The martyrdom of sainthood Abbas

Writer: Ayatullah Professor Hussein Ansarian 

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

One of the most harrowing and upsetting tragedy of Karbala was the martyrdom of Sainthood Abbas (God bless him). The magnificence of his personality and martyrdom has been narrated by sheikh Sadoogh, Sheik Mofid, Abul Faraj-e-Esfahany, Tabarsy, Syed Ibn Tavoos, Allame Majlesy and Sheikh Abbas Qomi.

Imam Ali (God bless him) said to his brother, Agheel who had good knowledge about Arabic descent “I want you to wooed a woman for me who be highborn and has bravery, so I will be able to have some powerful and brave children from her so that they help my son Hussein (God bless him).” Agheel wooed sainthood Fatima Kallabiya (God bless her) entitled Omme Baneen for Imam Ali (God bless him) and she gave birth to four children for Imam Ali (God bless him):

Sainthood Abbas (God bless him), Abdullah, Jafar, Osman

When sainthood Abbas (God bless him) saw that most of Imam Hussein’s (God bless him) companion has been martyred, said to his brothers “O the children of my mother! Go ahead so that I can see you to fighting for God and his Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). You haven’t any child and you are young so hurry up, my life be sacrificed to you! Defend from your lord till you will be sacrificed in front of his eye.” All of them went and martyred happily. It has been written about the dignity of Sainthood Abbas (God bless him):

He was scholarly and learned, he was real slave of God and was pious, devout and virtuous. Ghamar-e-Bani Hashem is one of his titles and it has been written that because of his shiny and spiritual face which had its light from three suns, Imam Ali (God bless him), Imam Hassan (God bless him) and Imam Hussein (God bless him), so he is called Ghamar-e-Bani Hashem. Bab Alhavaej is his another title. Because one who has any problem and difficulty provided resorting to him, his problem will be solved. Shaheed, Sagha, Almostajar, Ghaedo-al-Jeysh, Alhamy, Almosaffa and Alzeygham are among his titles.

Sadoogh has narrated from Imam Sajjad (God bless him) in Khesal book “God bless my uncle Abbas (God bless him) who sacrificed himself, fought in a great manner and devoted himself for his brother till his two arm cut off from his body. God will give him two wings in hereafter instead of those two separated arms and he will fly in heaven along with angels. There is a great dignity for Abbas (God bless him) that all martyrs will grudge to that dignity in hereafter.”

Imam Sadegh (God bless him) said “my uncle Abbas (God bless him) had penetrating insight and strong and firm faith, he crusaded beside his brother and fought in a great manner and martyred. It was because of this much magnificence that Sheikh Mofid said: in the afternoon of Tasua when Omar Saad commanded to attack, Imam Hussein (God bless him) had put his head on his knee and was sleeping.

 Sainthood Zaynab (God bless her) shouted and came near his brother and said “O dear Hussein (God bless him)! Don’t you hear the sound of enemies that has come near?” Imam Hussein (God bless him) said “O sister! I have dreamed Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) now, he said to me: you are coming towards us.” Zaynab (God bless her) beat to her face and moaned. Imam (God bless him) said “calm down and don’t moan.”

Sainthood Abbas (God bless him) said “O brother! Enemy’s corps is coming toward us.” Imam (God bless him) stood up and said “I be sacrifice to you O brother! Go toward them and if it is possible to turn them back so that we can pray tonight and repent and praise our God all this night. God knows that I love to pray him and recite his book.”

Sainthood Abbas’s (God bless him) dignity can be understood from this sentence (I be sacrifice to you) of Imam Hussein (God bless him). The uncle of Abbas (God bless him) who was one of the enemy commander wanted to tempt his nephews by taking an official immunity for them and sent it via a courier to Karbala. Sainthood Abbas (God bless him) said to courier “go and say to him that God exemption is better for us.”

When Shemr came behind the tents and called sainthood Abbas (God bless him) and his brothers, Abbas (God bless him) didn’t answered him, his brothers didn’t answered him too. Imam Hussein (God bless him) said “O dear Abass (God bless him)! It is true that he is dissolute but it’s better to answer him.” So they came out and said “what do you want?” he said “all of you are safe and no one wants to hurt you.”

All of them said “God curse to you and to your exemption, is it true that we have the exemption and Holy Prophet’s (peace be upon him) son doesn’t have?” It has been narrated in Behar and some other books: when sainthood Abbas (God bless him) saw the loneliness and friendlessness of his brother came near Imam (God bless him) and said “O brother! Do you let me go to battlefield?” Imam (God bless him) cried extremely and then he said “O brother! You are my flag-bearer, if you go, the arrangement of my work will be disintegrated and our connection will be dispersed.”

 Then he said “O dear Abbas (God bless him)! Bring a little water for these children. Sainthood Abbas (God bless him) came and stand front of corps and preached them and frightened them from God; but it hadn’t any benefit. He came back toward Imam Hussein (God bless him) and heard that the children are shouting “Oh we are thirsty, Oh we are thirsty.” So he mounted on a horse and picked up a lance and placed a leather bottle on his shoulder and attacked to enemies.

He killed eighty people and arrived himself to water. Here he showed the extremity of magnanimity. He wanted to drink a palm of water but he remembered the thirstiness of Imam Hussein (God bless him) and his household and said “swear to God that I won’t drink water when my brother Hussein (God bless him) and his children are thirsty, it is impossible that I drink water.” He filled the leather bottle and placed it on his right shoulder and moved toward the tents; but they surrounded him from every direction and shot the arrows toward him from every direction.

It has been written that they shot the arrows toward him so much that his armor was like a porcupine which had been full of arrows. Zeyn-Ibn-Varghaa and Hakeem-Ibn-Tofeyl ambushed and cut his right hand behind a date palm. He quickly took his sword with his left hand and threw the leather bottle’s cord on his left shoulder and shouted “swear to God that if you cut my right hand, I’ll always defend from my religion and the supporter of my Imam who is honest in his faith and (who is) the son of purebred and trustee Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).”

He continued to fighting in this condition till he became unable. Nofel-e-Azady and Hakeem-Ibn-Tofeyl ambushed and cut his left hand too. So he shouted “O ego! Don’t fear from infidels and be happy to God’s mercifulness.” You are going to be killed for Hussein (God bless him) so I enunciate you to God’s mercifulness; don’t fear. But yet he was happy because he was able to bring the water to the tents and wasn’t upset because of his hands loss. Suddenly an arrow hit to the leather bottle and all water poured and another arrow hit to his chest and they hit to his head by an iron pole, crushing his skull. He wasn’t able to ride.

He fell down from his horse. This was for the first time that he called Imam Hussein (God bless him) as his brother. Imam (God bless him) quickly came and saw that his hands has been cut and his skill has been crushed and his body has been fragmented so he shouted “O brother! Now is the time my backbone broke; I can see no way out, and hope broke, and my enemy is rejoicing at my misfortune, and your loss will kill me before the sunset. The corps fled by arrival of Imam (God bless him).

 Imam (God bless him) shouted “where are you fleeing? You killed my brother, where are you fleeing? You broke my power.” He couldn’t move Abbas’ (God bless him) body because they have fragmented his body. So he didn’t mount on his horse, because he hadn’t any power, he took his horse bridle and walked toward the tents.

When the women and daughters saw that Imam (God bless him) is coming, Sakina (God bless her) came toward Imam (God bless him) before all of them and took his father’s horse bridle and said “have you any news from my uncle Abbas (God bless him)? He promised me to bring water for me, and he doesn’t break his promise, O father! Did he drink water himself?” Imam (God bless him) cried when he heard Sakina’s (God bless her) words and then he said “O my daughter! They killed Abbas (God bless him)”

 When sainthood Zaynab (God bless her) heard the news of Abbas’ (God bless him) murder she shouted “O my brother! O my Abbas (God bless him)! Woe to friendliness, woe to being contempt after you.” Then he sat beside his body and put Abbas’ (God bless him) head on his knee and wiped blood from his two eyes. Sainthood Abbas (God bless him) had a little breath and he consumed that breath for crying on Imam Hussein (God bless him).

Imam Hussein (God bless him) said “why you are crying?” he answered “O my brother! O my eyes vision! Why shouldn’t I cry? You have come and picked up my head from earth, but a little bit later when you will be martyred, who will pick up your head from earth and who will wipe soil from your face?! Then Sainthood martyred.