The Captivity Journey

The Burial of Imam Hussain (Q) and the Rest of the Martyrs

Indeed the burial of Imam Hussain (Q) along with his family members and his companions, who died as martyrs while defending him may Allah’s peace be upon them all, in the way and allocation known from their graves, negates that the people of Asad (who are from Al-Gadereyya), being among the village people who did not witness the battle, were able to achieve that without a guide who knows these martyrs very well, especially that the honorable heads were removed. Thus, there must have been a knowing guide who is able to identify each and every body; otherwise we would not have had this planned allocation of the graves.

Since "only an Imam can take care of the burial procedure of a similar Imam", the body of Imam Hussain (Q) must have been buried by an Imam, and the Imamate after him was handed to his son Zein El-Abedeen (Q), so he should have been the guide that helped the people of Asad to bury the martyrs.

However, how did that happen while Imam Zein Al-Abedeen was a prisoner in Kufa?

The travelling of Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) from his jail was done by a miracle that enabled him to reach Karbala and bury his father’s body while "the authority" did not know about it. But his leave was not in the eleventh day for sure, since he did not go to prison till the twelfth day. As Omar Bin Saad did not enter Kufa along with the captives till the morning of the twelfth day, and since we know that for whoever is left from Ahlu El-Bayt (R) most of the twelfth day had passed while they had to be present before the people and Bin Ziad, this shows us that Bin Ziad had ordered them to jail in the afternoon or at the end of the twelfth day. Then, he sent after them to later send them back to jail; and that would have been their first night in jail where they stayed till the day Bin Ziad sent them to Yazeed.

Moreover, if he had to leave the prison without them noticing, we conclude that his leave from jail was done at a time when the tyrant was done with the inquisition so he would not ask for them again. This means it should be at a time when Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) was assured that if he is to leave, he would not be missed by the authority for the whole period he needs to bury his father (Q) and all his supporters, may Allah be pleased with them all.

Based on all that, it is most likely that he (Q) had left to Karbala by a miracle on the thirteenth day to bury the bodies.

Going back to Karbala, where the demises of Ahlu El-Bayt (R), we find that the women of Bani Asad (the people of Asad) went to where the dead bodies were while crying and weeping and they said to their husbands: "How are you going to apologize for the Messenger of Allah (P), the Prince of the believers (Q), and Lady Fatima El-Zahra (O) when you face them while you did not support his sons, you did not defend them with neither a sword strike, a spear stab, nor with a single arrow?!"

The men said to them: "Indeed, we are afraid of the Umayyad people!"

So the women kept going around them while saying to them: "Since you had missed supporting this prophetic group, you should hasten now to bury their pure bodies…".

They said: "We will do that..".

Their main concern was to bury the body of Imam Hussain (Q) first and then the rest of the bodies. They started looking

at the cops in the battle field, but were not able to tell which one was of Imam Hussain (Q) since their heads were cut off and the sun had changed their skin color. While they were in that state, a knight came to them and when he reached them he said: "What is the matter?"

They said: "We came to bury the body of Imam Hussain (Q) and the bodies of his children and supports, but we don’t know which body is for Imam Hussain (Q)”

Then he said to them: "I will guide you".

He went down from his horse back and started walking between the dead bodies till he saw the body of

Imam Hussain (Q), so he hugged it while crying and saying:

"O Father, killing you had pleased the eyes of the gloaters! O Father, the Umayyad people are happy with your murder, O Father, after your martyrdom our grief is extended! O Father, after your martyrdom our sorrow has been prolonged!"

Then he walked to a place near his dead body and he dug out some sand, then a pre dug grave and a sepulcher appeared, so he put the holy body down and buried it in that holy shrine, and he extended his hands under the body of Imam Hussain (Q) and said: "by the name of Allah, and for the sake of Allah, and on the path of the Messenger of Allah, Allah and his Messengers had said the truth, this is what Allah willed, and there is neither power nor strength but of Allah the Almighty…"

Then he put him down in his grave, and the people of Asad did not help him as he told them: "Indeed, I have with me who are helping me…" and when he settled him in his grave,

he put his cheek on the honorable neck and said: "Beatitude is for the land that contains your holy body, as after your demise this lower life is in total darkness, and the afterlife is glowing with your lights, thus the night is very long, and the grief is endless! Or God shall choose your family your home that you are residing in! I wish you peace O son of the Messenger of Allah with Allah’s mercy and blessings".

Then he wrote on the grave: "This is the grave of Hussain Bin Ali Bin Abi Taleb who was killed while being thirsty and a foreigner!"

Then he walked towards his uncle, Al-Abbass (Q), and he saw him in the state that staggered the angles between the layers of the sky! And made the guardian angels cry in the rooms of heaven! And he fell upon him kissing his holy neck while saying: "Life is worthless after your demise, O the moon6 of Bani Hashim, and peace be upon you from me dear martyr with Allah’s mercy and blessings…"

Then, he dug his grave and put him down by himself just like he did with his father and he told the people of Asad: "Indeed, I have who are helping me…"

Then he turned to the bodies of the supporters and he dug one big hole and put them all in it except for Habib Bin Muthaher as some of his cousins objected to that and they buried him near the rest of the martyrs.

When the people of Asad were done burying the dead bodies of the supporters, the Imam told them: "Let us bury the corps of Al-Riyahi".

So, they went with him and he (Q) stood next to his body and said: "As for you, God has accepted your repentance and amplified your happiness due to you sacrificing yourself for the sake of the son of the Prophet (P)”

The people of Asad wanted to carry him to the martyrs’ place, but the Imam (Q) said to them: "No, but bury him in his place".

When they were done burying him, Imam Zein Al-Abedeen rode his horse, so the people of Asad held on to him and said: "By the right of whom you buried with your hands, tell us who you are?"

So, he said Q: "I am the Imam of your time (Hujjatu Allah), I am Ali bin Al-Hussain (Q), came to bury my father’s dead body along with my brothers, uncles, cousins, and their supporters who sacrificed their hearts defending him, and now I am going back to Bin Ziad’s prison (May God curse him). As for you, congratulations to you, you shall not be terrified or blamed for not helping us".