Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Biography of Imam Hussain Bin Ali (AS)

Author: S.V. Mir Ahmad Ali

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

Introduction 8

Hussain (AS) The King of Martyrs 10

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CONTEXT 10

THE WHOLE HUMNA RACE- ONE FAMILY 10

HOW THE HUMAN FAMILY GOT DIVIDED 11

The Man- Made Gods and Deities 12

THE GUIDANCE FROM GOD 12

HUMANITY AND ITS GUIDANCE 13

THE SEED OF ABRAHAM CAUSED TO GROW IN THE WILDERNESS 17

Abraham Declered Truthful, But The Sacrifice, Postponed 19

The Failure Of Judasim and Christianity 20

THE DARKENED EARTH 21

THE LAND OF ADVENT OF THE LAST APOSTLE OF GOD 24

THE DARKNESS DEMANDED THE PROMISED LIGHT 24

THE LORD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM FULFILLED 25

HEAVEN'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ADVENT OF THE LAST APOSTLE OF GOD 25

THE IMMEDIATE OR THE NEAREST ANCESTRY OF MUHAMMAD THE EPROMISED PROPHET, THE COMFORTER, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, THE HOLY GHOST 25

THE LAST APOSTLE OF GOD 29

ISLAM THE UNIVERSAL RELIGION FOR MANKIND 30

THE HOLY QUR'AN - THE WORD OF GOD 31

TO DESTROY Islam IS TO DESTROY HUMANITY 31

THE FATE OF THE APOSTOLIC MISSIONS, PREVIOUS TO THE HOLY PROPHET MUHAMMAD 32

DIVINE MEASURES TO SECURE THE FINAL WORD OF GOD FOR EVER 32

THE DIVINELY PLANNED MEASURE FOR AND EVERLASTING GUIDANCE TO HUMNAITY 33

The Other Reference Used 36

HUSSAIN'S MOTHER: WHY THE LAST APOSTLE OF GOD WAS GIVEN ONLY A DAUGHTER AND NOT ANY SON TO SURVIVE? 36

FATEMA MARRIED TO ALI 37

HUSSAIN'S FATHER 37

HUSSAIN'S ADVENT DREAMT BY LADY OMMUL FADHL 38

Hussain Arrives on Earth 38

HUSSAIN'S MARTYRDOM PROPHESIED 40

HUSSAIN A DUPLICATE MUHAMMAD 40

THE HOLY PROPHET'S PERSONAL REGARD FOR HUSSAIN 41

THE DECLARATION OF THE HOLY PROPHET ABOUT HUSSAIN 42

THE ANCIENT PROPHETS: INFORMED OF THE GREAT SACRIFICES 43

Every Prophet had Appointed His Successor 44

THE HOLY PROPHET Muhammad APPOINTS HIS SUCCESSOR 44

THE START OF THE TROUBLE 48

THE LOGICAL INFERENCE 50

THE FUNERAL OF THE HOLY PROPHET 51

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF 52

THE LOVE OF THE WORLD- MADDENS MAN 52

KARBALA'S FOUNDATION LAID 52

THE FATE OF THE KALIFATE 53

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DIRECTIVE FROM GOD 53

MAN CAUTIONED AGAINST THE DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD AND THE HOLY PROPHET 54

THE SENSE OF DISCRETION AND DISCRIMINATION 54

A POINT OF NOTE FOR FALSE UNITARIANISM 55

GOODNESS AND EVIL, CAN UNDO EACH OTHER 55

The Successor to The First Kalif Nominated 57

THE SUCCESSOR TO THE SECOND KALIF CO-OPTED 57

FATEMA'S HOUSE ATTACKED 57

ALI TO EXERCISE PATIENCE 57

FATEMA'S HOUSE THREATENED WITH FIRE 58

FATEMA WOUNDED 58

ALI'S PATIENCE 58

ALI ARRESTED 59

ALI READS OUT SALMAN'S MIND 59

The Open Enmity Becomes Settled Hypocricy 59

THE THREE CLASSES OF THE PROPHET: THE BELIEVERS, THE DISBELEIVERS AND THE HYPOCRITES 60

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HYPOCRITES 61

THE POSSIBLE AND THE ACCEPTABLE ANSWER 61

FATEMA'S POSITION 62

THE MISERABLE PLIGHT OF THE HOLY LADY 63

FATEMA MARTYRED: SUCCUMBING TO THE WOUND 63

THE 'AHLUL-BAIT' THEIR LOT, BEFOREHAND 64

ALI'S REGARD FOR FATEMA 65

The Holy Quran; Its Compilation 67

THE DEVIL'S PLAN FRUSTRATED 70

MIRACLES: THEIR VALUE AND SIGNIFICANCE 70

THE BIGGEST MIRACLES OF THE HOLY PROPHET 71

The Succession To an Apostle Of God 73

THE IMAMAT, PROMISED TO ABRAHAM 76

The Logical Identification Of an Imam 77

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CHOICE OF THE RIGHT IMAM 77

THE DOOR OF PARDON FOR SINCERE REPENTANCE OPEN 78

REDEMPTION OR INTERCESSION THROUGH THE RIGHT MEANS POSSIBLE 78

WHAT IS IMAMAT? 79

THE START OF THE IMAMAT OF ALI 79

ALI AS THE IMAM 80

THE POSITION OF AN IMAM 81

TENURE OF THE KALIFATE STARTED AT THE SAQEEFA 81

ALI RESEMBLES THE HOLY PROPHET 81

GAR GANAAHI BAKONI DAR SHAB-E-AADEENA BAKON TAAKE AZ SADR NASHEENAANE JAHANNM BAASHI 82

ALI DURING THE AGE OF THE THREE KALIFATES 82

THE RELIGIOUS LANDMARKS OF THE AGE: ALI WITNESSED 83

ALI WEDS LADY UMMOL-BANEEN 84

THE ALLIANCE FOR A HOLY CAUSE 85

ABBAS THE STANDARD-BEARER OF HUSSAIN ARRIVES 85

THE KALIFATE THRUST UPON ALI 86

The State Of Affairs : Ali Was Offered 88

THE UNIQUE POSITION OF ALI 89

COMPARING ALI TO OTHERS 90

Hussain Intercedes For Shimr 90

HASSAN RECIEVES THE IMAMAT 91

THE AHLUL BAIT AND THE TEMPORAL POWER 91

THE AGE OF POLITICAL INTRIGUES AND MURDEROUS PLOTS 92

HASSAN MARTYRED 93

HASSAN'S ADVICE TO HUSSAIN 94

HASSAN'S BODY SHOT AT 94

THE FATE OF THE DEVOTEES OF THE HOUSE OF THE HOLY PROPHET 94

THE FATE OF THE FAITH 95

HASSAN'S SERVICES AND SUFFERINGS 95

THE TRUTH UNDERLYING THE SEX DIFFERENCE IN THE CREATION 96

THE SULHI-HUDAIBIAH REPEATED 98

ZUL-QARNAIN: 99

JOB: 99

DAVID: 99

SOLOMON: 99

ZACHARIAH & JOHN: 99

MOSES: 99

JESUS: 99

A LIAR HAS NO MEMORY 99

HAD WOMANHOOD GONE MAD 100

THE FALSE ALLEGATION AGAINST HASSAN AS WELL AS ALI 100

HASSAN'S PATIENCE: THE REASON FOR IT 102

HUSSAIN TAKES CHARGE OF THE IMAMATE 103

The Ruling Power and the Ahlul Bait 104

A WONDERFUL ACT OF PURE GODLINESS 104

THE SITUATION THAT DEMANDED ANOTHER 'MUHAMMAD' TO RESCUE THE CORRECT FAITH 105

HUSSAIN PROPHESIES HIS SON'S MARTYRDOM 107

The Call From The Governor 107

HUSSAIN DECIDES TO LEAVE MEDINA 108

THE HOLY IMAM'S DETERMINATION 110

THE SITUATION WORSENS AND THE ATMOSPHERE GETS TOTALLY DARKENED 112

HUSSAIN AT MECCA AND THE DEPUTATION FROM KUFA 113

MUSLIM… THE HOLY IMAM DEPUTY TO KUFA 113

MUSLIM IN KUFA 114

MUSLIM SENDS OUT HIS CHILDREN WITH HIS MESSAGE TO THE HOLY IMAM 114

MUSLIM ARRESTED AN MARTYRED 115

CHILDREN OF MUSLIM MARTYRED 116

NO REFUGE FOR THE HOLY IMAM EVEN IN THE HOLY KA'BA 117

HUSSAIN SAVES THE SANCTITY OF THE GREAT SANCTUARY 117

THE HOLY IMAM LEARNS OF THE FATE OF HIS DEPUTY, MUSLIM 118

WHERE SHOULD HUSSAIN GO 118

WATER STORED FOR THE ENEMIES 118

THE HUNT FOR THE holy IMAM 118

HUSSAIN SAVES THE ENEMIES FROM DEATH 119

THE PROPHESIED DESERT OF KARBALA 119

THE HOLY IMAM POINTS OUT THE DESTINED SPOTS 120

HUSSAIN PURCHASES THE SITE FOR THE GRAVES OF THE MARTYRS 120

ARRIVAL OF YAZID'S FORCES 121

Yazid's Army at Karbala 122

OMAR-E-SA'D, with 6000 men Following OMAR went SINAN BINE ANAS with 4000 men ORWAT IBNE WAIS with 4000 men SHEBS BIN RUB'EE with 4000 men SHIMR-ZIL JAUSHAN with 4000 men 122

NO ROOM FOR ANY CRITICISM LEFT 122

HUSSAIN BESIEGED AT KARBALA 122

WATER SUPPLY TO HUSSAIN'S CAMP CUT OFF 123

EMEMY DECIDES TO ATTACK 123

THE HOLY IMAM AND IBN I-SA'D CONFER 124

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE 10TH MUHARRAM 124

THE FINAL SHIFTING 125

ABBAS THE BRAVE, GUARDS THE CAMP OF THE HOLY IMAM 126

The Night in the Yazidian Camp 126

THE HOLY IMAM'S LAST PRAYER WITH HIS DEVOTEES ON EARTH 126

SERMON OF THE HOLY IMAM ON THE DAY OF ASHOORA 127

HUR JOINS THE HOLY IMAM 128

THE BATTLE OF TRUTH AGAINST FALSEHOOD 128

ZAINAB SENDS HER TWO YOUNG SONS 129

QASIM, SON OF HASSAN 129

ABBAS THE BRAVE: THE STANDARD BEARER 129

ALI-E-AKBAR'S MARTYRDOM 130

HUSSAIN STANDS ALONE 131

BABY ALI-E-ASGHAR COMES INTO THE FIELD 131

THE MESSENGER FROM MADINA 132

THE FINAL SEPARATION 132

HUSSAIN HANDS OVER THE CHARGE OF THE IMAMAT 133

THE PARTING ADVICE TO ZAINAB AND UMM KULTHOMM 133

HUSSAIN IN THE BATTLEFIELD TO OFFER THE GREATEST SACRIFICE FOR THE TRUTH 133

THE LAST CALL OF THE HOLY IMAM IN THE WAY OF THE LORD 134

THE UNIQUE UNPARALLELED PRAYER (NAMAZ) 134

THE SEVERAL HEAD OF HUSSIAN GLORIFIES GOD 135

BODIES OF THE MARTYRS TRAMPLED BY THE DEVIL'S CAVALRY 136

HUSSAIN'S CAMP PLUNDERED AND SET ON FIRE 136

The Looted Caravan 137

THE TORTURES OF THE JOURNEY 137

THE DIVINE LIGHT SHINES OUT 137

THE SEVERED HEAD OF HUSSAIN RECITES THE WORD OF GOD 137

THE CAPTIVES IN DAMASCUS 138

THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHESIES THE MARTYRDOM 139

WHO WAS VICTORIOUS: YAZID OR HUSSAIN? 139

WHAT IS 'SHAHADAT' OR MARTYRDOM 140

Jesus and Hussain 140

THE MARTYRS OF KARBALA: THE KIND OF MEN THEY WERE 141

THE COMPANIONS OF HUSSAIN AND THOSE OF THE HOLY PROPHET 142

BRIEF NOTES ON SOME OF THOSE MARTYRED IN KUFA AND KARBALA 143

Both from KUFA who joined the holy Imam at KARBALA 143

HUSSAIN, THE KING OF MARTYRS 151

WHERE IS YAZID? 152

THE FRIENDS AND FOES OF THE TRUTH, CLEAR DISTINCTION 152

THE KING OF MARTYRS MOURNED 152

Hussain's Martyrdom Prophesied in the Old Testamnet 153

SHIA'ISM OR ISLAM-ORIGINAL 153

WHAT IS SHIA'ISM 153

WHY THEN CALL IT SHIA'ISM AND NOT ISLAM? 153

SHIA'ISM: ITS ARTICLES OF FAITH AND ITS PRACTICE 155

INTERCESSION OR SHAFA'AT 158

THE HOUSES OF MIRACLES AND RESPONSE TO PRAYERS 159

RESPECT, REGARD AND REVERENCE TO THE SACRED EMBLEMS 159

SOME GUIDING CLARIFTCATIONS 160

SAJDAH 162

Prayer Before Any Object 164

DEDIICATION OF ANY PLACE AS MEMORIAL WITH REGARD FOR IT 164

REMEMBRANCE OF THE RIGHTEOUS ONES 164

'SEENA-ZANI' OR THE BREAST-BEATING 165

WHAT IS ALAM? 166

ALAM OR THE EMBLEM 166

MAJLIS-E-AZA OR THE MOURNING CONGREGATIONS 167

The Decree Of The Holy Imam 171

THE DEFINITION OF 'IJTEHAD' 171

CONSOLIDATED VIEW OF THE ACCOUNT AS A WHOLE AND THE CO-RELATION OF THE EVENTS 172

CONCLUSION 175

Introduction

A small Book of about twenty-five pages 'The King of Martyrs' was published in 1925 and since then, it was reproduced four times and every time in several thousands and yet he demand for it had been on the increase, and this is the Fifth enlarged edition.

With the increase in the standard of literacy among the masses, the demand for the Islamic literature in its original purity is growing steadily. Today, more than ever, the awakened intellect of the human world, is seriously in quest of the invaluable knowledge which Islam alone can provide. The pity is that most of the great Muslim scholars, who are the stores of knowledge about the original teachings of Islam, do not care for the modern western languages, and those who have mastered these languages have never had the benefit of a serious study of Islamic literature through the original sources. Whatever knowledge, about Islam and the Islamic literature, these scholars of the modern languages possess, they could have it from the prejudicial translations into those languages mostly by the missionary class,

brought out with the exclusive purpose of spreading prejudice against Islam, and the Holy personalities of the Faith to secure the unearned glorification for their own heroes and enlist believers in their own respective creeds. Unfortunately some of our own brethren get the information from such hostile sources and present it as the genuine truth and never care to scrutinize with reference to the original sources of the knowledge. The kind or the degree of knowledge about Islam and the Islamic affairs which some of these men possess in disclosed form their talks and writings.

Particularly in regard to the great event of KARBALA which has been termed in the very Word of God, i.e., the HOLY QUR'AN, as 'ZIBHE AZEEM' or the Great Slaughter, most of our Muslim brethren either do not know it at all or they have been missing which has been often noted, that is when such ill-informed ones are rightly informed, they immediately acknowledge the Truth, the glory of HUSSAIN, they Holy King of Martyrs, the divinity endowed in his Holy Personality and the important part the devotion to the Holy Imam, plays in elevating the human soul to the heights of heavenly glory.

This book is intended just to give a glimpse of the divine plan implemented in the enactment of the great heart-rending tragedy and the unique and the glorious position of its Holy Hero and the Godly Band of his faithful comrades.

Uninformed or misinformed of the original teachings of Islam and the actual position of its great Heroes, some of our brethren have unwarrantedly and unreasonably criticized certain acts of devotion on the part of the devotees of the Faith and its Great Heroes, terming it polytheism. A very brief clarification of the matter has also been given at the end of this brief work for the information of those who would like to have it. It is earnestly hoped that the learned readers will mind the matter, graciously by-passing the mistakes, if any, in the printing matter. This book needs reprinting and it is under contemplation, and God willing the next issue will be free from such shortcomings.

I am indebted to the following devotees of the Holy King of Martyrs who helped the publication of this humble work:

MOHAMMAD ABDALLAH AL-HUSSAINY (Our American Brethren in Faith and a staunch Devotee of the King of Martyrs and the one whose attachment of the HOLY AHLUL-BAIT is ideal)

I have to helplessly restrain myself from mentioning the names of the devotees of the Holy Imam who have helped this publication, for their expressed desire not to have any publicity of their names.