The Martyrdom of Ĥusain ibn ‘Ali عليه السلام Revealed Through Jabra`ǐl

2. My father narrated to me from Sa’d ibn ‘Abdillāh, from Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ‘Isā, from Ḥasan ibn ‘Ali Al-Washā`, from Aḥmad ibn ‘Ā`idh, from Abī Salamah Sālim ibn Mukram, who said: Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq عليه السلام) said: When Fāťimah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم became pregnant with Ḥusain عليه السلام, Jabra`īl came to the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and said, “Verily Fāťimah will give birth to a son who will be killed by your nation after you.” Therefore, Fāťimah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم was averse to her pregnancy while she was carrying Ḥusain عليه السلام, and she was averse to giving birth to him when she did. Then Imam عليه السلام continued: Have you ever seen a mother in this world being averse to giving birth to a son?! Her aversion came from knowing that he would be killed. This verse was revealed about him (Ḥusain عليه السلام), “We have enjoined on man to do good to his parents; his mother bears him with aversion, and with aversion she gives birth to him; and bearing him and weaning him takes thirty months” (46:15).

3. My father narrated to me from Sa’d ibn ‘Abdillāh, from Muḥammad ibn Ḥammād, from his brother Aḥmad ibn Ḥammād, from Muḥammad ibn ‘Abdillāh, from his father, who said: I heard Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq عليه السلام) say: Jabra`īl came to the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and said, “Salām to you, O Muḥammad! Should I give you glad tidings of a son who will be killed by your nation after you?” The Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم replied, “I do not need such a son.” Jabra`īl ascended to the heavens and then came back to him again, repeating what he had said. The Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم replied, “I do not need such a son.” Jabra`īl ascended to the heavens (yet) again and then came back to him for the third time, repeating what he had said. The Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم replied, “I do not need such a son.” Jabra`īl said, “Verily your Lord has placed the succession in his progeny.” The Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said, “Yes, (I accept).” Then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم went to Fāťimah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and said, “Jabra`īl came to me and gave me glad tidings of a son who will be killed by my nation after me.” Fāťimah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم replied, “I do not need such a son.” The Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said to her, “Verily my Lord has placed the succession in his progeny.” Fāťimah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم replied, “In this case, yes (I will accept).” Therefore, Allāh revealed this verse, “His mother bears him with aversion, and with aversion she gives birth to him” (46:15) because Jabra`īl informed her that he would be killed. So “his mother bears him with aversion” because he would be killed. “And with aversion she gives birth to him” because (she knew) he would be killed.

4. Muḥammad ibn Ja’far Al-Razzāz narrated to me from Muḥammad ibn Ḥusain ibn Abil Khaťťāb, from Muḥammad ibn ‘Amr ibn Sa’īd Al-Zayyāt, from one of our companions, who said: Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq عليه السلام) said: Jabra`īl came to the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and said, “O Muḥammad! Verily Allāh conveys His Salām to you and gives you glad tidings of a newborn son from Fāťimah who will be killed by your nation after you.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم replied, “O Jabra`īl! Salām be upon my Lord! I do not need a newborn son from Fāťimah who will be killed by my nation after me.” Jabra`īl ascended to the heavens and then came back to him again, repeating what he had said. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم replied, “O Jabra`īl! Salām be upon my Lord! I do not need a newborn son who will be killed by my nation after me.” Jabra`īl ascended to the heavens (yet) again and then came back to him for the third time and said, “O Muḥammad! Verily your Lord conveys His Salām to you and gives you glad tidings that He has placed the Imamate, the Wilāyah, and the succession in his progeny.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said, “I have accepted.” Then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم sent (this message) to Fāťimah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, “Verily Allāh has given me glad tidings of a newborn son to whom you will give birth and who will be killed by my nation after me.” Fatima عليه السلام replied, “I do not need a newborn son to whom I will give birth and who will be killed by your nation after you.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم sent (this message) to her, “Verily Allāh has placed the Imamate, the Wilāyah, and the succession in his progeny.” Fāťimah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم replied, “I have accepted.” Then Imam Sadiq عليه السلام recited the following verse: His mother bears him with aversion, and with aversion she gives birth to him; and bearing him and weaning him takes thirty months. When he attains maturity, and reaches the age of forty, he says, ‘My Lord, arouse me that I may thank you for the bounties You have bestowed on me and my parents, and that I may do good which pleases You, and make (some of) my offspring righteous (as favour) for me’ (46:15). If he (Hussain عليه السلام) would have said, “make [all of] my offspring righteous” then all of his offspring would have become Imams. Then Imam عليه السلام continued: Ḥusain عليه السلام was not breastfed by Fāťimah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم or any other woman. He used to be taken to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم would place his thumb in the mouth of Ḥusain عليه السلام; he would suck on the thumb of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم (long enough) to suffice him for two or three days. Therefore, the flesh of Ḥusain عليه السلام grew (and developed) from the flesh of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and the blood of Ḥusain عليه السلام was made from the blood of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. No one has been born after a gestation period of only six months except for ‘Isā, son of Maryam عليه السلام, and Ḥusain, son of ‘Ali عليه السلام. The above Ḥadīth has also been narrated to me trough the following chain: My father, from Sa’d ibn ‘Abdillāh, from ‘Ali ibn Ismā’īl ibn ‘Isā, from Muḥammad ibn ‘Amr ibn Sa’īd Al-Zayyāt, from one of our companions, from Abī ‘Abdillāh عليه السلام.

5. My father and Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan both narrated to me from Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan Al-Saffār, from Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ‘Isā, from Ibn Faďďāl, from ‘Abdillāh ibn Bukayr, from some of our companions, who said: Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq عليه السلام) said: (Once) Fāťimah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم came to the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and saw that his eyes were filled with tears. She asked him, “What is upsetting you?” He replied, “Jabra`īl informed me that my nation will kill Ḥusain.” (When Fāťimah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم heard this), she became extremely grieved and restless. So the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم informed her of (the Imams from) her children who would reign. This (news) pleased her and relieved her.

6. Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan ibn Aḥmad ibn Walīd narrated to me from Sa’d ibn ‘Abdillāh, from Muḥammad ibn ‘Isā (ibn ‘Ubayd), from Safwān ibn Yaḥyā, from Ḥusain ibn Abī Ghundar, from ‘Amr ibn Shimr, from Jābir (Al-Ju’fi), from Abī Ja’far (Imam Bāqir عليه السلام), who said: The Commander of the Believers عليه السلام said: The Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم came to visit us (one day). Um Ayman had given us some milk, butter, and dates, so we offered it to the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. After he ate, he went to a corner of the house and started praying. However, at the end of his last Sujūd, he began to cry profusely. Because of our respect and reverence for him, we did not ask him why he was crying. However Ḥusain عليه السلام went and sat on his lap and said, “O Father! When you entered our house (today), we felt a happiness that we had never felt before. But then you started to cry and your crying has grieved us. What made you cry?” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم replied, “O my son! Jabra`īl came to me just now and informed me that you will all be killed and the places of your martyrdom will be far from one another.” Ḥusain عليه السلام asked, “O Father! What is the reward for those who come to the Ziyārah of our graves although they are far from one another?” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم replied: O my son! Verily there will be some groups from my nation who will come to your Ziyārah seeking blessings. By doing so, they will deserve to be visited by me on the Day of Judgment. I will save them from the terrors of the Hour (Day of Judgment) and from their sins. Verily Allāh will make them dwell in Paradise.

7. Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan ibn Aḥmad ibn Walīd narrated to me from Muḥammad ibn Abil Qāsim Mājīlawayh, from Muḥammad ibn ‘Ali Al-Qurashi, from ‘Ubayd ibn Yaḥyā Al-Thawri, from Muḥammad ibn Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali ibn Ḥusain, from his father, from his grandfather (Imam Sajjād عليه السلام), who said: (The Commander of the Believers), ‘Ali ibn Abī Ťālib عليه السلام said: The Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم came to visit us one day. We offered some food to him. We also offered him a platter filled with dates and a goblet filled with milk and butter, which Um Ayman had sent to us. After he finished eating, I stood up and poured water over his hands. He washed his hands and then wiped his face and beard with the remainder of the water on his hands. Then he went to the (designated) place of prayer in the corner of the house and started praying. He fell into Sujūd and started to cry. After crying for a long time, he raised his head. None of us, the Ahlul Bayt, dared to ask him anything. However, Ḥusain عليه السلام moved (toward the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) and climbed on the lap of the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. He placed the head of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم over his chest with his chin on the head of the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. Then he said, “O Father! What makes you cry?” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم replied: O my son! When I saw you (the Ahlul Bayt) today I felt a happiness that I had never felt before, but then Jabra`īl came down to me and informed me that you will all be killed and that your graves will be far from each other. So I praised Allāh and asked Him to bless you (the Ahlul Bayt) with the best of all things. Ḥusain عليه السلام asked, “O father! Then who will come to the Ziyārah of our graves and stay committed to them even though they will be far from each other?” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم replied, “Those from my nation who seek to please me and connect with me by coming to your graves. On the Day of Judgment, I will find them and take them by their arms and save them from the difficulties and terrors of that day.”