The Sacrifice of the Standard-bearer
A lamentation for the moon of the Hashemites
A’shura… A’shura
O the 10th
Which some celebrate
Following the traditions
That the Bani Umayyah hath fabricate
Dark clouds encircle above
But not a hint of rain
The wind screeches
The ground has almost begun to shake
This morning brings tragedy in its wake.
There are more to mourn, than one could count
My Imam (a.s.) is almost all alone…
He who is granted without a question
Is perhaps not nearly as exalted
He who is but a given
Is perhaps not nearly as flaunted.
Just as Musa (moses — a.s.) asked for Haroon (Aaron, a.s.)
Just as Muhammad (s.a.w.w.) asked for Ali (a.s.)
Just as them, what would be so virtuous, that Ali (a.s) would ask for?
Just as them, Ali (a.s.) asked not for himself,
but al-Abbas (a.s) , for Hussayn (a.s.)
Abbas ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) is no mere probable anomaly
A set of luminous eyes that opened in the lap of al-Hussayn (a.s)
He who always called al-Hussayn (a.s.) “Master”
He, the unmatched loyalty of whom, is his eternal fame.
Abbas is his name.
The Insistence of the Al’amdar’
The morning of the 10th has arrived
To bring one tragedy after the other
Ali Ak’bar (a.s) and Qasim (a.s.) alike will be martyred
The final battle has come, in finalty, truth will have won.
The morning was spent
Al-Abbas (a.s.) would continue to request
His dear master, to let him step forth
To fight until the enemy is no more.
But the Imam would decline
Saying “O Abbas! (a.s.)
I cannot let you go,
You are the marshal of my army,
he who makes its high battle-standard known”
For he was the last reminder of Ali’
Still young, Much left to see to
The moon of the hashemites,
whose very gaze crushed like of arrows,
a most destructive volley…
A thousand times he paced forth
Only to receive the same answer
The ahl al Bayt still surrounded
from the south and the north
from the East and the West,
by certainly, they who were a cancer
An temporary scourge, these oppressors!
The carrier of the Prophet’s banner
He who carried the banner of Islam
He, Ali (a.s.)’s brave son,
He, who watched the loss of every loved one
The son of Ali’ (a.s.) who Fatimah (s.a) called her son…
The bravest one of them all, the only name in loyalty.
Find me another example,
One who possessed as much royalty.
Abbas’ (a.s.) the quencher of thirst
May I be sacrificed
For that innocence
which stepped forth
And asked:
“O Uncle,
I do not wish to bother
But my throat is completely parched
I would not ask any other
Please, bring some water…”
The four-year old Sakina (s.a.),
Oh if she had known,
She, the innocent would never ask
But the Devoted servant of the House of the Prophet,
Could he have ever refused such a request?
And so, he, the strongest warrior that was,
came to his master, a supreme recommendation in tow
And asked to ride forth
And bring water, whatever the cost.
History records, and such can never be forgotten
The tears of the infallible, for his beloved brother
was to leave, forevermore.
The offer of Shimr’ the accursed
And so, the army of tens of thousands
Saw Abbas (a.s.) riding forth
Armed with a waterskin
Seeking to bring water, although alone.
The accursed felt fear penetrate throug their ranks
“Separate he from his brother,
and perhaps we may have a chance”
And so, Shimr’ stepped forth, he the most cursed
Al-Abbas (a.s) would not tolerate this presence
But the House of the Prophet (s.a.w.w)
were not merciless murderers.
“O Abbas (a.s.)!”
“You and I are from a related lineage
I bring for thee, a guarantee of peace
Why do thee starve thyself?
Come with me,
and you will find wealth and harmony.
Why stand with him,
when you can be the Marshal of your own formation
Why be the vassal of a dozen tents,
when you can be the lord of your own domain?”
Abbas (a.s.) responded:
“And what of Hussayn (a.s.)?”
The Accursed chuckled, like the inhuman beast he was
The damned replied:
“For him, there is no peace until he submits
to the ‘Caliph’ Yazid, until he gives his allegiance
He will be slaughtered, like every one of his family
The veil of his women will be torn off
And his quest will meet its fate.”
“Do not worry though, O Abbas (a.s)!” said it,
“We will violate the honour of Zainab’ (s.a.) in such a way
But not your honourable spouse,
Accept our generous offering,
It is the right way”
Could the standard-bearer accept?
Perhaps they had forgotten
Once he is of someone,
That is how it shall be forevermore,
Abbas (a.s) spits in his face,
“O accursed demon, begone!”
And so Abbas’ (a.s.) sets off on his final journey
To quench the thirst of helpless children
He himself, starved for so long, yet possessive of immense might.
The Martyrdom of Abu’l Fadhl (a.s.)
What I narrate forth,
is all that my lowly pen
Can narrate, about Abu’l Fadhl (a.s.) (‘The father of Excellence’)
The historians write,
And so do a million elegies narrate
Abbas (a.s.) routed thousands of men
all alone, he conquered his path to the Euphrates
And so there, he stood.
Plenty of water here,
If Abbas’ (a.s.) wanted, he could quench his thirst,
But the slave could not, the thirst of Sakina (s.a.) must come first.
And so, the warrior filled his waterskin
And turned back, preserving his own thirst
The accursed Army of Omar ibn Sa’ad had mobilised
The final battle of al-Abbas (a.s) had begun.
Abbas (a.s.) the elder out of his three brothers
The half-brother of the Imam al-Hussayn (a.s.)
He whose sacrifices cannot be simply named
Al-Abbas (a.s.), the King of all loyalty, Paragon among men.
Thirsty for four days, Both he and his steed
He repelled attack after attack of the enemy.
None could defeat him with their blades
So the bowmen were called.
Abbas’ (a.s) cared for nothing, except the water
He avoided barrage after barrage,
Yet another of the accursed inhuman men came through
And severed the right arm of the true.
Abbas’ (a.s) did not flinch, for he carried the blood
of the Lion of God (a.s.), he continued on forth.
His left hand was what now carried the waterskin
Yet it was not for long
As another cowardly warrior stepped forth
Abbas (a.s.) now held the waterskin in his teeth
As his left hand… was severed…
Abbas’ (a.s.) cared for nothing more
but for the slight chance that this water
might reach the children of the camp…
It was all he wished for, all for which he was sent…
They say he did not die, truly
until the arrows started to fly once more
they pierced the waterskin
and Abbas’ (a.s) could fight no more.
Many accounts say he was blinded by arrows and martyred there
Others state:
Al-Hussayn (a.s.) wept as he approached his brother
who was still alive…
Al-Abbas (a.s) asked for one final request,
Just as Abbas’ (a.s.) opened his eyes first
in the lap of al-Hussayn (a.s.), he wished
For al-Hussayn (a.s.) to be the final sight before his eyes…
That was granted, and so it was
But al-Hussayn (a.s.) also wished something
That once he would hear Al-Abbas (a.s.)
call him “Brother”, instead of “Master”,
Once, in this dire time.
Abbas’, the pride of his sister Zai’nab (s.a.)
and the ‘back’ of his brother Hussayn (a.s)
His body even could not be carried back
All wept as only his battle-standard came into sight.
Sakina (s.a.) wept, for now none could save her dear father
Zainab (s.a.) wept, for now none could guard her honour…
Al-Hussayn (a.s.) wept, for his ‘back’ had been broken
Yet who can say, after the martyrdom of Ali Akbar (a.s.)
Was, Abbas (a.s) even alive to die?
But nay, in martyrdom he hath embraced eternity
His name lives, his resting place is one of serenity
Till the day of Judgement, his is a name of loyalty.
إِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ
“Verily, from Allah’ we have come, and to him we shall return”
It is now the morning of the 10th of Muharram, 1445 Al-Hijri (As per the Islamic Lunar Calendar)… It has been raining heavily the whole morning here in Lahore and the air is one of sorrow.
It has been difficult writing this… and I should have written it earlier.
The Martyrdom of Ali al-Asghar and Imam al-Hussayn (May peace be upon them both) is near as noon approaches.
Karbala and A’shur are not the end of the violence and oppression against this family, and days of sorrow remain which are yet to come. I find it incredible that none know yet still,
The most universal idea is that of Hussayn (a.s.). Today and for centuries long past, people of every culture, religion and place, speaking a thousand different languages have wept and mourned this man and his family. Why?
Who are they? Why are they being persecuted? For what did this slaughter at Karbala occur?
There are many questions,
But my goals remain the same…
This will not be read as much as I wish,
and that itself is a tragedy.
It saddens me,
But I wish only for those to read who can take a lesson from this plight.
My heart bleeds
My eyes have lost their light
My soul weeps
My body has lost its might
Do you feel an ounce of emotion,
Or has thy heart become one of stone?
For more on the Battle of Karbala, the following books are recommended and an article on the specific event of the Martyrdom of Abbas ibn Ali (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
Articles
Al-’Abbas (a.s) [ Wikishia article ]
Al-Abbas (book by Badr Shahin)
Note on Honorifics
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).