The Battle of Karbala

Qurra reported (later):

I thought that he (al-Hurr) was going to leave the battle, and did not want to be present at it but was unwilling to be seen when he (left).

So I said, “I have not watered it and I was going to water it.” Then I left him where he was. By God, if he had told me what he was intending to do, I would have gone with him to al Husayn, peace be on him.

He (al-Hurr) began gradually to draw closer to al Husayn.

“What do you want, Ibn Yazid?” asked Muhajir Ibn Aws, but he did not answer. (Instead) a great shudder came over him.

“Your behaviour is suspicious,” said Muhajir. “By God, I have never seen you act like this before. If I was asked who was the bravest of the Kufans, I would not (normally) neglect (to mention) you. What is this I see in you, (today)?” “By God, I am giving my soul the choice between Heaven and the fire (of Hell),” answered al-Hurr. “By God, I will not choose anything before Heaven, even though I am cut to pieces and burnt.”

(With that) he whipped his horse and (galloped over) and joined al- Husayn, peace be on him.

“May I be your ransom, son of the Apostle of God?” he said. “I was your companion who stopped you from returning. I accompanied you along the road and made you stop in this place. But I did not think that the people would refuse to respond to what you have offered them and that they would ever come to this position I (which they have now come to) with regard to you. By God, if I had I known that they would finish up (by doing) what I am seeing (them do) to you, I would not have committed what I have committed against you. I repent to God for what I have done. Will you accept my repentance?”

“Yes,” replied al Husayn, peace be on him, “God will forgive you. So get down.”

“You will have (no) horseman better than me, (nor), while I am on foot, any foot-soldier,” he said. “I will continue fighting on foot to the (bitter) end.”

“Do so,” replied al Husayn, peace be on him. “May God grant you mercy (though) what He has revealed to you.”

He advanced, in front of al Husayn, peace be on him, and called out, “People of Kufa, your mother(s) will be deprived of their sons and tears will come to their eyes. Have you summoned this righteous man (to come to you), then, when he has come to you, have you handed him over (to his enemies)?

Did you claim that you would fight with your own lives for him, and then have you begun to attack him in order to kill him? You have laid hold of his life; you have seized his throat; you have encircled him on every side in order to prevent him returning to God’s broad land (i.e. the Hijaz). He has come into your hands like a prisoner who no longer has the power to use his own life and cannot defend it against harm.

You have prevented him, his womenfolk, his children and his people from (getting) the water of the Euphrates which Jews, Christians and Majians may drink, and which the pigs and dogs of Sawad drink. They (al Husayn’s family) are likely to die of thirst. How wickedly you have treated the offspring left by Muhammad. May God not give you water to drink on the Day of Thirst.”

Some of the foot-soldiers attacked him by shooting arrows at him.

He went and stood in front of al Husayn, peace be on him.

“Durayd,” ‘Umar Ibn Sad called out, “bring forward your standard (for us).”

He brought it forward. (‘Umar) put an arrow in his bow and let it fly. He said, “(All of you) be witnesses of who was the first to shoot.”

The people began to shoot at each other and to come forward (for single combat). Yasar, retainer (mawla) of Ziyad Ibn Abi Sufyan, came forward (from Umar’s army). ‘Abd Allah Ibn Umayr (al-Kalbi) came forward (from al Husayn’s ranks) to meet him.

“Who are you?” Yasar asked him, and (Ibn al-Kalbi) gave him his lineage.

“I do not know you,” (Yasar) answered. “Let Zuhayr Ibn al-Qayn or Habib Ibn Muzahir come out against me.”

“Son of a prostitute, you wanted to do single combat with one of the people,”retorted Abd Allah Ibn Umayr (al-Kalbi).

With that (Ibn al-Kalbi) struck him with his sword until he had quietened him. While he was occupied with striking against him, Salim, retainer (mawla) of ‘Ubayd Allah Ibn Ziyad, attacked him (Ibn al-Kalbi).

Al Husayn’s followers cried out (in warning), “The (other) servant is closing in on you!” (Ibn al-Kalbi) did not notice (Salim) until the latter was upon him. With his left arm he warded off Salim’s blow but the fingers of his hand were cut off. Then he turned on (Salim) and struck him and killed him. After (thus) killing them both, (Ibn al-Kalbl) came forward and recited, “If you do not know me, I am Ibn al-Kalbi: I am a man of bitterness and anger, I am not a weakling in the face of disaster.”

Amr Ibn al-Hajjaj, with the Kufans under his command, launched an attack on the right wing of the supporters of al Husayn, peace be on him. When they drew near, the followers of al Husayn, peace be on him, knelt down and pointed their spears at them. The (attackers) horses would not come forward against the spears and they swung round to retreat. The followers of al Husayn, peace be on him, began to shoot arrows at (the enemy), killing some of them and wounding others.

Abd Allah Ibn Hawza, one of the Banu Tamim, approached al Husayn’s camp and the people called out to him, “Where are you going, may your mother be deprived of you?” “I am (in the right) advancing to a merciful Lord and an intercessor who is listened to (i.e. the Prophet),” he answered.

“Who is that?” al Husayn, peace be on him, asked his followers.

“Ibn Hawza al-Tamimi,” he was told.

“O God, drive him into the fire!” (al Husayn) exclaimed. With that his horse upset him in its stride and fell. His left leg was stuck in the stirrups and his right leg was free. Muslim Ibn Awsaja attacked him and struck his right leg and cut it off. The horse galloped off (dragging) him (along) and his head struck every stone and clod of earth until he died. God hurried his soul to (Hell) fire. (More) fighting then broke out and more men were killed.

Al-Hurr Ibn Yazid attacked the followers of ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d and (as he did so), he recited the words of ‘Antara, “With my charger’s neck and breast thrust forward I will launch myself at them again and again until (the beast) is clothed in blood.”

Yazid Ibn Sufyan, from Banu al-Harith (of Tamim), came forward to meet him. Soon al-Hurr killed him.

(In the meantime) Nafi’ Ibn Hilal came forward, declaring, “I am the son of Hilal. I believe in the religion of ‘Ali.”

Muzahim Ibn Hurayth came against him, crying, “I follow the religion of Uthman.”

“Rather you follow the religion of Satan,” Nafi replied and attacked and killed him.

“You stupid fellows,” Amr Ibn al-Hajjaj cried out to (his) men, “don’t you realise whom you are fighting? (These) knights of the town are people who are seeking death. Don’t let any of you go forward to fight them in single combat. They are only few and their time is running out. If you only threw stones at them, you would kill them (eventually).”

“True, you’ve come to the right conclusion,” ‘Umar Ibn Sad said to him. Then he sent (the message) to the commanders that none of their men should fight in single combat.

Amr Ibn al-Hajaj and his men launched an attack against al- Husayn, peace be on him, from the direction of the Euphrates. They fought together fiercely for a time. Muslim Ibn Awsaja was struck down, may God have mercy on him, (but) Amr and his men withdrew. When the dust settled, (al Husayn’s followers) found Muslim stretched out dying. Al Husayn, peace be on him, walked towards him and he was on the point of death.

“Muslim, may God have mercy on you,” said (al Husayn).

“of them (the believers) is he who has accomplished his vow, and of them is he who waits; they have not changed at all.” (33:23)

Habib Ibn Muzahir approached and said, “Muslim, your death is hard for me to bear but I bring you good news of Heaven (where you are going).”

“May God bring you good news too,” replied Muslim in a weak voice. “Even if I knew that I would follow you at this very moment, I would still like you to appoint me to carry out everything which concerns you.”

Then the people came again against al Husayn, peace be on him.

Shamir Ibn Dhi al-Jawshan attacked with his left wing (and thrust at) (al Husayn’s) left wing, but they stood firm against him and forced him away (with their spears). Al Husayn, peace be on him, and his followers were attacked on every side but the followers of al Husayn fought fiercely. Then their cavalry began to attack and even though they were only thirty-two horsemen, they did not attack any side of the Kufan cavalry without putting it to flight.

When Urwa Ibn Qays saw that – he was in command of the Kufan cavalry – he sent word to ‘Umar Ibn Sad, “Don’t you see what my calvary is receiving today from this small number (of men)? Send the foot-soldiers and archers against them.”

He sent the archers against them. Al-Hurr Ibn Yazid’s horse was lamed. He dismounted and began to shout, “You have lamed my (horse) but I am the son of freedom and braver than a maned lion.”

He struck out against them with his sword but a great number came against him. Ayyub Ibn Musarrih and another of the Kufan horsemen shared in killing him.

The followers of al Husayn, peace be on him, continued to fight fiercely against the enemy until it was midday. When al Husayn Ibn Numayr – he was in command of the archers – perceived the steadfastness of the followers of al Husayn, peace be on him, he advanced against his supporters with five hundred archers so that they showered the followers of al Husayn, peace be on him, with arrows.

They continued shooting at them until they had lamed (most of) their horses and wounded some of their men. Then they moved against them and a fierce battle was fought between them for some time. Shamir Ibn Dhi al-Jawshan (also) attacked them with his followers but Zuhayr Ibn al-Qayn with ten of the followers of al- Husayn (counter) attacked and drove them away from the tents.

—
References:
– The History of al Tabari
Volume XIX The Caliphate of Yazid Ibn Muawiyah
Pages 65 – 179 (Selected)
Translated by I.K.A Howard
Paper back – ISBN 0-7914-0041-7

– Kitab al Irshad
Shaykh al Mufid
Pages 328 – 372
Translated by I.K.A Howard

– Tahrike Tarsile Quran
Paper back – ISBN 0-940368-11-0