» < Ayatollah Muhammad-Sadiq Najmi Translated and annotated by Dr. Muhammad-Reza Fakhr-Rohani ■ ii From Medina to Karbala In the Words of Imam al-Kusayn Ayatollah Muhammad-Sadiq Najmi Translated and annotated by Dr. Muhammad-Reza Fakhr-Rohani : S un RLIIINI) llll ..> IM ' CIO D '■ ft It » 111 *1 7 V_ PIIRIKAIIONS L!L> Published by Sun Behind The Cloud Publications Ltd PO Box 15889, Birmingham, B16 6NZ with Imam al-Husayn's Sacred Sanctuary Karbala, Iraq This edition first published in paperback 2012 Copyright ©Muhammad-Reza Fakhr-Rohani published in 2012 The moral rights of the author and translator have been asserted •■ All rights reserved A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978-1-908110-06-0 Pnnted in the United Kingdom www.sunbehindthecloud.com Contents Abbreviations 8 Transliteration Table 9 About the Author n Acknowledgments x3 Translator's Introduction x5 Maps Figure 1: Imam al-Husayn’s Route From 18 Medina to Karbala Figure 2: Imam al-Husayn's Route in the region 20 of Mecca Figure 3: The Region of Karbala at the Time of 21 Imam al-Husayn's Movement Part One: From Medina to Mecca 1: Addressing the Governor of Medina 23 2: In Response to Marwan b. al-Hakam 29 3: By the Shrine His Grandfather (1) 34 4: By the Shrine of His Grandfather (2) 37 5: In Response to ‘Umar al-Atraf 40 6: In Response to Lady Umm Salamah 43 7: In Response to Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah 47 8: Imam al-Husayn's Last Will and Testament 5i 9: Imam al-Husayn's Remark While Departing Medina 55 10: While Entering Mecca 58 11: In Response to ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar 61 12: A Letter to the Hashimids 69 13: Imam al-Husayn b. ‘All's Letter to the 72 Inhabitants of Basrah 14: Imam al-Husayn b. ‘All's Letter in Response 76 to the Letters of the Kufans 15: A Letter to Muslim b. ‘Aqll 80 16: Imam al-Husayn's Sermon at Mecca 83 17: In Response to Ibn ‘Abbas 88 18: In Response to ‘Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr 93 Part Two: From Mecca to Karbala 19: In Response to Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyyah 100 20: In Reply to ‘Abd Allah b. Ja‘far and ‘Amr b. Sa‘ld 107 21: With al-Farazdaq 111 22: A Suggestion to the Cameleers 115 23: The Second Letter to the Inhabitants of Kufa 118 24: On Route to al-Kufa 123 25: In Response to Lady Zaynab 130 26: At al-Tha‘lablyyah 133 27: At al-Tha‘lab!yyah: In Response to a Query 137 28: In Response to Another Query 140 29: At al-Shuquq 144 30: At al-Zubalah 147 31: At Batn al-‘Aqabah 151 32: Imam al-Husayn's Speech after the Noon Prayer in Sharaf 154 33: Imam al-Husayn's Second Speech in Sharaf 158 34: In Response to al-Hurr 163 35: At al-Baydah 166 36: In Response to Abu Hiram 173 37: In Response to Tirimmah b. ‘Uday and his Associates 176 38: A Conversation with ‘Ubayd Allah b. al-Hurr al-Ju‘fi 181 39: In Response to ‘Amr b. Qays and His Cousin 186 40: Near Karbala 190 Part Three: In Karbala 41: On Arriving in Karbala 194 42: Imam al-Husayn's Sermon after Arriving in Karbala 198 43: A Letter to Muhammad b. al-Hanaftyyah 202 44: In Response to Ibn Zlyad's Letter 205 45: With ‘Umar b. Sa‘d 208 46: Imam al-Husayn's Discourse on the Tas‘a Afternoon 211 47: Imam al-Husayn's Sermon on the Eve of Ashura 215 48: Another Epic in the words of Imam al-Husayn 221 49: Imam al-Husayn's Poems and Advice 225 to his Sisters and Wives on the Eve of Ashura 50: Imam al-Husayn's Qur’an Recitation on the Eve of Ashura 228 51: Imam al-Husayn's Dream on the Eve of Ashura 232 52: Seek Help from Perseverance and Prayer 235 53: Imam al-Husayn's Supplication on Ashura Morning 239 54: Imam al-Husayn's First Speech on Ashura 242 55: Imam al-Husayn's Second Speech on Ashura 253 56: The Curses Imam al-Husayn Invoked 261 57: An Address to ‘Umar b. Sa‘d 265 58: An Address to Harthamah 270 59: In Response to ‘Amr b. al-Hajjaj 273 60: Addressing His Companions at the Outset of the Battle 276 61: The Causes of Allah's Wrath 279 62: Imam al-Husayn's Statements at the 282 Time of His Companions Martyrdom 63: The Final Departure 335 64: Imam al-Husayn's War Poems on the Battlefield 348 65: A World Charter 35i 66: The Last Supplication of Imam al-Husayn 355 Bibliography 358 Abbreviations • A.H., (in dates, anno Hegirae) Arabic-cum-Islamic lunar calendar • b., (Arabic ibn) son of • bt., (Arabic bint) daughter of d., (followed by dates) died \ qtd., quoted ) r./eigned ) • Sh./amsi, Persian-cum-Islamic solar calendar t v i Transliteration Table (■ j z ^ q Long vowels b u- s Jj k 1 a t > sh J 1 J u th m e/5 ? f i £ J J* ^ j n Short vowels C ^ .k t o h a £ kh -k ? J w u ^ d t ‘ es y - 1 S dh t 8h o ah j r ^ f Jl al ( I ! * ! t ! t i > - i 1 i ! : ■ . i : ; ! 1 L ;i