Nafasul Mahmum, Relating to the heart rending tragedy of Karbala'

After Martyrdom

The narrator says that after the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (a.s.), they looted his clothes. His shirt was taken away by Ishaq bin Haywah Hazramee, who when he wore it, became inflicted with leprosy and his hair fell off.

It is related, that his shirt bore marks of a hundred and some arrows, lances, and strokes of swords.

Imam Ja’far as Sadiq (a.s.) says that there were thirty-three wounds of the lances and thirty-four cuts of swords upon the body of Imam Husayn (a.s.). His trousers were taken away by Bahr bin Ka’ab Tamimi and it is related that he became bed-ridden and his legs turned paralytic.

His turban was snatched away by Akhnas bin Mursid Hazramee who wore it upon his head and turned blind. His sandals were nabbed away by Aswad bin Khalid, while his ring by Bajdul bin Saleem Kalbi who snatched it by severing his finger. (May Allah’s curse be upon all of them).

When Mukhtar arrested him (Bajdul), he severed his hands and legs; he wallowed in his blood until he died. Imam possessed a bathing-gown of fur that was looted by Qays bin Ash’as. His armor was taken by Umar bin Sa’ad, and when he was killed, Mukhtar presented it to his killer Abi Umroh. His sword was plundered by Jamee’ bin Khalq Awdee, while it is also narrated that a Tamimite man named Aswad bin Hanzalah or Falafis Munshali took it.

While this swift sword was other than the exclusive Zulfiqar, which was among the trusts of Prophethood and Imamate, as also his unique ring, were in the safe custody of his family.

Shaikh Saduq relates from Muhammad bin Muslim, that Imam Ja’far as Sadiq (a.s.) was questioned regarding the ring of Imam Husayn (a.s.) as to who got it when it is said that his clothes were looted? Imam (a.s.) replied,

“It is not so as is said. Imam Husayn (a.s.) bequeathed to his son Ali (Zainul Abedeen) (a.s.) and handed over his signet to him, as also the chores of Imamate that were handed over by the Prophet of Allah (S) to the Commander of the faithful Ali (a.s.). Imam Ali (a.s.) handed it over to Imam Hasan (a.s.), who in turn handed it over to Imam Husayn (a.s.), which later came to my father’s (Imam Muhammad al Baqir) possession and it came down to me. It is there with me and I put it on Fridays and Pray while wearing it”.

Muhammad bin Muslim says that on Friday I paid a visit to him and offered Prayers with him. When he ended his Prayers, he stretched his hand towards me and I saw the ring in his finger in which it was engraved: There is no other Deity but Allah, Ready to meet Allah. Then Imam (a.s.) said,

“This is the signet of my grandfather Abu Abdullah Husayn (a.s.)”.

It is related in the Amali of Shaikh Saduq and Rawzatul Wa’ezeen, that the horse of Imam Husayn (a.s.) smeared his mane and forehead in his blood and started running and neighing. When the daughters of the Prophet heard his neighing they came out of the tents and saw the horse without his rider, thus they knew that Imam Husayn (a.s.) was martyred.

Ibn Shahr Ashob in his Manaqib and Muhammad bin Abi Talib say, that the horse of Imam Husayn (a.s.) fled from the folds of the army and dipped his forelocks in the blood. He rushed towards the tents of the women-folk and started neighing. Then he went behind the tents and started beating his head upon the ground until he died.

When the ladies saw the horse devoid of its rider, they started wailing and Sayyidah Umm Kulthum (a.s.) beat her head with her hand and called out, “O Muhammad! O Grandfather! O Prophet! O Abul Qasim! O Ali! O Ja’far! O Hamza! O Hasan! This is Husayn who has fallen down in the desert while his head is severed from the nape. His turban and cloak have been robbed off”, saying this she became unconscious.

It is said in the renowned Ziyarat-e-Nahiyah that:

“And your horse wandered away towards your tents, neighing and weeping, then when your women-folk beholded your horse devoid of it’s rider and saw the saddle bent, they emerged from the tents, with disheveled hair, beating their faces, unveiled, and wailing, lamenting, in a dejected state after having being honored, they ran towards the spot of your martyrdom, while Shimr (the accursed) was seated upon your chest, moving his sword (upon your neck) to slaughter you, while clasping your hair in his hand, he was slaughtering you with his Indian sword, you had turned motionless while your breathing was ceasing, (your were beheaded) and your head was raised upon the lance”.[^1]

[^1]: It is related in Madinatul Ma’ajiz from the same Ibn Shahr Ashob, that Abu Makhnaf relates from Jaludi, that when Imam Husayn (a.s.) fell down upon the earth, his horse defended him. He leapt upon the horse-riders and threw them upon the ground from the saddle. He crushed them with his feet and started circulating around until he killed forty men. Then he drenched himself with the blood of Imam Husayn (a.s.) and rushed towards the tents. He started neighing aloud and struck his hooves upon the ground.