Hawzah News Agency – A researcher of the history of Karbala believes that the spirit of Ashura continues to resonate through Iran’s revolutionary discourse, offering a living model of resistance, dignity, and transformation for freedom-seekers worldwide.
In an interview with Hawzah News Agency, Hujjat al-Islam Hojjatollah Sarwari, author and expert on the Karbala uprising, outlined ten intellectual and spiritual pillars of Ashura that explain why the message of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) has remained victorious and influential for over 1,400 years — and why Iran is seen as the modern bearer of this legacy.
“The intellectual system of Ashura,” Sarwari emphasized, “is not just history — it is a living, instructive, and universal discourse that speaks to every free and honorable human being on earth.”
1. Eternal Victory Through Blood and Spirit
The first and most important reason, Sarwari said, is that Imam Hussein (AS) achieved true victory on the battlefield — not through power or arms, but through the transformative flow of his blood, which has illuminated the path of the oppressed and freedom-seekers across generations.
2. Exposing the Mask of Tyranny
Ashura, he explained, unveiled the true face of Yazid’s regime. It marked the beginning of an intellectual and spiritual awakening across the Islamic world, showing how falsehood cloaks itself in power, and how truth unmasks it.
3. Reason, Emotion, and Resistance
“The Ashura movement blends three powerful elements,” Sarwari continued, “rationality, the spirit of resistance, and deep emotion.” This combination creates a model that educates a firm, resistant generation, as seen in Iran’s eight-year Sacred Defense and steadfast stance in the face of foreign pressures.
4. A Generation That Refuses Humiliation
Imam Hussein’s school raises a generation that prefers death over disgrace. “They give blood and life, but never surrender their soil,” Sarwari said. “Their identity is formed by the slogan ‘Hayhat minna al-zillah’ — ‘We shall never be humiliated.’”
This vision, he said, teaches that glory and divine proximity are found not in worldly comfort, but in sacrifice and honor.
5. A Call to a Superior Life
Ashura, Sarwari noted, invites humanity to a life of dignity — free from baseness, greed, and humiliation. It teaches the values of faith, loyalty, and spiritual nobility. “Real life is one of freedom and honor. A life under oppression is not worth living,” he said.
6. Preventing Deviation
The uprising of Imam Hussein (AS), he said, was designed to prevent the ideological deviation of Islam. It stood as a wall against anti-Wilayat, anti-religion, and anti-justice movements. “Ashura corrected the course of the Ummah,” he emphasized.
7. Defeating Psychological Warfare
Sarwari explained how Ashura also overcame the psychological warfare of the Umayyad regime, revealing its hypocrisy and arrogance. “Even when offered protection,” he said, “Hazrat Abbas (AS), trained by Imam Hussein, rejected it with honor. He refused to abandon the Imam even in the face of death — a lesson for today’s world.”
He added: “Just as Shimr once insulted the Imam with false guarantees, today political powers threaten the values of Islam with empty promises — but resistance remains our answer.”
8. Divine Response to Tyranny
The eighth lesson is that tyrants who block the path of God will ultimately see their plans fail. “Their deception turns against them. That is the divine equation. That is the promise of Ashura.”
9. Perseverance as the Key to Victory
Sarwari quoted the Supreme Leader: “Imam Hussein is the embodiment of insight and perseverance.” He added, “Nations derive their identity, character, and greatness from resistance — and this is what sustains Iran today.”
10. Despair Is Forbidden
Finally, Sarwari said the tenth message of Ashura is that despair has no place in the path of truth. “The movement of Ashura is a light for the entire world. It is the path of guardianship, hope, and growth for every just society.”
In conclusion, he emphasized: “Imam Hussein’s line is alive — and Iran, by carrying his banner, speaks for every oppressed and free-thinking soul. That is why Iran is today’s Hussein — and that is why it remains victorious.”
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