Martyrdom of Shawzib and Abis

The narrator says that Abis bin Abi Shabib Shakiri came to Shawzib, who was his relative, and said, "What is your heart's desire"? He replied, "What do I desire? I desire to fight alongside you, while defending the grandson of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.s), until I am martyred." Abis replied, "I had desired the same regarding you. Then proceed further to‌wards the Imam so that he may include you among his companions as the other preceeding you have done, so that I too may consider you. And at this moment, if there would have been with me someone else nearer to me than you, I would have sent him to the battlefield before me, so as to mourn his death and earn abundant reward. This is the day of our last actions, for after today there will be no actions but only accounting." Then Shawzib advanced further and saluted the Imam and fought, until he was martyred. (May Allah's Mercy and Blessings be upon him). Shakir is a clan of Yemen and a branch of the clan of Hamadan, which reach‌es Shakir bin Rabi'ah bin Malik. Abis himself was from the above clan, while Shawzib was his retainer, meaning that Shawzib was staying alongwith him or was his confederate and not his servant or a freed retainer, as is assumed by some. On the contrary, our Shaikh, the Traditionist (Hu‌sain) Noori, the author of Mustadrakul Wasael, says that perhaps the status of Shawzib might be higher than that of Abis, for it is said regarding him, that he (Shawzib) was one of the foremost in Shi'ahism. (Tabari) Then Abis bin Abi Shabeeb told Imam Husain (a.s) that, "O Aba Abdillah! There in none upon the earth, among my relatives and others, who is more dear and beloved in my eyes than you. If I had the power to defend off oppression with anything more dear to me than my life, I would surely have done so. Peace be upon you O Aba Abdillah! I call upon Allah as my witness, that I am (steadfast) upon the path of your father and yourself." Saying this he unsheathed his sword with a wound which was there on his forehead, and attacked the enemy. Azdi says that Nameer bin Ramalah relates from Rabee' bin Tameem Hamadani, who was present in the battle, that I saw Abis proceeding towards the battlefield and recognised him. I had seen him in numerous battles. He was a valorous man, hence I said, "O people! Behold this is a lion among the lions! He is the son of Abu Shabeeb! Thus no one should confront him." Thus Abis started calling out, "Is there no man among you"? Hearing this Umar bin Sa'ad said, "Pound him with stones." Then people started hurling stones at him, and when Abis saw this, he removed his armor and helmet. Allah's praise upon the one who said, "He fearlessly meets his neck with the clear-cut spears, and he considers his head to be a helmet, when the spears advance, he wears no

other armour except that of chastity." And a Persian Poet has said, "He removed his armour saying that I am a moon and not a fish, and he removed his helmet saying that I am not a rooster, and he came out without any armour or helmet, to embrace death nakedly, similar to a bride." Then he attacked the enemies, (the narrator says that) it is as if I see him pushing back a group of two hundred men. Then they advanced towards him from all sides and killed him (May Allah's Mercy and Blessings be upon him). I saw his head in the hands of a group of people who were quarreling among themselves that they had killed him. Then they came to Umar bin Sa'ad, who said, "Do not quarrel, for he is not killed by any one man", and dispersed them back.