Rafed English

Muslim Arrested and Martyred

HAVING DESPATCHED HIS sons, Muslim, discarded by one and all in Kufa and hunted by the men of Ibne Ziad, wandered in Kufa, as a homeless destitute without any shelter or shade to lay his head or even to rest awhile against the scorching sun. None dared to give him even a cup of water. Passing through a street Muslim halted at the door of a godly lady Tau'a who asked him, not recognising him, who actually he was:

"0' nun why lost thou not return home and rest ?"

Muslim replied :-

"Where to go? I have no home here!"

The good lady looked at Muslim and asked:-

"lf art thou?"

Muslim replied

"I am Muslim, son of Aged, the Deputy of Husain the holy 1;11(1111.1 hunted by the .11nir."

Tau'a, immediately as she learnt about the identity of Muslim and the name of the Holy Imam, told him to get into her house No sooner had Muslim taken shelter in Tau'a's house, theson of the lady, an incorrigible delinquent, returned home and Tau'a advised the lad repeatedly not to let any one know about the whereabouts of Muslim. Early next morning, the lad informed the state authorities. Muslim heard the approach of the soldiers to Tau'a's house and apprehending that if he stays any longer in the house, the house of the poor lady will be ruined, rushed out and after a wonderful resistance, was arrested by the contingent and carried to the court of the Amir. Muslim entered the court without the usual salutation to the Amir. When questioned why he avoided the usual courtesy of the salutation to the Amir, Muslim replied:

"Who is the Amir? a drunkard and debauchee? My Amir is Husain the holy Imam!"

The Amir retorted :-

"Dost thou know thy file? Salutation or no salutation from thee, thou shalt be beheaded."

Muslim replied:

"Threaten thou with death and destruction the dogs who hunt after this world and not any one of the house of the Apostle of God!"

Ibne Ziad called his men and commanded Muslim to be taken on the roof of a building to be beheaded and his body to be thrown down from the top, to the ground.

Hearing the verdict of the Amir about him, Muslim replied:

"Ready I am to pass on in the way of the Lord" and then turning to the audience in the court asked, if there was any Qoreishite among them there to hear his last desire in this world and execute it. Omar ibne Sa'd, a Qoreishite, replied:

"Yes! I am here! Say thou what thou hast to say!"

Muslim said:

"Look 0' son of Sa'd! The first thing I request you to do is to write to the Holy Imam or send a message at once to him never to think of coming over to Kufa!" Secondly, I owe seven hundred dirhams to the people here in Kufa. Here is my horse and my armour. Sell thou these two things and disburse the dues.

Thou art a Qoreishite! Bury thou my body out of my own money raised by the sale of my belongings without any obligation from any one of the Kufees".

Omar replied we will act as deemed desirable by us. The people seated around in the court wept but none spoke a word against the brutal behaviour against Muslim.

Muslim when taken on the top of a building, asked respite of the executioners to offer his last prayer to the Lord. After the prayer he turned toward Mecca and cried :-

"Pardon me 0' Holy Imam, for I was misled. But think thou not of coining over to Kufa!"

No sooner Muslim had finished his prayer, and his cry to the Holy Imam, fell the stroke of the sword from the executioner. His head was taken and the body was thrown down on the ground.

The heads of I Iani ibne Orwah and Muslim ibne Aqeel were despatched to Yazid as a token of the faithful execution of his orders by his Deputy Ibne Ziad.

The bodies of Muslim and Hani, with a rope tied in the legs, were dragged into the streets of Kufa, as an active and visual warning to the people against their loyalty to the House of the Holy Prophet and particularly to Husain the Holy Imam. At last the body of Muslim and Hani were hung at the gateway of the City and remained there hanging for days together. None of the last desires of Muslim was executed and immediately orders were issued to comb the city and its surroundings and find out the children of Muslim. A tempting prize was announced on the heads of the innocents.

Adapted from the book: "Husain; The Saviour of Islam" by: "S.V. Mir Ahmed Ali"

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