Al-Abbas ('A) - The Definition of Loyalty

The books of Tarikh [history] are at a loss of words when they want to discuss and describe 'Abbas. They say: "Innahu kana rajulun jamilun, ka 'l-jabal al-adheem, wa ta'udh al-jasim". He was a handsome man, tall, a towering figure, who inspired hope. He was like a mountain when he moved.

That where you have the handsome and the beauty of Aliyun Al-Akbar. Where you have Qasim; he is called Qamar Bani Hashim, the Radiant Moon of the Hashimites.

He is recognised as the symbol of loyalty, of wafa'. So much so that now we do not say, Abbas was loyal. We say "Abbas is loyalty". When you want to define loyalty, you measure it by Abbas.

When Imam Ali, alayhi as-salam, was leaving this world, he gave the hand of every one of his family members to Imam Hasan, alayhi as-salam. He even gave the hand of Imam Husayn in the hand of Hasan, alayhi as-salam, and said "now he is your Imam".

But he gave the hand of 'Abbas to Husaynn. He said "Abbas, Hasan and Hussayn are the children of the Prophet, you are my son! Abbas, you will represent me in Karbala. Abbas, Husayn is your Mawla and Aqqa. As long as you are alive, nothing should happen to Husayn". And Abbas was loyal of this to the last moment.

That is why the Arbab of Aza' say that when the qafilah of Husayn was brought in the darbar of Yazid, and a wretched man like Yazid saw the 'alam of Abbas. He stood up from his throne. He went close, he looked at it. He sat down. He stood again, he sat down. He called his commanders. He said "Whose 'alamis this?" They said "This is the 'alam of Abu Al-Fadhl Al-Abbas.

He said "Look at the 'alam at the place where he held it with his hand. The entire 'alam is damaged from top to bottom. But the part where the hand was is as it was new". They had to sever the hands of Abbas to separate the 'alam from him.

A man like Yazid says "hakadha yakunu al-wafa' ". This is wafa'. This is loyalty".