Do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah, “They are dead.” Indeed, they are alive, but you cannot perceive it. (Holy Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 154)Now the question arises: What is the path of Allah?The first surah of the Quran, Al-Fatihah, which we recite daily, teaches this very prayer: Keep us steadfast on the straight path. The path of those upon whom Your mercy has descended, not those upon whom Your wrath has descended. The same message echoes in the Gayatri Mantra of Sanatan Dharma: Lead us on the right path.There are two kinds of paths—one is the path of God: of Hazrat Ibrahim, Hazrat Musa, Hazrat Isa, and the Seal of the Prophets, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The other is the path of Nimrod, Pharaoh, Abu Lahab, Abu Jahl—upon whom God’s wrath descended.Walking on this straight path, Imam Husayn (A.S.) attained martyrdom in the field of Karbala.To tread this path, Hazrat Habib, Hazrat Hur, and Wahab bin Abdullah Kalbi (who was a Christian) sacrificed their lives.These two paths have never closed.Even today, we see in newspapers, social media, and videos that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, lives in a simple mud house. In stark contrast, the enemies of humanity—who starved and killed lakhs of children in Gaza—stand exposed in the Epstein files for the physical exploitation of children as young as 14, even revelations of them being caught and eaten. Big world leaders and business tycoons are named in it. They were bombed to martyrdom before interrogation was even complete. The hearts of crores of people worldwide cannot accept this, but the lesson is clear.Iran’s such a great leader lives in a small mud house, while in our cities, as soon as someone becomes a mutawalli of Waqf property, they start maintaining status. Remember the Quranic verse: Every soul shall taste death. But the real matter is to remain steadfast on the straight path, as Imam Husayn (A.S.) and his companions did in Karbala.May Allah grant us all the tawfiq to become such martyrs. Surah Al-Baqarah’s verse 154 is this very martyrdom, which Imam Ali (A.S.) uttered when Ibn Muljam struck his head with a poisoned sword: “Success! Drinking the cup of martyrdom is true success.”Ayatollah Khamenei is a symbol of this martyrdom—simple living, firm on the true path.
