Tale of Hussain's Martyrdom

Part 12 - The Campaign of the Abi Talibs

After Ali ul-Akbar, Abdullah bin Muslim bin Aqeel bin Abi Talib whose mother was Ruqaiyyah al-Kubra, daughter of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali, was next to go to war. In three attacks, he killed a bunch of enemy soldiers. Yazid bin ar-Raqqad al-Juhni shot him with an arrow from which he protected his head with his arm. The arrow pierced his arm and lodged into his forehead sewing the two together. Failing to dislodge his arm from his forehead, he sent an outcry saying, "0 Lord! They trampled on and humiliated us. So, God kill them as they killed us." As he was in that state, a man thrust his spear into his heart causing his death. Yazid bin Ar-Raqqad approached the dead body and plucked his arrow from his forehead causing the arrow to come off leaving the arrowhead buried into the forehead.

Abu Bakr Abdullah al-Akbar (Senior) son of Imam Ali son of Ramla, who was a slave-girl, fought bravely until he was killed.

After Abu Bakr al-Qassim, the turn was for his brother al-Qassim who was just a boy. When Hussain looked at him he embraced him and wept. He gave him permission to fight. His face exuding with light, sword in hand, wearing a shirt and a loin-cloth, and a pair of sandals. As he was engaged in combat his sandals snapped. Paying scant regard to the enemy soldiers, he stopped to tie it up for he did not want to be seen bare-footed by the enemy.

As he was thus Amr bin Sa'ad bin Nufail al-Azdi assaulted him. Hamid bin Muslim said to him, "What do you want of this boy? Is it not enough that all these troops have cut him off!" Amr replied, "By God! I have to harass him." He did not turn away before he dealt him a blow on the head causing him to fall face down. He called on his uncle, "0 Uncle!" Hussain hurried to him as if he were a furious lion and struck Sa'ad with his sword; he lift his arm to protect his head, only to be severed from the elbow. He sent out a loud cry. When the troops heard it, the horsemen launched an attack to evacuate him; he was knocked down and trampled on by the horses and was killed.

When the dust settled, Imam Hussain was seen standing near the boy's head; the boy was kicking. Hussain was saying, ^"Lo! to those who killed you. Their adversary on the Day of Judgement shall be your grandfather".

"It is with regret that your uncle has been helpless, when you called on me I could not respond to your call, and when I responded there was nothing I could do. By God! It is a cry met with abundance of harm than help", he added. He carried him to the make-shift mortuary, where the bodies of Ali ul-Akbar and members of the Apostle's household lay. He lift his head towards the sky and invoked God, "0 Lord! Do not lose count of them, and do not forgive them ever! 0 Cousins! forbear in adversity; you shall never see disgrace after today".