this talk in Karbala.” How bad can bad people become? Good people, be careful about yoursel