Among the factors that have played pivotal roles in the historical dimension of ideological epic in Karbalā is the element of “invisibility”. This very element is what not merely has created friction in analyzing this historical event but has contrasted a subject in scholastic theology with a historical one. There are many narrations in this regard in most of which Allāh’s Messenger has foretold Imām Husayn’s martyrdom. ‘Allama Amīnī has compiled a number of such narrations in Sīratanā wa Sunnatanā. Moreover, they can be found innumerably in Sunnites books.
In addition to[1] these narrations which are historical by themselves, there are other ones having explicitly or implicitly predicted the incident in Karbalā. Below we present some adapted from the historical books.
As recounted, a night before emigrating from Medina to Mecca, when Imām went to pay a visit to the Prophet’s tomb, he fell asleep. He dreamed about the Holy Prophet together with a group of angels. Hugging him, the Prophet stated, يا حسين! كأنك عن قريب أراك مقتولاً مذبوحاً بأرض كرب وبلا من عصابة من أمتي وأنت في ذلك عطشان لا تسقى… يا حسين إن أباك وأمك قد قدموا عليَّ وهم اليك مشتاقون وأن لك في الجنة درجات لن تنالها الا بالشهادة “O Husayn! I foresee that in a near future you will be killed by a group from my Umma in Karbalā while thirsty…. O Husayn! Your parents who are both with me are looking forward to meeting you. A rank is determined for you in Paradise to which you can reach merely through martyrdom.”
According to another narration, Imām Husayn (a) had stated in Mecca,
[انّي رأيت جدي (ص) في منامي وقد أمرني بأمر وأنا ماض لأمره[2 “I had a dream about my forefather. He commanded something for implementing which I am going.”
On the strength of this very dream Imām wrote a letter to Sa‘īd Ibn ‘Ās saying, [وأعلمك أنّي رأيت جدي في منامي مخبرني بأمر وأنا ماض له[3 “I inform you that I had a dream about my forefather. Since he notified me of something I am seeking for.”
In Khuzaymiyya, Zaynab (s) came to Imām and said, “At midnight I heard a yell, What was it?” Imām inquired. She replied “An invisible speaker was yelling out,
ومن يبكي علي الشهداء بعدي
ألا يا عيـن فاحتفلي بجهد
بمقدار الـي انجـاز وعـدي
على قـوم تسوقهم المنايا
“O eye! Rejoice as much as you can. Who shall shed tears for the martyrs after me? Death is approaching this tribe in order to make my vow unconditional.”
“Whatsoever Allāh has foreordained will assuredly materialize”, Imām stressed.[4]
Others are when Imām arrived in Karbalā. After he asked what the area was called, he stated,
لقد مرّ أبي بهذا المكان عند مسيره الى صفين وأنا معه فوقف فسأل عنه فأخبر باسمه؛ فقال ها هنا محطّ ركابهم وها هنا مهراق دمائهم، فسئل عن ذلك، فقال: ثقل لآل بيت محمد ينـزلون هاهنا[5]
“Once my father on his way to Siffīn asked the name of this area. When he was answered and while I was with him, he expressed that here would be where they would dismount and their blood would be shed. Being asked, he replied that a group from the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt would dismount here.”
It was in the afternoon when Imām in Tha‘labiyya lay down and fell asleep. As soon as he woke up he began sobbing. After ‘Alī Akbar asked the reason, he said,
انّي رأيت فارساً على فرس حتى وقف عليّ فقال: يا حسين! انّكم تسرعون المسير والمنايا لكم تسرع الي الجنّة. فعلمت أن أنفسنا قد نعيت الينا[6]
“There was a man on horseback who came nearer and stopped before us saying, “O Husayn! The fast you are proceeding on this way, the fast your death is moving towards Paradise,” I realized that our souls are bidding farewell to us.”
In ‘Āshūrā morning, Imām told his sister,
يا أختاهّ اني رأيت جدي في المنام وأبي علياً وفاطمة أمي وأخي الحسن عليهم السلام فقالوا: انّك رائح الينا عن قريب وقد والله يا أختاه دنا الامر في ذلك لا شك[7]
“O sister! Last night my forefather, my father ‘Alī, my mother Fātima and my brother, Hasan, were all in my dream saying that I will join them soon. O sister! By Almighty Allāh and beyond any doubt the time is ripe.”
Concerning the eve of ‘Āshūrā, it is quoted from Imām as stating that he had a dream about the Holy Prophet along with a number of his companions who had said,
يا بني! أنت شهيد آل محمد وقد استبشرت بك السماوات وأهل الصفح الاعلى فليكن افطارك عندي الليلة تعجل ولا تؤخر[8]
“O my son! A martyr of Muhammad’s family is you. The heavens and the dwellers of the lofty heavens have given you glad tidings. Tonight you are supposed to break your fast beside me, so hasten.”
Elsewhere Mudjāhid has narrated from Amīr al-Mu’minīn delivering a sermon in Kūfa, كيف أنتم اذا أتاكم أهل بيت نبيكم يحمل قويهم ضعيفهم “What will you do if you see your Prophet’s household while the stronger one carries the weaker one.”
“We will do so and so”, the audience responded.
Shaking his head, Imām added, [توردن ثم تعرّدون ثم تطيعون البراءة ولابراءة لكم[9 “You accept and then change your mind. You prefer to disgust whereas you are not disgusted.”
These examples all imply Imām’s knowledge about the event in Karbalā previous to his martyrdom. Notwithstanding, it is by all means natural that neither Imām Husayn, nor the Prophet manipulated the factor of invisibility in their political lives. Except the time of substantiating the fact of Prophethood and Imāmat, the Prophet’s and the twelve Imāms’ conduct was compatible with the existing political evaluation. This kind of Divine knowledge was what they have been informed by Allāh through distinct ways either by Gabriel, in a dream or alike owing to the fact that the principle of invisibility is beyond all’s power but Allāh’s. Deeming the Prophet (s) as well as Imāms’ role models and vanguards is founded on the existing state and ostensible evaluation not the unseen. It has been the policy of all the prophets and Imāms in their natural lives. In this respect many historical and scholastic analyses are done but they are beyond the capacity of this concise book and require an independent study.
[1] See Ibn Sa‘d, Tardjamat al-imām al-Husayn, pp.154-161 and the footnotes of the pages.
[2] Ibid. vol.V, p.51
[3] Ibid. vol.V, p.116; see also Tārīkh al-tabarī, vol.IV, p.291, he had written the same to ‘Abd Allāh Ibn Dja‘far as well. See also Tardjamat al-imām al-Husayn, p. 202
[4] al-Futūh, vol.V, p.122
[5] Akhbār al-tiwāl, p.253
[6] Tardjamat al-imām al-Husayn, p.177; al-Futūh, vol.V, p.123
[7] al-Futūh, vol.V, pp. 175-176
[8] al-Futūh, vol.V, p.181
[9] Ansāb al-ashrāf, vol. IV, p.82
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