Name: al-Hussein
Title: Sayyid al-Shuhada
Agnomen: Abu Abdillah
Father's name: Ali Amir al-Muminin
Mother's name: Fatima (Daughter of the Holy Prophet (S)
Birth: In Medina on Thursday, September 30th, 626
Death: Martyred in Karbala (Iraq) at the age of 57, on Friday, 10th Muharram 61 A.H. and buried there.
His father was Imam Ali, the best model of kindness toward his friends and the bravest against the enemies of Islam, and his mother was Hazrat Fatima (SA), the only daughter and child of the Holy Prophet (S), who had as universally acknowledged, inherited the qualities of her father.
Imam Hussein (AS), is the third Apostolic Imam. When the good news of his birth reached the Holy Prophet (S), he came to his daughter's house, took the newly-born child in his arms, recited azan in his right and left ears respectively, and on the 7th day of his birth, named him al-Hussein, in compliance with Allah's command. Abdullah ibn Abbas relates: "On the very day when Imam Hussein (AS) was born, Allah ordered angel Gabriel to descend and congratulate the Holy Prophet (S) on His Behalf and on his own.
While descending, Gabriel passed over an island where the angel Futrus had been banished due to his delay in executing a commission assigned by Allah. He was deprived of his wings and expelled to the island where he remained for several years praying and worshipping Allah and asking for His forgiveness.
"When the angel Futrus saw Gabriel, he called out, ”Where are you going, O Gabriel?' To this he replied, “Hussein, the grandson of Mohammad (S) is born, and for this very reason Allah has commanded me to convey His congratulations to His Apostle.' Thereupon, the angel said, “Can you carry me also along with you? May Mohammad (S) recommend my case to Allah.” Gabriel took the angel along with him, came to the Holy Prophet (S), offered congratulations to him on behalf of Allah and himself and referred the case of the angel to him. The Holy Prophet (S) said to Gabriel, Ask the angel to touch the body of the newly-born child and return to his place in Heaven.' On doing this, the angle re-obtained his wings instantly and praising the Holy Prophet (S) and his newly- born grandson, ascended toward the Heaven.
Hassan (AS) and Hussein (AS), the two sons of the Holy Imam Ali (AS) and Hazrat Fatima (S), our Lady of Light, were respected and revered as the 'Leaders of the Youths of Paradise' as stated by the Holy Prophet (S).
The Holy Prophet Mohammad (S), and his progeny, had openly prophesied that the faith of Islam would be rescued by his second grandson Hussein (AS), when Yazid, son of Muawiayh, would endeavor to destroy it. Yazid was known for his devilish character and brutish conduct. He was known as the most licentious of men.
The people having known and understood the character of Yazid, formed a covenant by which Muawiyah could not appoint Yazid as his successor. This undertaking was given by Muawiyah to Imam Hassan (AS) from whom Muawiyah had snatched power.
Muawiyah violated this undertaking and nominated Yazid who succeeded his father. Immediately as he came to power, Yazid began acting in full accordance with his known character.
He started interfering in the fundamentals of the faith and practiced every vice and wickedness freely with the highest degree of impunity and yet held himself out as the successor of the Holy Prophet (S), demanding allegiance to himself as the leading guide of the faith. Paying allegiance to Yazid was nothing short of acknowledging the devil as Cod.
If a divine personality like the holy Imam Hussein (AS) had agreed to his authority, it would be actually recommending the devil to humanity in place of Cod. Yazid demanded allegiance from the Holy Imam Hussein (AS), who could have never agreed to it at any cost. The people fearing death and destruction at the hands of the tyrant had yielded to him out of fear.
Imam Hussein (AS) said that come whatever may, he would never yield to the devil in place of God and undo what his grandfather, the Holy Prophet had established.
The refusal of the Holy Imam to pay allegiance to this fiend, marked the start of the persecution of the Holy Imam. As a result he had retired to Medina where he led a secluded life.
Even here he was not allowed to live in peace, and was forced to seek refuge in Mecca where also he was badly harassed, and Yazid plotted to murder him in the very precincts of the great sanctuary of Ka'ba.
In order to safeguard the great sanctuary, Imam Hussein (AS) decided to leave Mecca for Kufa just a day before tile hajj (pilgrimage).
When asked the reason for the mysterious departure from Mecca foregoing the pilgrim-age which was only the next day Imam Hussein (AS) said that he would perform this year's pilgrimage at Karbala, Offering the sacrifice not of any animals, but of his kith and kin and some faithful friends. He enumerated the names of his kith and kin who would lay down their lives with him in the great sacrifice at Karbala.
The people of Kufa getting tired of the tyrannic and satanic rule of Yazid, had written innumerable letters and sent emissaries to Imam Hussein (AS) to come over and give them guidance in faith. Although Imam Hussein (AS) knew the ultimate end of the invitations, he as the divinely chosen Imam could not refuse to give the guidance sought for.
When the Holy Imam with his entourage had reached karbala, his horse mysteriously stopped and would not move any further. Upon this the holy Imam declared: "This is the land, the land of sufferings and tortures." He alighted from his horse, and ordered his followers to encamp there saying: Here shall we be martyred and our children be killed. Here shall our tents be burned and our family arrested. This is the land about which my grandfather the Holy Prophet (AS) had foretold, and his prophecy will certainly be fulfilled." On the 7th of Muharram water supply to Imam and his companions was cut and the torture of thirst and hunger started. The holy Imam's camp consisted of ladies, innocent children including babies and some male members of the Holy Prophet's family; along with a small band of some faithful friends of Imam Hussein (AS) who had chosen to die with the Holy Imam, fighting against the devil for the cause of Allah.
The Day of Ashura (10th of Muharram):
At dawn the Imam glanced over the army of Yazid and saw 'Umar ibn Sa'd ordering his forces to march toward him.
He gathered his followers and addressed them thus: "Allah has, this day, permitted us to be engaged in a Holy War and He shall reward us for our martyrdom. So prepare yourselves to fight against the enemies of Islam with patience and resistance. O sons of the noble and self-respecting persons, be patient ! earth is nothing but a bridge which you must cross after facing trials
and tribulations so as to reach Heaven and its joys.
Which of you do not like to go from this prison (world) to the lofty palaces (Paradise)? "Having heard the Imam's address, all his companions were overwhelmed and cried out, "O our Master! We are ail ready to defend you and your companions, and to sacrifice our lives for the cause of Islam." Imam Hussein (AS) sent out from his camp one after another to fight and sacrifice their lives in the way of the Lord.
Lastly, when all his men and children had laid down their lives, Imam Hussein (AS) brought his six-month old baby son Ali al-Asghar, and offering him on his own hands, demanded some water for the baby, dying of thirst. The thirst of the baby was quenched by a deadly poisoned arrow from the brute's forces, which pinned the baby's neck to the arm of the helpless father. At last when the six-month old baby also was killed, Imam Hussein (AS) addressed Allah: "O Lord! Thy Hussein has offered in Thy way whatever Thou hath blessed him with. Bless Thy Hussein, O Lord! with the acceptance of this sacrifice. Everything Hussein could do till now was through Thy help and by Thy Grace." Lastly, Imam Hussein (AS) came into the field and was killed, the details of which merciless slaughter are heart rending.
The forces of Yazid having killed Imam Hussein (AS), cut and severed his head from his body and raised it on a lance.
The severed head of the Holy Imam (AS) began glorifying Allah from the point of the lance saying, Allahu Akbar'. "All glory be to Allah Who is the Greatest!" After the wholesale, merciless and most brutal slaughter of the Holy Imam (AS) with his faithful band, the helpless ladies and children along with the ailing son of Imam Hussein (AS), Imam Ali Zaynul-Abidin, were taken captives.
Some Sayings of the Holy Prophet (S) during his lifetime with reference to Imam Hussein (AS):
1. Hassan (AS) and Hussein (AS) are the Leaders of the Youths of Paradise.
2. Hussein (AS) is from me and I am from Hussein (AS), Allah befriends those who befriend Hussein (AS) and He is the enemy of those who bear enmity to him.
3. Whosoever wishes to see such a person who lives on earth but whose dignity is honored by the Heaven dwellers, should see my grandson Hussein (AS).
4. O my son! thy flesh is my flesh and thy blood is my blood; thou art a leader, the son of a leader and the brother of a leader; thou art a spiritual guide, the son of a spiritual guide and the brother of a spiritual guide; thou art an Apostolic Imam, the son of an Apostolic Imam and the brother of an Apostolic Imam; thou art the father of nine Imams, the ninth of whom would be the Qa'im (the last infallible spiritual guide).
5. The punishment inflicted on the murderer of Hussein (AS) in Hell would be equal to half of the total punishment to be imposed on the entire sinners of the world.
6. When the Holy Prophet (S) informed Hazrat Fatima (SA) of the martyrdom in store for his grandson, she burst into tears and asked, "O my father ! when would my son be martyred?" "In such a critical moment," replied the Holy Prophet (S), "When neither I nor you, nor Ali would be alive." This accentuated her grief and she inquired again, "Who then, O my father, would commemorate Hussein (AS)’s martyrdom? " The Holy Prophet said, "The men and the women of a particular sect of my followers, who will befriend my Ahl-ul-Beit (household of the Prophet (S), will mourn for Hussein (AS) and commemorate his martyrdom each year in every century." Ibn Sa'd narrates from ash-Sha'bi: Imam Ali (AS), while on his way to Siffin, passed through the desert of Karbala, there he stopped and wept very bitterly.
When interrogated regarding the cause of his weeping, he commented that one day he visited the Holy Prophet (S) and found him weeping. When he asked the Apostle of Allah as to what was the reason which made him weep, he replied, "O Ali(AS), Gabriel has just been with me and informed me that my son Hussein (AS) would be martyred in Karbala, a place near the bank of the River Euphrates. This moved me so much that I could not help weeping."
(A Brief History of the Fourteen Infallibles, p. 95-110)
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