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کربلا از آغاز تا پایان (Karbala: From Beginning to End)
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کربلا از آغاز تا پایان (Karbala: From Beginning to End) وبلاگ > جعفریان، رسول - مقاله زیر گزارشی است از واقعه عاشورا از آغاز تا پایان که قبلا متن فارسی آن در همین وبلاگ انتشار یافته و اکنون ترجمه انگلیسی آن تقدیم عزیزان می شود.
سال گذشته به مناسبت اربعین حسینی یک مقاله مفصل در باره امام حسین علیه السلام و داستان کربلا از آغاز تا پایان در وبلاگ گذاشتم. همان زمان این مقاله توسط گروه مترجمان مدیریت فرهنگی هنری منطقه چهارده سازمان فرهنگی هنری شهرداری تهران به انگلیسی ترجمه شده و طبق خبری که اعلام شد، قرار بود به صورت یک کتابچه و جهت اهداء به سفرای خارجی انتشار یابد. دلیل عدم انتشار را نمی دانم؛ اما همان زمان این متن توسط دوستی که واسطه ترجمه بود برای بنده فرستاده شد. امسال با استعلام از ایشان برای اجازه انتشار آن در این وبلاگ، آن عزیزان موافقت کرده و تصمیم گرفتم تا متن آن را برای دوستانی که علاقه مند هستند یک متن انگلیسی در باره داستان کربلا داشته باشند در وبلاگ بگذارم. طبعا عزیزانی که علاقه مند هستند متن فارسی را ملاحظه کنند می توانند اینجا را کلیک کنند.
Imam Hossein1
Imam Hossein (PBUH) was born on the 3rd of Sha"ban, in 4th year of Hijrah in Medina and was martyred on the 10th of Muharram in 61 A.H2. He spent his childhood close beside God’s Messenger (PBUH), his forefather, who loved him. Several traditions (Hadith) have been recorded relating to him and his brother such as, “Hassan and Hossein are Masters of the Youth of Paradise.” and Muhammad (PBUH) is reported to have said, “Hossein is mine and I am his’’. Imam Hossein fought in the battles of Jamal (Battle of the Camel), Siffin and Nahrawan alongside his father, Amir Al Mu"minin (Commander of Faithful)3, and encouraged people to join the fight. At the beginning of Battle of Siffin, he played a decisive role in the capturing of the water course from the soldiers of Damascus. Thus, Imam Ali (PBUH) said, “It was the very first conquest that came by Hossein’s blessing.” Imam Hossein(PBUH) loyal to his brother’s peace During his brother’s religious leadership, Imam Hossein (PBUH) defended his policy absolutely. Rejecting frequent requests from the people of Iraq to come to Kufa, even after his brother’s martyrdom Imam Hossein said, “While Muawiah is alive, we shall do nothing.” As a consequence of saying this, the Imam was obliged to live under, and endure, ten years of Muawiah rule. After the martyrdom of Imam Hassan (PBUH), the leadership of Shi’ism was placed in the hands of Imam Hossein and the people of Kufa, in a sympathetic letter, welcomed his religious leadership and declared their loyalty to him as Shi’ites. Although the people of Kufa were under oppressive rule, nevertheless, the Imam said, “There is a treaty between Muawiah and me, and breaking it is not acceptable’’. While Muawiah tried to pledge allegiance to Yazid, some of the companions’ children (Sahabah’s children) were opposed of it. In a letter to Muawiah, Marwan wrote: “I fear Hossein will be a source of sedition (Fitna) and I think he will cause you a lot of trouble.” Marwan’s words were accurate; the Imam had a clear vision of what was right and was always frank and honest in expressing himself. There was an occasion, when Muawiah tried to ask for Abdullah Ibn Ja’far Ibn Abi Talib’s daughter’s hand for Yazid and Abdullah consulted with Imam Hossein. The Imam said to him, “Do you want your daughter be his wife while our blood is dripping from their swords? It’s better your daughter be married to your nephew Qasim Ibn Muhammad.” Muawiah heard of the Imam’s opposition to his rule, however, he gave order to his governor in Medina that while Hossein was quiescent he should not do anything, merely watch him. Muawiah advised the Imam in a letter that he should not cause disruption and sedition, and further advised him not to trust in the people of Iraq. Imam Hossein (PBUH) became angry and replied, “Weren’t you the murderer of Hujr Ibn Adi4 and his followers who prayed to God and who were pious men who fought against oppression and denied self-made religions and feared nothing? ... Was it not you who said unjustly that Ziyad Ibn Sumaye5, who was born in Obeid’s house, was Abu Sufyan’s child? … and, thus, you have left the religious practices prescribed by God’s Messenger’s (Sunat) and disobeyed Him deliberately and obeyed, contrary to God’s guidance, the Your Own Desires (Havaye Nafs). And then you appointed him governor of Araghein where he cut off people’s hands, blinded them and hanged them from palm trees. Was it not you who murdered the two Hadhrami of whom Ziyad frequently wrote to you: “They are followers of Ali.”, and did you not reply that every follower of Ali should be murdered? According to your orders, did he not murder them and cut them into pieces? Is it not true that Ali’s path is one and the same as the path of the Prophet?” The Imam’s criticisms include the points that those who were murdered by Muawiah, on one hand, were against oppression and, on the other, were against self-made religion. Specifically, they were also pious and virtuous. And then the Imam mentioned some of Muawiah’s and Ziyad’s oppressive actions in Iraq and explicitly demonstrated the point that Muawiah, by claiming a relationship between Ziyad and his father, Abu Sufyan, had left Prophet’s religious practices. Some aspects of Imam Hossein’s ethics It is worthwhile giving examples of some of the Imam’s good ethics: one of the Imam’s followers recounts, “We were walking alongside the Imam and then we stopped in front of a house and the Imam asked for water. A servant, with a bowl of water, came out of the house. Before drinking the water, the Imam took off his silver ring and gave it to her and said, ‘’ Give this to your master’’ and only then began to drink. Passing a platform, the Imam saw some poor people eating food. They offered him their food. The Imam said, “God dislikes the proud.” and then dismounted from his horse and ate their food with them. When he finished his food, he said, “You have invited me and offered your food and I have accepted it; now I invite you; please accept my invitation.” and then he turned to Rubab and told her, “Prepare everything we have”. Imam Baqir (PBUH) is reported to have said, “Imam Hossein went on Hajj by foot’’. The Yazid ruling and beginning of Imam Hossein’s Journey. As his power grew, as a first move, Yazid ordered his governor, Walid Ibn Utba Ibn Abi Sufyan, to pledge the allegiance of the people of Medina to his caliphate and he did this, by starting with Imam Hossein (PBUH)! It is reported in some sources that Yazid tried hard to have these opponents give their allegiance. Other sources inform us that Yazid ordered the Imam’s allegiance otherwise he would have the Imam’s head sent to him. When Imam Hossein and Ibn Zubayr were at the mosque, Walid called for them to come to the governor’s palace (Dar al Imara). They thought that perhaps Muawiah might have died or there was something of similar gravity that had happened. The Imam returned home, put on his clothes, made ritual ablution (Wudu), prayed two Rakaats and went to the governor’s palace together with nineteen companions taken from the people of his tribe. He said to his companions, “If the situation deteriorates, and you are alerted such as by a suspicious amount of noise or something similar, be prepared.” When they were before the governor of Medina, the pledge allegiance to Yazid was discussed, and the Imam said, “Covert allegiance is not good, overt allegiance is better.” and so he escaped from that situation. The next morning, the Imam encountered Marwan, and they had an argument. The Imam said, “Have you heard that the Prophet said that Talgha and the Abu Sufyan family rulings are unlawful and forbidden by God (Haram)?” Marwan retorted: “While you are at a disadvantage, you have to pledge allegiance to Yazid.” The Imam said, “O Marwan, keep away from me, truly you are evil and I am Ahl al Bayt6.” Imam Hossein (PBUH) set off to Mecca and chose night because he wanted not to be harassed by the government. According to Ibn Aasam, while Imam Hossein was bidding farewell to the Prophet at his tomb, he saw the Prophet in a vision who told him, “O Hossein, I see you are to be killed and beheaded very soon by a group of my nation (Umma) in Karbala desert.” Again according to A’asam, the Imam wrote a will in favor of his brother in which he gave his main purpose for rising up: “I have not risen up out of bravado, arrogance, or corruption, but I have done so in order to seek reform in the nation of my Grandfather Muhammad. I want to promote virtue and prohibit vice, and I want to follow the path and tradition of my Grandfather Muhammad, and the path of my father Ali ibn Abi Talib. Imam Hossein (PBUH) set off to Mecca by night because he did not want to be harassed by the government and as he was leaving Medina on the 27th of Rajab in 60 A.H, he recited this verse from the Quran which is about Moses leaving Pharaoh and Egypt: “So he left it, fearful and filled with apprehension. He said, "My Lord, save me from the wrongdoing of people.” (28:21) On the 28th of Rajab, Imam Hossein (PBUH) traveled from Medina to Mecca and, on the 3rd of Sha’ban, a Friday night and his birthday, he arrived in Mecca. Upon the arrival of the Imam in Mecca, the people were delighted and surrounded him from morning to night. He stayed in Mecca for more than four months, from the 3rd of Sha’ban to the 8th of Dhu al Hijjah. Kufa Shi’ites and invitation from Imam Hossein (PBUH) The city of Mecca was no longer a Shi’ite city. The passion towards the Imam was just sentiment, therefore, there was no future for the Imam in this city. The important cities for him were in Iraq, particularly Kufa and Basra. One third of Kufa was Shi’ite and there were also a good number of Shi’ites living in Basra. Thus, Kufa was an important city which, at that time, was ruled by Nu’man Ibn Bashir Ibn Sa’ad, a supporter and follower of Uthman7 and one of Ansar’s8 sons (Helper’s son). Furthermore, the Kufa Shi’ites had been awaiting the death of Muawiah for many years and now they felt that the only option left to them was to invite Imam Hossein (PBUH). Having heard of the Imam’s refusal to pledge allegiance to Yazid, and having prepared themselves to fight against him, the Kufa Shi’ites decided to bring the Imam to Kufa. They had gathered in Sulayman Ibn Surad’s house and were aware of Hossein’s movements and his arrival in Mecca. They said, “We will write a letter to Hossein and invite him to come to Kufa.” And thus the correspondence began. Sulayman, who was a man of some experience, did not like the idea of his writing a letter personally and wanted many letters to be written. This, then, would involve all of them in the invitation. According to clear accounts from all historians, many letters were indeed written and sent to Imam Hossein. Each group wrote a letter, and all members signed and sent their invitation to the Imam. Apart from some prominent Shi’ites, there were, among these signatories, some opportunist aristocrats who had also participated in this correspondence such as Shabath Ibn Rab’i, Hajjar bin Abjar Ajali, etc. These men would later fight in front line of Kufa army against Imam Hossein at Karbala after realizing that the Shi’ite movement would fail. These opportunists had written a letter together, which suggested that they had resurrected their old allegiance with an intention of conspiring against the Imam. For the most part, the contents of these letters were the same and their subject matter was the same as Sulayman Ibn Surad’s own letter, which was: “Thanks be to God for defeating the tyrant enemy; the enemy who rebelled against this nation; took possession of people’s properties by force, and ruled them against their will; the enemy who killed the best people and spared the worst, and shared the property of God among the rich men;… But we have no Imam, so come to us and God may unite us on the path of truth under the aegis of your religious leadership (Imamate).” After receiving many letters, the number of signatories of which indicated that 12,000 people would welcome the Imam’s arrival in Kufa, the Imam, who had been silent during this time, gave a reply to their request. This reply was, additionally, an attempt to understand the situation in Kufa and also to establish how determined the Shi’ites of Kufa were. In his letter to the people of Kufa, who claimed that they had no Imam, Hossein replied, “I am sending my cousin who is one of the most trusted members of my family. He is Muslim Ibn Aqeel9 and will report to me on your affairs. If his report agrees with what you have written, I will soon be with you.” Then Imam added, “You must be clear on the fact that the Imam is the only one who follows the book of Allah, and serves Allah, in all matters and affairs, with justice, honesty and truth.” Muslim Ibn Aqeel travels to Kufa At that time, Muslim, who was the bravest of Aqeel’s sons, was nearly 45 years old. He set off from Mecca to Medina where he hired two men to guide him on his journey to Iraq. The date of his departure was the 15th of Ramadan in 60 A.H and he arrived in Kufa on the 5th of Shawwal in 60 A.H. As soon as he arrived in Kufa, Shi’ites began to visit him and pledged allegiance to him as the envoy of the Imam (PBUH). The pledge of allegiance that they took was to follow the Book of Allah and God Messenger’s religious practices and traditions: to fight against tyrants, to defend the oppressed, and to share trophies fairly. According to historians, 12,000 to 18,000 people pledged allegiance to Muslim. He remained in the city until was martyred on the 8th of Dhu al Hijjah. As mentioned, some Shi’ites also lived in Basra and Imam Hossein (PBUH) sent some letters there. These were carried by the Imam’s servant, Sulayman. The governor of Basra, Ubayd Allah Ibn Ziyad10, was informed of Sulayman’s arrival and took him captive and hanged him. While in Kufa, Muslim concluded that the situation did require the Imam’s presence and he wrote a letter to Imam Hossein and asked him to proceed without delay and as quickly as he could, lest the supporters of the Umayyad Caliphate11 made trouble in the city of Kufa. At the same time, some followers of the Umayyad regime, such as Umar Ibn Sa’ad 12 and Muhammad Ibn Asha’as Ibn Qays, reported on the situation in Kufa to Yazid. They informed him that Muslim was in Kufa and that the Shi’ites had pledged allegiance to him. They claimed that if the Umayyad regime wanted to save Kufa, Yazid would need to send a strong and determined person who would act as he himself would. Yazid, therefore, appointed Ubayd Allah Ibn Ziyad, who was then governor of Basra, as governor of Kufa. Ibn Ziyad’s brutality changed the situation in Kufa dramatically. He cunningly united the aristocrats and took control of Kufa mercilessly. The people deserted Muslim and he was alone. Finally, he was hidden in the house of a woman called Tau’aa but her son betrayed him to guards; Muslim was arrested and martyred. On the same day upon which Muslim was martyred, the 8th of Dhu al Hijjah, The Day of Tarwiyah13, Imam Hossein performed Umrat Mufradah and set off from Mecca to Iraq as quickly as he could. In the last month of the Imam’s time in Mecca and as his departure to Kufa drew near, there had been many people who were opposed to his traveling. Some of the followers of Umayyad regime had asked him to follow the example of the current Imam and avoid any hint of sedition. Others, based on the history of the people of Kufa in breaking their allegiance to Imam Mojtaba’s (Imam Hassan) negotiated peace, had said that the people of Kufa were not trustworthy. Yet others had tried to discourage him from going to Iraq by saying that, presently, the people were only concerned with money and gold. On the one hand, as it was possible that Imam could secure victory in Kufa, these people could have been influenced by the Umayyad regime to give this advice to the Imam. On the other, it was also possible that these people advised the Imam out of fear of the regime or political loyalty. Naturally, the Imam’s interpretation of the situation, especially after reading Muslim’s letter, was different. However, due to the political changes that had occurred in Kufa, especially replacement of its governor, the situation had deteriorated and had resulted in martyrdom of the Imam. It is clear that the Imam’s understanding at the time was accurate but the situation in Kufa had altered for the worst. Imam Hossein from Kufa to Karbala Imam Hossein left Mecca with 19 people from the Abdul Muttalib tribe and nearly 60 from Kufa among whom were both sheikhs14 and young people. Some historians reported that, in fact, 82 people accompanied him during his journey from Mecca to Iraq. Most historians accept that the day of the Imam’s departure from Mecca was the 8th of Dhu al Hijjah, which is Tarwiyah day, and the same day upon which Muslim was arrested and martyred. In Tane’em, Imam Hossein (PBUH) encountered a caravan from Yemen that was carrying gifts and presents from the Umayyad governor of Yemen to Yazid. The Imam seized the caravan and gave the members the choice of accompanying him to Kufa or simply going on their way. Some of the caravan party accompanied him part of the way and three of them stayed with him and completed the journey to Karbala. The Imam passed through 20 towns and villages between Mecca and Karbala; some historical sources mentioned their names and the events which took place in them. In Sifah and Zat Irq, the Imam tried to recruit people by explaining the nature of his cause. In Zat Irq, a man called Beshr Ibn Qaleb Asadi came to the Imam and described Kufa as a confused and disorganized city: the Imam agreed with him. Next, he asked the Imam about a verse from the Quran: “[Mention, O Muhammad], the Day We will call forth every people with their record [of deeds].”(17:71). Imam replied: “O my brother Asadi, we have two kinds of Imam: the first who guides people along straight path, the second who guides people along the wrong path. The one who follows the first goes to Paradise and one who follows the latter goes to hell. Beshr Ibn Qaleb did not accompany Imam Hossein; he was seen later crying on the Imam’s tomb amidst deep regrets that had not accompanied the Imam. During the journey, in the town of Sa’labia, a man came to the Imam and asked about the purpose of his journey. He replied, “The Umayyad regime stole my property and I waited; they cursed me and I tolerated it; they wanted to kill me and I escaped. Be aware that I will be killed by a group of the rebels and God will humiliate them and they will be overthrown.” Before he had heard of the martyrdom of Muslim, Imam Hossein had sent first one envoy, then another to Kufa to bring news from Muslim. The first envoy was Abdullah Ibn Boqtor, the Imam’s foster brother. The other was Qays Ibn Musahir Saidawi: both of them were captured and martyred by Ibn Ziyad’s guards. A letter from the Imam reads, “Muslim ibn Aqeel"s letter reached me. In it, he informs me of your consensus to support us and, by this, to demand our rights. I have written this letter in Batn Al Romma and I will join you very soon.” It was in this letter that the Imam explicitly mentioned that he had left Mecca on the 8th of Dhu al Hijjah; the day of Tarwiyah. The news of Muslim’s and Hani’s martyrdom was the worst and most saddening news that came out of reports of the situation in Kufa. The Imam heard the news during his journey; it was brought to him by a man from Bani Asad (Asad tribe) who said, “In the bazaar at Kufa, I was witness to their dead bodies being dragged along the ground.” After receiving the News of the Martyrdom of Muslim Having heard that the Imam had set off, Yazid wrote a letter to Ibn Ziyad and informed him that Kufa would soon be facing unrest. Therefore, he asked Ziyad to control Kufa closely, and furthermore, to hand out some of the treasury’s wealth to those who were obedient and submissive to the Umayyad regime. He also threatened him that if he could not control the situation, he would be dismissed and his ancestry would record that he had been a member of the former Ubayd in Saqif family. Yazid instructed Ibn Ziyad to employ more spies and guards to watch and arrest any persons suspected of supporting the Imam. From historical accounts, we are aware that Ibn Ziyad had already been successful in breaking up Muslim’s support-base, and in arresting and martyring him. The news that the Imam received of Muslim’s martyrdom came with other news of Ibn Ziyad’s atrocities. This intelligence indicated that the situation in Kufa had now changed. But here, from the discussions seen in the letters, the invitations and pledges of allegiance, we can see an important aspect: there were many Shi’ites in Kufa and still the hope was that if they encountered the Imam, they would support him. Upon receiving the news of the martyrdom of Muslim and Hani, some of the Imam’s companions encouraged him by saying, “You are not like Muslim. If you go to Kufa, people will join you.’’ After receiving the news of Muslim’s martyrdom, the Imam gathered his followers and told them, “You are aware of the situation; it seems to me, these people [in Kufa] will abandon me. So anyone who wants to leave may do so.” Most of those who had joined him during the course of the journey left him but those who had joined him in Mecca, plus a few of those recruited on the journey did stay with him. At that time, it was recorded that they had 32 horses. Following the martyrdom of Muslim and Hani, there was violence, reprisals and enforced compliance with Ibn Ziyad’s rule in Kufa. Ibn Ziyad well understood the danger that the Shi’ites of Kufa could pose and ordered that the entire city of Kufa be secured. To prevent the Imam reaching, or communicating with, the Kufa Shi’ites to restrict any Shi’ites leaving to join the Imam, and also to prevent suspects from escaping, Ibn Ziyad ordered that guards be placed on all bridges to control the people travelling in and out of the city, and so it was done. Ibn Ziyad further ordered the area between Damascus Gate and Basra Gate be watched and, here, no one was allowed to enter or exit. Ibn Ziyad dispatched an army of 4,000 soldiers under the command of Hosayn Ibn Numair to protect southern areas of Kufa. Among his forces was the army of Hurr15comprising 1,000 soldiers that would later encounter the Imam. Hosayn Ibn Numair’s orders were to prevent anyone travelling to the Hijaz area to join the Imam, as it was known that elements within Hijaz had allied themselves with the Imam upon his arrival there. These precautions resulted in suspects being found and arrested in Kufa and some of them were hanged as an example to others. On his journey, the Imam heard from local Arabs that movement in and around Kufa was impossible. The Imam saw how desperate the situation was and turned to his companions and again made the offer, “Anyone who wants to leave may do so.” Some of them did leave but those who had accompanied him from Hijaz, stayed with him. Those who left him were Arabs who had joined him on the journey, and who, at the time, thought that the Imam would gain victory but now doubted it. Zuhayr Ibn Qayn16, who joined the Imam before the news of Muslim’s martyrdom, stayed with the Imam and was himself martyred. Imam Hossein and the Encounter with Hurr Ibn Yazid Riahi As the Imam was moving towards Kufa, he encountered the opposition: the one thousand-strong army led by Hurr Ibn Yazid Riahi, which formed a quarter of Hosayn Ibn Numair’s army. When Hurr’s army reached the Imam, the Imam, who anticipated popular support in Kufa, asked Hurr, “Are you for us or against us?” Hurr replied, “We are against you.” He explained to the Imam that his mission was to accompany the Imam back to Kufa. The Imam refused to go to Kufa and resolved to return to Hijaz. Hurr could not agree to allow this but added, “I am not ordered to fight so I have no choice but to await further orders.” The army thus prevented the progress of the Imam and his followers, and Hurr’s army waited. Once or twice, the Imam turned to his companions and repeated his offer to Hurr that, if he wished, they would leave and return to the Hijaz. He explained, “We Ahl al Bayt (of the Household of the Prophet (PBUH)) are principally charged with leading the people against these tyrants and hypocrites.” The Imam continued, “If you reject me and do not recognize the straight path to Paradise and your ideas are different from those that have been written in the letters I received, we will return forthwith.” The Imam now left the scene of the encounter with Hurr’s army and, with that army following and watching them at a distance, set out towards the Hijaz. Hurr now changed the Imam’s course and the Imam made towards Qadesie, continuing to move away from Kufa. He continued until he reached Bayzah. There, he gave a speech in which he spoke of the need to fight against tyrannical rulers who would try to turn things that God condemned as unlawful (Haram) into the lawful (Halal), who would corrupt, cancel Hudud17 and loot the treasury. It is reported that the Imam gave other speeches as rhetorical sermons (Khutbah18). In these, the Imam told of the face of the world being changed from good to evil… then, as he reminded them that human life is short, he said, “Can’t you see that none follow The Truth and none resist The False?...to fight against this is to die a martyr, and to live with tyrants is to suffer.” To show his agreement with the Imam, Zuhayr stood up and said, “If the world were to stand for ever and if, thus, supporting you makes us mortal, again we would rather to stay with you.” During this time, Kufa Shi’ites, one by one or in small groups of two or three, had been joining the Imam. On the 28th of Dhu al Hijjah in 60 A.H, a group of four people, among whom was Nafe Ibn Hilal, was yearning to join the Imam. Hurr wanted to arrest them to prevent this. The Imam said, “In that case, I am obliged to defend them because they are my disciples and followers. According to our agreement, you are not expected to hinder me.” This group of four’s joining the Imam raised hopes that maybe others would join the Imam, but the security imposed on all roads and paths made this impossible and, even worse, Termah Ibn Uday Ibn Hatam Tae’e, who came from Kufa, told the Imam that he had seen numerous people in Kufa who were ready to come to Karbala to fight against the Imam. He advised, “It would be better for you, before you encounter another huge army, to fight Hurr’s army now, even if they are one thousand strong.” The Imam rejected his advice and replied, “Hurr and I have made a promise to each other and I will not break it. Furthermore, no one knows what the future holds.” The Order of Ibn Ziyad to stop the Imam in Karbala and insisting on Allegiance or Battle In his first letter to Hurr, Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad had ordered him to stop the Imam in a remote desert area and when he sent Umar Ibn Sa’ad to join Hurr, he said to him, “Position your troops so as to prevent the Imam from reaching the water of the Euphrates river.” The enemy’s plan had begun. But everyone in the Imam’s army was free to leave. Faras Ibn Ja’ade Makhzumi, who was one of distant relatives of the Imam, thought the situation dangerous, so he asked the Imam for his agreement to leave; the Imam allowed him to leave and he left the army at night. As the Imam was riding past The Palace of Bani Maqatil, he had a dream. In that dream, he saw a rider who said that the Imam’s convoy was going towards death. The Imam woke up and recited this verse of Quran: “God to Him we shall return.” Ali Akbar, the Imam’s elder son, asked the Imam why he had recited this verse. The Imam replied, “Our death is near.” Ali Akbar asked, “Are we following the Right path?” The Imam replied, “Yes.” Ali Akbar said, “I"m not afraid of a noble death.” The Imam said, “May God donate to you the best award which a father can donate to his son.” On his journey, the Imam had been trying to keep to the desert and distance his party from Kufa in the direction of the Hijaz but Hurr prevented this and the party found themselves approaching Karbala. As they approached Karbala, Hurr received Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad’s letter which read: “Stop him in a desert area where there is no cover.” Additionally, Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad had given responsibility to the messenger carrying the letter to ensure that his order was carried out. The Imam asked for permission to camp in the village of Nineveh or Qazerie but Hurr refused this. Finally, they stopped in an area of the desert without water or shelter. Zuhayr asked the Imam to begin the battle because the enemy army was few but the Imam would not allow it and said, “We do not begin to fight save they begin first.” The Imam (PBUH) on the 2nd of Muharram in 61 A.H camped in Karbala. He raised a tent for himself and his children, and the rest of his family raised tents around him. It was here that the Imam said to his followers, “People are slaves to worldly things. Religion is superficial for them and whenever they are in need, they follow the religion but when they think that their own resources are sufficient, the followers of religion are few.” He asked his family to moderate their mourning when he died, as he certainly would, by refraining from excessive or exaggerated displays of grief. According to Ibn Sa’ad’s19 account, 50 people accompanied the Imam to Karbala, a further 20 from Kufa had been recruited to the Imam’s cause and there were 19 people from his family who accompanied him. Other sources mentioned that there were 45 mounted soldiers and 100 infantry men with him: Imam Baqir reports the same. According to Ya’qubi20, when Umar Ibn Sa’ad came to Karbala with an army of 4,000 of soldiers, there were 62 or 72 people in the Imam’s company. When Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad heard from Hurr that the Imam had made camp not far from Karbala, he wrote a letter to the Imam which reads, “O Hossein! Yazid, the Amir Al Mu’minin, has ordered me not to sleep nor eat well until I kill you or you are made to comply with Yazid’s orders.” When the Imam received the letter, he threw it away and did not reply, but said, “Those who seek God’s subject’s (servant’s) compliance at the cost of God’s wrath, will not prosper.” As he did not receive a reply to the letter, Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad burst into anger and appointed Umar Ibn Sa’ad, who was to be the governor of Rey, to fight against the Imam. At first, Umar would not accept this mission but, as he was about to have the offer of governorship of Rey withdrawn, and even though his clan, Banu Zuhra21, were opposed to this mission as they were part of the Quraysh22 tribe, he agreed and accepted it.
The Kufa army was fully assembled on the 6th of Muharram in Karbala and sources tell us that it had, at least initially, comprised a total of 35,000 men, although it was quite possible that not all reached the battlefield, as there was a tendency for many troops to desert on the march. Generally, the commanders were chosen from among the Kufa aristocrats and tribal Sheikhs whom the Umayyad regime traditionally tried to attract by offering them compliant tribesmen as their soldiery. Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad gave generous financial support to these sheikhs and aristocrats and now expected them to be prepared to join with Umar Ibn Sa’ad’s army to kill Imam Hossein. At the time, it was customary for these aristocrats to play an important role by providing diversionary tactics What were the Kufa Shi’ites doing? What was the disposition of the Kufa Shi’ites when Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad’s army set off to Karbala? During the five days, between the Imam’s arrival in Karbala and the time that Kufa’s huge army of an estimated 22,000 to 28,000 men arrived at the battlefield, the Shi’ites were in a state of disarray as they had no central figure to unite them. This was the same problem that they had had when Muslim Ibn Aqeel was martyred in Kufa. The fear of Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad’s security forces, which were ruthless in killing any suspected opposition, forced them to stay indoors, and little thought was given to anything other than preserving their own lives from the regime. A further reason for staying at home was the fear that they would be forcibly recruited into the Kufa army to fight against the Imam. Not all of the Shi’ite men of military age were successful in evading recruitment or fleeing from the city. It is therefore not surprising that, as stated above, of those who marched out of Kufa along with the army, many Shi’ites deserted on the road. It was far from unknown that a commander with an army of 1,000 men would set off but when his troops approached Karbala, there would be fewer than 300 or 400 remaining: the indications are that many were reluctant to join this battle. Harsama Ibn Salim, an Imam Ali Shi’ite, was one of those who found himself on the road to Karbala and deserted. He recalled that, years before, Imam Ali and he were heading for the Battle of Siffin, and had passed along that very road when Imam Ali had picked up a handful of Karbala soil and said, “Blessed are you O soil! There are those who will be mustered upon you who will enter Heaven without being judged there.” Ibn Salim said, “When I reached Karbala with the army, I went to Imam Hossein and told him the story and I said to him that I did not want to take sides for or against him.” The Imam replied, “Escape from here and do not be witness to my death because God will burn in hell all who witness my death.” Ibn Salim said, “Then I departed from Karbala.” Nevertheless, there were individual Shi’ites joining the Imam’s army until the last day. One of them was Abdullah Ibn Umair Kalbi, a warrior (Mujahid) who had fought against blasphemers. When he saw that a group of people in Kufa Nokhayla were preparing themselves for the fight against the Imam, he said, “My desire was to fight against blasphemers but now I felt that fighting against those who want to fight against the Imam had a greater claim upon me.” Then he went to his house and shared his idea with his wife23. His wife supported him and said, “You are right. I will come with you also.” Both of them left Kufa at night and joined the Imam’s army. At the same time, Habib Ibn Muzahir (Mazahir), a prominent Kufa Shi’ite, also joined the Imam’s army. He had tried to recruit some people from the Banu Asad clan who were living nearby and had been successful in persuading them but then, before the process was complete, Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad’s army arrived and this put an end to his efforts. In another case, Muslim Ibn Ausajah, a native Kufa Shi’ite, succeeded in joining the Imam. It can thus be concluded that if Kufa Shi’ites wanted to join the Imam, it was possible and there were even instances of troops of the Kufa army marching to Karbala and then going across to the Imam once they were there. A further sign of Shi’ite resistance was when Ammar Ibn Abi Salama Dalani tried, unsuccessfully, to assassinate Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad in Nokhayle, he and managed to escape to join the Imam. On his way, he came up against Zahar Ibn Qays’ troops, who were en route to Karbala; he engaged them courageously and progressed to Karbala and joined the Imam. The Beginning of the suppression of Imam Hossein’s army According to the historian Baladhuri24, three days before the martyrdom of Imam Hossein, in accordance with Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad’s order of the 7th of Muharram, the Imam’s army was held at a distance from the Euphrates and allowed no access to water. It is reported that although the Imam dug behind his tent, and some water was found, the supply was meager and it was soon exhausted. Another account, in a letter written to Umar Ibn Sa’ad, reads, “I have heard that Hossein and his companions have had access to water; they have dug some wells. As soon as you receive this letter, prevent them from well-digging if at all possible and, at all costs, do not allow them access to water from the Euphrates.” This letter indicates that digging wells by the Imam was probably unsuccessful. On the 9th day, as the caravan was desperate for water, the Imam dispatched a troop of 20 men, commanded by Abbas Ibn Ali25, the Imam’s brother, and among whom was Nafe Ibn Hilal. Each man carried a water container and their objective was to pass through Amr Ibn Hajjaj’s lines and return with supplies. When this group approached the river, Amr Ibn Hajjaj and a few of his men were standing before them; Nafe went forward. Amr asked, “What is your reason for coming here?” Hajjaj answered, “To get water’’. Amr said, “Only you are allowed to drink.” Nafe replied, “Would it be right for me to drink whilst the Imam remains thirsty?” In defiance, the group moved towards the river and Amr’s men attempted to prevent them but they were beaten off and Abbas’ troop successfully filled, and returned with, their water containers. The Imam’s discussions with Umar Ibn Sa’ad There were some negotiations that took place between the Imam and Umar Ibn Sa’ad alone. In these discussions, the Imam emphasized his willingness and desire to return to Hijaz and that he wanted to resolve the whole situation for the better by departing as soon as possible from Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad’s territory. It is claimed by some that in these accounts the Imam said, “Allow me either to return, or to go to Yazid and pledge allegiance to him, or to go to one of border regions and stay there to defend the frontier.” Uqba Ibn Sama’n rejects this version of events and said, “From Medina to Mecca and from Mecca to Iraq, I was with him until he martyred. I heard everything that he said. I swear to God that he would never ever have said this sentence, which is only famous among people who think that it is true. He never said it. The only thing he said was: “I will proceed into this wide land and see what becomes of the people.” It is possible that Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad heard that this discussion had taken place, because it is known that he wrote a letter to Ibn Sa’ad which read, “I did not send you to converse with Hossein and to be his companion.” It is clear from all accounts that a discussion did take place between these two and that it took place in the middle of the battlefield at a point between the two armies. However, as there were no witnesses and the sole participants were the Imam and Umar Ibn Sa’ad, no one knows what was said, although some theories, based upon subsequent actions, have been given by various historians. Whatever the details of the matter, finally, Umar Ibn Sa’ad rejected the Imam’s request for there to be no fighting, and the Imam put a curse in him. Umar Ibn Sa’ad once again wrote an account to Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad of the Imam’s saying that he (the Imam) was ready to pledge allegiance to Yazid or to reside in a border area. The content of his letter has been studied but the issue remains that, after stating his version of the Imam’s proposals, he wrote, “They will please you and are in the interests of the nation (Umma).” Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad was about to accept the proposals but Shimr Ibn Dhi’l Jawshan talked him out of it by saying, “If Hossein Ibn Ali were allowed to leave, it would be hard to find him again.” Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad accepted this argument and sent Shimr Ibn Dhi’l Jawshan to Umar Ibn Sa’ad with orders to tell Imam Hossein, “Your only option is to accept Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad ’s word as law.” Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad words to Shimr before he left were, “If Umar Ibn Sa’ad is at all doubtful about fighting, tell him that I will substitute you for him.” When Imam Hossein heard these words, he burst into anger and responded with, “I swear to God that I won’t do it; dying is sweeter and easier than doing this.” The Decision to do Battle on the Evening of Tasu’a26. Shimr arrived at Karbala on the 9th of Muharram in the evening and delivered the final message that Ibn Ziyad had addressed to Umar Ibn Sa’ad. Umar Ibn Sa’ad expressed his feelings of contempt towards Shimr because it was he who had persuaded Ziyad not to change his mind, and Umar Ibn Sa’ad announced, “I swear to God that Hossein will not surrender and without doubt there will be a war. I will be Commander-In-Chief and you will be Commander of the Infantry.” Umar Ibn Sa’ad sent Ibn Ziyad’s message to the Imam. The message stated that the Imam should be surrender unconditionally, to which the Imam replied, “I swear to God that I will never agree nor will I shake hands with Ibn Marjana (Ibn Ziyad).” At more or less the same time, Shimr, who was from Banu Kalb tribe, which was the same tribe as Imam Ali’s wife, Umm al-Banin, brought a safe conduct for Imam Hossein’s brother Abbas and his other brothers. Abbas rejected the offer saying, “We do not need your safe conduct. God’s safe conduct is much better than Ibn Ziyad’s.” In another account, it is reported that all four brothers replied, “Do you just give us safe conduct while The Prophet’s grandson is not given safe conduct?” On the evening of Tasu’a, after saying prayers, Ibn Ziyad gave the order to Umar ibn Sa"ad to have his cavalry mount their horses and ride into battle against the Imam. The mounted soldiers started to approach the Imam’s camp but Abbas, along with 20 other people from the Imam’s army, among them, Zuhayr Ibn Qayn and Habib Ibn Muzahir came out to meet them. The purpose of the meeting was to request, on behalf of the Imam, the postponement of the battle to allow for prayers. After some discussion, this was granted and the Imam and his caravan were able to pray. At that meeting, someone said to Zuhayr, “Weren’t you a follower of Uthman?” Zuhayr agreed but added, “Of course and I did not write or sign a letter to the Imam but when I saw that you were betraying him, breaking your promise and favoring worldly things, I saw it as my duty to support him and join him so as to preserve the rights of the Prophet which you were ignoring and destroying.” Habib Ibn Muzahir, who was also there, said, “Those who kill the Prophet’s descendant, who kill virtuous men and kill those who keep vigil in this city, are evil.” The night of Ashura On the night of the Ashura, the Imam gathered his household and companions. First he said prayers and extolled God. He then thanked God for gifting his family with the Prophethood (Nubuwwah). Then he said, “Tomorrow there will be a battle; if you want, you are free to use the darkness of night and leave here. The enemy is looking for me and me alone; if the enemy catches me, they won’t hurt you. His family replied, “May God bring death upon us at your death. We swear to God that we will not abandon you until all that happens to you, happens to us.” The companions gave the same answer; the Imam prayed for them and asked that God might grant them entry to Heaven. The offer, freely given, to release any who might wish to depart, was given because they had pledged allegiance to the Imam but they could not have foreseen this situation, and thus the Imam allowed for the breaking of the allegiance. At night, Muslim Ibn Ausajah, Saeed Ibn Abdullah Hanafi and other followers gave speeches. Muslim said, “I will stay beside you until my spear is broken in their chests; as long as my sword is in my hand I will fight, and if I lose my sword, I will defend you with stones until I die.” Saeed Hanafi said that he would wish to be revived 70 times and die again each time to be able to defend his Imam. Zuhayr spoke, “I swear to God that would die and be revived only to die yet again until I have killed 1000 men. By my death, may God protect you, and the young people of your family.” From the Imam’s family, Abbas and, after him, others, gave speeches. This gathering was held a little before the Kufa army’s return. The Imam in his sermon, said to his companions and family, “I do not know of a better family and better companions on earth.” On the night of Ashura, the companions raised their tent close to each other and crossed and re-crossed the ropes to hinder the Kufa army from passing between the tents. This was done so that the enemy had access to only one side of the Imam’s camp. The tents had been arranged in a horseshoe, and the Shi’ites were safe to both the rear and the sides and the enemy could only attack from the front. At midnight, all of them kept vigil, said prayers, praised God and did penance to God. As an additional precaution, around the tents, ditches were dug and wood and other combustible materials were placed into them. The intention was to create defensive lines of fire on the morning of Ashura to prevent the enemy from passing. According to historical accounts, at some time during Ashura, between 20 and 30 soldiers of the Kufa army joined the Imam. At that night, Borair Ibn Khozair, one the Imam’s companions, told a joke to one of the Imam companions; The companion told Khozair that it was not a good time for joking, he replied, “All of my friends know that I have not made jokes or played tricks either in my youth or now when I am older, but now I am aware that between Heaven and me there is only one blow of a Kufan’s sword. I would like to be hit by this sword swiftly.” The day of Ashura After morning prayers, Umar Ibn Sa’ad positioned his army. The hierarchy of the army was on tribal lines: each tribe had their own commander. The total number of the enemy that were before the Imam was 22,000, neither more nor less. Imam Hossein positioned his army in the morning of Ashura with their tents to the rear. There is no consensus about the size of the Imam’s army among the historians. Baladhuri wrote, “There were 32 horsemen and 40 infantrymen.” Zuhayr Ibn Qayn was the commander of the right flank of the army and Habib Ibn Muzahir was the commander of the left flank, and Abbas was the standard bearer. Baladhuri wrote, “Overall there was somewhere in the region of 100 men.” Before the beginning of the battle, the Imam ordered his men to set fire to the ditch to prevent the enemy from approaching from the rear of the tents. Shimr, who was brazen and without shame, asked the Imam, “Are you in hurry to enter the fire?” The Imam replied, “When it comes to entering the fire, you will be first.” Hearing this exchange, Muslim Ibn Ausajah asked for the Imam’s permission to release an arrow at Shimr; Imam said, “I do not want to be the one who starts this battle.” On the morning of Ashura, from Ibn Ziyad’s army came the cry, “O Army of God, mount your horses.” Meanwhile, the Imam, after saying the morning prayers, invited his companions to be virtuous, patient, and to accept jihad. As the battle was about to begin, Imam Hossein (PBUH) lifted his head towards the sky and prayed, “O God, You are my shelter in the darkness and my hope in every difficulty. For everything that happens to me, You are my savior and shelter. There are many sorrows that hurt the heart and decrease hope and even friends cannot help you nor make the enemy happy. I resort to You from among these sorrows for I simply loved You truly and no one else. Thus You are the owner of every blessing and source of all goodness and You are beyond every dream [and You are He Who makes them come true].” And then he went to battle. He got on his horse; put Quran in front of him, and then the battle had begun. As the two armies confronted each other, the Imam asked Borair Ibn Khozair to speak to the enemy and to talk with them logically. Borair turned to Kufans and said, “Now the Muhammad’s grandchild is before you; these people are His descendents, household and Harem. What do you want from them?” They replied, “To surrender to Ibn Ziyad.” Borair said, “Do you not accept that they would return right now? Have forgotten that it was you who sent letters and the Imam has come because of your letters? Isn’t it true that you prevented them from drinking the water which all people drink? You are behaving badly towards the descendents of the Prophet; God will give you no water on Doomsday and you will remain thirsty.” The enemy did nothing but mock and laugh. The Imam addressed the Kufans personally, “After receiving your letters in which you wrote that the religious practices of the Prophet were in disarray, that rebellion had emerged, and Hudud had not been practiced, I came here. You asked me to come to guide Muhammad’s (PBUH) nation (Umma). And I came here. Is it desirable to shed my blood? Am I not your Prophet’s daughter’s son? Are not Hamza, Abbas and J’afar my uncles? Have not you heard of the Prophet’s sayings about my brother and me in which he said, “Hassan and Hossein are Masters of the Youth of Paradise.’’? If you agree with me that this saying is authentic, I have nothing else to say, if not, you can ask Jabir Ibn Abdullah27, Abu Sa’id Khudri28, Anas Ibn Malik29 and Zayd Ibn Arqam.” Qais Ibn Asha’as Ibn Qais asked, “Do you not want to accept Ibn Ziyad’s decree?” The Imam replied, “I swear to God that I will not shake hand with him like one of those whom he humiliated and I will not escape like a slave.” By saying this, the intention of the Imam was to introduce himself to those who didn’t know him and to make them think about their unworthy actions and poor behavior, and, in fact, to give them their final choice. The members of the Harem who heard of the Imam speech wept, and the Imam sent Abbas, his brother to calm them. In the speeches of the morning of the Ashura, Imam said this, “Ibn Ziyad wants one of two things from me, death or humiliation and I will never accept the latter.’’ Hurr Ibn Riahi was one of few people who had been influenced by the Imam’s speeches. After listening of the Imam’s sermon, Hur went to Umar Ibn Sa’ad and said, “Do you really want fight against this man? Do you not accept any of his proposals?’’ Umar Ibn Sa’ad replied, “If I were the decision maker, I would say yes to him.” Hurr said, “Glorified is God! How terrible it is that Hossein Ibn Ali makes these requests and you reject them all.” After that he went over to the Imam’s side. When Hurr reached to the Imam, he said, “I am the one who treated you badly. Now I am here to sacrifice my life for you. Do you believe that is it possible for me to repent?” The Imam said, “Yes, You can repent and so I pronounce that you will become a seeker after liberty and prosperity just as you became Hurr30. A person named Umar from Banu Tamim, released the first arrow which hit the Imam’s shoulder but the Imam’s armor protected him. Zuhayr turned to Kufans and said, “O God’s servants! Fatima’s son (Imam Hossein) stands in rank before Sumaye’s son31 and requires aid. If you will not help him, then allow him to talk to Yazid personally; Yazid will be pleased with you for your obedience, even if you do not kill him (The Imam).’’ Shimr shot an arrow at him and called out, “Be quite.” Zuhayr replied, “Shimr! I curse you to the fires of hell.” Shimr said, “May God kill you and your companions right now.” According to Abu Mikhnaf, the classical historian, Zuhayr said the following which is of great importance, “Before this, we were a single and united nation and we had the same religion and we were brothers at a time when there were no swords between us and a time that you were able to listen to our advice but, when the swords came, you broke the respect between us. From now on you have your own nation (Umma) and we have ours.” When Shimr threatened Zuhayr with killing him, Zuhayr said, “Are you trying to frighten me with death? Death is much better than living beside you.’’ Then Zuhayr turned to the people and said, “You should not be deceived by this fool; understand that Hossein’s murderers –the murderers of the descendant of the Prophet - are deprived of the intercession of the Prophet at Doomsday.” Then a man from the Imam companions shouted at Zuhayr, “Hossein said that you should return, you have fulfilled your duty by giving them advice.” In the last moments before the battle started in earnest, the Imam called Umar Ibn Sa’ad but he was reluctant to come to the Imam, although he did finally come. The Imam said to him, “Are you fighting against me only so you may have the governorship of Rey? Be aware that, after my death, you will have no joyous or happy days and there will be hard times ahead of you in this world and the hereafter.” The Beginning of the Battle and the Martyrdom of the Imam’s Army. The two returned to their respective sides and then Umar ibn Sa"ad turned, advanced and fired an arrow towards Hussein ibn Ali"s army, saying: "Give evidence before the governor that I was the first to start the battle." He turned to Kufans and said, “What are you waiting for? They are easy targets for you.” As Umar Ibn Sa’ad released the arrow, his army began to fire their bows also. Kufan arrows rained down upon the Imam and his supporters. The Imam said, “These arrows are the envoys of the enemy; prepare yourself for death: it is inevitable.” Although Alfotouh puts the total martyred at “50 or more”, Ibn Shahrashub32, the scholar, actually listed the names of those who were martyred in this first attack. They comprised 28 fighting men plus 10 of Imam Ali’s descendants. The latter were those who, for one reason or another, were unable to fight and who were martyred by the first wave of arrows. The martyrdom of so many in this first attack, left only a few of the Imam’s followers who could face Ibn Ziyad’s army in single combat. Among those who did survive the arrows was Abdullah Ibn Umair Kalbi who, eager to fight and encouraged by his wife, went into single combat after asking the permission of the Imam to fight personally against Yassar, the descendant of Ziyad Ibn Sufyan. However, the first to seek permission from the Imam had been Habib Ibn Muzahir and Borair Ibn Khozair but the Imam forbade them and only after Abdullah Ibn Umair had been allowed to fight, did the Imam permit them to go. When Abdullah Ibn Umair Kalbi killed Yassar, Salim, one of the Ubayd Allah’s descendants, came onto the battlefield. Although some of Abdullah Ibn Umair Kalbi’s fingers had been cut off, he disregarded his injuries and killed Salim, upon his victory he began call loudly upon others of the Kufan army to come and fight him while, with a staff in her hand, his wife encouraged him. The Imam ordered Abdullah Kalbi’s wife to return, and the Imam prayed for Abdullah’s family. Yassar and Salim were the first ones in Ibn Ziyad’s army to be killed. Ubayd Allah’s army now approached first from the right flank and then the left towards the Imam’s remaining army. The Imam’s men knelt on one knee and angled their spears on the ground at the chests of the approaching horses and repulsed them. And now, the Imam’s army began to fire their arrows at Ubayd Allah’s retreating army and successfully killed and wounded some of them. The Single Combat of The Imam’s Companions. The remainder of the Imam’s men were dispatched to the battlefield one by one and were martyred in single combat. One of the martyrs of Karbala was Borair Ibn Khuzair Hamdani whose nickname in Kufa was Sayyadolghorra and one of the famous Shi’ites of the city. Nafe Ibn Hilal Bajali too was one of the prominent men of Karbala. The Bajalah tribe was a Shi’ite tribe from which many prominent Shi’ites later came. An interesting account tells that when he was going to the battlefield, he shouted, “I am from Jamal [tribe] and I am a follower of Ali’s religion.”33 After the companions’ single combat and the Kufa army having seen some of their men killed, Amr Ibn Hajjaj of Ubayd Allah’s army, turned to Umar Ibn Sa’ad’s army and said, “You idiots! You are fighting against heroes of this city; you should not fight against them in single combat. They are few! You could kill them by throwing stones!” Umar Ibn Sa’ad agreed with him and commanded his army not to accept any further challenges from the Imam’s fighters. Then Amr Ibn Hajjaj had the right flank of Kufa army charge the Imam’s army. Amr shouted at the Kufa army, “O Kufans! Hold your line, obey your orders and show the rebels no mercy.” At the time these words were spoken, it is probable that the Imam’s army comprised no more than 32 men. Muslim Ibn Ausajah Asadi was martyred by two Kufans and his martyrdom delighted the Kufa army although Shabath Ibn Rab’i, who was a commander of a part of Kufa army, did not see it that way. In sadness at Muslim’s death, he remembered the courage with which Muslim fought against the polytheists in Azerbaijan where he had killed 6 of them. As Muslim’s death approached, the Imam came to him and said, “O Muslim! May God have mercy upon you’’. Then the Imam recited this verse from Quran, “Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration.” (33:23) Habib Ibn Muzahir, Muslim’s close friend, went to him and promised him Paradise 34, and said, “I regret being in this situation, but I would like to hear your will and perform it’’. Pointing to the Imam, Muslim replied, “My will is to obey this man and be martyred on his path and to defend him.” Habib said, “I swear by God of Ka’ba that I will do what you say.” In the battle, Abdullah Ibn Umair Kalbi was also martyred. At his martyrdom, his wife went to him and wept. Shimr ordered one of his servants, Rustam, to strike her down with an iron bar to the head. Rustam did so and she too was martyred. Those who remained of the Imam’s army drew together so that the enemy could not pass between them. As stated above, they had dug ditches around the camp, placed fuel in the ditches and had set fire to it. Umar Ibn Sa’ad dispatched some of his men to capture the tents and destroy them but they were surrounded by the Imam’s companions and killed. This caused Umar to order that the tents be set on fire. Hearing the order, the Imam shouted, “Let them set fire to the tents: they can still only approach you from one side.” Shimr threw his spear towards the Imam’s tent and said, “I will set fire to this tent and burn it down with its occupants inside.” Throughout the camp, women and children shouted in terror and began to escape from the tents. Shabath Ibn Rab’i reprimanded Shimr and told him that his actions were evil
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