Freedom of choice : A perspective from Karbala

The concept of ‘Destiny’ (known as Qaza in Arabic) is understood differently by the various sects of Islam. Ahle Sunnah (primarily Ashairas) believe that whatever is written in destiny has to happen and cannot be changed. Man is forced to commit an act due to destiny – be it an evil act or a good deed. That is how they try to exonerate Yazid (l.a.) from the grave sin of killing Imam Husain (a.s.) and his companions. This concept is known as ‘pre-destination in actions of man.’

However, as per the Shite belief, Allah has given man freedom to choose and act according to his own wishes. It is up to man to decide his path which will lead him to heaven or hell in the Hereafter. Pre-destination exists only in actions of Allah wherein there is no role for man like in creation of sun, moon, planets, creation of man himself, his color, his health, his age etc. We believe that man will not be questioned about these pre-destined things. Reward and punishment is only for actions wherein man has freedom

 Let us try to learn a few things about free-will from the events of Karbala. Many people wanted to help Imam Husain (a.s.) rise against the tyrant Yazid (l.a.), but very few were able to shape their destiny into being immortalized companions of Imam Husain (a.s.). Let us take a look at few personalities in this event who had utilized their free-will either to earn heaven or to acquire a place in hell.

1.      Janabe Hurr ibn Yazid-e-Riyahi: The most famous of personalities, who switched sides on the eve of Ashura. Hurr had the recognition of Imam Husain’s (a.s.) status. He had wished to avoid a battle with Imam (a.s.) and questioned Umar-e-Saad about the same. When Umar’s army was determined on attacking Imam Husain’s (a.s.) camp, Hurr decided that he needed to make a choice. This choice was not an easy one. He was the leader of his army. He was a brave and valiant soldier and his army looked up to him with great respect and honor. If he switched sides, he and his family would be rebuked in society and he would lose all stature in the social society. But in the end he concluded that his Hereafter would be successful if he joined Imam Husain’s (a.s.) camp.

2.      Janabe Zuhayr ibn Qayn Bajali: Zuhayr was a staunch ‘Uthmani’ during his lifetime. He had proceeded on Hajj in 60 A.H. and during his return back home, realized that his caravan was trailing the caravan of Imam Husain (a.s.). Inspite of all his efforts, at a station known as Zaroud his tents were pitched opposite Imam’s (a.s.) tents. When Imam (a.s.) sent a messenger to Zuhayr, he was reluctant to visit Imam (a.s.). However, at this stage it was his wife Dayllam binte Amr, who acted as an agent of ‘Taufeeq’ from Allah and insisted that Zuhayr visit the Imam (a.s.), atleast out of respect for the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.). The Zuhayr who left the tent was Uthmani but the Zuhayr who returned back after meeting Imam (a.s.) was a complete Alavi and Husaini. The reason for the change is noted in history as an advice/prophecy from Salman-e-Farsi to Zuhayr after successfully returning from a battle in Balanjar (an area of Turkistan). Salman told Zuhayr “When you are with the youth of Hazrat Muhammad’s (s.a.w.a.) progeny, you will be much happier. A holy war in their company will bring you more joy than this war booty.” (http://www.almuntazar.com/126/prophecies-of-imam-husain-ass-martyrdom/)

3.      Janabe Dayllam binte Amr: Zuhayr’s wife played her role of supporting her husband and encouraging him to join Imam Husain (a.s.). She could have easily convinced him to stay back and take care of her and their family and trade. But she decided that a destiny in the companionship of Bibi Zainab (s.a.) was better than any wealth of this world.

4.      Janabe Wahab bin Abudullah /Umayr Kalbi: Some traditions [Nafasul Mahmoon: pg. 298] state that Wahab and his family were Christians and had met Imam Husain (a.s.) during his journey towards Karbala. Wahab was recently married and was looking forward to start his new life with his wife Haniya. When he learnt about the tribulations facing Imam (a.s.) and how he was deserted by the Kufians, he decided to join the caravan of Imam Husain (a.s.). He died as a martyr in the way of Imam Husain (a.s.) and his wife too was killed by Shimr in the battle.

5.      Habib ibn Hammar: Suwaid bin Gafala narrates that once I was in the presence of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) when a person came to him saying: “O Ameerul Momineen (a.s.)! When I was passing by the valley of Qura, I saw that Khalid bin Arfata was lying dead and asked forgiveness for him.” 

Hazrat Ali (a.s.) retorted, “He will not die until he joins the army of the deviated ones and the flag-bearer of that army will be Habib bin Hammar.” From that gathering, one person stood up and said: “O Ameerul Momineen, I am your friend and my name is Habib ibn Hammar.” 

Ali (a.s.) remarked, “Yes, you will be the flag bearer of that army.” 

Ultimately Ibne Ziyad sent Umar Ibne Saad to Kufa to confront Imam Husain (a.s.). He appointed Khalid bin Arfata to lead the army and it’s flag-bearer was Habib ibn Hammar. Thus a man claiming to be Imam Ali’s (a.s.) friend ended up being the flag-bearer of the army that killed his (a.s.) son. (http://www.almuntazar.com/126/prophecies-of-imam-husain-ass-martyrdom/)

6.      Umar ibn Saad: His love for the worldly possession of the valley of Rayh convinced him to spill the blood of the Holy Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) grandson. He spent an entire night in consultation with family and friends, but did not heed their good advice, and followed his selfish desires. In the end, he never got the promised land of Rayh and was doomed to eternal chastisement in hell.

7.      Shimr Ziljaushan: The most infamous amogst the killers of Imam Husain (a.s.) is Shimr. He is reported to be the one who cut off the head of Imam (a.s.). It is vital to note that Shimr was a soldier in the army of Imam Ali (a.s.) in the battle of Siffeen. So the opportunity for guidance was provided to him, but he refused it and in Karbala he became the most accursed person. He will spend eternity in the deepest valleys of Hell.

As can be seen from above examples, each person had the opportunity to select his path. Some were given the clear opportunity to select between heaven and hell. Others were given the opportunity to serve the Imam of their time and attain Allah’s (s.w.t) satisfaction.

Similarly, in our day-to-day lives we face options in all our actions, either to obey Allah or disobey him. We have the free-will to select our path in life – though we will be questioned about all our actions in the hereafter. So we should always pray to Allah to provide us taufeeq to do good actions, follow the path of the Ahle Bait (a.s.) and to serve them till the last breath.

Mir Anees and his service to Imam Husain (a.s.)

Debal Khuzai says that I entered in the presence of my chief and my master Ali ibn Moosa Reza (a.s.) and saw him sitting in dreary mourning gathering with his companions who were surrounding him. When he saw me coming he said to me, welcome O Debal, welcome O our helper with his hands and his tongue…

Ref: Bihar ul Anwar Vol 45 Pg. 257

As we all know that Debal Khuzai was a famous poet and companion of Imam Reza (a.s.). Imam Reza (a.s.) addresses him as a helper with his tongue because he used to recite poems and elegies in praise and sorrow respectively for Ahle Bait (a.s.).

In Urdu language, elegy is called as Marsiya.  The word Marsiya is derived from the Arabic word (root  ر- ث -ی ), meaning a great tragedy or lamentation for a departed soul. Whenever we see, read or hear the word Marsiya, the name that strikes us first at least in this sub-continent is none other than Mir Anees. Urdu Marsiya found its birth in Lucknow which was; and is still today one of the biggest centers of Shia population in India. The believers, in order to remember the tragedy of Imam Husain (a.s.) and his companions in Karbala and the ladies in the streets of Kufa and Shaam recited Marsiyas. This form of poetry reached its peak at the time of Mir Anees and his contemporary Mirza Salamat Ali Dabeer. While there were other key contributors before and after them viz. Mir Taqi Mir and Josh Malihabadi to name a few. However, in this article we shall restrict our discussion to the contribution of Mir Anees only.

Mir Babbar Ali Anees was born in year 1802. His father was Mir Khaleeq who himself was a poet and litterateur. There is no doubt that Mir Anees had great influence of his family which boasted 22 poets. Mir Anees has proudly introduced himself and the constellation of poets in his family in the below mentioned lines

Namak-e-Khwaan-e-Takallum hai Fasaahat meri
Naatqein band hain sun sun ke balaaghat meri

Rang udte hain wo rangeen hai ibarat meri
Shor jiska hai wo darya hai tabeeyat meri

            Umr guzri hai isi dasht ki saiyaahi mein
            Paanchvi pusht hai Shabbir ki maddaahi mein

The last line indicates that all his forefathers were poets of Ahle Bait (a.s.). Though Mir Anees knew the art of writing poems from a very young age his inclination was towards writing poems on worldly affairs. It is mentioned in the preface of ‘Intekhab e Mir Anees’ that while he was a teenager, he had written many poems on worldly affairs. As soon as his father came to know about it, he reprimanded him by saying that you have got your tongue and power of writing through Ahle Bait (as), hence you should write and recite poems only for them. This was the turning point for him and he dedicated his entire life in the service of Sayyidus Shohada (a.s.).

Mir Anees has written  more than ten thousand Marsiyas which does not include Salaam and Nauhas. Each of these Marsiyas would run from 80 to 220 stanzas of Musaddas (Six liner poetry) narrating the atrocities and the sorrow of people of Karbala. Nowadays, only a few stanzas of a given Marsiya are recited before any Majlis.

Mir Anees broadened the scope of Marsiya by including, realistic scenes of the battlefield, describing the face and physique of the warrior, emotional conversations of the Ahle Haram, perfect descriptions of the landscape, and occasional comparisons of situations and personalities in addition to the customary lamentation and mourning.

Mir Anees was a master of simple, natural utterance, with a superb command on the language, which was always adequate to express a large variety of moods, scenes, characters and situations. He is specially notable for presenting the same scene or situation, over and over again, in different words or phrases, without letting it appear monotonous. Let us have a look at one of innovative way of speaking about shahadat of Imam Husain (a.s.)

Teero pe teer aa chuke bus ai Husain bus

Zakhmo pe zakhm khaa chuke bus ai Husain bus

Laashe pe Laasha laa chuke bus ai Husain bus

Hum tumko aazma chuke bus ai Husain bus

Sar ko jukado khanjar e bedaad ke liye

Kuch imtehan chod do Sajjaad ke liye

Another significant contribution of Mir Anees was that he has used unique titles for Aba Abdillah (a.s.) and introduced words which the urdu language was unaware of.

There is a book soon to be launched with the named ‘1000 titles of Imam Husain (a.s.) ’. All these titles are compiled from the Marsiyas of Mir Anees and the titles he has used for Sayyidush Shohada (a.s.). Given below is a small example

Is dabdabe se lashkar e paima shikan me aaye

Jaise shikar khelne ko sher bann me aaye

Ya bulbul ishtiyaq me gul ke chaman me aaye

Ghul pad gaya ‘Hato, Asadullah rann me aaye’

Agli safein ulat gayi yun pichli fauj par

Jis tarah mauj girti hai toofan me mauj par

With regards to new words in Urdu, kindly read the two lines from a very famous Musaddas below

Husain jab ke chale baad e do pahar rann ko

Koi na tha ke jo thaame lagaame TAUSAN ko

The word Tausan which means a war horse was introduced in Urdu vocabulary by Mir Anees.

Its been more than 150 years that Mir Anees departed for the celestial world but yet his Marsiyas are unmatched in eloquence, simplicity and yet heart rendering. Today, many Zaakirs and famous Nauhakhwans use lines from the Marsiya of Mir Anees in their speeches and Nauhas.  He has inspired non Shias and non Muslims to recite his Marsiyas which gave additional exposure to the event of Karbala. The marsiyas of Mir Anees are part of Urdu syllabus in many curriculams.

Mir Anees changed the way and scaled to new heights in the path of how Masaeb of Karbala are recited through poetry. No one else can give a more befitting tribute to him other then his greatest contemporary and the one who can be compared to him i.e. Mirza Dabeer. After the death of Mir Anees, Mirza Dabeer dedicated these two lines for him

Aasmaa be Maahe Kaamil, Sidra be Roohul Amin

                                                Toor e Siina be Kaleemullah, Mimbar be Anees

Treachery of companions of Imam Hasan (a.s)

Treachery is defined as willful betrayal of trust. It includes deceit, back-stabbing and disloyalty. Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) and Ahlulbayt (a.s) underwent numerous hardships due to treacherous people. The oppression upon the Holy Imam (a.s.) has been of all kinds and included oppression by speech, action, emotions and pen. The oppression to the Holy Imams (a.s.) was due to wise enemies as well unwise comrades, clever and hypocritical enemies as well as timid, ignorant and foolish companions.

On the pretext of bringing into effect Islamic unity, Moawiyah gathered a huge army to fight Imam Hasan (a.s) in Iraq. When the news reached Iraq, Imam Hasan (a.s.) invited the people to the mosque. He climbed the pulpit and after praising Allah and sending salutation upon the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) said, "Moawiyah has moved towards Iraq along with his army. It is your turn to get ready for the war and defend your honor and religion”. But those despicable, vanquished and comfort loving people did not give a response to Imam (a.s.). Adi Ibn-e-Hatim stood up from among the people and very sadly addressed them saying, "What kind of people are you? What does this dead silence mean? Why do you not reply to Imam Hasan (a.s.) and the son of your Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.a.)? Are you not afraid of subject and suffering? Be afraid of Allah's anger and torment and obey the order of your Imam (a.s.). Get up and take your weapon in your hands and defend your honor, respect and religion. So that Allah and Imam (a.s.) are pleased with you.

These words alerted a group so they announced their readiness to take part in the battle. Adi Ibn-e-Hatim told the Imam (a.s.), "We are ready and waiting for your order”. Imam Hasan (a.s.) said, "I am proceeding towards the Nakheela Camp and whosoever is prepared and willing may go to that place, although I know that you will not practice upon your promise and Moawiyah will deceive you”.

When Imam Hasan (a.s.) reached the camp, most of those who were shouting the slogans of "war" were absent and had gone back. This was expected because apart from a few Shias. the army of Imam (a.s.) comprised of people who did not consider this war as a religious obligation nor did they consider Imam (a.s.) as their divine leader.

These people were :

1. Khawarij who had come to fight against Moawiyah and not for the sake of obeying the command of Imam Hasan (a.s.).

2. Those materialist and greedy people who wanted war booty.

3. Those who had participated for the sake of following their tribal chiefs.

Hence, Imam Hasan (a.s) addressed them saying, "You betrayed me, like you had betrayed my father, who was your Imam before me. I don't know whether you will fight siding with Imam or someone who absolutely does not believe in Allah and His Prophet (s.a.w.a)”

Then he selected a man named Hakam as the commander of the army and put four thousand men under his command so that he moves to the city of Ambaar and stays there and applies restraint to the forces of Moawiyah till getting further orders. But, Moawiyah deceived him by giving him money and making false promises. And he joined his army along with his two hundred men.

Imam (a.s.) selected another man from the tribe of Bani Murad as his successor and said, "Although I do not have trust upon you. But this is a trial, you may also proceed."

When Moawiyah came to know about his arrival, he sent his delegates with five thousand dirhams for him and promised to give him a governorship. He was too deceived by Moawiyah and joined him.

When the news of the joining of tribal chiefs with Moawiyah reached the Imam Hasan (a.s.), he was shocked and grievous and said, "Did I not say several times that you do not have any faithfulness and trustworthiness, and your conduct with me is that of artifice, and cunningness? He then decided to gather an army himself and move. By the efforts of his friends nearly four thousand men gathered. Imam (a.s.) along with "Sabaat" went to Madayan and sent twelve thousand men under the command of Obaidullah bin Abbas and his helper Qais bin Saad, as a field leader and fore runner to meet and resist Moawiyah. Moawiyah sent his agents along with one million Dirhams among the forces of Imam Hasan (a.s.) to deceive Qais but Qais did not yield to his desire and answered them, "tell Moawiyah you cannot take my faith from me and I will not desert and leave Imam by any of your artifices and frauds."

The agents who got disappointed by Qais, went towards the real Commander Obaidullah bin Abbas and lured and deceived him and he along with a group of his followers joined Moawiyah at the night-time. When the army men of Imam Hasan (a.s.) became without a commander, Qais took over the command and lead the Jamaat prayers. Qais was fighting fiercely and ferociously and had made Moawiyah fearful. As a result, he sent a few spies among the army men of Qais, so that they may make this propaganda that Imam Hasan (a.s.) has entered into peace treaty with Moawiyah and you are fighting for no reason. By this, Moawiyah succeeded in separating and detaching the group of Khawarij from the Imam's forces and in deceiving them to attack the Imam Hasan (a.s.) and what he desired did materialize.

Suddenly, a platoon attacked the tent of Imam Hasan (a.s.) and looted whatever they found, to the extent that they even pulled out the carpet of Imam Hasan (a.s.) from beneath him.

Imam Hasan (a.s.) was forced to leave that place and he rode upon a horse and a group of his friends were all around him. One of them (the attackers) rushed out of his hiding place and injured Imam Hasan (a.s.). Imam Hasan (a.s.) was carried to one of his friend's house and provided medical care and treatment. It came to that, most of his governors, secretly and confidentially, wrote letters to Moawiyah saying we are at your command and disposal as soon as possible come to Iraq, we will arrest  Imam Hasan (a.s.) and hand him over to you. Moawiyah sent all those letters to Imam Hasan (a.s.) along with a covering letter saying, "These people did not remain faithful to your father and they will not remain on your side either. I am ready to sign a pact with you and overlook the war.

Imam Hasan (a.s) said, the Messenger (s.a.w.a.) himself left his people and went to the Sheb-e-Abi Taalib while he was inviting the people towards Allah. If he had helpers and companions he (s.a.w.a.) would have never taken to the cave. Likewise, if I would have got helpers I would have never made peace with you.(Moawiyah)  (Sulaym Ibn Qais al-Hilaali).

May Allah curse the treacherous people and punish them with the most severe punishment. May Allah give us taufeeq to protect ourselves from disloyalty and disobedience towards Imam Zamana (a.t.f.s.) lest our names are also listed amongst the treacherous companions.

Loyal Companion: Janabe Abuzar e Gaffari (ra)

“The green sky has not shaded and the dusty earth has not borne the weight of any speaker more truthful than Abu Dharr.” These were the words of Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a). (Hayat Al-Qulub Vol. 2)

Abu Zar was the second most important companion of the Prophet. His name, according to the most reliable report was Jundab bin Junadah, and his agnomen was Abu Zar. He was a member of the Arab tribe of Bani Ghiffar.

Story of his conversion: 

Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s) said that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a) told one of his companions about the story of the conversion of Abu Zar to Islam.

The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a) said: He used to graze his sheep at Abu Batan Markah, which is at a distance of one station from Mecca. Suddenly a wolf attacked his flock from the right and Abu Zar chased him away with his staff. Then he attacked from the left and Abu Zar striked it with his staff and said: I have not seen a worse wolf than you. The wolf began to speak by the miracle of the Prophet: By Allah, the people of Mecca are worse than me. The Almighty Allah sent a messenger to them and they say that he is a liar. They call him names and consider him incapable. When Abu Zar heard this, he told his wife to pack some provisions, pot and staff.

Taking these items he set out for Mecca on foot to investigate the information he had received from the wolf. Thus after many hardships and a long distance he at last entered Mecca. He was feeling extremely thirsty. On reaching the Zamzam well, he pulled out a bucket of water and saw that the bucket was full of milk. He thought that it was a proof of what the wolf had said.
And it was also a miracle of the Prophet. Thus he drank the milk and came to a corner of the mosque. He found a group of Quraish and sat down with them. They were talking ill of the Prophet as the wolf had mentioned. They were occupied in this whole day. In the evening, Abu Talib arrived and when they saw him, they said: Keep quiet, Muhammad’s uncle is here!” So they fell silent. When Abu Talib arrived, they began to converse with him.

After dusk when Abu Talib took their leave, Abu Zar also followed him. He turned to me and asked: “What do you want?” “I am searching for the Prophet who has appeared among you,” I said. “What do you want from him?” he asked. I said: “I want to start believing in him, testify to his truthfulness and follow him.” Abu Talib asked, “Will you really do this?” “Doubtlessly,” said I.
So he said: “Come tomorrow at the same time and I will take you to him.” Abu Zar says that he spent the night in the holy mosque of Mecca and joined the gathering of the same infidels in the morning. Like the previous day, they again began to talk ill of the Messenger of Allah (S) and when Abu Talib arrived, they stopped their discussions and began to converse with him.

Thus when Abu Talib arose from there I also set out with him. Like the previous day he again asked the same question and I replied in the same way. Then he asked with emphasis if I would indeed act on what I was saying and I agreed. So he took me to a house in which Hamza was present. I greeted him and he asked the purpose of my visit. I gave the same explanation.

So he asked me if I testified to the Oneness of Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah? I said: I testify that there is no god except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Hamza took me to the house in which there was Ja’far Tayyar. I greeted him and he also asked the purpose of my visit. I again offered the same explanation. He told me to recite the two testimonies (Shahadatain) and I recited the same.

Ja’far took me to the house of Amirul Momineen (a.s.) and he also first asked about the purpose of my visit and then asked me to recite the dual formula of faith. Then he took me to the house in which the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a) was seated. I greeted him and took my seat. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a) also asked me about the purpose of my visit and then taught me the dual Kalimah (Shahadatain).

I recited the same and the Prophet said: O Abu Zar, go back to your native place and by the time you reach there, your cousin would have passed away from the world and except for you there will no heir. Take his property and live with your family, till the time I declare my prophethood. After that you can join me. So Abu Zar returned home to find that the son of his uncle had expired.

He took charge of all his property and continued to live there till the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) migrated to Medina and the religion of Islam gained popularity. After that he came to Medina and met the Prophet. (Hayat Al-Qulub Vol. 1)

Traditions Mentioning His Virtues:

Janabe Fatima (s.a) held Abuzar in high regard and at opportune moments praised him and introduced him as a confidante of the Household of Prophethood and Imamate. One day she mentioned her meeting with three beautiful, jovial and perfumed girls, who were Houris of Heaven and devotees of Hazrat Zahra (s.a). She inquired their names. While introducing themselves, the second girl called Zorat said that God had intended her for Abuzar.(Rayahin Ash Shariah, Vol. 1, p. 135.)

Imam Ja'far as- Sadiq (a.s) said that my grandmother Hazrat Fatima (SA) said to Imam Ali (AS): "Upon my death, don't inform anyone but Umme Salama and Fizza among the women and in addition to my two sons, Hassan and Hussain, inform Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib, Salman Farsi, Ammar, Abuzar and Huzaifah among men." (Tarikh at Tabari, Vol. 2, p. 30)

Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (a.s) also said that there are ten stages of faith. He added that Salman was on the tenth stage, Abu Dharr on the ninth, and Miqdad on the eighth stage! (Ain-Al Hayat, The Essence of Life)

Moreover it is also narrated that Amirul Momineen (a.s) said: Abu Zar has obtained some such sciences which people cannot bear and he has placed some knots over it, so that nothing comes out of it. (Hayat Al-Qulub Vol. 1)

Abu Dharr, the Oppressed

Reliable histories are witness that during the Second Caliphate Abu Dharr was banished to Syria. There, Abu Dharr started publicly criticizing Emir of Syria for his actions, which were contrary to the norms of Islam. He also continued to eulogize Amir’ul-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (as) in public. In the meantime the third caliph assumed power when the Emir of Syria (Mu’awiah) wrote to him complaining about Abu Dharr. He also mentioned in his letter that Abu Dharr was critical even of the Caliph. Orders were passed that Abu Dharr be sent to the capital expressly.

There the Caliph banished him to that area which he disliked the most, al-Rabadha. Abu Dhar disliked al-Rabathah because he worshipped the idols there during the pre-Islamic period.

Janab Muhammad Yaqub Kulaini (AR) writes that at the time of the departure of Abu Dharr from Medina, Amir’ul-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (as), Imam Husayn (as), Imam Hasan (as), Aqeel and Ammar went for some distance with him and advised him to be patient. Imam Husayn (as) told him, “O Uncle! The enemy wanted to deprive you of your Faith, but he didn’t succeed! But in the bargain he has lost his own Faith. Allah shall reward you in abundance!”

Abu Dharr Ghiffari reached Rabdha, and lived a lonely existence. He had neither friend nor helper. He had a few sheep in the beginning that died in time. His sons succumbed to the harsh environment of the place and his wife too died. Only one daughter remained with him.
For three long days Abu Dharr remained without any food or sustenance in the desert. He put his head on a mound of sand and expired. Only his four-year-old daughter remained. The child started crying and shouting for help when a caravan of men arrived there. The girl recalling her father’s last wish told to the new arrivals, “O travelers! The companion of the Prophet (S) has died and his body is lying for two days without a shroud and grave!”

The daughter of Abu Dharr says that she remained near the grave of her father and continued to offer prayers and fasting, as did the father. She witnessed in her dream one night that Abu Dharr was reciting the Holy Qur’an in his nightly prayers. She asked him, “O father! How has Allah treated you?” He replied, “My daughter! I have arrived in the presence of my Allah. He is happy with me and I am contented. He has given me many bounties. O daughter! Do good deeds and don’t let pride overwhelm you.” (Ain-Al Hayat, The Essence of Life)

Finally, we pray to Allah (swt),

O God, and as for the Companions of Muhammad specifically, those who did well in companionship, who stood the good test in helping him, responded to him when he made them hear his messages' argument, separated from mates and children in manifesting his word, fought against fathers and sons in strengthening his prophecy, and through him gained victory; those who were wrapped in affection for him, hoping for a commerce that comes not to naught in love for him; those who were left by their clans when they clung to his handhold and denied by their kinsfolk when they rested in the shadow of his kinship; forget not, O God, what they abandoned for Thee and in Thee, and make them pleased with Thy good pleasure for the sake of the creatures they drove to Thee while they were with Thy Messenger, summoners to Thee for Thee.

(Imam Zayn al-'Abidin , Sahifa al-Kamilah

The companions of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.)

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ وَ يُثَبِّتْ أَقْدامَكُم‏

“O you who believe ! if you help (the cause of) Allah, He will help you and make firm your feet.” (Surah Mohammed 47 : 7)

As we glance through the pages of history, we realize that the tortures of the Bani Abbas caliphs only went on increasing. And as they realized that the advent promised Mahdi is near, they became more cautious over keeping an eye on Imams (a). The tyrant ruler Mutawakkil (la) forced Imam Hadi (a) to migrate from Madina to Samarra so that he can be kept under house arrest. The same fate followed Imam Hasan Askari (a) as well who was under house arrest in Samarra. However, despite being very vigilant about the activities of Imam Askari (a), history has recorded more than 100 companions of Imam.

For the lovers of Imam Zamana (a.t.f.s.) the pleasure of visiting the house of Imam Zamana (a.t.f.s.) in Samarra is indeed incomparable to any other pleasure. Visiting the blessed graves of Imam Askariain (a.s.) is very close to their hearts despite all the danger associated to this visit. And this has been the case always. We see in history that during the lifetime of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s) the companions of imam Hasan Askari ( a.s ) use to disguise themselves as cloth sellers or oil merchants etc and risk their lives for the love of the beloved imam and for the sheer desire to visit the imam (a.s.)

In this article we shall mention and discuss a few of them.

1.    Abu Ali Ahmad bin Ishaaq bin Abdullah bin Sa’d bin Malik bin al-Ahwas al-Ash’ari al-Qummi

His role as a scholar

He was the deputy of the people of Qum. He narrated traditions from Imam Mohammad Taqi (a) and Imam Ali Naqi (a). He was from the close companions of Imam Hasan Askari (a). He had written some books such as ‘Ilal as-Sawm: causes of fasting’ and ‘Masa’ilar-Rijal: questions of men’ which he had collected from Imam Reza (a). Sheikh at-Toosi said he was one from those who had met Imam Mahdi (a) (Ref: RijalToosi)

Gifts for him

Muhammad bin Ahmed bin as-Salt al-Qummi wrote a letter to Imam (a.s.) and mentioned in it the story of Ahmed bin Isaaq al-Qummi and his companionship. He mentioned that he wanted to perform the hajj and needed one thousand dinars. He said in the letter, ‘If my master sees that he orders to lend him this amount and get it back from him in his country when he comes back, I shall do (give him the money).’ The imam (a) replied, ‘It is a gift from us to him and when he comes back, he will get another gift from us (Ref: RijalKashi) This story showed his faith and the respect of the Imam (a) towards him.

Abu Ali Ahmed ibne Ishaq once requested Imam Askari ( a.s ) to give him a specimen of his handwriting so that whenever he receives a letter from him (a.s.), he could verify its authenticity. Imam (a.s.) told him that beware that the writing varies due to the coarseness and thickness of pen and should not confuse him. Imam (a.s.) then started to write a sample letter. Abu Ali started thinking in his heart that how nice it would have been if Imam (a.s.) would give him his pen so that he could seek blessing from it and benefit from the pen of Imam (a.s.). Imam (a.s.) after finishing the letter engaged in discussion with Abu Ali, upon seeking farewell Imam (a.s.) told Abu Ali to take the pen with him. (Shagirdaane Maktabe Aimmah (a.s.) by Mohammed Ali Aalami)

How nice a gift this great companion received from Imam ( a.s ), from the Imam (a.s.) who knew what was in his heart. May Allah give us this taufeeq that we also intend to seek and received such tabarruk from Imam Zamana (a.t.f.s.) which can be used for protecting the shias of Ahle Bait ( a.s ).

He visited Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.)

Abdullah bin Ja’far al-Himyari said, ‘Once, Sheikh Abu Amr (may Allah have mercy on him) and I met Ahmad bin Isaaq, who made a sign to me to ask Abu Amr about the Successor (Imam Mahdi). I said to him, ‘O Abu Amr, I want to ask you about something that I have no doubt about.’ He said, ‘Ask about what you want!’ I said to him, ‘Did you see the Successor after Abu Muhammad (a)?’ He said, ‘By Allah, yes.’ (Ref: Al-Kafi, chp of Hujjat)

He is one of the honorable persons to meet Imam Mahdi (a) on more than one accession (Ref: NajmusSaqib)

The final journey

Once while returning from Samarra Abu Ali seeked farewell from Imam (a.s.) and requested that he wants to meet Imam (a.s.) again. Imam (a.s.) propheciesed that he would pass to the next world on his way back home at the bridge of dhiaab. Indeed this is a great reward that Hazrat informs his servants the place and time of death. Not just this but Imam (a.s.) himself by tayyul arz reached Halwan at the bridge of Dhiaab and gave ghusl and kafan to Abu Ali. Abu Ali is buried close to the bridge above the river of Dhiaab on the way to Baakhtaran at Baghdad. (Shagirdaane Maktabe Aimmah (a.s.) by Mohammed Ali Aalami)

2.    Dawud bin al-Qassim

He was known as Abu Hashim al-Ja’fari. He was one of the eminent Muslims and one of the famous scholars in religion. His lineage belonged to the eternal martyr in Islam Ja’far bin Abu Talib at-Ţayyar. He was the son of al-Qassim bin Isaaq bin Abdullah bin Ja’farand there was no lineage more than this noble lineage at all.

Abu Hashim was very loyal to the infallible imams (a). He met Imam Reza, Imam Jawad, Imam Hadi and Imam Hasan Askari (a). He devoted himself to them. He composed good poetry on praising them.Abu Hashim had a high position near the imams whom he was contemporary with. Once, Imam al-Hadi (a) said to him, ‘O Abu Hashim, which blessing of Allah you want to be grateful for? Allah has endowed you with faith that saves your body from Fire, endowed you with soundness that helps you in obedience, and endowed you with satisfaction that keeps you away from degradation.

All classes of the society highly regarded Abu Hashim. Biographers said about him, ‘He was preferred by rulers. He was pious, devoted, ascetic, knowledgeable, and active. No one of the Talibites at his time was like him in his high lineage. He died in Jumadi al-Ula in 261 AH a year after the death of Imam Hasan Askari (a)

Abu Hashim's sheer love for Imam Hadi (a.s ) made him complain once to Imam (a.s.) that he and his horse had become old and there was not enough pasture on the way to samarra for his old horse to feed upon hence he was not able to frequent to Samarra to visit Imam ( a.s ). In return Imam ( a.s ) prayed for him and his horse after which his horse became so strong that Abu Hashim would leave baghdad at morning and would recite zohar prayers at Samarra and would reach back baghdad by evening after meeting Imam ( a.s ). (Shagirdaane Maktabe Aimmah (a.s.) by Mohammed Ali Aalami)

There is a lot, we can ask too from our Imam of the time with regards to our strength in working for Imam (a.s.)

3.    Abdul Azeem ibn Abdillah al-Hassani

He belonged to the pure progeny of Imam Hasan Mujtaba (a). He was the son of Abdullah bin Ali bin al-Hasan bin Zayd bin Imam Hasan (a). Sheikh at-Toosi mentioned him as one of Imam al-Askari's companions. (Ref: RijalToosi) An-Najashi mentioned that Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Khalid al-Barqi said, ‘Abdul Azeem came to Rey escaping from the ruler. He lived in a vault in a house of one of the Shia in Sikkat al-Mawali. He worshipped Allah in that vault; fasting the day and spending the night in praying and supplicating. He went out in disguise to visit the tomb that was opposite to his tomb (later on). He said that it was a tomb of one of the sons of Imam Musa bin Ja’far (a). He remained living in that vault and his news moved from one to another of the Shia until most of them knew him. Once, a man from the Shia saw in sleep that the Messenger of Allah (s) said to him, ‘A man from my progeny shall be carried from Sikkat al-Mawali and buried near the apple tree in the garden of Abdul Jabbar bin Abdul Wahab’ and he pointed to the place. The man went to buy the tree and its place from its owner. The owner asked him, ‘What for do you want to buy the tree and its place?’ The man told him about his dream, and then the owner of the tree remembered that he also had seen such a dream and entailed the place of the tree and all the garden on the Sharif and the Shia to be buried in. Abdul Azeem became ill and then died. When he was to be washed, a piece of paper was found in his pocket written in it his noble lineage.

Shah Abdul Azeemwas a knowledgeable jurisprudent. Abu Hammadar-Razi said, ‘Once, I went to Ali bin Muhammad an-Naqi (a) in Surra Man Ra’a. I asked him about some questions of halal and haram and he answered me. When I wanted to leave him, he said to me, ‘O Hammad, if something of your religion is dubious to you, ask Abdul Azeem bin Abdullah al-Hasani about it and give him my best regards (Ref: Mu'jamRijal al-Hadith, Vol. 10 Pg. 53)

It is mentioned in KaamiluzZiyaraat, Pg. 354 (English) that a man went to Imam Hadi (a) and he asked me, “Where are you coming from?” I replied, “I went to the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s.).” Imam (a) said, “If you had gone to the Ziyarat of the grave of Abdul Azeem who is buried near you, you would have been like one has gone to the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a).

4.    Ali bin Ja’far al-Humani al-Barmaki

Al-Barqi mentioned him as one of Imam Mohammed Taqi (a) and Imam Hasan Askari's companions (RijalBarki) Sheikh at-Toosi said, ‘He was a good, benevolent man from the agents of Abul Hasan and Abu Muhammad (a) (Ref: Al-Ghaybah)

Abu Ja’far al-Umari said, ‘Once, Abu Tahir bin Bilal went to perform the hajj and he saw Ali bin Ja’far spend too much money. When he went back, he wrote to Imam Askari (a) about that and Imam replied to him: ‘We have ordered to give him one hundred thousand dinars and then another one hundred thousand dinars but he refused to take them so that we would keep them for people. He went to Abul Hasan (a) and he ordered to give him thirty thousand dinars.

Al-Kashshi mentioned that Yousuf bin as-Sakht said, ‘Ali bin Ja’far was one of the deputies of Imam al-Hadi (a). One day, he was betrayed near Mutawakkil (la) who threw him in prison. He remained in prison for a long time and he could not bear longer. Therefore, he asked an agent of the Abbasid government to intercede for him to be set free and he would give him three thousand dinars for that. The agent went to Ubaydillah, who had a good position near Mutawakkil (la), and asked him to intercede with Mutawakkil(la) for Ali bin Ja’far. Ubaydillah responded to him and interceded with Mutawakkil (la) to set Ali bin Ja’far free, but Mutawakkil (la) refused and said to him, ‘If I doubted you, I would say you are a Rafidhi (Shia). This is a deputy of Abul Hasan al-Hadi and I have determined to kill him.’

Ubaydillah regretted his intercession and told his friend (the agent) that Mutawakkil (la) had determined to kill Ali bin Ja’far and there was no chance for setting him free. Ali bin Ja’far became so distressed and wrote a letter to Imam al-Hadi (a) saying to him, ‘O my master, please do something for me! I fear I may lose my faith.’ Imam al-Hadi (a) replied to him, ‘Since the matter has reached this point with you, I will pray Allah for you.’

Mutawakkil (la) became seriously ill and his fever increased. Therefore, he ordered his men to set free all prisoners and gave a special order to set Ali bin Ja’far free. Mutawakkil (la) ordered Ubaydillah to set Ali free and to beg him to forgive him for what he had done to him. Ali was set free and went to live in Mecca as Imam al-Hadi (a) had ordered him. (Ref: RijalKashi)

Al-Kashi mentioned in the biography of Faris bin Hatim al-Qazwini that there was a dispute between Ali bin Ja’far and Faris, and that Ibrahim bin Muhammad wrote to Imam Hadi (a) telling him about that and asking him to show him which of them he should follow. Imam Hadi (a) replied to him saying, “It should not be asked about one like this man and he should never be doubted. The position of Ali bin Ja’far is so great to us. May Allah please us with him. He is far above to be compared with others. Go to Ali bin Ja’far to satisfy your needs, and fear Faris and do not let him interfere in your affairs. Let you and those who follow you from the people of your country do that. I have been informed of what he (Faris) misrepresented to people. Do not pay attention to him Inshallah(Ref: RijalKashi)

This letter shows that this man was so faithful that the imam (a.s.) had appointed him as an authority for the Shia.

Other notable companions that we have not discussed in detail are

5.    Abu Isaaq Ibrahim bin Mahziyar al-Ahwazi

6.    Muhammad bin al-Hasan as-Saffar (Author of BasaerudDarajaat)

7.    Abu AmrUsman bin Sa’eed al-Amriaz-Zayyat (1^st special representative of Imam Mahdi (atfs))

8.    Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Usman al-Amri(2^ndspecial representative of Imam Mahdi (atfs))

May Allah give us the Taufeeq of being among the servants, if not companions of Imam Mahdi (a)

The above article has been majorly taken from the book ‘Life History of Imam Hasan Askari’ by Baqir Sharif, who in turn has given references of books like RijalKashi, RijalToosi, RijalBarqi and a few others.