The Battle of Karbala stands as a timeless symbol of faith, moral integrity, and resistance against oppression. Karbala is not just a historical event but a continuous source of inspiration for upholding faith and justice.

Imam Hussain (a) once said: "We are the family of the Prophet, the source of the message, the place where angels frequent. Through us, Allah began and through us, He concluded. Yazid is a depraved man, a drinker of alcohol, a murderer of the sanctified soul, openly sinful, and someone like me does not pledge allegiance to someone like him. But let us wait until morning. We shall see and you shall see who is more deserving of allegiance and the caliphate" [Al-‘awalim, Sheikh Abdullah al-Bahrani, p. 174].

This statement from Imam Hussain (a) paints a clear image of the nature of the event of Karbala. His words highlight what he represents and what the enemy stands for. On one side, there is the association with the holy Prophet (s), the noble Qur’an, the angels, and divine selection. On the other side, there is depravation, alcoholism, murder, and sin.

He also said: "I did not rise up out of eagerness [to rule] or arrogance, nor to cause corruption or oppression. Rather, I rose up to seek reform in the nation of my grandfather (s). I want to enjoin good and forbid evil and follow the way of my grandfather and my father" [Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 44, p. 329].

This clarifies that he, representing faith, rose against Yazid, who represents evil. Hence, the theme of Ashura 1446, "Karbala: A Battle of Faith."
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How Do We ‘Battle’?
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Imam Jaafar al-Sadiq (a) says: “Faith is guidance; it is what is firmly established in the hearts and what is manifested through actions. It is a degree higher than Islam” [Al-Kafi, Sheikh Al-Kulayni, p. 25]. This principle is also emphasized in the holy Qur’an, in Surat al-Hujurat: {The a'raab say, ‘We have faith.’ Say, You have not believed yet; rather say, ‘We have embraced Islam,’ for faith has not yet entered into your hearts}.

Karbala was a battle of Islam—a preservation of it—but even more so a battle of faith, a battle against a religion of beliefs without guidance, without heart-established certainties, and without action. It was about the essence of Islam. The path of the holy Qur’an explicitly reminds us in numerous verses—such as in Surat al-‘Asr: {except for those who have faith and do righteous deeds}—that faith is never dissociated from action, no matter the circumstances and no matter the hardships. Therefore, we must acquire knowledge in religion, establish what we learn as certainties that govern our every thought, and translate these beliefs into all our actions. This leads to a hesitant-free life, knowing that we tread the path of God Almighty.

It is pivotal that we protect the Islamic identity from distortion and falsification in light of the soft war that works to generalize the culture of consumption and nurture appearance at the expense of essence. This soft war not only seeks control, plunder, and domination over our resources and societies but also aims to empty souls of their feelings and humanity, turning humans into consuming animals whose emotions, tastes, and choices are controlled.
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Karbala: A Place of Actions
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Karbala is a place of actions. It displays Imam Hussain’s (a) refusal for the Islamic identity to be tainted with the cultures and behaviors of the disbelievers. It presents the adherence to God’s commands in the companions’ rushing to prayer despite the war and bloodshed. It shows supplication and seeking refuge in God Almighty in the most difficult circumstances. It demonstrates the clinging to the proper hijab in all its details, even in the event’s dark aftermath. It exhibits siding with the truth over falsehood even if it costs a thousand spears.

Truth & Falsehood Are Timeless
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Karbala must never be seen as a mere historical event. We commemorate it every year but also live its lessons. The struggle against evil continues to trigger an awareness of free choices that elevate us to confront oppressors, corrupt individuals, and occupiers. By doing so, every land becomes an instance of Karbala, every day an instance of Ashura, and every month an instance of Muharram. For such a Karbala to remain, we must reclaim our usurped selves and return to the origin of monotheistic belief that neither deviant policies exploit nor do movements of distortion and excommunication manipulate. An understanding of such a Karbala makes us more capable of confronting phenomena of ignorance and stagnation and allows us to develop our relationship with God from its rigid ritualistic framework—prayer, fasting, and charity—to a culture and renaissance with goals and purposes on the intellectual, social, political, and economic scales.
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The Karbala of history is headlined with the “victory of blood over the sword,” the natural and inevitable outcome the noble Qur’an teaches for those who are patient: {Allah will surely help those who stand up for Him. Indeed, Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty}. The Karbala of today is no different. This understanding of Karbala—what we learn from our grand scholars—forms in our consciousness that Imam Hussain (a) is not the slain who needs mourning but the martyr who needs supporters. Our mourning should distinguish us as we confront injustice and oppression, rather than serving the arrogant tyrants of the world and their networks, and remaining heedful toward the Islamic ummah and its struggles.

To the companions of Imam Hussain (a), Karbala was ultimately a chance. With the Imam of our time, Imam Mahdi (aj), it is no different—only it is the final chance for us.