The title: Al-Husayn a wonderful Man in the Heavens

Autor: Sayyed Mohsen Tayyib nia

Email: Mohsentayyeb110@gmail.com

Translator: Ali Ebrahime

Publisher: Al-Balagh-est

All right resserred to sayyed

Mohsen Tayyib nia

albalagh-est

Liban-Beirut

00961 1 553119 00961 3 514905

Email: albalagh-est@hotmail.com

P: 2

Chapter Five: Invoking by Husayn (a) and His Epic ........................159

Notes on Chapter Five..........177

1). Intermediaries......187

Wahhabism raises skepticism......190

2). The Saints of God possess the universe with permission of God.... 190

3). Calling upon the Saints of God fails to stand for calling upon them at God's vicinity..... 191

Response to vulgar remarks of Wahhabis.....192

4). When such Quranic arguments are made on allowed invocation by the Saints of God and Wahhabis are incapable of being responsive, they finally say:..............193

Response........ 193

Wahhabis respond ..................194

Response.........194

5). God says that we keep close to Him by some means ............................195

Chapter six: Path of Husayn (‘a) and His Epic ....197

Notes on Chapter Six.........219

Mukhtar in the Eyes of Imams (‘a) .....................228

• Habib Ibn Mazaher..........235

Chapter Seven: 'Abbas of Husayn (a) and His Epic..... 253

Notes on Chapter Seven.....267

Chapter Eight: Companions of Husayn (a) and their Chivalry ..........277

• Zahir Ibn Qeyn.... 282

• Horr Ibn Yazid Riyahi................. 291

Moslem Ibn Awsajah Assadi .....................293

Wahab Ibn Hebab............ 295

Abu Thumama Sa'edi ...................297

• Nafe'a Ibn Helal.........297

• John Ibn Abi Malek..........300

Notes on Chapter Eight.....307

As for the martyrdom story of Qeys Ibn Musahhar.......308

Chapter Nine: Zeynab of Husayn (‘a) and Her Epic...................319

Notes on Chapter Nine ......342

Response.........357

Chapter Ten: Good-deed Life in Light of Husayn (‘a) and His Epic........ 371

Notes on Chapter Ten.........388

References.........403

P: 4

Hazrat Husayn Ibn Ali (‘a), grandson of the holy Prophet of Islam (s), is the 3rd Imam of Twelver Shi'a. He raised an uprising against the corrupt rule of the Umayyad in 61 A.H and he along with his relatives, some of his children and companions were martyred.

After departure of the Prophet of Islam (s), Islamic ummah was divided into two groups: Majority of Sunnis and minority of Shiites.

Sunnis believe that the Prophet of Islam selected nobody as his successor after himself, but he entrusted the affairs to people. People elected Abubakr-an aged man-as caliph of Muslims. The Shiites hold that the Prophet (s) like his precedents did not leave his ummah on their own; he introduced his cousin and son-in-law, Hazrat Ali Ibn Abitaleb (‘a) who was the first to believe him and the purest, the most learned and the most combatant of his time as his successor in Ghadir-e-khum to people on behalf of God. This event took place during the last year of his life.

The Shiites maintain that Ali (‘a) always remained Proof of God and Imam of the world although.

The hypocrite dissidents turned the tables after departure of the Prophet (s) and stopped Ali (‘a) taking charge of the public affairs.

The Shiites believe in the twelve Imams from Ali (‘a) in generation who are all legatees of disciplines of the Prophet (s) and are the Infallibles. They are all true guides and interpreters of the Quran whose blessed existence stopped distortion of religion of Islam.

P: 5

The Imams had been martyred by tyrants of the time one after another except the twelfth Imam, Mahdi, the Promised one, who went on Major Occultation ordered by God in 260 A.H. the Shiites believe that he is alive and will emerge at the end of the time and combats the tyrants with divine power. He fills the world with justice and equality and Hazrat Jesus Christ (a) comes down the heavens and assists Imam Mahdi, the Promised. According to Shiites, Shiism (religion of Progeny of God's Messenger (s)) stands as the true religion on earth which can satisfy all requirements of man in all ages. It provides man with prosperity in both worlds. The Shiites bring about plenty of exact issues from their Imams about theology, convictions, ethics, the Quran interpretation, politics and scientific topics. Here, you can read about the life story of Hazrat Husayn Ibn Ali (a) which has been nicely composed based on the most authentic historical-Islamic sources.

Author

Seyyed Mohsen Tayyibnia

P: 6

Thy Revelation:

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ

And indeed We were the One Who created man and We know what His passionate-self whisper does to his heart and [through the Embracing Knowledge] We are nearer to him than his jugular vein ( Qaaf:16)

Thou are aware of whatever man does and of whatever of bad mindset he conceals in his heart. Thou make reckoning of his acts in the Resurrection Day Thou promised.

لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّماواتِ وَ ما فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ إِنْ تُبْدُوا ما في أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُمْ بِهِ اللَّهُ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَنْ يَشاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and on the earth. And whether you make known what is in your hearts or hide it, Allah will call you to account for it and then He Will forgive whomsoever He Wills. And verily, Allah is powerful over all things (Baqara: 284).

True, major Resurrection Day, momentous and horrible arena, is meeting place of people where Thou re-create all men for rewarding the good ones and punishing the bad ones because Thou created the Universe not absurd for which Thou say in Thy eternal Revelation:

وَ ما خَلَقْنَا السَّماءَ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُما لاعِبِينَ

We did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them just as a cause of amusement [for us] (Anbiya': 16)

P: 9

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّ السَّاعَةَ لَاتِيةٌ فَاصْفَحِ الصَّفْحَ الْجَمِيلَ

We did not create the heavens and the earth and all that exist between them except with Divine Purposes and surely the Hour of Resurrection will come. So [O, Messenger] overlook [your enemies' ignorance] with a gracious pardoning (Hijr: 85)

True, Thou uphold Resurrection and exact reckoning with Thy Justice Scales in which little error exists and after that Thy Eternality and all this indicates that: Thou Created things not in absurdity.

Thou created human sperm out of soil essence; Thou then converted drop of sperm into blood within womb of mothers; Thou made flesh and bones out of sensitive blood-clot; Thou inhaled spirit into it and brought into world of existence the human kind;

True, Thou are the Exalted and Almighty God who can give the very man a re-life after his death in the Resurrection Day as Thou say in Thy Revelation:

أيحسب الإنسان أن يُترك سُدى ألم يكُ نُطفة مِنْ مني يُمْن ثُمّ كان علقة فخلق فسوى فجعل مِنْهُ الزَوْجِينِ الذكر والأنثى أليس ذلِكَ بِقَادِرٍ على أَنْ يُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى

Does man think that he will be left without any trial or punishment? Was he not he but a drop of sperm poured forth? [In his mother's womb]; then he became a blood-clot; Allah created him and bestowed him shape in due proportion; and of him He produced two kinds: Male and female; so is not the One Who Created man, Able to give life the dead? (Qiyama: 36-40)

And man overwhelmed with self-pride in modern era and negligent of remembering Thee must look back to his early times when he was nothing but a valueless drop of sperm and Thou looked to the water sperm and bestowed him life, talent, capability, beauty, strength and liberty.

P: 10

True,

Man must look back to his early existence, leave his drive of self-pride and understand that Thou are his benefactor as it is said in Thy Revelation:

فَلْيَنظُرِ الْإِنسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ خُلِقَ مِن مَّاء دَافِقٍ يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَائِبِ إِنَّهُ عَلَى رَجْعِهِ لَقَادِرٌ

Man should ponder about his own creation to see of what he is created: He is created from a leaping drop, which comes out of the backbone of the father and the ribs [of the mother]; certainly Allah is Able to give life to this Creature after his death (Tariq: 5-8)

And I testify that each of Thy Creatures is a sign of Thy Sacred Existence;

True,

Each of Thy Phenomena is a clear reason for the pure-natured and the intelligent who by seeing them confess that: Thou are the Grandiose and Unique whose kingdom surrounds the universe.

Thou say in Thy Eternal Revelation:

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا مَّاءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ مِن أَنزَلَ اللهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth; and in the difference between the night and the day [regarding light and darkness, sleep and motion, etc....]; and the ships which sail through the sea with goods which is of use to mankind; and the rain which Allah sends down from the sky and makes the earth alive herewith, after its death and the moving [living ] creatures of all kinds that He has scattered therein; and in the whirling of the winds and the clouds which are held between the sky

P: 11

and the earth, [in all these] are indeed Signs for those people who ponder and use their reason (Baqara: 164)

Whoever even slightly raises doubt about Thy Sacred Being within the universe order; atrocity shall be dominant over in his heart and has blinded his sight!

True,

No heart shall deny Thee with all such Thy Signs clearly existent in the universe save the heart which has been darkened through extreme ruthlessness.

As Thou say in Thy eternally illuminated Words of Revelation:

أَفَلَا يَنظُرُونَ إِلَى الْإِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ وَإِلَى السَّمَاء كَيْفَ رُفِعَتْ وَإِلَى الْجِبَالِ كَيْفَ نُصِبَتْ وَإِلَى الْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُصَيْطِرٍ

Do the believers not look at the camel how it was created? And about the sky how it is raised over them? And about the mountains how they are firmly fixed on the earth? And about the earth how it is spread out? So [O Messenger!] remind them since you are the one to admonish (Ghashiyah: 17-22)

Swear to Thy Grandiose! Palm kernel-by itself-proves Thy Divinity in the universe.

O' the awakened people! Tell me:

One palm kernel is as big as knuckle; who has grown it to become a 20- meter sturdy tree whose strong roots split and pierce into hard soils and hard rocks and whose watery and soft fruits sweeten the tastes?!

True,

Everybody says: Allah! Allah!

P: 12

And who has let the sun shine in the sky with countless stars surrounded around and has sent down pure water onto the earth?!

True,

Everybody says: Allah! Allah!

And which magnified hand is there that has stabilized the globe on an orbit five billion years and incessantly circulates it in two ways to make seasons, day and night for the life to continue on the earth?!!

True,

Everybody says: The Magnified Hand of Allah! The Magnified Hand of Allah!

I acquire knowledge by observing Thy tiny creature whose existence Thou have bestowed and overflown with magnitudes reflecting Thy Creation and Divinity in the universe.

And that tiny creature is honey bee!

Thou have named one Surah of Thy eternal Words of Revelation as honey bee and in order to tell of Thy Grace and Make a Mention to Thy worshippers, Thou say:

وَأَوْحَى رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحْلِ أَنِ اتَّخِذِي مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتاً وَمِنَ الشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ ثُمَّ كُلِي مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ فَاسْلُكِي سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلاً يَخْرُجُ مِن بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيهِ شِفَاء لِلنَّاسِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

And your Creator and Nurturer revealed to the Bee stating: "Make nests in the mountains and in the trees and in what they erect for vines, then eat of all kinds of fruits and fly in the ways of your Creator and Nurturer which is made smooth [like air]. "There comes out from bellies a sweet drink of diverse hues wherein is a healing substance for mankind.

P: 13

Verily, in this [process] is a Sign of Allah's Power of Creation for the people who reflect. (Nahl: 68-69)

Honey bee has a much regulated life with very exact planning, labor division, duty and system. City of bees is the purest, the most regulated and the most laborious of all, a city unlike all cities of people has no jobless and poor beings and with a brilliant civilization. There are few undutiful and wrongdoing people seen in the city and if bees seldom use bad-odor and harmful flowers outside the hive due to negligence, they are stopped at the gate of hive for inspection and are sentenced to face a drumhead execution.

Honey is one of the priceless and invaluable gifts of this wonderful insect including nectar of flowers sucked by bee with its own small proboscis and taken into a very small sac called honey sac through mouth. When the collected nectar reaches about forty mg, the bee leaves flowers and flies towards the hive. For preparing 1kilo of honey, the bee should collect nectars of twenty million flowers and fly twenty five thousand times. Interestingly, honey bee sits on only one flower and as long as it is engaged in collecting nectar of one flower, it never sits on other flowers. The bee shakes its wings sixteen thousand times in every minute.

This marvelous being produces a useful foodstuff (honey) and it is a valuable elixir having plenty of health treatment and extraordinarily energetic and preventative substance.

In Planned livelihood of honey bees and what they bring for human world which contains food, treatment and lesson of life one finds clear Sign of Grandeur, Power and Divinity of Allah for thoughtful people.

One of the Belgian biologists named "Maurice Maeterlinck" who has conducted lots of studies about life of honey bee talks about the eccentric system ruling over their city in this way: the queen is not a ruler in the city of honey bees as imagined by us; rather like others, it obeys rules and general orders. Nobody knows who has set these rules and orders and we expect to find

P: 14

this out some day and know who has established these rules but we temporarily call them spirit of hive!

In case the said scientist talks as such because of his mental precipitation from the materialists, yet we very well realize, as instructed by Thee, that where all these fames and plans come from and who the Regulator and Commander is.

How nice Thy Interpretation is in the Holy Quran:

وَأَوْحَى رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحْلِ ........

And your Creator and Nurturer revealed to the Bee........

True, this cannot be imagined more comprehensive and clearer and more audible than this!

And oh God the Almighty!

This brief talk about such creature suffices to discover Thy Grandiose for the thoughtful people.

True,

إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةٌ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

Surely, in that is a Sign for men of reason

Unending praise belongs to Thee who created us with Thy Favor and granted us all kinds of blessings with no indebtedness.

Thou gave us world existence from non-existence and granted abundant grace to us while Thou were needless of us.

Of course, we, worshippers, are not able to thank and gratify Thee and if we do it day and night, we cannot be grateful of even one of Thy graces!

P: 15

Then, O, the Compassionate Allah! O, God the Almighty! O, the Honorable God! Forgive us because we are ungrateful servants.

And O, the Compassionate Allah! Although Thou filled the world with Thy Signs of Power, Greatness and Divinity, made it nice and created countless blessings for mankind, Thou never destined it as our surviving place and Thou say:

والآخرة خير وأبقى

Though the Hereafter is finer and enduring (A'la:17)

And Thou introduced the world as trivial in the face of infinite and perennial blessings of the other world.

O, God! Thou forgive our wrongs and faults with Thy endless benisons, bless us and grant us successful knowledge and servitude.

May Thy Greetings be upon all Messengers, particularly our master, our beloved and intercessor of our sins: Maulana and Seyyedena Abulqassem Al- Mustafa Mohammad (s); he is the very endeared whose sacred existence is being placed "رحمه للعالمین" (We sent you to be a blessing for the world) and Thou upgraded him in rank compared to Thy other creatures.

Thy Peace and Greetings be upon his pure progeny, particularly the scientific entry of the Prophet(s) and his executor, Maulana Amir Al-Mu'menin Ali bin Abitaleb (‘a).

The same infallible progeny, the good tree of the Holy Quran and after the honorable Prophet (s) they lay within their holy beings the path of guidance and salvation and their guardianship is the rescue ark of humanity.

P: 16

and being pleased with divine destiny and repulsion of satanic lures leaves momentous impacts.

Henceforth, the late Allameh Majlisi puts down sorrowful tragedy and in this piece of writing, he gives embroidered portrait of, after praising Allah, grief and sorrow of creatures of the universe such as: planets and stars, gulls in the sky, jinns and man, angels and messengers, day and night, dawn and dusk, mountains and plains and multifarious species of colorful flowers on the occasion of tragedy of Hazrat Seyyed Al-Shuhada (‘a). Finally, he says: From Adam to Seal of the Prophets (s), from the earth to the heavenly universe, all things are faced with his mournful bereavement......

Here, you first read the late Majlisi's sorrowful, literary and nicely spoken treatise. Later, brief points are made about the book, "Universe-illuminating Countenance", but the late Majlisi's treatise puts his words on mourning of Mawlana Husayn Ibn Ali (‘a) as follows:(1)

Unending praise deserves being granted to Owner of Kingdom who, as to inclusion of the holy verse calls on affliction to ears and minds of those being granted His Oneness Audience-Chamber.

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الأَمَوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ

We will surely test you [all] with something of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and lives and fruits. [O, Messenger] so give glad tidings to the patients (Baqara: 155) .

P: 18

Firstly, He feeds with victuals of grief and sorrow of pains because of the prophets and legatees and He Has given from the tune of:

الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

[The patients are:] those who when afflicted with calamity they say: "Verily, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return." (Baqara: 156)

The good news of:

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلوا في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ أَمواتًا بَل أَحياءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِم يُرزَقُونَ

Do not consider those who are slain in the Way of Allah are dead; nay! They are alive and receive their sustenance in the Presence of their Creator and Nurturer. (Al-e Imran: 169)

To soldiers and self-devotees of the bondage path and He Has let them sip toxin of mortification and had their souls desire to drink goblets of sherbet of martyrdom and He Has made those flawless full-fledged endure suffering and pain within fully tolerant test of suspicion and cynicism.

He Has brought their blessed names day and night written to be commonly stricken in the mint of the universe.

And traders of wayfarer of life to come have been given lots of profit because of full-scale criticism of bona fide affection when:

يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ

On the Day neither wealth nor children will avail a person against the Divine Punishment. (Shu'ara: 88)

P: 19

May noteworthy salutation and illustrious Salawat (praise of Allah be on Mohammad and his progeny) be on the high-flier:

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى......

Absolute Pure is the One......(Israa: 1)

And the one who is granted an audience to frontage of haram

فَكَانَقَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى

Until the distance between He and he was at two bow-lengths or even nearer (Najm: 9)

And the one who is addressed by His Excellence

ثم دَنَي فَتَدَلٍ

Then he came closer and closer to His Presence (Najm: 8)

And the one who is given good news

وَلَسَوْفَ يَعْطِيكَ رَبِّكَ فَتَرْضى

And surely soon Your Creator and Nurturer will grant you so much of the Blessings that you will be joyous from it (Zoha: 5)

The one who is special envoy of God

The one who is conveyor of firm proof

The one who possesses great calamity and enormous disaster: Mohammad Mustafa (s); our lord who suffered pains of disaster for the one who is the oppressed descendant: lord of martyrs prone

Mourning for his infallible descendant who is sultan of Karbala throne

Those sacred ones who sit on the abode of Angels remain down out of grief

P: 20

and sorrow

And heavenly cherubim raise wrinkled eyebrow out of blood and billow

From his horrible event, the empyrean and throne live in trepidation and pulsation

And pen rending in sorrow 'cause of his disaster regret leaves tablet in retardation

Planets in circulating cycle horrified by the news are in hurried wander

And stars astonished by this perilous talk appear wide in the hub of universe like a thunder

Saturn clad in black kicked hubbub in heavenly priories

Jupiter moaning unraveled tress in the heavenly almighties

Mars grieved by the painful saga has dawned

Sun, yellow and disheveled is in face and hair drown

Venus from pain scrabbled face and groaned like a flute from dilemma of heart

Mercury rolled petition of sigh and lodged page of the event in painful thwart

Army of moon scratched face from lunula and melted from grief byword Stars fearful of the horrifying event of Banat al-Na'ash(1) scattered within Prickled by the deal, sweltered by stars, rotating heaven is burned within Sun burned fragrant crimson mass of heaven in black

Torch of Pleiades within universe clump flamed every bit of al-Thurrayya(2) in crack

Al-Kaff al-Hadib(3) from bleeding paws caught 'n torn Al-Jawza(4) on back

Affected by pain of such tragically pressed story, sword-belt and nebula .

P: 21

knots tied in cap heartily sighing in grief ripped collar

Meteor sorrowfully spear-headed the heaven's pillar

Altair out of grief feathered inside

Comet after hidden secrecy of wrongful mind's run a lot aside

Polaris sat in wonder

Ursa Minor turned in wander

Sea of blood-laden twilight remained in flood

Nebulae of mourning desired thin blood

Night from fume of sighs black dressed

Day from slap of sun face pressed

Evening face flushed while jet-black tressed

Morning out of pain torn off chest

Citizens of the earth saddened by mourning

Lost soil of the universe; flames of fire dispersed

Hot tulip like air particles on witnesses of grass

Flower ripped collar of tolerance

Bud suffered from gloominess ate its heart out,

Hearing the horrific news and awed endurance

Bitter-loved tulip endured extremely sad heartbreaks browed

Daffodil drooped head being shameful wowed

Hyacinth sat with disheveled tress

Judas tree let bloody cheeks run fierce

Basil wore black clothes in tears

Violet drew itself in the dumps down

Jonquil showed white face in the tearful brown

Lily is clad in black

Delphinium sat in dark

Cotton's burned bud hot

Nenuphar grew unwacky not

Jasmine looked white

Eglantine hanged at sight

Iris bud clothed shroud tight

P: 22

Dove necklaced black tie

Grass-yard nightingale ruffed in wail and sigh

Creek from thirst reaped across soil of land

Fountain sat far quietened

Autumn cold wind ruined leaves of basil burrow

Cypress and box-tree fatigued of event sorrow

Birds flew out of nest for grief of horrific news gesture

And the wild run wild on pasture

Sea tidal waves out of anxiety turned

Fish grew hearts within us burned

Mountain grief strikes a blow

Earth from grudge frown a brow

Throngs of man sad, distressed, annoyed and dejected

Groups of jinns wailed, moaned, groaned and rejected

Angels in universe of angels start all wailing

Messengers in universe of now chant Husayn failing

Adam of loneliness of the fallen grew wonderful on earth

Abraham of his thirsty lips became torrid sighing deareth

Isma'il out of loyalty sacrificed his life deepest

Noah from flood-like tears of his infants blew tempest

David mourning for him moaned and groaned downcast

Solomon lamenting for him brought his crown to blast

Jacob by his separation in Jacob's house white-faced

Josef from his regret made his shirt not braced

John on soldiering set his head to tub cutting

Zakaria rejoicing in self-devotion his top sawing

Job suffering in Kerman wounded his organ and mind

Shu'ayb remembering his tearful eyes grew blind

Al-Khidr thinking of much thirst bitter taste water of survival

Is remorseful and washed hands off life

Alexander minding thirst and no water beside spring of survival water Sat with dried lips rife

P: 23

Moses grieved by his event on mount of lamentation flamed sigh of his knowing family born

Jesus unhappy of his bleeding ulcer azured garment over dome of heavenly kingdom in 4th Abbey with shirt collar torn

From Adam to Mohammad, from soil to heavenly kingdom and from the earth to sky all objects show face of lamentation bereaved

From his pain, seven floors of heaven(1), six sides, five senses, four elements(2) and three births(3) hold in existence grieved

In particular, the humble being Mohammad Baqir Ibn Mohammad Taqi serving servants of news sits in lamentation of the martyr oppressed by opponents in kingdom of Iraq.

May tears of the affected be fruitful bit by bit on Resurrection Day!

O' God! May both worlds be proud turned face blushed of suffering way!

****.

P: 24

As for this book:

This brief piece of writing is a collection put down in a new style of writing for making known the luminously high-standing personality of Imam Husayn (‘a) of whom mankind and the free people of the world are proud; however, I confess that whatever of virtues, excellences, audacity and epic raised of Hazrat Seyyed Shuhada (‘a) is in fact a drop of his endless ocean and his everlasting chivalry.

This book is compiled in ten chapters and each chapter ends with details and citations of the chapter contents.

Dear readers should note that the whole maqatel and tragedy accounts addressing Imam Husayn (‘a) included in each chapter are entirely taken from historical books and maqatel and nothing has been added to them based on taste.

Among the most important characteristics of the book, it has an epic and chivalrous dimension. Although the reader going through heart-rending disasters of Seyyed Shuhada (‘a) mentioned in all chapters of the book is overwhelmed with hearty grief, throughout all stages of calamities and sufferings, he beholds Imam Husayn (‘a) standing on heightened splendor, authority and triumph taking a lesson that one should weep and rapidly move ahead!

In essence, Ashura epic gives us these three lessons: weeping, proceeding and rapidly moving ahead, of which the book speaks. Addressing the sacred being of Imam Husayn ('a) is one of the marked features of the book which entails fragrance and perfumed odor of paradise. To me, in this way, the reader is not only attracted but also he is associated with his sacredly luminous character of Seyyed Shuhada (‘a).

I hope that the book is accepted by the Infallibles (‘a), benefited by the

P: 25

readers and it remains a source for my other world and the Day. Though not finding myself very deserving for the cause, I fully pin hope on grace and honorability of the pure and saint household (a) who pay attention to the humble people.

P: 26

to love him by writing that small book.

Of course, I also believe that you are esteemed and honorable in family and forgive me because I extended impoliteness towards your holy presence.

You are proof of God, blood of God, the third Imam of creatures and descendant of the Messenger of God (s).

True!

You are Imam of the world and proof of God over creatures. Ο

O' yes, True!

You are the perennially brilliant star of guiding mankind whose gradual illumination illuminates all over universe and earth.

True!

You are blood of God, you are lord of martyrs and you are ship of rescue for ridding mankind of whirls of perversion and leading him safely towards endlessness of eternality.

True! True!

You are descendant and fragrant flower of the Prophet (s), you are the one whom the Prophet (s) hugged enthusiastically and kissed your eyes and lips. He repeatedly put his face on your tiny face and smelled your body. He lovingly stared at your face and wept with his heart full of your affection!

True!

Your eyes, lips, head and body bears perfumed odor of the Prophet

P: 28

(s) because he has recurrently kissed organs of your body.

You went to sleep while you were in bosom of the Prophet (s) many times and you were carried on his shoulders many times. Many times, you were given food and were drunk with water with his holy hands. Then, he embraced you with all kindness, kissed and smelled you, saying:

"Husayn is from me and I am from Husayn.”

True!

You are a being endeared not separated from the endeared Prophet (s) who stands above all divine messengers.

Yes, you the endeared have taken light from the Prophet of Islam who is the most superior creature of God and your real being is nothing but the light of his being!

You come out of connection of two endless seas of divine blessings bestowed upon mankind!

True!

Your father is the Commander of the Faithful (‘a), Ali Mortada and your mother is Seddiqah Kobra (‘a).

Your father and mother are two divine great blessings granted to mankind. These two divine great seas are connected by virtue of your ancestor who is the Prophet of Islam and one of the great graces of such auspicious marriage is a fully blessed and luminous being like you!

You are son of the only married couples who are both the Immaculate in the universe.

P: 29

You are son of lion of God whose birth is a divine miracle in the House of God and the first believer of the Apostle (‘a). He was the only hero of all battlefields and fracture of his Zulfiqar(1)slit chest and skulls of the atheists, sending them to hell and religion of Mohammad (s) has remained to persist with all his unparalleled braveries.

True!

You are the son of the very man under the name of whom the whole faith, bravery and self-sacrifice are interpreted and his shining countenance glows light for those after path of truth forever!

But what shall I tell about your mother?

That she is multiplicity of blessing and grand grant of God to the Seal of the Prophets ('a)!

True!

She is Seddiqah Kobra; she is intercessor of the Day; she is the first to enter Paradise on the Day of Resurrection. She is fruit of the Prophet's heart and whenever she was granted an audience to her father, the Prophet (‘a) rose up to pay a tribute to the high-standing lady and kissed your mother's hands. He extended his seat to her daughter who was dearer than all his loved ones. Whenever he longed for Paradise, he smelled his daughter.

True! All people of the world should know that this is the status of your esteemed father and mother!

True! .

P: 30

Your forefather is the Prophet (s) and progenitor of God's creatures. Your father is lion of God and prime conqueror of all peaks of divinely eternal values. Your mother the most superior lady of the two worlds; she is light of God, Seddiqah Kobra and intercessor of the Day.

And you are shining light of guidance, rescue ship of mankind, splitter of darkness, epitome of all goodness, sunrise of the sun of guidance within the hearts of those seeking the truth and Seyyed and lord of martyrs of the universe.

Sky and earth were floodlighted with your light which is glow of light shun from Almightiness of God when you were prosperously born in luminous Medina-city of the God's Messenger (s) on the 3rd of Hegira.

When your forefather, the Apostle (s) heard of your birth, he rushed to the house of his beloved daughter, Fatima (‘a).

The Prophet (s) having embraced you, the endeared joyfully kissed your eyes, lips and face, but everyone suddenly saw that the Apostle (s) began to weep while he had kept tight your swaddling clothes onto his chest! Residents in the house were all amazed; Asma'-your mother's maid- told the Messenger (s): Oh, the Prophet of God (s)! What do you weep for?

He replied: I weep for my descendant who is killed by a group of tyrants while being oppressed.

Then he with his tearful eyes cursed your killers, telling Asma' that lest Fatima (‘a) might know the story as he is her newly born son.

Again, he hugged you and kissed your face, lips and eyes. He said

P: 31

azan on your right ear with his holy voice and said eqamah on your left ear. You were auspiciously named Husayn as he had ordered.

Until then, nobody had named a son Husayn. The name came to be revealed to the Messenger (s) by God and you had the name first just as your brother, Imam Hassan Mojtaba (a) received his name in this way.

Also, according to the Islamic Sunna, your forefather, Mohammad (s) sacrificed two sheep for you on 7th day of your birth. He also raised charity worth of silver as much as your hair weighed. He fragrantly perfumed your holy head.

True!

Your forebear, the Messenger (s) cried when he embraced and kissed you for the first time in such a way that tears rolled down his face on his beard because he was informed from God by Gabriel that wickedly shrewd atheists-who apparently claimed Islam-behead you in oppressedness and being thirsty between two streams of water. Your holy blood is spilled on land of Karbala.

You are blood of God and blood of God is shed on sacred land of Karbala. You never remained silent when you noticed how the malevolent Umayyad intended to annihilate your ancestor's religion and rejected to swear allegiance to those usurper tyrants. You powerfully stood against manifestations of corruption, rebellion, cruelty and polytheism which had come into existence through Abi Sufiyan dynasty and you were the cause of resuscitation of Islam and the Holy Quran by dedicating your holy blood and scandalized the atheists, hypocrite dissidents and usurpers for keeps.

And one of the blessings of your birth is rescue of one of divine angels

P: 32

called Fitrus. This event being narrated in the oldest and most valid narrative books of Shi'a reads as:

Ja'afar Ibn Muhammad Ibn Kuliya Qomi quotes in his very invaluable book titled "Kamel Al-Ziyarat" and other salient Shiite hadith writers from your descendant true Imam of Sadiq (‘a) saying that:

On the day when the Holy Imam ('a) was born, Allah ordered the angel Gabriel to descend and congratulate the Holy Prophet (s) on His behalf.

Hazrat Imam Sadiq (‘a) further stated:

While descending, Gabriel passed over an island where the angel Fitrus had been banished due to his delay in executing a command of Allah. He had been deprived of his wings and expelled to the island, where he had remained for six hundred years praying and asking for Allah's forgiveness until Husayn ('a) was born. When Fitrus saw Gabriel, he asked where he was going.

Gabriel told him that he was going to the house of Imam Ali (‘a) to congratulate the Prophet (s) on the birth of the Holy Imam ('a). When he heard this, Fitrus said, "Can you carry me also along with you? Perhaps Muhammad (s) will recommend my case to Allah."

When the angels arrived at the house of Imam Ali ('a), Gabriel delivered Allah's message and then stated the matter of Fitrus. The Holy Prophet (s) said, "Ask the angel to come in to touch his broken wing to the body of the newly born child and return to his place in Heaven."

Fitrus instantly got his wings back after touching wings to swaddling clothes of Imam Husayn ('a) and ascended to Heaven, saying that: “Oh

P: 33

the Prophet (s)! It is crucial that your ummah imminently kills this newly born son promising the Holy Imam, "O' Husayn! From this day onwards, whenever any of your pilgrims sends their Salaams to you, I will always deliver it to you."

True!

Fitrus, the angel, is blessed with your ominous birth and being was healed on his broken wings and ascended to heavenly sky.

True!

The earth and sky is blessed with your endeared being.

Your ancestor, the Messenger (s) has repeatedly recommended you to his ummah, saying that O' my ummah! Do know that Husayn is from me and I am from Husayn. He recurrently said: whoever loves Husayn, he shall love me and whoever is at odds with him, he shall remain at odds with me.

However, with all his recommendations after his departure, ummah disregarded the right of your honorable father and paved the ground for profound aberrations of Islam by usurping your father's divine caliphate. Finally, the ignoble-birth dynasty, the vicious family and the very ignominious Umayyad who outwardly claimed Islam but inwardly remained blasphemous took impure hold of Muslim affairs and tried a lot to wipe out your honorable forefather's religion.

And you joined by few compatriots rose up and stood against those germs of corruption and infidelity and granted life of yours, your children and companions on the path of God so that you would keep your ancestor's religion alive.

P: 34

People living on those days welcomed tyranny and cruelty and lived in humiliation although they clearly noticed that the wicked and ignoble- birth infidels held control of the Islamic community to destroy the pure religion of God; but as they were attached to decaying and deceitful manifestations of the world, they were ready to live in humiliation.

You were descendant of the Messenger (s) and your blood vessels carried his holy blood. You were offspring of God's lion and of Haidar Karrar.(1) You never kept silent like others who feared death and you cried out:

O' people! Death in honor is much better than life in dishonor.

And you well knew that those executioners-who ruled people under the name of your forefather's religion-would never feel mercy on you and your family; but you rose up for satisfaction of God and sacrificed your holy life and your family's for resuscitation of God's religion.

Those libertines did not feel mercy on you who were descendant of the Messenger (s) and part of his being and martyred you and your children as atrociously as possible. They left behind for themselves permanent abjection and prostration. You joined the eternality because you own ship of rescue and light of guidance. Your rescue ship always fares the way of eternality for your true faithful people and the freemen of the world through flashing lights of guidance. .

P: 35

True!

You are descendant of the Messenger (s) and were, are and will be beloved of his heart and part of his being.

One day, your forefather (s) with a group of people was going to a get-together party and he foreran them. On his way, he saw you and wanted to hug you. You were three or four years old and moving in play with him here and there while you had nice smile. The Prophet (s) observing you in your state of play smilingly ran after you until he finally hugged you. Then he put one hand on back of your head and another on your chin; kissed you with his holy lips touching yours and he then said:

Husayn is from me and I am from him. God loves someone who loves him.

Now, by asking permission from your descendant Mahdi (may Allah hasten his emergence), I would like to speak about some part of the great disaster and your everlasting epic on the day of Ashura:

It was late afternoon when the blasphemous tribe martyred all of your companions on a totally disparate battle and decapitated all of them.

Karbala desert was soaked with pure blood of descendants of the Messenger (s), the Hashemite youth and your cordial companions.

On some corners of the desert, there laid mutilated body of your loved youth-Ali Akbar (‘a) and elsewhere in the desert, there laid low alongside the Euphrates your honorable brother's body, lion of Karbala plateau, Abulfadl Al-Abbas (‘a) with his hands cut off and his head split apart while he was weltered in his blood across hot pebbles of the land.

Sonically crying, "Allah-o-Akbar", you lion-like stormed troops of the

P: 36

enemy and killed dozens of the atheists.

You killed so many of the men of devilish army with your repeated attacks such that they cried out heavily.

None of the enemy army commanders dared come close to fight you because they all knew that you are son of God's lion and you carry Ali's blood in your blood vessels.

Omar Ibn Sa'ad, the cursed who commandeered troops ordered spearmen to shoot him. Your holy body was targeted by spears and you were hit with so many spears that your corselet was filled with spears like hedgehog.

But you still roared like lion storming enemy troops and killed the infidels.

Due to thirst of some days and hot weather, your holy gasps began to count down, the very gasping scattered scent of the Messenger (s) if disseminated into the air.

You stopped to take a rest for yourself and your wounded horse while your body was covered with deep injuries. You took off your helmet to catch breath. One of the infidels all of a sudden hit your holy forehead with stone-the very forehead kissed by the Messenger (s) many times and worshipped God all days and nights. Blood rolled down your eyes and beard. You untied your corselet and took up your garment to clean bleeding off your eyes; at this time, a three-pronged spear suddenly struck your chest.

You fell down the horse once your holy heart-that was God's heaven and status of divine angels- was hit by the spear and you uttered:

P: 37

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَبِاللَّهِ وَعَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُول اللَّهِ

In the name of God and on remembering God and religion of the Messenger (s)

And then you looked up to the sky and whispered to God in your last moments of life:

O' God! Thou know these people kill someone who is no descendant of the Prophet (s) on earth but him.

Then you pulled spear out; blood turned running like gutter. You splashed some blood of your chest onto the sky and not even one drop of the blood returned. You filled your hands with your chest blood with which you soaked your face and beard, saying:

I want to look like this way until I meet my forefather, the Messenger (s) and tell him: O' the Messenger of God! Of what crime did these oppressors kill me?!

You fell on the ground and began to take your last breaths while gently remembering God on your holy lips.

On some corners of Karbala, there rested camps of girls, women and children of the Prophet Household (s) and generous and respectable sister of yours-Zeynab Kobra (‘a), the hereoine of Karbala patiently and with tearful eyes stood watching the huge sky-breaking and hear-rending event. In the meantime, Shimr Ibn Dhi al-Jawshan, the cursed ordered a group of the impurely wicked soldiers to raid, set ablaze and plunder tents of women and children.

P: 38

Having little potency on your body and upon seeing such scene, you leaned very hard against the broken spear and bent down shouting at scoundrels: woe betides upon you, the followers of Abu Sufiyan! If you do not have a religion and fear not the Day, you can at least be freemen in the world. I am at war with you; women and children are innocent. I am still alive and stop assaulting my haram as long as I am alive.

Shimr Ibn Dhi al-Jawshan said: O' son of Fatima! We will do so. He then turned to his troops and yelled: Keep off haram of this man; kill him first and attack the camp later.

He eternally cursed pulled out a machete and moved towards you.........

Although man must shed tears of blood over such great disaster until the Day, you did not sacrifice your life and your children's for people to weep; you sacrificed your precious life for resuscitation of human honor- completely trampled-and for salvaging the misled people from whirls of ignorance and for liberating man from shackles of being enslaved.

True!

You drank goblets of disasters one after another and you welcomed the hardest way of dying with open arms on the path of God to teach mankind lesson of being free and leaving captivity. Through your epic, you declared to mankind that the world is of no value whatsoever and the life which bears disgrace equals prostration and dying for divine values equals honor.

You taught human beings that he must ever move ahead with no hesitation in this world even one moment; he must potently stand against the repressors and corrupt people who fail to believe in God and in the Day and he should never fear death which transcends man to eternality if

P: 39

it is followed by high values.

You taught man to resist if he loses his head on the path of resuscitation of truth, justice and values; rather, he should hold his head in his hand and step forward by taking strong steps. You learned that one should not stop resisting if he is mutilated by enemy; rather, he should roll ahead.

True!

You taught man countless lessons and mankind is indebted to you for good.

it a certainty to take revenge of all atheists for his blood.

The Prophet Mohammad (s) said of his descendant, Imam Husayn (‘a):

حُسَينٌ مِني وَأَنَا مِنهُ أَحَبِّ اللَّهُ مَنْ أَحَبِّ حُسَينا

Husayn is from me and I am from him, God loves someone who loves him(1).

Sahih Termezi quotes the Messenger (s) saying:

حسين مني وأنا من حُسَيْنِ أَحَبُ الله مَنْ أَحَبُّ حُسَيْنَا (2)

Sunan Ibn Majah reads:

روی بسنده عن يعلى بن مرة أنهم خرجوا مع النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم "إلى طعام دعوا له فإذا حسين يلعب في السكة قال: فتقدم النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم أمام القوم وبسط يديه فجعل الغلام يفر هاهنا وهاهنا ويضاحكه النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم" حتى أخذه فجعل إحدى يديه تحت ذقنه والأخرى في فأس رأسه فقبله وقال: حسين مني وأنا من حسين أحب الله من أحب حسيناً حسين سبط من الأسباط.

A group of people joined the Messenger (s) to take part in a guest ceremony and the Messenger (s) foreran them. On the way, he saw Husayn (‘a) and wanted to hug him but he was moving here and there.He smiled when he saw him doing this. He finally hugged him and put one hand on back of his head and another hand under his chin, kissing him on his holy lips and he then said: Husayn is from me and I am from him; God loves someone who loves him. 7

P: 41

Thematic point of this hadith is included in other Sunni books:

• Hakim Neisabouri, Mustadrak Al-Sahihin, vol. 3, p. 177

• Musnad Ahmad Hanbal, vol. 4, p. 172

• Ibn Athir, Assad Al-Ghabah, vol. 2, p. 19 and vol. 5, p. 130

• Mottaqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Ummal, vol. 6, p. 221 and.....

The thematic subject of above hadith-broadly explicated in important Sunni sources-clearly denotes the sense that Imam Husayn (‘a) remains an indispensable part of the Messenger (s), furthering great interest the Prophet (s) took in his descendant, Imam Husayn ('a). Based on this statement, just as he was proof of God, so was Husayn (‘a) and just as he was the Infallible, so was Husayn (‘a). This means that just as he established true religion on behalf of God, so Husayn (‘a) maintained his religion through his uprising. I wish Sunnis could think of the sense of this hadith and could follow true caliphs of the Prophet (s).

• In Sunni sources, Ibn Abbas is being quoted saying that:

مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَينِ يلْتَقِيانِ علي وفاطمه ال بَينَهُما بَرْزَخٌ لا يبْغِيانِ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَ الْمَرْجَانُ الحسن و الحسين الة و لم يحصل لغيره هذه الفضيله(1)

• Among specific particulars of Imam Ali (‘a) is his birth happening inside Ka'aba. Before him and after him, nobody is born inside Ka'aba. This is one of the great prides which has been devoted to him by God the Almighty thanks to respect, esteem and glory given to the honorable status of the Commander of the Faitthful (‘a).

Sunni and Shiite narrators unanimously agree on the issue of Imam .

P: 42

Ali ('a)'s birth joined by divine miracle-House of God being opened backward. The late Allameh Amini has important and plenty of citations from Sunnis in his precious book.(1)

The first person who embraced Islam was Ali ('a)(1)

اول من اسلم علي العلي

Ibn Athir says:

علي بن ابي طالب الاول من اسلم (2)

Mas'udi writes:

Many people believe that Ali Ibn Abitaleb ('a) never raised polytheism of God; rather, he followed the Messenger (s) in all his affairs and he was the first Muslim.(3)

The late Allameh Amini has put together about one hundred hadiths of Sunni sources in his valuable book titled "Al-Ghadir", vols. 3 and 4, citing that Ali has been the first one who took faith in the Prophet Mohammad (s). This faith of his happened at the age of nine while those who were very aged and claimed caliphate tended to prostrate in front of idols.

I wish some people would think of such point that, "were those who fell to prostration in front of idols and drank liquor for many years of their lifetime eligible to be successor of the Infallible Prophet (s) or the one who believed in God in his boyhood with his deep understanding and was not tainted with even bits of nasty polytheism, idolatry and other sins?!!

One of the nicknames of Hazrat Fatima (‘a) is "Kawthar" which is 3

P: 44

attributed to her on the occasion of Kawthar surah of the Holy Quran to prove her as the lady of both worlds:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ إِنْ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful [O, Messenger!] We have bestowed upon you good in abundance, so perform thanksgiving prayer and offer a sacrifice in Allah's way; verily, your enemy shall be the one cut off in progeny (Kawthar: 1-3)

In this surah, God the Almighty obliged the Prophet (s) with Hazrat Kawthar meaning Fatima (a). This is meant that God made him happy, implying that whoever tongue-lashes him because he has no son and is cut off in progeny, he himself shall be cut off in progeny and God, the Exalted blessed the generation of the Prophet (s) with Hazrat Fatima (‘a) until the Day comes.

Tafsir-e Majma' Al-Bayan reads on the occasion of such surah:

"Aas Ibn Wa'el, one of the leaders of polytheists, met with the holy Prophet (s) when he was leaving Masjid Al-Haram. A group of Quraysh leaders were in the mosque watching the scene in distance. When Aas Ibn Wa'el entered the mosque, he was told: To whom were you talking? He replied: I was talking to this man who is cut off in progeny!

Such interpretation is chosen by that atheist because 'Abdullah, son of the Prophet (s), passed away and Arabs called someone who had no son as "cut off in progeny". Hence, Quraysh selected the name for him after his son had died. The above surah came down and the Prophet (s) was given lots of good tidings of gifts and reward by God and his enemies

P: 45

were called "cut off in progeny".(1)

In the book titled, "Al-Durr Al-Manthur" which is a famous Sunni interpretation, Ibn Abbas is being quoted saying that:

The oldest son of the Prophet (s), Qasim, after him Zeynab, ‘Abdullah and after him, Umme Kolthum, Fatima and the last one was Ruqiyya. Qasim died and he was the first offspring of the Prophet (s) who died in Mecca and after him, 'Abdullah passed away and Aas Ibn Wa'el said: His generation was discontinued, so he is cut off in progeny.

In response to him, God the Almighty sent down the verse that Aas Ibn Wa'el is cut off in progeny [and God maintains generation of the Prophet (s) blessed with Fatima (a).(2)

From the last part of surah,

إِنَّ شَانتَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَر

It is inferred that such good reward is the very Fatima (‘a) because generation and progeny of the Prophet (s) is extended in the universe by virtue of his honorable daughter; a generation that was not only his physical children, but also they all maintained his creed and the whole Islamic values and set them forth to future generation. Not only the saint Imams (a) who are especially given consideration but also thousands of thousands of descendants of Sediqqah Kobra (a) spread across the world among whom there have been great scholars, writers, jurisprudents, hadith writers, high-standing interpreters and pompous commanders who 3

P: 46

tried to maintain religion of Islam through self-devotion and sacrifice.

The same statement is made by the great Sunni interpreter, Imam Fakhr-e Razi as:(1)

• The great Shiite hadith writer, Seyyed Hashem Bahrani says of the Prophet (s) in the book titled "Madinat Al-Ma'jez":

يا أُبَي بْنُ كَعْبِ وَ الَّذِي بَعَثَنِي بِالْحَقِّ نَبِيا إِنَّ وَ الَّذِي بَعَثَنِي بِالْحَقِّ نَبِيا إِنَّ الْحُسَينَ بْنَ عَلِي فِي السَّمَاءِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ إِنَّهُ لَمَكْتُوبٌ عَنْ يَمِينِ عَرْشِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِصْبَاحُ هُدًى وَ سَفِينَةُ نَجَاةٍ

O' Abi Ibn Ka'ab! I swear to God who truly appointed me as the Messenger (s) that Husayn Ibn Ali ('a) is much greater in the heavens than on the earth as his name is inscribed on the Throne of Heaven such that Husayn (‘a) remains as light of guidance and ark of salvation. (2)

Sheikh Sadduq and Qotbuddin Rawandi et.al cited the above hadith as:

قَالَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم:

يا أبي بْنُ كَعْبٍ وَ الَّذِي بَعَتَنِي بِالْحَقِّ نَبِياً إِنَّوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَنِي بِالْحَقِّ نَبياً ان الْحُسَينَ بْنَ عَلِي فِي السَّمَاءِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ إِنَّهُ لَمَكْتُوبٌ عَنْ يَمِينِ عَرْشِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِصْبَاحُ هُدًى وَ سَفِينَةُ نَجَاةٍ وَ إِمَامٌ غَيْرُ عِلْمٌ وَ ذُحْرٌ. وَهْنٍ وَعِزُّ وَ فَحْرٌ وَ (3)

As what the Messenger (s) said remains to be seen for all times, one .

P: 47

should say that Hazrat Husayn Ibn Ali (‘a) stands as epitome of guidance for all nations at all times. Based on this luminous hadith, every nation or race with every language and religion has its way resorting to Husayn Ibn Ali (‘a) if it intends to live in freedom, to cast off chains of slavery and to step towards divine guidance.

The honorable Prophet (s) of Islam said about his daughter, Fatima (‘a):

ما ابنتي فاطمة فهي سيدة نساء العالمينَ من الاولين و الآخرينَ (1)

As for daughter, Fatima (‘a), she is the best female of all women from the beginning of the world until finality.

The above hadith entered Sunni sources in several ways:

a. Hadith of Ayesha

For Sunni sources, refer to Sharh-e Ehqaq Al-Haqq, vol. 10, p. 27

b. Hadith of Omran Ibn Hasin

For Sunni sources, refer to Sharh-e Ehqaq Al-Haqq, vol. 10, p. 34

c. Hadith of Jaber Ibn Samorah

For Sunni sources, refer to Sharh-e Ehqaq Al-Haqq, vol. 10, p. 40

d. Hadith of Ibn Abbas

For Sunni sources, refer to Sharh-e Ehqaq Al-Haqq, vol. 10, p. 41

e. Hadith of Abi Buraida

For Sunni sources, refer to Sharh-e Ehqaq Al-Haqq, vol. 10, p. 42

Besides, for more sources, Fada'el Al-Khamsa, vol. 3, p. 169 can be seen.

• The Messenger (s) said about Fatima (s): The first to enter Paradise 8

P: 48

is Fatima (‘a).

The above hadith is being quoted a lot in Sunni sources. For sources of this hadith in Sunni books, refer to Sharh-e Ehqaq Al-Haqq, vol. 10, p. 135 and Fada'el Al-Khamsa, vol. 3, p. 204.

• The late Sheikh Abbas Qomi writes about Seddiqah Kobra from plenty of hadiths being quoted in the book titled, "Anwar Al-Bahiyya", chapter 2 (second light):

In speech act, Fatima (a) mostly looked like the Prophet (s); her lifestyle was similar to that of her father and she walked like her father. When she was granted an audience to her father, the Messenger (s) received her with great respect. He kissed hands of Zahra (‘a) and gave his seat to her. When the Messenger (s) paid a visit to her daughter, Fatima (a) would stand up and warmly welcome her father and would kiss his hands.

The Prophet (s) kissed Fatima (‘a) and he smelled her when he longed for Paradise fragrance; he said:

فاطمة بضعة منّي من سرّها فقد سرني و من سأها فقد سأني، فاطمه اعز الناس الي

Fatima (‘a) remains a part of my body. Whoever makes her joyful, he shall make me happy and whoever makes her unhappy, he shall make me unhappy! Fatima ('a) is the dearest of all to me.(1)

Sunni sources read that: t

P: 49

For sources of the above hadith quoted from Sunni books, refer to Fada'el Al-Khamsa, vol. 3, p. 158 and "Al-Ghadir", vol. 3, p. 18.

• Lots of hadiths have been used in various Sunni and Shiite sources citing that when the Messenger (s) hugged the swaddling clothes of Seyyed Al-Shuhada (‘a), he began to weep and informed some people of his martyrdom; hereunder a number of these hadiths are brought to consideration:

Ja'afar Ibn Mohammad Ibn Quliyya Qomi quotes Imam Sadiq (‘a) in his valuable book titled "Kamel Al-Ziyarat"(1):

When Imam Husayn (a) happened to be born from Fatima (‘a), Gabriel was granted an audience to the Prophet (s) and said: Your ummah kills Husayn after you, adding: Shall I show you his Torbat??! He flew, took some soil of Karbala and showed it to him, saying: This is the Torbat on which Husayn (‘a) is killed. As the Messenger (s) was informed of Husayn's birth, he ruished to Fatima's house and while showing grief on his holy face, he sorrowfully said: O' Asma'! Bring my boy and Asma' handed the swaddling clothes of the neonate to him. The Prophet (s) embraced him, kissed him and smelled him.

Impressed by such state of the Prophet (s), Asma' said: O' Messenger (s)! May my father and mother be sacrificed to you, what do you weep for?!

"I weep for this boy of mine", said the Prophet (s)! "This boy is newly born!" Asma' said at amazement.

He, the Prophet (s) said, will be killed by a group of cruel people. May t

P: 50

God deprive them of my intercession!

He then stood up and told Asma' in grief: Stop telling Fatima (‘a) about this story because she has a newly born baby.(1)

The late Sheikh Sadduq says:

The Messenger (s) gave Husayn (a), after his birth, to Safiyya, daughter of 'Abdulmotalleb while he was weeping and said: O' my boy! May God curse people who kill you! He said this three times. Safiyya told him: O' May my father and mother be sacrificed to you! Who kills him? The Messenger (s) replied: A group of oppressors from the Umayyad kill him.(2)

The Messenger (s) has been a lot quoted from Sunni sources that he informed some people about martyrdom of Husayn (‘a) many times. One case of these hadiths is cited here now and mention is made of more in the following chapters.

Tabrani quotes Umme Salama-wife of the Prophet (s) saying that: Hassan and Husayn ('a) were in my cell with the Messenger (s). Gabriel came down to him and said: O' Mohammad! Your ummah will kill your boy after you-pointing to Husayn ('a). The Prophet (s) began to weep and firmly held Husayn onto his chest. He then said: Keep this Torbat in deposit. He smelled it saying: Woe unto Karb and Bala (Affliction and Disaster).

Umme Salama quotes the Messenger telling: O' Umme Salama! When you saw this Torbat change into blood, you find that Husayn (‘a), 5

P: 51

my son, has been killed.

Umme Salama put Torbat in a glass bottle and watched it every day, saying: O' Torbat! The day you change into blood is a great day.(1)

In the book titled "Kashf Al-Ghammah", Arbali says: When Husayn was born; the Prophet (s) took him in his bosom and whispered azan (call of prayer) on his right ear and eqamah (Takbeer) on his left ear. On his bid, he was named Husayn (‘a).(2)

The late Allameh Majlesi says that the Prophet (s) sacrificed two sheep on 7th day of Husayn's birth and some piece of the sheep meat was given to midwife. He gave charity as much as Husayn's hair and sprayed his holy head with fragrant perfume.(3)

• In the book titled "Tarikh Al-Kholafa", Siyuti says:

Hassan and Husayn ('a) are two names of Paradise names and Arabs put these names on their children."(4)

Historians put it that:

During ignorance times, Arabs were unfamiliar with names of Hassan and Husayn (‘a) to name their children. These two names were revealed to the Messenger (s) by God for naming Fatima's children.(5)

The late Sheikh Sadduq quotes Imam Sajjad ('a) saying that when Fatima (‘a) gave birth to Hassan ('a), she told Imam Ali (‘a) to choose a 1

P: 52

name for him. Ali (‘a) said: I fail to put name on him before the Prophet (s). The Prophet (s) came and told Ali ('a): Don't you put a name on him?

Ali said: I do not outpace you on that. Then, God the Almighty revealed to Gabriel that Mohammad is given a child, go to him and say hello and congratulations to him. Tell him Ali looks like Harun for you as it does for the Moses; therefore, put the name of Harun's son on the newly born baby! Gabriel came down and congratulated the Prophet (s) on behalf of God, saying: God the Almighty orders you to put the name of Harun's son on this baby. The Prophet (s) said:

What was the name of Harun's son?

Gabriel replied: Sheber.

Mohammad said: My language is Arabic not Hebrew.

Gabriel replied: Name him Hassan.

The Prophet (s) put the name of Hassan (equivalent to Sheber) on him. When Husayn ('a) was born, Gabriel came down and congratulated the new arrival on behalf of God, saying: For you Ali is as Harun is for the Moses. Therefore, put the name of Harun's second son on this baby!

The Prophet (s) asked: what is his name?

Gabriel replied: Shubayr.

The Prophet (s) said: My language is Arabic.

Gabriel said: Name him Husayn. The Prophet (s) named him Husayn (‘a).(1)

The narration mentioned above implies that naming of Imam Hassan and Imam Husayn (‘a) is made by God and Sunni sources have lots of citations in this regard, some of which come hereunder: 6

P: 53

Muheboddin Tabari says in "Zakha'er Al-Uqba":

أسماء بنت عميس ال عن قالت أقبلت فاطمه سلام الله عليها بالحسن فجاء البني فقال : يا اسماء هلمي إبني فدفعته اليه في خرقه صفراء فألقاها عنه قاتلا ألم أعهد اليكن أن لاتلفوامولو دابخرقه صفرا؟ فلفعه بخرقه بيضاء فأخذه وأذن في أدنه اليمني وأقام في اليسري ثم قال لعلي ال: أي شيء سميت إبني؟ قال: ماكنت لأسبقك بذلك فقال ولاأنا اسابق ربي فهبط جبرييل الله فقال: يا محمد إن ربك يقرئك السلام ويقول لك: علي منك بمنزله هارون من موسي لكن لاني ،بعدک قسم ابنك هذا باسم ولدهارون، فقال: وماكان اسم ا هارون ياجبرييل؟ قال: شبر، فقال : إن لساني عربي، فقال سمه الحسن، ففعل (ص)، فلما كان بعدحول ولد الحسين ال فجاء نبي وذكرت يعني أسماء مثل الأول، وساقت قصه التسميه مثل الأول وأن جبرييل ال أمره أن يسميه باسم ولدهارون شبيرا، فقال النبي ال : مثل الأول، فقال: سمه حسينا. (1)

Ibn Hajar says:

عن سليمان ان النبي القال: سمى هارون ابنيه شبرا و شبيرا، و أنّني سميت ابني الحسن و الحسين بما سمی به هارون ابنیه (2)

أَمَا تَرْضَى أَن تَكُونَ مِنِّي بِمَتَرَلَة هَارُونَ مِن مُوسي إِلا أَنَّهُ لانَي بَعْدِي

O' Ali (‘a)! Are you not pleased if I say your similarity to me is as it is for Harun to the Moses except for the fact that there comes no prophet after me?

Such holy and crystallized statement of the Prophet (s) is that Ali (‘a) stands as brother, legatee and successor of the Seal of the Prophet (s) and he possesses all of his virtues and excellences except prophhethood just as Harun was brother and successor of the Moses(‘a).

Therefore, contents of the above hadith prove direct caliphate and Imamate of the Commander of the Faithful (a) because Ali (‘a) enjoys all of virtues of the Apostle (s) except his prophethood and one of the virtues is Imamate as the Messenger (s) was Imam of the creatures and seal of the Prophet (s) only excepted the prophethood.

In above hadiths, God says to His Messenger (s) that he puts names of Harun's children over children of Ali ('a) so that everybody in the world might know that Ali (‘a) is brother and successor of the Prophet (s) just as Harun ('a) was brother and successor of the Moses ('a).

I wish Sunnis could contemplate a bit over such point and would learn to become followers of the truthful successors of the Messenger (s) rather than learning to follow those who diverted the Islamic ummah from the Straight Path after demise of the Prophet (s). This led to end result of their caliphate that the vicious Umayyad take hold of caliphate and martyr the endeared descendant of the Prophet (s), our lord Imam Husayn s

P: 55

Ibn Ali (‘a) and his children.

The story of Fitrus, the Angel which is being quoted in various narrations has been rejected by a number of people. Here, a comprehensive discussion is rendered to prove the story.

When a hadith or narration is rejected, the rejection happens from two aspects: One is documentation of narration; two is meaning and denotation of narration; there might be some narrations problematic both in terms of documentation and of inclusion.

Here, narration of Fitrus, the Angel is scientifically examined in respect of both documentation and of denotation and contents:

1. Credibility of document related to narration of Fitrus, the Angel One of the most important books quoting narration of Fitrus, the Angel is the book titled "Kamel Al-Ziyarat" and compiled by the great Shiite scientist and hadith writer, Ja'afar Ibn Mohammad Ibn Quliyya Qomi. Three points are at issue here:

• Personality of Ibn Quliyya Qomi

• Validity of his book

• Hadith narrators of his book

Personality of Ibn Quliyya Qomi:

Abi Al-Qasem Ja'afar Ibn Mohammad Ibn Musa Ibn Quliyya Qomi is among the well-known jurisprudents and hadith writers of the 4th century. He lived during the late Minor Occultation of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his emergence) and his early Major Occultation. He was among the noteworthy characters of his time on memorization of hadith and jurisprudence, not to mention his piety. His scientific magnitude suffices

P: 56

to say that the greatest Shiite hadith writers and jurisprudents such as Sheikh Sadduq, Sheikh Mufid and many renowned others have been taught by this high-ranking learned man.

five narrators. They are: Mohammad Ibn Ja'afar Al-Qurashi Al-Razzaz Kufi; Mohammad Ibn Husayn Ibn Abi Al-Khattab; Musa Ibn Sa'adan Al- Hannat; 'Abdullah Ibn Al-Qasem Al-Hardrami; Ibrahim Shu'ayb Al- Maythami who quotes the above narration from Imam Sadiq (‘a).

Reliability of these five people has been approved in many Shi'a books such as Tafsir-e Qomi, Kamel Al-Ziyarat of Ibn Quliyya Qomi and treatise of Abi Ghaleb Zarrari, Khatemeh Mustadrak Al-Wasa'el of Mohaddeth Noori, Rejal-e Najjashi and Ayatollah Khowie in Mu'ajam Rejal-e Hadith et.al.

As it is seen, hadith of Fitrus enjoys so strong documentation and accuracy that nobody can question it scientifically. In essence, the hadith accurate citation of which is being proved in hadith books in one way or another should not be scientifically denied. Ultimately, if the hadith or narration was inconsistent with narrative and rational evidence, it has to be justified in some way rather than being quickly denied; hadith of Fitrus is one which is entirely consistent with the Quranic and rational evidence. The wrongs falling onto such hadith are mainly raised by those who wish to philosophically elucidate the Quranic knowledge and narrations of the Infallibles (‘a).

The knowledge and thoughts that are either produced by human erroneous mindset or incorporated from the western and eastern schools can never stand as suitable space vital for elucidation of revelatory knowledge. Elucidation of revelatory knowledge comes up only in two things: First, the Holy Quran and Sunna meaning that many of the religious issues can be elucidated in the light of the Holy Quran and Ahl- e Bayt (a). Second, rational evidence which stands close to the Holy Quran and teachings of the Infallibles ('a) elucidating the divine knowledge.

Of course, a number of present disciplines known as rational ones are considered by those critics as irrational issues of a many because the by- products of issues contradict to revelatory texts and as intellect and revelation are never placed opposite to one another; therefore, one should say that those disciplines are rationally based; rather, they are a series of rules and issues which hold imagination of rationality.

Those denying hadith of Fitrus, the Angel pose three problematic points for rejection of hadith which are discussed here through narrative

P: 59

and rational evidence.

The first problem raised is that they say if the narration is accepted, abstraction of the Angels is questioned because Angels are abstract. Broken wing and its healing cannot match Angels that are purely abstract. Therefore, since Angels are abstracted from substance, the afore-mentioned narration-typically proving physicality of Angels-cannot be accepted.

Response: The idea of abstraction of Angels has no precedence in the Holy Quran and narrations; rather, philosophers have raised such ideas by extracting from knowledge of ancient Greece on the issue of tithe intelligences (the imaginative ten-folded creatures entirely separated from substance and time that have been brought up in the school of ancient Greece) and they have expressed that the tithe intelligences are the very Angels-cited in the Holy Quran and narrations-when they compared the knowledge with revelations!!

Here, rational, narrative and Quranic reasoning is made to demonstrate that Angels are not abstract, but they are of matter not of its delicate type.

Divine Emissaries; Angels with Wings two, three or four; and He adds to their wings if He decides so. Verily, Allah is Powerful over all things.

This holy verse denotes physicality of Angels because having wings and flying with them indicate some type of physicality. Based on rule of "Original Appearance", sense should not be applied to something non- apparent as no rationality is avoided because of catching up with the apparent sense of the verse; if Angels are assumed abstract, we will face various problems in rationality and religiousness, which will be discussed later.

•In several parts of the most glorious Quran, God says about seeing Angels with eyes such as the story of the Saint Mary (‘a) where Gabriel appeared as a human being and Mary saw Gabriel by sight.

وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ مَرْيَمَ إِذِ انتَبَذَتْ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا مَكَانًا شَرْقِيًّا. فَاتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا قَالَتْ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِالرَّحْمَن مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيًّا قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لكِ غُلَامًا زَكِيًّا

And [O' Messenger!] mention Holy Book [the story of] Maryam when she isolated herself from her people to a place in the eastern part of the city; so when she chose reclusion from them, We sent to her a Spirit [of Light] from Our Presence who presented himself to her in the form of a human being; she said: “I seek refuge in you to Ar-Rahman[do not come near] if you fear Him", the Spirit said: "I am only a Divine Emissary of your Creator and Nurturer and I have come to give you glad-tidings of a pure and pious son"(Maryam: 16-19).

Obviously, if Gabriel were separated from substance and time, it

P: 61

would be impossible for him to present himself as a being and to be seen.

•Also, the story of the Prophet Lut where Angels came to him in the shape of human being and Lut and his family saw them. The story of Hazrat Davoud (s), read in Saad surah, saying that a group of Angels entered his altar in the shape of human beings; all such things denote that Angels enjoy some type of physicality-of course a very delicate one.

Of course, a number of commentators having philosophical ideas embarked on elucidating these verses because they failed to avoid abstraction of Angels and interpreted visibility as figuratively in such verses. This means that what they have seen of Angels is nothing but sheer imagination since God influencing their imaginative power (for example: Davoud) made them envision visibility!(1) It is revealed to every holder of insight that if such statement is accepted, the Holy Quran is rejected in its probative validity of appearance.

________Good figure of face

________Earlobes and shoulder of Angels

________Thumb of Angels

________Body skin of Angels

________foot of Angels

________Tears of Angels

________Multiple wings of Angels

All such characteristics clarify physicality of Angels and one should not figure out apparent sense of it because if it is done so, what the Infallibles have said lose the probative validity and this means destruction of narrations; of course, it is reiterated that wherever rational avoidances are experienced; in that case, appearance should be refused. Here and for majority of narrations, there happens no problem if appearance is followed.

• In Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 56, p. 145 and vol. 59, p. 145 about “Reality of Angels", the general style of all of its hadiths denote physicality of Angels and it can be by no means be interpreted. For example, Khisal-e Sadduq, vol. 1, p. 67, hadith No. 99 is being quoted saying:

العليا كان على الحسن و الحسين التعويذان، حشوهما زغب جناح جبرائيل

Amulets Imam Hassan and Imam Husayn (‘a) had on their necks were made up of Gabriel's wing feather.

• Very helpful points are made on the reality of Angels in Tafsir-e Nemunah, vol. 18, p. 173, under the holy verse:

.....أولى أجنحة

P: 63

And finally, it has rejected abstraction of Angels and considered Angels as delicate creatures by giving citation and reasoning of various authenticated narrations.

Spirit is a creature like wind which is dynamic and that is why it is called spirit after its origin of wind (Arabic: Rih). It is homogeneous to wind called spirit.

This hadith in essence prescribes physicality of spirit. Hadiths about spirit which is infused into Hazrat Adam (a) clearly denotes its physicality.(1) (Of course, spirit like Angels has delicate physicality unseen unless it is resembled to a shape).

Second Problem: It is said: Accepting such narration (Fitrus, the Angel) clashes with the Angels having no authority. Answer: There is no rational and religious reason behind proving the sense that the Angels possess no authority and are forced in their affairs; rather, there are Quranic proofs for authority of the Angels, for example, God says in the Holy Quran:

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ

And when We stated to the Angels; bow down to Adam! So they all bowed down save Iblis; he refused and acted arrogantly and became one of the disbelievers (Baqara: 34).

God's ordering the Angels to bow down to Adam (‘a) means that they are authorized because if otherwise, divine Order is senseless. Besides, on the story of Creation of Adam ('a), the Angels raised what's and whys when God told the Angels: "I want to create Caliph on the earth".

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبِّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاء ”

P: 65

وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ.

[O' Messenger] And when your Creator and Nurturer stated to the Angels: "I will appoint a Divine Governor (caliph) on the earth"; they said: "[O' our Creator and Nurturer!] Do you appoint the kind of creature who will make mischief therein and will shed blood? While We repeat the Remembrance of Thanksgiving due to your Absolute purity and We Celebrate Your Holiness". Allah stated: "Indeed, I know what you do not know" (Baqara: 30).

Such protests rendered by the Angels to God indicate that they are not compelled and they possess resolve and authority such as human beings.

Of course, there are lots of narrations in hadith cases inclusion of which proves authority of the Angels. To save time, they are not mentioned here.

Third Problem: If content of this hadith is approved, Infallibility of the Angels is put under question; therefore, as the Angels are Infallible, the hadith sounds incorrect.

Answer:

1. Infallibility of the Angels means that they lack power of passion and anger whereas we have because if so, they commit sins like passion and anger. Approval of Infallibility of the Angels fails to mean that they neither possess any authority of their own, nor can they raise objections to divine rulings being fulfilled.

2. Infallibility of the Angels and prophets is at issue concerning sins rather than showing weakness in doing the affairs and priorities.

P: 66

We read in the Holy Quran that a number of prophets of God were seriously faced with divine wrath and punishment like Yunis ('a) despite having Infallibility and because they fell short of divine commands.

Therefore, although Fitrus, the Angel was Infallible from power of wrath and sins, God punished Fitrus because of showing weakness in obeying God's orders.

Considering these reasons and issues, conclusion is drawn that narration of Fitrus, the Angel is faulty neither in terms of documentation nor of contents and this stands as one of the blessings of Imam Husayn (‘a) that encompass human beings, the Angels and the universe.

True!

Our lord, Imam Husayn (‘a) is the very universe-illuminating countenance whose glow of light lightens the sky and the earth.

P: 67

P: 68

your universe-illuminating light.

Based on narrations at hand, the first creature God the Almighty created was light of your honorable forefather, Mohammad Mustafa (s) and God created other creatures blessed by that light. Your forefather, the Messenger (s) stated to the Companions many times:

Husayn comes from me and I come from Husayn.

According to this speech of your ancestor, the Messenger of God (s) who regarded you as part of his body, you accompanied him from the very days of creation and participated as God ordered in emergence of creatures.

True!

That we say your holy existence illuminates the universe is not a hyperbole; rather, it is emanated from themes of hadiths of your ancestor, the Prophet Mohammad (s).

God's eternal paradise derives from your light and gathering-place of mankind on the Day of Judgment is lightened by your light glittered by light of God. Your Shiite ummah having certain hearts and happy minds enter paradise behind you with greetings of God and reception of the Angels. You host the gathering in eternal place of God's paradise where those in the gathering who have been your weepers and pilgrims look at your sun-spread face. They become so pleasurably enchanted by your beauty and perfection that they overlook all other pleasures and although their paradise spouses say to them they are earnestly awaiting them in paradise, they prefer your charming beauty over spouses and paradise.

I swear to God the universe seems to be senseless without your holy

P: 70

being, the other world is senseless without you too and in effect, the whole universal system is meaningless without you!

I say it again not to be charged with hyperbole in front of those who deny your Imamate:

Your ancestor's being gives sense to system of the universe because he is the first creature of God and God created and gave sense to the universe blessed with light of him and you are not only part of his being but also his whole being. He has frequently said:

Husayn is from me and I am from Husayn.

Your father's cordial Shiite Salim Ibn Qeys says:

One day the Prophet (s) was passing by you and your brother who were four or five year old children. You were busy playing. He grasped both of you and rode each of you on his shoulders.

A man came close and said: You give these two children a good ride! Your ancestor smilingly said: And both of them are good riders too! These two boys are my dearest in this world.

Then he took both of you to his daughter, Fatima's (‘a) house and put you down his shoulder. He said to you: Wrestle with each other. You the

dearest and fruit of his heart wrestled with each other and your mother very longingly watched you both while playing with each other. The Prophet (s) joyfully looked at your wrestling scene and play and said on and on: Bravo Hassan! Bravo Hassan! And he said this to encourage your dear brother on that childish fight.

Your mother amazingly said to the Prophet (s): O' Messenger of God!

P: 71

Why do you only encourage Hassan while he is older than Husayn?!

The Prophet (s) said: Gabriel is now busy encouraging Husayn and continues to say: Bravo Husayn! Bravo Husayn!

In the end, you knocked down your brother on that childish play.

True!

The Angels in the sky always long for you; whether before your birth when you worshipped God in the world of light or when you were bornto this world, you made highest deals with God or on the Resurrection Day when you are sun of the Day; they long for you.

But how disastrous it was on the day of Ashura!

When your mutilated body sunken in your holy blood laid in the wide expanse of Karbala; among the enemy troops, a man was seen crying. He was told: O' man! Stop crying so much; why are you wailing and crying this much?

He said: How shouldn't I wail or cry out while I saw the Holy Prophet (s) stand looking at the sky and viewing land of Karbala, battlefield and murdering place.

Your offspring, Imam Sadiq ('a) was asked who the man wailing was.

Your descendant replied: He was Gabriel, the Trustee.

On that disastrous day, all Angels in the heavens who loved you moaned and told God once they saw your holy body soaked with blood: O' God! This is Thy selected Husayn and descendant of Thy Messenger. This time, the Almighty God showed effigy of your descendant, Mahdi

P: 72

the Promised (a) and stated: He will take revenge of them with his descendant, Mahdi.

Salim Ibn Qeys Helali reads that you with your brother went up to your ancestor, the Prophet (s) and while staring at your and your brother's posture, he said:

"I swear to God these two are lords of the youth in the Paradise and their father is better than them. The best people for me, the most beloved of them to me and the most respectful of them before me is your father and after him is your mother. Before God nobody is higher than me and my brother, my minister, my successor in my ummah and authority of every faithful person after me, Ali Ibn Abitaleb.

Know that my brother, my friend, my vizier, my elected person, post- me caliph and authority of every faithful after is Ali Ibn Abitaleb. When he left the world, my descendant, Hassan comes after him; when he left the world, my descendant, Husayn comes after him; after them, nine Imams will come from generation of Husayn".

Then the Messenger (s) stared at your sweet eyes and said:

I swear to the One who holds my soul; Mahdi of this ummah comes from us by whom God spreads justice across the earth as it is filled with cruelty and tyranny.

True!

You are father of nine Imams and Proof of God who after you lead mankind.

Before God, you possessed such a high rank and magnitude that nine Imams all come from your holy generation and Mahdi, the Promised (‘a)

P: 73

is your last descendant who emerges like a shining sun if God Wills. He takes revenge of the atheists, wrongdoers and Yazidis of the time for your blood while chanting slogan of "there is no God but God" and call of “God is Great" and holding the eternal Quran in one hand and your father's Zulfiqar in another hand and fills the universe with perfumed justice by having you, your father and your Ancestor (s) as leaders.

True!

Mahdi, the Promised (‘a) is your descendant; he is the one whose holy countenance fully mirrors that of the Prophet (s) and God hoists His strong banner of "there is no God but God, Mohammad is the Messenger of God and Ali is viceroy of God" all across the universe.

The book titled "Kamel Al-Ziyarat" reads:

One day you were on the lap of your forefather, the Prophet (s) and you were playing with him while both were smiling.

Ayesha said: O' the Messenger (s)! How much interest and kindness do you show to this child?!

He said: Woe onto you! How should I not love him while he is my heart's fruit and apple of my eye; it is definite that my ummah imminently kill him and whoever pays him a pilgrimage after his martyrdom, God shall determine reward of one Hajj of my Hajjes.

Ayesha said: O' the Messenger! One Hajj of your Hajjes!

He said: Yes, two Hajjes of my Hajjes.

Ayesha repeated: O' the Messenger! Two Hajjes of your Hajjes!

Your forefather told her: Yes, four Hajjes of my Hajjes.

Your forefather added to number Hajjes and more to go up to ninety

P: 74

Hajjes including lesser pilgrimages he had.

Although it is hard to listen to these talks for those who deny your Imamate and that of your father's, they should know that the whole honor belongs to God in the universe and He grants it to whoever of His creatures He wishes; He granted you endless honor because you sacrificed all your belongings-even your six-month-old baby-to revive slogan of "there is no God but God".

True!

God never squanders retribution of those who fight on His Path and you magnanimously dedicated all your belongings to Him in order to keep divine religion surviving until the Day and scandalize enemies of God-who appear disguised in hypocrisy at all times. God granted you such a high-profile status and rank.

After Muawiyya died-body of vicious lineage-when it was ten years past your Imamate and your brother's martyrdom, son of this wicked man meaning Yazid whose forebear was Abu Sufiyan, the first-rank enemy of your ancestor, the Prophet (s) and his female forebear, Hend, the liver eater domineered the Islamic community, everybody became quiet although they knew that Yazid is a drunkard and dog fancier who slays the faithful people and has no faith in religion of your ancestor, the Prophet (s).

You were the righteous Imam and Proof of God and left, your birthplace, Medina to oppose rule of Yazid and returned to Mecca to make everybody know that son of God's Lion never approves of polytheist rule and stands against all those wicked people with his full capacity.

P: 75

You stayed in Mecca several months and Iraqis sent you frequent letters saying that they do not want rule of Yazid; O' Husayn! Move to Kufa to join us to fight the Umayyad.

Although you knew that they were dishonest in what they promise, you departed to Iraq and city of Kufa for making an ultimatum to people.

When you intended to leave Mecca for Kufa, a number of then well- known personalities like 'Abdullah Ibn Omar and 'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr came up to you to stop you going there and said: O' Husayn! Stop fighting with Yazid and his family because they are ruthless and they kill you in atrocity.

You told those and others who accepted degradation:

Don't you see that the wrong is being solidified and the right is not fulfilled? Don't you see that how divine orders are disobeyed and the wicked people who have no faith in the Day dominated the Muslim community and embark on tyranny?

And you said:

Under such terrible and calamitous circumstances, the faithful die of grief rather than keeping quiet!

And you told those who frightened you from death:

It is nothing but degradation and humiliation to live under such

circumstances and I embrace death with open arms because dying on the path of God stands for prosperity.

True!

You recorded honor in the figure of history, heavens and the earth under your name forever, but those who kept silent and left you out of

P: 76

fear continued their life of this world in humiliation and died in degradation.

The book titled "Kamel Al-Ziyarat" reads:

One day, your ancestor, the Prophet (s) was guest of his daughter, Fatima (‘a). Your father, Imam Ali (‘a) set forth a bowl of date, milk and butterfat which were gifted by Umme Imen to the Prophet (s). The Prophet (s) ate the food and after he finished eating, your father poured water on his hands and he washed his hands. He rubbed his face and beard with his wet hands and went to the mosque on the other side of the house for saying his prayers. He went on prostration in the end and kept weeping for long. Nobody of Ahl-e Bayt (‘a) dared ask him why he wept. But you stood up, stepped forward to reach him and sat on his knees; putting your head on his chest, you said to him:

O' father! Why are you weeping?

He replied: When I came to your house today and looked at you, I became very happy in such a way that I never felt like before. At this time, Gabriel came down to me and said that you would be killed and your graves would be scattered; I praised and worshipped God and asked Him your wells.

You told the Prophet (s): O' father! Who pays pilgrimage to our graves and stops by them although they are separated and scattered?

The Prophet (s) said: A community of my ummah pays pilgrimage to you and they intend to show their goodness to me. I will come up to them on the Day, hold them by arms and rid them of horror and trouble of that Day.

True!

You are the pure and Infallibles household who based all purity and

P: 77

goodness and you were martyred one after another by malicious people. Presently, your holy graves are shining as pieces of paradise on the earth where they stand as Qiblah of longing hearts. Millions of your zealous lovers appear to pay visitation to threshold of those holy graves.

One day, your ancestor was in his honorable wife's shop-Umme Salama. He was very grieved and said to his wife: Don't let anybody in to see me. You were then a mere child and Umme Salama could not stop you entering in the shop. You went into the shop and Umme Salama followed you and noticed that the Messenger (s) has seated you on his chest and was severely crying. Your ancestor while holding something in his hand turned to Umme Salama and said: O' Umme Salama! Gabriel now told me that my son Husayn would be oppressively killed by a cruel tribe on land of Karbala. Then, he handed Torbat he had in his hand to her and said: This is Torbat of Karbala brought by Gabriel. Keep it and when you saw it change into blood, know that he is killed.

Umme Salama turned to him and said: O' Messenger(s)! Ask God to keep him away from being murdered.

Your ancestor replied: I asked God so, but I was revealed by God that he has ranks which none of human beings would reach them. He remains intercessor of his Shiite followers and Mahdi (a) is among his descendants. Therefore, it is good for people who are friends of my son, Husayn and his Shiites. I swear to God that His Shiite followers will be doomed to salvation on the Day.

True!

The honorable Prophet of Islam frequently spoke of your martyrdom being exercized by devilish executioners. He wept and mourned for you.

P: 78

He cursed your killers. Umme Salama says: I kept the Torbat in a pure glass bottle for years and I was told that Husayn headed for Iraq to oppose and counter with rule of Yazid and I found that promise of the Prophet (s) about martyrdom of his son is imminently taking place.

True!

Having passed fifty seven years of your all holy life, you headed for Iraq until you reached the sacred territory in Muharram of 61 A.H. Umme Salama stood watching that glass bottle of Torbat of Karbala everyday while she was grieved and sorrowful.

However, alas and wail and who can help of Ashura day that Umme Salama saw soil of the bottle turn into blood and beat her head weeping because she found that descendant of the Prophet (s) had been martyred in Karbala.

On evening day of Ashura, you had laid on the ground while your body suffered from serious wounds and your holy lips-memory of kisses of the Prophet (s)-gently remembered God.

Helal Ibn Nafe'a-one of the enemy troops-says: We had stood there with a group of Omar Ibn Sa'ad when we heard somebody shout: O' Amir! It is a good tiding that Shimr is now killing Husayn.

Helal says: I came between two lines and stood watching Imam dying!

I swear to God I saw no blood-tainted murdered person more brilliant on face and virtuous than him; I forgot idea of his murder by the light seen on his face and beauty.

You asked for drink of water while you were in shambles and you

P: 79

were gasping down. One of the wicked bastard profiteers who had been beside you said: You never drink water until you enter hellfire and drink hot and boiling water. In reply to the malicious person, you said with your failing tone of voice: I am going to join my ancestor in Paradise, drink fresh and pure water and I complain to him of what you have done to me. The cursed Shimr Ibn Dh'il Jawshan approaching you while he had angry eyes and a pulled machete.

True!

You sacrificed your life to keep Islam and Quran alive and you taught mankind self-sacrifice in order to maintain religion and scandalize dissidents. You taught man to get rid of his earthly belongings so that he might move forward and proceed upwards.

True!

Mankind is in eternal need of teachings of your Ashura movement; mankind is submerged into watershed of the world in such a way that he not only fail to move forward a bit, but also he is being immersed perpetually and he in need of your teachings.

Mankind unable to overlook even small property, unimportant position and an unlawful look and driven away from the Straight Path through lots of his sins committed and fallen into abyss of hell is in need of your teachings.

May Greetings of God befall onto you, O' Husayn! O' Blood of God and O' free man of history of mankind; Peace of God befalls onto you.

P: 80

Prophet of Islam (s) is the first creature of God.(1)

• In plenty of hadiths, Sunni and Shiite hadith writers have been quoted saying that Ahl-e Bayt of the Prophet (s) like him have been created in the form of light before He had created the universe.

But one should note that this luminous creation of the Prophet (s) and his Ahl-e Bayt (a) being created with the blessing of the light of the Prophet (s) do not clash with their physical creation in the world in specific time and space. Physically, the Prophet (s) and Ahl-e Bayt (‘a) are born like other human beings and live like others in the vicissitudes and peaks and valleys of life. They become models for human beings because they show and functionalize their potentials at their own will in different stages of patience, jihad and worship; therefore, the Prophet (s) and his Ahl-e Bayt (a) have two types of creation: First, their illuminating creation before all other creatures and second, their physical being that happened in certain time and space like others.

• The late Kolayni says: once Imam Husayn (a) was martyred, the Angels came down moaning: O'God! This is your selected Husayn and .

P: 82

descendant of the Prophet (s). This time God showed effigy of Mahdi (may Allah hasten his emergence) to the Angels, saying: I will take revenge of them for blood of Husayn through Mahdi.(1)

• Various narrations quote the holy Prophet of Islam (s) saying that Imams and their successors are twelve people nine of whom are descendants of Imam Husayn (‘a). here, a number of hadiths are mentioned from the book titled "Kefayat Al-Athar" compiled by the great virtuous scholar of the 4th century-Ali Ibn Mohammad Kharrazi Qomi:

• He quotes from ‘Abdullah Abbas who quotes the Prophet (s) saying: The Almighty God looked at the earth and chose Ali ('a) and appointed him Imam. He ordered me to position him as my brother, heir, successor and vizier that he is from me and I am from him. He is my son- in-law and father of my two grandsons, Hassan and Husayn ('a). You should know that the Almighty God made me and him as proofs over His worshippers and He set Imams from Husayn's loin for doing my affairs [such as guidance and leadership of ummah and elucidation of the Quran and teachings of religion] and maintain my testament. The ninth of them is the Upholder of my Ahl-e Baytas well as Mahdi of my ummah whose figure and speech stands as the most similar one to me. He emerges after a major Occultation and misleading wandering of people to reveal orders and religion of God. He remains strengthened with divine victory and aided by the Divine Angels and fills the earth with justice and equity just as it is with cruelty and tyranny.(2)

• Asbagh Ibn Nobatah quotes 'Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas who quotes the 1

P: 83

Prophet (s) saying:

أنا وعلي والحسن والحسين وتسعة من ولد الحسين مطهرون معصومون

I, Ali, Hassan, Husayn and nine of Husayn's descendants are the pure and Infallibles.(1)

•Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud quotes the Prophet (s) saying:

الأئمة بعدي اثنا عشر تسعة من صلب الحسين والتاسع مهديهم

Imams are twelve people after me nine of whom come from Husayn's loin and the ninth is Mahdi (may Allah hasten his emergence).(2)

عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول للحسين يا حسين أنت الإمام ابن الإمام أخو قائمهم .الامام تسعة من ولدك أئمة أبرار تاسعهم

Abu Sa'id Khedri quotes the Prophet (s) saying to Husayn Ibn Ali (a): You are Imam, descendant of Imam and brother of Imam! Nine of your loin is benevolent Imams and the ninth is the Upholder of them.(3)

• Sa'id Ibn Musayyib quotes Abu Sa'id Khedri who quotes the Prophet (s) saying:

الأئمة من بعدي اثنا عشر تسعة من صلب الحسين و التاسع قائمهم ثم قال: لا يبغضنا الامنافق

Imams are twelve people after me nine of whom come from Husayn's 0

P: 84

loin and the ninth is the Upholder of them.

Then he said:

Nobody but hypocrite dissidents hold grudge of us.

"Kefayat Al-Athar" is one of the oldest and most authentic books compiled about introduction of the twelve Imams and it is given a good consideration by the great Shiite ulemas. The late Allameh Majlisi says about this book:

This book is a noble book like of which on Imamate has never been compiled.(1)

In the well-known books of Sunnis, Plenty of hadiths have been quoted from the Prophet (s) that Imams and caliphs of the Prophet (s) are twelve people.

For example, Sahih Moslem quoted the Prophet (s) saying:

ان هذا الأمر لا ينقضي حتي يمضي فيهم اثناعشر خليفة

This affair (religion of Islam) is not fulfilled until twelve caliphs and successors come by.(2)

Sahih Moslem is included among the most famous and validated books of Sunni books.

The Holy Prophet of Islam (s) stated in hadith of "Thaqalayn": 1

P: 85

I leave behind for you two valuable things: One is Book of God and two is my Ahl-e Bayt; O' Muslims! As long as you resort to these two things, you are never misled and know that the Quran and Ahl-e Bayt are inseparable until they appear to me at the Pond of Abundance on the Day.

In this brilliant hadith, the Prophet (s) called all people on referring to the Holy Quran and Ahl-e Bayt after his demise.

This hadith is found available in the most authentic books of Sunnis and it explicitly shows truthfulness and caliphate of the Prophet's Ahl-e Bayt. In Sehah Setta books-which are the most famous Sunni books-in all of them except Sahih Bokhari-this hadith is being included.

The great Shiite scientist, the late Mirhamed Husayn cites this hadith from 500 books in his valuable book titled "Abaqat Al-Anwar":

Presently, Sunnis not abiding by the true caliphs of Islam must provide a response:

Considering this hadith, "the twelve caliphs" and "Thaqalayn" which is a lot read in the most well-known books of yours-which explicitly denote the truthfulness of the Infallible Imams-why do you follow those who are not truthful?!

Of course, many Sunnis are uninformed of these issues because their doyens have concealed the facts and deterred people from reaching them and only they are written in old books!!

• Mahdavism is not an issue in which Shi'a should have faith; rather, Sunnis believe in it too. The reason behind it is plenty of hadiths in

P: 86

sources of which we read about the Prophet (s) talking about Mahdi (may Allah hasten his emergence) and his emergence.

Here, by citing the formal declaration of "Rabetat Al-Alam Al- Islamiya" which is the greatest hub of Wahhabism based in Mecca as documentation, all opponents of Shi'a are asked to contemplate over Mahdavism:

One of the signifying aspects of this declaration is that it shows: the anti-Shi'a most hardline groups-that is Wahhabis-have accepted the case. They not only accepted it, but also they seriously defend it considering it as the crucially Islamic beliefs. This center works as the international relations and world center.

In 1976, a person named "Abu Mohammad" from Kenya posed a question from the center on the emergence of the Expected Mahdi. Secretary general of the center responded him recalling that "Ibn Taymiyya" (founder of Wahhabism) has approved of hadiths associated with Mahdi and has sent him five short treatises which have been prepared by the current five well-known ulemas of Hejaz. After mentioning name of Hazrat Mahdi and location of his emergence in Mecca, the response reads:

God spreads across the universe justice and equity through Mahdi when corruption comes up and atheism and tyranny is disseminated. He is among the twelve orthodox caliphs that the Prophet (s) reports in Sihah books. Mahdi-related hadiths have been quoted by many of the Prophet's Companions. They are as follows:

Othman Ibn Affan, Ali Ibn Abitaleb (a), Talhat Ibn 'Abdullah, 'Abdulrahman Ibn Owf, 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas, Ammar Yaser, 'Abdullah

P: 87

Ibn Mas'ud, Abu Sa'id Khedri, Thuban, Qarrat Ibn Ayas Mazni, 'Abdullah Ibn Harith, Abu Hurayra, Hazifat Ibn Yaman, Jaber Ibn 'Abdullah, Jaber Ibn Majed, 'Abdullah Ibn Omar, Ens Ibn Malek, Omran Ibn Hesayn and Umme Salama and he adds that:

Both the afore-mentioned hadiths quoted from the Prophet and testimony of the Companions ruled as hadith here have been cited in many of the famous Islamic books and main contexts of Prophet's hadith including traditions, dictionaries and documents. They are included as traditions of Abi Davoud, Termezi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Omar Al- Dani;documents of Abi Y'ali, Bazzaz, Sahih Hakem. Dictionaries are like: Tayrani and Dareqteni and Abu Na'im in "Akhbar Al-Mahdi”, Khatib Baghdadi in History of Baghdad" and Ibn ‘Asaker in “History of Damascus" and the like. He further says:

Some Islamic scientists have compiled certain books in this regard such as: Abu Na'im: "Akhbar Al-Mahdi"; Ibn Hajar Haythami: "Al-Qol Al-Mokhtasar fi 'Alamat Al-Mahdi Al-Montazer; Showkani: "Al-Tozih fi Tavater ma Ja'a fi Al-Montazer va Al-Dajjal va Al-Masih"; Edris Araqi Maghrebi" Al-Mahdi"; Abulabbas Ibn 'Abdulmo'amen Maghrebi: “Al- Wahm Al-Maknun fi Al-Radde Ali Ibn Khaldun".

The last person who detailed such issue is chancellor of Medina Islamic University with his ideas published in several printouts of the subject university review. A number of great men and scientists of Islam, new and old ones made it clear in their writings that the hadiths received about Mahdi are in successive numbers (that is there are so many of them that one can be assured of). They are as follows:

Sakhavi in "Fath Al-Moghith"; Mohammad Ibn Ahmad Safavini in

P: 88

"Sharh Al-'Aqida"; Abulhassan Abari in "Manaqib Al-Shafeie"; Ibn Taymiyya in his Fatwa; Siyuti in "Al-Hawi"; Edris Araqi Maghrebi in "Mahdi"; Showkani in "Al-Tozih fi Tavater ma Ja'a fi Al-Montazer; Mohammad Ibn Ja'afar Ketani in "Nazm Al-Motanather fi Al-Hadith Al- Motavater and Abulabbas Ibn 'Abdulmo'amen in "Al-Wahm Al- Maknun". He finalizes the declaration:

It is only Ibn Khaldun who, concerning hadiths related to Mahdi, wanted to find fault with baseless and fake hadiths that say Mahdi is nobody but Jesus; but the great scientists of Islam have rejected what he has said, particularly Ibn 'Abdulmo'amen who has written a special book on rejecting him, which has been published in the east and the west thirty years ago.

Hadith writers have clarified that hadiths of Mahdi contain proper and good hadiths totally with successive witnesses. Therefore, belief in emergence of Mahdi is obligatory and it is among beliefs of Sunnis and Jema'ah; only ignorant, uninformed or innovators deny it.

Montaser Kanani

Director, Islamic Fiqh Association

Full Arabic transcript of this declaration is included in the book titled "Mahdi, a Great Revolution".

Now, let me cite a number of hadiths from Sunnis in this respect: Motaqqi Hendi-one of Sunni scientists-says in "Kanz Al-Umal" as to authentic books of Sunnis:

قال رسول الله ..... ابشري يا فاطمة ! المهدي منك

P: 89

O' Fatima! I give good tidings that Mahdi comes from you.(1)

رسول الله : المهدي رجل من ولدي وجهه كالكوكب الدري

Mahdi is a man from my descendants whose face shines like star. (2)

رَسُولُ اللهِ : لا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَمْتَلِيَ الْأَرْضُ ظُلْمًا وَعُدْوَانًا، ثُمَّ يَخْرُجُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ عِتْرَتِي أَوْ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي يَمْلَؤُهَا قِسْطًا وَعَدْلًا كَمَا مُلِئَتْ ظلما وعُدْوَانًا

Resurrection Day never comes by until the earth is replete with tyranny and vengeance; then a man from Household rises up and fills the earth with justice and equity free from cruelty.(3)

قال رسول الله : ... لو لم يبق من الدنيا الا يوم لطول الله ذلك اليوم حتي يملك من اهل بيتي

If the world life remains only one night, a man from my Household governs on that very night.(4)

And tens of other hadiths which have been included in the most authentic books of Sunnis in this regard. Now, take notice of ideas of Sunnis about applicability of Mahdi and applicability of the twelve caliphs:

Applicability of Mahdi: As they have not accepted issue of caliphate 3

P: 90

and Imamate Amir Mo'menan Ali Ibn Abitaleb (‘a) and his descendants of Imams of Guidance (a); therefore, they deny the illuminating and sacred being of Hazrat Hojjat Ibn Al-Hassan Al-'Askari (may Allah hasten his emergence) and say: Mahdi of ummah about emergence of whom the Prophet (s) has given the herald is not being born; he is born at the end of the world, he is brought up and spreads the universe with justice and equity!!

And they also say: Mahdi of ummah comes from generation of Imam Hassan Mojtaba.

Sunnis make such statements while various hadiths say Mahdi, the Promised is the ninth descendant of Imam Husayn (‘a)-that is Imam Of the Age (may Allah hasten his emergence).

But who are the twelve caliphs in the eyes of Sunnis?!

Since they have not accepted the issue of Imamate of Imams of Guidance ('a), they rank the twelve people from the orthodox caliphs and caliphs of the Abbasid and Umayyad for complying with the Prophet Hadith!!

But they raise no differences over introduction of the first caliph to fifth caliph, saying: the first caliph: Abubakr; the second: Omar; the third: Uthman; the fourth: Ali (‘a) and the fifth one: Hassan ('a). They bring up a marked discrepancy from the fifth caliph to the eleventh caliph. For example, some have approved of Mu'awiyya but others have not. Some others have approved of Omar Ibn 'Abdulaziz but others have not and they rank these eleven people differentially and say: The twelfth caliph of the Prophet (s) is Mahdi, the Promised who is not born and will be born at the end of the world!!

P: 91

In case Sunnis had accepted caliphate and leadership of our lord Amir Al-Mu'amenin Ali Ibn Abitaleb ('a), they would have never gone on such perversion.

• Hadith of Umme Salama discussed on the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (‘a) is included in Sunni and Shiite books. The hadith has been quoted from Amali, Sheikh Sadduq; section 29, hadith No. 3. Now, two proofs are cited from Sunni sources:

Ahmad Hanbal in his Musnad, vol. 3, p. 342 quotes from Ens Ibn Malek saying:

إن ملك المطر استأذن أن يأتي النبي لا أذن له ، فقال لأم سلمة : املكي علينا الباب لا يدخل علينا أحد قال : وجاء الحسين ال ليدخل فمنعته، فوثب فدخل، فجعل يقعد على ظهر النبي وعلي منكبه وعلي عاتقه . قال: فقال الملك للنبي : اتحيه؟ قال: نعم. قال : اما ان امتك سقتله وان شئت اریتک المكان الذي يقتل فيه فضرب بيده فجا بطينه حمرا فاخذتها ام سلمه فصرتها في خمارها

One day, one of the God's Angels-Angel of Rain-asked God to be permitted to grant an audience to His Messenger (s). When he was granted an audience to the Prophet (s), the Prophet (s) told Umme Salama: Don't let anybody enter my shop cell. Husayn ('a) came there to enter Prophet's shop cell but Umme Salama stopped him. Husayn (‘a) entered anyway with Umme Salama following him. She observed that Husayn is on shoulders and neck of the Prophet (s). That Angel stated to the Prophet: Do you love this son? He replied: Yes. The Angel said: But know that your ummah will kill him soon and if you will, I will show you where he is being martyred. Then the Prophet opened his hand giving some bits of soil of that land to Umme Salama. She took it and kept it in a

P: 92

• Moheboddin Tabari quotes Umme Salama in his "Zakha'er Al- Uqba":

أم سلمة قالت كان جبريل عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم والحسين معي فبكى فتركته فدنا من النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال جبريل أتحبه يا محمد فقال نعم قال جبرائيل إن أمتك ستقتله وإن شئت أريتك من تربة الأرض التي يقتل بها فأراه إياه فإذا الأرض يقال لها كربلا.

Gabriel was with the Prophet (s) when Husayn came there. He cried and I let him go. He went to the Prophet's side. Gabriel told the Prophet (s): O' Mohammad! Do you love him? He replied: Yes. Gabriel said:

Your ummah will kill him soon and if you will, I show you the location where your son is being martyred. Then Gabriel flew to the land which is said to be Karbala and revealed it to the Prophet.(1)

The above hadith is also discovered in Sunni sources.(2)

Of course, some people have quoted the above hadith from Ayesha as well.

Considering these various hadiths cited in Shiite and Sunnite sources, we become certain that the Prophet (s) heard martyrdom of Husayn (‘a) from Gabriel and told Umme Salama and others about it. He also wept for him, paid pilgrimage to the land and had taken some of the soil of the land. .

P: 93

P: 94

hugged you would smell fragrant sense of the Prophet (s).

After departure of your ancestor's spirit, you were in canopy of your mother only for weeks and you yourself witnessed how the wicked usurpers raided your illuminated household. They set ablaze it and martyred your honorable mother, Seddiqah Kobra (‘a).

After martyrdom of your mother, you stayed with your honorable father for thirty years and you took great ethos of his temperament.

You looked after your father together with your bother, Hassan (‘a) and bravely fought as one of emirs of his troops in wars of Jamal, Siffin and Nahrawan in the last five years when your father acted as caliph of Muslims, particularly in Siffin war-when your father battled Mu'awiyya and his fellows you attacked enemy troops and killed them so courageously that your father cried out and said: Stop my son, Husayn because I fear he might be killed and chain of Imamate might be cast off.

After martyrdom of your father, you stayed with your brother and then Imam, Hassan Mojtaba (‘a) and joined him when his troops moved towards Damascus. After martyrdom of your oppressed brother by the cursed Mu'awiyya, you stood in belligerence with him for ten years when the vicious dynasty was in extreme power. After his death, you rose up against his infidel son, Yazid and you were martyred in 61 A.H when you were fifty seven years old.

True!

In all your lifetime, you spurred enmity against the tyrants and defended the oppressed. You never feared death and you stood as forerunner in courage and epic. You even sacrificially defended the right of your father when you were young and scandalized the usurper system

P: 96

of caliphate. This happened while many had reconciled with the oppressor out of fear of their lives.

During reign of the second caliph, one day you entered mosque of your ancestor, the Prophet (s) and you observed the usurper on pulpit of the Prophet; once observing such thing, you, only a young boy, went up on the pulpit bravely in front of public sight, telling him: Come down my father's pulpit and go up on your own father's!

Omar who was frustrated to answer told you: My father had no pulpit! After coming down the pulpit asked you: Who has taught you to talk like that? And you replied: nobody.

Ibn Abbas has narrated that he accompanied Ali (‘a) in Siffin; when he stopped in Nainawa alongside the Euphrates, he loudly said: Ibn Abbas! Do you know where this place is?

Ibn Abbas replied: O' Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a)! I don't know.

Your father said: If you knew this place as I know, you would never pass it unless you would cry as I do.

Ibn Abbas says: He wept so much that his tears moistened his beard rolling down his chest. Ibn Abbas also began to weep. Your father sighed and said: What do I have to do with Abu Sufiyan; what do I have to do with party of Satan and leaders of infidelity?

Your father then told you while his face was wet with tears: O' Husayn! Be patient because your father has been troubled by those you have. Later, your father asked for water to perform ablution. He said prayer in some rak'at and reaffirmed what he had said before.

P: 97

He slept some hours and when he was awake, he said: O' Ibn Abbas! Do you like to hear of what I had seen in my dream now?

He said: Yes O' Amir Mu'amenin (‘a)!

Your father said: I saw in my dream that men from the heaven came down with white flags, hanging their swords; swords that were white and shining. They circled the land. I saw as though palm trees twig down the ground with fresh blood boiling in which Husayn was sunken. He asks for help but nobody helps him and those white-clad men from the heaven were calling him: O' descendant of the Messenger (s)! Be patient. You are killed by shrewd people and O' Husayn! Paradise is longing to see you; they then give condolences to me saying: O' Abalhassan! Good tidings belong to you; God inveigled you when people stand in front of Him one day. I was awake. I swear to God soul of Ali is in His Hands, Sadiq Mosaddeq Abulqassem (s) in time of departing towards those who rendered assault on us said to me: This is the land of suffering and disaster where Husayn, seventeen of my children and children of Fatima (‘a) are buried. This land is well known in the heavens, known after Karbala as Holy Shrines are known.

He then told Ibn Abbas:

O' Ibn Abbas! Look around for dung of gazelle; I swear to God I neither forced someone to lie nor did I tell lie myself. These dungs are as yellow as Saffron. Ibn Abbas said: I found dungs somewhere and told Imam: I found the dungs as you had described.

Your father said: God and His Messenger told the truth. He then stood up and quickly moved towards them, took and smelled them and said: Yes, they are the same dungs.

P: 98

He then turned to Ibn Abbas and said: You know that Jesus Christ of Maryam (a) has smelled these dungs. It was when he and his companions were passing through this place and saw that a number of gazelles have gathered here, crying. Jesus sat down with his companions. He began to weep and his companions did so while they failed to know why he sat down crying. They said to him: O' Spirit of God, why are you weeping?! He said: do you know where this place is? They said: No. Jesus said: This is the very land where grandson of the Messenger of God (s) and son of Tahera Batul like of my mother is being killed. He has an inborn disposition purer than musk and is buried because the inborn disposition is grandson of the Prophet and is martyr. The nature of the Prophets and their children look like this. These gazelles talk to me that they graze across this land with the pleasure of pure Torbat of the Prophet's grandson and I guess that they feel safe in this land. Hazrat Jesus (‘a) stretched hands towards these dungs, smelled them and said: these are pure because of their location. O' God! Keep them here until martyr's father smells it and feel condoled and commiserated; hence, they have survived to our times and have turned yellow with the lapse of time. This land is disaster and suffering.

Afterwards, your father cried out: O' God of Jesus Ibn Maryam! Stop granting goodness and blessing to his killers and to those who helped his enemy and left him behind with no companions. He wept for long and his co-travellers did too. Your father wept so much that he fell down the ground and went unconscious for a while; he later became conscious, took dungs and put them in his cloak. He ordered me to do so. He then told him: If you saw fresh blood pump out, know that my son is being martyred.

P: 99

Ibn Abbas continues to say:

By God! I protected it more than anything He commanded me to protect. I always kept it in my sleeves until I was asleep. I got up all of a sudden seeing that fresh blood comes down from it and my sleeve was moistened with blood. I sat while I was crying and said: I swear to God Husayn is killed. I take an oath of God that Ali (‘a) never told me a lie. I was frightened and left my house. It was break of day and by God city of Medina was so foggy that no sign of the city was seen. Day broke and I think sun was in eclipse. Walls of Medina seemed to have been blooded. I sat while I was crying and said: I swear to God that Husayn is killed. I heard somebody say from household: O' progeny of the Progeny! Seek patience. Zahra's son is killed and Ruh Al-Amin came up weeping and moaning. He cried stormily and so did I. I found it certain that the time is Muharram 10th, the very date that had reached us when I learned that Husayn was killed.

True!

Jesus wept in mourning for you, so did Abraham, Noah and Adam when God told about your martyrdom.

True!

All prophets and saints Imams whom God told about the story of martyrdom of oppressed Husayn wept.

According to narrations received from the Immaculate Imams ('a), all beings of God wept over your martyrdom.

Ens and jinn, birds and wild animals wept over you in such a way that their tears rolled down.

P: 100

Your descendant, Imam Sadiq (‘a) said:

When Husayn Ibn Ali was martyred, the seven heavens and the seven layers of the earth, whatever in them, between them, all creatures on them, paradise, hell and visible and invisible beings wept for Husayn (‘a).

True!

Martyrdom of you, the oppressed Husayn was imposed so heavily on the universe that all divine creatures wept.

And your son's other words are as follows:

The heavens rained blood for Husayn for forty days and the earth remained obscure for forty days; the sun went on eclipse with red color for forty days; mountains fell down; seas moved flowing and the Angels wept for him for forty days.

Imam further said:

No eyes and tears are more beloved before God than the ones weeping for Husayn. Nobody weeps for Husayn unless his weeping reaches Hazrat Fatima helping her in mourning for her son and reaches the Prophet, thereby fulfilling our right. No worshipper becomes mustered on the Day unless his eyes weep other than those weeping for Husayn because they become mustered when their eyes are bright and opened, showing signs of joy and happiness on their faces. People are suffering from grievances but they are immune from any sorrow and grief. People are dispersed and anxious but they remain under the canopy of Husayn, remembering him and are busy talking about him. They are not frightened by worries and grievances of the Day.

The Almighty God granted them good horses equipped with saddles.

P: 101

They rode on them and send peace to Mohammad and his progeny while praising God.

One day, your father went to the mosque and his companions had gathered around him. Being a brave young man, you came into the mosque and filled it with fragrance of your soul.

Then you went to see your father who put his hands on your head and said:

O' my son! God decries and censures some tribes in His Holy Quran and says:

فَمَا بَكَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَا كَانُوا مُنْظَرِينَ

And neither heaven nor earth shed tears over the destruction of Firown (Pharaoh) and his people; and they were not given any respite for repentance either (Dukhan: 29).

I swear to God you will be killed after me; then heaven and earth will weep for you.

True!

Martyrdom of you, the oppressed Husayn affected the universe so heavily that all heavens and earth and the creatures on them wept.

Your son, Imam Sadiq (‘a) said:

The heavens wept for Husayn Ibn Ali (‘a) and Yahya Ibn Zakaria (‘a) and wept for nobody but them.

Imam Sadiq was told: What is weeping of the heavens? And how was it?

P: 102

He said:

For forty days, the heavens halted; sunrise and sunset happened in crimson color and this was why the heavens wept.

Your son, Imam Sajjad (‘a) who was present in Karbala and witnessed the huge sky-crushing event said in a hadith:

Ever since the heavens came into existence, it never wept for anybody but for Yahya Ibn Zakaria and Husayn Ibn Ali (‘a).

He was told: what was weeping of the heavens?

He said:

When you placed some clothes facing the heavens, it left traces like blood of mosquito.

True!

You were beloved of all divine creatures and they loved you at their best because you were light of God. The heaven and the earth were illuminated under the glow of your universe- illuminating countenance and all creatures came into being as ordered by the Almighty God. Again, the honorable wife of the Messenger (s), Umme Salama is quoted in the book of Kamel Al-Ziyarat saying that:

Ever since the Exalted God made spirit of the Messenger (s) numb, I heard no eulogy of jinns unless that night (departure night of the Messenger (s)) I did not see him unless I experienced tragedy of my son, Husayn ('a).

You were Imam of creatures and caused the heaven to send down divine blessings on the earth and made the heavens and the earth strong

P: 103

but those blind-hearted atheists failed to appreciate you and martyred you in oppression. If creatures were not doomed to divine promise of certain day and certain time, divine wrath would catch everybody and would destroy them because of such a serious crime being committed in the universe.

You were Imam of jinn tribe and they cried out of grief of your martyrdom.

It is said when infidels martyred you, jinns wept over you and sang these lines:

O' eyes! Shed tears and weep because it is truly heard that martyrdom of Husayn is true.

Cry for Fatima's son who set out to the Euphrates and never came back.

Jinns cries over grief and sorrow of Fatima when it is heard Husayn is being martyred.

Alas! Husayn and companions are killed.

We shed burning tears for you at dawn and dusk, of course.

We shed tears so much that tree roots are rolled out and trees are cut off.

Although the executioners martyred you between two streams of water while you were thirsty, you were triumphant and they were defeated and degraded.

P: 104

True!

You were honored, victorious and exalted although you were decapitated.

I swear to God that the very time your head was on spear and they danced around your head-hoisted like sun-in uproar, you were victorious and they were humiliatingly degraded.

By God, the very time they while drunkard galloped the stout horses over your and your companions mutilated bodies, you won the battlefield and they lost it in degradation.

By God, the very time your head was placed on golden basin in front of the infidel Yazid and he, the wicked man, touched your holy lips and teeth with bamboo, saying in pride:

O' Yazid! Where are your forefathers who were killed by father and ancestor of Husayn in Badr war and say: Bravo Yazid!

Again, you were victorious and Yazid was defeated in humiliation.

You were, are and will be triumphant for good and they were humiliatingly defeated and will be so forever.

You are victorious because you are lord of martyrs; you are victorious because zeal of your love will remain in our hearts forever and the zeal will never go out or down.

True!

You are victorious as tears of your mourners are received by the Angels and they are taken for blessing to the heavens.

P: 105

True!

You are victorious because about twenty million people travel to Karbala to pay pilgrimage to your holy shrine marking 40th day of your

martyrdom every year. Such a huge gathering on earth only takes place for your mourning.

True! Yes!

You are triumphant because the Angels of the heavens are sacrificed to one droplet of tears shed on your mourning, which can cool and extinguish fire of the hell. But your enemies recorded disgrace, humiliation and degradation on their names for keeps. All pure and righteous people of the universe curse them forever and they are placed into fire of the hell where they are neither dead nor cold.

Yet, your lovers and zealots shedding tears over your mourning gain a lot of your countless blessings.

Your dear son and rightly speech-bound Imam Ja'afar Sadiq (‘a) said:

Whoever remembers Husayn Ibn Ali (‘a) and sheds tears as big as wing of a fly, he shall be rewarded by God and He will not be contented with less than paradise for him.

In another hadith, he said:

Whoever of the faithful people rolls down tears for the sake of martyrdom of Husayn (‘a), the Almighty God grants him chambers where he can reside for days.

And he further said:

Whoever sings one line of elegiac poetry for Imam Husayn ('a), weeps for him and lets ten people cry, paradise belongs to him and them. And

P: 106

whoever sings a line of poetry on disaster of Husayn ('a), cries and makes nine people cry, he and them shall win paradise.

And he constantly repeated this by reducing the number of people until he finally said:

Whoever sings one line of poetry on disaster of Imam Husayn ('a) and cries or makes himself cry, he shall join paradise.

Of course, retelling such things is hard to hear for deniers of the Imamate-particularly dissident Wahhabis; I tell it again for them to know that honor exclusively belongs to God who wishes to give it to whoever He ordains. The Almighty God granted the whole honor to son of Ali Ibn Abitaleb (‘a), our lord Husayn (‘a) who sacrificed his whole belongings to God.

And God knows, others do not know and God wills and no being has any ability whatsoever to stand against His Divine Will.

True!

The Exalted God granted unending honor because you were His Light; you were Proof of God; you were indispensable part of the Prophet (s) and you overtook all creatures in worship, bravery and self-devotedness!

True!

You took the lead; you captured hearts and you seized souls.

But Wahhabi dissidents are saying: Husayn ('a) is dead and it is polytheistic act if you shed tears for the dead!

These people who know little of God's religion save their own

P: 107

understandings should know that they themselves are dead and Blood of God survives in all ages.

True!

You are alive; you are everlasting martyr and all beings of the universe remain enlivened thanks to your blessed light glittering all

across the universe.

How is it that shedding tears and mourning for you is polytheistic while your ancestor, the Prophet (s) and Imams of Guidance (‘a); the saints Imams and prophets of God; Gabriel; all divine Angels and all the universe spilled tears over martyrdom of you, the oppressed Husayn!!

In response to Wahhabis, I quote this historical movement. Ibn Athir, one of the Sunni scientists writes:

In Ohud war where some of the loyal Companions of the Prophet (s) including Hamzah (may God bless him), his honorable uncle had been martyred and on his returning from Ohud frontline, there were wailing outcries from houses of those martyred in Ohud war and elegizing for their lost loved ones. But when he passed through his uncle's house, he saw nobody doing as such and he said: Nobody weeps for my uncle today.

When Ansar, the Assisters were informed of such happening, they told their wives to moan and weep for mourning of Hamzah (may God bless him).

From among those living in this world with every race, language and religion, there are people who raise tears over your and your children's disastrous tragedy if they are not stone-hearted.

P: 108

The eyes shedding tears over your tragic martyrdom are the most beloved eyes before God. On the Day, all eyes weep for hardships and sufferings save the eyes weeping for you. The owners of such eyes smile and they are given good tidings of gifts of paradise. The Angels touch such eyes because they warmly receive tears of your mourners.

As for hadiths of your descendants-Imams of Guidance (‘a)-tears shed over you and your tragedy and disaster have five characteristics:

1. They are the most beloved to God.

2. If one drop of such tears fell unto the hell, it will become cool and extinguished.

3. The Angels take the tears and keep them in a bottle.

4. Such tears are given to treasurers of paradise to make them mixed with Water of Life in paradise; as a result, they will be thousands of times cleaned.

5. One cannot measure value and merit of reward for such tears; everything has a certain value but reward for weeping over your tragedy and you go insurmountably unmeasured, O' Husayn!

As for your mourning ceremony, it is actually an elegiac ceremony of paradise gardens having these features:

----public prayer location of God that means God raises peace upon the ceremony of prayer.

----it is where divine Angels come down and make their wings touch and bless your mourning ceremony.

----it is where spirits of divine prophets particularly that of your ancestor, the Prophet (s) raises special view.

-----it is where holy spirits of you, your father and mother and children

P: 109

raise special view.

-----it is where your descendant, Imam of the Age (may God hasten his emergence) appears or pays special consideration.

And you, the honorable extend your prayer to the participants of the ceremony and God spreads His pardon, mercy and blessing across the ceremony as to respecting you and your pure and Immaculate Progeny (‘a).

The atheist tribesmen beheaded you in between two big and torrential streams while you were thirsty but you were patient, resisted and failed to yield to humiliation for pleasure of God and resuscitation of religion. And the Almighty God absolves the one who drinks water, says greetings to you and damns your killers thanks to your blessing.

True!

God absolves him.

Davoud Raqqi is being quoted in Kamel Al-Ziyarat saying that: I was granted an audience to Imam Sadiq (‘a); he asked for water and when he drank it, I saw that he showed a weeping state with his both eyes were soaked with tears. He then said to me:

O' Davoud! May God curse killer of Husayn ('a). There is no worshipper of God who drinks water, remembers Husayn ('a) and damns his killer unless he shall be rewarded hundreds of thousands of wells, forgiven of hundreds of thousands of his sins and upgraded hundreds of thousands in rank. It looks as though he shall free hundreds of thousands of men and he shall be mustered by God on the Day while he is certain and calm in heart.

P: 110

True!

Blessings of your existence are as wide in range as the universe and nobody sees himself needless of them unless those who are black-hearted wrongdoers!

On that burning land of Karbala plateau, Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad, the cursed ordered Omar Ibn Sa'ad, the cursed to block the access of you and descendants of the Prophet (s) to even a droplet of water of the Euphrates; True! Those malicious people failed to have a sense of humanity.

You joined your father in Siffin war and you know that those wicked people blocked access of water to your father's troops because Mu'awiyya intended to disable your father's troops through such anti- human strategy so that they might yield to them. But as ordered by your father, your brother, Imam Hassan ('a) with a group of fighters attacked Mu'awiyya's troops and unblocked the access to water.

At the same time, some companions of your father told him:

O' Ali! We can block their access to water mutually to debilitate them, but your father rejected and said: God had made this water lawful for all of His creatures including the infidels.

True! Your father showed manliness and ceased to block their access to water, but Yazid, the atheist son of the atheist father stopped descendants of the Prophet (s) gaining access to water and they even deterred children from having the water.

But what a disastrous tragedy it was on the day of Ashura when all your compatriots had been martyred while being thirsty and you were left alone with none of your followers.

P: 111

Whatever calls you made:

Is there anyone to stand by haram of the Prophet (s)? Is there anyone to defend me? Whenever the enemy heard your supplication, it spurred uproar to stop you being heard!

You then returned to the tents and horsed towards back of the tent where your dear sister Hazrat Zeynab (‘a) was and said: O' my sister! Fetch my small child to me to see him for the last time and say goodbye to him.

Your sister came out of the camp while hugging swaddling clothes of your son, Aliasghar and handed your neonate to your arms. You looked at your dear child's thin face seeing that he is failing to death due to thirst. His honorable mother, Robab had not drunk water for several days and had milk dried on her breasts and your six-month-old baby, Aliasghar had been starving to death, thirsty and hungry.

Your dear son looked at your eyes with his tiny eyes and pressed his small feet and hands in his swaddling clothes.

With his delicate look and movement of his tiny legs and hands, he perhaps wanted to tell you: O' father! Drink me with water because I am failing to death; but you lacked water to make him drink. And he might want to say this: O' father! I am sacrificial soldier of yours; O' father! I feel no sense of life after my brother, Aliakbar, my uncle, Abbas and my cousin, Qassem!

O' father! Let me sacrifice myself to you as Aliakbar, Abbas and others did.

P: 112

You stuck your sweetheart baby onto your chest and shot him on his small dried and fully thirsty lips with kisses.

I apologize to you, my lord for recounting this heart-rending tragedy: Omar Ibn Sa'ad, the cursed with the cursed Harmala-who was skilled at shooting spears-moved apart from troops and neared the tents. They saw you holding your baby on your arms, kissing and caressing him.

Omar Ibn Sa'ad told Harmala: O' Harmala! Why are you doing nothing and not shooting?

Harmala said: Shoot father or his baby?

Omar Ibn Sa'ad replied: Don't you see the white flesh part under his throat? First, let him feel hope-sick of his baby.

The cursed Harmala shot a three-pronged spear and targeted your child's throat that was as tiny and delicate as a leaf of flower.

All of a sudden, you noticed that your baby severely trembled on your arms and his swaddling clothes and face were sunken in blood. The three-pronged spear torn apart your child's throat and Aliasghar passed away instantly and he quenched thirst with his throat's blood.

While you filled your eyes with tears, you firmly reached your hand to his throat, taking his holy blood and splashed it onto the sky and you chanted prayer to God in this way:

O' God! You rule between us and the people who invited us to help us but they killed us.

P: 113

At this time, he heard the heavens say:

O' Husayn! Leave your baby to us because he is milked in Paradise. No drop of blood you splashed onto the sky came back on the earth as

God Himself received blood of your child.

You rode off your horse while you were crying and went to the other side of the tents. You dug a small grave with sword sheath and buried your blood-sunken child.

By God! If such tribulations had happened to a non-Muslim and monotheist, human heart would have burned and wept; much less, the tragedy happened to Proof of God and descendant of the Prophet (s)!

I take an oath of God that it is deserving that all people of the universe shed tears of blood over your mourning and say woe betide us for the disaster!

O' may our souls be sacrificed to your son, Aliasghar!

O' may all of us be sacrificed to you!

You accepted the hardest hardships by sacrificing your life to God to say: O'mankind! If you die for the Almighty God, the hardest death is easy to come!

O' mankind! Live in honor and die in honor and never yield to humiliation because dying in honor is much better than living in humiliation!

O' mankind! Seek effort on the path of God and sacrifice all your belongings because the world is not worth having and you have been

P: 114

created for eternality!

O' mankind! Cast off chains of slavery so that you can move forward!

May Peace of God be upon you, O' Husayn! May Peace of God be upon your six-month-old baby, O' Husayn!

a staunchest defender of Imam Ali ('a), was hurt and was martyred several days later as a result of contusion stricken on her by those vicious people.

Sunnis deny such incidence and charge Shiites with falsehood, but we have a response to them:

1. Many of the Shiite ulema who were unique in piety and knowledge quoted the heart-rending incidence being quoted from eyewitnesses one thousand two hundred years ago by giving authentically detailed citations in their books. Therefore, this heart-rending movement is nothing made by the Shiites; rather, it's been over one thousand and two hundred years that those who are cherished by the pure and Infallible Progeny (‘a) have cited in their books with authentic documents quoted from some of the Companions who had witnessed the incidence.

The Shiite scientists like Salim Ibn Qeys Helali, Sheikh Tusi, Ayyashi, Ibn Quliyya Qomi, Husayn Ibn Hamdan, Sheikh Sadduq, Allameh Helli, Seyyed Ibn Tavous, Seyyed Hashem Bahrani, Allameh Majlisi and many others of Shiite virtuous ulema quoted the incidence by citing their documents.

Our question asked of Sunnis is this:

To what right do you allegedly accuse all well-known Shiite ulema who are cherished by the Holy Quran and Progeny?

On what permission do you accuse those virtuous ulema who have no attachment to this world and have done their best at the cost of their life for publication of culture of the Quran and Ahl-e Bayt (a) and a number of them have been martyred in this way of falsehood?!

P: 116

These people are the same distinguished scientists who lived under hard conditions and never concealed their religion and wrote by telling the truth despite the shadow of cruelty of the tyrant governments- defenders of Sunnis-being imposed on them and suffering from sword blades of them under their throat.

2. In many of the old and reference books of Sunnis, this heart- burning incidence is being quoted. The great men of Sunnis including:

• Ibn Hesham, dead in 218 A.H, "Al-Sirat Al-Nabaviyya"

• Ibn Abi Shayba, dead in 235 A.H, “Al-Musannaf”

• Ibn Qatiba Dinvari, dead in 276 A.H, "Al-Imamata va Al-Siyasata"

• Ya'qubi, dead in 274 A.H, "Tarikh-e Ya'qubi”

• Ahmad Ibn Yahya Belazari, dead in 279, “ Ansab Al-Ashraf”

• Mohammad Ibn Jarir Tabari, dead in 310 A.H, "Tarikh Al-Umam va Al-Muluk"

• Ali Ibn Al-Husayn Ibn Ali Mas'udi, dead in 246 A.H, Morravej Al- Zahab"

• Ibn Rabbah Andolesi, dead in 328 A.H, "Aqd Al-Farid"

•Abulqassem Tayrani, dead in 360 A.H, Al-Mu'ajam Al-Kabir”

• Ibn 'Abdulberr, dead in 463 A.H, "Al-Isti'ab fi Ma'arefat Al- Ashab"

• Shahrestani, dead in 548 A.H, Al-Melal va Al-Nahl"

• Dehlavi Hendi, dead in 1176 A.H, “Izalat Al-Khulafa””

And many others have quoted this incidence. Of course, although these people tried to censor this incidence, their groups of words, if put together, roughly comply with what the Shiite ulema have quoted in their own hadith books.

Here, two examples of Sunnis are mentioned as evidence:

P: 117

بعث اليهم عمر بن الخطاب ليخرجهم من بيت فاطمه (س) وقال انه ابوافقاتلهم فاقبل بقبس من النار علي ان يضرم عليهم الدار فلقيته فاطمه (س) فقالت: يابن الخطاب اجئت لتحرق دارنا؟ فقال: نعم اوتدخلوا فيها دخلت فيه الامه

Abubakr sent Omar after those who had sat in the house of Fatima (a) to let them out of the house and if they refused to do so, they can kill them. He took some fire and went up to Fatima's house. When Hazrat Fatima (a) saw him, she told him: O' son of Khattab! Have you come to set our house on fire? He said: If you don't pledge allegiance to us, yes I will do so. (1)

Ibn Qatiba says:

وان ابابكر تفقد قوما تخلفوا عن بيعته عند علي فيعث اليهم عمر فجاء؛ فناداهم-وهم في دارعلي ال - فابوا ان يخرجوا، فدعا بالحطب وقال : والذي نفس عمر بيده لتخرجن أولاحرقنها علي من فيها.

And Abubakr found out that a group of people did not show up to obey allegiance to him, so he sent Omar after them. He came- while they were in Ali's house-and called them. They refused to come out.

Omar asked for firewood and said:

I swear to the One who holds my life in His Power, either you come out or I set fire on it with all its residents, no doubt!(2) 2

P: 118

One case of the most famous books of Sunnis is worth mentioning:

.... فوجدت فاطمه علي ابي بكر في ذلك فهجرته فلم تكلمه حتي توفيت....فلما توفيت دفنها زوجها العليا ليلا ولم يؤذن بها ابابكر وصلي عليها.

Abubakr was angered by Fatima and she discontinued relations with him and she never talked to him as long as she was alive........when she died, her husband, Ali ('a) buried her nightly and Abubakr was not informed about it. He said prayers over her dead body.(1)

You dear readers noticed that Bukhari talks in censorship. Now, Sunnis are asked: Why was Hazrat Zahra (a) angry with Abubakr? You said in your own books quoting the Prophet (s): Whoever makes Fatima angry, he shall make me angry.

Or according to this hadith: God is infuriated if Fatima ('a) is infuriated.

Why did she make her will that Abubakr and Omar should not take part in her funeral ceremony and she should be buried nightly?

True!

Attack launched by the caliphate system on the household of Ali and Fatima ('a) is considered among the certainties of history.

Answer: They deny it because the attack and martyrdom of Fatima (a) is considered as disgraceful bloodstain of the caliphate system and it devastates their dynasty. Since they are unwilling to have their caliphs under question, they denounce this incident.

All people of the universe should know that

If those tyrants had not raided house of revelation and had respected her, the infidels would have not dared behead descendant of the Prophet (s) on land of Karbala!

In Jamal war, Imam Husayn (‘a) commandeered the left flank of army of the Commander of the Faithful (a) and in Siffin war, he played an active role whether through enthusiastic speeches made for companions of Ali ('a) for participation in war and or through fighting with the deviators. He acted as an observant from Ali (‘a) during the arbitration process.(1)

Commander of the Faithful ('a)-in the wake of self-devotions of Imam Hassan and Imam Husayn ('a)-asked his companions in Siffin war to deter Hassan and Husayn ('a) from continuing to fight with the enemy for keeping the Prophet's generation surviving with these two personalities not being killed.(2)

Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalani writes:

During the caliphate of Omar Ibn Khattab, one day, Husayn (‘a) entered the mosque and saw Omar on pulpit. Once seeing such scene, he went up the pulpit and told him: Come down my father's pulpit and go up your own father's pulpit! 5

P: 120

Given away, Omar said: My father had no pulpit! Then he seated him beside himself and when he came down the pulpit, he took him to his house asking: Who has taught you to say such things? He replied: Nobody!(1)

Various narrations in Shiite and Sunni books read that incidences occurred in the universe without precedent until then after Imam Husayn was martyred. These incidences were as follows:

----Heavy earthquake

----Darkened east and west of the universe

----Crimson Sky

----Blood Showering from Sky

----Severe Haze with Darkness

----Forty-day Eclipse

----Tumultuous Seas

----Collapse of Mountains

----Stars Appearing Mid-day

----Blood Seen underneath rocks and.....

Within this chapter contents, the Shiite narrations have been quoted from Kamel Al-Ziyarat in this regard; presently, some of the Sunni sources and books are quoted about such incidences:

•According to Moheboddin Tabari quoted from Umme Salama: (2)

لما قتل الحسين ناحت عليه الجن ومطرنا دما 0

P: 121

When Husayn (‘a) was killed, Jinn tribe elegized for him and the sky showered blood.

• Bayhaqi says:(1)

لما قتل الحسين بن علي كسف الشمس كسفه بدت الكواكب نصف النهار حتي ظننا انها هي

{القيامه}

When Husayn Ibn Ali (‘a) was killed, the sun went on eclipse and stars appeared in the sky mid-day as people imagined the Day has come.

Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalani writes:(2)

وانكسفت الشمس حتي بدت الكواكب نصف النهار وظن الناس ان القيامه قد قامت .....

When Husayn (‘a) was murdered, the sun was darkened and stars appeared in the sky mid-day and people imagined the Day has come.

Tabari says:(3)

لما قتل الحسين مطرنا مطرا كالدم علي البيوت والجدر

When Husayn ('a) was slain, the sky rained like blood on the roofs and walls.

In his interpretation, Ibn Jarir says: 5

P: 122

لما قتل الحسين بكت السماء عليه وبكاؤها حمرتها

When Husayn ('a) was killed, the heaven wept for him in crimson color.

On interpretation of what God says in Dukhan Surah of the Quran, Siyuti says:

ما بكت السماء منذ كانت الدنيا الا علي اثنين الي ان (قال وتدري ما بكاء السماء؟ قال: لا، :قال تحمر و تصير ورده کالدهان ان يحيي بن زكريا لما قتل لحمرت السماء وقطرت دما وان حسين بد علي يوم قتل احمرت السماء

The sky cried only for two people and it cried in crimson and is changed like boiled oil. When Yahya Ibn Zakaria was murdered, the sky became red and showered blood and when Husayn ('a) was killed, the sky became red too.

• Tabari says:

لما قتل الحسين لم يرفع اولم يقلع حجر بالشام الا عن دم

Once Husayn (a) was killed, every rock in Damascus lifted showed blood underneath.(1)

• Haythami puts it down that: 5

P: 123

ونقل ابن الجوزي عن ابن سيرين ان الدنيا اظلمت ثلاثه ايام ثم ظهرت الحمره في السماء (الي ان قال واخرج الثعلبي ان السماء بكت وبكاؤها حمرتها قال : وقال غيره : احمرت آفاق السماء سته أشهر بعد قتله ثم لازالت الحمره تري بعد ذلك قال وان ابن سيرين قال أخورنا إن الحمره التي مع الشفق لم تكن قبل قتل الحسين ال قال : وذكر ابن سعيد إن هذا الحمره لم ترفي السماء قبل قتله، قال: ابن الجوزي وحكمته أن غضبنا يوثر حمره الوجه والحق متره عن الجسميه فأظهر تأثير غضبه علي من قتل الحسين ال بحمره الأفق إظهاراً لعظم الجنابه.

Translation of narration is as follows:

Once Husayn (‘a) was killed, the universe had gone black for three days. After that, the sky turned red. It cried and crying looked like crimson. Until six months, horizon of sky revealed red color. Before murder of Husayn ('a), crimson color of dusk was not in the sky and at sunset, this crimson color appeared in the sky and it still exists when Husayn ('a) was killed because the Almighty God showed wrath because of Husayn's murder. Since wrath is shown by blushed face and God is purified of physicality; He revealed His wrath by reddening sky horizon because of monstrous crime of Husayn's murder.

Such narrations-abundant in Sunni books-explicitly denote the sense that Hazrat Husayn ('a) is Proof of God, His selected person and Imam of the universe, as a result of martyrdom of whom such transformations have been in the heavens and on earth.

P: 125

P: 126

No exaggeration is made and I cease to claim you are God! You are not God! Rather, you are His creature, His virtuous worshipper, Imam and His Proof for the universe.

True!

You are created by Him, but the creature the Almighty God has granted the highest ranks of the universe.

Now, your holy shrine is a part of paradise; moreover, it is all around paradise on this globe where the Angels and spirits of the Saints of God come down.

True!

The Angels of the heavens and spirits of the prophets and the Saints always come down for pilgrimage to your pure grave and achievement of sacred soil of your Karbala while extending greetings and salutations; they take lots of advantage and then, they return to the heavens and to the Purgatory.

True!

Divine Angels in groups come down with tearful eyes to pay a pilgrimage to your pure grave and touch their wings and feathers to your shrine holy threshold and receive blessings.

As for pilgrims of your pure grave-who come joyfully to extend kissing to your Karbala soil from all around the globe-they are granted the highest rewards by God.

Your status stands so sublime and respectable before God of the two Worlds that pilgrimage to your pure grave is one of the highest worships.

P: 128

The characteristics of all obligatory and recommended worships, worship by speech and by act, bodily and hearty worships are gathered in one place when paying pilgrimage to your pure grave although performing the obligatory duties never falls invalid for mankind.

According to received narrations, seventy thousand Angels constantly say prayer alongside your pure grave and gift rewards of the prayers to pilgrims of your shrine. Besides, your descendants have said:

Pilgrimage paid to your pure grave has rewards of several greater hajj and lesser hajj.

Pilgrimage paid to your pure grave has rewards of thousands of zakat acceptable to God.

Pilgrimage paid to your pure grave has rewards of thousands of charity acceptable to God.

Pilgrimage paid to your pure grave has rewards of thousands of fasting people.

Pilgrimage paid to your pure grave has rewards of thousand martyrs of Badr martyrs.

Pilgrimage paid to your pure grave has rewards of freeing a thousand of people on the path of God.

And thousands of thousand rewards that God grants to those who pay pilgrimage to you by knowledge.

Also, according to plenty of narrations, if pilgrim of your pure grave leaves his house for Karbala, he or she is seen off by six hundred Angels in six directions. Every step the pilgrim takes and on every object he or she steps, the object prays for him and he is recorded thousands of goodness for him. When the sun shines on pilgrim of your pure grave, it

P: 129

melts his sins as fire swallows firewood.

As the pilgrim comes close to Karbala, thousands of groups of the Angels welcome him, from among whom four thousands are the Angels who appeared to help you on Ashura Day. You never allowed them and were satisfied to become martyred while accepting the sufferings. Then, those four thousands of Angels were given mission to remain at the vicinity of your grave and cry for your being oppressed and pray for pilgrims of your grave.

When pilgrim of your grave intends to head back home, a large number of groups of the Angels see him off and say goodbye to him, adding: O'guardian of God! You are blessed. You are from party of God and party of the Prophet (s). By God! You never see fire of the hell and it doesn't see you either. Later, a herald calls you: Good for you; you are purified and you deserve having paradise!

True!

This is a part of blessings gifted from God to pilgrims for pilgrimage paid to your noble grave thanks to your respect, great patience and your valuable blood.

True!

God, the Exalted is honored and His gift to pilgrims of your pure grave is being exalted.

Why should this not be as such?!

You who sacrificed whatever you had! You who spared the harshest hardships to resuscitate religion of God!

P: 130

You who sacrificed your eighteen-year-old young boy and your neonate to pay honor to God!

If you had been born a thousand times, you would have sacrificed all your being to God!

Why should not God respond you as such?! You who you devoted all your warp and woof to keep religion of God surviving and He never wastes reward of those who fight on His Path.

True!

You were descendant of the Prophet (s); you were son of God's Lion; your mother is the very Seddiqah Kobra (‘a) whom your ancestor, the Prophet (s) said about:

Whenever Fatima is angry, God is angry.

By God! If you are honored, God is honored!

I try to talk in brief about history of your life again:

When the body of vicious family-Mu'awiyya Ibn Abi Sufyan (may God damn him) passed away and his ignoble-birth son succeeded him, World of Islam faced increased disaster after his son, Yazid's succession.

After his father died, once Yazid was seated to throne of kingship, he wrote a letter to ruler of Medina, Walid Ibn Utbah and ordered him: Summon Husayn Ibn Ali and ask him to swear allegiance to me for my caliphate and if he refused to do so, behead him and send his head to me in Damascus. Also, ask people of Medina to swear allegiance to me and if anyone refused to do so, do to them as I ruled for Husayn.

P: 131

That vicious, monkey fancier and bastard wrote in his dirty letter to ask you for allegiance and if you did not do so, cut your holy head off your body!!

That vicious man brought up in luxury palaces and in pleasure and putrescence failed to know that you are son of God's Lion and Imam of the freemen of the world and you never compromise with the wrongdoers!

When his damned father was in his late moments of life, Mu'awiyya used to ask allegiance from people for Yazid, the atheist but you stood against Mu'awiyya with all your strength and resistance, rejecting allegiance to Yazid. The wicked Mu'awiyya though being shrewd and treacherous dared not tell the descendant of the Prophet (s): If you do not swear allegiance, you will be killed. But Yazid, the vicious monkey fancier, threatened you to death from the very beginning he assumed the throne!

Yazid's letter came to Walid, ruler of Medina. He became distressed and overnight, he sent after Mawan Ibn Hakam who was ruler of Medina before him. He came up to meet Walid. Walid told him about Yazid's letter, asking him how he should treat Husayn (‘a).

The wicked Marwan whom and father of whom the Prophet (s) cursed said: Summon Husayn now and ask him for allegiance to Yazid and if he refused to do so, behead him before he is informed of Mu'awiyya's death because if he and others know about his death, they persuade people to oppose Yazid.

You with several people were in the mosque when Walid's message boy came and told him about the message; you told the message boy: Go

P: 132

back to him, we will come to see him.

Some told you why Walid has summoned you at midnight.

You said: Mu'awiyya has died and he has summoned us for swearing allegiance to Yazid.

You then said: I now call upon the youth of my family and we will go up to royal residence. I leave them behind at the door of palace and I enter the palace alone. 'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr said: I fear your life is at risk.

You said: I find myself powerful enough to disobey to pledge allegiance to Yazid.

Later, you joined your loyal companions and your brother, Qamar of Hashimites (a) and life-sacrificing acquaintances to depart to the palace, telling them:

I enter the palace and when I called upon you or you heard me yelling, you can enter the palace. You by yourself entered the palace and saw Walid sitting beside Marwan Ibn Hakam.

You told them in loud voice: What do you want?

Walid read Yazid's letter for you at once and you loudly and very quickly told him: I never swear allegiance to Yazid.

Marwan told you: You can pledge allegiance to Amir Al-Mu'amenin!

And you again told the wicked man loudly: Woe unto you who tell

P: 133

something in nonsense, who has appointed Yazid as Amir of the Faithful?!

Marwan having been angered by your treatment rose up, shouted and told Walid while pressing his sword sheath:

Command the palace swordsmen to decapitate him before I leave the house and I claim his being killed!

At this time, your brother, Abbas (a) and eighteen of life-sacrificing people who had heard Marwan shouting raided the palace with their swords unsheathed. They surrounded you and let you out of the palace.

After you left the palace, Marwan turned to Walid, saying: You didn't follow my words; I swear to God you will never reach Husayn.

Walid said: Your suggestion would bring destruction of my religion; by God! I dislike having the universe in its entirety and I kill Husayn. I invoke by God that I have my hands behind his murder because he is guilty of not making allegiance to Yazid.

Tomorrow of that day, Marwan saw you on the way and told you: O' Husayn! I advise you to pledge allegiance to Yazid, Amir Al-Mu'amenin because it is advantageous to you! You annoyingly spoke: وإنا اليه الله إنا U and said to him, the wicked: If ummah is engaged with Amir like

Yazid, we must say goodbye to Islam. Woe unto you, Marwan who orders me to make allegiance to Yazid while he is a morally corrupt man. I fail to censure you for what you said because you are the same person whom my ancestor, the Prophet (s) damned you when you were on your father's loin-Hakam Ibn Al-As.

P: 134

Then you told him: O' enemy of God! Keep away from us. We are Ahl-e Bayt of the Messenger of God (s); truth belongs to us and we tell the truth. I myself heard the Prophet (s) say:

It is unlawful for descendants of Abu Sufyan, their grandchildren and slaves to be caliphs, adding: If you saw Mu'awiyya on my pulpit, he must be torn apart on his abdomen. I swear to God that people of Medina found him on my ancestor's pulpit, but they did not do what they were told to do.

Marwan angrily shouted at you, saying: I never leave you alone unless you swear allegiance to Yazid! You, descendants of Ali hold vengeance of Abi Sufyan dynasty and it is outright to raise enmity against them and so do they.

In response, you said to him, the wicked: O' man of evil! Keep away! Because we come from the pure Ahl-e Bayt and God revealed to His Messenger (s) about us:

....... انما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس اهل البيت ويطهركم تطهيرا

Verily, Allah's Will is to remove away impurity from you, the people of the Messenger's Household and to purify you thoroughly (Al-Ahzab: 33)

O' son of Zarqa'! For what you are discontented with the Prophet (s), I give you good tidings to face divinely painful agony when you return to Him and my ancestor will question you about me and Yazid.

After such statement made by Husayn ('a), Marwan was no longer able to talk and left him.

P: 135

You no longer found Medina a safe haven for you and your family; therefore, you decided to leave your birthplace and head for Mecca.

Overnight, you stood by the pure grave of your ancestor, the Prophet (s) to bid farewell to him. Once you reached his grave, you noticed that a light came out of his grave and went back to its main place.

Next night, you came by his shrine and stood up to say prayers; you went on prostration but you instantly slept. You dreamed yourself on his arms and he kissed between your eyes, saying:

May my father be sacrificed to you! I find you soaked in your own blood among the people who hope to get my intercession by me, but they never receive my intercession. O' my son! You will come to your father, mother and brother who all are longing for meeting you.

Then he told in dream:

وإن لك في الجنه درجات لا تنالها الا بالشهاده

God has designated a status for you in paradise and you will not achieve it unless you are martyred.

At this time, you woke up while you were weeping. When you returned home, you described your dream to your dear family.

You then went up to your mother's grave in the dark night and while standing beside her pure grave, you recalled her utmost devotion, honorability and emotions. With the tears rolling down your holy cheeks, you bade farewell to your mother for the last time. Afterwards, you paid

P: 136

visitation to your brother's pure grave, Imam Hassan Mojtaba (‘a); you embraced it and returned home with your heart filled with grief. Back home, you told your family to be prepared for journey.

Your brother, Mohammad Hanafiyya came up to you and he was worried. He tried to beware you of the journey but you told him:

O' brother! You gave me your kind advice but O' my brother! I never swear allegiance to Yazid Ibn Mu'awiyya even though I have no refuge to seek in this world.

Once the Hashemite women knew about your departure to Mecca, they gathered to chant eulogy; you stopped by them asking for their silence:

I ask you by God not to eulogize and wail under such conditions because it results in divine disobedience and His Prophet and I will never make up my mind.

They told you: O' beloved of the pure people of the universe! May God sacrifice our life to you! How should we not cry and wail while, to us, today is the very day when the Prophet (s) had deceased and it associates the moments when Ali, Fatima and Hassan (a) left us alone?!

You asked them to be patient and tolerant, saying:

This is predestined by God and it will happen in reality.

Umme Salama-the honorable wife of the Prophet (s)-came to see you, saying: O' my son! Don't make me grieved by departing to Iraq; verily, I heard your ancestor, the Prophet (s) say:

P: 137

يقتل ولدي الحسين اللي بأرض العراق في أرض يقال لها كربلاء

My son, Husayn will be killed in Iraq and on a territory called Karbala.

You told her:

O' mother! By God! I well know the finality of such thing and I know where and on what day I will be killed and I also know whom of my Ahl-e Bayt and the Shiites will be killed with me.

Then you pointed to Karbala with your holy hand. Umme Salama stepped up her impatience and while wailing and weeping, she bade farewell to you.

Before moving towards Mecca, you put down a written will in which you talked about your big aim of uprising, something which can be a lesson for the freemen of the universe.

True!

In this valuable writing of yours where you depicted man-making goals of your uprising, you wrote to your brother, Mohammad Ibn Hanafiyya:

This is something Husayn Ibn Ali wrote to his brother, Mohammad Ibn Hanafiyya as a will:

Verily, Husayn testifies that God is Only One with no partner. Mohammad (s) is His Messenger (s) and His worshipper who has brought the truth from Him. Verily, paradise and hell are true and the Day will come and no doubt, the Almighty God will re-live the dead.

P: 138

But I rise up against Yazid not for creating sedition and corruption or for fun and self-presentation; rather, I rise up to amend the affairs of my ancestor's ummah. I am determined to enjoin the good and forbid the bad and follow life conduct of my father, Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (‘a) and my ancestor. If someone accepts call to truth, God is more truthful to accept it and if anyone does not accept the truth, I keep waiting until God judges between me and these people and He is the best arbitrator. And this is my will and I will not succeed unless God Wills. I trust in Him and repent to Him only.

After finishing the letter, you wrapped and sealed the letter and handed it to your brother, Mohammad Hanafiyya.

True!

In this valuable will, you informed the universe forever that your goal is nothing but pleasure of God and revival of traditions and divine values. You failed to stand up for government and chairmanship although caliphate and governance was your divine right which had been oppressively usurped by others.

You rose up while you well knew that you are to be killed and you stood against the repressors because you recognized that scandalizing the caliphate system and reviving traditions and divine values are only made possible through your holy blood being spilled.

True!

The community was in such an aggravated situation that Islam and the Quran had been names only and religion of God was on the verge of being annihilated.

And you, son of God's Lion, sacrificed your life to maintain religion

P: 139

of God and let the atheists be scandalized for good.

People turned a blind eye on crimes committed by the Umayyad to enjoy a two-day inferior earthly life and remained silent and indifferent, but you cried out: If I am killed and my ancestor's religion survives, so let the cutting swords come and get me sooner!

Although the atheists shed your pure blood and that of your descendants on sacred territory of Karbala, you were victorious in that battlefield and the atheists were defeated and degraded! And Karbala is threshold of God and a flying place towards eternality and it is Kiblah of hearts of all real gnostic people for keeps.

Karbala is where ascension happens; Karbala bases knowledge; Karbala is all universe and Karbala is thumbing heart of the Seal of the Prophets, Mohammad (s).

Did the Prophet (s) not tell: Husayn is from and I am from Husayn? And is it not that part of endeared being of the Messenger (s) is buried in this sacred territory?

True!

Karbala is thumping heart of the Prophet (s). Karbala is a place where the Angels and spirits of Divine Saints take the blessing.

Your descendant, Imam Sadiq (‘a) said:

Shrine of Husayn ('a) is a garden of paradise gardens from which the Angels ascend and every near-stationed Angel and every Messenger never come down unless they seek pilgrimage to his shrine from God; henceforth, a crowd of them come down to pay pilgrimage and a crowd of them having paid pilgrimage ascend to the sky.

P: 140

Your descendant, Imam Sadiq (‘a) made other words:

Every Angel of the heavens asks God for His permission to pay pilgrimage to grave of Imam Husayn ('a); henceforth, a crowd of them from heavens come down and pay pilgrimage to him and a crowd of them return from pilgrimage and ascend to the sky.

Pilgrimage to pure grave of Imam Husayn (‘a) has so much blessing that Imams ('a) said to the Shiites that hardly ever and under no circumstances shall pilgrimage to his shrine be given up. Imam Sadiq (‘a) told one of his companions:

O' Mu'awiyya Ibn Wahab! Do not give up paying pilgrimage to Imam Husayn ('a) for fear of being killed on the way because one who gives it up, he shall yearn much on the Day.

Would you like to be seen by God among those for whom the Messenger (s), Ali, Fatima and Imams ('a) pray?!

Would you like to be one of those whose scroll of actions changes by means of being forgiven for the past wrongs and to be one whose seventy-year-old sins are absolved?!

Would you like to be one of those who have died without having questionable sins?!

Would you like to be one of those who shake hands with the Prophet (s)? So grant an audience to that holy shrine under any circumstances.

True!

This is blessing of pilgrimage to your pure grave which has spread across all universe. Throughout history, your zealous Shiites risk their

P: 141

lives despite all difficulties travel to pay pilgrimage to your pure grave from all corners of the globe, many of whom claimed their lives by modern Yazidis on this way.

Now that modern Yazidis say, with their void thoughts, that visitation to your pure grave is polytheistic act, although tens of thousands of pilgrims of your shrine are being martyred inhumanly as a result of suicide bombings in the recent decade, not a little attention of your loving Shiites to your pure grave has there been lessened. This is while millions of people constantly pay pilgrimage to your pure grave despite facing dangers.

True!

Those holding wrong religion say: Husayn is dead and visitation to his grave is polytheistic act! They themselves are buried dead in ignorance and you are eternal martyr; martyrs are always alive and shed light on people.

And we cry out: Descendant of the Prophet (s) is not dead; Husayn is everlasting light; Husayn gives rise to living hearts of people.

And those who resorted to Satan regard visitation to your grave as polytheism because their hearts are joined by those of Abu Sufiyan dynasty.

Yazidis killed you so that they can extinguish your light with their wrong imagination, but they themselves are extinguished and you shined and will shine like thousands of thousand shining suns within heavenly hearts.

And these Yazidis of today intend to put out remembering you by

P: 142

killing your Shiites and pilgrims, but those vicious people do not know that divine light is never-ending and they are themselves extinguished. God will take revenge of them soon as He did to their co-religionists in the past and let them fall in the hell.

Here, I want to tell of your Ashura, the very great tragedy that fills eyes of your lovers with blood and rends their hearts.

On Ashura, your brother, Hassan ('a) was not present but his memorable people and his loved children, Qassem and 'Abdullah attended the battle and sacrificed themselves on behalf of their father, Imam Hassan Mojtaba (‘a).

At night of Ashura, you told all your companions that they will be killed tomorrow. Qassem came up to you, saying: O' my dear uncle! I will be killed too! You pressed him unto your chest, telling him: O' my brother's surviving boy! How do you think of death? That thirteen-year- old young boy knowledgeably replied: احلی من العسلit is sweeter than honey.

At noon of Ashura, after Aliakbar (‘a) was martyred, Qassem came up to you telling that he was ready to join the battle. You embraced Qassem and stormily wept and he did too.

You took patience on disastrous martyrdom of your loved young son, Aliakbar (a) but that of Qassem happened to be more serious because he was reminiscent of your brother, the oppressed Hassan ('a). You stopped him joining the battlefield.

Qassem threw himself on your feet and hands and kissed them while

P: 143

crying hard, he insisted that he join the battle as Aliakbar did.

Finally, after his frequent insistence, you let your brother's orphan join the battle. He appeared at the battlefield while he was on rodomontade.

One of the enemy troops says:

I saw a boy from Husayn's troops step into the battlefield, whose face was shining like moon and he was wearing a long shirt and clogs.

He stormed against the enemy troops and killed a number of them. Omar Ibn Sa'ad Azdi said: I attack so strongly the boy that he has no way but falling on the ground. All of a sudden, this oppressive man hit your brother's dear son with sword on the head that he faced the ground while his head slit apart, crying: O' my dear uncle! Get me!

The very moment you heard orphan of Imam Hassan (‘a) crying, you, eagle-like, split apart enemy troops and reached him, soaked in blood and killed his killer on one strike of sword.

You then held his slit-apart head, telling your brother's son tearfully:

O' Qassem! It is hard for your uncle that you call him but he cannot answer you and if he comes to you, he cannot do anything for you and if he can do something, it is fruitless.

Qassem dragging his feet across the ground said nothing and died on your arms! While weeping strongly you lifted his blood-soaked body and carried him to the tent while you stuck him on your chest with his feet dragging behind. You placed his body next to torn-apart body of your young boy, Aliakbar and cried out:

P: 144

Ο

O' my cousins, my relatives and my loyal companions! Keep being patient and tolerant; I swear to God you will no longer see predicament.

True!

You drank goblets of incessant disasters and you never succumbed to degradation so that you would teach mankind lessons of being freemen and exalted.

May Divine Peace rest upon you, O' Husayn!

Hazrat Seddiqah Kobra (‘a):

إنّ الربّ ليغضب لغضب فاطمة و يرضي لرضاها

Certainly, God is angered when Fatima is angered and He is pleased when she is pleased.

The above hadith is being cited in various Sunni sources including:

-----Hakem Neisabouri, Mustadrak Al-Sahihin, vol. 3, p. 153

-----Zahabi, Mizan Al-E'tedal, vol. 2, p. 72

-----Moheboddin Tabari, Zakh'er Al-Uqba, p. 39

-----Motaqqi Hendi, Kanz Al-Umal, vol. 6, p. 111

-----Ibn Athir, Assad Al-Ghabah, vol. 5, p. 522

-----Ibn Hajar, Al-Asabah, vol. 8, p. 159 and.................

This hadith has been cited a lot in Shiite sources.

•The sources below cite the historical issues of this chapter about Imam Husayn's meeting with governor of Medina, Marwan and issues surrounding it:

-----Tarikh-e Ya'aqubi

-----Ibn Athir, Kamel Al-Ziyarat

-----Ibn Shahr Ashub, Manaqib

----Baqir Sharif Al-Qurashi, Hayat Al-Imam Al-Husayn (‘a)

----Seyyed 'Abdulrazzaq Moqarram, Maqtal Al-Husayn (‘a)

• When Marwan Ibn Hakam told Imam Husayn to make allegiance to Yazid and save yourself, Husayn said to him:

P: 146

علي الاسلام السلام إذ قد بليت الامه براع مثل يزيد ويحك يامروان أنامرني ببيعته يزيد وهو رجل فاسق

Islam must be said goodbye if ummah is faced with an Amir like Yazid, woe betide you, Marwan! You command me to swear allegiance to Yazid while he is evil-doer?!

• Various sources read that the Messenger of God (s) cursed Marwan Ibn Hakam with his father when he was on his infidel father's loin- Hakam Ibn Abi Al-Aas; now, some cases of Sunni sources are mentioned here:

(1) Siyuti in "Al-Durr Al-Manthur" says about Ibn Abi Hatam and Ibn Omar, under what God says in Banu Israel of the Holy Quran ile Log that the Prophet (s) saw in his dream that Marwan Ibn الرويا التي..... في القرآن Hakam sat on his pulpit monkey-like. He then quotes Ayesha saying to Marwan one day:

سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم یقول لأبيك وجدك: إنكم الشجره الملعونه

I heard the Prophet say to your father and grandfather: You are the cursed family.

(2) Motaqqi Hendi in “Kanz Al-Umal", vol. 6, p. 90 says that Imam Hassan (‘a) angrily told Marwan one day:

اهل بيت ملعونون، فوالله لقد لعنك الله على لسان نبيه وأنت في صلب أبيك

P: 147

You are cursed family by Him; I swear to God God cursed you and you were cursed when you were on your father's loin

(3) Hakem Neisabouri in "Mustadrak Al-Sahihin", vol. 4, p. 481 quotes 'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr saying:

إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لعن الحكم وولده

The Messenger (s) damned Hakam Ibn Abi Al-Aas and his son[who was in his loin].

(4) Amru Ibn Marra is quoted in Mustadrak Al-Sahihin, vol. 4, p. 481 as saying:

إن الحكم بن أبي العاص استادن علي النبي فعرف النبي صوته وكلامه إيذنوا له عليه لعنه الله خلاق وعلي من يخرج من صلبه..... ذومكر وخديعه، يعطون في الدنيا وما لهم في الاخره من

Hakam Ibn Abi Al-Aas asked for granting an audience to the Prophet (s). The Prophet (s) recognized his voice and said: Grant him an audience, divine curse be upon him and one who comes out of his loin.......that they are people of deceit and trickery; they are given trivial worldly goods, but they are given nothing in the world after.

Sunni sources are inclusive of these narrations.

• Majority of Sunnis recognize Mu'awiyya as a companion of the Prophet (s) and the rightful caliph! This is while some of the great men of Sunnis say that the Prophet said about the cursed Mu'awiyya:

P: 148

Whenever you saw Mu'awiyya on my pulpit, you can kill him immediately.

Let us see some of Sunni sources in this respect:

------In "Mizan Al-E'tedal", vol. 2, p. 7, Zahabi quotes the Prophet (s) as saying that:

إذا رأيتم معاويه علي منبري فاقتلوه

Kill Mu'awiyya whenever you saw him on my pulpit [caliphate].

------In "Tahzib Al-Tahzib", vol. 7, p. 324, Ibn Hajar says:

إذا رأيتم معاويه علي هذه الأعواد فاقتلوه

Kill Mu'awiyya when you saw him on these woods.

From these hadiths, blasphemy of Mu'awiyya is proven. This hadith is being cited in "Kunuz Al-Haqayiq", Manawi, p. 9 and some other Sunni sources.

• Imam Husayn ('a) told his brother, Mohammad Ibn Hanafiyya in some part of his will that:

أَنِّي لَمْ أَخْرُجْ أَشِراً وَلَا بَطِراً وَلَا مُفْسِداً وَلَا ظَالِماً، وَإِنَّمَا خَرَجْتُ لِطَلَبِ الْإِصْلَاحِ فِي أُمَّةِ جَدِّي صلى الله عليه وآله أُرِيدُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَنْهَى عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأَسِيرَ بِسِيرَةِ جَدِّي وَأَبِي عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِب عليه السلام، فَمَنْ قَبلَنِي بِقَبُولِ الْحَقِّ فَاللَّهُ أَوْلَى بِالْحَقِّ، وَمَنْ رَدَّ عَلَيَّ هَذَا أَصْبِرُ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ

P: 149

(1)(2) اللَّهُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ بِالْحَقِّ، وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ

• Mohammad Ibn Hanafiyya is son of Commander of Faithful (‘a) and Hanafiyya is nickname of his mother. His mother named Khulah. But why he did not join Imam Husayn in moving to Iraq may be because of an excuse or expedience.

In "Tanqih Al-Maqal”, vol. 3, p. 112, Allameh Mamaqami writes:

One must say that he did not join Imam in going to Iraq because he might have an excuse or expedience and Mohammad Ibn Hanafiyya and 'Abdullah Ja'afar (husband of Hazrat Zeynab (‘a) and the like [who did not join Imam] stand at higher rank than believing in untruthfulness.

• Shi'a holds that Imam Husayn (‘a) not only knew that he would be martyred; but also he had discovered details of his martyrdom and that of his companions at Karbala plateau.

The late Allameh Majlesi says:

When Imam Husayn (a) decided to depart from Medina, Umme Salama came up to him and said: O' my son! Don't make me sad by going to Iraq; verily, I heard your ancestor, the Prophet (s) say: My son, Husayn will be killed in Iraq and on a territory called Karbala.

Imam Husayn (‘a) in responding to her said: O' mother! By God! I well know what will happen to me, but I have no way but keep going on; I take oath of God that when and on what day I will be killed and again, I know who will kill me. I know where I will be buried and I even know who of Ahl-e Bayt and my Shiites will killed with me. And If you long for .

P: 150

watching the scene, look there! Then Imam pointed to Karbala with his holy hand. Umme Salama's intolerance doubled and said to him goodbye while wailing and crying.(1)

------In “Dala'el Al-Imama", p. 74, Mohammad Ibn Jarir Tabari writes:

'Abdullah Ibn Abbas says: When Imam Husayn ('a) was on his departure to Iraq, I went to see him, telling: O' descendant of the Messenger (s)! I swear you to God not to go to Iraq and forget the trip.

Imam said: O' son of Abbas! Don't you know that Iraq is a place where I and my loyal companions are martyred?

I replied: Where did you get this news?

He said: This is a secret I know and it is knowledge granted to me.

-Bayhaqi in "Tarikh-e Bayhaqi" quotes the Prophet (s) as saying:

Verily, you are granted a rank in paradise that you only achieve by martyrdom.

------In "Maqtal Al-Husayn", p. 170, Khwarazmi writes:

Then Husayn ('a) knew that he would be killed when enemy troops were equipped to fight with him, so he spared patience and he never became intolerant until he prospered martyrdom; may the best and highest greetings belong to him. 2

P: 151

Of course, two major points should be noted:

1. Knowledge of Imam Husayn ('a) about his martyrdom and his companions' martyrdom imposed nothing on him because Imam embraced martyrdom in the way of God through freedom and his determination.

2. Some may raise doubt and question that why did he have himself killed despite knowing that if he departs to Karbala, he will certainly be killed? Is it not required for one to protect himself from being killed?

Answer:

a. Iraqis wrote a letter asking him to move to Iraq for helping them to battle against rule of Yazid; Imam, though knowing that they show weakness if their life is at risk and leave him alone, departed to Iraq for making ultimatum because if he had not done so, Iraqis would have told God on the Day: We invited Imam Husayn ('a) for combating Yazid, but he failed to show up for the cause!!

b. At that time, the Quran and values of religion had been so much trampled that nothing but martyrdom of our lord, Husayn (‘a) could startle and awaken people, so Imam dedicated his sacred blood and that of his children and companions in order to revive the Islamic values and to scandalize the Umayyad.

• As said, whatever said as to visitation to pure grave of Seyyed Al- Shuhada (‘a) and its blessings discussed has been taken from authentic hadiths; here, to take blessing and further realization, a number of hadiths with their Arabic context are quoted from Ibn Quliyya's "Kamel Al- Ziyarat":

P: 152

Imam Sadiq (‘a) says:

كَلَ اللَّهُ بِقَبْرِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ع سَبْعِينَ أَلْفَ مَلَكٍ يَعْبُدُونَ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ الصَّلَاةُ الْوَاحِدَةُ مِنْ صَلَاةِ أَحَدِهِمْ تَعْدِلُ أَلْفَ صَلَاةٍ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْآدَمِيِّينَ يَكُونُ ثَوَابُ صَلَاتِهِمْ لِزُوَّارِ قَبْرِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَ وَ عَلَى قَاتِلِهِ (لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَ الْمَلائِكَةِ وَ النَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ أَبَدَ الْآبِدِينَ

The Almighty God delegated seventy thousand Angels over Imam's grave for his worship; one prayer of one of them equal thousand prayers of people and reward of their prayer is regarded for pilgrims of his pure grave while ill-fate and wretchedness on his killer upon who curse of God, Angels and all people fall.

•Imam Sadiq ('a) said:

إن الله ملائِكَةِ موكلين بقبر الحسين ال، فإذا هم الرجل بزيارته أعطاهم الله ذنوبه، فإذا خطامحوها، ثم إذا خطا ضاعفواله حسناته تزال حسناته تضاعف حتي توجب له الجنه ثم اكتنفوه وقدسوه وينادون ملائِكَةِ السماء أن قدسوزوار حبيب حبيب الله، فإذا اغتسلوا ناداهم محمد صلى الله عليه وسلميا وفد الله أبشروا بمرافقتي في ياوفدالله أبشروابمرافقتي الجنه! ثم ناداهم اميرالمومنين ال: أنا ضامن لقضاء حوائجكم ودفع البلاء عنكم في الدنيا والأخره ثم التقاهم النبي عن ايمانهم وعن شماة لهم حتى ينصرفوا إلي أهاليهم. (1)

The Almighty God has Angels who are delegated over Imam Husayn's grave. When someone intends to pay visitation to him, God puts his sins at the discretion of these Angels and when he walks, the Angels let all his sins disappear. When he walks a second time, they double his wells and as he walks farther, his wells are increased in so far as paradise is made 3

P: 153

obligatory for him and he is surrounded and sanctified by them. The Angels cry out and say:

Sanctify pilgrims of friend of God's friend! And when pilgrims did ritual ablution, Mohammad (s) calls them, saying: O' wayfarers of God! Good tidings belong to you because you are in paradise beside me. After him, Commander of the Faithful (‘a) calls them, saying: I am liable to meet your needs and repel all disasters from you in this world and the other world. Later, the Prophet (s) meets them on the right and the left until they return to their own place.

Imam Sadiq (‘a) said:

من زار الحسين ال من شيعتنا لم يرجع حتي يغفر له كل ذنب ويكتب له بكل خطوه خطأها و كل يدرفعتها دابته ألف حسنه ومحاعنه ألف سينه، وترفع له ألف درجه (1)

Whoever is of our Shiites and pays pilgrimage to Husayn ('a), he shall not return from pilgrimage unless all his sins are blessed. For every step he takes, every hand he holds up and his horse he moves, he shall be recorded thousand wells and his thousand sins shall be faded away and he is upgraded thousand ranks.

Imam Sadiq (‘a) said:

ما من أحد يوم القيامه إلا وهو يتمني أنه من زوار الحسين لما يري مما يصنع بزوار الحسين ال من كرامتهم علي الله تعالي(2)1

P: 154

Every one desires to be pilgrim of Imam Husayn ('a) on the Day because he observes that what honor God, the Almighty keeps recorded about him.

• 'Abdullah Ibn Najjar says:

قال لي ابو عبدالله ال تزورون الحسين ال وتركبون السفن؟ فقلت: نعم، قال: أما علمت أنها إذا انكفأت بكم نوديتم : ألاطبتم وطابت لكم الجنه

Imam Sadiq ('a) told me: Do you go to pay pilgrimage to Imam Husayn (‘a)? Do you go by ship to pay visitation to him?

I replied: Yes.

Hazrat stated: Do you know if you are shipwrecked in the sea, herald calls:

Be aware! Good for you; May paradise befall pleasant to you!

• 'Abdullah Ibn Meymun Qaddah says:

...... قال قلت له: ما لمن أتي قبر الحسين بن علي ال زايرا عارفا بحقه، غير مستنكف ولا مستكبر؟ قال : يكتب له ألف حجه مقبوله وألف عمره مبروره وإن كان شقىا كتب سعيدا، لم يزل يخوض في رحمه الله عزوجل (1)

I told Imam Sadiq (a): Someone who pays a visitation to grave of Imam Husayn ('a) while he is verily gnostic of yours and his visitation is 4

P: 155

paid non-arrogantly, what is his reward?

He replied: he recorded thousands of acceptable hajj and lesser pilgrimage. If he is a vicious person, he shall be regarded an auspicious person being involved in blessings of God constantly.

• Imam Reza stated:

من زار قبر أبي عبدالله ال بشط الفرات كان كمن زار الله فوق عرشه. (1)

Someone who pays a pilgrimage to grave of Abi 'Abdullah Al-Husayn (‘a) beside the Euphrates, he looks like one who has met God up in the Throne.

• Imam Baqir (‘a) stated:

مروا شيعتنا بزياره قبر الحسين الله، فإن إتيانه يزيد في الرزق ويمد في العمر ويدفع مدافع السووإتيانه مفترض علي كل مومن يقر للحسين بالإمامه من الله عز وجل. (2)

Do command our Shiites to pay pilgrimage to tomb of Husayn (‘a) because his pilgrimage augments sustenance, lengthens lifetime and repels the affairs absorbing ills. And it is obligatory for every faithful person who confesses to his Imamate to pay him a visitation.

• Imam Sadiq (‘a) stated:

أربعه الاف ملک عند قبر الحسين شعث غير يبكونه إلي يوم القيامه، رئيسهم ملک يقال له: 4

P: 156

،منصور، ولا يزوره زايرا إلا استقبلو ولا يودعه مودع إلا شيعوه ولا يمرض إلا عادوه، ولا يموت إلا شلوا عليه {و} علي جنازته و استغفروا له بعد موته. (1)

Four thousand Angels, all disheveled, gloomy and grieved, weep around grave of Imam Husayn ('a) until the Day comes by; the chief Angel is called Mansour; no pilgrim pays pilgrimage to him unless these Angels welcome him; no pilgrim bids farewell to his grave unless these Angels see him off; no pilgrim gets sick unless they pay a visit to him and he never dies unless they say prayer over his dead body, asking for divine blessings.

• After martyrdom of Imam Husayn (‘a), a dome was erected on his pure grave and his lovers constantly paid a pilgrimage to his grave welcoming all threats to their life and many of them were martyred by the executioners in this way.

Motavvakel Abbasi was one of the meanest and criminal caliphs of the Abbasid. He showed strong enmity against Commander of the Faithful (a) and his Shiites. For Shiites, his government brought the darkest times. One big crime of this infelicitously downgraded caliph was that he ruined shrine of Imam Husayn (‘a). In 236 A.H, he ordered shrine of lord of martyrs (‘a) and its surrounding edifices to be demolished and the land to be cultivated. He ordered military bases to be built around to stop people paying pilgrimage to him. It looks as though no Muslim was willing to destroy tomb of Imam Husayn (‘a) because he did it by means of a person called "Dizaj" who was originally a Jewish person. Motavvakel announced: Paying pilgrimage to Husayn Ibn Ali is 7

P: 157

forbidden and whoever does so, he shall be punished.(1)

But the Shiites and zealots of our lord of martyrs never refused to pay pilgrimage to that pure Torbat. They spared any harms and tortures but they kept going on pilgrimage to him.

After Motavvakel, the Shiites renovated Imam's shrine again. 7

P: 158

In another hadith, God also tells David ('a):

Evacuate a house for Me to reside. David said to God: O' my Lord! Thou are Greater than that to reside somewhere; God revealed to him to empty his heart for Him.

And your heart is so wide to become House of God because your pure heart is empty of belonging to non-God and where no thinking, remembering and grieving reside but God.

True!

You are real House of God because the Almighty God is purified from space, time and descent and residing. Your heart is pure to be empty of all world interests but God and it is House of God and where He looks.

You sacrificed the apparent heart of your chest in the way of your beloved; when the poisonous three-pronged spear slit your dear heart bleeding thriftily but you were constantly remembering God.

You held the holy blood in your hand, washing your head and beard with it in order to show that Husayn has sacrificed his whole existence.

True!

You bestowed your apparent heart and its blood to God to make your spiritual heart become purer, wider and disengaged towards God on our behalf.

True!

Your heart turned out to be House of God, the Exalted around which divine Angels are permanently circling.

It is why the reports say that the Almighty God turns an eye on your

P: 160

pilgrims on the day of 'Arafah before He does on people of Arafat.

And it is why the Almighty God has granted all virtues and features to you as He has devoted to Ka'aba.

And God has given you status beyond Ka'aba that Imam Reza (‘a) stated:

Whoever pays you pilgrimage, he shall resemble one who has paid a visitation to God on the Throne.

Life sustains if one invokes by your holy being and there is a large of number of faithful people who invoked by you and are salvaged; and there are many of creatures who will be salvaged through your intercession on the Day.

And whenever divine prophets were faced with hardships and tribulations, they were salvaged through invocation of you, of your ancestor and of your pure family.

In this regard, there are narrations including:

Adam (a) was salvaged through your invocation and his repentance was accepted. When he disobeyed God and was expelled from paradise of God. After lengthened weeps, he was taught names of you, of your ancestor, of your mother, of your father and of your brother by God. Then he swore God to your right and his pray was granted.

When Noah ('a) sailed his ark beyond tumultuous waters, God revealed to him to invoke by the Five Holy Ones: Mohammad, Fatima, Ali, Hassan and Husayn for landing of his ark. When Noah's ark stopped sailing and landed on Mount Judi, he invoked by you and swore God to your right.

P: 161

When Zakaria ('a) told God: O' God! Grant me a decent child and a righteous successor, God taught him the names of the Five Holy Ones and he was given good tidings of son, Yahya when he called upon you and swore God to your right.

When Jonah, Yunus the Prophet, was inside whale, he prayed God by the names of the Five Holy Ones. By the time he came out of whale mouth and was rescued, he swore God to your right.

God tested Jacob (‘a) by the disasters and when he invoked by the Five Holy Ones, he was relieved of harms and grievances and swore God to your right.

Joseph's, Yousuf the prophet, brothers threw him into the deep well; he was rescued out of dark well when he invoked by you, your ancestor, father, mother and brother. When he was jailed, after passing through five years of jail sufferings, he swore God to your right and invoked by you. He was released from jail and captivity.

And God by virtue of your pure family blessing removed grief of Jacob when he said to God: O' God! Feel Mercy on me; I lost my eyes; God revealed to him to say: O' God! I ask Thee to the right of Mohammad, Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Husayn to give me back my eyes!

Once you were invoked by your name, herald came up giving good tidings to Joseph and Jacob reclaimed his sight.

True!

The prophets were then relieved of troubles and disasters by approval of God when they invoked by your name-that was then in the universe of light.

P: 162

True! True!

Your holy name heals hearts and invocation by your endeared being releases you from captivity and let you fly in the heavens.

There are so many incurable sick people who are healed by your invocation and there are so many problems solved by your favor; and there are so many deviants who quickly in the highway of guidance, moved towards paradise by your grace.

There lie hidden blessings within sacred soil of your Karbala.

Part of supplication quoted from your dear descendant, Imam of the Age (may Allah hasten his emergence) on the occasion of your holy birthday reads:

...... المعوض من قتله أن الأئمه من نسله والشفاء في تربته......

In return for his self-devotedness and martyrdom-seeking, God extended his generation with the Immaculate Imams and his holy Torbat heals pains.

Your holy Torbat that has become heavenly with your pure blood not only cures physical diseases, but also it plays extraordinary role in treating psychological illnesses. And there are other abundant blessings God has given to your Torbat.

Where Joseph's shirt bestowed light to his father, Jacob's blind eye and where a liquid like honey pouring out of an insect has healing property; how soil of Karbala eternally sanctified with your blood cannot have healing effects!

P: 163

True!

Soil of your Karbala as said by your respectable children (a):

شفاء من كل داء وأمانا من كل خوف وغنى من كل فقر وعزا من كل ذل

Soil of Karbala of Imam Husayn ('a) heals every pain, secures every fear, makes every person wealthy and honors every person of degradation.

Of course, one needs knowledge and capability to receive blessings. from sacred soil of your Karbala; there may be people taking soil from the nearest spot of your pure grave, but they are not benefited at all. In contrast, there are some others in the farthest areas from your holy grave

who are healed because of your Torbat thanks to their knowledge.

I recount a story for your zealots to learn more about blessings of being invoked by you:

The virtuous scholar of your school, the late Ayatollah Borujerdi is quoted as saying:

I had suffered from a severe eye irritation in such a way that I could hardly endure it. Medical therapies failed to take effect; this passed by for a while until Ashura came by and there were mourning processions standing by our house where we held elegiac ceremonies. It is customary, in Borujerd, a city in and capital of Borujerd County, Lorestan Province in western Iran where mourners of Husayn ('a) try to bemire themselves; while the bemired, chest-beating and crying mourning processions passed by our house, I suddenly remembered my eye problem and I bent to take some of the dried mire from the faces and heads of mourners and rubbed

P: 164

it through my eyes. I did it hoping that invocation of Imam Husayn (‘a) might heal my eyes. As a matter of fact, once I rubbed the mire through my eyes, I had my eyes healed immediately.

My eye irritation lessened at earliest time and it was removed completely; I could see around much clearly and was needless of glasses although I had many referents and writings in my aged years.

I refer back to your childhood times:

You were always endeared by the Prophet (s) and he always and warmly opened arms to you. One day, the Prophet (s) took you in his arms to the mosque and seated you beside himself and recited Takbir, Allahu Akbar, of prayer service (salat). Being a mere child, you wanted to recite Takbir but you could hardly pronounce it. The Prophet recited Takbir for you again and you again could not pronounce it; he recited it for the 7th time until you pronounced it correctly. Thus, this turned out to be a tradition to begin prayer by reciting seven times of Takbir.

One of the festivities of Islam was imminently coming; you and your brother did not have suitable clothes to wear for that day. Both of you went up to your mother, telling: O' mother! Children of Medina have decorated themselves with nice clothes for the festivity. Do we have clothes to do so?

Your mother, Fatima ('a) said: O' my sweethearts! Your clothes are at the tailor's. When he made it, I would clothe you. Your mother wanted to make you happy with what she said.

The festivity night came and you told your mother: O' mother! It is festivity night; what happened to our clothes?!

P: 165

Your mother cried and said: O' my darlings! Be happy; God willing when tailor brings your clothes, I clothe you both.

It was late at night. Somebody knocked your door. Your mother replied: who is it? Somebody cried that O' daughter of the Prophet (s)! Open door; I am the tailor who has brought clothes of your dear children!

Your mother opened the door and saw a man of good posture and good smell who had a turban in his hand. He handed it to your mother and left.

After he left, your mother came into the house and opened the turban observing that it contained two shirts, two trousers, two cloaks, two turbans and two pairs of shoes.

Your mother, Fatima ('a) became very happy and woke you and your brother up. She let you wear clothes and you both became very joyous.

When festivity day arrived, your ancestor, the Prophet (s) came to see you and your brother and saw you both on those nice clothes. He kissed you and congratulated you on the festivity. He kept you standing on one shoulder and your brother, Hassan (‘a) on another shoulder and met your mother.

He told your mother: O' Fatima (‘a)! Didn't you know the tailor who brought the clothes?

Your mother said: No. I swear to God I didn't know him and I didn't remember if I had tailor sew any clothes.

He said: O' Fatima ('a)! The man was not tailor; rather, he was

P: 166

paradise emissary who brought these heavenly clothes for them.

Your ancestor, the Prophet (s) is the most superior creature of God and you too are the highest in rank among creatures because he told: Husayn is from me and I am from Husayn.

Your ancestor, the Prophet (s) came in between overwhelming divine blessing in the universe and you too-who are part of him-disseminated divine blessing across the universe. Your ancestor is witness and herald and you too witness over human beings. On the Day, you give testimony in favor of pilgrims of pure grave and those who mourned and wept for you; you improve their affairs and give them good news of divine eternal paradise. Your ancestor owns status of being praised and this status stands as the highest one of intercession ranks. You too possess such a status beside your ancestor on the Day because he frequently said:

Husayn is from me and I am from him.

And the Almighty God salvages to your respect many of your Shiites and lovers out of hell fire and He lets them enter paradise while Angels welcoming them and lodges them beside their prophets in magnificently vast palaces.

In the world, many ceased to recognize you and followed the others who were not only deprived of lights of guidance; rather, they lived in highway of aberration, leading themselves and their followers to falling into the hell!

And you are the sun of guidance and rescue ship of men and jinn and your lovers and followers end up nowhere but paradise.

When you found Medina a safe haven no longer, you left your

P: 167

birthplace, Medina-haram of the Prophet (s)- for Mecca on Sunday, two days preceding the august month of Sha'aban, 60 A.H and you arrived in Mecca on Friday night, Sha'aban 3rd.

When you arrived in Mecca, you were informed that the monkey- fancying bastard, Yazid has dispatched a division led by Omar Ibn Sa'id Ibn Aas to Mecca. He made him Amir Al-Haaj underlining that wherever he found you, he should immediately martyr you. On the other hand, you were also notified that thirty hired mercenaries of the Umayyad, ordered by the vicious man, have been sent to Mecca to assassinate you!

When you settled in Mecca, people came to see you. 'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr-resided close to Ka'aba and busy saying prayer and circling around Ka'aba-came to see you every day. As the strongest and meanest enemy of your father, Commander of the Faithful ('a); 'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr did not take oath of allegiance to Yazid either and instigated people to stand against rule of Yazid.

Of course, the reason why 'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr failed to swear allegiance to Yazid was not his sense of obligation and demand of right; but he did not do so because he found himself competent for caliphate and rule.

True!

'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr was the same wicked man who approved of the usurping governance of three caliphs. But when people swore allegiance to your father, he stood as opponent and enemy of Ali (‘a).

As soon as you arrived in Mecca, he was anxious since he well knew that people of Hejaz would not pledge allegiance to him as long as you are in Mecca.

P: 168

'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr constantly stood for prayer and supplication of God and the Messenger (s)! He pretentiously performed worship and piety to intend to deceive people. Your father, our lord Assadullah Al- Ghaleb Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a) had said about this mean and ill- tempered man: He spreads religion as a trap to win this world. He aimed only to assume power through combating the Umayyad rule.

After your martyrdom, he falsely introduced himself as defender of your blood and stimulated people of Hejaz to fight rule of Yazid. People of Hejaz swore allegiance to him as caliph!!

Years passed his rule; he was humiliatingly killed in a military expedition by one of the Umayyad commanders, Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf, the great Arab slayer and executioner.

Once people of Kufa heard of you departing to Mecca to voice opposition to Yazid's rule, they incessantly sent you letters saying that O' Husayn! Come over here because we too do not recognize Yazid's rule and we consider you as our Imam and leader.

But what on earth can be said about perfidy on the part of people of Kufa!!

When you arrived in Iraq, most of them embarked on perfidy and left you alone in the face of troops of Yazid and Omar Ibn Sa'ad. When you faced persistence of Iraqis for going to that land, you wrote letters of ultimatum to two major cities of Basra and Kufa, asking them for promise of their support.

Your letter to Basra people reads:

P: 169

Verily, the Almighty God selected the Messenger (s) from among people and honored him with the crown of prophetic mission. He embraced call of God and passed this world to the other world when he had accomplished his divine mission and community guidance. We are his household, his successors and his heirs and although we were among the most competent people for caliphate and Imamate, we were taken away from this right. And as we hated differences, we found silence on that day as the best interest to the Islamic ummah; now that Sunna of the Prophet (s) has been forgotten and innovations one after another have come into existence, I dispatch my envoy to you with this letter, calling you on the Book of God and Sunna of the Prophet (s). If you accept my call, I will lead you towards prosperity and happiness.

One of your companions named Sulayman carried your letter to Basra and asked the attention of the great people of the land to your uprising. When Basra tribes leaders read your letter, some of them embraced your call and some others asked you for keeping patience and self-restraint!!

Ahnaf Ibn Qays in responding the letter wrote this verse of the Quran:

Seek patience because promise of God is rightful and stop degrading and humiliating yourself by those who lack faith!

One of the well-known people of Basra was Yazid Ibn Nabit Basri. He positively responded to your call and he with two brave youth departed to Mecca for the love of meeting you, self-sacrificing for you.

He was informed that you stayed in Abtah (at the vicinity of Mecca). When he reached there, he was told that you had gone to Mecca to see him. Overwhelmed with joy because of this much modesty and honorability of yours, he returned to Mecca more determined than before;

P: 170

in Mecca, he could meet you and recited this holy verse of the Quran:

قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ

Say {O' Messenger!}: It is only in the Favor and the Grace of Allah that the people should rejoice; that is far better than the wealth that they, the disbelievers gather (Yunus: 58)

After extending greetings to him, he gave a report of overall condition of Basra and his aim for moving to Mecca and you asked benisons for him. Yazid Ibn Nabit and his two courageous boys joined by you moved to Karbala and achieved martyrdom with his children beside you.

True!

They sacrificed their life on your side; happiness is for them! Paradise is for them and companionship with your ancestor, the Prophet (s) is for them!

Another leader of Basra tribes was Yazid Ibn Mas'ud. When your letter reached him, he brought Banu Sa'ad, Banu Hanzala and Banu Tamim tribes together and said: O' Banu Tamim and others! What is my status and rank before you?

They said: You are our backbones and higher than us in respect of honor and rank.

Yazid Ibn Mas'ud said: I summoned you here to consult with you about something and ask for your help.

They said: Tell us, we listen to you and we obey you.

He said:

P: 171

Mu'awiyya passed away and doors of cruelty and sin were broken and pillars of tyranny trembled. He took allegiance for his son, Yazid who is malicious person, openly drinks liquor and does any ill-acts he can. He claims caliphate over Muslims Muslims despite public displeasure and discontentment. He is incompetent and crack-brained person in such a way that he lacks knowledge of truth. By God! Jihad with him in the way of religion stands higher than jihad with polytheists. This is Husayn Ibn Ali, descendant of the Prophet, who is noble, genuine and is so opinionated and virtuous that words fail to delineate him and his knowledge is endless and nobody deserves being caliph more than him because he has brilliant record, remarkable challenges and relationship with the Prophet (s). His affection and honorability is widely known among people. He has made an ultimatum to you by writing a letter. Do not turn back on the light of truth because you are troubled by darkness and sunken in absurd whirlpool. You separated from each other in war of Ahnaf Ibn Qays and chose a wrong way (many people of Basra joined army of Talha, Zubayr and Ayesha in Jamal war and stood against Ali (‘a) and chose a wrong way). Wash away that bloodstain today by defending, assisting and supporting descendant of the Prophet(s). I swear to God that each one of you who refuses to help him and falls short of helping him, God leaves you inheritance of humiliation in your children and shortcoming in your tribe. Now, I wear garment of war and become prepared to defend him. Do know that we will die at last although we are not killed today. Do not escape battlefield because death chases you; come to sense of yourselves and respond in goodness; may God bless you all!

They cried out:

O' Aba Khaled! We are spears of your projectile and we are regarded as your tribe horsemen. We aid you with our swords; we are at your discretion and whenever you decide, call upon us for departure.

P: 172

When Yazid Ibn Mas'ud learned about support of a number of Basra tribes, he wrote a letter to you:

O' Husayn Ibn Ali! I received your letter and I was informed about what you summoned me for and I find my salvation in helping you; and obeying God lies in obeying you. Verily, God never leaves the earth without a leader who calls people on way of goodness and a guide showing people way of salvation. You are proof of God for creatures and Trustee of Him on earth. You are as branches of evergreen tree of mission. O' descendant of the Prophet (s)! You are most welcome and join us because Bani Tamim tribe is ready to obey you and your commands, paying a tribute to you. Bani Sa'ad too gave positive response to your call and I dawn-rained mist of grievances from hearts and lit darkness of their ignorance thanks to your flash of favor.

Once Yazid Ibn Mas'ud's letter reached you, you prayed for him and said:

May God keep you secure of fear and keep you exalted and satiated on days when palates burn out of incandescent thirst (Resurrection Day)!

Yazid Ibn Mas'ud intended to depart to join you and your companions in Karbala, but on his way, he was told about your martyrdom and martyrdom of your loyal companions. There was such a flurry of wistfulness in his heart and his tribesmen's hearts that they were in grips of repentance until the end of their life because they had lost the great happiness of being martyred along with you.

And O' son of Zahra! May hearts burn for you, the oppressed!

P: 173

At noon of Ashura when you saw the brave youth of Hashemites and your loyal compatriots soaked in blood, you found nobody to help you whatever look you took at your left or right sides.

Whatever cries you made!

هل من ذاب يذب عن حرم رسول الله

Is there anyone who defends Ahl-e Bayt of the Prophet (s)?

But on that vast plateau, you heard nothing save howls of enemies, wails, moans of children and women of your haram.

Then you made a call:

O' Moslem Ibn 'Aqil!, O'Hani!, O'Habib!, O' Moslem Ibn Uwsajah!, O' gallants of Safa!, O' brave men of battlefronts! Rise up to defend haram of God's Messenger (s) in the face of inferior tyrants.

Your holy body was filled with spears and you were panting down. You in strongest potency attacked those infidel troops and sent a large number of them to hell although your body had suffered serious wounds and your blood vessels spared lots of bleeding.

But when you had fallen down on the ground and enemies stormed at you with their spears and swords, the last devotee of yours joined the battle with his small steps! He was 'Abdullah, son of your brother, Hassan (‘a).

When 'Abdullah-an eleven-year-old child-saw enemies over your head, he became so much distressed that he quickly ran to reach you.

P: 174

You told your sister, Zeynab: O' my sister! Stop him coming to me!

Your sister approached 'Abdullah and held his hands, but 'Abdullah tried to rid himself of your sister's hands and rushed to you. At this time, enemy pulled sword and hit you; 'Abdullah reached you, yelling:

Woe betides you, the ignoble-birth wicked man! You want to kill my uncle?

The enemy landed his sword, but 'Abdullah on defending you stretched his hand to shield you! The sword cut off hand of your brother's orphan in such a way that it hung by its skin and he cried out:

O' Father! O' Uncle!

You hugged your brother's orphan and pressed him onto your chest, saying:

O' The endeared son of my brother! Keep patience until God lets you join your fathers.

At the same time, the cursed Harmala who had slit your six-month-old baby on your arms an hour ago, he targeted throat of 'Abdullah with a three-pronged spear and soaked him in blood on your arms.

You raised supplication before God with tearful eyes and cursed them: O' God! Stop granting your blessings to these people and let them be deprived of the earthly blessings.

Your sister, Zeynab-observing her brother's son soaked in blood on

P: 175

your arms-cried what an affliction happened to us! And addressed 'Abdullah in her heart-rending voice:

O' The endeared son of my brother! O' Apple of my eye! I wish I had died and had not seen such scene! At this time, 'Abdullah's mother came out of tent and cried: O' my son! O' my dear!

True!

You devoted your life by embracing all disasters in the way of God with no weakness and hesitation. With your holy blood-that is God's Blood-you engraved motto of freedom and esteem on the threshold of the earth, time and the heavens. This red blood boils forever and disseminates single sparks of love and knowledge across the universe.

True!

You were victorious on that plateau dipped in blood and they were degradedly defeated although your holy heads were cut off and your pure bodies were galloped by their horses.

Your Karbala is now the highest spot of paradise. Faces of millions of your fervent zealots are now down the ground and your holy name always heals hearts of the devout people. Invoking by you triggers fulfillment of supplication, blessing of sins, ample precipitations and cure of sick people on behalf of God of both Worlds.

True!

Invoking by you brings salvation and those wrongdoers who say: Invoking by is polytheistic act! They are sunken in polytheism themselves because they have not realized rank of the Divine Saints that these great people are able to intervene and control the universe if God permits.

P: 176

True!

You are Seyyed Al-Shuhada and God says martyrs are alive.

And you are eternally alive; you are lord of all martyrs; you heal illnesses if God permits; you guide people; you remove grief and sorrow; you liberate people from slavery and give a helping hand and you let all people fly in eternality.

God advises and says you and your pure family are to be invoked:

يا ايها الذين امنوا اتقوا الله وابتغوا إليه الوسيله....

O' you who believe! Fear from the disobedience of Allah's Commands and seek the means of getting near to Him (Ma'idah: 35).

And you, the pure family (‘a) are the highest approach to God; you are alive and you dominate the universe at His consent and one who is cherished by a pure mother confesses to such fact.

• Various hadiths read that Torbat of holy grave of Hazrat Seyyed Al- Shuhada (‘a) heals illnesses; several hadiths are now quoted here from "Kamel Al-Ziyarat" because of its high authenticity:

عن أبي يعفور قال: قات لأبي عبدالله ال : يأخذ الانسان من طين قبر الحسين الله فينتفع به ويأخذ به . غيره فلا ينتفع به؟ قال: لا والله الذي لا اله الا هو ما يأخذه وهويري أن الله ينفعه به إلا نفعه الله

Somebody called Abi Y'afur says: I told Imam Sadiq ('a): Is it true that when one receives Torbat of grave of Imam Husayn ('a), he is benefited from it, but when Torbat of others is received, it is not beneficial? Imam stated: No. This is not true that once you get Torbat, it benefits you; by the Only God! One never receives Torbat of grave of Imam Husayn unless he believes that God benefits him from it and he is definitely benefited.

The author says what is implied from this hadith is that Torbat takes effect when the person believes in it; otherwise, it is ineffective if it is only received without belief.

• Imam Sadiq (‘a) said:

في طين قبر الحسين ال الشفاء من كل داء وهو الدواء الاكبر (1)

Torbat of grave of Imam Husayn ('a) cures every pain and that is great medicine.

• Imam Sadiq (‘a) said: 4

P: 178

لوأن مريضا من المومنين يعرف حق أبي عبدالله وحرمته وولايته أخذمن طين قبره مثل رأس أنمله كان له دواء

In case a devout patient is conscious about the right of Abi 'Abdullah (‘a) and is familiar with his respect and guardianship, his take of only one knuckle-joint of Imam's Torbat suffices to be his medicine.

• Mohammad Ibn Issa quoted someone saying:

بعث إلى ابو الحسن الرضا (ع) من خراسان ژیاب رزم وكان بين ذلك طحين ، فقلت للرسول: ماهذا؟ :قال طحن قبر الحسين (ع) ، ماكان يوجه شىى من الثياب ولاغيره إلا ويجعل فيه الطين وكان :يقول : هو أمان بإذن الله (1)

Hazrat Imam Reza ('a) sent me a bundle package in which was Torbat. I told the carrier of bundle what this Torbat was. He replied: It is Torbat of grave of Imam Husayn ('a). Whenever Hazrat Abulhassan Al-Reza ('a) sends garment or something somewhere, he encloses it with Torbat of Seyyed Al-Shuhada ('a) and says: If God permits; this Torbat secures and safeguards property.

•Imam Sadiq (‘a) said:

إن عندرأس الحسين (ع) لترىه حمراء فيها شفاء من كل داء إلا السام. (2)

There exists a red Torbat close to the holy head of Husayn (‘a) in which any pain is healed except death.

Hadith continues: 8

P: 179

Yunis Ibn Rabi'a says: After I heard the hadith, I went up to Imam's grave and dug the grave close to Imam's head at one cubit; from top of the grave, small pebbles being washed by water came onto us. They were red-colored and as small as one dirham. We brought them to Kufa, mixed them and hid them; afterwards, we gave people gradual parts of them so that they might cure their illnesses.

•Imam Baqir (‘a) said:

إذا أخذت طين قبر الحسين فقل: اللهم بحق هذه التربه وبحق الملك الموكل بها والملك الذي كربها وبحق الوصى الذى هو فيها، صل على محمد وآل محمد واجعل هذا الطحين شفاء من كل داء وأمانا من كل خوف. فإن فعل ذلك كان حتما شفاء {له} من كل داء وأمانا من كل خوف.

Whenever you embraced Torbat of Husayn's grave, say: O' God! Send Thy Peace onto Mohammad and his Progeny for the right of this Torbat, for the right of the Angel appointed for it, for the right of the Angel who dug it and for the right of the legatee who is within and keep the Torbat a heal for any pain and security for any fear.

Hazrat then added:

In case a person does as such, the Torbat heals his pain and secures his fear.

•Abi Bekar is being quoted as saying that:

أخذت من التربه التي عند رأس قبر الحسين بن على عليهما السلام، فإنها طعنه حمراء، فدخلت على الرضا (ع) فعرضتها علىه فأخذها فى كفه ، ثم بكى حتى جرت دموعه ، ثم قال تربه جدى (1)

From the Torbat above Imam's grave, I took some; it was red in color and I went to see Imam Reza (‘a) and gave it to Hazrat. Imam Reza (‘a) put Torbat on his hand and smelled it; then Hazrat wept so much that his 9

P: 180

tears rolled down. Hazrat continued to say that: This is my ancestor's Torbat.

• Sa'ad Ibn Sa'ad says:

سألت أبا الحسن عن الطين قال: أكل الطين حرام مثل الميته والدم ولحم الخنزير الاطين قبر الحسين ال فإن فيه شفاء من كل داء وأمنا من كل خوف. (1)

I asked Hazrat about eating of Torbat? Hazrat replied: It is unlawful to eat Torbat as it is unlawful to eat blood, bacon and dead corpse unless Torbat of Imam Husayn ('a) because it possesses healing of pain and securing of fear.

The author says:

As cited in hadith, pure Torbat of Hazrat Seyyed Al-Shuhada (‘a) cures illness if God permits; therefore, that holy Torbat possesses such property by Favor of God. As holy Torbat cures illness with permission of God, it is in fact God who heals sickness.

This is also the case with the Immaculate Imams ('a); these great people also heal sickness and remove sorrow and grief with consent of God and if God never permits, they cannot do anything. Therefore, since they are intermediaries of God and can interfere and control the affairs, their call stands for God's call and their heal stands for God's healing and this is the very monotheism. However, Wahhabism not having achieved such sublime education says invocation by Imams ('a) is polytheism!

True!

It is polytheistic act if Shi'a considers the Immaculate Imams (‘a) independent of the effect, but Shi'a fails to regard them independent of 2

P: 181

the effect and the Saint Imams (‘a) can heal illness with permission of God. This chapter ends with a more detailed and comprehensive discussion.

• The story of heavenly clothes of Imam Hassan and Imam Husayn (a)-discussed in the text-is being quoted from Amaali of the late Sheikh Mufid. Also, the story of Imam Husayn's saying Allahu Akbar has been cited in "Montahi Al-Amaal", Sheikh 'Abbas Qomi quoting from Sheikh Tusi.

• "Maqtal Al-Husayn" of 'Abdulrazzaq Moqarram reads that: When Imam Husayn ('a) departed to Mecca, Yazid was informed about his departure. The cursed Yazid dispatched a division led by Omar Ibn Sa'id Ibn Aas to Mecca and appointed him as Amir Al-Haaj. He had told him to immediately martyr Husayn (‘a) wherever he is found.(1) On the other hand, Yazid dispatched thirty of his mercenaries to Mecca to assassinate Imam Husayn (‘a).(2)

After staying four months and five days in honorable Mecca, Imam Husayn (‘a) headed for Iraq from Mecca on Tuesday 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah coincident with Day of Troyah-to maintain respect to House of God. (2)

Of course, Seyyed Ibn Tavous has said that Imam Husayn (‘a) started his journey from Mecca to Iraq on Tuesday 3rd of Dhu al-Hijjah.(3)

And Siyuti cited departure of Imam from Mecca to Iraq happening on Dhu al-Hijjah 10th, without specifying the day.(4)7

P: 182

'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr-who was ambitious and outwardly good person-arrived in Mecca and had resided there a short while before Imam Husayn arrived in there in 60 A.H. during Imam's stay in Mecca, he was overshadowed and uninterested by people. After martyrdom of Imam Husayn (*a), the arena of activity opened for him and he opposed Yazid and called himself caliph. He was the most hard-nosed foe of Commander of the Faithful ('a) and did not pledge allegiance to him. He played a leading role in staging sedition of Jamal. When people of Hejaz did not swear allegiance to him after martyrdom of Imam Husayn (a), he dropped saying greetings to the Prophet (s) at the beginning of oration during his rule in Mecca and Hejaz. When he was asked why he did so, he replied: The Messenger (s) has bad relatives who raise their necks when his name is pronounced!(1)

No doubt, 'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr did not pursue divine aim when combating the rule of the Umayyad; rather, he thought of reign of power.

'Abdullah Ibn Omar revealed this fact when his wife insisted on making allegiance to Ibn Zubayr and talked to him about Zubayr's piety and obedience; in responding to her wife, he said:

Didn't you see the horses Mu'awiyya rode in the course of the hajj? [All were pretentiously done] I believe that Ibn Zubayr has no goal but attaining that splendor and glory and he has taken advantage of worship and obedience of God in this way.(2)

Finally, in 73 A.H, he was harshly defeated in military expedition of Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf, the sanguinary commander of 'Abdulmalek Marwan's division and was gone to gallows by him. 0

P: 183

• The written letter text of Imam Husayn ('a) to people of Basra- translation of which is given-reads as follows:

أَمَّا بَعْدُ: فَإِنَّ اللهَ اصْطَفى مُحَمَّداً صلى الله عليه وآله عَلى خَلْقِهِ، وَ أَكْرَمَهُ بِنُبُوَّتِهِ، وَ اخْتارَهُ لِرِسالَتِهِ، ثُمَّ قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيهِ وَ قَدْ نَصَحَ لِعِبَادِهِ وَ بَلَّغَ مَا أُرْسِلَ بِهِ صلى الله عليه وآله) وَ كُنَا أَهْلَهُ وَ وَقَدْ أَوْلِياءَهُ وَ أَوْصِياءَهُ وَوَرَثَتَهُ وَ أَحَقَّ النَّاسَ بِمَقَامِهِ فِي النَّاسِ، فَاسْتَأْثَرَ عَلَينا قَوْمُنَا بِذلِكَ، فَرَضِينا وَ كَرِهْنَا الْفُرْقَةَ وَ أَحْبَيْنَا الْعَافِيةَ، وَ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُ أَنَا أَحَقُّ بِذلِكَ الْحَقِّ الْمُسْتَحَقِّ عَلَينا مِمَّنْ تَوَلَاهُ... وَ قَدْ بَعَثْتُ رَسُولِي إِلَيكُمْ بهذَا الْكِتاب، وَ أَنَا أَدْعُوكُمْ إلى كِتاب اللهِ وَ سُنَّةِ نَبيهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله)، فَإِنَّ السُنَّةَ قَدْ أُمِيتَتْ، وَ إِنَّ الْبِدْعَةَ قَدْ أُحْيِيتْ، وَ إِنْ تَسْمَعُوا قَوْلِي وَ تُطِيعُوا أَمْرِي اَهْدِكُمْ سَبِيلَ الرَّشاد. (1)

Ahnaf Ibn Qeys in response to Imam's letter wrote the following verse:

فاصبران وعد الله حق و لا يستخفنك الذين لا يوقنون

So you, O' Messenger! Be patient in this situation; surely Allah's Promise is true, so do not let those who have not attained certainty of Allah, cause feeling of inferiority and infirmness in you(Rum: 60)

• Yazid Ibn Nabit (some people named him Yazid Ibn Thabit) was a well-known person who positively responded to Imam's message and stopped by Mariyya, daughter of Sa'ad's house where Shi'a groups and community of Imam's companions gathered.(2)

Mariyya was a Shiite and a pious woman whose house was center for Shi'a communities and their talks. Yazid Ibn Nabit who was from 1

P: 184

'Abdulqeys clan had ten gallant sons and he here in this house voiced to his children and companions that he had decided to join Imam Husayn (a). With two of his brave sons, 'Abdullah and Ubaydullah, left Basra immediately and joined Imam in Mecca before Imam left Mecca for Iraq. In Karbala, he and two sons were martyred beside Imam(1)

• Various narrations from the Immaculate Imams ('a) read that the Almighty God views pilgrims of Seyyed Al-Shuhada (‘a) first before He views Hajjis on Arafat day at Arafat Sahara.

Now, several hadiths are worth being considered:

• Imam Sadiq (‘a) stated:

إن الله تبارك وتعالي يبدء بالنظر إلي زوار قبر الحسين ال عشيه ،عرفه، قال: قلت : قبل نظره لأهل الموقف؟ قال: نعم.

God, the Exalted views pilgrims of pure grave of Imam Husayn (‘a) first on Arafa day. The narrator says: I told Imam Sadiq ('a): Before He views hajjis? Hazrat replied: Yes. (2)

• And in another hadith, Imam Sadiq(‘a) said:

من فاتته عرفه بعرفات فأدركها بقبر الحسين الله لم يفته وإن الله تبارک وتعالي ليبدء بأهل قبر الحسين الأهل عرفات، ثم يخالطهم في نفسه.

Whoever failed to realize Arafa day at Arafat, but he felt it alongside pure grave of Imam, he shall have Arafa survived and the Almighty God 3

P: 185

first favors those beside the grave, next He pays attention to those of Arafat and remains familiar with them.

• Imam Sadiq (‘a):

اذا كان يوم عرفه اطلع الله تعالي علي زوار قبر أبي عبدالله الحسين ال فقال لهم: إستأنفوافقد غفرت الله لكم، ثم يجعل إقامه علي اهل عرفات.

When Arafa day comes, the Almighty God favors those pilgrims of Abi 'Abdullah Al-Husayn ('a), telling them: Begin to perform first because I bless you; later, He becomes familiar with people of Arafat.(1)

Imam Sadiq (‘a):

من زار قبر الحسين الي يوم عرفه عارفا بحقه كتب الله له ثواب ألف حجه، وألف عمره وإلف غزوه مع نبي مرسل.

Whoever pays pilgrimage to pure grave of Imam Husayn (‘a) on Arafa day while he knows his right, God records rewards of thousand hajjes, thousand lesser hajjes and thousand wars where he has been joined by the prophet.(2)

True!

These are the infinite blessings of pilgrimage paid to pure grave of Imam Husayn ('a) God has bestowed on him to pay respect his status.

Wahhabis consider invocation by the Prophet (s) and the Immaculate 0

P: 186

Imams as polytheism and irreligiousness; they hold that any invocation shall be rendered to God because it is polytheistic if God is ranked beside others! By inaccurate interpretation of religion, they say many Muslims are apostate and irreligious and kill them easily. Here, a comprehensive discussion is made for abolition of Wahhabi ideas:

Invoking by the Saints is the very monotheism because men can interfere with and control the objects as permitted by God and God put them as intermediary between His worshippers and Himself. To clarify this, five things need attention:

and behind him who guard him by Allah's Command......(Al-Ra'd: 11)

God sends down shower of His Grace by means of sense cloud. He says in His Book:

اللهُ الَّذِي يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحاباً فَيَبْسُطُهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ وَ يَجْعَلُهُ كِسَفَا فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلالِهِ فَإِذا أَصابَ بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ.

Allah is the One Who sends the winds to move the clouds, then He spreads the clouds in the sky the way He Decides; then piles up the clouds; then you see the rain coming forth from inside them; then when He Decides, it falls upon those whom He Wills [of those who prayed for rain], then they do rejoice (Al-Rum: 48)

God takes lives of men by means of the Angels and He says:

الَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلائِكَةُ ظَالِمي أَنْفُسِهِمْ فَأَلْقَوُا السَّلَمَ ما كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ مِنْ سُوءٍ بَلِي إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

When the Angels of death take away the souls of the disbelievers who have done wrong to themselves [due to disbelief and committing evil deeds], then they will show submission by saying: "We did not do any evil purposely." And they will be replied [by the Angels:] "But indeed Allah Knows all that you did (Al-Nahl:28)

الَّذينَ تَتَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلائِكَةُ طَيِّبِينَ يَقُولُونَ سَلامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

[The pious are:] those whom the Angels of death take away gently

P: 188

their souls which are pure and will say to them; "peace be upon you! Enter the Paradise as a reward of what you used to do in the world!" (Al- Nahl: 32)

And God gives birth to people through father and mother; He cures pains by means of medicines and other countless cases.

Of course, two important points need attention:

1. Although the Almighty God runs the affairs through intermediaries, He is in need of none of His intermediaries and if He Wills, He can control the affairs without intermediaries. True! If God Wills, He can heal illnesses without pills; He can create man without father and mother just as it was the case with Adam and Eve.

2. Intermediaries can put effect with permission of God; therefore, if God does not permit intermediaries, they have no effect and strategy in the universe. As intermediaries cannot do the affairs without permission of God; therefore, it is God proper who heals diseases and showers rain and takes lives of men.

God recommends Muslims, in His Book, to have the Prophet (s) as their intermediary for blessing of their sins. He says:

وَ ما أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ رَسُولِ إِلا لِيُطاعَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَ لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذْ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ جَاؤُكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللَّهَ وَ اسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا اللَّهَ تَوَّاباً رَحِيماً

We did not send any Messenger, but to be obeyed by Allah's Leave. If they had come to you[O' Messenger] When they had wronged themselves and had begged Allah's Forgiveness [through you]and the Messenger

P: 189

had begged forgiveness for them, indeed they would have found that Allah is the Merciful Repentance-Accepter (Al-Nesa': 64)

And children of Hazrat Jacob (a) put their father as intermediary for blessing of their sins and he accepted the intermediation God says in the Holy Quran:

قالُوا يَا أَبَانَا اسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا خَاطِئِينَ

They said: O' our father! Ask for us forgiveness from Allah against our sins; verily, we have been sinful (Yusuf: 97)

قَالَ سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّي إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

Yaqub said: "I will soon ask my Creator and Nurturer's Forgiveness for you; verily, Allah is the Merciful Forgiving."(Yusuf: 98)

Taking intermediation of the Saints of God is a Quranic issue and it is not polytheism.

The prophets and Imams are capable of extraordinary things with permission of God such as: Giving life to non-living beings, enlivening the dead, healing the incurable sick people and......

God says about the Jesus (‘a) in the Holy Quran that he gives life to things, enlivens the dead and heals ill people:

وَ رَسُولاً إِلي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنِّي قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِآيَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ أَنِّي أَخْلُقُ لَكُمْ مِنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنْفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْراً بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَ أَبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ وَ أُحْيِ الْمَوْتِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِما تَأْكُلُونَ وَ ما تَدَّخِرُونَ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ

"And [also] appoints him a Messenger to the Children of Israil [and he will declare]: "I have come to you with a sign from your Creator and Nurturer, I will create for you out of clay, the figure of a bird, then I will breathe into it and it becomes a bird by Allah's Leave; and I will heal those born blind and the lepers by Allah's Leave and will bring to life the dead by Allah's Leave and I will declare to you of what you eat and what you store up in your houses. Surely, therein is a sign for you, if you indeed are believers (Al-e Imran: 49)

The Saints of God can heal illness, remove grief and sorrow and if they are asked to do so, it is not polytheism because they do this by permission of God.

وَ أَنَّ الْمَساجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَداً

He mosques are worshipping places for Allah, so do not worship others besides Allah at all (Al-Jinn: 18)

And they come to conclusion that the Shiites invoke by Imams (‘a) and demand them something, so they are polytheists because they have called upon others at the vicinity of God.

is in fact God who heals illness and calling upon Ahl-e Bayt (‘a) in fact means calling God, which is the same monotheism.

It is reiterated that:

It is polytheistic and atheistic belief if someone gives Godly status to Ahl-e Bayt (a) or says they independently affect things and no Shiite believes as such.

True! God underscores that martyrs are alive and earn sustenance from God. Therefore, Imams (‘a)-who are martyred in the path of God- are alive and they can have power of controlling the universe. If they are placed as intermediaries, the dead are not placed as intermediaries because those great people act by permission of God and their invocation is not polytheism; rather, it is the very monotheism and knowledge.

True!

The pure Progeny is the most superior means and intermediary for approaching God and calling them is not polytheistic as it is God's order and they can affect things with permission of God.

Wahhabis having deviant interpretation of Islam and the Holy Quran charge their opponents particularly the Shiites of Ahl-e Bayt (‘a) with blasphemy. Their muftis easily order innocent Muslims to be killed and members of this movement easily mutilate and decapitate Muslims who say prayer and approve of "there is no God but God". They also set fire on them; cut them in half by electric saw and embark on so ruthless acts in the name of Islam that barbaric tribes have never done as such.

They do not feel pity on children as well and behead them at ease.

Their muftis release fatwas on rape of women of the Shiites and their opponents.

All Muslims should know; all non-Muslims should know and all people of the universe should know that Islam is religion of kindness and Wahhabis have nothing to do with Islam. In fact, they seriously stand at odds with Islam. They uproot Islam in the name of Islam and they join the sworn enemies of Islam.

True!

Islam stands as religion of justice, affection, humanity and salvation and Wahhabis only carries label of Islam and never uses Islam as it really is.

P: 196

Yazidis also said prayer but theirs was totally void of content and spirit of being a worshipper and it was only a pretense because they were subjected to passions and lust which ruin spirit of Salat.

Whenever religion and worship are void in the community and pretention takes its place, the community is off the divine Straight Path, moving towards the highway of abyss which ends up the hell.

God says in His Words the reason behind fall of ummah of the prophets lies in rendering Salat futile and in pursuing lusts and insatiable carnal desires:

فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضاعُوا الصَّلاةَ وَ اتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوَاتِ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا

But after them succeeded a posterity who gave up prayers and followed their lust. So they will face their recompense as the consequences of their astray (Maryam: 59)

True!

After demise of your ancestor, the Prophet (s), divine caliphate diverted from its correct course by hypocrite dissidents and the status of your honorable father, Commander of the Faithful (‘a) was usurped. This led to deviations and spirit of Salat was targeted more than before with attacks of the Satan and the related mercenaries.

The plight of Islamic community went so far that the Umayyad dynasty-that stood at odds with your ancestor's religion-ceded to the throne of caliphate in the name of your ancestor's religion! At noon of Ashura day, Yazidis numbered 300000 stood to say congregational prayers to martyr you who were spirit of Salat after they finish saying

P: 198

Salam(1) of their Salat!

When you stood to say your prayer, some of your compatriots shielded you but those atheist prayer performers showered you, the spirit of Salat, with spears.

True!

but ; اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُه Those atheists said in their final Salam as their Salat was devoid of content and was nothing except pretense, they beheaded you who were dead thirsty, descendant of the Prophet (s) and foundation of Salat after they finished Salam of their prayer service.

True! True!

You are spirit of Salat that finds meaning with you and in essence, you, the pure Infallibles (a) are foundation of religion, cylinders of certainty, Takbir, rising and sitting of Salat. Your son, Imam Baqir ('a) said:

We are treasuries of science, dragoman of revelation and crystal clear proofs of Him over whoever is underneath the heavens and on earth.

And your son, Imam Sadiq (‘a) said:

Heirs of the Prophet (s) channel attention to God, the Honored. God is known to people thanks to them and God makes proof to people through them. .

P: 199

Your epic of Ashura teaches us a lesson that if religion turns out as pretense and its spirit and foundation are released, swords and weapons on which slogan of aY is engraved are unsheathed by believers of !to kill Proof of God لا إِلهَ إِلا الله At noon of Ashura day, you stood for prayer service and exposed your holy body to atheist performers of Salat to teach us that: Genuine Salat, genuine Salat! Rather than falsified Salat, not falsified Salat!

True!

Your way is Path of God; your religion is religion of God and submission to you stands for submission and humility to God.

You help people, cast chains off their necks and feet, fly them up with yourself and take them safe to the doors of heaven to put their hands into hands of heavenly Angels.

You are Proof of God; you are the third lasting and guiding Imam of the universe; you are the one whose face, eyes, lips, throat and chest were kissed by the Prophet (s). He said:

Husayn is from me and I am from Husayn.

And whereto are those not confessing to your Imamate and are linked to the deviants going? If they do not know, they should know

that:

You are Light of God; you split apart darkness and ignorance; you are ark of rescue; you witness the creatures; your invocation rescues people and stepping on your way brings prosperity.

P: 200

And if they deny again, they should know that God says about the arrogant people:

.... فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَبِّرين

.....and evil is this abode for the arrogant! (Al-Zumar: 72)

In this way, the status of the arrogant people is a bad one.

The people in the universe should carpet your way with their faces; keep you endeared and prostrate soil of your Karbala.

Why do people deny you? Nobody denies you unless he is vicious; the same man who has emptied his heart of your light and has covered his whole being with darkness.

Have you not sacrificed your whole things for God? Have you not sacrificed your neonate and brave young man for the Truth?

Are you not the one about whom the Prophet (s) said: Husayn is ark of salvation and sun of guidance?!

Why does sincerely conscientious man resort to others; the very others who are deprived of even bits of status of footed soil of your thralls; rather, they are entirely away from divine Straight Path!!

True!

Nobody denies your status unless he is of blunted conscience and vicious person!

P: 201

Let me retell another part of story of your Karbala:

After people of Kufa were informed about death of Mu'awiyya and your de-allegiance to Yazid, they disobeyed him, the ignobly born, ape- fancier and bastard man; a group of your Shiites and followers assembled in the house of Suleyman Ibn Surad Khuzaie and after deliberations, they decided to write a letter to you to invite you to come to Kufa. Two of your supporters were missioned to immediately depart to Mecca to hand the letters to you. Ten days passed the august month of Ramadan when the two messengers of Kufa arrived in Mecca and submitted letters of Kufians to you.

Only two days passed the letters sent to you when Kufians sent you various letters of Kufians by some other messengers and there were other letters sent to you. After several days, letters sent numbered twelve thousand ones.

From among the well-known Kufians who sent you letters and invited you to come to Kufa, there were: Habib Ibn Mazaher, Moslem Ibn Uwsajah, Suleyman Ibn Surad, Refa'at Ibn Shaddad, Musayyib Ibn Najbah, Shabath Ibn Reb'aie, Hajjar Ibn Abjar, Yazid Ibn Harith, Urwat Ibn Qeys, Amru Ibn Hajjaj and others.

Of course, some of these people such as Habib Ibn Mazaher and Moslem Ibn Uwsajah fought for you to their last drop of blood in Karbala and were martyred. Some others like Suleyman Ibn Surad stayed at home out of fear of life and failed to help you; some others like Shabath Ibn Reb'aie, the hypocrite dissident, joined army of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad, the cursed to kill you!

P: 202

Some of the letters sent to you read that:

Next, praise belongs to God who broke backbone of your tyrant enemy; the enemy who took holds of the affairs of this ummah deceitfully; usurped their assets and ruled over them without their satisfaction. It killed the good people of the ummah; gave clemency to the shrewd people and distributed public treasury among the wealthy and tyrants. May God keeps blessings away from it as He did to Thamud tribe!

Verily, we have no Imam and leader, so come to us; be it that God guides us on the Straight Path by you. Nu'aman Ibn Bashir (ruler of Yazid in Kufa) is being settled in Kufa palace and we do not take part in Friday prayers and festivity prayers led by him. If we are assured of your departure to Kufa, we will let him out of town to move to Damascus; God Willing.

The great men of Kufa sent this letter to you by 'Abdullah Ibn Musma' Hamdani and ‘Abdullah Ibn Wal, ordering them to rush to you. They did so until they reached you in Mecca on the august month of Ramadan 10th.

The last letter that reached you in Mecca was the letter of Hani Ibn Abi Hani and Sa'id Ibn 'Abdullah Khath' ami in which they had written:

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. This is the letter of Husayn Ibn Ali's faithful followers. Next, rush to Iraq because people hesitantly expect to meet you; they have no leader but you, so rush! Rush! That's all.

True!

Letters of Kufians one after another repeatedly reached you in such a

P: 203

way that six hundred letters reached you on one day; in a short while, over twelve thousand letters signed and sealed by people came to you.

In response to letters of Kufians, you wrote one letter only, saying:

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. From Husayn Ibn Ali (‘a) to a group of Muslims and faithful people; next, verily, I received your letters by Hani and Sa'id (the last messengers of Kufians) and they were the last envoys from you. I was informed about what you had said that:

"We have no Imam and leader; rush to us be it that God guides us by you".

I have dispatched to you my brother and cousin-Moslem Ibn 'Aqil- who is my confidante. If he writes me that people of wisdom and excellence in Kufa approve of your letters and remarks of your messengers, I will depart to meet you soon; God Willing.

True!

Although you knew that many Kufians turn their back on you when their lives are at risk but you dispatched your gallant and dear cousin- Moslem Ibn 'Aqil-to Kufa to make ultimatum and to send you a report of them.

Then you went up to Masjid Al-Haram and said a two rek'at prayer between Pillar and Station asking God for benison. Later, you summoned your cousin to tell him of invitation of Kufians and their remarks, adding to this brave man:

I dispatch you to Kufa and God will do whatever He Wishes and decides for you. I hope you and I am ranked as martyrs; so with the

P: 204

assistance of God, depart to Kufa and once you reached there, reside in the house of the most reliable people of Kufa.

You embraced him, kissed him and he did so. He took your letter to Kufians from your holy hand and rode his horse to Kufa while having a love-laden heart.

You saw him off with your dear looks and gloomy heart because you knew that Moslem travels somewhere with no return; he goes on a trip while his body and head will be separated!

In middays of Ramadan month, Moslem left Mecca and arrived in Kufa on Shawwal 5th and settled in the house of Mokhtar Ibn Abi Ubaydah Thaqafi.

A noble, magnanimous, and cordial man of the pure infallible progeny (‘a) and one of your Shiite followers, Mokhtar enthusiastically received your cousin, telling the doyen of Kufa that ambassador of Husayn Ibn Ali (‘a) stays in his house.

When your Shiite followers and supporters were told about arrival of your envoy in Kufa, they stopped by Mokhtar's house to meet him. Your cousin read your letter to them and Kufians having been strongly impressed by your illuminated message and while weeping met Moslem in groups and swore allegiance to him.

At the same time, Abes Ibn Abi Shabib (who was martyred in Karbala) stood up and said:

I am not talking on behalf of Kufians; I don't know what goes in their hearts and I am not intending to betray you. But I swear to God that what

P: 205

I say to you is something engraved in my mind and I believe it; and it is that I find myself ready to fight with the enemy with my sword beside you whenever you need my assistance and I think of nothing but pleasure of God and divine reward as long as I rush to meet God.

After him, Habib Ibn Mazaher (who is also a great martyr of Karbala) sat up and said:

O' Abes! May God bless you that whatever you had in mind, you briefed it! By God! I am determined and steadfast to aid Husayn (‘a) too.

True!

People in groups came up to Mokhtar's house every day and pledged allegiance to your envoy, Moslem Ibn 'Aqil at a number of eighteen thousand people; some historians said they numbered thirty thousand and more.

When your cousin observed this mass of people, he found himself assured of the uprising and wrote you a letter that read:

O' Husayn! Kufians pledged allegiance to me to stand by you and they showed their resentment from the Umayyad; so depart to Kufa because people want you.

Your cousin's letter was carried to you by Qeys Ibn Musahhar Seydawi and Abes Ibn Abi Shabib.

Though knowing what the finality will be, you became prepared to hoist the banner of uprising and to travel to Iraq because you found ultimatum finished for yourself.

P: 206

Ruler of Kufa-learning about allegiance of Kufians to Moslem-sat up the pulpit and told Kufians:

O' worshippers of God! Seek divine piety and stop moving towards sedition and disunity because this leads to bloodshed and plunder of properties. I am not at odds with someone who defies me and do not provoke you to battle each other but if you raise vengeance to me and oppose Yazid, I swear to God that I will fight you although none of you helps me. I hope people who know the right number more than those who are inclined to accept the wrong!

After Nu'aman Ibn Bashir's speech-ruler of Kufa-one of the co- allegiants of the Umayyad, named 'Abdullah Ibn Moslem Hazrami stood up and said to him:

You will not succeed in what way you keep going and this sedition never stops unless it is stifled. O' Nu'aman! Your idea is that of the weak and impotent people.

'Abdullah Ibn Moslem and a number of others-who were serviles of rule of the Umayyad-wrote a letter to bastard, ape-fancier Yazid reporting about allegiance of Kufians to Moslem: Nu'aman Ibn Bashir is a weak and disabled man and if you need Kufa, you should dispatch a tough and determined man for suppressing the revolt.

When Yazid received the letter, he immediately deposed Nu'aman Ibn Bashir and Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad, then ruler of Basra, the cursed was positioned as emir of Kufa and he wrote a letter to his peer, the ignoble- birth and wicked man, saying:

People once praised suffer curse and disgrace the other day. And the

P: 207

unpleasant things turn into pleasant things and you are ranked as you deserve having!

As Arab poet said, you climbed up and outpaced the clouds over which you are ranked high; you deserve having status of sun but nothing.

Rush to Kufa and kill Moslem Ibn 'Aqil after his detention or banish him.

After Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad, the cursed beheaded Suleyman Ibn Razin, your ambassador to Basra, he joined by a group of people hastily moved to Kufa.

In Kufa, he detained a number of your loyal companions like Mokhtar by agents of Yazid. He beheaded a number of others like Hani Ibn Urwah and set a military and garrison-like atmosphere in town to create horror and intimidation in such a way that many of those who had pledged allegiance to your cousin and said prayers behind him took refuge in home fearing their lives!

Mercenaries of Yazid rule spread rumor all around the town that a huge army from Damascus is on its way to Kufa to suppress the rebels; they will never feel mercy on anyone and kill everyone.

Mothers and women of Kufa were so horrified from the rumor that they took shelter in home with their children and husbands. When night came, only thirty people of the mass crowd had remained loyal to your courageous cousin, Moslem Ibn 'Aqil; the remaining people were either terrified and had gone home or were arrested or were betrayed with money given to them by Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad and had

P: 208

joined his army to fight with Moslem!

Your cousin performed evening prayers and moved towards a region

where a tribe called Kandah settled; he was almost close to there when only ten people accompanied him and on his way back, he was lonely by himself, walking across Kufa alleys in complete strangeness. He did not know which door to knock.

Finally, he reached house of an old woman who was named "Taw'ah". She identified Moslem and took him home and fed him; but when her son came home and found Moslem hidden in the house, he let Ibn Ziyad know his hiding place in order to get prize that the cursed had assigned for his arrest.

A short time later, seventy people of troops besieged house of Taw'ah. Moslem heard horses clopping and outcry of raiders. He came out of his hiding and moved them out of house.

Ubaydullah's forces surrounded Moslem and attacked him with swords and spears; your brave cousin whose blood vessels carried blood of your father, Commander of the Faithful (a) combatted so powerfully that a large number of raiders were slain.

Your brave and loyal cousin recited the following epic poems when soldiers attacked him:

Now this is death coming, do whatever you can as you will drink goblet of death, surely and slowly. But seek patience in front of divine providence because God's verdict runs among the creatures.

Some raiders went up the rooftop wherefrom they poured stones and

P: 209

fires on Moslem's face and head. Your cousin were still roaring stormily and killing them with his sword.

From among them, there was a man named Bakr Ibn Hamran Ahmari who hit his mouth with sword; his lips tore apart and his chisel-teeth erupted out of his mouth. Moslem counterattacked him and hit him on the head and shoulder. At this time, a man of Kufians hit him from behind and Moslem fell down on the ground. The soldiers stormed and seized him.

Moslem badly wounded and soaked in blood was taken to Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad. Once seen him, Ubaydullah insulted, you and your father and Moslem responded:

You and your father deserve being more disrespected.

Ubaydullah told him:

You've come to Kufa to spur division and corruption.

Moslem bravely replied:

You tell a lie because Mu'awiyya and his son, Yazid ruined unity of Muslims and triggered sedition and corruption in the community.

Ubaydullah said:

You rebelled against caliph of Muslims and you deserve being murdered!

Moslem replied to the cursed:

The Almighty God knows that you are not telling the truth; Yazid drinks liquor and he has his hands behind killing Muslims and kills the innocent people. He orders them to be killed as he thinks right. He has done every evil he could do.

P: 210

He angrily shouted at Moslem:

I kill you hard!

Your gallant cousin replied calmly and cold-bloodedly:

I fear not death and I hope God grants me martyrdom in the hands of the worst people like you.

Then he ordered Moslem to be taken on rooftop of the palace; he is to be first beheaded and second to be dropped down. With his hands tied, he was taken on rooftop of the palace; he constantly remembered God and .incessantly with his torn lips انا الله و انا اليه راجعون recited In the last moments, they saw Moslem crying and he was told:

O' Moslem! Do you cry out of fear?!

That brave-heart man responded:

I swear to God that I do not weep for my own condition and I do not fear death; I cry for Husayn (a) who trusted you and he is coming over here!

True!

Those executioners decapitated your loyal cousin and dropped his pure body down the palace. As ordered by the wicked Ibn Ziyad, Moslem and Hani Ibn Urwah, supporter of Moslem who was beheaded by Ubaydullah, were tied in rope and were stretched across bazaars of Kufa. They were hanged upside down in Kenasa district of Kufa. Later, Ibn Ziyad sent heads of both to Yazid in Damascus and Yazid hanged the two holy heads up one of the gates in Damascus.

And you were on your way to Iraq when your cousin was killed and

P: 211

when you heard of his martyrdom, you had stepped into Iraq. When you were told of Moslem's martyrdom, your holy eyes rolled droplets of tears انا الله و انا اليه راجعون :down your face and you repeatedly said Then you turned to your companions and said about Moslem:

رَحِمَ اللَّهُ مُسْلِمًا فَلَقَدْ صَارَ إِلى رَوْحِ اللَّهِ وَ رَيحَانِهِ وَ جَنَّتِهِ وَ رِضْوانِهِ، أَلَا إِنَّهُ قَدْ قَضَى مَا عَلَيْهِ وَ بَقِيَ ما عَلَينا

May God bless Moslem who rushed to divine blessing and paradise of God! He performed his responsibility well but our responsibility still persists.

He then looked at Moslem's children and hugged them, asking: Now that your father has been killed, what do you think of staying or leaving?

They responded: By God! We never return unless we take revenge of them or we are martyred like him.

You turned to your companions and said:

There is no good news about life in this world and surviving is of a value no longer.

Some of your companions told you:

By God! Your situation differs from that of Moslem in Kufa; if you go to Kufa, people will rush to you more.

And you, in response, kept silent and said nothing. Among the other things, a group of your entourage who had joined you for caprice of property or position, made lame excuses, said goodbye and returned

P: 212

when they found that their life is at risk!

You, your family and some of your loyal companions departed to Kufa.

True!

You knew that what painful destiny waited for you, your children and companions; but you stepped in the way of God for sacrificing your whole being and belongings; you did it to sacrifice your head, your six- month-old baby, your young boy and your faithful comrades.

You knew that those atheists hold your honorable family captive and torture them but you still accepted all for satisfaction of God.

You noticed that religion is exposed to destruction through the Umayyad dynasty and you also knew that they never feel mercy on your dear body after you are martyred; the holy body-that was once kissed by the Prophet (s)-is placed under clopping horses.

And you knew that those bastard people fail to suffice to do as such and hang your head on spear and move it around cities and towns.

But you embraced it all for pleasure of God because you knew that as long as your pure blood is not spilled, the nasty dynasty of the Umayyad is not faced with scandal.

And your holy blood was shed on land of Karbala and destined the land to be heavenly forever and that holy blood scandalized the Umayyad and those associated with the mean dynasty until the Day comes.

P: 213

Let me tell a little of night of your Ashura:

Thirty thousand troops of enemy beleaguered you so that Ashura might come and martyr you all. You told your loyal companions that they will be martyred the next day; they as loving butterflies were turning around you and counted down to join God. Drunken brawl and laughter of enemy troops filled the hearts of children and women of haram with horror.

At midnight when your loyal companions were busy saying prayer and supplication, you came out of camp looking around other tents and hills. Nafe'a Ibn Helal-one of your devotees-had come out of his camp too and followed you. You asked him why he was following you!

Nafe'a said: O' son of the Prophet (s)! I saw you were going towards enemy troops, I feared your life might be in danger. You said: I check around to make sure wherefrom enemy will launch attacks. Then you grasped hand of your loyal companion and said:

I swear to God this is a promise with no wrongs; O' Nafe'a! Do you see this way between two mountains? Now in the dark night, you can leave me and save your life!

Nafe'a threw himself onto your steps, saying:

May my mother weep for my mourning if I do so; God obliged me to be martyred beside you.

You then entered camp of your dear and honorable sister, Hazrat Zeynab Kobra ('a). Nafe'a waited for you outside the camp.

Your sister said: Are you aware of the decision of your companions? Do they not leave you alone or escape when they see multitude of enemy troops tomorrow?!

P: 214

You said to her:

Just as a child is interested in her mother's breast, so they are interested in martyrdom!

Nafe'a heard your sister's worried and went to see Habib Ibn Mazaher; he told him about it. Habib Ibn Mazaher-the old brave man of Karbala plateau-said to Nafe' a: If I had not waited for order of Imam, I would have attacked the enemy now.

Nafe'a told Habib Ibn Mazaher: Imam is now in camp of his sister, Zeynab; is it possible that companions get together and they say something to relieve women?

Your brave companion, Habib called your companions. They all gathered and cried out at the camp of your sister that:

O' Progeny of the Prophet ('a)! These are our swords; we have taken an oath to have them unsheathed and fight with your enemies to the last drop of our blood.

When women heard what your companions said, they came out of their tents, saying:

O' you, the chivalrous men of noble extraction! Support Ahl-e Bayt (a) and children of Commander of the Faithful ('a).

And all companions began to weep.

True!

Those companions were the most loyal ones and God had assigned the purest and most cordial people on the earth as your companions.

P: 215

Although these manly people were less than one hundred in number, they never feared death and defended you to the last drop of their blood.

You had a short sleep at dawn and as you were awake, you said: O' my companions! Do you know what I dreamed now?

They said: O' son of the Messenger (s)! What did you dream?

He stated:

I dreamed dogs that attacked to devour me; among them, I saw a bicolored dog that showed more savagery and blood-sucking behavior to me than other dogs! I guess the one who kills me is a leprous man! Following my dream, I dreamed my ancestor, the Prophet (s) whose a number of companions accompanied him and he said to me: My son! You are martyr of progeny of Mohammad and people of the heavens rejoice in your ascension with good tidings and you come to us tonight; rush and fail to delay coming! O' my companions! This dream speaks of the fact that death is imminent and no doubt, it is time to depart from this mortal world.

In the afternoon of Ashura, you had lost all of your companions and their holy headless bodies had remained on hot land of Karbala. You looked at the sky and made supplication to God in this way:

O' God! I seek patience over Thy Rule and Predestination; there is no one to be worshipped but Thee, O' the One Who Comes to rescue the intercessory petitioners! There is no God for me but thee and I worship no one save Thee; I am patient over Thy Command; O' the One Who Comes to rescue the one who has no one to rescue him; O' Thou Who art Eternal and Bring life to the dead; O' Thou Who art Aware and Observe all deeds of Thy creatures! Thou Rule between us because Thou art the Best One Who Rule.

P: 216

Then you lonely said Takbir and attacked enemy troops. After an hour of chivalrous battle-where many of the atheists were sent to hell by your sword-you fell down your horse due to lots of wounds you suffered and the leprous, vicious and bastard man with darkened heart and an unsheathed daggers moved towards you.

Your holy lips only whispered divine supplication in the very last moments. The cursed Shimr appeared up your head and stared at you with his wicked eyes. His filthy lips began to venture you and you only remembered God while gasping.

The eternally cursed man burst into anger when he saw your dignity. He sat on your holy chest and grasped your beard to behead you. You smiled and told him:

Do you want to kill me? Do you know who I am?

The bastard man said: Yes; I know you well. Your mother is Fatima Zahra, your father is Ali Mortaza and your forefather is Mohammad Mostafa; I kill you and I am not afraid!! Later, he decapitated you.

You stared at his face when the cursed man placed the daggers on your throat and opened at peace your dear lips dried of thirst and smiled.

True! You smiled; the smile which means the whole universe.

You told Yazid and Yazidis with smile-at all ages-that you are the actual winners of this battle!

True!

You told them that you are winners because the world with all its

P: 217

decorations ceased to deceive you and you never received even a moment of sordid life and tyranny. You told them that they are defeated and degraded in such a way that they have kneeled in the face of despotism and its perpetrators.

And this pure salvaging point you made to mankind till the Day that O' mankind! If you are in pursuit of everlasting prosperity; if you want to live in freedom and exaltation; if you aspire to leave this earthly world for departing to a flight in divine Grace and Spirit in the world hereafter, come join me to be illuminated with my light and embark on my ark which is rescue ark of mankind.

Although those maliciously wicked people killed you; beheaded you and crushed your pure bodies underneath clopping horses, you are victorious.

Omar Ibn Sa'ad, the cursed yelled after your martyrdom: Who is willing to gallop horses over body of son of Fatima?

At this time, ten people of atheists announced their readiness to let horses tread over your and your companions' bodies.

And they were the same ten people who came up to Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad, the cursed and asked for more prize, saying: We are the ten people who are equestrians; we crushed body of Husayn underneath clopping horses and smoothened his chest bones!

True!

Although they murdered you, they could not put out your universe- shining light and they themselves were destroyed. You shine for keeps and you illuminate the universe with your light which is glow of Light of God.

P: 218

Your path is that of God's; your path brings with it perennial happiness and your path casts shackles of captivity off mankind's neck and feet.

May Peace of God befall upon you, O' the universe-illuminating sun of mankind till the Day!

not show up until Imam was martyred.

Suleyman Ibn Surad and his co-thinkers seriously felt remorseful and blameworthy after tragedy of Karbala occurred. They found out that what a great sin they have committed because they invited Imam and after that, they gave up helping him. Imam had come to Iraq as to their calls. Imam has been martyred nearby their town but they did not even turn a hair!

Suleyman Ibn Surad and his fellows felt that this disgrace will not be removed from their names unless they take revenge of Husayn's killers or they should be killed in this way.

This group naming themselves the penitents began to spur hidden propaganda after Imam was martyred and they continued to prepare logistics of war and secretly called people on taking revenge of killers of Imam Husayn (‘a). The Shiites and non-Shiites in groups joined them.

The penitents were engaged in preparations of uprising when Yazid passed away. After Yazid died, the penitents sent a number of people to suburban areas to invite people for cooperation. At this time, they set aside caution and hiding and openly began to furnish tools and equipment of war. There were not only Shiites who joined revolution of the penitents, but also all those who wanted a change in conditions and break of yoke of cruelty of the Umayyad dynasty through bloody movement joined the penitents.

Sixteen thousand people registered their names in office of Suleyman Ibn Surad, out of whom only five thousand people appeared.

On Friday night, Rabi'a Ath-thani 5th, 65 A.H, uprising began to flare

P: 220

up. On that night, the penitents departed to pure Torbat of Imam Husayn (a) and the very moment they reached at his grave, they lost their control and cried out, making these words while weeping:

O' God! Thy peace befalls upon Husayn; martyr, son of martyr; the guided, son of the guided; the acknowledged, son of the acknowledged. O' God! We take Thee as testimony that we follow religion and way of these martyrs and friends of their enthusiasts and enemies of their killers. O' God! We stopped helping son of the Prophet's daughter. Forgive us because of our past wrongs; accept our repentance and bestow Thy Blessing onto Husayn and his companions as they are true martyrs. O' God! We take Thee as our witness that we follow their religion and will of their martyrdom and if Thou fail to bless us, we will be the losers.

They left graves of martyrs for Damascus-center of the Umayyad rule and were faced with troops of Sham, numbered thirty thousands, led by Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad on a land called Ayn Al-Warda. After three days of hard fight, they were defeated and Suleyman Ibn Surad and other leaders of revolution except Refa'ah had been martyred. The remaining forces led by Rafa'ah Ibn Shaddad came back to Kufa and joined followers of Mukhtar who were active in Kufa.(1)

Once 'Abdulmalek Ibn Marwan (incumbent caliph of the Umayyad) was informed of murder of Suleyman Ibn Surad and his followers, he sat up pulpit and said: Heads of Iraq are killed. The leaders, Suleyman Ibn Surad and Musayyib Ibn Najbah as well as two other leaders, 'Abdullah Ibn Sa'ad and 'Abdullah Ibn Wal has been killed and after now, there is 6

P: 221

no problem in Iraq.(1)

Although uprising of the penitents faced early defeat, it left deep effect on Kufians and paved the way for public opinions to battle the Umayyad rule.

After Kufians were notified about death of Mu'awiyya and knew that Imam had departed from Medina to Mecca to oppose Yazid, they came together in the house of Suleyman Ibn Surad and after negotiations and deliberations; they decided to write a letter to Imam Husayn (‘a) to invite him to come to Kufa.

They sent twelve thousand letters to Imam in several days and in all these letters, public resentment from the Umayyad rule, de-allegiance of Kufians to Yazid and invitation from Imam for coming to Kufa have been emphasized.(2)

• Imam's letter to Kufians-fully explained before-ends up in this way:

فلعمري ما الامام الا الحاكم بالكتاب، القائم بالقسط، و الدائن بدين الله الحابس نفسه على ذات و السلام الله،

I swear to my life that Imam is no one unless the one who rules by the Book of God, establishes justice and equity, embraces religion of the Truth and dedicates himself for satisfaction of God.(3)

• After Moslem's entry into Kufa, Mukhtar Ibn Abi Ubayd Thaqafi 8

P: 222

cooperated with him, but he was detained by soldiers and put in jail when Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad came to Kufa from Basra.

After tragedy of Ashura occurred, he was released from jail mediated by 'Abdullah Ibn Omar, his sister's husband and because 'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr had risen up and introduced himself as caliph of Muslims in those days, Mukhtar headed for Mecca to cooperate with him to oppose the Umayyad rule.

In 64 A.H, five months after death of Yazid, as Mukhtar heard of readiness of Iraqis for uprising and revolution against the rule of the Umayyad and of their unwillingness before rule of ‘Abdullah Ibn Zubayr, he moved to Kufa and began his operations.(1)

In those days, the penitents were busy recruiting forces in Kufa but Mukhtar used to say: Suleyman Ibn Surad is not necessarily informed about military issues and he will soon be defeated.

Mukhtar revolted in Iraq in 66 A.H to take revenge of killers of Husayn (‘a). Thousands of people pledged allegiance to him and he started his uprising from Kufa. He liberated Kufa from control of Zubaris and Kufians made allegiance to Mukhtar as emir of Kufa. He introduced his call linked to Mohammad Hanafiyya, son of Ali (a) and once assuming power, he seriously chased killers of Imam Husayn (a), most of whom resided in Kufa and he seized and killed many of them.

He arrested and humiliatingly executed Omar Ibn Sa'ad, Shimr Ibn Thul-Jawshan, Senan Ibn Anas, Khuli and hundreds of others of Karbala murderers, beheaded them and burned bodies of some of them. In one 2

P: 223

day, he killed two hundred and eighty of them and demolished houses of a number of heads of criminals who had succeeded to escape.(1)

After killing a large number of real murderers of Karbala, he departed to Damascus to battle rule of the Umayyad and killing of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad who had run off to Damascus. Ibrahim Ibn Malek Ashtar commandeered troops of Mukhtar. In 66 A.H, the late days of month of Zulhijjah, Ibrahim Ibn Malek Ashtar left Kufa for Damascus to fight with Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad,

He rushed to face Ibn Ziyad before Ziyad could enter Iraq. Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad moved in Mosul with a huge army from Damascus. Ibrahim came along and left behind Iraq until he reached Mosul and as he neared Sham army, he equipped his companions.

Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad marshaled his troops and two divisions were poised for battle. Sham army numbered eighty thousand people and Mukhtar's army numbered thirty thousand people. Many of Mukhtar's troops came from Iran who had joined Mukhtar to avenge for blood of Seyyed Al-Shuhada (‘a).

Before outset of war, Ibrahim Ibn Malek Ashtar spoke to his companions this way:

O' Ansar of religion, followers of the Truth and army of God! This is Ubaydullah Ibn Marjanah killer of Husayn Ibn Ali, son of Fatima, daughter of our Messenger (s). It was Ubaydullah who barred Husayn (a) and children and women from access to water of the Euphrates and stopped making compromise. He never let Imam go to his place or somewhere else and he killed Imam and his family. At present, 4

P: 224

Ubaydullah is facing you and I hoped that we could meet each other one day so that he might be shed in his blood by you and your hearts could heal wounds.(1)

At that time, troops launched attacks all of a sudden and there happened a hard fight; companions recklessly raided army of enemy, slaughtering them insofar as Sham army began to face debacle. Sham troops outnumbered Mukhtar's army; however, they ran away; Ibrahim and his soldiers chased them. Sham troops found refuge in the river out of fear and escape and many of them were drowned. The drowned outnumbered those killed in war and Mukhtar's troops recovered lots of booties.(2)

When Sham army was faced with debacle and defeat, Ibrahim Ibn Malek Ashtar said: I killed a man whom you can find him alone under a banner alongside the Khabur River; I smelled his musk and I cut him in half; his hands fell on the east and his feet on the west. They went after him and found him to be Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad who cut in half by sword of Ibrahim.(3)

Ibrahim ordered him to be beheaded and his body to be burned later."

Ibrahim sent his head to Mukhtar together with heads of other (4)commanders of Sham army. Once his head was placed at the palace of Kufa, a small snake appeared and crawled inside other heads until it slipped into mouth of Ibn Ziyad; then it came out of his nose and this was done recurrently. (5)5

P: 225

One of the guards of Ibn Ziyad had said: When Husayn ('a) was killed; I joined him into the palace. All of a sudden, face of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad was subjected to a flame of fire but he protected his face with his sleeves and told me: stop telling anybody of what happened.(1)

Mukhtar sent his head to Mohammad Hanafiyya and wrote this letter: Verily, a group of your companions and Shiites were dispatched to take revenge of your enemy, Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad for blood of your brother, Husayn ('a). Showing anger, regret of a lot for you, the oppressed, they left their hometown and confronted them nearby Nasibin. God defeated them and killed that God's enemy and I praise God who avenged him for your blood. God destroyed the tyrants in deserts, plains and on sea, hereby healed painful hearts of the faithful and decreased their anger. (2)

Mohammad Ibn Hanafiyya went on prostration by seeing head of Ubaydullah and thanked God; he prayed for Mukhtar. After that, head of the cursed was sent to Hazrat Sajjad (‘a) and Imam was busy eating food when it was brought to him. He performed prostration of thanks and said:

I praise God who took my revenge of him; may God grant good reward. I was taken to Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad while he was eating food and my father's head stood in front of him. I asked God for not letting me die until I witness his head beside my food spread.(3)

Ya'qubi says in his history: Mukhtar sent head of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad to Ali Ibn Al-Husayn (‘a) in Medina by one of his kinsmen, telling him: 5

P: 226

You stop by house of Ali Ibn Al-Husayn (‘a) and as you see people enter into the house, it is the very time that food is ready for Imam Sajjad (‘a) and you enter the house.

The ambassador came and stopped by Imam's house. As the doors opened and people entered for food; he approached and cried out: O' Ahl-e Bayt of the Prophetic mission and mine of prophethood! I am envoy of Mukhtar carrying head of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad's head.

Every woman in the houses of the Hashemites cried out and the envoy stepped in; he took out the head and when Ali Ibn Al-Husayn ('a) saw the head, he said: May God keep His Blessings away from him and take him to fire.

And it is being narrated that: From the time Imam Husayn (‘a) was martyred, no one had seen smiling face of Imam Sajjad ('a) unless the day he was brought head of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad. And from the day when Imam Husayn (‘a) was martyred, Progeny of the Prophet (‘a) had not combed their hair and not dyed henna on beard and hands.(1)

It has been narrated that Mukhtar killed eighteen thousands of those who had a hand in murdering Imam Husayn (a) during his leadership that lasted eighteen months.(2)

True!

This was the way God took revenge of murderers of descendants of the Prophet (s) by Mukhtar and they will face burning hellfire forever and this is the penalty for wrongdoers!

(1)Tarikh-e Ya'qubi, vol. 2, p. 259

(2)Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 45, p. 386

P: 227

After Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad was killed, Mukhtar's army was divided in two groups; some of them with Ibrahim Ibn Malek Ashtar departed to Mosul and some others stayed with Mukhtar in Kufa. Brother of 'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr, Mus'ab Ibn Zubayr while backed by a large number of troops invaded Kufa and began to combat Mukhtar and his companions. In this battle, Mukhtar's troops were defeated because of treason committed by aristocrats of Kufa and their support of Mus' ab Ibn Zubayr's army. Mukhtar was martyred in the wake of a chivalrously hard fight.(1)

Of course, several years later, troops of 'Abdulmalek Ibn Marwan led by Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf invaded Iraq and Hejaz and killed Mus'ab Ibn Zubayr and 'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr; he annexed Iraq and Hejaz to jurisdiction of the Umayyad. Finally, rule of the Umayyad was overwhelmed by the Abbasid in 132 A.H; they exhumed graves of the Umayyad and set ablaze their bodies and bones. (2)

arranged marriage of the unmarried ones and sent us money whenever necessary.(1)

• Munzar Ibn Jarud quoted Imam Sadiq (‘a) as saying that:

No woman of the Hashemites combed and dyed her hair until Mukhtar sent us heads of the slayers of Imam Husayn ('a).

•Asbagh Ibn Nabateh (from special people to Commander of the Faithful (a)) is being quoted as saying that: I saw Mukhtar (when he was a child) sitting on knees of Ali (‘a) who patted his head and said:

O' Clever, O' Clever! (2)

This statement of Ali ('a) that Medina opens chapter of knowledge of the Prophet (s) knowing the future is a sign of what has become apparent by Mukhtar after Imam Husayn (‘a) was martyred; he penalized killers of Imam. Considering the fact that Mukhtar himself had tingled in his ears what Ali (‘a) had said, he naturally had a sense of extraordinary mission in relation to Islam and Ahl-e Bayt (‘a) as long as he felt that this mission lied within revenge of enemies of Ahl-e Bayt (a), killers of Imam Husayn (a) and his loved ones. (3)

When Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad came to Kufa from Basra, he ordered Kufians to assemble at congregation mosque, addressing them: Yazid has entrusted rule of your town to me for protection of public property and support the oppressed and the underprivileged. I kindly treat those who obey orders like a father and I unsheathe my sword on those who are 9

P: 229

disobedient; fear from my anger and know that I am a man of action and not words sufficiently.(1)

Upon arrival in Kufa and his cession to throne, Ibn Ziyad ordered the well-known people of Kufa to be arrested and to be killed in order to sap the revolutionary morale of people and force them not to think of the uprising. On his second day of arrival in Kufa, he commanded people to come together at mosque of town and with a totally different figure usually appearing among people, he went up to the pulpit and threateningly addressed that: I feel this problem will only be solved through severity and know that I punish the innocent instead of the sinful and the present people in place of the absent ones and set you back!(2)

• Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad found the alternative of launching psychological war in order to disperse people from around Moslem Ibn 'Aqil. He deputed a group of the noteworthy people of Kufa to talk to People and let them fear from the finality of helping Moslem Ibn 'Aqil. These people were: Kathir Ibn Shahab Harithi, Qa'qa' Ibn Shurzahli, Shabath Ibn Reba;ie Tamimi, Hajjar Ibn Abjar, Shimr Ibn Dhi al- Jawshan.

This group of five people closely communicated with supporters of Moslem and speciously protracted them from continuing to cooperate with Moslem. While introducing themselves as compassionate, they told a lie that Yazid troops of Sham are on their way and they are in no doubt of suppressing you, so stop endangering your life, honor and property.(3)

Trickery of Ubaydullah took effect and Kufians finding their life in 3

P: 230

danger gave up aiding Moslem Ibn 'Aqil with the words of these hypocrite dissidents, telling: We must not welcome danger and before it is late, we had better return to our homes to wait for exigently divine providence.(1)

Ubaydullah affected people so much with his trickery of dispersing them from around Moslem that mother would come by her son or brother and hold their hands telling that Yazid troops arrive in Kufa from Sham tomorrow and burn everybody with flame of their anger, go back home!

And everybody took anyone known out of crowd and in their own fancy, telling that they are saving people from definite danger. It was almost dark night of Kufa when the massive crowd was divided and left Moslem Ibn 'Aqil alone.(2)

After coming of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad to Kufa, Moslem Ibn ‘Aqil moved out of Mukhtar's house where he had sojourned and went to house of Hani Ibn Urwah; followers of Imam clandestinely met him in Hani's house and recommended that everyone keep this dark from others. When Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad discovered Moslem's stay in Hani's house, Moslem left Hani's house and Ubaydullah arrested and jailed him. After martyrdom of Moslem, he martyred him too.

Hani Ibn Urwah was regarded as especially upper noble companion of Commander of the Faithful (a) and accompanied him in wars of Jamal, Siffin and Nahrawan and had understood the appearance of the Prophet (s). He was included among his Companions and he was only ninety years old when he was martyred by Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad.(3)1

P: 231

• When all people left Moslem Ibn 'Aqil alone, he took shelter in Taw'ah's house and Taw'ah hid him somewhere in the house. Moslem spent that night in Taw'ah's house and prayed and supplicated God until late night. When he went asleep, he dreamed his honorable uncle, Ali (‘a), telling him: You soon join us. When he was awake, he knew that he would become martyred.(1)

As the day broke, Taw'ah brought him water for ablution and told Moslem: My lord! I did not see you sleep at all.

He replied: I did. I slept for some moments and I dreamed my uncle, Ali ('a) who told me: Hurry! Hurry! I think I am spending my last years of life.(2)

• Moslem Ibn 'Aqil, badly wounded, was detained and taken to governorate of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad. Up on door of the palace, he saw a water pot, he asked for a sip of water but he was prevented from having it. A man close to Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad named Moslem Ibn Amru Baheli who beat Ubaydullah in evil-doing told Moslem: I swear to God you never sip this cold water until you are satiated by fire of hell!

Moslem asked: Who are you?

He replied: I am the very man who found the truth when you abandoned it! And I wished well for my Imam while you wished bad for him; I obeyed him when you rebelled against him. I am Moslem Ibn Amru Baheli. In response, Moslem said: May your mother see your death! How bad- tempered, stone-hearted and senseless you are, O' son of Bahela! You 9

P: 232

deserve having fire of hell and eternity of fire more.(1) At this time, Amru Ibn Hurayth (one supporter of Ubaydullah) ordered his male slave to fetch a bowl of water for Moslem. Moslem took the bowl and wanted to drink water but the bowl was crimsoned with blood of head and mouth and failed to drink it. The bowl was filled with water three times; on the third time, Moslem's chisel-teeth dropped onto the bowl and said: I praise God that I had drunk this water if it would have been my divided share.(2)

•After martyrdom of Moslem Ibn 'Aqil on Zul hijjah 8th of 60 A.H (the very day when Imam Husayn (‘a) departed to Iraq from Mecca), Ibn Ziyad ordered his body to be hanged and sent his head to Damascus. Moslem is the first martyr of the Hashemites, whose body was hanged and the first one whose head was carried to Damascus. (3)

• Supplication of Imam Husayn (a) in the morning of Ashura, translation of which was given in the book reads as:

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ ثِقَتِي فِي كُلِّ كَرْبِ وَرَجائِي فِي كُلِّ شِدَّةٍ وَأَنْتَ لِي فِي كُلِّ أَمْرٍ نَزَلَ فِي ثِقَةٌ وَعُدَّة كَمْ مِن هَم يَضْعُفُ مِنهُ الفُؤاد وَيَقِلُّ فِيهِ الحِيَل وَيَخْذُلُ فِيهِ الصَّديقِ وَيَسْمَتُ فِيهِ العَدوُّ أَنْزَلْتُهُ بِكَ وَشَكَوتُهُ إِلَيْكَ رَعْبَةٌ مِنِّي إِلَيْكَ عَمَّنْ سِواكَ فَفَرَّجْتَهُ وَكَشَفَتَهُ وَاَنْتَ وَليُّ كُلِّ نِعْمَةٍ وَصَاحِبُ كُلِّ حَسَنَةٍ وَمُنْتَهى كُلِّ رَعْبَة. (4)4

P: 233

P: 234

oppressed, chivalrous warrior and a valiant and magnanimous man like lion.

Before the Almighty God, he is an honorable martyr by invocation of whom problems are solved and ill people are cured.

True!

Abulfazl Al-'Abbas, your brother (‘a) removes problems because his sacred being glows Lights of Blood of God!

'Abbas, the epitome of valor and manliness and mine of generosity was only fourteen years old whose dear father, our lord Amir Al- Mu'amenin (‘a) was martyred. After martyrdom of Ali (‘a), while staying beside you, he unequivocally defended and obeyed Imam Hassan (‘a), your brother for ten years. After martyrdom of Imam Hassan ('a), divine Imamate was shifted to you and ‘Abbas stood by you, defended you and unequivocally obeyed you.

When Amir Mu'amenan ('a) wanted to marry again after Fatima Zahra (a), your mother was martyred told his brother, 'Aqil who was a strong expert in genealogy:

Among Arab tribes, woo a woman for me and propose to her who can give birth to a brave son.

Ultimately, Fatima Umm-e Al-Banin, from Bani Kilah clan, who was popularly chaste and chivalrous in her tribe found the luck to marry your honorable father, Ali (‘a).

Although his mother was Umm-e Al-Banin, you were so much interested in him that it looked as though you both are from the same mother.

P: 236

True!

You loved your brave brother at your utmost ability because you always observed sturdiness and solemnity of your father in his countenance. Of course, the good-looking and lovely face of Abulfazl (‘a) had appealed everyone in such a way that everybody called him Qamar-e Bani Hashim (moon of the Hashimites).

On plateau of Karbala, he showed so much bravery and chivalry that all people of the universe are overwhelmed with his bravery.

He has a very high status on the Day and he intercedes many of the wrongdoers; God relieves many people from hellfire thanks to his respect.

True!

After you and the Immaculate Imams (‘a), he is lord of martyrs and billions of hands with tearful eyes are stretched towards him on the hard Day to show favor, give them a hand and rid them from hellfire.

Your son, Imam Sajjad (‘a) says about status of his uncle, 'Abbas (‘a): Verily, 'Abbas has such a status and magnitude before God on the Day that all martyrs feel envious of him.

In a different speech, the great Imam says:

God bless my uncle, Hazrat Abbas who sacrificed his precious life; instead of his hands cut off, God grants him two wings to fly with the Angels in the heaven just as He bestowed two wings to Ja'afar Ibn Abitaleb[whose hands were mutilated in war of Mutah].

P: 237

Let me go back to eternal epic of Karbala:

From the second day of month of Muharram when you and your companions entered in Karbala and enemies blocked your way of entry into Kufa, till Muharram 9th, troops of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad in groups continued to appear in Karbala from Kufa and its suburbs to combat you and your compatriots. On 9th of Muharram, enemy troops numbered thirty thousand but your troops numbered ultimate one hundred people.

Shimr Ibn Dh'il Jawshan and 'Abdullah Ibn Abi Al-Mahal (whose aunt was Umme Al-Banin) went to Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad and told him: O' Amir! Our nephews (children of Umme Al-Banin) stay with Husayn (‘a); if you find it right, write a letter of clemency for them! Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad accepted their suggestion and ordered his inscriber to write them a letter of clemency.

'Abdullah Ibn Abi Al-Mahal sent the letter to Karbala by his male slave. After reaching there, he read out the letter to children of Umme Al- Banin:

This is a letter of clemency that has been sent to you by 'Abdullah Ibn Abi Al-Mahal who is your kinsman.

They replied:

We are needless of your letter of clemency, clemency of God is better than that of Ubaydullah's.

And Abbas, your brother gave a crushing response to the cursed Shimr; when Shimr neared your camp, he cried loud Abbas and his brothers. They came out of the tent and Shimr told them: O' children of Umme Al-Banin! I have taken letter of clemency for you from Ubaydullah! At this time, Abbas (a) told Shimr with his loud voice:

P: 238

May God curse you and your letter of clemency! Should we be safe and clemented and children of the Messenger (s) should not?!

And angry outcry of Abbas ('a) drew back Shimr.

True!

Abulfazl, your brother gladdened your heart with his crushing shouts at enemies. After rejection of clemency letter, Omar Ibn Sa'ad yelled that O' troops of God! Ride your horses and rejoice that you are going to paradise!! Enemy's cavalry troops moved to battle after noon prayers.

You had sitten in front of your camp leaning on your sword with your head on your knees. Zeynab, your sister wailingly came up to you, saying: O' brother! Don't you hear this uproar nearing us instantly?! It looks as if enemy plans to attack us!

You looked up and said:

O' my sister! I dreamed the Prophet (s) now; he told me: O' Husayn (a)! You soon come to us.

Your sister having heard what Husayn (a) said lost control so unendurably that she hit her face repeatedly and relentlessly!

You said:

O' my sister! There is no room for wailing and moaning; keep quiet; God has bestowed you His Mercy.

Meantime, your loyal and valiant brother came up to you, saying: O' brother! This is the enemy's army that has kept close to our camps!

While rising up, you stared at beautiful eyes of your brother and

P: 239

kindly and tenderly told him:

......اِرْكَبْ بنفسي ألت

O' my brother! May my life be sacrificed to you! Ride your horse and ask them what has happened and why they have come here!

True!

'Abbas was so much lovely and sublimated in status that you told him: May my life be sacrificed to you!

And may lives of all of us be devoted to your brother, Abbas (‘a)!

Accompanied by Zahir Ibn Qayn and Habib Ibn Mazaher with twenty people of troops appeared before enemy troops and cried loud: What do you want?

They said: Amir has ordered to tell you that you either accept the verdict or swear allegiance to Yazid or become ready for battle!

Your brother told them: stay here to take your message to Abi 'Abdullah. Your brother came up to you by himself and told you the story. This was while twenty people of your brother's companions began to advise troops of Omar Ibn Sa'ad and bewared them of fighting with you; they also stopped them advancing the camps.

You told your endeared brother:

If you can, try to convince them to postpone war until tomorrow so that we might be given respite to supplicate with our God tonight and pray before Him. God knows that I love salat and recitation of the Holy Quran.

P: 240

He went back to enemy troops and asked them for a respite of Ashura night for supplication, salat and worship. Omar Ibn Sa'ad was dubious about approving of this request and asked his troops that: What must be done?!

Amru Ibn Hajjaj said: Praise belongs to God! If People of Daylam (ironic of aliens) and atheists demanded you such a thing, you had better accept it!

Qeys Ibn Ash'ath said: Fulfill their demand; I swear to my life that they will fight with you tomorrow morning.

Ibn Sa'ad said: By God! If I know they will do as such, I will not accept their demand!

And at last, messenger of Omar Ibn Sa'ad came up to your brother, 'Abbas ('a), saying:

We give you a respite until tomorrow; if you surrender, you will be taken to Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad and if not, we will fight with you.

That night you and your loyal compatriots were engaged in saying prayers, reciting the Holy Quran and supplication to God; your divine supplication was loudly heard up in the heavens and the Angels coming down to your camps envigorated themselves and flied back to the heavens. This was while drunken laughter heard from camps of tyhose atheists had aroused a sense of horror and intimidation in the hearts of women and children.

At noon of Ashura-during the battle in disparity- after all your loyal compatriots were martyred, your brother, 'Abbas (a) asked for a

P: 241

permission to go to the battlefield.

Once you heard of his request, you began to weep, saying: O'Abbas! You are standard-bearer of my army; if you go, I have no one beside myself.

But your brother still insisted on taking your permission for appearing at the battlefield to sacrifice his life to you like others did.

You stared at his dear eyes and said to him:

O' brother! Now that you want to go to the battlefield, approach the Euphrates and fetch water for children and thirsty people of haram.

Your brother accepted and went to thirsty children promising them that he will bring them water.

'Abbas, your brother (‘a) immediately mounted his horse and while holding spear in hand and pitcher on his shoulder, he moved towards the Euphrates and you saw him off with your painful eyes.

When he reached the Euphrates, some hundred people had surrounded the river; but ‘Abbas launched a quick strike and broke the siege while making lion-breaking uproar and with his unique valor and neared the Euphrates.

Greatly affected by thirst and hunger, the very moment he touched underneath water and he decided to sip water............

فذكر عطش الحسين واهل بيته

P: 242

He remembered your thirst and thirst of children and poured water back onto water and did not drink! That loyal man of God said this:

والله لا أذوق الماء وسيدي الحسين عطشانا

I swear to God I do not drink water while my lord, Husayn is thirsty.

He quickly filled pitcher with water and rode his horse and hastily moved towards camps. A large of enemy troops holding spears and unsheathed swords appeared to fight with 'Abbas to block his way to carry water to camps of haram.

Your gllant brother, holding spear in one hand and pitcher in another, chivalrously fought with a good number of them and killed them. He speedily rode towards camps and whoever came on his way, he was split in his body.

Several men hiding behind trees stealthed out when your brother was passing by there; they attacked him and cut his right hand off with sword.

He immediately grasped pitcher with his left hand and hurried to the camps; they gang-attacked him and chopped his left hand too. While blood was rolling down his holy hand, he toothed the pitcher and potently rode towards the camps.

At the same time, his water pitcher was piecrced with javelin and torn apart; water poured down and he was deadly hopeless. All of a sudden, one of the bastards hit his chest with a spear. He lost his ability and fell down his horse because he had no hands to shield his face.

P: 243

Having been soaked in blood, that man of God cried you loudly:

ادركني يا أخي.

O' my brother! Help me!

as you heard your brother crying, you hurried to reach 'Abbas's handlessly injured body while you watched both sides of camps of haram and battlefield; you embraced his head and you weepingly said:

الانَ إِنْكَسَرَ ظَهْرِي وَقَلَّتْ حِيلَتي

Now my backbone broke and my power decreased 'Abbas still had his breath; he opened his dear eyes and similingly looked at your tearful eyes. He smiled and said:

O' brother! 'Abbas too left you to be guest of the Prophet (s) beside your son, Aliakbar.

While weeping, you said to him:

O' brother! After you, who will defend women and children of haram?

'Abbas began to cry while being in your arms and made his will:

O' brother! Do not take me to the camp for two reasons! One reason is because I promised Sakina, your daughter to fetch water but I failed to keep my promise. Another reason is that since I was standard-bearer of your army, people of haram will be relentlessly intolerant and be lessened in their power and health if they see my body.

He ceased to speak and died in your arms.

P: 244

You trying to clean tears of your eyes with your sleeve, you deserted holy body of your brother and rushed to twards the camps alone. Sakina,

your daughter hurried to you and said: O' father! Did you hear from my uncle? He had gone to fetch us water; what's happened to him?

You burst into tears and stormily wept, telling her:

يا ابتاء إن عمك العباس قتل

O' my daughter! 'Abbas, your uncle is killed.

Sakina shouted and wept loudly. Zeynab, your sister and other women of haram came out of their camps and they beating their faces and heads cried out:

واأخاه، واعبا ساه واقاه ،ناصراء، واضيعتاء من بعدك

Woe brother! Woe 'Abbas! Woe we have few helpers; woe distasters that happen to us after!

You had lost other companions of yours and now lonely, by yourself and with no helper, you remained among thousands of savage enemy troops and whatsoever cry you made:

Is there anyone to help me?

Is there anyone to defend Progeny of the Prophet (s)?

Is there any chivalrous man to defend women and children?

In response, those atheists raised their increasingly ruthless roars and induced more intimidation and terror in the hearts of women and children.

P: 245

'Abbas, your brother was no longer beside you, who can quieten them with his lion-like clamours and crush head of whoever wishes to keep close to your haram with his sword.

True!

Your dear 'Abbas lost both of his hands in your sublime path, in return, he was granted two wings and flew to the heavens of eternality accompanied by divine Angels.

Loyalty to his beloved heart-who were you-kept him so high that this loyalty and self-devotion shine forever and your ancestor and your father remain proud of you for good.

In his loyalty to you, this historical statement speakably proves that even enemy recalls and praises it.

When Yazid observes banner of Abulfazl (‘a) nothing undamaged of it remained but handle, he says:

هكذا يكون وفاء الاخ لاخيه

This is loyalty of a brother to his brother.

'Abbas (a) is Light of God; your brother solves problems; your brother meets the needs. On the Day, millions stretch hands towards that hand-mutilated martyr. From now, our trembling hands stretch towards affectionate bother of yours, 'Abbas (‘a) who takes our hands with his Godly hands.

Umme Al-Banin, mother of 'Abbas ('a) accompanied you her dear

P: 246

four young boys to sacrifice their lives to you. 'Abbas (a) first sent his brothers to the battlefield to have his reward augmented in his patience for disaster of brothers.

After your martyrdom, in those days when women and family of your haram were released from captivity and returned to medina from Damascus, Umme Al-Banin met Zeynab, your sister (a) beside grave of your ancestor. She asked: what news do you have from my sons? Your sister said: Your children have been killed. Umme Al-Banin said: All of them may be sacrificed to Husayn ('a). She then told your sister: Tell me what they have done to my Husayn? Your sister said: They have killed Husayn too. Umme Al-Banin cried loudly and hit herself on the face and head, saying: O' Husayn ('a), O' Husayn!

Umme Al-Banin loved you very much and when she heard of martyrdom of her four children, she told people of Medina: May all of my children and whatever under the blue sky be sacrificed to Husayn!

On the days, she paid visitation to Baqi'a graveyard and shed tears for her four children; friends and foes cried for her state of mood. When women of Medina told her condolences that: O' Umme Al-Banin! May God give you patience and reward; she said:

O' Women of Medina! No longer do you call me Umme Al-Banin (mother of boys) because you remind me of my brave lion-like sons. I

was called Umme Al-Banin because of my sons but I do not have sons any more now.

She had heard that his son's hands had been cut off in Karbala; he was hit with spear on his chest; he was crushed by iron mace on the head and his head was split apart.

P: 247

Umme Al-Banin elegized for mourning of her son in this way:

O'Abbas! O' Apple of my eye! O' My valorous son!

I heard you were hit on head with iron mace in Karbala!

O' My valorous son! No enemy could reach you as long as you held sword in your hand.

Divine peace befalls onto 'Abbas, your brother who divided self- devotion and faithfulness at his best in the universe.

And may peace of God betide upon you, O' my lord, Husayn! Who showed how mankind could achieve prosperity and flight forever.

The enemy killed you and they whimsically imagined they would extinguish your light but you lit the heavens and the earth with glow of your light, which will shine till the end and illuminates the talented hearts with Light of God.

When the bastard atheists hanged your head and 'Abbas's head on spears and moved them around the cities, they in fact put Sun and Moon on spears.

They alleyed around your holy head in Kufa as ordered by Ibn Ziyad, the cursed; some observed that your dear head hanging on spear recites the Holy Quran:

أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْكَهْفِ وَ الرَّقِيمِ كَانُوا مِنْ آيَاتِنَا عَجَباً

[O'Messenger!]Do you think the Dewellers of the Cave and of the Inscription were highly wondrous among Our Miracles?(Al-Kahaf: 9)

P: 248

On the way from Kufa to Damascus, in several spots, your head recited the Holy Quran and the bastards threw stones on your holy head!

True!

You are spirit of the Holy Quran; like your honorable father, Ali (‘a), you are verse by verse, word by word and letter by letter of the Holy Quran.

The atheist clan hanged spirit of the Holy Quran on spear and when you recited the Holy Quran on spear and you were targeted on your head, they in fact stonified identity and reality of the Holy Quran.

Let me tell you of blessings of your holy head that shined like sun hanging on spear.

When your family held captive by Ibn Ziyad's troops was on the way from Kufa to Damascus and reached the monks convent, your holy head was placed in a box. They sat all around the place and were engaged in drinking liquor; they suddenly saw a hand come out of wall holding an ironic pen that wrote in blood:

أترجو أمة قتلت حسيناً, شفاعةَ جَدِهِ يومَا الحساب

How do people who spilled blood of Husayn (a) hope intercession of his ancestor on the Day?!

Having seen such scene, fear overcame them and they wanted to catch the hand and the pen but they were gone invisible. This scene was repeated three times.

P: 249

That night those infidels went asleep in fear and dismay. Monks of the convent say:

At midnight, I heard a voice say praise and sanctification: O' the Sanctified, O'the Sanctified! I came out of the convent seeing that a great light shining upward in the sky from a box close to convent and the Angels in groups land at the box, saying:

السلام علیک یابن رسول الله ، السلام علیک یا اباعبدالله ، صلوات الله وسلامه علیک

The monk having seen such scence began to show anxiety and fear; at dawn, he came up to troops asking who their Amir was. He was told: He is Khuli. He went to see Khuli and asked him what was in the box. He told him: inside box there is head of a rebellious man who was killed by Ibn Ziyad in Iraqi land. He asked his name; he said: Husayn Ibn Ali. He asked: What is his mother's name? He said: Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Mohammad. The monk told him: May God destroy you because of what you have done. Our great men and ulemma said it right that whenever this man is killed, the sky weeps in blood and this lies within the Prophet and his heir.

Later, the monk who was a sensefully tender and sophisticated person told them: I want you to let me be beside this head for some hour.

They said: We take this head to Yazid in Damascus to receive our prize.

The monk said: I give you whatever you want.

They accepted; the monk gave them lots of money and received the head for some hour.

P: 250

The monk took your holy head to convent and washed it with musk and rose extracted water; he fragranted the head and placed it on prayer carpet. He then wept, wailed and talked to the head:

O' Aba Abdullah! I swear to God! It is hard for me why I was not in Karbala to sacrifice my life to you. O' descendant of the Prophet (s)! When you met your ancestor, you testify that I have embraced Islam and I am a Muslim, saying:

اشهد أن لا اله إلا الله وحده لاشريك له وأشهد أن محمدا عبده ورسوله وأشهد أن عليا ولي الله

He then turned his head back and stayed in the convent no longer; he moved to deserts and mountains for a while; prayed and supplicated God until he passed away.

True!

A monk has turned to Islam thanks to your holy head but those pseudo-Muslims who claimed to be devout and faithful martyred you while being oppressed and put eternal disgrace over their names.

As for another story that your holy head triggered rescue of a Christian:

The late Seyyed Ibn Tavous quotes your son, Zeyn Al-Abedin (‘a) saying that: One day, your head was brought at the drinking party of Yazid, the ape-fancier. Ambassadors of other countries were present at the ceremony. Ambassador of Rome Sultan who was an aristocrat asked Yazid: Whose head is this?

Yazid, the cursed said: What do you want to know by this question?

P: 251

That Roman aristocrat said: Because when I am back, I am questioned of what I have seen; I must know it so that I can tell Sultan of Rome and I'd like to share your joys.

Yazid said: This head belongs to Husayn Ibn Ali.

He asked: Who is his mother?

He said: Fatima, daughter of the God's Prophet (s).

The Christian man said to Yazid: Fie, you and your religion! My religion is better than yours. I am from descendants of Hazrat David and we are far from his extended generation, but people pay tribute to me because of this and take soil of my under-feet as a blessing. You kill son of daughter of your Prophet, who has only one mother distant generation? What kind of religion do you have?!

Becoming so angry, Yazid ordered the Christian man to be killed!

The Christian man said: Do you want to kill me? Last night I dreamed your Prophet who gave good tidings of Paradise and I am amazed that this reality is revealed to me now.

While saying Shahadatyn, the Christian man took up your holy head on his chest, kissed your head and wept until he was killed!

Divine Peace befalls upon you who guide man and who are ark of rescue; at all times, purely born people find their way with your light and they are salvaged.

P: 252

cavalry moved to fight with Husayn after the prayers.

At this time, you had sitten in front of your camp leaning on your sword with your head on your knees. Zeynab, your sister wailingly came up to you, saying: O' brother! Don't you hear this uproar nearing us instantly?! It looks as if enemy plans to attack us!

You looked up and said:

O' my sister! I dreamed the Prophet (s) now; he told me: O' Husayn (a)! You soon come to us.

Your sister having heard what Husayn (a) said lost control so unendurably that she hit her face repeatedly and relentlessly!

You said:

O' my sister! There is no room for wailing and moaning; keep quiet; God has bestowed you His Mercy.

Meantime, your loyal and valiant brother came up to you, saying: O' brother! This is the enemy's army that has kept close to our camps!

While rising up, he told him:

O' my brother! May my life be sacrificed to you! Ride your horse and ask them what has happened and why they have come here!

Accompanied by Zahir Ibn Qayn and Habib Ibn Mazaher with twenty people of troops appeared before enemy troops and cried loud: What do you want? What has happened?!

They said: Amir has ordered to tell you that you either accept the verdict or swear allegiance to Yazid or become ready for battle!

P: 254

'Abbas (a) said: Stop moving and do not rush until I go to Abi 'Abdullah to transfer your message. They accepted and 'Abbas Ibn Ali (a) went to see Imam alone and told him the story. This was whilst twenty people who were with him began to advise troops of Omar Sa'ad and protracted them from warring with Imam Husayn (a) and stopped them advancing towards camps.(1)

Habib Ibn Mazaher said to Zahir: one of us, either you or I should talk to this group. Zahir said: You begin to advise them.

Habib Ibn Mazaher turned to enemy troops and said: Do know that you are bad people; the very people who appear before God on the Day while they have killed descendants of the Prophet, Progeny and his Ahl-e Bayt.

'Azrat Ibn Qeys said: O' Habib! You can boast as much as you want!

Zahir said: O' Azra! God, the Exalted kept away Ahl-e Bayt from any evils and has purified them; fear God because I am your well-wisher; by God! Detach from that group who aid the astray and kill pure people because of satisfaction of them.

'Azra said: O'Zahir! You are not of Shiites of this progeny; rather, you are from Uthmanis!

Zahir said: [True, I was Uthmani but now I have become a Shiite Muslim]. My being here doesn't tell you that I am a follower of this progeny?! I swear to God that I haven't written him a letter and haven't sent him a messenger and haven't promised to help him; rather, I saw 9

P: 255

him on the way. When I saw him, I remembered the Prophet (s) and status of Imam Husayn (‘a) before him and since I learned that enemy would not feel him pity, I decided to stand by him to sacrifice my life for him, be it that I might have protected Rights of God and His Messenger you have disregarded.(1)

Imam Husayn told 'Abbas: If you can, try to convince them to postpone war until tomorrow so that we might be given respite to supplicate with our God tonight and pray before Him. God knows that I love salat and recitation of the Holy Quran.(2)

• Imam Sadiq (‘a) said:

Tasu'a is the day when Imam Husayn (‘a) and his companions were besieged by troops of Sham and Kufa. Ibn Marjana and Omar Ibn Sa'ad expressed joy for multiplicity of their troops; on this day, they found Imam Husayn (‘a) alone and knew that nobody from Iraq or any helper will help him out.

He then said:

My father may be sacrificed to him who is left alone and tried to be weakened.(3)

• At night of Ashura, Imam Husayn (‘a) commanded his compatriots to dig out a trench behind the camps to stop enemy's ambush; he also ordered them to fill the trench with wood and reed which can be set ablaze to cut off their link to the camps once they launch attacks and they can only have one way of attack where Imam's compatriots were 3

P: 256

positioned. This was a useful strategy of war adopted by Imam.(1)

• 'Abbas Ibn Ali ('a) was born in 26 A.H and his honorable mother was Hazrat Umme Al-Banin Fatima, daughter of Hazam Ibn Khaled.

• Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a) had told 'Aqil, his brother who was knowledgeable in genealogy and Arab information: Woo me a woman for me who can give birth to a brave son. 'Aqil introduced Fatima, daughter of Hazam and said: in Arab world, I know nobody braver than his fathers. Imam Ali (‘a) married her and ‘Abbas (‘a) was the first child born from her. Because of his beautiful countenance, he was entitled as Qamar-e Bani Hashim and nicknamed as Abulfazl. After him, three sons of 'Abdullah, Ja'afar and Uthman were born from Umme Al-Banin. 'Abbas lived with his father fourteen years and the remaining years of his life were spent with two brothers. He was thirty four years old when he was martyred. His audacity was unparalleled and when he rode his horse,

his holy feet touched the ground.

It is being quoted that one day Imam Sajjad (‘a) stared at son of 'Abbas (‘a) named 'Abdullah and began to weep, saying: No day did it seem harder than the day war of Ohud where Hamza, uncle of the Prophet (s) was martyred and after it, harder than war of Mutah where Ja'afar Ibn Abitaleb became martyred; and no day was like day of Husayn (a) when thirty thousand people gathered around him, finding themselves as people of this ummah! They approached God with blood of Husayn ('a)! And Husayn (‘a) preached them a lot, but they did not accept his words until they martyred him. 7

P: 257

Imam Sajjad (‘a) said:

May God Bless 'Abbas, my uncle! He devoted himself to Husayn, his brother with his two hands mutilated and like Ja'afar Ibn Abitaleb, known as Ja'afar Al-Tayyar, God granted him two wings so that he might fly with the Angels in Paradise.

And he said:

Before God, 'Abbas owns such a rank and status that all martyrs feel envious of it on the Day.(1)

Some historians have put it:

When 'Abbas found Imam Husayn ('a) alone, he came to him and said: Do you permit me to go to the battlefield?

Imam Husayn (‘a) severely wept and said: O' brother! You are my standard-bearer.

'Abbas said: O' brother! I am heavey-hearted and tired of life and I want to take revenge of these hypocrite dissidents.

Imam Husayn (‘a) said: Fetch some water for these children.

'Abbas appeared at the battlefield and preached troops of Kufa; he warned them of fear of divine wrath but it was ineffective. He returned and told his brother about it; at that time, he heard children say they are thirsty. He rode his horse with his spear and pitcher galloping towards the Euphrates. Four thousand people of enemy troops positioned to guard the Euphrates beleaguered him. He dispersed them killing eighty of them and entered the Euphrates. He was apt to drink some water but thirst of 5

P: 258

Imam, Ahl-e Bayt and children deterred him from doing so. He poured back water and said: O' Soul! Post-Husayn life means humiliation and degradation and you should not survive to witness this humiliation; this is Husayn (a) who drinks sherbet of death and you drink clean fresh water?!

Later, he filled pitcher with water and speedily rode his horse towards the camps while he was rodomontading:

I fear not death as he cries out until I knock them down in countering the brave; I have my soul protect and safeguard descendant of the Prophet(s); I am Abbas and I fear no death when meeting God.(1)

The enemy unanimously attacked him until Nawfel Arzaq cut his right hand off; he put pitcher on his left shoulder and held the banner and loudly recited this rodomontade:

By God! Although you cut my right hand off but I always support my religion and an Imam who is trustworthy in his faith and a descendant of the pure and trustworthy Prophet.

The same cursed man chopped his left hand off wrist; and it is being quoted that Hakim Ibn Tufayl laid in ambush behind a date tree cut his left hand off with sword. Holding banner onto his chest, he recited this rodomontade:

O' My soul! Stop fearing the infidels and rejoice in divine Blessing and with the Prophet who is His selected master. O' God! Burn them in the hellfire. 8

P: 259

He toothed the pitcher; they pierced it with spear and its water poured down.

On him spears showered high sharp

Over him shed tears pitcher eyes warp

So much for him shedding tears eyes burned

As such pitcher eyes shows empty tears turned

And another spear hit his chest; some say spear hit his eyes; some others an iron mace hit his head and he fell down his horse.

Imam Husayn ('a) speedily reached himself to him and attacked the enemy; they ran away from him. Imam stood up his head and said: (1)

الان إنكسر ظهري وقلت حيلتي" (2)

My backbone broke now and I have no alternative any more.

Imam sat and placed head of ‘Abbas (‘a) on his knees; cleaned his eyes of blood and saw him crying and said: What do you weep four, brother? Abulfazl (‘a) replied: O' Brother and Apple of my eye! Why shouldn't I weep?!

And Imam observed him when he cried out and joined God. Husayn ('a) shouted:

اوااخاه و اعباساه(3)4

P: 260

• After heart-rending scene of Ashura comes to an end, the holy head of Imam Husayn ('a) was handed to the cursed Khuli to carry it to governorate of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad as soon as possible. Khuli hurriedly tried to reach Kufa, but since it was dark night, he had no ground for meeting Ibn Ziyad. He took the pure head of Imam to his house.

Nawwar, wife of Khuli says:

Khuli brought Husayn's head to our house and placed it under some dish. He came in to sleep. I asked him what he had brought.

He said: I brought something that prospers us the whole life; I brought head of Husayn.

I said: Woe betides you! People bring silver and gold back from trips but you are gone and brought head of Husayn, descendant of the Prophet(s)!!By God! I will not sleep beside you. I said this and immediately left bedroom; I went up to the dish under which the holy head of dear son of Zahra ('a) rested. I sat beside it; I swear to God I saw the head emitted vertical glow up to the sky; there were also white gulls flying around the head; the situation kept on going until dawn. At dawn, Khuli took the head to Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad.(1)

• Omar Ibn Sa'ad ordered to have other Imam's companions beheaded; wash them off blood and sent these seventy two heads to Kufa by Shimr Ibn Dhi al-Jawshan, Qeys Ibn Ash'ath and Amru Ibn Hajjaj.(2)

Omar Ibn Sa'ad (May God damn him) stayed in Karbala on Ashura and another day until sunset; recovered his casualties; prayed over their 3

P: 261

dead bodies and buried them! He left alone the holy body of Husayn (‘a) and his companions! (After three days, Bani Assad clan buried them) He then ordered Hamid Ibn Bakir Ahmari to shout among the troops to move towards Kufa.(1)

Kamel Al-Ziyarat reads:

Omar Ibn Sa'ad stayed over in Karbala for two more days after martyrdom of Imam Husayn (a). He then moved to Kufa taking daughters, sisters and children of Imam to Kufa while Imam Sajjad (‘a) was still sick.(2)

• Ibn A'tham Kufi quotes:

Omar Ibn Sa'ad let Progeny of the Prophet (s) ride on unsaddled camels and brought them to Kufa like captives. When they reached Kufa, Ubaydullah ordered the head of Imam to be taken out of the town and to be brought in again with the captives! His head and other heads were hanged on spears and Imam's head enterd the city before other heads. These heads were moved around in bazaars and alleys.(3)

• The late Sheikh 'Abbas Qomi says in "Montahi Al-Amal": Majority of Shiite and Sunni historians and hadith writers have quoted in their books with a little discrepancy; the bottomline of all this is that when troops of Ibn Ziyad, the cursed sojourned alongside the convent, they put Imam's head in a box; according to Qotb Rawandi, they had hanged the head on spear and sat around to safeguard it; they were engaged in drinking liquor and rejoice until late night. When they began to eat food, they suddenly saw a hand come out of wall of convent and set 2

P: 262

poetic graffiti in blood on the wall with an iron pen:

أترجوا أمه قتلت حسينا *** شفاعه جده يوم الحساب

Do the ummah, who killed Husayn (‘a) hope that they will be given intercession of his ancestor on the day.

Those people were harshly terrified and some rose up to catch the hand and the pen, but they disappeared; when they were busy doing their things, the hand and the pen appeared again engraving on the wall this poem:

فلا و الله ليس الهم شفيع *** وهم يوم القيامه في العذاب

By God! Intercession will not belong to killers of Husayn ('a); rather, they are doomed to agony on the Day.

They wanted to catch the hand, it still disappeared. When they were back to their business, the hand appeared and engraved on the wall this piece of poetry:

وخالف حكمهم حكم الكتاب *** وقد قتلوا الحسين بحكم جور

How should the Prophet (s) be intercessor while they martyred his descendant, Husayn ('a) with rule of cruelty which opposes Rule of Book of God?

Guards of the pure head of Imam happened not to enjoy their food that night and they slept in fear. At midnight, the convent monk heard a

P: 263

voice say praise and sanctification of God. He stood up and looked out of convent window. He saw a great light coming out of the box placed beside the wall and the heavenly Angels in crowds come down, saying:

السلام علیک یا بن رسول الله، السلام علیک یا ابا عبدالله صلوات الله وسلامه علیک

Observing this state of mood, the monk was amazed and a serious fear and intimidation overcame him. This continued until dusk went by and dawn came by. He came out of the convent towards the troops, asking: Who is the leader of troops? They said: Khuli. He went to see Khuli, the cursed and asked him what was inside the box. He said: There is head of a rebellious man (God Forbids) who rebelled in Iraqi land and Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad killed him. He said: what is his name? He said:

Husayn Ibn Ali Ibn Abitaleb (‘a). He said: What is his mother's name? They said: Fatima Zahra ('a), daughter of Mohammad Mustafa (s). The monk said: May God destroy you for what you have done. Verily, our ulema and reports said it rightly that: Whenever this man is being killed, the sky will rain blood and this is nothing but murder of the Prophet and his heir; I want you now please leave this head to me for some hour. He said: We do not take it out unless we are at the presence of Yazid Ibn Mu'awiyya (May God's curse befalls him) for a prize. The monk said: What is your prize? He said: A bag of ten thousand dirhams. The monk said: I'll give it to you. He said: Make it ready. The monk brought a bag full of ten thousand dirhams. Khuli got the money; exchanged it, put it into two bags, sealed them and gave them to his treasurer. He handed the pure head of Imam to the monk for an hour. The monk took the head to the convent; fragmented it with extracted rose water, musk and camphor and placed it on his prayer carpet. He wept, wailed and moaned and told the illuminated head: O' Aba Abdullah! It is heavy for me that I could

P: 264

not be In Karbala to sacrifice my life to you; O' Aba Abdullah! When you met your forefather, you testify that I recited Shahadatyn and embraced Islam at your service. Later, he said:

أشهد أن لا اله الا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمدا رسول الله، عليا ولي الله

Sebt Ibn Jawzi quoted in his Tazkrat Al-Khawas that the monk said:

أشهد أن لا اله الا الله وأن جدك محمدارسول الله الله وأشهد أنني مولانا وعبدك

The monk passed on the holy head to them. Afterwards, he left the convent for living in the mountains and spent a life of worship and piety until he passed away. The troops moved from there to reach nearby Damascus; they feared that Yazid might seize the money from them, so they came together to divide the money. Khuli asked them to fetch the two bags and once he unsealed them, he found them crocks on each of which it was written:

لا تحسبن الله غافلا عما يعمل الظالمون

And on another side of the crocks, it was written:

وسيعلم الذين ظلموا أي منقلب ينقلبون

Khuli said: Keep this as secret and he himself said:

إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون خسر الدنيا والاخره

P: 265

I am a loser in this world and the other world

And they poured the potteries into the stream of Damascus.(1)0

P: 266

Those pure people!

Those valorous people!

Those audacious people!

Those God-feared people!

Those cordial people!

Those life-sacrificers!

Those patient people!

Those zealots!

Those people reluctant to the world!

True!

Those people who were zealots to join God and reluctant to accept the world and its deceiving manifestations!

They were the most cordial, chaste and decent people of your time.

They were those who never spoiled morning salat and they always read Words of God and thought of them.

And they were those who never opened their eyes on treachery against those with whom close relationships are forbidden and their hearts constantly listened to call of God and His Acceptance.

The apple-of-the-eye people were those who got up at nights till dawn to tearfully pray and supplicate God and said prayers.

True!

They remembered God; they thought of providing source for the world hereafter; they provided lawful and crucial sustenance; they had a religion of rushing to say yes to call of God for His Proof and you yourself describing those purely chivalrous men said that you have never

P: 268

known any companions more qualified and better than your companions.

Like loving butterflies, they circled around your sun of being; on Ashura day, they never let your family go to the battlefield as long as they survived.

Some of those loyal companions accompanied you from Mecca and some others joined on the way; others from Kufa joined your troops when you entered Karbala, the sacred land.

On 2nd of Muharram, you reached Karbala; the very moment you entered Karbala, your horse stopped and you asked: What is this land called? They replied: Ghadheriyya.

You asked: Does it have any other name? They said: Yes, it is also called Naynawa.

You asked again: Is there any other name for it? They replied: It is also called the River of Euphrates.

You asked once more: What is its other name? They said: Karbala.

Once you heard name of Karbala, you looked up and whispered:

اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الكرب والبلاء

O' God! I invoke by you from troubles and disasters of this land.

And you then said:

O' My companions! Stop here and ride off your hoses.

P: 269

هيهنا مناخ ركابنا ومحط رخالنا ومسفك دمائنا ومحل قبورنا

This place is where we are killed, our bloods are shed and where we are buried.

At this time, Umme Kulthum, your respectable sister came up to you and said: O' My dear brother! This desert is very dangerous and I am filled with a strange fear. You told her:

My sister! When my father and I were going to Siffin battlefront, it was the same place where my father settled and laid his head on my brother's knee and slept for some moment. When he woke up, he was crying. My brother asked: O' My father! Why are you crying? He said: I dreamed this desert looked as if it was a sea of blood and Husayn cried out while he was sunken in this sea of blood, asking for help, but nobody came to help him out. My father turned to me and said: What would you do when this happens? I said: I keep patient.

Later, you asked for paper and ink and wrote to a number of great men of Kufa:

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful, from Husayn Ibn Ali to Suleyman Ibn Surad, Musayyeb Ibn Najmah, Refa'at Ibn Shaddad, 'Abdullah Ibn Wal and the faithful; next, you know that when the Prophet (s) was alive, he said: Whoever sees a tyrant Sultan who makes Unlawful of God Lawful; breaches his pledge and opposes my Sumna; behaves worshippers of God cruelly and fails to object to such things, in words and in action, he shall deserve having ordained agony of God just as that tyrant Sultan is being ordained to have. And you know this group (the Umayyad) who follows Satan, disobeys God, makes

P: 270

corruption apparent and stops divine restrictions, has monopolized booties, has made Unlawful of God Lawful and Lawful of God Unlawful.

I received your letters and your envoys who told me you have sworn allegiance to me and never leave me alone in the battlefield, nor do you surrender me to the enemy. Now, if you still abide by your allegiance, which is the right act, I stay with you and my family will stay with your family and I will remain as your leader. If you do not do so and break your allegiance to me, I swear to my life that I am not surprised because I have seen how you behaved my father, my brother and Moslem, my cousin. Whoever breaches his promise; he shall observe the loss and God will soon make me needless of you; Divine Peace, Mercy and Blessing befall you all.

You closed and sealed the letter, gave it to Qeys Ibn Musahhar Seydawi to depart to Kufa and notify people of your coming to Kufa. But Kufians did not support him and Ibn Ziyad arrested that loyal companion of yours and martyred him.

True!

By sending your last letter to Kufa, you made ultimatum to them and they knew that you are in Karbala but only few people rushed to help you there; they stayed home out of fear so that your enemies could martyr you while being oppressed.

You said:

People are servants of the world and they talk of religion bombastically and as long as religion secures their interests, they support it; but when they are tested in the face of disaster, few people turn to religion.

P: 271

Later, you spoke to your companions about divine piety and disloyal world, adding that under these dark circumstances, death in honor is much preferred than life in degradation.

After your speech, Zahir Ibn Qeyn stood up and said:

O' Son of the God's Messenger! We heard your speech; if our world was permanent and we were eternal beings in it, we would prioritize survival in this world over uprising with you and being killed beside you.

Another cordial companion of yours stood up and said:

O' Son of God's Messenger! God favored us by means of you to jihad beside you; our bodies are mutilated and your honorable forefather, the Messenger of God (s) will be our intercessors on the Day.

Then Nafe'a Ibn Helal sat up and said:

Move with us to wherever you wish to go, the east or the west; by God! We do not fear divine predestination and find meeting of God pleasant. We love those who make friendships with you out of will and insight and see those as enemies of yours who are at odds with you.

And other loyal companions of yours stood up and renewed their allegiance to you for your sublimated ideals.

Having been informed of your arrival in Karbala, Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad wrote you this letter:

I heard of your arrival in Karbala and Yazid, Amir Al-Mu'amenin wrote me that I do not sleep or eat food in full until I let you join the Kind and Omniscient God! Or you redeem under my rule or Yazid Ibn Mu'awiyya! That's all.

P: 272

The ignoble-birth, ill-natured and malicious man threatened you to death; the cursed man did not know that martyrdom is the greatest pride for you, the pure and infallible progeny (‘a); he did not know that you welcomed death consciously and in open arms so that you with your martyrdom scandalized dissidents like him and the ape-fancying Yazid and teach mankind lesson of freedom, manliness, valor and God- centredness.

After reading the letter of that bastard, you threw it away and said: The group who sold wrath of God to pleasure of the creature is not salvaged.

Messenger of Ubaydullah told you: O' Aba 'Abdullah! What about response to letter?

You told him:

There is no response to this letter because Divine Agony is deemed necessary and unchanged for Ubaydullah.

You then turned to your companions and said:

Verily, the ignoble-birth son of the ignoble-birth man put me on the horns of a dilemma and has said there is no third way out! He put me between death and degradation.

And you uttered your everlasting sentence:

And we are far away from being degraded!

وهيهات منا الذله

P: 273

You labeled allegiance to Yazid as degradation and said: Degradation is kept far from us, the pure progeny.

True!

You were son of God's lion who never accepted life of humiliation and set your holy body target of spears and swords so that you could teach people of the world that death in honor is far better than life in humiliation. And others kept silent in front of ignoble-birth dynasty of the Umayyad to enjoy having two days of inferior life of the world and stayed home fearing their life; they lived in stinks and died in humiliation.

But thanks to your audacity and great self-devotion, you achieved highly pompous status before God that your holy countenance shines light forever and illuminates the universe.

Once messenger returned to Ubaydullah and told him about your reply, the cursed man became upset and ordered Omar Ibn Sa'ad to deploy four thousand troops in Karbala and block your way of back and forth!

From the 3rd of Muharram onwards, more people constantly joined troops of Omar Ibn Sa'ad until over thirty thousand troops had besieged you on Tasu'a day.

You admonished troops of Omar Ibn Sa'ad in several situations but they did not lend an ear to you and incessantly turned to drunken brawl.

You met with Omar Ibn Sa'ad for giving him an ultimatum, warned him and advised him, yet he was so infatuated with falsified promises of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad for emirateship of Rey and Gorgan that your

P: 274

preaches ceased to affect his darkened heart.

On 7th day of Muharram, Ubaydullah wrote a letter to Omar Ibn Sa'ad and ordered him to distance you and your companions from access to water of the Euphrates by troops and you and your companions were not allowed to drink even a drop of water. Omar Ibn Sa'ad put his order into effect immediately.

True!

Those atheists stopped you, your children and companions accessing to water in order to show their maximum shrewdness and meanness to the universe.

Ashura day came and you summoned all of your companions and told them:

This enemy crowd is thirsty for my blood and they want to deal with me. Up to now, you have helped me; I allow you and lift up my allegiance from you and you can use dark night; each of you can join one of my family members and scatter around the villages and towns to wait for relief from God.

At this time, companions, relatives, brothers and children of brother rose up one after another and re-pledged their allegiance to him. The first man who stood up and voiced his solidarity and re-allegiance to you was Hazrat 'Abbas ('a), your gallant brother.

True!

That brave hero, 'Abbas soil under feet of whom God favors us to be rose up and said:

O' Brother! Life means nothing to us after you and we never leave you

P: 275

alone; we will defend you to our last drop of blood.

You affectionately gazed at beautiful eyes of Qamar-e Bani Hashim and overwhelmed him with all love.

Then you turned to children of Moslem Ibn 'Aqil and told those brave young men:

O' Children of Aqil! You showed your loyalty after martyrdom of Moslem; it is enough and I allow you to return home.

But those cordial men told you:

What would people tell us later? They say we left alone our lord and uncle! By God! We never do such thing until we sacrifice our life, property and children; we will fight beside you until we are graciously martyred; God may turn life evil and ignominious after you.

In the wake of what children of Moslem said, all companions stood up and declared themselves as your self-devotees in full enthusiasm.

One of them said: How should we endure hardships of life after you?

Another one said: How should we leave alone son of Fatima (‘a)

among enemies and in the face of swords and spears?!

Another man said: We will never give up fighting until we pierce our spears into chest of enemy.

One of them said: By God! If we had no arm, we would defend you with stones.

P: 276

Another person uttered: If we are killed and brought to life seventy times and we are killed again; burned and our ashes are aired, we never leave you alone.

Zahir Ibn Qeyn said:

I swear to God! I like being killed beside you; if I am re-lived and killed again as much as one thousand times, I fight beside you and never stop helping you!

When you noticed loyalty of your companions, you prayed for them and said to them that they are the best companions.

You opened between two fingers of your holy hand and told them to look between them; they did so and observed their status in eternal paradise of God and were overwhelmed with joy.

True!

You showed their status in paradise by Divine Miracle and having seen their status in paradise, they spared pains of strikes of spears and swords and prayed and supplicated God until morning of Ashura; they overtook each other to realize gracious martyrdom.

Presently, O' my lord! I mention some of your companions to make hearts of your lovers thump more:

Uthman.

You told one of your companions to go and bring him to you. The envoy went up to Zahir and his comrades while they were eating food.

He said hello to them and said: O' Zahir Ibn Qeyn! I have come from Aba 'Abdullah Al-Husayn (‘a) to tell you to meet him; get up and go to him because he waits for you. Zahir and his comrades while being amazed stopped eating and said nothing!

Zahir's wife witnessing the situation loudly told Zahir:

O' Zahir! Haven't you heard that the God's Messenger (s) has called on you and has something to tell you? Why aren't moving? What happens if you go and listen to him?

Zahir reluctantly got up and rode his horse moving towards your camp. You were expecting him outside camp. When he came, you welcomed him and hosted him alone at your camp.

Your private meeting with Zahir lasted less than an hour and when he came out of your camp, he was completely changed!

Having no faith in the Imamate, he had turned the most knowledgeable Shiite after meeting with you.

History has no recorded writing that what had happened between you and Zahir in that hour; what issues have been exchanged between you and him; but whatever they were, Zahir had become changed. He had turned a relentless lover of yours, wishing to devote his life to you one thousand times.

P: 278

True!

God knows what light of your leadership did to Zahir who was shifted from the earth to the high heavens!

True!

You are the universe-illuminating sun that shines over talented hearts;

they are in fact enlivened and are turned to be heavenly.

True! True!

Zahir was guided by light of your leadership and took with himself perennial prosperity.

Zahir while shining on face came out of your camp and hastily rode his horse towards his camp, entering his camp in haste. His wife and his friends all were amazed at what had occurred!

Zahir collected his stuff, armor and sword and told his wife: O' My wife! I divorced you; you can go wherever you wish to go now! His wife said to him: What has happened and where are you rushing to?!

Zahir said: I go on a trip with no return. I am going to sacrifice myself to son of the Prophet (s) and become martyred beside him. His wife told him: Let me come with you. Zahir replied: I can't do it and I have divorced you now; go back to your family.

Zahir rode his horse and said goodbye. Zahir's knowledgeable wife said: I say goodbye to you; remember me when you are mustered with Husayn's forefather on the Day.

True!

Zahir accepted your call and departed to land of Karbala with you. On

P: 279

Ashura, he showed so strong a courage that the enemy was compelled to gang-attack and martyr him.

Divine Peace befalls upon your chivalrous and cordial companion.

And there were also those whom you personally met and called on them to join you; but those disqualified people rejected your call and lost luck of jihad and martyrdom beside you. One of these people was a man named Ubaydullah Ibn Horr Ja'afi. On 1 day of Muharram, you met with him in a place called Qasr-e Bani Maqtal before entering Karbala and told him to join you to become prosperous but he rejected!

The story went as:

When you entered into the place, you noticed a camp beside of which a horse stood. You asked: Whose camp is this?

They said: It belongs to Ubaydullah Ibn Horr Ja’afi.

You sent one of your companions to him. He went into camp of Ubaydullah Ibn Horr and Ubaydullah told him: What do you want? And what message do you have for me?

The emissary said: It is a gift and respect if you accept it! This is Husayn ('a) who called on you to help him; rush to help him and if you help him, you will be rewarded and if you are killed, you will achieve gracious martyrdom.

Ubaydullah Ibn Horr said: By God! When I left Kufa, I saw a large number of people coming out of Kufa to fight with Husayn and I knew that he would be killed. Since I have no power of helping him, I am not willing to be seen by him, nor is he seen by me!

P: 280

The envoy came to you and brought response of Ubaydullah Ibn Horr to you.

You said: If doesn't come to us, we go to see him now, asking him to join with us.

Later, you rose up and went towards camp of Ubaydullah Ibn Horr while accompanied by a number of Ahl-e Bayt and your companions.

When he saw you, he prepared upper side of sitting place for your respect. You sat on the ground and he sat facing you. He looked at your holy beard black dyed and said: O' Aba 'Abdullah! Is this your own black beard or black dyed?

You told him:

O' Son of Horr! I've become old sooner; this is black dye.

After praising God, you told him:

O' Son of Horr! Citizens of your town wrote me a letter for helping me all together. They asked me to come up to them; but what they had promised was untrue; you have committed lots of sins. Don't you want to remove the ill deeds by repentance?

He told you: O' Son of the Prophet (s)! How is it possible for to compensate those sins?!

You told him: Help son of your Prophet (s).

Ubaydullah Ibn Horr said: By God! I know that whoever who follows you, he shall be prosperous on the Day, but my assistance fails to make needless when you fight wuth the enemy and you have no helper in Kufa;

P: 281

I cannot keep along with you because my soul is not pleased to die (I like being alive). I give you my horse because nobody could take over me since I have had it; take my horse and it belongs to you!

You told the incompetent man:

Now that you yourself do not help us, we are not in need of you and your horse and we do not seek help from the astray. But I give you advice; if you can, you can go somewhere not to hear our cry and you do not observe pur battle. I swear to God that if whoever hears my cry and does not help us; he shall be thrown into fire by God.

True!

The incompetent man did not give you positive response while you showed honorability of going to see him. You needed nobody and you wanted to make him prosperous but Satan betrayed him and deprived him of happiness.

You asked: Who are you?

They replied: We are companions of Amir Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad.

You told them: Who is your commander?

They replied: Horr Ibn Yazid Riyahi.

Horr came in front and you told him whether he had come to help you or combat you?

Horr said: We've come to counter with you and stop you going to Kufa.

You responded him this way:

لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Whose Blessings are abundant and His Mercifulness is everlasting.

When noon prayer time came, you ordered one of your companions named Hajjaj Ibn Masruq Ja'afi to say azan. He said azan and everybody stood for prayer; you wearing a cloak on your shoulders came out of the camp and told Horr and his troops after divine praise and supplication:

O' People! I did not come to you until your letters and your envoys reached me asking me to come up to you because you said you did not have an Imam. Be it that God might guide you by means of me. If you still keep your promise, I travel to your city and if you find my presence unpleasant, I can come back.

P: 283

Those people were involved in meaningful silence. You told azan sayer to perform Iqamah. You told Horr if he would say prayers with his men.

Horr replied to you: No! We stand behind you in prayers.

Horr and his troops stood behind you and said prayers. You returned to your camp after prayers and Horr entered in the camp they had set up for him.

On that burning sunshine, every horseman settled in a shadow of that land with his horse. It was the late afternnon when you commanded everybody to say prayers and you did so. You then turned to people and told them while voicing supplication:

O' People! If you seek piety and recognize the truth for those who understand it, you please God. We, Ahl-e Bayt, are more qualified to be leader (Velayat) than those who allegedly say they possess the right; they fail to behave you in justice and render cruelty against your right. If you do not reserve this right for us; you are unwilling to obey us and your letters are different from what you say and do, I will go back from here.

Horr Ibn Yazid said to you: I am not informed of the letters you are talking about!

You told one of your companions to fetch you two saddlebags of letters. He brought two saddlebags full of letters and gave them to Horr.

Horr said: We were not among those who wrote letters to you and we are given a mandate to stop you once you reach Kufa.

You told your companions: Get up and ride your horses. They did so

P: 284

and you said to them: Ride back!

When you wanted to go back, Horr and his fellows stopped you. You told Horr: O' Horr! May your mother mourn for your death! What do you

want?

Horr pulled his head down and said:

If anyone else but you had said such thing to me calling my mother's name, I would have never left him safe! But I swear to God I cannot help calling your mother's name but in goodness because she is daughter of Mohammad, the Prophet (s).

Although Horr could react harshly to you but he observed respect and understood your divine situation; no doubt, one of the things which guided him and brought him salvation lied within the same respect and esteem he paid to you.

After his response, you told him: What do you want? Why don't you leave us by ourselves?

Horr said: I am mandated to escort you to Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad!

You said to him: By God! I will not come with you.

Horr replied: I am not missioned to fight you but I have the duty to stay with you until I take you to Kufa. So if you refuse to come with me, you can choose a way not leading to K ufa and not ending up Medina until I write a letter to Ubaydullah to aske him of his decision. You later chose a route leading to Karbala; Horr and his men followed in close distance from you.

P: 285

Horr came along with you in continuity and when he found a chance,

he told you: By God! Take care of yourself because I am confident if you come in gripps with these people, they will kill you. You replied:

I fear no death; do you think that if they kill me, no longer will you be involved with death?

O' Horr! For us, death in honor is far respectable than life in humiliation.

Having heard what Imam said, Horr said nothing and went a different route from that of yours and your companions'.

You along with your compatriots moved ahead until you reached territory of Karbala (Naynawa) on Wednesday, 1st of Muharram. A horseman suddenly appeared from distant far; he was armed and came from Kufa. All stood watching him. When he reached you, he greeted Horr and his men but not you and your companions. He handed a letter to Horr; he opened and read the letter and turned to you, saying:

Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad has ordered me to stop you and treat you hard once his letter is received by me.

You told him: Let us stop somewhere else.

Horr said: It is impossible because Ubaydullah has put carrier of this letter as a spy on me!

You replied: So let us stop a little farther.

Horr accepted and you and your companions went farther until you reached territory of Karbala. You told them:

P: 286

O' My Companions! Set up the camps here because this place is our shambles.

In the meantime, Horr wrote a letter to Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad, in which he told him about your arrival in Karbala.

From the third day on, enemy troops in groups reached Karbala to battle you.

True!

Horr Ibn Yazid Riyahi was the first person who blocked your way to Medina. He had committed a great sin but he was guided in the very last moments; he escaped perdition and achieved prosperity!

True!

You are that universe-illuminous sun that guides people and rescue the big wrogdoers from the abyss of the hell.

The rescue story of Horr Ibn Yazid Riyahi goes this way:

Before noon of Ashura, you stood between the armies to make the ultimatum and advised the wicked clan in loud voice, saying:

I call you on the Straight Path; whoever obeys, he shall be on true path and whoever disobeys, he shall face perdition.

O' People! May perdition and sorrow befall you because you called us to help you out! We hurried to help you but you pulled sword on us...

True! You are accustomed to breaking promises and disloyalty and your origin is intermeshed with deceit and disloyalty.....

Fear God and avoid killing me because my murder and disrespect is not permissible; I am son of your Prophet's daughter and my ancestoress is Khadijah, wife of your Prophet. You may have heard what the Prophet

P: 287

(s) had said about me and my brother: Hassan and Husayn are two Seyyeds of Paradise youth.

But whatever you said and advised, they were not affected in their dark hearts; they responded to you in uproar and fracas. Later, you told them:

You disobey all my orders and fail to listen to me as your stomachs are filled with unlawful things and your hearts are earmarked with atrocity.

Horr Ibn Yazid Riyahi showing much anxiety heard what you said and was in deep contemplation.

When you finished talking to those infidels and Omar Ibn Sa'ad's troops were preparing for attack, Horr went to see Omar and said to him: Do you really want to fight with Husayn?!

The cursed responded: True! I swear to God there will be a war waged in which the least casualties are heads and hands mutilated!!

Horr told him: What Husayn said was not enough for you?!

Omar said: If I were in charge of the case, I would accept it but your Amir, Ubaydullah rejects it!!

While being so much distressed, Horr joined the troops. When one of the troops observed relentlessness of Horr, he said to Horr:

O' Horr! I see you as the bravest man of Kufa, why are you so anxious and worried?

P: 288

Horr replied:

By God! I see myself between hell and heaven and I choose none but heaven although I am torn apart and burned in fire.

He then dreaded his horse and left out of enemy troops and rode towards you. He reached your camp. He rode off his horse while holding his hand on his head and asked God's forgiveness. With tearful eyes, he came up to you and put his head down, saying: O' son of the Prophet! I am disgraced that I blocked your way and led you to this fully disastrous land. I could never believe this clan would treat you that way; otherwise, I would have never done as such and I am now filled with remorse. I apologize for doing such thing; do you accept my excuse and do you find my repentance accepted before God?

With kind words, you told Horr:

True! Your repentance is accepted and God has bestowed mercy upon you.

He asked your permission for apologizing women of haram and girls of Ahl-e Bayt; you permitted him and he came behind the camps of haram, apologized and said:

Forgive me because I shook your hearts; I fear lest you might complain of me to Hazrat Zahra ('a) on the Day.

Words of Horr made people of haram so moanful that he was strongly impressed and rode off his horse; he hurt his face and poured dust on his head, saying:

I wish my hand had been mutilated and I had become dumb that I would have never treated as such towards children of Fatima (‘a).

P: 289

But some people of haram condoled with him.

Horr came back to you and said: I never ride off my horse and I'd like to fight beside you. Horr separated from your camp and rode his horse towards the battlefield standing in the face of Kufa army and said:

O' Citizens of Kufa! May your mother mourn over your death! You called on this righteous worshipper of God and said to him you would sacrifice your life to him, but now you have unsheathed your swords on him and surrounded him all around. You do not let him go wherever he wishes in this wide expanse of land; he looks like a captive in your hands; you barred him, women and his girls from drinking water of the Euphrates while Christians and Jews drink it and even Baha'is are allowed to swim in it but these people are starving to thirst! You disrespected the Prophet for his progeny; may God keep you thirsty on the Day.

After this, he attacked the enemy troops and killed many of them inducing fear and intimidation in their hearts. Since Omar's troops knew that they cannot combat him alone, they gang-attacked him. He continued to bravely fight with them until he fell down due to lots of wounds. You immediately reached his body, telling him:

بخ بخ لك يا حرّ انت حر كما سمتک امک

Ole, greeting and bravo to you, O' Horr! You are free as your mother put your name "Horr" which means "free"!

Horr looked at your eyes instantly and died while he was smiling.

P: 290

True!

Horr Ibn Yazid Riyahi was guided thanks to your blessed light of your Imamate and was martyred beside you; he flew to the heavens and joined the eternal world.

Horr thought and stepped towards you; he released himself from captivity of soul and became salvated.

True! True!

Thinking and moving towards guardianship is the only way of salvation.

Peace of God befalls upon Horr Ibn Yazid Riyahi.

When Habib reached Karbala; you with your companions welcomed him. The loyal companion saw you while he was weeping; he showed courtesy and respect and you embraced him.

Zeynab Kobra (a), your sister said: Where are my brother and companions going and who is this man who is come to help us?

She was responded: This man is Habib Ibn Mazaher who has come from Kufa.

Zeynab (a): Say to him my greetings; the very moment Habib received greetings of her, he wept and poured dust of Karbala on his head, saying: Woe unto me! Who am I to receive Zeynab's greetings?!

It was noon of Ashura when Abu Thumama Seydawi told you: O' Aba 'Abdullah! It is time to say our prayer; I'd like to join you for noon prayers and then I get pride of being martyred.

When you asked army of Kufa for a respite to perform noon prayers, Hasin Ibn Tamim said: Your prayers will never be accepted!

Habib Ibn Mazaher responded him: Your prayers will be accepted and prayer of the Prophet's son is not accepted?!

They, your honorable loyal companion and that cursed man began to enter a dispute in such a way that Hasin Ibn Tamim was rescued from under blows of Habib. But after killing a nmber of enemy troops, that brave old man suddenly hit on the head by sword of a cruel man and on the chest by spear of another man fell on the ground and died in blood and dust.

P: 292

When dust and haze of battle came down, you reached Habib and hugged his head while having tearful eyes and said:

O' Habib! What a selected man you were that God granted you luck of completing the recitation of the Holy Quran every night.

Peace of God may befall upon you, O' Habib Ibn Mazaher, the honorable loyal companion of your ancestor, brave heart man of your father's army and your old servant.

Those present in the battlefield say that once haze of war subsided, they observed that Moslem Ibn Awsajah has fallen on the ground and he was spending his last moments of life when you appeared beside him and said: My God bless you, O' Moslem Ibn Awsajah! And you recited this verse of the Holy Quran:

فَمِنْهُم مِّن قَضَى نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُم مِّن يَنتَظِرُ وَ مَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلًا

And there are some who are waiting to join their brothers in Paradise and they have not in the least changed their mind about their covenant (Al-Ahzab: 23)

His friend was Habib Ibn Mazaher (who was martyred after Moslem Ibn Awsajah) neared and said: O' Moslem Ibn Awsajah! Your martyrdom was unedurable to me and I give you good tidings of Paradise.

Moslem Ibn Awsajah replied: May God Give you good tidings too!

In that state, your loyal companion said to Habib: Do help Husayn and sacrifice your life to him as much as you can fight.

Habib said: I swear to God of Ka'aba I will do so.

That loyal companion of yours died and achieved everlasting prosperity. Troops of Amru Ibn Hajjaj shouted that: We killed Moslem Ibn Awsajah!

Shabath Ibn Reba'ie-who was in enemy's army-said: May your mothers mourn over your death! You killed yourself by yourself and made yourself be contemptuous; you become happy that you have killed

P: 294

Moslem Ibn Awsajah?!! By God! I saw him highly respected among Muslims; I saw him in the plateau of Azerbaijan who had killed six infidels before coming of all horsemen. You rejoice in murder of such person?!

Peace of God may betide Moslem Ibn Awsajah, the loyal companion of yours.

Prophet. Wahab tried much to make his mother go back, but she said: I do not go back until I am sunken in blood and you told somebody to have that brave mother return to the camps.

The enemy captivated Wahab who was almost in failing health and took him to Omar Ibn Sa'ad. Observing sturdiness and manliness of Wahab, he said in wonder:

ما أشد صولتک

How violent and brave you are!

He then ordered him to be beheaded and threw his head towards the troops. But mother ran and took head of his son while cleaning blood off his face, she said: O' My son! I praise God that you brought good name for us by your martyrdom!

The brave lion-like and cordial woman threw her son's cu-off head into the field and troops and said: We do not take back whatever we have given in the way of God.

Wahab's wife ran beside her husband's blood-soaked body and while she cleaned blood off his body, she said:

هنيئا لك الجنه

Paradise may fit your being

When Omar Ibn Sa'ad saw Wahab's mourning wife beside her husband, he ordered her to be hit by iron mace on the head and killed her.

P: 296

Peace of God may befall upon your sincerely brave and hero companion of yours, Wahab Ibn Hebab Kalbi.

father's companions. He was also the Holy Quran reciter as well as hadith writer. He stayed with your father in wars of Jamal and Nahrawan.

When you moved towards Iraq, he joined you with his three fellows on the way.

On Ashura day, by your permission he appeared at the battlefield while he was reciting this rodomontade:

I tell you who I am if you do not know me; I am from clan of Jamali and my religion is religion of Husayn Ibn Ali.

A man called Mazahem Ibn Hurayth replied him: I am from the religion of the so and so!

Nafe'a Ibn Helal said: You have religion of Satan; he attacked him and Mazahem wanted to go back but Nafe' a's strike stopped him and he was killed.

Amru Ibn Hajjaj cried: Do you know with whom you are fighting?! Avoid going to battle alone!

The brave and chivalrous compatriot had written his name on his spears and poisoned them; he threw them killing twelve people of Omar's troops and wounded dozens of others. When he had no more spears, he unsheathed his sword and attacked, saying:

I am a lion-like man of Jamali clan; I am a follower of religion of Ali ('a).

Enemy troops found no way but gang-attacking him, so they surrounded him and targeted him with their spears and stones; as a result,

P: 298

his arms were broken and he was seized. Shimr and a group of others took him to Omar Ibn Sa'ad.

The cursed told him: O' Nafe'a! Woe betides you! Why did you do such thing to yourself?!

He answered: My God knows what I intended to do. He was told while his beard was bleeding: Don't you see why you have done this to yourself?!

That brave man said: I have killed twelve of you and I do not blame myself; if I had my arms, you could hardly captivate me.

Shimr told Omar Ibn Sa'ad: Kill him!

Omar said: You brought him here; if you want, you can kill him!

Shimr unsheathed his sword and when he wanted to martyr Nafe'a, Nafe'a said:

By God! If you were a Muslim, it was difficult for you to meet God and you had a grave responsibility for our blood; I praise God that our death happened to be in the hands of the worst creatures of God!

Shimr martyred him and Nafe'a Ibn Helal flew from threshold of your Karbala to eternality.

Peace of God may befall upon Nafe'a Ibn Helal, your chivalrously brave companion.

P: 299

Peace of God may befall upon John Ibn Abi Malek.

Peace of God may befall upon Abu Al-Hatuf Ibn Harith, the brave man.

Peace of God may betide upon Ammar Ibn Salama, one of the Companions of the Prophet (s) and Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a).

Peace of God may be upon Qassem Ibn Habib Al-Azdi who was a pure chivalrous man.

Peace of God may be upon ‘Abdulrahman Ibn Mas'ud who was one of the bravest men.

Peace of God may befall upon 'Abdullah Ibn Bashir who was unparalleled in manliness.

Peace of God may betide upon A'ez Ibn Mojamma' who defended Ahl-e Bayt (a) to his last drop of blood.

Peace of God may be upon Harith Ibn Amri'a Al-Qeys who accepted call of his Imam of the Age and valorously fought until he became martyred.

Peace of God may be upon Hanzalat Ibn As'ad Shabami who was widely known after his honorability.

Peace of God may be upon Jenadat Ibn Harith who was martyred with his brave son in Karbala.

Peace of God may befall upon Kenanat Ibn 'Atiq who was a brave champion.

And Peace of God may befall upon all of your pure, courageous and manly companions who were martyred beside you and flew into the heavenly kingdom.

Peace of God may be upon them all, peace of God may be upon all those brave men!

And peace of God may be upon your apple-of-the-eye and fruit-of-

P: 301

the-heart son, Hazrat Aliakbar ('a)! The same endeared son who carried smell of the Prophet (s) and who was the most identical man to your ancestor, the Messenger of God (s).

Your son, Imam Sadiq ('a) was asked: What is Uf?

He said: When a father brings up a son up to puberty; the son comes and goes before eyes of the father and the father enjoys watching his stature and posture.

He was asked: What is the hardest disaster of all? He said: the same young son is being killed in front of the father.

All youth of the universe may be sacrificed to your brave young boy, Aliakbar (‘a) whom the enemies mutilated, your apple-of-the-eye son in front of your eyes!

It was very hard for to endure martyrdom of your brave son but you seek patience to please God and you were never weakened in the sublimated goal you pursued.

You devoted your endeared young boy to keep religion of God and people can illuminate themselves under the glow of the Holy Quran and move towards the real prosperity.

From among the Bani Hashim people, Aliakbar, your son was the first to appear at the battlefield. The very moment Aliakbar (‘a) asked your permission to combat the enemy, you abruptly allowed him to do so;

your brave son went to the battlefield while you with desperate look saw him off.

P: 302

When your son was on his way to battle, you lifted up your beard to the sky and talked to your God in this way:

اللهم اشهد إنه قد برزاليهم غلام اشبه الناس خلقا و خلقا و منطقا برسولك محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وكنا اذا اشتقنا الي نبيك نظرنا اليه

O' God! I take Thee as Witness that I have sent to the battlefield the best and most identical to Thy Messenger (s) in terms of creation, ethics and logic; I looked at this young boy whenever I wanted to see the Prophet.

On cursing Omar Ibn Sa'ad, you said: O' Omar Sa'ad! May God break off your ties of relationship!

Your brave son who carried blood of our lord, Ali (‘a) in his blood vessels showed so much an epic and self-devotedness that he killed the assailant enemy from every side and he killed so many of them that they wailed and moaned loudly.

But burning sun, fever of war and strong thirst irritated your son, so he came back to the camps to quench his thirst and loudly said:

يا أبت العطش قدقتلني وثقل الحديد قد أجهدني

O' Father! Thirst killed me and heavy arms brought me to knees; do you have water for me to drink?

You began to weep and told him:

My son! Go back to battlefield and continue battling; it is hoped that you quench your thirst through your ancestor soon; you quench your

P: 303

thirst so much that you will never feel thirsty.(1)

Your son returned to the battlefield and killed lots of enemy troops;

Morrat Ibn Manqaz 'Abdi suddenly said: I take responsibility of sins of all Arabs if I do not let father of this young boy mourn over his death.

He came out of ambush and hit sword on the dear head of Aliakbar ('a) so strongly that his head split apart. The very instance that the enemy troops found your son enfeebled, they attacked him with incessant strikes of sword on his body and badly injured him; he inevitably held neck of his horse whose eyes were soaked with blood of your son; the horse galloped through enemy troops instead of the camps. At this time, everyone could strike his body repeatedly so harshly that his body was finally mutilated.

And as spirit reached his throat, he cried:

يا أبتاه، هذا جدي رسول الله قد سقاني بكاسه الاوفي

O' father! This is my forefather, the Messenger of God who quenched my thirst.

You reached his mutilated body of your son and threw himself on him; you let your face touch his while strongly weeping and said:

قتل الله قوما قتلوک .

P: 304

May God kill those who killed you!

You had put your face on the face of Aliakbar (‘a) in such a way that everybody thought you died over his mutilated body; in later moments, you lifted your head up, addressing your dead son:

على الدنيا بعدك العفا

O' My dear Ali! Woe betides the world and life of the world after you!

You decided to take your son's dead body to the camp but his body was so much mutilated that you could hardly do it and shouted: O' Youth of the Bani Hashim! Help me to move Ali back to the camp.

Zeynab (‘a), your sister rushed out of the camp and moanfully ran to reach blood-bathed body of your son; she threw herself onto his body and burst into tears. You separated her from your son's body; you commiserated her and escorted her back to the camp.

True!

You sacrificed your son-whose holy face was reminiscent of the Prophet's face-for God to teach all people until the Day that: One must sacrifice all of his dearest things and not fear death because death in honor is honorable and living with the oppressors is disgraceful and humiliatory.

And hearts shall burn on afternoon of Ashura when no-rider horse returned to the camps and weltered hearts of children and women about blood!

P: 305

When Zuljanah found you soaked in blood, it dyed head and topknot with your noble blood and returned to camps of haram while neighing.

When your inconsolable daughters heard horse neigh, they came out of camp and saw ownerless horse of father bathed in blood; here they found that you are martyred and cried out ah, Husayn; ah, Imam! All of women and children slapped their face and surrounded Zuljanah. One said: Why did you take Husayn and not bring him; another one said: You left us alone with enemy; Sakinah, your daughter said: O' Zuljanah! Did they let him drink water or martyred him thirsty?

As soon as Umme Kulthum heard as such, she put her hand on the head and while moaning, she shouted:

وامحمدا، واجداه، وانبياه

She wept and wailed until she had a fit.

And this is the disaster your son, Mahdi (may God hasten his emergence) referred to when paying visitation to sacred abode and can never be forgotten:

.......and your horse galloped fast towards the camps, neighing and weeping; when women of haram saw your horse in this condition with saddle upside down, they came out of the camps. They slapped their faces while they disheveled their tresses and they were shouting. After a life of honor, they are in trouble of humiliation and hurried towards your shambles; they all of a sudden observed that Shimr had sitten on your chest with his dagger placed under throat; he grasped your beard and cut off your head with his sharp dagger. At that time, your senses stopped

P: 306

and your breaths were discontinued; your head was lifted up on spear; your family people were captivated and were in the shackles like slaves.....(1)

Peace of God may befall you, O' descendant of the Prophet (s); O' everlasting sun of souls and O' Highway of guidance!

We swear you to Aliakbar, your son that you stay on our behalf on the

Day and rescue us from fear of that hard Day.

الله علیک یا ابا عبدالله الحسين و علي الارواح التي حلت بفنائک صلي

bestow us Thy Blessings and Mercy because Thou are All-Omnipotent.(1)

Of course, this has to be said that there is a disagreemenamong historians over the fact that from where Imam has dispatched Qeys Ibn Musahhar to Kufa. There are more narrations that he has sent Qeys Ibn Musahhar from a region called "Batn Al-Rumma" on his way to Iraq to Kufa on Zilhajjah 15th.

go by yourself in this way; otherwise, I raze you!

Qeys responded: As I don't know the group, I fulfill your second offer!

Ubaydullah imagining that he fears death accepted and ordered Kufians to assemble at great mosque of the city to listen to Imam's envoy praising the Umayyad.

At this time, Qeys took the pulpit and dedicated much blessing to Ali and his children after divine supplication and peace upon the Prophet; he then cursed Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad, his father and major and minor leaders of the governorate, crying loud:

O' People! Husayn Ibn Ali is the best creature of God and son of Fatima, daughter of the Messenger of God and I am his envoy to you; I separated from him in one of the places on the way and reached you to give you his message; accept his call.

Agents of Ibn Ziyad who witnessed the event told Ubaydullah about it and he whose plan had failed and who was completely filled with anger yelled that: Take him up on the rooftop of the palace and drop him down. The agents did so and martyred Qeys and broke apart his bones.(1)

• Having arrived in Karbala, Imam Husayn (‘a) told his companions:

الناس عبيد الدنيا و الدين لعق على السنتهم، يحوطونه مادرت معايشهم فاذا محصوا بالبلاء قلّ الديانون(2)

People are servants of the world and think of religion as something l

P: 309

tasty and flavorous and they safeguard it as long as it satisfies their interests, but when it is a matter of trial, they come down in number.

• Upon arrival of Imam in Karbala, Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad (may God curse him) wrote him a letter, saying: You have two ways out; you must either swear allegiance to me or get killed! Imam Husayn told his companions, addressing the ignoble-birth man:

ألَا وَإِنْ الدَّعِيَ ابْنَ الدَّعِي قَدْ رَكَزَ بَيْنَ اثْنَتَيْنِ: بَيْنَ السَّلَه وَاللَّلَّهِ؛ وَهَيْهَاتَ مِنّا الذله (1)

This ignoble-birth man, son of the ignoble-birth has put me two ways between death and humiliation and humiliation is far away from us.

•One day after arrival of Husayn (‘a) in Karbala that is Muharram 3rd, Omar Ibn Sa'ad reached Karbala with four thousand troops of Kufians.(2)

From the events of Muharram 3rd, we understand that Imam Husayn (‘a) purchased part of Karbala land where his haram settled from people of Naynawa and Ghadhiriya worth of sixty thousand dirhams; he set conditions to them to guide pilgrims of his tombstone and host his pilgrims for three days.(3)

• On Sunday 27th of Zilhajjah, Imam entered a region called Zuhussam nearby Karbala and ordered the camps to be set up there.

Horr Ibn Yazid Riyahi reached there with one thousand troops at noon and faced Imam and his men. Imam turned to his companions and said: Give water to them and to their horses in full. His companions took the 1

P: 310

order and they did so.

Ali Ibn Ta'an said: I was one of Horr's men and joined him in the last moments. Imam observing me and my horse thirsty said: jl zi We refer to Rawiyya as pitcher of water and I could not understand his sense. He then said: Help the camel come down.(1)

I helped the pitcher-carrying camel come down. Imam said: Drink water and when I wanted to drink water, water poured down opening mouth of the pitcher and I could hardly drink it. Imam said: Narrow the pitcher mouth but I failed to do so. Imam quickly got up and narrowed the pitcher mouth to let me and my horse drink water. (2)

• According to Ubaydullah Ibn Horr Ja'afi,

I have never seen someone like Husayn in my life. When Husayn was apprachimg my camp, he had such a fascinating perspective and stature that nothing was attractive like him; such a pity overwhelmed me that had never shown it to anyone else, especially when I saw Imam walking and the youth and children moved around him like butterfly. I looked at his beard that looked as black as crow; I told him: Is this black of your hair or of dye? He said: O' Son of Horr! I've grown old so early; I knew that he had dyed it.(3)

• On Muharram 7th, Ubaydullah sent a letter to Omar Ibn Sa'ad and ordered him to distance him, his companions and the Euphrates through 9

P: 311

his troops and prevent them from drinking even a little water just as Uthman Ibn Affan was stopped drinking it!!

Omar Ibn Sa'ad abruptly deployed five hundred horsemen commandeered by Amru Ibn Hajjaj at the Euphrates and blocked Imam and his companions having access to water; this inhuman behavior was adopted only three days before Imam's martyrdom. At this time, a man named 'Abdullah Ibn Hasin Azdi of Bojaylah clan shouted that O' Husayn! You will never see this water! By God! You do not drink a drop of the water until you die of thirst!

Imam said: O' God! Let him die of thirst and exclude him from Thy Blessings!

Hamid Ibn Moslem: I swear to God that I went to see him after this talk while he was sick; I swear to God, the Only One, I saw 'Abdullah Ibn Hasin drink so much water that his stomach bulged and vomited the water! And he shouted: I am thirsty! He drank water again and again and his stomach became full, but he was not quenched of thirst! He did as such until he died.(1)

• As Imam and his companions were annoyingly thirsty, on Muharram 8th, he used a spade and dug out the ground as far as tnineteen steps towards Qiblah behind the camps; there erupted fresh and clean water; everybody drank it and they filled the pitchers. The water disappeared with no sign of it.

Ubaydullah heard of this marevelous and wonderful action through his spies. He sent a messenger to Omar Ibn Sa'ad, saying: I have heard that 6

P: 312

Husayn digs a well; gains water and he and his companions drink it! As soon as the letter reached you, try to be careful more not to let them access to water. Treat them hard and behave them as they did to Uthman!!

Omar Ibn Sa'ad was hard on Imam and his companions more than before not to let them reach water, as ordered by Ubaydullah.(1)

• Imam Husayn (‘a) sent a man named Amru Ibn Qardiya Ansari to Omar Ibn Sa'ad asking him they meet each other in a distance between two armies at night; Omar accepted. At night, Imam with twenty people of his companions and Omar with twenty people of his troops appeared at the promised place.

Imam ordered his men to go back and Hazrat Abbas (‘a) and ‘Aliakbar (‘a), his son stayed with him. Omar did so and let his son, Hafs and his male slave stay there.

Imam began to speak first and said: O' Son of Sa'ad! Do you fight with me and do you not fear God to whom you return? You know better whose son I am! Do you not leave this group to stay with me because this brings you near God?

Omar Ibn Sa'ad said: If I am separated from this group, I am afraid they demolish my house!

Imam replied: I make your house.

Omar Ibn Sa'ad said: I am afraid they seize my properties! 4

P: 313

Imam said: I give you better than that, the ones I possess in Hejaz. And another saying of Imam is that: I will give you Bughaybaghah. It was a large farm land with multiple of palm trees and enormous farming; Mu'awiyya was ready to purchase it at the price of one million dinars but Imam did not sell it to him.

Omar Ibn Sa'ad said: I fear life of my family members is at risk in Kufa because of Ibn Ziyad's anger; I am afraid that they might be killed by him.

Imam observing that Omar does not make up his mind got up and said: What is the matter with you?! God may take your life in bed soon and may not bless you. I swear to God I know you eat little of wheat of Iraq, if any!

Omar satirically said: Oat is enough for me!!(1)

And some have written that Imam told him: You kill me and you imagine that Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad will entrust guardianship of Rey and Gorgan?! By God! You will not enjoy it; this is a pledge made to me and you never reach such long-simmering desire of yours! So you can do whatever you like because after me, you will never see joyfulness in this world and the world hereafter; I see that your head is hanged on reed and moved around in Kufa! And children target your head with stones.(2)

• On Ashura day before launch of battle, Imam stood between the two armies and began to advise Omar Ibn Sa'ad to make an ultimatum to troops; Imam delivered oration three times and part of it is mentioned here: 0

P: 314

As Omar Ibn Sa'ad readied his army for fighting with Husayn ('a), put banners in their places and regulated right and left wings of army, he told people in the heart of the army: Stand still wherever you are and surround Husayn all around until you have him like a finger ring!

In the midst of this, Imam stood in front of army and asked them to keep quiet but they did not become silent!! Imam told them:

ويلكم ما عليكم ان تنصتوا الي فتسمعوا قولي وانما ادعوكم الي سبيل الرشاد فمن اطاعني كان من المرشدين و من عصاني كان من المهلكين و كلكم عاص لامري غير مستمع قولي فقد ملئت بطونكم من الحرام و طبع علي قلوبكم ويلكم الا تنصتون! الا تسمعون؟

Woe unto you! What do you lose if you hear me?! I call you on the straight path; whoever obeys me, he shall be rewarded and whoever disobeys me, he shall be dead; you disobey my orders and you do not lend me an ear because your stomachs are filled with unlawful things and your hearts are replete with vice; woe betides upon you! Do you not keep quiet and do you not listen to me?!

After this, Omar's men blamed each other and said: Listen!!

After enemy troops became quiet, Imam said:

O' People! You may face perdition and sorrow because you enthusiastically called on us to help you and we rushed to help you out but you unsheathed the sword on us we had given you; you fueled the fire on us that we inflamed it for your enemy and ours....

Woe unto you! Why did you not leave us when your swords were sheathed and your hearts were relieved? And you jumped towards

P: 315

sedition like a fly and attacked each other like butterflies; you may face perdition, O' Slave servants! And survivors of parties! And ridders of Book of God! Distorters of Words of God! And forgetters of Sunna of the Messenger! And killers of descendants of the Prophets and progeny of heirs of the Prophets!....

By God! Disloyalty and perfidy is your habit; your origin is intermingled with ruse and unfaithfulness and you are originally cherished like that. You are the most malicious fruits.....

Now, the ignoble-birth man, son of the ignoble-birth man (Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad) has put me on the horns of a dilemma: Unsheathed sword or degradation! And ho! We never yield to humiliation; God and His Messenger and the faithful will not be pleased with our ignominy; those chaste people who bred us and the enthusiastically zealous men who never preferred to obey the ignobles but being murderd chivalrously; I war with you together with these few people although my comrades have left me alone....! (1)

• For complete information about companions of Seyyed Al-Shuhada (a), their personal staus and epic, see the valuable book titled "Farsan Al-Hayja' fi Tarahem Ashab Seyyed Al-Shuhada (a)". The book is compiled by Zabihullah Mahallati who raises an inclusive issue about companions of Seyyed Al-Shuhada('a) by doing an extensive research on Sunni and Shiite narrative and historical writings.

• There is a disagreement among historians over age of Hazrat 'Aliakbar ('a):

----Ibn Shahr Ashub in his book of Manaqib and Tabarsi in A'lam Al- 6

P: 316

Wari introduce his age to be eighteen years old.

----Sheikh Mufid in Ershad said he was nineteen years old.

----Shahid Awwal in Darrous and many other historians say his age was twenty five; according to this saying, he had been two years older than Imam Zayn Al-Abedin ('a).

And some researchers on Maqatil say the same age is correct because some people know him as 'Aliakbar (‘a) and Hazrat Zayn Al-Abedin (‘a) as 'Aliasghar.

Historical books read that Imam Sajjad (‘a) spoke in Yazid's assembly (God may curse him):

قد كان لي أخ أكبر مني يسمي عليا فقتلتموه (1)

I had a brother named Ali who was older than me and he was killed.

Some believe that Hazrat 'Aliakbar ('a) was married; as Abu Hamza Thumali quoted Imam Sadiq (‘a) saying that: When you pay pilgrimage to Ali Ibn Al-Husayn (‘a) who was killed in Karbala, say:

صلي الله علیک و علي عترک واهل بیتک و آبائك وأبنائک (2)

Although there is a disagreement over the fact that 'Aliakbar ('a) is the first or the last martyr of Bani Hashim; The evidence presented strongly shows that he is the first martyr:

1. Many of the great ulema like Sheikh Mufid, Seyyed Ibn Tavous, 4

P: 317

Tabari, Ibn Athir and Abulfaraj Isfahani say he is the first martyr.

2. When pilgrimage is paid to the holy shrine, Hazrat is addressed:

السلام علیک یا اول قتيل من نسل خیر سليل من سلاسه ابراهيم الخليل

3. As narrated by Sheikh Mufid in Ershad, Imam Husayn (‘a) told Bani Hashim youth after 'Aliakbar (a) was martyred: احملو اخاکم

It becomes obvious that when Imam told that they take their brother to the camp, Bani Hashim youths had not been martyred.

• Imam of the Age (may God hasten his emergence) raises pilgrimage to the holy shrine encumbered upon pilgrimage and tragedy of Imam Husayn (‘a). The late Allameh Majlisi says in final part of ziyarat in Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 101 quoting from several greatest Shiite Islamic jurisprudents like Seyyed Morteza and Sheikh Mufid:

It became evident that this ziyarat has a narrative documentation quoted from the Immaculate Imam (‘a).

P: 318

bloody revolution for the community, discerned public opinions about your uprising and brought your holy blood-shed in sacred land of Karbala-to become fruitful.

She was daughter of God's Lion, Assadullah Al-Ghaleb Ali Ibn Abitaleb (‘a) and carried blood of your honorable father in her blood vessels; she had been reared and nurtured by your chaste mother,

Seddiqah Kobra (‘a). Although she had suffered disasters and tragedy more than weight of the seven heavens, she resisted the infidels stronger than mountain, failed to bend back even a little and ruined dynasty of Yazid and Yazidis forever.

True!

The high-standing lady-whose female slaves we respect highly-was heartbroken for the loss of you in Karbala, for loss of her brother,

'Abbas, for loss of your dear children, for loss of her two brave sons and loss of Bani Hashim youths, each of whose loss could bring any woman to her knees. Yet, that honorable lion-like lady stood against the atheists of the Umayyad and their followers with strength and a heart full of slits and revealed their ignoble faces in humiliation.

Zeynb (‘a) means strength, Zeynab means valor, Zeynab means the whole self-sacrifice and devotion and Zeynab means the entire knowledge and servitude!

True!

She was wholly full of knowledge and servitude because she never forgot God and she only feared God and her holy heart was constant abode of God.

P: 320

The chivalrously sincere lady never gave up saying her midnight prayer; she even said her midnight prayer on 11th night of Muharram when she heavily carried all burdens of the seven heavens and she said it in sitting!

What I, insincere, shall say and how I shall say and write! That it is worth having pens broken against magnitude of your sister, Zeynab (‘a) and tongues stop speaking!

When, after your martyrdom, your children and women of haram were captivated and were taken from Karbala to Kufa and from there to Sham, the honorable lady who was the only custodian of children and women of haram shielded herself to protect the children to stop your children being lashed by those infidels.

The brave heroine saved life of your son, Imam Sajjad (‘a) two times;

the first time was when the infidel clan made captives ride on unsaddled horses and camels and passed them through your murederd ones; when your son, Imam Sajjad (‘a) saw headless and mutilated bodies of you and Bani Hashim youths, he was almost to die; your sister, Zeynab (‘a) consolated him and relieved heart of your son.

And the second time was when captives were forced to step in the palace of the cursed Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad who, the vicious one, ordered him to be killed as he saw him but your sister stood protectively and did not let the infidels kill your son.

And the courageous lady disreputed that ignoble-birth man in front of the public in his palace by delivering a vehement speech. She also made a fiery and enthusiastic speech in his palace of Yazid in Sham where he had gathered ambassadors of foreign countries to condescend himself

P: 321

with his victory!! And she brought his ignoble face into degradation. The vicious dynasty of the Umayyad spent over twenty years to raise propaganda against your honorable father, our lord Amir Al-Mu'amenin (‘a) across various parts of the Islamic community, particulary in the Levant. By spreading vengeantly poisonous propaganda, Mu'awiyya and his malicious family spurred resentment on the part of your father's family in the public and in contrast, they regarded the corrupt family of the Umayyad as relatives of the Messenger (s)!

After your martyrdom, all governorate systems tried to distort the nature of Ashura uprising which campaigned against tyranny and resuscitated the truth and respect of mankind, introducing you and your companions as rebels and insurgents.

And this sister of yours, Zeynab (‘a) and your son, Imam Sajjad (‘a) were those who hampered those vicious ones from attaining their goals by making self-devoted and fiery speeches and they were finally scandalized.

Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad, after your martyrdom, brought people together at the great mosque of Kufa to notify them about the story. For distorting the facts, he disguised himself in religious figure and said:

الحمد لله الذي اظهر الحق ونصر اميرالمومنين وأشياعه وقتل الكذاب بن الكذاب

I praise God who brought the truth to victory; assisted Amir Al- Mu'amenin (Yazid) and his supporters and the liar killed son of the liar!!

With this ploy, he wanted to consider the apparent victory of Yazid, the cursed as God's will in order to deceive people and to change the

P: 322

reality of your bloody uprising.

But the bastard did not know that the wrong appearing in any clothes is destructive.

In that situation, one of your Shiites who was a blind and weak old man named ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Afif Azdi rose up and told him, the cursed with his utmost bravery:

O' Son of Marjanah! Liar son of liar is you, your father and the one who assigned you and your father this post; O' Enemy of God! You kill descendants of the prophets and speak so recklessly on the pulpit of the faithful?!

Ibn Ziyad hearing such objection was infuriated and said: Who was he?!

The blind old man shouted: O' Enemy of God! It was me; you kill a pure family from whom God kept away any evil and you think you are a Muslim?! Help me out! Where are sons of the Emigrants and the Helpers? Why don't they take revenge of this cursed rebel son of the cursed whom the Prophet (s) himself cursed him?

Ibn Ziyad became inflammably infuriated and his neck vessels were swollen, saying: Bring him to me!

At last, the agents caught the cordial Shiite of yours and brought him to Ubaydullah; he ordered the blind old man to be beheaded.

Women and children of your haram were taken to palace of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad. The cursed man had arranged a public visit at his

P: 323

palace and had ordered your holy head to be placed in front of him. Then he ordered that the women and children be taken in the palace.

Zeynab ('a), your generous sister entered the palace unknown and sat somewhere unattentively while she wore less valuable dress of hers and was surrounded by women and female slaves.

Ubaydullah saw her and asked: Who is this woman who has sitten aside and who is surrounded by other women?

Your sister did not reply: The cursed man repeated his question. One of the female slaves said: She is Zeynab, daughter of Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Mohammad (s).

The bastard turned to your sister and said:

Praise belongs to God who sacandalized and killed you and your family and revealed that what you had said was only a lie!!

Your brave sister loudly replied him, the atheist man:

Praise befalls upon God who honored us because of our Prophet and purified us of evils. Nobody is scandalized but the corrupt and wrongdoer tells a lie; we are not wrongdoers but others and praise belongs to the Only God.

The cursed man said: Did you see what God did to your family?!

Your sister responded:

I witnessed nothing but beauty; they were those whom God ordained to be murdered; they obeyed God and departed to their grave. Very soon, God brings them and you to come face to face (on the Day) and they will

P: 324

complain to God of you. Now wait and see who will be winner; O' Son of Marjanah! Your mother may sit in mourning after your death!

Son of Ziyad became extremely angry because of your sister's harsh and explicit words and for addressing him after his evil-doer grandmother, Marjanah; he wanted to kill your sister but one of the attendants there said: O' Amir! She is a woman and nobody upbraids a woman for her words.

The cursed man said to your sister once again:

God healed my heart by killing your disobedient brother and your rebellious family.

The heroine replied him:

I swear to my soul that you killed my elder; you chopped my sapling and took off my roots; if this heals you, I tell you that you are healed but know that divine revenge will come along!

The God-dammit man while being frustrated said in anger and ridicule:

She looks like her father in lecturing; I swear to my soul your father was also a poet and talked rhythmically.

Your sister talked back:

What a woman has to do with rhythmic speech?! (It is not high time to talk in rhythm?)

The ignoble-birth man wanted to pretend that someone who appareantly is defeated in military fronts, he is being scandalized because if he were the rightful, he would become winner in military front.

P: 325

Your sister well knew that of what viewpoint Ibn Ziyad speaks; she crushed his base of thought and she declared, with her words, that the measure of "honor and excellence" stands for pursuit of truth and demand of truth rather than apparent power.

True!

She pronounced that whoever is martyred in the way of God, he shall not face fiasco; whoever renders cruelty and deviates from truth, he shall be scandalized.

Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad expected your heartbroken sister kneels down with sarcasm; sheds tears and moans! But the heroine crushed his words on his mouth and pounded his arrogance.

He then looked at your son, Imam Sajjad (a) and said: Who is this man?!

He was told: He is Ali Ibn Al-Husayn.

The cursed man said: Didn't God Kill Ali Ibn Al-Husayn?!

Your son, Zeyn Al-Abedin (a) while being seriously ill and having severe fever bravely said to the vicious man:

I had a brother who was also called Ali Ibn Al-Husayn and people killed him!!

Ubaydullah said: But God killed him!!

Your courageous son said:

God takes lives in time of death!

P: 326

Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad was outraged and said: You venturously talk to me when you are replying me?! Take him and behead him. When Zeynab, your sister observed such a condition, she hugged Imam Sajjad and said: O' Son of Ziyad! Enough is enough; whatever blood of us you shed; by God! I never separate from him. If you want to kill him, you must kill me first!

Ibn Ziyad instantly stared at your sister and son and said: What a marvelous kinship!! I swear to God that this woman likes being killed with her nephew; I guess this young man might die of the same illness!

Your son, Imam Sajjad ('a) turned to your sister and said: O' My aunt!

Let me talk to him; he then turned to Ibn Ziyad and said:

ابالقتل تهددني يابن زياد؟ اما علمت ان القتل لنا عادة و كرامتنا الشهادة

O' Ibn Ziyad! Do you frighten me of death! Don't you know that we are used to being killed and martyrdom in the way of God is honor for us?!

Ubaydullah having been fully humiliated and scandalized ordered all captives to be placed in a house next to the mosque of Kufa. Fearing uprising of Kufians and after imprisonment of Ahl-e Bayt, he ordered all of the captives with the heads of martyrs to be sent to Sham following the order of Yazid.

Zeynab, your sister created a great epic in the gathering of Kufa women with her words before she entered palace of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad. When captives arrived in Kufa, women of Kufa once observing conditions and status of caravan people began to moan and tore their collars and Kufian men also joined them in weeping.

P: 327

Your sister shouted at people and said: Keep quiet! All people became silent and the high-standing lady addressed them while praising God and greeting the Messenger (s):

O' Kufians! O' People of ruse and treason! You may never stop shedding tears! You may continue to wail much! You look like a woman who unspinned right away whatever she spinned; neither your treaty is worth nor your oath is credible! What do you have except brag and self- pride, except flattering like female slaves in the public and compromising with the enemy in camera? You resemble freshly green plants which are grown on a mass of dung and look like treasure that is covered with graves. What a bad source you have prepared for the other world: Wrath of God and agony of hell! You weep? True! Do weep because you deserve weeping! Weep more and smile less! Why do you not weep with this disgrace you brought for yourselves; the disgrace that cannot be washed away by any water? What disgrace is there worse than murder of son of the Prophet and lord of paradise youths; a man who was light of your path and belief of your dark days?! Die! Move your heads down because of shame! You lost your past at once and you gained nothing for your future!!From now on, you must live in degradation and disgracefulness because you brought wrath of God to yourselves! You did something that caused the heavens to be fallen and split apart the earth and mountains fall down.

Do you know what blood you spilled? Do you know who these girls and women, unveiled, are whom you have brought to the alleys and bazaar? Do you know you have torn apart liver of the God's Prophet (s)? What an evil and stupid thing you have done; something evil of which spread across the world?! Do not be surprised because drops of blood from the sky drip on the ground? But do know that agony and pain of the

P: 328

Day will catch you harder. If God fails to catch you now for the sin you have committed, do not be relieved because God ceases to penalize you soon but He never overlooks punishment of the sinners for shedding the blood of the oppressed; God takes notice of everything in the Day of Reckoning.

Such eloquent speech of your sister coming out of her bloody heart and in eloquence as well as being emanated from tumultuous sea of faith and certainty in God and the Day startled everybody so much that all were beating their faces and strongly weeping!

Yazid, the cursed commanded the prisoners and heads of martyrs to be sent to Sham. Caravan of prisoners moved towards Sham. The agents of Ibn Ziyad behaved harshly and violently. Court of Sham counted minutes to expect arrival of caravan that was considered a conquest and victory. Caravan of your Ahl-e Bayt-while your holy head and heads of your comanions hanged on spears moved ahead-entered the city through gate of Sa'at before the eyes of thousands of spectators. That day, city of Damascus filled with joy and jubilance had celebrated victory of Yazid!

The shackled and tortured caravan being offended by people passed through alleys and streets and masses of people to reach palace of Yazid.

Here, I want to speak of unique epic of your brave sister. Zeynab (‘a), the great heroine of history of mankind scandalized Yazid with her fiery speech in front of heads of clans and a number of foreign deputies in such a way that the evil-doer man pounded on his head to save his face, saying: God may kill son of Marjanah! I was not pleased with murder of Husayn; rather, I had told him to force allegiance to him!!

P: 329

True!

In that gathering, the ominous face of the ape-finacier bastard was pulled down to the ground by Zeynab (‘a) and he faced scandal.

The story goes as:

The captives were given entry into palace of Yazid and were seated on the corner planned. As the cursed saw captives of your family standing in front of him, he ordered your holy head to be placed into a basin.

Moments later, he touched your holy teeth with a stick in his hand and recited a poem like this:

I wish the doyen of mine who were in battle of Badr and were killed by father of this man were here now; they could rejoice and say: O' Yazid! Bravo! You took our revenge of family of Ali!!

If the meeting had ended at this point, Yazid would have won; but your brave sister stopped it ending this way. What he, the cursed, thought as element of joy and pride, she made it be distasteful to him. She showed to the participants that these people who are in fetters as captives in front of them are girls of the same Prophet under name of whom Yazid rules over people of Sham.

True!

Your sister, Zeynab ('a) began to speak and told the ignobly born man while she maintained her utmost power and courage:

God and His Messenger told the truth that: those who were wrongdoers ended up falsifying the Signs of God and vilifying them.

Yazid! You reckon that we are degraded and you are upgraded only because you imposed restrictions on our earth and heaven and you

P: 330

ordered us to be transported like captives from this city to the other? You guess you are highly appreciated as you are proud of yourself, showing arrogance to different people? You are overwhelmed with joy when you find means of your power and kingdom is ready; don't you know that you are given the chance to reveal your temperament as it is. Have you forgotten what God has said?

The atheists envision that the chance given to them is good for them?! We have given them this chance to commit more sins and then they attain an agony that brings them scandal and humiliation.

O' Son of the liberated!(1)

Is this justice that your female slaves, girls and women live in honor and you detain and dishonor daughters of the Messenger of God (s); nip their voices in throat and let stranger men move them around the cities on camels?! Neither are they given shelter, nor are they taken care of and nor are they accompanied by any guardian of their men? People of different places come together to watch them?!

But how can one expect someone whose chest is full of rancor other than this? You say you wished your fathers killed in battle of Badr were here and you bother teeth of Son of the Prophet with a stick while saying this? You do not fancy at all that you have done wrong and committed sins! It's surprising if you don't do that?! By shedding blood of descendants of the Prophet (s) and family of 'Abdulmotalleb who were .

P: 331

stars on the earth, you renewed enmity of both families. Stop rejoicing as you will take you not long to appear before God; it is the time you wished you would be blind and dumb and you would neverv see such a day. I wish you would not say: If my fathers were in this meeting, they would be overwhelmed with joy! O' God! Seize our right Thyself and take revenge of someone who exerted cruelty against us!

O' Yazid! I swear to God you devoured your skin and peeled off your flesh. On the day when the Messenger (s), his progeny and his loved ones are embraced in the shadow of Thy Favor and Mercy, you will stand before him in further humiliation. That day is the day when God keeps His Promise and brings together these cruelty-stricken people each of whom slumbered in their blood somewhere; He says: Those killed in the path of God think they are dead, nay! They are alive and are granted Blessings of God.

But the one who was unrightly put on control of Muslims (meaning Mu'awiyya), on the day when litigant, Mohammad, public prosecutor of God and your feet and hands are proofs of your crimes in that court, will know that which one of you is more wretched and shelterless. O' Yazid, enemy of God! And son of enemy of God! By God! You are not worth being blamed in my eyes and you are too inferior to be downgraded but what I shall do when my tears roll down my cheeks and sigh flames my chest. After Husayn was killed and we are brought by party of Satan from Kufa to hall of party of unwise people so that they might be rewarded from public treasury of Muslims by disrespecting progeny of the Prophet; after these executioners had a hand in shedding our blood and filled their mouths with our body flesh cuts; after wild wolves prance aound the pure bodies, what consequence there comes out of your blame and punishment?!

P: 332

If you think you have gained something by killing us, you will see soon that your gain is nothing but loss. That day you will gain nothing but what you have done; that day you call on son of Ziyad and he calls on your help! You have gathered to be measured by justice of God; that day you will know that the best source furnished for you by Mu'awiyya was that you killed descendants of the Messenger of God (s). By God! I fear nobody but God and I complain to no one but Him. You can do whatever you wish to do! You can choose any trick you want to use! You can show any enmity you have! I swear to God this black mark being imposed on you will never be cleansed.

I praise God that lords of paradise youths ended up prosperity and made paradise obligatory for them. I ask God to upgrade them and increase Blessing of God because He is Potent Helper and Custodian.

A deadly silence swept across palace of Yazid with such heart- breaking speech of your sister who delivered with the entire certainty of Promises of the Almighty God. The cursed man found himself defeated and sacandalized and he broke silence to save face and to keep his position, saying:

God may kill son of Marjanah; I was not pleased with killing of Husayn; rather, I had asked to force him to swear allegiance to us.

True!

Yazid was sacandalized in that gathering and the audience there cursed him.

But I want to tell you about your son, Imam Sajjad (‘a) elaborating an epic in Sham; by making a unique speech in the congregation mosque of Sham addressing thoudsands of participants, he scandalized Yazid in

P: 333

such a way that people of Sham-whose thoughts were effected by mis propaganda of the Umayyad against the pure Progeny ('a)-vilified and cursed Yazid in any gathering.

On Friday, Yazid ordered the captives to be taken to congregation mosque to show his victory to people better!!

The captives were brought and seated on some corner of the mosque. The cursed man commanded the orator to catch the pulpit to scold you and praise the Ummayad dynasty. The hired orator took the pulpit and spoke a lot about scolding of your father, Ali (‘a) and you after praising and greeting God; later, he eulogized and lauded Mu'awiyya and Yazid and talked good of them.

Your brave son, Imam Sajjad (‘a) yelled at the hired orator:

Woe bitdes you, O' orator! You exchanged pleasure of people at the cost of Divine Wrath and predestined your status in hellfire.

And your high-standing brave son loudly told Yazid:

O' Yazid! Let me climb up these woods and tell something in which rests pleasure of God and reward for the audience?

Yazid did not let him do so.

People told him: O' Amir! Let him take the pulpit to speak and we listen to him?

He did not allow him.

People again insisted and told him: Let him do that. What does he want to say that you stop him?!

P: 334

Yazid said: If he takes the pulpit, he never leaves it unless he scandalizes me and Abu Sufiyan dynasty!

In the meantime, Yazid's son said to his father in the name of Mu'awiyya: O' Amir! What does this prisoner know and what can he say?!

Yazid said: He is from a progeny that has sucked knowledge in milk and it is intermingled with their blood.

People repeated what Yazid's son said and they persisted so much that he inevitably had to allow him.

Then your son, Imam Sajjad (a) took the pulpit and first praised God; after that, he made an oration that hearts were shaken and tears rolled down faces.

True!

He talked in this way:

O' People! God bestowed on us six advantages and excelled us with seven virtues:

Six advantages are: Knowledge, patience, forgiveness and honorability, eloquence and bravery and our love within the hearts of the faithful. The seven virtues are: The Messenger of God is from us, the Ttrustworthy (Ali Ibn Abiltaleb (‘a)) is from us, Ja'afar Tayyar is from us, Lion of God and Lion of the Messenger (Hamza) are from us, two descendants of the ummah (Imam Hassan and Imam Husayn (a)) are from us and Zahray-e-Batul (a) is from us.

O' People! Whoever knew me, he knew me and whoever not, I shall

P: 335

introduce myself to him: I am son of Mecca and Mena; I am son of Zamzam and Safa; I am descendant of the honorable man who took "the Black Stone" with corner of cloak(1); I am son of the best man who were clothed in pilgrim's garb of the hajj and ceremonially circumambulated Ka'aba; I am son of the best men; I am son of the man who was taken from Masjid Al-Haram to Masjid Al-Aqsa on the night of Ascension; I am son of the man who reached to the Lote-Tree of Boundary through heavenly journey; I am son of the man who so much neared to the Truth in the heavenly journey that he departed to the Two Bows Length (signifying nearness to God);I am son of the man who performed prayers with the heavenly Angels; I am son of the man who was revealed by God; I am son of Mohammad Mostafa (s); I am son of Ali Mortaza (‘a); I am son of the man who fought so much with the polytheists that they uttered "there is no God but God"; I am son of the man who jihaded with his two swords and two spears beside the Prophet (s) (that is Imam Ali (‘a) ); migrated two times and pledged allegiance to the Prophet (s) two times; he bravely fought with the enemy in war of Hanayn and never thought of polytheism; I am son of the man who was the righteous faithful, heir of the prophets, destroyer of the atheists, leader of Muslims, light of the warriors for the cause of religion, jewel of worshippers, pride of weepers (from Divine Fear); the most patient of the patient and the best upriser on behalf of Yasin-Messenger of God. My ancestor is the man whose supporter is Gabriel, whose helper is Michael and who himself is supporter and safeguarder of honor of Muslims. He campaigned against the apostates, the renegarders (meaning those who breached treaty like Talha, Zubayr and Ayesha) and the deviators (meaning Mu'awiyya and his fellows) and also jihaded with vengeant foes of God. .

P: 336

I am son of the most superior man of Quraysh who tended towards the Prophet (s) more than others and stood as precursor of all Muslims. He was adversary to the obstreperous, destroyer of the polytheists, divine spear to destruction of the hypocrite dissidents, tongue of theosophy of worshippers, helper of God's religion, Vice-roy of God, garden of divine theosophy and center for knowledge and science.

He then added:

I am son of Fatima Zahra ('a); I am son of superior woman...

And your son, Imam Sajjad (‘a) spoke so much of introducing himself and in fact introducing genealogy of Imamate and prophetic mission that people burst into crying and wailing.

Yazid, the cursed feared of emerging rebellion, so he ordered Muezzin to say azan. Muezzin stood up and began to say azan:

الله اكبر الله اكبر

Your son said: True, nothing is greater than God and as Muezzin said:

أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله

Your son said: True, my hair, skin, flesh and blood testify Oneness of God.

your son from أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله :At the very moment Muezzin said up on pulpit turned to Yazid and cried out:

P: 337

O' Yazid! Is this honorable Messenger your ancestor or mine? If you say he was yours, all the people of the world know that you tell a lie and if you say he was mine, why did you kill my father, plunder his property and hold captive his haram?

Imam Sajjad (‘a) said this, tore his shirt apart and cried:

By God! If there is someone in the world ancestor of whom is the Messenger, it is me; O' People! Why did this man kill my father in mercilessness and carry us as captives of Rome are carried?

O' Yazid! You did such thing and now you say Mohammad is the Messenger of God and you stand in front of Qiblah? Woe unto you! On the Day, my ancestor and my father are your adversaries!

At this time, people began to make noise and Yazid, the cursed called Muezzin to say azan; people started to make uproar; some said prayers and some others not and they were dispersed.

True!

Awakenings of your sister and your son scandalized Yazid so much that people cursed and abused him in every gathering.

Although the maliciously ignoble-birth man was very proud and happy at the outset of his victory, he became frustrated and accused Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad of your murder under the pressure of public opinions!

Although he firstly treated children, women and survivors violently and arrogantly and ordered them to be placed in a ruined house, he tried to be flexible and kind under the pressure of public opinions in a short distance and changed their domicile.

P: 338

For pretending to show himself innocent of your murder, he let sit Imam Sajjad (a) beside himself when eating food, respected him and allowed women and children to mourn for you.

Finally, he allowed your family to return to Medina after several days of stay in Sham; the heartbroken survivors passed through Karbala on their way to medina on the fortieth day of your martyrdom. They paid visitation to you with a painfully bloody heart and returned to their birthplace in Medina while being really triumphant.

True! True!

You were really victorious and the atheists were humiliatingly defeated.

But the world people have a burned heart towards tragedy of your Ashura.

After all of your loyal companions were martyred, you came to lastly bid farewell to women and children of haram and your sister showed very much impatience but you told her:

O' My sister! Leave your weepings for future because you have very hard tribulations ahead.

But she was still relentless; you placed your hand of guardianship on her chest and she eased up.

You stepped towards the battlefield and Zeynab ('a) followed you and told you with her sorrowful voice:

مهلا يا أخي توقف حتي أتزود منك وأودعك وداع مفارق لاتلاقی بعده

P: 339

O' My brother! Wait because I want to see you in my full heart and I want to say goodbye to you in such a way that I might not see you any longer.

You waited for a while and she reached you; she hugged you again and kissed you under your throat.

And God knows what went into her heart when you were taking your last breath in shambles pit while your body was mutilated, particularly when Shimr, the cursed had pulled dagger, coming to you agrily; your sister saw the scene and yelled at Omar Ibn Sa'ad:

ويحك ياعمر! أيقتل أبو عبد الله وأنت تنظر إليه

Woe unto you, Omar Ibn Sa'ad! They are killing my Husayn but you are gaping?

The cursed man said nothing in response, but he turned his face while tears were rolling down his face.

I want to tell you about another disaster that heavily hurt the hearts of women and children.

One day after the heart-rending event, the captives were forced to ride on unsaddled camels and they were ordered to pass through the murdered ones because they intended to make their hearts bloodier by watching bodies of their loved ones.

Ah! What did they see?!

P: 340

They saw headless body of their loved ones who were weltered in blood and left alone in burning soil of Karbala with no ritual ablution and burial shroud; nobody had decided to bury them. Your son, Imam Sajjad (‘a) watching the scene was so much irritated that he was almost to die.

Once seeing him wrought-up, your sister said:

O' Memorial of my father, brother, uncle and cousins! I see you dying.

Your son responded:

O' My aunt! How should I not be impatient while I see body of father, brother, companions and Bani Hashim youths weltered in blood in this desert and nobody buries them; it looks as if these people do not regard us as Muslims.

Your sister having her liver torn apart told your son, Imam Sajjad (‘a) in order to relieve him:

Don't be upset about what you see now because nothing remains as it is; these bloody bodies will be finally buried. Up on these graves, banner of oppressedness of your father, Husayn is hoisted and the relics will never become outdated and will never fade away as a matter of time.

They passed women and children of your haram through the killed ones and when they looked at the pure bodies, they all began to weepingly scream, groan and wail.

And when your sister saw your blood-sunken body, she moanfully cried:

Peace of God may befall upon you, O' Messenger of God! This is your Husayn whose body is fallen on the soil with his whole body being

P: 341

covered with dust; this is your Husayn whose head is cut off nape and his turban and cloak have been taken away.....

And when she reached your mutilated body, she bent to embrace your body, touching your cut-off gullet with her lips and kissed it.

Peace of God may be upon you, O' Husayn! O' Guiding sun of mankind; peace of God may be upon you, your sister, Zeynab (‘a) and your children.

were killed and finally Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad broke door of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Afif's house, breaking into house. Daughter of 'Abdullah alarmed her father by shouting and 'Abdullah told her: Do not be frightened, give me the sword! He defended himself with his sword and said: I am son of 'Afif and hold excellence and I am pure-natured; I knocked down many of you who wore armored garment, and were bareheaded and plunderer hero!

Daughter of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Afif told her father: I wish I were a man who could fight, neck and neck with you with these wrongdoing killers of pure progeny of the Prophet.

Troops of Ibn Ziyad surrounded 'Abdullah Ibn 'Afif and attacked him; he was blind but he fought with guidance of his daughter and defended himself. From everywhere, they attacked him, his daughter shouted,

showing him their direction until they neared him. His daughter yelled:

Alas! My father is besieged and there is nobody to assist him.

'Abdullah Ibn 'Afif rotated his sword and said: I swear to God that if I were not blind, I would narrow your frequenting way.

And they finally detained and took him to Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad; as Ubaydullah saw him, he said: I praise God who scandalized you!

'Abdullah Ibn 'Afif said: O' Enemy of God! How did God bring fiasco to me?! By God! If I had eyes, I would make way of life hard for you.

Ibn Ziyad asked: What do you say about Uthman?!

He said: O' Servant of Bani Alaaj! And O' Son of Marjanah! And he insulted him that: What do you have to do with Uthman?!! If he did good

P: 343

or bad or if he improved things or raised sedition; God is Guardian of people and will arbitrate in justice among them; you must ask me about your father, yourself, Yazid and father of Yazid!

Ibn Ziyad said: I swear to God that I will not ask you anything until you experience taste death!

‘Abdullah Ibn 'Afif said: Praise belongs to God, Lord of the two Worlds; I sought martyrdom from God before your mother had given birth to you; I had asked God to let me martyr by the most hated being of God who regards him as an enemy more than others. As I became blind, I lost hope of being martyred; now I thank God who granted me martyrdom after my despair and who showed me that my previous pray has been accepted.

Ibn Ziyad ordered him to be decapitated; the executioners beheaded him and hanged his body at Sebkhah in Kufa.(1)

The venturous and brave action of this open-minded old man led to results at very outset of Ubaydullah's speech:

1. Assembly of Kufians was disrupted and Ubaydullah failed in achieving his desireable aims he intended from the assembly.

2. After martyrdom of Imam Husayn ('a), 'Abdullah Ibn 'Afif's objection resulted in restoration of morale of treating the tyranny and tyrant which had not been prevalent among people.

3. Order of arresting a righteous and known man by Ubaydullah and his martyrdom spurred public anger and resentment and it paved the 7

P: 344

ground for an uprising and movement which were subsequently formed as movement of the penitents.(1)

• Hazrat Imam Sajjad (‘a) addressing people in Kufa said after praise of God:

O' People! Those who know me, it is fine they know me. Those who do not know me, I introduce myself to them: I am Ali, son of Husayn, son of Ali, son of Abitaleb. I am son of the man who was disrespected; was robbed of his property......and captivated his relatives. I am son of the man who was beheaded at the Euphrates while he was not cruel and deceitful to anyone. I am son of the man who was beheaded from his nape and I am greatly proud of my father's martyrdom. O' People! Did you not write to my father a letter? And did you not pledge allegiance to him and made a treaty with him? And did you not show treason to him?

And did you not fight with him? What an ugly thing you have done! And what a bad idea and deed you have rendered!

If the Prophet (s) tells you: You killed my children; disrespected me and you are not my ummah! In what face you turn to him?

This brief speech of Imam Sajjad (‘a) impressed Kufians fully in that choking atmosphere, leading to their wailing from all sides. People told each other: You are destroyed and you do not know.

They then told Imam Sajjad (a): O' Son of the Prophet (s)! We listen to you; we obey you; we are loyal to you and we never abandon you; we fight with everyone you say and reconcile with anyone you wish! We detain Yazid and express our resentment from the tyrants! 3

P: 345

Imam Sajjad (‘a) said:

Alas! O' Deceitful betrayers! O' those who are in the fetters of lust and caprice! Do you want to treat me as you did to my fathers? No, By God! You imposed a wound on us, which sheds bloody tears and I am strongly heartbroken of loss of father and brothers. Bitterness of the sorrow has lumped in my throat and grief is inconsolable and I want you to neither be with us nor against us!(1)(2)