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One of the great accomplishments of Hazrat Imam Hussain’s (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) companions was the fact that they did not allow anyone from Banu Hashim to fight as long as even one of them was alive. They did not allow the children and nephews of Hazrat Imam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) as well as other members of the Hashimi tribe to go onto the battlefield in their presence. Furthermore, they ensured that no injury was caused to Hazrat Imam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) in their presence. Even though so many arrows were shot towards the Hussaini people from the Kufi side but in spite of this, one cannot find within the historical sources any evidence of any Hashimi being injured by any arrows during the presence of Hazrat Imam Hussain’s (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) companions.
After the friends and followers of Hazrat Sayyiduna Imam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) had all been martyred, the time arrived for the lions of Hazrat Sayyiduna Ali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), the beloveds of Hazrat Sayyidah Fatimah Zahra (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) and the flesh and blood of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) to compete against the enemy. As soon as the Hashimis arrived on the battlefield, the hearts of even extremely courageous soldiers began to tremble and beat fast and the strikes of these ‘lions of Allah’ caused even the most powerful warrior to scream out in agony. They showed such great ability in warfare that the entire Karbala was covered with the blood of the enemy and the Kufis attested to the fact that their entire army would have been destroyed by only one youth from the Hashimi household had the Hashimis not been deprived of water for three days.
Hazrat Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Muslim Ibn Aqeel (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) sought permission in the court of Hazrat Imam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) in order to sacrifice his life in the way of truth. Hazrat Imam Hussain’s (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) eyes were filled with tears upon hearing this and he said, “My son, how can I permit you to go when the trauma of being separated from your father has still not gone from my heart?” Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Muslim (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) said that he was impatiently looking forward to seeing his father. Hazrat Imam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) allowed Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Muslim (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) to go onto the battlefield after seeing his immense passion for Shahadat (Martyrdom).
This Hashimi youth called out to the enemy when he reached the battlefield. Qudaamah Ibn Asad, who was considered to be extremely brave by the Ahle Kufa, arrived onto the battlefield in order to fight Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Muslim. For a while, both of them were attempting to attack each other with their swords until eventually, Abdullah attacked Qudaamah so severely that Qudaamah fell onto the ground. No one else dared to come before Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Muslim therefore, Qudaamah continued to fight against Sayyiduna Abdullah alone. Sayyiduna Abdullah attacked Qudaamah like a lion attacks his prey. He scattered the enemy lines, injuring many of them and sending many into the fire of Hell. Eventually, Nawfal Ibn Muzaahim Al Humairi attacked Sayyiduna Abdullah with a spear and martyred him (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh).
Hazrat Ja’far Ibn Aqeel (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) arrived tearfully onto the battlefield due to the martyrdom of his nephew, Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Muslim (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). Sayyiduna Ja’far recited an inspirational poem which meant, “I am a dweller of Makkah, from the Hashimi lineage and I am from a victorious household. Indeed we are the masters of all tribes and Hussain is the most pure human being on earth.” Sayyiduna Ja’far Ibn Aqeel began to fight with such power and might that numerous Yazeedis were killed. When the enemy realised that they could not compete against him using swords, they shot arrows from all around him until Sayyiduna Ja’far Ibn Aqeel (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was eventually killed by the arrow of Abdullah Ibn ‘Azrah. Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman Ibn Aqeel became restless upon seeing his brother being martyred and he leapt onto the Kufis like a hungry lion and massacred many of the wretched Kufis. Uthman Ibn Khalid Al Jahni and Bishr Ibn Sawt Al Hamdani together martyred Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman Ibn Aqeel (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh).
Ameer-ul-Mu’mineen Sayyiduna Ali Ibn Abi Taalib’s son, Sayyiduna Muhammad Ibn Ali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) received permission from Hazrat Sayyiduna Imam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and he reached the battlefield. He fought bravely and managed to kill many Kufis. During the battle, a man from the Banu Abaan tribe wounded Sayyiduna Muhammad Ibn Ali and when he fell, this man beheaded Sayyiduna Muhammad (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). Sayyiduna Uthman Ibn Ali, Sayyiduna Abdullah lbn Ali and Sayyiduna Ja’far Ibn Ali then arose in order to fight. These three children of Hazrat Sayyiduna Ali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and Ummul Baneen had a lot of devotion for Hazrat Imam Hussain (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh).
When Shimar was about to leave for Karbala from Kufa, with the letter of Obaidullah Ibn Ziyaad, the nephew of Ummul Baneen, Abdullah Ibn Abi Mahal, who was an influential personality in Kufa, arose and explained to Ibn Ziyaad that the children of a woman from his tribe (i.e. Ummul Baneen) were with Hussain and he was wishing that they would be granted protection. Ibn Ziyaad wrote a notification of protection and safety for the four children of Ummul Baneen, Sayyiduna Abbas and the other three mentioned above (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhum). Abdullah Ibn Abi Mahal sent this notification with his freed slave, Kazmaan, to Karbala. Kazmaan reached Karbala and informed these people that a notification of immunity and protection for them had been written by their cousin, Abdullah Ibn Abi Mahal. These four enthusiastic and courageous personalities at once said that Kazmaan should convey their greetings to their cousin and inform him that they did not need his protection as the protection of Allah Ta’ala was sufficient for them.
Shimar Dhil Jawshan was also from the same tribe as Ummul Baneen. When Shimar returned from Kufa and handed over Ibn Ziyaad’s letter to Amr Ibn Sa’d, he shouted towards the Hussaini army, “Where are the sons of our sister?” The children of Sayyiduna Ali and Ummul Baneen arose and asked what he wished to say. Shimar said that there was protection and immunity for them. These great fighters in the path of Allah Ta’ala answered, “May the curse of Allah be upon you and your your ‘protection’, in which there is protection for us but not for the grandson of Allah’s Messenger (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Hazrat Sayyiduna Abbas’s (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) three brothers then proceeded to the battlefield and each of them outweighed the Kufis. With the power bestowed upon them by Allah Ta’ala, they made the enemy lines disorganised and they displayed the fighting methods of their great father, which left the enemies amazed. Hazrat Sayyiduna Uthman, Abdullah and Ja’far, the children of Sayyiduna Ali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhum), injured and killed many Yazeedis before sacrificing their lives for the sake of Allah and His Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
May Allah Ta’ala grant us the Taufeeq to learn from the courage, bravery and sacrifice of the Shuhada-e-Karbala and the Taufeeq to stand up for Haqq even in adversity, Ameen.
[Compiled from Khutbaat-e-Muharram by Faqeeh-e-Millat Hazrat Allama Mufti Jalaaludeen Ahmad Amjadi Rahmatullah Alaih]
