When the people of the household of Muhammad (saww)
were imprisoned in Kufa, Ibn Ziyad – the governor of Yazeed ibn
Mu’awiya made a speech, in which he said, “The liar of liars,
Husayn, was killed”.
Abdullah ibn
‘Afeef al-Azdi, an old and blind man interrupted him and said,
“You are the
liar of liars! You kill the children of the Prophet and you call
yourself a Muslim?”
Ibn Ziyad became angry and ordered his guards to
imprison Abdullah. That night, many of his tribesmen went and
forcibly freed him. When Ibn Ziyad found out what had happened, he
sent troops to go to Abdullah’s house and burn it down.
The troops
came to his home and set it on fire. Abdullah ibn ‘Afeef asked his
daughter to bring him his sword. She was crying and wailing at the
time. She said, “I wish I was a man so I could fight for you”. He
consoled her and then rushed out with his sword with his daughter
following him. Since Abdullah was old and blind, his daughter gave
him directions where to swing his sword. Abdullah fought for
sometime with all his courage and managed to injure many guards.
Eventually he was arrested and brought to the court of Ibn Ziyad. Ibn
Ziyad said, “God has exposed you!” Abdullah
asked, “Exposed
me of what?”
Ibn Ziyad remained silent and then asked, “What
do you think of ‘Uthman (the third caliph)?”
Abdullah said,
“What does that
have to do with anything? Good or bad, God is going to be the judge.
If you want to ask me questions, ask me about your parents and I
will tell you”.
After the insult, Ibn Ziyad said, “No, I will not
ask you any more but I will kill you with a unique and original form
of death”.
Abdullah
said, “I knew I
would be martyred before you were born from your mother. When I
became blind, I lost that hope, but it seems that hope still exists.
(Let it be known to you) even if you kill me, I am not better than
al-Husayn”.
Ibn Ziyad ordered him to be killed and
hanged.
mulla@almahdi.org.uk