II.

The Day When Love Died

( On the Martyrdoom of Imam Hossein(A.S.))
By: Dr. Mahmoud Tajar

Imam Hosseins(A.S.)

martyrdom in 61 A.H (680 A.D) was a shining example of

how the true lovers of Allah and the prophet will react, in order to protect their own and
human dignity, even if that means sacrificing their own lives, as all the heroes in history
have done.
To understand Imam Hosseins(A.S.) story as narrated in his own words:
I
am not
a rebelnor
a lawbreaker, but
rather I feel the responsibility
of upholding the lofty
prI ncIples of
the religion
of my grandfather the
Holy
Prophet
Mohammad, which is Islam, and the human dignity, which is the
duty of all the responsible citizens in a humane society. I dont see death
under these circumstances, but an honorable choice, and living under the
oppressors, to me is shameful! For the freedom of the Indian people
from the evil clutches of the British Imperialism, I have no
other example, better than the struggle of Imam Hossein,
against the oppressive government of Yazid!

And Dr. Shariati has this to say about Imam Hossein(A.S.) (and Ahle-Bayt(A.S.)).
In the struggles of this world, those who die for their beliefs are like the Great
Imam Hossein, those who are left behind, should continue the struggle as did Zainab, the
great sister of Imam Hossein, otherwise they are categorized as Yazids (the silent majority,
who do nothing, and thus they allow the oppression to go on unchecked).
I offer the following verses in memory of the Great Imam Hossein(a.s),
The head of all the martyrs. The fighter of the oppressed,
Hosain gave all that he had got, that no one should ever be suppressed.

It was a day just like any other day, yet it became a day unlike any other
day, in history. On the day of Ashura, Imam Hossein, the most beloved grandson of
Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) died a heros death, in the most heroic way, in Karbala in
61 A.H. (680 A.D.).
The Small vs. Large Army
In the heroic battle of Karbala, Imam Hossein and 72 of his loyal followers
defeated not only an army of 30,000 strong men, but the entire system of the Caliphate of
the Ommaya Dynasty.

Among the soldiers of Imam Hossein were some fighters as old as 70 years (Habib
Mazahir) and some as young as 6 months old (Ali Asghar, the baby of Imam Hossein) and
many others.
Revolutionary, Not a Rebel
Imam Hossein(A.S.) died the death of a revolutionary man. As we all know, he was
born into the great family of Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.). His father was Imam Ali
(A.S.), and his mother was Fatima Zahra, the beloved daughter of the Holy Prophet
(P.B.U.H.).
The Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) had no living son; he treated his
grandsons as his own sons (in the same manner that he used to call his own beloved
daughter Fatima Zahra the mother-to-her-father. That is how deep the love was between
the family of Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) or the Ahle-Bayt (A.S.))
The Prophet(P.B.U.H.) loved Hossein(A.S.) so much that everyday, before going
to the Mosque for the daily prayers, or after the prayers, he would make sure to visit his
beloved grandson Hossein(A.S.) and his elder brother Hassan(A.S.); but the center of
attention was mostly Hassans little brother Hossain (the little cute one). He was named
Hossein, because the prophet (P.B.U.H.) often used to say:
This little cute one of mine will be tragically murdered, in a land called
Karbala, one day that none of my family members will be around to help.

Every Muslim, both in the neighborhood of Madinah, as well as those in the far
flung areas, who had heard the message of Prophet Mohammad, knew of the tragic story
of Hosseins martyrdom, long before it took place, as it was prophesied by the honorable
Prophet himself.
But Why?
The reason for Imam Hosseins martyrdom was his brave stand against the
tyrannical and repressive forces of Yazid, son of Mo-awaia, son of Abu-Sufian, the
dominant anti-Islamic family that used to control Arabia, financially, culturally, and even
politically.
After the death of the Holy Prophet(P.B.U.H.),the old oligarchs of Arabia, led by
the Umayyad family, and represented by Mo-awaia and later onby his son Yazid, started to
regain the power that they had lost during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.)
Imam Hossein(A.S.) being raised and trained by the Holy Prophet(P.B.U.H.)
himself, was determined to protect the growing tree of Islam, that was planted by the
loving hands of the Holy Prophet(P.B.U.H.) from being uprooted by the pre-Islamic
jahilyah system, led by the Banu-Umayya. While the Umayyad family under Khalifa
Yazid was extending its deadly tentacles around the Muslim society and the Islamic state,

and almost choking it to death, by controlling every aspect of Muslim life, Imam Hossein
had to fight that corrupt political structure, and to dismantle its foundation, as did his
grandfather, the Holy Prophet, earlier in Mecca and Madinah, several decades earlier.
Now, let us listen to what Imam Hossein himself had to say about his own
movements:
I am not a rebel, nor a lawbreaker, but rather I want to
protect the Islamic society, as it was started and led by my
beloved grandfather, the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.).

Dont you see that truth and justice is not being observed (under the rule of the
Umayyads) and falsehood is not being challenged?
I am not a rebel nor a lawbreaker, but rather I feel the responsibility of upholding
the lofty principles of the religion of my grandfather, the Holy Prophet Mohammad
(P.B.U.H.), which is Islam, and human dignity, which is the duty of all responsible citizens
in a humane society.
Woe unto Islam and the Muslim citizens, if the society is led by an abusive ruler
like Yazid, son of Mo-awaia!
I dont see death under these circumstances, but an honorable choice, and living
under the oppressors, to me is shameful!
If you, the followers of the oppressor Yazid, have no religion (fear of God) then at
least be honorable and dignified citizens!
From Martyrdom to Victory
While to most people, victory only means winning in a war against their opponents,
killing them and eliminating their forces, to the grandson of the Holy Prophet(P.B.U.H.)
victory came in the form of self sacrifice, for a worthy cause just as all the martyrs of
history and the honorable heroes of all nations have done, before and after. Socrates, for
instance, died a heros death, but his ideals live forever, long after his murderers were gone.
The Muslim heroes in the history of Islam also died, yet their ideals are forever
living and Imam Hossein(A.S.) is known in the History of Islam, as the Sayyid AlShohada (the leader of all martyrs). In the history of the Philippines, all those Muslim
freedom fighters against the Spanish, American and the Japanese invaders, died the heros
death, but they live in the hearts of all of us.
The Philippines national heroes like Jose Rizal, Andres Bonafacio, Ninoy Aquino,
and many other freedom lovers, died while fighting against injustice and oppression, but
their deaths brought life and freedom to their countrymen, who are forever grateful to them.
Imam Hosseins martyrdom in the year 61 A.H. (680 A.D.) set an example for all
the succeeding generations, to follow the continuous path of struggle of good versus evil
which has been a constant part of human life on this earth, right from the very start, when
the two brothers Cain and Abel fought, which ended in the martyrdom of the Good Abel
in the hands of the Evil Cain!
This war between light and darkness will go on in this world, as long as there is a
day and night!

But again going back to Imam Hosseins exemplary martyrdom, I would like to
quote Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian struggle against the British colonial empire.
Gandhi, who was not even a Muslim, but a Hindu, was so inspired by Imam Hosseins
martyrdom that he even said, and I quote HYPERLINK "http://us.f523.mail.yahoo.com/
ym/" \l "02000002" 2:
For the freedom of the Indian people from the evil clutches of the British
Imperialism, I have no other example, better than the struggle of Imam Hossein(A.S.),
against the oppressive government of Yazid!
In closing, I would like also to quote the most prominent Muslim sociologist of the
20th century who was also martyred in his own struggle against the Shah of Iran, and his
ally the US Government. He was Dr. Ali Shariati, the eminent professor and lecturer at the
Tehran University in Iran, the great writer and lecturer par excellence.
While lecturing to his students, Dr. Ali Shariati said, and I quote: In the struggles
of this world, those who die for their beliefs are like the Great Imam Hossein, those who
are left behind, should continue the struggle as did Zainab, the great sister of Imam
Hossein, otherwise they are categorized as Yazids (the silent majority, who do nothing,
and thus allow the oppression to go on unchecked).
O Allah! Teach me how to live a meaningful
life and then I shall know how to die a useful death!

And true to his own words, Shariati, lived a purposeful life, and then he also died a
meaningful death, as he had learned this lesson also from Imam Hossein(A.S.).
When in the year 61 A.H. (680 A.D.) Imam Hossein(A.S.) and his entire family
members died fighting against the oppression of the oligarchy and the anti-Islamic practices
of the Ummayads, they were full of love for the cause of Allah(S.) and the Mission of the
Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) and the Muslim society as a whole.
This great love for truth and freedom gave them that indomitable power to fight till
death so that the Islamic society, with its justice and freedom, shall live forever in peace.
That is why I say, those great martyrs, who loved Allah(S.) and great human values
above everything, including their own temporary lives, died a heros death.
And with the death of those brave men and great lovers of truth and justice on that
tragic day of Ashura, in 61 A.H. (680 A.D) love also died! And here is a eulogy to their
memory:
The
head of
all the martyrs,
The fighter of the
oppressed, Hossain,
gave all that he
had possessed,

That no one
should
ever be
suppressed.

ABSTRACT
(The day when Love died)
The enemies of Islam on the path of relentless assault Forging on their blades like tongues of

(S.)

fire of dishonor and bloodlust... The Imam crying for the Supreme God, Allah
grandson of the prophet Mohammad

(P.B.U.H.)

The story of the

was as tragic as similar stories of the past. It laments

(S.)

with pain but then again glorifies the name and greatness of Allah
. Somehow I have this notion of
things better forgotten than reliving the painful past. In the month of Muharram 61 AH (approx. 20
October 680 AD), an event took place in Iraq at a place known as Karbala on the banks of the river
Euphrates.
The leader of the small band of men who were martyred in Karbala was none other than Hossein

(A.S.)

, son of Ali bin Abi Talib

(A.S.)

and grandson of the Holy Prophet

disputes between the group of Imam Hossein

(A.S.)

(P.B.U.H.)

. There were

and a certain Yazid who deviously planned dangerous

(A.S.)

plots against Hossein

. This event was later known as Ashura.
Upon marching in Karbala, Shimr shouted:

Oh Hussain! You are in a hurry to go to hell fire before the day of judgement!

(A.S.)

Hossein

retorted:

Is not this Shimr bin Thil al-Jawshan; he was

told that it was him,Hussain then retorted "Oh son
of goatherdess! You are more deserving to burn in it".
Qaiyim bin Haseen Al-Fizari declared that:

water will be denied. This was achieved by stationing 500

(A.S.)
horsemen between Imam Hussain's
camp and the River Euphrates.

(A.S.)

Imam Hussain
was forced to ask his brother Al-Abbas to bring them water on two
occasions before the 10th of Muharram. The enemy troops made it exceptionally difficult for Imam

(A.S)

Hussain

Oh
p e o p l e!

and his band to get water supplies on the night and day of 10th Muharram.

Retrace my lineage.
Relate me and consider
who I am. Then look back
and remonstrate with yourselves.
Consider whether it is right for you
to kill me and encroach upon my integrity.
Am I not the son of your Prophet's daughter
and the son of his viceregent and cousin, the
first of the
believers
(A.S.)
in Allah
and his
Messenger? said the Imam.
Qays b. al-Ash'ath implored that he doesnt know what the Imam is talking about, rather warning
him to submit to the Umayyads (authority) or else punishment shall be upon them.
Zuhair retorted:

Oh
Men!
The sons of
Fatima have more
right to be friend and
support than the son of
Sumayya. If you do not
support them I pray to
(S.)
Allah
that He guard
you against killing
them. You are
therefore, requested
to demobilized
this man from
Yazid; upon
my life! He
will be contented with your obedience
(A.S.)
without the killing of Hussain

Shimr shot at him with an arrow and said:

Shut up, may Allah silence your camel; we are fed up with your excessive talk.
At forenoon of the tenth of Muharram when the heat of the sun started scorching the earth,

(A.S.)

Hossein

, his household and companions began to feel the severity of thirst. The enemy was

(A.S.)

adamant to give them access to the water of the River Euphrates. Imam Hossein
, feeling the strain
of thirst, mounted his horse and opened the Qur'an over his head and stood in front of the belligerent camp
and shouted:
"The Book of Allah and the Sunna

(tradition) of my grandfather, the Messenger

(S)
of Allah
are the arbiters between you and me".
The people believed in him. He then asked them;

what made them to decide on fighting him.

It was because of disobedience to the Umayyads.

(A.S.)

Omar bin Sa'ad drew nearer to the camp of Imam Hossein

launching multitudes of arrows

to Hossain's camp, causing injuries among the companions of Imam Hossein

that the enemy is intent on fighting them, Hossein

(A.S.)

(A.S.)

. Having made sure

ordered his followers:

"Rise to certain death; may Allah have mercy on

you; the arrows are the messengers of those people to you".
During this battle, most of the Imam's followers were brutally murdered, causing even more chaos
in Karbala. The screams and wailing of the wives of the men who were killed were heard everywhere.
Blood, massacre, and martyrdom are the three sisters singing in unison.

(A.S.)

Since none of the companions who fought with Hussain

was spared, members of his immediate
family got ready to make the ultimate sacrifice. With pure determination and bravery so overwhelming,
they bade farewell to each other, the first to come forward was Abul Hassan Ali al-Akbar who was twenty-

(A.S.)

seven years old. He took permission from his father, Hossein

and mounted his horse and met the
Kufans in combat.
After Abu Bakr al-Qassim, came the turn for his brother al-Qassim who was just a boy. When

(A.S.)

Hossein
looked at him, he embraced him and wept. He gave him permission to fight. His face
exuding with light, sword in hand, wearing a shirt and a loincloth, and a pair of sandals. As he was
engaged in combat, his sandals snapped. Paying scant regard to the enemy soldiers, he stopped to tie it up

(A.S.)

for he did not want to be seen bare-footed by the enemy. Hossein

hurried to him as if he were a
furious lion and struck Sa'ad with his sword; he lifts his arm to protect his head, only to be severed from
the elbow. He sent out a loud cry. When the troops heard it, the horsemen launched an attack to evacuate
him; he was knocked down and trampled on by the horses and was killed.

(A.S.)

Abbas returned to his brother Hossein

to advise him how the enemies were adamant in
their refusal to give them water. In the meantime, he heard the children crying of thirst. He could not take
it any more; his Hashimite ardour left him no room for manoeuver or more forbearance, He took the skin
water container with the intention of bringing water. He was surrounded by some 4,000 troops who shot at
him with their arrows. He did not fear their multitudes. He managed to reach the waterline of the river
Euphrates with fortitude, but died then and there and never drank from the water due to his empathy to the
Imam and the others.
At this moment, the Imam raised a child in front of the enemies but the enemies fired an arrow at
the child. After burying the child, the Imam got ready for battle and bade farewell to the women and

(A.S.)

children who were still alive. Imam Hossein

made to attack the enemy; but before he could engage
anyone in combat, he died. He received many wounds all over his body mainly as a result of arrows.

(A.S.)

Omar bin Saad with a group of soldiers were approaching the scene as Imam Hossein
at the point of death. Zainab shouted at him,

"Yes Omar! Abu Abdillah is being killed

and you are standing watching him perish?!"
He turned his face away from her with his tears streaming down his beard. She said:

"Woe unto you! Is there not amongst you a Muslim?"

was

Nobody replied! Thereupon Ibn Sa'ad ordered the crowd, "Descend upon him and administer the
mercy shots to him". Shimr initiated the attack; he kicked him, sat on his chest, got hold of his blessed
beard, dealt 12 sword blows to his body, and finally beheaded him.

The Battle of Karbala happened in the 10th of Muharram, which is 680 A.D in our
((A.S.)
modern era. Imam Hussein
wore the coat of arms of his grandfather, the Holy
(P.B.U.H.)
(A.S)
Prophet
, and carried the sword of his father, Imam Ali
, the Thul-Fiqar or
Two-Pronged sword. They prayed their early Morning Prayer in preparation for the
upcoming battle.
Imam Hossein(A.S) addressed his companions prophesying that they will be killed
on that very day and that they must be firm in their fighting. Imam Hosseins(A.S)
companions were composed of only 45 horsemen and 100-foot soldiers. The company was
divided into two units.
Zuhair bin Alqain was the commander of the right flank. Habib bin Mudhadir was
the commander of the left wing. Abbas (A.S), the brother of Imam Hossein(A.S), was the
flag bearer. The family of Imam Hossein(A.S) was protected at the center.
The company of Imam Hossein(A.S) set into fire the trench that they made
surrounding the back of their camp immediately after the war broke out and the battle
begun.
The enemy camp was led by Omar bin Saad with 30,000 troops. Amir bin alHajjaj az-Zubaidi was the commander of the right flank. Shimr bin al-Jawshan was the
commander of the left flank. The horsemen were commanded by Izra bin Qais al-Ahnasi.
Shinth bin Ribi commanded the archers.
The company of Imam Hossein(A.S) was denied access to the water of Euphrates
days earlier before the battle of Karbala. This denial was accomplished through the
stationing of 500 horsemen between the river Euphrates and the camp of Imam Hossein
(A.S). Abbas(A.S) fetched water for the camp on two occasions before the battle.
The two parties negotiated. The party of Imam Hossein(A.S) asked for freedom and
to be left alone. The party of Omar bin Saad demanded that they surrender in peace and
become loyal subjects of the enemy or fight and die.
Imam Hossein(A.S) tried every means to persuade the enemy camp with reasons
and logic. He even traced his lineage from the family of the Prophet(P.B.U.H.). All those
pitiful appeals simply ended in deafened ears.
Many times did Imam Hossein(A.S) appealed for Allahs(S.) help and protection.
Many times were those prayers heard; but oftentimes, those prayers were not immediately
answered.
The main reason of the enemy is aptly expressed by Qays bin al-Ashath: Submit
to the authority of your kinsmen (the Umayyads). They have never treated you by anything
but what you liked.

When the negotiation almost ended, many valiant warriors from the enemy camp
decided to defect to Imam Hossein's(A.S) camp. The defections were due to the effect of
Imam Hosseins(A.S) well-presented logic and appeals. The enemy started the battle inspite
of Imam Hosseins(A.S) appeal for peace.
After more than an hour of intense battle with the enemy, 40 of the elite warriors
from Imam Hossein(A.S)died.Imam Hossein(A.S) was touched by the outcome that he
prayed:
By Allah

(.S)

! I am not going to give in to them until I meet Allah

(.S)

blood-eyed.

Included in the martyrs who died in the battle of Karbala was the wife of Wahab bin
Abdullah al-Kalbi. She was truncheoned on the head while weeping at her husbands
death.
Children participated in the defense of Imam Hosseins(A.S.) cause. The children
were Amr bin Junadah al-Ansari(A.S.) and Abdullah bin al-Hassan(A.S.), both eleven
years of age. Abdullah, the infant child of Imam Hossein(A.S.), was also killed while being
carried by him.
Abbas(A.S.), the valiant brother of Imam Hossein(A.S.) defied the 4,000 arrows
rained by the troops that fought him and was killed as a result of deception. He died with
no arms, an arrow on the chest and his skull crushed, with his brains strewn on his
shoulders.
Imam Hossein(A.S.) was the last to expire. In his first engagement in battle, he was
almost tempted to satisfy his thirst and nearly neglected his family. However a voice from
nowhere reminded him:
Do you enjoy drinking water whilst
the integrity of your family is being violated.

He returned to his family in haste consoling them.

The second fight of Imam Hossein(A.S.) proved to be his last. Abdullah bin alHassan, Imam Hosseins(A.S.) eleven-year-old nephew, ran to protect him but was killed
embracing the lap of Imam Hossein(A.S.).
An arrow was lodged on his forehead. He was shot in the mouth and throat, hit in
the shoulder, the spear lodged in the collarbone and stabbed in the loin.
Before Imam Hossein(A.S.) died, Shimr killed him by kicking him, sitting on his
chest, dealing twelve sword blows to his body while holding his beard, and finally
beheading him.
`Imam Hossein(A.S.) shouted his immortal call:

is there anyone who can come to our rescue? Is there anyone

(.S.)
(P.B.U.H..)
who can protect the sanctity of the family of Allahs
Prophet
?
1 Shariati Ali, Imam Hossein(A.S.) (pp 25, 28, 81, 92,)
2 Gandhi Mahatma, My Religion