The Captivity Journey

Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) dispatches Bashir Bin Haltham

Whoever is following the course of the Hussain convoy from Karbala to Kufa and then to Sham, would notice that the Imam (Q) was in control of the situations.

He used to breach the distorted media, to turn things against the governors, and to reveal the hidden facts. Thus his method and behavior were to take action and influence the people, and not an approach of reacting and vulnerability.

This makes us understand the reason why Imam Zein El-Abedeen (Q) had sent the Bashir Bin Haltham, the Poet, to Medina. Thus he was able, being the delegate of the Imam (Q) and a strong poet with emotional influence, to strongly affect the society till he almost had turned the situation in Medina upside down, where all the people of Medina, whether old or young, men or women, had all moved out to meet the Family of the Messenger of Allah (P), where the Imam (Q) did benefit from this chance.

Bashir Bin Haltham said: "when we were near Medina Imam Ali Bin Al-Hussain (Q) came down of his ride, put his things down, set up his tent and helped the women to come down of their rides and said: "O Bashir, may Allah have mercy on your dad, he was a poet; do you have any of his skills?" I said: "Yes, O son of the Messenger of Allah (P), indeed I am a poet". He (Q) said: "So, do enter the Medina and mourn Abu Abdu Allah (Q)”.

Bashir said: so I rode my horse and started to run till I entered Medina, and when I reached the mosque of the Prophet (P) I raised my voice crying and started to say:

O people of Yathrib, you should not stay here,

Since Hussain was killed, and my tears are flooding.

His body is still in Karbala covered with blood,

And his head was raised on spears to wander the streets with it.

Thus Ali Bin Al-Hussain along with his aunts and sisters are near your place, and I shall guide you to them.

Hence no covered or wearing Hijab lady in Medina stayed in her home, they all came out of their homes while howling, hitting their faces, weeping, and wishing to have been dead before that, as it was never seen more crying people than that day and no more bitter day had the Muslims faced since the death of the Messenger of Allah (Q). And all the people of Medina went out to meet the rest of the Hussain convoy.