STRAIGHTPATHMONTHLY December 2011
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younger one all the things he wished to say. Imam Hassan
a.s needed to tell Zainab a.s that these are his final moments
here, so he called Qasim a.s to him. He put sand on the head
of Qasim a.s and told Qasim a.s to go to the house of his
Aunty Zainab a.s, but he told him not wake her up and do not
disturb her. She will get up for Tahajudd, when she does knock
on the door. When she sees Qasim a.s with sand in his head,
she will know her brother Hassan a.s is leaving, Mola Ali
Waaris. As Zainab a.s got up and Qasim a.s heard movement
he knocked on the door. Zainab a.s asked Fizza pbuh to look
and see who it could be at this time. As Fizza a.s opened the
door she let out a scream as she saw the three year old Qasim
a.s stood there with sand on his head. Zainab a.s raced to her
brother, as she got there, Imam Hasan a.s covered the box in
which were the pieces of his liver so as not to upset his sister.
Yah Hassan! Yah Ghareeb! Today you cover the box which
contained the pieces of your liver, O My Imam a.s, but on the
10th of Muharram, your son Qasim a.s all that was left of him
were pieces!! My Ghareeb Imam a.s, today you wish to protect
Zainab a.s from seeing this, but all the things she will see on the
10th of Muharram a.s, from one Masoom to another, from Ali
Akbar a.s to Qasim a.s, from Abbas a.s to Ali Asghar a.s, what
can I say about all that Zainab a.s saw? My Imam a.s, if only I
was there to be a wall for Zainab a.s along with Fizza when
they threw stones at her and whipped her and pulled the veil
from her head.
Umme Farwa the mother of Qasim a.s, told Qasim a.s she
wishes to see her son martyred before anyone. Qasim a.s was
ready. At only 13 years old, he was ready to sacrifice everything.
He went to Imam Hussain a.s and told him, Imam Hussain a.s
asked him how is death to him? Qasim a.s said, "For me death
is sweeter than honey." Mola Ali Waaris. Imam Hussain a.s still
would not give him permission to go, he would say that Qasim
a.s is the symbol of his brother Hassan a.s and how can he let
the symbol of his brother be destroyed on the plains of
Karbala? Qasim a.s went again and Hussain a.s looked at him
and said, 'When I wanted to see my brother, Hassan a.s, I
would look at your face. Your presence gave me support and
satisfaction. How could I let you go and get killed? Besides, you
are so young.'
Qasim was disappointed. He went away and sat in a
corner thinking. Suddenly he remembered something. His
father, Hassan a.s, had left a will for him which was tied on to
his arm as an amulet. His father had said to him while dying:
'When you find yourself in great distress, open this
amulet and read it.' Qasim opened the amulet and read
it. It said: 'My son ! There would come a time when my
brother would be deserted by all his friends. But he
would be on the right path. He would be surrounded by
blood-thirsty enemies. I would be long gone then. When
that happens, I urge you to help my brother and sacrifice
your life in my place, protecting him and his mission.
This is my last will for you.'
Qasim was overjoyed. He had been granted the wish of his
heart. He ran to his uncle with the writing. Hussain a.s read it.
He had seen his brothers hand-writing after ten years. Hussain
a.s remembered his brother and wept. Now he had to let
Qasim a.s go. He took Qasim to his own tent. He tied the
turban of Hassan a.s on the head of Qasim a.s and put the
cloak of Hassan a.s over him. Armed him and prepared Qasim
a.s for the battlefield with his own hands. The widowed mother
of Qasim a.s watched this quietly. Hussain a.s helped Qasim
mount the horse and came halfway to the battlefield to see him
off to fight.Qasim a.s left with his head held high as he was
going to fight for the Sake of Allah swt. What conviction at
such a young age! Subhanallah! Mola Ali Waaris.
Qasim a.s, although was only 13 years old, had, like his
cousins Aun and Muhammad, learnt fencing from Abbas ibn
Ali a.s and Ali Akbar ibn Hussain a.s. Abbas a.s was very fond
of Qasim a.s. When he came to the battlefield, he was a very
handsome boy. When the enemy saw him, they began to
murmur, "How can we kill someone whose face is shining
like the moon?" In a loud and clear voice, Qasim ibn Hassan
a.s introduced himself and cried out a challenge for single
combat.Qasim a.s launched a ferocious attack on the army of
Yazid l.a. He killed several famous warriors that came forward.
Every time he killed an enemy, Qasim ibn Hassan a.s
would stand on his stirrups, look behind and wave to Abbas a.s,
just as a pupil would seek approval of his teacher on an
assignment, Abbas a.s would proudly wave back. When the
enemy saw his bravery and realized that they could not possibly
over power him in single combats, they came from behind and
Umar ibn Nafeel Azdee hit Qasim ibn Hassan a.s on the head
with a sword. Like a coward, he hit the young Qasim from
behind! Ya Ali! Such poisonous cowards and wolves your
beautiful children and grandchildren were surrounded with!
As Qasim a.s fell from the horse, he cried out, "Oh Uncle
Accept my Last Salaam!" Hussain a.s and Abbas a.s raced
out to Qasim a.s, when they got to him, all that was left of
Qasim a.s was pieces of his body. The horses has trampled on
him so much that Qasim a.s was no longer Qasim a.s, he was
divided up into pieces. "Jab Qasim a.s ghoray par Behtay
to Qasim a.s thay...Jab Qasim a.s ghoray se girray to
Takseem ho chukay thay." When Qasim a.s was on the
horse, he was Qasim a.s, he was whole, when he fell from the
horse, he was divided into pieces.
Imam Hussain a.s took his abaa, his robe, and began to
pick up Qasim a.s, piece by piece and gather him in his
robe. Imagine, what Imam Hussain a.s felt in that moment
seeing the young son of his brother trampled and in
pieces. After gathering the pieces of Qasim a.s, he tied the abaa
into a bundle and took Qasim a.s back to the tent. Wa Hussain!
Wa Ghareeb! Wa Shaheed! For sure you are the Imam a.s, that
is where your strength comes from O Son of Fatima a.s...
Despite all of these atroc