Imam Husayn (A.S.), the Beloved Son of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)
INCIDENT OF FITRUS:
[Jibrael was descending towards the earth in the company of many angels when his eyes fell upon an angel on a deserted island. The wings of that angel were cut so he could not fly and he was engrossed in his own grief. Jibrael came to him and asked, “Who are you and what has happened to you?” The angel replied, “O Jibrael! I am Fitrus. I was the leader of 70,000 angels in the third heaven. Once I delayed little in discharging the command of Allah (SWT) and as a punishment, Allah (SWT) banished me from the heavens and I was thrown into this island”. Fitrus then asked, “O Jibrael! May I ask what has happened that I see you in company of so many angels today?” Jibrael said, “Fitrus! A grandson has been born in the house of Prophet Muhammad whose name is Al-Husayn. We are going to convey the greetings of Allah to him”. Fitrus, who was very well aware of the status of Ahlul-Bayt (as) pleaded to Jibrael to carry him along so that through the ‘Barakah’ (blessings) of this household, he could ask for his own salvation. With the permission of Allah (SWT), Jibrael carried Fitrus to the house of the Holy Prophet (saww). At that time, the messenger of Allah was sitting and holding his grandchild in his lap. Jibrael informed the Holy Prophet (saww) about the plight of Fitrus. The messenger of Allah instructed Jibrael to bring Fitrus closer and rub his body with of his grandson. As soon as this happened, Allah (SWT) restored the wings of Fitrus and he flew happily and saying proudly:” I am the freed slave of Al-Husayn”.] (Rawdhah al-Shuhada)
It is also narrated that:
[After the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (as) in Karbala, Fitrus asked Allah (SWT) to grant him with permission to fight against the enemies of Islam.
Instead, Allah (SWT) commanded him to go with 70,000 angels to the grave of Imam al-Husayn (as) and mourn for him there till the day of Qiyamah.]
Imam al-Husayn (as) was born on 3rd of in the year 4 AH in Madina. It was a great day of joy and happiness in the household of Prophet Muhammad (saww).
HASANAYN (AS) ARE THE SONS OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAWW)
Although Imam Hasan (as) & Imam Husayn (as) are the sons of Ali (as) & Fatima (as), they are both regarded as the sons of the Holy Prophet (saww). Many enemies of Ahlul-Bayt (as) argue that no one should be called as sons to the Holy Prophet (saww) because the Holy Quran is explicit that the messenger of Allah is not anyone’s father. The evidence, which they present, is the 40th verse of Suratul-Ahzaab (33), which I recited in the beginning. Allah (SWT) says:
“Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Apostle of Allah and the seal of the prophets, and Allah has knowledge of all things”. (33:40)
Let us see if their claim is true.
Point 1
All the commentators of the Holy Quran are in agreement that this verse was revealed to cancel the false belief among people that one cannot marry the wife of his adopted son.
[Zayd bin Haritha was once being sold as a slave in the market of Akkaz. The Holy Prophet (saww) purchased him and adopted him as his own son.The father of Zayd was a man of means. When he found out that his kidnapped was sold as a slave, he came to Abu Talib to seek his freedom. The Holy Prophet (saww) at once set him free and allowed him to go with his father. However, Zayd decided to remain with the Holy Prophet (saww) and the messenger of Allah asked the people to bear witness that from that day Zayd was his son. This became so well known fact that the Arabs used to call Zayd as ‘Zayd ibn Muhammad’ meaning ‘Zayd son of Muhammad’.
Zayd married a woman called Zaynab bint Jahsh. Later on, when he divorced her, the messenger of Allah was commanded by Allah (SWT) to marry Zaynab. The reason for this marriage was to break this belief, which was prevalent among the Arabs that one cannot marry the wife of ones adopted son. When the Holy Prophet (saww) married Zaynab, some Muslims accused him of wrongdoing and began considering this action as scandalous. Thus this verse was revealed.
This has been verified in yet another verse in which Allah (SWT) says: “Nor has He made your adopted sons as your sons. These are mere utterances of your mouths”. (33:4)
Point 2
The Holy Prophet (saww) himself has said, “Ali and I are the fathers of this nation”. (Tafseer-e-Namoona)
If the Quran says that Muhammad is not the father of any man and the Holy Prophet (saww) said ‘Ali and I are the fathers of this nation’ – doesn’t this contradict the Holy Quran? This by itself proves 2 things: One is that the verse in which Allah (SWT) has said that ‘Muhammad is not a father of any man’ was revealed only to abrogate the belief that an adopted son is like a natural son. Secondly, what the Holy Prophet (saww) implied was that he (saww) and Ali (as) were the spiritual fathers of this Ummah.
Point 3
With regard to Hasan (as) & Husayn (as) being the sons of the Holy Prophet (saww), the Holy Quran itself has announced this explicitly. When the Christian monks visited the Holy Prophet (saww) and despite all the arguments, they declined to accept his message, Allah (SWT) commanded His prophet to call them for a Mubahila. “Should anyone argue with you concerning him after the knowledge that has come to you, say, ‘Come! Let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, our souls and your souls, then let us pray earnestly and call upon Allah’s curse upon the liars”. (3:61)
History bears witness to this fact that the Holy Prophet (saww) brought:
In Abnaa-ana (our sons) – Hasan (as) & Husayn (as); In Nisaa-ana (our women) – Sayyida Fatima (as); and in Anfusanaa (our souls) – Imam Ali (as).
Ibn Abil-Hadeed, the Sunni Scholar writes in his commentary of Nahjul-Balaghah that: “If I am asked whether Hasan & Husayn are the sons of the Holy Prophet (saww) – I would most certainly say: “Yes” because Allah (SWT) Himself says in the verse of Mubahila: ABNAA-ANA (our sons) and this can only refer to Hasanayn (as)”. Then he adds: “According to the language experts – they are unanimous that the children of a woman are also considered as the generation of her father”.
Point 4
[In the battle of Siffeen, Imam Hasan (as) was anxious to go forth and fight against Mu’awiya. Imam Ali (as) told the Muslims: “Stop Al-Hasan and don’t let him go to the battlefront hastily. I fear that should Hasan and Husayn get martyred, the generation of the Holy Prophet (saww) shall be cut-off”.] (Ahsan al-Muqaal)
SEEKING FORGIVENESS THROUGH AL-HUSAYN (AS)
The months of Rajab / Sha’ban & Ramadhan are for Istighfar. One thing about Imam Husayn (as) that has been mentioned is that through his Waseelah, Allah (SWT) quickly forgives sins. It has been narrated that:
[In the days of the Holy Prophet (saww), a person had committed a sin and because of fear, he hid himself at a place. One day he saw Imam Hasan (as) & Imam Husayn (as) alone. So he lifted them over his shoulder, came to the Holy Prophet (saww) and said, ANA MUSTAJEERUN BILLAHI WA BIHIMA, “I seek refuge in Allah and in these two from that sin, which I had committed”.
The Holy Prophet (saww) laughed and placing his hand on his lips, he (saww) said, “Go! You have been freed (from your sin)” And Hasanayn (as) said,
“We accept to intercede on your behalf”. The following verse was then revealed, “Had they, when they wronged themselves, come to you and pleaded Allah for forgiveness, and the Apostle had pleaded for forgiveness for them they would have surely found Allah all-Clement, all-Merciful”. (4:64)] (Manaqib Aali Abi Talib)