Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Dispatching of the blessed heads of the Pure Household by Ubaydullah bin Ziyad, the accursed, from Kufa to Syria, and the events that occurred thereafter

(Irshad) After they paraded the blessed head in Kufa, they brought it back to the palace. Ibn Ziyad handed over the head to Zahr bin Qays, as also the heads of the companions, and dispatched him to Yazid along with Abu Burdah bin Aun Azdi, Tariq bin Zabiyan and a group of men from Kufa, until they reached Yazid, the accursed.

Here I intend to increase the grief (upon the Imam) and quote the words of the `Commander of the faithful’, the ‘Master of the Vicegerents’ Imam Ali (a.s.) as a comparison,

“Where are the ones who had pledged together to sacrifice their lives, while their heads were taken to the wicked men.”

I also quote these elegies as comparison, “Ransom upon the heads which were raised upon the lances, and were taken to Syria as a gift, ransom upon the beloved cheeks, that were smeared harshly in dust and blood, May I be ransom upon the bare bodies laid upon the earth, that were skilled for mourning, weep upon the orphans of the Progeny of Muhammad (S), that the Qur’an was dispersed from them, the Masters of Religion and administrators of guidance, that sacrifice (in Makkah) and the pilgrimage is unsuitable except through their medium”.

Abdullah bin Abi Rabi’ah Humayri relates, that I was in Damascus with Yazid, when Zahr bin Qays entered therein. Yazid said, “Woe be to you! What news follows you? And what have you brought along with?”

He replied,

“Have glad tidings of the victory of Allah. Husayn, along with eighteen men of his family and sixty from among his adherents, revolted against us. Thus we confronted them and offered him 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 and surrounded them. And when our swords landed upon their heads, they fled away without having any place of refuge. And they sought refuge upon every low and high places when we attacked them, similar to a pigeon that takes refuge from the falcon. O Commander of the faithful (Allah’s refuge)! By Allah! A time needed to slaughter a camel or dozing off during day-time had not yet passed, that we killed the last of them. And we left their bodies naked, clothes smeared in blood, faces upon the ground, while the sun scorched them, and the wind scattered sand upon them, and the wild birds of the severe desert would turn upon them”.1

Hearing this, Yazid bowed his head for sometime, then lifting his head said, “I would have been pleased with you even if you had not killed Husayn. Beware! If I had been there with him, I would have let him go. May Allah have mercy upon Husayn”. Then he did not bestow any gift upon him.

Sayyid Shiblanji in his Noorul Absar, and Sibt Ibn Jawzee in his Tazkirah say, that Yazid removed him (Zahr bin Qays) from his presence and did not give him anything.

We (the Author) say, that his (Zahr bin Qays) end was already predicted. Zuhayr bin Qayn relates, that when I joined Imam Husayn (a.s.), he said,

“O Zuhayr! Know thou, that here the place of my pilgrimage will be raised. And my head will be taken by Zahr bin Qays to the presence of Yazid in greed of reward, but he will not get anything.”

After dispatching the head of Imam Husayn (a.s.), Ubaydullah mobilized the children and ladies and fastened an iron collar in the neck of Imam Ali bin Husayn (a.s.) and dispatched them behind the head along with Makhfar bin Sa’labah A’ezee and Shimr bin Ziljawshan, until they joined the caravan carrying the heads. Imam Zainul Abedeen (a.s.) did not speak to them on the way from Iraq until they reached Syria.

Sayyid Haider Hilli says in his elegies, “Who will inform the Prophet that indeed, Hazrat Sajjad is captivated? Who will inform to Zahra and notify her of the heartburn of Zainab? Their enemies have been parading them from one city to another, while their hearts are pained and aggrieved”.

It is stated in the Shi’ah and Sunni books, that when the bearers of the sacred head of Imam Husayn (a.s.) halted at the first place, they started drinking wine and playing and sporting with the blessed head. When suddenly a hand appeared from the wall holding an iron pen, and wrote down in blood the following lines: “The nation which has killed Husayn, still hopes that on the day of Qiyamah his grandfather shall intercede for them?” Seeing this they were terrified and left that place.

It is stated in Tazkirah of Sibt Ibn Jawzee, that Ibn Seereen said, that one hundred and fifty years before the ‘Proclamation of Prophethood’, a stone was found upon which was written in the Syrian language, and when it was translated into Arabic it meant, “The nation which has killed Husayn, still hopes that on the day of Qiyamah his grandfather will intercede for them?”

Sulayman bin Yasar says that a stone was found, on which was written: “There is no escape from it, that on the day of Qiyamah, Fatemah (a.s.) shall arrive with her shirt smeared in the blood of Husayn, woe be to them who have incurred the wrath of their own intercessors, on the day when Israfeel will blow the trumpet”.

It is related from Tareekhul Khamees, that they (the bearers of heads) proceeded until they reached a monastery and entered therein so as to relax until the afternoon. There they saw written on the wall: “The nation which has killed Husayn, still hopes that on the day of Qiyamah his grandfather will intercede for them?” They asked a monk, “Who has written these lines?” He replied, “It was written here one hundred and fifty years before the ‘Proclamation of Prophethood’”.

Sibt Ibn Jawzee, through his chain of transmitters, relates from Abu Muhammad Abdul Malik bin Hisham Nahvi Misri, in context of a tradition, that whenever they (the bearers of heads) downloaded their equipments, they removed the blessed head from the trunk and raised it upon a lance. They would guard the entire night until the morning, and at the time of proceeding they would put it back into the trunk and proceed further. During one of their halts they came near the monastery of a monk. As usual they raised the head upon the lance and guarded it while leaning the lance against the wall of the monastery. At mid-night, the monk saw a wave of light emanating from the head and reaching the heavens. He looked at them from above the monastery and asked, “Who are you?”

They replied, “We are associates of Ibn Ziyad”. He asked, “Whose head is this?” and they replied, “It is of Husayn, the son of Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.) and Fatemah (a.s.), the daughter of the Prophet of Allah (S)”. He asked, “You mean your Prophet?” and they replied in the affirmative. Hearing this he said, “You are among the worst of men. If Maseeh (Prophet Isa) would have had a son, we would have placed him upon our eyes (we would have honored him greatly)”.

He continued, “Do you desire anything, and could you do me a favor?” They asked as to what was it, and he replied, “I have ten thousand Ashrafi with me, you may take it and give me the head. Let it remain with me until the dawn, and when you proceed further, take it back from me”. They replied, “We are at no loss due to this”, saying this they handed the head over to him and he gave them the Ashrafis in return.

The monk washed the head, perfumed it and kept it upon his thigh and wept profusely until it dawned. And when it dawned he said, “O head! I do not have authority upon anything except myself. I bear witness that there is no Deity except Allah and that your Grandfather is the Prophet of Allah! You bear witness that I am your friend and a slave”. Then he renounced the monastery and all that was therein, and entered the ranks of the slaves of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

Ibn Hisham in his Seerah says that they took the head and proceeded further, and when they reached near Damascus, they started telling one another that, “Come, so that we may divide the Ashrafi among ourselves. Lest Yazid may see them and take it away from us”. The purse was brought and opened and they saw that it had turned into clay, and on one of its sides was written:

“And think not Allah to be heedless of what the unjust ones do. He only respites them to a day when the eyes shall be fixed open (staring with terror)”. (Surah al-Ibraheem, 14:42)

And on the other (side) it was written:

“And soon shall know those who deal unjustly, what an (evil) turning they shall be turned to!” (Surah ash-Shu`araa, 26: 227)

Seeing this they threw them into the Burda River.

The honorable Shaikh Sa’eed bin Hibatullah (Qutubuddin) Rawandi, in his Kharaej, has related this episode in detail and in this context says that when the monk handed back the head to them, he came down from the monastery and remained engrossed in Prayers in a mountain. Their (the bearers of the head) leader was none other than Umar bin Sa’ad, who had taken the money from the monk. But when he saw that it had turned into clay, he ordered his slaves to throw them into the river.

I (the Author) say, that according to the historical facts, Umar bin Sa’ad did not accompany this group to Syria hence it is unlikely that he was with them. And it seems more unlikely, as quoted by him (Rawandi) in the end of this report, that Umar bin Sa’ad returned back to Rayy, and when he reached the vicinity of his kingdom, Allah shortened his life and he died on the way. For it is verified that Mukhtar killed him in his house at Kufa and thus the Prayer of Imam Husayn (a.s.) regarding him was fulfilled that,

“May Allah prevail upon you a one, who would kill you upon your bed”. And Allah is ‘the Best Knower’. ”

Sayyid Ibn Tawoos says that Ibn Lahee’ah and others relate this report from which we quote a part according to our need. I was circumambulating the Ka’bah and I heard a man say, “O Allah forgive me! But I know that You shall never do so”. I said, “O slave of Allah! Fear Allah and do not utter this. Even if your sins are equal to the drops of rain or the leaves of the trees, seek pardon from Allah, and He shall certainly forgive them. While Allah is Forgiving, Merciful”.

He said, “Come, so that I may relate to you regarding myself”. He continued, “We were fifty men accompanying the head of Husayn to Syria. Every night we would place the head of Husayn into a trunk and drink wine surrounding it. One night my friends drank wine and were intoxicated and inebriated while I did not drink. When a part of the night passed by, I heard a sound of thunder and saw lightening.

Suddenly the doors of the heavens were opened ajar and Prophets Adam (a.s.), Nooh (a.s.), Ibraheem (a.s.), Isma’eel (a.s.), and Ishaq (a.s.), and our Prophet Muhammad (S), accompanied by Jibra’eel and other Angels, descended. Jibra’eel came near the trunk, and lifting the blessed head from it, embraced it while kissing it. Then each of the Prophets followed him likewise until it reached the last Prophet (S). The Prophet started weeping while the other Prophets condoled him. Then Jibra’eel said, ‘O Muhammad (S)! I am your obedient one with regards to your nation. And if you command me, I shall capsize the earth upon them as I did with the nation of Prophet Loot (a.s.)’.

The Prophet (S) replied, ‘O Jibra’eel! Verily I shall have an accounting against them in the Audience of Allah’. Then the Angels proceeded to kill us and I said: Refuge! Refuge! O Prophet of Allah! And he (S) said, “Get away, may Allah never forgive you”.

Note

1. Zahr bin Qays has misinterpreted the entire episode of Karbala simply to gain the pleasure of Yazid; rather the reality was quite opposite. It was the army of Yazid which was routed by the fierce attack of Imam Husayn (a.s.)’s companions and often requested for asylum and took to flight. While most of them killed the companions and family of Imam Husayn (a.s.) treacherously. The narratives, as quoted by the Shi’ah and Non-Shi’ah sources, bear testimony to their invincible valour and memorable struggle.

A short Account of the Events taken place en route to Syria

It should be noted, that the sequence of places where they (the Prophet’s Household) dismounted or again proceeded further is not known, nor has it been quoted in the authentic books. While in numerous books the account of the journey of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) towards Syria is not even mentioned. While only some of the events, which have taken place en route to Syria have been reported, which Allah willing, we shall quote in this book.

Ibn Shahr Ashob in his Manaqib says that one of the excellences of Imam Husayn (a.s.) are the marvels which have manifested from the place of his head from Karbala until Asqalan, and in between them in Mosul, Naseebayn, Hamah, Hums, Damascus and other places.

We (the Author) say, that it is apparent from the above report that the blessed and exalted head halted at these places. And as regards the place of the head at Damascus (Ra’s al Husayn), it is renowned and requires no mention, while I myself have been blessed with the pilgrimage to that place.

As regards the place of the head at Mosul, as related in Rawzatush Shohada, that when the bearers of heads reached Mosul, they sent a message to the governor of that place to gather gifts and food for them and to decorate the town. The people of Mosul gathered and opined that they should be handed over whatever they ask but should be requested not to enter therein; rather they should halt outside the town. Then they should go away from there and not come in. They halted at one farsakh away from the town and placed the head upon a stone. A drop of blood fell from the head upon the stone, and blood, similar to a stream, sprang from it.

People from all around gathered there and started the mourning rites and lamenting. This continued until the time of Abdul Malik bin Marwan, who ordered the stone to be shifted from there to another place. There was no sign of it thereafter, but a dome was erected there and was named ‘Mashhadun Nuqta’ (the site of the drop).

As regards the events taken place at Naseebayn, it is quoted in Kamile Bahai, that when they reached Naseebayn, Mansoor bin Ilyas ordered the town to be decorated elegantly. When the accursed (Mansoor), who had held the head of Imam Husayn (a.s.), desired to enter therein, his horse refused to obey him. Seeing this he changed the horse and the other one too refused to comply. He changed horses until the head fell off from the lance unto the ground. Ibraheem Mosuli lifted the head and recognized it to be that of Imam Husayn (a.s.) and reprimanded them while rebuking them.

The Syrians killed him and kept the head outside the city and did not enter therein. And perhaps the place of the head therein has been made the site for pilgrimage (at Naseebayn).

And as regards the pilgrimage site at Hamah, it is quoted in some books, while relating from one of the reporters of martyrdom, that I reached Hamah while returning from the Hajj Pilgrimage. Amidst the gardens I reached a Mosque called ‘Masjid al Husayn’. I entered the Mosque and saw a curtain upon a wall in one of its structures. I lifted the curtain and saw a diagonal stone affixed therein. The stone had a mark of a (severed) neck and dried blood was apparent upon it. I asked one of the caretakers of the mosque, “What is this stone, and what traces of blood does it contain?” He replied, “This stone is the one on which the head of Imam Husayn (a.s.) was placed by it’s bearers, while taking it towards Syria, and it’s mark has appeared upon it”.1

As regards the site of the head at Hums, I have found no information regarding it, as also regarding the sites from Karbala till Asqalan. But as regards the site near the northern gate of the courtyard of the Mausoleum of Imam Husayn (a.s.), there exists a Mosque by the name of ‘Masjid Ra`s al Husayn’ (The Mosque of Husayn’s head), and also there is a Mosque behind Kufa, near Qaimul Ghariyy, called Masjide Hannanah, where the salutation of Imam Husayn (a.s.) is recommended, for his head was kept there.

Shaikh Mufeed, Sayyid Ibn Tawoos and Shaheed al Awwal relate in the chapter of the pilgrimage of the Commander of the faithful (a.s.), that when you reach a place called Hannanah, recite two units of Prayers.

Muhammad bin Abi Umayr relates from Mufazzal bin Umar, that he said, that when Imam Ja’far as Sadiq (a.s.) reached a bent pillar en route to Ghariyy (old name of Najaf), he recited two units of Prayers there. I asked him, “What Prayer is this?” He replied,

“This is the site where the head of my grandfather Imam Husayn (a.s.) was kept. When they came from Karbala they kept it here and then took it to the presence of Ubaydullah, the accursed, from here”.

The Master of the Eminent Jurists, the Author of Jawaherul Kalam (Shaikh Muhammad Hasan Najafi), says that it is possible that at this place the head of Imam Husayn (a.s.) might have been buried…… until the end of his discourse, which I do not desire to quote here. And I am surprised as to how he related it. And Allah is ‘the Best Knower’.

As regards the site of the head of Imam Husayn (a.s.) in Asqalan, it is quite renowned as quoted in some books.

It should be noted that there is a site of pilgrimage near Halab known as ‘Mashhadus Siqt’ on Mount Jawshan. It is a honorable mountain of Halab on its western side, which is a graveyard and a place of pilgrimage for the Shi’ah. Therein are the graves of Ibn Shahr Ashob, the author of Manaqib, and of Ahmad bin Muneer Ameli, regarding whom it has been quoted in Amalul Amil, and I too have quoted regarding him in my Fawaedur Razawiyyah.

Hamuwi in his Mo’jamul Buldan says that Jawshan is a mountain on the west of Halab, which has a mine of red copper. And it is said that from the time the captives of the family of Imam Husayn (a.s.) were kept there, it turned futile. One of the women of Imam Husayn (a.s.) experienced labor-pain there and miscarried.

She requested for bread and water from the laborers of that mountain, but they abused her and refused to give her anything. She cursed them and none working in the mountain gains anything until even today. On the western side of the mountain is a place of pilgrimage known as ‘Mashhad as Siqt’ (a place of miscarriage) and is also called ‘Mashhad al Dikkah’ (the place of the bench). While the child who was aborted was named Mohsin bin Husayn.

Note

1. It is stated in Kamile Bahai, that the bearers of the head of Imam Husayn (a.s.) feared lest the tribes of Arabs might revolt and take the head of Imam from them. Therefore they took a deviated route and whenever they would reach a tribe and ask for food from them, they would say that this head is that of a rebel.