Lessons of Ashura from AnsarAllah Founder Martyr Hussain al-Houthi

This is the third part in a series written anonymously by a Lebanese academic on the worldview of AnsarAllah founder Martyr Hussain Badr al-Din al-Houthi (ra). (Part 1, Part 2)

On such revolutionary days, especially on the tenth day of Muharram, we recall from the Ashura Uprising how the deviation of the Islamic nation and its disregard for the Holy Qur’an led to tyrants consolidating their fates.

This deviation led them to target the honorable progeny of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him); to deny the explicit principle of Mawada (meaning affection in Arabic – mawada appears in the Holy Qur’an specifically referring to the Ahlul Bayt, the Prophet’s kin – this word specifically means an affection that is demonstrated through action); and, before that, to shamefully disregard the guardianship of Imam Ali (as).

For decades, all Muslim lands have been the like of Karbala, and every oppressed martyr was a supporter of Imam Hussain (as); Martyr Sayyed Hussain Badr al-Din al-Houthi (ra) describes the Ashura Uprising as the final criterion between truth and falsehood, given the ignorance of Islam and moral decadence some have reached.

The late founder of the AnsarAllah movement says: “We draw lessons from Karbala, and whoever does not do so is worse than those who went out to fight Imam Hussain (as). If those people—due to their negligence—prepared the ground for Yazid to take control of their affairs, then you now—due to your negligence—are preparing the ground for the US and ‘Israel’ to subjugate you!”

His Eminence wonders, “Aren’t the Jews worse than Yazid? Those who exploit the Islamic arena to be ruled by the US and ‘Israel,’ those who exploit the Islamic arena to be ruled by the culture of the cursed Jews and ‘Christians’ instead of the Qur’anic culture are worse than those who brandished their swords in the face of Imam Hussain (as).” 

As he highlights verse 55 of Surat Al-Baqarah in which the disobedient and stubborn Children of Israel say to Moses (as) “We will never believe in you [Moses] until we see God with our own eyes,” Martyr Sayyed Hussain Badr al-Din al-Houthi (ra) laments that some Muslims have thus followed the example of the Children of Israel when they abandoned Imam Ali (as).

He adds, “Imam Ali (as) addressed those treacherous: ‘If a Muslim were to die of grief after this [an event involving an injustice committed against an old Christian or Jewish lady by a Muslim under the Islamic state], he would not be blamed for it; in fact, he would be deserving of it in my eyes. How strange, by God! It kills the heart and brings about anxiety when these people unite in their falsehood, while you are divided in your truth. Shame on you and woe to you when you have become a target for attack, when you are attacked, yet you do not act.’”

Martyr Sayyed Hussain Badr al-Din al-Houthi (ra) continues by underscoring that the Umayyad state’s dominance and its ability to forge a nation other than the one the Prophet Muhammad intended was due to the cowardice, lack of faith, and weak awareness of the Muslims.

The late founder of the AnsarAllah movement asks: “Why, when Imam Hassan (as) moved to perpetuate the line of his father, Imam Ali (as), did he end up standing defeated and taking whatever possible measures to preserve the Islamic community? Why did Imam Hussain’s uprising end in his being slaughtered in Karbala? The reason is clear: the inaction of those who claim to be believers, jihadists, and Shi’as.”

Then, his Eminence (ra) describes this inaction as a negative and extremely dangerous phenomenon that empowers the criminals of falsehood: “It is absolutely not permissible, brothers, for us to remain so limited in our awareness, given the significant history of events before us.”

He reiterates, “I repeat this because it is a condition we see in everyone, and because it is an ongoing situation. Notice how we accept the flimsy justifications—false and illogical—issued by the Americans, the Jews, and their agents to convince ourselves and remain silent, instead of taking a stand against this enemy that is abusing our sons, mothers, and brothers in Palestine, and that is attacking their homes, farms, mosques, and hospitals.”

Martyr Sayyed Hussain Badr al-Din al-Houthi (as) also condemns the American atrocities in Afghanistan, Kashmir, and other countries, calling on those who believe in the school of Imam Hussain (as) to “do everything in their power to stop it and to cut off that hand that is meddling in the Islamic lands, in Palestine and elsewhere.”

At the very least, his Eminence suggests that demonstrations be held in condemnation: “Let the people demonstrate; even just demonstrating is fine, especially when it sends a bold message to the Jews and ‘Christians’ that these Muslims are at least angry! Consequently, they will fear our anger, especially when they see our anger growing into a rock that shakes their thrones. They will fear our anger when we shout: ‘Death to America, Death to “Israel,” Curse upon the Jews, Victory to Islam.’”

Martyr Sayyed Hussain Badr al-Din al-Houthi (ra) further emphasizes the importance of all revolutionary slogans that foster discontent within the nation, gradually pushing it toward taking an honorable stance that lifts the siege on the Palestinians and other oppressed peoples who are persecuted by the U.S., ‘Israel,’ and their vicious allies.

His Eminence, the late founder of the AnsarAllah movement, calks on all young people to train with weapons to fight those who seek to spread corruption on earth. 

Martyr Sayyed Hussain Badr al-Din al-Houthi (ra) ask, “Didn’t Allah in the Qur’an say about the Jews and Christians that they spread corruption on earth? Where does corruption come from? Where does terrorism come from? Where does crime come from? Isn’t its source moral corruption, cultural corruption, ideological corruption, and economic corruption among these people? And if corruption spreads, what will happen? Who can convince us that the spread of corruption will lead to security stability?!”

He calls for a deeper reflection on the rampant culture of crimes in the US: “How many rapes—according to their Western terminologies—, robberies, and murders occur per minute, in the US itself? In the US itself, store owners need security guards with machine guns to protect their premises from potential robbers.” 

Martyr Sayyed Hussain Badr al-Din al-Houthi (ra) continues: “The American society is a society full of crime, full of terrorism, full of corruption, full of looting. You cannot move in an American city with a few dollars in your pocket; they might kill you… Is this the stability that the US preaches?”

The late founder of the AnsarAllah movement points out that those who are causing the Islamic societies to lose their security are those whom Allah said about them that they strive to spread corruption on earth, who want us to go astray, who want every one of us to lose his security, even within his own home.

His Eminence addresses the state of Yemen during that era (following the false flag attack of 11 September 2001) and the complete obedience of the regime of ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh to the US embassy: “The Yemeni army, which always claims that it is working to preserve the security, freedom, independence, and safety of the nation, we see it not moving to preserve the security of the Jews and Christians in Yemen in the face of demonstrators who have taken to supporting Muslims. They are shooting people in the head.  So-and-so is killed, so-and-so is wounded… Isn’t this terrorism?”

Martyr Sayyed Hussain Badr al-Din al-Houthi (as) details how the former regime mobilized its entire force to protect the freedom of a Jewish journalist who toured Yemen: “If one of our Ulema (scholars) moved, would he be protected by a single soldier? If a hail of bullets fell randomly over people’s heads, would they hear the screams of the people?”

This is how Sayyed Hussain bin Badr al-Din al-Houthi (ra) described the reality of those who fail to uphold the truth. He diagnosed the circumstances of the Ashura Uprising, highlighting the importance of examining the reasons that led to the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (ra) by a sword attributed to Islam.

Martyr Sayyed Hussain Badr al-Din al-Houthi (as) emphasized that if we do not return to the causes of the original deviation, the Islamic nation will continue to experience the same tragedy of Karbala in every era.

The late founder of the AnsarAllah movement says: “If we do not set out to confront falsehood in this era, we will find ourselves being led as American soldiers into the fields of falsehood in the face of truth.”

As we recall the words of martyr Sayyed Hussain Badr al-Din al-Houthi (ra), we wonder: Where do Muslims stand today? Are they in the camp of Imam Ali and Imam Hussain (as), or in the camp of Muawiyah, Yazid, and the rest of the tyrants?!