المجالس العاشورية في المآتم الحسينية

of the Shia and their great men. From al-Nasawi, that Razin al-Faqiqi said: I heard Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) say: O people of Iraq! Seven men from among you will be killed at Adhra; their likeness is like that of the People of the Trench. So Hujr and his companions were killed.(1)

From Umar ibn Bashir, who said: I asked Abu Ishaq: When were the people humiliated? He said: When Hussein (peace be upon him) was killed, when Ziyad was falsely claimed (as a son of Abu Sufyan), and when Hujr ibn Adi was killed.(2)

Hujr was among the most devoted companions of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him). He was a man of knowledge, forbearance, courage, generosity, and eloquence. The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) had foretold him of the killing that would befall him afterward. Al-Mas'udi said in his history Muruj al-Dhahab: In the year fifty-three, Mu'awiya killed Hujr ibn Adi al-Kindi. He was the first to be killed in captivity in Islam. Ziyad sent him from Kufa, along with nine of his companions from the people of Kufa, and four from elsewhere. When they had gone some miles from Kufa, headed for Damascus, his daughter—he had no offspring but her—composed these verses:

When he reached the meadow of Adhra, twelve miles from Damascus, the courier had gone ahead to inform Mu'awiya of them, so he sent a one-eyed man. When he came in sight of Hujr and his companions, one of them said: If the omen is true, half of us will be killed and the rest spared. He was asked: How do you know that? He said: Do you not see the man approaching, afflicted in one of his eyes? When he reached them, he said to Hujr: The Commander of the Faithful (meaning Mu'awiya) has ordered me to kill you, O head of misguidance, source of unbelief and tyranny, ally of Abu Turab, and to kill your companions—unless you renounce your unbelief, curse your master, and disavow him. So Hujr and a group of those with him said: To endure the edge of the sword is easier for us than what you summon us to. Then to come before God, His Prophet, and his successor is dearer to us than entering the Fire. Half of those with him answered the call to disavow Ali (peace be upon him). When Hujr was brought forward to be killed, he said: Let me pray two units of prayer. He prolonged his prayer, and was asked: Is it out of fear of death? He said: No, but I have never purified myself for prayer without praying, and I have never prayed a prayer lighter than this one. How could I not be afraid when I see a dug grave, a drawn sword, and a spread shroud? Then he was brought forward and slaughtered, and those of his companions who agreed with his position were joined to him. It is said that they were killed in the year fifty.(1)

From Salih ibn Kaysan, who said: When Mu'awiya killed Hujr ibn Adi and his companions, he performed the Hajj that year and met Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon them). He said: O Abu Abdullah! Has news reached you of what we did to Hujr, his companions, his followers, and the followers of your father? He said: And what did you do to them? He said: We killed them, shrouded them, and prayed over them. Hussein (peace be upon him) laughed, then said: The people have bested you, O Mu'awiya. But we—had we killed your followers—would not have shrouded them, nor prayed over them, nor buried them. It has reached me that you disparage Ali (peace be upon him), that you set about diminishing us, and that you charge the Banu Hashim with faults. When you do that, return to yourself; then ask it for the truth that is for it and against it. If you do not find it to have the greatest fault, then how small

is your fault within you! We have wronged you, O Mu'awiya. Do not string any bow but your own, do not shoot at any target but your own, and do not fire enmity at us from close range. For by God, you have obeyed concerning us a man whose Islam is not ancient, whose hypocrisy is not new, and who has no regard for you. So look to yourself, or else leave off—meaning Amr ibn al-As.(1)

Among them also was Kumayl ibn Ziyad, may God's pleasure be upon him, who was among the closest companions of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), and held a high station in asceticism and piety. The Du'a of Kumayl, whose recitation is recommended on the eve of the fifteenth of Sha'ban and on the eves of Friday, is attributed to him; the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) taught it to him. Sheikh al-Mufid, may God's mercy be upon him, said: Jarir reported from al-Mughira, who said: When al-Hajjaj took office, he sought Kumayl ibn Ziyad, who fled from him, so he deprived his tribe of their stipends. When Kumayl saw this, he said: I am an old man, my life is nearly spent; it is not fitting that I should deprive them of their stipends. So he went out and gave himself over to al-Hajjaj. When he saw him, he said to him: I had longed to find a way against you. Kumayl said to him: Do not bare your fangs at me, nor descend upon me. By God, nothing remains of my life but the dying remnant of dust, so decree what you will decree, for the appointed meeting is with God, and after the killing comes the reckoning. The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) told me that you would be my killer. Al-Hajjaj said to him: Then the proof is against you. Kumayl said to him: That is so, if the judgment is yours. He said: Yes, you were among those who killed Uthman ibn Affan. Strike off his neck! So his neck was struck, may God's pleasure be upon him.(2)

In Ibn Abi al-Hadid's commentary on the Nahj, he said: Kumayl ibn Ziyad ibn Buhayl ibn Haytham ibn Sa'd ibn Malik ibn Harb was among the companions of Ali (peace be upon him), his Shia, and his close associates. Al-Hajjaj killed him for his creed, among those of the Shia whom he killed.(3)

Among them was Qanbar, may God Almighty have mercy on him, the freedman of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him). It is reported from Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad that Qanbar, the freedman of the Commander of the Faithful, was brought before al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, who said to him: What service did you used to perform for Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him)? He said: I used to prepare his ablution water. He said to him: What did he say when he finished his ablution? He said: He would recite this verse: "So when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened to them the gates of all things, until, when they rejoiced in what they were given, We seized them suddenly, and behold, they were in despair. So the last remnant of the people who did wrong was cut off. And praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds." Al-Hajjaj said: Did he interpret it against us? He said: Yes. He said: What will you do when I strike off your topmost part? He said: Then I shall be happy and you shall be wretched. So he ordered him killed, may God Almighty have mercy on him.(1)

From Ibrahim ibn al-Husayn al-Husayni al-Aqiqi, traced upward, who said: Al-Hajjaj asked Qanbar, the freedman of Ali (peace be upon him): Who are you? He said: I am the freedman of the one who struck with two swords, thrust with two spears, prayed toward the two qiblas, gave the two pledges of allegiance, made the two migrations, and never for the blink of an eye disbelieved in God. I am the freedman of the righteous one of the believers, heir of the prophets, best of the successors, greatest of the Muslims, leader of the believers, light of the strivers, chief of those who weep, adornment of the worshippers, lamp of those who have passed, light of those who stand, the most excellent of the devout, the tongue of the Messenger of God, Lord of the Worlds, the first of the believers from the family of Ya-Sin, the one supported by Gabriel the Trustworthy, aided by Michael the Firm, praised among all the dwellers of the heavens, the master of the Muslims and the foremost, the slayer of the breakers of allegiance, the renegades, and the unjust, the defender of the sanctity of the Muslims, who fought his enemies the haters—until he said: The valiant hero, the bold lion, the full moon, the touchstone of the believers, heir of the two sacred sites, father of the two grandsons Hassan and Hussein. By God, he is truly the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib—upon him be from God the pure blessings and lofty graces. When al-Hajjaj heard this, he ordered his head cut off.(2)

Among them was Sa'id ibn Jubayr, may God Almighty have mercy on him, who was among the Shia of the People of the House (peace be upon them). He was killed wronged, a martyr in the path of God Almighty. From the book Rawdat al-Wa'izin by al-Fattal al-Naysaburi, he said: Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) said: Sa'id ibn Jubayr used to follow Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) in prayer, and Ali used to praise him. Al-Hajjaj's killing of him was for no reason but this matter. He was upright. It is mentioned that when he was brought before al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, he said: Are you Shaqi ibn Kasir ("Wretched, son of the Broken")? He said: My mother knew me better—she named me Sa'id ibn Jubayr ("Happy, son of the Mender"). He said: What do you say about Abu Bakr and Umar—are they in Paradise or in the Fire? He said: Were I to enter Paradise and look upon its people, I would know who is in it; and were I to enter the Fire and see its people, I would know who is in it. He said: What is your opinion of the caliphs? He said: I am not their guardian. He said: Which of them is dearest to you? He said: The one most pleasing to my Creator. He said: And which of them is most pleasing to the Creator? He said: Knowledge of that lies with the One who knows their secrets and their whispered counsels. He said: You refuse to be truthful with me. He said: Rather, I did not wish to lie to you.(1)

In the narration of al-Tha'alibi, al-Hajjaj said: Choose, O Sa'id, by what manner of death I shall kill you. He said: Choose for yourself, O Hajjaj, for by God, you will not kill me by any death but that God will kill you by its like in the Hereafter. He said: Would you wish that I pardon you? He said: If there is pardon, it is from God; as for you, you have no acquittal and no excuse. Al-Hajjaj said: Take him away and kill him. When he went out the door, he laughed. Al-Hajjaj was told of this and brought him back, saying: What made you laugh? He said: I marveled at your audacity toward God and at God's forbearance toward you. So he ordered the leather mat spread out and said: Kill him! Sa'id said: I have turned my face toward Him who created the heavens and the earth, as a monotheist, and I am not among the polytheists. He said: Turn him away from the qibla. Sa'id said: "So wherever you turn, there is the Face of God."(2) He said: Throw him on his face. Sa'id said: "From it

We created you, and into it We return you, and from it We bring you forth once again."(1) Al-Hajjaj said: Slaughter him! Sa'id said: As for me, I bear witness that there is no god but God alone, with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger—take this from me until you meet me with it on the Day of Resurrection. Then Sa'id prayed: O God, do not give him power over anyone he might kill after me. So he was slaughtered upon the mat, may God's mercy be upon him. After that, whenever al-Hajjaj slept, he would see him in his dream seizing him by the folds of his garment, saying: O enemy of God, for what did you kill me? And al-Hajjaj would say: What have I to do with Sa'id ibn Jubayr?! What have I to do with Sa'id ibn Jubayr?(2)

In Tahdhib al-Kamal, he said: It has reached us that al-Hajjaj lived fifteen nights after him, and gangrene struck his belly. He called for the physician to examine him, who looked at him, then called for some rotten meat, tied it to a string, and lowered it down his throat, leaving it for a while. Then he drew it out, and it had clotted blood clinging to it, so he knew that there was no salvation for him. It has reached us that for the rest of his life he would cry out: What have I to do with Sa'id ibn Jubayr? Whenever I wish to sleep, he seizes me by my foot.(3)

The historians have related that al-Hajjaj nearly killed Yahya ibn Ya'mar for no reason but that he used to say: Hassan and Hussein (peace be upon them) are the sons of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family). Harb ibn Abi al-Aswad said: Al-Hajjaj sent for Yahya ibn Ya'mar and said: It has reached me that you claim Hassan and Hussein are of the progeny of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). You find this in the Book of God? I have read it from beginning to end and have not found it. He said: Do you not read Surat al-An'am: "And from his descendants David and Solomon" until it reaches "and John and Jesus"?(4) He said: Yes. He said: Is not Jesus of the progeny of Abraham, though he has no father? He said: You have spoken the truth.(5)

In al-Shaybani's narration, he said: One day al-Hajjaj ordered Yahya ibn Ya'mar brought before him, intending to kill him, and said to him: You shall recite to me a verse from the Book of God Almighty as an explicit text that the Alawids are progeny of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), or I shall surely kill you—and I do not want His saying: "Let us call our sons and your sons."(1) So he recited the words of God Almighty: "And from his descendants David and Solomon," until he said: "and Zachariah and John and Jesus." Then he said: Was Jesus of the progeny of Noah through the father or through the mother? Al-Hajjaj was struck dumb, sent him back with kindness, and said: It is as though I am hearing this verse for the first time now.(2)

May God have mercy on Nasr ibn Ali, who was likewise subjected to punishment, when al-Mutawakkil ordered him to be struck a thousand lashes—not for any sin he committed, nor for anything disgraceful in him, but only because he related a virtue from among the virtues of Hassan and Hussein (peace be upon them). He related this noble hadith, saying: Ali ibn Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Husayn ibn Ali informed me, saying: My brother Musa ibn Ja'far related to me, from his father Ja'far ibn Muhammad, from his father Ali ibn al-Husayn, from his father, from his grandfather (peace be upon them), that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) took the hand of Hassan and Hussein and said: Whoever loves me and loves these two and their father and their mother will be with me in my rank on the Day of Resurrection.

Abu Abd al-Rahman Abdullah said: When Nasr ibn Ali related this hadith, al-Mutawakkil ordered him struck a thousand lashes. Ja'far ibn Abd al-Wahid spoke to him, repeatedly saying to him: This man is of the people of the Sunnah—and he kept at him until he let him go.(3)

Among those killed for their love of the People of the House (peace be upon them) was Ibn al-Sikkit, may God Almighty have mercy on him.(4) He was

a tutor to the children of al-Mutawakkil the Abbasid. Al-Mutawakkil killed him after asking him: O Ya'qub! Who is dearer to you—these two sons of mine, or Hassan and Hussein? He said: By God, Qanbar, the servant of Ali (peace be upon him), is better than you and your two sons. So al-Mutawakkil ordered the Turks, and they drew out his tongue from the back of his neck. He died on Monday, the fifth night of Rajab, in the year two hundred forty-four.(1) In another narration: al-Mutawakkil ordered the Turks, and they trampled his belly. He was carried to his house and died the day after the next.(2)

How excellent are the words of the Hafiz al-Bursi al-Hilli, may God have mercy on him, when he said in praise of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) and his Shia:

The Twenty-First Gathering
The Killing of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon them)
It is reported from Jabir ibn Yazid al-Ju'fi, from Abu Ja'far (peace be upon him), who said: God

the Mighty and Majestic revealed to His Messenger: I have rewarded Ja'far ibn Abi Talib for four traits. So the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) summoned him and told him. He said: Had God, blessed and exalted, not informed you, I would not have told you. I never drank wine, for I knew that if I drank it my reason would depart. I never lied, for lying diminishes manliness. I never committed adultery, for I feared that if I did such a deed, the like would be done to me. And I never worshipped an idol, for I knew it brings neither harm nor benefit. He said: So the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) placed his hand on his shoulder and said: It is fitting for God, the Mighty and Majestic, to give you two wings with which to fly with the angels in Paradise.(1)

From Sheikh al-Tusi, may God's mercy be upon him, from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), that he said to Fatima (peace be upon her): Our martyr is the best of martyrs, and he is your uncle; and among us is one to whom God gave two wings with which he flies with the angels, and he is your cousin.(2)

From Abu al-Hazwar, from Abu Ja'far (peace be upon him), who said: The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: People were created from various trees, but I and Ibn Abi Talib were created from a single tree. I am its root and Ja'far is its branch.(3)

From al-Asbagh ibn Nubata al-Hanzali, who said: I saw the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) on the day he conquered Basra, riding the mule of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family). Then he said: O people, shall I not tell you of the best

of creation on the Day when God gathers them? Abu Ayyub al-Ansari rose to him and said: Yes, O Commander of the Faithful, tell us, for you used to be present while we were absent. He said: The best of creation on the Day when God gathers them are seven from the children of Abd al-Muttalib; none denies their merit but an unbeliever, and none rejects it but a denier. So Ammar ibn Yasir, may God have mercy on him, rose and said: O Commander of the Faithful, name them for us that we may know them. He said: The best of creation on the Day when God gathers them are the messengers, and the most excellent of the messengers is Muhammad. The most excellent of every nation after its prophet is the successor of its prophet, until a prophet succeeds him. And indeed, the most excellent of the successors is the successor of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). And the most excellent of creation after the successors are the martyrs. And the most excellent of the martyrs is Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, and Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, who has two dyed wings with which he flies in Paradise—no one of this nation was granted two wings but him; something with which God honored and ennobled Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). And the two grandsons: Hassan and Hussein. And the Mahdi (peace be upon him), whom God makes of whomever He wills among us, the People of the House. Then he recited this verse: "And whoever obeys God and the Messenger—those are with the ones upon whom God has bestowed favor, of the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions. That is the bounty from God, and sufficient is God as Knower."(1)

The narrator said: Ja'far ibn Abi Talib was the most resembling of people to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) in physical form and in character. Ja'far was ten years older than Ali, Aqil was ten years older than Ja'far, and Talib was ten years older than Aqil. Ja'far was among the first emigrants; he emigrated to the land of Abyssinia and returned from it to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) when he conquered Khaybar. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) received him and embraced him, saying: I do not know by which of the two I am more delighted—the coming of Ja'far or the conquest of Khaybar. His coming, with his companions, from the land of Abyssinia was in the seventh year of the Hijra. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) marked out for him a dwelling beside the mosque. Then he fought the Battle of Mu'ta in the eighth year of the Hijra, and fought in it until both his hands were cut off, and then he was killed. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: God has replaced his two hands with two wings, with which he flies in Paradise wherever he wishes. From there he was called Ja'far the Possessor of

the Two Wings.

From Salim ibn Abi al-Ja'd, who said: The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) was shown in a dream Ja'far ibn Abi Talib with two wings, drenched in blood.

From Ibn Umar, who said: We found between Ja'far's chest and his shoulders and on the front of his body ninety wounds, between a sword blow and a spear thrust. When the news of Ja'far's death came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), he went to his wife Asma bint Umays and consoled her over her husband Ja'far. Fatima (peace be upon her) came in weeping and saying: Alas, my uncle! The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: For one like Ja'far, let the mourners weep.(1)

It is reported from Imam Ja'far ibn Muhammad (peace be upon them), who said: Indeed Ja'far has a station with God; he flies with the angels in Paradise.(2) From Hisham ibn Salim, from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), who said: When Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) died, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) ordered Fatima (peace be upon her) to prepare food for Asma bint Umays and to go to her with her women. From this the practice arose that food is prepared for the family of the deceased for three days.

From al-Abbas ibn Musa ibn Ja'far, who said: I asked my father (peace be upon him) about the mourning gathering. He said: When the killing of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) reached the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), he went to Asma bint Umays, Ja'far's wife, and said: Where are my sons? She called them—they were three: Abdullah, Awn, and Muhammad. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) wiped their heads, and she said: You wipe their heads as though they were orphans? The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) marveled at her understanding and said: O Asma! Do you not know that Ja'far, may God's pleasure be upon him, has been martyred? She wept, and the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said to her: Do not weep, for Gabriel told me that he has two wings in Paradise of red ruby. She said: O Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), if you would gather the people and tell them of Ja'far's merit, his merit would not be forgotten. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) marveled at her understanding, then said:

Send food to the family of Ja'far. So the practice arose.(1)

From Musakkin al-Fu'ad: When Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (may God be pleased with him) was struck down, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) came to Asma and said to her: Bring out to me the children of Ja'far. They were brought out to him, and he gathered them to himself, smelled them, and his eyes shed tears. She said: O Messenger of God! Has Ja'far been struck down? He (peace be upon him and his family) said: Yes, he was struck down today. Abdullah ibn Ja'far said: I remember when the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) came to my mother and announced my father's death to her. I looked at him as he wiped my head and my brother's head, his eyes pouring tears until his beard dripped. Then he said: O God, Ja'far has gone forth to the finest reward; so be a successor to him in his progeny with the finest succession with which You have succeeded any of Your servants in his progeny. Then he said: O Asma! Shall I not give you glad tidings? She said: Yes, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you. He said: God, the Mighty and Majestic, has made for Ja'far two wings with which he flies in Paradise.(2)

From Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), who said: When the deaths of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and Zayd ibn Haritha reached the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), whenever he entered his house his weeping over them would intensify greatly, and he would say: They used to converse with me and keep me company, and now they have both departed together.(3)

How excellent are the words of Sheikh Muhammad Sa'id al-Mansuri, when he said:

The Twenty-Second Gathering
The Killing of Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib (peace be upon him)
In a letter that the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) wrote to Mu'awiya: A people were martyred in the path of God among the emigrants, and each had merit, until our martyr was martyred, and it was said: Master of the Martyrs. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) distinguished him with seventy takbirs in his funeral prayer over him. Do you not see that a people had their hands cut off in the path of God, and each had merit, until when it was done to one of us as had been done to one of them, it was said: The Flyer in Paradise, the Possessor of the Two Wings. And the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) continued his words until he said: From us is the Lion of God, and from you is the lion of the confederates.

From Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), that he said to Fatima (peace be upon her): Our martyr is the best of martyrs, and he is your uncle; and among us is one to whom God gave two wings with which he flies with the angels, and he is your cousin. And it is reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) that he said: Among the riders on the Day of Resurrection is my uncle Hamza, the Lion of God and the Lion of His Messenger, upon my she-camel al-Adba.

It is reported from Imam al-Rida, from his forefathers (peace be upon them), from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), that he said: The best of my brothers is Ali, the best of my uncles is Hamza, and al-Abbas is the full brother of my father.

From Anas ibn Malik, who said: The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: We, the sons of Abd al-Muttalib, are the masters of the people of Paradise: the Messenger of God, Hamza Master of the Martyrs, Ja'far Possessor of the Two Wings, Ali,

Fatima, Hassan and Hussein, and the Mahdi.

From al-Sakuni, from al-Sadiq, from his forefathers (peace be upon them), who said: The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: The dearest of my brothers to me is Ali ibn Abi Talib, and the dearest of my uncles to me is Hamza.

From al-Qaddah, from Ja'far, from his father (peace be upon them), who said: Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) said: From us are seven whom God, the Mighty and Majestic, created such that He created none on earth like them. From us is the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), master of the first and the last and the Seal of the Prophets; and his successor, the best of successors; and his two grandsons, the best of grandsons: Hassan and Hussein; and the Master of the Martyrs, Hamza his uncle; and the one who flew with the angels, Ja'far; and the Qa'im (peace be upon him).

It is reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) that he said: Hamza is the Master of the Martyrs—and it is reported: the best of martyrs. And were it not that Safiyya would find it grievous, I would have left him unburied so that he might be resurrected from the bellies of the birds and beasts. He had been mutilated, he and his companions, on that day.(1)

From the book al-Turaf by al-Sayyid Ibn Tawus, may God sanctify his soul, quoting from the book al-Wasiyya by Isa ibn al-Mustafad, from Musa ibn Ja'far, from his father (peace be upon them), who said: When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) emigrated to Medina, and his departure to Badr drew near, he called the people to the pledge of allegiance, and they all pledged upon hearing and obedience. Whenever the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) was alone, he would call Ali and inform him of who among them would remain faithful and who would not, asking him to keep that concealed. Then the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) called Ali, Hamza, and Fatima (peace be upon them) and said to them: Pledge to me the pledge of contentment. Hamza said: May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, upon what shall we pledge? Have we not already pledged?

He said: O Lion of God and Lion of His Messenger, pledge for God and for His Messenger, with faithfulness and steadfastness, to the son of your brother—thereby you will perfect faith. He said: Yes, hearing and obedience, and he stretched out his hand. He said to them: The hand of God is above your hands. Ali is the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), Hamza is the Master of the Martyrs, Ja'far is the Flyer in

Paradise, Fatima is the Mistress of the women of the worlds, and the two grandsons, Hassan and Hussein, are the masters of the youths of the people of Paradise. This is a covenant from God upon all the Muslims, of jinn and humankind alike: "So whoever breaks his oath only breaks it against himself, and whoever fulfills what he has covenanted with God—He will give him a great reward." Then he recited: "Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you only pledge allegiance to God."(1) He said: On the night before the day in which Hamza was struck down, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) called him and said: O Hamza! O uncle of the Messenger of God! Soon you will be absent for a long absence. What would you say if you were to come before God, blessed and exalted, and He asked you about the laws of Islam and the conditions of faith? Hamza wept and said: May my father and mother be sacrificed for you—guide me and make me understand.

He said: O Hamza! Bear witness that there is no god but God, sincerely, and that I am the Messenger of God Almighty in truth. Hamza said: I bear witness. He said: And that Paradise is real, and the Fire is real, and the Hour is coming—there is no doubt in it—and that the Path (Sirat) is real, and the Scale is real, and whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it, and a party will be in Paradise and a party in the Blaze, and that Ali is the Commander of the Faithful. Hamza said: I bear witness, I affirm, I believe, and I attest as true. He said: And the imams from his progeny, Hassan and Hussein, and from his progeny. Hamza said: I believe and attest as true. He said: Fatima is the Mistress of the women of the worlds. He said: Yes, I attest as true. He said: Hamza is the Master of the Martyrs, the Lion of God and the Lion of His Messenger, and the uncle of His Prophet. He wept until he fell upon his face and began to kiss the eyes of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family). He said: Ja'far, the son of your brother, is a flyer in Paradise with the angels; and that Muhammad and his family are the best of creation. You believe, O Hamza, in their hidden and their manifest, their outward and their inward, and you live upon that and die upon it; you ally with whoever allies with them, and oppose whoever opposes them. He said: Yes, O Messenger of God, I call God to witness and call you to witness, and God suffices as a Witness. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: May God make you steadfast and grant you success.(2)

It is reported in the argument of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) against the people of the Shura, where he said: I adjure you