Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) in the Eyes of Non-Muslims
| “And say not of those who are killed in the Way of Allah, “They are dead.” Nay, they are living, but you perceive (it) not.” (Holy Quran 2: 154) |
Introduction
Such is the greatness of Hazrat Imam Hussein (RA), highly revered, honored and remembered with grief and sorrow for his great sacrifice for the Muslim Ummah, that even non-Muslims are overawed by his bravery, commitment to the cause and a sacrifice unheard of in the annals of history. Following are list of sayings of famous non-Muslims on this valiant hero of Islam.
Also read about the great lessons of this great sacrifice of Imam Hussain RA:
Mahatma Gandhi (Indian political and spiritual leader):
“I learned from Hussein (RA) how to achieve victory while being oppressed.”
“My faith is that the progress of Islam does not depend on the use of sword by its believers, but the result of the supreme sacrifice of Hussain (RA), the great saint.”
“I have looked into the biography of Imam Al-Hussein, the great martyr of Islam, and I have scrutinized the tragedy of Karbala and reached the conclusion that if India wishes to achieve victory, it has to model after Al-Hussein.”
Thomas Carlyle (Scottish historian and essayist):
“The best lesson which we get from the tragedy of Karbala is that Husain (RA) and his companions were rigid believers in God. They illustrated that the numerical superiority does not count when it comes to the truth and the falsehood. The victory of Husain, despite his minority, marvels me!”
Nelson Mandela: (South African Leader)
“I have spent more than 20 years in prison, then on one night I decided to surrender by signing all the terms and conditions of government. But suddenly I thought about Imam Hussain and Karbala movement and Imam Hussain gave me strenght to stand for right of freedom and liberation and I did.”
Edward Gibbon (English historian and member of parliament):
“In a distant age and climate, the tragic scene of the death of Hosein will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader.” (The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, London,
1911, volume 5, p. 391-392)
Charles Dickens (English novelist):
“If Husain had fought to quench his worldly desires…then I do not understand why his sister, wife, and children accompanied him. It stands to reason therefore, that he sacrificed purely for Islam.”
Antoine Bara (Lebanese writer):
“No battle in the modern and past history of mankind has earned more sympathy and admiration as well as provided more lessons than the martyrdom of Husayn in the battle of Karbala.” (Husayn in Christian Ideology)
Dr. K. Sheldrake:
“Of that gallant band, male and female knew that the enemy forces around were implacable, and were not only ready to fight, but to kill. Denied even water for the children, they remained parched under the burning sun and scorching sands, yet not one faltered for a moment. Husain marched with his little company, not to glory, not to power of wealth, but to a supreme sacrifice, and every member bravely faced the greatest odds without flinching.”
Ignaz Goldziher (Hungarian orientalist):
“…Weeping and lamentation over the evils and persecutions suffered by the family of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), and mourning for its martyrs: these are things from which loyal supporters of the cause cannot cease. ‘More touching than the tears of the Shi’as’ has even become an Arabic proverb.” (Introduction to Islamic Theology and Law, Princeton, 1981, p.179)
Edward G. Brown (Professor at the University of Cambridge):
“…a reminder of that blood-stained field of Karbala, where the grandson of the Apostle of God fell, at length, tortured by thirst, and surround by the bodies of his murdered kinsmen, has been at anytime since then, sufficient to evoke, even in the most lukewarm and the heedless, the deepest emotion, the most frantic grief, and an exaltation of spirit before which pain, danger, and death shrink to unconsidered trifles.” (A Literary History of Persia, London, 1919, p.227)
Sir William Muir (Scottish orientalist):
“The tragedy of Karbala decided not only the fate of the Caliphate, but also of Mohammadan kingdoms long after the Caliphate had waned and disappeared.” (Annals of the Early Caliphate, London, 1883, p.441-442)
Dr. Radha Krishnan (President of India 1962-67)
“Though Imam Hussain gave his life years ago, but his indestructible soul rules the hearts of people even today.”
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
“Imam Hussain’s (RA) sacrifice is for all groups and communities, an example of the path of righteousness.”
Reynold Alleyne Nicholson
“Hussain (RA) fell, pierced by an arrow, and his brave followers were cut down beside him to the last man. Muhammadan tradition, which with rare exceptions is uniformly hostile to the Umayyad dynasty, regards Hussain (RA) as a martyr and Yazid as his murderer.” [A Literary History of the Arabs, Cambridge, 1930, p197]
Rabindranathore
“In order to keep alive justice and truth, instead of an army or weapons, success can be achieved by sacrificing lives, exactly what Imam Hussain (RA) did”
Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1st President of India)
“The sacrifice of Imam Hussain (RA) is not limited to one country, or nation, but it is the hereditary state of the brotherhood of all mankind.”
Victor Hugo:
“The principles of Hussains’ revolution became an approach to every rebel who wanted to take his rights from his oppressors.”
Koiana (Japanese author)
“The revolution of Imam Hussain enlightened the path of salvation to the oppressed, firmed their attitudes, pulled them out of misguidance, and cleared to their minds routs of justice.”
Ogera (Russian thinker):
“Hussain became a model was emulated by every oppressed nations, which suffered from abuse and inequality of the rulers who built their shaky thrones on the skulls of the oppressed. Which made their descendants to continue their insurrection until they were able to topple this platoon who made them to suffer severely.”
Dr. Radha Krishnan
“Though Imam Hussain (RA) gave his life almost 1300 years ago, but his indestructible soul rules the hearts of people even today.”
Swami Shankaracharya
“It is Hussain’s (RA) sacrifice that has kept Islam alive or else in this world there would be no one left to take Islam’s name.”
Mrs. Sarojini Naidu
“I congratulate Muslims that from among them, Hussain (RA), a great human being was born, who is revered and honored totally by all communities
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