Imam Hussein (God bless him) to battlefield and his martyrdom

Writer: Ayatullah Professor Hussein Ansarian 

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

One of the most harrowing, severe and painful tragedy that happened in Karbala and was traumatic for all creatures, skies, earth, jinn, mankind, angels and all messengers was the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (God bless him). The tragedy of Imam Hussein (God bless him) has been expressed by Ahle Bait (God bless them) and Imams (God bless them) as a Ziyarat (a piece of text written about the dignity and tragedy of Ahle Bait [God bless them]) or as a quotations and it has been narrated by scientists as history of Karbala in some books like Ershaad, Abu Mokhnaf’s Maghtal, lahuf,Montahao-al-Aamaal, Nafso-al-Mahmum and Kamelo-al-Ziyarat.

One of the most important matter which is necessary for Shiite to know, utilize, preserve and recommend it to the next generations is crying for tragedy of Imam Hussein (God bless him), that all messengers, Imams (God bless them) and religious people have participated in this crying and as Imam Sadegh (God bless him) said “all creatures of skies and earth, birds, animals, jinn, mankind and angels have participate and participating in this crying.”

Imam Sadegh (God bless him) said “if the memory of Imam Hussein (God bless him) would be told in the presence of someone and his eyes filled with tear, God will ban the hell fire on his face.” And it is expected from preachers and encomiasts of Imam Hussein (God bless him) to don’t finish their performance without mentioning Imam Hussein’s (God bless him) tragedies and it is a reality that our great religious experts used to regard it.

 Some of the religious experts have made an official order that preaching and praising isn’t compulsory but if someone holds such a meeting, at the end of their session it is compulsory to mention Imam Hussein’s (God bless him) tragedies and some religious experts made it compulsory. For example decedent Golpayegany and even some great religious experts like decedent Haery-e-Mazandarany who is the writer of more than one hundred scientific books has made an official order that all commandments which should be regarded for mosque, they should be regarded for Hosseineeye (a place where people mourn for Imam Hussein [God bless him]).

Temptations of some liberals and the writings of some westernized people who have disdained crying on Imam Hussein (God bless him) and Ahle Bait (God bless them) should be considered as satanic orders; so we have to cry and also make others to cry and we should preserve this custom. Sheikh Tusy narrated in Amaly from Maviya-Ibn-Vahab that Imam Sadegh (God bless him) said “all crying and moaning and shouting is unpleasant except crying and weeping for Imam Hussein (God bless him).

Sheikh Sadoogh narrated that Imam Sadegh (God bless him) said to Abu Ammare “versify from the tragedy of Imam Hussein (God bless him) for me.” Abu Ammare said “I recited some poems and Imam (God bless him) cried, I continued, Imam (God bless him) cried again, I continued still, Imam (God bless him) cried yet until I heard sound of crying from his household. Imam (God bless him) said “whoever recite any poem about Imam Hussein’s (God bless him) tragedies and lead fifty people to cry, the heaven is for him and whoever lead thirty people to cry and whoever lead twenty people to cry and whoever lead ten people to cry and even lead one person to cry, the heaven is for him and whoever recite poems himself and cry or make his face like the person who cries, the heaven is essential for him still.”

Of course we should keep it in our mind that crying isn’t enough, pray and fast should be regarded, Khoms and Zakat should be regarded, Hajj should be regarded. Crying for Imam Hussein (God bless him) is one of the most important things which can pass mankind on to heaven. Imam Reza (God bless him) said to Ibn Shabib “if you want cry for something, cry for Hussein (God bless him). If you cry for Hussein (God bless him) insofar as your tear pour on your face, God will forgive your all sins that you have done, small or great sin, little or much.

Imam Sadegh (God bless him) said “if the memory of Imam Hussein (God bless him) would be told in the presence of someone and tear come from his two eyes as the size of gnat’s wing, his reward is upon God. God won’t be satisfied with any reward for him except the heaven. Allame Majlesy narrates in Beharo-al-Anvar that God himself mentioned the tragedy of Imam Hussein (God bless him) directly and indirectly for sainthood Adam (God bless him) and Noah (God bless him) and Abraham (God bless him) and Ishmael (God bless him) and Moses (God bless him) and Zechariah (God bless him) and Jesus (God bless him) and Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and they cried. Crying for Imam Hussein (God bless him) is actually a kind of coordination with all messengers (God bless them) and Imams (God bless them) and God’s beloveds.

Imam Sadegh (God bless him) said that Imam Sajjad (God bless him) cried for his father about forty years while he had fast in days and used to pray in nights, and when they used to bring food and water at the time of breakfast for him he used to say “my father was killed hungry, my father was martyred thirsty and they used to change his food and beverage for many times so that he can eat and drink them.”

And it has been narrated that sometimes Imam Sajjad (God bless him) took a water container to drink but he used to cry so much that his tears scratched his face, a drop of blood poured in that water and they used to changed water for him. So crying for Imam Hussein (God bless him) is an important matter that its preservation is essential. Crying or lead others to cry are ethnical necessity.

But the circumstance of Imam Hussein’s (God bless him) martyrdom is thus:

Imam (God bless him) was fighting when someone shouted that “your tents burnt.” He quickly came back. All of Ahle Bait (God bless them), women, daughters and children ran and surrounded him like a ring. Some of the children shouted that they are thirsty and they want water and when they saw the wounds on the body of Imam (God bless him), they screamed and hurt to their faces. Imam (God bless him) told them “calm down, don’t cry, you have a lot of crying in future.” Then he said “O Zaynab (God bless her), O Ome Kolsume (God bless her), O my daughter Sakina (God bless her), Roghayeh (God bless her), Fatima (God bless her), goodbye!”

Sainthood Zaynab (God bless her) came and said “O brother! Are you ready for being martyre?!” he answered “how can I don’t be ready? I haven’t companions and assistants anymore.” Sainthood Zaynab (God bless her) tore collar and disheveled her hairs and hit to her head and face with her hand.” Imam (God bless him) went some steps toward the battlefield and saw that all women are following him.

 He came back and returned them to the tents. When he wanted to go to battlefield, Sakina (God bless her) who was thirteen years old on that time stood front of the horse. Imam (God bless him) dismounted and talked to his daughter. She said to him “O father! Return us to Medina.” Imam (God bless him) said “if they had let me do so, I would have come back you. O my daughter! You had a request from me that I wasn’t to do it, now I have a request from you.” She said “O father! What’s your request?” he said “don’t cry that much in front of me. Your crying fires my heart.”

Imam Sadegh (God bless him) said “Imam Hussein (God bless him) attacked and fought, thirty three lance lesion and thirty four sword lesion were on his body. He tired. He was thirsty, hungry and mournful; he was hearing the sounds of crying. He leaned to his lance sitting on the saddle. Sheikh Mofid says in Behar-al- Anvar “Abu-al-Hotuf-e-Jofy stroke to his forehead by an arrow. The arrow split the forehead. He wanted to prevent his blood to be flowing but he saw that it is impossible. He opened his belt and took out a piece of cloth to wipe the blood from his face that they hurled a three-pronged arrow and it lodged into his chest in the area of the heart. It was the arrow that when his sister came in his place of killing and saw that piteous scene, cried and said “O my Hussein! I wish they had hurled this arrow to my heart, and had cut my life vessel and I wouldn’t have seen you in such a condition!”When they hit his heart with three-pronged arrow, he couldn’t to pull out the arrow from front side so he bent down and pulled out the arrow from back side and then he wasn’t able to riding and said “In the name of Allah, by Allah, and following the path of the Apostle of Allah.” The horse was well- instructed and it understood that its owner is not able to sitting. That’s why the horse came at the middle of a ditch and prolonged its two hands forward and then prolonged its two legs backward so that Imam Hussein (God bless him) become close to the ground. He was placed gently from his horse to the ground.”

Ibn Gholviye has narrated from Imam Sadegh (God bless him) “Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), Imam Ali (God bless him), Sainthood Fatima (God bless her) and Imam Hassan (God bless him) was looking these conditions. Imam Hussein (God bless him) was fall down on the ground, sainthood Zaynab (God bless her) and the children came toward the battlefield and sat beside Imam Hussein (God bless him), Imam (God bless him) was alive then. Suddenly the enemies attacked and hit sainthood Zaynab (God bless her) and the children with whipped them and said “leave him otherwise I’ll join you to him.

Sainthood Zaynab (God bless her) turned back and saw the owner of voice who was Shemre. Then she put her hands around his brother neck and shouted “I’ll never leave him. If you want to behead him, you have to also behead me.” Shemer whipped her and shouted “if you close to him anymore, I will decapitate you.” Imam Hussein (God bless him) was really weak and powerless, he beckon to Ahle Bait (God bless him) and told them to come back and they came back. He was lie down on the ground with those much lesions and wounds. Shemer sat on his chest. He opened his eyes, as soon as he saw Shemer he said “Allah is great, Allah is great, Allah and his Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said truly. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said “I’m looking a dog which has put its claws in the blood of my household.”

Shemre got angry and turned Imam Hussein’s (God bless him) body inside out and cut the holy head of Imam Hussein (God bless him) from backside of his neck by a lot of stroke and to inform all members of corps about Imam Hussein’s (God bless him) martyrdom, Omar-Ibn-Saad ordered to put the head on the lance and to turn it around the ground.

Imam Bagher (God bless him) said “my forefather Imam Hussein (God bless him) was killed in such a condition that Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had banned that way of killing. Every creature is killed in some special ways. For example we Nahr (without beheading) camels and Zebh (with beheading) sheeps, but they killed my forefather Imam Hussein (God bless him) by swords, lances, stone, woods and walking stick and after them they ran their horses on his body.”

Imam Ali (God bless him) cried for Imam Hussein while he was passing from the earth of Karbala (God bless him) to some extent that he got unconscious and his companions weren’t able to restore him. “Peace be upon you O Aba Abdellah-al-Hussein, Peace be upon you and God bless you”