It is narrated that Imam AI-Hussain-asws ibn Ali-asws’s ‘Nazool’ took place in the third year A.H. (after Hijrah, migration of the Holy Prophet) on the 3rd of Shaban. Imam Hussain-asws was martyred in the month of Muharram in the year sixty-one (61) A.H. Imam Hussain-asws lived for fifty-seven (57) years and few months. Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad (may he fall in condemnation of Allah-azwj) murdered him-asws during the Caliphate of Yazid ibn Mu’awiya (may he fall in condemnation of Allah-azwj). He was the governor of Kufa. The horsemen who murdered him were led by ‘Umar ibn Sa’d (may he fall in condemnation of Allah-azwj) in the plane of Karbala. It took place on Monday the tenth of the month of Muharrarn. His-asws mother was Syeda Fatima-asws the daughter of the Rasool Allah-saww.[1]
Imam Abu ‘Abd Allah-asws (Imam Jafar e Sadiq-asws) has said, ‘Imam Al-Hussain-asws passed away a martyr on the day of ‘Ashura’ (tenth of the month of Muharram) and he was fifty seven (57) years old.[2]
Our 6th Imam-asws has said also: Imam Al-Hussain-asws would not have any feed from his mother Fatimah-asws, or anyone else. They would bring him-asws to the Holy Prophet-saww to place his thumb in the child-asws’s mouth. The child would receive food therefrom and it sufficed him for three days. The flesh of Al-Hussain-asws grew from that of the Rasool Allah-saww and his-asws blood from the Rasool Allah-saww’s blood.
In another Hadith from Imam Abu Al-Hassan Al-Reza-asws, it is said that they (people of the family) would bring Imam Al-Hussain to the Rasool Allah-saww and he-saww would place his-saww tongue in his-asws mouth. This sufficed him (for food) and he would not require any other feed.[3]
I heard Imam Jafar e Sadiq-asws (6th Imam-asws) who has said: “About the Words of Allah-azwj, then he (Abraham) contemplated when looking at the stars (37:88) and said, “I am sick.” (37:89)
Abu ‘Abd Allah-asws has said, ‘Prophet Abraham-as calculated and found what had happened to Imam Al-Hussain-asws then he-as said, “I am sick because of what will happen to al-Hussain-asws.[4]
Imam Abu ‘Abd Allah-asws has said, ‘When all that happened to Imam Al-Hussain-asws had happened, the angels-as wept and cried before Allah-azwj and said, “How could such a thing happen to Imam Al-Hussain-asws Your-azwj Chosen one-asws and the grandson of Your Prophet-saww? The Imam-asws has said that Allah-azwj, then Showed them the shadow of ‘Al-Qa‘im’ (the one who will rise with Divine Authority and Power) and said, ‘Through him-ajfj I-azwj will Bring the perpetrators to My Justice.[5]
Imam Mohammed Baqir-asws (5th Imam-asws) has said, When (Divine) support came to Imam Al-Hussain-asws ibn Ali-asws it filled from earth to the Heavens and then he-asws was given the choice to have victory or to meet Allah-azwj, but he-asws chose the Iatter (to meet Allah-azwj).[6]
It has been narrated through a chain of trustworthy followers of Ahl Al-Bayt-asws that ‘When Imam Al-Hussain-asws was murdered people wanted to run horses over his (Imam al-Hussain-asws’s) body. Fizza-ra (the elderly servant of Syeda-asws the daughter of the Holy Prophet-saww) then said to the elder sister of Imam Hussain-asws, ‘My lady-asws, there was a shipwreck and Safina came out on an Island face to face with a lion. He (Safina) said to the lion, “O Abu Al-Harith, I am a slave of the Rasool Allah-saww.” The lion murmured in front of him and showed him the way. There lives a lion in this area. Allow me to go and inform him of what the people intend to do to Al-Hussain-asws tomorrow.’ The narrator has said that she (Fizza-ra) went to the lion and said, ‘O Abu Al-Harith, and the lion raised his head. She asked, “Do you know what these people intend to do to (the body) of Imam Hussain-asws? They intend to run horses over his-asws body.’
The narrator has said that the lion walked (all the way) and placed both of his hands over the body of Al-Hussain-asws. When the horsemen came they found the lion in that, position and Umar ibn Sa’d (may he fall in condemnation of Allah-azwj) told them, ‘It is mischief Do not bother and turn back. They turned back (on that day).’[7]
(The narrator says) I heard Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq-asws say, ‘After Imam Al-Hussain-asws was martyred his-asws wife, who was from the tribe of al-Kalb, began to organize a mourning gathering. Syeda-asws wept and the ladies and servants wept until their tears dried up. There was one female servant (slave) who wept and her tears would not stop. She called her and asked, ‘How is it that our tears have dried up and your tears have not?’ She said, ‘When I sutler I drink Sawiq (a kind of soup made of wheat and or barley).’ She-asws then ordered to prepare Sawiq and food. She-asws would drink and eat and give others to drink and eat and say, ‘We need to find energy to weep for Imam Al-Hussain-asws.
Our 4th Imam-asws has said, once, a certain kind of (roasted) birds were given to Al-Kalbia lady-asws (the widow of Imam Hussain-asws) to help her-asws in her mourning for Imam Al-Hussain-asws.’ When she saw them she asked: What are these for? They told her that they were a gift from so and so to help you-asws in mourning for Imam Al-Hussain-asws. She-asws said: ‘We are not in a wedding. What do we do with them?’ and Syeda-asws told her-asws servants to take them out of the house. When they were taken out of the house they just disappeared as if they did not exist or flew between the Heavens and earth and afterwards no trace of them was found anywhere.[8]
Our sixth Imam-asws says: Imam Hussain-asws Ibn Ali-asws said: I-asws am the Martyr of Tears. No Momin (believer) remembers me-asws without crying.[9]
Bequest of Imam Hussain-asws Ibn Ali Ibn Talib-asws
(Before leaving Medina) Al-Husayn-asws called for ink and paper wrote this bequest for his-asws brother Muhammad – In the Name of Allah-azwj the Beneficent, the Merciful. This is what is bequeathed by Al-Husayn-asws Bin Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws, to his-asws brother Muhammad, well known as Ibn Hanafiyya.
Al-Husayn-asws testifies that there is no god except Allah-azwj Alone. There is no associate for Him-azwj, and that Muhammad-saww is His-azwj servant and His-azwj Rasool-saww. He-saww came with the truth from the Presence of The Truth, and that the Paradise and the Fire are true, And the Hour is coming, there is no doubt in it, and that Allah will Resurrect the ones in the graves [22:7].
And I-asws did not go out for evil, nor for priding, nor for mischief, nor for injustice, and rather I-asws am going out to seek the betterment regarding the community of my-asws grandfather-saww. I-asws want to enjoin with the goodness and forbid from the evil, and I-asws conduct with the conduct of my-asws grandfather-saww, and my-asws father Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws.
So, the one who accepts me-asws by accepting the truth, so Allah-azwj is foremost with the truth, and the one who reject this upon me-asws, I-asws shall be patient until Allah-azwj Decrees between me-asws and the people with the truth, and He-azwj is best of the judges.
And this is my-asws bequest, O my-asws brother, to you, and my success is only with Allah. Upon Him do I rely, and to Him do I turn [11:88]’.
He (the narrator) said, ‘Al-Husayn-asws folded the letter and sealed it with his-asws seal and handed it to his-asws brother Muhammad, then bade him farewell and went out in the middle of the night’’ (an extract).[10]
[1] Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, Chapters on History, Imam Al-Hussainasws.
[2] Ibid, h 1.
[3] Ibid, h 4.
[4] Ibid, h 5.
[5] Ibid, h 6.
[6] Ibid, h 7.
[7] Ibid, h 8.
[8] Ibid, h 9.
[9] كامل الزيارات، النص، ص: 109, chapter 36, H. 3
[10] Bihar Al-Anwaar – V 44, The book of History – Al-Hassan-asws, Ch 37 H 2 a