Imam Hussain (A.S.)

He, peace be on him, died, (a man desperately) thirsty, yet still striving and showing fortitude, (a man) forced to be detained, (a man) oppressed. The pledge of allegiance to him was revoked. The respect due to him was ignored. The covenant to him was not fulfilled nor the responsibility of the agreement made with him honoured.

(He died) a martyr as his father and brother, peace be on them, had done before him.

A Sample of the Outstanding Virtues of al-Husayn b. 'Ali Peace be on Him, the Merit in Visiting (His Grave) and Mention of His Tragedy [Said b. Rashid reported on the authority of Yala b. Murra, who said:] I heard the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, say: Husayn is from me and I am from Husayn. God loves whoever loves him. Husayn is indeed an (outstanding) grandson among grandsons.

[Ibn Lahia reported on the authority of Abu 'Awana (with an interrupted chain of authorities) (rafa'ahu) back to the Prophet, may God bless him and his family:]

The Apostle of God said: Al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be on them, are the ornaments of the throne (of Heaven). Indeed Heaven, itself, said, 'O my Lord, You have filled me with weak and poor inhabitants.

' God, the Exalted, replied to it: 'Are you not content that I have adorned your corners with al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be on him?' Then it swaggered as a bride swaggers with happiness.

[Abd Allah b. Maymun al-Qaddah reported on the authority of Jafar b. Muhammad al-Sadiq, peace be on them, who said:]

Al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be on them, were wrestling in front of the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family. Hasan, catch hold of Husayn, said the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family. Apostle of God, are you encouraging the big one against the little one? said Fatima, peace be on her. It is Gabriel, peace be on him, who is saying to al-Husayn: Husayn, catch hold of al-Hasan, replied the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family.

[Ibrahim b. al-Rafi'i reported on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather, who said:]

I saw al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be on them, walking to the pilgrimage. They did not pass a rider who did not dismount and walk too. It became arduous for some of them.
They said to Sad b. Abi Waqqas Walking is arduous for us. We would prefer to ride but these two young lords (sayyid) are walking. Abu Muhammad, said Sad to al-Hasan, peace be on him, Walking is hard on a group of those with you, yet the people cannot make themselves feel better by riding when they see you two walking. If you rode, (it would be easier for them). We will not ride, replied al- ,Hasan, peace be on him. We have pledged ourselves to walk to the Sacred House of God on our feet. However, we will turn aside from the road. They both went aside from the people.

[Al-Awza'i has reported on the authority of 'Abd Allah b. Shaddad, on the authority of Umm al-Fadl, daughter of al-Harith: ]

She visited the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family and said: Apostle of God, I have had a strange dream during the night. What was it?, he asked. It was terrible, she said.

What was it?, he repeated. I saw (something) like a piece of your body cut up and put in my lap, she answered. You have seen well said the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family.

Fatima will give birth to a boy when she is sitting on your lap (to give birth). [She reported:] Fatima did give birth to al-Husayn, peace be on him, and he was in my lap just as the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, had said. One day I took him to the Prophet, may God bless him and his family, and I put him in his lap. His gaze turned away from me.

Behold, both the eyes of the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, were flowing with tears. I said: (May I ransom you) with my father and mother Apostle of God, what is the matter with you? "Gabriel, peace be on him, came to me," he said. "He told me that my community will seek to kill this son of mine and he brought me dust made red by his (blood)."

[Simak reported on the authority of Ibn al-Mukhariq on the authority of Umm Salama, may God be pleased with her, who said:]

One day while the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, was sitting down, and al- Husayn was sitting on his knee, his eyes suddenly filled with tears. I said to him: Apostle of God, why do I see you weeping, may I be your ransom? Gabriel, peace be on him, came to me, he said. She consoled me for the death of my son, al-Husayn, and he told me that a group of my community will kill him. May God never let them have intercession from me.

[It is reported with another chain of authorities on the authority of Umm Salama, may God be pleased with hey that she said:]

One evening the Apostle of God left us and was away for a long time. He came back, he was dishevelled and dusty and his hand was holding (something). I said to him: Apostle of God, why do I see you dishevelled and dusty? He said: I have just been on a night journey to a place in Iraq, called Karbala. There I saw the death of my son, al-Husayn, and a group of my children and the members of my family (ahl al-bayt). I could not stop (myself) from gathering (some of) their blood and here it is in my hand. He opened his hand and said: Take it and look after it. I took it. It was like red soil. I put it in a phial, fastened its top and kept it. When al-Husayn, peace be on him, left Mecca on his way to Iraq, I took out that phial every day and night. I used to smell it and look at it.
Then I would weep for his fate. On the 10th of (the month of) al-Muharram, the day on which al-Husayn, peace be on him was killed, I took it out. At the beginning of the day it was in its usual condition, but at the end of the day, behold, it was fresh blood. I shrieked (with grief) and wept. Then I restrained my anger out of fear that the enemies of the family of the Prophet) in Medina would heae and would hurry to rejoice at their misfortune. I have kept it secret up to the present time, even to the day when the messenger bringing the news of his death came to announce it. Then what I had seen was proved.

It is reported that one day the Prophet, may God bless him and his family, was sitting down. Around him were Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan and al-Husayn, peace be on them. He asked them: How would you feel if when you were killed, your tombs were scattered around (the country)? Will we die an (ordinary) death or will we be killed? al-Husayn, peace be on him, asked, Rather you will be killed unjustly, my little son, and your brother will be killed unjustly," he answered. "Your offspring will be scattered over the land. Apostle of God, who will kill us? asked al-Husayn, peace be on him. The evil men among the people, he said. Will anyone visit (our graves) after we are killed?, he asked. Yes, my little son, he told him, a group (taifa) of my community will gain my benificence and favour through visiting (your graves). On the Day of Resurrection, I will bring them to the place so that I may take them by the arms and save them from its terrors and sorrows.

[Abd Allah b. Sharik al-Amiri reported:]

I heard the followers of Ali say when 'Umar b. Sed went through the gate of the mosque: There is the killer of al-Husayn b. 'Ali, peace be on him. That was some time before he was killed.

[Salim b. Abi Hafsa reported:]

Umar b. Sa'd said to al-Husayn: Abu Abd Allah, stupid people have come to me claiming that I will kill you. They are not stupid, al Husayn, peace be on him told him. They are men who dream (of the future). Yet it pleases me that you will not enjoy the land of Iraq for long after me.

[Yusuf b. Abida reported: I heard Muhammad b. Sirin say:]

Such a redness which was in thc sky was never seen except after the killing of al-Husayn b. Al, peace be on him.

[Said al-Iskaf reported: Abu-Ja'far, peace be on him, said:]

The killer of Yahya b. Zakariyya (John the Baptist) was a son born out of wedlock. The killer of al-Husayn b. Ali was a son born out of wedlock. The sky only went red for those two.
[Sufyan b. Uyayna reported on the authority of Ali b. Zayd, on the authority of Ali b. al-Husayn, peace be on them, who said:]

We set out with al-Husayn, peace be on him. We did not stop at any halting-place without him setting off from there by (first) mentioning Yahya b. Zakariyya and his death. He would say: There was a day and it was a day of the humiliation of the world before God, when the head of Yahya b. Zakariyya was given to one of the prostitutes of the Banu Israil.

Reports have already been presented (which show) that none of the killers of al-Husayn, peace be on him, and his followers, may God be pleased with them, managed to avoid being killed or suffering tribulation in such a way as put them to shame before their death.

Al-Husayn, peace be on him, came to his death on Saturday, the 10th of (the month of) al-Muharram in the year 61 A.H. after the (time for) the mid-day prayer.

(He was) killed wrongfully, while thirsty, always showing fortitude but forced to be detained, as we have already explained. His age on that day was fifty-eight years. Of these, he spent seven with his grandfather, the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, thirty-seven with his father, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, and forty-seven with his brother, al- Hasan, peace be on him. The period of his succession (to the Imamate) after his brother was eleven years. He, peace be on him, used to use henna and a black dye (katam). When he, peace be on him, was killed, the dye came off (the beard on) his two cheeks.

Many reports have come down about the great merit (to be acquired) by visiting his (grave) indeed of it being necessary for everyone who accepts the Imamate of al-Husayn, peace be on him, (as being bestowed on him) by God, the Mighty and High. It is reported from al-Sadiq Jafer b. Muhammad, peace be on him, that he said: Visiting the grave of al-Husayn, peace be on him, is equal to a hundred acceptable pilgrimages and a hundred acceptable lesser pilgrimages ('umra). The Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, said: Whoever visits the grave of al-Husayn, peace be on him, after the latter's death, will have heaven (as his reward).

Ref:

Kitab al Irshad

By Sheikh al Mufid

Imam Hussein had married five times. The names of his wives are: 1. Janabe Shahr Banu the daughter of Yazd Gurd, the last emperor of Iran. Imam Zaynul Abedin a.s. our fourth Imam was her son. She died within ten days of our fourth Imam's birth. 2. Janabe Rabab was the daughter of Imra'u Al Qays the chief of the tribe of Kinda.Janabe Rabab was the mother of Sakinah and the baby Abdallah (also called Ali Asghar). She was present in Kerbala with Imam Hussein a.s. and died after one year of return to Medinah after the tragedy of Kerbala. 3. Janabe Laila was the daughter of Abu Murra, the son of Urwah bin Mas'ud Al Thaqafi. Her mother was Maymunah, the daughter of Abu Sufyan and thus she was the cousin of Yazid. Her aunt Umm Sa'id, daughter of Urwah was a wife of Imam Ali a.s.. Janabe Laila was the mother of Ali Akbar. According to scholars she was not alive at the time of the Tragedy of Kerbala. Her name has not been mentioned in the old books written about Kerbala. Nor was her name mentioned in the court of Yazid and there is no account of anyone blaming Yazid for imprisoning his own cousin. 4. Janabe Umm Ishaq was the daughter of Talhah bin Ubaydallah Taimi and she is the mother of Fatema Kubra. 5. Janabe Quda'iyah was from the the tribe of Quda'ah. She gave birth to one child Jaffer who died in Childhood.

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