\u201cTomorrow I will hand the flag to the one who likes God and His Prophet\nand whom God and His Prophet like him; the one who never retreats.\u201d(1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This sentence was like a sign, in the\nwar of Khaibar, for the overwhelmed and discontented army of Islam. The troops,\ntwo times with the flag being lifted by Abu Baker and Omar, had made military\nexpeditions to the Khairbar fortress; however, based on authentic and valid\nhistoric evidence and the statement of the Great Prophet (PBUH&HP) because\nof the escape and retreat of the bearer of the flag, they had returned with\nfailure. The historians write that the Great Prophet (PBUH&HP), the next\nday, handed the flag to Amir al-Mu\u2019minin (PBUH) and he undertook that historic\ncourse of that has been depicted up to now in the history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the early history of Islam period\nthe flag was a sign and symbol of the unity or coherence of the army and\nmilitary capalility. As long as the flag was up in the air it prevented the\ndisfuntion and dispersion of the troops and made hope for victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore flagbearing was a key task;\nthe flag of army was handed to the brave men whom power and wealth and ambition\ncould not weaken their iron will; neither the vigor and dignity of the enemy\ncould make a crack on their will. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amir al-Mu\u2019minin Imam Ali (PBUH) in an\nenlightening statement in the battle of Siffin points to this matter for the\nintroduction of the task to the troops and their motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo not leave\nthe flags; hand them to your most brave; the diligent and self sacrificing\nbrave who are not overwhelmed by the rain of problems and hardships. Remember\nthat only these people will guard the flag\u2026they are always with the flags; do\nnot step left or right, front and rear; they do not cause its abasment; they\ndon\u2019t surrender it to the enemy by being left behind; and do not go ahead to an\nextent to which the flag is left unguarded.\u201d(3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was customary in that era that the\nflagbrearers defended the flag until their last breath to keep up the flag and\nto prevent it from being taken by the enemy in order to safeguard the moral of\nthe army. Usually while the flagbearer was standing the army kept resisting.\nIf, however, the flagbrearer was killed and no one replaced him then suddenly\nthe moral of the army would become at stake and the enemy would gain more\ndetermination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The enemy, as well, was well aware\nthat by getting the flagbrearer killed there would be success and it can blow\nthe moral of resisting army. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now with this introduction, we turn\npartly to the role of Abul Fazl Al- Abbas (PBUH) and his courage and nobleness,\nand his task of safeguarding the order and moral of the small army of justice\nin the Kerbala incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the day of Ashura Imam Hussain\n(PBUH) handed the flag to Abbas (PBUH); for he was the most suited for this\nposition and the most loyal and most familiar to the principles of his divine\nuprising. Imam (PBUH) counted Abbas (PBUH) as the most watchful about his\nfamily, against the attackes of the enemy the most steady, and in the scene of\nwar the most brave and experienced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam himself had said to Abbas (PBUH)\nwhen he asked permission to fight in the battlefield, \u201dBrother, you are the\nflagbearer for me; if you go my troops will disperse.\u201d(4) Imam (PBUH) had said\nthat whenever he looked at the hanging flag he was as if he was watching his\norderly troops which is feared by the evil enemy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All these show that the Qamar Bani\nHashim (PBUH) was the most precious thing and the best aid, and that the sense\nof security between the Ahl al-Bait of Imam Hussain (PBUH) strongly depended\nupon him and his flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, when after Abbas was wounded\nand fell down from tha saddle with no hands and Imam Hussain (PBUH) heard his\ncry from near the Euphrates, the signs of breaking became evident in the face\nof Imam and said: \u201cNow my back broke and I don\u2019t have any means, and the enemy\nwill reproach me.\u201d(5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was the time the real share of\nAbbas (PBUH) for Imam Hussain (PBUH) became evident to all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Master of Martyrs (PBUH) after his\nbrother was as if he did not have any vigor in his body. He was holding the divided\nhead of his brave flagbearer near to his chest and was looking at his eyes full\nof blood. The feelings of Imam during the last moments of Abbas is depicted\nwell in a poetry:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O, Abbas!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The eyes that could not sleep easily\nbecause of your strong presence will now have comfortable sleep. And the other\neyes which used to sleep in the shadow of your secure presence will never enjoy\na relaxed sleep. (6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(The above is a\nselection taken from \u201cAl-Abbas (PBUH)\u201d, by Ayatullah Sayyid Abd al-Razzaq\nMousavi Muqarram (with some additions))<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Roshd Website offers condolences\nto all Muslims, especially you dear friend, upon Tasua, the day of\ncommemorating the defender of Ahl al-Bait (PBUH) and the flag bearer of the\narmy of Right, Abbas ibn Ali (PBUT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. This Hadith\nis famous as Khaibar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunni references:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunan Nasa\u2019ei, vol. 7, p. 411 \u2013\nTabaqat ibn Sa\u2019ad (Mutammam al-Sahabah), vol. 1, p. 358 (narrated from Sahih\nBukhari) \u2013 Sire ibn Hisham, vol. 2, p. 334 – \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shia references:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Usul al-Kafi, vol. 8, p. 351 \u2013 Irshad\nShaikh Mufid, vol. 1, p. 64 \u2013 Amali Tusi, p. 546 -\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. The defeat\nand escape of the first and second Caliph in the battle of Khaibar is mentioned\nin some historical references, as can be inferred from the words of Prophet\nMuhammad (PBUH&HP) Hadith Khaibar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunni references:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mustdrak Hakim, vol. 3, p. 39, 40 \u2013\nTarikh Dimashq Ibn Asaakir, vol. 42, p. 97 \u2013 Musnad al-Bazar, vol. 11, p. 327<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shia references:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ifsah Mufid, p. 86 \u2013 Al-Khara\u2019ij\nRaawandi, vol. 1, p. 159 \u2013 I\u2019lam al-Wara Tabarsi, vol. 1, p. 207<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Usul al-Kafi,\nvol. 5, p. 39 \u2013Wasa\u2019il al-Shia, vol. 15, p. 95 \u2013 Nahj al-Balaghah Subhi Salih,\np. 180, Sermon 124 (with some difference) \u2013 Tarikh Tabari, vol. 5, p. 17 (with\ndifference)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Nafas\nal-Mahmum, p. 306 \u2013Muntaha al-Aamal, vol. 1, p. 687 \u2013 Bihar al-Anwaar, vol. 45,\np. 41<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Nafas\nal-Mahmum, p. 306<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. The poem is\ncomposed by Shaikh Muahmmad Reza Ozri, Adab al-Taff, vol. 6, p. 265<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cTomorrow I will hand the flag to the one who likes God and His Prophet and whom God and His Prophet like him; the one who never retreats.\u201d(1) This sentence was like a sign, in the war of Khaibar, for the overwhelmed and discontented army of Islam. The troops, two times with the flag being […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28425,28555,28248],"tags":[24577,18072,18658,24374,18914,24579,24578,18418,18536,24576],"class_list":["post-4836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abbas-ibn-ali-pbuh","category-martyrdom-en-abbas-ibn-ali-pbuh","category-occasional-letters","tag-2012-11-24","tag-god","tag-great","tag-hadrat-abbas","tag-history","tag-lif","tag-likes","tag-occasion-letters","tag-prophet","tag-the-flag-bearer-of-karbala"],"yoast_head":"\n