Hazrat Imam Husain (a.s.) is a personality who requires no introduction. Every year during Muharram, his martyrdom is revered throughout the world with a great zeal. During this period lectures are delivered, articles written and processions taken out in the remembrance of his martyrdom. But unfortunately, apart from the last few days of his life, especially the events at Karbala, very less is said and written about the life of this great personality. But if we do a thorough and sincere study of the life of Imam Husain (a.s.), we would find that he has set great examples for the mankind.

As we all know that Imam Husain was brought up by parents like Hazrat Ali (a.s.) and Fatima Zahra (s.a.). Moreover, the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) himself took keen interest in the upbringing of his grandsons. Therefore, Imam Husain (a.s.) had the privilege to imbibe all the qualities of these great personalities. No wonder he possessed great qualities like humility, compassion, justice and generosity.

Aiyyashi narrates that once Imam Husain (a.s.) happened to pass by a group of poor men on the roadside. He saw that they were eating pieces of dry bread. When the Holy Imam reached near them, they offered the pieces of dry bread to him as well. The Imam accepted their offer and got off his horse. He sat beside them on the roadside and shared with them their dry pieces of bread. As he finished eating, he recited this verse from the Holy Quran, "Innallaha laa yuhibbul mutakabbireen" which means that Allah dislikes the arrogant. After that he said to them that I accepted your invitation, now it's your turn to accept my invitation. Imam Husain (a.s.) took these roadside beggars to his house and honored them with a grand meal (Ref: Biharul Anwar, vol.1, ch. 3).

Ibn-e Shahar Ashob writes in Kitab al-Manaqib that when Usama bin Zaid was on his deathbed, the Holy Imam paid a visit to him. He found that Usama was very grieved. When he inquired about the reason for his grief, Usama told that he owed sixty thousand dirhams. The Imam told to Usama not to worry; now the liability of this debt is on me. Usama further said that he feared that he will die before the debt is paid. The Imam assured him that his debt will be paid before he died. As the Imam had promised, Usama's debt was cleared before he died. This gives an idea of how kind and generous the Imam was.

About the rulers Imam Husain (a.s.) used to say that the worst qualities a ruler can possess is being a coward against the powerful, being strict against the meek and being a miser when he ought to be generous (Ref: Biharul Anwar, vol.1, ch.3). Even in today's world, we have rulers who won't dare to initiate any action against influential and powerful people for a legal offense, but they will tend to be very strict in case the same crime has been committed by meek and unprivileged people. However, to be a good and just ruler one has to take the opposite approach. A just ruler must be lenient towards the meek and look into the circumstances which led them to commit the offense. But there should be no respite if wealthy and powerful people commit any wrong.