huzaifa.shkabbas@fayzehusayni.com
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Before even I started gathering information, writing & compiling this
article; I had very clearly concluded in my mind that only the story of the battle of
Karbala where Imam Husain (AS) and his few noble companions fought the army of
Yazid (LA) upto their noblest death is found to be authentically true and correct as
per narrations by my religious leader and strong belief within one of the finest
Muslim community Dawoodi Bohras based in India. Everything else related to the
saga of Karbala is considered as a may-be or may-not-be situation.
The readers are requested not to believe the composition as series of true
incidents, it is just what the history books tells us. However, somehow it may let us
be proud to be an Indian descendant who had their forefathers wept on Imam
Husain (AS).
he saga of Karbala or the battle in Karbala may be referred by historians as just a battle
between the good and the evil or a political war
between Prophet’s family members and not-so-family
members. But for some of the believers it is a lot more
than that. The battle of Karbala for some believers is
the reason for their and their religion’s survival or the
greatest sacrifice or the most saddening event in the
history of mankind, or a saga that was foretold and
predicted by the Philosophers & Indian Gods
thousands of years ago. There is everything special and
worth pondering to each and every happening related to Karbala.
As a writer deeply says: “Imam Husain (AS) is of everybody”.
INDIA; a nation with the most prosperous
people and largest economy and business in the
ancient times and a nation with thousands of crores
of Gods were also somehow connected to what
happened in the Karbala. We find it strange to
believe what India had to do with the war in Karbala,
that too among the local Arabs?! A nation far from
each other ++,, miles was very well connected and is
still…
T
It is clearly found in Hindu manuscripts and religious compositions that
the Gods predicted the arrival of Imam Husain (AS) and his sacrifice for the
humanity. The various Hindu Gods and their incarnations had prophesied about
the events of Karbala. The Hindu Gods were very disturbed about the prophecy
of Karbala and had expressed their deepest grief. The Lord Shankar who came to
this world several thousands of years ago was fully aware of what was to
happen in Karbala.
Lord Shankar and his wife Parvati were touring the earth and Parvati found one place
very hot and so uncomfortable that she enquired about the place to the Lord Shankar. The Lord
replied in an emotional voice that after many generations, the sinners will slaughter the hungry
and thirsty grandson. Those sinners will be only lip service to their religion
and will not follow its tenets.
Lord Rama had many times told his disciples at regular intervals that
Gods will send their messengers from time to time and the “Ala” will be
greatest of them, he will be slaughtered and his Son will be weeped through
many ages.
Five thousand years before Jesus Christ, there was a holy sage by name Baharth. He was
great scholar of Hindu scriptures and lived in the mountains of Himalayas. He once made
prophecy about the imminent arrival of a great saint in the future as following.
"Let me convey to you about the imminent arrival of a great saint who would be dearest to God.
He would be the king of the kings and will show many wonders. He would be called Muhammad
and possess great spiritual powers and his deeds will truly be marvelous. After the king, a prince
will also be born at the biggest temple of the world. He will be known as the hand of God, will
reflect the divine qualities of God and will also be known as the father of earth. Like God has
many names, he will also have several names. One of his names will be 'Om'.
Om, if you write in Arabic and look wisely, you may found an ocean
of belief: These two alphabets in Arabic that spells “Om” can also be
initials of Ali-Mohammed.
When Pandavas and Kauravas came to the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna
prayed as: “Oh All-mighty, My Lord, Purest of the pure, Essence of the world, on the oath of your
greatness, on the oath of Aahli who will show the great miracle at the biggest temple next to
the black stone, Hear to my prayers, Destroy the truth and let the truth be victorious. Oh Lord,
Ala-Ala-Ala”
The biggest temple is Kaaba while the black stone is Hajar-e-Aswad. Repetition of Ala
thrice indicates the status as in the highest order as per Hindu beliefs.
In the Bhagwadgita, Krishna had foretold the event of the Imam's death at Karbala.
According to the book, the Kalanki Purana, the last of eighteen Puranas, as
well as the Atharva Veda, the fourth Veda, refer to Imam Hussain as the
divine incarnation or avatar of the KaliYug, the present age. They hold Imam
Ali, Imam Hussain's father, and son-in-law and cousin of the Prophet
Muhammad, in particular reverence, referring to him with the honorific title
of 'Om Murti'.
Guru Nanak had also told his followers at regular intervals that Ali (AS) is the Tiger of God.
And that the five radiating lights stay in his heart. And at one point of his life, he also named
those five lights to what we believe as “Panjatan”.
Gautam Buddha had told his minister in his early life that the “Lion of God” had come in
his dream and gave him teaching and helped him. Some of the extracts of “Alia” written by
Hakim Mahmood Galani are as following: “Gautam Buddha tells his friends and disciples that
some great soul has blessed him saying his prayers have been accepted. He should now pray
and his every wish will be granted. The great soul tells Buddha that his name is Alia. If u want to
meet me, my holy place is near to broken wall, where i will meet u in the shape of child, but that
time is still far away.”
In the said description, he had mentioned his name Alia, which in Ibrani language
indicates or stands for Ali (AS), and holy place near broken wall is Kaaba. The wall will break and I
will appear as child. During the birth of Ali (AS), the wall of Kabba was broken down / split open,
and the mother of Ali (AS) had fallen in, where Ali (AS) was born. He preached him that if you pray
me, than you will be granted every wish. Every follower of Ali (AS) knows the Ali (AS) helps every
one during need and distress. Further, Lord Buddha narrates his dream to his minister that
“Great being pulled out a shining sword and he said that I am the Lion” Everybody knows that
Ali (AS) is referred as Lion of God (Sher-e-Khuda).
It is very clear that some of the biggest Hindu Gods had foretold and sought help from
the Ali (AS) and his son Hussain (AS). The Hindu Gods had already prophesied the coming of Imam
Husain (AS) in Arabia. They used to remember him in their prayers. That is why they were all sad
about what was to happen in Karbala to their Lord’s son. The Lord helped them every time and
everywhere.
After the event of Karbala; many prominent leaders of the religions,
political figures and great personalities in India had talked of Imam Hussain (AS)
and Karbala as an inspiration at par in their lives including Mahatma Gandhi
who believes he learnt his whole life from the story of Karbala.
Famous writer Prem Chand’s book “Karbala” in Hindi language says
many new things about the connection of India with the battle of Karbala. At one point he says
that Indians have been moaning and remembering the martyrs of Karbala
from many centuries right after the event. Indian Hindus were aware of
what happened in Karbala at the time and were deeply sad for the
unfortunate happening. Some of the Hindus even started off rituals to
moan the departed souls and many such rituals are still practiced in some
parts of India till date. Some of the Indian Hindus also fought alongwith
Imam Husain (AS) in Karbala.
Imam Hussein (AS) and Rajput’s great writer Abdul Latif Shastri in his book 'Touhaftul'
writes that whereas there were not much Muslims openly in India and Azaan was not heard at
all, the rich Hindus made grand Imambaras and Tazias. On seeing the moon of Moharram, they
dressed in mourning clothes and gave up comforts and sleep; they read their Hindu holy books.
They mourned the death of Imam Hussein (AS) and on his martyrdom; they offered food and bit
of their wealth to poor. They respectfully bowed before the Tazias and later would bury them
respectfully. It is not the Muslims who started the moaning over Husain in India but Hindus
who did it. The new generations of Hindus might be keeping off their ancestors’ belief and
noble practice away but still in some parts of India such as in Andhra Pradesh; the Hindu
Lambadi community have their own genre of lamentation songs of Karbala. Among certain
Hindu castes in Rajasthan, the Karbala battle is recounted by staging plays in which the death of
Imam Hussain (AS) is enacted, after which the women of the village come out in a procession,
crying and cursing Yazid for his cruelty. In large parts of rural India, Hindus believe that if barren
women slip under a Moharram tazia they would be blessed with a child.
Perhaps the most intriguing case of Hindu veneration of Imam Hussain is to be found
among the small Hussaini Brahmin sect, also called Dutts or Mohiyals, who are found mainly in
Punjab. The Hussaini Brahmins have had a long martial tradition, which they trace back to the
event of Karbala. They believe that an ancestor named Rahab or Raahib traveled all the way
from Punjab to Arabia, where he became a disciple of Imam Hussain. In the battle of Karbala,
Raahib fought in the army of the Imam against Yazid. His sons, too, joined him, and most of
them were killed. The Imam, seeing Raahib’s love for him, bestowed upon him the title of
Sultan or king, and told him to go back to India. It is because from this close bond between
Raahib and Imam Hussain that the Hussaini Brahmins derive their name.
After Raahib and those of his sons who survived the battle of Karbala reached India,
they settled down in the western Punjab and gradually a community grew around them. The
Hussaini Brahmins practiced an intriguing blend of Islamic and Hindu traditions. A popular
saying refers to the Hussaini Brahmins or Dutts thus:
Wah Dutt Sultan,
Hindu ka Dharm
Musalman ka Iman,
Adha Hindu Adha Musalman
(Oh! Dutt, the king
[Who follows] the religion of the Hindu
And the faith of the Muslim
Half Hindu, half Muslim)
Another story is related as to how the Dutts of Punjab came to be known as Hussaini
Brahmins. According to this version, one of the wives of Imam Hussain, the Persian princess
Maulatena Shahr Banu, was the sister of Chandra Lekha (Mehr Banu) the wife of an Indian king
called Chandragupta from the Gupta Empire (Not the Chandragupta Maurya). When it became
clear that Yazid was adamant on killing the Imam, the Imam’s son Ali Zainul Abedin rushed off a
letter to Chandragupta asking him for help against Yazid. When Chandragupta received the
letter, he dispatched a large army (around 5000) to Iraq to assist the Imam under the leadership
of Bhurya Dutt (commander in chief of the army). By the time they reached, however, the Imam
had been slain. In the town of Kufa, in present-day Iraq, they stayed in a special part of the
town, which even today is known by the name of Dair-i-Hindiya (Al-Hindiya) or 'the Indian
quarter'.
Bhurya Dutt found very hard to face the King Chandragupta back in India so he stayed
back in Iraq alongwith with his few men and cry his incapability to reach Iraq faster to help the
martyred. Some say the army returned back to India after staying three days in Iraq under a
leadership of a newly appointed Commander by Bhurya Dutt. Bhurya Dutt later on joined the
Mukhtar Saqaffi clan to assist in dethroning Yazid. After that point no history of Bhurya Dutt is
found worthy.
While some historians have a different take on Rahab or Raahib that he was a Punjabi
Hindu Brahmin who travelled to Arabia in search of a true and noble religion. When he reached
Arabia he was told of Prophet Mohammed (AS) and his religion Islam, so he met him frequently
and stayed there in Arabia.
Another story also goes that the Indian Brahmins were staying in Arabia since The Great
Alexander’s time. Alexander had visited India and had taken back some of the brilliant Indians
back with him. Some of those people had stayed in Persia and Mesopotamia (Now Iran & Iraq).
So Indians might have lived in these areas since then. And Raahib was among those Indian
Brahmin descendants. When he had his children died one after other of infancy, he visited the
Prophet Mohammad (AS) for blessings but Prophet was notified by the angel Gabriel (Jibra’eel)
that the Raahib is out of fate to have any children and that the Prophet should not pray for him
to which Prophet Mohammed told him of the message from the God and that when the Raahib
was returning back sadly out of any luck, Imam Husain (AS) was very small at age and he was
seated next to Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Imam Husain (AS) in an enthusiastic tone declared that
the Raahib be given one Child. Prophet, Imam Husain’s grandfather tried to convince Imam
Husain (AS) that “Son, we should not say this. That’s all Allah’s wish that Raahib will not have any
child”, This time again Imam Husain (AS) declared the wish fulfillment of second son for Raahib
and he kept declaring till the count reached to seven.
And by the words of Imam Husain (AS), Allah gave the Raahib seven children. Raahib was
an ardent believer in Imam Husain (AS) as his all seven children were bestowed by Imam Husain
(AS).
Now here some say that Raahib alongwith his seven children had fought in the battle of
Karbala which is least likely to be true but the other story can be a bit towards truth that says
that Raahib had settled down somewhere between Iraq and Syria after Prophet Mohammed’s
demise. Due to the non-acceptance of a Hindu Brahmin in the region; Raahib rebranded himself
as a Christian and made a church and became a Religion person. He followed his religion
(Hinduism, Islam or Christianity) and raised his children.
After the battle of Karbala, when the army of Yazid alongwith the imprisoned family of
Imam Husain (AS) were heading towards Damascus in Syria which was headquarter of the evil
dynasty. Amidst the way; they used to stop for every night at any available safe
accommodation. One night they found a church worth staying and requested the care taker for
permission to let the army stay for a night in the church premises. The Caretaker (that was
Raahib) allowed them but was totally unaware of who the people were. The Yazid’s people
used to keep the heads of the martyrs in a wooden box at night that were raised on the bhaala
whole day. The heads were taken along as a proof to show the Yazid of the said victory. Later
that night, Raahib saw a shining light uprising from one wooden box towards sky. Raahib
immediately reported the Army commander off the fire in the camp to which the commander
says that happens every night. It’s the head of Husain (AS) that they had beheaded in the war.
As soon as the name of Imam Husain (AS) reached the ears of Raahib, his world came to a
standstill. He was speechless. That was the head of the Lord who bestowed him with children
despite the Almighty’s will. That was Imam Husain (AS).
Raahib somehow bribed the curators of the particular wooden box with some F0000 to
let him stay with the box for one night. That night Raahib cried as if he had no tomorrow. He
gave a gusool to the head and perfumed it with musk. He wept whole night until the morning.
Here some historians have a different track in the story that as the sun rose that
morning, the army officials demanded the box from the Raahib. Raahib no longer wanted to
give the head of his Lord to the chunks of hell. So he advised his all seven of his children to give
their heads drenched & soaked in blood as the Imam Husain (AS)’s head. The army rejected all
seven heads before they snatched away the Imam Husain (AS)’s head and warned him of such
misdoings further. The historians say, this way the Raahib gave his children’s sacrifice on Imam
Husain (AS).
After the army reached Damascus; they were imprisoned for days.
Meanwhile the King Chandragupta had died while the battle of Karbala was on and had
appointed his son Samudra Gupta as the successor. When the army
returned back to India, The King Samudra Gupta was so shocked to
hear of the sad event that he didn’t eat his food adequately for G0
days and had declared to raise black flags throughout his region in
remembrance of Imam Husain (AS).
The famous poet Kalidasa was among the courtiers in Samudra Gupta’s kingdom.
Kalidasa on seeing the moaning of the King on Imam Husain (AS) had composed a poem that
starts as: “AE HUSAIN, AAPKA AAGAAZ THA AAGOSHE RASUL, KYA HUA ANJAAM BAYAN
KAUN KARE!!! ...”
After few days the King came to know that his aunt (Maasi) Maulatena Shehre Banu, the
Queen of Imam Husain (AS) is imprisoned alongwith other
highnesses in Damascus under the Yazid rule. The King Samudra
Gupta got very angry and planned to invade the whole of Yazid’s
region. When the Yazid came to know of this; he feared of the
Indian army’s strength and he set all of the imprisoned free
including the royal highnesses and all Indians who were
imprisoned since years.
Those who were left alive with Raahib and who were set free from Yazid’s prisons all
went to India and settled in the northern India.
They called themselves Hussaini Brahmins; they followed Hindu religion and moaned
heavily on Imam Husain (AS). For centuries; they have been Hindu Brahmin followers who believe
that moaning on Imam Husain (AS) is an integral and most important part of their life. But sadly
they have been vanishing community. Younger generation Hussaini Brahmins are said to be
abandoning their ancestral heritage, some seeing it as embarrassingly deviant. No longer, it
seems, can an ambiguous, yet comfortable, liminality be sustained, fuzzy communal identities
giving way under the relentless pressure to conform to the logic of neatly demarcated 'Hindu'
and 'Muslim' communities. And so, these and scores of other religious communities that once
straddled the frontier between Hinduism and Islam seem destined for perdition, or else to
folkloric curiosities that tell of a bygone age, when it was truly possible to be both Hindu as well
as Muslim at the same time.
The Hussaini Brahmins also consider Imam Hussein (AS) as one of the incarnations. Shishir
Kumar Mishra in his book "Vision of India" has written that Hussaini Brahmins consider
themselves the descendants of Ashvathama, the son of Dronacharya, who had settled in Iraq.
We may find Hussaini Brahmins in Dutts and Mohiyals but they rarely speak of their
ancestors and their love for Imam Husain (AS). Some due to shame and some due to not
continuing the belief any more.
In an article published in the daily Dawn published by Intizar Hussain; he writes his
tough arranged meeting with a Hussaini Brahmin lady Nonica Dutt. She explained him how her
ancestor used to moan on Imam Husain (AS). Hussaini Brahmins used to give a moondan Rasam
to their newborn babies and then a mark of cut-throat on their throats that reminded them of
how their great ancestors sacrificed their heads on Imam Husain (AS).
As per Nonica, Raahib Sidh Dutt was the lone survivor in the battle and that he shifted
to Kufa for a while after the battle and met the royal family members amidst the way and then
shifted to India through Afghanistan. Raahib stayed with his countrymen and told them of the
greatness of Imam Husain (AS) and his sad martyrdom.
The actor Late Mr. Sunil Dutt, the father of beautiful Nargis and
Mr.J.P.Dutta are among the very few of the famous whom we know as Dutts
though many of them have mysteriously shifted to Germany and other
European nations.
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Among one of the followers & Moaners of Imam Husain (AS) in India is the Dawoodi Bohra
community. The community led by F,F year old leader His Holiness Dr.Syedna Mohammed
Burhanuddin Saheb (TUS) is around F.J million in numbers worldwide. They are officially based in
Surat & Mumbai and well spread in many parts of the World that includes USA, UK, UAE,
Kuwait, Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, Madagascar, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and
largely in India. A very-well organized religious and self-minding business community is the
perfect definition for this small community. You can easily make out a Bohra Muslim among
the crowd of thousands of others.
As per the belief within the community members; their forefathers some F,,, years ago
were Hindu Brahmins and were ethically with all due respect were converted into Islam under
the Bohra ideology. Since then they have been following Islam but they still have many of their
rituals pertaining to daily life similar to Brahmins.
Their dress, language, cuisine, masjids, centers and education level is all set by the
leader and monitored from time to time. They have been growing rapidly in terms of their
reach among the world citizens. They are respected a lot and have been loyal citizens of their
country and are accepted very well among the locals.
They dedicate their cultural growth and prosperity to Imam Husain (AS). They strongly
believe that if Imam Husain (AS) had not sacrificed for them; they would not exist. Every year
they start their New Year with moan and grief on Imam Husain (AS) by conducting K days
sermons ending on the day of Ashura when Imam Husain (AS) was martyred. Unlike other Shi’as
they don’t indulge in moaning through violent instruments like swords, blades and other sharp
objects. But they practice Matam and weep on Imam Husain (AS) extensively.
They also believe that their official complete white dress is also a sign of moaning on
Imam Husain (AS).
Their leader Dr.Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (TUS) has
a major role in the wide spread of the practice of Matam and
weeping of Imam Husain (AS) among the community members.
For years and years he has been encouraging his community to
remember Imam Husain (AS) in all times of happiness and grief.
The leader has also been a fine contributor to the shrines of
Imam Ali (AS) and Imam Husain (AS) in Najaf & Karbala by making whole Zareeh and other places
and visiting it frequently.
Among the mourners and the people in India who remember the great saga of Karbala,
Dawoodi Bohras have been the people who have kept it live with their non-violent and decent
practice in remembering in Imam Husain (AS). The community members have been visiting
Karbala & Najaf round the year from India and other parts of the world in large numbers.
F
As the saying goes, the evil always dies and the good always lives. It lives in
the hearts and minds of the era to come for centuries and centuries.
Imam Husain (AS) and his sacrifice shall be remembered & moaned for
centuries and centuries to come…
F
REFERENCES:
a. http://www.balawaristan.net/Documents/relationship-of-different-religions.html
b. A story on Lord Shankar in “Manusmriti”, a journal printed in 1989 in Kanpur, India.
c. Krishna: (Extract from 'Krishna Prayers' by Pundit Ramdhan, 1931).
d. “Alia” written by Hakim Mahmood Galani.
e. http://www.tamilbrahmins.com/general-discussions/6310-hussaini-brahmins.html.
f. Shirish Kumar Mishra (The Vision of India).
g. Yoginder Mishra for his “Hussaini Brahmins” article.
h. Intizar Hussain “Dawn”.
i. There were two emperors with name Chandragupta. One was Chandragupta from
the Maurya dynasty much before Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) who ruled whole of the
India while the other Chandragupta was from the Gupta dynasty that ruled in
northern India. The Chandragupta we are talking is from the Gupta dynasty.
j. ….. and ofcourse Google.
F
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