Karbalaa and The killing of Imam al-Hussayn on Ashura (4-61H)
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the humans and jinn, to Him belong the endowments and proper commendations. May Allah raise the rank of our Master Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam and his kind Al and Companions, and protect his nation from which he fears for it.
al-Hussain the grandson of the messenger of Allah Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu ^Alayhi wa Sallam), the son of Imam Aliy and lady Fatimah (Radiallahu ^Anhum) is regarded as a great and well respected Imam by all Muslims. No one denies his great status (Radiallahu ^Anhu – May Allah accept his deeds)
At-Tirmidhiyy related that the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam said: “Husayn is from me and I’m from Husayn.” This means that: “My love to him is full and so is his love to me, and my affection towards him is full and so is his affection towards me.”
Al-Hakim related that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam said: “He who loves me then let him love al-Hussain .”
Our Prophet Foretold about the Unjust Killing of Hussain
Adh-Dhahabiyy related in the biographies and others from the route of ^Amarah Ibn Zadhan, from the route of Thabit that Anas said: “The Angel of rain Mika’il asked the permission of the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam to be with him alone. The Prophet said: “O Umm Salamah keep the door shut on us.” Then al-Hussain came and made his way through the door and started to jump on the Prophet and the Messenger of Allah was kissing him.
The Angel said: “Do you love him?” He said: “Yes”. The Angel then said: “Your nation would kill him, and if you want I will show you the spot where he will be killed in.” The Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam said: “Yes.” The Angel brought some red soil. Thabit said: “We used to say that it is Karbala’ (in Iraq).
The Story of the Martyrdom of Imam al-Hussain
When the people of Kufah (In Iraq) heard about the death of Mu^awiyyah and the appointment of his son Yazid, they sent to al-Hussain pledging allegiance to him. He sent them his reply with their messenger and sent with him his cousin Muslim Ibn ^Uqayl. Upon his arrival at their end he got from them the oath and pledge of allegiance to al-Hussain , and to protect him and to support him.
When al-Hussain got ready to go to Iraq, the people of wisdom like Ibn ^Abbas and Ibn ^Umar forbade him, he did not listen to them and left. As soon as Yazid heard of that, he appointed ^Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyyad to Iraq and ordered him to confront and fight Imam al-Hussain . Ibn Ziyyad entered Kufah before al-Hussain , he captured Muslim Ibn ^Uqayl and killed him; he then sent an army under the command of ^Umar, the son of Sa^d, the son of Abu Waqqas.
When al-Hussain arrived in Karbala’ with his companions and unloaded his luggage, he did not find anyone of those who wrote to him pledging allegiance. He met ^Umar Ibn Sa^d and said: “Choose for me one out of three; either you let me go and join the defenders of the Islamic state at the borders, or I go to Yazid, or I go to where I came from.” ^Umar Ibn Sa^d agreed to that. Ibn Ziyyad did not agree, and said: “Not until he puts his hand in my hand (meaning to pledge his allegiance to Yazid). To that al-Hussain said: “That will never happen.”
The Brutal Killing of the Great Martyr al-Hussain
In brief, on the morning of the tenth of Muharram (^Ashura’), Imam al-Hussain got ready with 32 horsemen and 40 fighters on foot. ^Umar Ibn Sa^d had 4,000 fighters on his side, and then the war erupted while al-Hussain was defending from the right and the left.
But the attackers were brutal and unjust. They did not know the value and great status of Imam al-Hussein, the grandson of the messenger of Allah Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu ^Alayhi wa Sallam), the son of Imam Aliy and lady Fatimah (Radiallahu ^Anhum). Soon Zur^ah Ibn Sharik hit his left hand, another one hit his shoulder; Sinan Ibn Anas stabbed him with a spear which made the great Imam al-Hussain (Radiallahu ^Anhum) fall off his horse to the ground. Shumar Ibn Dhi al-Jushan got down and without mercy chopped off the honorable head of Imam al-Hussain killing him in this brutal way. They kept him and his children thirsty without water, they killed them all.
They found later that Imam al-Hussain was stabbed thirty three times and was hit thirty four times, he was 56 years old when he died; some said that he was 58. His martyrdom (Radiallahu ^Anhum) was on the tenth of Muharram 61 AH.
It was mentioned that when al-Hussain , peace be upon him, was killed his head was brought to Yazid; he started to pick his teeth with a stick. Abu Barzah al-Aslamiyy said to him out of shock when he saw that: “Are you picking with your stick the mouth of al-Hussain ? I swear by Allah who is the only God that I saw the lips of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam on those lips kissing them.” He then spoke roughly to him and left.
Earth and Sky cried over His death
Safiyah the aunt of the messenger of Allah Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu ^Alayhi wa Sallam) said:
صفية عمة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قالت وهي ترثي رسول الله: بكت عليه الأرض والسماء وبكاه نديمه جبريل.
ولما مات الحسين كان يرى تحت الحجر الذي يرفع دم
That means: the pious ones on Earth and angels in the Skies including Jibril (peace be upon him) cried on the day of the death of Imam al-Hussain. And he died, blood was seen under the stones.
The dignified body of al-Hussain was buried in Karbala’, there were many sayings about his head some said it was buried in Damascus and was later taken to Egypt. This is the saying of the majority of historians.
Among what was said after the death of al-Hussain that Abu Janab al-Kalbiyy said: “I went to Karbala’ and said to a man from the Arab nobles: “I heard that you hear the lamenting of Jinn.” He said: “You will never meet a free or a slave person who will not tell you that he heard that.” I said: “What did you hear?” He answered him with this poem:
مسح الرسول جبينَهُ فله بريق في الخدود
His parents are among the high ranked ones of Quraysh and his grandfather is the best grandfather.
Adh-Dhabiyy mentioned in the biographies that as-Suddiyy said: “I came to Karbala’ as a tradesman. An old man from Taiyy made dinner for us, during the dinner we mentioned the story of the death of al-Hussain . I said: “No one who has ever taken part in the killing of al-Hussain killing and escaped dying in a bad way.” He said: “What great liars you are? I’m one of those who took part in his killing.”
Before we left the man approached a lighted-wick as it was soaked with fuel. He started to pull the wick with his finger causing it to catch fire. As he attempted to put it off with his saliva, his beard caught fire. He ran away and threw himself in the water. When I looked at him, he was as a lava.”
This Reminds us of the Killing of Prophet Yahya
His killing reminds us of the Killing of Prophet Yahya who was killed by a tyrant unjust ruller because Prophet Yahya gave him an Islamic judgment that one cannot marry his niece, that tyrant was in love with his own niece, the daughter of his sister. And so he killed Prophet Yahya peace be upon him by chopping his honorable head off. But then Allah sent a tyrant blasphemer who killed that king and 70,000 soldier of that King’s army.
Many of the Propehts of Allah were also killed, this dunia world has no value in the sight of Allah, the clever is the one that prepares for the hereafter.
We ask Allah to endow his mercy on Master al-Hussain and reward his deeds and make us with him and with our beloved Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam in Paradise. And all praise be to Allah.
