Supplication
Dua — 4th Moharram (Imam's Peaceful Offer)
4th of Moharram — Imam Husain (AS) offered three peaceful paths to his enemies: return to Mecca, go to a distant frontier, or face Yazid one-on-one. All were refused. He demonstrated that every peaceful option was exhausted before Karbala became inevitable.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ الإِمَامَ الْحُسَيْنَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ عَرَضَ فِي هَذَا الْيَوْمِ عَلَى أَعْدَائِهِ ثَلاَثَةَ طُرُقٍ لِلسَّلاَمِ فَلَمْ يَقْبَلُوا مِنْهُ وَاحِدَةً، وَأَبَوْا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَخْضَعَ لِلظُّلْمِ فَأَجَابَهُمُ الإِمَامُ: «وَاللَّهِ لاَ أُعْطِيكُمْ بِيَدِي إِعْطَاءَ الذَّلِيلِ وَلاَ أَفِرُّ فِرَارَ الْعَبِيدِ» يَا إِلَهِي عَلَّمَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ أَنَّ الْحَقَّ لاَ يُفَرَّطُ فِيهِ وَأَنَّ الْكَرَامَةَ لاَ تُبَاعُ وَلاَ تُؤْجَرُ وَأَنَّ ثَمَّةَ مَوَاقِفَ لاَ يَصِحُّ فِيهَا إِلاَّ الإِبَاءُ اللَّهُمَّ إِذَا وَقَفْنَا بَيْنَ الذُّلِّ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَأَلْهِمْنَا رُوحَ الإِبَاءِ الَّتِي مَلَأَتْ قَلْبَ مَوْلاَنَا الْحُسَيْنِ وَأَبْعِدْ عَنَّا الْجُبْنَ وَالتَّسْوِيفَ وَحُبَّ الْبَقَاءِ عَلَى حِسَابِ الدِّينِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ مَا فِي قُلُوبِنَا مِنَ الضَّعْفِ فَأَيِّدْنَا بِرُوحٍ مِنْكَ كَمَا أَيَّدْتَ حُسَيْنًا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالثَّبَاتِ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ الطَّيِّبِينَ الطَّاهِرِينَ
Allāhumma innal-imāma l-Ḥusayna ʿalayhi s-salām ʿAraḍa fī hādhal-yawmi ʿalā aʿdāʾihī thalāthata ṭuruqin lis-salām Fa-lam yaqbalū minhu wāḥidah, wa abaw illā an yakhḍaʿa liẓ-ẓulm Fa-ajābahumu l-imām: «Wallāhi lā uʿṭīkum bi-yadī iʿṭāʾadh-dhalīl wa lā afirru firāral-ʿabīd» Yā ilāhī ʿallamanā l-Ḥusaynu annal-ḥaqqa lā yufarraṭu fīh Wa annal-karāmata lā tubāʿu wa lā tuʾjar Wa anna thammata mawāqifa lā yaṣiḥḥu fīhā illā l-ibāʾ Allāhumma idhā waqafnā bayna dh-dhulli wash-shahādah Fa-alhimnā rūḥal-ibāʾil-latī malaʾat qalba mawlānā l-Ḥusayn Wa abʿid ʿannā l-jubna wat-taswīfa wa ḥubbal-baqāʾi ʿalā ḥisābid-dīn Allāhumma innaka taʿlamu mā fī qulūbinā minaḍ-ḍaʿf Fa-ayyadnā bi-rūḥin minka kamā ayyadta Ḥusaynan biṣ-ṣabri wat-thabāt Wa ṣallallāhu ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ālihiṭ-ṭayyibīnaṭ-ṭāhirīn
O Allah, on this day Imam Husain (AS) offered his enemies three paths to peace, but they refused every one and insisted he submit to oppression. The Imam replied: 'By Allah, I will not give you my hand like a humiliated person, and I will not flee as slaves flee.' O my God, Husain taught us that truth is not to be compromised, that dignity is not for sale and cannot be rented out, and that there are moments in which only refusal is correct. O Allah, when we stand between humiliation and martyrdom, inspire in us the spirit of refusal that filled the heart of our master Husain. Remove from us cowardice, procrastination, and the love of survival at the expense of faith. O Allah, You know what weakness lies in our hearts — so strengthen us with a spirit from You, as You strengthened Husain with patience and steadfastness. And may Allah bless Muhammad and his pure and purified family.