Martyrdom of Imam Zayn
al-Abidin(A.S.)
Ima`m
Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, became old and weak. This is because
he exhausted himself by hard worship and obedience to Allah. The
historians unanimously agreed that the Ima`m passed most his lifetime
fasting by day and standing in prayer by night. Meanwhile, he remembered
the tragedy of Karbala`'. When he looked at his aunts and his sisters,
he remembered their escape from one tent to another, and the caller of
the people called out: "Burn the houses of the wrongdoers!" These
memories saddened him very much and affected his body.
The
Ima`m is given Poisoned
Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin enjoyed great popularity. The people spoke with
admiration about his knowledge, his jurisprudence, and his acts of
worship. The assemblies admired his patience and all his other
qualities. The Ima`m occupied the hearts and feelings of the people.
Hence blessed was he who saw him, met him, and listened to his words.
This situation frightened the Umayyads, especially as it concerns al-Walid
b. 'Abd al-Malik, who was the most spiteful toward the Ima`m.
Al-Zuhri reported on the authority of al-Walid b. 'Abd al-Malik, who
said: "I cannot have a rest as long as 'Ali b. al-Husayn is in this
world!(Haya`t al-Ima`m Mohammed al-Ba`qir, vol. 1, p.
51).
When al-Walid became king, he decided to assassinate the Ima`m. He sent
poison to his governor of Medina, and ordered him to mix the poison
(with liquid) and give it to the Ima`m to drink.(Al-Itha`f
bi Hub al-Ashra`f, p. 52. Al-Sawa`'iq al-Muhriqa, p. 53).
The poison reacted on the Ima`m's body, and he suffered severe pain. The
Ima`m remained on the bed of illness for some days. He complained to
Allah of this and asked Him for forgiveness and good pleasure. The
people crowded to visit him, and he, peace be on him, praised and lauded
Allah for providing him with martyrdom at the hand of the most wicked
creature.
His
Designation of al-Baqir for the Imamate
Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, entrusted the Ima`mate to his
son al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, who was the pioneer of the cultural,
scientific movement in Islam.
Al-Zuhri said: "I visited 'Ali b. al-Husayn and asked him: If Allah's
inevitable command comes, whom shall we follow after you?"
The Ima`m gently looked at him and replied: "(Follow) this son of mine
(pointing to his son Mohammed al-Ba`qir), for he is my testamentary
trustee, my inheritor, the box of my knowledge, the origin of knowledge,
and the one who will split knowledge open."
"Why have you not appointed your most obedient son as your testamentary
trustee?" asked al-Zuhri.
Al-Zuhri did not understand the affair of the Ima`mate. He thought that
it was based on the tribal customs.
"O Aba` 'Abd Allah, the Ima`mate is not based on oldness and youngness.
In this manner, Allah' Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family,
entrusted (the Ima`mate) to us, and in this manner we have found it in
the tablet (lawh) and the parchment (sahifa)," answered the Ima`m.
Demanding more information, al-Zuhri asked: "O Son of Allah's Apostle,
did your Prophet appoint you as testamentary trustees after him?"
"We have found twelve names in the parchment and the tablet.
Their Ima`mate, the names of their fathers, and of their mothers have
been written in the tablet," replied the Ima`m, "and seven testamentary
trustees will come out of the loins of my son Mohammed. Al-Mahdi will be
one of them."
(Al-Khazza`z, Kifa`yat al-Athar. Ithba`t al-Huda`t,
vol. 5, p. 264).
Some Shi'ites visited the Ima`m, and he nominated his son Mohammed al-Ba`qir
before them, and ordered them to follow him. Then he gave him a document
and a box in which were the inheritances of the prophets, the weapon and
books of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family.
(Basa`'ir al-Daraja`t, p. 146. Ithba`t al-Huda`t, vol.
5, p. 268).
His
Commandments to his Son al-Ba`qir
Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, entrusted his commandments to
his son Ima`m Mohammed al-Ba`qir, peace be on him. The following is some
of his commandments to him:
1. He commanded him (to take care of ) his she-camel. He said to him: "I
performed the hajj on this she-camel of mine twenty times, yet I did not
whip it. When it dies, bury it. Let not the beasts eat its meat, for
Allah's Messengers, may Allah bless him and his family, said: 'If a
camel stops seven times at 'Arafa, Allah will place it among the favors
of the Garden, and bless its offspring.(Al-Barqi,
Maha`sin, vol. 2, p. 635).
Ima`m al-Ba`qir carried out these commandments of his father.
2. The Ima`m gave to his son this commandment, which displays the
brilliant sides of the qualities of the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt)
, peace be on them. He said to him: "O my little son, I will command you
with what my father commanded me when death was close to him. He said to
me: 'O my little son, beware of wronging him who finds no helper against
you except Allah.(Al-Ama`li, p. 161. Al-Khisa`l, p.
185).
3. He commanded him to wash and shroud him and to undertake all his
other affairs until he buried him in his final resting place.
To
the Shelter Garden
The state of the Ima`m became worse. His illness became intense. The
Ima`m suffered exhausting pain, for the poison reacted on all the parts
of his body. He told his family that he would move to Paradise at night.
He fainted three times. When he came to consciousness, he recited Surat
al-Fa`tiha, and Surat Inna` Fatahna`. Then he, peace be on him, said:
"Praise belongs to Allah, Who has made good to us His promise and made
us inherit the land; we may abide in the garden where we please; so
goodly is the reward of the workers.
Then the Ima`m's great soul went to its Creator, as the souls of the
prophets and the messengers did. Allah's angels, favors and greetings
surrounded it with magnification and admiration.
This great soul met its Creator after it had illuminated the horizons of
this world with knowledge, worship, and freedom from all inclinations of
caprice.
His
Preparation for Burial
Ima`m Abu` Ja'far al-Ba`qir undertook the preparation of the corpse of
his father. He washed his pure body. The people saw the places of his
prostration, which were like the knees of camels, out of his abundant
prostration (in prayer) for Allah, the Exalted. They also saw his
shoulders, which were like the knees of camels. Then they asked al-Ba`qir
about this, and he replied: "He would put food into his bag, carried it
on his shoulders, and divided the food among the poor and the deprived.(Haya`t
al-Ima`m Mohammed al-Ba`qir, vol. 1, p. 54).
When al-Ba`qir had finished washing the corpse of his body, he shrouded
it, and prayed over it with the written prayers.
Escorting him to his Final Resting Place
Great escorting was held for the Ima`m. Medina (Yathrib) had never
witness such escorting before. This is because the righteous and the
sinful escorted him. The masses surrounded the great coffin. They wept
and lamented for the Ima`m in humbleness. They felt a heavy loss, for
they lost immense good, and unique spirituality.When the Ima`m died, the
tongues kept silent, and the intellects became perplexed. Hence the
people of Medina crowded all around the Holy Corpse.
At
his Final Resting Place
In the middle of a halo of exclaiming Allah is great and praising Him,
the people brought the Holy Corpse to al-Baqi Cemetery. They dug a grave
for him beside the grave of his pure uncle, Ima`m al-Hasan, the master
of the youths of Paradise, and the plant of sweet basil of Allah's
Apostle, may
Allah bless him and his family.
Then Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, buried his father in his final
resting place. With him he buried knowledge, kindness, reverential fear,
spirituality of the prophets and of the Allah-fearing. After Ima`m al-Ba`qir
had finished burying his father, the people hurried to him to condole
him. The Ima`m, his brothers, and the other Ha`shimites, thanked them
for their condolences. |