THE STORY OF KARBALA - PART 6
THE FIRST MASSIVE ATTACK, HABEEB BIN MUZAHIR AND ZUHR PRAYER

The pressure in Husayn's camp was building up.  The children were crying for water.  As the Sun rose higher, the desert heat became more intense by the minute.  The children's cries were now reaching the tents of Husayn's companions, who were although set on laying their lives for the Prophet's grandson and for the Islamic principles, they were also very angry at this inhuman behaviour of Yazeed's troops and were approaching Husayn to allow them to fight.

There were only thirty-two horsemen in Husayn's camp.  However, at the end of the battle there were seventy-two heads raised on lances by Yazeed's troops.  This means that at least forty more people fought on foot on Husayn's side.

Husayn was still reluctant to let his companions go and fight.  Then all of a sudden the enemy attacked Husayn's camp in a great stampede. They wanted to take the small band by a storm. But the way Husayn had fortified his camp at Karbala could only be termed as a masterpiece of defensive strategy. He had pitched his camp in an area which was surrounded by a chain of hills on three sides, thus forming a half-moon. This area is known as the haa-yer  and can still be seen. Then he had his tents pitched so close to each other that their ropes were criss-crossing. On the back was dug a ditch and filled with dried wood. As soon as the stampede began a fire was started in the ditch. Thus the camp was protected from three sides. In the front the soldiers sat down on their knees and held their lances pointing outwards.
As the enemy cavalry rushed nearer, their horses, which were trained army steeds, saw the sunlight flashing against the shining blades, and naturally held back. Some action did take place. In fact, it was intense hand-to-hand combat which lasted for one full hour. It is amazing how a small band of seventy-two kept a well-armed force of several thousand at bay, for such a long duration. The enemy had to retire for the time. But the losses were now showing in Husayn's camp. Among the prominent companions of Husayn who were killed in this attack were Muslim Ibn Awsaja, Abdullah Ibn Umayr Kalbi and Janadah Ibn K'ab of the Khazraj. In fact, all horsemen among Husayn's companions
were killed in this action. This happened an hour before the time of Zuhr prayer.

Some of the remaining companions came and asked Husayn if they could approach the banks of the river and try to fetch water.  They were allowed, but, every time they approached the banks, stiff resistance was put up by Yazeed's troops.  All of them fought bravely and were killed in battle.

There are no reports of any water reaching Husayn's camp.
It was now mid-day and the time of Zuhr prayer was at hand.  Abu Thamama, one of Husayn's loyal companions, approached him  and asked him if prayer could be arranged. Husayn praised Abu Thamama and asked for Salatal-Khawf  (Prayers under siege) to be done.  Husayn was determined to leave a legacy at every step. He showed the importance of Salat for Muslims by this act.
While prayer rows were being fomed in Husayn's camp in full view of the enemy, the enemy soldiers and commanders watched it with awe and surprise. One of the commanders in Yazeed';s army named Haseen bin Numayr called out and said:"Husayn your prayers will not be accepted by Allah."
Husayn himself had not responded to that. One of his own companions named Habeeb bin Muzahir became outraged at that and said:"O you cursed man, you think the prayer of the grandson of the Prophet will not beaccepted and yours will?"
Habeeb then turned to Husayn and said:"My master and my Imam, the best thing in this world would have been to offer my prayers in your leadership, but now, I will offer my prayers in paradise in the leadership of your grandfather, the Prophet of Islam." Saying that, Habeeb took his sword out and fell on the enemy. At age 72, he was fighting like a thirty year old. After killing many of the enemy soldiers, Habeeb was fatally wounded. Husayn came to his side, sat down in dust and praised Habeeb for his efforts in the cause of Islam. Habeeb died with his head in Husayn's lap.

Even after the martyrdom of Habeeb, Husayn was intent upon offering his Zuhr prayers at that moment. Sa'eed b. Abdullah and a few more men stood in a line in front of the prayer lines with shields while Husayn and the remaining companions offered Zuhr prayers under a barrage of arrows from the enemy camp.  As Husayn and his companions were finishing their prayers, Sa'eed b. Abdullah and all others with him were dying of arrow wounds in front of Husayn.

Husayn's seventy-two companions included Muslim Ibn Awsaja who was 70 years old and his own fourteen year old nephew, Qasim Ibn Hasan. As it was, those sevety-two were no match to Yazeed's huge army. Now, a substantial part of that group was already killed. The remaining few friends of Husayn asked for Husayn's permission to fight, went to the battlefield either one by one or in groups and were killed in action.

Thank you for reading.

sincerely,

Syed-Mohsin Naquvi