Rafed English
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The Holy Imam Husain's Determination

PEOPLE OF MADINA were fully aware of the dreadful consequences that would follow the blunt refusal of the Holy Imam to pay 'Baia!? to Yazid. They went to the Holy Imam in large numbers to know his final decision. Husain replied to them :-

"Do you imagine for a moment that Husain, fearing death and destruction at the hands of the tyrant would ever allow to be undone all that his Holy Grandfather, the Last Apostle of God, had done after facing untold dangers and undergoing innumerable difficulties?" "Do you think that Husain would allow all the sacrifices offered and the bitterest experiences suffered and the heart-rending tortures borne by his Father, Mother and Brother to go in vain?" "Do you imagine Husain would ever allow the Faith revealed by God for humanity as a whole, to perish and to vanish away for ever, when it has been established by the shredding of the sacred blood of his father in the Mosque of Kufa? "Nay! Never! God willing, you all shall see that Husain, wading through his own blood, directs the Ark of Islam out of the stormy seas, safe to the haven of everlasting safety."

At last dawned the historic day of Husain's leaving Madina. All the ladies mounted the fully veiled litters on the backs of the camels and when the turn of Zainab came to mount, Ali-e-Akbar held the screen and Abbas lowered his knee for Zainab to place her foot on it and Husain held her hand to help her, and the daughter of Fatema mounted the camel. At last Husain bade goodbye to every one of the huge crowd of citizens that had assembled, and turning towards the graves of his Grandfather, Mother and Brother, Husain gave his last salutation. The caravan began to move with the people of the city crying aloud behind it with their lamentations saying:

"Today died the Holy Prophet. Today died the Holy Lady Fatema and today died Hasan."

Fatema Sughra in the high fever and in her disappointment had swooned and availing of the unconscious state of his daughter, Husain had asked the people of the house to make haste and start. When the caravan had left, Fatema returned to consciousness and seeing the whole house empty, asked Omme Salcma about the inmates to which she was told that they had all gone. Fatema got up and with the help of a stick in her hand, began to walk behind the caravan crying out:-

"Baba ! Baba! Baba! i.e., Father! Father! Father!"

The caravan had gone sufficient away but God alone knows how Husain could hear the feeble voice of the crying of his ailing daughter coming at a considerate distance behind the caravan, inspite of the loud noises of the moving caravan. Husain called aloud to Abbas telling him:

"Stop Abbas! Stop! Fatema is coming behind."

The caravan stopped and Fatema somehow reached the caravan and began to implore saying:

"Father dear! If there be no space for me with my mother and sisters, I mill sit with the servant maid Fizza and will not worry any one with my sickness."

Husain came down from his horse and tried to console her, explaining his inability owing to her sickness under which the Word of God does not allow him to take her on the journey.

This is an occasion for parents among the readers to imagine the state of mind of Fatema's mother and her other relatives.

At last Fatema made a request to her father which he could not resist granting:-

"Father ! If I have to be left behind, leave with me my baby brother Ali-e-Asghar. I will spend my time with him and will see he is duly looked after by a Hashimite nurse."

Husain said :-

"Yes, beckon thy brother Ali, if he cometh, take him away with thee."

Fatema went near the camel on which was her mother with her baby brother Ali-e-Azghar. The moment she beckoned, the baby rushed into her lap.

How could the caravan move now, with the mother leaving away the suckling babe away from her. The mother tried her best to get the baby back from Fatema, and along with the mother all other relatives tried, and even Husain tried his best to see that the baby returns from Fatema but every one failed and every time the baby looked at the face of the one who beckoned it and smiled and turned around and put both its hands round Fatema's neck, the caravan had stopped. At last Husain getting near the baby's ears, moved his lips saying something in the ears of the Innocent and the baby which did not respond to any one before and even to its mother, now hearing the words uttered into its ears by the Holy Imam, at once left Fatema and got into the lap of the Holy Imam. Fatema stood disappointed and at last the caravan moved away.

After the Massacre of Karbala, some one asked Ali ibnul Husain as to what was it that Husain said into the cars of the babe which did not respond to anybody's beckoning and even to Husain when he did it before, at once came away into Husain's lap. In reply yed-e-Sajjad Ali-ibnul-Husain sighed aloud saying:-

"Ah! Ali! What a heart-rending event, 0' man! Thou reminded me of! "My Father only told in the ears of my baby brother Ali. Son I need thee also at Karbala for thy name also is there in the list of the martyrs and without thee, my darling, my sacrifice will be incomplete! Hearing this my baby brother at once responded to the call and returned from my sister Fatema's lap."

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