The Tragedy Of Karbala - 9/10
Sometimes we forget the fact that Imam Husayn was a human being, in the day of Ashura. No doubt he was in a zone of faith that you and I can't even imagine. No doubt that he was at that moment of sacrifice, and no doubt he was focused on his mission and on his Lord. But he was a father. He had a heart. We think for a moment he was robotic, that a Shahid will call out, he'd put them back, next Shahid, bring them back, next Shahid, bring them back, and boom, boom, boom. From Fajr until Dhuhur, in that morning, he did what he had to do, and that is it, everything is done.
No, wait a second now. You ever see when a child reads a Noha on that stage? A child. The one who is right beside the stage is the father. And the father is what? He is glowing, proud. That is my boy up there reading a Ziarah, reading a Du'a, reading a Noha, reading a Salaam. He stands right by that. That stage, and people come up to him and say, Oh, ma sha Allah, your son read beautifully. He said, Thank you very much. And with such pride, he looks at his son and says, That is my son.
I want you to imagine the adhan of the morning of the day of Ashura. You don't think Husayn is saying, That's my boy, 'Ali Akbar? That's my son, 'Ali Akbar? They say in the streets of Medina, when he was growing up in Medina, people would line up outside his house just to do the Ziyara of 'Ali Akbar. It became a moment 'Ali Akbar, of course, comes to Imam Husayn and says, baba, all of the As-hab are gone. One by one, they've given their life. I want to be the first from the Bani Hashim.
Imam Husayn, to send a message to everybody else, immediately gave 'Ali Akbar permission to go. But there was this connection between 'Ali Akbar and Zaynab that Imam Husayn says, you cannot leave to the battlefield before you go see Zaynab. Our book says that 'Ali Akbar went to the Khaimah, the tent where the women were, entered the tent to send his last Khud Hafiz and goodbye. And they said that the tent opened and closed several times. That whenever 'Ali Akbar wanted to leave the tent, some other women would pull him, pull him back.
Whenever 'Ali Akbar wanted to say his last goodbyes, somebody else would pull him back. That whenever we wanted to do the Ziyad of Rasul Allah, we would look to you, 'Ali Akbar . You are going now, who are you going to leave us with? 'Ali Akbar comes out of the khaimah. Imam Husayn, 'Ali Akbar is there. The books say they embrace for a very long time. The Father cries, the son cries, the son cries, the father cries. Imagine for a moment, the father is now mounting his son on the horse, knowing full well that is the last time that he is going to see his son.
He says, 'Ali Akbar, you go. And then Allah, and then our imam Husayn says to Allah, Oh, Allah, bear witness, I am sending that young man to the battlefield. That Khulqan and Khalqan reminds me of your Rasul. Bear witness. Nobody tell me I didn't sacrifice everything. This is my 'Ali Akbar I am sacrificing.
Then he gives 'Ali Akbar very strange and specific instructions.He said, 'Ali Akbar, as you ride into the Maidan of Karbala, and free, so often, if you can, just turn your turn your face back towards me. I want that one last Ziyarat. 'Ali Akbar is riding inside the Maidan of Karbala, and every so often he would turn his face. But there comes a moment where he is riding inside the Maidan, and he says, I felt that somebody behind me was chasing my horse. And this is where Husayn was a father!
'Ali Akbar gets off on the horse, picks up, at 57, your old father hugs him, kisses him. Baba, you gave me ijazat. He says, Hey, 'Ali Akbar, if only you were. If only you had children, you would know how difficult this moment is for me to give my son like you away. You don't have 'Ali Akbar like I have 'Ali Akbar! This Shahada almost killed about Aba Abdillah al-Husayn!
He runs into the Maidan of Karbala 'Ali Akbar. He fights like the warrior that he is. And as Umar Ibn Sa'ad would do with every other Shahid, he would surround 'Ali Akbar. Those who had rocks, threw rocks to 'Ali Akbar. Those who had spears, threw spears, arrows, everything. But there was one man and they were keen of ambushing, of Sho'ada of Karbala, would come around the back of 'Ali Akbar. Had a spear and would hit 'Ali Akbar inside the chest and break the handle of the spear.
'Ali Akbar calls out to Imam Husayn oh, and the moment when the arrow came, and struck 'Ali Akbar, he falls from the horse, "alayka minni as-salam. Ya Abata!" Oh my father, accept my last salam. Imam Husayn, my fathers in the audience, the teenage boys, when running inside the Maidan, they are lying, blood spewing out the chest of 'Ali Akbar. Imam Husayn, for every other Shahid, he would take the head of the Shahid, put it on his lap, clean the blood, clean the dirt, let them have their last Ziyarat. But this was 'Ali Akbar. It was different.
They say, Imam Husayn took the cheek of 'Ali Akbar against his cheek. And 'Ali Akbar says, Baba, there is pain in my chest, baba. There is pain in my chest, baba. And mom Husayn says, Where? Move your hand. 'Ali Akbar moves his hand. There is blood flowing down. Imam Husayn lays down 'Ali Akbar on the plane of Karbala. He is still breathing his last breath. Blood flowing out of his chest. Imam Husayn attempts to take the spear out, but every time he would pull the spear, the body of 'Ali Akbar would go up and down, up and down on the plain of Karbala! My Mawla Husayn would grab the spear, turn towards Najaf, and said: "Baba! I know that you are the one that ripped the door of Kahibar, but come to Karbala, baba. Look in my 'Ali Akbar. Look at my own son!. My Mawla Husayn, lay down 'Ali Akbar. Lay down 'Ali Akbar. I pray that no father has to see this ever. Lay down 'Ali Akbar!
They say that, Imam Husayn put his knee on the chest of 'Ali Akbar. Put his other foot on the plates of Karbala. 'Ali Akbar now is lifeless. The only thing left to Imam now, carry my javan son back to the Khaymah? The reports say that, Imam Husayn tried to lift the legs, put the legs down. Try to lift the arms, put the arms down. There came a moment when my Ma'sum Imam picked up 'Ali Akbar, his back to Imam Husayn's back. His arms, loss in his arms. Imam Husayn back down. 'Ali Akbar is back, walking back to the Khaima!
No other time did Zaynab come out the Khaima. Imam Husayn brings out 'Ali Akbar. Zaynab! My 'Ali Akbar is Shahid. Zaynab comes out. Wa waila! Wa waila!
