Horr and the circumstance of his martyrdom

By: Professor Hussein Ansarian

Book: A review on the story of Imam Hussein’s (God bless him) martyrdom

The amazing story of sainthood Horr’ penitence and his circumstance of martyrdom are narrated by some erudite like Sheikh Mofid, Syed-Ibn-Tavus, Allame Majlesy and Mazandarany-e-Haeri that here is an excerpt of it:

When Imam Hussein (God bless him) caravan wanted to move from Zobale to Kufe, Imam Hussein (God bless him) ordered that take a lot of water. Imam Hussein (God bless him) command has obeyed. The caravan moved with a lot of water, while they were traversing the way, one of the companions said Takbeer (saying Allah-o-Akbar with loud voice), Imam Hussein (God bless him) also said Takbeer and asked from him “why did you say Takbeer?” he said “I saw the date’s palm.

 The others said “we are familiar with this desert, there isn’t any date’s palm, Imam Hussein (God bless him) said “look carefully and say what do you see?” they said “the neck of horses.” Imam Hussein (God bless him) said “I see them too.” Suddenly Ibn Ziyad’s corps arrived while they were thirsty. Imam Hussein (God bless him) commanded to quench their thirsty and also water to their horses too.

The Imam Hussein’s (God bless him) companions that had a lot of water gave water to all the members of that corps and their horses. They hold the containers which were full of water in front of the horses’ mouth so that they can drink water completely. Ali-Ibn-Altaan says “I was in the corps of Horr, I dropped behind, and when I arrived all were given water, the horses also were watered. When Imam Hussein (God bless him) saw my thirstiness, showed me a camel that was loaded by leather bottles which were full of water, and said “lay the camel down and drink water. I laid down the camel, and put my mouth at the opening of leather bottle, water was pouring from the corner of my mouth, I wasn’t able to drink water, Imam Hussein (God bless him) himself came and rolled the leather bottle’s opening and put it in my mouth till I drank and also my horse drank water too.”

The Kufe corps whose were commanded by Horr-Ibn-Yazid took a rest after drinking water until it became noon. Here Horr-Ibn-Yazid took a step of politeness toward right, how? At noon Imam Hussein (God bless him) said to Hajaj-Ibn-Masrugh, the muezzin of his corps, that say azan, then said to Horr “will you say your pray with your corps?” the commander of enemy corps said unlike the expectation “no but I say my pray with you.”

This politeness and this pray that he wanted to say behind Imam Hussein (God bless him), in fact was a rejecting to the culture of enemy and it brought him a step close to the God and his this work was a key to opens the doors of God’s mercifulness toward him. Corps said their pray with Imam Hussein (God bless him) and Imam said a sermon until it became the time of Asr pray. Horr said his Asr pray with Imam Hussein (God bless him) again, after pray a discussion occurred between Imam Hussein (God bless him) and Horr about the people of Kufe and Imam’s returing to Mecca or Medina, but Horr insisted that I have to bring you to Kufe.

Imam Hussein (God bless him) said to Horr “May your mother be mournful for you! What do you want?” Horr became silent for a moment, then looked at Imam Hussein (God bless him) and said “swear to God that if another person from Arab told me such a word and was involved in such horrible situation, I wouldn’t have left him and would have remembered his mother to moan and the loss of her child, definitely I would have given his answer, but swear to God! I’m not allowed to say your mother name except with the best words.[1]

After pray, this was the second step of Horr’s politeness that showed because of this reverence toward sainthood Fatima (God bless her), the special door of God’s mercifulness opened to him. It passed till the day of Ashura, that he had an amazing mood of penitence and luminous emotion despite the promotion that was given to him by Omar-Ibn-Saad and with great humility and humbleness along with the calling that he had heard at the beginning of his travelling - that enunciated him to heaven – walked toward the tents of Imam Hussein (God bless him).

 He dismounted near the tents, put his two hands on his head, when he neared to Imam Hussein (God bless him), fell himself down on earth and soil and was saying continuously “O God I have repented, accept my penitence. I have frightened the hearts of your slaves, O God the heart of your Prophet’s daughter; I have frightened the hearts of your Prophet’s daughter’s children.

Imam Hussein (God bless him) said “raise your head.” He said “O the son of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)! I’m the person who didn’t let you come back to Medina, I blocked your way, is there really any chance for me to repent?” Imam Hussein (God bless him) said “yes you have the chance to repent, raise your head from soil, God accepted your penitence.”[2] Then as Sheikh Ibn Naamy-e-Helli has narrated in Macero-al-Ahzan, Horr said to Imam Hussein (God bless him) “O the son of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)! When I came out from Kufe, I heard a voice at the back of myself that was saying “O Horr you are enunciated to hevean.” Imam Hussein (God bless him) said “you have well realized God’s reward and the good that has left the corps of Yazid and joined to Ahle Bait (God bless them) and you have well approached yourself to that enunciation.” Then he asked for Imam Hussein’s (God bless him) permission and went to battlefield, after he fought extremely against the enemy corps, he martyred.[3]

Imam Hussein’s (God bless him) companions took his body from earth and brought him near the tents, then put him down in the presence of Imam Hussein (God bless him), Imam sat beside him and touched his bloody face fondly, wipe up dust from his face and said this sentence “you are horr (Arabic word means “independent”) as your mother named you Horr, you are free in this world and fortunate in hereafter.[4]