Arrival in Damascus

They arrived in Damascus on the first day of the month of Safar. The prisoners were kept in Bab al-Sa'at and people went to see them, dancing and using the drums.

Somebody asked Sukaynah, "What prisoners are you?" She answered, "We are prisoners of the family of Muhammad."

Yazid was sitting on his throne in his castle at Jiran when he saw the heads on spears and the prisoners. He recited a poem:

"When I saw the caravan and the heads near Jiran
The crow crowed, and I said,
Whether you crow or not,
I have gotten even with the Messenger of God."

Because of this poem and other displays of hatred to the Prophet, some Sunni scholars believe that Yazid was kafir (unbeliever) and deserves to be cursed.

Sahl Ibn Sa'id came to Sukaynah, daughter of Imam Husayn, and asked, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

She asked him, "Can you tell the one who carries the head to go farther from the women, so people do not look at the women?"

Sahl honored his word and granted her request.

An old man came to Imam Sajjad and said, "Praise God that He perished you and made the leader overcome you!"

Sajjad replied, "Have you ever read the Qur'an, O, old man?"

The old man answered, "Yes."

Sajjad asked, "Have you read the verse: Say: I do not ask you any reward but love for the near in kin?" 1

He said, "Yes."
Imam Sajjad asked, "Have you read the verse: So, give the near in kin their rights?"

He said, "Yes, of course."

Sajjad asked, "Have you read the verse: And know that whatever you gain, a fifth of it is for God, and for the Messenger, the near of kin, orphans, the poor, and wayfarers?"  (Q. 59:7)

The old man answered, "Yes, I have read all of these."

Sajjad said, "Indeed, by God, we are them." Then he asked, "Have you read the verse: Indeed, God wants to take away pollution from you, O, People of the House?"

The old man answered, "Yes."

Sajjad said to him, "We are the People of the House whom God has purified."

The old man's eyes opened wide as he asked, "Are you them?" Sajjad said, "Yes, (I swear it) by our grandfather Prophet Muhammad. We are them without any doubt."

The man fell to the ground, kissed Sajjad's feet, and said, "I repent to God and reject those who killed you."

When Yazid found out about this, he ordered the man to be killed.

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1. The Holy Qur'an; Sura of ash-Shura 42:23 2. The Holy Qur'an; Sura of ar-Room 30: 38. 3. The Holy Qur'an; Sura of al-Anfal 7:59. 4. The Holy Qur'an; Sura of al-Ahzab 33:33.

Adapted from the book: "Karbala & Ashura" by: "Ali Hussain Jalali"