The morning of the third of Sha’ban in the third year of the Hijra is considered one of the most beautiful dawns, for on this day, a blessed and great child entered the house of revelation. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was informed that Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her) had given birth to a son. A mixture of joy and sorrow overwhelmed him, and with both longing and reluctance, he wished to see the child. What had happened? Did the newborn have any flaws or imperfections?
In truth, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was gazing into a distant future, lost in his thoughts. He looked once more at this infant, his emotions fluctuating between happiness and sorrow. For some time, he remained in this state until tears began to fall from his bright, loving eyes. Amazing! The Prophet (peace be upon him), with all his bravery and courage, was crying! Yet, he was the very person to whom Ali (peace be upon him), the bravest man of Quraysh, would seek refuge in the most difficult of times. But now, in the midst of women gathered for the birth of this child, he was shedding tears!
Asma’ said: “I asked him, ‘O Messenger of Allah, why are you crying?'”
He replied, “I am crying for this son of mine.”
I said, “But, O Messenger of Allah, he has just been born.”
He responded, “The rebellious people will kill him after me. May Allah deprive them of my intercession.”[1]
In reality, this action of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not driven by human affection or a desire to preserve his family’s name. Rather, it was the action of a Prophet chosen by Allah. This child was not just his son, but Hussein (peace be upon him), the leader of those who would follow the path of that divine Prophet after him. Therefore, the news of his impending martyrdom was, naturally, a news of the battle between truth and falsehood. Thus, the Prophet (peace be upon him) wept over this newborn, as his tears were truly deserving.
An extraordinary celebration was taking place in the house of the Prophet. Angels were present at such a celebration as well. Gabriel came forward and said:
“O Muhammad! Allah sends you His greetings and says: ‘Ali is to you as Harun was to Musa, except that there is no Prophet after you. Therefore, name this son of yours after the son of Harun.'”
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked, “What was the name of the son of Harun?”
Gabriel replied, “Shabir.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “But my language is Arabic!”
Thus, the Prophet (peace be upon him) named him “Hussein” (the Arabic equivalent of Shabir).[2]
This child was raised in the arms of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (peace be upon him) until he reached the age of two. Yet, despite this, he had not yet spoken a word! Amazing! The features of the child indicated great intelligence and a strong will, yet why was he not speaking?
One day, as the Muslims stood in rows to perform the congregational prayer behind the Prophet (peace be upon him), Hussein (peace be upon him) stood beside him. The congregation was preparing to say the Takbir al-Ihram. Silence filled the air. At that moment, the Prophet said the Takbir, and soon after, a soft, thin voice was heard reciting “Allahu Akbar.” It was the voice of Hussein ibn Ali. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said the Takbir again, and Hussein (peace be upon him) repeated it. The worshippers who witnessed this were astonished as they heard and repeated the Takbir! The Prophet (peace be upon him) recited the Takbir seven times, and Hussein (peace be upon him) responded seven times. Then, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood for prayer, and Hussein (peace be upon him) repeated everything he heard. Thus, the first word that Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) spoke was the declaration of the Oneness of God: “Allahu Akbar.”[3]
When we align with history, we find that this child, fifty-five years later, while taking his final steps in the sacred struggle (Jihad) and while his pure body lay upon the scorching sands of the desert, his heart torn by thirst, and the heat of the multitude of swords upon him, opened his lips and, in a plea to his Lord, said:
“O Lord! I am content with Your decree, and there is no deity but You.”[4]
His lips continued to repeat this declaration until his pure and noble soul ascended to the heavens.
(Excerpted from the book “Guides of the Lighted Path, The Life of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him)”, authored by Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Taqi Modarresi)
Footnotes:
[1] Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, Vol. 2, p. 26
[2] Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, Vol. 2, p. 26
[3] Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 3, p. 286
[4] Yanabi’ al-Mawaddah, Vol. 3, p. 82