December 2011
approached." Then Imam lifted up his head and
said, "You have reminded the (time of) Prayers, may
Allah join you with the worshippers and the recitors, and
verily this is the prime time for Prayers." Then he
said, "Tell them to lift their hands off us until we have
finished reciting the Prayers."
Hearing this Haseen bin Tameem said, "Your Prayers
are not accepted." Habib bin Mazahir replied, "You think
that the Prayers of the Progeny of the Prophet of Allah is
not accepted, while the Prayers of you, a wine-bibber, is
accepted"?
Then Haseen bin Tameem attacked him and Habib bin
Mazahir came to meet his challenge. Habib dealt a blow on the
front of his head, which sank in and Habib threw him down
(from his horse). Then his companions came to his rescue and
took him away. Habib bin Mazahir then said, "I swear that if
we would have been similar to you in quantity or even
half of that, you would have turned your back from us, O
men of ill origin and impotents"! That day Habib was
saying: "I am Habib and my father is Mazahir, who is a
horseman of the battlefield when it is fierce, you are
well-equipped and large in quantity, but we are more
obedient, forbearing (than you), our proofs are exalted
while truth apparent, and (we are) more pious and
penitent than you."
Habib bin Mazahir attacked severely (Malhoof) until he
had killed sixty-two men. (Tabari) Then a man from the clan of
Tameem attacked him and dealt a blow with his sword on his
head and killed him (May Allah's Mercy and Blessings be upon
22
him). The name of his murderor was Budayl bin Sareem, who
was from Bani Aqafan. Then another man from the clan of
Tameem attacked him with a lance and threw him on the
ground. When he tried to stand up, Haseen bin Tameem struck
him on the head with his sword and he (again) fell down, then
the person from Bani Tameem alighted from his horse and cut
off his head. Seeing this Haseen said, "I too am a partner in
his murder alongwith you", to which he said, "By Allah!
No one except me has killed him." Haseen said, "Then
give me his head so that I may hang it in the neck of my
horse so that people may see and understand that I too
have participated in his murder. Then you may take it
back and carry it to the presence of Ubaydullah bin
Ziyad, for I am not desirous of the reward (which he will
offer you in lieu of the murder of Habib)." The man
refused to do so until his people made him agree. Then he gave
the head of Habib to Haseen, who hung it in the neck of his
horse and started taking the rounds in the ranks, and then
returned it back.
The Tamimi man placed the head of Habib on his horse
and carried it to the palace of Ubaydullah bin Ziyad. The son
of Habib named Qasim, who was nearing adolescence, saw the
head of his father and recognized it, he followed him and went
inside the palace and came out with him until his sight fell on
him. He said, "O dear son! Why are you following me"?
The child replied that there was nothing. The person told him,
"What is the matter, tell me"? To which the child said,
"This head which is with you is that of my father. Give it
to me so that I may bury it". The man said, "O dear son!