The Captivity Journey

The Uprising of Abdu Allah Bin Afeef Al-Azdi

The head of Imam Hussain (Q) was put up the door of the Governing castle, Then Bin Ziad called the people to gather in the Greatest Mosque, then he went out, entered the mosque, and went up the rostrum to thank Allah and praise Him, and part of what he said was: "Thank God who elevated the truth and its people, who helped the prince of believers (referring to Yazeed) and his parties, who killed the liar, the son of a liar!"

It was said that he did not add a word to this till Abdu Allah Bin Afeef jumped on him, he was among the companions of the Prince of believers (Q), and he also was among the best of the leaders of Shia. His left eye was blinded during "Yaoum Al-Jamal" battle, and his right eye was blinded during the battle of Seffeen. He used to stay in the Greatest Mosque and pray till night time, and then he would go to his home.

So, when he heard what Bin Ziad had said he jumped on him and said: "O son of Murjana, Indeed the liar and the son of a liar are you and your father! And he who used you and his father! O enemy of Allah and his Messenger, Do you dare to kill the children of the prophets and then speak such words on the rostrum of the Muslims?!"

Obeid Allah Bin Ziad got angry and asked: "Who said that?"

So he said: "I am the speaker O enemy of Allah! Do you dare to kill the pure progeny whom Allah had cleansed them from all wrongdoings and then claim that you are a Muslim?! God help us! Where are the descendents of Muhajereen7 and Ansar8 to take revenge from this cursed tyrant, the son of a person who was cursed by the Messenger of Allah and the Lord of humanity?!"

Bin Ziad’s anger fumed up till his arteries swelled up and said: "Bring him to me!"

The guards hurried to get him, so he called with the Azd’s slogan: "O Mabroor!"

Abdu Al-Rahman Bin Makhnaf Al-Azdi was in the mosque, so he said: "Woe to yourself, you killed it and killed your people!"

On that day, seven hundred fighters from the People of Azd came to Kufa, so they jumped to help him, snatched him from their hands and hastened with him to his house.

Bin Ziad, after had returning to the castle, he sent after Amro Bin Al-Hajjaj Al-Zubaidi, Muhammad Bin Al-Ashath,

Shebith Bin Rubei, and a group of his friends, then he said to them: "Go to that blind man whom God had blinded his heart as he had blinded his eyes and bring him to me".

So, they went to get Abdu Allah Bin Afeef, and the news reached the people of Azd. So they gathered and some tribes from Yemen joined them to defend their relative.

Bin Ziad was notified about that, so he gathered the tribes of Mudar and he made them join Muhammad Bin Al-Ashath, and he commanded him to go and fight those people.

So, the tribes of Mudar went and fought heavily till a group of the Arab was killed, and the people reached the house of Abdu Allah Bin Afeef, so they broke the door and attacked him.

Then his daughter screamed: "O father, the people are attacking you from the place you feared!"

So he said: "Don’t worry my girl, just hand me my sword".

She gave him the sword and he started defending himself, then his daughter said to him: "I wish I was a man so I could have fought these dissolute people".

The people started attacking him from all sides and he was defending himself with his sword while saying:

I swear if I would have my sight back

You will never be able to get me.

So no one was able to overpower him, and every time they would attack him from a certain direction, his daughter used to tell him: "They are attacking you for that direction!" till they outnumbered him and surrounded him from all sides, then his daughter said to him: "What a humiliation! They surrounded my father and no one to support him!"

They took him to Obayed Allah Bin Ziad and when he was brought before him, he said to Bin Afeef: "Thank God who had degraded you!"

So, Bin Afeef replied: "O enemy of Allah, how did He degrade me? By Allah if he would just bring me back my sight…"

Then Bin Ziad said to him: "What do you say of Othman?"

Bin Afeef answered: "O son of Murjana, O son of Sumayyah, O you servant of the people of Elaj, what do you want with Othman?! Whether he did good or bad? Whether he reformed or corrupted? God is the judge of the people, he rules between them with the truth and just. But do ask me about you and your father, about Yazeed and his father!"

So, Bin Ziad said: "I shall not ask you about anything till you die"

Bin Afeef then said: "Thank God the Lord of humanity, I have been asking Allah to grant me martyrdom before your mother, Murjana, gave birth to you, and I asked to make my death to be by the hands of his worst and meanest creatures whom He despises the most, and when I lost my sight I lost the hope of martyrdom. But now, I do thank God who gave it to me after the despair of achieving it, and he accepted my old supplication!"

So, Obayed Allah said: Cut of his head!" so he was beheaded and crucified!

After that, Bin Ziad tried to gain the trust of the people of Azd along with other tribes that had a social influence in Kufa and tried not to aggrevate them against him by not killing some of their leaders who were in allegiance to the Prophet’s progeny (R).