STRAIGHTPATHMONTHLY December 2011
18
Then he inquired as to who he was, and was told that he
was the son of Hawzah. Imam said, "O Allah! Send him to
the fire (of hell)."
Suddenly his horse was aroused and threw him down.
(Irshad). But his left foot got entangled in the stirrup while his
right foot was raised in the air. Then Muslim bin Awsaja
attacked and cut his right foot. The horse started running with
him with his head hitting against the stones and trees of the
desert until he died. Thus his spirit hastened towards (the fire
of) hell.
(Tabari) Azdi relates from Ata'a bin Saeb, who relates
from Abdul Jabbar bin Wael, from his brother Masrooq bin
Wael that I was along with the army, who had advanced
towards Imam Husain (A.S.). I requested to be in the forefront
so as to get the head of Imam and thus earn honour in the
presence of Ubaydullah bin Ziyad. When we reached him, a
person from amongst us named Ibne Hawzah advanced further
and said, "Is Husain amongst you"? But Imam did not
answer him. When he repeated it thrice, Imam said,
"Yes, here is Husain, what do you desire"?
He said, "O Husain! Take glad tidings of (hell)
fire" (Allah's refuge). Imam said, "Verily you speak a lie, I
am proceeding towards the forgiving Lord and an
intercessor, who is obeyed. Who are you"?
He replied that he was the son of Hawzah. The narrator says
that then Imam lifted his hands towards the heavens such high,
that we could see the whiteness of his underarms from below
his clothes, and said, "O Lord! Hasten him towards the fire
(of hell)."
Hearing this Ibne Hawzah was enraged and desired to
gallop his horse towards Imam, but there was a moat in
between them. Suddenly his foot got entangled in the stirrup
and the horse dragged him until he fell off. Then his leg,
peduncle and thigh separated, while the other half of his body
lay suspended on the stirrup. Seeing this Masrooq returned and
hid behind the horsemen. The narrator further says that I
questioned him (Masrooq) regarding his return and he replied
that, "I have seen such (wonders) from this family that I
shall never ever fight them." Martyrdom of Burayr bin
Khuzayr
(Tabari) Thus the battle started. Azdi says that Yusuf
bin Yazeed related to me from Afeef bin Zuhayr bin Abi
Akhnas, who was present at Karbala. He says that Yazeed bin
Ma'qal, who was from the tribe of Bani Umayrah bin Rabi'ah,
which is a branch of Bani Salimah of Abdal Qays, came
forward. He told Burayr, "O Burayr bin Khuzayr! Do you
see as to what Allah has done to you." Burayr replied, "By
Allah! Allah has dealt fairly with me and has brought
forth evil for you." Yazeed said, "You speak a lie, and you
never lied before. Do you remember once when I was
walking along with you in Bani Lawzan, you told me
that Usman bin Affan had killed himself, while
Mu'awiyah bin Abu Sufyan was a misguided man and
the one who leads others astray, while the true and
Righteous Imam and guide is Ali bin Abi Talib"? Burayr
replied, "I bear witness that this is (still) my belief."
Yazeed bin Ma'qal said, "I bear witness that you are
among the astray." Then Burayr said, "Then do you desire
that we imprecate one another, while invoking the curse
of Allah upon the one who lies. Then the one on the right
path should kill the one who is upon the wrong, and then
I shall come out to fight with you."
The narrator says that both of them came out into the
battlefield and lifting their hands invoked the curse of Allah
upon the liar and that the righteous one should kill the evil.
Then they started fighting one another. There were exchanges
of swords between them, when Yazeed bin Ma'qal dealt a light
and ineffective blow on Burayr. Then Burayr dealt a blow upon
his head, which cut his head and reached his brain. He rolled
down upon the ground like a ball, while the sword of Burayr
was stuck in his head, and he was lifting it up and down to pull
it out.
Then Razee bin Manqaz Abadi attacked Burayr and
grappled him. Both of them struggled until Burayr threw him
down and sat on his chest