The Tragedy of the Lord of the Martyrs.pdf

7/28/2019 The Tragedy of the Lord of the Martyrs.pdf

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LAMENTATIONS(PART TWO)

THE TRAGEDY OFTHE LORD OF THE MARTYRS

Written by

Hujjat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin al-Shaykh

Mohammad Ishtihardi

translated by

Hujjat al-Islam al-Shaykh

Arif Abdulhussain

and edited byDr. I. K. A. Howard

Foreword

This is the first of many books that it is hoped al-Mahdi Institute will publish. The aim of

al-Mahdi Publications is threefold. The first of these is to make popular works on Islamic

themes written in Arabic, Persian and Urdu accessible in English. In this way it is hoped

to provide a development of the Spiritual literature available to English-speakingMuslims and non-Muslims. The second aim is to provide the Muslim community and

others with English renderings of important du'a's (ad'iyah) and ziyarahs (ziyarat) inpamphlets. The third aim is to publish fully annotated translations of major works by thescholars of the Shi'ah and monographs on Islamic subjects.

This book comes under the first category. It is a work of spiritual literature

commemorating the tragedy of Imam al-Husayn at Karbala. It is hoped that the two other

works in this series by this outstanding Iranian scholar will be published in the future.

Preface to the Journal Edition

This electronic edition of this work, that has become so cherished by the scholars of the

Al-Mahdi Institute, is being reproduced here at the request of senior and learned brothers

in the city of Qum. They felt that this work should be distributed as widely and asrapidly as possible so that its clear English account of those tragic events would bringthem closer to the hearts of English speaking people throughout the World.

To have this work acclaimed by learned scholars is a great honour but a far greater

honour for all those who assisted in the production of the finished work was the tears that

were shed for the love of Imam al-Husayn.


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CHAPTER 1

REACTIONS TO THE DEATH

OF

MU'AWIYAH

THE SITUATION AT THE TIME OF MU'AWIYAH'S DEATH

Imam al-Husayn attained the Imamate in 50 A.H. after the death of his brother Imam al-

Hasan. Imam al-Husayn's Imamate extended for ten years, of which nine years and fourmonths coincided with Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan's Caliphate and approximately six

months with the Caliphate of his son Yazid

Mu'awiyah died in 60 A.H. after twenty years as the Caliph. Contrary to the terms of the

treaty made with Imam al-Hasan, in which he promised not to appoint a successor,

Mu'awiyah formally named Yazid as heir to the Caliphate. Mu'awiyah had secured

allegiance for Yazid from the majority of the Muslims apart from a few renownedpersonalities of the day, among whom were Imam al-Husayn, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar, 'Abd

Allah ibn Zubayr and 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr. However, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi

Bakr died before Mu'awiyah.

MU'AWIYAH'S LAST WILL TO YAZID

The fear and concern that Mu'awiyah had because these individuals had not paidallegiance to Yazid is demonstrated in his last will to Yazid, written as he approached his

death. He said to Yazid: "I have taken allegiance for your Caliphate from all the Muslims

except for three people: al-Husayn ibn 'Ali, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar and 'Abd Allah ibnZubayr. As for 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar, treat him well and you will find him an ally. As for

'Abd Allah ibn Zubayr, find him, kill him and cut him into pieces, because, at the firstopportune moment, he will search you out and tear you apart like a hungry lion or trick

you like a fox. As for al-Husayn ibn 'Ali, the people of Iraq will only support his claim ifthey can persuade him to come out in revolt. If he does come out in revolt against you,

overcome him in battle. However, you should not be hostile towards him because of his

close family relationship with you and his great rights.

YAZID'S LETTER TO HIS GOVERNOR IN MEDINAH

After the death of Mu'awiyah, Yazid dispatched a letter to the governor of Medina, Walid

ibn 'Utbah ibn Abi Sufyan, who was also his cousin. In the letter, he wrote: "O Walid!Extract the pledge of allegiance from al-Husayn ibn 'Ali without delay and under no

circumstances allow him respite."

Walid, acting in accordance with the instructions, sent for Imam al-Husayn in the middleof the night. Imam al-Husayn, surmising Walid's intentions, gathered a group of his

family members and gave them their instructions: "Walid has summoned me and I fear

that he may compel me to something I may not consent to. Consequently I fear for mylife. Gather your weapons and wait outside Walid's door. When you hear my voice being

raised, come quickly to my defence."


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IMAM AL-HUSAYN'S CONVERSATION WITH WALID

Imam al-Husayn went to Walid in the night and found Marwan ibn al- Hakam sitting next

to him. Walid informed the Imam of Mu'awiyah's death. At this the Imam, as was his

usual practice, recited the verse: "Indeed to Allah do we belong and unto Him will we

return."

Walid read Yazid's letter to the Imam in which he asked for the pledge of allegiance from

the Imam. After hearing the contents of the letter, the Imam said to Walid, "I do notpresume that you will be content at me giving the pledge of allegiance secretly. Would

you not rather I gave the pledge of allegiance in the light of day in front of people?"

Walid replied, "That is right." Imam al-Husayn said, "In that case let the subject restuntil tomorrow." At this Walid said, "In the name of Allah, return to your home and come

to me tomorrow to make the pledge of allegiance before the people."

As this conversation ended, Marwan said to Walid, "If you allow al-Husayn to leave now,

you will not find him again until much blood is spilt between you and him. Take hispledge of allegiance now. Otherwise behead him." The Imam quickly moved from his

place and angrily declared," O son of a blue eyed woman! Will you kill me or will he. ByAllah! You have lied and sinned."

Hearing the raised voice of the Imam, his family members quickly came to his aid withtheir swords drawn. The Imam calmed them and ordered them to return to his dwelling

with him.

MARWAN'S CONVERSATION WITH WALID

After the Imam had left, Marwan said to Walid, "You did not pay heed to what I said. By

Allah! Now you will not find him!" To this Walid replied, "May sorrow be the lot of

others! What you have asked me to do entails the destruction of my faith. By Allah! Evenif the kingdom of the world were given to me, I would not kill al-Husayn. Glory be to

Allah! Should I kill al-Husayn because he did not give the oath of allegiance? I do not

imagine the scales of the killer of al-Husayn will be light on the Day of Resurrection."Marwan replied, "If this was your intention in letting al-Husayn go then you have done a

commendable thing." This was something Marwan said hypocritically to please Walid.(Kitab al-Irshad)

The next morning when Marwan met the Imam, he said, "It is my opinion that if you give

the oath of allegiance to Yazid, the Commander of the Faithful, it will be good for you in

this world and in the you Hereafter." Hearing this the Imam said, "I bid my final farewellto an Islam that has become afflicted by a ruler such as Yazid. I have heard my

grandfather (the Prophet) say that the Caliphate is forbidden for the sons of Abu Sufyan."(Muthir al-Ahzan)


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THE NIGHT JOURNEY OF THE IMAM AND HIS HELPERS

The Imam's meeting with Walid took place on the night of Saturday, 27th Rajab in

60A.H. This night the Imam spent at his house in Medina. In the evening of the next day,

Walid sent a group of his people to the Imam to bring him to pledge allegiance to Yazid.

The Imam asked Walid's representatives to give him until the next morning in order forboth the parties to consider the matter carefully. When Walid heard the Imam's request,

he granted it. On that very night, the night of Sunday, 28th Rajab, the Imam together

with his sons, brothers, nephews and most of his family, except one of his brothersMuhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, left for Mecca.

The Imam and his family arrived in Mecca on 3rd Sha'ban in 60 A.H.

(Kitab al-Irshad)

THE LETTERS OF THE PEOPLE OF KUFAH

The news of Mu'awiyah's death, Imam Husayn's abstention from pledging allegiance and

his arrival in Mecca reached the people of Kufah. The Shi'ah of Kufah gathered in thehouse of Sulayman ibn Surad Khuza'i. After hearing his explanation of the situation, they

decided to write a letter to the Imam inviting him to Kufah. Among the people whosigned the letter were Sulayman ibn Surad, Musayyib ibn Najabah, Rifa'ah ibn Shaddad

and Habib ibn Muzahir together with other faithful members of the Shi'ah.

The letter was dispatched to the Imam and reached him on 10th Ramadan. Subsequentletters from different people in Kufah were also sent to the Imam. There were over a

hundred and fifty letters inviting him to lead them against Yazid. The following is the

text of a letter as quoted in Kitab al-Irshad: "In the name of Allah, the Merciful, theCompassionate, this is a letter to al-Husayn ibn 'Ali from the faithful Muslims of the

Shi'ah of Kufah. After praise and glory to Allah, O al-Husayn, advance to us for we arewaiting for you and have no one other than you. Thus hurry, hurry and again hurry. Peacebe with you."

(Kitab al-Irshad)

According to another report, one letter stated: " There are a thousand swords in Kufah

waiting to defend you. Do not delay your coming to Kufah." (A'yan al-Shi'ah)

CHAPTER 2

MUSLIM IBN 'AQIL IN KUFAH

MUSLIM IBN 'AQIL'S ARRIVAL IN KUFAH AND THE READING OF IMAM

AL-HUSAYN'S LETTER

Imam al-Husayn chose Muslim ibn 'Aqil, son of his uncle and the husband of his sister

Ruqayyah, to take back the reply to the letters of the people of Kufah.


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thinking that it was the Imam who had arrived. As evening approached, Ibn Ziyad

reached the governor's palace. Nu'man ibn Bashir, the governor of Kufah, bolted thedoors of the palace thinking the Imam had come to take control of the palace. When he

was ordered to open the doors, Nu'man stretched out his head from high in the palace and

said, "O son of the Prophet! I will not hand this office, which has been entrusted to me,

over to you and there is no need for a battle to take place between us." At this Ibn Ziyaddrew nearer to the palace. He introduced himself to Nu'man and ordered the doors to be

opened. Hearing the voice of Ibn Ziyad, the rest of the people of Kufah finally realized

that this was the son of Marjanah (i.e. Ibn Ziyad) and not the Imam. Ibn Ziyad entered thebuilding and shut the doors in the faces of the people outside. At this point the gathering

finally dispersed.

The next morning 'Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad addressed the people saying: "The blood andwealth of anyone who opposes us will become lawful for us. I inform the heads and the

chiefs of the communities that anyone who knows the whereabouts of the enemies of

Yazid and does not inform us will be crucified on their own door and their monthly

income will be discontinued."(Kitab al-Irshad)

It is also reported that when Ibn Ziyad entered into Kufah, the people thought that it wasthe Imam and they flocked to him crying out, "We are with you." Their numbers were

said to be more than forty thousand. A woman shouted out, "Allah is great! O son of the

Messenger!" And the people chanted the same.(A'yan al-Shi'ah)

IBN ZIYAD'S INFORMER

When the news of Ibn Ziyad's arrival and his warnings reached Muslim ibn 'Aqil, hemoved from the house of Mukhtar to the house of Hani' ibn 'Urwah, who was animportant leader of the tribe of Madhhij. There the Shi'ah secretly went to meet with him.

Ibn Ziyad called for his servant Ma'qal and gave him three thousand dirhams. He told

him to find Muslim ibn 'Aqil and get close to him and his followers and in order to gain

their confidence. he was to hand over the money to them and say that it was for fightingtheir enemies. Ma'qal was told to inform Ibn Ziyad of Muslim ibn 'Aqil's every move and

of the people he met. Ma'qal did as he was told to the extent that he would be the first to

come to Muslim ibn 'Aqil and the last to leave the gathering. He informed Ibn Ziyad of

the affairs of Muslim ibn 'Aqil and his followers.

(Kitab al-Irshad)

THE TREACHERY AND DISLOYALTY OF THE PEOPLE OF KUFAH

After Ibn Ziyad had received information about Muslim ibn 'Aqil, he summoned Hani'.

He demanded that Hani' hand Muslim over to him. Hani' refused to do that and IbnZiyad had him thrown into prison. When Muslim got news of what had happened, he

realised that his position had been compromised. He summoned the people to attack Ibn


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Ziyad. Four thousand of them gathered outside the governor's palace. Ibn Ziyad with his

entourage remained inside and he summoned the tribal leaders to join him, for he hadalready won them over to his side by bribery. They began to infiltrate among the people

telling them to withdraw because the Syrians would soon arrive. Some of their fellow

tribesmen believed them and withdrew. Others were persuaded to withdraw by their

frightened wives and mothers.

Gradually the number of the people with Muslim ibn 'Aqil decreased. When it was time

for the evening prayer. Muslim ibn 'Aqil went to the mosque and found that there were

only a small group of people to pray with. This was a mosque where the congregationused to reach ten thousand people. When Muslim ibn 'Aqil left the mosque, only ten

people accompanied him. By the time he reached the gate of the quarter where the tribe

of Kindah lived, there was no one with him. Muslim ibn 'Aqil was made a stranger toKufah. He wandered the streets looking towards right and left. He was in a state of dire

confusion not knowing where to go. He went into an alley that he did not know. There he

found an old woman by the name of Taw'ah standing outside her house waiting for her

son. Muslim ibn 'Aqil asked the woman for some water. She gave him water and afterdrinking it, Muslim ibn he sat near her door in exhaustion. Although Taw'ah was a

member of the Shi'ah and a lover of the family of the Prophet, she did not recognise

Muslim ibn 'Aqil. When Muslim sat down, she told him that it was not appropriate forhim to stay there. Hearing this, Muslim ibn 'Aqil said, "O maid of Allah! I do not have a

place to stay. Will you allow me to stay in your house tonight? If Allah wills, I will pay

back the debt." "Who are you?" asked Taw'ah. He replied, "I am Muslim ibn 'Aqil. Thesepeople invited me here. Now they have abandoned and driven me away." Learning that

the man was Muslim ibn 'Aqil, Taw'ah allowed him inside the house.

When Taw'ah's son Bilal returned home, he enquired about the guest. Taw'ah made him

take an oath that he would not tell anyone about their guest nor of his whereabouts. Thenunwillingly and with a heavy heart, she told him that it was Muslim ibn 'Aqil. Bilal

stayed the night at the house but on the following morning he went to 'Abd al-Rahman

ibn Muhammad ibn Ash'ath and informed him of where Muslim ibn 'Aqil was. 'Abd al-Rahman went and relayed this information to his father Muhammad ibn Ash'ath.

Muhammad ibn Ash'ath, the tribal leader of Kindah, was a close associate of Ibn Ziyad

who went to Ibn Ziyad and informed him of the whereabouts of Muslim ibn 'Aqil.

Immediately Ibn Ziyad ordered Muhammad ibn Ash'ath to arrest Muslim ibn 'Aqil and

bring him from the house of Taw'ah. Muhammad ibn Ash'ath set off for the house of

Taw'ah with 'Amr 'Ubayd Allah ibn 'Abbas al-Sulami and seventy soldiers.

During the night, Taw'ah had brought supper for Muslim ibn 'Aqil but he had refused to

eat anything. He had slept only a little and then he had got up to spend the rest of the

night in prayers and devotion. When dawn was approaching, Taw'ah brought water forMuslim ibn 'Aqil to perform the ablutions for prayer. She said to him, "My master! You

have not slept the whole night." Muslim ibn 'Aqil replied, "I slept a while and in my sleep

I saw my uncle, the Commander of the Faithful. He was saying to me, 'O Muslim! Hurryand quickly come to us.' I fear that the last day of my life has approached." Then Muslim


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ibn 'Aqil had performed the ablutions.

After he had finished the prayer and was making prayers of supplication, he heard the

sounds of the approaching soldiers. Muslim ibn 'Aqil quickly finished the supplications

and started to put on his armour saying, "Go and face death from which there is no

escape." Taw'ah asked him, "O master! Have you submitted to death?" "I have no escapesave death. May the Prophet of Allah intercede for you for the favour that you have

shown," Muslim ibn 'Aqil replied.

A party of up to three hundred soldiers forced their way into the house of Taw'ah to arrestMuslim ibn 'Aqil. Who took his sword in hand and drove them back into the street.

When he looked out Muslim ibn 'Aqil saw that some soldiers had climbed on the rooftops

of neighbouring houses and were throwing stones and flaming torches at the house.Fearing that the soldiers would set fire to the house, he went out to fight them. Muslim

ibn 'Aqil fought single handedly even though he was surrounded and being pressed from

all directions. It is reported that as he fought Muslim ibn 'Aqil unhinged the door of the

house and used it as his shield. So fiercely did he fight that he killed a hundred andeighty of those who were on horses.

On two occasions Muhammad ibn Ash'ath had to send to Ibn Ziyad for help. On bothoccasions Ibn Ziyad responded by dispatching soldiers. At the third request, Ibn Ziyad

replied, "May your mother weep at the sorrow of your death! Can you not overpower a

single person?

What will become of you when faced with an opponent stronger then him?" By this he

meant the Imam. To this Muhammad ibn Ash'ath replied, "Are you not aware that this

man is the sword of the Prophet, a brave lion and a warrior, not a farmer or a grocer of

Kufah?" Ibn Ziyad sent a further five hundred men with instructions that Muhammad ibnAsh'ath should grant safe-conduct to Muslim ibn 'Aqil in order to secure the lives of his

men.(Maqtal al-Husayn Abu Mikhnaf)

As Muslim ibn 'Aqil was continuing gallantly to fight the fierce battle, Muhammad ibn

Ash'ath called out to him, "O Muslim! Do not destroy yourself. We grant you safe-

conduct. Stop fighting." Muslim ibn 'Aqil was not convinced and continued to fight.Muhammad ibn Ash'ath called out again, "O Muslim! It is not a lie or a trick. This is the

son of your uncle (meaning Ibn Ziyad) and he has given you his word that no harm will

come to you."Muslim ibn 'Aqil was now was covered in wounds from the constant hail of stones and

arrows. Due to intense fatigue, he paused to rest and sat with his back to the wall of

Taw'ah's house. Once again Muhammad ibn Ash'ath shouted and asked Muslim ibn 'Aqil

to cease fighting and take the offer safe-conduct. At this Muslim ibn 'Aqil asked, "Willyou truly spare my life?" "Yes! Your life will be spared," came the reply from the host

that surrounded him.

Muslim ibn 'Aqil no longer had the strength to fight and was forced to agreed to the offer


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of safe-conduct. A mule was brought for him. No sooner had he mounted the mule than

the soldiers surrounded him, took his sword away and made him their prisoner. Tearsrolled down his blessed cheeks as he said, "This is the first deception."

(A'lam al-Wara')

MUSLIM IBN 'AQIL'S ENCOUNTER WITH IBN ZIYADWhen Muslim ibn 'Aqil was brought into the palace as a prisoner, he did not salute IbnZiyad with the greeting of peace. The guard standing at the door said to Muslim ibn

'Aqil, "Salute the commander and chief." Muslim ibn 'Aqil replied, "Silence! May sorrow

be your lot! He is not my commander."

At this Ibn Ziyad declared, "It is all the same whether you salute me or not. You will be

executed." Muslim ibn 'Aqil retorted, "It will not be the first time, that worse than youhave killed better than me." Ibn Ziyad shouted, "O recalcitrant opponent! You have risen

against the ruler and caused discord and disunity within the community." Muslim ibn

'Aqil answered, "O Ibn Ziyad! It was Mu'awiyah and his son Yazid who have caused

disunity within the community and it was you and your father that have spread corruptionin it. I am hopeful that Allah will grant me martyrdom by the hands of the worst of his

creatures." Ibn Ziyad admonished him, "You were desirous of something (i.e. theCaliphate) that Allah did not bring to fruition in you but placed with people who deserve

it." Muslim ibn 'Aqil asked, "O Ibn Ziyad! And who is worthy of that?" Ibn Ziyad

replied, "Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah." Muslim ibn 'Aqil said, "Praise be to Allah! We are

pleased with His pleasure! May He decide between you and us!" Ibn Ziyad, now in astate of fury, abused Muslim ibn 'Aqil, Imam 'Ali, Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn.

To this Muslim ibn 'Aqil replied, "O enemy of Allah! Do what you will. You and your

father are worthier of this abuse."Ibn Ziyad ordered Bukayr ibn Humran to take Muslim ibn 'Aqil to the top of the palace

and to behead him. As Muslim ibn 'Aqil was being lead to his execution, he praised andglorified Allah and invoked His blessings and benedictions upon the Prophet and hisfamily saying, "O Allah! You be the final judge between us and these people who have

summoned us, lied to us and betrayed us."

Earlier that day Bukayr ibn Humran had been one of the men who had fought against

Muslim ibn 'Aqil. During the fight Muslim had struck him with a fierce blow andwounded him. He was filled with a deep hatred of Muslim and showed himself to be

utterly merciless as he carried out Ibn Ziyad's orders. He took him to the roof of the

palace and ordered him to kneel and stretch his head over the edge of the wall of thepalace. Then he mercilessly beheaded him. When the axe split his neck, Muslim ibn

'Aqil's head fell from the top of the palace to the ground. After this the soldiers wereordered to throw his body to the ground. In this way Muslim ibn 'Aqil's blessed souldeparted from his wounded body to Eternal Bliss and the Abode of the Hereafter.(Al-Luhuf & A'lam al-Wara')

MUSLIM IBN 'AQIL'S LAST WILL AND BEQUEST


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The following is an account of Muslim ibn 'Aqil's final encounter with Ibn Ziyad as

reported in Kitab al-Irshad: Muslim ibn 'Aqil was extremely thirsty as he was broughtwounded to the palace. A group of people was standing at the door waiting for the

permission to enter. Standing with them was 'Amr ibn Hurayth and next to the door was

placed a pitcher of water. Muslim ibn 'Aqil asked 'Amr ibn Hurayth for some water as he

sat at the door resting his back against the wall. 'Amr ibn Hurayth ordered his servant togive Muslim ibn 'Aqil some water. Water was brought to him but when Muslim ibn 'Aqil

tried to drink it, the dripping blood from his wounded mouth and lips poured into the

water. New water was brought and again the same thing happened. At the third timewhen Muslim ibn 'Aqil attempted to drink the water his front teeth, that had been broken

during the battle fell into the vessel. Muslim ibn 'Aqil spilt the water and said, "All praise

is due to Allah! Had provision been granted me, I would have surely drunk it."

Ibn Ziyad's men led Muslim ibn 'Aqil to him and after an exchange of words Ibn Ziyad

mercilessly said, "You will surely be killed." Muslim ibn 'Aqil replied, "If you are

determined to kill me, then allow me to make my last will?" Ibn Ziyad agreed that

Muslim ibn 'Aqil could do that.

Muslim ibn 'Aqil called to 'Umar ibn Sa'd who was standing nearby, "O Ibn Sa'd! There

is kinship between us. For the sake of that, I ask you to give me an oath of secrecy and tohonour my last will." Ibn Sa'd refused to listen. Seeing this, Ibn Ziyad ordered Ibn Sa'd,

"Listen to what the your cousin has to say."

Under the eyes of Ibn Ziyad, Ibn Sa'd went to Muslim ibn 'Aqil and they both retreated to

a corner where they sat down. Muslim ibn 'Aqil told Ibn Sa'd, "I borrowed seven hundred

dirhams in Kufah. Sell my coat of mail and my sword and pay off my debt. After I amexecuted, take my body from Ibn Ziyad and bury me. Send word to Imam al-Husayn to

not to come to Kufah. I have sent a letter to him informing him of the loyalty of the

people of Kufah and their eagerness to be led by him. I fear he has commenced his

journey towards Kufah."

Fearing Ibn Ziyad may suspect him of something, Ibn Sa'd went to him and informed him

of Muslim ibn 'Aqil's last will. Ibn Ziyad taunted Ibn Sa'd for his actions and said that a

trustee does not betray a secret when it is entrusted to him. By this he meant that if IbnSa'd been a trustworthy person, he would never have divulged what Muslim ibn 'Aqil had

told him in confidence. However, despite that, he ordered Ibn Sa'd, "As for his debt, pay

it off after his death if you wish. As for his burial that too I will allow if you wish to buryhim. But as far as al-Husayn is concerned, we have no quarrel with him if he does not

interfere with us."

Then Ibn Ziyad turned towards Muslim Ibn 'Aqil and began to insult him. After a heatedexchange of words in which Muslim ibn 'Aqil was accused of disuniting the people, Ibn

Ziyad said to Muslim ibn 'Aqil, "What concern is the unity of the people to you? Why did

you not concern yourself with that when you were drinking wine with the people inMedina?" At this Muslim retorted, "By Allah! You are lying! You, who lap the blood of

Muslims and murder those whose life Allah has deemed sacred, are more correctly


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described as drinking wine than me." Ibn Ziyad could no longer contain him self and

ordered Muslim ibn 'Aqil to be beheaded and his body to be thrown to the ground fromthe top of the palace.

(Kitab al-Irshad)

THE MARTYRDOM OF HANI' IBN 'URWAH

Hani' ibn 'Urwah has already been mentioned as the person that Muslim ibn 'Aqil went to

stay with after the arrival of Ibn Ziyad in Kufah. He was among the renowned

personalities from the Shi'ah and belonged to the tribe of Madhhij. According to onereport, Hani ibn 'Urwah had witnessed the era of the Prophet and was considered to be

among his Companions. At the time of his martyrdom, he was eighty-nine years of age.

According to Ya'qubi, Hani' enjoyed a high social status and had four thousand mountedsoldiers and eight thousand foot soldiers under his command.

(Muntaha al-Amal)

As has been mentioned, Hani' allowed his house to be used by Muslim ibn 'Aqil andsupported him. Hani' was arrested by Ibn Ziyad and imprisoned when he refused to handover Muslim ibn 'Aqil. After the death of Muslim ibn 'Aqil, Ibn Ziyad ordered his servant

Rashid to behead Hani' in the market. According to Muthir al-Ahzan the eighty-nine year

old man was dragged to the Kunasah Square where he was killed and later crucified on adoor.

According to a report cited by Sayyid Ibn Tawus, Hani' was dragged from prison to beexecuted. He repeatedly cried out, "O tribe of Madhhij! Why do you not come to my

aid?" At this the executioner, Rashid a Turkish retainer of Ibn Ziyad, ordered Hani' to

compose himself for the execution. Hani retorted, "By Allah! I will not aid you in my

killing." Rashid struck at Hani''s head but could not kill him. Hani' cried out as he fell tothe ground,

"To Allah is the final return! O Allah! To your mercy and pleasure do I return." Rashid

once again struck at Hani' and his blessed head was severed from his body.

Ibn Ziyad sent the severed heads of Muslim ibn 'Aqil and Hani' ibn 'Urwah to Yazid

together with a letter explaining the situation in Kufah. Yazid wrote back to Ibn Ziyadthanking him and instructing him to prepare himself for the coming of the Imam al-

Husayn. Yazid also gave orders for the heads to be hung on the gate of the city of

Damascus.

'Abd Allah ibn al-Zabir recited the following verses concerning Muslim ibn 'Aqil and

Hani' ibn 'Urwah:

If you do not know what death is,

Then look at Hani' and Ibn 'Aqil in the marketplace.

Look at a hero whose face the sword has covered with woundsAnd at another who fell dead from a high place.

The command of the governor struck them down,


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And they became legends for those who travel on every road.

You see a corpse whose colour death has changedAnd a spattering of blood, which has flown abundantly.

(Kitab al-Irshad)

Two men, Aradil and Awbash, tied the headless bodies of Muslim ibn 'Aqil and Hani' ibn'Urwah behind their horses with ropes and dragged them through the streets of Kufah.The tribe of Madhhij, after learning about the fate of Hani' ibn 'Urwah and Muslim ibn

'Aqil mounted their horses and fought with Aradil and Awbash until they reclaimed the

two bodies. Then they washed, shrouded and buried the bodies.(Ma'ali al-Sibtayn)

An Arab poet recites in the lamentation of Muslim ibn 'Aqil

They threw your body from the palace after tying you.

Has any limb remained intact?

You were tied and dragged through their streets.Were you not their commander until yesterday?

Will you die without the wailing women crying for you?

Do you not have anyone to weep for you in this city?Even if you were mercilessly killed, cries of grief were heard

As news of your death reached [the people of] Zarud

It is also reported that Ibn Ziyad ordered the headless bodies of Muslim and Hani' to be

tied by their feet behind horses and dragged through the streets. Then their bodies were

crucified upside down on the gate of Kunasah and were sent off to Yazid. Yazid had the

two heads mounted on the gates of Damascus.(Maqtal al-Husayn Al-Muqarram)

THE TRAGEDY OF THE TWO YOUNG SONS OF MUSLIM IBN 'AQIL

Muslim ibn 'Aqil had taken two of his sons to Kufah with him. The older son was called

Muhammad and the younger Ibrahim. Both of them were under the age of ten years.When Muslim ibn 'Aqil realized how dangerous a threat Ibn Ziyad was, he called for

Qadi Shurayh and handed over his two sons to him. Qadi Shurayh kept the two boys in

his house until the martyrdom of Muslim ibn 'Aqil.

After the death of Muslim ibn 'Aqil, Ibn Ziyad issued a warning saying that anyone who

was aware of the whereabouts of the sons of Muslim ibn 'Aqil and did not inform him

would be put to death. On hearing this, Qadi Shurayh went to the sons of Muslim ibn'Aqil. He showed them affection and kindness as he shed tears. The boys asked him,

"Why are you weeping?"

Shurayh replied, "Your father has been mercilessly killed." The children cried in grief, "Ofather! O exile!" After Shurayh had consoled them, he informed them of Ibn Ziyad's

threats against them. Hearing this, the children stopped crying out of terror. Seeing this


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Shurayh said, "Do not be frightened. You are the apples of my eye. I will not allow any

harm to come to you. I have arranged for you to be in the care of a trustworthy personwho will see to it that you taken back to Medina."

Shurayh called for his son Asad and gave him the following instructions, "News has

come to me that a caravan is preparing to depart for Medina. Take these children andhand them over to. the trustworthy person who will see to it that they reach Medina

safely." Shurayh kissed the two boys and gave them each 50 dinars. Then he bade them

farewell and handed them over to his son Asad.

In the darkness of the night, Asad carried the two boys in his arms until he was a few

kilometres outside Kufah in order to meet with the caravan. However, the caravan had setoff before they arrived. The dark shapes of the rear of the caravan were barely visible in

the distance. Asad bid the two orphans of Muslim ibn 'Aqil farewell and told to run after

the caravan until they caught up with it. Under no circumstances were they to stop beforethey had reached it.

In the darkness of the night the two orphans started running through the desert towards

the caravan. However, tiredness overcame them and they paused for a while. It was at

this moment that an inhabitant from Kufah happened to be passing. He saw the two boysand recognised them as being the orphans of Muslim ibn 'Aqil. He seized them and

brought them to Ibn Ziyad.

Ibn Ziyad summoned the jailor and handed the two orphans over to him. The jailor was a

person by the name of Mashkur and he was among the lovers of the Household of the

Prophet. When Mashkur learned of the identity of the two boys, he treated them with

great kindness and affection and brought them food and water. Finally in the middle of

the night, Mashkur decided to free the two boys. He gave them his ring and instructedthem to go to Qadisiyyah where they would find his brother. He told them to give the ring

to his brother who would then assist them to get to Medina. When news of MasHurr'sfreeing of the boys was given to Ibn Ziyad, he ordered him to be given fifty lashes.

Mashkur died as the sentence was being carried out.

On the same night Ibrahim and Muhammad, the sons of Muslim ibn 'Aqil, left Kufah and

started their journey towards Qadisiyyah. They walked all night. However, due to the

darkness and the fact that they did not know the way, they found themselves still on theoutskirts of Kufah in the morning. The frightened boys saw a palm-grove and went to it.

There they hid themselves on top of a date palm.

An Ethiopian maid came to the palm-grove to drink some water from a pond underneaththe tree in which the children were hiding. As she knelt down by the pond, she saw the

reflection of the two children in the water. The maid quickly looked up at the tree and

saw the young boys concealed in it. She treated them with kindness and gentleness andtook them to her mistress, who was the wife of Harith ibn 'Urwah. As soon as this woman

saw them, she put her arms around them and asked them who they were. They replied,

"We are from the family of the Prophet and are the sons of Muslim ibn 'Aqil." When she


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learned of their true identities, she showed them greater affection and embraced her maid

in joy. However, she warned her to not to inform her husband Harith about the boysbecause she knew of his evil disposition.

After the boys had eaten and gone to bed, Harith returned home in a state of rage. When

Harith's wife asked him of the reason for his anger, he replied that that he had been insearch of the two sons of Muslim ibn 'Aqil who had been freed by Mashkur the jailor. Hesaid that it had been announced in the palace of Ibn Ziyad that the one who captured theboys would be rewarded handsomely. However, despite a lengthy search during which

his horse had died of exhaustion and in which he himself had become tired, he had been

unable to find them. At this Harith's wife said, "May sorrow be your lot! Fear God and

theday on which Muhammad the Messenger of Allah will be your opponent. Do notharm those children." Harith replied, "Silence! O woman! If I were to find them, I should

be rewarded by vast amounts of gold and silver from Ibn Ziyad. Get up and prepare mysupper."

After eating his supper Harith went to his bed. Muhammad and Ibrahim were asleep inone of the rooms. Suddenly Muhammad the elder brother of the two woke up from his

sleep. He had had a dream that had disturbed him. He said to Ibrahim, "Wake up! O

brother! I have just had a dream and I am afraid that that we will soon be killed. I saw theProphet with Imam Ali, al-Hasan, al-Husayn and Lady Fatimah sitting in Paradise with

our father. The Prophet looked at us and wept. Then he turned to our father and said, 'O

Muslim! How could you leave your sons among the enemies?' At this our father said thatthey would be united with us tomorrow." Ibrahim replied, "I have had the same dream."

The children embraced each other in the darkness of the night, frightened and not

knowing what was to become of them.

Harith was woken from his sleep by the sound of the children's voices. Holding a candlehe came inside the room and saw the two frightened children sitting in a corner of the

room clinging to each other. He asked, "Who are you?" They answered, "We are yourguests, the family of the Prophet. We are the sons of Muslim ibn 'Aqil." Harith shouted

angrily, "I have destroyed myself and my horse in searching for you while you were

sitting inside my own house?"

Harith began to slap the children viciously. Then he tied their hands and feet and pushed

them into a corner of the room. Harith's wife came to him and kissed his hands and feetbegging him to not to harm the children as they were orphans and from the family of the

Prophet and their guests. However, the hard-hearted man was without any compassion

and paid no heed to her pleas. Thus the boys were left in that state until the morning.

In the morning Harith, with his sword in his hand and accompanied by his son and his

servant, took the two sons of Muslim ibn 'Aqil to the banks of the Euphrates. Harith's

wife was crying and pleading with him as she followed them. However, whenever she gotnear to them, Harith would push her away with his sword. At the Euphrates Harith gave

his sword to his servant and ordered him to behead the two boys. The servant refused to

carry out his orders and Harith killed him. After this Harith handed the sword to his son


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and told him to behead the two children. At this his son replied, "I seek refuge with

Allah! Never will I commit such a crime and I will not allow you to kill them." Harith'swife cried out, "What crime have these children committed? Take them alive to the

governor." Harith answered, "I have no option but to kill them, I have no guarantee that

members of the Shi'ah will not rescue them from me while I make my way to the

governor."

At this Harith took hold of his sword with an intention of killing his own son. His wifescreamed and begged for mercy but to no avail. Harith took his son's life. Then he turned

to the children who were crying and shaking with fear at what they had witnessed. They

children begged for some time for them to offer their final prayers but Harith did not

grant them their wish. Harith grabbed hold of Muhammad but Ibrahim threw himself onMuhammad in an attempt to save him. Muhammad did the same in order to save the lifeof his younger brother. Impatiently Harith struck his sword at Muhammad beheading

him. Ibrahim grabbed the head of his brother in his lap. As he wept over his brother,

Harith struck at Ibrahim neck beheading the orphan.

Harith threw the headless bodies of the orphans of Muslim ibn 'Aqil in the river and

placed their heads on a stake and set off to the palace of Ibn Ziyad.

The heads of the orphans of Muslim ibn 'Aqil were brought and placed in front of IbnZiyad. The latter asked, "Whose heads are these?" Harith replied, "These are the heads of

your enemies whom I caught and beheaded in return for the reward that you promised."

Ibn Ziyad asked, "Which of my enemies?" Harith answered, "The sons of Muslim ibn'Aqil." Ibn Ziyad asked for the heads to be washed and brought on a tray. Then he gazed

at them and said to Harith, "May sorrow be your reward! What wrong did these children

do to you?"

Ibn Ziyad called for his personal jester Muqatil who was a devoted lover of the HolyFamily and to deny the murderer death at the hands of soldiers said, "This accursed man

has killed these children without my permission. Take him to the banks of the Euphrateswhere he murdered the children and execute him as you will." Muqatil grabbed Harith by

the shoulders and marched him through the streets of Kufah bare-footed and bare-headed

as he showed the heads of the orphans to the onlookers shouting, "O people! This is themurderer of the two orphans of Muslim ibn 'Aqil." The people wept at the sight of the

orphan's heads and cursed Harith. As Muqatil proceeded to the river, the people gathered

with him to witness Harith's execution. When they arrived at the place where the childrenwere killed, they found the dead bodies of Harith's son and his slave and his bruised wife

crying over her son. The people were extremely disturbed at the scene.

Harith asked Muqatil to release him for the sum of ten thousand dinars.

To this Muqatil replied, "By Allah! If all the wealth of the entire world were yours and

you offered it to me, I would not accept. I desire to attain the Paradise of Allah byexecuting you." Muqatil cut off the hands and the feet of Harith. Then he cut off his ears

and nose and tore out his stomach. After that the people burned his body. (Ma'ali al-

Sibtayn)


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CHAPTER 3

THE JOURNEY FROM MECCA TO

KARBALA'

IMAM AL-HUSAYN'S DEPARTURE FROM MECCA

As mentioned earlier, Imam al-Husayn and his faithful supporters left Medina on 28th

Rajab, 60 A.H. and arrived in Mecca on 3rd Sha'ban in the same year. The Imam and his

followers were constantly meeting people in Mecca and informing them of theirresistance to the oppressive regime of Yazid. After the Imam perceived the danger of

being assassinated or being captured by the spies sent by Yazid as pilgrims to the House

of Allah, he changed his intention of performing the major pilgrimage (hajj) to the minorpilgrimage ('umrah) and decided to leave Mecca for Kufah with his family and followers.

The Imam left for Iraq on 8th Dhu -Hijjah 60 A.H., the Day of Tarwiyyah, the same day

on which Muslim ibn 'Aqil was brutally slain by Ibn Ziyad. Thus the Imam had spent

approximately 95 days in Mecca.

(Kitab al-Irshad)

On his departure from Mecca the Imam asked for some paper on which he wrote thefollowing message for the Hashimites: "In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the

Compassionate. From al-Husayn ibn 'Ali, to the descendants of Hashim, know that

whoever joins with me will be killed, while whoever refrains from coming to my aid willnot achieve success! May peace be with you."(Al-Luhuf)

THE WILL OF THE IMAM ON HIS DEPARTURE FROM MECCA

On his departure from Mecca, the Imam wrote a will and handed it over to his brotherMuhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah. The will read: "I have not risen against Yazid in order tocreate corruption or discord, nor to elevate myself in the eyes of the people, nor to

oppress. I have only risen to rectify the affairs of the Ummah of my grandfather and theaffairs of the Shi'ah of my father 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. I wish to exhort to good and

reprimand evil. Whosoever accepts my position will be on the side of Allah and the side

of righteousness. Whosoever rejects me, may Allah be the final judge between them andme. He is the best judge. O my brother! Indeed success is from Allah. Upon Him do I

rely and unto Him do I return." The Imam folded the letter and sealed it with his ring.

Then he handed it to his brother Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah.(Nahj al-Shahadah).

THE SERMON OF IMAM AL-HUSAYN AT HIS DEPARTURE FROM MECCA

Before his departure, the Imam delivered a wonderful sermon, both in its eloquence and

its content. This sermon is known as the line of death (khatt al-mawt). From it we willcite his final statement because of its significance which has led to frequent references

being made to it by one and all, historians, orators, revolutionaries and those who love

him: "Let he who wishes his blood to be shed for our sake and has resolved to meet


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Allah, leave with us tomorrow, for I intend to depart tomorrow morning by the will of

Allah."(Muthir al-Ahzan)

THE HEARTS AND THE SWORDS OF THE PEOPLE OF KUFAH

The Imam and his party steadily advanced towards Iraq passing through the places and

areas that lay between Mecca and Iraq. The places they passed from Mecca onwards were

Tan'im, Sifah, Dhat 'Irq, Khazimah, Zarud, Hajiz, Dhu Husum, Tha'libiyyah, Shuquq,Zubalah, Batn al-'Aqabah, Sharaf, Bidah, Rahimah, Qadasiyyah, 'Udhayb, Qasr Banu

Muqatil, the villages leading to Karbala' and finally Karbala' itself. Many people met the

Imam on his journey to Iraq and on each occasion the Imam explained the nature of themovement and invited the people to join his ranks against the oppressive regime of the

Umayyads.

A few kilometres from Mecca at a place known as Sifah the Imam met with Farazdaq, the

famous poet and devotee of the Imam. Farazdaq had just arrived from Kufah. The Imamasked of him the state of Kufah and the sentiments of the people there. To this Farazdaq

replied, "Their hearts are with you but their swords are with the Umayyads. The ultimatedecree will descend from Heaven." The Imam replied, "You have spoken the truth.

Everything is from Allah. Indeed He is in a state of glory at every instance. If the decree

of Allah has come to pass, we glorify and praise Him. If not, then a person whoseintention is pure and whose heart is pious will not be overpowered"(Al-Kamil by Ibn Athir)

The same answer was given to the Imam by Bushayr ibn Ghalib at Dhat al-'Irq.(Muthir al-Ahzan)

When the Imam was near Qadisiyyah, he met Tirimmah ibn 'Adi and asked him about the

people of Kufah. Tirimmah replied, "The chiefs and the noble men of Kufah have sidedwith Ibn Ziyad and have given to him control over their wealth. They have made

preparations to fight against you. As for the rest of the people, their hearts are with you

but their unsheathed swords thirst for your blood."(Muthir al-Ahzan)

THE MARTYDOM OF QAYS IBN MUSHIR AL-SAYDAWI, THE MESSENGER

OF IMAM HUSAYN

When the Imam approached an area known as Hajiz, he dispatched Qays ibn Mushir al-Saydawi as his messenger with a letter to the people of Kufah. The letter read as follows:"The letter of Muslim ibn 'Aqil has reached me. It states that you have organised

yourselves and are united in helping me and are of a favourable opinion as regards our

cause. I pray to Allah that our meeting is a pleasing one and that you remain firm on thepath of righteousness. I have commenced my journey towards you on the Day of

Tarwiyyah (8th Dhu -Hijjah). I am dispatching my messenger to you ahead of me in

order for you to prepare yourselves. By the leave of Allah, I will soon be with you."


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Qays ibn Mushir set off for Kufah on horse. However, Husayn ibn Numayr and histroops arrested him in Qadisiyyah. Qays was taken under escort to Ibn Ziyad. When he

appeared in front of Ibn Ziyad, he put the letter of the Imam in his mouth and chewed it.

Ibn Ziyad asked, "Who are you?" Qays replied, "I am from the Shi'ah of 'Ali, the

Commander of the Faithful." Ibn Ziyad demanded, "Why did you chew that letter?" Qaysreplied, "So that you may not know what is written in it." Ibn Ziyad, then, asked him,

"Who wrote the letter and for who was it intended?" Qays answered, "The letter was from

Imam Husayn for the people of Kufah whose names I do not know."

Ibn Ziyad was outraged and ordered Qays, "Go up on the pulpit and denounce and curse

al-Husayn the lying son of a lying father." Qays ascended the pulpit. After praising Allah,he said, "O people! Al-Husayn is the best of Allah's creatures. He is the son of Fatimah,

the daughter of the Prophet. I have come as his messenger to you. I left him at Hajiz. O

people! Answer his call for help and unite with him." After this Qays cursed Ibn Ziyad,

his father and the Umayyads and prayed for Imam 'Ali, Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-

Husayn.

Ibn Ziyad became extremely angry with this and commanded the executioners to takeQays to the roof of the palace and to kill him by pushing him to the ground. Qays was

executed in this manner. Then his lifeless body was beheaded by one of the guards of Ibn

Ziyad called 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Umayr.(Muthir al-Ahzan)

A similar account has been given about another messenger of the Imam by the name of'Abd Allah ibn Yuqtur.(Al-Tabari).

As Imam al-Husayn's caravan progressed from Hajiz, it met agroup of horsemen riding

from Kufah. The party consisted of Nafi' ibn Hilal and 'Umar ibn Khalid. The Imamasked about his messenger Qays ibn Mushir and was informed that Ibn Ziyad had had

him killed. The Imam wept at the news of Qays's execution and said, "To Allah we

belong and unto Him do we return! Indeed Allah has granted him a place in Paradise."

Then the Imam implored Allah, "O Allah! Grant our Shi'ah and us a place close to You.Indeed You are above all things, powerful."

(Al-Luhuf)

When they reached the resting place at Dhu Husum, the Imam preached a sermon

regarding the disloyal nature of this world. Towards the end of the sermon, he indicated

the reasons for his uprising and his intention with the following words,"Do you not see how truth has come to be abandoned and how falsehood has been left

unreprimanded? Under such circumstances a true believer should be desirous of meeting

Allah, for I do not consider death as anything but a source of happiness and life withthese oppressive people as nothing but grief and humiliation."

(Muthir al-Ahzan)


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'ALI AL-AKBAR IBN AL-HUSAYN'S CONVERSATION WITH THE IMAM

At noon whilst the Imam was travelling through the plains of Tha'labiyyah, he

momentarily fell asleep on the back of his steed. As he awoke, he recited the verse,

"Indeed to Allah do we belong and unto Him do we return." This is a verse normally

recited at times of difficulty and adversity. The Imam's son 'Ali al-Akbar ibn al-Husaynwho was riding next to him asked the Imam for his sudden unease. The Imam Replied,

"O son! I slept a while and heard a voice behind us announcing, 'O people! You are

moving swiftly and death is directing you speedily towards the gardens of Paradise.'"Hearing this 'Ali al-Akbar said, "O father! Are we not on the path of righteousness?" The

Imam replied, "Yes! O my son! By the One unto Whom is the return of all creatures, we

are on the right course." To this 'Ali al-Akbar said, "In that case we are not concernedwhether death comes upon us or we approach it"

The Imam looked at 'Ali al-Akbar and said, "May Allah grant you the best reward that he

has given to a son on behalf his father."

(Luhuf)

THE IMAM'S REQUESTS FOR SUPPORT

During his journey to Iraq, the Imam invited the people and the chiefs of the varioustribes that he met to support him. Here it will suffice us to mention the fate of three such

people whom the Imam called for help.

1- 'Ubayd Allah ibn Hurr al-Ju'fi

As the Imam and his followers reached the resting-place of Qasr Banu Muqatil, theyfound there that a tent had been erected. There was a horse tied outside it and a spear

stuck in the ground. The Imam enquired about the owner of the tent and was informedthat it belonged to 'Ubayd Allah ibn Hurr al-Ju'fi.

The Imam sent Hajjaj ibn Maseru, a distant relative of'Ubayd Allah to invite him to theImam's camp. Hajjaj said to 'Ubayd Allah, "If you defend the Imam and his family

against their enemies, you will be rewarded. If you are killed in the course of defendingthem, you will have attained martyrdom." To this 'Ubayd Allah replied, "By Allah! I left

Kufah because the people of Kufah had abandoned the Shi'ah of al-Husayn and had made

preparations to kill him but I do not have the resolve or the strength in my heart to helpal-Husayn. I do not wish to see al-Husayn, nor for him to see me."

Hajjaj returned to the Imam and informed him of what had transpired. The Imam with agroup of his family members and close friends went to 'Ubayd Allah. 'Ubayd Allah

received the Imam and sat him in a prominent place among the gathering in the tent.

'Ubayd Allah looked at the Imam and said, "Until now I have not seen such beauty and

radiance as I see in al-Husayn and my heart has not burnt with such sorrow for anyone asit has for al-Husayn, who has embarked on this journey with women and children." Then

'Ubayd Allah noticed the Imam's black beard and asked if he had dyed it or whether it

was naturally black. The Imam replied that old age had overtaken him. 'Ubayd Allah


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understood that the Imam had dyed his beard.

After the gathering had settled, the Imam said 'Ubayd Allah, "O 'Ubayd Allah ibn Hurr!

The people of your town (i.e. Kufah) have written to me informing me of their

unanimous support. They have asked me to lead them. By fleeing you have committed a

great sin. Do you wish to repent and relieve yourself of the burden of this sin?" 'UbaydAllah asked him, "And how is that?" The Imam said, "Your repentance will be brought

about by helping the son of the daughter of your Prophet and fighting with him against

his enemies." On hearing this 'Ubayd Allah said, "By Allah! I know the one who diesdefending you will receive Eternal Bliss in the Hereafter. However, I do not have such

resolve and courage. The people of Kufah have abandoned you and have sided with your

enemy. I am willing to give you my horse who has never failed in overtaking a fleeingenemy or in escaping from a pursuing enemy."

The Imam expressed his disappointment at 'Ubayd Allah's reply and said, "If you are in

fear of sacrificing your life for me, then, I have no need of your horse nor you." And he

recited, "I will not take the people who turn away as helpers." Then the Imam said, "I

wish to warn you that it is by your choice you do not pay heed to my plea. However,remember that the one who turns away from me after hearing my call for help will be

thrown into the pits of Hell face downwards."

Due to weakness of resolve 'Ubayd Allah was unable detach him self from the love of the

world at such a crucial moment. He spent the rest of his life regretting his ill fatedweakness.

(Maqtal al-Husayn al-Muqarram)

2- Zuhayr ibn Qayn al-Bajali

Zuhayr ibn Qayn with his companions was returning to Kufah from Mecca afterperforming the pilgrimage. Zuhayr and his companions

had learned of the Imam's purpose and his movement towards Iraq. However, they were

not prepared to join the Imam and endeavoured to avoid meeting the caravan of the Imam

on their journey. However, it was the decree of Allah that Zuhayr had to stop in the place

where the Imam already was.As the party of Zuhayr was resting and eating, a member of the caravan of Imam al-

Husayn approached them and said, "O Zuhayr! Abu 'Abd Allah al-Husayn has called for

you." Zuhayr and his companions were dumb founded at hearing the name of al-Husayn.Zuhayr was hesitant but Dalham his wife arose and spoke, "Glory be to Allah! Does the

son of the Prophet ask for you and do you hesitate to go? Why do you not go to him andhear what he has to say?"

Zuhayr was shaken by this statement and went to the Imam. It was not long before

Zuhayr returned joyfully radiant with happiness. He ordered his tents to be taken down

and moved with his luggage and animals near those of the Imam. Then he turned to hiswife and said, "I have divorced you, go and join your family, for I cannot bear to think of

you as a captive after my death."


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Then he turned to his companions and said, "Let those of you who want to come with me

do so. Otherwise this will be our final meeting." He continued, "Listen to what I have tosay! We were fighting with the enemy at Balanjar. We vanquished them and gained a lot

of the booty. Salman Farsi was with us at the time. He said, 'Are you pleased with the

booty?' We said, 'Yes.' He said, 'There will come a time when you will see the lord of the

youth of Paradise. Fight alongside him and you will have much more to gain than thisbooty.' Therefore I leave you in the protection of Allah." With that he went and joined

Imam al-Husayn.

(Kitab al-Irshad)

3-Wahb

Wahb, his mother Qamar and his wife Haniyyah whom he had recently married lived in

the desert of Tha'labiyyah. Wahb would take his sheep and goats to the pasture in the

mountains and would return home at night. All three were Christians and they lived a

simple peaceful life although they were very poor.

As Imam al-Husayn's caravan advanced towards Kufah, he spotted a half burnt-out tent

in the desert of Tha'labiyyah. The Imam went to the tent and found an old woman wasseemed stricken with poverty. The Imam asked her about her situation in the desert. She

explained, "We manage to survive but there is great shortage of water. If only there was

water here, our lives would be far more comfortable." The Imam took the woman to arock and as he struck it with his spear a cold spring of sweet water gushed forth. The old

woman could not contain her joy and repeatedly thanked the Imam.

Before he left her the Imam told the old woman of the reason for his journey and said thathe would camp at Karbala'. He asked old woman to tell her son on his return to join him

and help him in the way of the truth.

After the Imam left, the old woman became preoccupied with the honour, magnanimity,

generosity and the kindness of the Imam. She wished to follow the Imam immediatelybut realized that she would have to wait for the return of Wahb and Haniyyah. No sooner

had Wahb returned with his newly wed wife that Qamar the old woman told them of the

events of that day and conveyed the message of the Imam to him. The hearts of all threewere at once captured by the love of Imam al-Husayn. They immediately set off for

Karbala' and joined the family and supporters of Imam al-Husayn. It was at this time that

all three embraced the faith of Islam at the hands of the Imam. On the day of 'Ashura'',10th Muharram on which Imam al-Husayn was brutally killed, Wahb and Haniyyah had

been married for a mere seventeen days.

(Ma'ali al-Sibtayn)

THE NEWS OF MUSLIM IBN 'AQIL'S MARTYDOM

'Abd Allah ibn Sulaym and Madhri ibn Musha'il, who both belonged to the tribe of Asad,

had joined Imam al-Husayn after they had finished the pilgrimage narrate the followingaccount: 'As we arrived the resting place of Zarud with the Imam, we saw travellers


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approaching from Kufah. No sooner had these people seen the Imam than they changed

to avoid the Imam. We rode after the men and asked whom they were. They replied thatthey were from the tribe of Asad. We said that we belonged to the same tribe and asked

of the situation in Kufah.They replied, "We only left Kufah because we saw the bodies of

Muslim ibn 'Aqil and Hani' ibn 'Urwah tied and dragged through the streets of Kufah."

We resumed our journey with the Imam. Upon our arrival at Tha'labiyyah we went to the

Imam and said, "We have news of Kufah. Will we inform you of it in the presence of

others or should we tell it to you secrecy?" The Imam looked at his companions and said,"I hold no secrets from these men." Hearing this we told Imam of what we had heard of

the deaths of Muslim ibn 'Aqil and Hani' and of the treatment of their bodies. The Imam

repeatedly the verse, "Indeed we belong to Allah and unto Him do we return."We implored the Imam to stop his journey to Kufah and to retreat to a place of safety, for

it had become clear he no longer enjoyed any support in Kufah.

The Imam looked at the sons of Muslim ibn 'Aqil and said, "Muslim has been killed.

What is your view regarding the issue?" They replied, "By Allah! We will not retreat

until we have avenged his blood or drunk from the chalice of martyrdom as he did." TheyImam said, "There is no virtue in life after these men." We understood from this

statement the Imam's resolve to give his life in the way of Allah.'

THE WAILING AND THE TEARS AT THE NEWS OF MUSLIM IBN 'AQIL'S

DEATH

As the news of Muslim ibn 'Aqil's death reached the camp of Imam al-Husayn, the cries

and wails of loud mourning filled the desert air and floods of tears gushed forth from the

eyes of his family and those who loved him.

Upon learning of the death of Muslim ibn 'Aqil and the Imams firmness for the cause

even if it entailed his death and that of the members of his family, the large numbers of

people who had been escorting him from Mecca in the hope of receiving the spoils of warwere dismayed. They looked at each other in horror and finally dispersed deserting the

Imam. The Imam was left with only the members of his family and a handful of his

closest followers.(A'yan al-Shi'ah)

Farazdaq, the poet and devotee of the family of the Prophet, came to the Imam and said,"How can you trust the people of Kufah? They are the very people who have killed your

cousin Muslim and his helpers?" The Imam shed tears at hearing the name of Muslim ibn

'Aqil and said, "O Allah! Bestow Your mercy upon Muslim. He has left for the bliss of

Paradise and acquired the pleasure of Allah. What was decreed for him has come to pass.We wait for what has been decreed for us. The decrees that will come to pass."

(Al-Luhuf)

Shaykh Abbas Qummi reports inMuntaha al-Amal that Muslim ibn 'Aqil had a daughter

named Hamidah, who was thirteen years old. She was travelling with the Imam's caravan.When the Imam learnt of Muslim ibn 'Aqil's death, he asked for Hamidah. He placed


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Hamidah on to his lap and caressed her head with great affection. Hamidah could not

understand the reason for such tenderness and chokingly asked, "O dear uncle! What hashappened to my father?" Al-Husayn wept as replied, "O child! Do not grieve if Muslim is

no longer with us. Know that now I am your father, my sister is your mother, my

daughters are your sisters and my sons are your brothers."

Hamidah wailed in lamentation for the brutal murder of her father. The sons of Muslim

ibn 'Aqil removed their turbans and cried aloud for their father. The Imam and the rest of

the family of the Prophet were deeply sorrowful and distraught at the incident.

(Muntaha al-Amal)

THE IMAM'S INTERCEPTION BY THE ARMY OF HURR IBN YAZID RIYAHI

When the news of the Imam's advance towards Kufah reached Ibn Ziyad, he becamepreoccupied with keeping the situation in Kufah under control and arranging his forces in

order to crush any uprising against him and to defeat the Imam in battle. He dispatched

an army of thirty thousand men fully armed to prevent the Imam with his supporters fromentering into Kufah.

The troops sent to intercept the Imam were arranged in ranks and under the command ofthe following generals:

1- Hurr with a force of a thousand men2-Mudhar ibn Rahinah with an army of three thousand

3-Shimr ibn Dhi Jawshan with a troop of four thousand

4-Yazid ibn Riqab with a staggering twelve thousand men

5-Husayn ibn Numayr with four housed people

6-Shabath ibn Rib'i with a thousand men7-Ka'b ibn Talhah with three thousand people

8-Hajjar ibn Abjar with a thousand soldiers9-Nasr ibn Harshah commanding two thousand men

By the sixth of Muharram twenty thousand soldiers had gathered at Karbala'. Ibn Ziyad

sent further contingents that brought the final number to a staggering thirty thousand.(Maqtal al-Husayn al-Muqarram)

On the orders of the Imam all the water skins and the containers were filled with waterwhen they left a place called Sharaf in the darkness of the night. At noon as they were

continuing their journey, a member of the party called out, "Allah is great!" The Imam

looked at him and said, "Indeed Allah is great but what is your reason for declaring it atthis moment?" He replied, "I see the date palms of Kufah." The people accompanying theImam in the party who were aware of the roads and knew their precise location said,

"We are at a great distance from Kufah. Those are fully-armed soldiers coming towards

us." The Imam after taking a proper look said, "Indeed it is an army drowned in armourapproaching us." After consulting his men, the Imam decided to camp near the

neighbouring village Dhu Husum.


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It was not long before an army of a thousand fully armed men reached the camp of the

Imam. However, it could be seen from their state that they were not intending to engagein battle immediately. The Imam noticed the signs of thirst and immense fatigue in the

faces of the soldiers. He ordered his men to serve water to the men and their animals.

Water was given to the very last man and horse.

'Ali ibn Tan''an narrated: I was the last man to arrive with the army at Dhu Husum.

When al-Husayn saw how thirsty my horse and I were, he told me to make my horse

kneel and to quench my thirst and to give water to my horse. I did what he said.(Nafas al-Mahmum)

THE CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

The time for the noon prayers came. As yet no talks had taken place between the Imam

and Hurr. After Hajjaj ibn Masruq had given the call for the prayers, the Imam decided to

lead the prayer for his supporters. He went forward and stood between the two armies.

After praising Allah, he said: "O people! I have not come without being called. You, byyour letters and through your messengers, invited me to Kufah and insisted that I should

come. You said, 'Hasten to us.

We are without a leader. We wish to tread the path of righteousness under your auspices

and guidance.' I will remain with you if you are still firm in your decision. Otherwise

allow me to return to my homeland." Every one fell silent and lowered their heads.

The call for prayer was given once again. Then the Imam turned to Hurr and said, Attend

to your prayers and we will attend to ours." Hurr replied, "We will all perform ourprayers behind you." And so both the groups performed their prayers behind the Imam.

(Kitab al-Irshad)

THE IMAM'S CONVERSATION WITH HURR

When the noon prayers finished, the Imam turned to Hurr's army. After praising Allah

and invoking His blessing upon the Prophet and his family said: "O people! If you chooseto adhere to the principles of piety and continence and give those who possess truth their

rights, indeed you will be sheltered by the mercy of Allah. O people! We are the lineage

of the Prophet and have a greater right than others to the leadership and governorship ofthe Muslims. Your letters have also confirmed this. Reflect carefully and if you want, we

will return to our homes."

Hurr said to the Imam, "We are unaware of these letters of invitation!" On theinstructions of the Imam, one of his followers brought out two sacks filled with letters.

Hurr looked at the letters and said, "I am not one of those who have written to you and I

do not have any concern with you. I have been ordered to remain with you until I takeyou to Kufah and hand you over to Ibn Ziyad." The Imam was angered at this and he

said, "Death is closer to you than what you have planned." Hurr did not reply.


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The Imam turned to his followers and said, "Rise and prepare for our return."

When the caravan was about to move, Hurr audaciously grabbed the reins of the Imam'ssteed preventing him from advancing. The Imam angrily said to him, "May your mother

weep at your death! What cause do you have against us?" Hurr, startled and shocked,

looked at the Imam and said, "If any other man in Arabia had uttered the name of my

mother, I too would have said the same of his mother. Yet, by Allah, I can only utter thename of your mother with utmost respect."

Then the Imam asked him, "What is it that you want?" Hurr replied, "I have beencommanded to take you to Ibn Ziyad in Kufah." After an exchange of words, Hurr said to

the Imam, "I have no intention of engaging in a battle with you but I have been instructed

to not leave you. I will write to Ibn Ziyad and await further instruction. I am hopeful thatno bitterness will come between us." Hurr then said with the intention of admonishing the

Imam, "O al-Husayn! I implore you for the sake of Allah to save your life. I have.no

doubt that you will be killed if you go to war." At this the Imam said to Hurr, "Do you

seek to frighten me with death? If you kill me, will affairs be resolved?" Finally the Imam

said to Hurr, "I will give you the same answer as was given by a person of the tribe ofAws who wished to assist the Prophet and was confronted by his kin and told he would

get killed. In the reply, he recited the following verses:

I will advance, for death is not a blemish upon a youth

When he intends the truth and fights as a MuslimAnd when he sacrifices his life for the sake of the righteous.

If I live, I will do so without regret and if I die, then without blame.

This indignity is enough for you that you liveAnd yet your nose is rubbed onto the ground."

When Hurr heard these verses and understood that the Imam was ready to die for what he

believed and would not bow in humiliation to anyone, he went to his soldiers and started

to move. The Imam, too, with his followers resumed his journey.

THE SERMON DELIVERED BT THE IMAM AT BIDAH

The two armies continued to move on their path with a distance between them until they

reached the land of Bidah. In order to overcome the arguments of his opponents and toexplain his motives clearly, the Imam once again delivered a sermon. After praising

Allah and invoking His blessing upon the Prophet and his family he addressed the army:

"O people! The Prophet of Allah has said that if anyone from among you who sees atyrannical leader making lawful what Allah has forbidden, breaking the covenant of

Allah, opposing the Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah, behaving oppressively and sinfully

with the servants of Allah and does not attempt to rectify the situation, then it is the rightof Allah to cast such a servant of His into the Fire of Hell together with the tyrant." In

this way the Imam clarified his reasons for advancing towards Kufah.

Both the armies continued their journey until Ibn Ziyad's reply to the letter sent by Hurrarrived. The letter read: "On receiving my letter direct al-Husayn and his companions to a

place deprived of water and pasture and detain them there." (Kitab al-Irshad)


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THE IMAM'S ARRIVAL AT KARBALA'

The Imam had reached the village of Ninawa by the time the letter was received. The

Imam realised the contents of the letter. He looked at Hurr and said, "Sorrow be your lot!

Allow us to make our way to this village or the other village of Shafayyah." Hurr replied,

"I am unable to do so. The messenger of Ibn Ziyad is keeping a watch on me to report toIbn Ziyad whether I am obeying his instructions."

Zuhayr ibn Qayn approached the Imam and said, "It will be in our favour now to engagethese people in battle." The Imam replied, "I do not wish to initiate the fighting." Zuhayr

then suggested, "In that case there is a village near the banks of the Euphrates where it

will be appropriate for us to camp." The Imam asked, "What is the name of the village?"Zuhayr answered, "'Aqr." - 'Aqrmeans 'wound.' - The Imam said, "We seek refuge with

Allah from 'aqr(destruction)."

The Imam turned to Hurr and said, "Do not stop us from going near the banks of the

Euphrates." However, Hurr and his army tried to block the way of the Imam as both thegroups moved forward. The impasse continued until the horse that the Imam was riding

refused to move. The Imam spurred the horse but it did not move. He asked for anotherhorse but also it would not move. He saddled several horses, one after the other but none

of them would advance.

Seeing this strange behaviour, the Imam asked of the name of this place. Zuhayr said, "It

is known as Taff." -Taffmeans 'bank of a river.' - The Imam asked, "Does it have another

name?" The reply was, "It is called Sahil al-Furat." -Sahil al-Furatmeans 'the bank of

the Euphrates.' Again the Imam asked, "Is it known by any other name?" Zuhayr

answered, "Yes, it is called Karbala'." On hearing the name of Karbala', the Imam

descended from his mount as he said, "O Allah! We seek refuge with you from karb(sorrow)andbala'(tribulation)."

Then the Imam embedded a spear that he had in his hand into the sand beneath him and

said, "Here will be the resting place of our animals. Here will be the place where our tentsare erected. Here is the place where our blood will flow, where our women will become

captives, where our children will become orphans and will be scattered across the plains.

We will be buried here and from here we will be raised on the Day of Resurrection."(Maqtal al-Husayn by Khwarizmi)

Lady Umm Kulthum came to her brother the Imam and said, "Dear brother! Thiswilderness is frightful. I feel troubled and ill at ease with great fear in my heart." The

Imam looked at her and said "Dear sister! When we advanced with our father to the

battleground of Siffin we rested at this very place. Our father placed his head in the lap of

our brother al-Hasan and slept for a while. I was present as he awoke and began to weep.Al-Hasan asked, 'O father! Why do cry?' Our Father replied, 'I have seen this desert in a

dream as if it had become a sea of blood and al-Husayn was drowning inside it calling forhelp without anyone responding.' Then our father turned to me and said, 'O Husayn!

What will you do when faced with such an event?' I replied that I would persevere with


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patience." (Ma'ali al-Sibtayn)

The Imam's arrival at Karbala' was on 2nd Muharram. There he camped until his

martyrdom.

(Maqtal al-Husayn by Khwarizmi)

CHAPTER 4

EVENTS IN KARBALA' BEFORE THE DAY OF

'ASHURA'

HABIB IBN MUZAHIR'S ARRIVAL AT KARBALA'

Habib ibn Muzahir, a white bearded notable of the Shi'ah of Kufah, was among the

Kufans who had written to the Imam inviting him to Kufah to lead the people against

Yazid. He stayed a loyal devotee of the Imam until his death.

When the Imam was on his way to Iraq and heard of Muslim ibn 'Aqil's martyrdom and

the treachery of the Kufans, he ordered a group of his followers to take up the standards.A single standard remained. When asked by a companion about who was the bearer of

that standard, the Imam replied that the bearer of the standard would eventually arrive.

The Imam then wrote to Habib. The letter read: "From al-Husayn the son of 'Ali to Habib

ibn Muzahir, a scholar and jurist. O Habib! You are aware of my relation to the

Messenger of Allah and know me better than others. You are a man of integrity and a free

man. Don't hold yourself back from coming to my assistance. May the Messenger of

Allah reward you on the Day of Judgement!"

The letter was secretly smuggled into Kufah and conveyed to Habib. Habib was thinking

about how to evade the checkpoints set up around Kufah in order to get himself to

Karbala'. He went to Muslim ibn 'Awsajah. Muslim, as has already been mentioned, wasfrom the same tribe as Habib and of the same age, had bought henna to colour his beard

with. Habib said to him, "Are you not aware that our master al-Husayn has arrived in

Karbala' and has been surrounded by the enemy. Hurry so that we get to him before it istoo late." Muslim threw away the henna and said that he would colour his beard with his

blood by helping the Imam. That night both men secretly escaped from Kufah and went

to the Imam.(Fursan al-Hayjan).

According to another report the Imam kept a standard aside. When he was asked about

who was to be its bearer, the Imam answered, "The one who will hold it is on his way."At that moment a cloud of dust was seen in the distance rising from the ground from the

hooves of a galloping horse. Seeing this the Imam smiled still holding with the standard

in his hand. He said, "The bearer of this standard is the man who rides towards us." Asthe rider approached, they saw that he was Habib ibn Muzahir. Habib dismounted and


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offered his salutations. Then tearfully looking at the Imam, he recited:

Even though I have become old and unable, whenever I look at you, youth begins to flow

in my veins once again."

On hearing the cries of joy coming from the companions, Lady Zaynab enquired, "Whois that?" She was told. "It is Habib ibn Muzahir." She said, "Offer him my salutations."When her salutations were offered to Habib, he was shaken with the grief and the sorrow

at her impending loss. Habib wept and struck his face with his hands as he lamented,

"Ah! The sorrow of loss! Who is Habib for the Lady Zaynab to offer him her salutation?"

It is said that this incident took place before the Imam's arrival at Karbala'.

(Ma'ali al-Sibtayn).

One of the outstanding roles played by Habib in the whole of the event of the uprising of

the Imam was that he tirelessly sought to mobilise people to support the Imam. He was

the most active supporter of the Imam in Kufah in urging the people to pay the oath ofallegiance to Muslim ibn 'Aqil. Habib also sent some of his family and some of the

members of his tribe to the aid of the Imam. These were all killed on the Day of 'Ashura'.

Some of the people that Habib ibn Muzahir had sent were:1. His brother, 'Ali ibn Muzahir

2. His cousin, Rabi'ah ibn Khawt

3. Sulayman ibn Rabi'ah Asadi4. Anas ibn Harith

5. Muslim ibn 'Awsajah

6. 'Umar ibn Khalid Asadi7. Sa'd, a freed servant of 'Umar ibn Khalid

8. Mawqa' ibn Thumamah

9. Anas ibn Kahil Asadi

10. Habib ibn Muzahir's servant

'UMAR IBN SA'D'S ARRIVAL AT KARBALA'

When Ibn Ziyad was informed of the Imam's position at Karbala', he wrote a letter to theImam asking him for the pledge of allegiance to Yazid and threatening him with death if

he abstained from pledging allegiance. The Imam read the letter and threw it aside. He

told Ibn Ziyad's messenger that to such a demand there was no reply.

When this reply was conveyed by his messenger to Ibn Ziyad, he was incensed at it. He

called for 'Umar ibn Sa'd, who greedily thirsted for the office of governor of the land of

Rayy. He ordered him, "Go and put an end to the endeavours of al-Husayn and then youcan claim the governorship of Rayy for the next ten years!" 'Umar asked for a day's

respite to consider the offer and this was granted.

'Umar consulted his friends and family about this matter and they all discouraged him.

Hamzah ibn Mughirah 'Umar's nephew from his sister's side said to him, "O uncle! Ibeseech you for the sake of Allah not to advance against al-Husayn. Remember you have


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a family bond with him. By Allah! Even if the wealth of the whole world were given to

you, it would not be worth having a share in the killing al-Husayn. 'Umar agreed saying,"What you say is true. I will not do such thing."

In the night 'Umar was preoccupied as he thought, "Should I not go against al-Husayn

and forgo the governorship of Rayy or should I be party to the killing of al-Husayn andattain Rayy." That night 'Umar was heard reciting the following verses:

By Allah! I do not know. I stand in confusion,Standing at two perilous paths, faced with choosing one.

Should I abandon Rayy while Rayy is the joy of my heart?

Or kill al-Husayn and return with the burdens of sin?Al-Husayn is the son of my uncle and the calamities are plentiful.

By my soul! Rayy is the apple of my eye

The greed of the worldly power prevailed in his mind. After having determined to stain

his hand with the blood of Imam al-Husayn, he concluded his poem by the verses:They say Allah is the Creator of Paradise and the Fire,

The chastisement and the yoking of handsIf they are right in what they say, then I will repent for my sin

To the Merciful God, for two years after killing al-Husayn.

And if they are false in what they say, then I will succeedWith a grand domain and a grand kingdom fashioned like brides

In the morning 'Umar went to Ibn Ziyad and informed him of his acceptance of the offerto fight against the Imam. 'Umar ibn Sa'd, with an army of four to six thousand, reached

Karbala' on 3rd or 4th Muharram.(Maqtal al-Husayn by Abu Mikhnaf).

THE CONVERSATION OF THE MESSENGER OF THE IMAM WITH 'UMAR

IBN SA'D

'Umar arrived at Karbala' with his army. Immediately he imposed all sorts of hardships

upon the camp of the Imam, even preventing them from having access to the Euphratesfor water.

Burayr ibn Hudayr, a companion of the Imam, sought permission to go and speak with'Umar regarding the blockade of water. On being granted permission Burayr walked

straight to 'Umar's tent and sat down in front of him without offering salutations. 'Umar

was infuriated at this audacity and said, "Am I not a Muslim and yet you did not saluteme?" Burayr replied, "If you had been a Muslim, you would not have raised your sword

against the family of the Prophet and resolved kill al-Husayn and imprison his family.

Even the wild pigs and dogs consume the water of the Euphrates. Yet you prevent the son

of Fatimah and his family from having access to it and watch them dying from thirst.What right do you have after this to assume that you are a Muslim?" 'Umar lowered his

head and paused for thought. Then raising his head, he said "O Burayr! I have certainty


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that he who fights against al-Husayn and his family and is responsible for their deaths

will be thrown into the pits of Hell. But how can I abandon the governorship of Rayy?Should I leave Rayy for others to take? By God! My heart will not accept that!"

Burayr returned to the Imam and informed him of what had transpired. On hearing that,

the Imam said, "He will not attain the land of Rayy. Most surely he will be assassinatedin his own bed."

(Ma'ali al-Sibtayn)

THE IMAM'S DISCOURSE WITH 'UMAR IBN SA'D

In order to overcome the excuses of 'Umar ibn Sa'd with the argument of Allah, the Imamsent a message inviting him to talk over the situation. 'Umar accepted the invitation and a

meeting took place between the two parties. At that meeting both the Imam and 'Umar

attended, each accompanied by twenty men. Before the talks began, the Imam asked all

his companions except his brother 'Abbas ibn 'Ali and his son 'Ali al-Akbar to leave.

'Umar also ordered all his men to leave except Hafs his son and his servant.

The Imam addressed 'Umar, "May sorrow be your lot! O son of Sa'd! Do you not fearAllah, to Whom we will all return? Will you go to war against us? You know me well. I

am the son of the Prophet, of Fatimah and 'Ali. O son of Sa'd! Leave the camp of Yazid

and join us." 'Umar replied, "I fear that they will destroy my house." Al-Husaynanswered, "If they destroy your house, I will rebuild it." 'Umar pleaded, "They will

confiscate my farm." At this al-Husayn said, "Then I will give you a river at Baghibagha

that Mu'awiyah tried to purchase with a thousand dirhams." Then 'Umar made the excuse,"I have a family and fear for their safety." At this the Imam remained silent and he did

not reply. But as he left the gathering, he said, "May Allah have you killed on your bed!May He not forgive on the Day of Resurrection! May you not enjoy even a handful of the

wheat of Rayy!" 'Umar mockingly replied, "I will suffice myself with barley."

Such was the attitude of 'Umar that although he feared for the safety of his family, he had

no concern for the difficulties of the family of the Prophet and of Lady Fatimah. Humayd

ibn Muslim reported: I was a friend of 'Umar ibn Sa'd. After the events of Karbala', I

went to 'Umar and asked him how he was. He said, "There is no one more wretched thanI who return home bearing the burden of great sin, having severed my family ties and

killed the son of the Prophet." - 'Umar was related to the Imam through his father Sa'd,

who was a descendant of 'Abd Manaf, the father of the Prophet's great grandfather.

(Ma'ali al-Sibtayn).

THE LYING LETTER OF 'UMAR IBN SA'D TO IBN ZIYAD AND HIS REPLY

On 7th Muharram 'Amr ibn Hajjaj with a troop of five hundred horsemen was guarding

the banks of the Euphrates to prevent the Imam and his companions from getting water.

In the meantime 'Umar ibn Sa'd was hopeful of resolving the situation peacefully. He hadwritten a lying letter to Ibn Ziyad that stated: "Al-Husayn is willing to follow one of three


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courses: to return to Medina; or to go to one of the border-posts of the Islamic empire; or

to meet Yazid and come to some sort of compromise with him. Since this is the issue, theproblem is solved and it also will be forl the good of the Ummah."

This was something falsely attributed to the Imam by 'Umar ibn Sa'd. This is evident

from the words that the Imam often said, "The illegitimate son of

The Tragedy of the Lord of the Martyrs.pdf

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