تويت
( The passions of Al_Hussain(SA
People around the Prophet(AS) saw tears in his eyes. Fatimah asked what was the reason for this, he told her that this boy of hers will achieve martyrdom, but consoled her by adding that God will create a nation who will mourn Hussain till the Day of Judgement. Prophet(AS) also said “Hussian-o-Minni wa Ana Minul Hussain”. Hussain is from me and I am from Hussain
. Prophets of God speak spiritually rather than materially
Not like any other child who may see his family happy and delight on his birth, Hussain saw tears and sorrow in his parents eyes from the first days.
The story of Kerbala begins with the birth of Hussain
It was just seven years of his life with his grandfather that the Holy Prophet died and soon after,Hussain’s mother Hazrat Fatima (SA) also died.. The next 25 years of his life in Madinah was with his father Ali,his brother Hasan and many other brothers and sisters in the family
His main activity in Madinah was to see that the people there know true Islam. He also managed the Trust set up by his father, to help the poor of the city by giving them food and many necessities of life.
He has performed Hajj 24 times during this period. He has also travelled to Yemen and most of the southern part of Hejaz and Najd.
After the death of the 3rd Caliph Osman
Circumstances changed rapidly and within the first 6 month of Ali’s Khilafat he had to leave Madinah for Basra and the battle of Jamal took place. We see that Hussain(AS) who took no part in any battles before, was a commander of Ali’s forces in this first battle under his father’s leadership. Fighting began and ended in just one
day, the battle was over, Ali(AS) performed funeral prayers on dead of both sides and buried them. Victors and vanquished were treated the same way. Hazrat Ayesha was returned to Madina under the escort of her brother Muhammad Ibne Abibakr and 40 other men. She repented her participation in the battle all her life and never forgave, She also realized that the true instigator of this battle was Muawiya
When he did not succeed in this he began other tactics to do the same. His bands of soldiers raided many parts of Iraq to burn and loot villages and destroy communities. Ali(AS) had no choice but to prepare for battle with Muawiya. The battle of Siffin took place in the 2nd year of Ali’(AS) Khilafat and Hussain(AS) took full part. He was the commander of a garrison of 10,000 men along with his older brother Hasan(AS) and Muhammad (Hanafiya
The 3rd battle during the Khilafat of Ali (AS) was the battle of Nehrwan fought against the Khawarij. This was also over in just one day with total defeat of Khawarij
Ali (AS) returned to Kufa and the main administration of the Islamic Welfare State began. Both brothers were the chief administrators of this Welfare State
Four years and 10 months of his father’s Khilafat were over quickly and his life with his older brother Hasan(AS) began in Madina
It was in the month of Rajab 60 Hijri that Moawiya died and his son Yazid succeeded his father on the throne of the Arab Empire with Damascus as its capital. The very first thing he did was to write a letter to his Governor in Madinah informing him of his succession to the throne of his father and ordering him to take the Oath of Allegiance from Hussain Ibne Ali (AS).
Walid Ibne Ataba the Governor of Madinah sent to Imam and called him to the palace.Imam realised the seriousness of the situation and took his brothers and sons with him. When they arrived at the gate of the palace Imam asked to stay outside and wait
.After these instructions Imam entered the palace. There was Walid sitting in his high chair with Merwan Ibnul Hakam by his side. Imam asked, “What is the matter that I was called at this hour”. Walid mentioned Moawiya’s death,
Yazid’s accession to the throne and the demand for Imam’s oath of allegiance.Imam replied that this is not the matter which can be done in the solitude of the palace, let this matter be brought before the people of Madinah next day in the mosque of the Prophet. Imam stood up to leave while Merwan who was listening to this conversation did not like it and warned Walid that if he lets Hussain go he will loose him. Take the oath now or cut his head off as Yazid suggested in his letter. Imam told Walid loudly,”A person like me would not give the oath of allegiance to a person like Yazid who had violated all tenets of Islam”.As Imam said these words loudly, his brothers and sons entered the palace and they all left safely
Imam realised after consulting his friends and relatives that the life of peace for them in Madinah was over and he decided to go Makka , Imam decided to battle with Yazid on the spiritual plane
Imam, after leaving Madinah in the month of Rajab, stayed in Makka for about 5 months.
Imam Hussain had received many letters from Kufa inviting him to go there as an Imam and guide in all matters religious or secular. So Imam Hussain decided to go Kufa
It was in the month of Zilhijja 60 Hijri when he noticed that there were Yazid’s soldiers in Makka in the garb of Ehram to kill the Imam inside the Masjidul Haram. Imam changed the rituals of Hajj into Umra and decided to leave Makka
The date was 8th of Zilhijja 60 Hijri
On his way to Kufa Imam met the famous poet Farazdaq who was coming from Iraq and was going to Makka When he learnt that Imam was proceeding for Iraq he tried to persuade him not to go there. Imam asked Farazdaq about the conditions in Kufa and the poet replied,” Peoples hearts are with you but their swords are against you.” Imam told him,”Allah does what he wishes, I leave it to Him who proposes the just cause”. Farazdaq left the place for Makka and Imam’s caravan proceeded
Imam’s journey took him to Zurud. This was a small town just over the hills of Hejaz separating from the province of Najd. From here the mountains change into arid desert. At this place Imam met Zohair Ibne Qain. Zohair, until that time, was not the follower of Ahlul-bayt. He was undecided and considered himself as a person in middle not able to decide which side was the right one. Imam saw Zohair’s tent pitched in the distant and sent his emissary with a note. Zohair read the note, realized for the first time in his life that time for decision to chose the right path has arrived. Something happened to him inside that has changed his entire life. What was written in the note is not clear, but Zohair told his friends to take his wife and children back to his tribal lands, and he himself set out to join the Imam and his caravan.
Here it is important to mention that when the Imam was leaving Makka he was trying to persuade the hoards of people who wanted to come out with him, to go back to their homes.. Imam was telling them that there is no reward of wordly goods at the end of the journey. But at the same time he wrote letters to some people inviting them to accompany him to the end of his journey. One of them was Zohair as mentioned above. Imam wrote another letter to his childhood friend Habib Ibn Mazahir al -Asadi in Kufa inviting to join him in his journey of destiny. Habib was an old companion of the Prophet, was much older than the Imam. Some historians mention Habib’s age at 82.
Another important point worth mentioning here is that these additional people invited by the Imam were each from different tribes of Arabia. Out of total number of 72 male warriors with the Imam, 18 were from his own family, all descendents of Abu Talib. But rest of the martyrs were from all places and all creeds, almost from all Islamic lands of that time. There were men from Sham (Syria), from Jaba el Amul (Lebanon), from Armenia, from Azerbaijan, from Yemen, Abysiniya and Egypt.
At a place called Sharaf. While the Imam was passing one of his companions called out that he could see the approach of many army through the dust storm.
It was Hur’s army of 1000 men, They were coming from Kufa, When Ibn ziad heared that Imam Hussain is coming to Kufa he sent many brigades in all the ways to Kufa to prevent Imam from joining his companions there. Hurr who was the leader of that brigade from Kufa told the Imam he will take him to Kufa under escort to which Imam did not agree. Imam told Hurr and his soldiers that he had received many letters from Kufa inviting him to go there as an Imam and guide in all matters religious or secular..
Imam and his companions were denied by Hur’s soldiers to turn back. Imam did not wish to go to Kufa now, and Hur’s army did not want them to return to Madina. So a compromise was reached by both parties to bye- pass Kufa and turn towards north. Imam and his party was leading and the Hur’s army was behind them..
Nainawah. At this place a messenger from Ibn Ziad the Governor of Kufa came to meet the army of Hur and told them not to leave the Imam and his party under any circumstances. The battered Caravan passed through Ghaziriyah and arrived at a place by the river Banks of the Euphretes. Imam asked the name of this place and he was told the name “KERBALA”. Imam replied, this is the place of Kerbin-wa-bala, i.e. the place of torture and pain, Let us stop here, Imam ordered to dismount. We have reached our destination. Tents were pitched near the River Bank. The date was 2nd of Muharram 61 Hijiri.
Hurr’s soldiers surrounded the Imam’s camp. but no one knew what was going to happen until two days later on the 4th of Muharram that another contingent of 4000 men arrived from Kufa. The next day Shimr arrived with another 10,000 men to fight an army of about 40 people, among them were men of over 80 and children of 13 and 11 and even a 6 month old baby, the youngest son of the Imam who was only a month old when Imam left Madina in the Month of Rajab 5 months ago
Shimr ordered the Imam and his entourage to leave the River Bank and pitch their tents away from it. Imam’s brother Abbas and others refused,but Imam told them to move the tents. The tents were moved about 200 yards away from the River Bank and the river was immediately occupied by the soldiers of Yazid newly arrived from Kufa.
Next day 7th, All water supply was stopped for the Imam’s party and soon the cry of thirst heard from the children in the camp. ~Whatever water they would have stored was finished within a day and by the 8th there was no water left in the camp
At the end of the 9th,The night was dark and horrible, flickering lights from the Camp of the Imam was showing few people busy in prayers. The sound of their prayers in unison was coming out of the camp as if Honey bees were busy to build their nest.
Some soldiers slipped away from Yazid’s camp towards the Imam’s camp knowing fully well that if fighting started the next morning they would surely perish. About 30 such people moved to Imam’s camp.
Morning appeared and before Sunrise Ali Akber gave the Azan and all of them completed their morning prayers behind their Imam.
Imam made his brother Abbas as the flag bearer of the tiny army of 70 persons in all when all of a sudden two more soldiers defected from Yazid’s army. One was Hur who was the leader of the contingent who brought the Imam’s party to Kerbala and also his son. Both of them arrived with their hands tied to apologise to the Imam for what they had done and asked his permission to fight for them and become first martyrs. Imam did not give orders to commence fighting until arrows came from the enemy camp. Then Hur went out to fight. Overwhelmed by the numbers on the other side, he soon died.His son went and he also died. Then one by one each companion of the Imam went and died. Battle was raging, arrows were coming towards the Imam’s camp,. The Last of the companions of the Imam died and only the relatives remained. First to go was Imam’s son Ali Akber who fought bravely but thirst for three days was the most important factor in the fall of these martyrs. He was also killed and then Imam’s nephew Qasim went and was killed. Then four of his brothers, Osman, Jafar, Abullah and Abbas were killed. Afterwards Imam himself went for battle..The enemy was thirsty for the blood of the Imam, they were blind in their eagerness to kill the last of the family of the Prophet. They fell upon his injured and tired body like blood hounds and soon the Imam was also killed. The battle ended in one day.
The evening of the 10th was the darkest for the women and children of the family of the Prophet. Camps were set alight and burnt, their possessions were looted. It was Late at night while they were huddled together waiting for further tortures from the enemy side,
Night passed and the morning came with more pain and grief when they saw that the bodies of the enemy were buried but the grand son of the Prophet with all his sons and brothers and companions lie unburied on the desert sand. The Women and children were taken prisoners with the ailing son of Imam, The Bodies of these Martyrs were buried on 3rd day by tribesmen of Bani Asad
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