'Self-Honour' and 'Other-Esteem' in Shi'a Sacrifice

This article aims to resolve the contradiction between self-denying in self-sacrifice, and self-proving in self-honour, on the one hand, and the contradiction between self-honour and other-esteem on the other hand. In order to do this, I will emphasize two types of 'self' in Islamic theology: the 'figurative-self' that is inferior and individual, and the 'real-self' that is superior and societal. Self-denying in self-sacrifice refers to the figurative-self that is the exclusive self (not common with other human beings), while self-proving in self-honour refers to the real-self (that is inclusive so that its esteem requires other's esteem and vice versa). In concluding this paper I refer to the historical expression of self-sacrifice by Imam Husayn and his followers in Karbala to demonstrate the possibility of being self-sacrificed, self-honoured, and other-esteeming at the same time.