Fourteen hundred years ago Imam Hussain a.s., the grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was martyred along with his family and companions by the soldiers of Yazid, son of Muawiyah, son of Aby Sufian. Yazid was the second Muslim caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, who ruled from 680 until his death in 683. One must ask why Imam Hussain a.s. resisted Yazid and chose martyrdom for himself and his loved ones? After all, Sunnis and Shias alike believe that Imam Hussain a.s., as the beloved grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), had much to share in terms of narrations, history, sayings, and guidelines by the Prophet (pbuh), and his extra years on this earth would have been beneficial to the still young and struggling Muslim community. Though many Muslims also know and agree that Yazid was an illegitmate ruler, placed by his father as his hereditary successor, and not based on merit or any skills in governance, there is little awareness about the management of the Islamic state funds by Yazid. In fact, corrupt misuse of state funds by Yazid is one of the main reasons for the resistance by Imam Hussain a.s.

Not only was Yazid ruling based on a decentralized model of governance, which relied on self-appointed governors and tribal laws, but his management prevented allocation of state funds for social welfare and protection of vulnerable groups in society. Yazid’s autocratic leadership and mandatory allegiance, allowed no room for questioning or civilian participation in the rule of law, which not only went against the principles of an Islamic government and the instructions of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), but prevented the voiceless from seeking their rights. Significant allocation of funds, during his rule, was for making the following practices prevalent across Muslim lands and society- gambling, consumption of alcohol and other intoxicants, music and dancing, and the dressing-up and parading of animals such as monkeys and dogs as a form of leisure and sport.

More extreme crimes committed by him during his rule, which also had an influence on mismanagement of state funds and pursuit of illegal activities by soldiers and officials, was the regular harassment and rape of women and children, persecution of minorities and weak members of society, using the Mosque of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and other Mosques for anti-Islamic activities, and damaging the Holy Kabah as a symbol for violating Islamic principles and promoting his own inappropriate codes of conduct. Overall, Yazid’s rule was known for the deprivation of the masses, rampant insecurity and fear, rising poverty and crime, and divergence from a moral order in society that could promote stability and development. Ironically, another historical fact that people are not aware of is that Imam Hussain a.s. resisted Yazid, not to assume the rule and caliphate himself, but to stand for secularization and the appointment of rulers in society based on ability and competence. Hussain’s argument was

That rulers must be appointed based on merit, skill, honesty, and sincerity to the people and to build social welfare for all population groups in society, regardless of their religious beliefs or ethnic backgrounds. The major narrative of the Prophet’s (pbuh) family about management of state funds and budget allocations is summarized by Hazrat Ali a.s.: “Be it known to you that the (leader) who misappropriates (state) funds, who will fill his stomach with such amounts, and who harms his religion and injures his conscience with such deeds will be punished and disgraced in this world as well as the next. The worst form of dishonesty is the breach of trust of the public funds and the most despicable example of maladministration is that the Imam (progeny of the Prophet Muhammad a.s.) should tolerate such forms of dishonesty.” Nahjul Balagha, Sermons and Letters of Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as), Pg 189, Translated in English by Syed Askari Jafri.

The 2024 budget of Pakistan brings with it a 40% increase in taxation and a catastrophic impact on purchasing power parity for the common man. We must remember that 38.3% of Pakistan’s population lives in multi-dimensional poverty, with more than half at 51.7% suffering from intensity of deprivation. The multi-dimensional poverty figures represent six indicators of deprivation, including: income, educational attainment and enrollment, drinking water, sanitation, and electricity. The people of Pakistan are unsure how to survive on a monthly basis with their current incomes remaining the same and not matching inflationary or tax pressures. Paying for monthly utility bills, basic groceries, and education and healthcare is becoming beyond the means of the lower and middle classes, with almost no cushion left for savings and investment.

This will obviously impact long-run wellbeing and old age quality of life. This Ashura as we remember the sacrifices of Hussain a.s. we are left with the following questions, which add to our despair and hopelessness. What is the difference between our rulers and the Yazid caliphate which misappropriated state funds for self-service, depriving the common man and general public of a decent living? And who amongst us is the Hussain of today who can resist this oppression and exploitation? If there is none to resist the rulers and the elite,

what will be the state of Pakistan and its society, and what are we leaving behind for our future generations? Dr. Sara Rizvi Jafree Associate Professor and Chair Department of Sociology, Forman Christian College (A Chartered University) Research:

http://www.fccollege.edu.pk/member/dr-sara-rizvi-jafree/;

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001- 5141-1107;

Twitter ID- @JafreeRizvi FCCU Repository- http://202.142.177.21/ Editor,

Forman Journal of Social Sciences (FJSS) Email: editorfjss@fccollege.edu.pk;

FJSS Website: https://www.fccollege.edu.pk/forman-journal-of-socialsciences/ Books

1. Social Policy for Women in Pakistan, Palgrave Macmillan, 2023

Link to book and reviews: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-32863-3

Reviews: 1. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02627280231218342

2. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2023/11/03/book-review-social-policy-for-women-in-pakistansara-rizvi-jafree/

3. https://doingsociology.org/2023/12/21/social-policy-for-women-in-pakistan-by-sara-rizvi-jafree-2023-areview-by-adhvaidha-kalidasan/

2. The Sociology of South Asian Women’s Health, Springer, 2020 https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-50204-1

Reviews: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352487386

3. Women, Healthcare and Violence in Pakistan, Oxford University Press 2018 https://oup.com.pk/academic-generalbooks/women-s-studies/women-healthcare-and-violence-inpakistan.html

Reviews: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352487096

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)