Martyrdom of Muslim bin Awsaja

Then Amr bin Hajjaj attacked the right wing of the companions of Imam Husain (a.s), alongwith the right wing of the army of Umar bin Sa’ad, from the side of the Euphrates and they fought for sometime. Muslim bin Awsaja Asadi was the first one among the companions of Imam Husain (a.s) to attain martyrdom. Then Amr bin Hajjaj and his companions returned. (Manaqib) It should be noted that Muslim bin Awsaja was the agent of Muslim bin Aqeel (a.s) in Kufa. He was given the charge to collect the funds, buy ammunitions and accept allegiance (on behalf of Imam Husain). Muslim fought valiantly in the battle of Karbala, while reciting the follow‌ing Rajaz: “If you inquire about me, (know that) I am a male Lion, (I am) from the chiefs and notables of the branch of Bani Asad, thus the one who oppresses us has deviated from the Right Path and from the Religion of the Self Sufficient, Omnipotent (Lord).”

He fought abundantly with the enemies and forebore upon the fight of the army until he fell down. The narrator says that when the clouds of sand sank, Muslim was seen smeared in blood. Imam Husain (a.s) went to his head, when he was yet alive. Imam said, “May your Lord have mercy upon you, O Muslim bin Awsaja! Of the believers are the men who are true to what they covenanted with Allah, of them is he who fulfilled his vow and of them is he who awaits (its fulfil‌ment), and they have changed not in the least” [1] Then Habeeb bin Muzhaahir came to him and said, “It is very unpleasant for me to see you smeared in mud and blood O Muslim! May you receive the glad tid‌ings of Paradise.” Then Muslim replied in a soft voice, “May your Allah give you glad tidings of fairness too.” Habeeb said, “If I had not known that I too would have to follow your path (of Martyrdom) and reach you, it would have been my pleasure to ask you to will to me regarding your heart’s desire, until I fulfil the rights of your relatives and your co-religionists.” Muslim replied, “I recommend this Master for you”, he said pointing towards Imam Husain (a.s), “then you should ransom your life over him.” Habeeb replied, “By the Lord of Ka’bah! I shall surely do that.” It was not late when he died in their hands. (May Allah’s Mercy and Blessings be upon him). And one of his slave girls was heard calling out, “O son of Awsaja! O master!” The companions of Amr bin Hajjaj applauded, “We have killed Muslim bin Awsaja.” Then Shabas turned towards his associates and said, “May your mothers mourn over you! You kill yourselves with your own hands and are seperating from your ownselves for the sake of others. Then you are rejoic‌ing because you have killed Muslim bin Awsaja? By Him in whom I believe! I have seen him (Muslim) in the battlefield with honour for the Muslims. I have seen him in the battle in the plain of Azarbayjan at the time when no Muslim had moved from the places, he had already killed six polytheists. And when such a man dies, you rejoice over it”? The murderors of Muslim bin Awsaja were Muslim bin Abdullah Zababi and Abdul Rahman bin Abi Khash‌kar Bajali. Then Shimr attacked the left wing of the Imam’s army. They stood in front of him and his army and pushed them back with their lances. Then Imam and his companions were attacked from all sides and Abdullah bin Umayr Kalbi, who had previously killed two men, was martyred. Hani bin Sabat Hazrami and Bukayr bin Hayy Tamimi killed him (May Allah’s Mercy and Blessings be upon him) and he was the second Martyr among the companions of Imam. [1] Surah al Ahzab: 23.

Then the companions of Imam fought valiantly with the Kufan army. Their horse‌men, being thirty-two, attacked the Kufan army from all sides and splitted all of them. It is as if Abu Tufayl says regarding them: “What an army is this, similar to the waves, similar to the powerful beasts like Leapords and Lions, there are the old, the youth and the chiefs, who are mounted upon the Horses, escaping from whose midst is very hard, when the rays of the sun sets below their standard, it’s powers dims the eyes, their slogan is similar to that of the Prophet, while their standards by which Allah, the Beneficent avenges the schemers.” It is as if it is said regarding them: “Astonishment that the clear-cut swords and spears see months in the hands of this group, and they are men, and astonishment that the fire burns upon their palms even though their hands are oceans.” (Tabari) When Urwa bin Qays, who was the commander of the horsemen, saw this situation that his horses were splitted from all sides, he sent Abdul Rahman bin Haseen to Umar bin Sa’ad with the message that, “Do you not see that since today morning my horsemen have been dragging alongwith these little group of men? Despatch the foot-soldiers and the archers towards them.” Then Umar bin Sa’ad turned towards Shabas bin Raba’ee and said, “Will you attack Husain”? Shabas replied, “Glory be to Allah! Do you intend sending the chief of the towns and the master of the Kufans with the archers? Do you not find anyone else who could do this job”? Shabas disliked fighting Imam Husain (a.s). Abu Zuhayr Abasi says that during the period of the caliphate of Mus’ab bin Zubayr, I heard him (Shabas) say that, “Allah will never bestow goodness upon the people of Kufa and will not reach them towards felicity. It is not surprising that we fought in the ranks of Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s) and after him with his son (Imam Hasan) against the children of Abu Sufyan for five years. Then we pounced upon his son Husain, who was the best from among the dwellers of the earth, and we fought against him in the ranks of the children of Mu’awiyah and the son of Sumayyah, the adultress. Disgrace, and what a disgrace”! Then Umar bin Sa’ad called for Haseen bin Tameem and despatched him with the foot soldiers and five hundred archers. They proceeded further until they reached Imam Husain (a.s) and his companions. Then they shot their arrows towards them and impoverished their horses and all of them came on foot. Azdi says that Nameer bin Wahlah relates from Ayyub bin Mashrah Haywanee, that he always said that, “By Allah! I was the one who impoverished the horse of Al-Hurr bin Yazeed. I shot an arrow which peirced it’s belly, it gave a cry and rolled up itself (on the ground). Suddenly Al-Hurr

charged like a Lion and leapt upon them with his sword in hand saying: “Even though you have cut off the legs of my horse, I am more valorous than a male lion.” By Allah! I have not seen anyone like him, who inflicted the ranks.” The chiefs of his clan asked him, “Have you killed Al-Hurr”? He replied, “No, by Allah! I have not killed him. Rather another person had killed him and I did not desire killing him.” Abu Wadak asked him the reason, to which he replied, “For he was included among the devout men. By Allah! If this deed of mine be a sin, then if I have to go to the presence of Allah with the responsibility of injury and presence in the army it is easy, than that I go to his presence with the sin of their murder upon my neck.” Abu Wadak said, “You too shall go to the presence of Allah with the sin of their murder. Then tell me, that if you pursued one of their horses and shot an arrow towards another, then you stood facing them and repeated this act of yours numerous times, and you encouraged your fellow army-men. Then if you were attacked and you had to flee away while some of your companions fol‌lowed your example, resulting in the collaboration of you all with them in their murder, then all of you are equal partners in their blood.” Nameer said, “O Abu Wadak! You are disheartening us from the mercy of Allah. Then on the day of Qiyamah if you had been in charge of our accounts, may Allah not forgive you if you do not forgive us.” It is better that we relate regarding them: “Does this nation desire the intercession of the Grandfather (of Husain) on the day of Qiyamah after having murdered Husain, no never, by Allah! They will find no intercessor and they will be engulfed in the wrath in Qiyamah.” (Tabari) They fought with them valiantly until the noon. The Kufan army could not attack from any other side accept one, because their tents were joint together. When Umar bin Sa’ad saw this, he ordered his men to attack the tents from the left and right sides, to dig them up and and surround them. Three four persons from among the companions of Imam Husain (a.s) stood up to guard the tents. Then they would attack the invaders from in between the tents and whoever would come to dig the tent or plunder it, would be killed or they would shoot an arrow and injure him. Then Umar bin Sa’ad ordered, “Do not go near the tents, nor dig or plunder them, rather burn them.” Then they burnt the tents and held back their hands from dig‌ging or plundering them. Imam Husain (a.s) said, “Let them burn the tents, for if they do so, the fire will act as a prevention against them.” It happened as said, and a group of them fought with them from one side. (Tabari) The wife of (Abdullah bin) Umayr Kalbi ran out into the battle‌field and sat at the head of her husband (who was already martyred, as has been

related earlier) cleaning the dust from him, and said, “May Paradise be pleasant for you.” When Shimr saw her, he commanded his retainer named Rustam, “Hit her upon the head.” He dealt a blow upon her head which splitted open, and she attained martyrdom at that very spot. (May Allah’s Mercy and Blessings be upon her). Then Shimr bin Ziljawshan attacked until he reached a particular tent of Imam Husain (a.s) and stricking it with his lance said, “Bring me fire, so that I may burn it alongwith what it contains.” Hearing this, the womenfolk started shrieking and came out of the tents in panic. Then Imam Husain (a.s) called out in a loud voice saying, “O son of Ziljawshan! Do you ask for fire to be brought so as to burn the tent alongwith my family? May Allah burn you in the fire (of hell).” Azdi says that Sulayman bin Abi Rashid relates from Hameed bin Muslim that he said, that I told Shimr bin Ziljawshan, “Glory be to Allah! This does not suit you. Do you desire tasting the wrath of Allah by killing the children and ladies? By Allah! The commander will be pleased with you only with the killing of the men.” Then Shimr asked me as to who I was. And I said, “I shall not disclose who I am.” I said this, for by Allah, I feared lest he would malign me in the presence of the sovereign. Then a man came to him, whose orders he obeyed more than of Shabas bin Rabee’, and said, “I have not heard a more evil speech from you before, nor have I seen a more degraded situation that you have placed yourself in. Then have you now started frightening the women”? I saw that hearing this Shimr was ashamed of himself and retreated back. Then Zuhayr bin Qayn attacked him and his companions with a group of his ten companions until they had pushed them away from the tents and they went far away, and they killed Abu Uzrah Zababi, one of the companions of Shimr, seeing this the entire army at‌tacked them putting them to loss. Many of the companions of Imam started falling down, and if one or two of them fell it (their loss) would be easily visible, while those of the enemies would not, because of their large numbers.