1st Day of the month of Safar (Entry of the Household (Ahlulbayt a.s.) into Syria)

Entry of the Household (Ahlulbayt a.s.) into Syria & the blessed heads in Damascus.

The author of Kamile Bahai relates the narration of Sahl bin Sa'ad briefly and says that he said, that I saw the heads mounted upon the lances while the head of Abbas bin Ali (a.s) was in the forefront. The head of Imam Husain (a.s) followed them while the women of the Prophet's family were behind the head. The head displayed magnificent awe while light emanated from it. A round beard, which had a few white hair in it and was dyed with Wasmah, seemed very much attractive. His eyes were large and dark, and eyebrows were joined together. His forehead was wide, nose long, while his lips were smiling raised towards the heavens, and his eyes were gazed towards the horizon. The wind was whirling his beard towards the right and left and it was as if he was the Commander of the faithful (Ali).
It is stated in the same book, that the Prophet's family was halted behind the door of Syria for 3 days, while the town was being decorated in a manner as was never seen before. Five hundred thousand Syrian men and women, accompanied by tambourines, cymbals and drums wore new dresses and prepared themselves and went towards them. It was Thursday, the sixteenth day of Rabi'ul Ula, while inside the town (the crowd of people) were similar to the day of resurrection and the people therein were rejoicing. When the day advanced further, the heads were entered into the city.
At the end of the day, with great difficulty, could they reach the gate of the palace of Yazeed bin Mu'awiyah due to the large crowd of men. A throne, studded with jewels, was laid for Yazeed and his house was decorated, while golden and silver chairs were kept surrounding his throne. The courtiers of Yazeed ordered the bearers of the heads to enter therein and they complied. They said, "By the honour of the commander! We killed the Progeny of Abu Turab (Imam Ali) and severed their origins". Then they narrated the entire episode and laid the heads in front of him. The Ahlulbayt (a.s) were imprisoned for a long time, and during this period, there was none who could salute them. On that day an old Syrian man went to Imam Ali bin Husain (a.s) and said, "Praise be to Allah that he has killed and destroyed you, and put off the fire of revolt".
Shaikh Toosi relates from Imam Ja'far as Sadiq (a.s), that when Imam Ali bin Husain Zainul Abedeen (a.s) returned after the martyrdom of his father (a.s), Ibraheem bin Talha bin Abdullah (or Ubaydullah) came to receive him and said, "O Ali bin Husain! Who was victorious?" Imam, who was in the midst of the litters (of Camels), and had covered his head, said,  "O you who desires to know who was victorious, recite the Azaan and Iqamah at the time of the Prayers".
It is related in Akhbarud Dawl of Daynoori, that (Ubaydullah) Ibne Ziyad prepared Imam Zainul Abedeen (a.s) and the ladies and despatched them to Yazeed alongwith Zahr bin Qays, Makhfar bin Sa'labah and Shimr bin Ziljawshan. They proceeded until they reached Syria, and entered Damascus alongwith the head of Imam Husain (a.s) and presented it to Yazeed. Then Shimr started his speech and said, "O Commander of the faithful (Allah's refuge)! This man, alongwith eighteen men of his family and sixty from among his adherents, revolted against us. Thus we faced them and offered them to submit to the order of commander Ubaydullah bin Ziyad, or else fight us, and they preferred battle upon submission. We pounced upon them as soon as the sun arose… (until the end)"
Then the captives were brought to Yazeed, and the women from his family, his daughters and relatives lamented and wept. The head of Imam Husain (a.s) was placed near Yazeed,  Sayyedah Sakinah (a.s) said, "I have not seen a more harsh man than Yazeed. Nor is any infidel and polytheist worst and more tyrant than him". He looked at the head and said, "I wish those of my elders killed at Badr see, the bemoaning of the Khazraj upon the deed of the sword".  Then he ordered that the head of Imam Husain (a.s) be hung upon the gate of the Mosque of Damascus.
Ibne Abud Dunya relates, that when he (Yazeed) dug his stick into the rear teeth of Imam Husain (a.s), he recited the couplets of Haseen bin Hamam Murri: "We forbore, while forbearance is our hobby, we split open the heads of our friends with our swords, that severe the head and wrists, for they were more disobedient and more oppressive". Mujahid says, that by Allah! There was none who did not abuse or rebuke Yazeed or distance themselves from him. Ibne Abud Dunya says, that Abu Barzah Aslami was seated with Yazeed, and he said, "O Yazeed! Lift your stick off this head. By Allah! In the days of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.s), I saw him kissing his (Imam Husain's) rear teeth."
(Sibt) Ibne Jawzee in his Radd bar Muta'assib Aneed says, that one is not amazed by the deeds of Umar bin Sa'ad and Ubaydullah bin Ziyad, but one wonders at the wretchedness of Yazeed that he hit with his stick the lips and teeth of Imam Husain (a.s), and also his pillage of Madinah, then is it permissible to treat rebels in this manner? Is it not related in the Islamic laws that the rebels in Islam should be buried? Then his (Yazeed's) utterance that, "I have the right to imprison them", is not agreeable to the ones convinced of cursing him. I wish that when the head of Imam Husain (a.s) was brought to him he had honoured it and recited the Prayers upon it. And he had not kept it in a tray nor had he struck at it with his stick, when he had achieved what he had desired through his death.
Ibne Abd Rabbah Andalusi in his Iqdul Fareed, relates from Rayashi who relates through his chain of narrators from (Imam) Mohammad bin Ali bin Husain (al Baqir) (a.s), that he said, that after the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s), we were total 12 children who were brought to Yazeed, while the eldest among us was (Imam) Ali bin Husain (Zainul Abedeen) (a.s). All of us were bound in collars and chains from head to feet. He (Yazeed) told us, "The slaves of Iraq besieged you while I was unaware of the revolt of Abu Abdullah (Imam Husain) and his martyrdom".
Shaikh Ibne Nima says, that (Imam) Ali bin Husain (a.s) said, that we were twelve children who were taken to the presence of Yazeed bound in collars and chains. When we stood facing him, I said, "I say to you in the name of Allah, O Yazeed! In your opinion if the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.s) would have seen us in this state, what would have been the state of his mind?" Hearing this he turned towards the Syrians and said, "What do you opine regarding them?" One of the accursed uttered such harsh words, that I do not wish to repeat. Then No'man bin Basheer said, "Treat them as the Prophet would have treated them if he saw them in this distressed state".
Fatemah binte Husain (a.s) said, "O Yazeed! These are the daughters of the Prophet who have been captivated". Hearing this, the men started weeping, while the family of Yazeed lamented. Imam Ali Zainul Abedeen (a.s) says, that I was bound in chains and said, "Do you permit me to say something?" Yazeed replied, "You may do so, but do not speak rudely". I said, "I am in a state in which I would not speak rudely, while the essence of my speech is that in your opinion what would the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.s) feel and what would he do if he would see me bound in chains?" Hearing this he turned towards those close to him and said, "Release him".