This great Imam presented a movement to the entire humanity which was peerless and unprecedented throughout history and which will never be forgotten. This movement is a model.

He showed self-sacrifice on such a large and grand scale for the sake of achieving the divine goal. This self-sacrifice means laying down one’s life and the lives of one’s most dear, the captivity of the family of the Holy Prophet’s household (a.s.) under terrible and disastrous circumstances and enduring this difficult event so that Islam would be preserved and so that fighting against oppression would remain a principle in the history of Islam and humanity. This is an event which will be peerless forever.

Many people were martyred in the way of God and alongside the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.), the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) and divine prophets. But none of these events is comparable to the event of Karbala. There is a difference between a person who enters the arena with the praise and encouragement of friends and companions and with a hope of victory and who is martyred in such conditions – of course, such martyrdom will bring great rewards for him – and a person who enters the arena in a dark and gloomy world while not only do all the great personalities of the world of Islam refuse to accompany him, but they also blame him for engaging in battle. The latter enters the arena while there is no hope of assistance from anyone and while people like Abdullah ibn Abbas and Abdullah ibn Ja’far try to prevent him from fighting. He enters the arena with a few sincere friends and with his family – including his wife, his sister, his nieces and nephews, his six-month-old son and a few young members of his family – while his friends and supporters in Kufa refuse to accompany him. This is a strange event. It is a glorious panorama in history which has been presented to the entire humanity. Imam Hussain (a.s.) prepared himself for such a day.

Of course, the entire 50-plus-year life of Hussain ibn Ali (a.s.) is a lesson. His childhood is a lesson, his youth is a lesson, his behavior during his imamate is a lesson and his behavior after the martyrdom of Imam Hassan (a.s.) is a lesson. It was not the case that Imam Hussain’s (a.s.) responsibility was confined to the last day. However, the event of Karbala enjoys such greatness and brightness that like a sun, it overshadows all the other lights.