by Jerrmein Abu Shahba
How can your heart be happy
if it does not contain love of the Seal of Prophets and his progeny?
How can your body feel pleasure
If it does not work for the pleasure of the purified Family?
How can your soul relax and rest
If not after Raja’h and vengeance?
How can your spirit excel
If it does not breath on the love of the Chosen ones?
How can your eye see
If it does not envision the miracles of the Blessed Tree?
How can your ear listen
If not to hear the virtues of the Infallibles?
How can your brain function
If it does not think through the mind-frame of the Imams?
How can your blood run through veins
If it does not flow by the love of the Chosen ones?
How can your pen write
If it does not etch words in praise of AhlulBayt?
How can your tongue speak
If it does not spread the knowledge of Ahlul Dhikr
How can you appreciate Mohammad
If not through Fatima and her purified progeny?
How can your hand strike
If it is not in defense of Ali ibn Abi Taleb and his sons?
How can you witness a bloody beard
Without remembering Imam Ali who was struck to death at dawn?
How can you drink a cup of milk
Without remembering that which the orphans offered to Ali as his last drink?
How can a woman experience miscarriage
Without remembering Fatima’s plight and suffering?
How can you suffer a broken rib,
Without feeling the pain of Fatima’s rib?
How can you pass by a graveyard
Without wondering the whereabouts of her hidden grave?
How can a person compare the she-camel of Saleh and its siblings
With Hasan and Husain who belong to Fatima?
How can you experience an upset stomach and throw up
Without remembering Imam Hasan and his stomach which came out?
How can you see the color green
Without remembering Hasan who got poisoned?
How can you see the color red
Without remembering Husain who had no deathbed?
How can a person wear black
And commemorate someone other than Husain?
How can your blood not boil
Over the tragedy of Husain and his family?
How can a person eat and drink
Knowing well that Husain was killed hungry and thirsty?
How can you see someone being abused and tortured,
Without remembering the whip which struck Lady Zainab and the little ones?
How can a woman suckle an infant child
Without remembering Abdullah who didn’t have milk to survive?
How can a father enjoy the company of his daughter
When Husain had no choice but to part from Sakeena?
How can you travel and say goodbye
Without remembering Fatima Sughra’s bitter farewell to her father?
How can you witness a severed head
Without crying over the blessed head of Husain?
How can you vision an arrow
Without remembering that which struck Abdullah’s heart?
How can you be handcuffed and chained
Without remembering the chains which confined Al Sajjad with pain?
How can you see a woman be violated
Without remembering the violation committed against Fatima and Zainab?
How can you become confined in prison
Without remembering the imprisonment of Al Sajjad and his family in the dungeons of Yazid’s chambers?
How can you see a tall building
Without remembering the building in which Muslim ibn Aqeel was thrown from?
How can you see someone being dragged on the floor
Without remembering Hani Ibn Urwa and Muslim who were dragged on the streets of Kufa?
How can you enjoy a plate or a dish
Without remembering that upon which Husain’s blessed head lay?
How can you see someone play a game of chess
Without remembering the mockery that transpired in Yazeed’s court?
How can you witness any bloodshed or even blooddrop
Without remembering the massacre of Karbala?
How can you witness arms without hands
Without remembering the hands of Abbas which were severed?
How can you bend down to tie your shoes
Without remembering the blow on Qasim as he bent down to fix his footwear?
How can you see a horse with a tilted saddle
Without remembering bloody Dhul-Jannah as he returned back to the tent…without Husain?
How can you write a will
Without incorporating Husain in it just like Muslim ibn Awsaja did?
How can you look at the tents in Mina when you go for Hajj
Without remembering the tents that were set on fire in Karbala?
How can a woman put on her Hijab before leaving home
Without remembering that which was snatched from Zainab and the ladies?
How can you prostrate on earth
If it is not on that which is part of Karbala?
How can a girl put on an earring
Without remembering that which was yanked from little Sakina?
How can you suffer from walking barefoot
Without remembering Husain’s orphans whose feet burned from the heat of the desert?
How can you see a helpless man
Without remembering Husain who was alone…without any help?
How can you see a clan supporting its noble member
Without remembering Husain whose body was not even respected as Hur?
How can you turn your life around in a split second and wake up
To save your self and enter Paradise like Hur did?
How can you make such a bad decision
And seek temporary pleasure of this life like Amr ibn Sa3d did?
How can you drink water or cold drink
Without remembering Husain who died from thirst
How can you quench your thirst
Knowing well that your companion next to you is without any drink?
How can a person have all that patience
Patience…Whose father is Husain and mother is none other than Lady Zainab?
How can tears ever express the endless sorrow over Husain and his massacre?
How can one ever cease to mourn over Husain
Till the day of Judgment is born?
How can you live in Paradise
If the remembrance of Husain does not continue to ring there forever?
How can you commemorate a 40ieth day
Without remembering the Arbaeen of Husain?
How can you ever laugh or smile
When remembering Fatima’s sorrow over her son who was atrociously murdered?
How can you describe the relationship between a brother and his sister
Without taking example in Husain and Zainab?
How can you see a man respect his brother
Without remembering Abbas’s submission to the son of his father?
How can you benefit from Islam
Without understanding the tragedy of Husain and his mission?
How can a person kill the Prophets grandson
And still think that he will drink from the pool of Kauther?
How can you drink from the pool of Kauther
Without remembering the thirst of Husain and cursing his killers?
How can you compare the sacrifice of Ismael by his father Ibraheem
Which was replaced by that of Ali Akbar and his father Husain?
How can an animal be sent to a butcher
Without remembering Husain and his sorrowful slaughter?
How can you enter an orphanage or foster home
Without remembering the children of Imam Husain?
How can you ever forgive or belittle
What happened in Karbala?
How can Alzheimer’s disease make a person forget Imam Husain?
How can you feel the heat of sun
Without remembering that which struck Husain’s body on the plains of Karbala?
How can you depart this life
Without performing Ziyarah to Husain in Karbala?
How can you worry about safety or security
When it comes to paying respects to the Master of Martyrs?
How can you visit Karbala
And not see Heaven and Paradise in this sacred land?
How can you ever experience any suffering or pain
Without remembering the tragedy of Imam Husain?
How can you offer a sacrifice
Without remembering Husain who is the Peak of Sacrifice?
Did you ever see the Peak of Sacrifice…offer the most of sacrifice…like Husain did?!
How could the sun shine during day
After what happened at Dhuhr time of Ashura?
How could day become night
Without us remembering the gloomy night post Ashura
When the tents were burned and the blaze was out?
How can you cry over Husain yet be considered insane?
How can life exist without Husain?
How can a person like Husain not exist?
How can Husain exist without his tragedy?
How can his tragedy exist without mourning?
How can mourning exist without tears and lamenting?
How can tears exist if not for the sake of Husain?
How can you hear the word ‘Husain’ and not cry over his name?
How can mourning over his massacre not revive Islam?
How can Islam grow without Husain?
How can Islam be defined if not through Husain?
How can Jihad exist if not on the path of Husain?
How can you follow Islam without following Husain?
And how can you follow Husain without following Islam?
How can you please the Holy Prophet without pleasing Husain?
How can you appreciate life if not through Husain?
How can you enter Paradise if not with Husain?
How can Paradise be Heaven without having the presence of Husain?
How can you enter Hell while bearing the love of Husain in your heart?
How can religion become complete if not through Husain?
How can faith become strong if not by the love of Husain?
How can good behavior exist without taking example from Husain?
How can the letters of the word Husain exist if not to bear the name Husain?
How can the vowels of the word Husain be created if not for the sake of the name Husain?
How can Husain be Husain…if not through Husain?!
How could I still keep asking how
When the thoughts and questions keep going on and on?
Dear Lovers of Imam Husain, I’ve asked you many questions now
And this prompts you to question me as well and ask…
How could anyone fully describe Husain in any language, prose, or poem?
How could pens truly depict the details of what happened in Karbala?
How could words ever express the extent of the suffering in Karbala?
How could the tongue ever narrate what really took place in Karbala?
How could the eye witness all what happened in Karbala?
How could the mind even begin to imagine what transpired in Karbala?
How could imagination dare to draw a picture of the tragedy of Karbala?
How could ears actually listen to the heartbreaking story of Karbala?
Do we actually think that All the stories we hear about Karbala
Really encompasses the Whole calamity of Naynawa?
Well, my answer to that is this…
If we were to exaggerate and blow up the events of Karbala trillions and zillions of times…
And add all the spice and sugar to arouse the tears and move the heart…
We would NEVER come close to the Reality of Karbala!
We would NOT even touch upon the surface of its Calamity!
For if we did witness the extent and degree of what happened on that dreadful day
We would not be mourning only during Muharram and Safar!
Our tears would not just flow but rather run endlessly!
Tears of blood that spurts out continuously!!!
