Shafaqna English- From Ashura to Arbaeen, the family of Imam Hussain (AS) endured one of the most painful and tragic chapters in Islamic history.
According to Shafaqna, following the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS) and his loyal companions on the plains of Karbala, the surviving women and children of the Prophet’s Household (PBUH) were taken captive and subjected to humiliation, hardship, and immense suffering.
They witnessed the desecration of the martyrs, the burning of their tents, the long journey of captivity through Kufa and Damascus, and the public display of the blessed heads of their loved ones. The period from Ashura to Arbaeen stands as a lasting testament to their endurance and their determination to safeguard the truth and legacy of Imam Hussain (AS).
From the Plundering of Imam Hussain’s (AS) Garment to the Trampling of His Blessed Body
One of the most heartbreaking scenes witnessed by the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) on the Day of Ashura was the plundering of Imam Hussain’s (AS) garment and the trampling of his blessed body by ten horsemen.
According to historical accounts, one of the hard-hearted men present at Karbala was Ishaq ibn Haywah. Following the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS), he stripped the Imam’s blessed body of its garment before the very eyes of his family. Then, acting on the orders of Umar ibn Sa’d, he willingly joined nine others in riding their horses over the Imam’s (AS) blessed body.
Their brutality shattered the bones of Imam Hussain (AS), making the grief of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) even more profound and causing their tears to flow with even greater sorrow.
The Plundering of the Tents and Captivity of Muslim Women
Following the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS) on the afternoon of Ashura, Umar ibn Sa’d ordered his merciless soldiers to storm the tents. They set them ablaze, leaving the women and children to wander helplessly across the burning, thorn-covered plains of Karbala.
Among the greatest injustices that stand as a clear violation of the principles explicitly upheld by Islam was the captivity of Muslim women. Following the tragedy of Karbala, the family of Imam Hussain (AS) was taken captive, paraded from one city to another, and publicly displayed in Kufa and Damascus.
The Umayyad oppressors treated the descendants of the Prophet (PBUH) as though they were non-Muslim prisoners of war. They transported them from Kufa to Damascus, exposed the faces of the captive women before the people of every city they passed through, and subjected them to the utmost cruelty and heartlessness.
As Lady Zaynab (SA) passed by the bodies of the martyrs, protesting the captivity of the Prophet’s (PBUH) household, she cried out:
“O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), behold—these are your daughters being led away into captivity.”
The Departure of the Caravan of the Ahl al-Bayt’s (AS) Captives from Karbala
On the eleventh of Muharram, Umar ibn Sa’d ordered the caravan of the Ahl al-Bayt’s (AS) captives to depart from Karbala for Kufa. They were bound in chains and made to ride upon camels.
Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS), who by the will of God was gravely ill, was likewise placed in chains and mounted on a camel. On that same day, the severed head of Imam Hussain (AS) was taken to the governor’s palace.
The Raising of the Martyrs’ Heads upon Spears in Kufa and Their Burial in Karbala
On the twelfth of Muharram, the family of Imam Hussain (AS), together with Umar ibn Sa’d, entered Kufa. Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad convened an assembly filled with intimidation and terror, allowing the people to enter the governor’s palace. He then ordered that the severed heads of the martyrs be brought in before the Imam’s family.
According to historical narrations, during this gathering, Ubayd Allah struck the lips and teeth of Imam Hussain (AS) with his cane. He then ordered that the Imam’s (AS) head be raised upon a spear. This took place while the blessed head of Imam Hussain (AS) rested in a golden basin, and Ubayd Allah mockingly struck his face and teeth as he recited verses praising the beauty of the Imam’s countenance.
Amid this atmosphere of oppression, Rubab threw herself upon the Imam’s blessed head and, through her lament, recalled his martyrdom in Karbala.
The desecration of the Imam’s (AS) head did not end inside the governor’s palace. By Ubayd Allah’s command, the blessed head of Imam Hussain (AS) and the heads of his martyred companions were mounted upon spears and carried through the streets and marketplaces of Kufa.
On this day, members of the Banu Asad tribe came to Karbala to bury the pure bodies of Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions.
The Departure of the Caravan of Captives from Kufa to Syria
The nineteenth of Muharram marks the remembrance of yet another injustice inflicted upon the Household of the Prophet (PBUH). On this day, the caravan of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) departed from Kufa for Damascus and, according to one narration, arrived there on the twenty-ninth of Muharram. Yazid was awaiting the arrival of the captives. He ordered the city of Damascus to be lavishly decorated and commanded that the family of Hussain ibn Ali (AS) be paraded through its streets and marketplaces.
Yazid convened an assembly and invited the nobles of Damascus. He then ordered that the captives from the Ahl al-Bayt, who had been bound together with ropes and chains, be brought into his court in a humiliating manner during the celebration. Those in attendance looked upon them as they entered.
Imam al-Sajjad (AS) stood before Yazid and recited several verses expressing his disavowal of and deep abhorrence for him. He then ascended the pulpit. After offering praise and thanksgiving to God, he delivered a sermon that shook hearts and brought tears to every eye.
Among the words of the Imam were these:
“O people! We have been endowed with six qualities and honored above all others with seven distinctions. We have been granted knowledge, forbearance, generosity, eloquence, courage, and the love of the believers’ hearts. Through us, excellence has been perfected…
Whoever knows me already knows me, and whoever does not know me, let me tell him of my lineage and ancestry.
I am the son of Muhammad, the Chosen One. I am the son of Ali, the Chosen by God. I am the son of him who fought to uphold La ilaha illa Allah. I am the son of him who fought alongside the Messenger of God with two swords and two spears, who migrated twice, pledged allegiance twice, prayed toward both Qiblahs, fought at Badr and Hunayn, and never disbelieved in God for even a single moment.
I am the son of the best of the believers, the heir of the Prophets, the destroyer of the unbelievers, the leader of the Muslims and the warriors in the path of God, the adornment of the worshippers, the crown of those who weep out of the fear of God, the most patient of mankind, the noblest leader of the family of Yasin, and a member of the Household of the Messenger of the Lord of all the worlds.”
The Arrival of the Caravan of the Ahl al-Bayt’s Captives in Damascus
On the first of Safar, the caravan of the Ahl al-Bayt’s captives entered Damascus. For days beforehand, the city’s streets and alleyways had been adorned in anticipation of their arrival. The people of Damascus, dressed in their finest garments, had prepared themselves for what they believed would be a great celebration.
Among the most significant events of that day were the sermons of Imam al-Sajjad (AS) and Lady Zaynab (SA), which revealed to the people the true nature of Yazid and his rule.
The Martyrdom of Lady Ruqayyah, Daughter of Imam Hussain (AS)
According to historical narrations, on the fifth day of the month of Safar, while the Ahl al-Bayt were still held in captivity, the three-year-old daughter of Imam Hussain (AS), Lady Ruqayyah, asked her aunt, Lady Zaynab (SA), “Dear Aunt, where is my father?” Her aunt replied, “He has gone on a long journey.” Ruqayyah embraced her sorrow and wept.
As the night wore on, she apparently saw her father in a dream. She awoke in distress and once again asked her aunt about him, crying for her father with such heartbreaking anguish that the lamentation of the young girl moved all those in the ruined prison to tears and mourning.
News of her grief reached Yazid. He ordered that her father’s severed head be brought to her. The blessed head of the Master of the Martyrs was placed upon a tray and carried into the ruined prison, where it was set before the little girl.
When the cover was removed, she saw the blessed head of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him). She lifted it into her arms, embraced it tightly, and kissed her father’s forehead and lips. Her cries of sorrow grew ever more heartrending. She continued weeping and lamenting over her father’s head until her own voice fell silent forever.
Arbaeen of Imam Hussain (AS) and the Return of the Caravan to Karbala
The twentieth of Safar marks the Arbaeen of Imam Hussain (AS), a day especially dedicated to visiting his shrine. Historians relate that Jabir ibn Abd Allah al-Ansari and Atiyyah al-Awfi were among the first pilgrims to visit Imam Hussain (AS) on Arbaeen. Some historians also maintain that, in the same year (61 AH), the caravan of the Ahl al-Bayt’s captives returned to Karbala, where they held unparalleled gatherings of mourning and lamentation.
Source: Entekhab, Maarefehosseini, Ensani, Tuyserkan, Mashreghnews