Arrival of Husayn ibn Numayr and his Army to Karbala - Today in Muharram Day 5
Bismi-Llah, Al-Rahmani, Al-Rahim. On this day, another of 'Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad's regiments arrived in Karbala', led by Al-Husayn Ibn al-Numayr al-Sukuni. We can basically say that it was this particular day, the fifth of Muharram when all of Yazid's army arrived and came together in Karbala to fight against Imam Husayn and his companions Ridwan Allahu Ta'ala 'alayhim ajma'in. Al-Husayn was among the elites of the army generals of 'Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad. Of course, he had a dark history in his animosity towards Ahlul Bayt 'alayhum as-salam, before and after Karbala'. And that is exactly why the 'Umayyads favored him.
He brought with him 4 thousands soldiers. On the day of 'Ashura', it was him who directly supervised the archers and gave them the command to endlessly rain down arrows upon the companions of Imam Husayn 'alayhum as-salam and that is what they did. Al-Husayn [Ibn al-Numayr] was also responsible for the killing of Habib Ibn Madhahir al-Asadi Ridwan Allahu Ta'ala 'alayh. It is said that he hung Habib's blessed head on the neck of his own horse.
Al-Husayn [Ibn al-Numayr] had also proudly held some of the blessed heads of the Shuhada' and presented them to Yazid after the massacre of Karbala'. Again to show how evil he was. He also participated in Yazid's attacking and plundering of Makkah al-Mukarrama [The Siege of Makkah in Rabi'ul Awwal 64 AH] after Karbala', hitting the Holy Ka'bah with the catapults. On a sad note, unfortunately, although he participated in the killing of Imam Husayn, many Hadith compilers like Al-Bukhari, Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa'i comfortably quote his narrations and also grade him as reliable. Al-hamduli-Llah he met his fate at the hands of those who loved Ahl ul-Bayt 'alayhum as-salam.
Another person who also arrived on this day with his army, was Shabbath Ibn Rib'i al-Tamimi. He was a very confused person with no insights and no true genuine loyalty. Once he was with Imam 'Ali for a while, and then he turned, and became with Mu'awiyah, and then he wrote letters to Imam Husayn, asking him to come to Kufa and help them. And then finally he was bought by Ibn Ziyad and turned against Imam Husayn 'alayhi as-salam.
On the Day of Ashura' he led a battalion of foot soldiers in the army of 'Umar ibn Sa'd. Shabbath was among those who later on participated in the killing of Al-Mukhtar, Radiyy Allahu Ta'ala 'anh. Shabbath is a good example of someone who was crooked, who had no values, whose only loyalty was that to his own self and his interests.
Wa al-hamdulil-Lahi Rabbi al-'Alamin.
