Reminding for Prayers by Abu Samamah Saedi and the Martyrdom of Habib bin Mazahir

Reminding for Prayers by Abu Samamah Saedi and the Martyrdom of Habib bin Mazahir

(Tabari) When Abu Samamah Umro bin Abdullah Saedi saw his companions being killed one after the other, he turned towards Imam Husain (A.S.) and said, "O Aba Abdillah! May I be your ransom! I see that this army has advanced closer to you. But Allah willing, they shall not be able to kill you until they have killed us. And I desire that I go to the presence of Almighty Allah having recited the Prayers (in your lead), whose time has already approached." Then Imam lifted up his head and said, "You have reminded the (time of) Prayers, may Allah join you with the worshippers and the recitors, and verily this is the prime time for Prayers."

Then he said,"Tell them to lift their hands off us until we have finished reciting the Prayers."

Hearing this Haseen bin Tameem said, "Your Prayers are not accepted." Habib bin Mazahir replied, "You think that the Prayers of the Progeny of the Prophet of Allah is not accepted, while the Prayers of you, a wine-bibber, is accepted"?

Then Haseen bin Tameem attacked him and Habib bin Mazahir came to meet his challenge. Habib dealt a blow on the front of his head, which sank in and Habib threw him down (from his horse). Then his companions came to his rescue and took him away. Habib bin Mazahir then said, "I swear that if we would have been similar to you in quantity or even half of that, you would have turned your back from us, O men of ill origin and impotents"!

That day Habib was saying: "I am Habib and my father is Mazahir, who is a horseman of the battlefield when it is fierce, you are well-equipped and large in quantity, but we are more obedient, forbearing (than you), our proofs are exalted while truth apparent, and (we are) more pious and penitent than you."

Habib bin Mazahir attacked severely (Malhoof) until he had killed sixty-two men. (Tabari) Then a man from the clan of Tameem attacked him and dealt a blow with his sword on his head and killed him (May Allah's Mercy and Blessings be upon him). The name of his murderor was Budayl bin Sareem, who was from Bani Aqafan. Then another man from the clan of Tameem attacked him with a lance and threw him on the ground. When he tried to stand up, Haseen bin Tameem struck him on the head with his sword and he (again) fell down, then the person from Bani Tameem alighted from his horse and cut off his head. Seeing this Haseen said, "I too am a partner in his murder alongwith you", to which he said, "By Allah! No one except me has killed him." Haseen said, "Then give me his head so that I may hang it in the neck of my horse so that people may see and understand that I too have participated in his murder. Then you may take it back and carry it to the presence of Ubaydullah bin Ziyad, for I am not desirous of the reward (which he will offer you in lieu of the murder of Habib)." The man refused to do so until his people made him agree. Then he gave the head of Habib to Haseen, who hung it in the neck of his horse and started taking the rounds in the ranks, and then returned it back.

The Tamimi man placed the head of Habib on his horse and carried it to the palace of Ubaydullah bin Ziyad. The son of Habib named Qasim, who was nearing adolescence, saw the head of his father and recognized it, he followed him and went inside the palace and came out with him until his sight fell on him. He said, "O dear son! Why are you following me"? The child replied that there was nothing. The person told him, "What is the matter, tell me"? To which the child said, "This head which is with you is that of my father. Give it to me so that I may bury it". The man said, "O dear son! The commander would not be pleased to it's burial and I desire that the commander reward me amply for this." The child replied, "But Allah will give you a bad punishment for what you did. For by Allah, you have killed such a man who was better than you", saying this the child started weeping. Days passed by and the boy grew up. He had no other grief except to remain in pursuit of the murderor of his father so as to get him unawares and revenge the death of his father. At the time of Mus'ab bin Zubayr, in the battle of Bajmira', this boy entered his army. He saw his father's killer in a tent and followed him and waited in ambush for him. He entered his tent, when he was taking a nap in the afternoon, and striking him with his sword killed him.

Azdi says that when Habib bin Mazahir was killed, Imam Husain (A.S.) was bent. Then he said,"I surrender myself and my faithful companions to Allah's accountability."

It is stated in some books of Martyrdom (Maqatil) that the Imam said,"Your achievement is due to Allah O Habib! You were a man of distinction, that you completed reciting the entire Qur'an in one (single) night."

Martyrdom of Hurr bin Yazid

The narrator says that Hurr started reciting the following Rajaz: "I have sworn not to be killed until I do not kill, and I shall not be wounded except by advancing further, I will attack them with a sharp-edged sword, I shall not retreat back nor will I flee (from the battlefield)."

Furthermore he recited the following couplets: "I am Hurr, a host to the guest, I strike your necks with a swift sword, in defense of the one who has alighted at the ground of Kheef (in Mina), while I do not regret over it."

He held such a sword in his hand whose edge was raining death. It is as if Ibne Mu'taz says about him, "I possess a sword which radiates death, then it is not unsheathed, except that it starts spilling the blood."

Hurr, alongwith his companion Zuhayr bin Qayn, attacked obviously. If while fighting, one of them would get surrounded by the enemies, the other would come to his defense and rescue him. They continued doing so until the foot soldiers attacked Hurr from all sides and killed him. (May Allah's Mercy and Blessings be upon him)

Ubaydullah bin Umro Badi, who was from the clan of Bani Kinda, says that, "Do not forget Sa'eed bin Abdullah nor Hurr, who alongwith Zuhayr aided at the need of the hour."

Fattal Naishapuri, in his Rawzatul Wa'ezeen, while quoting the Martyrdom of Hurr bin Yazeed says, that when Imam Husain (A.S.) came to the head of Hurr, blood was flowing from him. He said,"Well done O Hurr! You are at liberty in this world as well as the hereafter, as your mother has named you."

Then he recited the following couplets: "What a best Hurr is the Hurr of Bani Riyah, and the best Hurr during the exchange of spears, the best Hurr who was generous with regard to his life when Husain called out in the morning."

Shaikh Sadooq too relates similarly from Imam Ja'far as Sadiq (A.S.).

Shaikh Abu Ali in Muntahal Maqal says that Hurr bin Yazid bin Najiyah bin Sa'eed is from (the clan of) Bani Yarboo'. Sayyed Ne'matullah Jazaeri Tustari writes in his Anware No'maniyyah, that a group of trustworthy men narrated to me that when Shah Isma'il Safawi gained control over Baghdad, he came to visit the Shrine of Imam Husain (A.S.) in Karbala. He heard some people vilifying Hurr and hence came to the head of his grave and ordered it to be exhumed. People witnessed that Hurr was sleeping in his grave freshly drenched in his blood, and a kerchief was tied on his forehead. Shah Isma'il tried to unfasten the kerchief from his forehead, which according to the historical reports was tied by Imam Husain (A.S.). When the kerchief was untied, fresh blood started pouring out until the grave was filled with it. Then when the kerchief was tied at it's place, the blood stopped. Then again they tried to untie that kerchief, but blood started pouring out. They tried to stop the blood by other means, but could not do so until they ultimately tied the same kerchief. Thus the fine status of Hurr was confirmed to them, and Shah ordered a mausoleum to be erected on his grave and appointed a servant to look after it.

The Honourable Traditionist Shaikh Mohammad bin Hasan Hurr Ameli, the author of Wasaelush Shi'ah, was from the progeny of Hurr bin Yazeed ar Riyahi, as has been quoted by Shaikh Ahmed in his Durrul Mulook.

(Tabari) Abu Samamah Saedi killed his cousin, who bore enmity with him, and then recited the Zuhr Prayers in the method of Salatul Khawf [63] in Imam Husain (A.S.)'s lead.
(Malhoof) It is stated in another narration that Imam told Zuhayr bin Qayn and Sa'eed bin Abdullah to stand in front of him so that he may lead the Zuhr Prayers. They did so while Imam lead the Prayers with half of his companions.
It is related that Sa'eed bin Abdullah Hanafi stood in front of the Imam and thus became the target of their arrows. Wherever Imam would turn, Sa'eed would stand in front of him until he was totally wounded and then fell down. He said, "O Allah! Send your curse upon them similar to the tribes of Ad and Thamood. O Allah! Deliver my greetings to Your Prophet, and make him aware about the pain and wounds that I have borne, for I crave Your reward while defending the progeny of Your Prophet." Saying this he breathed his last (May Allah's Mercy and Blessings be upon him). Thirteen wounds of arrows were upon his body, apart from the wounds of lances and swords.

Ibne Nima says that some say that Imam Husain (A.S.) and his companions recited the Prayers individually with signs. Tabari, Ibne Aseer and others state that after finishing the Zuhr Prayers, they attacked fiercely and neared Imam Husain (A.S.).
Then Sa'eed stood armoring the Imam and defended him from all sides thus becoming a target of the enemies. Arrows started coming from all sides until he fell down. It is written in the related salutations of the Martyrs: Peace be upon Sa'eed bin Abdullah Hanafi, who, when Imam gave them permission to leave him, said, "No, by Allah! We shall not leave you alone." Then you faced your death and defended your Imam, and you witnessed the grace of Allah in the place of residence. May Allah gather us along with you in the ranks of the martyrs. And may Allah provide us your friendship in the exalted position of the magnificent ones.

We say: Reflect upon these words which prove the exalted status possessed by this Felicitous Martyr, and other martyrs of Karbala, which is beyond the imagination of the intelligent ones. While this is enough (proof) of their grace.
Ibne Nima too has related the martyrdom of the above referred Sa'eed in the words of Tabari and Ibne Aseer. Then he says that then Umar bin Sa'ad sent Umro bin Hajjaj with the archers. They shot arrows towards the remaining companions of Imam Husain (A.S.) and killed their horses. The situation reached such that Imam had no horsemen left with him, and he said,"Will the young horses be under the banner of others besides us, when we are the chiefs of their masters? Then when a calamity desires entering our town, we posses the power to turn it away, no one walks in the width of the porch with a shining sword, and none from among our group guards him."

(Tabari) Zuhayr bin Qayn fought valiantly and he was saying, "I am Zuhayr and am the son of Qayn, I will bar you from Husain with my sword, for he is one of the two grandsons of the Prophet who is a virtuous and chaste Progeny, there is no lie in that he is the Prophet, I shall kill you and shall not regret over it, and I wish my self could be divided into two (so that I may fight with you twofold)."

(Tabari) Then Zuhayr placed his hand upon the shoulder of Imam Husain (A.S.) and said, "Proceed further, for you are a guided one and are a guide. Today you shall meet your grandfather the Prophet and (Imam) Hasan and Murtaza Ali (A.S.), and a well-equipped young man with two wings, Ja'far your uncle, and Hamza the alive martyred Lion of Allah."

(Maqtal of Mohammad bin Abi Talib) Then he attacked until he killed one hundred and twenty men. (Tasleeyatul Majalis, Tabari, Kamil) Then Kaseer bin Abdullah Sha'abi and Muhajir bin Aws Tamimi attacked him and threw him upon the ground. (May Allah's Mercy and Blessing be upon him). When Zuhayr fell from his horse, Imam Husain (A.S.) said,"O Zuhayr! May Allah not keep you away from Himself, and may Allah send his wrath upon your killers as He did to those who were turned into monkeys and pigs."

Martyrdom of Nafe' bin Hilal

Naf'e bin Hilal Jamali (or Bajali) had engraved his name on his arrows and dipped them in poison and shot them one after the other towards the enemies saying, "I shoot these arrows whose teeth contains signs, while it will not benefit those who fear, they are smeared in poison which keeps the enemies in motion, and it's striking fills the earth with blood."

He shot the arrows one after the other until they were exhausted and his quiver became empty. Then he placed his hand upon his sword and said, "I am a youth of the Yemeni tribe of Bajalah, I follow the Religion of Husain and Ali, I shall be martyred today and this being my heart's desire, and I shall meet my actions."

Tabari says that he killed twelve men from the companions of Umar bin Sa'ad, apart from those whom he wounded, until both his arms were severed. Then he was arrested by Shimr, who called his companions to drag him to Umar bin Sa'ad. Umar bin Sa'ad told him, "Woe be to you! What have you done to yourself"? Nafe' replied, "Verily my Allah knows my intentions." The narrator says that blood was flowing on his beard while he was saying, "By Allah! I have slain twelve men among you, excluding those whom I have wounded, while I do not reproach myself for this. And if my hands would have been present, and my wrists would have been there, you would not have arrested me." Shimr told Umar bin Sa'ad, "May Allah straighten your affair, kill him." Umar replied, "You have brought him, then kill him if you desire." Hearing this Shimr unsheathed his sword and Nafe' said, "If you are a Muslim, you would have despised meeting Allah with our blood upon your neck. Praise be to Allah, who has destined our death at the hands of the most accursed of the creation." Then the accursed (Shimr) killed him. (May Allah's Mercy and Blessing be upon him).

Then Shimr attacked the army of Imam while saying, "Leave him, O Lion of Allah, leave Shimr, so that he may strike at them with his sword and will not flee, and he is a bitter tree and a fatal poison for you."