A Probe Into the History of Ashura

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A Probe Into the History of Ashura Author:
Publisher: Islamic Seminary Publications
Category: Imam Hussein

A Probe Into the History of Ashura
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A Probe Into the History of Ashura

A Probe Into the History of Ashura

Author:
Publisher: Islamic Seminary Publications
English

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Chapter 15: Arrival of Imam Husayn in Karbala

On Thursday, the 2nd of Muharram 61 A.H. Imam Husayn camped at a place in the region of Naynava called Karbala. On the following day Umar bin Sad bin Abi Waqqas Zohari reached there from Kufa with 4000 soldiers and encamped opposite the camp of Imam.

Sad belonged to the family of Bani Zohra bin Kilab of the tribe of Quraysh and was a near relative of Lady Amina, mother of the Holy Prophet. Umar's father Sad bin Abi Waqqas was one of the five persons who embraced Islam, in the beginning of the Holy Prophet's mission, owing to their acquaintance with Abu Bakr. He is well-known in the history of Islam and in connection with the Islamic conquests.

Umar bin Sad sent someone to the Imam enquiring of him as to why he had come to Iraq. The Imam said in reply: "The Iraqis themselves sent letters to me inviting me to come. Now if you do not like my coming I am prepared to return to the Hijaz".

Ibn Sad wrote a letter to Ibn Ziyad and informed him of what the Imam had said. Ibn Ziyad said: "Now that he has been caught in our clutches he hopes to escape and return to the Hijaz. There is now no question of showing indulgence and no way is open for him". Further he wrote to Ibn Sad: "I have carefully read your letter and understood what you have written. Tell Husayn bin Ali that he and all his companions should take oath of allegiance to Yazid. When this has been done we shall take some decision about them".

Soon after Ibn Sad received another letter from Ibn Ziyad asking him to prevent Husyan and his companions from utilizing water and not to allow them to drink even a drop of it. Umar immediately dispatched 4000 men under the command of Amr bin Hajjaj to stand between Imam Husayn and the river Euphrates and to check the use of water by the Imam and his companions. This event took place three days before the martyrdom of the Imam.

The Imam asked Ibn Sad to see him. They met at night at a place situated between the camps of the two armies and had protracted discussions. When Umar bin Sad returned to his camp he wrote a letter to Ibn Ziyad saying: “Allah has extinguished the flames of war. We have reached an agreement and the matter has been settled according to the national interests. Husayn bin Ali is now prepared to return to the Hijaz or to proceed to some Islamic frontier". In order to make Ibn Ziyad agree to his suggestion he also added a lie justified by its motive.

Ibn Ziyad cooled down and was impressed by the suggestions made by Ibn Sad. However, Shimr bin Zil Jawshan, who was present there said: "You are making a mistake. You should make the most of this opportunity and now that you have gained control over Husayn bin Ali, you should not let him go, because you will not get such an opportunity again".

Ibn Ziyad said: "You are right. You should, therefore, go to Karbala personally and deliver this letter to Ibn Sad telling him that Husayn and his companions should surrender unconditionally, and then he (Ibn Sad) should send them to Kufa, and failing that he should fight with them. If Ibn Sad is not agreeable to this and is not prepared to fight with Husayn bin Ali, you

yourself should assume the command of the army and cut off his (Ibn Sad's) head and send it to me".

Then he wrote a letter to Ibn Sa'd saying: "I have not sent you to behave leniently toward Husyan Ibn Ali and to intercede with me for him and to make his life secure. Now you should note that if he himself (i.e. Husayn) and his friends surrender, you should send them to me, and if they decline to do so, you should attack and kill them and mutilate' their bodies i.e. cut off their ears and noses, for they deserve this treatment. And if Husayn bin Ali is killed you should make the horses trample upon his chest and back because he is a cruel, quarrelsome and ungrateful man.

This does not mean that I wish to hurt him after his death. However, I have pledged my word that if I kill him I shall get him trampled upon by the horses. Now if you act according to my directions I shall reward you, but if you do not act as you have been advised, you should hand over charge of the army to Shimr bin Zil Jawshan, who has been given necessary instructions by me".

When Ibn Ziyad wrote this dangerous letter and gave it to Shimr, Ummul Banin's nephew (brother's son) Abdullah bin Abil Mihal bin Hizam was also present. He stood up and said: "O Emir! My cousins Abbas, Abdullah, Ja'far and Uthman, sons of Ali bin Abi Talib have come with their brother. If possible you may please write a letter of security for them' '. Ibn Ziyad replied: "All right".

What a great difference there is between the thinking and assessment of the two parties! The cousin of Abi Fazal renders, in his own opinion, a great service to his cousins (aunt's sons) and obtains a letter of security for them from Ibn Ziyad. But the question is: Will they make use of this letter and go away deserting their brother, master and Imam?

When the slave of Abdullah brought the said letter of security to Karbala and called the sons of Ummul Banin and said to them: "Your cousin Abdullah has sent a letter of security for you". He was perhaps thinking that on hearing this, the sons of Ummul Banin would become extremely happy. However, the sons of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib replied to him with one voice: "Convey our greetings to our cousin and tell him that we do not stand in need of security from Ibn Ziyad. Divine Security is better than the security granted by the son of Sumayya".

When Shimr reached Karbala he delivered Ibn Ziyad's letter to Umar Sad and they exchanged views. Eventually Umar Sad agreed to carry out the Emir's orders himself. Shimr was related to the mother of these young men (Abbas and his three brothers) and, therefore, announced that they had been granted security. However, he received the same reply.

Then Umar Sad mounted his horse, occupied a place in front of his army and said: "O riders of Allah! Mount, and be it known to you that your place is in Paradise". Strangely enough this is the same expression which was uttered by the Holy Prophet in a battle when he invited his companions to defend Islam, and Ibn Sad uttered the same words on the 9th of Muharram against the son and the right successor of the Holy Prophet and his sons and dear ones.

At this moment the Imam was sitting in front of his tent, with a sword in his hand and had gone to sleep with his' head resting on his knees. Suddenly the uproar of the army approached nearer and nearer. Lady Zaynab ran to her brother in a state of perplexity and said: "Brother! Don't you hear the uproar of the enemy army which has reached near? The Imam raised his head from his knees and said: “Just now I saw the Holy Prophet in a dream and he told me that I was going to him. On hearing this Zaynab slapped her own face and said: "How sad it is for me!" The Imam said: "Sister! Don't be sad. Be tranquil. Allah will bless you".

In the meantime Abbas bin Ali arrived, submitted a military report, and said: "My master! The enemy has reached. What is to be done?" The Imam stood up and said: "My brother Abbas! May my life be sacrificed for you. Mount your horse, go and ask them as to why they have launched an attack at this time and what new development has taken place".

Abbas approached the enemy army accompanied by twenty horse-men including Zuhayr bin Qayn and Habib ibn Mazahir Asadi and enquired from them about the reason for their sudden attack. They replied: "We have received orders from our Emir that either you should surrender immediately or we should fight against you". Abbas said: "Don't be in a hurry. Let me go to the Imam and inform him of the position".

While Abbas went and informed Imam Husayn of the matter, his companions remained in front of the enemy forces and counseled them. Imam Husayn said to his brother: "Go back to them and, if possible, obtain extension of time from them till tomorrow morning, so that tonight we may offer prayers to Allah and make supplications and seek His forgiveness. Allah knows that I love to offer prayers, to recite the Qur'an, to make supplications and to ask His forgiveness".

Somehow they granted respite to the Imam and his friends till the following morning. The Imam also availed of this short opportunity and prepared himself for martyrdom. He tested his companions once again so that if anyone had been ignorant of the result of the rising, he should come to know that the Imam had no way before him except martyrdom and sacrifice, and whoever had not stayed on with a view to meeting martyrdom should go away and vacate the field of sacrifice for those noble persons who did not care for their lives.

Imam Zaynul Abidin Ali bin Husayn, the fourth Imam, who had accompanied his father during this journey, says: "My father called his companions after sunset and addressed them. Although I was ill I went there to hear his speech". It should be kept in mind that this speech was delivered by a person, who had less than a hundred supporters with him and was encircled by more than 20,000 men of the enemy and had been given extension of time till the following morning only.

The Holy Imam knew very well that he could not agree to surrender and take the oath of allegiance and tolerate the ignoble persons. He also knew that the enemy would not leave him alone and the matter would not be settled without fighting and in the circumstances his own martyrdom as well as that of his companions at the hands of the Iraqis, who had gathered to kill

him, was certain. In spite of all this he spoke to his companions with perfect composure and confidence.

He pointed out to them that the following day was the day of martyrdom, and insisted upon them that each one of them should hold the hand of one of the members of his family and get out of trouble, and then they could go to their respective cities, so that Allah might grant them relief, because the enemies were after him only, and, after having overpowered him, they would have nothing to do with anyone else.

Chapter 16: Imam’s Sermon on the Night of Ashura

The Imam commenced his speech thus: "I thank Allah to the best of my ability and praise Him during the time of weal and woe. A Lord! I thank You because You have honored us by means of Prophet hood taught us the Qur'an, made us comprehend the religion and its commandments, granted us eyes, ears and hearts; kept us free from the pollution of polytheism and then enabled us to thank You for Your blessings. It is a fact that I am not aware of any companions more faithful and honest than my companions and any relatives more righteous and kind than my relatives. May Allah grant all of you a good reward. I think that the day of our fighting with this army has arrived. I permit all of you to go away. You are free to depart without any restriction and should take advantage of the darkness of night".

This speech has been quoted by Shaykh Mufid, Tabari, Abul Faraj and Ibn Athir, but none of them has written that any companion of the Imam went away on this occasion. Those who had to go had already departed on the way when the news about the martyrdom of Muslim bin Aqil, Hani, Qays bin Mashar and Abdullah bin Yaqtar was received. The Divine Hand had already driven away the cowardly persons from the Holy Imam.

The great historians have recorded nothing after the Imam's speech of the Ashura night except the self-sacrifice and steadfastness of the companions of the Imam. All of them write that when the Imam finished his speech and he insisted that they should leave him and escape trouble, his brothers, sons, nephews (sons of his brothers) and the sons of Abdullah bin Ja'far led by Abbas bin Ali said first of all with one voice: "Should we go away to live after you? We pray to Allah that the time may not come when you may be killed and we may remain alive".

Then the Imam turned to the descendants of Aqil and said: "O children of Aqil! It is sufficient that Muslim has been killed. You are now free to go away". They replied: "Allah be praised! If we leave our chief and the best of our cousins and go away and do not fight along with him with arrows, spears and swords and do not know how he and his friends have fared with the enemy, what will the people say? We swear by Allah that we shall do no such thing. On the contrary we shall sacrifice the lives and property of our family in the path of Allah and render you assistance, and shall fight along with you so that we may also acquire the honor of martyrdom. What a shame to live the life which is without you!"

Then Muslim bin Awsaja got on his feet and said: "If we withdraw our support from you and leave you alone what excuse shall we put forward before Allah? I swear by Allah that I shall not go away and shall not leave you. I shall thrust my spear in the chest of your enemies and shall quench the thirst of my sword with their blood as far as possible. And when there are no arms left in my hand to fight with, I shall shower stones upon them. By Allah we shall not leave you, so that Allah may see that in the absence of His Prophet we have honored the rights of his son.

By Allah, even if I come to know that I shall be killed and then burnt in fire and shall be brought to life again and eventually my ashes will be scattered in the air and I die and become alive in this way seventy times, even then I shall not leave you till I lay down my life for your sake. Then

why should I not do so when I am going to be killed only once and will thereafter be honored, happy and exalted, forever".

When the speech of Muslim bin Awsaja came to an end, Zuhayr bin Qayn Bajali stood up. He was the same man, who was at one time an enemy of Imam Husayn, remained away from him on the route to Iraq, and did not at all wish to meet him. Allah, however, willed that Zuhayr should meet martyrdom in His path in the company of Imam Husayn so that he might be honored for ever and his good and glorious name should illuminate the history of the tragedy of Ashura.

He commenced his speech thus: "By Allah, I wish that I am killed and then brought to life and then killed once again and this act should be repeated a thousand times and this becomes the means of Allah protecting you and the young men of your family, and all of you remain alive".

Others also expressed similar views. The Imam invoked Divine blessings for them and returned to his tent.

Imam Sajjad says: "During the night preceding the day on which my father was martyred I was ill and my aunt Zaynab was nursing me. My father had at that time retired into his own tent and only Jaun bin Jaun, the former slave of Abuzar Ghifari was with him. Jaun was setting my father's sword right and my father was reciting some couplets. He repeated these poetic verses twice or thrice and I understood what he was saying andwhat he meant by it. By reciting these verses he referred to the inconstancy and unkindness of the world, which at times smiles like a kind friend, and enchants the people with its pleasing countenance and one feels that the circumstances will always be favorable.

However, it suddenly changes its attitude and becomes unkind and unfaithful. It makes bitter with its poison the life which had once been sweet like honey. It drives away the friends, about whom one thinks that they would remain friendly forever and boasts of their friendship and devotion when the circumstances are favorable; rather it makes most of those friends stand before one in the shape of blood-thirsty and war-like enemies.

No one knows what is going to happen tomorrow, and when he is going to be deprived of the glory, strength and security which has been bestowed upon him. Who is the person, who has not lost the game during his life, and where is the powerful man, whose strength has not been damaged by the vicissitudes of events?

By reciting these verses the Imam meant to say that on the following day many magnanimous persons would meet martyrdom. It is not possible for any person to make someone else take his place to face the events of time. The end of the matter is in the hands of Allah. Every living being must traverse this path. It was not only he and his companions who were faced that day with the unfavorable time. On the contrary the world at one time assumes the same countenance against everyone.

The fourth Imam says: "I understood that my father meant to inform us of his martyrdom, and tears almost choked me, but I controlled myself. I realized that a calamity was about to fall. However, my aunt Zaynab also heard what I had heard, and as she was a woman, and the women are tender-hearted by nature, and lose patience, she could not control herself. She got

up suddenly and went before her brother without wearing a veil and said: "Oh! That I should become brotherless! I wish that I had died earlier. O successor of the deceased and O the refuge of the survivors! It is today that I am going to be left without mother, father and brother". On seeing his sister in a distressed condition Imam Husayn said: "Sister! Be patient lest Satan should make you lose your self-control".

It may be said that these words of the Imam were a lesson for his sister, which prepared her to face the difficult situations in Kufa and Damascus later. It was Zaynab who had to assume the leadership of this movement from the time of the Imam's martyrdom till the return of Ahlul Bayt to Madina, and by means of this lesson the Imam was entrusting this Divine trust to her. The Imam said: "Dear sister! Be patient lest Satan should make you lose your self-control".

In other words he said: 'Recognize yourself and do not forget your personality and the importance which you enjoy in this great movement. The task which you have to perform is not easier than that which I can perform, and you can discharge your duty only by means of greatness of soul and spirituality which you have acquired and inherited from your parents, Ali and Fatima.

If you lose patience today because you have received a hint that your brother will be martyred or you have heard some touching verses, how will you endure the events of tomorrow? At the same time how will you be able to deliver speeches in the bazaars of Kufa and the Islamic capital (i.e. Damascus) with perfect composure, and say what remains to be said, and bring to light what is hidden, and disclose the deceitful acts of the enemies of Ahlul Bayt and apprise the people of true facts in the center of the caliphate and government of the descendants of Abu Sufyan, and frustrate their unjust propaganda by delivering speeches?'

The Imam in his brief speech gave a significant lesson to his sister. Tears came in his eyes and he said: "Sister! What am I to do? You can see with what condition I am faced and what a large army has gathered to kill me". Zaynab also uttered some touching words and became unconscious.

Chapter 17: Imam Husayn consoles Lady Zaynab

Imam Husayn made her sister recover her senses and repeatedly requested her to remain patient and persevering. He said:

"Dear sister, be tranquil and patient. It is not that only the inhabitants of the world die. Those in the heavens do not also continue to live. Everything dies except the Almighty, Who has created the people with His power, and will one day bring them to life again, whereas He Himself is Unique. Dear sister! My grandfather was better than me. My father was better than me. My mother and brother were better than me. It is necessary for every Muslim to follow the Prophet of Allah". After these consolatory remarks the Imam said: "Dear sister! I administer an oath to you that you will follow my advice. Do not tear your dress on account of my suffering, do not scratch your face and do not lament".

The night of Ashura came to an end - the night which will never come again in the history of mankind, because the great personalities who had prepared themselves during that night for martyrdom in the path of Allah and were waiting for the morning to repay their debt to the Holy Prophet and Imam Ali cannot make their appearance once again. How can time reproduce such personalities when the conditions in which they appeared and attained so much perfection cannot be repeated.

The night of Ashura and the eleventh night of Muharram can be repeated only if another Qur'an is revealed once again and a prophet as great as the Last Prophet is appointed to the prophetic mission and a father like Ali and a mother like Fatima come into existence, and an atmosphere like that of Ahlul Bayt is present in the world.

That night can reappear only if the conditions are like those in which the seventeen young men of the family of Bani Hashim could return, men, about whom the Imam said that they were matchless on the face of the earth, and the means for the appearance of men like Habib ibn Mazahir Asadi and other companions of the Holy Imam come into existence.

That night can come again only if Islam is threatened by the dangers which it had to face in those days from Bani Umayya, and all the favorable and unfavorable conditions which prevailed in the year 61 A.H. come into existence once again.

Chapter 18: Morning of Ashura

During the night of Ashura the Imam and his companions offered prayers, sought Divine forgiveness, and made supplications. The night eventually came to end and the morning of their day of glory arrived. It has been written by Shaykh Mufid in his book entitled al-Irshad and by Tabari in his Tarikh that after dawn prayers the Imam arrayed his companions, out of whom thirty two were mounted and forty were on foot. He entrusted the command of the right wing to Zuhayr bin Qayn and that of left wing to Habib ibn Mazahir and also entrusted the standard to his brother Abbas.

Umar bin Sad also arrayed his forces in the morning of that day. He entrusted the command of the right wing to Amr bin Hajjaj Zubaydi, the left wing to Shimr bin Jawshan, the mounted soldiers to Azra bin Qays Ahmadi and the infantrymen to Shith bin Rabie and gave the standard in the hand of his slave.

On the day of Ashura the Imam addressed the people, and delivered speeches a number of times. However, he commenced the day with supplication and every time before he addressed the enemy he sought strength and guidance from Allah. All the invocations and addresses of the Imam are couched in highly eloquent and expressive language. He addressed the soldiers of the enemy army with a perfectly calm and composed mind as if all of them were his friends and devotees and had gathered together to assist him, although he knew very well that after these addresses those very people would attack him with 30,000 spears and kill him.

These speeches were being delivered by an orator, who was thirsty and did not have even a drop of water to moisten his lips. He was an orator, who knew that after a short time his women and children would be made captives by his impudent and sworn enemies. He was an orator, who had not eaten any food and was also thirsty, although on the day of Ashura he did not complain about hunger on account of his lofty character and patience and mentioned thirst only.

Imam Sajjad has said: "The son of the Prophet's daughter was killed when he was thirsty and hungry".

It is really surprising that an orator, who is hungry and thirsty, should speak before thousands of enemies who are ready to kill him. Though there are numerous causes of his anxiety and uneasiness, yet he speaks in such a way that whatever he says is eloquent and expressive. He speaks with perfect peace of mind and courage. Whatever he says is firm and logical. He seldom expresses helplessness and broken-heartedness.

As his companions are killed and the place around him becomes vacant his speech becomes all the more eloquent, and he displays more courage and greater peace of mind. Where can one find such an orator in the history of mankind -a helpless and friendless orator, whose speech is not affected by the prevailing conditions and who is perfectly calm and composed, although there is nothing to mitigate his anxiety and mental disturbance.

Chapter 19: Supplication of Imam in the Morning of Ashura

In the morning of the day of Ashura the horsemen of the enemy launched an attack on the ranks of the Imam. The Imam raised his hands in prayer and said: "O Lord! I depend on you in every affliction and am hopeful of Your blessing in every hardship. In every difficulty with which I am faced, You are my only remedy and resort.

There have been many embarrassments which weakened my heart and no remedy for it was available. The friends did not assist me and the enemies rejoiced at my misfortune. However, when I ceased to seek assistance from everyone except You and sought the remedy only from You, You provided me solace and relief and removed the difficulty. Every blessing and goodness reaches us from You and everything should be sought from You only".

Chapter 20: Sermon of Imam to the Army of Yazid

Then the Imam mounted his camel and addressed the people with a very loud voice, which could be heard by most of them:

"O people of Iraq! Listen to me and do not make haste to kill me so that I may tell you what I must, and appraise you of the reason for my coming to Iraq. If you accept my excuse, believe in what I say, and behave towards me fairly, you will level for yourselves the path of prosperity, and then you will have no reason to kill me. And even if you do not accept my excuse and deviate from the path of justice, you must ponder over the pros and cons of the matter before you kill me, and should not undertake such a delicate task rashly and without deliberation. My supporter is the Almighty Allah Who has revealed the Qur'an. Allah guards His deserving slaves".

When the Imam's speech reached this stage, he heard the wails and lamentations of his sisters and daughters, who were hearing him. Thereupon he said to his brother Abbas and his son Ali: "Go and silence these women, because hereafter they will have to weep much". When the voice of the ladies of the Holy and impeccable family was no longer heard the Imam praised Allah and invoked blessings for the angels and the prophets.

He spoke in more eloquent and expressive words than any orator, who had existed before him, or would come after him, and said to the people of Kufa: "O people! Identify me and see who I am. Then you will come to your senses and reproach yourselves. You should reflect carefully whether it is permissible for you to kill me and to disregard the reverence due to me.

"Am I not the son of your Prophet's daughter? Is the wasi (vicegerent) of your Prophet and his cousin and the first person, who expressed belief in Allah and confirmed what was brought by His Prophet, not my father? Is the Doyen of Martyrs Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib not the uncle of my father? Is the martyr Ja'far bin Abu Talib who has two wings and flies with Allah's angels not my uncle?

Have you not heard that the Holy Prophet has said about me and my brother: "These two sons of mine are the chiefs of the young men of Paradise". If you think that whatever I am saying is true so much the better. I swear by Allah that I know Allah hates the liars, and I have never told a lie. And even if you do not believe in my words and refute me, there are still some companions of the Holy Prophet amongst you who, when asked, will apprise you of the facts.

Ask Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari, Abu Sa'id Khudari, Nahl bin Sadi, Zayd bin Arqam or Anas bin Malik, so that they may tell you that they have heard these words from the Holy Prophet about me and my brother. Is this tradition itself not sufficient to restrain you from killing me? If you are doubtful about this tradition can you doubt even this that I am the son of your Prophet's daughter? I swear by Allah that between East and West there is no son of the daughter of a Prophet except me either amongst you or amongst others.

"You should tell honestly whether I have killed anyone from amongst you so that you may take revenge! Is it that I have appropriated your wealth and you are claiming it? Have I injured you for which you have risen to

compensate?" None of them, however, came forward to give a reply to what the Imam said.

He was, therefore, obliged to call some of them by their names and addressed them in these words: "O Shabath bin Rabie, Hajjar bin Abjar, Qays bin Ashath and Yazid bin Harith! Did you yourselves not write letters to me saying: "The fruits have become ripe and the lands are green and fresh and the soldiers of Iraq are ready to sacrifice their lives for you and you should, therefore, proceed to Iraq as early as possible?"

Tabari writes that in reply to the Imam they said: "We did not write any letter and are not aware of what you are saying." Truly speaking it is the height of meanness and foul play that the same persons who invited their Imam by means of a large number of letters and had signed those letters, were replying to him with utmost impudence that they had neither written any letters to him nor invited him!

Here we introduce to the readers one of those mean persons so that they may come to know to what extent one can go on account of worldliness and lack of will-power. They appear before the people in one guise today and in another guise tomorrow. One day they draw their swords for the sake of Allah and on another day against Him. If they are friends of Ali on one day they become his enemies on the following day. One day they kill Imam Husayn and on another day they claim to be the avengers of his murder.

Shabath bin Rabie i.e. the very person who was the Commander of the Iraqi army on the day of Ashura and one of the killers of the Imam was at one time the mu'azzin of Sajah and he accepted this office when he claimed to be a prophet in the tribe of Bani Tamim. However, when Sajah was disgraced he embraced Islam. He had also a hand in the murder of Uthman. Then he became one of the followers of Ali. Later he revolted against Ali, became one of his opponents and joined the Khawarij. After some time he left the Khawarij also and went in seclusion.

In 61 A.H. he participated in killing Imam Husayn and his companions with great savagery. Afterwards when Mukhtar bin Abi Ubayd Thaqafi rose to avenge the murder of Imam Husayn, he (Shabath) who himself was one of the murderers of the Imam joined Mukhtar as an avenger of the Imam's murder. Later he became the chief of Kufa police. He had a hand also in the murder of Mukhtar bin Abi Ubayd. He died in about 80 A.H.

How can those persons who do not have the least moral sense benefit from the celestial spirit of Husayn bin Ali and how can their untalented and corrupt souls receive any reflection of the sublime soul of the infallible Imam.

The Imam continued his address till he said: "By Allah I will not swear allegiance to these people like weak and mean persons and will not flee the battlefield like slaves while fighting against the rascals. I seek refuge in Allah from the mischief of you people and of every arrogant person who does not believe in the Day of Judgment".

In the meantime the preliminaries of the battle began to take place gradually. Umar bin Sad drew his bow, shot an arrow towards the companions of Imam Husayn and said: "You should bear witness before Ibn

Ziyad (the governor) that I have started the battle earlier than everyone else".

Severe fighting continued till about noon. Most of the companions of the Imam were killed. The Imam offered the noon prayers along with his surviving companions in the form of emergency prayer (Salatul Khawf) i.e. he offered two rakats. The fighting continued after the prayers till all the young men of Bani Hashim were killed. They met martyrdom one after the other. Even young children and sucklings had also the honor of being martyred. Gradually the moment arrived which changed the course of the history of Islam and recorded the honor of martyrdom for them in the pages of history. It is definitely so and there is no tragedy like the tragedy of Imam Husayn.

The exact number of the persons who were martyred on the day of Ashura is not known. It is usually said that seventy two persons were martyred with Imam Husayn. Tabari writes that seventy two companions of the Holy Imam were martyred. Shaykh Mufid writes that Amr bin Sad sent the head of Imam Husayn to Ibn Ziyad on the very day of Ashura and ordered the heads of his companions and Ahlul Bayt to be severed from their bodies and these heads were seventy' two in number.

Furthermore, in the homage (Ziyarat) which has been quoted in Iqbal of Sayyid bin Tawus the names of 72 martyrs of Karbala have been mentioned. This Ziyarat, the date of issue of which is 252 A.H. from the sacred region of Samarra (Iraq), must have been issued by Imam Hasan Askari and not by Imam Mahdi because in that year i.e. 252 A.H. Imam Mahdi was not born and his father Imam Hasan Askari remained alive for another eight years i.e. till 260 A.H. In this Ziyarat the names of seventeen members of the family of Bani Hashim followed by the names of fifty five other companions of the Imam have been mentioned.

In fact it is necessary to study the performance of these seventy two persons more minutely so that we may understand how this small group could bring this marvelous and eternal movement into existence. If Imam Husayn and his companions had a worldly motive and had they been killed like ordinary persons in order to achieve a material objective it would not have been possible for them to acquire such greatness in the world.

Moreover, the very shape of this movement shows that it was not a material rising tainted by worldly and personal motives. The importance which this movement acquired in the history of Islam, rather in the history of the world, was for those very reasons which have already been mentioned and explained i.e. the conditions of the world of Islam of that time had cast a responsibility on the Imam. He assessed that he must rise and sacrifice his life, as the safety of Islam depended upon his rising.

Chapter 21: Negative Attitude towards the Tragedy of Karbala

Imam Husayn rose for the sake of a sublime object. It was not his object that Yazid should cease to wield authority and instead of him he himself should come at the helm of affairs. In other words he had no personal grudge against Yazid. He supported truth in whatever shape it made its appearance and opposed falsehood whether it was headed by Yazid or someone else.

These seventy two persons, whose number becomes seventy three with the addition of the Imam himself, rose so that religion might continue to live in history, and if it had not been so they would not have achieved the result from their grand sacrifice. They did not rise so that their sins might be forgiven. Their case was quite different from those who commit sins throughout their lives. They were different from those persons who accumulate wealth by unlawful means and then purify themselves by paying a visit to Karbala or Makkah.

They even endow a part of this unlawful wealth so that Allah may over- look the balance amount. These seventy two persons were mostly neither sinners nor debtors. The leader of this movement was the infallible Imam and had not committed any sin throughout his life. The young men of the Bani Hashim family were pious persons and enjoyed an impeccable position. The companions of the Imam were also distinguished persons of their time in the matter of piety.

Did the martyrs, as many persons imagine, met martyrdom so that they might become a haven for the sinners of the ummah? In other words if the Muslims or Shi'ah before the martyrdom of Imam Husayn committed sins with anxiety and concern they may feel relieved, commit sins with impunity, deceive the people in any manner they like and may not feel any fear of accountability before Allah and of Divine punishment, because Imam Husayn was martyred to intercede for the sinners.

The Imam met martyrdom so that the sins of the ummah might be forgiven. The people committed sins in the past and will continue to commit sins in future and the Imam made atonement for their sins. Jesus was crucified and the Christian sinners were relieved. Imam Husayn was also killed and guaranteed the salvation of the sinners of the ummah!

We seek refuge in Allah! This explanation and this way of thinking which may perhaps be preferred by most of the common people is exactly opposed to the real object of the Imam in this movement. He rose so that the people might fear Allah more, be on their guard more from the consequences of sin, which they have to endure in this world and in the Hereafter and pay more attention to the performance of their religious duties. He rose to eliminate sin, to restrain the people from doing unlawful things and to revive the spirit of piety in their hearts.

He rose to enjoin the people to do good and to restrain them from evil, to forestall corruption and sins, to strengthen the fear of Allah in their hearts and to draw their attention to Him so that the teachings provided by the Holy Qur'an might be put into practice in the Muslim ummah. Consequently it should be a nation which does not tell lies, does not commit treachery, is

honest in whatever it does, is brave and courageous, does not worship anyone except Allah, does not submit to anything except truth, and does not tolerate anything except law and reasonable words.

The Imam was not killed so that he might tell the people: After my martyrdom there is no need to tell the truth, to be honest, to worship, to acquire lawful property, to refrain from unlawful acts and to have regard for the rights of the people'.

The Imam did not say: 'I have been killed so that my supporters may remain immune from inconveniences and commit sins throughout their lives with perfect peace of mind'. This way of thinking is shameful for the Muslims and pains the sacred souls of the martyrs, who laid down their lives struggling in the path of Allah against sin and impiety. It is not at all possible that a man should be distant from Allah and close to the Imam, and may displease Allah and please the Imam; and may set aside a part of his sins for the Imam so that Allah may not call him to account.

Those people who think on these lines not only betray Islam and the spirit of the movement of Imam Husayn but it may be said that with the capital of the martyrdom of the Imam they have set up an organization of their own against the things declared lawful and unlawful by Allah and the reward and punishment prescribed by Him.

How unlucky is the Muslim, who does not offer prayers or observe fast or respect the rights of the people or does unlawful things or earns his livelihood by means of usury or other unlawful occupations, and then imagines happily that he is a disciple of Imam Husayn. Such a Muslim should be asked: "Why do you claim to be a disciple of Imam Husayn when neither you like his deeds nor he liked yours? He spoke the truth and you tell lies. He was honest and you commit treachery.

He asked for extension of time during the night of Ashura so that he might spend that night in offering prayers, supplications, asking Divine forgiveness and reciting the Qur'an, whereas your nights are spent mostly in committing sins and doing undesirable things. He sacrificed in the path of Allah everything which he possessed whereas you cannot dispense with even a small coin for the sake of Allah.

Many persons claim to be the disciples of Imam Husayn and this is due to the fact that they have not recognized him properly and think that they can win his favor by means of usual homages, greetings and compliments. They are exactly like most of the persons who await the appearance of the Imam of the time and do not know that the appearance of the Imam is not profitable for them and the Imam of their imagination will not appear at all, as the Imam who will appear will not distribute money and posts among his disciples.

A person who has a true concept of Prophethood and Imamate does not get involved in such errors and does not attribute anything to the Prophet and Imam opposed to the Divine organization. He knows that the greatness of the Prophet and the Imam is based on obedience to Allah and one cannot benefit from the Prophet and the Imam except through obedience to the Almighty.

In spite of all the hardships on the day of Ashura and the fact that the enemies did not agree to postpone fighting for a few moments for the performance of prayers, Imam Husayn offered noon prayers in congregation while fighting was still in progress and made two of his companions namely Zuhayr bin Qayn Bajali and Sa'id bin Abdullah Hanafi stand before him so that they might counteract the attacks of the enemies and enable the Imam to offer his prayers. How can such an Imam be willing that instead of offering prayers one may simply mourn his martyrdom and abandon necessary duties relying on his intercession and favor and commit unlawful acts?

Mourning for the Imam should make the people understand religion. It should bring them nearer to Allah and keep them away from sin. It should make them love religion all the more and revive the spirit of monotheism in them. They should realize that the gatherings held to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Husayn can please Allah and become the means of reward in the Hereafter only when they take place within the limits of obedience to the Almighty Allah and do not consist of falsehood and unlawful acts, because Allah cannot be worshipped by means of sin, and unlawful things cannot be made the basis of worship.

It is so, because Allah accepts only that act which is performed within the limits of piety. It reforms human soul and takes him to a higher spiritual stage. It is not possible that a good deed is done and it has no effect on the soul of man. It is the effect of a good deed which appears in the shape of spiritual reward in the Hereafter and unless a deed has a good effect on human soul it is meaningless to say that it carries spiritual reward.

Similarly unless a deed has bad effect on human soul it is meaningless to say that it carries punishment in the Hereafter. Those persons who apparently do good deeds, but do not have the least effect on their souls and do not reform them are sadly mistaken. They remain at the same spiritual stage and still think that they have acquired abundant spiritual reward.

Good deeds should provide food for spiritual faculties to man and should I improve and reform his inner self. They should eradicate base, motives from their mind and should develop good morals in their place and strengthen them. In case good deeds do not produce good effects it should be concluded that the deeds in question were not really good and were not performed properly. For it so happens very often that, contrary to what is imagined, such deeds have bad effects on human soul.

Allah says:

Whoever desires to meet his Lord should strive to do good deeds. (Surah al-Kahf, 18:110).

Reciting Elegies in the Form of Prose

Some people ask: Why do the Shi‘ahs recite elegies when mourning over the awliya’ of Allah? Were these practices prevalent among the people who came before? Did the Prophet of Allah (S) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as) participate in these practices when mourning for great people? Did the Holy Prophet’s (S) companions and those generations that came immediately after them take part in mourning practices or not?

With attention to history, we come to the conclusion that reciting prose was a common practice when mourning over the awliya’ of Allah during the early days of Islam. We will now refer to some examples:

A. Reciting mournful songs for the awliya’ of Allah

Upon study of the history of Islam, one can see that the Prophet of Allah (S) and his companions used to recite elegies. We will now refer to some examples:

1. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose

Halabli narrates from Ibn Mas‘ud,“We did not see the Prophet of Allah weep for someone as much as he did for Hamzah. He put Hamzah’s corpse in the direction of the Qiblah and stood over his deathbed. After that, he cried loudly and nearly passed out.

He recited, ‘O uncle of the Prophet of Allah! O lion of Allah! O Hamzah! O doer of good works! O Hamzah! O repeller of sorrows! O supporter! O protector of the Prophet of Allah!’” 1

2. Fatimah al-Zahra (as) recited elegies in the form of prose

Anas ibn Malik recounts,“When I was returning from burying the Prophet of Allah, Fatimah looked at me and said, ‘O Anas! How did you manage to drop clay on the head of Allah’s Prophet?’ Then, she started crying, and called out, ‘O my father! You who accepted call of Allah! O my father! You who have gone to the presence of Allah! O my father! You who answered call of Allah!’” 2

3. A’ishah recited elegies in the form of prose

Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih says,“‘A’ishah stood beside the tomb of Abu Bakr and said, ‘The biggest affliction for me, after the loss of the Holy Prophet, is the loss of you’.” 3

4. Imam al-Hasan (as) recited elegies in the form of prose

On his own chain of transmission, Tabari narrates that Khalid ibn Jabir quotes Imam al-Hasan (as), while reading out a sermon after the martyrdom of Imam ‘Ali (as), saying,

لقد قتلتم الليلة‌ رجلاً في ليلة فيها نزل القرآن، وفيها رفع عيسی بن مريم عليه السّلام وفيها قتل يوشع بن نون فتی موسی عليهِما السَّلام، والله ما سبقه أحد کان قبله، ولا يدرکه أحد يکون بعده. والله إن کان رسول الله صَلَّی اللهُ عَلَيهِ وآله ليبعثه في السرية، وجبرئيل عن يمينه وميکائيل عن يساره، والله ما ترك صفراء ولا بيضاء الاّ ثمانمائة أو سبعمائة أرصدها لخادمه

“You have killed a man on the night the Holy Qur’an was revealed, on a night that Jesus, the son of Mary, was taken to the skies, and Yusha‘ (Joshua) was killed. I swear upon Allah! No one outran him before him and no one can comprehend him after him. I swear upon Allah! The Prophet of Allah used to send the man you have killed tonight to lead wars, while the Archangel (Jibra’il) Gabriel was on his right hand side and the Angel Mika’il (Michael) was on his left hand side. I swear upon Allah! He did not leave behind any silver or gold, except seven or eight hundred dinars that he had put aside for his servant.” 4

5. Women recited elegies mourning for Imam al-Hasan (as)

On his chain of transmission, al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi recounts that Umm Bakr ibn Muswir said,“When al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali passed away, the women of Bani Hashim recited elegies while mourning over him for a period of one month.” 5

B. Reciting elegies when mourning for Imam al-Husayn (as)

With reference to sources of Islamic hadiths (traditions) and history, we draw the inference that the Holy Prophet (S), the Ahl al-Bayt (as), the Prophet’s companions, and even the generation which came after the Prophet used to recite elegies when mourning over Imam al-Husayn (as) during the days of their lives. We will refer to a few examples:

1. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose for Imam al-Husayn (as) even before the birth of Imam al-Husayn (as)

On his authentic chain of transmission, al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi quotes Umm al-Fadl saying,“One day, I came to the Prophet and said, ‘I dreamt a bad dream last night.’ The Noble Prophet (S) asked, ‘What did you dream?’

I said, ‘It was a bad dream.’ The Holy Prophet (S) insisted, ‘What did you dream?’ I said, ‘In my dream, I saw a part of your body being separated from you and being placed in my lap.’ The Prophet of Allah said, ‘You dreamt a good dream. If Allah so wills, Fatimah my daughter will give birth to a son who will be brought up in your lap.’

“Umm al-Fadl recounts, ‘Fatimah gave birth to al-Husayn, and just like the Noble Prophet had predicted, he was always on my lap. One day, I went to see the Prophet of Allah and placed al-Husayn in his lap. I looked at the Prophet (S) and I suddenly noticed that he was shedding tears.

I said, ‘O Prophet of Allah! May my father and mother be your ransom! What makes you cry?’ The Holy Prophet (S) answered, ‘The Archangel Gabriel came to me and informed me that my ummah will soon martyr him.’

I asked, ‘They will martyr this child?’ The Prophet (S) answered, ‘Yes!’ Then, he gave me a bit of the bloody soil of Imam al-Husayn which Gabriel had brought from the holy site of Imam al-Husayn’s (as) martyrdom’.”

This hadith has been recorded and recounted by a number of Sunni scholars, among them: al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi, Khatib Khwarazmi, Ibn al-Sabbagh al-Maliki, Ibn Hajar al-Hayaīthami al-Makki, al-Bayhaqi, Muttaqi Hindi.6

2. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose for Imam al-Husayn (as) in the Mosque after the birth of Imam al-Husayn (as)

Khwarazmi Hanafi narrates, “One complete year after the birth of Imam al-Husayn, twelve angels came to see the Noble Prophet while their faces were red and their wings were spread wide, and addressed him thus, ‘O Muhammad!

Soon it shall pass that which befell Habil (Abel) from the hands of Qabil (Cain) for this child of yours, and soon it shall pass that the reward which Abel was awarded will be awarded to him. Also, soon it shall pass that the same kind of punishment which was accorded to Cain be accorded to the one who kills him.

On that day, all the angels in the heavens descended upon the Prophet (S) and consoled him over the sufferings and martyrdom of al-Husayn (as). They also informed the Noble Prophet about the favors which would be granted to al-Husayn (as). They gave him the holy clay which they had taken from the site of Imam al-Husayn’s martyrdom.’

The Holy Prophet (S) said, ‘O Lord! Make abject any person who abuses al-Husayn, and kill the one who kills al-Husayn. Do not let him live to enjoy the pleasures he seeks in his actions.’

When two complete years elapsed after the birth of Imam al-Husayn (as), the Holy Prophet (S) went on a journey. Along the way, he stopped and recited the Qur’anic verse,

﴿ إنّا للهِ وَإِنّا إِلَيْهِ راجِعُونَ ﴾

‘We are from Allah and to Him is our return.’ 7

And his eyes filled with tears. I asked him, ‘Why are you shedding tears?’ He answered, ‘The Archangel Gabriel was here. He was informing me about a place called Karbala near the river Euphrates where my child al-Husayn ibn Fatimah will be martyred.’ It was asked, ‘Who will martyr him?’

He (S) answered, ‘A man by the name of Yazid, may Allah withdraw all blessings from him, and it seems as though I see his burial place in Karbala although they take his head as a gift to someone.’ The Prophet cut his journey short and returned in a state of sorrow. He got on the pulpit and gave a sermon. He advised the people to fear Allah.

Then he said, ‘O Lord! I have been informed by the Archangel Gabriel that my child will be made abject and killed…’”8

3. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose for Imam al-Husayn (as) in the house of Umm Salamah

On his authentic chain of transmission, Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrates from Anas ibn Malik saying,“The Angel of Rain got permission from Allah to descend upon the Prophet. Allah granted it permission. The Noble Prophet told Umm Salamah to take care not to let anyone come in. Umm Salamah recounts, ‘Al-Husayn came and wanted to go in.

I stopped him from doing so. He ran away from me and went into the room where the Holy Prophet (S) was meeting the angel. He climbed on the shoulders and head of Allah’s Prophet. The angel said to the Prophet, ‘Do you love him?’ The Noble Prophet (S) said, ‘Yes, I do.’ The angel said, ‘Beware! Verily your ummah (community) will soon kill him.

If you wish, I will show you the place where he will be killed.’ The angel clapped his hands and in the split of a second brought red clay from the site of Imam al-Husayn’s martyrdom. Umm Salamah got some of that clay and hid it. Thabit said that news reached them that this soil was from Karbala’.” 9

4. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose in the house of ‘A’ishah

On his authentic chain of transmission, Ibn ‘Asakir narrates that ‘A’ishah recounted,“One day when the Prophet of Allah was asleep, al-Husayn suddenly entered and went towards him. I tried to keep him away from the Prophet (S). Afterwards, I got busy doing my own work and took no notice of al-Husayn. He went near the Prophet (S). The Holy Prophet (S) suddenly woke up from sleep in a tearful state.

I asked him, ‘Why are you crying?’ He (S) answered, ‘The Archangel Gabriel has just shown me the holy land where al-Husayn will be martyred. The wrath of Allah will be very intense on the person who sheds his blood.’ Then, the Holy Prophet (S) put out his hand and showed a handful of dirt and said, ‘O ‘A’ishah! I swear upon Him in whose Hands is my life (Allah), this affair makes me mournful. Who is this person from my ummah that will kill al-Husayn after I have gone?!’” 10

5. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose after the death of Imam al-Husayn (as)

On his authentic chain of transmission, Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrates that Ibn ‘Abbas said,“I saw the Prophet in a dream. He was standing in a sad and distressed way. He was soiled and was holding a glass full of blood in his hands.

I said, ‘May my father and mother be your ransom! What is this in your hands, O Prophet of Allah?’ He answered, ‘This is the blood of al-Husayn and his companions. I got it today.’ Ibn ‘Abbas says, ‘We calculated when that day was, and found out that it was the same day when al-Husayn (as) was martyred’.” 11

On their authentic chain of transmission, al-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim quote Salmi recounting,“One day, I saw Umm Salamah crying. I asked her, ‘Why are you crying?’ She said, ‘In my dreams, I saw the Noble Prophet (S) with clay on his head and beard. I asked, ‘What is this clay, O Prophet of Allah?’ He (S) answered, ‘A while ago I was witnessing the martyrdom of my al-Husayn.’’” 12

6. Imam ‘Ali (as) recited elegies for Imam al-Husayn (as)

a. On his authentic chain of transmission, Ahmad ibn Hanbal quotes Najja recounting that he and ‘Ali made a journey to Siffin. When they reached the valley of Niynawa, Imam ‘Ali (as) yelled and cried out aloud,“When you come next to the Euphrates River, bear patiently O Aba ‘Abd Allah!” I asked him,“What is the matter?”

Imam ‘Ali (as) answered,“One day, I went to see the Holy Prophet (S) while he was shedding tears. I asked, ‘O Prophet of Allah! Has anyone annoyed you? Why are your eyes tearful?’ The Prophet (S) answered, ‘Yes, a while before you came, the Archangel Gabriel left me. He came to inform me that al-Husayn will be killed near the Euphrates River.’

Then, the Noble Prophet (S) asked me, ‘Do you want me to show you a part of the clay from the land where he will be killed?’ I said, ‘Yes I do.’ Then, he stretched his arm out and gave me a handful of soil. I could not stop my tears from flowing, and I broke down and cried.” 13

b. On his chain of transmission, Nasr ibn Muzahim recounts that ‘Ali (as) reached the land of Karbala and temporarily stopped there. It was said to him,“O Amir al-Mu’minin! This place is Karbala.” The Imam (as) said,“This place has much pain and suffering.” Then, he pointed to a place and said,“That is where their blood will be shed.” 14

c. On his authentic chain of transmission, Hafiz Tabarani narrates that Shayban said,“When ‘Ali reached Karbala, he got emotionally excited and said, ‘In this place lie martyrs comparable to none save the martyrs of Badr’.” 15

7. Imam al-Sadiq (as) recited elegies in the form of prose

Ibn ‘Abd Rabbah narrates, “Imam al-Sadiq (as) stood by the tomb of his father and said,

أشهد انّك قد اقمت الصلاة وآتيت الزکاة وأمرت بالمعروف ونهيت عن المنکر وأطعت الله ورسوله، وعبدته مخلصاً وجاهدت في سبيله صابراً محتسباً حتی اتاك اليقين، فلعن الله امة قتلتك ولعن الله امة ظلمتك، ولعن الله امة سمعت بذلك فرضيت به

“I bear witness that verily you upheld the prayers, gave charity, and enjoined the lawful and forbade sinful acts. You obeyed Allah and his Prophet, and worshiped Him with sincerity of heart. You struggled in His way patiently with firm forbearance, and left everything to be judged by Allah. You reached the station of complete certainty. May Allah therefore curse the community which killed you, curse the people who oppressed you, and curse the nation who heard about your martyrdom and became pleased by it!” 16

8. Umm al-Banin recited elegies in the form of prose

Abu al-Faraj Isfahani narrates,“Umm al-Banin was a mother of four sons who had all been killed. She used to go to the Baqi‘ graveyard and recite heart-rending prose. The people would encircle her and listen to her heartbreaking lamentations. One of the people who used to come and listen to her was Marwan, and he used to cry upon listening to her sorrowful prose.” 17

9. Zaynab (as) recited elegies in the form of prose

Abu al-Faraj Isfahani and other historians have quoted from Hamid saying, “When ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn Akbar made the intention to go on the battlefield, I saw a woman come out of a tent with such speed that it seemed as if the sun had just arisen. She repeated,

يا حبيباه، يابن اخاه !

‘O my dear friend! O son of my brother!’

I asked people about her. They said, ‘She is Zaynab, the daughter of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as).’ Later, when ‘Ali Akbar was martyred, she came and threw herself on his corpse. Al-Husayn came and got her by the arm and returned her to the tent.”18

Tabari and other historians have recounted,“When the eleventh day of the month of Muharram came, Ibn Sa‘d gave orders that the caravan of captives should leave Karbala. The wives of Imam al-Husayn (as), his children, his sisters and the daughters of the Imam were with Zaynab in the caravan.

They were moved around like Turkish and Roman captives. The women said, ‘By Allah, let us pass through the battle area of Imam al-Husayn (as).’ The captives were taken through the area where the bodies of Imam al-Husayn (as) and his companions had fallen. When the women saw the dead bodies, they cried out and wailed loudly and hit their faces.”

The narrator of this incident says, “I swear upon Allah! I cannot forget Zaynab who was lamenting with a broken heart and a desolate voice,

يا محمّداه،! صلّی عليك مليك السماء، هذا حسينك مرمّل بالدماء، مقطّع الاعضاء، وبناتك سبايا، الى الله المشتکی، والى محمد المصطفی والى علي المرتضی والى فاطمة الزهراء، والى حمزة سيد الشهداء. يا محمّداه،! هذا حسين بالعری، تسفي عليه ريح الصبا، قتيل اولاد البغايا،! واحزناه، واکرباه عليک يا ابا عبد الله،! اليوم مات جدي رسول الله، يا أصحاب محمّد! هولاء ذرية المصطفي يساقون سوق السبايا

‘O Muhammad! Upon whom the angels send blessings, this is your al-Husayn who is immersed in blood. His body parts have been torn to pieces and his daughters have been taken into captivity. I complain to Allah, to Muhammad al-Mustafa (the Chosen One of Allah), ‘Ali al-Murtada, Fatimah al-Zahra and Hamzah, the Doyen of Martyrs! O Muhammad! This is al-Husayn left forlorn in this desert and wilderness while the wind blows over him. He has been killed by children born out of adultery. I seek safety from your sorrow and suffering, O Aba ‘Abd Allah! Today, my grandfather, the Prophet of Allah, passed away. O companions of Muhammad! These are the progeny of al-Mustafa who are being taken as captives’.”

Then, the narrator says,“I swear upon Allah! At that very moment, Zaynab caused everyone to cry, friend and foe alike.” 19

10. Ibn ‘Abbas recited elegies in the form of prose

While addressing Yazid, Ibn ‘Abbas said,“You want me to help you and you compel me to become friends with you while it is you who killed al-Husayn and the youths of ‘Abd al-Muttalib. These people were the lights and bright stars of guidance.

The armies, acting under your direct orders, shed their blood and plundered their bodies. Their heads were separated from their bodies while they were thirsty.” 20

11. Zayd ibn Arqam recited elegies in the form of prose

Ibn Hajar and others have narrated that,“When they brought the head of Imam al-Husayn before Ibn Ziyad in Kufah, he started hitting the teeth of Imam al-Husayn with a wooden stick. Zayd ibn Arqam was also present and said to Ibn Ziyad, ‘Remove that wooden stick from your hand, I swear upon Allah! For a long period of time I saw the Prophet of Allah kiss between those two lips.’ Then, he started crying.” 21

12. Hasan Basri recited elegies in the form of prose

Sibt ibn Jawzi narrates from Zuhri,“When the news about al-Husayn’s death reached Hasan Basri, he cried so much that both his cheeks became wet. Then, he said, ‘May the ummah (community) which killed the son of the daughter of the Prophet be despised. I swear upon Allah! The head of al-Husayn will return to his grandfather, and his grandfather and father will exact vengeance upon the son of Marjanah’.” 22

References

1. Al-Sirah al-Halbiyyah, vol. 1, p. 461.

2. Al-‘Aqd al-Farid, vol. 2, p. 31; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad, vol. 3, p. 197.

3. Al-‘Aqd al-Farid, vol. 2, p. 37.

4. Tarikh Tabari, vol. 5, p. 157.

5. Al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi, Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 173.

6. Al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi, Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 176; Khwarazmi, Maqtal al-Imam al-Husayn (as), vol. 1, pp. 158-159; Al-Fusul al-Muhimmah, p. 154; Al-Sawa‘iq al-Muhriqah, p. 115; Al-Khasa’is al-Kubra, vol. 2, p. 125; Kanz al-‘Ummal, vol. 6, p. 223.

7. Surat Al -Baqarah 2:156.

8. Khwarazmi, Maqtal al-Imam al-Husayn (as), vol. 1, p. 163.

9. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad, vol. 3, pp. 242, 265.

10. Ibn ‘Asakir, Mukhtasar Tarikh Damishq, trans. Imam ‘Ali, hadith 229.

11. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad, vol. 1, p. 283; Al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi, Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 4, p. 397.

12. Al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi, Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 4, p. 19; Mukhtasar Tarikh Damishq, vol. 4, p. 340.

13. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad, vol. 2, pp. 60-61.

14. Waq‘atu Siffin, p. 158; Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 1, p. 278.

15. Khwarazmi, Maqtal al-Imam al-Husayn (as), p. 162, as narrated by Tabrani.

16. Al-‘Aqd al-Farid, vol. 2, p. 8.

17. Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p. 85.

18. Ibid., p. 115; Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, vol. 4, p. 33; Tarikh Tabari, vol. 6, p. 256.

19. Tarikh Tabari, vol. 5, p. 465; Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, vol. 4, p. 32; Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, vol. 8, p. 189.

20. Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, vol. 4, p. 50; Majma‘ al-Zawa’id, vol. 7, p. 25; Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. 4, p. 18.

21. Sawa‘iq al-Muhriqah, p. 118; Tadhkirah al-Khawass, p. 231; Tarikh Tabari, vol. 4, p. 349.

22. Tadhkirah al-Khawass, p. 240.

Reciting Elegies in the Form of Prose

Some people ask: Why do the Shi‘ahs recite elegies when mourning over the awliya’ of Allah? Were these practices prevalent among the people who came before? Did the Prophet of Allah (S) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as) participate in these practices when mourning for great people? Did the Holy Prophet’s (S) companions and those generations that came immediately after them take part in mourning practices or not?

With attention to history, we come to the conclusion that reciting prose was a common practice when mourning over the awliya’ of Allah during the early days of Islam. We will now refer to some examples:

A. Reciting mournful songs for the awliya’ of Allah

Upon study of the history of Islam, one can see that the Prophet of Allah (S) and his companions used to recite elegies. We will now refer to some examples:

1. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose

Halabli narrates from Ibn Mas‘ud,“We did not see the Prophet of Allah weep for someone as much as he did for Hamzah. He put Hamzah’s corpse in the direction of the Qiblah and stood over his deathbed. After that, he cried loudly and nearly passed out.

He recited, ‘O uncle of the Prophet of Allah! O lion of Allah! O Hamzah! O doer of good works! O Hamzah! O repeller of sorrows! O supporter! O protector of the Prophet of Allah!’” 1

2. Fatimah al-Zahra (as) recited elegies in the form of prose

Anas ibn Malik recounts,“When I was returning from burying the Prophet of Allah, Fatimah looked at me and said, ‘O Anas! How did you manage to drop clay on the head of Allah’s Prophet?’ Then, she started crying, and called out, ‘O my father! You who accepted call of Allah! O my father! You who have gone to the presence of Allah! O my father! You who answered call of Allah!’” 2

3. A’ishah recited elegies in the form of prose

Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih says,“‘A’ishah stood beside the tomb of Abu Bakr and said, ‘The biggest affliction for me, after the loss of the Holy Prophet, is the loss of you’.” 3

4. Imam al-Hasan (as) recited elegies in the form of prose

On his own chain of transmission, Tabari narrates that Khalid ibn Jabir quotes Imam al-Hasan (as), while reading out a sermon after the martyrdom of Imam ‘Ali (as), saying,

لقد قتلتم الليلة‌ رجلاً في ليلة فيها نزل القرآن، وفيها رفع عيسی بن مريم عليه السّلام وفيها قتل يوشع بن نون فتی موسی عليهِما السَّلام، والله ما سبقه أحد کان قبله، ولا يدرکه أحد يکون بعده. والله إن کان رسول الله صَلَّی اللهُ عَلَيهِ وآله ليبعثه في السرية، وجبرئيل عن يمينه وميکائيل عن يساره، والله ما ترك صفراء ولا بيضاء الاّ ثمانمائة أو سبعمائة أرصدها لخادمه

“You have killed a man on the night the Holy Qur’an was revealed, on a night that Jesus, the son of Mary, was taken to the skies, and Yusha‘ (Joshua) was killed. I swear upon Allah! No one outran him before him and no one can comprehend him after him. I swear upon Allah! The Prophet of Allah used to send the man you have killed tonight to lead wars, while the Archangel (Jibra’il) Gabriel was on his right hand side and the Angel Mika’il (Michael) was on his left hand side. I swear upon Allah! He did not leave behind any silver or gold, except seven or eight hundred dinars that he had put aside for his servant.” 4

5. Women recited elegies mourning for Imam al-Hasan (as)

On his chain of transmission, al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi recounts that Umm Bakr ibn Muswir said,“When al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali passed away, the women of Bani Hashim recited elegies while mourning over him for a period of one month.” 5

B. Reciting elegies when mourning for Imam al-Husayn (as)

With reference to sources of Islamic hadiths (traditions) and history, we draw the inference that the Holy Prophet (S), the Ahl al-Bayt (as), the Prophet’s companions, and even the generation which came after the Prophet used to recite elegies when mourning over Imam al-Husayn (as) during the days of their lives. We will refer to a few examples:

1. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose for Imam al-Husayn (as) even before the birth of Imam al-Husayn (as)

On his authentic chain of transmission, al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi quotes Umm al-Fadl saying,“One day, I came to the Prophet and said, ‘I dreamt a bad dream last night.’ The Noble Prophet (S) asked, ‘What did you dream?’

I said, ‘It was a bad dream.’ The Holy Prophet (S) insisted, ‘What did you dream?’ I said, ‘In my dream, I saw a part of your body being separated from you and being placed in my lap.’ The Prophet of Allah said, ‘You dreamt a good dream. If Allah so wills, Fatimah my daughter will give birth to a son who will be brought up in your lap.’

“Umm al-Fadl recounts, ‘Fatimah gave birth to al-Husayn, and just like the Noble Prophet had predicted, he was always on my lap. One day, I went to see the Prophet of Allah and placed al-Husayn in his lap. I looked at the Prophet (S) and I suddenly noticed that he was shedding tears.

I said, ‘O Prophet of Allah! May my father and mother be your ransom! What makes you cry?’ The Holy Prophet (S) answered, ‘The Archangel Gabriel came to me and informed me that my ummah will soon martyr him.’

I asked, ‘They will martyr this child?’ The Prophet (S) answered, ‘Yes!’ Then, he gave me a bit of the bloody soil of Imam al-Husayn which Gabriel had brought from the holy site of Imam al-Husayn’s (as) martyrdom’.”

This hadith has been recorded and recounted by a number of Sunni scholars, among them: al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi, Khatib Khwarazmi, Ibn al-Sabbagh al-Maliki, Ibn Hajar al-Hayaīthami al-Makki, al-Bayhaqi, Muttaqi Hindi.6

2. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose for Imam al-Husayn (as) in the Mosque after the birth of Imam al-Husayn (as)

Khwarazmi Hanafi narrates, “One complete year after the birth of Imam al-Husayn, twelve angels came to see the Noble Prophet while their faces were red and their wings were spread wide, and addressed him thus, ‘O Muhammad!

Soon it shall pass that which befell Habil (Abel) from the hands of Qabil (Cain) for this child of yours, and soon it shall pass that the reward which Abel was awarded will be awarded to him. Also, soon it shall pass that the same kind of punishment which was accorded to Cain be accorded to the one who kills him.

On that day, all the angels in the heavens descended upon the Prophet (S) and consoled him over the sufferings and martyrdom of al-Husayn (as). They also informed the Noble Prophet about the favors which would be granted to al-Husayn (as). They gave him the holy clay which they had taken from the site of Imam al-Husayn’s martyrdom.’

The Holy Prophet (S) said, ‘O Lord! Make abject any person who abuses al-Husayn, and kill the one who kills al-Husayn. Do not let him live to enjoy the pleasures he seeks in his actions.’

When two complete years elapsed after the birth of Imam al-Husayn (as), the Holy Prophet (S) went on a journey. Along the way, he stopped and recited the Qur’anic verse,

﴿ إنّا للهِ وَإِنّا إِلَيْهِ راجِعُونَ ﴾

‘We are from Allah and to Him is our return.’ 7

And his eyes filled with tears. I asked him, ‘Why are you shedding tears?’ He answered, ‘The Archangel Gabriel was here. He was informing me about a place called Karbala near the river Euphrates where my child al-Husayn ibn Fatimah will be martyred.’ It was asked, ‘Who will martyr him?’

He (S) answered, ‘A man by the name of Yazid, may Allah withdraw all blessings from him, and it seems as though I see his burial place in Karbala although they take his head as a gift to someone.’ The Prophet cut his journey short and returned in a state of sorrow. He got on the pulpit and gave a sermon. He advised the people to fear Allah.

Then he said, ‘O Lord! I have been informed by the Archangel Gabriel that my child will be made abject and killed…’”8

3. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose for Imam al-Husayn (as) in the house of Umm Salamah

On his authentic chain of transmission, Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrates from Anas ibn Malik saying,“The Angel of Rain got permission from Allah to descend upon the Prophet. Allah granted it permission. The Noble Prophet told Umm Salamah to take care not to let anyone come in. Umm Salamah recounts, ‘Al-Husayn came and wanted to go in.

I stopped him from doing so. He ran away from me and went into the room where the Holy Prophet (S) was meeting the angel. He climbed on the shoulders and head of Allah’s Prophet. The angel said to the Prophet, ‘Do you love him?’ The Noble Prophet (S) said, ‘Yes, I do.’ The angel said, ‘Beware! Verily your ummah (community) will soon kill him.

If you wish, I will show you the place where he will be killed.’ The angel clapped his hands and in the split of a second brought red clay from the site of Imam al-Husayn’s martyrdom. Umm Salamah got some of that clay and hid it. Thabit said that news reached them that this soil was from Karbala’.” 9

4. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose in the house of ‘A’ishah

On his authentic chain of transmission, Ibn ‘Asakir narrates that ‘A’ishah recounted,“One day when the Prophet of Allah was asleep, al-Husayn suddenly entered and went towards him. I tried to keep him away from the Prophet (S). Afterwards, I got busy doing my own work and took no notice of al-Husayn. He went near the Prophet (S). The Holy Prophet (S) suddenly woke up from sleep in a tearful state.

I asked him, ‘Why are you crying?’ He (S) answered, ‘The Archangel Gabriel has just shown me the holy land where al-Husayn will be martyred. The wrath of Allah will be very intense on the person who sheds his blood.’ Then, the Holy Prophet (S) put out his hand and showed a handful of dirt and said, ‘O ‘A’ishah! I swear upon Him in whose Hands is my life (Allah), this affair makes me mournful. Who is this person from my ummah that will kill al-Husayn after I have gone?!’” 10

5. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose after the death of Imam al-Husayn (as)

On his authentic chain of transmission, Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrates that Ibn ‘Abbas said,“I saw the Prophet in a dream. He was standing in a sad and distressed way. He was soiled and was holding a glass full of blood in his hands.

I said, ‘May my father and mother be your ransom! What is this in your hands, O Prophet of Allah?’ He answered, ‘This is the blood of al-Husayn and his companions. I got it today.’ Ibn ‘Abbas says, ‘We calculated when that day was, and found out that it was the same day when al-Husayn (as) was martyred’.” 11

On their authentic chain of transmission, al-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim quote Salmi recounting,“One day, I saw Umm Salamah crying. I asked her, ‘Why are you crying?’ She said, ‘In my dreams, I saw the Noble Prophet (S) with clay on his head and beard. I asked, ‘What is this clay, O Prophet of Allah?’ He (S) answered, ‘A while ago I was witnessing the martyrdom of my al-Husayn.’’” 12

6. Imam ‘Ali (as) recited elegies for Imam al-Husayn (as)

a. On his authentic chain of transmission, Ahmad ibn Hanbal quotes Najja recounting that he and ‘Ali made a journey to Siffin. When they reached the valley of Niynawa, Imam ‘Ali (as) yelled and cried out aloud,“When you come next to the Euphrates River, bear patiently O Aba ‘Abd Allah!” I asked him,“What is the matter?”

Imam ‘Ali (as) answered,“One day, I went to see the Holy Prophet (S) while he was shedding tears. I asked, ‘O Prophet of Allah! Has anyone annoyed you? Why are your eyes tearful?’ The Prophet (S) answered, ‘Yes, a while before you came, the Archangel Gabriel left me. He came to inform me that al-Husayn will be killed near the Euphrates River.’

Then, the Noble Prophet (S) asked me, ‘Do you want me to show you a part of the clay from the land where he will be killed?’ I said, ‘Yes I do.’ Then, he stretched his arm out and gave me a handful of soil. I could not stop my tears from flowing, and I broke down and cried.” 13

b. On his chain of transmission, Nasr ibn Muzahim recounts that ‘Ali (as) reached the land of Karbala and temporarily stopped there. It was said to him,“O Amir al-Mu’minin! This place is Karbala.” The Imam (as) said,“This place has much pain and suffering.” Then, he pointed to a place and said,“That is where their blood will be shed.” 14

c. On his authentic chain of transmission, Hafiz Tabarani narrates that Shayban said,“When ‘Ali reached Karbala, he got emotionally excited and said, ‘In this place lie martyrs comparable to none save the martyrs of Badr’.” 15

7. Imam al-Sadiq (as) recited elegies in the form of prose

Ibn ‘Abd Rabbah narrates, “Imam al-Sadiq (as) stood by the tomb of his father and said,

أشهد انّك قد اقمت الصلاة وآتيت الزکاة وأمرت بالمعروف ونهيت عن المنکر وأطعت الله ورسوله، وعبدته مخلصاً وجاهدت في سبيله صابراً محتسباً حتی اتاك اليقين، فلعن الله امة قتلتك ولعن الله امة ظلمتك، ولعن الله امة سمعت بذلك فرضيت به

“I bear witness that verily you upheld the prayers, gave charity, and enjoined the lawful and forbade sinful acts. You obeyed Allah and his Prophet, and worshiped Him with sincerity of heart. You struggled in His way patiently with firm forbearance, and left everything to be judged by Allah. You reached the station of complete certainty. May Allah therefore curse the community which killed you, curse the people who oppressed you, and curse the nation who heard about your martyrdom and became pleased by it!” 16

8. Umm al-Banin recited elegies in the form of prose

Abu al-Faraj Isfahani narrates,“Umm al-Banin was a mother of four sons who had all been killed. She used to go to the Baqi‘ graveyard and recite heart-rending prose. The people would encircle her and listen to her heartbreaking lamentations. One of the people who used to come and listen to her was Marwan, and he used to cry upon listening to her sorrowful prose.” 17

9. Zaynab (as) recited elegies in the form of prose

Abu al-Faraj Isfahani and other historians have quoted from Hamid saying, “When ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn Akbar made the intention to go on the battlefield, I saw a woman come out of a tent with such speed that it seemed as if the sun had just arisen. She repeated,

يا حبيباه، يابن اخاه !

‘O my dear friend! O son of my brother!’

I asked people about her. They said, ‘She is Zaynab, the daughter of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (as).’ Later, when ‘Ali Akbar was martyred, she came and threw herself on his corpse. Al-Husayn came and got her by the arm and returned her to the tent.”18

Tabari and other historians have recounted,“When the eleventh day of the month of Muharram came, Ibn Sa‘d gave orders that the caravan of captives should leave Karbala. The wives of Imam al-Husayn (as), his children, his sisters and the daughters of the Imam were with Zaynab in the caravan.

They were moved around like Turkish and Roman captives. The women said, ‘By Allah, let us pass through the battle area of Imam al-Husayn (as).’ The captives were taken through the area where the bodies of Imam al-Husayn (as) and his companions had fallen. When the women saw the dead bodies, they cried out and wailed loudly and hit their faces.”

The narrator of this incident says, “I swear upon Allah! I cannot forget Zaynab who was lamenting with a broken heart and a desolate voice,

يا محمّداه،! صلّی عليك مليك السماء، هذا حسينك مرمّل بالدماء، مقطّع الاعضاء، وبناتك سبايا، الى الله المشتکی، والى محمد المصطفی والى علي المرتضی والى فاطمة الزهراء، والى حمزة سيد الشهداء. يا محمّداه،! هذا حسين بالعری، تسفي عليه ريح الصبا، قتيل اولاد البغايا،! واحزناه، واکرباه عليک يا ابا عبد الله،! اليوم مات جدي رسول الله، يا أصحاب محمّد! هولاء ذرية المصطفي يساقون سوق السبايا

‘O Muhammad! Upon whom the angels send blessings, this is your al-Husayn who is immersed in blood. His body parts have been torn to pieces and his daughters have been taken into captivity. I complain to Allah, to Muhammad al-Mustafa (the Chosen One of Allah), ‘Ali al-Murtada, Fatimah al-Zahra and Hamzah, the Doyen of Martyrs! O Muhammad! This is al-Husayn left forlorn in this desert and wilderness while the wind blows over him. He has been killed by children born out of adultery. I seek safety from your sorrow and suffering, O Aba ‘Abd Allah! Today, my grandfather, the Prophet of Allah, passed away. O companions of Muhammad! These are the progeny of al-Mustafa who are being taken as captives’.”

Then, the narrator says,“I swear upon Allah! At that very moment, Zaynab caused everyone to cry, friend and foe alike.” 19

10. Ibn ‘Abbas recited elegies in the form of prose

While addressing Yazid, Ibn ‘Abbas said,“You want me to help you and you compel me to become friends with you while it is you who killed al-Husayn and the youths of ‘Abd al-Muttalib. These people were the lights and bright stars of guidance.

The armies, acting under your direct orders, shed their blood and plundered their bodies. Their heads were separated from their bodies while they were thirsty.” 20

11. Zayd ibn Arqam recited elegies in the form of prose

Ibn Hajar and others have narrated that,“When they brought the head of Imam al-Husayn before Ibn Ziyad in Kufah, he started hitting the teeth of Imam al-Husayn with a wooden stick. Zayd ibn Arqam was also present and said to Ibn Ziyad, ‘Remove that wooden stick from your hand, I swear upon Allah! For a long period of time I saw the Prophet of Allah kiss between those two lips.’ Then, he started crying.” 21

12. Hasan Basri recited elegies in the form of prose

Sibt ibn Jawzi narrates from Zuhri,“When the news about al-Husayn’s death reached Hasan Basri, he cried so much that both his cheeks became wet. Then, he said, ‘May the ummah (community) which killed the son of the daughter of the Prophet be despised. I swear upon Allah! The head of al-Husayn will return to his grandfather, and his grandfather and father will exact vengeance upon the son of Marjanah’.” 22

References

1. Al-Sirah al-Halbiyyah, vol. 1, p. 461.

2. Al-‘Aqd al-Farid, vol. 2, p. 31; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad, vol. 3, p. 197.

3. Al-‘Aqd al-Farid, vol. 2, p. 37.

4. Tarikh Tabari, vol. 5, p. 157.

5. Al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi, Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 173.

6. Al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi, Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 176; Khwarazmi, Maqtal al-Imam al-Husayn (as), vol. 1, pp. 158-159; Al-Fusul al-Muhimmah, p. 154; Al-Sawa‘iq al-Muhriqah, p. 115; Al-Khasa’is al-Kubra, vol. 2, p. 125; Kanz al-‘Ummal, vol. 6, p. 223.

7. Surat Al -Baqarah 2:156.

8. Khwarazmi, Maqtal al-Imam al-Husayn (as), vol. 1, p. 163.

9. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad, vol. 3, pp. 242, 265.

10. Ibn ‘Asakir, Mukhtasar Tarikh Damishq, trans. Imam ‘Ali, hadith 229.

11. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad, vol. 1, p. 283; Al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi, Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 4, p. 397.

12. Al-Hakim al-Neyshaburi, Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 4, p. 19; Mukhtasar Tarikh Damishq, vol. 4, p. 340.

13. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad, vol. 2, pp. 60-61.

14. Waq‘atu Siffin, p. 158; Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 1, p. 278.

15. Khwarazmi, Maqtal al-Imam al-Husayn (as), p. 162, as narrated by Tabrani.

16. Al-‘Aqd al-Farid, vol. 2, p. 8.

17. Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, p. 85.

18. Ibid., p. 115; Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, vol. 4, p. 33; Tarikh Tabari, vol. 6, p. 256.

19. Tarikh Tabari, vol. 5, p. 465; Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, vol. 4, p. 32; Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, vol. 8, p. 189.

20. Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, vol. 4, p. 50; Majma‘ al-Zawa’id, vol. 7, p. 25; Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. 4, p. 18.

21. Sawa‘iq al-Muhriqah, p. 118; Tadhkirah al-Khawass, p. 231; Tarikh Tabari, vol. 4, p. 349.

22. Tadhkirah al-Khawass, p. 240.


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