المجالس العاشورية في المآتم الحسينية

The First Assembly, from the Night of Ashura: Imam Hussain's (peace be upon him) Sermon to His Companions on the Night of Ashura

In the noble Ziyarat Al-Nahiya, addressed to the Master of Martyrs (peace be upon him), it is said: "You were a son to the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family), a savior of the Quran, a support to the nation, and diligent in obedience. You were a guardian of covenant and promise, rejecting the ways of the disobedient, exerting your utmost effort, often in bowing and prostration. Detached from this world like one departing it, you looked upon it with the eyes of those wary of it. Your hopes were restrained from it, and your endeavors turned away from its adornments. Your sights were diverted from its joys, and your desire for the Hereafter was well-known. Until injustice imposed itself, and oppression revealed its mask, and misguidance called its followers, while you resided in the sanctuary of your grandfather, denouncing the oppressors, spending time in the house and at the mihrab, withdrawing from pleasures and desires, rejecting the detestable in your heart and tongue to the extent of your ability and capacity."

Then it became necessary for you to oppose ignorance, and you were required to strive against the corrupt. You proceeded with your family and followers, your supporters and allies. You proclaimed the truth and delivered clear evidence, inviting to God with wisdom and good counsel. You commanded the establishment of the legal limits and obedience to the Worshipped One, and forbade the vile and the tyranny. Yet, you were confronted with injustice and aggression.

It is mentioned in "Bihar al-Anwar" by Allama Majlisi, may mercy be upon him, in the events of the day of Tasua: Then Umar called out, "O cavalry of God, ride, and rejoice in Paradise," and the people mounted and then advanced towards them after the afternoon as Husayn (peace be upon him) was sitting in front of his tent, resting with his sword as his head nodded onto his knees, and she heard...

His sister cried out and approached her brother, saying: "Oh my brother, don't you hear that the sounds have drawn near?" Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) raised his head and said: "I have just seen the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) in a dream, and he told me: 'You are coming to us.'" His sister struck her face and called out in woe, so Hussain (peace be upon him) said to her: "Do not lament, my sister, be silent, may Allah have mercy on you."

According to the narration of Sayyid, he said: "Oh sister, I just saw my grandfather Muhammad, my father Ali, my mother Fatimah, and my brother Hassan, and they said to me: 'Oh Hussain, you are soon coming to us.'" In some narrations, they said: "Tomorrow." Zainab (peace be upon her) struck her face and cried out, so Hussain (peace be upon him) said to her: "Calm down, do not give these people the pleasure of our distress."

Sheikh Al-Mufid, may he rest in peace, said: Abbas ibn Ali (peace be upon him) said to his brother, "O brother! The people have come to you." Then he got up and said, "Ride out yourself, O brother, to meet them and ask them, 'What do you want? What has brought you here?'" So Abbas rode out with about twenty horsemen, among them Zuhair ibn Al-Qain and Habib ibn Madhahir. Abbas (peace be upon him) asked them, "What has brought you here? What do you want?" They replied, "The commander has ordered us to offer you either to submit to his command or to fight you." He said, "Do not rush, let me return to Abu Abdullah (Hussein) and inform him of what you have said."

They said, "Go and inform him, then come back to us with his response."

Abbas returned swiftly to Hussein (peace be upon him) to inform him of the situation. Meanwhile, his companions remained, addressing the people and trying to dissuade them from fighting Hussein (peace be upon him).

Abbas went to Hussein (peace be upon him) and informed him of what the people had said. Hussein replied, "Return to them, and if you can, delay them until tomorrow and keep them away from us this evening, so that we may pray to our Lord tonight, supplicate to Him, and seek His forgiveness. He knows that I loved prayer, reciting His Book, and abundant supplication and seeking forgiveness."

Al-Abbas went to the people and returned from them with a messenger from Umar ibn Saad, who said: "We have given you a respite until tomorrow. If you surrender, we will send you to Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad. However, if you refuse, we will not leave you alone, so depart."

And the poet was right when he said:

Al-Husayn (peace be upon him) gathered his companions close to evening. Ali ibn al-Husayn, known as Zain al-Abidin (peace be upon them), said, "I approached to hear what he was saying to them, as I was ill. I heard my father say to his companions, 'I praise Allah with the best praise, and I thank Him in times of prosperity and adversity. O Allah, I thank You for honoring us with prophethood, teaching us the Quran, granting us understanding in religion, and providing us with hearing, sight, and hearts. Make us among the grateful.'"

As for what follows, I do not know companions more loyal or better than my companions, nor a family more dutiful and kind than my family. May Allah reward you on my behalf. I believe that a day will come from these people. I have permitted you all to leave, and you may go without any burden or obligation from me. The night has covered you, so take it as your means of departure.

His brothers, sons, nephews, and the sons of Abdullah bin Ja'far said to him, "Why would we do that? To remain after you? May God never show us such a thing." Al-Abbas bin Ali initiated this statement, and the group followed him in this sentiment, expressing similar views.

Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) said: "O sons of Aqil! It is enough for you that your brother Muslim ibn Aqil has been killed. Go back, for I have granted you permission." They replied, "Glory be to Allah! What would we say to the people? Would we say that we left our elder, our master, our cousins, the best of uncles, and did not hurl a single arrow with them, nor thrust a spear, nor strike with a sword to defend them, and we do not know what they have done? By Allah, we will not do this, but we will sacrifice for you."

With our lives, our wealth, and our families, we will fight alongside you until we bring you to where you must go. May God curse life after you.

Muslim ibn Ausaja rose and said to them, "Shall we abandon you, and how shall we excuse ourselves to Allah for neglecting your right? By Allah, I will not do so until I thrust my spear into their chests and strike them with my sword as long as its handle remains in my hand. Even if I have no weapon to fight them with, I would throw stones at them. By Allah, we will not abandon you until Allah knows that we have protected in you the absence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). By Allah! Even if I knew that I would be killed, then brought back to life, then burned and brought back to life again, with it being done to me seventy times, I would not depart from you until I meet my fate defending you. How could I not do this when it is merely one killing and then the eternal honor which never ends?"

Zuhair ibn Al-Qain stood and said, "By God! I wish that I could be killed, then resurrected, then killed again like this a thousand times, and that God would use that killing to defend you and the lives of these young men from your household."

The group of his companions spoke words that were similar to each other in one direction, so Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) thanked them kindly, and then he returned to his tent.

The revered master, peace be upon him, said: It was said to Muhammad ibn Bishr al-Hadhrami in that situation, "Your son has been taken prisoner at the frontier in Rayy." He replied, "With God, I entrust both him and myself. I would not wish to remain alive if he were to be captured." Upon hearing his words, Hussain (peace be upon him) said, "May God have mercy on you. You are absolved from the pledge of allegiance to me, so work on securing your son's release." Muhammad replied, "May wild beasts devour me alive if I leave you." So Hussain gave him these garments and brocades to help in ransoming his son, gifting him with five garments valued at a thousand dinars.

He said: Hussain (peace be upon him) and his companions spent that night, and the sound from them was like the buzzing of bees, between those bowing, prostrating, standing, and sitting. During that night, thirty-two men crossed over to them from the camp of Umar ibn Sa'ad.

Indeed, blessed is Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin, may Allah have mercy on him, when he says:

Sheikh Abdul Muneem Al-Fartousi, may he rest in peace, says:

The second gathering, on the night of Ashura: A narration from Imam Zain al-Abidin (peace be upon him) and the will of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) to his sister Zainab (peace be upon her)

Sheikh Al-Mufid, may he be blessed with mercy, said: Ali ibn al-Hussein (peace be upon them) said: As I was sitting in...

That night my father was killed the next morning, while my aunt Zainab was nursing me. My father secluded himself in a tent, with him was John, the servant of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, as he was repairing and fixing his sword. My father said:

She repeated it to me two or three times until I understood it and realized what was intended, and it choked me up, so I held back my tears and remained silent, knowing that calamity had descended. As for my aunt, when she heard what she heard — and being a woman, naturally tender-hearted and prone to panic — she couldn't contain herself and rushed, while dragging her garment, her hair uncovered, until she reached him. She exclaimed, "Oh, what a tragedy! If only death had deprived me of life. Today, my mother Fatima, my father Ali, and my brother Hassan have died. Oh, successor of the departed, you are now among those who remain."

Hussain (peace be upon him) looked at her and said, "Dear sister, do not let the devil take away your composure." Tears welled up in his eyes, and he said, "If the cat had been left alone, it would have nested." She replied, "Oh, woe is me! Are you forcing your own soul to endure this?" This pierced my heart and afflicted my soul even more. Then she struck her face and reached out to her collar, tearing it, and fell unconscious to the ground.

Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) approached her and poured water on her face, saying to her, "O sister! Fear Allah and seek solace in His comfort, and know that the people of the earth will die, and the inhabitants of the heavens will not remain. Indeed, everything perishes except the face of Allah, the Exalted, who created creation by His power, and who will resurrect creation, to whom they shall return. He is singular in His oneness. My father is better than me, my mother is better than me, and my brother is better than me. For every Muslim, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is a role model." He consoled her with these and similar words and said, "O sister! Indeed, I..."

I have made you swear an oath, so honor my oath. Do not tear your garment because of me, do not scratch your face for me, and do not call down woe and destruction upon yourself if I perish. Then he brought her until he seated her by me.

Then he went out to his companions and instructed them to bring their homes closer to each other, to interconnect their tent ropes, and to position themselves between the houses so that they would face the enemy from one direction, with the houses at their back, on their right, and on their left, surrounding them except for the direction from which their enemy would approach.

He (peace be upon him) returned to his place, spending the entire night in prayer, seeking forgiveness, invoking, and pleading. His companions also stood in prayer, invoking and seeking forgiveness.

May God have mercy on some of the poets when they say about them (peace be upon them):

The poet Abboud Al-Ahmad Al-Najafi, may God have mercy on him, once said:

Sheikh Al-Mufid, may mercy be upon him, said: Al-Dahhak bin Abdullah recounted: A horse contingent of Ibn Sa'd was guarding us, while Hussein (peace be upon him) was reciting: "And let not those who disbelieve think that what We grant them respite is good for them. We only give them respite so that they may increase in sin, and they will have a humiliating punishment. Allah would not leave the believers in the state you are in until He distinguishes the wicked from the good."

One of the horsemen, named Abdullah bin Samir, heard this. He was a jester, a brave knight, honorable and wicked. He said: “By the Lord of the Kaaba, we are the good ones, distinguished from you!” Thereupon, Habib bin Muzahir said to him: "O wicked one! Would Allah make you among the good ones?" He responded: "Who are you, woe to you?" Habib replied: "I am Habib bin Muzahir," and they began to insult each other.

In the book of virtues, it is said: When the time of dawn battle came, Hussein nodded off and then woke up, saying, "Do you know what I just saw in my dream?" They asked, "What did you see, O son of the Messenger of God?" He replied, "I saw dogs attacking me, among which was a spotted dog that seemed to be fiercer than the rest. I suspect that the one who is to kill me is a man with vitiligo among these people. Then I saw my grandfather, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), with a group of his companions. He said to me, 'My son, you are the martyr of the family of Muhammad. The people of the heavens and the highest choir rejoice for you. Let your breaking of the fast be with me tonight. Hasten and do not delay, for an angel has descended from the heavens to collect your blood in a green flask.' This is what I saw, and indeed the time has come for me to depart this world. There is no doubt in this."

And the revered Sheikh Abdul Moneim Al-Fartoosi, may mercy be upon him, said about that:

The Third Assembly, Night of Ashura, from the Stances of the Supporters on the Night of Ashura

It is mentioned in "Al-Dam'a al-Sakiba" that when Hussein (peace be upon him) arrived in Karbala, his closest companions and those who stayed with him most consistently were led by Hilal bin Nafi’, especially in circumstances where assassination was feared. This was because he was decisive and insightful in political matters. One night, Hussein (peace be upon him) left the tents, going a distance away. Hilal strapped on his sword and hastened to catch up with him. He saw Hussein inspecting the hills, obstacles, and elevations overlooking the campsite. When Hussein turned back and saw him, he asked, "Who is the man? Hilal?" I replied, "Yes, may God make me your sacrifice. Your night departure towards the tyrant's camp disturbed me." He said, "O Hilal! I went out to inspect these hills fearing they might be used as ambushes for cavalry attacks on our camp on the day you charge and they charge."

He turned to me, holding my left arm, and said, "Indeed, by God, it is a promise that shall not be broken." Then he added, "O Hilal! Why don't you take the path between these two mountains from this moment and save yourself?" He fell at my feet and said, "Then, Hilal's mother would be bereft of him. My lord, my sword is worth a thousand, and my horse is its equal. By God, who has blessed me with you, I will not leave you until my mount is exhausted and my strength is spent."

He then left me and entered his sister's tent. I stood by him, hoping he would quickly leave it, but she welcomed him and provided a seat for him. He sat and spoke to her in secret, and it wasn't long before she choked up with tears and said: "Oh, my brother! Must I witness your demise and be afflicted with caring for these women who tremble with fear? And the people are as you know, full of old grudges. This is a grave situation. It pains me the impending fate of these selected young men, the moons of Bani Hashim." Then she said: "Brother! Could you not find out your companions' aliases? I fear they might betray you during the clash and the crossing of swords."

He (peace be upon him) wept and said: "By Allah, I have urged them and tested them, and among them is no one except the fierce and steadfast, who find comfort in death more than a child does with its mother's milk."

When Hilal heard this, he cried out of tenderness and turned back, making his way to the house of Habib ibn Madhahir. He saw him sitting with a drawn sword in his hand. He greeted him and sat at the entrance of the tent, then said to him, "What brought you out, O Hilal?" I told him what had happened, and he said, "By God, if it weren't for awaiting orders, I would have rushed to them and dealt with them this very night with my sword."

Then Hilal said: "O Habib! I left Hussein (peace be upon him) with his sister, who was in a state of fear and terror, and I think that the women have woken up and joined her in sorrow and sighs. Could you gather your companions and address them with words that calm their hearts and dispel their fears? For I have witnessed a state from them which leaves no peace with their continued anxiety." He replied, "As you wish."

Habeeb stood to one side with Hilal beside him. He summoned his companions, who came out from their dwellings. When they had gathered, he said to the Banu Hashim: "Return to your homes, and may your eyes not know sleeplessness." Then he addressed his companions, saying: "Oh, people of valor and lions in adversity! Hilal has just informed me of such and such. He has left behind the sister of your master and the remaining family members, who are complaining and lamenting. Tell me, what do you resolve to do?" They unsheathed their swords and threw off their turbans, saying: "Oh, Habeeb! By God, who has blessed us with this stance, if the enemies advance, we shall surely cut off their heads and join them in the afterlife."

With their elders humiliated and submissive, let us uphold the will of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding his sons and daughters.

He said: "Come with me," and they all began to rush behind him until he stopped between the tent poles and called out: "O our people! O our leaders! O you, the noble women of the Messenger of Allah! Here are the swords of your young men, sworn not to sheath them except in the necks of those who seek evil against you. And here are the spears of your youth, pledged not to plant them except in the chests of those who would divide your ranks."

Then Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) said: "Go out to them, O family of God." So they went out wailing and mourning, saying: "Defend—O good men!—the daughters of Fatimah. What excuse will you have when we meet our grandfather, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), and we complain to him about what has befallen us? Will he not ask: 'Were my beloved and the companions of my beloved not present to hear and see what happened?' By God, there is no god but Him, they raised a clamor from which the earth roared, and their horses gathered, creating a tumult, with such neighing and movement that it seemed as if each was calling out to its rider and companion."

In some books about the dignity of Zainab (peace be upon her) regarding that night, it is mentioned: On the eve of the tenth of Muharram, I left my tent to check on my brother Hussein (peace be upon him) and his supporters. He had a separate tent, and I found him sitting alone, whispering to his Lord and reciting the Quran. I thought to myself: In such a night, should my brother be left alone like this? By God, I will go to my brothers and cousins to admonish them about it.

So, I went to Abbas's tent and heard murmuring and mumbling from inside. I stood behind it and looked inside. I found my cousins, brothers, and nephews gathered in a circle with Abbas, the son of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), kneeling like a lion over its prey. He was delivering a speech to them, which I had only heard from Hussein (peace be upon him) before, filled with praise and thanks to God and blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). Then, at the end of his speech, he said: "O my brothers, sons of my brothers, and my cousins! When morning comes, what will you do?" They said: "The matter is for you to decide, and we will not..."

"We surpass telling you. Al-Abbas said: These people, meaning the companions, are strangers, and the heavy burden can only be borne by its people. So when morning comes, the first to step forward to fight should be us. We send them to death first so that people do not say they sent out their companions. When they were killed, they faced death with their swords, hour after hour."

The Banu Hashim stood up, withdrew their swords in the face of Abbas's brother, and said: "We are aligned with you."

Zainab (peace be upon her) said: "When I saw their great gathering, their strong determination, and the display of their skill, my heart was at ease and I was joyful, but tears choked me. I wanted to return to my brother Hussain (peace be upon him) and inform him of it. Then I heard murmurs and talk from the tent of Habib ibn Mazaher. I went to it and stood behind it. I looked in and found the companions gathered together like the sons of Hashim, and among them was Habib ibn Mazaher, who was saying: 'O my companions! Why have you come to this place? Please explain your words for the sake of Allah.' They replied: 'We have come to support the stranger of Fatimah.' He asked them: 'Why did you leave your women?' They answered: 'For that reason.'"

Habeeb said: "So when morning comes, what will you say?" They replied: "The decision is yours, and we will not go beyond your word."

He said: "When morning comes, you will be the first to step into battle. We will lead them into the fight, and we will not see any Hashimite stained with blood while we remain behind, so that people do not say: 'They sent their leaders into battle and withheld themselves.' So, swing your swords in the face of the enemy and say: 'We are with you in this cause.'"

Zainab (peace be upon her) said: "I was pleased with their determination, but I was choked with emotion, so I turned away from them while crying. Then I encountered my brother Husayn, who calmed my breath and smiled in my face. He said, 'O sister!' I replied, 'I am here, my brother!' He said, 'O sister, since we left...'"

As I passed through the city, I saw you smiling. I asked you, "What is the reason for your smile?" You replied, "Oh brother! I observed the actions and nobility of such and such companions." He said to me, "Oh sister! Know that these are my companions from the realm of atoms, and they are promised to me by my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). Do you love to witness the stability of their stance?" I replied, "Yes." He then said, "Go to the back of the tent."

Zainab (peace be upon her) stood on the back of the tent as my brother Hussein (peace be upon him) called out: "Where are my brothers and the sons of my uncles?" The sons of Hashim arose, and Abbas rushed forward, saying: "Here I am, here I am, what do you say?" Hussein (peace be upon him) said: "I want to renew a covenant with you." The sons of Hussein, the sons of Hassan, the sons of Ali, the sons of Ja'far, and the sons of Aqil came, and he ordered them to sit, so they sat down.

Then he called out: "Where is Habib ibn Muzahir? Where is Zuhayr? Where is Hilal? Where are the companions?" So they came forward, and among them, Habib ibn Muzahir hurried and said, "Here I am, O Aba Abdillah." They approached him with their swords in their hands. He instructed them to sit, and they sat down. He delivered an eloquent speech to them and then said: "O my companions! Know that these people have no objective other than to kill me and those with me, and I fear that you might also be killed. You are released from your pledge of allegiance to me, and whoever among you wishes to leave can do so under the cover of this night."

At that moment, the Banu Hashim stood up and spoke as they had done, and the companions also stood up and began to speak in the same manner. When Hussein (peace be upon him) saw their willingness and steadfastness, he said (peace be upon him): "If this is indeed your stance, then raise your heads and look at your places in Paradise."

The veil was lifted for them, and they saw their abodes, their houris, and palaces in them. The houris called out, "Hurry, hurry, for we are longing for you." They all rose and drew their swords, saying, "O Abu Abdullah! Grant us permission to attack the enemy and fight them until God decrees what He wills for us and them." He (peace be upon him) said, "Sit down, may God have mercy on you and reward you with goodness." Then he said, "Indeed, whoever is in...

The woman was taken on a journey to the tribe of Banu Asad.

Ali bin Muzahir stood up and said, "Why, my master?" He (peace be upon him) replied, "I see that my women will be taken captive after my killing, and I fear for your women from captivity."

So Ali bin Muzahir went back to his tent, where his wife, in reverence to him, rose to meet him with a smile on her face. He said to her, "Stop smiling." She replied, "O son of Muzahir! I heard the stranger of Fatimah (peace be upon her) delivering a sermon among you, and at the end, there was a murmur that I did not understand. What did he say?" He said, "O woman! Al-Hussain (peace be upon him) told us: Whoever has a woman with him, let him take her to his family because tomorrow I will be killed, and my women will be taken captive."

She said, "What will you do?" He said, "Stand up so I can take you to your cousins, the sons of Asad." She stood and struck her head against the tent pole, saying, "By God, you have not been fair to me, O son of Muzahir! Are you pleased that the daughters of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) are taken captive while I remain safe? Is it acceptable to you that Zainab's scarf is taken from her head while I remain covered? Is it acceptable to you that the daughters of Zahra (peace be upon her) lose their earrings while I adorn myself with mine? Is it acceptable to you that your face shines in front of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) while mine darkens in front of Fatimah Zahra? By God, just as you support the men, we will support the women."

Ali ibn Mudhahir returned to Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) while he was crying. Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) said to him, "What makes you cry?" He replied, "My master! The Asadiyyah insists on standing in solidarity with you." Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) wept and said, "May Allah reward you both with goodness."

Mr. Ibn Tawus, may mercy be upon him, mentioned in "Kitab Allahu" that when the next morning came, Al-Hussain (peace be upon him) ordered his tent to be set up. He also commanded a basin to be filled with a large amount of musk mixed with water to create a perfumed mixture. Afterward, he entered the tent to apply it on himself. It was narrated that Burayr ibn Khudayr Al-Hamadani and Abdulrahman ibn Abd Rabbih Al-Ansari stood at the entrance of the tent waiting to apply the mixture after him. Burayr then made Abdulrahman laugh.

Abdulrahman said to Burair: "Oh Burair! Are you laughing? This isn't a time for frivolity." Burair replied: "My people know that I have never cared for frivolity, neither in my youth nor now in my old age. Rather, I do this in anticipation of what we will journey towards, for by God, it is only a matter of meeting these people with our swords for an hour, then we shall join the maidens of paradise."

And praise be to Sayyid Madin Al-Moussawi, may God reward him for saying: