Indeed, I know that which you do not know

Indeed, I know that Which You do not know, Allah replies to the angels:

Why did Yazid ibn Muawiya, the Umayyad ruler and great-grandson of Abu Sufyan, order the martyrdom of Imam Husain ibn Ali, the beloved grandson of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them)?

When tyranny reaches its peak and injustice spreads like a plague upon the earth, the Merciful Lord unveils the hidden jewels of His divine attributes. Just as the darkest night gives way to the most radiant dawn, the blinding shadows of oppression became the backdrop against which the eternal Noor (Divine Light) revealed its brilliance.

The sacred soil of Karbala became the canvas upon which this divine masterpiece unfolded, a continuation of the legacy that began with the premature offering of Ismail (A.S.), a submission so pure it foreshadowed a sacrifice far greater, destined for a broader stage. That stage was Karbala, where not just one, but many lives were offered, each one a symbol of humanity’s noblest virtues: courage, patience, loyalty, and unwavering faith.

Without Karbala, the world would have been deprived of the full spectrum of Allah's mercy and justice. Only the Ahlul Bayt possessed the capacity to bear and reflect the fullness of Allah’s divine plan. Their sacrifice was not merely an act of resistance, it was a divine demonstration, a cosmic mirror reflecting the beauty and majesty of God.

It was in this light that Lady Zainab (A.S.) stood amidst the ruins of Ashura and declared: “I see nothing but beauty.” For amid slaughter and sorrow, she beheld the unveiling of God’s hidden mercy, revealed through the suffering of His most beloved servants.

When the angels questioned the creation of mankind, they said:

"Will You place upon the earth one who will cause corruption therein and shed blood, while we glorify You with praise and proclaim Your holiness?"

Allah replied:

“Indeed, I know that which you do not know.”

(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:30)

That divine knowledge extended far beyond the mere creation of Adam, it encompassed the destiny of Karbala. It was the foreknowledge of Husayn, the beloved grandson of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and of Zainab, the resilient daughter of Ali and Fatimah, who would rise as the voice of truth after the swords had fallen silent.

It was the unseen wisdom of a day when men and women, young and old, Arab and non-Arab, Muslims and even those of other faiths, would stand together, not by worldly identity, but by the light of conviction, against the tide of tyranny. Karbala was not just a battle; it was a divine response to the angels’ question, a living proof of humanity’s potential to rise in sacred defiance, bearing witness to the beauty of sacrifice, unity, and unshakable truth.

❤️ 

Imam Ali ibne abi Talib version for this world. 

O Seeker of Haqq (Truth),

Know that life is not the mere turning of days nor the measure of breath, but the sacred striving of the soul, a timeless essence enclosed within a form of dust and water. This body, though noble in its design, is but a cloak, a vessel molded by the Hand of the Divine, fashioned only to carry the soul through the trial of this lower world.

The soul is a flame from the realm of light (‘alam al-noor), exiled from its celestial home. It longs to return to its Origin, to the Presence that called it into being. Yet it is veiled, veiled by senses that deceive and bind. The eye is drawn to illusion, the ear to distraction, the hand to the transient, the tongue to fleeting sweetness, the nose to vanishing scents. Thus is the soul bound to duniya, the world of shadows.

But Allah, in His mercy, has not left the human being unguided. Beyond the outward senses, He placed within you two inner lanterns: the awareness of movement and space (proprioception), and the knowing of the body’s inner state (interoception). These are not mere functions—they are signs (ayat) for the one who reflects.

Many souls wander, seeking through pleasure or pain the path home. They learn through fire and fall, through love and loss. But among them are the ‘arifin, those whom the Divine has chosen to know before they sought. To them, this world is not a prison, but a place of unveiling. Every sorrow becomes a doorway. Every trial, a mirror. Their bodies no longer conceal their souls, they reveal them.

O children of Adam, do not flee from the body, nor curse it. Rather, master it. Train your senses not to drag you down, but to raise your gaze. Let your nafs ammara, the commanding self, be silenced by remembrance, and transformed into nafs mutma’inna, the soul at peace.

In every breath, the soul hears a call:

Return to your Lord, pleased and pleasing.

❤️ 

This was the moment Allah had prepared for, the event that shaped humanity’s moral compass and reflected the sacred fusion of the mortal and immortal. And it is but a prelude to the awaited reappearance of the final bearer of divine justice, Imam Al-Mahdi and Prophet Jesus (peace be upon them) through whom the light of Karbala shall shine once more, completing the divine promise.

Ameen.

— Jaffer Dana

Poetspottery.com