Tears for the orphan of Karbala
An lamentation for al-Qasim ibn Al-Hassan (may peace be upon him)
From the depths of my broken heart
I present to thee, my heartfelt salutations
O son of Hassan (a.s.), grandson of the Prophet! (s.a.w.w.)
O ye, who at such little age, ascended to such heights.
May blessings be upon thee, O son of Hassan (a.s.)
May blessings be upon thee, O warrior in Karbala.
May blessings be upon thee, O brave soul.
May blessings be upon thee, O selfless one.
The Eve of A’shura
All of nature’s creatures are out in force
The wind has long but held its breath.
The earth prays and so do the heavens,
just that they may bear this calamity…
The day of separation has come once more
Of Good and Evil, of the Righteous and the wrong.
How ironic is it, that they came to avenge Badr
Only to prove further, their inhumanity.
The son of Hassan (a.s.), raised by Hussayn (a.s.),
Just as Ali Akbar (a.s.), Qasim (a.s.) is dear to Hussayn (a.s.)…
At thirteen, without food or water,
The orphan of the Hashemites is ready to die for Hussayn (a.s.)…
The letter that was written, the dear request,
Of Imam Hassan (a.s.) to Hussayn (a.s.)
That remained around al-Qasim (a.s.) arm,
Until this day… Hussayn (a.s.) would weep at its contents…
The Martyr al-Qasim (a.s.)
A’shura, O A’shura,
A day so sorrowful, such a sorrowful day…
Yet every mother seeks but one thing,
On this day, the one thing that matters now…
The women of the House of the Prophet (s.a.w.w.)
send forth their sons, a sacrifice for Islam…
For they must report to Fatimah al-Zahra (s.a.)
How would they face her, if they had not?
The long orphaned son of Hassan (a.s.) circled the Imam (a.s.)
Asking for permission, to leave for battle,
To take up the saddle,
To head into the fray.
How could the oppressed Imam possibly consent?
But it was the written word of his brother,
Al-Hassan (a.s.), that brought him to consent,
He wept bitterly, but this he could not prevent.
On behalf of the martyred Imam,
Qasim (a.s.) was to represent al-Mujtaba (a.s.)
On the day of this calamity in Karbala.
A brother’s sacrifice for the other…
For as long as al-Qasim (a.s.),
Al-Hussayn (a.s.) felt his brother close by
wherever he went…
No armour fit Al-Qassim (a.s.)
His feet would not reach the stirrups
He left on his steed, with just a shirt.
His arrival put the satanic armies in shock.
Even his killers wept,
“How destitute al-Hussayn ibn Ali (a.s.) has become,” they thought
“He sends forth a moon to die…”
But he was like no other.
One by one, the youth would slay,
One by one, eight would lay dead at the hands of this one.
Left in disarray, such was the extreme shock.
Yet! May cursed be he, the tyrant who stepped forward.
Forgiveness is beyond thee
O he who suggested such cruelty
To surround he
al-Qassim (a.s.) and slaughter an orphan…
Did thee not think of his widowed mother?
In single combat, the blood of Ali (a.s.) could not be defeated
By a son of thirteen, your best lay in pieces…
So thee surround him with a million arrows?
O how my heart weeps,
O how my heart bleeds
O how my heart pleads
How terribly al-Qasim (a.s.) was torn to pieces
Wounds and lacerations, arrows in his arms…
How terribly they trampled thee,
O how may I console my heart!
Al-Hussayn (a.s.) and Abu al Fadhl (a.s.) couldn’t make it in time,
Wrapped in a white cloth, they brought back what was left
Every part of he called forth, “O Uncle, in service of thee is my heart!”
How terribly they desecrated thee, O orphaned son…
اِنَّٗا لِلّٰہ وَٗ اِنَّٗا عِلَٗیہِ رَٗاجِعُون
A’shura has arrived,
My eyes have wept for so long;
I cannot describe the pain…
If this makes you feel anything at all,
If it teaches you anything at all
If it revives your heart
If it instills humanity back into thee
Then I have succeeded.
Nonetheless,
These words are not mine, they are the sacred grant of the Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa and his exalted progeny (May the blessings of God be upon them all). Whether my words are to reach someone or not, is entirely the domain of my creator.
I only wish that I did not shirk my responsibility.. I only wish that this lowly individual who has been given such an honour, may be granted salvation of perhaps even one verse…
For more on the Battle of Karbala, the following books are recommended and an article on the specific event of the Martyrdom of Ali Akb’ar ibn Hussayn (a.s.).
Books
A probe into the history of A’shura
The Event of Taff, The Earliest Historical Account of the Tragedy of Karbala’
The Truth About Al-Husayn’s Revolt
The Tragedy of Karbala’
Remembering Karbala Once Again
Maqtal al-Husayn
Note
The primarily used honorifics used were:
a.s. — Alayhis salaam (علیہ السلام) — “Peace be upon him”
s.a. — Salamun alaiha (سلامَُ علیھا) — “Peace be upon her”
s.a.w.w. — ṣallā -llāhu ʿalayhī wa ‘aalehi wa-sallam (صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ)
“Blessings of God be upon him and his progeny and grant him peace”
جزاک اللّٰہ خیر
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وعَجِّلْ فَرَجَهُمْ
Verily, I am unworthy of writing these words. May the best of my time and the best of my works always be associated with the House of the Prophet (May God’s blessings be upon them all).