المجالس العاشورية في المآتم الحسينية

Then the younger started to shake the elder and said, "Get up, dear one, for by God we have fallen into what we feared." He asked them, "Who are you?" They replied, "O Sheikh, if we tell you, will we have your assurance of safety?" He said, "Yes." They continued, "In the name of God and His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family), and under the protection of God and His Messenger?" He said, "Yes." They added, "And is Muhammad bin Abdullah a witness to that?" He said, "Yes." They said, "And is God a witness to what we say?" He said, "Yes." They replied, "O Sheikh, we are from the family of your Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). We escaped from the prison of Ubayd Allah bin Ziyad to avoid being killed." He then said to them, "You fled from death, and to it you have come. Praise be to God who enabled me to capture you."

He rose to the two boys and tied their shoulders, so the boys spent the night bound. When dawn broke, he called a black servant of his named Faliḥ and said, "Take these two boys and go with them to the bank of the Euphrates, and strike their necks. Bring me their heads so that I may take them to Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and receive a reward of a thousand dirhams."

The young man carried the sword and walked ahead of the two boys. They hadn't gone far when one of the boys said, "Oh Aswad, how your dark complexion resembles that of Bilal, the muezzin of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)!" He replied, "My master has ordered me to kill you both. Who are you?" They said, "Oh Aswad, we are from the family of your Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). We escaped the prison of Ubaidullah bin Ziyad to avoid being killed. This old woman gave us shelter, and now your master wants to kill us."

Then Aswad threw himself at their feet, kissing them, saying, "I would sacrifice my life for yours, and my face to be a shield for your faces, oh family of the chosen Prophet of Allah. By Allah, I will not let Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) be my adversary on the Day of Judgement."

He then moved away, threw the sword to one side, and plunged into the Euphrates, crossing to the other side. His master shouted after him, "Oh boy! You have disobeyed me!" He replied, "Oh my master, I only obeyed you as long as you did not disobey Allah. Once you disobeyed Allah, I am free from you in this world and the hereafter."

He called his son and said: "My son, I gather this world, its lawful and unlawful, for you, while in reality, the world is nothing but an obsession."

Take these two boys with you and lead them to the bank of the Euphrates, then behead them and bring me their heads. This way, I will take them to Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and claim a reward of a thousand dirhams. The boy took the sword and walked ahead of the two young men. They hadn't gone far when one of the young men said, "Young man, I fear for your youthful self from the fire of Hell!" He replied, "My dear, who are you?" They said, "We are from the family of your Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and your father wants to kill us." The boy fell at their feet, kissing them, and said the words of Aswad, throwing the sword aside. He cast himself into the Euphrates and swam across. His father shouted at him, "My son! You disobeyed me!" He replied, "To obey Allah and disobey you is more beloved to me than to disobey Allah and obey you."

The sheikh said, "No one is better suited to kill you than I am," and he took the sword and walked ahead of them. When they reached the bank of the Euphrates, he drew the sword from its sheath. Seeing the drawn sword, the two boys' eyes filled with tears. They said to him, "O sheikh, take us to the market and enjoy the price for us, but do not let Muhammad be your opponent on the Day of Judgment." He replied, "No, but I will kill you and take your heads to Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and receive a reward of one thousand dirhams."

He said to him, "O Sheikh, do you not remember our kinship with the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him and his family)?" He replied, "You have no kinship with the Messenger of Allah." He said to him, "O Sheikh, take us to Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad so that he may decide our fate." He replied, "There is no way to that except to draw nearer to him with your blood." He said, "O Sheikh, do you not have mercy on our young age?" He responded, "Allah has placed no mercy for you in my heart." They said, "O Sheikh, if it must be so, then allow us to pray a few rak'ahs." He said, "Pray as much as you wish, if prayer will benefit you."

The two young men prayed four rak'ahs, then they raised their eyes toward the sky and called out: "O Ever-Living, O Forbearing, O Most Just of judges, judge between us and him with justice."

Then the elder stood up, struck his neck, took his head, and placed it in the sack. The young boy came and rolled in his brother's blood saying, "Until I meet the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) while I am drenched in blood."

My brother said: "Never mind, I will catch up with your brother." Then he went to the little boy, struck his neck, took his head and placed it in the sack, and threw their bodies into the water as they bled.

He brought them to Ubaydullah bin Ziyad while he was sitting on his chair, holding a bamboo stick in his hand. He placed the two heads between his hands. When he looked at them, he stood up and sat down, then stood and sat three times, and then said, "Woe unto you! Where did you capture them?"

He replied, "An old woman of ours hosted them."

Ubaydullah said, "Did you not honor them with the right of hospitality?"

He answered, "No."

Ubaydullah said, "What did they say to you?"

He replied, "They said, 'O old man, take us to the market and sell us and benefit from our price so that Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is not your adversary on the Day of Judgment.'"

Ubaydullah asked, "What did you say to them?"

He said, "I told them, 'No, but I will kill you both and take your heads to Ubaydullah bin Ziyad and receive a reward of a thousand dirhams.'"

Ubaydullah asked, "What did they say to you?"

He replied, "They said, 'Take us to Ubaydullah bin Ziyad so he may decide our fate.'"

Ubaydullah inquired, "What did you say then?"

He said, "I told them, 'There is no way to that except to draw closer to him with your blood.'"

Ubaydullah said, "If you had brought them to me alive, I would have doubled the reward for you and made it four thousand dirhams."

He said: "I found no way to achieve that except by getting closer to you with these young men." He was then asked, "What else did they say to you?" He replied, "They said to me, 'O elder, consider our kinship to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family).'"

He was then asked, "What did you say to them?" He replied, "I said, 'You have no kinship to the Messenger of Allah.'" He was then told, "What else did they say to you?" He replied, "They said, 'O elder, have mercy on our young age.'" He was then asked, "Did you have mercy on them?" He replied, "I said, 'Allah has not placed any mercy for you in my heart.'"

He was then asked, "What else did they say to you?" He replied, "They said, 'Let us pray two units of prayer.'" He said to them, "Pray as much as you wish, if prayer will benefit you," then the two young men prayed four units of prayer.

He was then asked, "What did they say at the end of their prayer?" He replied, "They raised their eyes to the heavens and said, 'O Ever-Living, O Forbearing, O Best of Judges, judge between us and him with truth.'"

Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad said: "The wisest of judges has judged between you. Who will deal with the transgressor?" A man from the people of Sham volunteered, saying: "I will handle him." Then he took him to the designated place.

The man who killed the two boys was ordered to strike his neck and not allow his blood to mix with theirs. He was also told to quickly bring his head. The man did as instructed and brought the head, placing it upon a spear. The children began to throw arrows and stones at him, saying: "This is the killer of the progeny of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)."

To the noble person who is in a righteous state, and upon whom there is mercy, he says:

The first gathering on the fifth day of Imam Hussein's journey to Karbala:

Let those who wish to mourn, weep for the pure ones from the family of Muhammad and Ali, peace be upon them and their progeny. Let those who lament, lament for them; for their sake, let tears flow. Let the wailers cry out, let the distressed raise their voices, let the anguished call out: Where is Hasan? Where is Hussein? Where are the sons of Hussein, the righteous one after the righteous one, the truthful one after the truthful one? Where is the path after the path? Where are the chosen ones after the chosen ones? Where are the rising suns? Where are the shining moons? Where are the radiant stars?

Where are the banners of religion and the foundations of knowledge?

The esteemed Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Al-Sumaesem Al-Najafi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

Mr. Ibn Numar, may God have mercy on them, narrated about the journey of Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) to Karbala: Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) continued on his journey until he reached the area of Al-Tan'eem, where he encountered a caravan carrying gifts sent by Bahir bin Risan Al-Hamiri, the governor of Yemen, to Yazid bin Muawiya, who was his ruler over Yemen. The caravan carried safflower and garments. Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) took the items because the affairs of Muslims were within his jurisdiction. He then addressed the camel drivers: "Whoever among you wishes to accompany us to Iraq, we will fulfill his wage and treat him well. And whoever wishes to leave us from this place, we will give him a fare equivalent to the distance he has traveled so far." Some chose to continue with him, while others declined.

He (peace be upon him) then continued on his journey until he reached Dhat Irq. There, he met Bishr ibn Ghalib, who was returning from Iraq. He asked him about the people there, to which Bishr responded: "The hearts are with you, but the swords are with the Umayyads." He then said: "The brother from Bani Asad has spoken truth; indeed, Allah does whatever He wills and rules as He desires."

He said: Then he, peace be upon him, continued on his journey until he arrived at Thalabiya and rested at noon. He laid his head down and shortly after awoke, saying: "I had a vision in which a voice said, 'You are rushing, and death is rushing towards you to take you to paradise.'" His son, Ali, then said to him: "Father, are we not on the path of truth?" He replied: "Indeed, my son, by the One to whom all servants shall return." Ali said: "Then, father, we do not fear death." To this, Hussein (peace be upon him) responded: "May you be rewarded..."

My son, may God reward you with the best reward a son can receive for his father. Then he (peace be upon him) spent the night in that place.

When morning came, a man from the people of Kufa, known as Abu Hira the Azdi, approached and greeted him, saying: "O son of the Messenger of Allah, what has led you away from the sanctuary of Allah and the sanctuary of your grandfather, Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)?"

Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) replied: "Woe unto you, Abu Hira. The Umayyads took my wealth, and I was patient; they insulted my honor, and I was patient; they sought my blood, so I fled. And by the oath of Allah, the tyrannical group will kill me, and Allah will dress them with complete humiliation, a cutting sword, and will appoint over them someone who will degrade them until they become more humiliated than the people of Sheba, when a woman ruled over them and made decisions regarding their wealth and lives."

Muhammad ibn Abi Talib said: News reached Al-Walid ibn Utbah, the governor of Medina, that Husayn (peace be upon him) had set out for Iraq. He wrote to Ibn Ziyad: "As for what follows, Husayn has set out for Iraq, and he is the son of Fatimah, and Fatimah is the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). Be cautious, O Ibn Ziyad, not to inflict harm upon him, for you would bring upon yourself and your people a crisis in this world that nothing can prevent, and which will never be forgotten by either the elite or the common people as long as the world exists." However, Ibn Ziyad paid no attention to Al-Walid's letter.

In a narration from Al-Riyashi with his chain of transmission from his hadith narrator, he said: I performed Hajj and left my companions and went alone through the path. As I was walking, I raised my gaze to tents and pavilions, so I approached them until I reached the nearest. I asked, "To whom do these tents belong?" They replied, "To Al-Hussein (peace be upon him)." I asked, "The son of Ali and Fatima (peace be upon them)?" They said, "Yes." I asked, "Which tent is he in?" They pointed to a particular tent, and I went towards it. There, I found Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) leaning at the entrance of the tent, reading a book. I greeted him and he returned my greeting. I said, "O son of the Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, what made you reside in this barren land where there is neither greenery nor protection?" He replied, "These people have threatened me, and these are the letters from the people of Kufa, and they are my killers. If they do so, they will not call upon Allah..."

God will send someone to them to kill them until they become more humiliated than an outcast among the nation.

Ibn Nama said: Uqba bin Siman narrated: When Hussain (peace be upon him) departed from Mecca, the messengers of Amr bin Saeed bin Al-As, led by Yahya bin Saeed, intercepted him to bring him back. He refused and they clashed with whips. He (peace be upon him) continued on his way, and they hurried after him, saying: "O Hussain, do you not fear God? You leave the community and cause division among this nation?" He replied: "For me is my deed, and for you is your deed. You are free from what I do, and I am free from what you do."

He said: I narrated that Tarmīḥ bin Ḥakīm said: I met Ḥusayn and brought provisions for my family, and I said: I remind you of your own self; do not let the people of Kufa deceive you. By Allah, if you enter it, you will surely be killed. And I fear you may not even reach it. If you are resolved on war, then descend to the mountain of Ajā, for it is a formidable mountain. There, no one has ever suffered humiliation, and my tribe unanimously supports your victory; they will protect you as long as you remain among them. He said: I have a promise with the people that I dislike breaking. If God spares me, He has long favored and sufficed us, and if what must happen takes place, then (there will be) victory and martyrdom, God willing.

Then I took provisions to my family, instructed them about their affairs, and set out to join Ḥusayn (peace be upon him). On my way, I met Samāʿah bin Zayd al-Nubhānī, who informed me of his killing, so I returned.

Sheikh Al-Mufid, may Allah have mercy on him, said: When Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad learned of Hussein's (peace be upon him) approach from Mecca to Kufa, he dispatched Al-Husayn ibn Numayr, the head of his police force, to station at Al-Qadisiyyah. He organized the cavalry between Al-Qadisiyyah and Khufan, and between Al-Qadisiyyah and Al-Qattata, and informed the people: "This is Hussein heading towards Iraq."

When Al-Husayn (peace be upon him) reached the Hajiz region of Batn al-Rumma, he sent Qays ibn Musahir al-Saydawi. It is said that he sent his foster brother, Abdullah ibn Yaqtar, to the people of Kufa along with a letter, saying:

"In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Husayn ibn Ali to his brothers, the believers and Muslims: Peace be upon you. I praise God to you, there is no deity but Him. Now then..."

A letter from Muslim ibn Aqeel arrived, informing me of your favorable position and your united desire to support us and uphold our rights. I prayed to God to bless our endeavors and to grant you the greatest reward for this commitment. I departed for you from Mecca on Tuesday, on the eighth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the Day of Tarwiyah. Therefore, when my messenger arrives to you, be firm in your decision and diligent, for I am coming to you within these days. Peace and God's mercy and blessings be upon you.

Muslim wrote to him twenty-seven nights before he was to be killed, and the people of Kufa wrote to him saying that there were one hundred thousand swords in support of him, so do not delay.

When Qais ibn Musahhar approached al-Qadisiyyah with the letter from Husayn (peace be upon him), he was captured by Al-Husayn ibn Numayr, who sent him to Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad in Kufa. Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad said to him, "Go up and curse Husayn ibn Ali."

The man said: When he was about to enter Kufa, he was intercepted by Al-Husayn ibn Numair, who wanted to search him. Qais took out the letter and tore it up, and Al-Husayn took him to Ibn Ziyad. When he stood before him, Ibn Ziyad asked, "Who are you?" Qais replied, "I am one of the Shiites of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib, and his son (peace be upon them)." Ibn Ziyad asked, "Why did you tear up the letter?" Qais said, "So you would not know what is in it." Ibn Ziyad asked, "From whom was the letter and to whom?" Qais replied, "From Hussein ibn Ali to a group of the people of Kufa whose names I do not know."

Ibn Ziyad was angered and said, "By God, you will not leave me until you tell me the names of these people or ascend the pulpit and curse Hussein ibn Ali, his father, and his brother, or else I will cut you into pieces." Qais said, "I will not tell you their names, but I will curse Hussein, his father, and his brother." So he ascended the pulpit, praised God, invoked blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), and offered many prayers for Ali and his offspring (peace be upon them). Then he cursed Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and his father and cursed the tyrants of the Umayyad dynasty to the last of them. He then said, "I am a messenger..."

Husayn [is calling] to you, and has left him in this place, so answer him.

Sheikh Al-Mufid, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Ibn Ziyad ordered that he be thrown from the top of the castle. He was thrown and his body shattered. It is narrated that he fell to the ground bound, breaking his bones, yet he still showed signs of life. A man named Abdul Malik bin Amr al-Lakhmi came to him and slaughtered him. When criticized for this action, he replied, "I intended to ease his pain."

Then, Hussain (peace be upon him) approached from the border, heading towards Iraq, and he arrived at a water source among the Arab territories where Abdullah bin Muti’ al-Adawi was camped. When Abdullah saw Hussain, he stood up to greet him, saying, "My father and mother be sacrificed for you, O son of the Messenger of Allah. What brings you here?" He offered him hospitality and invited him to settle down. Hussain (peace be upon him) replied, "What happened with the death of Mu'awiya is as you have heard, and the people of Iraq have written to me, inviting me to join them."

Abdullah ibn Muti' said to him: "I implore you by Allah, O son of the Messenger of Allah, and by the sanctity of Islam that you should not violate; I implore you regarding the sanctity of Quraysh and the sanctity of the Arabs. By Allah, if you demand what belongs to the Umayyads, they will kill you, and if they kill you, they will never fear anyone after you. By Allah, it is the sanctity of Islam, the sanctity of Quraysh, and the sanctity of the Arabs that you are about to violate. Do not do it and do not go to Kufa, do not expose yourself to the Umayyads." But Hussain (peace be upon him) insisted on proceeding.

Ubayd Allah bin Ziyad had ordered that the paths between Waqisa and the road to Sham, and to the road to Basra, be blocked so that no one could enter or leave. Hussain (peace be upon him) approached, unaware of anything, until he encountered some nomads. He asked them, and they said, "By God, we do not know, except that we cannot enter or leave." So, he continued on his way.

A group from Fazara and Bajila recounted: We were with Zuhair ibn Al-Qayn Al-Bajali as we were coming from Mecca. We were traveling alongside Husayn (peace be upon him), and nothing was more detestable to us than...

We had stopped at a residence, and when Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) moved, we followed with him, stopping at another residence. Imam Hussein settled on one side, and we settled on the other side. While we were sitting and about to eat our meal, a messenger from Hussein approached us, greeted us, and entered. He then said: "O Zuhair ibn Qain, Abu Abdullah Hussein sent me to summon you to him." Everyone with us suddenly stopped what they were doing, to the point where it was as if birds were perched upon our heads. Zuhair’s wife, Delham daughter of Amr, addressed him, saying: "Glory be to God! The son of the Messenger of God sends for you, and yet you do not go to him? If you went, listened to his words, and then returned, what harm would there be?"

Zuhair ibn al-Qain approached him, and it wasn't long before he returned, joyous, with his face aglow. He ordered that his tent, belongings, and goods be dismantled and taken to al-Husayn (peace be upon him). Then he said to his wife, "You are divorced. Rejoin your family, for I do not wish for anything but good to come to you because of me."

The honorable Mr. Ibn Tawus, may mercy be upon him, said: "I have resolved to accompany Hussein (peace be upon him) to sacrifice my soul for him and protect him with myself." Then he gave her her wealth and entrusted her to some of his cousins to deliver her to her family. She went to him, wept, bid him farewell, and said: "May God guide you to the best. I ask you to remember me on the Day of Resurrection before the grandfather of Hussein (peace be upon him)."

Sheikh Al-Mufid said: Then he said to his companions, "Whoever among you wishes to follow me, let him do so; otherwise, this is our final meeting. I will tell you a story: We embarked on a sea expedition, and Allah granted us victory, and we acquired spoils. Salman, may God's mercy be upon him, said to us, 'Are you pleased with what Allah has granted you and what you have gained as spoils?' We said, 'Yes.' He replied, 'When you encounter the Leader of the Youth of the family of Muhammad, you should be even more delighted to fight alongside them than you are today with what you have gained from the spoils. As for me, I entrust you to Allah,' they said. Then, by Allah, he remained with Al-Husayn until he was martyred, may Allah have mercy on him."

In the "Manaqib" it is mentioned: When he (peace be upon him) descended at Khuzaymiyyah, he stayed there for a day and a night. When morning came...

Zainab said to her brother, "O brother, should I tell you something I heard last night?" Hussein (peace be upon him) replied, "And what is that?" She said, "I went out during the night for a need and I heard a caller calling, and he was saying:"

The esteemed individual, may he rest in peace, said: News of Muslim (peace be upon him) reached him at Zabala. After that, he continued on his journey and met Al-Farazdaq, who greeted him and then said: "O son of the Messenger of Allah, how can you trust the people of Kufa when they are the ones who killed your cousin Muslim bin Aqeel and his followers?" Hussein (peace be upon him) was moved to tears and said: "May Allah have mercy on Muslim, for he has gone to the comfort and blessings of Allah, to His greetings and satisfaction. Indeed, he fulfilled his obligation, and what remains is our duty." Then he recited:

Sheikh Al-Mufid, may he rest in peace, said: Then he waited until it was pre-dawn, and instructed his young men and servants, saying: "Gather more water, fetch and accumulate plenty." Then they set off and traveled until they reached Zubala, where news of Abdullah ibn Yaqtar reached him.

The gentleman wept as he reflected, then said, "O Allah, grant us and our followers a noble position, and unite us with them in a place of Your mercy, for You are capable of all things."

Shaykh al-Mufid, may mercy be upon him, said: He brought out a book for the people and read it to them, and in it was: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. To proceed: We have received terrible news: the killing of Muslim ibn Aqil.

And Hani ibn Urwah and Abdullah ibn Yaqtar, until he (peace be upon him) said: Whoever among you wishes to depart, let him depart without any obligation upon him, without any reproach.

The people dispersed, moving to the right and left, until only those who had come with him remained, who were his companions from the city, along with a few others who had joined him.

He did so because he (peace be upon him) knew that the Bedouins who followed him did so under the impression that he was going to a land where the people had pledged allegiance to him. He wanted them to proceed with him only after knowing what they were getting into. At dawn, he ordered his companions to prepare and gather plenty of water. And indeed, how eloquently Sheikh Kazem Al-Azri, may mercy be upon him, put it when he said:

The second council, from the fifth day of Imam Hussein's (peace be upon him) arrival in Karbala.

It is mentioned in the book of al-Mazaar by al-Mashhadi, may mercy be upon him, in some of the noble visitations: "I bear witness that you fulfilled the covenant of God and His trust, and all that He stipulated upon you in His book. You called to His way, exerted your utmost effort in seeking His satisfaction, guided the creatures on the path of prophethood and the courses of the message, and walked therein with the conduct of the prophets and the ways of the successors. Yet your command was not obeyed, nor did ears listen to you. So may God's blessings be upon your souls and bodies."

He said:

Sheikh Al-Mufid, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Then he (peace be upon him) continued his journey until he passed by Batan al-Aqaba and descended there, where he met an old man from the Bani Uqayr branch of the tribe known as Umar ibn Lawzan. The old man asked him, "Where are you heading?" Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) replied, "To Kufa." The old man said, "I beseech you in the name of Allah to turn back. By Allah, you are only advancing towards the spearheads and the sharp edges of swords. Those who sent for you would have taken care of the fighting and paved the way for you if they were capable. However, they have abandoned their opinion, and based on this current situation you describe, I advise you not to proceed." Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) responded, "O servant of Allah, the guidance is not hidden from me, but God's decree cannot be overpowered."

Then he (peace be upon him) said: By God, they will not leave me be until they extract this clot from my body, so when…

God has set upon them those who will humiliate them until they become the most humiliated of the nations.

Then he (peace be upon him) proceeded from the bottom of the Aqaba until he reached Sharaf.

When dawn approached, he instructed his young men to fetch plenty of water, and they did so abundantly. He continued on his journey until midday. While they were traveling, one of his companions exclaimed "Allahu Akbar." Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) asked him, "Why did you glorify God?"

He said, "I see palm trees." A group of his companions remarked, "By God, we have never seen a palm tree in this place." Imam Al-Hussain (peace be upon him) then asked, "What do you see?" They replied, "By God, we see spearheads and horse ears." He said, "By God, I see the same."

He (peace be upon him) said: "Is there no refuge we can resort to and have at our back while we face the people?" We said to him: "Yes, this is Dhu Jashm next to you." So he turned to the left, and we turned with him. No sooner had we reached it than a valley of horses appeared before us. When they became clear to us, we veered away, and when they saw us veering off the road, they turned towards us as if their spears were long feathers, and their banners like the wings of birds. We raced towards Dhu Jashm and reached it before them, and Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) ordered his tents to be pitched. The enemy, about a thousand riders led by al-Hurr ibn Yazid al-Tamimi, arrived and faced Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) in the heat of noon. Hussein and his companions were veiled and carrying their swords.

Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) instructed his young men: "Give the people water to drink and quench their thirst, and provide the horses with some water too." So they did, bringing bowls and containers filled with water. They would approach the horse, allowing it to drink three, four, or even five sips, then move the container away, and let another horse drink, until all the horses had been watered.

Ali bin Al-Taan Al-Muharibi said: "I was with Al-Har on that day, and I came last of those who arrived."

When he saw what my horse was suffering from thirst, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) said: "Tilt the water container—for me, the container is the water skin." Then he said: "Young man, make the camel kneel." So, I made it kneel, and he said: "Drink," and as I drank, water kept spilling from the water skin. Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) then said: "Twist the water skin tightly"—meaning to press it. I didn't know how to do it, so he got up and twisted it himself. I drank and was able to water my horse.

Al-Hurr ibn Yazid came from Al-Qadisiyyah, and Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad had sent Al-Husayn ibn Numayr, ordering him to settle in Al-Qadisiyyah. Al-Hurr advanced with a thousand horsemen to meet Al-Husayn (peace be upon him) but did not stop accompanying him until it was time for the noon prayer. Al-Husayn (peace be upon him) then instructed Al-Hajjaj ibn Masroq to call for the prayer.

When the call to prayer was made, Al-Husayn (peace be upon him) emerged wearing a waist wrapper, cloak, and sandals. He praised and extolled God, then said: "O people, I did not come to you until your letters reached me, and your messengers came to me with the message: 'Come to us so that we may have an Imam to guide us. Perhaps God will unite us through you on the path of guidance and truth.' If that is indeed what you desire, then I have come to you; grant me your pledges and agreements to which I can find assurance. However, if you do not want this and my arrival is unwelcome to you, I shall return to the place from which I came."

They remained silent and did not utter a word. Then, he said to the muezzin: "Begin the prayers," and the call to prayer was performed. He said to Al-Hurr: "Do you wish to lead your companions in prayer?" Al-Hurr replied: "No, rather you lead the prayer and we will pray with you." So, Al-Hussain (peace be upon him) led them in prayer. After completing the prayer, he returned, and his companions gathered around him. Al-Hurr returned to his previous position, entering a tent that had been set up for him. A group gathered around him, while the rest returned to their ranks. Then each man took hold of his horse's reins and sat in its shade.

When it was time for the Asr prayer, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) instructed his companions to prepare for departure, which they did. He then ordered a caller to announce the prayer time, and the Iqama was recited. Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) stepped forward and led the people in prayer. After completing the prayer, he concluded with the Taslim (salutation).