Abu al-Aswad al-Du’ali has said:
I love very much Muhammad, Abbas, Hamza, and the guardians.[1]
I have been given this peerless love since the beginning of Islam.
The Prophet’s cousins and his relatives are the most beloved to me.
If love for them is right guidance, then I will get it. If it is error, then I am not mistaken.[2]
Abdullah bin Katheer refuted those who blamed him for his love for the family of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. He said:
I am a man whose defect is because of showing love for the Prophet and not because of any guilt.
The children of Abu Hasan (Imam Ali) and their father were good in the wombs and the backbone.
Is it a guilt that I love them? Rather, love for them is an expiatory gift.[3]
After Mu’awiya, the Umayyad and the Abbasid caliphs followed the same policy in oppressing and disrespecting the Shia. If we wanted to deal with the ordeals and misfortunes the Shia met, then we would be in need of a big book.
Anyway, the Shia did not pay attention to Mu’awiya’s terrorism, severe punishment, and torture. They sacrificed their lives for their holy religious creed. We will mention some of those whom Mu’awiya unjustly killed, who committed no sin except showing love for Ahl al-Bayt. They are as follows:
Hijr Bin Adiy
Hijr bin Adiy was one the most important Muslim personalities. He was at the head of the companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, in excellence, knowledge, sacredness, asceticism, and worship. He was so obedient to Allah that he always performed the ritual ablution and prayed. He performed one thousand rak’as a day. His supplication was accepted. When he was taken to Mu’awiya as a captive, he became impure on his way to there. He said to the man in charge of him: “Give me the water I drink to purify myself with it.” The man who was in charge of him said to him: “I fear that you would die of thirst if I gave it to you and that Mu’awiya would kill me.” It was difficult for Hijr to be impure. He supplicated Allah to enable him to find some water. Allah responded to him. A cloud came and heavily rained.
-------------------------------------------------------------
[1] The guardian is (Imam Ali), the Commander of the faithful.
[2] Al-Mubarrad, al-Kamil, p. 545.
[3] Al-Bayan wa al-Tabiyyin, vol. 3, p. 360.