المجالس العاشورية في المآتم الحسينية

Abi Ubaid to Umar bin Saad, his master Abu Amr, was killed, and Qasib bin Umar bin Saad was killed.

Ibn Rabi' ibn Muslim narrated from his father that Ibn al-Muti' said to Umar ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas: "Did you choose these people and the formidable army over killing your cousin?" Umar replied: "These were matters decreed from the heavens. I had already presented my excuses to my cousin before the incident, but he insisted on what he did. When Ibn al-Muti' escaped with the family of al-Mukhtar, al-Mukhtar advanced with his companions to the house of Umar ibn Sa'd and killed him in his residence. He killed his son in an even more gruesome manner."

Ibn Asakir narrated from Umar ibn Mitham, who said: I was sitting with Al-Mukhtar, with him to my right and Al-Haytham ibn Al-Aswad to my left. Al-Mukhtar said, "By God, tomorrow I will kill a man whose death will be pleasing to the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth." It was known that he had given Umar ibn Saad a pledge of safety, on the condition that he would not leave Kufa without his permission.

He said: So Umar ibn Sa'd brought a man, saying: Al-Mukhtar has sworn to kill a man tomorrow, and God I do not think he means anyone other than you. So the man went out until he came down to Umar's bath, and it was said to him: Do you think this will be hidden from Al-Mukhtar? So he returned and entered his house.

The next day, I went in to see Al-Mukhtar, and Al-Haytham ibn Al-Aswad also came and sat down. Then Hafs ibn Umar came and said to Al-Mukhtar: Abu Hafs tells you, will you fulfill what was between us and you? Al-Mukhtar said: Sit down. So he sat, and Al-Mukhtar called upon Abu Amrah, and a short man came rattling in armor and whispered to him. Then he called two men and said: Go with him.

I swear he did not reach Umar's house before he came back with his head. Hafs said: Indeed, we belong to God, and to Him we shall return. Al-Mukhtar said: Strike his neck, for Umar is for Husayn (peace be upon him), and Hafs is for Ali ibn Al-Husayn (peace be upon them both), and they are not the same.

And An Mosa ibn Amer reported that Al-Mukhtar said one day while speaking to his companions: "Tomorrow, I will kill a man with great feet, sunken eyes, prominent brows; his killing will delight the believers and the close angels."

He said: Al-Haytham ibn Al-Aswad Al-Nakha'i was with Al-Mukhtar when he heard this statement, and it occurred to him that the one Al-Mukhtar intended was Umar ibn Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas. When he returned home, he called his son Al-Iryan and said: Visit Ibn Sa'ad tonight, inform him of such and such, and tell him to be cautious, for he intends no one but you. So he went to him, asked for a private audience, and informed him of the news. Ibn Sa'ad said to him: May God reward your father well for his brotherhood. How could he want this after all the promises and agreements he gave me?

When Al-Mukhtar first appeared, he presented himself in the best manner, showing kindness and garnering people's affection. Among the notable individuals under his favor was Abdullah bin Ja'dah bin Hubayrah, whom Al-Mukhtar esteemed greatly due to his kinship with Ali. Umar bin Sa'd approached Abdullah bin Ja'dah and said, "I do not feel secure around this man," referring to Al-Mukhtar, "so obtain protection for me from him," and he did so. Then he said, "I saw the protection document, and I read it, and it was: ..."

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is a protection from Al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubaid to 'Umar ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas. You are safe with the protection of Allah concerning yourself, your family, your wealth, your household, and your children. You shall not be held accountable for any past actions as long as you have heard, obeyed, and remained committed to your household, family, and city. If anyone from the guard of Allah or the followers of the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), or others, meets 'Umar ibn Sa'd, they shall not approach him except with kindness. This is witnessed by As-Sa'ib ibn Malik, Ahmar ibn Shimait, Abdullah ibn Shaddad, and Abdullah ibn Kamil. Al-Mukhtar has taken the covenant of Allah upon himself to fulfill to 'Umar ibn Sa'd the security he has guaranteed him, unless an incident occurs. Allah is witness to this, and sufficient is Allah as a witness.

He said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Ali (peace be upon them) used to say: "As for al-Mukhtar's 'aman (protection/pardon) for Umar bin Sa'ad, it was intended for whenever he enters privacy and relieves himself."

He said: When the naked man brought this to him, he went out from under his canopy until he reached his bathhouse, then he said in the bathhouse...

He went down to his home, then returned and passed through Al-Rawha, and then came to his house in the morning. He had already visited his bathhouse and informed his servant about the security deal and what was intended for him. His servant said to him: "What greater deed have you done than leaving your goods and family and coming here? Return to your goods and do not give the man any excuse over you." So he returned to his dwelling. Al-Mukhtar was informed of his departure, and said: "No, indeed there is a chain around his neck that will bring him back. No matter how much he tries to leave, he will not be able to."

He said: The chief awoke and sent Abu Amrah to him, instructing him to bring him. He came until he entered, and Abu Amrah said, "Answer." Amr stood up in his cloak, and Abu Amrah struck him with his sword, killing him. Then he brought his head hidden in his robe and placed it before the chief. The chief asked Hafs, the son of Amr ibn Sa'ad—who was sitting with him—"Do you recognize this head?" Hafs expressed regret and said, "Yes, and there is no good in living after him." The chief responded, "You are right, for you will not live after him." He ordered him to be killed, and hence his head was brought alongside his father's head.

Then, Al-Mukhtar said: "This is Hussain, and this is Ali ibn Hussain, may Allah have mercy on them. They are not equal. By Allah, if I were to kill three-quarters of Quraysh, it would not compensate for an injury to a finger of his." When Al-Mukhtar killed Umar ibn Saad and his son, he sent their heads with Musafir ibn Saeed ibn Numan al-Naa'ti and Dhubyan ibn Amara al-Tamimi to present them to Muhammad ibn al-Hanafia, and he wrote to Ibn al-Hanafia about it in a letter.

As for Harmala bin Kahil, God took severe revenge on him. He was the one who killed Abdullah the infant, and he was the one who shot Al-Abbas, the son of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), in the eye with an arrow. He was also the one who carried the head of Al-Hussein (peace be upon him). God took revenge on him through the hands of Al-Mukhtar Al-Thaqafi. Sheikh Al-Tusi, may God have mercy on him, narrated from Al-Munhal ibn Amr, who said: I entered upon Ali ibn Al-Hussein (peace be upon them) upon my return from Mecca. He said to me: "O Munhal, what has Harmala bin Kahil Al-Asadi done?" I said: "I left him alive in Kufa." He then raised both his hands and said: “O Allah, let him taste the heat of iron, O Allah."

O Allah, make him taste the heat of iron; O Allah, make him taste the heat of fire. Al-Munhal said: I arrived in Kufa, and Al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubaid had appeared, who was a friend of mine. I stayed at my house for a few days until people stopped visiting me, then I rode to him and met him leaving his house. He said: "O Munhal, why did you not come to us during our rule, nor congratulate us on it, nor join us in it?" I informed him that I had been in Mecca and had come to him now.

We rode together and spoke until we reached Al-Kanas, where he stopped as if waiting for something. He had been informed of the whereabouts of Harmala ibn Kahil, so he sent to capture him. Not long after, people came riding and others running, saying: "O Emir, glad tidings, Harmala ibn Kahil has been captured." We did not wait long before he was brought. When Al-Mukhtar saw him, he said to Harmala: "Praise be to Allah who has enabled me to capture you," then he called for the butcher.

The butcher was brought, and Al-Mukhtar said to him: "Cut off his hands," and they were cut off. Then he said: "Cut off his legs," and they were cut off. Then he said: "Fire, fire," and firewood and reeds were brought, he was placed on them, and the fire was set alight on him.

I said, "Glory be to God!" He said to me, "O Munhal, glorification is good. Why have you praised?" I replied, "O Emir, I returned from Mecca in this journey and met Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon them) who said to me, 'O Munhal, what has Harmala ibn Kahil al-Asadi done?' I said, 'I left him alive in Kufa.' He raised his hands and said, 'O Allah, let him taste the sting of iron, O Allah, let him taste the sting of iron, O Allah, let him taste the sting of fire.'"

Al-Mukhtar said to me: “Did you hear Ali bin Al-Hussein (peace be upon them) say this?” I replied: “By God, I have heard him.” He then dismounted, prayed two rak'ahs (units of prayer), and prolonged his prostration. After that, he rose up, mounted his ride, and Harmala was executed. He rode along with us, and when we reached near my house, I said: “O prince, if you deem it appropriate, honor me with your presence and grant me the privilege of hosting you for a meal.” He said: “O Menhal, you know that Ali bin Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) offered four supplications, and God answered him through me. Then you ask me to eat! This is a day of fasting, in gratitude to God Almighty for what I have achieved by His guidance.”

May God's curse be upon Harmala bin Kahil, who grieved the family of the Prophet (peace be upon them) by killing the infant Abdullah. His heart held no compassion or mercy for the infant of Hussein (peace be upon him). For what sin did he kill him? May God bless the soul of Sayyid Haydar al-Hilli, who eloquently described the tragic death of Abdullah, the infant, and the calamity of the Fatimiyat during their capture.

The sixteenth session discusses the injustices and persecution faced by the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) and the tribulations they endured, including murder and displacement.

It is mentioned in some of the visitation texts for the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them): "And you are among those struck down in the prayer niche, whose forehead was split by the sword, and a martyr placed on a bier with shrouds struck by arrows, and a slain one whose head was raised on a spear, and one confined in prison whose limbs were crushed by iron, and one poisoned so that his intestines were cut by the poison."

Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return, and there is no power nor strength except with Allah, the Almighty.

The great, by God, the esteemed Sayyid Haydar al-Hilli, may mercy be upon him, says:

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) informed this nation about what would happen to his family (peace be upon them) regarding killing, dislocation, and persecution, and the injustice and aggression they would face. It is narrated from Abdullah bin Mas'ud who said: "We went to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and he came out to us in a cheerful manner, with joy apparent on his face. We asked him about any matter, and he would inform us. If we remained silent, he would initiate conversation, until some young men from Bani Hashim passed by, among them were Hasan and Hussein (peace be upon them). When he saw them, he embraced them, and tears started flowing from his eyes. We asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! We continue to see something in your face that we dislike?'"

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: "We are a household for whom Allah has chosen the Hereafter over the worldly life, and indeed my family will face persecution and displacement in the lands after me until black flags rise from the East, asking for the truth but it will not be given to them. They will ask again, but it will not be given, and then they will ask yet again, but it will not be granted. They will then fight and be victorious. Whoever among you or your descendants encounters them must come to the Imam from my family, even if it means crawling over the snow, for they are banners of guidance. They will deliver it to a man from my household whose name matches mine. He will rule over the earth and fill it with equity and justice as it was once filled with oppression and injustice."

It is narrated from Abu Saeed Al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: "Indeed, the members of my household will face killing and exile after me from my community, and the most hostile people towards them will be the Umayyads and the sons of Al-Mughirah."

And Banū Makhzūm
(1)

Al-Munawi stated: It is narrated in the hadith: Among the household, there is one who is poisoned, one who is killed, and one who is burned. He explained: The first refers to Al-Hasan (peace be upon him), the second to Al-Hussein (peace be upon him), and the third to Zayd ibn Ali (peace be upon him).

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) advised this nation to care for his family and progeny (peace be upon them). However, this nation did not honor the right of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) regarding his progeny. Look, O follower, at what was done to them, the atrocities they suffered, how they were killed, their blood shed, exiled from their homelands, imprisoned in dungeons, and subjected to various forms of torture and persecution by unjust and oppressive rulers. They disregarded all the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) instructions, as if they had never heard anything about his advice concerning his pure family and descendants (peace be upon them).

Allah the Almighty said about the orphans in the Holy Quran: "And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and beneath it was a treasure for them, and their father was a righteous man."

The interpretation of this verse, as narrated by Ibn Abbas, Jabir, and Imam Abu Abdullah Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), is that Allah corrects and improves the condition of a person's children and grandchildren due to the righteousness of that individual, and He preserves one's progeny. He was the seventh ancestor of theirs.

Al-Maqrizi said: If it is true that God, glory be to Him, preserved two boys due to their father's righteousness, then it follows that He preserved the descendants out of regard for the ancestors, even if the ages have passed. From this comes the tradition stating that the doves of the Sacred Sanctuary stem from two doves that nested above the mouth of the cave in which he hid.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)

Thus, the sanctity of the sanctuary's doves is respected, and if that is the case, then Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is even more deserving, rightful, and prioritized for God's preservation of his descendants. For he is the leader of the righteous, and God did not reform the corruption of His creation except through him.

It is narrated from Imam Hassan (peace be upon him) that he said to some of the Kharijites: "Why did Allah protect the property of the two young boys?" He replied: "Because of the righteousness of their father." Imam Hassan then said: "My father and grandfather are better than him!"

Imam Ali ibn Al-Hussein (peace be upon them) said: Indeed, God mentioned certain people due to their forefathers, and preserved the children for the fathers, as He, the Exalted, says: "And their father was a righteous man." My father told me, based on the account from his forefathers, that he is the ninth among his descendants. We are the family of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), preserved by God for the sake of the Messenger of God.

It is narrated from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said: "Preserve for us as the righteous servant preserved for the two orphans."

And it is mentioned by Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with him) regarding the saying of the Almighty: "And their father was a righteous man." He said: "The righteousness of their father was preserved, and nothing is mentioned about their own righteousness."

The writer Abdel Halim Al-Jundi stated: "Throughout the entire history of humanity, there has been no family as displaced, stripped, and subjected to suffering and terror like the Prophet's household (peace be upon him and his family). The history of Islam began with their glory, and their legacy persisted in them with their lessons and greatness. Their father provided humanity with the means of their salvation through the Book of God and the Prophet's teachings (peace be upon him and his family). The members of his household offered their souls for the principles that the Quran was revealed with and that the Sunnah brought forth. Their lamps were shattered, but..."

Its flame does not extinguish, to immortalize jihad, martyrdom, and guidance, with the high examples they were, and the light that no obstacles can prevent from spreading. In this, the sons of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) taught their community some of their knowledge: that martyrdom is life for the martyrs and for all the living.

And so, my dear companions, if you were to hear the words of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) regarding the oppression, tyranny, aggression, and despotism they endured, listen to their words that emanated from hearts filled with pain. The bowl overflowed with what they suffered at the hands of unjust rulers, filled with sorrow and distress. They became like the Israelites under the Pharaoh, as the community in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) left them, slaughtered their children and spared their women.

It was narrated by Zayd ibn Ali ibn Al-Husayn, from his father, from his grandfather (peace be upon them), who said: Ali (peace be upon him) said: "I was with the Ansar for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) in obeying him in both favorable and unfavorable situations. When Islam gained strength and its people increased, he (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: 'O Ali, add this: That you protect the Messenger of Allah and his household as you protect yourselves and your children.' He placed this responsibility upon the shoulders of the people, and those who remained faithful to it did so, while those who perished did so as well."

It is narrated that Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) was asked: How has your morning been? He (peace be upon him) replied: We have woken up fearful because of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), while all the people of Islam have woken up safe because of him.

It is narrated from Imam Ali ibn al-Hussein (peace be upon him) these noble verses:

Al-Qanduzi al-Hanafi narrated from the account of Abu Mikhnaf in the story of the martyrdom that when Imam Zain al-Abidin (peace be upon him) arrived in Medina after captivity, he addressed the people of Medina and said in his sermon:

"O people, we have become displaced, expelled, driven away, and far from our homeland, without having committed any sin, without having done anything unfavorable, without having breached Islam, and without having committed any immoral act. By God, if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) had instructed them to kill us, they could not have done more than what they have done to us. Indeed, to God we belong, and to Him we shall return."

In a poem by Al-Nashi Al-Saghir, which consists of several verses, Al-Hamawi mentioned the following lines:

Mr. Saleh Al-Najafi Al-Qazwini, may he rest in peace, who passed away in the year 1306 AH, said:

I entered upon Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) and said: "How did you wake up this morning, may Allah set you right?" He (peace be upon him) replied: "I wouldn't have expected an elder from the people of this land like you to not know how we start our day. But since you don't know or are unaware, I will inform you: We have begun our day among a people like the children of Israel under Pharaoh, who used to slaughter their sons and let their women live. Our elder and leader is now drawn closer to our enemy by being insulted or cursed on the pulpits. Quraysh think they have superiority over the Arabs because Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) is from them, and they count no virtues against them except through him. The Arabs acknowledge this, believing Quraysh have superiority because Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) is from them, and no virtues are counted against them except through him. The non-Arabs acknowledge that as well. So, if the Arabs believe they have superiority over the non-Arabs, and Quraysh believe they have superiority over the Arabs because Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) is from them, then we, the People of the House, have superiority over Quraysh because Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) is from us. Yet they usurp our rights and do not recognize them. That is how we have begun our day, since you were unaware of how our day begins."

I thought he intended for those in the house to hear him say this.

It is narrated from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (peace be upon him) that he said: "May Allah not bless this nation, for it did not uphold the right of its Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) with respect to his family. By Allah, if they had entrusted the right to its rightful owners, not even two people would have differed concerning Allah Almighty." He (peace be upon him) also recited the following verse:

It is narrated from Imam Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said: Safeguard us as the righteous servant protected the orphans for the sake of their righteous father, and he was the seventh grandfather. Yet this nation has neglected the right of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) by killing his sons.

Fakhr al-Razi, in his interpretation of the chapter "Indeed, We have granted you al-Kawthar," remarked: "Consider how many from the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) were killed, yet the world is filled with them, while from the Bani Umayyah there is no one left of any significance."

I say: These are the graves of the family of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), scattered across countries, far from their homelands. May Allah have mercy on the poet Da'bal Al-Khuza'i, who said regarding this:

The Seventeenth Session: The Oppression of the Household (Peace be upon them) and Their Followers

It is narrated that Imam Al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, stood in secrecy, observing...

The lawyer who carried Abdullah bin Al-Hassan and his family in chains and iron from Medina to Iraq by the order of Al-Mansur Al-Dawaniqi, as they passed by, cried and said: "The Ansar did not fulfill [their promise]."

The sons of the Ansar of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), pledged to protect Muhammad and his sons, family, and descendants as they would protect themselves, their own children, family, and descendants. They did not fulfill this pledge. O Allah, strengthen Your punishment upon the Ansar.

Mansur al-Namiri, may God have mercy on him, said regarding the grievances of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them):

It is said that Al-Rasheed recited these two lines after the death of Mansur Al-Nammari, may God have mercy on him. Al-Rasheed said—after he sent someone to kill him, only to find that he had already died—"I almost wanted to exhume his bones and burn them..."

In the "Ranks of Poets," it is mentioned that after Caliph Al-Rashid heard the eulogies of Al-Namari in praise of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), he ordered Abu Isma to immediately go to Al-Raqqa to pull Mansour's tongue out from his throat, cut off his arm and leg, then behead him and return with his head after crucifying his body. Abu Isma set out for this task, but when he reached the gate of Al-Raqqa, he was met with Al-Namari's funeral. He returned to Al-Rashid with the news, to which Al-Rashid said, "Woe unto me, O son of the wicked, why did you not burn him with fire since you found him dead?"

Ibn Abi Al-Hadid Al-Mu'tazili also narrated, saying: When Khalid ibn Abdullah Al-Qasri governed Mecca — and he used to mention Ali, Al-Hasan, and Al-Husayn (peace be upon them) in his sermons — Ubaydullah ibn Kathir Al-Sahmi, while holding onto the curtains of the Kaaba, said:

And they criticized him for his love for the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them.

The text narrates an interaction involving Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. It begins with him delivering a sermon. After he finishes his advice, a man from the Al Suhan family stands up and says:

"Slow down, slow down. You command yet you do not follow your own commands. You forbid yet you do not refrain from what you forbid. You preach yet you do not embody your own teachings. Should we then follow your example? Should we obey your verbal instructions?

If you say, 'Follow our example,' then how? Why? What is the proof? And what is the divine support for following the way of oppressive, sinful, tyrannical, untrustworthy leaders who have turned God's wealth into their own property and His servants into slaves?

If you say, 'Accept our advice and obey our directives,' then how can someone who deceives themselves offer sound advice to others? How can obedience be due to someone whose justice has not been established with God?

And if you say, 'Take wisdom wherever you find it, and accept advice from whoever you hear it,' then why have we entrusted you with our affairs, and appointed you to govern our lives and wealth?"

Did you not know that within us there is someone more eloquent than you in languages, and more articulate in admonitions? Therefore, first loosen or untie its bonds, set its shackles free, and clear its path, so that the progeny of the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) may race to it.

You have displaced them across the land, scattered them in every direction. But it will be proven to you eventually, at the end of the term and when the time comes, and when the ordeal reaches its greatest intensity. Indeed, everything has an appointed end it cannot surpass, a predetermined day it cannot avoid, and a precise record that follows it:

"It does not leave any small or great thing but records it."

"And those who have wronged are going to know to what [kind of] return they will be returned."

Then he said: The man was seated, but when sought, he could not be found.

Ibn al-Rumi said:

He said:

And Musa bin Dawud Al-Salmi recited to Abi Huraytha Al-Hussain, the companion of Fakh, who was killed along with him: