After Abbas
(pbuh), came the turn of Ali Akbar (pbuh), to go to the battlefield.
The battle drums of the enemies were now getting louder and louder.
It is reported that this eighteen (18) year old son was so very much
loved by one and all in the camp that the account of his taking
leave of his aunts, sisters, brothers and other relatives is so
pathetic that none can resist shedding at least a few tears over the
heart-rending event. At last when the Holy Imam sent Ali Akbar, the
'Ahmad-e-Thani', i.e., (Muhammad the Second), to the battlefield, he
raised his head towards Heaven and said:
"Lord! Here
I sent in your way, the one who resembled the most with the Holy
Prophet Muhammad, whenever we did desire to have a view of the Holy
face departed away from us, we used to look at the face of this
youth."
"Lord!
Hussain has one Ali Akbar and he is sent to be sacrificed for your
cause, had I many more like him, I would have similarly offered them
all in your way."
Is not this
offer more acceptable to God than that of Abraham who offered with
his eyes blindfolded? Is not this a Greater Sacrifice than that of
Ishmael?
When Ali
Akbar went to the battlefield, and faced the enemy with all the
bravery that he inherited from his Grandfather Imam Ali (pbuh), it
is reported that the enemy forces were so much amazed at his
resemblance with the Holy Prophet (pbuh) that such of those who had
seen him before, wondered if the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had reappeared
in the world to help his dear Grandson Hussain. People were so
anxious to have a look at the enchanting beauty of the youth that
those in the rear of the enemy's ranks, mounted on the horses and
camels, even stood on the backs of the animals to have a look at the
matchless and the wonder striking beauty of this son of the Holy
Imam (pbuh).
Ali Akbar (pbuh)
reminded the enemy that his father, Imam Hussain (pbuh) spent his
life in the way of Islam, and did no harm to them. By spilling his
blood they were making the Holy Prophet (pbuh) very sad. 'Umar son
of Saad' told his troops not to listen to Ali Akbar, and ordered
them to attack him. One by one he fought them with great skill, and
killed many of them. Ali Akbar received several wounds, and was
losing a lot of blood. The thirst was getting more unbearable. At
the moment he longed to see his loved ones for the last time.
Ali Akbar
turned his horse back towards his camp. He found his aged (57 year
old) father standing at the entrance of the tent; watching the
battle between his beloved thirsty son and the enemy. Holy Hussain (pbuh)
congratulated his son and then said "I am sad that I do not have any
water to give you." Ali Akbar (pbuh) met each and every one of his
family. They were all in tears because they knew that this time he
wasn't coming back alive.
It was not
long before Imam Hussain (pbuh) heard the painful cry from the
battlefield. Ali Akbar fell with a fatal wound in his chest. He
called out to his father to come to him quickly. Imam Hussain (pbuh)
went towards his son; and found him lying in a pool of his own
blood. When he saw his son he cried out "Here I am my son, please
talk to me." Ali Akbar was in great pain, the broken end of the
lance was sticking out of his chest, and blood was gushing out. Ali
Akbar died in his father's arms. God alone knows what a patient
heart the Holy Imam (pbuh) had been endowed with, which never gave
way against any catastrophe even that of the loss of such a son. The
Holy Imam (pbuh) stood looking at his son dying before his eyes and
lifting his head towards Heaven said:
"Lord! It
will be quite sufficient for your Hussain if you accept this
sacrifice and if you pleased with this humble offer."
Imam Hussain
lifted Ali Akbar carefully, as if protecting him from any more pain.
He cried all the way back to his camp.
Note: 'Laila
daughter of Abu Murra and the cousin of Yazid' is the mother of Ali
Akbar. According to scholars she was not alive at the time of
Karbala.
Baby Ali
Asgher (Abd Allah) comes into Battlefield:
When Imam
Hussain (pbuh) stood all alone in the battlefield surrounded by the
enemies, he was summoned by a call from his sister Zainab (pbuh) in
his camp. When he went into the tent, he (pbuh) found his six (6)
month old baby son Ali Asgher, dying of thirst in his cradle. And
the poor mother Rubab, whose milk had dried up by the continuous
thirst and hunger, could not help the baby with even a drop of milk.
Telling the mother that he would show the baby to the enemy and get
some water for it if they give it, Imam Hussain (pbuh) took the babe
to the battlefield by covering with his robe and raising it up in
his arms to enable everyone in the enemy's forces to see it, and
said:
"O People!
If, in your opinion, Hussain is guilty of any sin or crime, this
innocent babe has done nothing to hurt any one of you. It does not
even speak, and has not even uttered anything against you or your
Amir at Damascus. He is dying of thirst. He had neither milk nor
water for the last three days. Would you quench his thirst by a few
drops of water? If you suspect that I demand water for myself in the
name of the babe, then I will leave it here, if you want, and go
easy and you may return it with his thirst quenched."
It is
reported that the address of the Holy Imam (pbuh) and the scene,
with the thirsty innocent babe in his hands, was so touching, so
pathetic and so heart-rending that even the men in the enemy's army
could not help weeping and cursing the Yazid and his Deputy 'Ubayd
Allah son of Ziyad', Governor of Kufa, who had gathered them there
against such Holy ones. 'Umar son of Saad', fearing a revolt of his
forces in sympathy for the Holy Imam, at once ordered a stonehearted
brute named Hurmula to answer Hussain. The tyrant, shot a arrow from
his bow which after piercing through the Imam's arm got stuck into
the tiny neck of the innocent babe. Blood gushed out of his neck and
splashed on to Imam Hussain's face. Ali Asgher died in his father's
arms with his smiling face.
Imam Hussain
(pbuh) walked back to the camp weeping with Ali Asgher in his arms.
At the door he waited for a moment and then turned back, this he did
seven (7) times as if he was building his strength to face the
mother of the baby who had been so brutally murdered.
Rubab looked
at her husband's face covered in blood and cried out "What have they
done to my son, did they even give him a drop of water before they
killed him?" Imam Hussain (pbuh) said "I pleaded with them to give
him water, but instead they drenched him with blood." Rubab said
"Please bury Ali Asgher with your own hands." Hence he sat down to
bury his baby son in the burning sand of the desert, by digging a
grave using sword. After that he looked up and said. "O Almighty God
bear witness that I have done my duty to the last."
Does not
even this one single sacrifice suffice to touch every human heart?
Can we not call this one sacrifice alone greater than the sacrifice
offered by Abraham? God alone knows the degree of the patience and
the fortitude which He had endowed in the Imam Hussain (pbuh) to
bear the series of such unbearable calamities.
HAZRAT AUN-O-MUHAMMED(A.S)
Aun(a.s.)
and Muhammad(a.s.) were the sons of Bibi Zainab(s.a.). They had not
accompanied Bibi Zainab(s.a.) when she left Madina with Imam
Hussain(a.s.). Just before Imam Hussain(a.s.) started his journey
from Mecca, Hazrat Abdullah ibn-e-Jaffer(a.s.) brought his two sons
to Mecca and handing them over to Imam Hussain(a.s.) said, "Ya Imaam,
since you have decided to go and will not allow me to come with you,
please take my two sons with you. Aun(a.s.) will represent his
maternal grandfather Hazrat Ali(a.s.) and the Mohammad(a.s.) will
represent his paternal grandfather Hazrat Jaffer-e-Tayyaar(a.s.)".
He then went to Bibi Zainab(s.a.) and said, "I have brought to you
our two sons to go with you. In the time of difficulty on our Maula
Hussain, give one son as sadqa from your side and the other one as
sadqa from my side".
Aun(a.s.)
and Muhammad(a.s.) were quite young. It is reported that Aun(a.s.)
was about thirteen and Muhammad(a.s.) was a year or two younger.
They had learnt the art of fencing from their uncle, Hazrat
Abbas(a.s.).
On the night
before Ashura Bibi Zainab(s.a.) said to them, "My sons, tomorrow
there will be a battle. I can not ask you to fight because you are
young. But if anything happens to Imam Hussain(a.s.), while you are
still alive, I will be filled with shame." Both the boys stood up
and said "Mother, we have the blood of Ali(a.s.) and Jaffer(a.s.) in
our veins. Our grand fathers were warriors whose fame will always be
remembered. Do you think we can possibly shame them? More over we
are the pupils of Uncle Abbas(a.s.). Mother, unless you forbid us
and stop us from fighting, we shall go to the battlefield and show
the enemies of Islam how bravely the children of Islam can fight.
All we want from you is a promise that you will never weep for us.
Or souls will never rest in peace if you grieve for us after we are
gone".
Tears of joy
and pride flowed down Bibi Zainab's(s.a.) eyes as she embraced her
two boys. In the morning during the general attacks from the enemy,
Aun(a.s.) and Muhammad(a.s.) fought side by side with Ali Akber(a.s.),
Qasim(a.s.) and Hazrat Abbas(a.s.). Every time either of them
succeeded in felling an enemy, he would look proudly at Hazrat
Abbas(a.s.) who would smile and nod his approval. Imam Hussain(a.s.)
would not, however, give the two boys permission to go for single
combat. They were very disappointed. They came to their mother for
help. Bibi Zainab(s.a.) sent someone to request Imam Hussain(a.s.)
to come to her tent., When the Imam(a.s.) came Bibi Zainab(s.a.)
said, "Hussain, at the battle of Siffeen Abbas was only eight years
old. When he saw someone trying to attack you, he rushed into the
battle field and killed the man. Do you remember how proud our
father Ali was? Today I too want to be proud of my sons. I want to
see them go out there and defend Islam. Will you not allow me that
privilege?" Imam Hussain(a.s.) stood there in silence. He looked at
his sister. He saw the disappointment on her face. He saw tears
forming around her eyes. He put his arms around the two boys and led
them to their horses. He kissed them and then helped them mount.
"Go," said Imam(a.s.), "Go, and show the world how those as young as
you can fight the injustice and oppression of Yazid!" Then he turned
round and lifted the curtain of the tent. The boys raised their
hands and said "Fi Amaani-llah, mother!" Bibi Zainab(s.a.) replied,
"Bismillah my sons. Allah be with you!"
The two boys
rode out into the battlefield. They fought bravely. At one point
Umar ibn-e-Sa'ad asked, "Who are these two youngsters? They fight
like I have seen Ali ibne Abu Taalib fight." When he was told who
they were he ordered his soldiers to give up single combats and
surround and kill the boys. Aun(a.s.) and Muhammad(a.s.) were
attacked from all sides. Soon they were over-powered and brutally
killed. Imam Hussain(a.s.) and Hazrat Abbas(a.s.) carried the two
young bodies to a tent and laid them on the floor. Imam(a.s.) walked
to Bibi Zainab's(s.a.) tent. He found her in sijdah praying, "Ya
Allah, I thank you for accepting my sacrifice. My heart is filled
with pride because my two sons have given their lives for your
religion."
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