Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Indications in the Stances of the Ahlu El-Bayt R

1 - The supreme courage that is enjoyed by Ahlu El-Bayt (R) in many of the responses that were shown in their speeches. Amongst them is what Sayyeda Zeinab (O) had said: "Indeed, only a dissolute can be exposed, and only an extravagant shall be proved wrong…" "I only saw good doing!", and in the saying of Sayyeda Um Kalthoum: "O Bin Ziad, do prepare an answer for his Grandfather, as he is your opponent tomorrow!"

2 - The strong believe in Allah The Only and the loving of The Almighty are shown in the stance of our lady Sayyeda Zeinab (O) and her answer to Bin Ziad: "I only saw what is good!", and she did not say I only saw good doing in Karbala, but declared the absolute viewing of goodness! That means since she began to see, she only saw good doings from Allah, in Karbala, before it and after it. And in this is the ultimate acceptance of God’s destiny, the ultimate thanking for Him, and a way to view the results of the situations without getting confused with the current details.

As for her redemption and sacrifice O they were embodied by her continuous willingness to die in the many situations where she was defending Hujjatu Allah,5 Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q).

3- To clearly show that the immolation of God and the one being murdered in Karbala is the heart of the Messenger of Allah (P), so his murderer is the killer of the Messenger of Allah (P) and the latter will be his opponent on the Day of Resurrection.

4- Denying the fatalism logic that the Umayyad propagated, while Bin Ziad had insisted on inculcating it in the people’s minds in his parlor. This is shown in his saying to Sayyeda Zeinab O: "How did you see what God had done to your family?" and his saying to Imam Zein El-Abedeen Q: "Didn’t God kill Ali Bin Hussain?!" And what we mean by the fatalism logic is that the Umayyad wanted to delude the people into believing that everything that was happening, all the incidents, events, oppression and killing were due to the Willing of Allah and to the fulfilling of His orders and no one has the right to object His Will. And to face this logic, Ahlu El-Bayt (R) were determined to popularize another doctrine, which states that everything that is happening by the hands of the oppressing tyrants from killing, oppression, injustice, and corruption do not represent the Will of Allah, because Allah the Almighty, as He had stated in His Wise Book, does not want oppression, corruption, or injustice. Allah the Almighty had asked his good believers to order the good doing, forbid the wrong doing and restraint the oppressors from committing injustice.

Thus Sayyeda Zeinab (O) had replied to Bin Ziad’s claim that everything that happened to her family was of Allah’s (SW) doing by saying: "These are people that God had destined them to be killed" which means they were obeying the legitimate rule of Allah to rise against the Umayyad ruling, and if this uprising had lead to their martyrdom, they would have went to their resting places in compliance to the legitimate ruling.

Oppression and rejoice have always been signs of tyrants, and this was clearly shown in Bin Ziad’s parlor when he said, while deploring Imam Zein El-Abedeen’s courage and bravery in answering back to him: "And you dare

to talk back to me?"… "God had pleased my soul with what he had done to your tyrant and the rebellions of your family!!"

The Hussain’s Convoy in Bin Ziad’s Prison

Bin Ziad ordered that the captive ladies to be taken to a jail far from the castle and the mosque, thus the guard who was taking them to the prison said: "There was no alley that we passed by that was not full of men and women who were hitting their faces and crying".

After the daring discussions that went between Bin Ziad and the captive ladies, Bin Ziad feared that things might go against him, especially that people started to blame him. So he ordered that they be put in a closed jail in a confinement near the mosque or inside the castle, and he tightened the security around them so that no one would dare enter their prison.

The Burial of Imam Hussain (Q) and the Rest of the Martyrs

Indeed the burial of Imam Hussain (Q) along with his family members and his companions, who died as martyrs while defending him may Allah’s peace be upon them all, in the way and allocation known from their graves, negates that the people of Asad (who are from Al-Gadereyya), being among the village people who did not witness the battle, were able to achieve that without a guide who knows these martyrs very well, especially that the honorable heads were removed. Thus, there must have been a knowing guide who is able to identify each and every body; otherwise we would not have had this planned allocation of the graves.

Since "only an Imam can take care of the burial procedure of a similar Imam", the body of Imam Hussain (Q) must have been buried by an Imam, and the Imamate after him was handed to his son Zein El-Abedeen (Q), so he should have been the guide that helped the people of Asad to bury the martyrs.

However, how did that happen while Imam Zein Al-Abedeen was a prisoner in Kufa?

The travelling of Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) from his jail was done by a miracle that enabled him to reach Karbala and bury his father’s body while "the authority" did not know about it. But his leave was not in the eleventh day for sure, since he did not go to prison till the twelfth day. As Omar Bin Saad did not enter Kufa along with the captives till the morning of the twelfth day, and since we know that for whoever is left from Ahlu El-Bayt (R) most of the twelfth day had passed while they had to be present before the people and Bin Ziad, this shows us that Bin Ziad had ordered them to jail in the afternoon or at the end of the twelfth day. Then, he sent after them to later send them back to jail; and that would have been their first night in jail where they stayed till the day Bin Ziad sent them to Yazeed.

Moreover, if he had to leave the prison without them noticing, we conclude that his leave from jail was done at a time when the tyrant was done with the inquisition so he would not ask for them again. This means it should be at a time when Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) was assured that if he is to leave, he would not be missed by the authority for the whole period he needs to bury his father (Q) and all his supporters, may Allah be pleased with them all.

Based on all that, it is most likely that he (Q) had left to Karbala by a miracle on the thirteenth day to bury the bodies.

Going back to Karbala, where the demises of Ahlu El-Bayt (R), we find that the women of Bani Asad (the people of Asad) went to where the dead bodies were while crying and weeping and they said to their husbands: "How are you going to apologize for the Messenger of Allah (P), the Prince of the believers (Q), and Lady Fatima El-Zahra (O) when you face them while you did not support his sons, you did not defend them with neither a sword strike, a spear stab, nor with a single arrow?!"

The men said to them: "Indeed, we are afraid of the Umayyad people!"

So the women kept going around them while saying to them: "Since you had missed supporting this prophetic group, you should hasten now to bury their pure bodies…".

They said: "We will do that..".

Their main concern was to bury the body of Imam Hussain (Q) first and then the rest of the bodies. They started looking

at the cops in the battle field, but were not able to tell which one was of Imam Hussain (Q) since their heads were cut off and the sun had changed their skin color. While they were in that state, a knight came to them and when he reached them he said: "What is the matter?"

They said: "We came to bury the body of Imam Hussain (Q) and the bodies of his children and supports, but we don’t know which body is for Imam Hussain (Q)”

Then he said to them: "I will guide you".

He went down from his horse back and started walking between the dead bodies till he saw the body of

Imam Hussain (Q), so he hugged it while crying and saying:

"O Father, killing you had pleased the eyes of the gloaters! O Father, the Umayyad people are happy with your murder, O Father, after your martyrdom our grief is extended! O Father, after your martyrdom our sorrow has been prolonged!"

Then he walked to a place near his dead body and he dug out some sand, then a pre dug grave and a sepulcher appeared, so he put the holy body down and buried it in that holy shrine, and he extended his hands under the body of Imam Hussain (Q) and said: "by the name of Allah, and for the sake of Allah, and on the path of the Messenger of Allah, Allah and his Messengers had said the truth, this is what Allah willed, and there is neither power nor strength but of Allah the Almighty…"

Then he put him down in his grave, and the people of Asad did not help him as he told them: "Indeed, I have with me who are helping me…" and when he settled him in his grave,

he put his cheek on the honorable neck and said: "Beatitude is for the land that contains your holy body, as after your demise this lower life is in total darkness, and the afterlife is glowing with your lights, thus the night is very long, and the grief is endless! Or God shall choose your family your home that you are residing in! I wish you peace O son of the Messenger of Allah with Allah’s mercy and blessings".

Then he wrote on the grave: "This is the grave of Hussain Bin Ali Bin Abi Taleb who was killed while being thirsty and a foreigner!"

Then he walked towards his uncle, Al-Abbass (Q), and he saw him in the state that staggered the angles between the layers of the sky! And made the guardian angels cry in the rooms of heaven! And he fell upon him kissing his holy neck while saying: "Life is worthless after your demise, O the moon6 of Bani Hashim, and peace be upon you from me dear martyr with Allah’s mercy and blessings…"

Then, he dug his grave and put him down by himself just like he did with his father and he told the people of Asad: "Indeed, I have who are helping me…"

Then he turned to the bodies of the supporters and he dug one big hole and put them all in it except for Habib Bin Muthaher as some of his cousins objected to that and they buried him near the rest of the martyrs.

When the people of Asad were done burying the dead bodies of the supporters, the Imam told them: "Let us bury the corps of Al-Riyahi".

So, they went with him and he (Q) stood next to his body and said: "As for you, God has accepted your repentance and amplified your happiness due to you sacrificing yourself for the sake of the son of the Prophet (P)”

The people of Asad wanted to carry him to the martyrs’ place, but the Imam (Q) said to them: "No, but bury him in his place".

When they were done burying him, Imam Zein Al-Abedeen rode his horse, so the people of Asad held on to him and said: "By the right of whom you buried with your hands, tell us who you are?"

So, he said Q: "I am the Imam of your time (Hujjatu Allah), I am Ali bin Al-Hussain (Q), came to bury my father’s dead body along with my brothers, uncles, cousins, and their supporters who sacrificed their hearts defending him, and now I am going back to Bin Ziad’s prison (May God curse him). As for you, congratulations to you, you shall not be terrified or blamed for not helping us".

The Uprising of Abdu Allah Bin Afeef Al-Azdi

The head of Imam Hussain (Q) was put up the door of the Governing castle, Then Bin Ziad called the people to gather in the Greatest Mosque, then he went out, entered the mosque, and went up the rostrum to thank Allah and praise Him, and part of what he said was: "Thank God who elevated the truth and its people, who helped the prince of believers (referring to Yazeed) and his parties, who killed the liar, the son of a liar!"

It was said that he did not add a word to this till Abdu Allah Bin Afeef jumped on him, he was among the companions of the Prince of believers (Q), and he also was among the best of the leaders of Shia. His left eye was blinded during "Yaoum Al-Jamal" battle, and his right eye was blinded during the battle of Seffeen. He used to stay in the Greatest Mosque and pray till night time, and then he would go to his home.

So, when he heard what Bin Ziad had said he jumped on him and said: "O son of Murjana, Indeed the liar and the son of a liar are you and your father! And he who used you and his father! O enemy of Allah and his Messenger, Do you dare to kill the children of the prophets and then speak such words on the rostrum of the Muslims?!"

Obeid Allah Bin Ziad got angry and asked: "Who said that?"

So he said: "I am the speaker O enemy of Allah! Do you dare to kill the pure progeny whom Allah had cleansed them from all wrongdoings and then claim that you are a Muslim?! God help us! Where are the descendents of Muhajereen7 and Ansar8 to take revenge from this cursed tyrant, the son of a person who was cursed by the Messenger of Allah and the Lord of humanity?!"

Bin Ziad’s anger fumed up till his arteries swelled up and said: "Bring him to me!"

The guards hurried to get him, so he called with the Azd’s slogan: "O Mabroor!"

Abdu Al-Rahman Bin Makhnaf Al-Azdi was in the mosque, so he said: "Woe to yourself, you killed it and killed your people!"

On that day, seven hundred fighters from the People of Azd came to Kufa, so they jumped to help him, snatched him from their hands and hastened with him to his house.

Bin Ziad, after had returning to the castle, he sent after Amro Bin Al-Hajjaj Al-Zubaidi, Muhammad Bin Al-Ashath,

Shebith Bin Rubei, and a group of his friends, then he said to them: "Go to that blind man whom God had blinded his heart as he had blinded his eyes and bring him to me".

So, they went to get Abdu Allah Bin Afeef, and the news reached the people of Azd. So they gathered and some tribes from Yemen joined them to defend their relative.

Bin Ziad was notified about that, so he gathered the tribes of Mudar and he made them join Muhammad Bin Al-Ashath, and he commanded him to go and fight those people.

So, the tribes of Mudar went and fought heavily till a group of the Arab was killed, and the people reached the house of Abdu Allah Bin Afeef, so they broke the door and attacked him.

Then his daughter screamed: "O father, the people are attacking you from the place you feared!"

So he said: "Don’t worry my girl, just hand me my sword".

She gave him the sword and he started defending himself, then his daughter said to him: "I wish I was a man so I could have fought these dissolute people".

The people started attacking him from all sides and he was defending himself with his sword while saying:

I swear if I would have my sight back

You will never be able to get me.

So no one was able to overpower him, and every time they would attack him from a certain direction, his daughter used to tell him: "They are attacking you for that direction!" till they outnumbered him and surrounded him from all sides, then his daughter said to him: "What a humiliation! They surrounded my father and no one to support him!"

They took him to Obayed Allah Bin Ziad and when he was brought before him, he said to Bin Afeef: "Thank God who had degraded you!"

So, Bin Afeef replied: "O enemy of Allah, how did He degrade me? By Allah if he would just bring me back my sight…"

Then Bin Ziad said to him: "What do you say of Othman?"

Bin Afeef answered: "O son of Murjana, O son of Sumayyah, O you servant of the people of Elaj, what do you want with Othman?! Whether he did good or bad? Whether he reformed or corrupted? God is the judge of the people, he rules between them with the truth and just. But do ask me about you and your father, about Yazeed and his father!"

So, Bin Ziad said: "I shall not ask you about anything till you die"

Bin Afeef then said: "Thank God the Lord of humanity, I have been asking Allah to grant me martyrdom before your mother, Murjana, gave birth to you, and I asked to make my death to be by the hands of his worst and meanest creatures whom He despises the most, and when I lost my sight I lost the hope of martyrdom. But now, I do thank God who gave it to me after the despair of achieving it, and he accepted my old supplication!"

So, Obayed Allah said: Cut of his head!" so he was beheaded and crucified!

After that, Bin Ziad tried to gain the trust of the people of Azd along with other tribes that had a social influence in Kufa and tried not to aggrevate them against him by not killing some of their leaders who were in allegiance to the Prophet’s progeny (R).

Bin Ziad Demands from Bin Saad the Letter that Commanded the Killing of Imam Hussain (Q)

After the return of Bin Saad from the battle during which he killed Imam Hussain (Q), Bin Ziad demanded of him the letter he had sent him, in which he ordered him to kill Imam Hussain (Q).

So, Bin Saad said: "I obeyed your orders, and then the letter got lost!"

Bin Ziad said: "Get it for me".

Bin Saad said: "It is lost!"

He said: "Get it for me!"

Bin Saad said: "By Allah, it was left to be read to the elderly women of Medina as a form of apology! By Allah, I gave you an advice about Al-Hussain if I had given it to my father, Saad Bin Abi Waqqass, I would have fulfilled my duty towards him!"

Just then, Othman Bin Ziad, the brother of Obayd Allah, said: "He is right, by Allah I would rather that no man left of the Bani Ziad without an earring in his nose,9 than killing A-Hussain!" and Obayd Allah Bin Ziad did not deny that.

Al-Mukhtar Al-Thaqafi Learned about the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain (Q)

Obayd Allah Bin Ziad could not kill Al-Mukhtar Al-Thaqafi due to his kinship with Omar Bin Al-Khattab and Omar Bin Saad. Bin Ziad ordered Al-Mukhtar out of jail after having put him in it after the killing of Muslim and Hani. As after he got the letter of Yazeed in which he ordered him to kill and imprison people for any suspicion, he imprisoned a group from the Shia, and Al-Mukhtar was one of them. He stayed in jail till they brought the head of Imam Hussain (Q) and it was put between his hands, so he covered it with a veil. Then he took Al-Mukhtar out of the jail and when Al-Mukhtar saw the Noble Head, he shouted a loud cry. Thus, Al-Mukhtar was released afterwards, after Bin Ziad had injured his eye.

How the Rest of the Progeny were Driven to Yazeed

When the letter of Yazeed Bin Muawiya reached Bin Ziad, in which he ordered him to send him the head of Imam Hussain (Q) and the heads of those who were killed with him, along with his women, children and belongings.

And when the people were done roving with the Holy Head, Bin Ziad gave it to Zuhr Bin Qaeis and the heads of his companions as well, and he sent him off to Yazeed Bin Muawiya. He also sent with him Aba Baradah Bin Awf Al-Azdi and Tareq Bin Abi Thubian with a group from the people of Kufa till they reached Yazeed in Damascus.

It was narrated that Jaafar Bin Muhammad Al-Sadiq (Q) had said: My father, Muhammad Bin Ali told me: "I asked my father, Ali Bin Al-Hussain about the way Yazeed took him, so he said: I was put on a camel’s back with no saddle, while the head of Al-Hussain (Q) was raised on a flag! Our women were behind me on mules… if one of us would have a tear in his eyes, they would hit his head with a spear! When we entered Damascus a person yelled: O people of Sham (old name for Damascus), these are the captives of the cursed family!"

Consequently, the duration that the Hussain convoy stayed in Kufa was twelve days.10

The Stopping Places on the Way from Kufa to Sham

There are two roads that connect Kufa to Sham:

The Sultani road: This way is too long and has so many stops. As it is not possible for whoever takes this road, even if he walks fast, not to taking it’s curves and stopping at the resting places, to pass it in less than ten days. So, if we would accept that the Hussain convoy took this path, and if we would accept all what happened to them in the stopping places, then this path would have taken them a whole year as some of the historians might say. Some of the main stopping points are: Harran, Hassassah, Tekreet, Wadi Al-Nakhlah, Bersabad, Al-Moussel, Ayn Al-Wardeh, Qansareen, Maarrato Al-Noeman, Kafer Tab, Al-Sheirz, Al-Hamah (Hama), Humess and Balabak.

The straight path (the road of the Arab of Aqeel): This is a way that could be passed in one week since it is straight, and it is the road that the mail man takes.

Perhaps the enemies of Allah and his Messenger (P) did take the shortest path when taking the Hussain convoy from Kufa to Sham.

That it was only normal at that time for Yazeed, Bin Ziad and their soldiers, who were in charge of the Hussain convoy, to try to deliver the convoy in the fastest time possible. As Yazeed was anxious to feel the satisfaction by gloating at the progeny of the Prophet (R), and as for Bin Ziad, he was eager to show Yazeed how he carried his orders as he wanted. Also, the guards who were escorting the Hussain Convoy, they were eager the most to reach Sham to obtain the rewards.

It is important to point that the soldiers of Bin Ziad, when they left with Al-Hussain’s (Q) head from Kufa, they were afraid that the Arab tribes might get angry, so they used to spread among people that they are carrying the head of an outlaw.

There is another opinion that states that most likely they purposely went through the road that passes through the largest number of cities and villages, as the authority in such situation would use terror as a way to impose its respect, and this is supported by the idea of them carrying the heads from one city to another.

Nearby Damascus

When the Hussain Convoy reached nearby Damascus, Sayyeda Um Kalthoum approached Shamer and said: "I need to ask you something?"

So he said: "What do you need?"

She said: "If we are to enter the city, do take us from a way where only few people can see us, and ask them to take out the heads from between our rides and carry them away from us, as we are humiliated from all the looks we are getting while we are on this situation!"

So, the cursed man answered to her request by placing the heads that was on the spears in the middle of the women’s rides and he went through the staring crowds while in their bad situation till they reached the gate of Damascus.

Thus the first of Safar was the day that the head of Imam Hussain (Q) was brought to the city of Damascus.

The Festivals of Sham and the Suffering of the Family of the Prophet (peace be upon them)

The Sham Regions:

The Sham is a name that includes most of the regions that are nowadays part of Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. As the Sham was the first region that the Prophet (P) had thought of to spread the word of monotheism and to invite the people to Islam. The Prophet had prepared many troops and battles for that purpose. During his last days, he prepared an army and appointed Osama Bin Zayd as the army commander and said: "Allah shall curse whoever does not join Osama’s army…" The objective of the Prophet was not to widen his geographical governing area, but that was something that needed to be done to spread monotheism, have people revolve around the banner of Islam, and to guide the people to Allah the Almighty. But things had changed after the death of the Prophet (P), and the measurements were turned upside down. Life had seduced lots of people, where profits, temporal positions, gaining authority and influence became the main objectives to conquer new countries.

Thus, after the Muslims had conquered it (the Sham), Omar appointed Yazeed Bin Abi Soufian as its ruler, after him came his brother Muawiya Bin Abi Soufian. In the year 41 the people of Sham pledged allegiance to him as the new Calif.

He was the founder of the Umayyad Regime that made Damascus the center for the Islamic civilization. It stayed that way till year 132 A.H., and Muawiya appointed Yazeed as his successor by inheritance.

The Hussain Convoy Heading to Sham

When the letter of Bin Ziad reached Yazeed Bin Muawiya, he read it and then replied by ordering him to send the head of Imam Hussain (Q) and the heads of those who were killed with him, along with his women, children and belongings.

And when the people were done roving with the Holy Head, Bin Ziad gave it to Zuhr Bin Qaeis with the heads of his companions as well, and he sent him off to Yazeed Bin Muawiya. He also sent with him Aba Baradah Bin Awf Al-Azdi and Tareq Bin Abi Thubian with a group of the people of Kufa till they reached Yazeed in Damascus.

Thus, they took the captives of the Prophet’s progeny (R) from women and children on boney camels while the soldiers were surrounding them, if one of them would have a tear in his eyes, they would hit his head with a spear! They were wandered with from one place to another just like they would do with the captives from Rome or Daylam (non- Islamic countries). Ahead of them was the Master of Sajjadeen, Ali Bin Al-Hussain (Q), while they had chains on his neck and hands; he was riding on a boney camel with no saddle.

It was narrated that Sayyeda Zeinab (O) said: "Thus, God knew what happened to us, as the best of us was killed, we were wandered by like animals, and we rode on the camel’s back".

The people traveled with the head of Imam Hussain (Q) and the captives, and when they got close to Damascus, Sayyeda Um Kalthoum approached Shamer and said: "I need to ask you something?"

So he said: "What do you need?"

She said: "If we are to enter the city, do take us from

 a way where only few people can see us, and ask them to take out the heads from between our rides and carry them away from us, as we are humiliated from all the looks we are getting while we are on this situation!"

So, the cursed man answered to her request by placing the heads that were on the spears in the middle of the women’s rides and he went through the staring crowds while in their bad situation till they reached the gate of Damascus. They stopped on the stairs of the Gathering Mosque where captives usually stay.

Thus, the Hussain convoy entered Damascus during day time while its people had hung the decorations everywhere happily and excitedly, at the time where their women were playing the tambourines as if it was their greatest Eid (festival).

It was narrated about Sahl Bin Saad Al-Saedy (the Prophet’s companion) that he had said: "I was going to Jerusalem and when I reached the Sham, I found myself in a city with long rivers and heavy trees, while its people had hung the decorations everywhere happily and excitedly, and their women were playing the drums and the tambourines, so I said to myself: maybe the people of Sham has an Eid (festival) that we are not aware of it! I saw some people talking among themselves, so I said: do you have an Eid that we do not know?  They said: O old man, we see that you are a stranger, I said: I am Sahl Bin Saad, I had seen the Messenger of Allah (P) and narrated his Hadith (Sayings). So they said: O Sahel, it is a wonder that the sky does not

rain blood, and the earth does not swallow its people! I said: why is that? They said: this is the head of Hussain, the grandson of the Messenger of Allah (P), it is being carried as a gift from Iraq to Sham and it is almost here. So I said: It is a wonder! As the head of Hussain is given as a gift and the people are pleased?!!

Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) and the Old Man from Sham

When the captives were on the ladder of the mosque’s door, an old man approached them and said: "Thank

God who had killed and vanished you, he released the people from your authority, and enabled the prince to overpower you!"

Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) said: "O old man, did you read the Quran?" He said: "Yes, I did read it".

He (Q) said: "So did you read this verse: "No reward do I ask of you for this except the love of those near of kin "?11

He said: "I have read that…"

He (Q) said: "We are the kinship O old man! So, did you read in Bani Israel "And render to the kindred their due rights "?12

The old man said: "I did read that".

So, (Q) said: "We are the kindred O old man! But, did you read the verse: "And know that out of all the booty that ye may acquire (in war), a fifth share is assigned to Allah, and to the Messenger, and to near relatives "?13 We are the near relatives, O old man, and did you read this verse: "And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye Members of the Family, and to purify you a thorough purification "?14

The old man said: "I did read that"

So, he (Q) said: "Indeed we are the members of the

family, who were talked about in the Purification verse…"

So, the old man started crying and he threw down his turban, then he raised his head towards the sky and said: "O God, indeed I exculpate myself from the enemy of the progeny of Muhammad (R), whether a human or Jinn (demon), then he said: "Would my repentance be accepted?"

So, he (Q) said: "Yes, if you repent, God will forgive you and you would be considered with us…"

So he said: "I do repent…"

Thus, Yazeed learned what the old man had said, so he ordered to kill him.

We conclude many things from this incident:

This was the first time Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) had spoken after having bared the travelling exhaustion. As the narrated story says That Imam (Q) was silent all along the way from Kufa to Sham and did not speak to anyone.

The Imam performs his duty at the first chance and on the first spot in which he finds the good soil for that. Even though that the old man from Sham had only lived under the Umayyad regime and he did not see Imam Ali (Q) or any of his sons, but he has a good nature. Whilst many of the people who murdered Al-Hussain (Q) and captivated his family were among who had seen Ali, Hassan and Hussain (R), and had prayed behind them!

The dominance of the poisoned media on the society, as they had propagated that the murdered man was an outlaw who disobeyed "the prince of the believers", and  he wanted to spread sedition and division in the society. That is why we see that the man from Sham started his speech by

expressing his thanks to God for killing the "outlaw" and finishing his family.

The Head of Imam Hussain (Q) and the Rest of the Hussain Convoy between the Hands of Ya-zeed Bin Muawiya

Yazeed was overwhelmed with pleasure and delight, and he ordered an assembly full of nobles, dignitaries and public figures from among the people of Sham and representatives from other countries and religions, just like what they did for the head of Goliath. So, it was a very important assembly internally and externally. Thus, he wanted to present himself as the victorious king who overpowered his enemy. And when the captive’s convoy of Ahlu El-Bayt (R) was admitted to him, the people started congratulating him for his victory.

Imam Baqer (Q) said: "We were brought before Yazeed Bin Muawiya (may God curse him) after they had killed Hussain, we were twelve children, no one of us was left without chaining his hands to his neck! And among us was Ali Bin Al-Hussain…"

Then the head of Imam Hussain (Q) was brought and put between the hands of Yazeed, so the brat was pleased with his killing, and he started patting the head with a cane.

While the murderer of Imam Hussain (Q) came to Yazeed and said:

Fill up my bags with gold and silver,

As I have killed the unreachable king!

I killed the son of the best mother and father,

And the best of all, should we speak about parentage.

So, the cursed man said to him: "If you knew he is the best person why did you kill him?"

He answered: "I wanted the reward!"

So, Yazeed answered him: "Get out of my sight, no reward for you".

This was the only public assembly that Yazeed had gathered the nobles in it, as there were many private sittings where the head of Imam Hussain (Q) and Ahlu El-Bayt were presented to Yazeed. Yazeed used to attend the places where they drink alcohol, sing songs, and listen to music while having the head of Imam Hussain (Q) between his hands.

Yazeed Patting the Head of Imam Hussain (Q) for the Second Time

Yazeed put the head of Imam Hussain (Q) between his hands, while he had the women seated behind it so they do not see it. The two daughters of the Imam were stretching their necks trying to view the head, but Yazeed tried to hide it with his body so they could not see it, as he was patting it with a stick in his hand while reciting some verses from a poem for Hussayne Bin Al-Hamam Al-Mary:

We split the heads of dear men, while

They were ungrateful to us and more oppressing.

Then he said: "I have never seen a better looking face than his!"

It was said to him: "He used to look like the Messenger of Allah (P)”

So he kept quiet, and no one was left in that sitting without blaming and leaving him. One of the people was Abu Baraza

 Al-Aslami who was one of the Prophet’s companions, he resided in Medina and then in Basra, so he said to him: "Woe to you O Yazeed, do you bat the mouth of Hussain (Q), the son of Fatima O?! I do testify that I have seen the Prophet (P) kissing his mouth and that of his brother Hassan (R) while saying:  You are both the Masters of the people of Heaven, God shall kill and curse your killer and prepare Jahannam (Hell) for him as it is the worst destiny".

So, Yazeed got fumed up and he ordered the guards to take him out, and he was dragged outside.

The stand of that companion was at the most critical time and in the most dangerous place, and that is why Yazeed did not tolerate it.

Then Abdu Al-Rahman Bin Al-Hakam, brother of Marwan Bin Al-Hakam, was among the people in the public assembly, and when he saw what Yazeed had done to the head of Imam Hussain (Q) and heard the verses he recited, he said:

Sumayya’s  pedigree has become15

As many as pebbles (countless),

While the daughter of the Messenger of Allah

Does not have any pedigree

Just then, Yazeed, out of fear that things might turn against him, hastened to say: "Indeed, may Allah curse the son of Murjana (Obayd Allah, since he killed Hussain the son of Fatima) if I was in his place I would have fulfilled all his requests and conditions, and would have done all what I could to push away his death even if I had to lose some of my children! But Allah had destined this and that’s why no one could have stopped it".

Then, he turned to Abdu Al-Rahman and said: "Praised be Allah! Can you not be quiet! What do you have to do with this issue?!"

Thus Yazeed falsely and untruthfully showed regret in some of his words, while blaming the murdering of Imam Hussain (Q) on Bin Ziad. His regret was a result of his dishonesty and his fear to lose his kingdom, and to be in line with the general situation and the people’s condemnation to that act. And what proves that he was lying is that he did not punish Obayd Allah Bin Ziad, and he did not depose him from his position, but indeed he

invited him to his castle where they drank wine together and he gave him a big reward.

Yazeed and the Clear Deception

Yazeed had changed his tone during the presence of the Prophet’s convoy in Sham. As after he was showing his pleasure for killing Imam Hussain (Q), he was compelled to change his attitude due to the hidden yet strong condemnation of the people that was expressed most of the time with weak remarks.

In the context of him showing his joy he said in his parlor: "Do you know what killed Abu Abdullah?" They said: "No" so he answered: "from the jurisprudence and the interpretation! he was too proud of Ali, he used to say: "my father is better than Yazeed’s father, my mother is better than his mother, my Grandfather is better than Yazeed’s grandfather, and I am better than Yazeed". And this is what killed him! As for his saying that "indeed my father is better than Yazeed’s father" thus my father had debated his father and God destined for my father to win over his father, as for his saying: "my mother is better than Yazeed’s mother" I swear he is telling the truth, indeed Fatima the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (P) is better than my mother, and as for his saying: "my Grandfather is better than Yazeed’s grandfather" there is no one among the believers of Allah and the Judgment Day who would claim that he is better than Muhammad (P), and for his saying: "I am better than Yazeed" I do swear he did not read the verse that says: (Say O Allah the Owner of Sovereignty) "16

Yazeed did take this position to delude the people that even though he had killed the son of the daughter of the Prophet (P), he is still a Muslim, ending his speech by mentioning Allah’s will, His fatalism and predestination to give his abominable crime a religious aspect, by instilling the predestination principle that the tyrants used to hold on to it to silence the voices of those who oppose them as well as the naïve people.

Yazeed Using the Poetry of Bin Al-Zubary

Most of the narrations had confirmed that Yazeed Bin Muawiya had recited the poetry of Al-Zubary during his public assembly, Al-Zubary is a poet from Quraish at the time of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic stage) who was very tough on Muslims:

I wish my old chiefs at Badr could witness

Al-Khazraj’s fearing of the impact of rush

They would have cheered and shouted happily,

Then they would have said, good job O Yazeed

I shall not be from the Khandaf if I do not avenge,

From the family of Ahmad for what he had done

Hashim had manipulated the Reign

So, neither news arrived nor revelations happened

Thus, Yazeed had added to these verses what shows his disbelief and his bad intention; it also exposes what is in his heart from disbelief and hatred towards the Messenger of Allah (P) and his progeny R:

I shall not be from the Utbata if I do not avenge,

From the family of Ahmad for what he had done

Thus Sayyeda Zeinab (O) did refer to Yazeed’s reciting of these verses during the public assembly by saying: "It did not take him long to show his hatred to us, Ahlu El-Bayt …, as he was happily announcing the killing of his son and the captivation of his pedigree, without regrets or any guilt: (I wish my grandparents)..."

Thus one of the companions told Yazeed after having said these verses: "O prince of believers, you have renounced your Islam!"

Yazeed said: "Yes indeed, I do repent to Allah…"

So the companion replied: "I swear to God, I shall never be with you in the same place!" then he got up and left.

And this was a confession from Yazeed that what he had said does imply disbelieving and the renouncing of one’s religion. Nevertheless, after Yazeed had batted the mouth of Imam Hussain (Q), he ordered them to hang it, so it was hung up for three days at the door of the mosque in Damascus.