Imam Hussain-asws Left Makkah for Iraq after Performing Umrah

Summary:

It has been debated for a long time, why did Imam Hussain-asws abandon Hajj and instead perform Umrah before going out of Makkah to Iraq just few days before the start of Hajj rituals?  A report from Sheikh Mufeed has caused the confusion, in which he reports that Imam Hussain-asws converted the Hajj intention to Umrah and this Riwaya (not Hadith) is frequently narrated from the pulpits by the clerics and professional ‘Majalis’[1] readers. However, the following two Ahadith, from Al-Kafi, clarify that Imam Hussain-asws entered Makkah to perform Umrah.

Hadith Imam Hussain-asws Entered Makkah to Perform Umrah:

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عُمَرَ الْيَمَانِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ خَرَجَ فِي أَشْهُرِ الْحَجِّ مُعْتَمِراً ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى بِلَادِهِ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ وَ إِنْ حَجَّ فِي عَامِهِ ذَلِكَ وَ أَفْرَدَ الْحَجَّ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ دَمٌ فَإِنَّ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ ( عليه السلام ) خَرَجَ قَبْلَ التَّرْوِيَةِ بِيَوْمٍ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ وَ قَدْ كَانَ دَخَلَ مُعْتَمِراً

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, and Muhammad Bin Ismail, from Al Fazl Bin Shazaan, from Hammad Bin Isa, from Ibrahim Bin Umar Al Yamani,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah-asws having been asked about a man who went out during the months of Hajj to perform Umrah, then he returned to his city. He-asws said: ‘There is no problem; and even if performed Hajj during that year of his, and exclusive Hajj, so there is no blood (of a sacrificial animal) upon him, for Al-Hussain-asws Bin Ali-asws went out to Al-Iraq before Al-Tarwiyya by a day, and he-asws had entered (Makkah) to perform Umrah’.[2]

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مَرَّارٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) مِنْ أَيْنَ افْتَرَقَ الْمُتَمَتِّعُ وَ الْمُعْتَمِرُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْمُتَمَتِّعَ مُرْتَبِطٌ بِالْحَجِّ وَ الْمُعْتَمِرَ إِذَا فَرَغَ مِنْهَا ذَهَبَ حَيْثُ شَاءَ وَ قَدِ اعْتَمَرَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ ( عليه السلام ) فِي ذِي الْحِجَّةِ ثُمَّ رَاحَ يَوْمَ التَّرْوِيَةِ إِلَى الْعِرَاقِ وَ النَّاسُ يَرُوحُونَ إِلَى مِنًى وَ لَا بَأْسَ بِالْعُمْرَةِ فِي ذِي الْحِجَّةِ لِمَنْ لَا يُرِيدُ الْحَجَّ .

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ismail Bin Marrar, from Yunus, from Muawiya Bin Ammar who said,

‘I said to Abu Abdullah-asws, ‘From where can I distinguish the performer of Tumatto and the performer of the Umrah?’ So, he-asws said: ‘The performer of Tumatto is attached with the Hajj (complete the Hajj), and the performer of the Umrah, when he is free from it (Umrah), goes wherever he so desires to. And, Al-Hussain-asws Bin Ali-asws had performed Umrah in Zil Hijja. Then he-asws went to Al-Iraq during the day of Al-Tarwiyya, and the people were going to Mina; and there is no problem with the Umrah during Zil Hijja for the one who does not intend the Hajj’.[3]

Al-Mufeed’s alleges that Imam Hussain-asws entered Makkah for Hajj:

قال المفيد ره‏ فصل و كان خروج مسلم بن عقيل رحمه الله بالكوفة يوم الثلاثاء لثمان مضين من ذي الحجة سنة ستين و قتله رحمه الله يوم الأربعاء لتسع خلون منه يوم عرفة و كان توجه الحسين ع من مكة إلى العراق في يوم خروج مسلم بالكوفة و هو يوم التروية بعد مقامه بمكة بقية شعبان و شهر رمضان و شوالا و ذا القعدة و ثمان ليال خلون من ذي الحجة سنة ستين

Al-Mufeed said, ‘And the going out of Muslim-asws Bin Aqeel-asws, may Allah-azwj have Mercy on him-asws, at Al-Kufa was on the day of Tuesday of eight (days) past from Zul Hijjah of the year sixty, and he-asws, may Allah-azwj have Mercy on him-asws was on the day of Wednesday of six (days) vacant from it, on the day of Arafaat, and Al-Hussain-asws headed from Makkah to Al-Iraq during the day Muslim-asws went out at Al-Kufa, and it was the day of Al-Tarwiyya after his-asws stay at Makkah for the remainder of Shaban, and the month of Ramazan, and Zul Qadah, and eight (days) vacant from Zul Hijjah of the year sixty.

و كان قد اجتمع إلى الحسين ع مدة مقامه بمكة نفر من أهل الحجاز و نفر من أهل البصرة انضافوا إلى أهل بيته و مواليه

And there had gathered to Al-Hussain-asws, for the duration of his-asws stay at Makkah, a number from the people of Al-Hijaz, and a number from the people of Al-Basra and increased to the People-asws of his-asws Household and his-asws friends.

و لما أراد الحسين التوجه إلى العراق طاف بالبيت و سعى بين الصفا و المروة و أحل من إحرامه و جعلها عمرة لأنه لم يتمكن من تمام الحج مخافة أن يقبض عليه بمكة فينفذ إلى يزيد بن معاوية

And when Al-Hussain-asws wanted to head to Al-Iraq, he-asws performed Tawaaf of the House (Kabah) and performed Sa’ee between Al-Safa and Al-Marwa and released from his-asws Ihraam and converted it to an Umrah, because he-asws was not able upon completing the Hajj, fearing he-asws would be arrested at Makkah and be sent to Yazeed-la Bin Muawiya-la.

فخرج ع مبادرا بأهله و ولده و من انضم إليه من شيعته و لم يكن خبر مسلم بلغه بخروجه يوم خروجه على ما ذكرناه‏.

He-asws went out hurriedly with his-asws family, and his-asws children, and the ones from his-asws Shias who had joined with him-asws, and the news of Muslim-asws did not happen to have reached him-asws of his-asws going out, on the day he-asws went out, based upon what we have mentioned’’.[4]

وَ- رُوِيتُ بِالْإِسْنَادِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ دَاوُدَ الْقُمِّيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: جَاءَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ إِلَى الْحُسَيْنِ ع فِي اللَّيْلَةِ الَّتِي أَرَادَ الْحُسَيْنُ الْخُرُوجَ فِي صَبِيحَتِهَا عَنْ مَكَّةَ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا أَخِي إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْكُوفَةِ قَدْ عَرَفْتَ غَدْرَهُمْ بِأَبِيكَ وَ أَخِيكَ وَ قَدْ خِفْتُ أَنْ يَكُونَ حَالُكَ كَحَالِ مَنْ مَضَى فَإِنْ رَأَيْتَ أَنْ تُقِيمَ فَإِنَّكَ أَعَزُّ مَنْ بِالْحَرَمِ وَ أَمْنَعُهُ

And it is reported by the chains from Ahmad Bin Dawood Al Qummy,

‘From Abu Abdullah-asws having said: ‘Muhammad Bin Al-Hanafiya came to Al-Hussain-asws during the night in which Al-Hussain-asws intended the going out from Makkah during its morning. He said to him-asws, ‘O my brother-asws! The people of Al-Kufa are such, you-asws know of their treachery with your-asws father-asws, and your-asws brother-asws, and I am fearing that your-asws state would be like the state of the ones past. So, if you-asws could view to stay, for you-asws are the most honourable with the Sanctuary and its safety’.

فَقَالَ يَا أَخِي قَدْ خِفْتُ أَنْ يَغْتَالَنِي يَزِيدُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ بِالْحَرَمِ فَأَكُونَ الَّذِي يُسْتَبَاحُ بِهِ حُرْمَةُ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ

He-asws said: ‘O my-asws brother! I-asws am fearing that Yazeed-la Bin Muawiya-la would have me-asws assassinated in the Sanctuary, so I-asws would become the one by whom the Sanctity of this House (Kabah) was legalised with’.

فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ فَإِنْ خِفْتَ ذَلِكَ فَصِرْ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ أَوْ بَعْضِ نَوَاحِي الْبَرِّ فَإِنَّكَ أَمْنَعُ النَّاسِ بِهِ وَ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْكَ أَحَدٌ فَقَالَ أَنْظُرُ فِيمَا قُلْتَ

Ibn Al-Hanafiya said to him-asws, ‘If you-asws fear that, then go to Al-Yemen, or one of the areas of the wilderness, for you-asws can prevent the people by it and no one will be able upon you-asws’. He-asws said: ‘I-asws shall consider regarding what you have said’.

فَلَمَّا كَانَ السَّحَرُ ارْتَحَلَ الْحُسَيْنُ ع فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ ابْنَ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ فَأَتَاهُ فَأَخَذَ بِزِمَامِ نَاقَتِهِ وَ قَدْ رَكِبَهَا فَقَالَ يَا أَخِي أَ لَمْ تَعِدْنِي النَّظَرَ فِيمَا سَأَلْتُكَ قَالَ بَلَى قَالَ فَمَا حَدَاكَ عَلَى الْخُرُوجِ عَاجِلًا

When it was the pre-dawn, Al-Hussain-asws departed. That reached Ibn Al-Hanafiya, so he came to him-asws. He grabbed a rein of the camel, and he-asws was riding it. He said, ‘O my brother-asws! Did you-asws not reconsider regarding what I had asked you-asws?’ He-asws said: ‘Yes (I-asws did)’. He said, ‘So what guided you-asws upon the going out so hastily?’

قَالَ أَتَانِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص بَعْدَ مَا فَارَقْتُكَ فَقَالَ يَا حُسَيْنُ اخْرُجْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ شَاءَ أَنْ يَرَاكَ قَتِيلًا

He-asws said: ‘Rasool-Allah-saww came to me-asws after you had separated. He-saww said: ‘O Hussain-asws! Go out, for Allah-azwj has Desired that He-azwj Sees you-asws killed’.

فَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ راجِعُونَ‏ فَمَا مَعْنَى حَمْلِكَ هَؤُلَاءِ النِّسَاءَ مَعَكَ وَ أَنْتَ تَخْرُجُ عَلَى مِثْلِ هَذَا الْحَالِ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي ص إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ شَاءَ أَنْ يَرَاهُنَّ سَبَايَا فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ وَ مَضَى‏.

Muhammad Bin Al-Hanafiya said, ‘We are for Allah-azwj and are returning to Him-azwj! So, what is the meaning of your-asws carrying these women with you-asws, and you-asws going out upon the like of this situation?’ He-asws said to me: ‘Allah-azwj has Desired that He-azwj Sees them as captives’. So, he greeted him-asws and went away.

قَالَ وَ جَاءَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْعَبَّاسِ وَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ فَأَشَارَا عَلَيْهِ بِالْإِمْسَاكِ فَقَالَ لَهُمَا إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَدْ أَمَرَنِي بِأَمْرٍ وَ أَنَا مَاضٍ فِيهِ قَالَ فَخَرَجَ ابْنُ الْعَبَّاسِ وَ هُوَ يَقُولُ‏ وَا حُسَيْنَاهْ

He-asws said: ‘Abdullah Bin Al-Abbas and Abdullah Bin Al-Zubeyr came to him-asws. They consulted upon him-asws with the withholding. He-asws said to them: ‘Rasool-Allah-saww has instructed me-asws with an instruction, and I-asws am continuing in it’. He-asws said: ‘So Ibn Al-Abbas went out and he was saying, ‘Oh Hussain-asws!’

ثُمَّ جَاءَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ فَأَشَارَ عَلَيْهِ بِصُلْحِ أَهْلِ الضَّلَالِ وَ حَذَّرَهُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ وَ الْقِتَالِ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ مِنْ هَوَانِ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَنَّ رَأْسَ يَحْيَى بْنِ زَكَرِيَّا أُهْدِيَ إِلَى بَغِيٍّ مِنْ بَغَايَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ

Then Abdullah Bin Umar came and consulted upon him-asws with reconciling with the people of straying and cautioned him-asws from the killing and the fighting. He-asws said: ‘O Abu Abdul Rahman! Don’t you know that from the shame of the world to Allah-azwj the Exalted is that the head of Yahya-as Bin Zakariya-as was gifted to a prostitute from the prostitutes of the children of Israel?

أَ مَا تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانُوا يَقْتُلُونَ مَا بَيْنَ طُلُوعِ الْفَجْرِ إِلَى طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ سَبْعِينَ نَبِيّاً ثُمَّ يَجْلِسُونَ فِي أَسْوَاقِهِمْ يَبِيعُونَ وَ يَشْتَرُونَ كَأَنْ لَمْ يَصْنَعُوا شَيْئاً فَلَمْ يُعَجِّلِ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ بَلْ أَخَذَهُمْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَخْذَ عَزِيزٍ ذِي انْتِقَامٍ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَ لَا تَدَعْ نُصْرَتِي‏

Don’t you know that the children of Israel had killed seventy Prophets-as in what is between the emergence of the dawn to the emergence of the sun, then they sat in their markets selling and buying as if they had not done anything? Allah-azwj did not Hasten upon them, but He-azwj Seized them after that with a Mighty Seizing with the revenge. Fear Allah-azwj, O Abu Abdul Rahman, and do not leave helping me-asws!’’

ثم قَالَ الْمُفِيدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَ رُوِيَ عَنِ الْفَرَزْدَقِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ حَجَجْتُ بِأُمِّي فِي سَنَةِ سِتِّينَ فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا أَسُوقُ بَعِيرَهَا حَتَّى دَخَلْتُ الْحَرَمَ إِذْ لَقِيتُ الْحُسَيْنَ ع خَارِجاً مِنْ مَكَّةَ مَعَهُ أَسْيَافُهُ وَ تُرَاسُهُ فَقُلْتُ لِمَنْ هَذَا الْقِطَارُ فَقِيلَ لِلْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ع

Then Al-Mufeed, may Allah-azwj have Mercy on him, said, ‘And it is reported from Al-Farazdaq having said, ‘I went to Hajj with my mother during the year sixty. I was ushering her camel until I entered the Harram (Sanctuary), when I met Al-Hussain-asws going out from Makkah. With him-asws were his-asws swords and his-asws shields. I said, ‘For whom is this line (of camels)?’ It was said, ‘For Al-Hussain-asws Bin Ali-asws’.

فَأَتَيْتُهُ وَ سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَ قُلْتُ لَهُ أَعْطَاكَ اللَّهُ سُؤْلَكَ وَ أَمَلَكَ فِيمَا تُحِبُّ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَ أُمِّي يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ مَا أَعْجَلَكَ عَنِ الْحَجِّ

I went to him-asws and greeted unto him-asws and said to him-asws, ‘May Allah-azwj Grant you-asws your-asws request and your-asws hopes in what you-asws live. May my father and my mother be (sacrificed) for you-asws, O son-asws of Rasool-Allah-saww! What is your-asws haste (going) away from the Hajj?’

قَالَ لَوْ لَمْ أُعَجِّلْ لَأُخِذْتُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي مَنْ أَنْتَ قُلْتُ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ وَ لَا وَ اللَّهِ مَا فَتَّشَنِي عَنْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ

He-asws said: ‘If I-asws don’t make haste, I-asws will be seized (killed here)’. Then he-asws said to me: ‘Who are you?’ I said, ‘A man from the Arabs’, and no, by Allah-azwj he-asws did not inquire any more than that.

ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ النَّاسِ خَلْفَكَ فَقُلْتُ الْخَبِيرَ سَأَلْتَ قُلُوبُ النَّاسِ مَعَكَ وَ أَسْيَافُهُمْ عَلَيْكَ وَ الْقَضَاءُ يَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَ اللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ ما يَشاءُ

Then he-asws said to me: ‘Inform me-asws about the people behind you’. I said, ‘You-asws have asked the informed one. The hearts of the people are with you-asws but their swords are against you-asws, and the Decree will descend from the sky, and Allah-azwj Does whatever He-azwj so Desires’.

قَالَ صَدَقْتَ‏ لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَ مِنْ بَعْدُ وَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ رَبُّنَا هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ‏ إِنْ نَزَلَ الْقَضَاءُ بِمَا نُحِبُّ فَنَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى نَعْمَائِهِ وَ هُوَ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى أَدَاءِ الشُّكْرِ وَ إِنْ حَالَ الْقَضَاءُ دُونَ الرَّجَاءِ فَلَمْ يَبْعُدْ مَنْ كَانَ الْحَقَّ نِيَّتُهُ وَ التَّقْوَى سِيرَتُهُ

He-asws said: ‘You speak the truth. The Command is for Allah-azwj, from before and from afterwards, and during every day our Lord-azwj is in a state of Glory. If the Decree descends with what we-asws like, then we-asws praise Allah-azwj upon His-azwj Favours, and He-azwj is the Helper upon giving the thanks, and if the Decree Blocks besides the hope, so he would not be driven away, the ones whose intention was true, and the piety was his way’.

فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَجَلْ بَلَغَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تُحِبُّ وَ كَفَاكَ مَا تَحْذَرُ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ مِنْ نُذُورٍ وَ مَنَاسِكَ فَأَخْبَرَنِي بِهَا وَ حَرَّكَ رَاحِلَتَهُ وَ قَالَ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ ثُمَّ افْتَرَقْنَا

I said to him-asws, ‘Yes, may Allah-azwj Deliver what you-asws like and Suffice you-asws of what you-asws fear’. And I asked him-asws about issues, from the vows and the rituals. He-asws informed me with these and moved his-asws ride and said: ‘The greetings be to you’. Then we separated. (an extract)[5]

[1] Religious gatherings

[2] Al Kafi – V 4 – The Book of Hajj Ch 207 H 3

[3] Al Kafi – V 4 – The Book of Hajj Ch 207 H 4

[4][4] Bihar Al-Anwaar – V 44, The book of History – Al-Hassan-asws, Ch 37 H 2

[5] Bihar Al-Anwaar – V 44, The book of History – Al-Hassan-asws, Ch 37 H 2

The Route of Imam Hussain (as)

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