STRAIGHTPATHMONTHLY December 2011
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ground he walked on. In fact, it is said that he used to
apply to his eyes, the dust from the feet of Imam Hussain a.s.
He resented anyone taking precedence in serving Imam
Hussain a.s. It is said that once Imam Hussain a.s, while
present with his Holy father Ali a.s in the mosque of Kufa, felt
thirsty and asked for water from his servant Qumber. The child
Abbas a.s leapt to his feet, and brushing aside the faithful
servant, rushed to bring the water for his master himself. In the
hurry to carry the water as quickly as possible, he spilt it on his
own clothes. His illustrious father stopped in his speech and
tears rolled down his cheeks.
When asked by his faithful followers the reason for his
tears, Ali a.s uttered those prophetic words which came true
some twenty years later: "Abbas who has today wetted his
clothes with water in his zeal to quench the thirst of his
brother Hussain, will one day soak his very body in his
on blood in attempting to quench the thirst of Imam
Hussain's children".
Pilgrimage to his Mausoleum
It is almost fourteen hundred years since this tragedy
occured at Karbala, and still tens of thousands of pilgrims keep
going there ye \