Ashura The Tale of the Imam Hussien (5 page)

Burair said, "Oh you people! The heritage of Mohammad has ended up in your midst. And these are his progeny, household, daughters and holy members of his family. So what do you have to say and what are you going to do with them?".

They replied, "We want Emir Obaidullah bin Ziyad to get hold of them, and then decide what he would do with them".

He said, "Are you not satisfied that they go back whence they came? Oh people of Kufa! Woe unto you! Did you forget the letters you wrote and the pledges you made to me to which Allah bears witness? You invited the progeny of your Prophet and claimed that you would protect them with yourselves. When they responded and came to you, you want to hand them over to Ibn Ziyad, and denied them access to the water of the River Euphrates. What evil heirs to your Prophet and his progeny you turned out to be! What has become of you! May Allah not give you a drink on the day of judgement. What an evil folk you are!.

A group of them replied, "We do not know what you are talking about".

He said, "Praise be to Allah for making me more discerning. Oh Lord! I seek refuge with you and disown the actions of these people. Oh Allah! Sow discord among their ranks and make them use their fortitude against each other until they meet with Your wrath."

The response from them was that they fired arrows at him which made him retreat.

Enervate them, this tirade did
The foe still sustained its bid.
Woe to those whose hearts were sealed
Their promiscuous prattle, thus unveiled:
"Confound us not by harangues, Hussain
Unleash not your diatribes, in vain.
The Prophet, some message did convey
Concede, that Yazid now shows the way.
To usurp the Caliphate do not try
Your revolt, does envy imply.
What the Caliph avers, is verily best
Submit, and don't his dictums test
You shouldn't his celestial place dispute
Withhold not allegiance, pay tribute.
The Caliph pilots our faith and fate
Divinely commandeers our love and hate.
His words, divine truth contain"

Part 7 - Hussain's Sermon

At forenoon of the tenth of Muharram when the heat of the sun started scorching the earth, Hussain, his household and companions began to feel the severity of thirst. The enemy was adamant not to give them access to the water of the River Euphrates out of Jahili'ite enmities and Badri'ite grudges. Therefore, Aba Abdillah AI-Hussain, feeling the strain of thirst, mounted his horse and opened the leaves of Al-Qur'an over his head and stood in front of the belligerent camp and shouted, "The Book of Allah and the Sunna (tradition) of my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (S) are the arbiters between you and me". He then made them bear witness on his pure soul and that he was wearing the coat of arms of the Prophet (S), his buckler and his turban.

They said that his statement was true. He then asked them what made them decide on fighting him. Their answer was that it was out of obedience to the Emir Obaidullah bin Ziyad. He then delivered this sermon:

Hussain's sermon:

"May grief and evil befall you, You wretched bunch! You distressfully called upon us to come to your rescue and when we responded fully, you unsheathed your swords against and pushed us unto the fire which we set alight for our enemy as well as yours. You, therefore, played into the hands of your enemy against your masters (the friends of God). Without justice the enemy administered amongst you and without hope you placed in them. Woe unto you! You abandon us while the sword is still blemished, oneself is collected, and the mind is yet to be made up. Yet, you rushed like the creeping bird and fell over yourselves like butterflies crowding on a flower; then you wrecked it; to hell with you! Oh you slaves of the bondmaid! Ahzab outlanders, forsakers of the Book [of Allah], distorters of facts, bunch of evil, blow of Satan, extinguishers of norms! Woe unto you! Have you chosen to support those, and let us down? Yes, by the Almighty this emanates from an old intrinsic treachery, fed to your origins and handed down to you; therefore, you are like a malignant fruit - distressing to look at and sickening when eaten."

"The bastard and the son of a bastard has left us but two choices, either resorting to the sword or capitulating. How preposterous! Humiliation is not our cup of tea! Allah shall never let this happen to us; so shall His Messenger, the believers, and chaste and pure laps and proud souls. For the sake of these values we would rather die in an hour and not submit to the ignobles. Hence my march leading this family albeit meagre in number and deserted by would-be supporters."

Hussain thundered: "0, wretches you
Before the swine pearls I threw.
Don't venom spit in religion's name
Comprehend I do, your noxious game.
When degeneration marks its way
An entire nation goes astray.
Delusion, do not let you sway
Confounded whims induce decay.
For you is mild profoundest hell
That infernal jail can't match you well.
A hideous deed, sponsor not
Save your conscience, mend your lot
Erase and efface your sins' stains
With tainted conscience, no one gains
The lure, the virtuous to pursue
The crass chase it, to grab it, run.
This pathless desolation, do not tread
'Tis disquietude, self-imposed dread
Don't your conscience push and goad
Vainly, trudge not a craggy road".

Part 8 - Al-Hur bin Yazid seeks Forgiveness

He continued with his address stating, "By the Almighty, soon you have done away with us, you will be shaken like a stone mill, like an axis."

"This is a covenant passed, to me from my grandfather the Messenger of God (SAW) through my father.
 
'You may resolve upon your affair and gather your partners then let not your affair be in darkness to you, then have it executed against me and do not reflect (any further)'
. (10:71)
 
'Surely I rely on Allah, my Lord and yours; there is no living creature but He holds it by its forelock; surely, my Lord is on the right path'
. (11:56)"

Then he raised his hands towards heaven and said, "Oh Lord! give them no rain, afflict them with barren years like the years of Yusuf (Joseph) - (draught and famine). Give mastery over them to the boy from Thaqeef (reference to Al-Hajjaj al-Thaqafi), who will give them bitter water (torment them) because they branded us as liars and let us down. You are our Lord; we rely on You and unto You we return."

He returned to his camp and was surrounded by his brethren and followers. He said to them, "The folk are intent on fighting you. May Allah have mercy on you." Then he appealed for help and support.

When Al-Hur bin Yazid ar-Riyahi heard his plea for help he went to Omar bin Sa'ad and asked him, "Are you fighting this man?" Ibn Sa'ad replied, "Yes, by the Almighty! a kind of fighting the bottom line of which is heads will roll and limbs will be chopped".

Al-Hur said, "Are you not satisfied with what to you?" Ibn Sa'ad replied, "Had it been for me I would have accepted his proposal. But your master is adamant".

Al-Hur then stood a middle ground and shuddered, gradually drawing nearer to Hussain (A). One of his companions asked him, "What are you doing?" Al-Hur answered, "I am giving myself the choice between heaven and hell; by the Almighty I choose nothing short of heaven so much so that I do not mind if I were chopped into pieces and burnt. He then spurred his horse aiming towards Hussain (A) with his lance turned around, his bow upside down. He stood before Hussain (A), eyes cast down, and asked him, "0! could I but sacrifice myself for you, You son of the Messenger of Allah! I have been stalking you all the way. It was me who prevented you from going back (to where you came from), kept close watch on you, and roared on you in this place. I have never thought that the people would not agree to your proposition. Oh Lord! I turn to you in repentance for I frightened the hearts of Your friends, the offspring of Your Messenger."

"Oh father of Abdullah! I seek penitence from Allah for what I did. Do you, think that He will accept it? "Hussain (A) answered, "Yes, he will accept your repentance".

He then asked Hussain (A) for permission to address the belligerent camp; he was given it. He called in the highest pitch of his voice, "Oh, people of Kufa! You called on this good servant of God; when he responded you welcomed him and claimed that you do not mind getting killed to spare him. Then you changed your minds, transgressing against him with a view to killing him. You put a stranglehold on him, stretched his patience, and besieged him to prevent him from seeking a safe haven in Allah's vast land. He became like a hostage. You denied him, members of his household, and companions access to the waters of the River Euphrates from which Jews, Christians, and fire worshippers drink, and pigs and dogs wade in. Yet Hussain, his family, and companion, are dying of thirst. What misery you inherited the offspring of Mohammad (S)! May Allah not give you drink on the day of thirst." A group from the camp of Ibn Sa'ad attacked him shooting at him with arrows forcing him to retreat.

Omar bin Sa'ad drew nearer to the camp of Imam Hussain (A) and called Draid, the bearer of the standard, to move forward. He then took an arrow, placed it in his arch and released it in the direction of Hussain's (A) camp, and said, "Bear witness for me with the Emir that I was the first to shoot." The arrows then followed like rain, causing injuries among the companions of Imam Hussain (A).

Having made sure that the enemy is intent on fighting them, Hussain (A) ordered his followers, "Rise to certain death; may Allah have mercy on you; the arrows are the messengers of those people to you".

The companions of Hussain (A) waged a campaign and fought for an hour or so. When the dust settled, there were fifty dead. When Hussain (A) saw this elite group of his companions killed he held his beard and said, "Allah's wrath on the Jews was great because they claimed that he had a son, on the Christians because they made him one of the trinity, on the Magians because they worshipped the sun and the moon, and on the people who were unanimous in the agreement to kill the son of their Prophets daughter. By the Almighty! I am not going to give in to them until I meet Allah blood-dyed".

"Your predilection for conceit
And profane wiles, entranced with deceit
Have driven me to prove, with sword, my case
To screw my courage to the sticking place.
When my sword, to act, is forced
My views, by the apostates, are endorsed.
Bathed in the foe's infernal blood
Zooms, imbrued, through the gory flood.
As I draw my sword (and wield)
premptorily the rivals yield.
A conquest, when I plan to clinch
To elude the battle the bravest flinch.
Launch an assault, and attack you do
A veritable rock will confront you.
In your quest to win; prevail
Assume the aggressive; charge; then fail
To feed hell's fire, be dispatched
Midst devils perform misdeeds, unmatched.

Part 9 - Is there any amongst Man to help us ?

He then shouted, "Is there any one who can come to our rescue? Is there any one who can protect the sanctity of the family of Allah's Apostle?" The screaming and crying of women could be heard as a result of his plea.

One by one the companions of Hussain (A) asked for permission to meet in combat with the enemy bidding him farewell, saying, "Peace be with you Oh Aba Abdillah!"; he answered. "Peace be with you; we will follow", reciting,
 
"...so of them is he who accomplished his vow, and of them is he who yet waits, and they have not changed the least"
. (33:23)