The Imam thanked him and blessed him then saying: “Go and ask these people to give us time to pray.”
Then there was Jaber bin Orawa Ghaffari.
He was an old man. He had seen the Prophet and had taken part in many a battle including that of Badr and Siffin. This old man who had the courage and determination of a youth tying a cloth around his waist and a scarf over his head so that his eyebrows would at no time cover his eyes went forward to battle killing sixty of the enemy before he was martyred.
Imam Husayn is reported to have said when he saw the old man fighting: “God thanks you for your efforts old man.”
Next came Muslim bin Aousaj’an Asadi, a brave man whose bravery had won him a great deal of fame. When Muslim bin Aqil was appointed the Imam’s representative in Kufa, Aousaj’a acted as his deputy in charge of procuring arms, collecting funds and making known of the Imam’s authority to the people of the area.
On that night before when Imam Husayn urged those who wish to go to leave him Muslim bin Aousaj’a had this to say in reply: “O, son of the Prophet of God, we leave you here and go to save ourselves? How then do we answer God? By God, I shall not depart from you until I have thrust my lance into the very heart of the enemy.
As long as I have strength to hold up my sword I shall fight the enemy.
If not with a sword, I shall fight them with stones.
I shall never leave you and may God be witness that we have not deserted the Prophet. If I am killed and brought back to life and killed yet again and my body burnt to ashes, and this is repeated again and again seventy times, I shall not desert you. Now there is only this one martyrdom for me and then eternity.
This I shall not give up.”
Muslim went out into the battlefield killing his enemies until he was himself martyred. Imam Husayn came to him as he lay fallen followed by Habib ibn Mazaher who was a friend of his. Habib telling him it was hard for him to see him in such a condition nevertheless congratulated him for gaining Heaven to which Muslim rejoined saying, “May God bless you with good tidings.” Habib then said: “I hoped to be of service to you, but I know this cannot be because I too will soon be killed.” Muslim his voice feeble said once more, “My only will is to see that Imam be not left alone. Stay by his side at any cost.”
Next comes Omar bin Junada Ansari, a youth whose father Junada bin Ka’ab Ansari was killed early in the battle. His mother had this to say to him: “O, my son, get up an go into the battlefield and let the Imam see how you kill the enemy and how you get killed.” The boy approached the Imam to seek his permission but the Imam seeing he was but a youth and considering the fact that his death might fall too heavily on his mother since her husband too was lost to her, hesitated. But the boy assured him that it was his mother herself who had sent him along and so was given leave to fight. He went along with the following poetry from his lips: “My chief is Husayn There is none better to gain Bringing gladness to the Prophet’s Heart’s domain, His parentage are Ali a chain, Do you know of any obtain?
His face effulgent like the sun, His forehead like moonlight shone.”
The boy went into the battle, killing the enemy until he was finally killed. His head was cut off and thrown across to the Imam’s camp. His mother took it in her hands, embraced it saying “God bless you my son” and then threw it back into the enemy camp saying: “What we give in the way of God, we and Fatimah in of his like to do not take back.”
One by one the companions of the Imam went forward and each in turn were martyred until none were left Now it came to the turn of the Bani Hashim, the Imam’s relatives - - the sons of Aqil Imam Hasan, his own son and the sons of Muslim and Abdullah bin Ja’far.
His brother who was popularly known as the moon of Bani Hashim, a handsome youth with a fine personality and wonderful features was yet another.
He was possessed of burning faith and love for his brother and what he stood for.
Dreaded by the enemy he stood out as a hope for the Imam and his children. But alas, he too went out and was martyred relieving the enemy of their anxiety but plunging the Imam’s came in despair. One by one they had all gone into battle and attained martyrdom.
First his companions, then his relatives, his brother and his own sons.
He stood alone with none to come to his aid.
It was now his turn to enter battle. He did shattering the enemy forces the blood running strong in his veins that was his mother Fatima’s, his father Ali’s, his brother Imam Hasan’s and that of redoubtable relatives Hamza and Ja’far. His blood, which was shed that they were the bloods of the Prophets and apostles Abraham Moses, Ismayl, Jesus and many others because they were from the divine and this cause was indeed divine.
As the day went by the sun began gradually to set, the desert of Karbala’ was suffuse with the blood of the martyrs and then the unthinkable happened - - Imam Husayn’s head was in the hands of the enemies.
God is great; The air became dark, the earth shook and the sun was eclipsed.
But it was the dawning of the son of truth.
The blood of Imam Husayn and that of his companions, relatives and of the loved of his family was shed to nourish the tree of human liberty and dignity. It was history’s greatest sacrifice and one that shaped its future course.
It was the uprising that nourished many other uprisings. It was the fount from which many other springs flowed.
It was the uprising from which the uprisings of Mukthar Thaqafi, that of Zayd and many others took their roots. Even unto this day Ashura’ of Husayn blazing forth as the paradigm supreme of the fight against tyranny and its eventual defeat and overthrow.
