Rafed English
site.site_name : Rafed English

The Hashimites-from the seed of Abu Taleb :-

I. Those mentioned in the Ziarate Nahiyah . . 18

2. Those not mentioned in the Ziarat . .

3. Young children . . 3

No. distributed according to the Immediate parentage of the Martyrs:

The Holy Imam Husain .. I

2. The sons of the Holy Imam (Two in Karbala and one in Abdullah was martyred later and buried in Asqalan) .. 3

3. The sons of Amirul-Momineen Ali . . 9

4. The sons of Imam Hasan . . 4

5. The sons of Agee! . . 12

6. The sons ofjafar . . 4

The comrades of the Holy Imam:

1. Those whose names are mentioned in the Viarat-e-Nahiah.' .. 70

2. Those whose names are not mentioned in the Ziarat. .. 27

3. Total number of Martyrs in Kufa .. 8

Total comrades martyred. .. 1o5

Total martyrs including the Bani Hashim and the Holy Imam .. 138

The Martyrs of Karbala-the Kind of Men they were

As ALREADY SAID in the foregoing pages, those who surrendered their souls in the way of the Lord at Karbala were the divinely selected ones of the human family. They were ideal personalities with unique qualities which humanity could justly be proud to own in their kind as the matchless gems which the world had ever seen. Each one of the great martyrs was a model of the integration of the unique personality traits some of which each one of them possessed as peculiar to himself. They were the noblest models divinely set up for the members of the human family to follow. The faith in God, the sincere devotion, the dauntless courage, the unconquerable fidelity, the unfailing patience, the charitable disposition, the ideal consideration for the life after death and the ever mindfulness of the Day of Judgment which the great martyrs manifested in the hour of their trial at Karbala were obviously the qualities they were divinely conditioned with for the fulfilment of the Divine Plan of the enactment of the glorious 'Zibhe-Axeem.' Every one of the martyrs was a glorious human metal with the polish necessary to get reflected through it the divine attributes of the Creator Lord of the Universe. In short, Karbala was a historic, a unique and the greatest exhibition of the best specimens of the various noble qualities endowed in the children of Adam, particularly those of the seed of Abraham through Muhammad, Ali and Fatema. Any one desirous of having a view of the glorious manifestation of divinity in man, and the ideal integration of the Divine attributes in a human personality may look into the wonderful sacrifice which Husain, the King of Martyrs, offered in Karbala, in the way of the Lord.

It is a historic fact that a large crowd followed Husain from Mecca but before the great offering he had to make, Husain started shifting the human stuff there with him through his repeated sermons prophesying the torturous sufferings and the gruesome massacre in store for those who remain with him. Thus the Holy Imam made the questionable stuff leave his camp after which remained only the sincere ones who were wholly devoted to the Lord and who were really anxious of surrendering themselves in His way. While he wanted those who were then with him to leave him and go away, Husain wrote letters and sent messages to the chosen few worthy of inclusion into his fold informing them of the arrival of the awaited hour. Thus were collected the gems worthy of presenting to the Lord, shuntinQ out all the unworthy stuff.

The Companions of Husain and those of the Holy Prophet

IT Is THE historic truth that the kind of faithful companions the Holy Imam Husain had gathered around him was not given to any of the Apostles of God including Jesus and even the Holy Prophet Muhammad to claim such a band of men of spotless character and godly conduct in such a large number among their companions. While one of the disciples of Jesus betrayed him and connived to get him in the hands of his enemies, none of the other disciples offered to get killed with their Master. In the case of the companions of the Holy Prophet, most of those who claim prominence in their devotion to him, deserted him leaving him in the Jaws of death, not once or twice but on every occasion when they felt any danger to their life. But in the case of Husain, the faithfulness and the devotion of his comrades in the worst and the most torturous miseries which culminated in the gruesome massacre of one and all of them, is nothing but a matchless marvel which has thrown the human world into wonder and has moved every human heart to sorrow and grief for them, with tears irresistibly rushing into the eyes of men, women and even children in sympathy for the great sufferers in the way of the Lord.

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