Your Questions Answered (volume 3)

Q110: Was Imam Martyred When Praying?

Was Imam (a.s.) martyred when he was praying? Also, was it Sinan bin Anas of Najaf who killed Imam Husain (a.s.)? I always hear that it was Shumr who killed the Imam. A. Imam Hasain (a.s.) was praying (in the meaning of Du'a) at the time of his martyrdom but not in the meaning of 'Salat'.

This "of Najaf" is very very amusing. It shows your author's ignorance, not only of Arabic but of history and related subject also.

Sinan bin Anas is described as(Nakha'i) i.e., of the tribe of Nakha. It seems that your writer had seen it somewhere and mistook it for(Najafi). He does not know that there was no place called Najaf for a long time after the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.)!

Shimr (not 'Shumr') was in charge of those who participated in murdering the Imam (a.s.); he was second in command of the whole army at Karbala; and was exhorting the soldiers to behead Imam (a.s.) without delay, and in many narratives he is mentioned as the one who finally killed the Imam (a.s.); and this version is generally narrated in Majlises. But in other reports the name of Sinan is mentioned as the killer of the Imam (a.s.).

Q111. DID IMAM OFFER TO DO BAI'AT OF YAZID?

From the same book, it seems Amr bin Saad was more sympathetic in that he wanted to prevent bloodshed (than Yazid or Shumr). This can be seen from the following letter to Ibne Ziyad:-

"Allah has extinguished the fire of mischief. He has resolved the difference and created unity. He has set right the community's cause. Husain held out a promise to accept any of the three alternatives. Therein lies your as well as the community's welfare"

This letter was written after Imam Husain (a.s.) had offered 3 alternatives to latter: (1) Let him (a.s.) go back to the place he had come from; (2) Let him have his case decided by Yazid himself; (3) He may be allowed to go to a border place."

It seems that when Ibne Ziyad received the above letter, he accepted the proposal. But it was Shumr bin Zil Jaushan who opposed it and hence the latter went to Karbala. Please confirm if the above incident is authetic. If not, give me an authentic account with source of reference.

A. For reply, let me quota Tabari himself:-

"Hani bin Thubait Hadhrami (one of the commanders of Ibn-e-Ziyad's army in Karbala) says that (Imam) Husain sent a message to Umar bin Saad to meet him at night between the two camps............Umar bin Saad came out with about 20 people and Husain came out with the equal number.

When they met, Husain told his companions to stay at a distance and Umar bin Saad ordered his group likewise." (Hani says) Therefore, we stood so far from them that we could not hear their voices or their words. They talked a long time and then they went back to their camps with their companions.

Then people started talking among themselves, on what those two people might have talked-but all was just guess work on the people's part; they suggested that Husain had told Umar bin Saad, "Let us go together to Yazid".................(Hani goes on saying) People started talking like this and they spread such rumours without anybody ever hearing anything like this or knowing what was said."

After one more narrative, Tabari has narrated the words of Aqba bin Sam-aan (r.a.). He was a freed slave of Bibi Rabab; and was a sort of secretary of Imam Husain (a.s.); he was present in Karbala, fought bravely, was seriously wounded. But he survived and was taken prisoner and is one of the original sources of the narratives of the events of Karbala. Tabari quotes him as saying: -

"I accompanied Imam Husain (a.s.), went with him from Madina to Mecca, and from Mecca to Iraq. And I was never far from him till he was martyred. And he did not talk with anybody a single word, (neither in Madina nor in Mecca; neither in the way, nor in Iraq nor in the army) up to the day of his martyrdom, but I heard it.

By God, he never even suggested to the enemies any such thing which they are now propagating, like the thing which they suppose that he said that he would put his hand in the hand of Yazid or that he was ready that they should take him to any border of the kingdom of Islam.

But he only said. Leave me, so that I go away in this wide world, till we see what turn the situation takes." After copying all these narratives, Tabari copies the letter of Umar bin Saad to Ibn-e-Ziyad which you have mentioned in your question.

We know by the emphatic declaration of Aqba bin Sam-aan (r.a.) that imam never suggested any such thing. And the whole nature of the battle of Karbala shows that there never was any proposal of accepting the authority or order of Yazid.

The same tabari narrates in the same Tarikh that,on the day of Ashura,Imam Husain (a.s) gave a lecture before the army of Yazid,exhorting them not to indulge in blood-shed and not to kill the only surviving grandson of the Holy prophet. At the end of the khutba, he said; "O People, if you do not like me then let me return to the place of my safety.'' Then Qais bin Ash'ath said to Husain:

Why not submit to the order of your cousins (i.e Yazid and Bani Umayya), because they will not show you but what you like (they will not treat you except in a way which you will like) and no evil will reach you from them. Imam Husain said: "You are the brother of your brother (Muhammad bin Ash'ath, the killer of Hazrat Muslim bin Aquil).............. "No by God, I will not put my hands (into theirs) like honourless person, nor will I accept (them) as do the slaves.

"O Servants of Allah, "I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord that you do not stone me' (Qur'an 44:20). 'I seek protection of my Lord and your Lord from every arrogant who believes not in the Day of Reckonning". (Qur'an 40:27)"

Are these words those of a person who just 2 days ago had himself offered to submit to the order of Yazid? Remember what Aqba (r.a.) said and see how his statement is proved to be correct from all reliable evidence.

In view of such overwhelming evidence, one may only assume that Umar bin Saad wrote all those alternatives (without any basis, of course) just to please Ibn-e-Ziyad, perhaps in the hope that once Ibn-e-Ziyad postponed the battle and talk started, better results might follow.

It is a mirror of the honesty of your writer that while he copies the letter of Umar bin Saad, he does not think it necessary to quote the rebuttal of Aqba (r.a.) or even Hani bin Thubait. A more charitable explanation may be that the poor fellow has never seen Tarikh of Tabari, and has used the name of Tabari to impress his readers.

I am not interested in the mental luxury of deciding whether Umar bin Saad was more sympathetic or not. All we care, and all that matters, is the fact that he was the commander of the army of Yazid in Karbala; and that when Allah gave him a chance to save himself from Jahannam, he refused to grasp the opportunity and plunged into the Fire of Hell. That opportunity was given to him when Ibn-e-Ziyad wrote to him that if he was not ready to immediately wage the battle against Husain, he should hand over the command to Shimr. He did not. Instead, he sent the first arrow towards the camp of Imam Husain, asking people to be his witness before Yazid that his was the first arrow sent towards Imam Husain (as).

Q112: DID IMAM GET WATER?

My last enquiry on the above book is an incidence that took place after the army of Ibn Saad had prevented Imam (a.s.) from taking any water from the Euphrates. Imam (a.s.) sent Hazrat Abbas (a.s) to get water from the river. The latter succeeded (escorted with 30 horsemen) after some clashes with the enemy's forces.

Please confirm the authenticity of this incidence. A. Let us look at this narrative in its context, (i am quoting the same Tabari except where otherwise mentioned).

Imam Husein (a.s.) reached Karbala on 2nd Muharram. Hur had already sent a messenger from the way to Ibne Ziyad about Imam Husain's arrival in Iraq and the direction of his progress. Hur remained with Imam Husain's group and they were now taking a way which went neither to Hijaz nor to Kufa.

When they reached Karbala, the messenger of Ibne Ziyad came to Hur. The letter of Ibne Ziyad ordered Hur to "put Husain under extreme pressure as soon as my letter reaches you and my messenger meets you. Do not let Husain stay anywhere except in a desert without any protection (or fort) and without any water. And I have ordered my messenger to remain with you and not to leave you till he is able to report to me that you have enforced my order."

Note that water was to be denied to Imam Husain (a.s.) from the very beginning. On 3rd Muharram, Umar bin Saad arrived with 4000 soldiers. The same day he sent a message to Imam (a.s.) asking him why he had come to Iraq.

Imam's reply is mentioned in the letter of Ibn Saad to Ibne Ziyad: "When I camped near Husain, I sent a message to him. Husain said that "People of these places wrote to me and their messengers came to me requesting me to come here. So I came. Now if they do not like my coming here, and if their ideas have changed I will go away."

(Incidently, this was Imam Husain's stand to the last moment, as Aqba has so clearly declared)

It is reasonable to believe that this letter was sent on 4 th Muharram (because the talk had occured on 3rd Muharram soon after the arrival of Ibne Saad in Karbala). Ibne Ziyad replied that Umar bin Saad should ask Imam Husain to submit to the order of Yazid - he and all his companions. "When this is done, then we will see what to do."

When Umar bin Saad got this reply, he said: "I was afraid that Ibne Ziyad would not accept the peaceful way (or, easy alternative). Most probably this reply came on 5th Muharram.

And after this narrative, Tabari writes (without any other narrative in between):- "There came a letter from Ibne Ziyad to Ibne Saad:-

"Stand between Husain and his companions and water (i.e. prevent Husain and his companions from getting any water), and they should not taste a single drop of water, as was done with Uthman.

"So, Ibne Saad sent Amr bin Hajjaj with 500 horsemen; they came to the river bank and prevented Husain and his companions from getting a single drop. And it was done three days before the martyrdom of Husain."

After describing some more details of denying water to Imam Husain, Tabari goes on to say:-

"So when the thirst of Husain and his companions became intense, he called his brother Abbas and sent him, with 30 horsemen and 20 men on foot to the river (Then the same incidence is reported which you have mentioned in the question).

Now, this incidence could not have happened on 7th Muharram (i.e., 3 days before martyrdom), because the order to strictly deny water to Imam (a.s.) had come soon after that letter of 5th Muharram. And though Tabari does not say so clearly, Sheikh Mufid has used the words "in the wake of that letter (or 5th Muharram) arrived another letter, (i.e., the letter ordering denial of water).

"In the wake of that letter" can mean only one thing - that the 2nd letter also came on 5th Muharram.

And if water was strictly denied to Imam Husain (a.s.) on the 5 th Muharram, their thirst could reach its highest point not later than 6th Muharram's evening. Therefore, it is reasonable to say that the attempt of Hazrat Abbas to bring water was done not on 7 th Muharram, but on 6th Muharram latest. In view of all the factors mentioned here, it Was obviously just a confusion on the part of the narrator to say that it occured three days before the martyrdom.

Q 113: WHERE WERE THE BODIES OF MARTYRS?

Where did the Yazid's army in Karbala find the bodies of martyrs after killing Imam Husain (a.s.). Because I have heard in many Majlises that these bodies were taken to the tent by Imam Husain (a.s.) on the day of Ashura.

A. Yes, Imam Husain (a.s.) had reserved a tent for the bodies of the martyrs. Naturally it would have been there after the martyrdom of Imam (a.s.).

Q114: WHEN WERE THE SONS OF MUSLIM MARTYRED?

In which Hijra' were the 2 sons of Muslim bin Aquil killed by Harith? A. In 61 AH. about one year after the tragedy of Karbala.

Q115: MEANING OF "WAWAILAH"

There is a Mulla who says that to say "Wawailah" in Majlises or Matam is wrong, as it is the exclamation mark of the people of Jahannam'. Is it correct?

A. "Wail" literally means 'woe', 'grief. According to some Ahadith, it is metaphorically used for 'hell', just as "Nair" (Fire) is used in Qur'an and ahadith for 'hell'. The word "Wail" is very commonly used in its literal meaning, just as "Nair" is commonly used in meaning of fire. "Wail" like "Nair" is not a word specially coined for the hell.

When this word is used in exclamatory form "Wa Wailah" (or "Waili" or "Ya Waili") then its only meaning is "Oh! The sorrow!", "Oh! The Grief!" (or "Oh! My Grief!"); and no other meaning is ever understood from such phrases, which are commonly used in Arabic language to express sorrow and mourning.

Hadrat Ummul-Banin says in one of her "marthiyas" of her son, Hadrat 'Abbas (a.s.):- (Oh! My sorrow on my lion! his head was bent by a club-blow)

Q116: MAJLISES DELAYED FOR LATER DATES

Can we delay a Majlis of a Ma'sum's birthday or death anniversary, if it falls on a weekday and we postpone it upto Saturday? A.

There is no haram.

Q.117: DIRECTION FOR ZIYARA T

While reciting Ziyarat of a Masum, should we face towara Mecca or towards his town? A. You may recite the Ziyarat of any Ma'sum either facing the town where he is buried or facing towards Mecca.

Of course, in some Ziyarats of Imam Husain (a.s.) it is specifically mentioned that it should be recited facing towards Karbala. Such Ziyarat should be recited, accordingly, facing towards Karbala