المجالس العاشورية في المآتم الحسينية

I turned to the right and left, and there in front of me was a vast pool of great length and width. I thought to myself, this must be Al-Kawthar. Its water was colder than snow and sweeter than pure fresh water. By the pool stood a man and a woman, their radiance illuminating the surroundings. Despite this, they were clothed in black, and they appeared grieving and sorrowful. I asked, "Who are these people?" I was told: "This is Muhammad the Chosen, this is Imam Ali the Chosen, and this is the pure Fatima Al-Zahra." I asked, "Why do I see them wearing black and in mourning?" I was informed, "Is this not the day of Ashura, the day of the martyrdom of Hussein (peace be upon him)? They are grieving for that reason."

He said: I approached Lady Fatimah, the Mistress of the women (peace be upon her), and said to her: "O daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), I am thirsty." She looked at me sternly and said: "Are you the one who rejects mourning for the calamity that befell my son, Al-Hussein, the essence of my heart and the apple of my eye, who was wrongfully and unjustly martyred? May Allah curse those who killed him, wronged him, and deprived him of drinking water." The man said: I woke up from my sleep, terrified and anxious, and sought much forgiveness from Allah. I repented for what I had done and went to my companions with whom I was before, told them about my vision, and repented to Allah the Almighty.

To Allah is the mention of Sheikh Abdul Hussain al-A'sam, may mercy be upon him, when he says:

The Fourth Gathering, Ninth Day: Gabriel and the Angels Inform the Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) of the Murder of Husayn (Peace be upon him)

It is mentioned in the book "Al-Mazar" by Al-Mashhadi, may he rest in peace, in some of the noble visitations: "I testify that you have fulfilled the covenant of God and His promise, and every condition He required of you in His Book. You called to His path, exerted your utmost in His satisfaction, and guided the creatures on the path of Prophethood and the ways of Messengership. You have followed the conduct of the prophets and the ways of the trustees, yet no command was obeyed from you, nor did any ear listen to you. So may the blessings of God be upon your souls and bodies."

In this regard, some poets say:

Abu Basir narrated from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) that he said: I heard him say: While Al-Husayn (peace be upon him) was with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), Gabriel came to him and said: O Muhammad, do you love him? He replied: Yes. Gabriel said: Verily, your community will kill him. The Messenger of Allah was deeply saddened by this. Gabriel then said: Would it please you if I showed you the land where he will be killed? The Prophet said: Yes. Thereupon, Gabriel folded the space between the seat of the Messenger of Allah and Karbala until they joined like this — and he brought together his two index fingers — then with his wing, he took some of the soil and gave it to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). Then the land returned faster than the blinking of an eye. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: Blessed be the land, and blessed be the one who will be killed in it.

Anas ibn Malik reported that a great angel, one of the mighty angels, sought permission from his Lord, the Almighty.

The Prophet was visited by an angel, and during their time together, Hussain entered. The Prophet kissed Hussain and seated him on his lap. The angel asked him, "Do you love him?" The Prophet replied, "Yes, with the deepest love; he is my son." The angel then said, "Your community will kill him." The Prophet exclaimed, "Will my community kill my child?" "Yes," the angel confirmed, "and if you wish, I can show you the soil upon which he will be killed." The Prophet agreed, and the angel presented a red, fragrant soil, saying, "When this soil becomes soaked with fresh blood, it will be the sign of your son's killing." Salim ibn Abi Al-Ja'd reported that he was informed the angel was Mikha'il (upon him be peace).

Aisha narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) seated Husayn on his thigh and began to kiss him. Gabriel then said, "Do you love this son of yours?" The Prophet replied, "Yes." Gabriel said, "Your nation will kill him after you." The eyes of the Messenger of Allah filled with tears. Gabriel then said, "Would you like me to show you the soil from the land on which he will be killed?" The Prophet said, "Yes," and Gabriel showed him soil from the land where he would be killed, and said, "It is called Karbala."

Anas narrated that an angel sought permission to come to the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said to Umm Salama: "Guard the door and do not let anyone enter." However, when Hussain came to enter, she prevented him, but he leapt in and climbed onto the shoulders of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and sat on them. The angel then said to him, "Do you love him?" The Prophet replied, "Yes." The angel said, "Your nation will kill him, and if you wish, I can show you the place where he will be killed." The angel extended his hand, revealing a piece of red earth. Umm Salama took it and placed it in the edge of her garment. Thabit said, "It came to us that this was the place in Karbala where he was killed."

When Gabriel descended to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) with the news of the killing of Hussein, he took Ali by the hand and they withdrew from people for a long time during the day, overwhelmed by their tears. They did not part until Gabriel descended with a message from the Lord of the Worlds, saying: "Your Lord sends you peace and says: It has grieved Me for what you have endured with patience." So they endured patiently.

Abu Basir narrated from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) that he said: Gabriel came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) while Hussein was playing in front of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). Gabriel informed him that his community would kill him (Hussein). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was deeply moved and said, "Shall I show you the soil in which he will be killed?" Then the ground opened from where the Messenger of Allah was sitting to the place where he would be killed, until the two pieces of land met. He took some of the soil, and it returned in the blink of an eye. He went out, saying, "Blessed is the soil, and blessed is whoever will be killed around you."

He said: And the companion of Solomon did likewise; he spoke the name of Allah, the Greatest, and caused the earth between Solomon's throne and the other throne to sink, smoothing its hills and valleys until the two pieces met, and he pulled the throne. Solomon said: "It seems to me as if it came out from under my bed." He said: And it was moved in the blink of an eye.

Zayd al-Shahham narrated from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) that Gabriel (peace be upon him) announced the martyrdom of Husayn (peace be upon him) to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) while he was in the house of Umm Salama. Husayn entered, and Gabriel was present. Gabriel said, "Your nation will kill him." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) asked, "Show me the soil where his blood will be shed." Gabriel then took a handful of that soil, and it was red. According to another narration, the soil remained with Umm Salama until she passed away. May Allah have mercy on her.

Abu Khadija narrated from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), who said: When Fatimah gave birth to Al-Husayn, Gabriel came to the Messenger of Allah and said to him: "Your community will kill Al-Husayn after you." Then he said: "Shall I show you from its soil?" He struck the ground with his wing and brought out some soil from Karbala, and showed it to him, then said: "This is the soil upon which he will be slain."

Abdulrahman Al-Ghannawi narrated from Suleiman, who said: Did a king not descend from the heavens to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) to console him for his son Hussain? And inform him of Allah's reward for him, and he did not bring him the soil upon which he was slaughtered, killed, laid down, and abandoned. So the Messenger of Allah said: O Allah...

Betray those who betray him, kill those who kill him, and slaughter those who slaughter him. Do not grant them what they seek.

Abdulrahman said: "By God, the accursed Yazid was hastened, and he did not enjoy himself after the killing. He was taken suddenly, for he went to sleep drunk and woke up dead, changed as if he were a dip in pitch. He was taken with regret, and not one of those who followed him in killing or fighting escaped but that they were afflicted with madness, leprosy, or vitiligo. This became hereditary in their progeny. May God curse them."

Narrated Ibn Abbas: The angel who came to Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) to inform him of the killing of Husayn was Gabriel, the trustworthy spirit, with his wings spread, weeping and crying out, carrying soil from the site, which smelled like musk. The Messenger of Allah said, "Will a nation that kills my offspring or the offspring of my daughter prosper?" Gabriel said, "Allah will strike them with discord, so their hearts will be divided."

The narrator said: And the companions of the hadith said: After a full year had passed since the birth of Al-Hussein (peace be upon him), twelve angels descended upon the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) in different forms, one of them in the form of the children of Adam, to console him and say: It will come to pass with your son Al-Hussein, son of Fatima, what came to pass with Abel from Cain, and he will be granted a reward like Abel's, while upon his slayer will be the same burden as on Cain's shoulders. Every angel there remained descended to the Prophet to console him, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "O Allah, forsake whoever forsakes him, kill whoever kills him, and do not let them enjoy what they seek."

Aisha said: Al-Husayn entered upon the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) while he was a young boy walking. The Prophet said, "O Aisha, aren't you amazed? A being entered upon me just now, the like of which never entered upon me before, and said: 'Indeed, this son of yours will be killed. If you wish, I can show you the place where he will be killed.'" Then the Prophet took some red soil. Umm Salama took it and stored it in a bottle, and she brought it out on the day he was killed, and it was turned to blood.

Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith narrated that she entered upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I had a dreadful dream last night." He asked: "What is it?" She replied: "It was severe." He asked: "What is it?" She said: "I saw as if a piece of your body was cut off and placed in my lap." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: "You have seen something good. Fatimah will give birth to a boy who will be in your lap." Fatimah (peace be upon her) gave birth to Hussein (peace be upon him), and he was indeed in her lap as the Messenger of Allah had said. She continued: "One day, I brought him to the Prophet and placed him in the lap of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). Then, I glanced at him and saw tears flowing from his eyes. I said: 'May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah, what is the matter?' He replied: 'Gabriel came to me and informed me that my nation will kill this son of mine, and he brought me red soil from his resting place.'"

In some accounts attributed to the companions, Umm Salama is reported to have said: One day, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) entered, followed by Hassan and Hussein (peace be upon them), and they sat beside him. He took Hassan on his right knee and Hussein on his left knee, and began to kiss them, sometimes one, sometimes the other. Then Gabriel descended and said: O Messenger of Allah, do you love Hassan and Hussein? The Prophet replied: "How could I not love them when they are the two fragrant flowers of mine from this world and the delight of my eyes?" Gabriel then said: "O Prophet of Allah, Allah has decreed a matter concerning them, so be patient." The Prophet asked: "And what is it, my brother?" Gabriel replied: "Allah has decreed that Hassan will die by poisoning and Hussein will die slaughtered. Every Prophet has a supplication that is answered, so if you wish, let your supplication be for your two sons, Hassan and Hussein, to save them from poison and killing. Or if you wish, let their calamity be a reserve for your intercession for the sinners of your nation on the Day of Resurrection." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: "O Gabriel, I am content with the judgment of my Lord. I desire nothing but what He desires, and I have preferred to reserve my supplication for my intercession for the sinners of my nation, and Allah will decide concerning my sons as He wills."

Al-Allama Al-Majlisi, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated: It is reported from some trustworthy and virtuous people that on a day of celebration, Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn (peace be upon them) entered the room of their grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). They said, "O Grandfather, today is the day of Eid, and the children of the Arabs have adorned themselves with colorful clothes and have worn new garments. We have no new clothing, and we have come to you regarding this."

The Prophet observed their situation and wept, as he did not have clothes in his house suitable for them, nor did he wish to break their hearts by denying them. So, he prayed to his Lord, saying, "O my Lord, mend their hearts and the heart of their mother." Gabriel descended, bringing with him two white garments from the garments of paradise. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was delighted and said to them, "O leaders of the youth of paradise, here are garments tailored by the tailor of ability to your size."

When they saw the attire was white, they said, "O Grandfather, how is this appropriate when all the children of the Arabs are wearing colorful clothes?"

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) pondered over their matter for a while. Then Gabriel said, "O Muhammad, be at ease and let your heart be content. God Almighty has decreed this matter for them, and He will gladden their hearts with whichever color they choose. So, O Muhammad, command that a basin and a jug be brought." When they were brought, Gabriel said, "O Messenger of God, I will pour water over these garments, and you shall rub them with your hands to dye them in any color they desire."

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) placed Hasan's garment in the basin, and Gabriel began to pour water over it. Then the Prophet turned to Hasan and said, "O delight of my eyes, in what color do you want your garment?" Hasan replied, "I want it green." So the Prophet rubbed it with his hand in the water, and by the power of God, it took on a brilliant green color like that of emerald. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) then took it out and gave it to Hasan, who wore it.

Then he placed the garment of Al-Hussein in the basin, and Gabriel began to pour water. The Prophet turned towards Al-Hussein, who was five years old at the time, and said, "Oh, light of my eyes, what color do you want your garment to be?" Al-Hussein replied, "Grandfather! I want it to be red." The Prophet rubbed it with his hand in the water, and it became red like a ruby. Al-Hussein wore it, and the Prophet was pleased with that, and he turned...

Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein went to their mother, joyous and delighted.

When Gabriel (peace be upon him) saw this situation, he wept. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, "O my brother Gabriel, why do you weep and grieve on a day of joy for my two sons?" The Prophet then implored him, "I beg you in God's name, tell me." Gabriel replied, "Know, O Messenger of God, the choice of your two sons leads to differences in fate: Hassan will indeed be poisoned, and the toxins will discolor his body; Hussein will be killed, slaughtered, and his body will be drenched in his own blood." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) wept and his sorrow deepened because of that.

May Allah have mercy on Sayyid Reda Al-Hindi, who says:

The fifth session, from the ninth day, concerning the noble qualities of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) and his dialogue with Omar ibn Saad.

It is mentioned in the visitation of Jabir ibn Abdullah Al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) on the day he visited Hussain (peace be upon him): I bear witness that you are the son of the Seal of the Prophets, the son of the Leader of the Believers, the son of the ally of piety, and the descendant of guidance.

And you are the fifth of the People of the Cloak, the son of the chief of the guardians, and the son of Fatimah, the noblest of women. How could it not be so, when you have been nurtured by the hand of the Prophet, the Master of the Messengers, raised in the lap of the pious, suckled from the breast of faith, and weaned on Islam? You were good in life and remain good in death. However, the hearts of believers are not content with your departure, although they have no doubt about what is best for you. May the peace and pleasure of God be upon you. I bear witness that you followed the same path that your brother, John the son of Zechariah, followed.

Sheikh Al-Saduq, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated from Imam Al-Sadiq, Ja'far bin Muhammad, from his father (peace be upon them), saying: Al-Husayn bin Ali (peace be upon them) had two rings. The engraving on one of them was: "There is no god but Allah, a preparation for meeting Allah." The engraving on the other was: "Indeed Allah will accomplish His purpose." The engraving on the ring of Ali bin Al-Husayn (peace be upon them) was: "Shame and disgrace to the killers of Al-Husayn bin Ali (peace be upon them)."

Muhammad ibn Muslim reported: I asked Al-Sadiq, Ja'far ibn Muhammad (peace be upon them), about the ring of Al-Husayn ibn Ali (peace be upon them), and to whom it was passed. I mentioned to him that I had heard it was taken from his finger with what was taken. He (peace be upon him) said: It is not as they say. Al-Husayn (peace be upon him) bequeathed to his son Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon them) and placed the ring on his finger, and entrusted him with his affairs, just as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did with the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), and as the Commander of the Faithful did with Al-Hasan, and Al-Hasan did with Al-Husayn (peace be upon them). Then this ring passed to my father (peace be upon him) after his father, and from him, it passed to me. It is with me, and I wear it every Friday and pray with it.

Muhammad bin Muslim said: I entered upon him on a Friday while he was praying. When he finished the prayer, he extended his hand to me, and I saw a ring on his finger inscribed with: "There is no deity but God, a provision for meeting God." He said: "This is the ring of my grandfather, Abu Abdullah Al-Hussein bin Ali (peace be upon them)."

It is narrated from Hammad ibn Salamah, who said: From Abu, he said: We were attending the funeral of a woman, and Abu Huraira was with us. Then the funeral of a man was brought, and he placed it between himself and the woman, and he prayed over them. As we approached, Hussain (peace be upon him) became tired and sat on the road. Abu Huraira began to dust off his feet with the edge of his garment. Hussain said: O Abu Huraira, and you do this?! Abu Huraira replied: Leave me. By Allah, if people knew about you what I know, they would carry you on their necks.

As for his bravery, may peace be upon him, it is said in "Kashf al-Ghumma" by al-Irbili, may mercy be upon him: The courage of Hussain, peace be upon him, is proverbial, and his patience in the throes of war astounded past and present generations. His steadfastness when called to descend is like the steadfastness of a mountain, and his boldness when the field of bravery narrowed was unparalleled. His stance against these wicked people is equal to the stance of his grandfather, peace be upon him, at Badr, and his patience in spite of the multitude of his enemies and the fewness of his supporters was like the patience of his father, peace be upon him, in Siffin and the Battle of the Camel. The enmity was the same, and with the act of the first, the act of the last was consummated. How many a knight, dreading his prowess, he felled to the ground, and how many a hero, failing in his endeavor, he rendered powerless. How many a sword was wielded, only for it to judge between skulls and summits — he met no warrior unless he became the terror of his mother. May God gather them and recompense each for what they have done.

And if you understand that the slogan of Hussein (peace be upon him) and his companions was "Raise the truth," and the slogan of his enemies was "Raise Hubal," then you realize that the former are in eternal bliss, while the latter are in perpetual misery.

Mr. Haidar Al-Hilli, may he rest in peace, said:

In another poem, he said:

In the "Manaqib," Ibn Shahr Ashub, may he rest in peace, narrates: He was told on the day of Karbala, "Submit to the rule of your cousins." He replied, "By God, I will not give you my hand in submission like a humiliated person, nor will I flee like a slave." Then he called out, "O servants of God! I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant person who does not believe in the Day of Judgment." He also said, "Death with dignity is better than life in humiliation." And he composed a verse upon his martyrdom:

By God, neither this nor that is my concern.
Ibn Nabata said:

And the other said:

In "Hilyat," it is narrated by Muhammad ibn al-Hasan that when Hussain (peace be upon him) saw that the people had gathered around him and were determined to fight, he said to his companions: "You see the state of affairs we have reached, and indeed the world has changed and turned hostile. It has abandoned its goodness and continued in its harshness until nothing remains of it except like the dregs of a vessel, and a miserable living similar to harmful pastures. Do you not see that the truth is not acted upon and falsehood is not abstained from? Let the believer desire to meet Allah, and indeed I see death only as happiness, and life among the oppressors only as distress." Then he recited poetry as he headed towards Karbala.

Al-Tirmidhi narrated: Ibn Ziyad used to poke at the nose of Husayn's (peace be upon him) severed head with a stick and say, "Have you ever seen a head as handsome as this?" Anas replied, "He most closely resembles the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)."

It is also narrated that Husayn (peace be upon him) would sit in a dark place and be guided by the whiteness of his forehead and neck.

Al-Allama Al-Majlisi, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates from some reputable books, citing Al-Tabari, who narrated from Tawoos Al-Yemeni, that Al-Hussein bin Ali (peace be upon them) was such that when he sat in a dark place, people were guided to him by the whiteness of his forehead and neck. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) would often kiss his forehead and neck. Once, Gabriel (peace be upon him) descended and found Al-Zahra (peace be upon her) asleep, with Al-Hussein in his cradle crying. Gabriel began to soothe and comfort him until she woke up. She heard a voice soothing him and turned around but saw no one. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) informed her that it was Gabriel (peace be upon him).

To God does Sheikh Muhammad Ali Al-Ya'qubi, may peace be upon him, say:

May the curse of God be upon his killer, and may God disgrace him and punish him with severe torment. May God also curse those who wronged him, oppressed him, and deprived him of accessible water.

Ibn Sirin narrated from some of his companions that Ali (peace be upon him) said to Amr ibn Saad: "How will you be when you find yourself in a position where you are given a choice between Paradise and Hell, and you choose Hell?"

It is narrated from Sufyan, from Salm who said: Umar bin Saad said to Hussain (peace be upon him): "Some foolish people claim that I will kill you?" Hussain replied: "They are not foolish, but rather wise." Then he said, "By God, it indeed brings comfort to my eyes that you will not enjoy the wheat of Iraq after me except for a little."

Abdullah ibn Sharik said: I witnessed the people with adorned cloaks and hooded cloaks from among the companions of the spears. When Umar ibn Saad passed by them, they said: "This is the killer of Hussein (peace be upon him)," and that was before he killed him.

Ibn A'tham al-Kufi said in "Al-Futuh": Al-Husayn (peace be upon him) sent to Umar ibn Sa'ad: "I wish to speak with you, so meet me tonight between my camp and your camp." It is said that Umar ibn Sa'ad went out.

Twenty riders came, and Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) approached them in the same manner. When they met, Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) ordered his companions to draw back, leaving only his brother Al-Abbas and his son Ali Al-Akbar (peace be upon them) with him. Umar ibn Sa'd ordered his followers to retreat as well, leaving his son and a young servant named Lahq with him.

Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said to Umar ibn Sa'd, "Woe unto you, Son of Sa'd, do you not fear Allah to whom your return is? Do you fight against me when you know who I am— that I am the son of she whom you know, from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)? Leave these people and be with me, for I shall bring you nearer to Allah, the Mighty and Exalted."

Umar ibn Sa'd replied, "O Aba Abdillah, I fear that my house will be destroyed." Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said, "I shall build it for you." Umar said, "I fear that my lands will be taken away." Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) then said, "I will compensate you with better lands in Hijaz with my wealth." Despite this, Umar did not agree to anything Al-Hussein offered.

So Al-Husayn (peace be upon him) turned away, saying: "What is wrong with you? May Allah cause you to die swiftly on your bed, and may He not forgive you on the Day you are resurrected with your company. By Allah, I hope that you will not consume much of the wheat of Iraq."

It is also mentioned in "Al-Futuh" that Al-Husayn (peace be upon him) sent Burayr to Umar ibn Sa’d, and Burayr said: "O Umar ibn Sa’d, will you leave the family of the Prophet to die of thirst, and stand between them and the Euphrates so they cannot drink, while claiming that you know God and His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family)?"

He said: Umar ibn Sa'd lowered his head to the ground for a while, then raised it and said: "By God, I am certain that anyone who fights them and usurps their rights will surely be in the fire. But woe to you, Habib, do you advise me to leave the governorship of Rey to someone else? I find that my soul will never agree to that." Then he began to say:

He said: "Then Zubayr Ibn Khudayr returned to Al-Husayn (peace be upon him) and said: 'O son of the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), Umar Ibn Sa'ad has agreed to kill you in exchange for the kingdom of Rayy.'"

Yaqut mentioned in his book "Mu'jam al-Buldan": Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad had promised Umar ibn Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas the governorship of Rayy if he would lead the army sent to fight against Al-Husayn ibn Ali (peace be upon him). Umar hesitated between accepting the mission, which would grant him the governorship of Rayy, and refusing it. Ultimately, his love for worldly gains and power prevailed, leading him to accept the task, resulting in the events surrounding the martyrdom of Al-Husayn (peace be upon him).

The honorable Mr. Muhammad Hussein Al-Qazwini, may mercy be upon him, said: