The Tragedy Of Karbala - 1/10

Imam Husayn, until his dying breath, did his best, to do what? To save the nation around him. Can you imagine, imagine now, on the night of Ashura, the night before Ashura, he is summoning Umar bin Sa'ad to come and sit in the tent with me. You don't bring Harmala and Shimr. I won't bring Ali al-Akbar and Abu Al-Fadhl. Me and you, man on man, we know each other from childhood. But let's talk about what's going to happen tomorrow. And not now, but to save Imam Husayn's life, but to save Umar bin Sa'ad's Akhirat. And to tell him that, look, if you plan to do what you plan to do tomorrow and shed my blood. There are heavy consequences.

Asr Al Ashur, Imam Husayn is completely exhausted. Shimr is on his chest in the faintest of voices. In the faintest of voices. He says to Shimr, Shimr, did I do dhulm to you? Was I a bad Mawla to you? Did I do injustice to you?

Bibi Zainab, 70 feet away on the tile of Zainabia, is screaming, Umar Ibn Sa'ad, this is the son of Fatimah. Are you sure you want to do what you are about to do? Meaning until the very last breath, the Ahl Al-Bayt Sunnah is what? To save as many lives as possible.

Adopt that Sunnah in these next 10 nights. Take people with you. If Allah gives you that Tawfiq, then spread that Tawfiq across those people around you. But tonight is the night of the first night of the month of Muharram.

One riwayat we have from Allama Tabarasi, sahib Tafisr Majma al-Bayan, he says that I read about the greatness of the As-hab of the Imam Husayn, and I went to sleep with a little bit of doubt in my mind that how could it be that they claim that the Prophet didn't have As-hab? Imam Ali didn't have As-hab? Imam Mustaba didn't have As-hab? The way that Aba Abdillah al-Husayn had As-hab? How is it possible?

And with that doubt, with that shaqq, I went to sleep, he says. And I woke up and I found myself in the Maidan of Karbala. Facing in front of my Imam Husayn, and my Mawla Husayn says, Tabarasi, I have a job and a role for you. He says, Salah Adh-Dhuhur is about to begin, and his enemies wait for me to begin my Salah to, of course, attack me. I want you to stand in front of my jamaah, and block the arrows so nobody gets hit, while they pray behind me.

Tabarasi he says, I was very happy. Mawla had a job for me, had a mission for me I was worthy to be part of Imam Husayn's mission. Salah Adh-Dhuhur begins, Tabarasi he says, I stand there and I wear for the jamaah. Allahu Akbar, and a rain of arrows comes towards me. I see one arrow coming towards me right in front of my nose, and I duck. I duck to the point where that arrow hit the chest of my Mawla Husayn.

And I woke up that morning in tears, angry, upset, depressed. How could it be that Imam Husayn asked me for a mission, and I never fulfilled it? For the next two nights, the exact same dream happened. The arrow came, Tabarasi ducked. It hit Imam Husayn on the third night. Imam Husayn is standing in front of Tabarasi. Two arrows in his chest.

He says, Tabarasi, you have the gall, you had the audacity, you have the himmat to question my As-hab. My As-hab are those companions that when I began Salah Adh-Dhuhur, Zuhayr Ibn Qain, 22 different arrows, he would block, one by one, to the point when Imam Husayn says, As-salamu alayka, wa rahmatu Allahi, wa barakatu, Zuhayr Ibn Qain falls to the ground. Imam Husayn goes rushing. Zuhayr says, Mawla, accept my apology. If I had an ounce of breath, I would take more arrows for you.

We pledge to Imam az-Zaman tonight, accept our condolences, and we will do everything we can to work towards being your As-hab.