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Think not of those, who are slain in the way of Allah, as
dead. Nay, they are living. With their Lord they have
provision
(Surah Aal-Imraan, 3:169)
Contents
About the Author ............................................................... 1
Publishers Note ................................................................. 4
Introduction...................................................................... 5
Martyrdom ( )................................................................ 9
Categories of Martyrdom.................................................. 10
The Definition of a Martyr ( )........................................ 11
The Holy Prophet
was poisoned............................. 13
............................ 29
An Objection Answered.................................................... 30
Departure from Madinah ............................................. 32
Delegations and Letters from the People of Kufa ............. 34
Hadhrath Muslim ibn Aql
in Kufa ............................... 39
Spies.................................................................................. 47
Imaam Muslim
............................... 65
.............................................. 66
.......................................... 67
....................................... 86
....................... 87
................................................... 88
.... 76
Martyrdom ......................... 89
Speech ................................................ 91
Hurrs
.......................................... 141
........................... 164
and Aun
............... 169
...................................................................... 171
...................................... 175
...................................... 181
.............................. 184
.......................... 187
............................................... 220
Companions.................................................................... 246
Number of Captives........................................................ 247
Number of Yazeedi Soldiers Killed ................................. 249
The Resting Place of the Blessed Head of Imaam Husain
........................................................................................ 250
Miracles Demonstrated by the Blessed Head .................. 252
Yazeeds Conduct after the Incident of Karbala .............. 254
Attack on the City of Makkah ......................................... 262
Muawiyah the Second .................................................... 266
The Ruin of the Murderers.............................................. 266
Amr ibn Saad ................................................................. 279
Khauli ibn Yazeed........................................................... 281
Shimr Zil-Joshn ............................................................... 281
Hakeem ibn Tufail At-Taaee .......................................... 284
you. You sign the letter of apology. Your apology letter will be
kept hidden from the public. And just today you will be released."
Hadhrath Moulana Shafee Okarvi
replied:
"I have worked for the respect and honour of the Holy Prophet
and it is my belief that the holy Prophet Saiyyidinaa Muhammad
is the Last Prophet of Allaah
therefore; the question of
asking for apology does not even arise. The children have passed
away; even if my life is also taken away I will still remain
steadfast on my belief and will not ask for any apology
[12]
Publishers Note
The book Karbala The Tragic Martrydom of Imaam
Husain is a translation of the famous book authored by
by the late Hadhrath Moulana Muhammad Shafee Okarvi
known as Shaam-e-Karbala, and was first published in
November 1978 in Urdu.
This translation is the property of the Islamic Lifestyle
Solutions and no part of this publication may be
reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
permission of the publisher except in the case of brief
quotations.
This translation consists of the majority of the original
work and certain sections / paragraphs have been
truncated at the discretion of the publisher.
In the case of any queries arising from the translation,
readers are requested to kindly contact the Islamic Lifestyle
Solutions for clarity.
Publications Department
Islamic Lifestyle Solutions
Durban, South Africa
Introduction
Allah in whose name we begin, choicest of salutations
upon all his chosen Messengers , particularly upon the
final Messenger, the Beloved of Allah, the Mercy unto the
entire universe, Nabi Muhammad , his Noble household
and upon his illustrious Companions .
Historically, the Day of Aashura has been indicative of a
day hearling great favour for the Prophets
of Allah .
Even for this Ummah, Rasoolullah indicated to us that
the reason for our fasting is based on a celebratory event in
the form of the freedom of Nabi Moosa
and the Banu
Israel from the tyranny of Pharaoh. To this day, our fasting
on Aashura is based on the irrefutable fact that Rasoolullah
fasted on Aashura, as the following narration explains;
Narrated by Hadhrath Abdullah Ibn Abbas : The
Prophet came to Madinah and saw the Jews fasting on
the day of Aashura. He asked them about that (fast). They
replied, "This is a good day, the day on which Allah
rescued Bani Israel from their enemy. So, Moses
fasted
this day." The Prophet said, "We have more claim over
Moses
than you." So, the Prophet fasted on that day
and ordered (the Muslims) to fast (on that day Aashura).
Sahih Bukhari
Once the command for the fast of Ramadhaan was
revealed, the fast of Aashurah was no longer obligatory
and was deemed optional as the hadith records explain;
event which causes tears to flow from the eyes. The tragic
events at Karbala involving Imaam Husain , his family
and friends occurred in the month of Muharram around
60/61 AH. His actual martyrdom occurred on the 10th of
Muharram, which was already identified by Muslims as
the Day of Aashura.
The Sunni-Shia divide is indeed at the vanguard of
discussions in relation to the crisis of the Ummah in the 21st
century. The Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah has been accused
by the Shia counterparts of forsaking the Ahlul Bayt. This is
a false claim and one which reeks with bias. The Ahlus
Sunnah Wal Jamaah undoubteldly love the Ahlul Bayt of
the Prophet immensely.
We do acknowledge certain groups who distance
themselves from the Ahlul Bayt to the point of declairing
the events of Karbala as insignificant. Quelling an
extremist view by adopting another extremist view is
illogical in the fight against extremism. We must never let
ourselves become distant from the Ahlul Bayt just because
some other sect claims the Ahlul bayt for themselves. At
the same juncture, in our love for them, we must never
become blind to the principles of Shariah, nor allow
ourselves to become haters of the illustrious companions of
Rasoolullah .
The book, albeit written decades ago, acts as proof of the
love of the Ahlul Bayt from the the Ahlus Sunnah.
Hadhrath Moulana Shafee Okarvi left no stone unturned
7
Martyrdom ()
Allah
And he who obeys Allah and His Messenger will get the
company of those whove been blessed by Allah , such as the
Prophets , the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous, and
what good companions they are!
Surah Nis (4), Verse 69
Two points are emergent:
and His
1. Those who are obedient and follow Allah
Messenger
will attain the companionship of the
Prophets , the truthful (), the martyrs (), and
the pious ().
2. The qualities of the above four groups, i.e.:
prophethood, righteousness, martyrdom and piety are
favors of Allah Almighty .
The Holy Prophets being, comprehensively possessed
supremacy in every favor and excellence granted to any
creation. In fact, whoever attained any favor or excellence
was endowed only through his means. Whatever amount
9
Categories of Martyrdom
There are two types of martyrdom,
1. Open martyrdom ()
2. Concealed martyrdom ()
Open martyrdom is when a Muslim acquiescently gives his
life or is martyred while fighting the enemies of Allah
and His Messenger . It occurs when a Muslim fights in
the path of Allah and for the upliftment of His deen.
10
states,
The word martyr ( )on the scale of fuail has the
meaning of an active participant. A martyr is a person who
attests to the truthfulness of Allahs
deen either by
speech and proof or by martyrdom by the sword. The
person whos martyred fighting in the path of Allah
is
called a shaheed (witness) because in sacrificing his life,
deen.
he bears a testimony to the truth of Allahs
Tafseer Kabeer
By this definition, we have to accept that the favour of
martyrdom which was possessed by the Holy Prophets
being. Has there ever been anyone who provided proofs
and miracles testifying to the truthfulness of Islam more
than Rasoolullah ? Who does not know that for the
upliftment and testimony of this true deen, the Holy
Messenger endured 13 continuous years of intolerable
oppression in Makkah? He was verbally abused and pelted
11
with stones in the streets of Makkah and Taif (to name just
one form of oppression). It was for this reason that he said,
No prophet ever experienced such difficulties and
troubles that I endured in the path of Allah .
The Prophet even left his home and birth-city; and in
Madinah, by participating in several battles, he even
testified to the truthfulness of Islam by the sword!
Rasoolullah
sustained injuries in these battles and his
blessed tooth was also martyred in one of them. In all
aspects, he encompassed the quality of martyrdom. The
only difference is that the extraction of his blessed soul ()
did not in the battlefield because Allah
promised him,
And Allah will save your life from the people.
Surah Mida (5), Verse 67
Hence, had the Holy Prophet been martyred in battle
by a non-Muslim and his soul taken away, the nonMuslims wouldve gained a chance to belie the promise of
Allah and the Holy Quran. Thus it ascertained that the
Prophets being; encompassed open martyrdom.
12
was poisoned
I wanted to test you to see whether you were a prophet or
someone desiring kingship. If You are a prophet, you will
not be harmed, but if you desire kingship, Id save people
from you. Tabqaat Ibn Saad
The woman was executed, however, in the castigation
( )of Hadhrath Bishrs martyrdom.
Allaamah Zarqaani
states,
And indeed its established that our Beloved Prophet
attained a demise of martyrdom. This is because, on the
day of Khaibar, he ate such a poisonous piece of meat that
it could cause death almost immediately. Effectively, Bishr
13
writes,
Bukhari and Baihaqi report from Sayyidah Aishah : She
states that the Holy Prophet used to say in the sickness
of his demise, I ate poisonous meat on the day of Khaibar
and always felt its harm. Now the time has come for life to
leave my veins due to the effect of that very poison.
Anbul-Azkiya bi Haytil-Ambiya
We may conclude that just as how open martyrdom was
encompassed by Rasoolullahs being, so was concealed
martyrdom an attribute of his as well. The Prophet was
given deadly poison but it too did not martyr him because
of Allahs promise. The ineffectiveness of poison is also
from amongst his miracles.
It is evidential that the reality of both the types of
martyrdom were possessed by the Holy Prophet . What
remains is to see where their manifestations occurred
The Prophet
said in a Hadith,
14
Indeed Hasan and Husain
the world. Mishkaat
Hasan is the resemblance of the Holy Prophet between the
chest to the head, and Husain is the resemblance of the Holy
Prophet from the chest to the lowest part i.e Feet. Tirmizhi
Just as how these two princes are the reflections of the
prophetic splendour and beauty, so too are their reflections
of the prophetic excellence. In other words, just as how the
prophetic beauty was distributed between them, so was the
prophetic grandeur distributed between them as well.
Therefore, the elder prince, Imaam Hasan , attained
concealed martyrdom while the younger prince, Imaam
Husain , attained open martyrdom.
Its now established that the Hasnain (Imaam Hasan and
Husain ) are the manifestation of both the Holy
Messengers beauty and excellence. The elder prince was
blessed with concealed ( )martyrdomwhich is why the
15
said [regarding
Ive been informed by Jibraeel
that this son of mine, Husain
, will be martyred after me in the land of Taff. Jibraeel
even
brought this sand (of that land) to me and told me that its where
hell be buried. Sawiqul-Muhriqa,Sirru-al-Shahaadatain and
Khasisul-Kubra
Hadhrath Ummul-Fadl bint Hrith narrates, One day,
I came to the Holy Prophet with Husain and placed
the child in his lap. I saw tears fall from the Holy Prophets
eyes, and he said,
Jibraeel
came and told me that soon my Ummah will martyr
this son of mine, and he even brought me some sand of that piece
of earth. Khasisul-Kubra, Sawiqul-Muhriqa and AlMustadrak
Sayyidah Umme Salamah
said,
16
An angel, who hadnt previously came to me, came to my home
and said, This son of yours, Husain , will be killed. If you
wish, I can show you the soil of the land where hell be
martyred? The angel then took out some red sand. AlBidaayah wan-Nihaayah, Khasisul-Kubra and SawiqulMuhriqa
Hadhrath Anas
states, The angel appointed over
rainfall sought Allahs permission to attend the court of
the Holy Prophet and was granted it. When he came to
see the Messenger , he saw that Husain was also there.
The child climbed the blessed shoulders and Rasoolullah
embraced him.
The angel asked Rasoolullah , Do you love this child? and he
answered, Yes, I do. The angel then said, Indeed your Ummah
will kill him, and if you wish, I can show you the place where
hell be martyred. The angel then clapped his hand and showed
the Holy Prophet red sand. Umme Salma took the sand and
tied it in a section within her clothes. The narrator of this
will be
Hadith continues, We used to hear that Husain
martyred at Karbala. Khasisul-Kubra,Al-Bidaayah wanNihaayah and Sawiqul-Muhriqa
Sayyidah Umme Salamah
also states,
17
One day, the Holy Prophet was reclining and sleeping when he
suddenly awoke looking troubled and grieved. He had in his
hands red sand. I submitted, O Rasoolullah , what sand is
this? He explained, Jibraeel
told me that this Husain
will be martyred in the land of Iraq, and this is the sand of that
earth. Khasisul-Kubra and Sirrush-Shahaadatain
She also said, One day, both Hasan
and Husain
were playing in my home in the presence of the Holy
Prophet . Jibraeel
descended and said,
O Muhammad , indeed your Ummah will martyr this son of
yours, Husain , after your demise. Jibraeel
also gave him a
little sand of that earth. The Prophet smelled the sand and said,
It has the scent of grief and misery. He then brought Husain
to his chest, cried and said, O Umme Salma ! When this sand
turns red, know that this son of mine has been martyred.
Sayyidah Umme Salma kept that sand in a bottle and used to
examine it daily. Shed also say, The day this sand turns into
blood will be a severe day. Tahzeebut-Tahzeeb,KhasisulKubra, Sawiqul-Muhriqa and Sirru-al-Shahaadatain
18
When he reached a place called Nainw, he proclaimed,
O Abu Abdullah ! Have patience on the banks of the
Euphrates. I asked him, Whats this proclamation? and
said that he was told by
he answered, Rasoolullah
Jibraeel
that Husain will be martyred on the banks of
the Euphrates, and he (Jibraeel ) showed him a handful
19
20
Do you imagine that you will enter Paradise while the incidents
like that of your forerunners did not come unto you? Affliction
and adversity reached them, and they were badly shaken (as with
an earthquake) until the messenger and the believers with him
said, When will come the help of Allah ? Now surely
Allahs help is close.
Surah Baqarah (2), Verse 214
Do you suppose that you will enter Paradise yet Allah
not tested your warriors or the steadfast?
Surah Ale-Imran (3), Verse 142
has
And surely We will test you with something of fear, hunger, loss
of wealth, lives and crops; but give glad-tidings to the steadfast.
Those who say when a misfortune strikes them, We are
belongings of Allah and we are to return to Him alone. These
are the people on whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy,
such are the rightly guided.
Surah Baqarah (2), Verses 155-7
These verses prove that mere lip-service of claiming faith
(Imaan) and of being a Muslim arent sufficient means of
22
( ) are in fact
25
26
An Objection Answered
The author of The Khilfat of Muawiyah and Yazeed [
] writes that according to Hadhrath Muhammad ibn
Hanafiya
for
30
Then he left the city, fearing and in wait of what will happen
now. He said, My Lord! Grant me deliverance from the group of
oppressors.
Surah Qasas (28), Verse 21
Meeting Abdullah ibn Mutee
While leaving, Imaam Husain met Hadhrath Abdullah
ibn Mutee . Seeing the Imaam leaving with his family,
Hadhrath Abdullah asked him, May I be sacrificed on
replied,
you! Where are you going? Imaam Husain
Right now I am going to Makkah. When I get there, I will
perform istikhrah to Allah
to know where to go
afterwards.
May Allah keep you in safety and sacrifice us on you.
When you reach Makkah, do not think of going to Kufa
because it is an unfortunate city. Its the very city in which
your father was martyred, and where your brother Hasan
was deserted, made the target of spears and was close to
losing his life. You should stay in Makkah and not leave it.
You are the leader of the Arabs, and the people of Hijz do
not regard anyone equal to you. People will come to you
from everywhere. May my uncles be sacrificed on you! You
must never leave the Haram of the Kaba. Oath on Allah !
If You are killed, then after you we will be made slaves.
When Imaam Husain
following verse,
33
And when he turned towards the Midian, he said, There is hope
that my Lord will make me tread the straight path.
Surah Qasas (28), Verse 22
When news of Imaam Husain reaching Makkah spread,
droves of people arrived to meet and visit him. Hadhrath
Abdullah ibn Zubair was already in Makkah at this time,
and he too arrived to meet the Prophets grandson. The
people were elated with his arrival and that of the AhleBayt (household of the Holy Messenger ). Once again,
they were granted the opportunity to set their eyes on the
individual who resembled Rasoolullah and gain from his
rays of Noor.
34
in Kufa
Yazeed is informed
Seeing the arrival of Hadhrath Muslim ibn Aql , the
passion of the people pledging allegiance to him, and the
daily increase of their enthusiasm, the supporters of
Yazeed (Abdullah ibn Muslim and Ammarah ibn Waleed)
sent a message to him, saying, Muslim ibn Aql has come
to Kufa on behalf of Husain, and thousands have already
pledged allegiance to him. The governor of Kufa, Numan
ibn Bashr, has not done anything specific against them or
39
40
Ive sent my messenger with this letter to you. I invite you
towards the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Beloved ,
because the Sunnah has been erased with the [evil] innovations
raised. If you people listen to what I say and accept it, I will lead
you on the path of salvation. Was-Salaamu Alaikum wa
Rahmatullah.
The nobles and eminent of Basra ( )read this letter and
concealed it. However, Munzir ibn Jrd became fearful
and thought that this messenger may be a spy of Ibn Ziyad
sent to them as a test, so he took the messenger to Ibn
Ziyad and showed him the letter. At once, Ibn Ziyad
arrested and killed the messenger of Imaam Husain and
proceeded to the centre of Basra, delivering a fierce
warning, The leader of the faithful (Yazeed) has granted
me governance of both Kufa and Basra. This is why I am
going to Kufa, and in my absence, my brother, Uthman ibn
Ziyad, will be my deputy. You people must refrain from
rebellion or, by Allah , I will not spare the person or his
friends and supporters who involve themselves in such a
thing. I will apprehend him for even the slightest
involvement in treason and send all to the valley of death
until you people stop and return to the correct path and the
opposition ends. Remember, I am the son of Ziyad and I
am just like my father. Ibn Atheer and Tabri
41
43
life will be a fair target for us. We will kill him, hang him
by his door, and not even spare his relatives.
This coming of Ibn Ziyad and his threats now plunged the
people of Kufa into fear, and their thoughts began to
change. Under these circumstances, Hadhrath Muslim
did not deem it suitable for him to stay with Mukhtar. So at
night, he left the residence and proceeded to the home of
Haani ibn Urwah Muzjahi, a celebrated citizen amongst the
supporters of the Ahle-Bayt. Haani became awkward with
and said to him, It
the coming of Hadhrath Muslim
would have been better if you did not come here.
Hadhrath Muslim
replied, I am a traveller from the
family of the Holy Prophet . Grant me protection.
Had you not already entered my home, I would have
told you to go away, but it is against my sense of honour
now to do this. He then hid Hadhrath Muslim
in a
private apartment in his house.
45
46
Spies
While Hadhrath Muslim continued hiding in the house
of Haani, his supporters would secretly come to meet with
him. Even at this time, the pledges of allegiance persisted
(with some narrations saying that as much as 40,000 people
had by now promised to side with Imaam Husain ).
Ibn Ziyad was greatly perplexed in trying to find out who
was providing shelter to Hadhrath Muslim
(surprisingly, he never once suspected that it was Haani).
So, he appointed a slave of his by the name of Maqal to
gain information on the matter and said that he should
start asking around in the musjids (since many different
people attended them). He also gave him 3,000 dirhams.
This slave immediately proceeded to the central musjid
and sat down. There he saw a man who continuously
performed Salaah (Muslim ibn Ausaj Asadi).
When Muslim ibn Ausaj completed his Salaah, the slave
of Ibn Ziyad approached him and said, I am a Syrian slave
whos a lover of the Prophets family, and I have with
me 3,000 dirhams. I heard that someone from the Ahle-Bayt
has come here and is taking pledges of allegiance for
Imaam Husain
from the people. So, I want to present
him with this amount of money so that he may use it for
good work, but I do not know where he is. Hadhrath
Muslim ibn Ausaj asked him, There are other people
in the musjid. Why are you telling me this?
47
The radiance of your face tells me that you are from his
friends. That is why I asked you. For the sake of the
Almighty, do not let me lose this honour. Give me his
address.
In short, Muslim ibn Ausaj fell for this deceptive speech
and concluded that this slave was truly the supporter of the
Ahle-Bayt. The next day, he took Maqal to where
was staying and himself
Hadhrath Muslim ibn Aql
certified the slaves admiration for the Prophets family.
The slave presented the 3,000 dirhams to Hadhrath Muslim
and pledged allegiance to him. After this encounter, he
would be the first to arrive every day and the last to leave,
displaying much respect to himthough he was actually
informing Ibn Ziyad of whatever he saw or heard there.
One of the bits of information was that Hadhrath Muslim
gave the 3,000 dirhams to Abu Thammah to purchase
arms with it.
Haani ibn Urwah was a distinguished and respected
citizen of Kufa and he had interaction with Ibn Ziyad prior
to this. Before the coming of Hadhrath Muslim ibn Aql ,
he used to visit the governor, but since Hadhrath Muslim
began staying with him, he stopped going to Ibn Ziyad
and feigned having a sickness as an excuse.
In the governors house, however, Ibn Ziyad was aware of
the entire situation. On day, Muhammad ibn Ashath and
Asma ibn Khrijah came to Ibn Ziyad and were asked
about the condition of Haani. They replied that he was sick.
48
his cronies to save their lives, and this very strong army of
people could have proceeded onwards and eradicated the
control of Yazeed. Hadhrath Muslim , however, did not
order such an attack.
Even though the malice, hatred and enmity of Yazeed and
Ibn Ziyad was completely apparent [in him], Hadhrath
Muslim
refused to forego caution and rather chose to
await a harmonious solution and truce to this matter and
avoid any bloodshed amongst Muslims. However, his
caution and waiting proved very beneficial for the enemy.
Ibn Ziyad took advantage of this opportunity and said to
the noblemen of Kufa who were with him, You should go
up to the roof of this house and speak to your tribesmen.
Exploit their greed with gifts and place fear in them with
regards to rebellion. Tell them that armies have left Shaam
(Syria, then the capital of Yazeed) and will be arriving
soon. Also, tell them that they can decide their fate from
this.
Separate them from Muslim by any means. So, Katheer
ibn Shihaab Haarithi, Muhammad ibn Ashath, Qaqaa ibn
Shour Az-Zahli, Shabath ibn Rab Tameemi, Hajaar ibn
Jubr Al-Ajli, Shimr ibn Zil-Joshn Dabaabi, etc. stood on the
governors house and cried out, People! Return to your
homes. Do not spread mischief or cast yourselves into
destruction. The armies of the leader of the faithful Yazeed
has left. How will you be able to challenge them? The
governor Ibn Ziyad made a promise with Allah
to
punish you severely and be harsh if you do not leave
54
55
56
She asked about the kind of help he needed and was told,
I am Muslim ibn Aql. The people of Kufa have been
treacherous to me. Theyve deceived and forsaken me. You
are now witnessing the state I am in. There isnt a place
where I can see the night out.
Tauaa asked in surprise, Are you Muslim ibn Aql ?!
Hadhrath Muslim confirmed that he was. This virtuous
woman then called him into the house and spread a mat in
a room for him to sit on. She also brought food for him, but
he did not eat it. Hadhrath Muslim then supplicated for
her.
After a while, the son Tauaa was awaiting arrived. When
he saw his mother going in and out of the room, he asked
about this but she did not disclose anything. When the son
persisted, Tauaa informed him on condition that he kept it
a secret. Unfortunately, this young man was an alcoholic
and an unscrupulous person.
When Ibn Ziyad learnt that all the people of Kufa had
deserted Hadhrath Muslim and that no-one stood with
him now, he announced, There is no safety for the person
who has given shelter to Muslim, and whoever apprehends
him and brings him to me will be rewarded. After this, he
ordered Haseen ibn Nameer, the chief of the police, to
blockade the city, put up pickets on the streets and search
every home, warning that Hadhrath Muslim
must not
leave Kufa by any road. Should he do so and Haseen fails
57
59
When the bright rays of the sun have been rejected, how can
there be steadfastness?
I fear that I will be told lies and deceived.
Ibn Ashath insisted, You will not be lied to or deceived!
No-one will attack or kill you! These are all your brothers.
By now, Hadhrath Muslim had sustained many injuries
and did not have the strength to fight any further. So, he
stood leaning on the wall of the house and said, My
intention is also not to fight. I did not even fight when I had
40,000 people on my side surrounding the governors
house. I waited for a resolution through talks so that there
is no bloodshed.
Muhammad ibn Ashath then came close to him and said,
There is safety for you. A surprised Hadhrath Muslim
asked, Is there? Muhammad ibn Ashath and all of his
cronies answered, There is safety for you, except Amr ibn
Ubaidullah Salami, who did not agree.
In this state, Hadhrath Muslim was put on a mule. His
sword was also taken away from him, and when this
happened, he became pessimistic about his life and
remarked with tears in his eyes, This is the first deceit.
Muhammad ibn Ashath again assured Hadhrath Muslim
that there was safety for him and that there was no cause
for concern. Hadhrath Muslim , however, replied, What
safety is there now? Hope and only hope remains. By
60
61
62
Imaam Muslim
66
71
should know that they have called you merely for fight. I
fear that those who called you will deceive and belie you,
forsake you and even fight against you with the power of
the timeproving to be your biggest enemy.
Imaam Husain
and
78
83
He replied,
Indeed I saw the Holy Prophet in a dream instructing
me. I will definitely fulfil his command whether it is for or
against my favour. When he was asked what the dream
was about, he said, I have not told anyone about the
dream nor will I relate it ever until I meet my Lord.
Tabri,Ibn Atheer and Al-Bidaayah
Imaam Husain
then wrote the following to Amr ibn
Saeed,
How can he who invites towards Allah and does good
be from those who oppose Allah and His Messenger ?
Indeed I am a Muslim and you called me towards
protection and goodness. Listen closely, the best protection
is Allahs , and on the Day of Judgment, Allah will not
grant protection to he who did not fear Him in this world.
We pray to Allah that He bestow upon us His fear in this
world so that we are worthy of His protection on the Day
of Judgment. If by this letter you truly intended goodness
and kindness, may Allah
grant you its reward in this
world and in the Hereafter. Was-Salaam. Tabri
84
No hardship will come except that which Allah ordained for
us.
Akhbarut-Tiwaal and Ibn Atheer
(A day will come) when you will find the leader of the young
from Muhammads household (i.e. Imaam Husain ) and you
will fight with him (against his enemies). You will attain
immense joy in doing so, more than the happiness you are
experiencing from this war booty. So, I hand you in the control of
Allah .
Ibn Atheer, Vol. 4, Pg. 17 and Tabri, Vol. 6, Pg. 225
Zuhair effectively remained with Imaam Husain and,
after being martyred at Karbala, truly did receive
everlasting happiness (through martyrdom).
Martyrdom
Asad tribe and his name was Bukhair ibn Mathab. We let
him know that we were also Asadi. After the introduction,
we asked him about the situation in Kufa and he replied, I
had not left Kufa when Muslim and Haani were killed. I
saw that they were bound by their legs and dragged in the
marketplace. After hearing this, we both returned to
caravan. In the evening, when the
Imaam Husains
Imaam pitched camp at Thalabiyyah, we related to him
what had occurred, and upon hearing this sorrowful
development, he continuously recited,
do we belong and indeed to Him we
Indeed to Allah
will return. We said to him, For the sake of Allah !
Please return, because there is no supporter and helper for
you in Kufa. We fear the very people who called you
becoming your enemies. The Banu Aql then passionately
remarked, by Allah ! We will not leave the land of Kufa
without taking revenge for the blood of our brother,
Muslim , or be killed like him. Hearing this, Imaam
Husain replied,
There is no joy in being alive after them.
Some companions of the Imaam also said, By Allah ,
you are not like Muslim ibn Aql . Where is Muslim
and where is your esteem? After seeing you in Kufa, people
will join you. Tabri
The caravan then proceeded from this area. Whichever
rural village it passed, crowds of people came out to meet
90
Imaam Husains
Speech
spears and swords. If those who called you had cleared the
path for you and were prepared to fight at your side and
sacrifice their lives, then your going there would be correct.
But, based on your account of the situation, you going
there is not appropriate at all.
Imaam Husain replied,
O servant of Allah , what you are saying is not obscured to
me, but no command of Allah can ever be subdued.
Tabri and Ibn Atheer
After Batne-Aqba, the group reached Sharf, then ZiHashm in the morning (where they pitched camp at the
foot of the mountain). Hurr ibn Yazeed Tameemi, who was
sent by the administration of Yazeed with 1,000 armed
riders to arrest Imaam Husain , arrived in this region and
also pitched camp facing the Imaams caravan. At the time
of Zuhr Salaah, Imaam Husain ordered the Azhaan to be
given, and after it, he stood before Hurrs legion, praised
Allah and said the following,
O people, I seek pardon from Allah and you. I have not come
to you by myself. Rather, your messages and deputations came to
me saying, We have no leader. Come to us, and it is possible
will place us on the path of salvation through your
Allah
blessings. So, I came. Being steadfast on your promise and
statements, pledge an agreement with me through which I gain
complete satisfaction. If you do this, I will proceed to your city,
92
, he
People, indeed the Messenger of Allah said, Whoever sees a
tyrant king permitting that which Allah prohibited, breaking
Allahs pledge, acting contrary to the Sunnah of the Prophet
and ruling over people with sin and oppression, if he does not
try to change this condition by speech and action according to his
has the right to send him to the oppressive
capacity, Allah
kings destination (i.e. Jahannam). Know that these people have
chosen the obedience of Shaitaan and have forsaken Allah .
They have spread mischief (fitna) in the land, abandoned the rules
of Islamic Law, specified war booty for themselves alone,
prohibited the permissible acts of Allah
and allowed the
prohibited ones.
I have more right than anyone else to change them. Indeed your
messengers and letters that promised pledges of allegiance to me
had reached me. The letters also said that you will not hand me
over to enemies or forsake me. So, if you remain steadfast on your
95
And by his life he helps the virtuous servants, opposes those who
are to be destroyed, and separates himself from the criminals.
If I live, I will have no remorse, and if I die, I will have no grief;
but you leading your life with dishonour and shame are sufficient
for you.
Ibn Atheer
Hurr heard these verses and began to walk separately
from the Imaam. Subhanallah! Marvel at the steadfastness
of Imaam Husain and his passion to combat mischief! He
set an example for us allespecially those who are from
familyto always
the descendants of the Prophets
uplift the flag of Islam and truth.
The caravan of the Ahle-Bayt then reached AzbulHajnt. There, Imaam Husain saw four riders under the
leadership of Tirmh ibn Adi coming towards him with
news of Kufa. As they were approaching, they recited the
following verses,
My camel, do not be afraid of my rebuke. Travel fast and reach
before morning.
97
With your best riders, travel the best you can and stop by the
person
Who is honoured in lineage, esteemed in rank and greatness,
and open-hearted in generosity. Allah brought him for good
work, and may He keep him in safety until this living world
remains.
Hearing these words, Imaam Husain
replied,
by Allah indeed I have hope that whatever Allah has
wished for us, it is only goodnessbe it our death or in gaining
dominion.
Hurr then stepped forward and said to the Imaam, These
are not your companions but they have come from Kufa. I
will not let them meet you. Rather, I will have them either
arrested or sent back.
Imaam Husain replied, I will not let that happen. They
are my helpers, and I will protect them the way I protect
my own life. You said to me that until Ibn Ziyads letter
comes to you, you will not oppose or stand in my path.
That is correct, but have these people come with you?
Even if they did not, they are equal to those who have. If
you obstruct them in any way, I will wage war against
you.
Hearing this, Hurr moved away.
98
100
103
104
dismounted, the sitting-place of our camels, and the killingfield of our supporters and helpers. Noorul-Absaar
Hearing this sorrowful statement of his father, Hadhrath
Ali Akbar asked him, Why are you saying this?
He replied, When your grandfather, Hadhrath Ali ,
was returning from the battle of Siffeen and arrived here,
he said, In this desert, my beloved son Husain will be
mercilessly martyred. He then asked me what I was going
to do at that time and I answered that I would be patient.
To this, he said, yes, only be patient, because
there is an infinite amount of reward for those who
are patient (Surah Zumar (39), Verse 10). RaudhahthushShuhad
As the tents were being pegged to the ground, fresh blood
emerged from the earth. Sayyidah Zainub , the sister of
Imaam Husain , saw this and said, Brother, this is earth
of blood, and it causes my heart to be restless. He replied,
Be content with the pleasure of Allah
and camp here.
This is the area for the martyrs and the promised place.
Patience is necessary in every condition.
While the caravan of the Prophets
grandson pitched
camp at Karbala, the Yazeedi government was busy in
preparing to unleash terror on these august personalities.
So, on the second day, Amr ibn Saad, with an army of
4,000 soldiers from Kufa, reached Karbala to confront
Imaam Husain !
105
Beloved uncle, for the sake of Allah , do not commit
wickedness in the sight of your Lord by going up against
Husain , and do not be responsible for breaking family
ties. By Allah , it is better for you to be distant from all
the wealth and power of this world than to meet Allah
with your hands red with the blood of Husain .
Ibn Saad replied, Insha-Allah , I will act according to
this advice. He spent the entire night contemplating his
situation and recited these stanzas,
Should I cast aside the governorship of Rai whereas it is desired,
or should I return cursed with the killing of Husain?
The punishment of killing him is the Hell-fire from which there
is no covering. But, there is coolness of the eyes in the governing
of Rai.
Ibn Atheer
Abdullah ibn Yasr Johani narrates, When Ibn Saad
received instruction to go and fight Husain , I went up to
107
108
An Important Lesson
When the evil of greed becomes set within a person, he
becomes bereft of admirable qualities like patience, trust in
Allah
and forbearance. After this, repulsive and
loathsome emotions take over his heart to the extent that he
does not even differentiate between Halaal and Haraam.
Rather, sometimes greed blinds a person to usurp the right
and unjustly ruin the lives of the innocent. Its for this
reason that the Holy Prophet said,
Save yourselves from greed because it destroyed those before
you. It is this very greed that enticed them to bloodshed and
making Haraam into Halaal.
Muslim, Baabu Tahrimiz-Zulm
In another narration, he said,
The destruction two hungry wolves cause when let loose in an
area dense with sheep is nowhere near the amount of ruin the
greed of wealth and status causes to the deen and faith (Imaan) of
a person.
Tirmizhi, Abwbuz-Zuhd
When Ibn Saad reached Karbala, he ordered Arzah bin
Qais Ahmasi to go to Imaam Husain , ask him why he
had come there, and what he desired. Arzah ibn Qais,
however, was amongst those who wrote letters to Imaam
109
members Allah
bestowed you and me the honour of
Imaan instead. Qura replied, I will definitely relate the
reply of this message to the one who sent me and whom I
am with. After that, I will decide what to do. Tabri
After informing Ibn Saad of Imaam Husains message,
Qura said, I have hope that Allah
will save me from
fighting with Husain. Ibn Saad then wrote down the
Imaams reply and sent it to Ibn Ziyad. Tabri
Ibn Saad thought that through this appeasing message,
conciliation could probably be reached and he could be
saved from this oppression. Misfortune, however, became
his destiny. Ibn Ziyad read the report of Ibn Saad and said,
Now when our claws have clutched him, he wants to leave,
whereas now there is no place of retreat.
He then wrote the following to Ibn Saad, Your letter
reached me, and I understood whatever you wrote. You
must tell Husain and all of his companions to pledge
[allegiance] to Yazeed. If they do, we will carry out
whatever we deem appropriate.
When Ibn Saad received this letter, he said, I understand
now that Ibn Ziyad is not inclined towards safety and
peace.
112
The wretch Abdullah ibn Abi Haseen then fell ill. Hamd
ibn Muslim narrates, I went to visit him while he was sick,
and by Allah ! His condition was that he used to drink
water and vomit it out, over and over again. His thirst
113
114
did not Ibn Ziyad and Ibn Saad accept it and why did the
martyrdom of the Prophets family occur?
In fact, a completely different narration by Uqba ibn
Samn states, I accompanied Husain from Madinah to
Makkah and from Makkah to Iraq. I was not away from
him even until his martyrdom. I heard his every lecture
and conversation, and by Allah , never once did he say,
I will give my hand in the hand of Yazeed. Rather, he
always said, Let me go. The earth of Allah is wide and
expansive. Leave me to go somewhere until I see what
people decide. Tabri and Ibn Atheer
Although Ibn Saad came to fight with Imaam Husain
out of worldly wealth and prestige, at heart he did not wish
to be connected to such a major crime. So, he tried to find a
way to prevent fighting from occurring and partook in
three to four meetings with the Prophets grandson.
It is also possible that he added this option [that Imaam
Husain was willing to give his hand in Yazeeds] on his
own to prevent a battle taking place. This is because when
there is severe disagreement between two groups and there
is fear of swords being drawn, to lie is permissible for the
sake of reconciliation. The Holy Prophet said, Speaking
lies is not permissible except in three instances: a man
saying something to make his wife content, in war, and to
reconcile people. Tirmizhi Abwbu-Birr was-Sil
Therefore, Ibn Saad wrote to Ibn Ziyad, stating,
116
119
states,
We were with Husain at the shores of Karbalas two
rivers. Imaam Husain saw Shimr ibn Zil-Joshn and said,
Allah and His Messenger are true. The Prophet
said, I see a spotted dog putting his mouth in the blood of
my family. (Shimr was mabrs, i.e. one with leucoderma).
Ibn Askir, Sirrush-Shahdatain, Pg. 28
121
Imaam Husains
Imaam Husain
then gathered his followers and
companions. His son, Imaam Zainul-Abideen , narrates,
Although I was sick, I went and sat close to my father to
listen. He addressed his helpers in the following manner,
I praise Allah entirely in happiness and in affliction. O
Allah ! I praise You and give thanks that You honoured
us with relation to prophethood, bestowed us with ears
and eyes that hear and see, granted us a heart, taught us
the Holy Quran, gave us the understanding of the deen,
and made us Your grateful servants. I do not consider any
other persons companions more loyal and excellent than
mine, and I do not regard other family-members more
honourable and kind to relatives than mine. My dua is that
Allah grants you all an excellent reward from this. Listen
carefullyI have certainty that tomorrow will be the day
we face them. I happily permit all of you to leave in the
darkness of the night with no grievance on my part. Take a
camel each, and whoever leaves should take with them a
122
127
was made in
128
Imaam Husain
mounted a camel, asked for a Quran
and kept it in front of him. He then lifted both his hands
and made the following dua,
O Allah ! You are my trust in every difficulty and my
refuge in every adversity. In all afflictions, my only support and
solace is You. There are many who, when afflicted with
hardships, become overwhelmed, are deserted by their friends and
make their enemies pleased. However, in all of my hardships, I
turned towards You and spoke my heart. I wished to turn to no
one but You. After this, You removed these hardships from me
and saved me from them. Indeed, You are the Giver of every
blessing, Controller of all goodness, and the ultimate object of
every desire and yearning.
129
130
Prophet
himself narrate this Hadith. Now tell me, is
there nothing from all of this which will stop you from
spilling my blood and dishonouring me? Ibn Ahteer,Tabri
and Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah
During this speech, the cursed Shimr verbally abused the
Imaam, yet Hadhrath Habb ibn Muzahir
faultless reply, saying, Allah
gave a
continued,
,
If you doubt what I say (that I am the leader of the youth of
Jannah), then is there any doubt that I am the grandson of
your Prophet ? By Allah
Prophet
are not drawn between us. When that happens, our bond
with you will breakyou will be separate from us and we
has
will be separate from you. Listen, indeed Allah
tested us with the children of our Prophet Muhammad
so that He may see how we behave with them. I invite you
to assist the children of the Messenger and forsake the
egotist and son of the egotist, Ibn Ziyad.
Hearing this, the Kufis began to swear Zuhair ibn Qais
and praise Ibn Ziyad. They even supplicated for him,
saying,
By Allah , we will not move even a space back until we kill
your companion [Imaam Husain ] and his followers or hand
them over as prisoners into the control of Ibn Ziyad, the
governor.
Hadhrath Zuhair
replied,
Servants of Allah ,
134
An Important Lesson
When misfortune becomes the destiny of a nation, their
eyes become veiled and their hearts become sealed. Their
ability to see and understand what the truth is then ends.
Allah states,
135
And who is more unjust than he who, when he is reminded of
the signs of his Lord, turns his face away from them and forgets
what his hands have sent forward? We have put covers on their
hearts that they may not understand the Quran and in their ears
heaviness. And if you call them towards guidance, then too they
will never find the way. And your Lord is the Forgiver, full of
mercy. If He seized them for what they did, He would have
hastened torment for them. But for them there is an appointed
time against which they will not find any refuge.
Surah Kahf (18), Verses 57-8
The condition of the Kufis/Yazeedis was exactly as above.
So, no warning could have any effect on them. Due to their
actions, they were worthy of punishment immediately, but
out of His planning, Allah granted them respite since He
has appointed a time for everything.
Hurr
136
Hurrs
144
146
152
Imaam Husain
then performed Salaatul-Khauf, after
which the fighting on the plains of Karbala reached a new
height of severity. Hordes of enemies pushed forward and
neared him firing arrows, but Hanafi
(an ardent
supporter of the Imaam) stepped forward and stopped
them with his chest. In this manner, not a single arrow was
able to reach the Imaam, until they became unbearable for
him and Hanafi sacrificed his life at the feet of Imaam
Husain .
Zuhair ibn Qain
then stepped forward to fight the
army, reciting the following,
I am Zuhair , the son of Qain . By any sword, I will defend
Husain from these enemies.
Alas, he too was martyred after bravely fighting them.
It was now the turn of Naf ibn Hilaal Bajali . This
courageous supporter of Imaam Husain
killed twelve
Kufis and injured several others. The Kufis then banded
together to attack him and were able to cut off both his
arms before taking him to Ibn Saad. With blood flowing
from his face, Naf said, Besides injuring your army, I
killed twelve of your soldiers. Your people would not have
been able to capture me had they not cut off my arms. Ibn
Saad remarked, Naf
, you have been unjust to
yourself.
Allah knows well what I have done.
153
Family
are martyred
161
Children
163
Son
164
I will not, but my four sons are here in this army. I will
choose one of them and send them, and he will be
sufficient in killing him.
So, Arzaq sent a son of his to fight Hadhrath Qasim .
Hadhrath Qasim
slew him in minutes and took his
valuable sword for himself. The second son of Arzaq saw
his brother messed in blood and dust and became enraged.
In this fit, he stepped forward to combat Hadhrath Qasim
in revenge and was also brought to the ground, dead.
The third son now became anger personified and stepped
forward to challenge Hadhrath Qasim , even going as far
as swearing him. Hadhrath Qasim
replied, Enemy of
Allah , I will not answer your swearing with swearing
because this does not befit me. I will make you join your
brothers in Jahannam instead.
was then so aggressive in his attack
Hadhrath Qasim
that he sliced him into two pieces! Seeing the end result of
his three sons, Arzaq began to flame with anger and was
proceeding to fight Hadhrath Qasim when his fourth son
stepped forward uttering profanities and saying, My
father! Wait, please. Let me take care of this boy. He then
swung his sword for Hadhrath Qasim like a hungry lion
but had it blocked. Hadhrath Qasim then swiftly cut off
his right hand (dropping his sword) and struck this person
so severely on the head that he died almost instantly.
166
168
and Aun
son? These are my two sons and both are sacrificed for
you. After saying this, she began to cry.
With tearful eyes, Imaam Husain looked at his sister;
his heart bleeding in sadness. He then embraced his
nephews and bid them farewell. Though it was time for a
mother to see her sons covered forever by dark clouds of
Yazeedi mischief and barbaric attacks, this mother adopted
patience, calmed her heart and pointed to the Heavens,
saying, O Allah ! Whatever is Your pleasure is ours
too.
The two then entered the battlefield and fought fiercely
until they were eventually martyred. Hadhrath Aun was
made shaheed by Abdullah ibn Qatb Taa and Hadhrath
Muhammad
by Amir ibn Nahlash. Their bodies were
carried back to the camp by Imaam Husains supporters.
When they returned, Imaam Husain said to Sayyidah
Zainub
, Beloved sister, your sacrifice has been
accepted. Come visit your martyrs.
When Sayyidah Zainub saw her children, she fell before
them and said, How I wish for your mother to be in your
place!
170
171
Hadhrath Abbas
then entered the tents and saw the
and Ali Asgar , saying,
effect of thirst on Sakeenah
These children are before the Euphrates yet they still
yearn for water. I will go to the river and fetch some to
quench their thirst. When Sayyidah Zainub heard this,
she cried out, Beloved brother, will you go up against the
steel wall of enemies at the banks of the Euphrates by
yourself?
Even if they are clad in armour, can you not see that I
have a sword in my hand?
The bravery of this lion of the Prophets
family then
gave confidence to those unable to bear thirst and consoled
the hearts of the grief stricken. After this, he hung the water
skin-bag on his shoulder and proceeded to the river.
When the enemies blocked him, he proclaimed, People of
Kufa! People of Syria! Fear Allah
and honour the Holy
Prophet . How unfortunate! You called the son of
Rasoolullah yet became unfaithful to him. You joined the
enemies and blockaded him from water. You killed his
companions and made little children of the Prophets
family yearn for drops of water! The door of repentance is
still open for some of you. You still have time to repent and
refrain from oppression and killing the son of the Holy
Messenger !
Three from the Yazeedi campShimr Zil-Joshn, Shabath
ibn Rab and Hajr ibn Ahjrwent up to him and said,
Even if the entire Earth became water, we still would not
let you get a single drop.
172
173
water is not right for you. This lion of the Ahle-Bayt then
filled his water-bag and placed it over his left shoulder.
When he emerged from the river, there was commotion
everywhere. If this water-bag reached Imaam Husains
camp, the soldiers effort would have been all in vain. So,
cries of, Stop Abbas! Take the water-bag from him and let
it fall on the ground! could be heard. Hadhrath Abbas ,
however, strongly intended to make this bag reach the
camp, so he rode his horse as fast as the wind to the tents
but noticed several armies rushing towards the water!
They eventually surrounded him. Still, Hadhrath Abbas
managed to attack and cause an upheaval within the ranks.
Bodies fell and blood flowed. This lion of the Ahle-Bayt
proved in the plains of Karbala that his arms possessed the
strength of Hadhrath Ali and that he had Hadhrath Alis
blood flowing through his veins. While Hadhrath Abbas
was destroying them, a severe attack by a person named
Zarra separated his blessed left-arm from his shoulder.
Hadhrath Abbas immediately hung the water-bag on his
right-shoulder while using the same hand to hold the
sword and fight. His strength had decreased, however, and
he found it difficult to complete two tasks with just one
hand. In a defensive manner, he then charged with his
horse into the soldiers trying to find a path, but the service
of this warrior was near its end.
At that moment, Naufal ibn Arzaq struck his rightshoulder and separated his other hand from his body, but
174
176
Remember, I will make you accurate targets with a spear and, in
defence of my father, I will show the kind of swordsmanship
Hashmi Arabian youths display.
O evil people, if you are thirsty for the blood of
Rasoolullahs family, send any of your warriors to fight
me. If you want to see the courage of Ali , come [and]
face me. After seeing that no one had the courage to
respond or challenge him, Hadhrath Ali Akbar rode his
horse with lightning speed and attacked the Kufi army
throwing them into disorder. The strength of the warriors
was lost, the courage of the soldiers nullified, and the ranks
of Yazeed were in disarray. This was not the attack of Ali
Akbar on the Yazeedis. Rather, it was the vengeance of
Allah Himself that had fallen on them!
Still, due to fighting in severe heat, the prince of the
family experienced unbearable thirst. He
Prophets
turned his horse towards his father, went up to him and
said, Father, thirst! If get a bowl of water to drink, I can
send all of these enemies to their death. Imaam Husain
could see the grief of his son, but where was the water to
give him? With much affection, he wiped the dust off Ali
Akbars
face and said, The time for your thirst to be
quenched has come. You will drink Kauthar from the
Distributor of Kauthar, the relish of which can nott be
imagined or explained. After drinking it, you will
experience no thirst. Son! When I would become thirsty,
177
Rasoolullah
used to give his blessed tongue in my
mouth. Today, in this state of thirst, you suck on my
tongue so that you may gain some respite. Hadhrath Ali
Akbar
then sucked on the tongue of Imaam Husain
and gained some relief in doing so. On his second farewell,
Imaam Husain placed his ring in his sons mouth, and
when he returned to the battlefield, Hadhrath Ali
challenged the army once more, asking, Is there anyone to
combat me?
Amr ibn Saad said to Tariq ibn Sheeth, How
embarrassing that he is one young man while we are
thousands in number, yet still no one has the courage to go
up against him. He is hungry, thirsty and tired from
fighting in severe heat but he still challenges us. Does no
one possess the courage to meet his challenge? If you
exterminate this youngster, I promise to make you the
governor of Mosul! Tariq replied, It must not be that I
ruin my Hereafter by killing the son of Rasoolullah while
you do not fulfil your promise. Ibn Saad then took an
oath that Tariq would be made the governor of Mosul.
In the greed of power, Tariq the unfortunate then stepped
up to the challenge. He came face-to-face with Hadhrath
Ali Akbar
and attacked Shabih-e-Rasool
(The
resemblance of the Holy Prophet ) with a spear, yet
Hadhrath Ali
courageously defended himself and
quickly retaliated by driving a spear through Tariqs
chestcausing him to fall from his horse. Hadhrath Ali
Akbar then placed his leg on his corpse.
178
180
hope that one of them will show pity on his state. Everyone
is compassionate to children. On her request, Imaam
Husain held his son Ali Asgar to his chest and stood
with him before the Yazeedi army, saying, Disloyal
nation, I am the grandson of your Prophet and this baby
is my child. If, according to your false thinking, I am a
criminal and wrong, this child has not committed any
crime. Look at what his condition is due to thirst. O
enemies! Do not give me a bowl of water. You probably
worry that I will drink from it too. With a couple of drops,
his dry throat can be relievedand doing so will not lessen
the expanse of the Euphrates. Even disbelievers have
mercy on children, yet you people call yourselves Muslims
but do not know who this child is?!
Unfortunately these words had no effect on the stonehearted tyrants. Such was the mercy of the Yazeedis that
instead of water, the unfortunate Hurmala ibn Khil Asadi
fired an arrow towards Hadhrath Ali Asgar that pierced
his neck (and even lodged itself in the shoulder of Imaam
Husain ). When the Imaam withdrew the arrow from
Hadhrath Ali Asgars neck, blood gushed out. He then
clasped the hot blood of his son, threw it towards the
Heavens and said, O Allah ! I make
You a witness over the actions of these people! My Lord!
The severe hardship of the path I am steadfast on is only
easy through Your mercy!
182
Ali Asgar then lost his life in the arms of his father, and
Imaam Husain kissed him. Allah ! Allah ! Can you
imagine with what heart he did so?!
The womenfolk of Imaam Husains camp thought that
the Yazeedis will have compassion on the plight of Ali
Asgar . When they saw his blood on the face of the
Prophets grandsonAllahu Akbar!
Salutations to the patience of the Holy Messengers
family!
183
184
He then went into his tent and spread out his belongings.
Here he put on an Egyptian jubba, wrapped the turban of
on his head,
his grandfather Muhammad Mustapha
placed the shield of the leader of martyrs Hadhrath Hamza
on his back, tied the belt of Imaam Hasan around his
waist, and took in his hand Zulfikr, the sword of his
father Hadhrath Ali . The Leader of the Martyrs and of
the youth of Jannah was now ready to sacrifice his life for
the deen of Allah .
After then entering the tent of the womenfolk, it could be
seen that they were displaying tremendous grief. Tears
formed and fell from their eyes. Sayyidah Sakeenah
asked her father, Where are you going? And in whose
control are you leaving us? If these animals showed no
compassion to the innocent Ali Asgar , what will they do
to us?
Allah is your Protector. I caution you to have patience
and be content with His planning.
Sakeenah clutched him and cried out, If you leave me,
who will I call father?! Who will show me a fathers
compassion?!
The Imaam picked her up and placed her in Sayyidah
Zainubs
lap, saying, Zainub , this is my beloved
daughter. Do not let her cry and let her feel that she is an
orphan, and do not allow her to come to my body.
185
186
187
190
arrival of the leader of its youth. The cool and sweet water
from the fountain of Kauthar was ready for the one who
was kept thirsty for three days. The souls of the Prophets
, Saints and Martyrs waited to finally welcome the
Leader of Martyrs and grandson of the Beloved of Allah .
Suddenly, Khauli ibn Yazeed Asbahi fired an arrow
towards Imaam Husains
blessed chest. The arrow
pierced the Imaam and reached his heart. Remaining on the
horse was now difficult for him, and its reins then fell from
his hands to the ground. The cursed Shimr then struck the
blessed neck with a sword while Sinn ibn Anas Nakh
stepped forward and thrust a spear into his body. In this
position of sajda, the fragrant rose of the garden of
Rasoolullah , the Prince of the World, Sayyiduna Imaam
Husain , reached the court of Allah .
Seeing this tyranny and oppression, Sayyidah Zainub
rushed from the tent and proclaimed in grief, My beloved
brother! My master, how I wish that the sky crash on the
Earth?! At that time, Ibn Saad was standing by the
Imaam. Sayydah Zainub
said to him, Amr ibn Saad!
Abu Abdullah has been killed and you are looking on?!
Even though he was blinded by the greed of status and
glory, Ibn Saad was still human. After hearing and seeing
Sayyidah Zainubs
condition, he began to cry
uncontrollably and turned his face away from her in
shame. Tabri
192
Events Post-Karbala
The blessed family of Rasoolullah
underwent such
gross atrocities at Karbala that the Heavens and the Earth
shed tears of blood for them. The world was plunged into
darkness when Imaam Husain was martyred. Respected
Commentators of Hadith and notable scholars like
Allaamah Ibn Hajar Asqalni , Imaam Baihaqi , Hafiz
Abu Nuaim , Allaamah Ibn Katheer , Allaamah ibn
Hajar Makki , Imaam Jalaaluddin Suyuti , Shah AbdulAziz Muhaddith Dehlwi , etc. have quoted narrations
proving this in their works. Hadhrath Busrah Azdiyyah
states,
195
Blood rained from the sky when Imaam Husain was killed. In
the morning, our jugs and pitchers were filled with blood.
Sirrush-Shahaadatain and Sawaaiqul-Muhriqa with ref.
to Baihaqi and Abu Nuaim
Hadhrath Zuhri
reports,
Whichever stone was lifted in Baytul-Muqaddas on the day
Imaam Husain was martyred had fresh blood beneath it.
Tahzeebut-Tahzeeb, Sirrush-Shahaadatain and
Sawaaiqul-Muhriqa
Sayyidah Umme-Hibbang states,
From the day Imaam Husain was martyred, we experienced
three days of continuous darkness. Anyone who applied cosmetic
powder to their face was burnt, and fresh blood was found under
the stones of Baytul-Muqaddas.
Sirrush-Shahaadatain
Khalf ibn Khalifa reports from his father,
The sky turned black the day Imaam Husain was martyred
(due to a solar eclipse). Stars were visible during that day.
Tahzeebut-Tahzeeb and Sawaaiqul-Muhriqa
196
states,
Indeed darkness was cast over the world, and thereafter redness
appeared on the sky.
ibid
A narration states,
Indeed blood rained from the Heavens and the redness from it
penetrated the very fibre of clothes.
ibid
Hadhrath Ali ibn Mahshar
grandmother said,
197
narrates,
When Imaam Husain was martyred, the world was cast into
darkness for seven days, the colour of daylight projected on walls
was red, and stars fell against one another. His martyrdom
occurred on the day of Ashura, a day in which a solar-eclipse was
also experienced. The skys horizon remained red for 6
consecutive months, and although the redness faded eventually,
the redness of the horizon was still affected by it. The extent of
redness now prevalent on the horizon was unfound prior to this.
Taareekhul-Khulafa and Sawaaiqul-Muhriqa
Allaamah Ibn Jauzi says that the sky turning red and
blood raining down is indicative of Allahs
extreme
displeasure and anger. When anger is experienced, blood is
worked up and the face turns red. Of course Allah is free
from all physical forms and qualities, but He demonstrated
His wrath by turning the sky red and causing blood to rain
198
At the time of Imaam Husains martyrdom, I noticed that
saffron turned to ashes and meat appeared as if it was devoured
by fire.
Tahzeebut-Tahzeeb and Sirrush-Shahaadatain
Jaml ibn Murrah narrates,
After killing Imaam Husain , the Yazeedi soldiers seized the
camels of the Husaini camp and slaughtered and cooked them.
The meat turned bitter like colocynth and none could consume it.
Tahzeebut-Tahzeeb, Baihaqi
and Sirrush-Shahaadatain
Hadhrath Ibn Abbas
states,
199
Once, at midday, I saw the Holy Prophet in a dream. His hair
was ruffled and dusty and he had a glass bottle full of blood. I
said to him, May my parents be sacrificed on you! What is
this? He explained, This is the blood of Husain and his
companions which I have been collecting from the morning.
Hadhrath Ibn Abbas further states, I remember the date and
time that this dream occurred. When news of Husains
martyrdom reached me, [I came to know that] it was the very date
and time I had the dream.
Mishkaat and Tahzeebut-Tahzeeb
Hujjatul-Islam Imaam Ghazzali
records the following
narration in his book Ihyul-Ulmiddin in BaabulMunjaat, One day, Hadhrath Ibn Abbas awoke from
his sleep and said, Indeed to Allah do we
belong and indeed to Him we will return! By Allah ,
Husain has been killed! People were surprised to hear
this and asked him how he came to this conclusion. He
in a dream
explained, I saw the Holy Messenger
carrying a glass bottle full of blood. He said to me, O Ibn
Abbas , do you know what my Ummah has done after
me? They killed my son Husain . This is his and his
companions blood which I am taking to Allah
.
Twenty-four days after this dream, news of Imaam
200
Husains
Nihaayah
202
205
206
reports,
The nation of Thamud slaughtered the camel (of Sayyiduna
Salih
Allah
greater
camel.
It is truly surprising that they committed such tyranny but
were not mutilated like the killers of the camel. Yes, Allah
affords the oppressors a chance. Tahzeebut-Tahzeeb
207
?! and it replied to me in
despondency,
Yes, indeed Husain
Karbala.
I cry over Husain with grief that does not displease Allah
but is aspirant of reward.
Then its wings became so stiff that it did not have the
strength to answer.
I then cried due to the afflictions I faced after the blessed
personality. Noorul-Absaar
208
Beware, none of you should enter the camp of the AhleBayt and interfere with this sick boy. Those who looted and
plundered their possessions must return it to them. The
Yazeedi soldiers then stopped interfering with Imaam
(yet none of them returned the goods
Zainul-Abideen
that they stole). Tabri and Ibn Atheer
When the grieved members of the Ahle-Bayt proceeded to
Kufa in the morning as prisoners of the Yazeedi army, the
noble womenfolk of this illustrious family passed by the
bodies of their husbands, sons and brothers. At this
moment, Sayyidah Zainub cried and said,
O Muhammad ! O Muhammad ! The Durood and
Salaam of Allah and the Heavenly angels be upon you!
This is Husain , who is left in this desolate, barren piece
of land, [with] his body-parts separated and messed in dust
and blood. O Muhammad ! Your daughters are being
kept as prisoners, your children have been killed and the
winds blow dust on their bodies.
Hearing this plea of hers, friends (and even enemies) began
to cry. Tabri and Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah
213
214
The Prophets
218
They began to drink alcohol. Al-Bidaayah, SawaaiqulMuhriqah and Sirrush-Shahaadatain, Noorul-Absaar and
Sadatul-Kaunain
While they were immersed in this debauchery, a pen of
steel emerged and wrote the following in blood,
Do those who martyred Husain hope that his grandfather
(Muhammad Mustapha ) will intercede for them on the Day of
Reckoning?
Some narrations state that this was written on the walls of
the church [before the arrival of the army]. When these
wretches saw the verse, they asked the monk of the
monastery who wrote it and from when it was written.
The monk replied, This verse was written 500 years before
the advent of your Prophet. Trkhul-Khams, SadatulKaunain, Haytul-Hayawaan
Allaamah Ibn Katheer narrates from Ibn Asakir ,
An army went to Roman lands for battle and saw this verse
in a church. They asked when it was written and who
wrote it and were told, This was written 300 years before
the coming of your Prophet. Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah
Seeing the heads of martyrs on spears, womenfolk riding
on the open backs of camels, and children chained as
captives had a major effect on the monk of the monastery.
222
away, but there was no refuge for them. They hid from us
to save their lives the way a pigeon hides from an eagle.
Leader of the faithful! By Allah, we killed all his men in the
time it takes for a camel to be slaughtered. Now their
corpses lay naked, dust and sand messes their faces and
clothes, the heat of the sun disintegrates their bodies, the
wind blows dirt on them, and in a barren and desolate
piece of earth, scorpions and donkeys descend on their
bodies. It is said that when Yazeed heard this, he began to
shed tears and said, I would have been happy with your
obedience if you had not killed Husain. May Allah curse
Ibn Sammiyyah (Ibn Ziyad). Oath on Allah! If I were there,
I would have forgiven Husain. May Allah have mercy on
Husain! Zahr received no reward from Yazeed. Tabri,
Ibn Atheer and Al-Bidaayah
Second Narration Shimr Zil-Joshn and Mahfar ibn
Thalabah went to Yazeed with the blessed head of Imaam
Husain . When they neared the court, Mahfar stood at the
door and loudly proclaimed, We bring the head of the
most stupid and deplorable person to the leader of the
faithful. (Allah
forbid!) When Yazeed heard this, he
said, The mother of Mahfar has not given birth to a son
more stupid and deplorable than him. Indeed he is an
oppressor. The soldiers then entered the court, placed the
blessed head before Yazeed and related the entire
occurrence of Karbala. Yazeeds wife, Hind bint Abdullah
ibn Aamir, had also heard about what had happened, so
she draped herself in her sheet and entered the court,
asking, O leader of the faithful (i.e. Yazeed), is this the
226
and Shabi
state,
Yazeed recited two other verses that are indicative of his
infidelity ().
The verses are,
The Banu Hashim were fooling around with power, and neither
did any message come to them nor did they receive revelation. If I
did not take revenge from the children of Ahmed for what they
did, I would not be from the children of Utba.
Sawaaiqul-Muhriqah
Fourth Narration When the heads of Imaam Husain
and the other martyrs of Karbala were placed before
Yazeed, he recited the poetry of Haseen ibn Hamm
229
By Allah ! You can not have her! Allah has not given
you this right. Yes, if you leave our deen of Islam and
choose another religion, then you can have her (i.e. as long
as you call yourself a Muslim, you cannot take a female
Muslim as war-booty).
Yazeed was now beside himself with anger. Do you talk
like this to me?! It is your father and brother that left the
deen!
Sayyidah Zainub
said, You, your father and your
grandfather all gained salvation from the deen of Allah ,
(the deen of) my grandfather, my father and my brother!
Yazeed angrily retorted Enemy of Allah! You lie!
Sayyidah Zainub
said You have wealth and you are
being severe and abusive without right due to your
kingship.
Hearing this, Yazeed was ashamed and remained silent.
Ibn Atheer, Tabri, Bidaayah and Tahzeebut-Tahzeeb
Fifth Narration When the head of Imaam Husain was
placed before Yazeed, he became happy, and the respect of
Ibn Ziyad grew in his eye. This is why he initially showed
him great honour and gave him much reward. Later,
however, Yazeed began to show remorse to Ibn Ziyad
because people were beginning to hate, swear and curse
him (Yazeed) for killing Imaam Husain . In turn, he
began to swear Ibn Ziyad, saying, Allahs
anger be
upon Ibn Marjnah! By killing Husain, he has sown hatred
and enmity for me in the hearts of Muslims. Now every
good and bad person has become my enemy due to the
232
When the blessed head of Imaam Husain
was
placed before Yazeed, he used the stick he had in
his hand to poke the teeth and said, He and I are
like how Haseen ibn Hamm said, Our swords
slice the heads of those who were dominant over
us, and they were indeed disobedient and
oppressors.
Hadhrath Abu Burzah Aslami (a Companion of
the Holy Prophet ) said,
by Allah ! Yazeed, you hit your stick against the
blessed lips I saw the Holy Prophet kiss! On the
Day of Reckoning, Ibn Ziyad will be your
intercessor while Husains
will be the Holy
Messenger . He then stood up and left the
gathering. Al-Bidayaah wan-Nihaayah
235
2. Ibn Katheer
further narrated this incident
through a second chain of narrators from Hadhrath
Jafar ,
3. Along with a third chain from Hadhrath Imaam
Hasan Al-Basri .
This narration is also found in Tarikh Tabri, Ibn Atheer and
Sawaaiqul-Muhriqah
Note that when Ibn Ziyad poked the blessed head with a
stick, Hadhrath Zaid ibn Arqam was present and it was
he who reprimanded the wretch. When Yazeed poked the
blessed head, he was rebuked by Hadhrath Abu Burzah
Aslami .
Allaamah Ibn Hajar Makki
records the following
narration,
237
238
kinder than
The Prophets
240
242
245
Family and
their Companions
There is a difference in opinion regarding the number of
Imaam Husains companions and family-members who
were martyred with him. Some say 70, 72, 79, 82, while
others say that it is an even greater number. The names of
the Ahle-Bayt amongst them are mentioned below,
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Number of Captives
Imaam Zainul-Abideen
Hadhrath Umar ibn Husain ibn Ali , the son of Imaam
Husain . Some have included the name Amr ibn Hasan,
though this does not seem to be correct.
Hadhrath Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib
(the nephew of Imaam Husain )
Sayyidah Zainub and Umme-Kulthum (the sisters of
Imaam Husain )
Sayyidah Faathimah
and Sakina bint Husain (the
daughters of Imaam Husain )
Sayyidah Shehr Banu bint Yazdjird ibn Shehr Yaar (the
wife of Imaam Husain . She was the grand daughter of
Kisra, the king of Persia).
(the wife of
Sayyidah Ribaab bin Imraul-Qais ibn Adi
Imaam Husain )
Imaam Husain
had much affection for his wife,
Sayyidah Ribaab , the mother of Sayyidah Sakeenah .
So, it is narrated by Sayyidah Sakeenah , Once, my uncle
247
248
Indeed your personage for me was like a mountain wherein I
should seek safety and you should keep my company with
goodness, love and kindness.
Who now is the refuge of orphans and the mendicant? Who will
be the solace of every poor and destitute person?
Oath on Allah , after affinity with you in marriage, I will not
seek another until sand is thrown over me.
Noorul-Absaar
Some say that she remained at Karbala the entire year
before returning to Madinah, where she passed away in the
grief and separation of her husband, Imaam Husain .
249
250
Shaikh Shahbuddin
continues, From that day on, I
had certainty that Imaam Husains
head is there. He
also never forsook visiting it until his final breath.
Tabqtul-Auliya by Allaamah Sharni
Shaikh Abdul-Fatth ibn Abi Bakr ibn Ahmed ibn Shafi
Khalwati
states in his treatise, Noorul-Ain, KhatamulHuffz wal-Muhadditheen Shaikhul-Islam wal-Muslimeen
Najmuddin Gheeti
narrates that Shaikhul-Islam
Shamsuddin Luqqani , the Shaikhul-Shuykh of the
Malikis of his time, would always present himself for the
visiting of the blessed head of the mashhad and would
say, The head of Imaam Husain is here.
251
would
. The
253
254
By Allah ! We broke our allegiance to Yazeed after
fearing being stoned from the Heavens (due to his sinful
ways). Indeed he was someone who married his mothers,
sisters and daughters, consumed alcohol and did not
perform Salaah. Tareekhul-Khulafa and SawaaiqulMuhriqah
The Ahle-Haramain (citizens of the Harams Makkah and
Madinah) also severely opposed Yazeed and broke their
allegiance ( )to him. In fact, this rebellion of theirs could
be the reason why people in other areas broke their
allegiances and rebelled against him (since the Haramain is
the heart and soul of the Muslim world). Yazeed was aware
of this and feared losing his power, so he sent Muslim ibn
Aqba with a 20,000-strong army to attack the two holy
cities. This cursed army committed sin in the Prophets
city that would embarrass even Abu Jahl. The residents of
Madinah (who are the neighbours of Rasoolullah ) had to
endure the heights of oppression and tyranny, and killing,
looting, rape and torture was the rule of the day.
The people of the two cities had been forced to accept the
allegiance ( )and slavery to Yazeed with the following
words, I accept slavery to Yazeed. If he wishes, he can sell
or free me. Whoever said, I pledge allegiance to be
obedient to and follow the command of Allah
and His
Messenger , was killed. For this reason, many fled from
255
258
said,
259
261
The mantle ( )of the Kaaba and its walls were burned,
and while standing on the House of Allah
army recited the following,
, Yazeeds
These catapults are like healthy camels by which we stone the
walls of this musjid.
The pillars in the Haram were destroyed by this stoning
and even the walls were broken! Amr ibn Hauta Sudsi
recited the following, Just look at Umme-Farwa (i.e. the
catapults)! See how it targets people between Safa and
Marwa. Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah, Tabri and Ibn Atheer
In short, Yazeeds wicked army demonstrated much
barbarianism in these attacks. For two months, the
residents of the Haram endured severe hardships and the
Kaaba remained uncovered for several days (with its root
burnt and its walls broken). These sad events occurred in
the beginning of Rabiul-Awwal 64 A.H., and it was at the
end of this month, while the Kaaba was being attacked,
that news of Yazeeds death was received. As soon as
received the news, he
Hadhrath Abdullah ibn Zubair
loudly addressed the army from Syria, saying, Your devil
has been destroyed! News of Yazeeds death caused the
Syrian army to lose heart in the battle and strengthened the
confidence of Hadhrath Abdullah ibn Zubair
and his
supporters. They therefore launched a successful offense
against the Syrian army which caused them to flee
264
265
267
268
269
272
278
279
280
Shimr Zil-Joshn
Muslim ibn Abdullah Dabbi narrates, I accompanied
Shimr Zil-Joshn on fast horses out of Kufa. Mukhtars slave
Zarbi followed us. Although we rode fast, he caught up to
us and attacked Shimr (who was able to defend himself
from the attacks). Shimr eventually struck him hard with
281
285
289
When the heads of Ubaidullah ibn Ziyad and his cronies
were brought to the courtyard of the musjid, they were
placed according to their notoriety. I came close and the
people around them were shouting, It has come! It has
come! A snake appeared, slithered around the heads and
entered the nostrils of Ibn Ziyads head! It remained there
for a few minutes, then exited and disappeared. Later,
people began to shout again, It has come! It has come!
The snake did this a few times. This Hadith is Hasan
Sahih. Tirmizhi, Baabul-Manaaqib
Hadhrath Mugheera states,
After the martyrdom of Imaam Husain , Marjaanah (the
mother of Ibn Ziyad) said to her son, Wretch! You killed
the grandson of the Holy Prophet ! Oath on Allah ! You
will never be able to see Jannah. Tahzeebut-Tahzeeb and
Ibn Atheer
At the time of Ibn Ziyads killing, Ibn Mafrag expressed
the following in poetry,
When death comes to a tyrant oppressive person, it tears apart
the coverings of his doors (i.e. it destroys him).
290
292
294
said in a Hadith,
3. Sayyiduna Musa
was delivered from the
cruelty of Pharaoh (who was also drowned on this
day).
4. Sayyiduna Isa
Heavens.
295
5. Sayyiduna Yunus
was taken out of the fishs
stomach and his nations offence was forgiven.
6. Sayyiduna Yusuf
7. Sayyiduna Ayub
8. Sayyiduna Idris
9. Sayyiduna Ibrahim
was born (and the fire of
Nimrod was cooled for him) on this day.
10. Sayyiduna
dominion.
Sulaiman
was blessed
with
also said,
298
During the night, the man had a dream in which he saw an
exquisitely beautiful maiden of Jannah holding a fragrant
apple. When the apple was broken in two, a garb was
found inside it. The man asked her who she was and she
explained, I am Ashura, your companion in Jannah.
He then awoke and found his entire home fragrant, after
which he proceeded to perform wudhu, read two rakaats
Salaah and made the following dua, If she is truly my
companion in Jannah, let my soul be taken away and may I
be united with her. Allah
accepted this dua and the
man then experienced death. Ibid
Imaam Abdullah Yaafa Makki narrates that there was
an eminent and rich Islamic judge who lived in the city of
Ree (current day Tehran). On the day of Ashura, a beggar
preserve your
came to him and said, May Allah
respect! I am a poor and humble beggar who has a family
to feed. I ask you, in the sanctity of this auspicious and
blessed day, to give me 10 munns (a measurement) of flour,
five munns of meat and two dirhams in charity. The judge
promised that he would give the amount at the time of
Zohr. However, when the beggar approached him at the
appointed time, the judge changed his mind and said that
he will give it to him at the time of Asr. When the time of
Asr came, the judge evaded him and did not give anything
at all. The beggar then carried on his way despondently.
300
301
remember Allah
reward.
303
and fell unconscious. When he woke up, he said, How illhearted, unfortunate and deprived of mercy and blessings
were they, whereas they knew well that they [the martyrs
of Karbala] were the sons of the king of the world, the
Hereafter, and this deen?! Still, they mercilessly
slaughtered them and did not stop to think about how they
on the Day of
were going to face the Holy Messenger
Qiyaamah! Raahatul-Quloob
Hadhrath Khwaja Amir Khusru Nizmi narrates, On
the 5th of Muharram 691 A.H, I had the honour of kissing
the blessed feet of Sultnul-Auliya Khwaja Nizaamuddin
Auliya . While he was talking, he began to cry and said,
Everyone knows how the tyrants mercilessly martyred the
beloveds of Sayyidah Faathimah on the plains of Karbala
and denied them food and water. The entire world was
plunged into grief the day Imaam Husain was martyred.
It began to thunder, lightning became excessive,
earthquakes occurred and angels continuously requested
permission from Allah
to destroy those guilty of these
wicked atrocities. Allah said to them, You do not have
any need to ask Us because fate has been made so. It is a
matter between My Beloved and I, and you do not have
to get involved. On the Day of Qiyaamah, I will judge over
these tyrants based on what My beloveds wish. Whatever
they say will happen. Afdalul-Fawid
306
states in a fatwa,
And give glad-tidings to the patient. Those who, when afflicted
by some misfortune, say, Surely we belong to Allah and to
Him is our return. These are the people on whom are blessings
and mercy from their Lord, and they are the rightly guided.
Surah Baqarah, Verses 155-7
These verses establishes that those who demonstrate
patience in the face of hardship and say, Inna Lillahi wa
Inna Ilaihi Rjin (Surely we belong to Allah
and to
Him is our return.) are given glad-tidings of Divine mercy
and blessings. Allah also states,
313
Indeed Allah is with those who are patient.
Surah Baqarah, Verse 153
This proves that those who are patient have a special
closeness to Allah
. To be patient is undoubtedly
difficult, but its reward is immense too. The Holy Quran
states,
Most certainly, those with patience will be fully rewarded
without measure.
Surah Zumar, Verse 10
The habit of the pious servants of Allah
is to
demonstrate patience, as their true Lord and Master is
pleased with this. He is extremely displeased with those
who are impatient and apprehensive.
Imaam Husain reports that the Holy Prophet said, If
a Muslim experienced a difficulty and later remembers it
and says, Inna Lillahi..., Allah
renews the reward of
the patience as it was from the day of the difficulty, even if
a long time has passed. Ahmed; Ibn Majah; Baihaqi and
Durre-Mansr
Rasoolullah has also been narrated by Hadhrath Anas
ibn Malik to have said the above.
314
315
Night Journey to
Jerusalem
Objections and Responses
Jesus (Peace be upon him) as the True Messiah
The Anti-Christ or False Messiah
317
318
319
320