The epoch of Karbala was a clash between two philosophies: Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri

While addressing ‘Shahadat e Imam-e-Husayn (alayhi as-salām) Conference” held at the central secretariat of MQI on Saturday evening, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that the epoch of Karbala is basically a clash of two philosophies. He said that while the one segment holds that power is truth and it should be supported, the other is of the view that truth is power that should be wholly embraced. He said that considering power as right is ‘Yazidiyat’ whereas truth as power is ‘Hussainiyat’. He said that the epoch of Karbala was a fight between humanity and barbarism, honesty and corruption, justice and oppression, loyalty and faithlessness and equality and dictatorship. He said that Yazid laid the foundation of a system of government marked by oppression, coercion, dictatorship, corruption and absolute sway on power, adding that Hazrat Imam-e-Husayn (alayhi as-salām) raised the banner of truth against this system of cruelty and oppression.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, while addressing the conference said that Yazid founded the culture of moral, political and financial corruption. Under political corruption, Khilafat was disrespected when it was changed into a dictatorship. Yazid spent the state resources to finance his luxurious life style and his extravagant style of governance as part of financial corruption, whereas religious values and traditions were violated under moral corruption. The whole state was used as an instrument to fulfill his greed and lust. Yazid did away with the system of justice and accountability, and the principles and commandments of religion through state oppression and protected every kind of corruption through the might of the state.

Dr Qadri said that three kinds of classes of people came into being under Yazid’s system of oppression and exploitation. One segment obeyed and supported the Yazidi system in order to protect and perpetuate its vested interests; the second class was that of common people who chose the path of silence and expediency because they were very weak people. This section of people neither supported Yazidi system of oppression nor came out against it. The third segment was represented by Hazrat Imam-e-Husayn (alayhi as-salām) that took on barbarism, cruelty and corruption of Yazid; it revived the prophetic practice and the manner of life and values espoused by the rightly guided caliphs.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that despite passage of 1400 years, these two philosophies and three classes are there among whom the struggle and clash continues even today. He said that ‘Hussainiyat’ is to consider truth as power whereas philosophy of Yazid is defined by power as a truth and ultimate reality. He said that in order to determine as to what philosophy one adheres to, one should keep the history of Karbala as a reference point, adding that it will help distinguish between right and wrong.