Sainthood Ghacem’s (God bless him) taking permission for going to battlefield

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

 Professor Hussein Ansarian speech’s text

One of the harrowing tragedy that comes upon Ahle Bait (God bless them) in the day of Ashura was the martyrdom of Sainthood Ghacem (God bless him). Abu Makhnaf,[1] Sheikh Mofid,[2] Abu-al-Faraj Esfahany,[3] Allame Majlesy[4] and Tabary[5] has narrated the circumstances of Sainthood Ghacem’s (God bless him) martyrdom. But the circumstances of Sainthood Ghacem’s (God bless him) martyrdom has been narrated in some other sources thus:

When all of companions have been martyred and it was the turn of Imam Hassan’s (God bless him) children, Sainthood Ghacem (God bless him) came in the presence of Imam Hussein (God bless him) and said “O uncle! Let me go.” Imam said “O nephew! You are my brother sign and reminder of him; don’t go to battlefield because your existence consoles my heart.

What a majestic dignity it is that gives calmness to the uncle at the age of thirteen? When he saw that his uncle don’t let him go, he became extremely upset and while he was crying sat on the earth. He insisted and put his head on the foot of his uncle, and then he remembered that his father had fasten an armlet on his arm that it has a Herz in it that his father had told to him “when you become upset and restless open this armlet and read the Herz in it and understand its meaning and certainly carry it out.” Sainthood Ghacem (God bless him) said to himself “after the passing of all these years I hadn’t such sadness, now you have to open the armlet and read the paper which is in it.”

When he opened it he saw that it is written “O my son! I recommend you that when you see your uncle in Karbala that has been surrounded by enemy, don’t leave the fight against the enemy of God and God’s Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and don’t refrain from sacrificing yourself for your uncle, if your uncle don’t let you go, insist to him till you can take his permission.”

Sainthood Ghacem (God bless him) stood up and showed the writing to Imam Hussein (God bless him). When Imam Hussein (God bless him) saw the writing of his brother, put his hand around the neck of Ghacem (God bless him) and embraced him. The uncle and the nephew cried a lot. Anyway Imam (God bless him) brought Ghacem (God bless him) to the tent and hailed Abas (God bless him) and Oun (God bless him) and Ghacem’s (God bless him) mother and said to sainthood Zaynab (God bless her) “bring my special box,” then put him on the cassock of Imam Hassan (God bless him) and put the turban of his brother on Ghacem’s (God bless him) head. Ahle Bait (God bless them) cried a lot by looking this scene.

When Imam (God bless him) saw the moment of his preparing, shouted “O my son! Are you going toward the death by your foot?” he said “O uncle! How can I don’t go when I am looking that you are alone and friendless among these amount of enemy? O uncle! My entity be sacrificed upon you.” Imam (God bless him) slashed the collar of Ghacem’s (God bless him) dress and hanged the turban on the two sides of his face and sent him to battlefield with this condition so that save him from the heat of sun and the hit of enemy.[6]

It has been narrated from Imam Sajjad (God bless him) that in the night of Ashura when Imam Hussein (God bless him) showed the dignity of martyrs to themselves and said to them that all the people who remain with him will be martyred in the next day except Imam Sajjad (God bless him), sainthood Ghacem (God bless him) feared that lest he will not be martyred because of his little age, so he said “O uncle! Will I be martyred?” Imam (God bless him) fondled Ghacem (God bless him) with kindness and affection and said “how is the death in your observation?” sainthood Ghacem (God bless him) said “the death is sweeter than honey in my observation.” Imam (God bless him) said “O my eyes sight, you will be one of the martyrs tomorrow after being stamped by the hoofs of horses![7]

Hamid-Ibn-Muslim Azady, the reporter of Karbala’s incident, says “I saw that an adolescent came into the battlefield, he had put on a little dress and had Naleyn (an Arabic shoe) in his feet that the shoelace of his left foot wasn’t fasten, started to fight against the enemy and killed about thirty five people. The corps realized that they are not able fight against him so they started to throw stones toward him.” Omar-e-Azady said “swear to God! I’ll attack to him and will flow his blood.” Then he cleaved his holy skull.

 Ghacem (God bless him) called his uncle to help him. Imam Hussein (God bless him) came like an eagle and attacked to the enemy in order to disperse them; when he arrived, he saw that Omar-e-Azady want to cut Ghacem’s (God bless him) neck off. Imam Hussein (God bless him) attacked to him with sword. The killer hand has been cut. He called his tribesmen to help him and they attacked to Imam (God bless him). The battle became much severe. The body of Ghacem (God bless him) placed under the hoofs of horses.

When the flame of battle quenched, Imam Hussein (God bless him) came beside Ghacem (God bless him). Ghacem (God bless him) was rubbing his leg against the earth because he was dying. Imam Hussein (God bless him) said “O my nephew! Swear to God, it is difficult for me that you request your uncle to help you, and he can’t answer you and do something in order to solve your problem.” Then he attached Ghacem’s (God bless him) chest to his chest while his leg was dragging on the earth because his body was stretched by the hoofs of horses. Imam Hussein (God bless him) brought him to tents and put him down near the corpse of sainthood Ali Akbar (God bless him) and recommended Ahle Bait (God bless them) to be firm and patient.[8]