Address of the Leader on the Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Imam Ḥusayn (peace be upon him)

I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan.
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds. I bear witness that there is no deity but God, the Sovereign, the Manifest Truth, and I bear witness that our Master Muhammad—His servant and Messenger—is the Seal of the Prophets.
O God, send blessings and peace upon Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad, and grant them Your favor and grace, as You bestowed blessings upon Abraham and the family of Abraham. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy, Glorious. Be pleased, O God, with the chosen Companions and all Your righteous, striving servants.
Peace be upon the grandchild of the Messenger of God, the Master of the Martyrs, Imam Ḥusayn, and on his pure Household and loyal supporters.
May peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you, brothers and sisters, in every place.

We gather today to commemorate the supreme tragedy—the martyrdom of the Prophet’s grandson, Imam Ḥusayn (peace be upon him), together with his noble Household and faithful supporters, in Karbala in the year 61 AH.

Our observance of this solemn anniversary serves two paramount purposes:

1. Consolation of the Messenger of God: If he had been present when his grandson was slain, how keen would have been his grief and how immediate his comfort.

2. Recognition of Imam Ḥusayn’s station: He is the pure scion of the Prophet—his true extension in guidance, leadership, and moral example. The Prophet described him and his brother al-Ḥasan as “the masters of the youth of Paradise,” and said, “Ḥusayn is of me and I am of Ḥusayn; God loves those who love Ḥusayn, for he is a scion of the noble branches.” These and many other prophetic texts define for us who Ḥusayn was, his exalted rank before God, his role in Islam, and the radiant perfection of his faith—perfections that shone in his life and reached their pinnacle in his fateful uprising (peace be upon him), which struck at the heart of tyranny and paganism.

Imam Ḥusayn’s Universal Cause

Imam Ḥusayn (peace be upon him) championed the pure, unadulterated Islam—its truth as a life-giving path for humanity, rescuing them from every form of servitude to false deities and restoring them to servitude to God alone. He embodied the Quranic mission of spiritual purification (“and He will purify them” – Q 2:129, etc.), the moral elevation of the human soul, and the fierce opposition to injustice and arrogance (e.g. “O you who believe, stand firmly for justice…” – Q 4:135).

He lived the Quranic vision of a community charged with the sacred duty to enjoin good, forbid evil, and believe in God (Q 3:110). He upheld Islam’s mandate to build a society that could defend itself, protect the weak, and confront oppression—as God loves those who “fight in His cause in ranks, as though they were a solid structure” (Q 61:4) and as “Muhammad is the Messenger of God and those with him are harsh against the disbelievers but merciful among themselves” (Q 48:29).

The Umayyad Subversion and the Meaning of Karbala

Tragically, the Umayyad clique—a remnant of the pre-Islamic pagan order—usurped power, corrupted the faith’s message, and turned to deception and coercion. They twisted Islam into a tool of autocracy, stripping its rituals of their meaning and persecuting the Prophet’s family. Their final expression of tyranny was to elevate Yazīd to power—a man who openly denied revelation, nursed hatred for the Prophet’s lineage, and sanctioned every crime against God’s sanctities, even ordering the Kaba’s bombardment.

In the face of this moral abyss, Imam Ḥusayn (peace be upon him) declared that he would never accept humiliation:

“By God, there is no life for me in submission under the oppressor. Rather, I seek the pleasure of my Lord—even if I must face death. I do not see death except as happiness, nor life with the tyrants except wretchedness.”

His stand was the ultimate testament that truth must be acted upon, not merely spoken of, and that falsehood left unchallenged grows rampant. His sacrifice shattered the illusion that tyranny could ever allow Islamic principles to flourish, and his martyrdom ignited the conscience of the Ummah across the generations.

Lessons and a Call to Action

On this day, bound by the spirit of Imam Ḥusayn’s sacrifice, we affirm:

1. Our unwavering commitment to the Quranic path—to hold fast to God’s Book, to strive in His cause, to enjoin good and forbid evil.

2. Our steadfast solidarity with the oppressed—above all, with the Palestinian people, resisting the aggression of the U.S. and Zionist enemy.

3. Our courage in the face of trials—knowing that yielding to tyranny yields only disgrace, whereas sacrifice in God’s cause brings honor in this life and the next.

Despite the might of the oppressors and the challenges before us, we draw strength from God’s promise:

“God has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness and a great reward.” (Q 48:10)

We stand today with the faithful resistance in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, and across the Islamic world—especially with our fellow believers here in Yemen, whose million-strong demonstrations embody the living legacy of Karbala’s spirit.

Closing Supplication

O God, bless our martyrs, heal our wounded, free our captives, and grant victory to the oppressed Palestinian people. May You guide us to remain true to the path of Imam Ḥusayn (peace be upon him), the straight way of the Quran and the prophetic example of Muḥammad (peace and blessings upon him and his Household).

Peace be upon Ḥusayn, the grandchild of the Messenger of God,
and upon his pure Family and loyal Companions.
Peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.
May God guard you, reward you for this gathering, and bless you.