A number of men, including ‘Abdullah Ibn Hawzah al-Tamimi15, came charging in the Imam's direction. “Is Husayn among you?” shouted ‘Abdullah once, twice, and thrice. After the third call, al-Husayn's companions said, “Al-Husayn (‘a) is right here; what do you want from him?”
He said, “O Husayn! Let me convey to you the good news of your going to hell!” Al-Husayn (‘a) said, “Liar! Rather, I shall meet a Lord Who is Forgiving, Gracious, Obeyed, and He accepts intercession..., but who are you?”
“I am the son of Hawzah,” the rogue said, whereupon al-Husayn (‘a) raised his hands till the whiteness of his armpits became visible as he supplicated thus: “O Lord! I invoke You to hurl him into the fire!”
Ibn Hawzah became so angry that he instantly charged at the Imam (‘a). A small dry rivulet was in the way between them. As the charger leaped over it, the rider fell. One of his feet remained hooked in the stirrup.
His other foot as well as leg and thigh remained hanging. The horse kept dragging him, causing him to hit the rocks and tree stumps in its way16, finally hurling him into the burning fire of the ditch. He died instantly by burning. It was then that Imam Husayn (‘a) prostrated to thank Allah, praising Him for swiftly responding to his invocation, raising his voice as he said,
“Lord! We are the Ahl al-Bayt of Your Prophet, his offspring and kinsfolk, so do split the spine of those who oppressed us and usurped what belongs to us, surely You hear, and You are ever near!”
Muhammad Ibn al-Ash’ath [sarcastically] asked the Imam, “What kinship do you have with Muhammad (S)?” Al-Husayn (‘a) said, “Lord! Muhammad Ibn al-Ash’ath says there is no kinship between me and Muhammad!
Lord! Show me today how You swiftly humiliate him!” Allah did, indeed, swiftly respond to the Imam's supplication: Muhammad Ibn al-Ash’ath came out of the army, alighted from his horse and started defecating. As he was thus engaged, a black scorpion bit him, leaving him polluted with his own feces17, killing him just as the villain's private parts were thus exposed18.
Masruq Ibn Wa'il al-Hadrami has said, “I was in the vanguard of the horsemen who came to fight al-Husayn son of ‘Ali (‘a) hoping to cut his head off and win by it favour with Ibn Ziyad. Having seen what happened to Ibn Hawzah, I realized that there is a sanctity and a special status of Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) with Allah, so I left the people saying, ‘I shall not fight them and thus be hurled into the Fire.'”19
He said, “O Husayn! Let me convey to you the good news of your going to hell!” Al-Husayn (‘a) said, “Liar! Rather, I shall meet a Lord Who is Forgiving, Gracious, Obeyed, and He accepts intercession..., but who are you?”
“I am the son of Hawzah,” the rogue said, whereupon al-Husayn (‘a) raised his hands till the whiteness of his armpits became visible as he supplicated thus: “O Lord! I invoke You to hurl him into the fire!”
Ibn Hawzah became so angry that he instantly charged at the Imam (‘a). A small dry rivulet was in the way between them. As the charger leaped over it, the rider fell. One of his feet remained hooked in the stirrup.
His other foot as well as leg and thigh remained hanging. The horse kept dragging him, causing him to hit the rocks and tree stumps in its way16, finally hurling him into the burning fire of the ditch. He died instantly by burning. It was then that Imam Husayn (‘a) prostrated to thank Allah, praising Him for swiftly responding to his invocation, raising his voice as he said,
“Lord! We are the Ahl al-Bayt of Your Prophet, his offspring and kinsfolk, so do split the spine of those who oppressed us and usurped what belongs to us, surely You hear, and You are ever near!”
Muhammad Ibn al-Ash’ath [sarcastically] asked the Imam, “What kinship do you have with Muhammad (S)?” Al-Husayn (‘a) said, “Lord! Muhammad Ibn al-Ash’ath says there is no kinship between me and Muhammad!
Lord! Show me today how You swiftly humiliate him!” Allah did, indeed, swiftly respond to the Imam's supplication: Muhammad Ibn al-Ash’ath came out of the army, alighted from his horse and started defecating. As he was thus engaged, a black scorpion bit him, leaving him polluted with his own feces17, killing him just as the villain's private parts were thus exposed18.
Masruq Ibn Wa'il al-Hadrami has said, “I was in the vanguard of the horsemen who came to fight al-Husayn son of ‘Ali (‘a) hoping to cut his head off and win by it favour with Ibn Ziyad. Having seen what happened to Ibn Hawzah, I realized that there is a sanctity and a special status of Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) with Allah, so I left the people saying, ‘I shall not fight them and thus be hurled into the Fire.'”19
Notes:
15. On p. 159 of his book titled Rawdat al-Wa’izin (first edition), al-Fattal says, “He was the son of Abu Juwayrah al-Mazni; his horse jolted him, hurling him into the fire in the ditch.”
16. Ibn al-Athir, Al-Kamil, Vol. 4, p. 27.
17. al-Khawarizmi, Maqtal al-Husayn, Vol. 1, p. 249, Chapter 11. In his book Al-Amali, as-Saduq contented himself with quoting only his invoking Allah's wrath against Muhammad Ibn al-Ash’ath.
18. al-Fattal, Rawzat al-Wa’ziin, p. 159 (first edition).
19. Ibn al-Athir, Al-Kamil, Vol. 4, p. 27.
