STRAIGHTPATHMONTHLY December 2011
12
His Arrival at Karbala
By Akil Kinan
His arrival at Karbala' took place on Muharram 2, 61
A.H/October 5, 680 A.D. [64] He gathered his children,
sisters, and other family members. He cast a look at them then
burst in tears. He supplicated saying, "O Allah! We are the
progeny of Your Prophet Muhammad! We have been
expelled and estranged from our grandfather's
sanctuary, and Banu Umayyah oppressed us. O Allah!
Seek revenge on them on our behalf, and grant us victory
over the oppressing people."
He approached his companions saying, "People are the
worshippers of this life, giving religion their lip-service;
they uphold it as long as their livelihood is profitable.
Once they are afflicted with a trial, few, indeed, will be
those who uphold religion."
Then he praised Allah and glorified Him, blessing
Muhammad and his Progeny, adding, "Our affair has
reached the point which you can see. Life has changed
and turned against us. Its goodness has abandoned us,
leaving nothing but a trickle like a pot dripping and a life
of hardship like an afflicted pasture. Do you not see how
righteousness is not upheld and how falsehood is not
shunned? Let every believer desire the meeting with
Allah I see death as nothing but a source of happiness
while living with the oppressors as sure displeasure".
Zuhayr stood up and said, "We have heard your
statement, O son of the Messenger of Allah! Had life been
secured for us forever, we would still have preferred to
rise with you rather than remain therein."
Burayr stood up and said, "O son of the Messenger of
Allah! Allah has blessed us with your company so that
we may fight defending you till our parts are cut off for
your sake, then your grandfather will intercede on our
behalf on the Day of Judgment."
Nafi' Ibn Hilal said, "You know that your grandfather
the Messenger of Allah (S), could not instill his love in the
heart of people nor make them obey him and do what he
liked them to do, and there were many hypocrites
among them who promised to support him while hiding
their treacherous intentions against him. They would
meet him and speak to him words sweeter than honey
then depart from him with those more bitter than
colocynth till Allah took his soul away. Your father 'Ali
underwent the same. There were folks who were
unanimous in supporting and fighting with him against
those who broke their promises, who regarded
themselves as more fair than him, and who abandoned
the creed altogether, till he met his fate. He went to a
mercy from Allah and pleasure. Today, you are with us
in the same situation: there are those who reneged from
their promise of support and who abandoned their oath
of loyalty. These shall not harm except their own selves,
and Allah shall suffice you for them; so, march with us,
being rightly guided and in good health, be it to the east
of the earth or to the west. By Allah, we are not too
scared to meet Allah's destiny, nor do we hate to meet
our Lord. We are determined to befriend whoever
befriends you and be the enemy of whoever antagonizes
you."
Al-Husain (A) bought the lots where his grave now stands
from the residents of Nineva and al-Ghadiriyya for sixty
thousand dirhams. He then turned and gave it back to them as
charity on one condition: they lead people to his gravesite and
host whoever visited it for three days. Al-Husain's sanctuary,
which he bought, was four miles long by four miles wide. It is
lawful for his offspring and those loyal to him and is prohibited
from those who oppose them. It is full of bliss. Imam as-Sadiq
(A) has said that those people did not fulfill that condition.
When al-Husain ('a) camped at Karbala', he wrote Ibn alHanafiyya and a group from Banu Hashim saying, "It is as if
this life has never been, and as if the hereafter has
always been, and peace be with you."
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