At the Battlefield [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Part 10 - The Martyrs Die - One by One

It was just after midday when the fighting was still raging. Aba Thummamah as-Sa'idi
approached Hussain (A) and said, "I can see that the enemy is getting very close. By
God! I will not let them kill you and I am still alive. I wish to meet Allah, the Exalted
after I have said my prayers in your company". Hussain raised his head towards the
sky and said, "You remembered prayer! May Allah make you among those who say prayer
and invoke Him; indeed, this is the start of (Dhuhr) Noon prayer". "Ask those
people to give us a respite until we say our prayer", he added. Al-Hosein (of the
enemy camp) said, "It will not be answered". Habib bin Mudhahir replied,
"You claimed it will not be accepted from the house of the Messenger. Would it then
be accepted from you? Al-Hosein attacked him dealing a sword blow to the head of his horse
causing it to rear; he fell of and was rescued by his companions.

Hussain (A) then got ready for prayer - several versions as to how and what sort of
prayers was said have been related. One version is that he led what was spared of his
followers at that stage of the battle in 'fright prayer'; Zuhair bin Al-Qain and Sa'eed
bin Abdullah Al-Hanafi together with half of the followers were in front of him. A second
version claims that they said their prayer individually i.e. not in a congregational
manner. A third story is that he led them in a quick prayer.

When Sa'eed was badly wounded he fell to the ground and said, "Oh God Almighty!
Damn them as you have condemned the people of A'ad and Thamoud; give my regards to Your
Prophet and let him know of the pain I am suffering; my aim is to be rewarded by You for
defending the progeny of Your Prophet (S.A.W.)". He turned to Hussain and asked,
"Have I lived up to my vow?" Hussain replied, "Yes, you are preceding me in
entering paradise". He perished. He was found to have received thirteen arrows apart
from wounds caused by swords and spears.

When Hussain (A) had finished his prayer he said to his companions, "Oh you noble
folk! The gates of paradise are ajar, its rivers are flowing, its fruits are ready to be
reaped; its dwellers - the Messenger of Allah and the martyrs who were killed in the way
of Allah are waiting to welcome you; they yearn for your company. It is, therefore,
incumbent on you to protect the religion of Allah, and His Messenger; drive away the enemy
from his family. Their answer was, "Our souls are a protection to yours and our blood
for yours; By the Almighty no harm will befall you and members of your kindred as long as
we still breathe".

Omar bin Sa'ad ordered Amr bin Sa'eed who was in command of a group of archers to stun
the horses of the followers of Hussain (A). The result was that no horseman was spared
save Adh-Dhahhaq bin Abdullah Al-Mashriqi. He said the sight of our combatants falling led
me to enter my horse in a tent to spare it destruction.

Abu Thamama as-Sa'idi came out and fought valiantly until he was critically wounded. A
cousin of his, who had a grudge against him, set upon him and killed him.

Salman bin Mudharib al-Bajli, who is Zuhair bin Al-Qain's cousin, forged ahead fought
and got killed.

Handhala bin Sa'eed ash-Shabami shouted "Oh people! I fear for you the like of
what befell the (Al-Ahzab) parties, the like of what befell the people of Nuh (Noah), and
A'ad and Thamoud, and those who came after them, and Allah does not desire injustice for
(His) servants; 0 my people! I fear for you from the day of calling out, the day on which
you turn back retreating; there shall be no saviour for you from Allah, and whomsoever
Allah causes to en, there is no guide for him. (40:30-93)

O my people! do not kill Hussain "lest Allah should destroy you by a punishment,
and he who forges (a lie) indeed fails to attain (his desire)". (20:61)

Hussain rewarded him with a good recompense and said "May Allah's mercy be with
you; surely, they will deserve the punishment when they brushed aside your call for them
to follow the truth, and rose to shed your blood as well as that of your coreligionists
Just imagine how much more would befall them as they killed your good brethren!.

He retorted. "You told the truth, 0 son of the Apostle of God! Is it not then the
time to leave for the hereafter? Hussain gave him the permission to join the fray; he
saluted Hussain and attacked the enemy and got killed.

Meanwhile, Aabis bin Shabih ash-Shakiri approached Shawthab, the servant of Shakir, who
was a trustworthy follower in whose house Shia Muslims used to gather together and talked
of the exploits and virtues of Ahl al-Bayt. Aabis said, "What do you like to
do?" He replies, "I would like to fight alongside you until I got killed. Aabis
wished him well and said to him, step before Hussain so that he can acclaim you as he did
with the others who preceded you for that which we can expect reward in the
hereafter". Shawthab saluted Hussain and pressed on, fought and got killed.

Aabis drew near Hussain and said, "There remained neither a kindred nor a friend
who is dearer to me than you; if I am in a position to avert a diversity from you with
any-thing that is more valuable to me than my own life, I would have never hesitated to do
so. Peace be with you; I bear witness that I have been on the right guidance of your
father and that of yours! He then advanced towards the enemy, sword in hand, and shouting.
Since they knew him to be a very brave man, no one stood his ground in the face of his
assault. Realising the danger, Omar bin Sa'ad shouted, "Pelt him with stones".
As he was overwhelmed by stone throwing, he parted with his coat of arms and headgear and
charged the enemy troops who fled. They regrouped and managed to encircle him and kill
him. Dispute erupted among the troops each claiming the reward for his killing. Ibn Sa'ad
said, "He has not been killed by any of you single-handed". He, therefore,
denied them the recompense.

John, the servant of Aba Thar, stood before Hussain asking for permission to fight. He
said to him, "0 John! You joined us in quest of welfare; you are therefore, free to
part my company". John knelt kissing the Imam's feet and pleading with him "In
felicity, I lick your bowls; in adversity I will never let you down! Since my smell is
bad, my lineage is humble and my colour is black, I look forward to that day in heaven
when you breathe in me making my smell pleasant, my pedigree honourable, and my complexion
white. Nay! by God I am not parting with you until this black blood of mine is fused with
your blood!" Hussain gave him the permission. He fought valiantly killing twenty five
soldiers. He then was killed. Imam Hussain attended his body and said, "0 Lord!
Whiten his face and sweeten his smell and gather him (on the Day of Resurrection) with
Mohammad and let him be identified with the household of Mohammad". It was
related that whomsoever passed by the battlefield smelled the aroma of his body which was
more pleasant than musk.

Anas bin Al-Harith bin Nabih Al-Kahili, who was an elderly Companion saw the Apostle,
heard his talk, and took part with him in Badr and Hunain battles, sought permission from
Hussain, With his turban cloth, he assaulted the enemy troops killing about eighteen
before he was killed. When Hussain sow him thus he wept and said,

"May Allah reward you!".

Amr bin Junadah Al-Ansari, a boy of eleven years, whose father was already killed in
the battle, approached Hussain for permission to join the fight. Hussain was adamant not
to let him do so saying, "This is a boy whose father was killed in the early
campaign; his mother may hate to see him killed". The boy said, "My mother
ordered me". He gave the permission to fight. No sooner the boy was killed and his
severed head was thrown towards Hussain's camp. His mother took the boy's head, wiped the
blood from it and hurled it at a nearby man and killed him. She then returned to the camp
and fetched a tent pole, or some say a sword, singing war poetry and assaulting the enemy.
Imam Hussain returned her to the camp after she had injured two men.

Al-Hajjaj bin Masrouq Al-Ju'fi fought until he was drenched with blood. He returned to
Hussain to tell him how happy he was to meet Hussain's grandfather, Apostle of God, and
his father the, vicegerent. Hussain replied, "I will soon meet them too". He
then returned to the battlefield and got killed.

The Ansaris (Medinese) Sa'ad bin al-Harith and his brother Abul Hutoof heard Hussain's
cry for help and the wailing of members of his family. They defected from Ibn Sa'ad army
and joined Hussain's band. They fought the enemy and got killed.

Abush-Sha'tha Yazid bin Ziad Al-Kindi, who was on Sa'ad's side did the same by joining
Hussain's. He was an archer. He knelt in front of Hussain and shot a hundred arrows.
Hussain used to pray for him, "0 Lord! Make his shot hit the target and reward him
with paradise". When his arrows ran out he stood up and said, "It seems as
though I killed five combatants". He attacked the enemy and killed another nine.

Bidding Hussain farewell, Swaid bin Amr bin Abil Muta' set forth and fought bravely
until he was critically wounded. He fell face down. It was thought that he was dead;
however when heard that Hussain was killed, he got up brandished a knife, and attacked the
enemy; he was then set upon by the thugs and was killed. He was the last of Hussain's
companions to be killed before Hussain's martyrdom,

"Died other martyrs, one by one,

All were fearless, coward none.

Plucked were the Prophet's "blooms" in a day

Leaf by leaf-on the sand they lay.

Juveniles, adolescents, young and old,

An army not; seventy-two, all told

I groaned aghast as Hussain I saw,

(His visage stately, with no flaw")