Monday, January 30, 2012
Hussain stands alone:
When Every One of his devotees was slain and none was left on the Holy Imam's side, he stood all alone in the field with his head resting on a lance and his garments drenched not only in his own blood but also of his martyred son, brothers, nephews and devotees, with the Devil's forces all around him.
Baby Ali-e-Asghar comes into the field:
When The Helpless Imam stood all alone in the field surrounded by the enemies, he was summoned by a call from his sister Zainab in his camp. When he went into the tent, he found his baby son Ali-e-Asghar, dying of thirst in his cradle and the poor mother Rubab, whose milk had dried up by the continuous thirst and hunger for the three consecutive days, could not help the baby with even a drop of her milk. Telling the mother that he would show the baby to the enemy and get some water for it if they give it, Hussain took the babe to the field and getting on a camel and raising it up in his arms to enable everyone in the enemy's forces to see it said:
"O People! If, in your opinion, Hussain is guilty of any sin or crime, this innocent babe has done nothing to hurt any one of you. It does not even speak, and has not even uttered anything against you or your Amir at Damascus. He is dying of thirst. He had neither milk nor water for the last three days. Would you quench his thirst by a few drops of water? If you suspect that I demand water for myself in the name of the babe, then I will leave it here, if you want, and go easy and you may return it with his thirst quenched."
It is reported that the address of the Holy Imam and the scene, with the thirsty innocent babe in his hands, was so touching, so pathetic and so heart-rending that even the men in the Devil's army could not help weeping and cursing the Devil and his Deputy Ibne Ziad, Governor of Kufa, who had gathered them there against such Holy and helpless ones. Ibna-i-Sa'd, fearing a revolt of his forces in sympathy for the Holy Imam, at once ordered a stonehearted brute named Hurmula to answer Hussain. The tyrant, shot a three-pronged arrow from his bow which after piercing through the Imam's arm got stuck into the tiny neck of the innocent babe. Blood flowed from the neck and the baby looking at its father's face smiled and stopped breathing for ever. Hussain collected the little blood that came out of the tiny neck of his baby son in his hand, and it is reported that when he wanted to drop it on the earth, from the earth the Holy Imam heard a voice saying:
"O Holy Imam! I can not bear this innocent blood."
And when Hussain wanted to throw the blood towards heaven, he heard a voice saying:
"O Holy Imam! Throw not the innocent blood towards me for I can not bear it."
An Urdu poet has versified the event:
Inkar Aasman Ku Hai, Razi Zami Nahi
Asghar Tumhare Khoon Ka Thikana Kahin Nahi
i.e. The heaven refuses and the earth does not agree,
O Ali-e-Asghar, thy blood has no place in the world.
It is reported that the Holy Imam smeared his face with the blood of the innocent baby.
Hussain could not take the dead baby to be returned to its mother who was waiting anxiously for it, at the door of her tent in the camp. Hence he sat down to bury his baby son in the burning sand of the desert. Does not even this one single sacrifice suffice to touch every human heart? Can we not call this one sacrifice alone greater than the sacrifice offered by Abraham? God alone knows the degree of the patience and the fortitude which He had endowed in the Holy Imam to bear the series of such unbearable calamities.
The Messenger from Madina:
It is reported that when the Holy Imam was busy digging a tiny grave for the martyred baby, in the burning desert with his sword, a camel rider arrived into the field and wished him. The Holy Imam raised his wounded head and looked at him with wonder if there was any one still left to wish him in that hostile land at that very terrible and testing hour. The Arab was a messenger and had brought a letter from Fatema Sughra the sickly daughter of the Holy Imam, whom he had left alone in his deserted house at Madina. She had requested him in the letter either to return home soon from his journey or to send her brother Ali-Akber or her cousin Qasim or her uncle Abbas, (who were already slain) to take her to him. The most pathetic was her request to her father to kiss her baby brother Ali-e-Asghar, whom Hussain was just then burying. The Holy Imam could not help shedding tears, and kissed the dead baby on behalf of its sister at Madina saying: "Asghar dear! Your sister sends her kisses to you."
And then addressed the messenger saying: "Brother! Bear witness, which I have compiled with the request and have kissed Asghar before thee.
Hussain took the letter and read it out to his brothers, his son, and his nephews who lay martyred for whom it contained a wish and then turning to the messenger said: "Bear thou witness Brother! That I have conveyed the messages also to one and all concerned."
The messenger stood aghast, stunned and struck with sorrow and wonder. When he demanded a reply to the letter, Hussain was only thinking as to what should he say in reply to it, when, suddenly an arrow from the enemy's ranks struck his forehead and blood began to drop down from the wound. Hussain took a few drops of his blood on the letter and returned it to the messenger saying:
"Brother! Return thou to Madina with this reply and if my daughter asks thee anything more about me, relate what thou hast seen here and tell her on my behalf to be patient."
"But, Beware, get thou quickly out of the range of thy hearing, away from this plain, for soon I will be issuing my last call, unto all around for help in the way of the Lord, whosoever heareth, it shall be incumbent on him to respond to it. Lest thou heareth it and get obliged to respond to the heavenly summon and then thou will not be able to return to Madina without becoming an infidel. Go away my brother! God be with thee."
The messenger in utmost wonder and sorrow left the fatal plain with tears in his eyes for the plight of the Holy Soul.
Labels: Ahlul Bayt a.s.w and Bani Hashim
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