The Future of Civilization
By Syed Mohammad Taqi
Translated from the Urdu by Sumera Naqvi
Lightstone Publishers
ISBN: 978-969-716-298-7
205pp.

The event of Karbala has so captured the imagination of Muslims as well as all others interested in the history of Islam that numerous tomes have been written on the topic, approaching it from various angles.

Some view Imam Hussain’s valiant stand against the throne of Damascus as a historical epic; others examine it from a philosophical perspective; others still consider Karbala and the events that occurred on Ashura, 61 AH as a parable of metaphysical ishq [Divine love]. The Future of Civilisation, the English translation of philosopher and litterateur Syed Mohammad Taqi’s Karbala — Tehzeeb Ka Mustaqbil, falls within the philosophical category, with flourishes of history.

Taqi Sahib is not an unknown name in Pakistan’s intellectual history. A prolific writer and translator, he served as the editor of Urdu daily Jang for 25 years. The translation into English has been done by his maternal granddaughter, Sumera Naqvi, herself a senior journalist.

One may ask that, if so many works have been written on the events of Karbala, what would be the utility of the present work, especially in an environment such as Pakistan’s, where ‘everyone’ is presumably familiar with the background and aftermath of Karbala.

Perhaps, this presumption assumes too much, for the average reader — especially one who has not attended majalis or does not have an abiding interest in Islamic history, or may have only been exposed to sectarian views of history — may be unaware of the significance of this pivotal moment in Islam’s history, which has shaped attitudes towards various key theological issues linked to the earliest days of the faith. In that sense, the book brings the message of Karbala to the modern, English-speaking reader in fluid, simple prose, especially those who may be unacquainted with the tragic yet epochal events that transpired.

An English translation of Syed Mohammad Taqi’s Urdu treatise on the significance of the tragic events of Karbala explores the idea of religion, allegiance and the philosophical impact of sacrifice in society

In the book’s foreword (penned in 1995) Taqi Sahib makes some interesting disclosures. The book was originally written in 1980, after 1979’s Islamic Revolution in Iran. Surprisingly, Taqi Sahib, himself a man to the left of the political spectrum, categorically states that “history has chosen Iran to lead humanity into the 21st century.”

Perhaps, this somewhat unexpected praise for the Iranian Revolution (coming from a thinker not associated with the traditional ‘support base’ of the Islamic Revolution) can be traced to the fact that Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the mujtahid who steered the revolution, had said that “It is Muharram and Safar [the particular months of mourning for Karbala] that have kept [the spirit of] Islam alive.” It is hard to disagree with the Ayatollah’s prognosis.

The writer’s definition of religion is quite refreshing, as he writes: “Religion... signifies the viewpoint that an individual receives as he shapes his relationship with the universe.” The issue of bayt or bayah [allegiance], which lies at the heart of the events of Karbala — as Yazid had demanded bayah from Imam Hussain — is also thoroughly dilated on.

As for what makes Karbala unique, a query that is often raised considering that history has witnessed many other tragedies, Taqi Sahib explains that the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali Asghar, Imam Hussain’s six-month-old child, is enough to jolt “the deeper conscience of history.” The writer observes that “Karbala’s tragedy is much more than we can deduce.” The veracity of this claim is borne by the fact that the message of Karbala has successfully traversed the vast expanse of space and time, overcoming barriers of culture and language. In the concluding argument of the work, Taqi Sahib states that Imam Hussain is “an embellished symbol of human civilisation.”

As for what makes Karbala unique, a query that is often raised considering that history has witnessed many other tragedies, Taqi Sahib explains that the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali Asghar, Imam Hussain’s six-month-old child, is enough to jolt “the deeper conscience of history.” The writer observes that “Karbala’s tragedy is much more than we can deduce.” The veracity of this claim is borne by the fact that the message of Karbala has successfully traversed the vast expanse of space and time, overcoming barriers of culture and language. In the concluding argument of the work, Taqi Sahib states that Imam Hussain is “an embellished symbol of human civilisation.”

All in all, the book appears to be a faithful translation of the original. However, the translator and publishers may consider some minor corrections to further hone the text. For example, Mecca should be replaced with Makkah, as the former pronunciation is largely used by orientalists, whereas Makkah is a more faithful transliteration of the holy city’s Arabic name. In fact, one feels that much of the Arabic transliteration can be improved.

Moreover, the Umayyad ruler named as Abdul Mulk bin Marwan should read Abdul Malik bin Marwan. Also, at some points, one feels that the same point has been repeated over and over, across chapters. This repetition can be reduced with tighter editing in future editions.

At one point, when the learned author discusses Imam Ali ibn al-Hussain Zainul Abidin, Imam Hussain’s son who survived the massacre at Karbala, he suggests that Imam Zainul Abidin “believed that, as an Imam, it was not his duty to be a ruler”, and that “Imamat or caliphate are spiritual reverences.” While it is true that the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt [People of the Household] did not crave worldly power and governmental positions, as per the Ithna Ashari interpretation of verse 59 of Surah Nisa, all 12 Imams from the household of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) were/are ulil amr [those in authority].

According to this interpretation, the Imam is the spiritual as well as political leader. In fact, as Ustad Murtaza Mutahhari has noted in Man and Universe, quoting Hazrat Ali from Nahjol Balagha, the “chosen descendants of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)... are the basis of religion and the pivot of faith.”

It must also be remembered that, particularly after Karbala, no Imam from the Ahlul Bayt mounted a campaign for government, not because they felt that faith and worldly leadership should be separate, but because they lacked sufficient numbers of dedicated followers required for mounting such a campaign. With respect to Imam Zainul Abidin, it must also be said that, after Karbala, he was busy rebuilding the spiritual core of Islam, which had been hollowed out by the murder of Imam Hussain and other Umayyad excesses against the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) family members.

In particular, despite being under constant surveillance of the Umayyad state, Imam Zainul Abidin helped reacquaint the people with the basic principles of Islamic thought, through his compendium of duas known as Sahifa-i-Sajjadia, also referred to as the Zubur-i-Aal-i-Muhammad [the Psalms of the Household of the Holy Prophet] due to their lofty, sublime and metaphysical subject matter.

While not strictly a book devoted to the religious and metaphysical history of Karbala, the work under review is a worthy addition to the philosophical analyses that examine why Karbala, particularly Imam Hussain’s timeless stand, was an unparalleled moment in human history.

The reviewer is a member of staff

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, July 6th, 2025