The Tragedy of Kerbala II

In The Name Of Allah,

The Most Compassionate, The Merciful

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The
Tragedy of Kerbala: Imam Hussain's Martyrdom

 

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O Allah! Send your blessings to the head of
your Messengers and the

Last of your Prophets Muhammad (saw), and his pure and cleansed
progeny.

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Content:

- The Journey, Martrydom and other events(in 12 parts)

- References

The Journey, the Martrydom and other events

Part I.

Al Husayn, the blessings of God be on him, set out from Mecca
to Iraq on the day of Muslim's (attempted) rising in Kufa, that is the day of Tarwiya, after staying in
Mecca for the rest of Shaban, the month of Ramadhan, Shawwal and
Dhu al Qada and eight days of Dhu- al-Hijja in the year 60 A.H.
(680). During his stay in Mecca, peace be on him, a number of
Hijazis and Basrans had gathered around him, joining themselves
to his household and his retainers (mawali).

When he determined on journeying to Iraq, he made the
circumbulation of the (sacred) House and the ritual running
between al-Safa and al-Marwa. Then he left the state of
consecration (for the pilgrimage) (after) he had performed the
lesser pilgrimage (umra) because he was not able to
perform the greater pilgrimage (hajj). Through fear of
being apprehended in Mecca, and being taken to Yazid b. Muawiya,
he, peace be on him, had set out early with his House, his sons
and those of his Shia who had joined him.

[As it has been reported to us:]

News of Muslim's (capture and death) had not yet reached him
because

(it had only happened) on the day he set out.

[It is reported that al-Farazdaq, the poet, said:]

I made the pilgrimage with my mother in the year 60 A.H.
(680). I was driving her camel when I entered the sanctuary.
(There) I met al-Husayn b. Ali, peace be on them, leaving Mecca
accompanied by (some men carrying) swords and shields.

"Whose caravan is this?" I asked.

"Al-Husayn b. Ali's, peace be on them," was the
reply. So I went up

and greeted him.

"May God grant you your request and (fulfil) your hope in
what you want, by my father and mother, son of the Apostle of
God," I said to him. "But what is making you hurry away
from the pilgrimage?"

"If I did not hurry away, I would be apprehended,"
he replied. Then he asked me: "Who are you?"

"An Arab," I answered and he did not question me
(about myself) any further.

"Tell me about the people you have left behind you,"
he asked.

"You have asked a good (question)," I answered.
"The hearts of the people are with you but their swords are
against you. The decision comes from Heaven and God does what he
wishes."

"You have spoken truly of the affair belonging to
God," he replied.

"Every day He (is involved) in (every) matter" (LV,
29) If fate sends down what we like and are pleased with, we
praise God for His blessings. He is the One from Whom help should
be sought in order to give thanks to Him. However, although fate
may frustrate (our) hopes, yet He does not destroy (the souls of)
those whose intention is the truth and whose hearts are
pious."

"True, God brings you what you wish for (ultimately) and
guards you against what you are threatened by," I said. Then
I asked him about matters concerning vows and pilgrimage rites.
He told me about them and then moved his mount off, saying
farewell, and so we parted.

When al-Husayn b. Ali, peace be on them, left Mecca, Yahya b.
Said b. al-'As met him with a group (of men). They had been sent
to him by 'Amr b. Said.

"Come back from where you are going," they ordered.
But he refused (to obey) them and continued. The two groups came
to blows and hit at each other with whips. However al-Husayn and
his followers resisted fiercely. Al-Husayn continued until he got
to al- Tanim. There he met a camel-train which had come from
Yemen. He hired from its people (additional) camels for himself
and his followers to ride.

Then he said to the owners (of the camels): "Whoever (of
you) wants to come with us to Iraq, we will pay his hire and
enjoy his company and whoever wants to leave some way along the
road we will pay his hire for the distance he has
travelled."

Some of the people went with him but others refused. Abd Allah
b. Jafar sent his sons, Awn and Muhammad, after him, and he wrote
a letter to him which he gave to them. In it, he said:

I ask you before God (to return) if you have set out when
you see my letter. For I am very concerned because the
direction in which you are heading will have within it your
destruction, and the extirpation of your House. If you are
destroyed today, the light of the land will be extinguished;
for you are the (standard) of those who are rightly-guided
and the hope of the believers.

Do not hurry on your journey as I am following this letter.

Greetings.

Abd Allah, then went to 'Amr b. Sad and asked him to write to
al-Husayn (offering him) a guarantee of security, and (promising)
to favour him, so that he would return from where he was going.
Amr b. Said wrote a letter in which he offered him favour and a
guarantee of security for himself. He dispatched it with his
brother Yahya b. Said. Yahya b. Said went after him (as did) Abd
Allah after dispatching his sons. The two handed ('Amr's) letter
to him and strove (to persuade) him to return.

"I have seen the Apostle of God, may God bless him and
his family, in my sleep," answered (al-Husayn), "and he
ordered me (to do) what I am carrying out."

"What was that vision?" they both asked.

"I have not told anyone of it," he answered,
"and I am not going to tell anyone until I meet my Lord, the
Mighty and Exalted."

When 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far despaired of (persuading) him, he
told his sons, Awn and Muhammad, to stay with him, to go with him
and to struggle on behalf of him. He returned with Yahya b. Sa'id
to Mecca.

Al Husayn, peace be on him, pressed on swiftly and directly
towards Iraq until he reached Dhat' Irq.

When Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad had learnt of the journey of al-
Husayn, peace be on him, from Mecca to Kufa, he had sent al-
Husayn b. Numayr, the commander of the bodyguard (shurta), to
station himself at al-Qadisiyya and to set up a (protective) link
of cavalry between the area of al-Qadisiyya to Khaffan and the
area of al-Qadisiyya to al-Qutqutaniyya. He informed the men that
al- Husayn was heading for Iraq.

When al-Husayn, peace be on him, reached al-Hajiz (a hill
above) Batn al-Rumma, he sent Qays b. Mushir al Saydawi -
some say it was his brother-in-nurture, Abd Allah b. Yuqtur
to Kufa. For he, peace be upon him, had not yet learnt the
news of (the fate of) Ibn 'Aqil. He sent a letter with him:



In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate From
al-Husayn b. Ali To his brother believers and Muslims,
Greetings to you, I praise God before you, other than Whom
there is no deity. Muslim b. Aqil's letter came to me,
informing me of your sound judgement and the agreement of
your leaders to support us, and to seek our rights. I have
asked God to make your actions good and reward you with the
greatest reward. I set out to you from Mecca on 8th of Dhu
al-Hijja, the Day of Tarwiya. When my messenger reaches you,
be urgent and purposeful in your affiars, for I am coming to
you within the (next few) days.

Greeting and the mercy and blessings of God.

Muslim had written to al-Husayn seventeen days before he was
killed and the Kufans had written to him: "Here you have a
hundred thousand swords. Do not delay."

Qays b. Mushir went towards Kufa with the letter. However,
when he reached al-Qadisiyya, al-Husayn b. Numayr apprehended him
and sent him to Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad.

"Go up on the pulpit," Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad ordered
him, "and curse the liar, al-Husayn b. Ali, peace be on
him"

Qays went up on the pulpit and praised and glorified God. Then
he said:

People, this man, al-Husayn b. 'Ali the best of God's
creatures, the son of Fatima, the daughter of the Apostle, may
God bless him and his family and grant them peace, (is nearby). I
am his messenger to you. Answer him. Then he cursed Ubayd Allah
b. Ziyad and his father and prayed for forgiveness for Ali b. Abi
Talib and blessed him. 'Ubayd Allah ordered him to be thrown from
the top of the palace. They threw him and he was smashed to
pieces.

[It is (also) reported:]

He fell on the ground in chains and his bones were crushed and
there only remained to him his last breath. A man called 'Abd al-
Malik b. 'Umayr al-Lakhmi came to him and cut his throat. When he
was told that that had been a shameful (thing to do) and he was
blamed for it, he said: "I wanted to relieve him (of his
suffering)."

Part II

(While this had been going on) al-Husayn, peace be on him, had
left Hajiz in the direction of Kufa until he came to one of the
watering (places) of the Arabs. There there was 'Abd Allah b.
Muti al-'Adawli, who was staying there. When he saw al-Husayn,
peace be on him, he got up and said to him: "(May I ransom)
my father and mother for you, son of the Apostle of God, what has
brought you (here)?" He brought him (forward) and helped him
to dismount.

"It is a result of the death of Muawiya as you would
know," replied al Husayn, peace be on him. "The Iraqis
have written to me urging me to (come to) them"

"I remind you, son of the Apostle of God, (of God) and
the sacredness of Islam, lest it be violated. I adjure you before
God (to think) about the sacredness of Quraysh. I adjure you
before God (to think) about the sacredness of the Arabs. By God,
if you seek that which is in the hands of Banu Umayya, they will
kill you. If they kill you, they will never fear anyone after
you. Then it will be the sacredness of Islam which is violated,
and the sacredness of Quraysh and the sacredness of the Arabs.
Don't do it! Don't go to Kufa! Don't expose yourself to Banu
Umayya!"

Al-Husayn, peace be on him, insisted on continuing his
journey. (In the meantime) 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad had ordered (the
area) which was between Waqisa and the roads to Syria and Basra
to be occupied (so that) they should not let anyone enter, nor
anyone leave (Kufa).

However, al-Husayn, peace be on him, went on without knowing
anything (of that) until he met some Arabs. He asked them (about
the situation) and they told him: "No, by God, we don't know
(anything about it) except that we cannot get into or out of
(Kufa)."

He continued on his journey.

[A group of Fazara and Bajila reported (the following
account). They said:]

We were with Zuhayr b. al-Qayn al-Bajah when we came from
Mecca. (Although) we were travelling alongside al Husayn, peace
be on him, there was nothing more hateful to us than that we
should stop with him at a halting place. (Yet) when al-Husayn,
peace be on him, travelled and halted, we could not avoid halting
with him. Al-Husayn halted at the side (of the road) and we
halted at the (other) side (of the road). While we were sitting,
eating our food, a messenger of al- Husayn, peace be on him,
approached, greeted us and entered (our camp).

"Zuhayr b. al-Qayn," he said, "Abu 'Abd Allah
al-Husayn, peace be on him, has sent me to you (to ask) you to
come to him."

Each man of us threw away what was in his hands (i.e. threw up
his hands in horror); it was (as surprising) as if birds had
alighted on our heads.

"Glory be to God," (Zuhayr's) wife said to him,
"did the son of the Messenger of God send for you? Then
aren't you going to him? If you went to him, you would hear what
he had to say. Then you could leave him (if you wanted to)."

Zuhayr b. al-Qayn went (across) to him. It was not long before
he returned to announce that he was heading east. He ordered his
tent (to be struck) and (called for) his luggage, mounts and
equipment. His tent was pulled down and taken to al-Husayn, peace
be on him, then he said to his wife: "You are divorced, go
back to your family, for I do not want anything to befall you
except good."

Then he said to his companions:

Whoever wants to follow me (may do so), otherwise he is at
the end of his covenant with me (i.e. released from obedience
to follow Zuhayr as the leader of his tribal group). I will
tell you a story (of something which happened to me once): we
were raiding a rich land. God granted us victory and we won
(a lot of) booty. Salman al-Farsi, the mercy of God be on
him, said to us: 'Are you happy with the victory which God
has granted you and the booty you have won?'

We said: 'Yes.' Then he said: 'Therefore when you meet the
lord of the young men of the family of Muhammad be happier to
fight with them than you are with the booty which you have
obtained today.' As for me. I pray that God may be with
you."

He remained among the people with al-Husayn until he was
killed.

[Abd Allah b. Sulayman and al-Mundhir b. Mushamill both from
Asad, reported:]

When we had finished the pilgrimage, there was no concern more
important to us than to join al-Husayn, peace be on him, on the
road, so that we might see what happened in his affair. We went
along trotting our two camels speedily until we joined him at
Zarud. As we approached, there we (saw) a man from Kufa who had
changed his route when he had seen al-Husayn, peace be on him.
Al-Husayn, peace be on him, had stopped as if he wanted (to speak
to) him, but (the man) ignored him and went on. We went on
towards the man. One of us said to the other: "Come with us
to ask this man if he has news of Kufa."'

We came up to him and greeted him. He returned out greeting.

"From which (tribe) do you come, fellow?" we asked.

"(I am) an Asadi," he answered.

"We also are Asadis," we said. "Who are
you?"

"I am Bakr b. so and so," he answered and we told
him our lineage.

"Tell us of the people (you have left) behind you?"
we asked.

"Yes," he replied, "I only left Kufa after
Muslim b. 'Aqil and Hani' b. 'Urwa had been killed. I saw them
being dragged by their legs into the market-place."

We went on to join al-Husayn, peace be on him, and we were
travelling close to him until he stopped at al-Thalabiyya in the
evening. We caught up with him when he stopped and we greeted
him. He returned our greeting.

"May God have mercy on you," we said, "we have
news. If you wish, we will tell it to you publicly or if you
wish, secretly."

He looked at us and at his followers.

"There is no veil for these men," he answered.

"Did you see the rider whom you were near, yesterday
evening?"

"Yes," he answered, "I had wanted to question
him."

"We have got the news from him and spared you (the
trouble of) questioning him," we said. "He was a man
from our (tribe), of sound judgment, honesty and intelligence. He
told us that he had only left Kufa after Muslim and Hani' had
been killed, and he had seen them being dragged by their legs
into the market-place."

"We belong to God and to Him we shall return; may God
have mercy on them both," said al-Husayn, and he repeated
that several times.

"We adjure you before God," we exhorted him,
"for your own life and for your House that you do not go
from this place, for you have no one to support you in Kufa and
no Shia. Indeed we fear that such men (will be the very ones who)
will be against you."

"What is your opinion," he asked, looking towards
the sons of 'Aqil, "now that Muslim has been killed?"

"By God," they declared, "we will not go back
until we have taken our vengeance or have tasted (the death)
which he tasted."

Al-Husayn, peace be on him, came near us and said: "There
is nothing good (left) in life for these men."

Then we knew that his decision had been taken to continue the
journey.

"May God be good to you," we said.

"May God have mercy on you both," he answered.

Then his followers said to him: "By God, you are not the
same as Muslim b. Aqil. If you go to Kufa, the people will rush
to (support) you."

He was silent and waited until daybreak. Then he ordered his
boys and servants to get a lot of water, to give (the people) to
drink and more for the journey. They set out (once more) and went
on to Zubala. News of Abd Allah b. Yuqtur reached him. He took
out a written statement to the people and read it to them:

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate, News
of the dreadful murder of Muslim b. Aqil Hani' b. Urwa, and
Abd Allah b. Yuqtur has reached us. Our Shia have deserted us
. Those of you who would prefer to leave us, may leave freely
without guilt.

The people began to disperse from him to right and left until
there were only left with him those followers who had come with
him from Medina, and a small group of those who had joined him.
Al-Husayn had done that because he realised that the Arabs who
had followed him had only followed him because they thought that
he was going to a land where the inhabitants' obedience to him
had already been established.

And he did not want them to accompany him without being
(fully) aware of what they were going to.

At dawn, he ordered his followers to provide themselves with
water and with extra (supplies of it). Then they set out until
they passed Batn al Aqaba. He stopped there and was met by a
shaykh of the Banu Ikrima called Amr b. Lawdhan.

"Where are you headings." he asked.

"Kufa," replied al-Husayn, peace be on him.

"I implore you before God," exhorted the shaykh,
"why are you going there? You won't come to anything there
except the points of spears and the edges of swords. If those who
sent for you were enough to support you in battle and had
prepared the ground for you, and you came to them, that would be
a wise decision. However, in the light of the situation as it has
been described I don't think that you ought to do it."

Servant of God," he answered, "wise decisions
are not hidden from me. yet the commands of God, the Exalted,
cannot be resisted. By God, (my enemies) will not leave me
till they have torn the very heart from the depths of my
guts. If they do that, God will cause them to be dominated
and humiliated until they become the most humiliated of the
factions among nations.

Part III

He, peace be on him, went on from Batn al Aqaba until he
stopped at Sharaf (for the night). At dawn he ordered his boys to
get water and more (for the journeys When he continued from there
until midday. While he was journeying, one of his followers
exclaimed:

"God is greater (Allahu akbar)!"

"God is greater (AllAhu akbar)!" responded
al-Husayn, peace be on him.

Then he asked: "Why did you say Allahu akbar?"

"I saw palm-trees," answered the man.

"This is a place in which we never see a palm-tree,"
a group of his followers asserted.

"What do you think it is then?" asked al-Husayn,
peace be on him.

"We think it is the ears of horses," they answered.

"By God, I think so too," he declared. Then he said:
"(So that) we can face them in one direction (i.e. so that
we are not surrounded), we should put at our rear whatever place
of refuge (we can find)."

"Yes," said to him, "there is Dhu Husam over on
your left. If you reach it before them, it will be (in) just (the
position) you want." So he veered left towards it and we
went in that direction with him. Even before we had had time to
change direction the vanguard of the cavalry appeared in front of
us and we could see them clearly. We left the road and when they
saw that we had moved off the road, they (also) moved off the
road towards us. Their spears looked like palm branches stripped
of their leaves and their standards were like birds' wings.

Al-Husayn ordered his tents (to be put up) and they were
erected. The people came up; (there were) about one thousand
horsemen under the command of al-Hurr b. Yazid al-Tamimi. (It
was) during the heat of midday (that) he and his cavalry stood
(thus) facing al-Husayn, peace be on him. Al-Husayn, peace be on
him, and his followers were all wearing their turbans and their
swords (ready to fight).

"Provide (our) people with water and let them quench
their thirst and give their horses water to drink little by
little," al Husayn ordered his boys. They did that and they
began filling their bowls and cups and took them to the horses.
When a horse had drunk three or four or five draughts, the water
was taken away and given to another horse-until they had all been
watered.

[ Ali b. al Taan al Muharibi reported: ]

I was with al-Hurr on that day, I was among the last of his
followers to arrive. When al-Husayn, peace be on him, saw how
thirsty both I and my horse were, he said: "Make your beast
(rawiya) kneel." I thought rawiya meant water-skin so he
said: "Cousin, make your camel (jamal) kneel." I did
so. Then he said: "Drink." I did so, but when I drank,
water flowed from my water-skin.

"Bend your water-skin," said al-Husayn. I did not
know how to do that. He came up (to me) and bent it (into the
proper position for drinking). Then I drank and gave my horse to
drink.

Al-Hurr b. Yazid had come from al-Qadisiyya. Ubayd Allah b.
Ziyad had sent al-Husayn b. Numayr and ordered him to take up
(his) position at al-Qadisiyya. Then al-Hurr had been sent in
advance with one thousand horsemen to meet al-Husayn.

Al-Hurr remained positioned opposite to al-Husayn, peace be on
him, until the time for the midday prayer drew near. Al-Husayn,
peace be on him, ordered al-Hajjaj b. Masruq to give the call to
prayer. When the second call to prayer immediately preceding the
prayer (iqama) was about (to be made) al-Husayn came out (before
the people) dressed in a waist-cloth czar) and cloak (rida') and
wearing a pair of sandals. He praised and glorified God, then he
said:

People, I did not come to you until your letters came to
me, and they were brought by your messengers (saying), 'Come
to us for we have no Imam. Through you may God unite us under
guidance and truth.' Since this was your view, I have come to
you. Therefore give me what you guaranteed in your covenants
and (sworn) testimonies. If you will not and (if you) are
(now) averse to my coming, I will leave you (and go back) to
the place from which I came.

They were silent before him. Not one of them said a word.

"Recite the iqama," he said to the caller for prayer
(mu'adhdhin) and he recited the iqama.

"Do you want to lead your followers in prayer?" he
asked al-Hurr b. Yazid.

"No," he replied, "but you pray and we will
pray (following the lead of) your prayer."

Al-Husayn, peace be on him, prayed before them. Then he
returned (to his tent) and his followers gathered around him.
Al-Hurr went back to the place where he had positioned (his men)
and entered a tent which had been put up for him. A group of his
followers gathered around him while the rest returned to their
ranks, which they had been in and which now they went back to.
Each of them held the reins of his mount and sat in the shade (of
its body).

At the time for the afternoon (asr) prayer, al-Husayn, peace
be on him, ordered his followers to prepare for departure. Then
he ordered the call to be made, and the call for the easr prayer
was made, and the iqama. Al-Husayn, peace be on him, came
forward, stood and prayed.

Then he said the final greeting (of the prayer) and turned his
face towards them (al-Hurr's men). He praised and glorified God
and said:

People, if you fear God and recognise the rights of those
who have rights, God will be more satisfied with you. We are
the House of Muhammad and as such are more entitled to the
authority (wilaya) of this affair (i.e. the rule of the
community) over you than these pretenders who claim what does
not belong to them. They have brought tyranny and aggression
among you. If you refuse (us) because you dislike (us) or do
not know our rights, and your view has now changed from what
came to us in your letters and what your messengers brought,
then I will leave you.

"By God," declared al-Hurr, "I know nothing of
these letters and messengers which you mention."

"Uqba b. Siman," al-Husayn, peace be on him, called
to one of his followers, "bring out the two saddle-bags in
which the letters to me are kept."

He brought out two saddle-bags which were full of documents,
and they were put before him.

"We are not among those who wrote these letters to
you," said al-Hurr, "and we have been ordered that when
we meet you we should not leave you until we have brought you to
Kufa to 'Ubayd Allah."

"Death will come to you before that (happens),"
al-Husayn, peace be on him, told him. Then he ordered his
followers, "Get up and get mounted."

They got mounted and (then) waited until their women had been
mounted,

"Depart," he ordered his followers.

When they set out to leave, the men (with al-Hurr) got in
between them and the direction they were going in.

"May God deprive your mother of you," said
al-Husayn, peace be on him, to al-Hurr, "what do you
want?"

"If any of the Arabs other than you were to say that to
me," retorted al-Hurr, "even though he were in the same
situation as you, I would not leave him without mentioning his
mother being deprived (of him), whoever he might be. But by God
there is no way for me to mention your mother except by (saying)
the best things possible."

"What do you want?" al-Husayn, peace be on him,
demanded.

"I want to go with you to the governor, Ubayd
Allah," he replied.

"Then by God I will not follow you."

"Then by God I will not let you (go anywhere else)."

These statements were repeated three times, and when their
conversation was getting more (heated) al-Hurr said: "I have
not been ordered to fight you. I have only been ordered not to
leave you until I come with you to Kufa. If you refuse (to do
that), then take any road which will not bring you into Kufa nor
take you back to Medina, and let that be a compromise between us
while I write to the governor, 'Ubayd Allah. Perhaps God will
cause something to happen which will relieve me from having to do
anything against you. Therefore take this (road) here and bear to
the left of the road (to) al Udhayb and al-Qadisiyya."

Al-Husayn, peace be on him, departed and al-Hurr with his
followers (also) set out travelling close by him, while al Hurr
was saying to him:

Al-Husayn, I remind you (before) God to (think of) your
life; for I testify that you will be killed if you fight.

"Do you think that you can frighten me with death?"
said al- Husayn, peace be on him. "Could a worse disaster
happen to you than killing me? I can only speak (to you) as the
brother of al-Aws said to his cousin when he wanted to help the
Apostle of God, may God bless him and grant him and his family
peace. His cousin feared for him and said: 'Where are you going,
for you will be killed?' but he replied:

I will depart for there is no shame in death for a young
man, whenever he intends (to do what is) right and he strives
like a Muslim, (Who) has soothed righteous men through (the
sacrifice of) his life, who has scattered the cursed and
opposed the criminal.

If I live, I will not regret (what I have done) and if I die,
I will not suffer. Let it be enough for you to live in
humiliation and be reviled.

When al-Hurr heard that he drew away from him. He and his
followers travelled on one side (of the road) while al-Husayn,
peace be on him, travelled on the other, until they reached
Udhayb al- Hijanat. Al-Husayn, peace be on him, went on to Qasr
Bani Muqatil. He stopped there and there a large tent had
(already) been erected.

"Whose is that?" he asked.

"That belongs to Ubayd Allah b. al-Hurr al-Jufi," he
was told.

"Ask him to come to me," he said.

The messenger went to him and said: "This is al-Husayn b.
Ali, peace be on them, and he asks you to come to him."

"We belong to God and to Him we shall return," said
'Ubayd Allah. "By God, I only left Kufa out of dread that
al-Husayn, peace be on him, would enter Kufa while I was there.
By God, I do not want to see him, nor him to see me."

The messenger returned to him (al-Husayn). Al-Husayn, peace be
on him, rose and went over to him. He greeted him and sat down.
Then he asked him to go with him. Ubayd Allah b. al Hurr repeated
what he had said before and sought to excuse himself from what he
was asking him (to do).

"If you are not going to help us," al-Husayn, peace
be on him, said to him, "then be sure that you are not one
of those who fight against us.

For, by God, no one will hear our cry and not help us without
being destroyed."

"As for that (fighting against you)," he replied,
"it will never happen, if God, the Exalted, wishes."

Then al-Husayn, peace be on him, left him and continued to his
camp. Towards the end of the night, he ordered his boys to get
provisions of water. Then he ordered the journey (to continue).
He set out from Qasr Bani Muqatil.

Part IV

['Uqba b. Sim'an reported:]

We set out at once with him and he became drowsy while he was
on his horse's back. He woke up, saying: "We belong to God
and to Him we will return. Praise be to God, Lord of the
worlds."

He did that twice or three times, then his son, 'Ali b.
al-Husayn approached him and asked: "Why are you praising
God and repeating the verse of returning to Him?"

"My son," he answered, "I nodded off and a
horseman appeared to me, riding a horse and he said: 'Men are
travelling and the fates travel towards them.' Then I knew it was
our own souls announcing our deaths to us."

"Father," asked (the youth), "does God regard
you as evil? Are we not in the right?"

"Indeed (we are)," he answered, "by Him to Whom
all His servants must return."

"Father," said (the youth), "then we need have
no concern, if we are going to die righteously."

"May God give you the best reward a son can get for (his
behaviour towards) his father," answered al-Husayn, peace be
on him.

In the morning, he stopped and prayed the morning prayer. Then
he hurried to remount and to continue the journey with his
followers, veering to the left with the intention of separating
from (al-Hurr's men). However al-Hurr b. Yazid came towards him
and stopped him and his followers (from going in that direction)
and he began to (exert pressure to) turn them towards Kufa, but
they resisted him. So they stopped (doing that) but they still
accompanied them in the same way until they reached Ninawa,
(which was) the place where al-Husayn, peace be on him, stopped.
Suddenly there appeared a rider on a fast mount, bearing weapons
and carrying a bow on his shoulder, coming from Kufa. They all
stopped and watched him. When he reached them, he greeted al-Hurr
and his followers and did not greet al-Husayn and his followers.
He handed a letter from Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad to al-Hurr. In it
(was the following):

When this letter reaches you and my messenger comes to
you, make al-Husayn come to a halt. But only let him stop in
an open place without vegetation. I have ordered my messenger
to stay with you and not to leave you until he brings me
(news of) your carrying out my instructions.

Greetings.

When al-Hurr had read the letter, he told them: "This is
a letter from the governor Ubayd Allah. He has ordered me to
bring you to a halt at a place which his letter suggests. This is
his messenger and he has ordered him not to leave me until I
carry out the order with regard to you."

Yazid (b. Ziyad) b. al-Muhajir al-Kindi who was with
al-Husayn, peace be on him, looked at the messenger of Ibn Ziyad
and he recognized him.

"May your mother be deprived of you," he exclaimed,
"what a business you have come to!"

"I have obeyed my Imam and remained faithful to my pledge
of allegiance," (the other man) answered.

You have been disobedient to your Lord and have obeyed
your Imam in bringing about the destruction of your
soul," responded Ibn al-Muhajir. "You have acquired
(eternal) shame (for yourself) and (the punishment of)
Hell-fire. What a wicked Imam your Imam is! Indeed God has
said: we have made them Imams who summon (people) to Hellfire
and on the Day of Resurrection they will not be helped.
(XXVIII, 41) Your Imam is one of those.

Al-Hurr b. Yazid began to make the people stop in a place that
was without water and where there was no village.

"Shame upon you, let us stop at this village or that
one," said al-Husayn, peace be on him. He meant by this,
Ninawa and al-Ghadiriyya, and by that, Shufayya."

"By God, I cannot do that," replied (al-Hurr),
"for this man has been sent to me as a spy."

"Son of the Apostle of God," said Zuhayr b. al-Qayn,
"I can only think that after what you have seen, the
situation will get worse than what you have seen. Fighting these
people, now, will be easier for us than fighting those who will
come against us after them. For by my life, after them will come
against us such (a number) as we will not have the power (to
fight) against."

"I will not begin to fight against them," answered
al-Husayn.

That was Thursday, 2nd of (the month of) Muharram in the year
61 A.H.(680). On the next day, Umar b. Sad b. Abi Waqqas, set out
from Kufa with four thousand horsemen. He stopped at Ninawa and
sent for 'Urwa b. Qays al-Ahmasi and told him: "Go to him
(al-Husayn) and ask him: What brought you, and what do you
want?"

Urwa was one of those who had written to al-Husayn, peace be
on him, and he was ashamed to do that. The same was the case with
all the leaders who had written to him, and all of them refused
and were unwilling to do that. Kathir b. Abd Allah al-Shabi stood
up - he was a brave knight who never turned his face away from
anything - and said: "I will go to him. By God, if you wish,
I will rush on him."

"I don't want you to attack him," said 'Umar,
"but go to him and ask him what has brought him."

As Kathir was approaching him, Abu Thumama al-Saidi saw him
and said to al-Husayn, "May God benefit you, Abu Abd Allah,
the wickedest man in the land, the one who has shed the most
blood and the boldest of them all in attack, is coming towards
you."

Then (Abu Thumama) stood facing him and said: "Put down
your sword."

"No, by God," he replied, "I am only a
messenger. If you will listen to me, I will tell you (the
message) which I have been sent to bring to you. If you refuse, I
will go away."

"I will take the hilt of your sword," answered (Abu
Thumama),

"and you can say what you need to."

"No, by God, you will not touch it," he retorted.

"Then tell me what you have brought and I will inform him
for you. But I will not let you go near him, for you are a
charlatan."

They both (stood there and) cursed each other. Then (Kathlr)
went back to Umar b. Sad and told him the news (of what had
happened). Umar summoned Qurra b. Qays al-Hanzali and said to
him: "Shame upon you Qurra, go and meet al-Husayn and ask
him what brought him and what he wants."

Qurra began to approach him. When al-Husayn, peace be on him,
saw him approaching, he asked: "Do you know that man?"

"Yes," replied Habib b. Muzahir, "he is from
the Hanzala clan of Tamim. He is the son of our sister. I used to
know him as a man of sound judgement. I would not have thought
that he would be present at this scene."

He came and greeted al-Husayn, peace be on him. Then he
informed him of 'Umar b. Sa'd's message.

"The people of this town of yours wrote to me that I
should come," answered al Husayn, peace be on him.
"However, if now you have come to dislike me, then I will
leave you."

"Shame upon you, Qurra," Habib b. Muzahir said to
him, "will you return to those unjust men? Help this man
through whose fathers God will grant you (great) favour."

"I will (first) return to my leader with the answer to
his message," replied Qurra, "and then I will reflect
on my views."

He went back to 'Umar b. Sa'd and gave him his report.

"I hope that God will spare me from making war on him and
fighting against him," said 'Umar and then he wrote to
'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad:

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. I am
(writing this from) where I have positioned myself, near al
Husayn, and I have asked him what brought him and what he
wants. He answered: 'The people of this land wrote to me and
their messengers came to me asking me to come and I have done
so. However if (now) they have some to dislike me and (the
position) now appears different to them from what their
messengers brought to me, I will go away from them.

[Hassan b. Qa'id al-'Absi reported:]

I was with 'Ubayd Allah when this letter came to him, he read
it and then he recited:

Now when our claws cling to him, he hopes for escape but
he will be prevented (now) from (getting) any refuge.

He wrote to 'Umar b. Sa'd:

Your letter has reached me and I have understood what you
mentioned. Offer al-Husayn (the opportunity) of him and all
his followers pledging allegiance to Yazid. If he does that,
we will then see what our judgement will be.

When the answer reached Umar b. Sa'd, he said: "I fear
that 'Ubayd Allah will not accept that I should be spared
(fighting al-Husayn)."

(Almost immediately) after it, there came (another) letter
from Ibn Ziyad (in which he said):

Prevent al-Husayn and his followers from (getting) water.

Do not let them taste a drop of it just as was done with
'Uthman b. Affan.

At once Umar b. Said sent Amr b al-Hajjaj with five hundred
horsemen to occupy the path to the water and prevent al-Husayn
and his followers from (getting) water in order that they should
(not) drink a drop of it. That was three days before the battle
against al-Husayn, peace be on him.

Abd Allah b. al-Husayn al-Azdi, who was numbered among Bajila,
called out at the top of his voice: "Husayn, don't you see
that the water is as if in the middle of heaven. By God, you will
not taste a drop of it until you die of thirst."

"O God, make him die of thirst and never forgive
him", cried al-Husayn, peace be on him.

Part V.

[Humayd b Muslim reported:]

By God, later I visited him when he was ill. By God, other
than Whom there is no deity, I saw him drinking water without
being able to quench his thirst, and then vomiting. He would
cry out, "The thirst, the thirst!" Again he would
drink water without being able to quench his thirst, again he
would vomit. He would then burn with thirst. This went on
until he died, may God curse him.

When al-Husayn saw the extent of the number of troops encamped
with 'Umar b. Sa'd, may God curse him, at Ninawa in order to do
battle against him, he sent to 'Umar b. Sa'd that he wanted to
meet him. The two men met at night and talked together for a long
time. (When) 'Umar b. Sa'd went back to his camp, he wrote to
Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad, may he be cursed.

God has put out the fire of hatred, united (the people) in
one opinion (lit. word), and set right the affairs of the
community. This man, al-Husayn, has given me a promise that
he will return to the place which he came from, or he will go
to one of the border outposts - he will become like any
(other) of the Muslims, with the same rights and duties as
them; or he will go to Yazid, the Commander of the faithful,
and offer him his hand and see (if the difference) between
them (can be reconciled). In this (offer) you have the
consent (to what you have demanded) and the community gains
benefit.

When Ubayd Allah read the letter, he said: "This is the
letter about a sincere man who is anxious for his people."

"Are you going to accept this from him," demanded
Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan, jumping up,

When he has encamped on your land nearby? By God if he was
a man from your land and he would not put his hand in yours,
whether he was in a position of power and strength (or)
whether he was in a position of weakness and impotence you
would not give this concession, for it would be (a mark) of
weakness. Rather let him and his followers submit to your
authority. Then if you punish them, (it will be because) you
are the (person) most appropriate to punish, and if you
forgive them, you have the right (to do so)."

"What you have suggested is good," replied Ibn
Ziyad. "Your view is the correct view. Take this message to
'Umar b. Sad and let him offer al-Husayn and his followers (the
opportunity of) submitting to my authority. If they do that, let
him send them to me in peace. If they refuse, he should fight
them. If he ('Umar b. Sa'd) acts (according to) my instructions,
then listen to him and obey him. However if he refuses to fight
them then you are the commander of the army (lit. people), attack
him, cut his head off and send it to me."

Then he wrote to Umar b. Sa'd:

I did not send you to al-Husayn for you to restrain
yourself from (fighting) him, nor to idle the time away with
him, nor to promise him peace and preservation (of his life),
nor to make excuses for him, nor to be an intercessor on his
behalf with me. Therefore see that if al-Husayn and his
followers submit to my authority and surrender, you send them
to me in peace. If they refuse, then march against them to
fight them and to punish them; for they deserve that. If
al-Husayn is killed, make the horses trample on his body,
both front and back; for he is a disobedient rebel, and I do
not consider that this will be in any way wrong after death.
But it is my view that you should do this to him if you kill
him. If you carry out your command concerning him, we will
give you the reward due to one who is attentive and obedient.
If you refuse, then we withdraw (the command of) our province
and army from you and leave the army to Shamir b. Dhl
al-Jawshan. We have given him our authority.

Greetings.

Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan brought the letter to 'Umar b. Sad.
After he had brought it and read it, 'Umar said to him:

Shame upon you, what is this to you? May God never show
favour to your house. May God make abominable what you have
brought to me! By God, I did not think that you would cause
him to refuse what I had written to him, and ruin for us a
matter which we had hoped to set right. Al Husayn will not
surrender, for there is a spirit like (his) father's in his
body."

"Tell me what you are going to do," demanded Shamir.
"Are you going to carry out the governor's command and fight
his enemy or are you going to leave the command of the army to
me?"

"No, (there is going to be) no advantage to you. I will
carry that out instead of you. you take command of the
foot-soldiers."

'Umar b. Sa'd prepared to (do battle with) al-Husayn, peace be
on him, on the night of Thursday, 9th of the month of Muharram.
(In the meantime) Shamir went out and stood in front of the
followers of al-Husayn, peace be on him.

"Where are my sister's sons?" he demanded. Al Abbas,
Jafar, Abd Allah and Uthman, sons of Ali b. Abi Talib, peace be
on him, came forward.

"What do you want?" they asked.

"Sons of my sister, you are guaranteed security," he
said.

"God curse you and curse the security which you offer
without offering it to the son of the Apostle of God," the
young men replied.

"Cavalry of God, mount and announce the news of Heaven
(i.e. death)," Umar b. Sa'd called out and the people
mounted and he approached (the supporters of al-Husayn) after the
afternoon (asr) prayer.

Meanwhile, al-Husayn, peace be on him, was sitting in front of
his tent dozing with his head on his knees. His sister heard the
clamour (from the enemy's ranks). She came up to him and said,
"My brother, don't you hear the sounds which are getting
nearer?"

I have just seen the Apostle of God, may God bless him and
grant him peace, in my sleep," said al-Husayn, peace be
on him, as he raised his head. "He said to me: 'You are
coming to us.'

His sister struck at her face and cried out in grief.

"You have no (reason) to lament, sister," al-Husayn,
peace be on him, told her. "Be quiet, may God have mercy on
you."

Then he turned to al-Abbas b. Ali "Brother, the enemy
have come, so get ready; but first, al-Abbas, you, yourself, ride
out to meet them, to talk to them about what they have (in mind)
and what appears (appropriate) to them and to ask about what has
brought them (against us)."

Al-Abbas went towards them with about twenty horsemen, among
whom was Zuhayr b. al-Qayn.

"How do you see (the situation)?" he asked.
"What do you want?'

"The command of the governor has arrived that we should
offer you (the opportunity of) submitting to his authority,
otherwise we (must) attack you," they answered.

"Do not hurry (to do anything) until I have gone back to
Abu Abd Allah (al-Husayn) and told him what you have said, 'Abbas
requested.

They stopped (where they were) and told him: "Go to him
and inform him, and tell us what he says to you."

Al 'Abbas went galloping back to al Husayn, peace be on him,
to give him the information. While his companions remained
exchanging words with the enemy, trying to test them and dissuade
them from fighting against al-Husayn, peace be on him,
(al-'Abbas) told him what the enemy had said.

Go back to them," he, peace be on him, said, "if
you can, delay them until the morning and (persuade) them to
keep from us during the evening. Then, perhaps, we may be
able to pray to our Lord during the night to call upon Him
and seek His forgiveness. He knows that I have always loved
His formal prayer, the recitation of His Book and (making)
many invocations to Him, seeking His forgiveness.

Al Abbas went back to the people, and returned (after) being
with them, accompanied by a messenger on behalf of Umar b. Saed,
who had said: "We will grant you a day until tomorrow. Then
if you surrender, we will send you to our governor, Ubayd Allah
b. Ziyad but if you refuse we will not leave you (any
longer)."

(After) he departed, towards the evening al-Husayn gathered
his followers around him.

Part VI

[ Ali b. al Husayn, Zayn al Abidin, reported: ]

I went near to hear what he would say to them (even
though) at that time I was sick. I heard my father say to his
followers: I glorify God with the most perfect glorification
and I praise Him in happiness and misfortune. O God, I praise
You for blessing us with prophethood, teaching us the Qur'an
and making us understand the religion.

You have given us hearing, sight and hearts, and have made us
among those who give thanks (to You). I know of no followers more
loyal and more virtuous than my followers, nor of any House more
pious and more close-knit than my House. May God reward you well
on my behalf. Indeed, I do not think that there will be (any
further) days (left) to us by these men. I permit you to leave
me. All (of you) go away with the absolution of your oath (to
follow me), for there will be no (further) obligation on you from
me. This is a night (whose darkness) will give cover to you. Use
it as a camel (i.e. ride away in it).

His brothers and sons, the sons of his sisters and the sons of
'Abd Allah b. Ja'far said:

We will not leave you to make ourselves continue living after
your (death). God will never see us (do) such a thing.

Al Abbas b. Ali, peace be on them, was the first of them to
make this declaration. Then the (whole) group followed him, (all)
declaring the same thing.

"Sons of 'Aqil" said al-Husayn, "enough of your
(family) has been killed. So go away as I have permitted
you."

"Glory be to God," they replied, "what would
the people say?

They would say that we deserted our shaykh, our lord, the
sons of our uncle, who was the best of uncles; that we had
not shot arrows alongside them, we had not thrust spears
alongside them, we had not struck swords alongside them. (At
such an accusation) we do not know what we would do. No, by
God, we will not do (such a thing). Rather we will ransom you
with our lives, property and families. We will fight for you
until we reach your destination. May God make life abominable
(for us) after your (death)."

Then Muslim b. Awsaja arose and spoke:

Could we leave you alone? How should we excuse ourselves
before God concerning the performance of our duty to your By
God, I will stab them with my spear (until it breaks), I will
strike them with my sword as long as the hilt is in my hand.
If I have no weapon (left) to fight them with, I will throw
stones (at them). By God we will never leave you until God
knows that we have preserved through you (the company of His
Apostle) in his absence. By God, if I knew what I would die
and then be revived and then burnt and then revived, and then
scattered, and that would be done to me seventy times, I
would never leave you until I met my death (fighting) on your
behalf. So how could I do it when there can only be one
death, which is a great blessing which can never be rejected.

Zuhayr b. al-Qayn, may God have mercy on him, spoke:

By God, I would prefer to be killed and then recalled to
life; and then be killed a thousand times in this manner; and
that in this way God, the Mighty and Exalted, should protect
your life and the lives of these young men of your House.

All his followers spoke in similar vein, one after the other.
Al-Husayn, peace be on him, called (on God to) reward them well
and then went back to his tent.

[ Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on them, Zayn al Abidin reported:
]

I was sitting on that evening (before the morning of the day)
in which my father was killed. With me was my aunt, Zaynab, who
was nursing me when my father left to go to his tent. With him
was Juwayn, the retainer (mawla) of Abu Dharr al-Ghiffari, who
was preparing his sword and putting it right My father recited:

Time, shame on you as a friend! At the day's dawning and
the sun's setting,

How many a companion or seeker will be a corpse! Time will not
be satisfied with any substitute.

The matter will rest with the Mighty One, and every living
creature will have to journey along my path.

He repeated it twice or three times. I understood it and
realised what he meant. Tears choked me and I pushed them back. I
kept silent and knew that tribulation had come upon us. As for my
aunt, she heard what I heard - but she is a woman and weakness
and grief are part of the qualities of women; she could not
control herself, she jumped up, tearing at her clothes and
sighing, and went to him.

"Then I will lose (a brother)," Zaynab said to him.
"Would that death deprived me of life today, (for) my
mother, Fatima, is dead, and my father, 'Ah, and my brother,
al-Hasan, peace be on them (all)."

"O sister,' al-Husayn said to her as he looked at her
with his eyes full of tears, " don't let Satan take away
your forbearance. (Remember:) If the sandgrouse are left (alone)
at night, they will sleep (i.e. let nature take its
course)."

"O my grief, your life will be violently wrenched from
you and that is more wounding to my heart and harsher to my
soul," she lamented, and then she struck at her face. she
bent down to (the hem of) her garment and (began to) tear it.
Then she fell down in a faint.

Al-Husayn, peace be on him, got up and bathed her face with
water Then he said to her:

Sister, fear God and take comfort in the consolation of
God. Know that the people on the earth will die and the
inhabitants of heaven will not continue to exist (for ever).
For everything will be destroyed except the face of God Who
created creation by His power (qudra); He sends forth
creatures and He causes them to return; He is unique and
alone. My grandfather was better than me, my father was
better than me and my mother was better than me. I and every
Muslim have an ideal model in the Apostle of God, may God
bless him and his family.

By This and the like he tried to console her and he said:

Sister, I swear to you - and I (always) keep my oaths - that
you must not tear your clothes, nor scratch your face, nor cry
out with grief and loss when I am destroyed.

Then he brought her and made her sit with me. He went out to
his followers and ordered them to bring their tents (much) closer
together so that the tent-pegs came within the area of each
other's tents, and so that if they remained among their tents,
the enemy could only approach (them), from one side (for there
would be) tents behind them, and to their right and left. Thus
(the tents completely) surrounded them except for the one way
which the enemy could come against them.

(After that) he, peace be on him, returned to his place and
spent the whole night in performing the prayer, in calling on
God's forgiveness and in making invocations. In the same way, his
followers performed the prayer, made invocations and sought God's
forgiveness.

[ Al Dahhak b. Abd Allah reported: ]

(A contingent of) Umar b. Sa'd's (continually) passed us
keeping watch over us while al-Husayn, himself, recited:

Let not those who disbelieve think that our giving them a
delay is better for their souls. We give them a delay only
that they might increase their wickedness. They shall have a
disgraceful punishment. God does not leave the believers in
the situation you are in until He has made the evil distinct
from the good. [ Quran III, 117/8 ]

A man called 'Abd Allah b. Samir, (who was) among those
horsemen heard that. He was given to much laughter, and was a
brave fighter, a treacherous knight and a noble. He cried out:
"By the Lord of the Ka'ba, we are the good, we have been
distinguished from you."

"O terrible sinner," cried Burayr b. Hudayr,
"has God made you one of the good?" 

"A curse on you, whoever you are?" he shouted back.

"I am Burayr b. Hudayr," he replied. And they both
cursed each other.

Part VII

In the morning al Husayn, peace be on him, mobilised his
followers after the morning prayer. He had with him thirty two
horsemen and forty foot-soldiers. He put Zuhayr b. al-Qayn in
charge of his right wing and Habib b. Muzahir in charge of his
left wing, and he gave his standard to his brother, al-Abbas.
They positioned themselves with the tents at the rear. He ordered
(the) firewood and cane which was behind the tents to be left in
a ditch which had been dug there and to be set on fire, fearing
that they would attack them from the rear.

Umar b. Sad began the morning of that day - it was Friday, or
Saturday as some say - by mobilising his followers. He went out
with the men with him towards al-Husayn, peace be on him. 'Amr b.
al-Hajjaj was in command of his right wing, Shamir b. Dhi
al-Jawshan of the left wing, Urwa b. Qays was in command of the
cavalry, Shabath b. Ribi of the foot-soldiers. He gave his
standard to Durayd, his retainer (mawla).

[ Ali b. al Husayn, Zayn al Abidin, peace be upon them,
reported: ]

When the cavalry began to approach al-Husayn, he raised his
hands and said:

O God, it is You in Whom I trust amid all grief. You are
my hope amid all violence. You are my trust and provision in
everything that happens to me, (no matter) how much the heart
may seem to weaken in it, trickery may seem to diminish (my
hope) in it, the friend may seem to desert (me) in it, and
the enemy may seem to rejoice in it. It comes upon me through
You and when I complain to You of it, it is because of my
desire for You, You alone. You have comforted me in
(everything) and have revealed its (significance to me). You
are the Master of all grace, the Possessor of all goodness
and the Ultimate Resort of all desire.

When the enemy began to move around the tent of al-Husayn,
peace be on him, they saw the ditch behind and the fire burning
the firewood and cane which had been thrown in it. (At this)
Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan called out at the top of his voice:

Al-Husayn, are you hurrying towards the fire (of Hell)
before the Day of Resurrection?

"Who is that?" asked al-Husayn, peace be on him.
"(It sounds) like Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan?"

"Yes, (it is)," they told him.

"Son of a goat-herdess, you are more worthy to be burnt
by that," he retorted.

Muslim b. Awsaja wanted to shoot an arrow at him, but
al-Husayn, peace be on him, stopped him from (doing) that.

"Let me shoot at him" he asked, "for he is a
wicked sinner, one of the enemies of God, and the great tyrants.
(Now) God has made it possible (to kill) him."

"Do not shoot at him," ordered al-Husayn, peace be
on him, "for I am unwilling to begin (the fighting) against
them."

Then al-Husayn called for his mount and mounted it. He called
out at the top of his voice:

O people of Iraq, and most of them (began to) listen to
him

People, listen to my words and do not hurry (to attack me)
so that I may remind you of the duties you have towards me
and so that (by telling you the true circumstances) I may
free myself from any blame in (your attacking me). If you
give me justice, you will become happier through that. If you
do not give me justice of your own accord (as individuals),
then agree upon your affairs (and your associates); let not
your affair be in darkness to you. Then carry (it) our
against me and do not reflect (any further) [X : 71]. Indeed
my guardian is God, Who created the Book, He takes care of
the righteous [VII: 196]

Then he praised and glorified God, and mentioned what God is
entitled to. He called for blessings on the Prophet, may God
bless him and his family, and on the angels and (other) prophets.
No speaker has ever been heard before or after him more eloquent
in his speech than he was. He continued:

Trace back my lineage and consider who I am. Then look
back at yourselves and remonstrate with yourselves. Consider
whether it is right for you to kill me and to violate the
honour of my womenfolk. Am I not the son of the daughter of
your Prophet, of his testamentary trustee (wall) and his
cousin, the first of the believers in God and the man who
(first) believed in what His Apostle, may God bless him and
his family, brought from his Lord? Was not Hamza, the lord of
the martyrs, my uncle? Was not Ja'far, the one who flies in
Heaven, my uncle? Have you not heard the words of the Apostle
of God, may God bless him and his family, concerning myself
and my brother: 'These are the two lords of the youths of the
inhabitants of heaven'? Whether you believe what I am saying
and it is the truth, for by God I have never told a lie since
I learnt that God hated people (who told) them - or whether
you regard me as a liar, there are among you those who, if
you asked them, would tell you: Ask Jabir b. Abd Allah
al-Ansari, Abu Said al-Khudri, Sahl b. Sad al-Saidi, Zayd b.
Arqam and Anas b. Malik to tell you that they heard these
words from the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his
family, concerning myself and my brother. Is there not
(sufficient) in this to prevent you shedding my blood?

"If I understand what you are saying," interrupted
Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan, "then I only worship God (very
shakily) on the edge."

"I think that you worship God (very shakily) on seventy
edges," said Habib b. Muzahir. "For I testify that you
are right. You do not understand what he is saying. For God has
impressed (ignorance) upon your heart."

If you are in any doubt about this, al-Husayn, peace be on
him, told them,

You are in doubt that I am the son of the daughter of your
Prophet. By God there is no son of a prophet other than me among
you and among the peoples from East to West. Shame on you, are
you seeking retribution from me for one of your dead whom I have
killed, or for property of yours which I expropriated, or for a
wound which I have inflicted?

They did not say anything to him. They he called:
"Shabath b. Ribi, Hajjar b. Abjar, Qays b. al-Ashath, Yazid
b. al-Harith, didn't you write: 'The fruit has ripened; the dates
have grown green; come to an army which has been gathered for
you'?"

"We don't know what you are talking about," said
Qays b. al-Ashath. "Submit to the authority of your kinsmen
(the Umayyads). They have never treated you with anything but
what you liked."

"By God, I will never give you my hand like a man who has
been humiliated; nor will I flee like a slave," said
al-Husayn, peace be on him. Then he called out,

O Servants of God, I take refuge in my Lord and your Lord
from your stoning. [ XLIV: 20 ] I take refuge in my Lord and
your Lord from every haughty man who does not believe in the
Day of Reckoning. [ XL: 27 ]

He made his mount kneel and ordered 'Uqba b. Sim'an to tie its
reins. They (the Kufans) began to advance towards him
(al-Husayn). When al-Hurr b. Yazid perceived that the people were
determined to fight al-Husayn, peace be on him, he said to 'Umar:
"Are you going to fight this man?"

"Yes," he replied, "it will be a terrible
battle, the least part of which will be heads falling and severed
hands flying (through the air)."

"Haven't you any other way of getting what you
want?"

"If the matter rested with me," answered Umar,
"I would do (anything else), but your governor has refused
(any alternative)."

Al-Hurr went and stood apart from the people. With him was a
man from his tribe called Qurra b. Qays.

"Qurra, have you watered your horse, today?" he
asked.

"No."

"Do you want to water it?"

Part VIII

[Qurra reported (later):]

I thought that he (al-Hurr) was going to leave the battle, and
did not want to be present at it but was unwilling to be seen
when he (left).

So I said: "I have not watered it and I was going to
water it." Then I left him where he was. By God,if he had
told me what he was intending to do, I would have gone with him
to al-Husayn, peace be on him.

He (al-Hurr) began gradually to draw closer to al-Husayn.

"What do you want, Ibn Yazid?'' asked Muhajir b. Aws, but he
did not answer. (Instead) a great shudder came over him.

"Your behaviour is suspicious," said Muhajir.
"By God, I have never seen you act like this before. If I
was asked who was the bravest of the Kufans, I would not
(normally) neglect (to mention) you. What is this I see in you,
(today)?"

"By God, I am giving my soul the choice between Heaven
and the fire (of Hell)," answered al-Hurr. "By God, I
will not choose anything before Heaven, even though I am cut to
pieces and burnt."

(With that) he whipped his horse and (galloped over) and joined
al-Husayn, peace be on him.

May I be your ransom, son of the Apostle of God?, he said,
I was your companion who stopped you from returning. I
accompanied you along the road and made you stop in this
place. But I did not think that the people would refuse to
respond to what you have offered them and that they would
ever come to this position I (which they have now come to)
with regard to you. By God, if I had I known that they would
finish up (by doing) what I am seeing (them do) to you, I
would not have committed what I have committed against you. I
repent to God for what I have done. Will you accept my
repentance?

"Yes," replied al-Husayn, peace be on him, "God
will forgive you.

So get down."

"You will have (no) horseman better than me, (nor), while
I am on foot, any foot-soldier," he said. "I will
continue fighting on foot to the (bitter) end."

"Do so," replied al-Husayn, peace be on him.
"May God grant you mercy (though) what He has revealed to
you."

He advanced, in front of al-Husayn, peace be on him, and
called out:

People of Kufa, your mother(s) will be deprived of their
sons and tears will come to their eyes. Have you summoned
this righteous man (to come to you),then, when he has come to
you, have you handed him over (to his enemies)? Did you claim
that you would fight with your own lives for him, and then
have you begun to attack him in order to kill him? You have
laid hold of his life; you have seized his throat; you have
encircled him on every side in order to prevent him returning
to God's broad land (i.e. the Hijaz). He has come into your
hands like a prisoner who no longer has the power to use his
own life and cannot defend it against harm. You have
prevented him, his womenfolk, his children and his people
from (getting) the water of the Euphrates which Jews,
Christians and Majians may drink, and which the pigs and dogs
of Sawad drink. They (al-Husayn's family) are likely to die
of thirst. How wickedly you have treated the offspring left
by Muhammad. May God not give you water to drink on the Day
of Thirst.

Some of the foot-soldiers attacked him by shooting arrows at
him. He went and stood in front of al-Husayn, peace be on him.

"Durayd," 'Umar b. Sad called out, "bring
forward your standard (for us)."

He brought it forward. ('Umar) put an arrow in his bow and let
it fly. He said, "(All of you) be witnesses of who was the
first to shoot."

The people began to shoot at each other and to come forward
(for single combat). Yasar, retainer (mawla) of Ziyad b. Abi
Sufyan, came forward (from Umar's army). 'Abd Allah b. Umayr
(al-Kalbi) came forward (from al-Husayn's ranks) to meet him.

"Who are you?" Yasar asked him, and (Ibn al-Kalbi)
gave him his lineage.

"I do not know you," (Yasar) answered. "Let
Zuhayr b. al-Qayn or Habib b. Muzahir come out against me."

"Son of a prostitute, you wanted to do single combat with
one of the people," retorted Abd Allah b. Umayr (al-Kalbi).

With that (Ibn al-Kalbi) struck him with his sword until he
had quietened him. While he was occupied with striking against
him, Salim, retainer (mawla) of 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad, attacked
him (Ibn al-Kalbi). Al-Husayn's followers cried out (in warning):
"The (other) servant is closing in on you!" (Ibn
al-Kalbi) did not notice (Salim) until the latter was upon him.
With his left arm he warded off Salim's blow but the fingers of
his hand were cut off. Then he turned on (Salim) and struck him
and killed him. After (thus) killing them both, (Ibn al-Kalbl)
came forward and recited:

If you do not know me, I am Ibn al-Kalbl: I am a man of

bitterness and anger, I am not a weakling in the face of
disaster.

Amr b. al-Hajjaj, with the Kufans under his command, launched
an attack on the right wing of the supporters of al-Husayn, peace
be on him. When they drew near, the followers of al-Husayn, peace
be on him, knelt down and pointed their spears at them. The
(attackers) horses would not come forward against the spears and
they swung round to retreat. The followers of al-Husayn, peace be
on him, began to shoot arrows at (the enemy), killing some of
them and wounding others.

Abd Allah b. Hawza, one of the Banu Tamim, approached
al-Husayn's camp and the people called out to him, "Where
are you going, may your mother be deprived of you?"

"I am (in the right) advancing to a merciful Lord and an
intercessor who is listened to (i.e. the Prophet)," he
answered.

"Who is that ?" al-Husayn, peace be on him, asked
his followers.

"Ibn Hawza al-Tamimi" he was told.

"O God, drive him into the fire!" (al-Husayn)
exclaimed. With that his horse upset him in its stride and fell.
His left leg was stuck in the stirrups and his right leg was
free. Muslim b. Awsaja attacked him and struck his right leg and
cut it off. The horse galloped off (dragging) him (along) and his
head struck every stone and clod of earth until he died. God
hurried his soul to (Hell) fire. (More) fighting then broke out
and more men were killed.

Al-Hurr b. Yazid attacked the followers of 'Umar b. Sa'd and
(as he did so), he recited the words of 'Antara:

With my charger's neck and breast thrust forward

I will launch myself at them again and again until (the
beast) is clothed in blood.

Yazid b. Sufyan, from Banu al-Harith (of Tamim), came forward
to meet him. Soon al-Hurr killed him.

(In the meantime) Nafi' b. Hilal came forward, declaring:

I am the son of Hilal. I believe in the religion of Ali.

Muzahim b. Hurayth came against him, crying, "I follow
the religion of Uthman."

"Rather you follow the religion of Satan," Nafi
replied and attacked and killed him.

"You stupid fellows," Amr b. al-Hajjaj cried out to
(his) men, "don't you realise whom you are fighting? (These)
knights of the town are people who are seeking death. Don't let
any of you go forward to fight them in single combat. They are
only few and their time is running out. If you only threw stones
at them, you would kill them (eventually)."

"True, you've come to the right conclusion," 'Umar
b. Sad said to him. Then he sent (the message) to the commanders
that none of their men should fight in single combat.

Amr b. al-Hajaj and his men launched an attack against
al-Husayn, peace be on him, from the direction of the Euphrates.
They fought together fiercely for a time. Muslim b. Awsaja was
struck down, may God have mercy on him, (but) Amr and his men
withdrew. When the dust settled, (al-Husayn's followers) found
Muslim stretched out dying. Al-Husayn, peace be on him, walked
towards him and he was on the point of death.

Muslim, may God have mercy on you, said (al-Husayn), of
them (the believers) is he who has accomplished his vow, and
of them is he who waits; they have not changed at all [
XXXIII : 23 ]

Habib b. Muzahir approached and said, "Muslim, your death
is hard for me to bear but I bring you good news of Heaven (where
you are going)."

"May God bring you good news too," replied Muslim in
a weak voice.

"Even if I knew that I would follow you at this very
moment, I would still like you to appoint me to carry out
everything which concerns you."

Then the people came again against al-Husayn, peace be on him.
Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan attacked with his left wing (and thrust
at) (al-Husayn's) left wing, but they stood firm against him and
forced him away (with their spears). Al-Husayn, peace be on him,
and his followers were attacked on every side but the followers
of al-Husayn fought fiercely. Then their cavalry began to attack
and even though they were only thirty-two horsemen, they did not
attack any side of the Kufan cavalry without putting it to
flight.

When Urwa b. Qays saw that - he was in command of the Kufan
cavalry - he sent word to 'Umar b. Sad: "Don't you see what
my calvary is receiving today from this small number (of men)?
Send the foot-soldiers and archers against them."

He sent the archers against them. Al-Hurr b. Yazid's horse was
lamed. He dismounted and began to shout:

You have lamed my (horse) but I am the son of freedom and
braver than a manned lion.

He struck out against them with his sword but a great number
came against him. Ayyub b. Musarrih and another of the Kufan
horsemen shared in killing him.

The followers of al-Husayn, peace be on him, continued to
fight fiercely against the enemy until it was midday. When
al-Husayn b. Numayr - he was in command of the archers -
perceived the steadfastness of the followers of al-Husayn, peace
be on him, he advanced against his supporters with five hundred
archers so that they showered the followers of al-Husayn, peace
be on him, with arrows. They continued shooting at them until
they had lamed (most of) their horses and wounded some of their
men. Then they moved against them and a fierce battle was fought
between them for some time. Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan (also)
attacked them with his followers but Zuhayr b. al-Qayn with ten
of the followers of al- Husayn (counter) attacked and drove them
away from the tents.

Part IX

Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan turned back against them but (some)
of his men were killed and the rest retreated to their positions.
(The number) of killed was apparent among the followers of
al-Husayn, peace be on him, because of the fewness of their
number while it was not so apparent among the followers of 'Umar
b. Sa'd because of their great number. The battle (continued to
be) fought fiercely and desperately. The number killed and
wounded among the followers of Abu 'Abd Allah al-Husayn, peace be
on him, continued to grow until the sun began to decline.
Al-Husayn and his companions prayed the prayer according to the
rite of the prayer of fear.

Hanzala b. Sa'd al-Shibami advanced in front of al-Husayn,
peace be on him, and called out:

People of Kufa, O people fear for you the same (that happened)
on the Day of Parties. If earforyou on the Day of Summoning [ XL
: 30,32 ]. O people, do not kill al-Husayn, for God will destroy
you with punishment. He who forges a lie will be disappointed. [
XX, 61 ]

He advanced and fought until he was killed, may God have mercy
on him. After that, Shawdhab, retainer (mawla) of Shakir, went
forward, (after saying): "Greetings, Abu 'Abd Allah and may
God store his mercy and blessings for you."

He fought until he was killed, may God have mercy on him. Then
came Abis b. Shabib al-Shakiri. He greated al-Husayn, peace be on
him, and fought until he was killed. Each man of (al-Husayn's)
followers continued to go forward and be killed until there only
remained with al-Husayn, peace be on him, the members of his own
House.

His son, Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on them, whose mother was
Layla daughter of Abu Murra b. Urwa b. Masud al-Thaqafi, was (the
next) to advance. He was one of the most handsome men of the
time. On that day he was nineteen years of age. He attacked the
enemy declaring:

I am Ali b. al-Husayn b. Ali. By the House of God, we are
those rightly (endowed) with the Prophet.

By God, the son of a spurious son will not judge us. I will
strike with my sword in defence of my father.

I will strike with the blow of a Hashimi, a Qurayshi.

He did that several times, and the Kufans were afraid to kill
him. Then Murra b. Munqidh al-Abdi saw him. He said: "May
the felonies of the Arabs come on me, if he gets past me doing
the same as he has been doing, (and) if I do not deprive his
mother of him."

('Ali b. al-Husayn) continued to attack the enemy as he had
been doing but then Murra b. Munqidh came against him and stabbed
him. He was struck down and the enemy fell upon him, cutting him
with their swords. Al-Husayn, peace be on him, went out until he
stood over him and said:

May God kill (the) people who killed you, my son. How fool
hardy they are against the Merciful and in violating the
sacredness of the family of the Apostle, may God bless him
and his family.

His eyes filled with tears and he said: "There will
(only) be dust on the world after you."

Zaynab, the sister of al-Husayn, peace be on him, came
hurrying out, crying: "My brother, my nephew!"

She came up and threw herself on (her dead nephew). Al-Husayn
raised her head and then led her back to the tent. He told his
young (sons): "Carry your brother back."

They carried him and put him before the tent which they had
been fighting in front of. (Then) one of 'Umar b. Sad's men
called 'Amr b. Subayh shot an arrow at 'Abd Allah b. Muslim b.
Aqil. Abd Allah put his hand to guard his brow. The arrow struck
his hand and penetrated through his brow, and riveted the hand to
it. He was not able to move it when another man came down on him
with a spear, thrust it into his heart, and killed him.

Abd Allah b. Qutba al-Ta'i attacked Awn b. 'Abd Allah b.
Ja'far b. Abi Talib and killed him.

Amir b. Nashhal al-Tamimi attacked Muhammad b. Abd Allah b.
Ja'far b. Abi Talib and killed him.

Uthman b. Khalid al-Hamdam launched himself against 'Abd
al-Rahman b. 'Aqil b. Abi Talib, and killed him.

[Humayd b. Muslim reported:]

It was like that among us (i.e. many of al-Husayn's supporters
had been killed by 'Umar b. Sa'd's army) when a young lad came
out against us. His face was young like the first splinter of the
new moon and he carried a sword. He was wearing a shirt and a
waistcloth (izar), and a pair of sandals, one of whose straps was
broken. 'Umar b. Sa'd b. Nufayl al-Azdi said to me: "et me
attack him." I said:

Praise be to God, what do you want to do that for? Leave him.
While even one of the family of al-Husayn remains, that will be
enough to take vengeance on you for his (death).

But he insisted: "By God, let me attack him."

So he rushed against him and did not turn back until he had
struck his head with his sword and split it in two. The young lad
fell face downwards and he called out: "O uncle!"

At this, al-Husayn, peace be on him, showed himself just like
the hawk shows itself. He launched into attack like a raging lion
and struck Umar b. Sad b. Nufayl with his sword. That man tried
to fend off the blow with his arm but his arm was cut off from
the elbow, and he gave a great shriek (of pain) which was (even)
heard by the people in the camp. As al-Husayn, peace be on him,
turned away from him, the cavalry of Kufa attacked in order to
save him but they (only succeeded) in trampling him to death
beneath the horses' hooves, and the dust rose.

I saw al-Husayn, peace be on him, standing by the head of the
young lad, looking at his feet and al-Husayn, peace be on him was
saying:

May the people who have caused your death perish. For the
one who will oppose them on the Day of Resurrection on your
behalf will be your grandfather (Ali, or great grandfather,
i.e. the Prophet).

Then he continued:

By God, it is hard on your uncle that you called him and
he did not answer you, or rather he answered but your cry was
(too late) to help you. For by God, those who kill his
relatives are many but those who help him are few.

Then he carried him in his arms. It is just as if (even now) I
am looking at the two legs of the boy making marks (as they
trail) on the ground. He took him and put him with his son, 'Ali
b. al-Husayn, peace be on them both, and the other members of the
household who had been slain. I asked about the boy and was told
that he was al-Qasim b. al-Hasan b. Ali b. Abl Talib, peace be on
them.

Then al-Husayn, peace be on him, sat in front of the tent. He
brought his son, 'Abd Allah b. al-Husayn, peace be on him, who
was (just) a baby and sat him on his knee. But one of the Banu
Asad shot an arrow which slaughtered the child. Al-Husayn, peace
be on him, caught the child's blood in the palm of his hand. When
his palm was full, he poured (the blood) on to the ground and
said:

O Lord, if it be so that You have kept the help of Heaven
from us, then let it be because (Your purpose) is better than
(immediate help). Take vengeance on these people who are
(such) oppressors.

Then he carried the child and laid him with the (other)
members of his household who had been slain.

(Just then) Abd Allah b. Uqba al-Ghanawi shot an arrow at Abu
Bakr b. al-Hasan b. Ali, peace be on them, and killed him. When
al-Abbas b. Ali saw the number of his family who had been killed,
he said to his brothers on his mother's side, Abd Allah, Ja'far
and Uthman:

My brothers through my mother, go forward so that I may
see that you have remained true to God and His Apostle. For
you have no children (to defend).

Abd Allah, may God have mercy on him, advanced and fought
fiercely. He exchanged blows with Hani' b. Shabib al-Hadrami and
Hani' killed him. After him Ja'far went forward and Hani' also
killed him. Khawali b. Yazid al-Asbahi, may God curse him, went
against Uthman who had taken the place of his brother. He fired
an arrow at him and brought him down. One of the Banu Darim
attacked him (while he was down) and cut off his head.

Part X

The group then launched an attack against al-Husayn, peace be
on him, and cut off his access to his camp. His thirst became
severe, and he set off towards the dam, trying to reach the
Euphrates. In front of him was his brother, al-'Abbas. However,
the calvary of Ibn Sa'd, may God curse him, blocked his route.
Among these was a man from the Banu Darim; he said to (the
cavalry):

Woe upon you! Prevent him from reaching the Euphrates,
don't let him get water.

Then al-Husayn, peace be on him, cried out: "O God, I am
thirsty." The Dariml became angry and shot an arrow at him
which lodged in his throat. Al-Husayn, peace be on him, pulled
out the arrow and held his hand below his throat. Both his palms
were filled with blood which he shook away, then he said:

O God, I complain to You about what is being done to the
son of the daughter of Your Prophet.

Then he returned to his position, while his thirst had become
(even more) severe.

Meanwhile the people had surrounded al-Abbas and cut him off
from (al-Husayn). Single-handed he began to attack them until he
was killed, may God have mercy on him. The two who took part in
killing him were Zayd b. Warqa al-Hanafi and Hahm b. al-Tufail
al-Shabsi, after he had been covered with wounds and could not
move.

[ The account of al Abbas death is missing from Tabari ]

When al-Husayn, peace be on him, came back from the dam to his
tents, Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan advanced towards him with a group
of his followers and surrounded him. The fastest of them was a
man called Malik b. al-Nusayr al-Kindi. He cursed al-Husayn,
peace be on him, and struck him on the head with his sword.
(Al-Husayn) was wearing a cap. (The sword) went through it right
into his head and made it bleed. The cap was filled with blood.

Al-Husayn, peace be on him, said to him:

May you never eat or drink with your right hand! May God
gather you (on the Day of Judgement) with those people who
are wrong-doers.

Then he threw away the cap and called for a cloth which he
tied around his head. Then he called for another cap, put it on
and bound it (in place).

[ The above portion is missing from the account of Tabari ]

Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan and those who were with him had
withdrawn from him to their (earlier) positions. After a short
delay they came again against him and surrounded him. 'Abd Allah
b. al-Hasan b. Alieace be on them, came out against them, he was
only a boy, not yet mature enough to leave the women. He rushed
forward until he stood beside his uncle, al-Husayn, peace be on
him. Then Zaynab, the daughter of Ali, peace be on him, came
after him to stop him, and al Husayn, peace be on him, told her
to stop him. However he refused (to take any notice of her) and
determinedly prevented her (from taking him away). He said:
"By God, I will not leave my uncle."

(At this) Abjar b. Ka'b rushed towards al-Husayn, peace be on
him. With sword (in hand), the young lad said to him: "Woe
upon you, you son of an impure woman, are you trying to kill my
uncle?" Abjar struck at him with his sword. The boy tried to
fend off (the blow) with his arm. The sword cut through (his arm)
to the skin (on the other side). There was the arm hanging (by
the skin). The boy cried out: "O my mother!" Al-Husayn
took hold of him and embraced him. He said to him:

My nephew, try to bear what has come to you and be comforted
with the news that God will unite you with your righteous
ancestors.

Then al-Husayn, peace be on him, raised his hand and said:

O God, even as You have made life pleasant for them for a
time, divide them into factions and make them follow the ways
of factions and let their rulers never be pleased with them.
They summoned us so that they might support us and then they
became hostile to us and killed us.

[ Abjar is mentioned as Bahr in Tabari ]

The foot-soldiers launched an attack from right and left
against those who were left with al-Husayn, peace be on him,
until only a group of three or four remained with him. When
al-Husayn, peace be on him saw that, he called for a pair of
dazzling Yemen trousers (sarawil). He tore them and put them on.
He tore them so that he should not have them plundered after he
had been killed. When al-Husayn, peace be on him, was killed,
Abjar b. Kab set on him, plundered him of the trousers and left
him naked. After that the two hands of Abjar b. Ka'b, may God
curse him, became so dry in the summer that they were like sticks
and then soaking wet in the winter so that they sprinkled drops
of water and puss, until God destroyed him.

When nobody except a group of three members of his family was
left with al-Husayn, peace be on him, he moved against the
people, while the three protected him until (all) three were
killed. Al-Husayn, was left alone. Despite being weighed down by
wounds in his head and body, he began to strike against them with
his sword and they scattered, to right and left, away from him.

Then Humayd b. Muslim said:

By God, I have never seen such persistence. His sons have
been killed, and the members of his household and his
followers, yet he is still as brave as ever and he has not
allowed his spirit to leave him. When the soldiers attack
him, he fights back with his sword and scatters them to right
and left of him like goats when a wolf comes upon them.

When Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan realised (the position), he
called for the cavalry and they came up at the rear of the
foot-soldiers. He ordered the archers to shoot at (al-Husayn) and
they showered him with arrows until he became (quilted with
arrows) like a hedgehog (iZ with spikes).

He drew back from them and they stood facing him. His sister
Zaynab, came to the door of the tent and called out to 'Umar b.
Sad b. Abi Waqqas: "Woe upon you, Umar. Is Abu Abd Allah
being killed while you (stand by and) watch?" But Umar did
not answer. Then she called out: "Woe upon you (all), is
there not a Muslim among you?" But no-one answered.

Then Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan shouted at the foot soldiers and
the Calvary: "Why are you waiting for the man? May your
mothers be deprived of you!" So they attacked him from every
side.

Zura b. Sharik struck him on the left shoulder-blade and cut
into it. Another of them struck him on the shoulder. He fell
prostrate on his face. Sinan b. Anas al-Nakhai stabbed him with a
spear and killed him. Khawali b. Yazid al-Asbahi hurried to him
and bent down to cut off his head but he trembled (too much).
Shamir said to him: "May God crush your arm why are you
trembling?" Then Shamir bent down and decapitated him. He
lifted the head (and handed it) to Khawati saying: "Take it
to the commander 'Umar b. Sa'd." Then they began to plunder
(the body of) al-Husayn, peace be on him. Ishaq b. al-Hayat
al-Hadrami, may God curse him, took his shirt. Abjar b. Ka'b, may
God curse him, took his trousers. Akhnas b. Marthad, may God
curse him, took his turban. One of the Banu Darim took his sword.
They plundered his saddle and his camel and they looted his
womenfolk.

[ The name of the plunderers and the plundered objects are
different in Tabari ]

[Humayd b. Muslim reported:]

By God, I did not see one of his women or daughters or the
women of his family who did not have her clothes ripped from her
back, taken away and removed from her forcibly. Then we came to
Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on them both. He was stretched out on
a bed and he was very ill. Shamir had a group of foot-soldiers
with him and they asked him, "Shall we kill this sick
one?" I said: "Praise be to God, will boys be killed
(too)? This is only a youth even though he is what he is."
And I went on (arguing) until I had moved them away from him.

Then 'Umar b. Sa'd arrived and the women cried out and wept in
his face. He ordered his followers: "None of you should
enter the tents of these women nor disturb this sick boy."
The women asked him to return what had been taken from them so
that they could clothe themselves again. So he commanded that
whoever had taken any of their belongings should return them to
them. But by God, none of them returned anything. He then
entrusted charge of the main tent and the tents of the women to a
group (of men) who were; with him. He said: "Guard (the
women) so that none of them may leave and do not harm them."

After this, he returned to his tent and called out to his
followers:

"Who will volunteer (to go) to al-Husayn and make his
horse trample on (al-Husayn's body)?" Ten volunteered. Of
these, Ishaq b. Hayyat and Akhnas b. Marthad trampled on (the
body of) al-Husayn with their horses until they had broken and
bruised his back. Umar b. Sad despatched on that day-it was the
day of 'Ashura', - the head of al-Husayn, peace be on him, with
Khawali b. Yazid al-Asbahi and Humayd b. Muslim al-Azdi, to Ubayd
Allah b. Ziyad. Then he ordered the heads of the remainder of his
followers and members of his House (who had been slain) to be cut
off. There were seventy-two heads. He sent Shamir b. Dhi
al-Jawshan, Qays b. Ash'ath and Amr b. al-Hajjaj with these. They
journeyed until they brought them to Ibn Ziyad. He ('Umar b. Sad)
remained there for the rest of that day and the next day until
just after midday. Then he summoned the people for the journey,
and set out towards Kufa. He took with him the daughters and
sisters of al-Husayn, peace be on him, together with 'Ali b.
al-Husayn, peace be on him. The latter was still sick with a
dysentery and was almost on the point of death.

When Ibn Sad departed, some of Banu Asad, who had been staying
at al-Ghadiriyya went to al-Husayn, peace be on him, and his
followers. They performed the funeral prayer over them. Then they
buried al-Husayn at the place where his tomb still is, and they
buried his son 'Ali b. al-Husayn al-Asghar (the younger) at the
foot of the body. They dug around the area next to the two feet
of al-Husayn, peace be on him, for the martyrs from his House and
his followers.

They gathered them together and buried them all together.
However, they buried al-Abbas b. 'Ali, peace be on them both, in
the place where he was killed, on the road to al-Ghadiriyya,
where his tomb still is.

[ These details are not given by Tabari ]

Part XI

When the head of al Husayn, peace be on him, arrived and after
Ibn Sad arrived on the next day (bringing) with him the daughters
and household of al-Husayn, peace be on him, Ibn Ziyad sat before
the people in the governor's palace. He had given the people a
general summons and had ordered them to be present (to see) the
head. He put it in front of him, and he began to look at it with
a smile. In his hand he had a cane and he began to poke at the
teeth with it.

When Zayd b. Arqam, a Companion of the
Prophet who was (then) an old man, saw him poking at the teeth
with the cane, he said

Take your cane away from those two lips. For, by God,
other than Whom there is no deity, I have seen the lips of
the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, touch
those two lips countless times.

(With that) he began to weep.

"Does God make your eyes weep?" asked Ibn Ziyad.
"Or are you weeping because of God's victory? If it was not
for the fact that you are an old man who has become silly and
your mind has left you, I would cut off your head."

Zayd b. Arqam stood up in front of him and went to his house.

(Meanwhile) the family of al-Husayn, peace be on him, was
brought before Ibn Ziyad. Zaynab, the sister of al-Husayn, peace
be on him, came in the middle of the group, pretending not to be
herself; she was wearing her dirtiest clothes. She went and sat
in a corner of the palace and her maids crowded around her.

"Who is that woman who has gone to the side and has sat
in a corner with her women?" Ibn Ziyad demanded but Zaynab
did not answer. He repeated the question about her a second time.

This is Zaynab, daughter of Fatima, the daugher of the
Apostle of God, may God bless him and grant him peace,

one of her women told him.

"Praise be to God Who has disgraced you, killed you and
revealed the false nature of your claims," said Ibn Ziyad as
he came towards her.

Praise be to God Who has favoured us with His Prophet,
Muhammad, may God bless him and his family, answered Zaynab,
and He has purified us completely from sin. He only disgraces
the great sinner and reveals the false nature of the
profligate. Such men are not among us, praise be to God.

"How do you consider God has treated your House?"
asked Ibn Ziyad,

God decreed death for them and they went forward (bravely)
to their resting-places, Zaynab replied, God will gather you
and us together. You will plead your excuses to Him and we
will be your adversaries before Him.

Ibn Ziyad became enraged and burnt with anger.

"Governor," intervened 'Amr b. Hurayth, "She is
only a woman and women are not responsible for anything that they
say. Do not blame her mistakes."

"God has healed my soul from your tyranny and the
rebellion of your House," he said to her.

Zaynab, peace be on her, became weak and wept.

By my life, she cried out to him, You have killed the
mature ones (of my family); you have pierced my family; you
have cut down my young branches; and you have pulled out my
root. If this heals you, then you have been healed.

"By my life," declared Ibn Ziyad, "this is a
woman who makes poetry. Your father was a poet."

What has a woman to do with poetry?, she answered. Indeed
I have (things) to distract me from poetry but my heart
causes me say what I am saying.

Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on them, was presented to him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am Ali b. al-Husayn" he answered.

"Didn't God kill 'Ali b. al-Husayn?"

"I have a brother who is also called Ali," answered
'Ali, peace be on him, "the people killed him."

"Rather God killed him," affirmed Ibn Ziyad.

"God receives the souls at the time of their death [
XXXIX : 42]."

"How dare you answer me like that!" shouted Ibn
Ziyad angrily, "and that will be the last of you because of
(your) answer to me. Take him away and cut his head off!"

Zaynab, his aunt, clung on to him, pleading: "O Ibn
Ziyad, haven't you had enough of our blood?"

Then she clung on to him and said: "By God, I will not
leave him. If you kill him, kill me with him."

Ibn Ziyad looked at her and at him, and said, "How
wonderful is family relationship! I think she wants me to kill
her with him. Leave him, for I see him (now) for what he
is."

He rose from his assembly to leave the palace and go to the
mosque. He went up on the pulpit. He praised and glorified God,
then he said:

Praise be to God Who has revealed the truth and the
followers of the truth, and has given victory to the
Commander of the faithful, Yazid, and his party, and has
killed the liar who is the son of a liar and his Shia.

At this 'Abd Allah b. Afif al-Azdi, who had been one of the
Shiaa of the Commander of the faithful (Ali b. Abi Talib) stood
in front of him and shouted:

O enemy of God, you are the liar and your father and (the
man) who appointed you and his father. O Ibn Murjana, you
kill the sons of Prophets and take the place of men of truth
on the pulpit.

"Get him for me," ordered Ibn Ziyad.

The soldiers seized him but he gave the battle cry of al-Azd.
Seven hundred of them (quickly) gathered and took him away from
the soldiers.

At night Ibn Ziyad sent someone to get him out of his house.
He was executed and crucified in al-Sabkha, may God have mercy on
him.

The (next) morning Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad sent the head of
al-Husayn, peace be on him, (to Yazid) after it had been taken
through all the streets and tribes of Kufa.

[It is reported from Zayd b. Arqam:]

It was brought past; it was stuck on a spear and I was in
a room in my (house). As it was opposite me I heard it
recite: "Or do you think that the Companions of the Cave
and the inscription were among Our wonderful signs. [ XVIII,
9 ]."

My flesh shuddered and I called out,

O son of the Apostle of God, your head is miraculous,
miraculous.

[ This account is not in Tabari ]

When they had finished taking it around Kufa and had brought
it back to the palace door, Ibn Ziyad gave it to Zahar b. Qays
and he (also) gave him the heads of his companions. He dispatched
him to Yazid b. Muawiya and he sent with him Abu Burda b. 'Awf
al-Azdi, and Tariq b. Abi Zubyan al-Azdi together with a group of
Kufans, to take them to Yazid b. Mu'awiya in Damascus.

[ Abd Allah b. Rabiaa al-Himyari reported: ]

I was with Yazid b. Muawiya in Damascus when Zahar b. Qays
brought the head to him.

"Woe upon you! What is behind you? What have you
got?" demanded Yazid. O Commander of the faithful, he
replied, I bring good news of God's victory and support.
Al-Husayn b. Ali, peace be on them, came against us with
eighteen men of his House and sixty of his Shi'a. We went out
to meet them and we asked them to surrender and submit to the
authority of the governor, 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad, or to
fight. They chose to fight rather than to surrender.

We attacked them as the sun rose and surrounded them on every
side. Eventually (our) swords took their toll of the heads of
the people and they began to flee without having any refuge
(to go to). They (tried to) take refuge from us on the (open)
hills and in the hollows, like the doves seek refuge from a
hawk.

By God, Commander of the faithful, it was nothing but the
slaughtering of animals for slaughter. (It was only the time
taken by) the sleep of a man taking his siesta (before) we had
come upon the last of them. There were their naked bodies, their
blood-stained clothes, their faces thrown in the dust. The sun
burst down on them; the wind scattered (dust) over them; their
visitors were (scavenging) eagles and vultures.

Yazid looked down for a time, then he raised his head and
said:

I would have been satisfied with your obedience (to my
orders) without this killing of al-Husayn, peace be on him.
If it had been me who had accompanied him, I would have let
him off (such a fate).

Part XII

After Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad had dispatched the head of
al-Husayn, he ordered the women and the young boys to be made
ready for travelling. He ordered Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on
them, to be chained with a chain around his neck. Then he
dispatched them, to follow the heads, with Muhaffir b. Thalaba al
Aidhi and Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan. They set out with them until
they caught up with the people with the head. Ali b. al-Husayn
did not speak a word to any of the people who had the head on
that journey. Eventually they reached (their destination). When
they reached the door of Yazid's (palace), Muhaffir b. Tha'laba
raised his voice and shouted: "Here is Muhaffir b. Thalaba
who has brought the Commander of the faithful these vile
profligates."

Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on him, answered him:

What did the mother of Muhaffir give birth to more evil
and more grievous (than him)?

When the heads were put in front of Yazid and among them was
the head of al-Husayn, peace be on him, Yazid recited:

We will split the skull of proud men (who come) against
us;

they were very disobedient and oppressive.

Yahya b. al-Hakam, the brother of Marwan b. al-Hakam recited:

On the bank (of the river) a great army met him who is

closer in kinship (to Yazid) than Ibn Ziyad (is), the man
with a false lineage.

The offspring of Sumayya has acquired status, while the
offspring of the daughter of the Apostle of God is (given) none.

Yazid struck his hand against the chest of Yahya b. al-Hakam
and shouted, "Be quiet!"

Then he said to Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on them

Son of al Husayn, your father cut (the bond of) kinship
with me and showed ignorance of my rights, trying to deprive
me of my position of authority. (Now) God has treated him in
the way you have seen.

No misfortune strikes the earth nor yourselves unless it has
been written in a book before we bring it into existence; that is
easy for God [ LVII : 22 ]

replied Ali b. al-Husayn.

"Answer him," Yazid urged his son, Khalid. However
Khalid did not know what to say in reply. So Yazid answered:

Say rather: Whatever misfortune has struck you is because of
what your hands have earned. And (God) forgives much [XLII: 30 ]

He summoned the women and the children and they were made to
sit in front of him. What he saw was dreadful.

"May God detest Ibn Murjana," he said: "If
there had been (any bond of) kinship between him and you, he
would not have done this to you; he would not have sent you in
this state."

[Fatima, daughter of al-Husayn, peace be on him, reported:]

 

When we sat before Yazid, he showed pity on us. An Ahmar of
the Syrians stood up and said to Yazid: "Commander of the
faithful, give me this one."

He meant me. (Then) I was a pretty young girl. I shuddered for
I thought that that would be allowed to them. I caught hold of
the skirt of my aunt Zaynab and she told (me) that that would not
happen. She said to the Syrian:

 

 

By God, you are a liar. By God, you are (too)
lowly born! Such a thing is not for you nor for
him (to decide).

 

 

 

"You are a liar," Yazid cried out angrily.
"That is for me (to decide). If I wish to do anything, I can
do it."

 

 

No, by God, she replied, God would only let you
do that if you left our faith and professed
belief in another (religion).

 

 

 

"It is me," screamed Yazid, distraught with anger,
"whom you are treating in this (way). It is your father who
has left the religion, and your brother

 

 

I am led by the religion of God, the religion of
my father and the religion of my brother, she
answered, and (it is what) you are led by, and
your grandfather and your father, if you are a
Muslim.

 

 

 

"Enemy of God, you lie," he shouted.

 

 

You are a Commander of the faithful, (yet) you
vilify unjustly and you have become oppressive
with your authority, she answered.

 

 

 

(At this) he was ashamed and became silent. "Give me that
girl," repeated the Syrian. "Be a bachelor," Yazid
said to him, "May God strike you dead!"

Then he ordered the women to be lodged in a house on (the)
banks (of the river). With them (also he sent) their brother,
'Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on them. (Later) a house was set
aside for them, which was attached to Yazid's own house. They
resided (there) for several days, (After a short time) he
summoned al-Nu'man b. Bashir and told him to make preparations to
take these women back to Medina. When he was about to dispatch
them, he summoned Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on them. He took him
aside.

"God curse Ibn Murjana," he said. "If I had
been with your father, he would never have asked me for a favour
without me granting him it; I would have protected him from death
with all my power. But God has decreed what you have seen. Write
to me from Medina and everything that you need will be
yours."

He presented clothes to him and to his family. He sent with
them in the group (of men under the command) of Numan b. Bashir,
a messenger, who brought him (al-Numan) the order to set out with
them in the night; and that they should go in front of him but
they should never be out of his sight. When they stopped, he
should go aside from them and he and his followers should
separate around them like a group of guards over them. He should
(only) keep away from them when any person of their group wanted
to wash or perform a need, so he (or she) would not be ashamed.

 

(The messenger) set off with them amid the group of al-Numan.

(Al-Nu'man) continued to stay close to them along the road but
he

was kind to them as Yazid had instructed him and he looked
after

them until they entered Medina.

After Ibn Ziyad had dispatched the head of al-Husayn, peace be
on him, to Yazid, he went to Abd al-Malik b Abi al-Harith
al-Sulami and told him,

 

 

Go to 'Amr b. Sad b. al-As in Medina and give him
the good news of the killing of al-Husayn (peace
be on him).

 

 

 

[ Abd al-Malik reported: ]

I rode my mount and went towards Medina. (On the way) one of
Quraysh met me.

"What is the news?" he asked.

"The news is for the governor, (then) you will hear
it," I answered.

"We belong to God and to Him we will return," he said.
"By God, al-Husayn, peace be on him, has been killed."

When I went to Amr b. Said, he asked: "What is your
purpose?"

"What will please the governor," I answered,
"Al-Husayn, peace be on him, has been killed."

"Go out and announce his being killed," he told me.

I announced (it). I have never heard such wailing as the
wailing of the Banu Hashim in their houses for al-Husayn b. Ali,
peace be on him, when they heard the announcement of his death. I
went back (in) to 'Amr b. Said. When he saw me, he smiled at me
and laughed. Then he quoted a verse of Amr b. Madikarib:

 

 

Then women of Banu Ziyad raised a great lament
like the lamentation of our women mourning (after
the battle) of al-Arnab.

 

 

 

"This lamentation is in return for the lamentation for
Uthman,"

'Amr exclaimed. Then he went up on the pulpit and informed the
people about the killing of al-Husayn b. Ali, and he summoned
(them to obey) Yazid b. Muawiya. (After that) he went down.

One of the retainers (mawali) of Abd Allah b. Jafar b. Abi
Talib, peace be on him, went to him and announced the news of the
killing of his two sons and he said that we (all return) to God.

"This is what we have through al-Husayn b. Ali, peace be
on them," said Abu Salasil, the retainer (mawl:) of Abd
Allah.

 

 

O son of an obscene (woman)," exclaimed Abd
Allah b. Jafar, taking off his shoe (to strike
him). "Are you saying this of al- ,Husayn,
peace be on him? If I had been present with him,
I would have preferred not to leave him and to be
killed with him. By God, I would not have
withheld those two from him and I take
consolation from what befell them in that these
two were struck down with my brother and cousin,
consoling him and enduring with him.

 

 

 

He went forward to those who were sitting with him and said:

 

 

Praise be to God, Who has (made life hard for me)
through the death of al-Husayn. For I did not
console al-Husayn with my own hands, my two sons
consoled him.

 

 

 

Umm Luqman, the daughter of Aqil b. Abi Talib, may God have
mercy on them, came out crying when she heard the news of the
death of al-Husayn, peace be on him. With her were her sisters
Umm Hani', Ramla and Zaynab, daughters of Aqil b. Abi Talib, may
God have mercy on them. She wept for her (relatives) slain on the
bank and she recited:

 

 

What would you say if the Prophet asked you: What
have you, the last of the (religious)
communities, done

With my offspring and my
family after my departure from them? They are
prisoners and slain and have been stained with
their own blood.

What sort of reward is this for my advice to
you, that you should oppose me by doing evil to
my blood relations?

 

 

 

On the night of the day upon which Amr b. Said had given the
public notice of the killing of al Husayn b. Ali, peace be upon
them, in Mecona, in the middle of the night the Medians heard a
voice calling out. They listened to the voice but they did not
see any person.

The voice called out:

 

 

O men who ignorantly killed al Husayn; hear the
news of punishment and chastisement

All the people of heaven, prophets, angels and
slain, prosecute you.

You have been cursed by the tongue of the son of
David, and (that) of Moses and (that) of the
master of the Gospels.