|
THE
STORY OF KARBALA - PART
12
THE PRISONERS IN KOOFA
On the 12th
of Muharram, the prisoners arrived in Koofa. The victorious Umayyad
army entered the city with a lot of pomp and circumstance. The prisoners
and the severed heads of Husayn and his Companions were being displayed
with great pride. People sat on roof-tops and watched as the caravan
passed through the main thoroughfare of Koofa. Mothers were throwing
dates and pieces of bread after doing sadaqa over their children.
Husayn's children were so hungry and thirsty that they would take those
dates and pieces of bread and start eating them. Husayn's sisters,
Zaynab and Umm-e-Kulthoom would take the food away from the children and
throw it away saying: 'O people of Koofa ! We are the family of the
Prophet of Islam, sadaqa is prohibited to us.'
Muslim Jassaas, the brick-layer, describes the scene as follows:
'I was called by the government officers to repair some parts of the
governor's palace and started on the work. While I was busy doing my
work I heard a lot of noise and the army music being played. Then I saw
a great crowd in the streets. I asked somebody what was all the noise
about. He told me that a rebel had risen against the Khaleefa, Yazeed,
he was defeated by the armies sent by the governor, Ibn Ziyad. It was
the victorious army entering the city with the prisoners taken in the
battle. I then, asked who was the rebel, to which the man replied that
it was somebody known as Husayn Ibn Ali. I was stunned. I did not know
what to do. I hid in a corner and slapped my face with my own hands and
wept. Then I saw some ladies and children without any carriages or even
cloaks, on camel-backs. Then I saw that the caravan stopped. An elderly
lady beckoned to the crowd to be silent and started speaking. I had not
heard a lady make such an effective speech before. Then I turned and saw
and old blind man standing next to me. He was weeping with tears, so
much that his beard was all soaked in his own tears and he was saying -
O ! Your men are the best men in the world, your women are the most
honoured of all women of the world, your children are the most glorious
of all children. '
This scene is not very different from that of the crucifixion of Jesus
Christ. While the Roman soldiers and the Jewish establishment were
celebrating their victory, a handful of his devotees stood by, watched
and wept helplessly. (Please note, according to the Holy Qur'an, the
Romans were not successful in crucifying Jesus Christ, this is a scene
taken from the Book of John).
The prisoners were then presented to Ibn Ziyad and every commander
described his valiant acts in how he and his troops inflicted defeat on
the `rebel'.
Husayn's head was presented to Ibn Ziyad in a golden tray during the
court ceremony. Ibn Ziyad mounted the pulpit and addressed the court
saying: 'Thank god that the liar, the son of a liar has been defeated in
the armed struggle against the Khaleefa, Yazeed Ibn Mu'awiyah.'
In the court was present an old companion of Ali Ibn Abi Talib named
Abdullah Ibn 'Afeef of the tribe of Azd. He was partially blind but he
soon came to know what was going on. He was a brave man and had fought
in a number of battles alongside Ali. At last he stood up and said to
Ibn Ziyad:
'You are the liar and the son of a liar, O Ibn Ziyad. You have killed
the grandson of the Prophet and you have the daughters of Ali and Fatima
tied in ropes like common prisoners and you are taking pride in all
this. By God, you have prepared the hell-fire for yourself. May Allah's
curse be on you for ever.'
Ibn Ziyad was burning with anger. He beckoned to his guards to arrest
Ibn Afeef. But he gave the battle-cry of the tribe of Azd. There were
five hundred fully armed young men of that tribe present. They came to
his rescue and escorted him back to his house. Ibn Afeef was safe for a
few moments but then he was arrested later that same evening and
beheaded.
Husayn's head was erected in Koofa for public display. After a few
days, the prisoners and the heads were dispatched to Damascus
Thank you for reading,
sincerely,
Syed-Mohsin Naquvi |