Water Supply Finishing - Today in Muharram Day 8

Bismi-Llah, Al-Rahmani, Al-Rahim. On this day, the 8th of Muharram, Imam Husayn and his convoy finished all their water supply. They were completely out of water. More reinforcements were sent to surround Imam Husayn's camp and further choked them. They were beating drums and blowing horns, trying to somehow destabilize Imam Husayn's camp and pressure them.

There is an important point that I would like to mention here, and that is that all those who arrived in Karbala' with Imam Husayn stayed with him. He even had more people joining him, like al-Hurr Ibn Yazid al-Riyahi. These people who surrounded Imam Husayn were such that they will forever be remembered alongside the grandson of the Holy Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi.

The family members and companions of Imam Husayn, all of them, they knew their fates. They had so many opportunities to leave, but they did not. Imam Husayn said to the men, I shall be killed and everyone among you shall also be killed. None of you will be spared. What did his companions say back to him? They said, Praise be to Allah, who has given us the honor of supporting you, and has granted us the dignity of being killed with you.

The companions of Imam Husayn were very contrastingly, mixed. Some were old companions of his father, Imam 'Ali 'alayhi as-salam like Habib al-Madhahir. Some were on the other side, like al-Hurr Ibn Yazid al-Riyahi, like Zuhayr. Some had just converted to Islam, like John. Imam Husayn 'alayhi as-salam said to him you have accompanied us all this way, but now you may leave. John said back to the Imam, how is it fair that I benefit from your company, from your hospitality, but abandon you in your time of hardship?

Then we have Zuhayr Ibn al-Qayn al-Bajali, who said to the Imam, 'By Allah, I wish I am killed and then brought back to life and killed again. And this would be repeated a thousand times and still I will not abandon you.' This is why we see Imam Husayn 'alayhi as-salam, saying in favor of his faithful, brave companions: 'I have never seen companions better, and more loyal than my companions'.

This is why when we remember the Imam, when we greet the Imam, when we salute the Imam, we will eternally remember, greet and salute his companions as well. Look at what we can learn from these noble people, how much we can benefit if we were to take them as role models and examples for our own lives.

May Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala give us the insight and the willpower to become like them.

Wa al-hamdulil-Lahi Rabbi al-'Alamin.