Looting of the heads of the martyrs

Shaikh Mufeed says that they looted the belongings, camels and the chattels of Imam Husain (a.s) and also the veils of the women-folk of his family. Hameed bin Muslim says that by Allah! I have seen with my own eyes that they pulled the veils off the shoulders of the women-folk, their daughters or other ladies and removed from them forcibly. Azdi says that Sulayman bin Abi Rashid relates from Hameed bin Muslim, that I reached the bedside of Ali bin Husain al Asghar (a.s) (Imam Zainul Abedeen), who was ill and bed-ridden. Shimr bin Ziljawshan, alongwith his lackeys rushed upon him and said, "Shall we kill him?" I said, "Glory be to Allah! Shall we also kill the infants? This infant is already at the verge of death". I kept a watch upon him and defended him when anyone approached him until Umar bin Sa'ad came there. He said, "None should enter the tents of the women-folk and none should disturb this ailing child. The ones who have robbed their belongings should return it back to them". By Allah! None among them returned anything back. In Akhbarud Dawl of Qirmani it is related that Shimr (May the curse descend upon him which is due to him) decided to kill (Imam) Ali al Asghar (Zainul Abedeen) who was ill. Zainab (a.s), the daughter of Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s), came in and said, "By Allah! You shall not kill him until you kill me". Hearing this Shimr lifted his hands off him. It is related in Rawzatus Safa, that when Shimr entered the tent of the ailing one (Imam Zainul Abedeen), he saw him lying upon the pillow. Shimr pulled out his sword to kill him when Hameed bin Muslim said, "Glory be to Allah! How will you kill this infant child? Do not kill him". Some say that Umar bin

Sa'ad caught hold of the hand of Shimr and said, "Are you not ashamed before Allah? You intend killing this ailing infant?" Shimr replied, "We have orders of the commander Ubaydullah to kill each and every son of Husain". Umar repeatedly restrained him until he retreated back. Then he ordered that the tents of the Progeny of Mustafa (s.a.w.s) be set on fire. It is related in Manaqib of Ibne Shahr Ashob, that Ahmed bin Hambal says that the reason for Imam Zainul Abedeen (a.s) becoming ill in Karbala was that he had worn a long armour, and he clipped the extra part of it with his bare hands and tore it (and thus developed fever). Shaikh Mufeed relates that the accursed Umar bin Sa'ad came in facing the tents and the women started weeping and wailing in front of him. He turned towards his accomplices and said, "None should enter the tents of the women-folk and none should disturb this ailing infant". The women-folk desired from him that whatever was looted from them be returned so that they may cover themselves. He said, "Whatever one has looted off the belongings of these women should return it back to them". By Allah! None returned anything. Then he appointed some guards upon the tents of the ladies and of the ailing Imam and said, "Guard them, none should enter therein nor should ruin them". Saying this he returned to his tent and called out in the midst of his associates, "Who will volunteer to gallop horses upon Husain?" Tabari says that Sinan bin Anas came to Umar bin Sa'ad and stood at the door of his tent and called out, "Fill my stirrup with rewards for I have killed the King whose door was guarded, I have killed the one who was the best with regard to his father and mother, and whenever ancestry was discussed he possessed the best ancestry".[1] Umar bin Sa'ad said, "You are insane and shall never come to your senses. Bring him to me". He was brought to him and Umar beat his hand with the cane and said, "O insane one! You have uttered that, which if heard by Ibne Ziyad, he will blow your head off". Umar bin Sa'ad arrested Uqbah bin Sam'an, the servant and retainer of Rabab (a.s), the wife of Imam Husain (a.s), and asked him, "Who are you?" He replied, "I am a retainer". Then he was released, and we have related regarding him, alongwith Marqa' bin Samamah, in the preceding chapter. It is related, that then Umar bin Sa'ad called out in a loud voice among his accomplices, "Who among you will volunteer to gallop the horses upon the [1] Tabari says that the army told Sinan bin Anas, "You killed Husain, the son of Ali, and Fatemah, the daughter of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.s.), and you have killed the most dangerous Arabian man who had desired snatching the kingdom away from the Bani Umayyah. Then go to your commanders and desire abundant rewards, for even if they hand over all of their wealth in lieu of the murder of Husain, it is quite less".

body of Husain?" Ten men among them volunteered to do so. Among them was Ishaq bin Haywah Hazramee, who had looted the shirt of Imam Husain (a.s), and was later bed-ridden with leprosy, and Ahbash bin Marsad Hazramee. They proceeded further and galloped their horses until they had crushed the back and chest of Imam Husain (a.s). I have been informed that after this incident, Ahbash bin Marsad was standing in the battlefield, when an unknown arrow came and struck at him and he died. Sayyed Ibne Tawoos says that Umar bin Sa'ad called out in the midst of his accomplices, "Who is desirous of volunteering to gallop the horses upon the back and chest of Husain?" Ten men among them volunteered to do so, among them was Ishaq bin Hawah Hazramee, the one who robbed the shirt of Imam Husain (a.s). The others being Akhnas bin Mursid, Hakeem bin Tufayl Sumbosi, Umar bin Sabeeh Saydawi, Raja' bin Manqaz Abadi, Saleem bin Khaysamah Ju'fi, Wahez bin Na'em, Saleh bin Wahab Ju'fi, Hani bin Sabeet Hazramee and Usayd bin Malik. (May Allah's curse be upon all of them). They trampled the body of Imam Husain (a.s) with their horse's hooves until they crushed his chest and back. The narrator says that these ten men came to Ubaydullah, and Usayd bin Malik among them said, "We trampled the chest after the back with the powerful hooves". (Ubaydullah) Ibne Ziyad said, "Who are you?" They replied, "We trampled the back of Husain until the bones of his chest turned into a powder", he bestowed some gifts upon them. Abu Amr Zahid says, that we investigated regarding these ten men and concluded that all of them were born illegitimate. Mukhtar arrested all of them and fastened their hands and feet to an iron fence. Then he ordered that horses be galloped upon their backs until they died.