المجالس العاشورية في المآتم الحسينية

In the noble Ziyarat al-Nahiya it is stated: "With your killing, they killed Islam and abandoned prayer and fasting. They violated traditions and laws, destroyed the principles of faith, distorted the verses of the Quran, and indulged in tyranny and aggression. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) became wronged, and the Book of Allah the Almighty was abandoned. Truth was overpowered and subdued. With your loss, the chants of Allahu Akbar and 'La ilaha illallah' disappeared, as well as what is forbidden and allowed, and the revelations and their interpretations. After you, change and distortion became apparent, as did atheism and negligence, desires and misleading paths, trials and falsehoods."

The mourner stood by the grave of your grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), mourning you with continuous tears, saying: O Messenger of Allah, your grandson and beloved were killed, your family and sanctuary violated, and your descendants were taken captive after you.

The inevitable happened to your family and loved ones, causing the Messenger to be deeply distressed and moved to tears. The angels and prophets offered him solace, while your mother, Fatimah al-Zahra, was overwhelmed with grief. The ranks of the closest angels gathered to console your father, the Commander of the Faithful. Mourning ceremonies were held for you in the highest heavens, the Houri women lamented over you, as did the heavens and their inhabitants, the gardens and their guardians, the mountains and their ranges, the earth and its corners, the seas and their fish, Mecca and its structures, the gardens and their youths, the Kaaba and the sacred site, the sacred monument, and those in states of sacred purity and pilgrimage.

It is narrated from the master of the worshippers, Ali ibn Al-Husayn (peace be upon them both), who said: "There is no day like the day of Husayn (peace be upon him), when thirty thousand men, claiming to be from this nation, approached him. Each one sought to draw near to God Almighty by shedding his blood, while he reminded them of God, yet they took no heed until they killed him wrongfully, oppressively, and unjustly."

Some narrators reported that Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) would come to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) while he was in prostration, and he would walk over the rows until he reached the Prophet and climbed onto his back. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) would rise, keeping one hand on Hussein's back and the other on his knee until he finished his prayer. Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) would come while the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was delivering a sermon on the pulpit. Hassan would climb up to him and sit on the Prophet's shoulders, dangling his legs over his chest, and the brightness of his anklet would be visible. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) would hold him in this position until he finished his sermon.

It is narrated from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) who said: Al-Husayn (peace be upon him) did not nurse from Fatimah (peace be upon her) nor any woman. Instead, he was brought to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), who would place his thumb in his mouth, and he would suck from it what sufficed him for two or three days. Thus, the flesh of Al-Husayn (peace be upon him) grew from the flesh and blood of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). Only two were born at six months: Jesus son of Mary, and Al-Husayn son of Ali (peace be upon him).

Salman al-Farsi narrated: I entered upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) while al-Hasan and al-Husayn were eating, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was placing a morsel alternately in the mouth of al-Hasan and in the mouth of al-Husayn. When they finished eating, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) took al-Hasan on his shoulder and al-Husayn on his thigh. Then he said to me: "O Salman, do you love them?" I replied: "O Messenger of Allah, how can I not love them when their place with you is what it is?" He said: "O Salman, whoever loves them has loved me, and whoever loves me has loved Allah." Then he placed his hand on al-Husayn's shoulder and said: "He is the Imam, the son of an Imam; nine righteous, trustworthy, and infallible Imams will emerge from his progeny, and the ninth will be their Qaim."

According to some narrations, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) would come to him every day, place his tongue in the mouth of Hussein, and let him suckle until he was nourished. Allah, the Almighty, caused his flesh to grow from the flesh of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family).

May the curse of God, the angels, and all people be upon those who wronged the family of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) and caused him grief for his children and his eye's delight. Sheikh Abu al-Faraj Ibn al-Jawzi said: When al-Abbas was captured on the day of Badr, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) heard his groaning and could not sleep that night. So, how would it have been if he had heard the groaning of al-Hussein (peace be upon him)?

He said: When Wahshi, the killer of Hamza, embraced Islam, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) told him, "Keep your face away from me, as I do not love to see those who killed my beloved." He said: "This is while Islam erases all that came before it, so how can one manage?"

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), would he have accepted the killing of Hussein, or ordered his murder and the carrying of his family on the backs of camels?

So what will this nation say to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) on the Day of Resurrection, having shed the blood of his grandson, Hussein, and his family? This was why even the Christians and other religions denounced them for violating the sanctity of the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family).

It is narrated from Imam Zain al-Abidin (peace be upon him) that he said: When the head of my father was brought to Yazid, he would hold gatherings where liquor was consumed, and the head was placed before him in a golden basin covered with a silk cloth. While he was sitting one day with the nobles of his state around him, drinking liquor, with the head between them, a messenger of the king of Rome entered upon them. This messenger was one of the most honorable and greatest of the Romans, and he used to bring letters to Yazid from their king. He greeted Yazid and those around him and handed him a letter he had, then sat and conversed with them while they were in that state, with the head of Hussain (peace be upon him) in the basin before them. He was greatly astonished and said to Yazid, "Why do you drink liquor while this head is among you? Whose head is this?" Yazid replied, "Do not concern yourself with what does not concern you." The messenger said, "I wish to inform our king of what I have seen, for he will ask me about everything I have witnessed. Therefore, I want you to inform me about the matter of this head so that I may join you in joy and happiness." Yazid said to him, "This is the head of a rebel who revolted against my governor in Basra and Iraq." The messenger asked, "And who is this rebel?" Yazid replied, "Hussain, son of Ali." The messenger said, "And who is his mother?" Yazid said, "Fatima al-Zahra, daughter of Muhammad." The messenger exclaimed, "May your faith be destroyed, O Yazid. Now my religion is better than yours." Yazid asked, "Why?" The messenger replied, "My father was one of the disciples of the Prophet David, and there are more than forty generations between me and him. Despite that, the Christians honor and exalt me and take my advice."

You claim that people consider you blessed by merely touching the dust at your feet, while you treat the granddaughter of your Prophet with such actions, despite the strong connection between her and her grandfather. What kind of religion do you follow?

Then he said: "Oh Yazid, have you ever heard about the Church of the Hoof?" Yazid replied: "No."

He said: "Know that between you and China, there is a vast sea, a year's journey in distance, with no living settlement except for a single island located in the middle of the water, eighty miles by eighty miles. There is nothing larger than it on the face of the earth. From there, they carry ruby and camphor, and its trees produce sandalwood and amber. It is controlled by Christians.

In that city, there are many churches, the largest being the Church of the Hoof. Its altar is a golden ring suspended, and within it is a hoof adorned with pearls and rubies, surrounded by gold and silver. None of it is lacking in decoration from top to bottom due to the abundance of gold, silver, and jewels. They venerate this hoof due to the claim that it belonged to a donkey ridden by Jesus (peace be upon him). Many people visit it annually, circumambulate it, kiss it, and pray to God there, lifting their needs to Him at that spot.

This is their practice and dedication to a hoof which they claim was ridden by their prophet."

"This is truly your Prophet, without a doubt. He guided you from misguidance to guidance, and from the darkness of disbelief to the light of Islam, and the father of the slain is the one who will provide water at the Pond on the Day of Resurrection. May God not bless you or your actions." This made Yazid extremely angry, and he said, "Kill him so he does not expose us." When he heard that, he said, "Do you wish to kill me?" Yazid replied, "Yes." He then said, "Know that I saw your Prophet in a dream, and he guaranteed me Paradise." Yazid was astonished by his words and then said, "You are killing the son of your Prophet and claiming you are following the religion of Islam?"

Then he bore witness, saying, "I bear witness that there is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." He then advanced to the head, embraced it, kissed it, and wept, and then he was killed, may God have mercy on him, while he said:

May God have mercy on Sheikh Abdul-Hussein Al-A'sam as he speaks about weeping for Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) and his tragedy:

The Third Council, on the Third Day: The Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) Announcement to Fatimah (peace be upon her) about the Martyrdom of Husayn (peace be upon him)

It is mentioned in some of the visits to the Imams (peace be upon them): O my patrons, if only you could witness the Messenger, and the arrows of the nation piercing in your livers, their spears aiming at your chests, and their swords drenched in your blood. The children of the transgressors quench their hatred of immorality on your piety, and the rage of disbelief on your faith. Among you was one martyred in the mihrab with his head split by the sword, another a martyr above the bier wrapped with arrows, and a slain one in the desert with his head raised upon a spear, a captive in prison with his limbs crushed in iron, and a poisoned one with intestines severed by the poison.

Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return, there is no power nor might except with Allah, the Exalted, the Great. And praised be Sheikh Abdul-Hussein Al-Hayawi, may he have mercy, when he calls upon the Imam Al-Mahdi, may Allah hasten his noble release, saying:

Ibn Qulawayh, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) that Gabriel descended to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and said: "O Muhammad, Allah sends you greetings of peace and gives you the glad tidings of a son to be born from Fatima (peace be upon her), whom your nation will kill after you." Muhammad replied, "O Gabriel, peace be upon my Lord; I have no need for a son born from Fatima who will be killed by my nation after me." Gabriel then ascended to the heavens and descended again with the same message. Muhammad repeated, "O Gabriel, peace be upon my Lord; I have no need for an infant who will be killed by my nation after me." Gabriel ascended to the heavens again and then returned, saying: "O Muhammad, indeed your Lord sends you greetings of peace and gives you glad tidings that He will place in his descendants leadership, guardianship, and succession." Muhammad responded, "I am satisfied," and sent to Fatima saying, "Allah gives me the glad tidings of a son to be born from you whom my nation will kill after me." She replied, "I have no need for a son born from me who will be killed by your nation after you." He sent her a message that Allah would place leadership, guardianship, and succession in his descendants. She replied, "I am satisfied."

"He was carried unwillingly and delivered unwillingly, and his gestation and weaning lasted thirty months. When he reached full strength and the age of forty, he said, 'My Lord, inspire me to thank You for the favor You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do good deeds that please You, and make righteous my offspring.'" If he had said, "Make righteous my offspring," all his descendants would have been leaders.

It was narrated from Ibn Bukair, from some of the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, from the father.

Abdullah (peace be upon him) said: Fatimah entered upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and found his eyes shedding tears. She asked him, "What is the matter?" He replied, "Gabriel has informed me that my community will kill Hussein," causing her great distress. However, he then informed her of a ruler from her progeny, which brought her comfort and eased her heart.

It is narrated from Al-Kufi in the interpretation, with mercy upon him, that he said: It was narrated from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) who said: Hussein was with his mother while she carried him, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) took him and said: "May God curse your killer, and may God curse the one who robs you, and may God destroy those who conspire against you, and may God judge between me and those who assist against you." Fatimah Al-Zahra (peace be upon her) said: "O my father, what are you saying?" He replied: "O my daughter, I am recalling what he will suffer after me and after you from harm, injustice, treachery, and oppression. On that day, he will be in the company of a group as if they are the stars of the sky, being taken towards death, as if I see their camp and the place where their luggage and their resting place is located." She asked: "O my father, where is this place you describe?" He said: "A place called Karbala, and it is a home of calamities and trials for us and the nation. The worst of my community will emerge against them, and if anyone among them interceded for them from the heavens or the earth, they would not be interceded for, and they are the ones who will be eternal in the fire."

She said, "Oh father, will he be killed?" He replied, "Yes, my dear daughter, and no one before him has ever been killed in such a manner. The heavens and the earth, the angels, the beasts, the plants, the seas, and the mountains will all mourn him. If they were allowed, not a single soul would remain breathing on the earth.

A group of his lovers will come to him who are more knowledgeable of God and more committed to our rights than anyone else on earth. No one else on the earth's surface will turn towards him but them. They are the lanterns in the darkness of injustice, they are the intercessors. They will come to my pool tomorrow, and I will recognize them by their signs when they arrive before me. And all the followers of my faith will seek their leaders, and they will seek us and seek no one else. They are the ones who uphold the earth, and it is because of them that the rains fall."

Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon her) said: "O father, indeed by God, they wept." He replied to her: "O my daughter, the best among the people of Paradise are those who were martyrs in this world. They sacrificed themselves and their wealth, and thus Paradise was granted to them, as they fought."

In the way of God, they fight and are killed as a true promise upon Him. What is with God is better than the world and all it contains. A death in battle is lighter than any other death, and whoever is destined for it will go to his resting place, and whoever is not destined will surely die in another way.

O Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad, do you not wish to command tomorrow, with a clear command, among the creation on the Day of Judgment?

Are you not pleased that your son will be among those who carry the Throne? Are you not pleased that your father will come to him asking for intercession? Are you not pleased that your husband will quench the thirst of people on the Day of Judgment at the pond, giving drink to his supporters and keeping his enemies away? Are you not pleased that your husband will have authority over the fire: commanding it to obey him, removing from it whom he wishes, and leaving therein whom he wishes?

Are you not satisfied to see the angels across the heavens looking at you and at what you command, while they look at your husband as he stands among the creations arguing his cause before God? What do you think God will do for your son's supporters, for you, and for your husband when his argument triumphs over the creations, and he commands the fire to obey him? Are you not pleased that the angels weep for your son and that everything laments over him? Are you not satisfied that whoever visits his grave becomes secured by God’s promise and holds the status of one who made a pilgrimage to the House of God and performed 'Umrah, not missing out on mercy for the blink of an eye? If he dies, he dies a martyr, and if he remains, the protectors do not cease to pray for him as long as he remains, and he continues to be under God's protection and security until he departs the world? She said: "Father, I am satisfied and content, and I have placed my trust in God." He then calmed her heart and eyes, saying: "Indeed, you, your husband, and your children are in a place that will please your eyes and make your heart rejoice."

It deeply saddens Fatima al-Zahra, O believers, what befell her beloved son, Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet (peace be upon him), who was slaughtered while thirsty. Along with him, seventeen members of his family were also martyred, unparalleled on the face of the earth. It also deeply grieves Fatima (peace be upon her) what happened to her daughters, the Fatimids, after the martyrdom of Hussein (peace be upon him), when the enemy attacked them while they had no protector or guardian.

They fled from the tents, frightened, screaming, and robbed, and may God have mercy on Sheikh Ja'far Al-Khatib when he said:

Fourth Gathering, On the Third Day: The Passing of Our Lady Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon her) in Mourning Over Imam Hussain (peace be upon him)

May Allah grant you the best of consolation, O you who are devoted to the pure family, peace be upon them all. For what calamity could be greater than the calamity of the Master of Martyrs (peace be upon him), for which al-Zahra al-Batul (peace be upon her) wept and mourned? Rightly so, she should cry day and night for the stranger who died thirsty, and for those of his family (peace be upon them) who were killed. What a tragedy it was, in which men were slaughtered, children were butchered, women were violated, and the sacred family of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was carried away on bare camels' backs without cover or protection.

Walking softly, they are taken around the countries. Which eye does not shed tears for them, and which heart does not break for their plight? Indeed, we belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return. "And those who have wronged will come to know to what [kind of] return they will be returned."

Judge Al-Tanouki mentioned: My father related to me, saying: One day, Abu al-Hasan the scribe came out to us and said, “Do you know of a man in Baghdad named Ibn Asdaq?” No one in the gathering recognized him except me, so I said, “Yes, why are you asking about him?” He said, “What does he do?” I replied, “He mourns for al-Hussein (peace be upon him).” Abu al-Hasan then wept and said: “There is an old woman who raised me; she is from the people of Karakh Jadān. She is sharp-tongued, predominantly speaking in Nabataean, unable to articulate a single correct Arabic word, let alone recite poetry. She is among the virtuous women of the Muslims, frequent in fasting and night prayer. She woke up last night in the middle of the night, and her sleeping place is close to mine. She called out to me, 'O Abu al-Hasan!' I asked, 'What is wrong with you?' She said, 'Help me,' so I went to her and found her trembling. I asked, 'What happened to you?'”

She said: "I had finished my prayers and fell asleep. In my dream, I saw myself in a meadow in the Mansur district of Karkh. There was a clean, white, beautifully crafted room with an open door and women standing around it. I asked them, 'Who has died? What news do you bring?' They gestured for me to enter the house, so I went inside. There, I found a charming room of utmost beauty. In its courtyard, I saw a young woman, more beautiful and splendid than anyone I have ever seen, dressed in elegant white garments. She was wrapped in a very white shawl, and in her lap was a head dripping with blood. I asked her, 'Who are you?' She replied, 'It doesn't concern you. I am Fatimah, daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and this is the head of my son, Husayn (peace be upon him). Tell Ibn Saad about me so that he may lament.'"

I woke up startled, and the old woman said, "Why concern yourself with it," because she is unable to.

After the establishment of the gathering, I remained silent until I fell asleep, and then he said to me: "O Abu al-Qasim, with your knowledge of the man, I have entrusted you with the trust and it is now your responsibility to convey it to him." I replied: "I hear and obey the command of the Lady of the Women of the Worlds (peace be upon her)."

He said: This was in Sha'ban, and at that time, people, especially the Hanbalis, experienced significant hardship when they wanted to go to the shrine. I showed persistence until I left, and I was at the shrine on the night of the fifteenth of Sha'ban. I inquired about Ibn Suduq until I saw him, and I said to him: Fatima (peace be upon her) commands you to chant the poem that contains:

I did not know the poem before that, he said: so he was disturbed by this, and I recited it to him and those present, and they burst into tears, and on that night, no one lamented except with this poem, which begins with:

And some of the Kufi poets helped, and I returned to Abu al-Hasan and informed him of what had happened.

My father and Ibn Ayyash said: There was in Baghdad a famous and skillful mourner known as Kholab. She would lament with this poem, and we heard it in the circles of some leaders, because at that time, people could not lament unless they had the favor of the sultan or did so secretly, out of fear of the Hanbalis. The lamenting was only for the elegies of Hussein and his family (peace be upon them) exclusively. They said: We heard that Al-Barbahari said, "I have been informed that a mourner known as Kholab laments. Seek her out and kill her."

Yaqut al-Hamawi (who passed away in the year 655 AH) mentioned in "Mu'jam al-Udaba" in the biography of Ali ibn Abdullah ibn Wasif al-Nashi al-Hallā' (who passed away in the year 366 AH): Ibn Abdul Rahim said: Al-Khala' told me, he said: "We were in Baghdad in the year 346 AH and I was a boy..."

The assembly in the mosque, which was among the papermakers and goldsmiths, was crowded with people. Suddenly, a man arrived wearing a patched garment, carrying a water bag and a jug in his hands, accompanied by a staff. He appeared disheveled. He greeted the group with a loud voice, saying, “I am the messenger of Fatimah al-Zahra, peace be upon her.” They replied, “Welcome to you,” raising him up. He then asked, “Do you know Ahmed al-Mazouq, the elegist?” They responded, “There he is, sitting down.”

He said: "I saw our Lady (peace be upon her) in my sleep, and she told me: Go to Baghdad and ask him, and tell him: Mourn over my son with the poetry of Al-Nashi, in which he says:"

He said: "Al-Nashi was present and dealt a great slap to his face, followed by Ahmed Al-Mazooq and all the people. Al-Nashi was the fiercest in this, followed by Al-Mazooq. They then lamented with this poem on that day until the people finished the midday prayer and the gathering dispersed. They tried hard to have the man accept something from them, but he refused, saying: 'By God, even if I were given the whole world, I would not take it, for I cannot be the messenger of my lady (peace be upon her) and then accept compensation for it.' Then he left without accepting anything."

Yaqoot said: And this poem consists of a few dozen lines, and he mentioned from it the following:

Al-Samawi mentioned that Al-Sururi recounted some of them, as in the anecdotes, which is his statement:

He said: "I came across an addition to the story in some books, which is that when Nashīl heard the words of the Prophet, he burst into tears and swore that he had composed it that very night, and that no one had heard it from him. Then he sent it to his home, lamented by the decorated one and those present."

Al-Hamawi said: Al-Khalaa narrated to me, he said: I passed by Al-Nashi one day while he was sitting among the lantern makers, and he said to me: I have composed a poem that I have been commissioned to do, and I want you to write it in your handwriting so I can publish it. I replied that I was busy with something but would return, and I headed to the place I intended and sat there. My eyes grew heavy and I fell asleep, and in my dream, I saw Abu al-Qasim Abdul Aziz, the chess player and mourner, who had passed away when returning from a visit. He said to me: I would like you to get up and write down Al-Nashi's ode in ‘B’ rhyme, as we sang it at the shrine last night. I woke up, returned to him, and said: Give me the ode so I can write it down.

He said: "How did you know it is an elegy when I have not mentioned it to anyone?" So, I told him about the dream, and he wept, saying, "There is no doubt that the time is near." I wrote it down, and it began with:

Yaqut said: Al-Nashi passed away in the year 365 AH, and Ibn al-Najjar reported from al-Sabi and others that he died suddenly in the year 366 AH.

The esteemed scholar Al-Samawi, may he rest in peace, mentioned that Sayyid Haider Al-Hilli, may he rest in peace, the well-known poet who passed away in 1306 in Al-Hillah and was buried in the holy Najaf, said: "One night I saw Fatimah Al-Zahra, peace be upon her, in a dream. I approached her to greet her, and when I got close to her, she said to me:"

He said: Tears overcame me, and I found myself memorizing the two verses. I began to walk around my room, repeating them and weeping. Then God opened a way for me, enabling me to say:

He said: Then I completed the poem, and among its verses, may mercy be upon him:

The esteemed scholar Sheikh Muhammad al-Samawi, may God have mercy on him, said: "The virtuous and pious Sheikh Muhammad Rida al-Najafi al-Gharawi informed me, saying: It so happened in the year 1353 that I composed a muwashshah (a type of Arabic poetic form) on the fifteenth of Sha'ban in celebration of the birth of Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) at the beginning of Sha'ban of that year, with the opening line of it being:"

I continued with the genealogy and began to mention the blessed birth, when I saw in a dream Lady Zahra, peace be upon her, and before her was a small child wearing black clothes. She said to me: Do not praise my son in a birthday greeting but eulogize him and say: