Imam Husayn (A) Arriving in Karbala - Today In Muharram Day 2

Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim. On such a day, on the second of Muharram, which was a Thursday in the year 61 after Hijrah, Imam Husayn 'alayhi as-salam, arrived to the land of Karbala. Imam Husayn had received thousands of letters from the people of Kufa requesting, pleading him, to join them and lead the people's uprising against the tyrannical Umayyad governments. Imam Husayn had already left Medina and Mecca, heading towards Kufa when he received the sad news of the betrayal and the martyrdom of his cousin and his delegate Muslim Ibn Aqeel 'alayhi as-salam, he still continued on his journey to Iraq.

On his way with his companions and family members, he was stopped by one of Ubaidullah ibn Ziyad's commanders. His name was Hurr ibn Yazid Al Riyahi and under him were 1000 soldiers. Hurr was given the command that he must not allow Imam Husayn to enter into Kufa and must stop him then and there in the open barren desert. As we know, Hurr was captivated by the akhlaq and kindness of Imam Husayn and was soon to join Aba Abdillah's camp and be martyred alongside him.

Imam Husayn asked 'What was this area? What was this land? What was this place called? And they said to him 'Karbala.' He then said Allahumma inni 'A'udhubika min al-karbi wa al-bala.' It was on this day that he said his famous statements - 'This is the place of anguish and calamity. This is the destination of our caravan and where we will stay. This is where our men will be killed. Here is where our blood will be spilled.'

This journey from Mecca Al-Mukarrama all the way to the land of Karbala took Imam Husayn around about 24 to 25 days. Now I'd like to ask this following question. Such an event of Karbala was a really big incident, it really shook the whole Muslim Ummah. But why is it that only the Shia remember Imam Husayn's tragedy? Why is it that only the Shia remember this saga, these events? Why don't our Sunni brethren at least remember these events?

Okay, we understand that they don't believe in the concept of mourning the way we do. But why not just remember the grandson of your own Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam? This is really sad.

You know, in most places where they mention the historic events that took place in the month of Muharram, there's no mentioning of the tragedy of Karbala at all. Nothing. This is a genuine question. And hopefully one day we will all be able to unite in remembering the tragedy of Ashura. Wa al-Hamdulillah Rabb Al-'Aalameen.