Al-Husayn Meets the Kufians
People never ceased expressing their hatred towards having to fight al-Husayn (‘a), the son of the most revered Messenger of Allah (S) and Master of the Youths of Paradise. They had not forgotten all the statements made by the Prophet (S) in his honour and in honour of his father the wasi (‘a), as well as in honour of his chosen brother (‘a).
They all realized his status with Allah when Kufa was hit by a drought and by a famine, so they complained to his father (‘a) who took out this same martyr to pray for rain. It was by the blessings of his holy soul and that of hisnoor
, which is made of that of Muhammad (S), that Allah Almighty responded, sending rain upon the earth till grass grew after an extended period of drought.
He was also the same person who secured the watering area during the Battle ofSiffin
, thus making water available for the Muslims who had by then been exhausted by acute thirst
.
They also came to know how he provided water for al-Hurr and for all the one thousand men and their horses in that desolate desert; that was the incident about which the Kufians were talking everywhere.
How could anyone, hence, meet him face to face and fight him, had it not been for succumbing to inclinations, going to extremes in oppression, and due to the weakness of people when facing temptation? This is why many of those who marched out to meet him deserted and stole their way to safety, so much so that only a small number of them remained by the time they reached Karbala’.
When Ibn Ziyad came to know about the large number of those who deserted, he sent al-Suwayd Ibn ‘Abdul-Rahman al-Minqari in charge of a regiment of cavaliers, ordering him to tour Kufa's alleys and quarters to announce the beginning of the war against al-Husayn (‘a) and to bring him all those who lagged behind.
Among those brought to him was a man from Syria who had gone to Kufa seeking an inheritance belonging to him. Once he was brought to Ibn Ziyad, the latter ordered him to be killed. When people saw how ruthless Ibn Ziyad was, they all went out.
The Hosts
Al-Shimr marched out
with four thousand or more; Yazid Ibn al-Rikab marched out with two thousand; al-Hasin Ibn Namir al-Tamimi marched out with four thousand; Shabth Ibn Rab’i marched out with one thousand; Ka’b Ibn Talhah marched out with three thousand; Hijar Ibn Abjar marched out with one thousand; Mudayir Ibn Rahinah al-Mazini marched out with three thousand, and Nasr Ibn Harshah was in command of two thousand
, thus the total number of those who assembled under the command of Ibn Sa’d on the sixth of Muharram totalled twenty thousand strong
.
Ibn Ziyad kept sending reinforcements to Ibn Sa’d till the number of the latter’s troops swelled to thirty thousand.
Imam Abu ‘Abdullah, Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a), has narrated saying,“Al-Husayn (‘a) visited his brother al-Hasan (‘a) during his sickness that caused his martyrdom. Having seen his condition, he wept. Al-Hasan (‘a)
asked him, ‘O father of ‘Abdullah! What grieves you?' ‘I am grieved on account of the harm inflicted on you,' he answered.
Al-Hasan, peace be upon him, said, ‘What has been administered to me is only a poison to kill me, but there is no day like your own day, O father of ‘Abdullah, when thirty thousand strong, all claiming to belong to the nation of our grandfather, Muhammad, alleging adherence to the Islamic faith, will assemble to kill you and shed your blood and violate your sanctity and arrest your offspring and women and plunder your wealth.
It is then that Banu Umayyah will be cursed and the sky will rain ashes and blood, and everything, even the beasts in the jungles and the fish in the seas, will mourn you.”
Ibn Ziyad wrote Ibn Sa’d saying,“I have not left you any excuse with regard to providing you with plenty of horses and men; so, you should not receive the evening nor the day thereafter before I hear good news about you.”
He urged him on the sixth day of Muharram to start the war.
They assembled their hosts against Muhammad's son,
AtTaff
, when they remembered their ancestors...
Allahu Akbar! O pillars of this earth! Dissolve!
The son of piety has to face the hosts
Whose banner the son of the blood-shedder tied,
How insolent they were when they met
His forehead with their very swords...!
The Watering Place
Modesty never wetted their faces
Even if they had walked through the Safa,
Even its stones would have felt modest.
How can such Umayyad faces know modesty,
Having shed, by sinning pleasures, their modesty?
They subdued, through their might,
The offspring of al-Zahra’, and they,
Through their swords, dethroned their princes.
They overpowered them till they
Deprived their corpses of being buried.
The world became too small for it so
Wherever it went, death was before and behind.
The back of death they rode, riding dignity even from
The back of the humiliation they rode.
The fangs of death were shown to a band
For which the swords were fates and destiny
Whose hearts were tested by the Almighty...
At a stand where patience and endeavour were put to test.
The might and swords of Muhammad's family used to be
Against those who cried for help and against the enemy.
Even death hated to meet them in such a way,
Yet Allah loved that they should thus meet Him,
So they leaped with thirsty hearts that
Found nothing to drink except the taste of death
Yet I find you, O cloud, spreading your wings
On people to shade, satisfying those who thirst,
Though the hearts of the Prophet's sons were cracked
With thirst in a desolate land, burning their insides.
The worst cup they drank of all the calamity
Was the oppressors' unveiling of Muhammad's daughters:
The veils of Prophethood and the curtains were violated,
So their insides were further burnt even as
The hands of the foes vied to grab their garments...
How Clement Allah is as He did see
How long they kept their wailing and their cries!
How Clement Allah is as He did see
How in agony they sighed and in grief cried:
With one hand each tried to stay alive,
With the other she tried to shun the foes.
How painful to Muhammad's heart it must be,
How heavy with al-Batool the calamity!
Ibn Sa’d posted his horsemen to guard the Euphrates in order to prohibit the Master of Martyrs (‘a) from reaching it. Al-Husayn's followers found no access to water. Thirst bit them severely. Al-Husayn (‘a) took an axe and walked behind the women's tent nineteen steps in the direction of the Qibla then dug a well of potable water from which they drank, but soon it dried up.
Ibn Ziyad sent a letter to Ibn Sa’d saying,“It has come to my knowledge that al-Husayn is digging a well and reaching water, so he and his company are drinking of it. As soon as this letter reaches you, you must prohibit them, as much as you can, from digging wells. Expose them to the severest of hardships.”
He instantly dispatched ‘Amr Ibn al-Hajjaj with five hundred horsemen to the watering place
three days before al-Husayn's martyrdom.
The Seventh Day
On the seventh day, the siege around the Master of Martyrs (‘a) and those with him intensified, and they were blocked completely from reaching the water. Their water supply had already depleted, so each one of them had to deal with the flames of the thirst on his or her own.
Naturally, the children were moaning on account of the pain of thirst. Some of them were pleading for water while others were trying anything they could think of to quench their thirst.
All of this was taking place before the eyes of Abu ‘Abdullah and the honourable ones of his family and companions. But what could he have done since swords and lances stood between them and the water? Yet the man who quite often served water to the thirsty could not tolerate that condition any longer.
Should the daughters of Fatima ever be in pain
And against the pain of thirst to him complain
With sighs high as the current of the Euphrates?
Had he sought al-Majarra river to quench his thirst,
It would surely have raised itself and done so first,
It would have turned its current into a ladder to reach
Had Double-Horns closed it against him,
His determination would have surely undermined it.
In his left hand is a watering bag,
In his right hand a trained sword,
Like a cloud he aimed to reach Fatima's offspring,
But the foe was certain to stone him with everything...
At that juncture, al-Husayn (‘a) assigned his brother al-’Abbas to shoulder this responsibility. The latter had already been burning with the desire to do just that. Al-Husayn (‘a) asked him to bring water for the ladies and the children, giving him command over a detachment of twenty men each carrying a water bag.
They went to the Euphrates at night paying no attention to those who were charged with guarding the watering place. After all, they were in the company of the lion of Muhammad's Progeny (‘a). Nafi’ Ibn Hilal al-Jamli advanced, so ‘Amr Ibn al-Hajjaj shouted at him to identify himself.
He said to him, “We came to drink of this water from which you have prohibited us.” “Drink then and cool your eyes,”
said he,“but do not carry of it to al-Husayn.”
Nafi’ said,“No, by Allah, I shall never drink one drop while al-Husayn and the Ahl al-Bayt with him and their supporters are thirsty.”
He then called upon his companions to fill their water bags. It was then that those under the command of Ibn al-Hajjaj attacked them. Some of them kept watering their bags anyway while others were defending them headed by the one who grew up in the very lap of Hayderi bravery, namely Abul-Fadhl, al-’Abbas.
They brought the water while none of their enemies could even contemplate getting near them out of fear of that same brave hero. The ladies and the children, hence, were able to quench their thirst.
We cannot overlook the fact that the amount of water brought to them was very little. What could that quantity do to a band that numbered more than a hundred and fifty men, women, and children, or maybe even two hundred, all parched by thirst, drinking no more than once? Soon thirst returned to them; so, to Allah and to His Messenger is one's complaint.
If the Pool's Waterer on the Day of Gathering be Hayder,
Then the Waterer of the thirsty at Karbala’ is Abul-Fadl.
Yet the heart of people's waterer on the Day of Gathering
Is cooled, whereas this one's heart with the heat boils.
I stood by the water of the Euphrates and I still have been
Telling it, though others are better in speech than I:
“Why do you flow - may you not - and tended one day
“To wash your own shame!
“Have not the livers of Muhammad's Progeny flame-dried?
“They were not cooled by water or by rain.
“You ought to fold your branches and cause them to wither
“Out of grief and shame of their withered lips.”
Said the Euphrates: “Listen, if you will, to what I say,
“Accept my excuse, and do not increase your blame.
“What you see are my tears when
“Wailing after them became my affair.”
May Allah reward on their behalf their uncle Abul-Fadl,
O should only you have seen Abul-Fadl!
He was a sword crafted by ‘Ali in his right hand,
So his cub needed no polishing at all.
When Prophet Muhammad's sons are counted,
Among their brothers he will surely be numbered.
Never have I seen one thirsty around the water,
Without drinking of it though his heart is on fire.
His concern was only loyalty; few can be seen like that,
Few can be so loyal to their loved ones.
By your severed right hand do I swear,
And by your left one, the gatherer of all,
By your perseverance in defending the Prophet's son
At Karbala’, though terrifying,
Something my mind cannot comprehend:
He proved loyal to you not knowing
Whether losing you terrified him
Or whether the ‘Arsh was by fates subverted.
Brother! You were both my shield and my sword
Yet I lost both: No shield do I now hold
Nor even my own sword...
Conceit of Ibn Sa’d
Al-Husayn (‘a) dispatched ‘Amr Ibn Qarzah al-Ansari to Ibn Sa’d asking for an evening meeting between both warring factions. Each came out escorted by twenty cavaliers. Al-Husayn (‘a) ordered those in his company, with the exception of al-’Abbas and his oldest son, ‘Ali al-Akbar, to lag behind. Ibn Sa’d did likewise, keeping his son, Hafs, with him together with his slave.
Al-Husayn (‘a) said, “O Ibn Sa’d! Are you really fighting me?! Don't you fear Allah to Whom you shall return?! I am the son of you know very well who. Why don't you come to my side and leave these folks, for that will surely be better for you with Allah?” ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d said, “I fear lest my house should be demolished [if I do so].”
“I shall rebuild it for you,”
was al-Husayn's answer.“I fear lest my estate should be confiscated,” said Ibn Sa’d. The Imam, peace be upon him, said, “I shall compensate you for it with one even better from my property in Hijaz.”
It is said that the Imam (‘a) promised Ibn Sa’d to give him his own estate called al-Bughaybgha, a vast tract of land containing palms and many other fruit trees. Mu’awiyah had offered the Imam (‘a) one million
dinars for it, but he refused to sell it to him.
Ibn Sa’d then said,“I have in Kufa many children, and I fear lest Ibn Ziyad should kill them all.”
When al-Husayn (‘a) lost all hope of winning him over, he stood up as he said,“What is the matter with you, may Allah soon kill you on your bed, and may He never forgive you on the Day of Gathering?! By Allah! I wish you will only eat a little of the wheat of Iraq.” Ibn Sa’d responded by saying sarcastically, “Barley suffices me!”
The first Sign of Allah's Wrath, which this man witnessed, was the loss of his anticipated post as the governor of Rey. When he returned from Karbala’, Ibn Ziyad required him to bring him the covenant wherein he promised to make him governor of Rey, but Ibn Sa’d claimed that he had lost it.
He pressured him to bring it to him, so Ibn Sa’d said,“I left it being read for the old women of Quraysh as means to apologize to them. By Allah! I had advised you with regard to al-Husayn with one piece of advice which, had you conveyed it to my father Sa’d, you would have paid him what you owe him.”
‘Uthman Ibn Ziyad, ‘Ubaydullah's brother, said,“Yes, he has said the truth! I wish there is a ring in the nose of each and every person belonging to Banu Ziyad till the Day of Judgment, and that al-Husayn had never been killed.”
One of the ways whereby al-Mukhtar dealt with him was that when he granted him security, he hired women to mourn the death of al-Husayn at the doorstep of ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d's house. This attracted the attention of passers-by to the fact that the person living inside was the one responsible for killing the Master of the Youths of Paradise.
This caused a great deal of embarrassment to Ibn Sa’d who requested al-Mukhtar to have them removed from there. Al-Mukhtar said to him,“Does not al-Husayn (‘a) deserve to be mourned?”
And when the people of Kufa wanted ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d to be their governor, following the death of Yazid son of Mu’awiyah, the women of the tribes of Hamdan and Rabi’a came to the grand mosque screaming and saying,
“Was not Ibn Sa’d satisfied with killing al-Husayn so he now wants to be the governor?”
People wept, turning away from him.
Calumny of Ibn Sa’d
Ibn Sa’d attributed to Imam Husayn (‘a) doing something which he actually never did. He wrote Ibn Ziyad claiming that he desired the reform of the nation and the beauty of unity. He stated the following in his letter:
“Allah has put out the fire of dissension, united the views, and reformed the nation's affairs. This Husayn has offered me to go back to where he had come from, or to go to one of the border towns and be one of the Muslims receiving what other Muslims receive and shouldering the same responsibilities like anyone else, or that the commander of the faithful, Yazid, comes and places his own hand in Husayn's and both men may discuss their views. All of this meets your pleasure, and there is in it goodness for the nation”.
Far away it is that such a man of dignity could do any such thing. He is the one who taught people how to persevere when facing what they dislike and when meeting death. How could he place himself at the service of Marjana's son or follow the views of the son of the liver-chewing woman?!
Al-Husayn (‘a) had said to his brother, al-Atraf,“By Allah! I shall never submit to lowliness.”
To Ibn al-Hanafiyya he said once,“I know of certainty that in that place shall I meet my death and the death of my companions; none shall survive except my son ‘Ali.”
To Ja’far Ibn Sulaym’an al-Zab’i he said,“They shall never leave me till I am dead.”
The last statement he made during the Battle ofTaff
was:
“The bastard-son and the son of the bastard-son gave me the option to either accept a reward or to succumb to humiliation. Far away it is from us to do that! Allah refuses, and so does His Messenger, and so do the believers. [We are] good and purified families, dignified people, and honourable men who prefer to be killed in dignity rather than obey the abased.”
The statement made by Uqbah Ibn Sam’an explains the condition from which Abu ‘Abdullah, peace be upon him, was suffering. Said he,“I accompanied al-Husayn from Medina to Mecca, and from the latter to Iraq, and I did not part with him till he was killed.
I heard all his statements, but never did I ever hear him say what people claim, i.e. that he wanted to put his hand in Yazid's hand. I never heard him say so when I was with him in Medina nor in Mecca or on any highway, in Iraq or at his own camp, till he was killed. Yes, I heard him say, ‘Let me go in this spacious land.'”
Al-Shimr’s Oppressiveness
Having read Ibn Sa’d's letter, Ibn Ziyad said,“This is a letter of someone who advises his people and who is compassionate towards them.” He was about to respond to it when al-Shimr512 stood up as he said, “Do you really accept such an offer from him after his having settled in your land? By Allah! If he ever departs from your land without making an agreement with you, he will get even stronger, while you will get weaker.”
Ibn Ziyad found his statement to be the wisest, so he wrote Ibn Sa’d saying,“I did not dispatch you to al-Husayn so that you would spare him, nor to negotiate with him, nor to give him any glimpse of hope of security, nor did I dispatch you so that you would intercede on his behalf with me.
See if Husayn and his company surrender to my authority; if so, send them to me safely; if not, attack them and kill them and mutilate their bodies, for they surely deserve it. If al-Husayn is killed, let the horses trample over his chest and back. I do not think that this will hurt him after his death, but this is in fulfillment of a promise that I had made to do just that.
If you carry out our order, we shall reward you as someone who listens to us and who obeys, but if you refuse, then remove yourself from our business and our troops, and let Shimr Ibn Thul-Jawshan take charge of the army, for we have granted him authority to do so.”
When Shimr brought this letter, Ibn Sa’d said to him,“Woe unto you! May Allah never make your home near, and may He reveal the ugliness of what you have done! I believe you are the one who discouraged him from doing it and thus foiled our hopeful attempt to bring about reconciliation. By Allah!
Husayn shall never surrender, for there is an honourable soul within him.”
Al-Shimr said to him,“Tell me what you are going to do: Are you going to carry out your prince's order or not? If not, let me take charge of the army.”
‘Umar Ibn Sa’d answered him by saying,“I shall do it, and no thanks to you; but you should be in charge of the infantry.”
Security
As loudly as he could, Shimr shouted:“Where are the sons of our sister?!515 Where is al-’Abbas and his brothers?!” The latter ignored his calls, whereupon al-Husayn (‘a) said, “Answer his call though he may be a debauchee.”
They asked Shimr what he wanted. Said he,“O sons of my sister! You are safe and secure!
Do not get yourselves killed with al-Husayn! Maintain your obedience to the commander of the faithful Yazid!”
Al-’Abbas said,“The curse of Allah be on you and on your security! Do you grant us security while the son of the Messenger of Allah has no security at all?!
Do you order us to be obedient to the damned folks and the offspring of the damned?!”
Did that rogue think that he could win over a man with full awareness and zeal and thus bring him into the pits of humiliation?
Could the father of al-Fadl exchange the light with the dark or abandon the standard-bearer of the Prophetic call and enlist under the standard of Maysoon's son?! No way!
When al-’Abbas returned, Zuhayr Ibn al-Qayn stood up and said,“Shall I narrate one hadith for you which I learned very well?”
When al-’Abbas answered him in the affirmative, Zuhayr said,
“When your father [the Commander of the Faithful, Imam ‘Ali Ibn Abu Talib, peace be upon him] wanted to get married, he asked his brother, ‘Aqil, who was fully knowledgeable of Arabs’ genealogies, to select a woman born to the most valiant from among the Arabs so that he would marry her and she would give birth to a brave son who would support al-Husayn at Karbala’.
Your father, hence, treasured you for a day such as this one; so, do not fall short of supporting your brother or protecting your sisters.”
Al-’Abbas said, “Do you really encourage me, O Zuhayr, on a day such as this?! By Allah! I shall show you something your eyes have never seen.”
He, therefore, killed renowned heroes and turned standards upside down and fought as one who was not concerned at all about being killed or about paying any heed to the bravery of famous heroes. His only concern was to get water to his brother's children.
He plays al-Karrar as he charges,
He echoes his pristine words in his qualities
The hand of Allah is but his father,
And the Might of Allah is manifested in him.
So he is the hand of Allah and this is his arm
His stands suffice you for a proof.
His valour is like that of his
Lest I should exaggerate, I would have said:
Exalted is his might!
Banu Asad
Habib Ibn Muzahir sought the permission of Imam Husayn (‘a) to go to Banu Asad who were domiciled nearby, and permission was granted to him. When he came to them and identified himself as one of their tribesmen, they, indeed, came to recognize him.
He, then, asked them to support the son of the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (S), for that, he told them, would bring them honour in this life and honour in the life hereafter. Ninety men responded to his call. One man slipped away from their quarters to inform Ibn Sa’d of what had happened there.
The latter instantly sent four hundred men as enforcement to al-Azraq's men in order to intercept that small band on the highway. A fight broke out, and a number of men belonging to Banu Asad were killed while those who survived fled away back home.
Banu Sa’d, fearing a sudden attack from Ibn Sa’d, moved out of that area in their entirety under the cover of the night. Habib went back to al-Husayn (‘a) and told him about what had happened. The Imam (‘a) said,“La hawla wala quwwata illa billahil ‘aliyy al-’azeem,”
that is,“There is neither power, nor might, except in Allah, the most Exalted One, the Great.”
Day Nine
In the eve preceding Thursday, on Muharram 9, 61 A.H/October 12, 680 A.D., Ibn Sa’d stood up and called upon his army to attack al-Husayn (‘a) who was sitting in front of his tent leaning on his sword. Heaviness descended upon him and he saw, by way of a fleeting vision, the Messenger of Allah (S) saying,“Shortly you will join us!”
Zainab, his sister, heard the men's voices, so she said to her brother, “The enemy is getting close to us.”
Al-Husayn (‘a) said to his brother al-’Abbas,“Ride, may I be your sacrifice
, so that you may meet them. Ask them about the reason why they had come and about what they want.”
Al-’Abbas set out escorted by twenty men, including Zuhayr and Habib, on horseback. He asked them, and their answer was:“An order from the Amir (governor) came that we should make you an offer either to surrender to his authority or we shall fight you.”
Al-’Abbas (‘a) went back to inform al-Husayn (‘a) as his escorting party stood to admonish those folks.
Habib Ibn Muzahir said to them,“By Allah! The worst people in the sight of Allah tomorrow [in the hereafter] are those who come to Him after having killed the offspring of His Prophet, his Progeny, his Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), the worshippers of this land who offer tahajjud in the pre-dawn and remember Allah quite often.”
‘Izrah Ibn Qays said to him,“You can keep on lauding yourself as long as you like.”
Zuhayr said to him, “O ‘Izrah! Allah has already lauded and guided my soul! So, fear Allah, O ‘Izrah, for I am only admonishing you. I plead to you in the Name of Allah, O ‘Izrah, not to be among those who support the people of misguidance in killing the pure souls.”
‘Izrah then said,“O Zuhayr! You are not in our regard as one of the Shi’as of Ahl al-Bayt but a man who thought the opposite of their thinking.”
Zuhayr said,“Do you not conclude, having seen where I stand with their regard, that I am one of such Shi’as?
By Allah! I never wrote him a letter, nor sent him a messenger, nor promised to support him, but a meeting with him on a highway tied me to him; so, when I saw his face, I remembered the Messenger of Allah (S) and his status with him and came to know what a crime his enemy wants to commit. It was then that I decided to support him, to be in his party, and to
defend him with my life because you yourselves have discarded your duty to the Messenger of Allah (S)
.”
Al-’Abbas informed his brother Abu ‘Abdullah of what those folks were up to. Al-Husayn (‘a) said,“Go back to them and ask them to give us this evening as a respite till tomorrow so that we may pray to our Lord, supplicate to Him, and seek His forgiveness, for He knows how much I love prayers, the recitation of His Book, the abundance of invocations, and the seeking of His forgiveness.”
Al-’Abbas went back and negotiated an evening's respite. Ibn Sa’d stood up and asked his companions what they thought. ‘Amr Ibn al-Hajjaj said,“Glory to Allah! Even if they had been from Daylam and made such a request, you ought to have granted it to them.”
Qays Ibn al-Ash’ath said, “Grant them what they ask, for by my life, he [al-Husayn] shall fight you tomorrow.” Ibn Sa’d said, “By Allah! If I was sure that he would fight me tomorrow, I would not then postpone it till tomorrow!”
Then he sent the following message to al-Husayn (‘a):“We have postponed fighting you till tomorrow. If you surrender, we shall send you to the governor [‘Ubaydullah] Ibn Ziyad, but if you refuse, we shall not leave you alone.”
Umayyah strayed from the goal
When swords met to do battle.
They wanted to drive an unyoked horse
Like one subjugated in yoke.
And in their hand they wanted him to be
Servile, though the father of lions he may be.
Unattainable, it seems, to ‘Umar to subdue
The Prophet's son, the pure, the sublime.
Umayyah aimed to attain what they could
So they paid no heed to what they ought and should.
They eyed the mirage with an eye,
Towards glory surely sly,
And slanted, and was seduced,
Ignorance its soul induced.
The ignorant only temptation produced.
Those Whose Conscience is Free
One night before his martyrdom
, al-Husayn (‘a) went to his companions to say:
“I glorify Allah in the best of glorification and praise Him for both ease and adversity. Lord! I praise You for having honoured us with Prophethood, taught us the Qur’an, made us faqihs in the creed, made for us the hearing, the vision, and the understanding, and You did not let us be among the polytheists.
I know no companions more worthy, nor better, than mine, nor any members of a family more joining of the ties of kinship than my Ahl al-Bayt (‘a); so, may Allah reward all of you on my behalf.
My grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (S), told me that I would be taken to Iraq and settle in a
land called ‘Amura and Karbala’ where I would be martyred. That very time has come quite close
.
I think that our day of confronting these enemies shall be tomorrow, and I have given you permission, all of you, to freely go. You are not obligated henceforth to stay with me.
The night has already covered you, so ride it as a camel, and let each man among you take with him one man from my Ahl al-Bayt (‘a); so, may Allah reward you all! Disperse to your cities and villages, for these folks are after me, and if they get hold of me, they will not seek others.”
The Imam’s brothers, sons, nephews and the sons of ‘Abdullah Ibn Ja’far said,“And why should we do that? Just to survive you? May Allah never permit us to see that day.”
The first to speak from among them to make this statement was al-’Abbas Ibn ‘Ali Ibn Abu Talib (‘a) followed by the offspring of Hashim.
Al-Husayn (‘a) turned to ‘Aqil's sons and said,“Suffices you of the loss the killing of Muslim. Go, for I have permitted you to leave.” They all said, “What would people, in that case, say about us, and what can we say to them?
Shall we tell them that we left our mentor, master, and the son of the best of our uncles without having shot an arrow or stabbed with a lance or dealt a sword blow in his defense, and that we do not know what they did? No, by Allah! We shall never do anything like that! Rather, we shall sacrifice our lives, wealth and families for you, and we shall fight on your side till we meet your fate. We loathe life after you.”
Souls insisted on upholding their father's legacy
So they are either shot or are shooting.
Their souls are to the battlefield accustomed
Just as their feet are to the pulpits used.
Muslim Ibn ‘Awsajah said,“Are we the type of people that would abandon you?! And what excuse shall we produce before Allah for not having carried out our responsibilities towards you?! By Allah!
I shall never part with you till I stab their chests with my lance and strike them with my sword so long as my hand can hold it. And even if I have no weapon to fight them, I shall hurl stones at them till I die with you.”
Sa’id Ibn ‘Abdullah al-Hanafi said,“By Allah! We shall never abandon you till Allah ascertains that we safeguarded our word to His Messenger in his absence with regard to you.
By Allah! Had I come to know that I shall be killed, then I die, then I shall be burnt alive, then my ashes will be strewn, and this will be done to me seventy times, I shall still refuse to part with you till I meet my death defending you. And why should I not do so since it is only one time's killing followed by eternal bliss?!”
Zuhayr Ibn al-Qayn said,“By Allah! I wish I will be killed, then brought back to life, then killed again, and so on for thousands of times, and that Allah, the most Exalted, the Great, will let such fighting keep you and these youths from among your Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) alive.”
The rest of the companions made similar statements, so al-Husayn (‘a) invoked Allah to reward them well.
Meanwhile, someone said to Muhammad Ibn Bashir al-Hadrami,“Your son has been captured in the outskirts of Rey.”
He said,“I do not like him to be arrested while I survive him.”
Al-Husayn (‘a) said to him,“You are relieved from your oath of allegiance to me; so, go and secure the release of your son.”
“No, by Allah,”
said he,“I shall never do so; may the wild beasts devour me should I ever part with you!”
The Imam (‘a) said to him,“Then give your [other] son these five outfits so that he would utilize them in securing his brother's release,”
and their value was estimated at one thousand dinars.
A band raced to defend him, one that
Inherited glories, young and aged.
Whoever solicits them for what he dislikes
Will find them lions enraged.
They rushed when a war caller called
Trampling in Karbala’ the plains.
Lions whose ornaments are the swords
Whose clothes are the shields.
They took water-bags as their eyes' decoration,
They dyed their hands with ponds,
Leaning as though the deer sang for them
And as though they served them their cups.
Their swords shone, so they rained
With their blood as the ground turned into clouds,
As though they were welcoming thehuris
:
Thus did they welcome the lances and the swords.
They found death in defending Muhammad's offspring
Sweet in taste, yet life after them is pain, unpleasing.
Once he realized how sincere they were in defending him, he acquainted them with what they did not know of fate. Said he,“Tomorrow, I shall be killed and so shall you, and none of you will survive,532 not even al-Qasim, nor ‘Abdullah, my infant son, with the exception of my son ‘Ali Zayn al-’Abidin, for Allah will not permit my family line to discontinue should he be killed, and he shall be the father of eight Imams.”
They all said, “All praise is due to Allah Who has granted us the blessing of being your supporters and honoured us with dying with you! Should we refuse to be in your degree [of divine bliss], O son of the Messenger of Allah (S)?!” The Imam (‘a), therefore, wished them well
then unveiled from their vision what Allah has in store for them of the bliss in Paradise, showing them their mansions therein.
This is not too much to expect in his regard due to the Divine Will of the most Exalted One, nor was it a strange conduct coming from an Imam. When they believed in Moses (‘a) and Pharaoh was about to kill them, Moses the prophet showed them their places in Paradise.
In a statement, Imam Abu Ja’far, al-Baqir, peace be upon him, said to his companions,“Good news for you about your entering Paradise! By Allah! We shall stay as long as Allah wills after whatever happens to us, then Allah
will bring us and you back to life when our Qa'im reappears, so he will seek revenge against the oppressors.
I and you shall witness them chained and shackled and suffering from various types of pain.”
He was asked,
“Who is your Qa'im, O son of the Messenger of Allah?” “He is the seventh from among the offspring of my son, [Imam] Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir (‘a); he is al-Hujjah son of al-Hasan Ibn ‘Ali Ibn Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali Ibn Musa Ibn Ja’far Ibn Muhammad son of my son ‘Ali; he is the one who will remain in occultation for a long time then shall he reappear and fill the world with justice and equity just as it had been filled with injustice and inequity.”
The Night Preceeding ‘Ashura
The night that preceded ‘Ashura was the hardest on the hearts of the family that descended from the Messenger of Allah (S). It was filled with unpleasant things and with calamities. It followed evil and was filled with presentiments of imminent dangers.
The Banu Umayyah had cut them off from all necessities of life. Women were wailing; children were crying on account of the acute thirst, and dark agony was looming in the air.
But what was the condition of the men who sought glory, the companions of Husayn (‘a), the honourable men who descended from Hashim, with regard to such calamities? Were they left with any strength at all whereby they could stand on their feet?
Did they have any morale to lift them and to empower them to struggle for survival, knowing that the war would most surely take place the next day?
Yes! The valiant ones from Abu Talib's family, as well as the elite from among the Imam's followers, were most ecstatic! They were firmer in their determination to fight to the last drop of their blood than any time before!
They were elated on account of the divine bliss and happiness awaiting them! Whenever the bad situation worsened, they even smiled more, teased one another, became happier and more rejuvenated.
Since at Ninawa they opted for death
Seeing some marks for treachery
This one smiled, that laughed
In happiness and in ecstasy
Though death never wears a smile.
Burayr joked with ‘Abdul-Rahman al-Ansari, whereupon the latter said, “Is this the time for indolence?!” Burayr said, “My people know very well that I never liked indolence in any phase of my life, but I am in high spirits on account of what we will be receiving [of Allah's rewards]. By Allah!
The only barrier between us and the huris with large lovely eyes is that these folks assault us with their swords! I sincerely wish they do so this very moment!”
Habib Ibn Muzahir came out of his tent wearing a big smile. Yazid Ibn al-Hasin al-Hamdani said to him,“This is not the time to smile about anything.”
Habib said to him,“On the contrary: what other time is more
worthy of smiling?! As soon as these folks attack us with their swords, we will find ourselves embracing the Huris!”
Glory leaves on their faces its marks
In contentment, though the faces of the valiant
Are in fright constrained.
Like moons shining in the darkest of night
As they appear on their steeds riding,
So they raced like bleeding to meet their death,
As if in death lies their very ecstasy
Their souls embraced their swords
Then the embracing was in the Garden for thehuris
.
They remained quite energetic, alternating between a deep involvement in acts of adoration and the readying of their weapons for the fight, as if they were bees in a bee-hive in the noise of their commotion!
Some were standing in prayers while others were sitting or bowing. One of them, al-Dahhak Ibn ‘Abdullah al-Mashriqi, said, “A regiment of cavaliers belonging to Ibn Sa’d passed by us, and one of their men heard al-Husayn (‘a) reciting the verse saying,
‘Let not those who disbelieve think that Our granting them respite is better for their souls; We grant them a respite only so that they may add to their sins, and they shall have a disgraceful chastisement. On no account will Allah leave the believers in the condition in which you are till He distinguishes the evil [doers] from [the doers of] good' (Qur’an, 3:178-179).
That man commented saying, ‘We, by the Lord of the Ka’ba, are the doers of good; He has distinguished us from you.' Burayr said to him, ‘O man of debauchery! Shall Allah really count you among the doers of good?!
Come to our camp and repent your great sins, for by Allah, we are the good ones while you are the bad ones.' The man [citing a verse from the Holy Qur’an] said sarcastically to him, ‘And I am a witness to that!'”
It is reported that on that same night, as many as thirty-two men defected from the camp of Ibn Sa’d and joined al-Husayn's camp
after having seen how the latter were supplicating and praying, demonstrating the most sincere devotion and submission to Allah Almighty.
‘Ali Ibn al-Husayn (‘a) has said, “I heard my father on the night preceding the day on which he was killed saying, as he was mending his sword,
O Time! Fie upon you for a friend!
How many do you have, at dawn and at dusk
Of friends and of vengeance seekers,
While Time with a substitute is never pleased?
But the affair is with the Mighty One
And every living being will go his way.
“He repeated them twice or thrice; therefore, I understood his implication, so I was overcome with tears, yet I remained silent, knowing that fate was near. As for my aunt, Zainab (‘a), once she heard those verses, she leaped and went to see him.
She said to him, ‘Woe unto me! Shall I survive you?! I wish death had deprived me of life! My mother, Fatima (‘a), has just died followed by my father ‘Ali (‘a) then my brother al-Hasan (‘a)!
O vicar of the past generations and the best remnant of those that remain!' Al-Husayn (‘a) consoled her and admonished her to persevere, telling her,
‘O sister! May Allah console you! Be informed that earthlings die, and that even those who live in the heavens do not live forever. Everything shall perish except His countenance; my consolation, and that of every Muslim, is that the Messenger of Allah (S) is our best example.'
She, peace be upon her, said to him, ‘Do you force yourself on it? This causes my heart to swell even more, and it surely is harder on my soul.'
The women wept when they saw her weeping, beating their cheeks. Umm Kulthum cried out, ‘O Muhammad! O ‘Ali ! O mother! O Husayn! How lost we are after you!' Al-Husayn (‘a) said, ‘O sister! O Umm Kulthum! O Fatima! O Rubab! Pay attention to me. Once I am killed, you should not tear your pockets nor scotch your cheeks nor utter any verbal abuse.'
Then al-Husayn (‘a) instructed his sister, Zainab, to refer to ‘Ali Ibn al-Husayn (‘a) with regard to any ahkam and to convey the same to the Shi’as as a measure to protect the new Imam.”
Ahmad Ibn Ibrahim testifies to the authenticity of the above; he has said,
“I visited Hakima daughter of Muhammad son of [Imam] ‘Ali al-Rida (‘a) and sister of [Imam] Abul-Hasan al-’Askari (‘a) in 282 A.H (895 A.D.) in Medina, and I spoke to her from behind a curtain.
I asked her about her religion, so she named the Imams whom she emulated, naming one of the sons of [Imam] al-Hasan (‘a). I asked her whether she was emulating them due to her observation or on account of what is reported on their behalf. She said, “By way of what is transmitted by Abu Muhammad who recorded it for his mother.”
I asked her,“Should I emulate one who instructs a woman?!”
She said, “It is emulating al-Husayn Ibn ‘Ali in Abu Talib (‘a) who instructed his sister Zainab in the open;” so I realized that anything which was being attributed to Zainab was done only to protect the identity of ‘Ali Ibn al-Husayn (‘a).
Then she said,“You are people who record what goes on. Have you not reported saying that the ninth from among the offspring of al-Husayn (‘a) shall distribute his estate during his own lifetime?”
She was actually referring to p. 275, chapter 49, first edition of as-Saduq's bookIkmal ad-Din wa Itmam al-Ni’ma
.
Then the Imam (‘a) ordered the tents to be pitched beside one another so that they would be able to face the enemy from one direction. He also ordered a ditch to be dug behind them and to be filled with firewood which was then lit so that the enemy’s horses would not attack from that direction. Fighting, hence, would be confined to one front.
He, peace be upon him, went out in the depth of the night outside the tents in order to inspect the hills and plateaus and to find out whether there was anyone lying in ambush for them, or a place from which the cavalry might attack.
Then he, peace be upon him, returned holding the hand of Nafi’ as he was saying, “This is it, by Allah, a promise which can never be broken.” Then he said to him,“Why don't you make your way between both of these mountains and save yourself?”
Nafi’ fell down kissing the Imam's feet and saying,“May my mother lose me!
I bought my sword for a thousand [dinars] and my horse for the same; by Allah Who has blessed me with your company, I shall never abandon you even if they both are exhausted because of my attacks and retreats.”
Then al-Husayn (‘a) entered Zainab's tent as Nafi’ remained outside it on guard waiting for al-Husayn (‘a) to come out.
He heard Zainab saying to him, “Have you verified the intentions of your companions? I fear lest they should abandon you once the attack starts.”
He said to her,“By Allah! I have done so and found them brave and valiant, friends who are more eager to die for me than an infant for his mother's milk.”
Nafi’ said,“When I heard him say so, I wept and went to see Habib Ibn Muzahir to tell him what I overheard of the dialogue between him [al-Husayn] and his sister Zainab.”
Habib Ibn Muzahir said,“By Allah!
Had I not have to wait for his orders, I would have attacked them this very night. I have left him with his sister, and I think the women are terrified. I shared their feeling of depression; so, could you please gather your companions and say something nice to these ladies?” Habib then stood up and shouted, “O men of zeal! O lions!”
They rushed from their tents like fierce lions. To Banu Hashim he said,“Go back to your places; may your eyes never be deprived of sleep.”
Then he turned to his fellows and narrated to them what he and Nafi’ had witnessed and heard.
They all said,“By Allah Who has blessed us with such a stand! Had we not been waiting for Husayn's orders, we would have hurried this very minute to attack; so, calm yourself and cool your eyes.”
Al-Husayn (‘a) supplicated to Allah to reward them with goodness.
Then he said,“Let us all go to see the ladies to comfort them.”
Habib accompanied him together with his companions. They shouted out,“O honourable ladies of the Messenger of Allah! Here are the swords of your slaves who have vowed never to thrust them except in the necks of anyone who wishes to harm you!
Here are the lances of your slaves who have sworn never to plant them except in the chests of whoever terrorizes your quarters!”
Hearing them, the women came out crying and wailing and said,“O men of goodness! Please do protect the daughters of the Messenger of Allah and the ladies of the Commander of the Faithful!”
Everyone cried, so much so that the earth seemed to get dizzy...
In the predawn of the same night, al-Husayn (‘a) dozed off for a short while then woke up and informed his companions that he saw in a vision dogs charging at him and mauling him, the most fierce among them being a spotted one, and that the one who would kill him from among those men would be leprous.
In another vision he saw the Messenger of Allah (S) accompanied by a group of his companions and was saying to him,“You are this nation's Martyr, and those in the heavens have congratulated each other on account of your martyrdom, and so have those who occupy the High Plane.
Let your breakfast be with me, and do not be late, for here is an angel who has descended from the heavens in order to take your blood in a green glass vase.”
Subdued by thirst became the defender of theShari’a
Never could he wet his palate with the Euphrates water,
Becoming a target for Banu Umayyah's arrows,
Till he was spent thirsty on the battlefield,
As he was sought by every spear.
The steeds of the people of shirk on his ribs trampled
In haste, turning, making around him circles,
Just as wise ladies of Ahmad who
Never left their chambers became
Assaulted by the steeds even in their own homes.
How many hearts were frightened,
The hearts of those about whose veils
The foes disputed with one another?
How many were the orphans who were terrified to see
How their protector to the ground did fall,
How they lost their head-covering in their fright,
How they fell upon al-Husayn's corpse
With broken hearts,
About to melt by their very sighs,
Falling upon his body and his neck with cries,
To their tears responded their eyes,
Tasting the pain of the whips...?
So they call upon their people's defenders...
But where are the defenders since atTaff
Their blood spilled by Umayyah's swords and spears?
Where are the protectors? Here are their sons
Slaughtered, thirsty, lying on the sands.
Where are the protectors and here are your girls
Carried on the humps by their own foes?
Despite their creed were they carried away
Having lost those who would protect them.
Tearful, repeating in agony their sighs
So who, after Ahmad, shall console Fatima
About her sons being killed
And about her daughters taken captive?
‘Ashura
“I see death as nothing but happiness, while living with the oppressors is nothing but annoyance.”
- Abu ‘Abdullah, al-Husayn (‘a)
Had ‘Ashura Day only known
What calamity in it went on.
Its aura would not have dawned,
Its light would not have shown,
Its sun would not have been bright,
Its grief stole from the days their light.
And so every month, and so every day.
O Allah! What a momentous day!
It removed my patience, out did it my sleep wear,
Everyone from the family of Ayat al-Tathir
Was either slain or in the dust rubbed;
That Day the life of every hafiz was robbed,
And the creed in grief almost passed way.
That very Day...
The foes' eyes slept
As the faithful's eyes wept.
Woe upon me and many a woe
How under the hooves the ribs were low,
And atop every spear
A severed head did appear.
And on the plains the corpses did scatter:
Grieving women coming out of the chamber
Wailing, crying, frightened by the danger,
And a suckling woman lolling at her babe, crying:
On the sands lying, moaning, panting, dying,
And women taken captive on she-camels bare
Their veils taken away, agonized, wearing a stare;
Their protectors from them did depart,
Killed by every fiend having no heart.
The concern of the people whom Allah did hail
Was only to mourn, to weep, and to wail,
On a day deep grief is to be upheld at least,
Whereas the Turks eat, drink, laugh and feast...
That day was spent by the family of Muhammad, peace of Allah be upon him and his progeny, by continuous weeping and wailing. Its pain penetrated the hearts, incinerating them. The eyes were filled with bloody tears. You could hear nothing except the cries of those who suffered the loss of a dear one and hear the sighs of those deeply depressed. You could see only those whose hair stood up and who demonstrated their exhaustion because of the tragedy. There were those who kept covering their heads with the dust as a sign of grief, those who beat their chests in agony, those who beat their forehead and were struggling to stay alive while putting one hand on the chest and another to beat it.
People looked as though they were intoxicated, but they were not; the horror of the painful tragedy made them look like that.
Had you been able to hear how those in the Higher Plane were wailing, you would have realized the cry of the cosmos and the wailing of thehuris
in the chambers of Paradise as they moaned and groaned, cried, sighed and lamented. All the Imams of Guidance were likewise tearful, wailing and weeping.
There is no exaggeration here at all. The Martyr had in him the fragrance of the Message, the glow of the caliphate, and the wreath of the Imamate.
He is none other than the grandson of the Chosen Prophet (S), the son of Fatima al-Zahra’ (‘a), the chosen wasi, and the brother of the other grandson of the Prophet (S), theHujjah
against the creation. Yes, he is the treasured Sign, the joined mercy, the safeguarded trust, and the gate wherewith people are tried.
His tragedy is no less worthy of such tears or condolences. Had the hearts been split into bits and pieces, and had those grieved died grieving over such a great calamity, it would still have been less than it deserves.
Do you see life being worthy of anything so long as the very essence of life is he himself, the living and the pure essence? What is the value of tears shed as long as Allah's “Vengeance on Earth” is thus bereaved? Should the eye be cooled as it sees the victims from Muhammad's family slaughtered on the ground, their parts cut off, their bodies cut to pieces by the swords, lances having feasted on them, and arrows having pierced them?
They were spent thirsty on the bank of the flowing Euphrates wherein the dogs wade and from which wild beasts drink while the family of Muhammad (S) was prohibited from drinking of it.
The greatest calamity is that
Upon the chest of the Prophet's son al-Shimr sat.
May his hands be paralyzed:
How he with his sword severed his head!
What a youth Umayyah's steeds trampled upon
His corpse charging, racing, crushing, on and on!
So my heart for him does go
How the steeds' hooves drenched in his blood.
What a true follower, who emulates the great Prophet (S), ought to do is to cry as this great Prophet (S) did for the mere mentioning of his name and the remembrance of his tragedy
, to hold mourning ceremonies commemorating the martyrdom of the Master of Martyrs, and to require everyone in his house to mourn him.
And let them console one another on account of what happened to al-Husayn (‘a) just as Imam al-Baqir (‘a) has said,“May Allah increase our rewards and yours for mourning al-Husayn (‘a), and may He count us and your own selves among those who seek revenge for him in the company of His wali, al-Mahdi (‘a), from the Progeny of Muhammad, peace be upon them.”
‘Abdullah Ibn Sinan came once to visit Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) on ‘Ashura. He found the colour of his complexion to have changed. He was grief-stricken; tears were trickling down his cheeks like pearls.
He said to him,“Why are you weeping, O son of the Messenger of Allah?” He, peace be upon him, answered him by saying, “Are you oblivious to the fact that al-Husayn (‘a) was martyred on this day?”
Then he ordered him to look like one who has just been afflicted by a great calamity, to unbutton his shirt, uncover his arms, to leave his head uncovered, and to fast for an entire day and to break his fast with water one
hour after ‘asr time, since that was the time when Muhammad's Progeny became bereaved with that great loss.
Then he said to him,“Has the Messenger of Allah (S) been alive, he would be the one to console.”
Imam al-Kadim (‘a) was never seen smiling during the first ten days of Muharram. He looked very sad, and on the tenth day, such sadness reached its peak, so it was his day of grief and agony.
Imam al-Rida (‘a) has said,“It is for people like al-Husayn (‘a) that the mourners should weep. The memory of the day when al-Husayn (‘a) was martyred surely causes our eyelids to swell. Our man of dignity was humiliated in the land of karb and bala’.”
Saluting his gravesite,al-Hujjah
from among Muhammad's Progeny, may Allah hasten his reappearance, says,“So I shall mourn you in the morning and in the eve, and with tears of blood shall I over you weep.”
So, should we not abandon merriment and put on the robes of grief? Should we not cry? Should we not learn how to glorify Allah's Signs by mourning the martyr who died thirsty on the tenth of Muharram?
Today the foundations of the creed,
Of guidance, crumbled down
And the religion of the truth is now worn out.
Today whoever seeks guidance is misled
And whoever seeks hope is shunned.
Today those who seek their hopes
Are rubbed in the dust.
Today calamity has marked their every face
Today glory on him threw the attire.
Today honours for him lowered their heights.
Today glory's necklace refused its pearls.
Today their sublimity is idled.
Today Mudar's glory is in the dark.
Today death descended upon its valley.
Today al-Zahra’ stood to wail.
Today Asiya joined her to console.
Today apostasy returned to the creed.
Today Banu Hind achieved their desire.
What apology will Hind's sinners on the Judgment Day have
When their opponent is the Chosen One and their Judge is Allah?
What is their excuse when his sons' blood
Became on their feast the dye for their hands?
Al-Husayn on ‘Ashura
Both Ibn Qawlawayh and al-Mas’udi
have said that when it was the tenth of Muharram, al-Husayn (‘a) led the morning prayers for his band then stood up to deliver a sermon. He praised Allah and glorified Him then said,“Allah Almighty has permitted your being killed today; so, you should persevere, and you should fight.”
Then he prepared them for the battle in one line. They were eighty-two horsemen and two footmen. He let Zuhayr Ibn al-Qayn be in the right wing
and Habib Ibn Muzahir on the left. He and his family members remained in the center.
He gave his standard to his brother al-’Abbas
, having found the moon of the Hashemites the best qualified of all the men with him to carry it, the most safeguarding of the trust, the most kind, the most zealous in calling for his principles, the one who was the best to unite his kinsfolk, the most valiant in protecting them, the most firm in the battle, the most composed and the most courageous.
Commanding a force of thirty thousand strong, ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d marched to confront al-Husayn, peace be upon him. Chiefs of the Kufa quarters at that time were: ‘Abdullah Ibn Zuhayr Ibn Salim al-Azdi, who headed the Medenites, ‘Abdul-Rahman Ibn Abu Sabrah al-Hanafi, who headed Mathhaj and Asad, Qays Ibn al-Ash’ath, who headed Rabi’ah and Kindah, and al-Hurr Ibn Yazid al-Riyahi, who headed Tamim and Hamdan
.
With the exception of al-Hurr al-Riyahi, all the other men took part in fighting al-Husayn (‘a).
Ibn Sa’d put ‘Amr Ibn al-Hajjaj al-Zubaydi in charge of the right wing. On the left wing, he gave charge to Shimr Ibn Thul-Jawshan al-’Amiri. The cavaliers were commanded by ‘Izrah Ibn Qays al-Ahmasi. The footmen were commanded by Shabth Ibn Rab’i. The standard was with the latter's slave, Thuwayd.
They came circling around the tents, seeing how the fire was raging in the ditch. Shimr shouted as loud as he could:“O Husayn! Have you resorted to the fire soon enough before the Day of Judgment?”
Al-Husayn (‘a) asked,“Who is the inquirer? It seems as if he is Shimr Ibn Thul-Jawshan!”
The answer came in the affirmative, whereupon the Imam (‘a) said to him,“You son of the goat herder! You are more worthy of the fire than I!”
Muslim Ibn ‘Awsajah was about to shoot him with an arrow, but al-Husayn (‘a) prohibited him saying,“I hate to start fighting them.”
Al-Husayn (‘a) Supplicates
Having cast a look at the troops that resembled a torrent, al-Husayn (‘a) raised his hands to supplicate thus:
“Lord! You are my trust in every adversity, my hope in every hardship! You are to me my trust and treasure for whatever afflicts me!
How many worries have You removed and dissipated that over-burdened my heart, exhausted my plans, betrayed my friends, and elated my enemy which I complained to You, having placed my hope upon You? You are the Originator of every blessing and the ultimate end of every wish”
The First Sermon
Al-Husayn (‘a) called for his camel. Having mounted it, he called out loudly enough to be heard saying:
“O people! Listen to my speech and do not rush till I admonish you with that which I owe you, and so that I tell you why I have come here; so, if you accept my excuse and believe my statement and fare with me with equity, you will be much happier, and you will see no reason to expose me to this.
But if you do not accept my reason and do not fare with me with equity, then gather your affair and your accomplices, and do not feel sorry for what you do but effect your judgment in my regard and do not grant me any respite; surely my Lord is Allah Who revealed the Book and He looks after the righteous”.
When the women heard his statement, they cried and wailed, and their voices grew loud, whereupon he sent them his brother, al-’Abbas, and his son, ‘Ali al-Akbar, to ask them to remain quiet and not to cry.
Once the ladies were quiet, al-Husayn (‘a) praised Allah again and glorified him, blessed Muhammad and all angels and prophets, delivering a speech that no orator before or after him was more outspoken
. Then he said,
“O servants of Allah! Fear Allah and be on your guard with regard to this life which, had it remained for anyone at all, the prophets would have been the most worthy of it and the most pleased with fate. But Allah created this life so that it would perish.
What is new in it will soon grow old. Its pleasure diminishes and its happiness is fleeting. A man's home is but a mound, and one's house is a fort; so, get ready for the next, for the best with which you prepare yourselves is piety. Fear Allah so that you may be the winners
.
O people! Allah, the most Exalted One, created life and made it a temporary abode, taking its people from one condition to another.
Conceited is whoever gets fascinated by it, and miserable is whoever gets infatuated by it. So, do not let this life deceive you, for it shall disappoint whoever trusts and desires it! I can see that you have all set your minds on doing something because of which you have caused Allah to curse you and to turn His Glorious Countenance away from you, causing you to be the object of His Wrath Kind is our Lord, and mean servants of His are you!
You declared obedience to and belief in Muhammad the Messenger (S), then you put your ranks together to kill his Progeny and offspring! Satan took full control of you, making you forget the remembrance of Allah, the Great.
Perdition, hence, is your lot and ultimate end! We belong to Allah, and to Him is our return. These are people who have turned apostates after having believed, so away with the oppressive people
.
O people! Identify me and find out who I am! Then go back to your evil selves and blame them, then see whether it is lawful for you to violate my sanctity. Am I not the son of your Prophet's daughter, the son of his wasi and cousin, the foremost to believe, the one who testified to the truth of what he had brought from his Lord?
Is not Hamzah, the Master of Martyrs, my uncle? Is not Ja’far at-Tayyar my uncle? Have you not heard that the Messenger of Allah had said about me and about my brother: “These are the masters of the youths of Paradise”?
So if you believe what I say, which is the truth, let me swear by Allah that I never deliberately told a lie since I came to know that Allah hates lying and liars, and that lying is detrimental to those who invent it.
But if you disbelieve in me, there are among you those who, if you ask them, can inform you of the same.
Ask Jabir Ibn ‘Abdullah al-Ansari, Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, Sahl Ibn Sa’id al-Sa’idi, Zayd Ibn Arqam, and Anas Ibn Malik, and they will tell you that they have heard these ahadith of the Messenger of Allah with regard to myself and to my brother. Is this not sufficient to curb you from shedding my blood?!”
Al-Shimr then said,“He worships Allah by a letter, had he known what he is saying!”
Habib Ibn Muzahir said to him,“By Allah! I see you worshipping Allah on seventy letters, and I testify that you are truthful when you say that you do not know what he is saying! Allah has surely sealed your heart!”
Al-Husayn (‘a) then said,“If you doubt what I have said, do you doubt that I am the son of your Prophet's daughter?! By Allah, there is no son of a Prophet from the east of the earth and the west besides myself, be it among you or among others. Woe unto you! Are you seeking revenge on me for killing one of you? Or is it on account of your wealth which I devoured? Or are you seeking qisas?”
None of them spoke a word to the Imam (‘a), so he called out,“O Shabth Ibn Rab’i! O Hijr Ibn Abjar!
O Qays Ibn al-Ash’ath! O Zayd Ibn al-Harith! Did you not write me saying, ‘Come, for the fruits are ripe, the pastures are green, and you will come to troops ready for your command'?”
They said,“We did not do so.”
The Imam (‘a) said,“Subhan-Allah! [Glorified is Allah]. Yes, by Allah, you did exactly so!”
Then he said,“O people! If you hate me, let me go away from your sight to a safe place on earth”
Qays Ibn al-Ash’ath said to him,“Are you not going first to accept the authority of your cousins? They surely will not deal with you except most amicably, and they will not harm you in the least.”
Al-Husayn (‘a) said to him, “Are you the brother of your brother?! Do you want Banu Hashim to demand that you pay for the blood of someone else besides that of Muslim Ibn ‘Aqil? No, by Allah! I shall not give them as the subservient ones give, nor shall I flee from them as slaves flee!
O servants of Allah! I have sought refuge with Allah, your Lord and mine, against your stoning me, and I seek refuge with my Lord and yours against any arrogant person who does not believe in the Day of Reckoning.”
The Imam (‘a) alighted from his she-camel, asking ‘Uqbah Ibn Sam’an to tie it for him.
The voice of Allah stood to speak and to admonish
But they turned deaf against his lights' sanctity
And they did become blind.
Said he: Identify me now then behold:
Is it permissible for you to shed my blood?
But they found none but arrows at his neck shot
For their answer, and deeds are always weighed.
As soon as the Prophet's grandson realized
That his grandfather's creed was no more
And no more among the people remained a Muslim on earth
He sacrificed himself in supporting the creed
Riding perils so the Muslims would be saved.
Said he: Take me, O fates, take me!
Here I am, O swords, take me!
My limbs for you now are booty
Far it is from me to yield to what is wrong
Even if on the very lances is my seat.
So he charged and the world shrunk,
And fate was effected, and a torrent
Filled the valley of apostasy.
Since he to Allah prostrated to glorify,
Magnified Allah between the swords and did sanctify,
Al-Shimr came to him to lift his head
With the sword he struck him so
Allah's ‘Arsh shook and His light was dimmed,
The face of earth shone, the cosmos dim,
And when the pillar of the universe leaned
And almost with everything overturned,
And when he fell to the ground it remained still
And turned greater even than the heavens,
So my heart burns for him when he was left alone
Surrounded by his foes' throngs.
They increased in ignorance as he in clemency increased.
My heart burns how he, thirsty, his last breathed,
Even as the Euphrates near him flowed
Free for all, but from him banned.
My heart burns for him how his corpse was lying
On the sands as the steeds his ribs kept smashing,
Grinding, stampeding, trampling...
And my heart goes for you, O son of Muhammad!
Your body is grabbed by their swords and arrows,
And your belongings became among them a booty,
So my heart burns for the pure one how he
A stoning post for them came to be...
A Miracle and Guidance
A number of men, including ‘Abdullah Ibn Hawzah al-Tamimi
, came charging in the Imam's direction.“Is Husayn among you?” shouted ‘Abdullah once, twice, and thrice. After the third call, al-Husayn's companions said, “Al-Husayn (‘a) is right here; what do you want from him?”
He said,“O Husayn! Let me convey to you the good news of your going to hell!”
Al-Husayn (‘a) said,“Liar! Rather, I shall meet a Lord Who is Forgiving, Gracious, Obeyed, and He accepts intercession..., but who are you?”
“I am the son of Hawzah,”
the rogue said, whereupon al-Husayn (‘a) raised his hands till the whiteness of his armpits became visible as he supplicated thus:“O Lord! I invoke You to hurl him into the fire!”
Ibn Hawzah became so angry that he instantly charged at the Imam (‘a). A small dry rivulet was in the way between them. As the charger leaped over it, the rider fell. One of his feet remained hooked in the stirrup.
His other foot as well as leg and thigh remained hanging. The horse kept dragging him, causing him to hit the rocks and tree stumps in its way
, finally hurling him into the burning fire of the ditch. He died instantly by burning. It was then that Imam Husayn (‘a) prostrated to thank Allah, praising Him for swiftly responding to his invocation, raising his voice as he said,
“Lord! We are the Ahl al-Bayt of Your Prophet, his offspring and kinsfolk, so do split the spine of those who oppressed us and usurped what belongs to us, surely You hear, and You are ever near!”
Muhammad Ibn al-Ash’ath [sarcastically] asked the Imam,“What kinship do you have with Muhammad (S)?”
Al-Husayn (‘a) said,“Lord! Muhammad Ibn al-Ash’ath says there is no kinship between me and Muhammad!
Lord! Show me today how You swiftly humiliate him!”
Allah did, indeed, swiftly respond to the Imam's supplication: Muhammad Ibn al-Ash’ath came out of the army, alighted from his horse and started defecating. As he was thus engaged, a black scorpion bit him, leaving him polluted with his own feces
, killing him just as the villain's private parts were thus exposed
.
Masruq Ibn Wa'il al-Hadrami has said,“I was in the vanguard of the horsemen who came to fight al-Husayn son of ‘Ali (‘a) hoping to cut his head off and win by it favour with Ibn Ziyad. Having seen what happened to Ibn Hawzah, I realized that there is a sanctity and a special status of Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) with Allah, so I left the people saying, ‘I shall not fight them and thus be hurled into the Fire.'”
Zuhayr Ibn al-Qayn Delivers a Speech
Zuhayr Ibn al-Qayn came out on a horse with a huge tail, fully armed. He shouted out:
“O people of Kufa! Be forewarned of a torment from Allah! It is the obligation of each Muslim to admonish his brethren. Till now, we are still brethren following the same religion so long as the sword does not interfere between us.
You deserve to be admonished; so, once the sword starts doing its thing, none of you shall be protected from such a torment. We will then be one group and you will be another. Allah has tried us and your own selves through the offspring of His Prophet Muhammad (S) in order to see what we and you will be doing.
We call upon you to support them and to abandon the tyranny of Yazid and ‘Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad, for you should not expect from them except evil so long as they rule over you. They will gouge out your eyes and amputate your hands and legs. They will mutilate you and crucify you on palm trees.
They will kill the best among you, and they will kill those among you who know and recite the Qur'an such as ‘Hujr Ibn ‘Adiy and his fellows and also Hani Ibn ‘Urwah and his likes”.
They taunted him and praised ‘Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad and even supplicated for him. Then they said,“We shall not leave this place before killing your friend and all those who accompany him, or we safely send him and them to ‘Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad.”
Zuhayr said,“O servants of Allah!
The descendants of Fatima (‘a) are more worthy of being loved and supported than the son of Sumayya! But if you do not support them, I seek refuge with Allah against you killing them! Save this man from Yazid, for by my life! Yazid will be satisfied with your obedience to him even if you do not kill al-Husayn (‘a).”
Shimr shot him with an arrow saying,“Shut your mouth! May Allah forever silence your voice! You have bored us with talking too much!” Zuhayr said, “You! You son of the man who urinates on his heels! I was not addressing you, for you are, by Allah, an animal, and I do not think that you fully understand even two verses from the Book of Allah!
So, be prepared to be shamed on the Day of Judgment, and be prepared for a very painful chastisement!”
Shimr said,“Allah will soon kill you and your friend.” Zuhayr said to him, “Are you scaring me with death? By Allah! To die with him is more pleasing to my heart than having to live forever among you, folks.”
He then loudly called out to them,“O servants of Allah! Let not this crude ruffian and his likes deceive you with regard to your creed!
By Allah! Muhammad's intercession shall never reach those who spill the blood of his offspring and Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) or those who kill their supporters and who protect their women.”
A man from among his group called out to him saying,“Abu ‘Abdullah is telling you to go back, for the believer from among the family of Pharaoh had admonished his people and was quite eloquent in doing so. You have admonished these folks and you have been quite eloquent had admonishment and eloquence been of benefit for such people.”
Burayr’s Speech
Burayr Ibn Khudayr sought al-Husayn's permission to deliver a speech He was a mentor, a tabi’i, a qari, actually one of the most prominent qaris of Kufa's grand mosque. Among the people of Hamdan he enjoyed a great deal of honour and prestige.
Having acquired permission, he stood near the enemy and said:
“O people! Allah sent Muhammad (S) as bearer of glad tidings, a warner, a caller to Allah's Path and a lantern of noor. Here is the water of the Euphrates wherein black boars and dogs wade, yet it has been made taboo for the son of the daughter of Allah's Messenger! Is this how you show your gratitude to Muhammad (S)?!
They said to him,“O Burayr! You have already said too much, so spare us for, by Allah, al-Husayn (S) shall suffer of thirst just as those before him had suffered.”
He said,“O people! Muhammad's offspring are now among you!
These are his offspring, progeny, daughters and ladies; so, let us know what you have in mind, what you are planning to do with them.”
They said to him,“We intend to put them at the disposal of the governor ‘Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad who will fare with them as he sees fit.”
He asked them,“Are you not satisfied if they go back to whence they had come from? Woe unto you Kufians! Have you forgotten the letters you wrote and the pledges you made, invoking Allah to be a Witness over you and over what you said therein?!
Did you invite the family of your Prophet, claiming you would defend them with your own lives, then, when they came to you, you now want to hand them over to Ibn Ziyad and even prohibited them from drinking of the Euphrates' water?! Evil, indeed, is the way how you succeeded your Prophet (S) in faring with his offspring! What is the matter with you?!
May Allah deprive you of drinking on the Day of Judgment, for surely you are a most evil people!”
Some of them said to him,“Man, we do not know what you are talking about!”
Said he,“All Praise is due to Allah Who blessed me with more insight than you. Lord!
I invoke You to testify that I dissociate myself from the deeds of these people! Lord! Direct their mischief against their own selves so that they may meet You and You are angry with them.”
It was then that arrows started pouring on him, forcing him to retreat.
Al-Husayn’s Second Sermon
Al-Husayn (‘a) rode his horse and took a copy of the Holy Qur’an which he spread over his head then stood in front of those people and said,“O people! The Book of Allah and the Sunnah of my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (S), are the arbitrators between you and me.”
Then he asked them whether the sword, the battle gear, and the turban that he was wearing belonged to the Prophet (S), and they all testified that they, indeed, were. Then he asked them about the reason why they were planning to kill him.“In obedience to the governor ‘Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad,”
they said. He, peace be upon him, then addressed them in these words:
“Woe unto you, O people, shame and infamy! You sought our help in earnest, so we came to help you in apprehension, then you unsheathed your swords in violation of your vows, kindling a fire against us which we ignited against our enemy and yours.
Now you have sided with your own enemies against your friends. Such enemies have disseminated no equity among you, nor do you hope for their reform; so, be forewarned of calamities!
You abandoned us, keeping your swords resting in their scabbards, enjoying your comfort and ease, thinking you are acting wisely! But you opted to fall greedily upon life like the swiftest of all birds, throwing yourselves on it as butterflies fall into the fire! So, thus do you violate your vows!
May you be crushed, O slaves of this nation, splinters of the parties! You have forsaken the Book of Allah, distorted His Word, becoming the party of evil, the breath of the devil, the ones who put out the Sunnah! Woe unto you!
Are you really supporting such sort of people while thus betraying us?! Yes, by Allah! It is your same age-old custom of treachery which goes back to your own roots and upon which your branches grow! You, hence, are the worst fruit, an eyesore to the beholder, a morsel to the usurper!
Truly the bastard-son who is the offspring of the bastard-son has bidden us to either unsheathe our swords or succumb to humiliation! Far, it is, from us to do either!
Far, it is, from us to accept humiliation! Allah Himself refuses that we should ever be thus humiliated, and so does His Prophet, and so do the believers! Ours are honourable chambers, men of dignity, souls that refuse to prefer obedience to the lowly over dying in honour and dignity! I most surely am attacking with this family, though small in number, though being betrayed by those who promised to support me...”
Then the Imam (‘a) cited the following poetry verses by Farwah Ibn Musayk al-Muradi
:
So if we chase, we do so headlong,
But if we flee, none chases us away,
Not out of cowardice at all,
But it is only our fate that we should be
Thus, and because of others' authority;
So tell those pleased with our calamity:
They shall meet what we have just met;
If Death spares some people his throes,
It is only because to others he goes.
Having said so, he continued his speech thus:
“By Allah! You shall not linger after this incident except as long as one stays on his horseback. The grinding stones shall then spin you, shaking you as the axis shakes; this is a promise which my father had been promised by my [grand]father, the Messenger of Allah (S): [then he cited the verse saying]:
“... then resolve your affair and (gather) your associates, then let not your affair remain dubious to you, then have it executed against me and give me no respite” (Qur’an, 10:71).
The Imam (‘a) then raised his hands as he supplicated thus:
“Lord! Keep rain water from them and send upon them years like those of Yousuf's, and send upon them the slave of Thaqif to make them drink of a most bitter cup, for they lied to us and betrayed us, while You are our God; upon You do we rely, and to You is our destiny.
Allah will not let a single one of them without having sought revenge on him on my behalf: my killer shall be killed; whoever deals a blow against me shall be dealt likewise; He shall most certainly seek victory for me, for my Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), and for my supporters”.
Ibn Sa’ds Misguidance
al-Husayn (‘a) called upon ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d to come forward. The latter very much hated to look the Imam (‘a) in the eyes. The Imam (‘a) said to him,“O ‘Umar! Do you really claim that you will kill me so that the bastard-son will make you the wali of the land of Rey and Jurjan?! By Allah! You shall never have such an enjoyment!
This is a promise already made; so, do whatever you wish, for you will not be pleased after my demise with either this life or with the life hereafter! It is as though I can see your head mounted on a stick and the children of Kufa tossing it from one to another, using it as a toy.” ‘Umar, outraged, turned his face away from the Imam (‘a
).”
al-Hurr Repents
Having heard his speech and his plea for help, al-Hurr came to ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d and said,“Are you going to fight this man?”
“Yes, by Allah,”
said ‘Umar, adding,“a fight in the easiest part of which heads will roll down and hands will be cut off.”
Al-Hurr asked him,“What is your objection to his offer of departure?” ‘Umar answered: “Had it been up to me, I would have accepted it, but your governor refuses.”
Al-Hurr left him and stood by the others. Beside him stood Qarrah Ibn Qays whom he asked,“Have you watered your horse today?” “No,”
came the answer.“Do you then wish to do so?”
was al-Hurr's question.
Qarrah took that statement to imply that al-Hurr was reluctant to fight al-Husayn (‘a) and did not wish to be seen by him defecting, so he walked away from him. Al-Hurr kept getting closer and closer to al-Husayn (‘a). Al-Muhajir Ibn Aws asked him,“Do you want to charge at him?”
Al-Hurr remained silent. He felt chilled to the bones, so he shivered. Having seen him shiver, al-Muhajir felt terrified and said to him,“Had I been asked: ‘Who is the most daring of all the Kufians?', I would have given no name other than yours; so, why do I see you look like that?”
Al-Hurr said, “I am giving my soul the option between choosing Paradise or hell. By Allah! I do not prefer anything over Paradise even if it means I will be burnt alive.” Having said so, he beat his horse in the direction of al-Husayn (‘a).
Turning his spear upside down and holding his shield the opposite way, he came lowering his head, feeling too shy to look at the Prophet's family in the eyes because of having exposed them to such hardship, bringing them to such a place where neither water nor grass could be found. Loudly he spoke these words:
“O Allah! To You do I surrender, so do accept my repentance, for I have filled the hearts of Your walis and the sons of Your Prophet with fear! O father of ‘Abdullah! I am repentant; so, can my repentance be accepted at all?”
Al-Husayn (‘a) said,“Yes. Allah will accept your repentance”.
This statement found its place to al-Hurr’s heart, filling it with joy. He took a moment to contemplate upon the eternal life and the incessant bliss. It now became clear to him what that voice, which had addressed him, meant upon his departure from Kufa. He had a dialogue with al-Husayn (‘a). Among what he said to him was:
“When I went out of Kufa, I was addressed thus: “O Hurr! You are given the glad tidings of [going to] Paradise!”
I said to myself,“Woe unto me! How can I be given such glad tidings since I am going to fight the son of the daughter of Allah's Messenger?!”
Al-Husayn (‘a) said to him,“You have now acquired a great deal of good and a great reward.”
A Turkish slave was with him.
al-Hurr admonishes the Kufans
Al-Hurr sought al-Husayn's permission to address the people, and permission was granted to him. As loudly as he could, al-Hurr called out to the Kufians thus:
“O people of Kufa! A foolish and a bad example for others have you surely set when you invited him to come to you then grieved him and surrounded him from all directions, forbidding him from going anywhere in Allah's spacious land so that he and his family might be safe, rendering him like a captive in your hands, unable to help himself.
You have prohibited him, his ladies, his children, and his companions from the flowing water of the Euphrates of which the Jews, the Christians, and the Zoroastrians drink and wherein black swine and dogs wade! Look and see how thirst has subdued them! Evil is the way whereby you have succeeded Muhammad (S) in treating his progeny! May Allah never permit you to drink on the Day of Thirst!”
His own men now started shooting him with arrows, so he was forced to retreat till he stood face-to-face with Imam Husayn (‘a).
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Author: Abd al Razzaq al-Muqarram
