Among several sahaba who laid their lives for Imam Hussain (A.S), there were some young souls and children that came forward to uphold the name of Imam Hussain (A.S) in the battle of Karbala. These warriors made sure that every Yazidi soldier understood that even a child of Ahl-al-Bait could overpower enemies several times larger than them in number.
Hazrat Aun (A.S) & Hazrat Muhammad (A.S)
Descendants of Jafar Ibn Abi Talib and sons of Abdullah Bin Jaffer & Bibi Zainab (A.S), Hazrat Aun (A.S) & Hazrat Muhammad (A.S) presented their lives to Imam Hussain (A.S) in the battle of Karbala.
When Bibi Zainab (A.S) joined his brother on the journey of Karbala, Abdullah Bin Jaffer requested her:
“Zainab! I’m unwell and cannot accompany you. But please take our sons Aun & Muhammad with you. Remember! If the battle begins, send them before Ali Akbar.”
It is said that before the night of Ashura, Bibi Zainab (A.S) gathered his sons and instructed them:
“Listen! My beloved sons, It is a time when Imam Hussain (A.S) & Islam need your sacrifice. You are grandsons of Jafar Ibn Abi Talib and have the blood of Ali Ibn Abi Talib. Tomorrow upheld their names by battling with bravery & laying your lives on your uncle Imam Hussain (A.S)”.
On the day of war, Hazrat Aun (A.S) & Hazrat Muhammad (A.S) got permission to enter the battlefield after Bibi Zainab (A.S) requested Imam Hussain (A.S). While sitting on the back of their horses, both brothers held each other hands and said:
“We’ll split up and attack from both sides. Our target is to meet at Qalb-e-Lashkar and kill the enemy of Imam Hussain (A.S), Umar Ibn Saad”.
The two lions enter the battlefield & presented the best display of courage & bravery. At one point, they got close to Umar Ibn Saad and might have ended his life. Umar screamed to his army:
“Attack together and finish them”.
All Yazidi soldiers attacked the flowers of Bibi Zainab (A.S) with swords & arrows. One brother died on the spot, while another called Imam Hussain (A.S) for help. When Imam Hussain (A.S) reached, the brother with a few seconds of life left in him said:
“Oh, Imam! Tell our mother, Bibi Zainab, that we reached close to water. But as she instructed, we did not drink a single drop as all of your children are still deprived of water”.
When Imam Hussain (A.S) returned with the bodies of brave souls, he couldn’t see Bibi Zainab (A.S). Upon inquiry, it was found that Bibi Zainab (A.S) is offering sajda-e-shukar on the shahdat of her sons.
Hazrat Qasim (A.S)
The pride of Hazrat Hassan (A.S) accompanied his uncle Imam Hussain (A.S) in the battle of Karbala. On the day of Ashura, he was getting restless to enter the war and embrace Shahadat.
He kept asking Imam Hussain (A.S) to allow him to battle:
“Oh, Imam Hussain (A.S)! When I turn to Bibi Zainab (A.S) and ask for permission, she remains quiet. Similar is the case with others. Why I’m not getting the chance to lay my life.”
Imam Hussain (A.S), after getting multiple requests, allowed Hazrat Qasim (A.S) to enter the battlefield. He roared like a lion and challenged the Yazidi soldiers. One after another, the soldiers of Yazid kept becoming prey to Hazrat Qasim (A.S). Panic and chaos throttled among the army of Yazid.
Umar Ibn Saad yelled at his commander Arzaq:
“What are you waiting for? Go and kill him this instant!”
Arzaq felt insulted on being asked to battle against a youngster:
“I will send my son to kill him. You’ll see what a warrior he is”.
Historians wrote that Arzaq had four sons. When he sent his eldest son, Hazrat Qasim took no time in killing him. Silence ran in Yazidi soldiers. One by one, Arzaq sent his sons, but none stood in front of the aggression and courage of Hazrat Qasim (A.S).
When Arzaq lost all his sons, he came to battle Hazrat Qasim (A.S), but despite being a fierce warrior, Arzaq had no match with the son of Hazrat Hassan (A.S). Hazrat Qasim (A.S) struck his sword through him and ended the chapter of the Yazidi commander.
This was the moment when the entire Yazidi army attacked Hazrat Qasim (A.S). He was attacked with pebbles & eventually, he fell from his horse. Yazidi soldiers from both sides ran their horses on the body of Hazrat Qasim (A.S).
Many historians said that when the head of Hazrat Qasim (A.S) was picked on a spear, the Yazidi soldiers said that his face is like a full moon shining with all its brightness.
Hazrat Ali Akbar (A.S)
The son of Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S) and the reflection of Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W) proved to be a strong support for his father throughout the battle of Karbala.
When all companions of Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S) gave up their life for Islam, Hazrat Ali Akbar (A.S) asked permission to embrace martyrdom. It was the hardest decision for Imam Hussain (A.S) as he used to look at Ali Akbar whenever memories of Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W) came to mind.
When Hazrat Ali Akbar (A.S) entered the battlefield, the entire universe saw that a courageous warrior was more powerful than several hundred Yazidi soldiers. Once again Umar Ibn Saad got panicked and ran to Tariq Bin Shees:
“I promise you the government of Mosool if you kill this son of Hussain”.
Shees, in the greed of winning power, attacked Hazrat Ali Akbar (A.S). But he had no match with the grandson of Ali Ibn Talib (A.S). Not only he but the son and brother of Shees also got killed by Hazrat Ali Akbar (A.S).
The son of Imam Hussain (A.S) kept killing every Yazidi soldier until a soldier named Tameer attacked him with a spear. Hazrat Ali Akbar (A.S) fell from a horse and called his father for help. Until Imam Hussain (A.S) reached, Yazidi soldiers kept disrespecting the body of his son by running their horses on it.
Historians said that Imam Hussain (A.S) collected the body of Al-Hurr’s (A.S) son when he was martyred & said:
“A father should not bear the load of the dead body of his young son”.
But at the time of his own son, no one was there to support Imam Hussain (A.S) to bear the load of his young son’s demise.
Hazrat Ali Asghar (A.S)
Imam Hussain (A.S) experienced the brutal experience of burying his son and many companions. After suffering days of thirst, the sahabiat couldn’t control themselves after seeing the condition of Ali Asghar (A.S) – the youngest son of Imam Hussain (A.S).
Taking Ali Asghar (A.S) & Bibi Sakina (A.S) on a journey to Kufa indicates that Imam Hussain (A.S) never wanted to indulge in war.
Bibi Zainab (A.S) kept weeping and requested Imam Hussain (A.S) to do something for Ali Asghar (A.S):
“Oh Hussain! I have sustained the death of my sons Aun & Muhammad. I kept myself strong on the demise of Qasim and Ali Akbar. But I cannot see Ali Asghar deprived of water”.
Sahabiat asked Imam Hussain (A.S) to ask for water only for Ali Asghar (A.S) as there might be soldiers who have children and have mercy on the infant. Imam Hussain (A.S) took Ali Asghar (A.S) in his arms and came out on the battlefield:
“This young infant has nothing to do with the war. I request you to provide water for him. Consider Ali Asghar (A.S) not as the son of Hussain but as a descendant of your Prophet (S.A.W). Maybe your act of kindness please him and Allah.”
Historians narrate that some soldiers of Yazid become emotional and whispered:
“Hussain is right. This infant has nothing to do with war. Let’s provide him water”.
Umar Ibn Saad got worried as he could see that Ali Asghar (A.S) is performing jihad in an unusual but effective manner. He could see his army losing to Ali Asghar (A.S). At that moment, he gave the most gruesome orders that no one could ever imagine:
“Hurmullah! Don’t spare this child today! Silence the infant”
Most horrific scenes occurred on the battle of Karbala. Arrows were shot at a little infant as he caused fear of defeat among the Yazidi soldiers. Imam Hussain (A.S) tried to cover his child, but an arrow passed through his arm and lodged in tine throat of Ali Asghar (A.S).
This was the last trauma that Imam Hussain (A.S) had to face. It is narrated, that Hussain performed the hardest task that day by digging the little grave of his infant soldier who embraced martyrdom to uplift the name of Ahl-al-Bayt.
Tiflan e Muslim – Hazrat Muhammad (A.S) & Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S)
Even after the battle of Karbala, Yazid didn’t hold back his cruel acts. Muslim Bin Aqeel (A.S) was a cousin of Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S), who was martyred before the battle. His two sons, Hazrat Muhammad (A.S) & Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S), become prisoners of Yazid.
The members of Ahyl-al-Bait were just around nine to ten years old. Around one year they stayed as prisoners and only had dry bread to eat. One day they defined their family tree to the warden, who felt ashamed of his acts of holding them prisoners. He helped them escape, and both ran into a house of an old lady.
Hazrat Muhammad (A.S) & Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) requested to spend the night. But the lady told them that his son-in-law is a soldier of Ibn-e-Ziyad and looking for them in return for price. Upon request, the old lady hid them, but her son-in-law raided the house in search of both boys.
In a greed of price from Abdullah Bin Ziyad, that soldier took the children to River Furat and beheaded them so he could present it to his commander.
The stories of each child of Ahyl-al-Bait depicts that even though Yazid had an enormous army, every child of Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W) had the power equal to kill hundred of Yazidi soldiers battle of Karbala. It is their sacrifice that has upheld the name of Islam and made the Muslims the most uplifted nation not only in this world but also in the hereafter.
