THE STORY OF KARBALA - PART 5
ABDULLAH BIN WAHB AL-KALBI

While Husayn was proceeding towards Koofa, several hundred people joined him at various places.
       Some, because they knew who Husayn was, while others, just out of curiosity. It was this second group of people who were first to leave Husayn, when they saw that things were not, after all, that favourable for the grandson of the prophet of Islam.
        However, all of these people were admittedly, Muslims. Among them was a young man named Wahab Ibn Abdullah Kalbi. Kalb was a very large tribe and many of them had stayed Christians, as the prophet had allowed after the event of Mubahala in the later part of the Madinan period.

Wahab was still in his teens. He had just got married and he was returning to his family with his middle-aged mother and the bride of a few days who was only twelve years old. When his little caravan crossed with that of Husayn's, he met Husayn and listened to many of his speeches which he had been giving to his people at every stop. Wahab was very impressed by Husayn's personality, his honesty, piety and knowledge. Wahab kept discussing all this with his mother and continued with Husayn's caravan until they arrived in Karbala. The situation in Karbala was quite different. Everybody knew that staying with Husayn meant definite death. Wahab discussed the situation with his mother the last time on the night of cAshoora. He asked her: 'Mother! What should I do in this situation?' The mother asked Wahab: 'How do you feel yourself, my son ?' Wahab said: 'In my opinion Husayn is on the just path and it would be cowardly and against all traditions of Arab chivalry and gallantry to leave the side of a man so isolated and surrounded by blood-thirsty enemies.' The mother said: 'But that means definite death.' Wahab replied: 'Yes I know, but my heart tells me that this is the right thing to do, in the circumstances.' The mother then said: 'If that is how you feel then we will stay with Husayn.'

When Husayn's companions started going to the battlefield, one after the other, Wahab approached Husayn and asked his permission to go and fight for him and give his life for Truth and Justice.

Husayn must have been overwhelmed by this young man's passion for justice and his fervour in supporting the right cause. But he tried to explain that it was a fight between a man who was claiming to be the rightful Khaleefa of the prophet of Islam and he himself, the grandson of the prophet. It was clearly a Muslim problem. And Wahab was a Christian. Why should he get involved in such an unrelated matter. And that too, for getting killed ?  We can imagine how Wahab must have replied to this. Wahab must have said to Husayn that although he was not a Muslim, he felt that justice and truth was on Husayn's side and the Christian teachings were not different from those in Islam in matters of truth and justice. We are told that the mother pleaded on her son's behalf and said: ' O grandson of the prophet of Islam ! It will be an honour for me if my son fights for you and gives his life protecting you.' Husayn was still reluctant to accept Wahab as one of his soldiers. When Wahab saw this, he said:

'O grandson of the prophet of Islam! If that is the case then, from this moment on, I am a Muslim.'

Saying this, Wahab recited the Kalemah and became a Muslim. This is confirmed in the maqtal literature that Wahab did become a Muslim at Karbala. Now Husayn had to let him go to the battlefield. While all this was going on, the bride of a few days was watching and listening. When she saw that Wahab was going to the battlefield, she started crying and said: 'What will happen to me O my husband ? Are you then going to leave me alone in this world ?'  There was a possibility that Wahab's determination would be shaken but his mother intervened again and said: 'My son, don't listen to her. She is young and immature. You do what you think is the right thing.' Then the bride approached Husayn and asked him: 'Are you the rightful Imam ?' Husayn replied: 'Yes, I am.' She said: 'Then if Wahab dies protecting you, he would go to the Paradise?' Husayn said: 'Yes, he would.' Then she said:'Can you promise me that you would not let Wahab enter Paradise without me ?' Husayn said:' Yes, I promise you, you and Wahab will enter Paradise together.' Wahab then ran into the battlefield with his sword in hand reciting war-poetry. He fought furiously and killed several enemy soldiers, returned to his mother and asked:' Mother ! are you pleased ?' The mother said:'May Allah be pleased with you. But I would really be pleased when I see you dying in action protecting the grandson of the prophet.' Wahab returned to the battlefield with a new determination and started fighting even more intensely. The mother stood by her tent and kept encouraging him and exhorting him to fight. Finally, Wahab was wounded and surrounded by enemies from all sides. He was soon cut down by the Umayyad soldiers. When the bride saw this, she ran to Wahab's side, sat down and wept with her face on her husband's face. Shameer was watching this. He ordered his slave to go and kill the young woman. Shameer's slave came and hit her with his mace on the head. How much does it take to kill a twelve year old girl ? The bride died by her bridegroom's side and thus Husayn's promise to her was fulfilled. Umar bin S'ad ordered his soldiers to cut Wahab's head off and throw it to his mother. The soldiers did that. Wahab's mother came forward. Picked up his severed head. Wiped the dust off his forehead, kissed it and threw it back saying: 'This was sadaqa, given away in Allah's way. It will not be taken back.'

Such were the followers and companions of Husayn at Karbala. They were fewer in number but they were made of the best moral fibre one can imagine for a human being. They had mountain-like determination and nerves of steel.

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the west. People are converting to this promising religion in big numbers. When one asks a newly converted Muslim as to why he/she became  a Muslim, the answer usually is: "Because I found that Islam answers all my questions, it has the promise of a more satisfying spiritual life, and it can guide me in my spirituality as well as in my worldly life. In other words, the new convert joined the fold of Islam in the hope and expectation of a better and a more satisfying life.  Same reasons are put forward by prison inmates who join Islam while in prison.
Can you think of someone joining the fold of Islam for dying? Well, Abdullah bin Wahab-e-Kalbi did just that. Is there food for thought in thiat story for those who reflect?

       Thank you for reading.

sincerely,

Syed-Mohsin Naquvi