To weep for ‘Ali As’ghar
The infant martyr of Karbala
All the Mothers of the House of the Prophet grieve their martyred sons
But Umme Rabab (s.a.), has no son of age, that she may send into battle
She laments, for she has no one to offer.
Outside al-Hussayn (a.s.) marches forth and asks:
“Is there anyone, who may help the Family of Muhammad (s.a.w.w)?
Who from the army of tyrants would muster?
Towards the tents, the Imam (a.s.) would return.
There his blessed sister, Zainab (s.a.) stood,
She wept and upon the Imam’s inquiry, replied:
“When he heard your cry, ‘Ali Asghar fell from his cradle…”
And so fate would decide, for us to witness a harrowing sight…
Ali Asgh’ar seemed on the precipice between life and death
If left for any longer, he would have died of thirst…
The Imam said to his mother:
“Their quarrel is with me,
surely they wouldn’t deny an infant
a mere few drops of water?”
And so the father took his 6 month old wrapped in a white cloth
One that perhaps resembled a humble little shroud…
He rode forth, right before the Army of Ibn Sa’ad
Some thought, that Hussayn (a.s.) had brought a Qur’an to warrant victory
Those with children wept bitterly,
When he revealed his infant son…
“O men of the ranks, look at the condition of this child!
Have mercy, quench this young one’s thirst…”
The narrators have written, and it burns my heart
That like a fish out of water, Ali Asghar’s tongue was out of his mouth
And he was restless with thirst…
The Cruelty of Ibn Sa’ad and Shimr
Dissent was rampant among the Tyrant’s army
All argued, The infant had not fault,
They should give the water to the child,
It is what is right, they would say…
This concerned Ibn Sa’ad and Shimr the accursed
At this rate, their own forces would against themselves, turn…
“Not a drop of water must reach Hussayn (a.s.) or his house!
He who disagrees, punishment will be delivered on the spot!” said Shimr…
Omar Ibn Sa’ad called to his best archer, ‘Hurrmala’ and ordered:
“Prepare thy bow, strike at the neck… Slaughter the child, do not wait!”
The air refused to enter this space
The sands wished to retreat far away
The Euphrates stopped flowing
For a moment, all nature would weep…
For a moment al-Hussayn (a.s.) thought he would faint
When he opened his eyes, all he could see was red…
An arrow, with not one head but three for the son of Hussayn (a.s.)
Through the neck, it had pinned the body to Hussayn (a.s.)
‘Qasim (a.s.), Ali Akb’ar (a.s.), Aun’ & Muhammad (a.s.),
Abbas (a.s.) all were now gone… Ali Asghar’ too was slaughtered…
They say at that moment, when blood began to gush forth,
The skies and wept and said:
“O grandson of the Prophet (s.a.w.w.) do not let this blood ascend above,
If it does, it shall not rain forevermore…”
When the blood began to flow, seeking the ground… The Earth called forth:
“ O Shabbir (“The virtuous”), if this blood reaches the soil,
Nothing will grow till the day of Judgement…”
Helpless, the father of Ali Asghar (a.s.) chose,
to rub the blood of the infant over his own face…
Oh how heartless is that army!
Which stood simply and watched…
They say, Al-Hussayn (a.s.) dug his grave with his blade,
The sword of his father, Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.s.)
What could he say to his infant’s mother,
Except:
“From God we come, and to him we are to return”
O Ali ‘Asghar, may I and my household be sacrificed for thee
O Gate of all invocations, O infant martyr of Karbala…
إِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ
My master has been martyred… and so the sands of Karbala remain coloured with the blood of the righteous…
The inhumane still downplay the event so of Karbala and seek to criticise the few who mourn. The truth is, such stems not from concern nor care, rather it is a hatred of those who were martyred.
My question today is directed towards the mothers themselves.
If your own son was to be martyred in such a way, an arrow through the neck, would you even want to live for a day more? Thirsty and starved, this noble family was so terribly slaughtered, their belongings looted, tents razed and their women & children imprisoned afterwards.
My hardest ordeal lies ahead… to write an elegy for Imam al-Hussayn (a.s.) himself… I entrust the task to God and ask him to guide me in doing justice for this immense personality whose sacrifice sent shockwaves throughout the earth and inspired a movement that ultimately overthrew the Government of the Tyrant Yazid and his followers.
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
The Martyrdom of Ali Asghar (a.s.)
Ali Asghar, the youngest martyr of Karbala
Tears for Karbala: Hazrat Ali Asghar (a.s.)
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).