Hazrat Ali Asgher (Abd Allah) comes into Battlefield: By: Abbas Shahid Baqir.  Abdullah Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn (Tenth of Rajab, 60 AH - Tenth of Muharram, 61 AH) was the youngest child of Husayn ibn Ali (the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the third Shia Imam) and Rubab (the daughter of the chief of the Kinda Imra al-Qays tribe). He is honored by Muslims, particularly Shi'a Muslims, as the youngest martyr of the Battle of Karbala. Abdullah "Ali al-Asghar" ("Youngest Ali") ibn Husayn was born in Medina. He was one of the three sons of Husayn. The other two were Ali ibn Husayn, the fourth Shia Imam, and Ali Akbar ibn Husayn, who Yazid's forces also killed in the Battle of Karbala. His sister was Sakinah bint Husayn. Ali al-Asghar was killed by Hurmala who shot an arrow which pierced his neck. According to both Shia and Sunni traditions, the arrow was three-headed, and when it hit this six-month old baby, the equilibrium of his body was not stable thus enabling the turning of his body. This is a depiction of the arrow that hit this innocent baby. At six months of age, Ali Asghar was killed by an arrow to his neck from Yazid's army on the 10th of October 680, 10 Muharram 61 AH, which is known as Ashura. He is considered a martyr to the Shi'ah. When most of Hussein Ibn-Ali's companions had sacrificed their lives for him, there was a cry heard. It was Hussein, who was calling for anyone to help him. He reminded his enemies that he was the Grandson of the Prophet Muhammed. The same Muhammed, who used to tell the people how much he loved Hussein and his brother Hassan. According to traditions, once when he was preaching in the popular Mosque of Medina, and when Hussein entered, he had tripped and fell because of the length of his thoub. The Prophet of God thus, left his preaching and ran to Hussein, kissed him and brought him along and showed the people how much love he had. Ali Asgher, fell from the cradle hearing the cry of his father Hussein.. Hussein Ibn-Ali was called, and when he came, he saw the thirst that was gradually killing Ali Asgher. Therefore, he asked permission of his wife who was the mother of Ali-Asgher to take him to the battle field and ask his enemies for water. Hussein introduced his son Ali-Asgher and asked water for his son. The Army of Yazid was so grieved that they began questioning their belief in Yazeed and his ruling. Ibn-Zyad, the Commander of the Army of Yazid, ordered Hurmala to kill this child. Hussein, in seeing this, put Ali-Asgher on the ground and told them that he would not take the water and that they themselves should give this six-month old child water. Hurmala was one of the greatest archers at the time. He shot the arrow which then pierced the neck of Ali-Asgher. This arrow according to many narrations, was a three-headed arrow. When it pierced the neck of Ali-Asgher killing him, the equilibrium of his body was unstable. So much so that his body turned. This is the depiction of the weight of the three-headed arrow which was used for hunting deers. As a result, Hussein Ibn-Ali was greived and weeped. He did not know how to take this child of his back to his mother, who will never again smile.. Therefore, with his sword he dug a grave and buried his six-month old baby. When Hussein was beheaded and murdered, Ibn-Zyad announced that anyone who could bring the sever heads of all the companions of Hussein, would be rewarded. Eventually, all of Hussein's companions' severe heads were brought. Ibn Zyad questioned the head of the six-month old child Hurmala had killed. One of the people of Yazid's Army explained that he saw Hussein Ibn Ali burrying his son. Therefore, Ibn Zyad demanded that his army should go around the camp of Hussein and stabbing the ground with their swords and spears until they find the grave. As a result, one of the soldiers found the body and beheaded Ali-Asgher's head from his body. His severe head, along with all the companions' heads was raised on spears. The ladies of Hussein who were taken prisoners were constantly reminded of their loved ones especially the wife of Hussein, Ruqayya. When Imam Hussain (pbuh) stood all alone in the battlefield surrounded by the enemies, he was summoned by a call from his sister Zainab (pbuh) in his camp. When he went into the tent, he (pbuh) found his six (6) month old baby son Ali Asgher, dying of thirst in his cradle. And the poor mother Rubab, whose milk had dried up by the continuous thirst and hunger, could not help the baby with even a drop of milk. Telling the mother that he would show the baby to the enemy and get some water for it if they give it, Imam Hussain (pbuh) took the babe to the battlefield by covering with his robe and raising it up in his arms to enable everyone in the enemy's forces to see it, and said: "O People! If, in your opinion, Hussain is guilty of any sin or crime, this innocent babe has done nothing to hurt any one of you. It does not even speak, and has not even uttered anything against you or your Amir at Damascus. He is dying of thirst. He had neither milk nor water for the last three days. Would you quench his thirst by a few drops of water? If you suspect that I demand water for myself in the name of the babe, then I will leave it here, if you want, and go easy and you may return it with his thirst quenched." It is reported that the address of the Holy Imam (pbuh) and the scene, with the thirsty innocent babe in his hands, was so touching, so pathetic and so heart-rending that even the men in the enemy's army could not help weeping and cursing the Yazid and his Deputy 'Ubayd Allah son of Ziyad', Governor of Kufa, who had gathered them there against such Holy ones. 'Umar son of Saad', fearing a revolt of his forces in sympathy for the Holy Imam, at once ordered a stonehearted brute named Hurmula to answer Hussain. The tyrant, shot a arrow from his bow which after piercing through the Imam's arm got stuck into the tiny neck of the innocent babe. Blood gushed out of his neck and splashed on to Imam Hussain's face. Ali Asgher died in his father's arms with his smiling face. Imam Hussain (pbuh) walked back to the camp weeping with Ali Asgher in his arms. At the door he waited for a moment and then turned back, this he did seven (7) times as if he was building his strength to face the mother of the baby who had been so brutally murdered. Rubab looked at her husband's face covered in blood and cried out "What have they done to my son, did they even give him a drop of water before they killed him?" Imam Hussain (pbuh) said "I pleaded with them to give him water, but instead they drenched him with blood." Rubab said "Please bury Ali Asgher with your own hands." Hence he sat down to bury his baby son in the burning sand of the desert, by digging a grave using sword. After that he looked up and said. "O Almighty God bear witness that I have done my duty to the last." Does not even this one single sacrifice suffice to touch every human heart? Can we not call this one sacrifice alone greater than the sacrifice offered by Abraham? God alone knows the degree of the patience and the fortitude which He had endowed in the Imam Hussain (pbuh) to bear the series of such unbearable calamities. |
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