Author – Labib Mahfuj Chisty
3rd Shaban of the 4th Hijri. After 6 months in the womb of the mother of the world (a.s.), a radiant child was born in Medina Sharif, illuminating the lap of the Mother of the World (a.s.). Upon hearing the news, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) rushed to the house of Mother Fatima (a.s.). “Hurry up and bring my child to me,” he said to the midwife. As soon as the newborn was brought, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) picked him up in his arms. He declared, “This child is pure. Allah has made him pure and holy.”
He named himself “Al-Hussain Alaihis Salam.”
Hussain (a.s.). About whom the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said, “Hussain is from me and I am from Hussain; whoever loves Hussain, Allah loves him; Hussain himself is a lineage; whoever loves Hussain, loves me; the two Imams are my two fragrant flowers in the world; the chief of the people of Paradise; Hussain’s tears pain me; Hussain will inherit my generosity and heroism; etc.
Imam Hussain (a.s.). The one who is the bearer and bearer of the religion of Muhammad. It is impossible to describe his qualities. About whom the poor Nawaz Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (r.a.), who raised the flag of victory of the religion of Muhammad in India, has made a fitting statement. He said, “I am ashamed to call myself the dust of the horse’s feet of Imam Hussain”. Imam Hussain (a.s.) performed the most difficult task of the religion. He sacrificed his head with a smile on his face on the field of Karbala along with all his family, relatives, and friends. In this struggle of the religion of the age to establish humanity, he has overcome hundreds of pains and has stopped the impenetrable wall of hatred. In Karbala, he has established the true religion at the cost of his life, the lives of his family and relatives, including the lives of everyone in the camp, against the Muawiyah-Yazid gang. Muhammad has brought spring to the flower garden!
Muawiyah, the cunning and cunning who illegally seized the throne by showing his thumb to the religious laws of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), anointed his lustful, characterless, ignorant, fearless, alcoholic son Yazid to power and showed his son all the possible ways and methods on how to rid the illegally seized power of thorns. Following this path, Yazid immediately after his father’s death demanded allegiance from all the people, including Imam Hussain (a.s.) and all the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt. Imam Hussain (a.s.) responded to this unreasonable demand by saying, “Islam will be destroyed if the Ummah falls into Yazid’s trap.” Yazid declared himself the sole caliph of the Muslim world and became frantic to obtain allegiance from Imam Hussain (a.s.). Walid ibn Utba, the then governor of Medina, was informed, “Imam Hussain (a.s.) must be obtained by any means. If he disobeys, he will be killed and his head sent to Damascus.” Walid informed Imam Hussain (a.s.) of Yazid’s declaration and the threat of consequences. But for Imam Hussain (a.s.), the bearer of the religion of Muhammad, the guide to the liberation of mankind, to take allegiance from Yazid would mean annihilating the religion, which is never possible.
Yazid remained steadfast in his plan. At any rate, Imam Hussain (a.s.) had to take allegiance. Meanwhile, Imam Hussain (a.s.) also thought that Yazid would not leave him. Hussain (a.s.) wanted to leave Medina. He already had many enemies in Medina who were appointed by Yazid. Muhammad had to be protected even at the cost of his life. There were enemies on all sides. Finally, on the 3rd of Shaban, he left Medina for Mecca with a tearful heart.
The people of Mecca welcomed Imam Hussain (a.s.). Imam Hussain (a.s.) started living with his half-brothers Muhammad Hanif, Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Umar in his ancestral home in Mecca.
Yazid’s evil attempts did not stop. The selfish Yazid continued to plan whether to pledge allegiance to Imam Hussain (a.s.) or kill him. Mecca gradually became unsafe and surrounded by enemies for Imam Hussain (a.s.). Meanwhile, due to Marwan’s cunning, the restless people of Kufa started sending hundreds of letters to Mecca inviting Imam Hussain (a.s.). The then governor of Kufa, Numan bin Bashir, a follower of the Ahl al-Bayt, and the people of Kufa started inviting him to Kufa, promising to protect Imam Hussain (a.s.) in exchange for their lives.
Two paths were open before Imam Hussain (a.s.). It was impossible to swear allegiance to Yazid. Now, he had to either sit in Mecca and wait for Yazid to attack him, or he had to respond to the call of the people of Kufa and go to Kufa.
Imam Hussain (a.s.) promised to go to Kufa. But he knew about the restlessness of the people of Kufa. So, Imam Hussain (a.s.) first sent his cousin Muslim bin Aqil to Kufa to assess the situation. As soon as Muslim bin Aqil reached Kufa, the people of Kufa came in droves to take oath of allegiance to Muslim bin Aqil in the name of Imam Hussain (a.s.). It is known that 18 thousand people took oath of allegiance to Muslim bin Aqil. Seeing the interest, devotion and determination of the people of Kufa, Muslim bin Aqil wrote a letter to Imam Hussain (a.s.) describing it in detail and asking him to come to Kufa. Meanwhile, Abdullah bin Muslim bin Rabia Hazrami, Yazid’s friend from Kufa, wrote a letter to Yazid informing him of the oath of allegiance taken by Muslim bin Aqil in the name of Imam Hussain in Kufa. Ammarah bin Uqbah and Omar bin Saad bin Abi Waqqas wrote similar letters to Yazid. Yazid was furious after receiving the letter. He immediately removed the governor of Kufa, Numan bin Bashir, and sent his loyal heretic, Ubaydullah bin Ziyad (the illegitimate son of Abu Sufyan), as the governor of Kufa. Ziyad was ordered to stop the pledge of allegiance to Muslim, and if necessary, kill him. If Hussain comes to Kufa, capture him too or behead him and send him to Damascus. Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, upon becoming the governor of Kufa, imprisoned Muslim bin Aqil. The favorable environment in Kufa turned hostile in an instant due to the fear of Ziyad. All those who had taken the pledge of allegiance went into hiding due to the fear of Ziyad. Muslim bin Aqeel was captured. At that time, Muslim bin Aqeel had only one thought. Imam Hussain (a.s.) was asked to come after seeing the favorable environment. But now the environment is completely hostile. Now who will convey this news to the Imam?
Meanwhile, Imam Hussain (a.s.) set off for Kufa with a small caravan. A small caravan of relatives, devotees, wives and children. They had to travel eight hundred miles! This small caravan of the Prophet’s family set off on the road.
Muslim bin Aqeel was killed by Obaidullah bin Ziyad. When they reached near Iraq, the news reached Imam Hussain (a.s.). He was shocked. However, in the interest of preserving the religion of Muhammad in the world, he moved forward with the caravan towards Iraq. Towards Kufa.
The armies of the accursed Yazid and Ziyad had deployed troops on all the roads of Kufa to stop Imam Hussain (a.s.). Imam Hussain (a.s.) reached a place called ‘Shafar’ on the border of Iraq on the 1st of Muharram. There was no turning back. In front of him was the open sword of the accursed Yazid Ziyad; strong in faith, powerful in divine power, inspired by the love of God, Imam Hussain (a.s.) moved forward on the path to Karbala. On the path of great life!
When Imam Hussain reached a place called ‘Sharaf’ in Iraq, a thousand cavalrymen led by the commander Hur bin Yazid Tamimi came and surrounded the tent of Hussain (a.s.). The tent continued to move day and night, in the light and in the darkness. Yazidi soldiers were all around. A small caravan was suffering from hunger and thirst. As it moved, the caravan stopped in a vast open desert. When Imam Hussain (a.s.) asked the name of the desert, he was told that the name of this place was Maria (another name for Karbala). Hussain (a.s.) was surprised.
Meanwhile, Ziyad’s other commander, Omar bin Saad, surrounded the small caravan of Imam Hussain (a.s.) with numerous soldiers. Yazid’s order was, either pledge allegiance or behead him. Ziyad’s soldiers kept coming towards Karbala until their number reached thirty thousand.
The Imam’s family was not allowed to set up their tent on the banks of the Euphrates River. They set up their tent three miles away from the river. Without food, without water. The Imam’s camp began to feel thirsty. Considering the situation, war became inevitable. When war was inevitable, Imam Hussain (a.s.) requested his other relatives and friends to move elsewhere. But those who were about to move had already moved. Now everyone in the coffin is an incarnation of Hussain. Everyone is ready to give their lives for the sake of religion, truth, and justice. Imam Hussain (a.s.) presented three proposals to Yazid’s commander for the last time to avoid bloodshed. 1. Either let me return to Medina, 2. Or let me go to Yazid. I will discuss with him and solve the problem, 3. Or let me take refuge in another Muslim.
Hearing the conditions, Obaidullah Ziyad sent Shimar ibn Ziljoshan with a large army to Karbala to fight against Hussain (a.s.) and kill Hussain (a.s.). Shimar’s arrival in Karbala made the war inevitable and accelerated.
The night of the 9th of Muharram is called the Night of Ashura. Imam Hussain (a.s.) was a little sleepy. He saw in his dream that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) was saying, “O my son! It is time for you to come to me.” Imam Hussain (a.s.) woke up screaming. He told everyone about the dream. An emotional atmosphere was created in the Imam’s coffin. Zaynab burst into tears. At such a time, a high status of religiousness and truthfulness was released in the Imam’s camp, which was ready to demonstrate the ultimate sacrifice of self-sacrifice. The Imam’s camp was determined to make its religion victorious in this unequal fight for life. The demon Shimar ibn Ziljoshan came to the coffin and let out a roar. It was announced from the captive family of the Prophet that we will spend tonight in worship. Tomorrow there will be a war.
10th Muharram. The embodiment of the religion of Muhammad, Imam Hussain (a.s.), along with his companions, relatives and devotees, prepared for the field of Karbala. Holding the eternal flag of the religion of Muhammad on his chest, he prepared for self-sacrifice. He prepared for this unequal battle with 32 cavalrymen and forty infantrymen. On the other hand, Ubaydullah bin Ziyad, the governor of Yazid, led Umar bin Saad and Shimar bin Ziljoshan, with more than thirty thousand well-equipped troops. On behalf of the Imam, Hazrat Zohayr (a.s.) rode his horse and made an emotional speech in front of the enemy soldiers. The speech left a mark on the heart of the commander Hur. He understood that Yazid’s main plan was to destroy the Prophet’s family. Repentant Hur took refuge at the holy feet of Imam Hussain (a.s.)!
The war began! On one side, a handful of Imam’s soldiers, on the other side, well-equipped Yazidi soldiers. On the one hand, 72 Imam’s lovers, who are strong as believers, on the other, thirty thousand Yazidi soldiers.
In this fierce battle, Imam’s soldiers began to lose their lives one by one. After fighting with infinite bravery and defeating countless sinful Yazid soldiers, one by one Imam’s soldiers began to drink the unadulterated juice of martyrdom. After fighting bravely and bravely, Commander Hur became a martyr. Two brothers Jafar and Abdullah became martyrs. Muslim bin Awsaja drank the unadulterated juice of martyrdom. Umayr Kalbi, Umm Wahhab, Jabeeb bin Muzaher all became martyrs. Except for the children of Imam Hussain (a.s.), everyone drank the unadulterated juice of martyrdom.
After noon on Friday, the 10th of Muharram, there was no one left in the Imam’s camp except a few members of the Imam’s family. All were martyred. This time, Imam Hussain’s (a.s.) eldest son Ali Akbar entered the battle. Riding a horse called ‘Lahik’, Ali Akbar (a.s.) fought with great speed and defeated countless enemy soldiers and was martyred. Sakina’s husband Hazrat Qasim (a.s.) was brutally martyred at the hands of Yazid’s army.
Then, the standard bearer of the Imam’s army, Sani Abbas Alamdar, entered the battle. Hearing the cries of thirst in Imam Tabu, Sani Abbas ran towards the banks of the Euphrates. The infinitely powerful warrior Sani Abbas Alamdar, freed the Euphrates river and took water from the river and ran towards Imam Tabu. Yazid’s army now started attacking from all sides. In the fierce attack, his right and left hands were cut off respectively. An arrow hit his back. However, he crawled towards the Tabu. At that moment, an arrow pierced his water bottle. All the water in the bottle spilled out onto the desert. Imam Hussain (a.s.) ran and picked up Sani Abbas in his arms. While looking at the Imam’s radiant face, Sani Abbas Alamdar departed. The grief-stricken Imam Hussain (a.s.) returned to the camp and saw the innocent child Ali Asghar rolling on the ground, crying for water. Unable to bear it, Imam Hussain (a.s.) held the child Ali Asghar high in both his hands in front of Yazid’s soldiers. He shouted, “O people of Iraq and Syria! You may consider Hussain an enemy, but this innocent child has not harmed you in any way. The child is dying of thirst. Give him a little water. By Allah, we will not drink even a drop of water.” What a cruel display of cruelty! From the enemy camp, a man named Harmala bin Kahen Asadi shot an arrow at Imam Hussain (a.s.). The arrow hit the young chest of the child Ali Asghar. Blood spurted out. Imam Hussain (a.s.) stood there in grief, turned into stone.
Now Imam Hussain (a.s.) himself prepared to go to war. With a turban on his head, a belt around his waist, a Zulfiqar in his hand, a shield on his back, a spear in his left hand, and a sword in his right hand, Imam Hussain (a.s.) prepared himself. The guide to eternal liberation, the boxed Quran, the bearer of religion, the embodiment of sacrifice and justice, today he is walking in the guise of a warrior to establish religion. To expose the hypocrites. This guise was very important for identifying hypocrites disguised as Muslims.
Imam Hussain (a.s.) went to the enemy army and delivered his most significant speech. “Alaisah fi Muslimun? Is there not a single Muslim among you?” The army was silent. Imam Hussain (a.s.) returned to the tent. After bidding farewell to everyone and giving them his final advice, he rode on a camel and set off for the war.
Imam Hussain (a.s.) started the war with great bravery. The combined enemy army could not withstand his irresistible bravery. He single-handedly freed the Euphrates River. As he went down to the water and drew water with both hands, he remembered the pitiful scene of children crying for water. He threw away the water from his hand. At that moment, an arrow came and pierced his mouth. With great difficulty, he removed the arrow from his mouth and returned to the battlefield. Blood was flowing rapidly from his body due to countless wounds. Yet, like an angry lion, he continued to kill whoever he found. Omar bin Saad retreated from the front in fear. The son of the Sher-e-Khudar Sher was suffering from hunger and thirst, overwhelmed by grief, yet his bravery was boundless! The battle continued.
At one stage of the war, Imam Hussain’s (A.S.) body began to weaken. The wicked Zorah bin Sharif Tamimi came from behind and cut off the left hand of Imam Hussain (a). Sinan bin Anas Nakhaee struck the Imam with a spear. Spear hit the chest, the arrow is going to the throat! Imam Hussain (a.s.) fell on the ground in severe pain. Imam Hussain’s body is being hit after continuous blows from all sides. Hundreds of arrows are going to Paktan! Saleh bin Wahab hit the sword in the chest! Omar bin Saad announced, cut off the head of Hussain soon! The ever-cursed Shimar bin Ziljoshan split the head of Imam Hussain (a.s.) in two.
Martyr is Imam Hussain (AS). To establish the Deen, Amiya drank the cup of martyrdom and explained to everyone how to possess eternal life.
After the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (a.s.), his holy body was found with thirty-three spear wounds, forty-three sword wounds and numerous arrow wounds. All the warriors of the Imam’s family and the Imam’s camp were martyred and eighty-eight people went to hell in the enemy camp.
After the Imam’s martyrdom, Yazid’s group of hyenas rode over his holy body Mubarak to bury it in the ground. At the end of the war, the heads of martyrs were pierced with Mubarak spears and taken to Obaidullah Ziad. Then the heads were sent to Damascus under the leadership of Shimar ibn Ziljoshan.
Imam Hussain (a.s.) was martyred for establishing the truth. He identified the truth from the lie. For ages those who have been killing the living religion and practicing imaginary religion, exposed their masks. Satyadharma is established in the heart. The truth is revealed through the immense glory of sacrifice.
- Ataye Rasool Hazrat Khwaja Garibe Nawaz Moinuddin Chishti Ajmeri (RA) said, “Imam Hussain (A.S.) is the head of religion, he is the king of religion. Imam Hussain (A.S.) is the standard of religion and the refuge of religion. He gave his head to Yazid, but he did not give his hand. The truth is that, la Imam Hussain (AS) is the foundation of God.
- Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (RA) also said, “Whoever is the slave of Hussain (A.S.), I am the slave of that slave.”
- Khajababa (RA) said, “The fools did not understand that Imam Hussain (A.S.) did not die of thirst like a helpless person, but he clearly showed the difference between the original and the fake.”
Writing Period – 01/01/2020
Author – Labib Mahfuj Chisty