The tradition of appreciation and gratitude is a Hussaini tradition. It is His virtue that He honors the righteous, praises good deeds, and values loving and sincere actions.
In a battlefield where thirst has consumed every last ounce of strength, it is Hussein (peace be upon him) who, despite all the wounds and the unbearable pain, never forgets to honor the sacrifices of his friends and the brave companions, even amidst the enemy’s laughter and the weeping and sighing of the family.
From the very beginning of the battlefield to the bloodied heart of the war zone, He rushes forward and reaches the side of His companions, offering a smile and comfort, accompanying them to their final moments. What could be sweeter than the fact that a person, in their last moments, lays their head in the lap of their master and sees the smile of their Imam?
The martyrdom of Ali Akbar (peace be upon him) was a painful wound on the soul of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). The Prophet’s look-alike, the embodiment of nobility, kindness, and beauty, fell in the second battle just as His grandfather did, with His head severed on the sands of Karbala. Imam reached His side and, in appreciation, said with a voice choked with tears: “After you, the world is of no worth!”[1]
Another martyr whom Imam reached, limping and heartbroken by the banks of the Euphrates, was the valiant water carrier of Karbala, Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas (peace be upon him). The water carrier of Ashura, whose water skin was torn and blood was pouring from it, lay by the riverbank. Imam knelt down, lamenting and crying, and recited, “Now my back is broken, and my hope is almost gone”[2].
To Imam (peace be upon him), there was no difference between kin, companions, or servants. All were worthy of praise and appreciation. He treated them all as though they were His beloved children, kissing their faces.
Hur, the great hero of repentance, blocked the path of the caravan of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) at the beginning of Muharram. Yet, on the day of Ashura, he joined the ranks of the Imam. As Hur spent his final moments, Imam reached His side, took His brother in His arms, and caressed his head, showering him with love, so that Hur would never feel ashamed before his Imam. Then He said to him, “You are free, as your mother named you”[3]. With the wings of love given to him by Imam, Hur left Karbala for the Divine Throne.
Jun, the black servant and the light of Ashura, was another companion Imam reached in the dust of the battlefield. Blood had drained from his face, and he had asked the Imam to pray for him, to make him radiant and fragrant. Imam replied, “O Allah, make his face bright and fragrant!”[4].
Imam was always appreciative and praised His other companions as well. He said: “I do not know anyone more loyal than you”[5][6]. In another place, He referred to them as the firm rocks of the mountains and, on the night of Ashura, in a remarkable vision, He showed them paradise[7]. Indeed! The Hussaini tradition is the tradition of gratitude.
And woe to the final moments of the Imam, how they were spent. When wolves suddenly attacked the helpless body of the Prophet’s grandson (peace be upon him) and brought down stones and spears upon His blessed body, the loneliness and helplessness of the Imam became a great cry. Shimmering, as he left the killing field, his body shivered. Moments later, His blessed head was raised high on a spear…
“Peace be upon the one whose jugular vein was severed; peace be upon the defenseless defender; peace be upon the beard stained with blood”[8] … “Peace be upon the severed throat, peace be upon the defender with no help, peace be upon the beard dyed in blood…”[9]
(Taken from the book Hussein (peace be upon him), Imam of Virtue and Beauty, by Mohammadreza Sangari, with some modifications and additions)
Footnotes:
[1] (Manaqib Ibn Shahr Ashub, Vol. 4, p. 109)
[2] (Taslīh al-Majālis wa Zīnatu al-Majālis, Vol. 2, p. 310)
[3] (Lohof, p. 44)
[4] (Taslīh al-Majālis, Vol. 2, p. 293)
[5] (Irshad al-Shaykh al-Mufid, Vol. 2, p. 91)
[6] This statement of the martyr, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), indicates that no one was more loyal than His companions, as He is infallible and has divine knowledge.
[7] (Al-Jarājī, Vol. 2, p. 847)
[8] (Part of the Ziyarah Nahiyeh Muqaddasa, Mazar Kabir, p. 499)
[9] Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) gave everything he had—his companions, brothers, and even his infant child—in the way of God with satisfaction and sincerity. In return, God honored and rewarded him with special graces that no one else in the world received: “Indeed, Allah rewarded Hussein’s martyrdom with four blessings: He placed healing in his soil, granted the acceptance of prayers beneath his dome, made the Imams come from his descendants, and did not count the days of his visitors as part of their life: (Al-Mahali al-Shaykh al-Tusi, p. 318)