The Martyrs Of Karbala
Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi
This and the next two articles have been taken from The Light (Dar-es-Salaam) vol. XI No. 6 (1977) and vol. XIV No. 2 (1980).
**********
This article, giving list of, and some details about, the martyrs of Karbala, is based on Ibsaru ’l- ‘Ain of Shaykh Muhammad as-Samawi, Bihar Al-Anwar of ‘Allamah Majlisi, Manaqib of Ibn Shahr ‘Ashub and Muntaha ’l- ‘Amal of Shaykh ‘Abbas Qummi. This list includes those martyrs also who sacrificed their lives for Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) in Kufa and Basrah shortly before or after the tragedy of Karbala.
Banu Hashim
All the martyrs of Banu Hashim should more correctly be called Banu Abi Talib, because it was only the descendants of Abu Talib who gave their lives on the altar of Islam in Karbala; no other family from Banu Hashim participated in that supreme sacrifice (dhibh ‘azim). Various narratives put their number from seventeen to thirty. A more reliable list would be as follows:
A) Children of Amiru ’l-Mu‘minin ‘Ali (a.s.)
1. Imam Husayn (a.s.).
2. ‘Abbas.
3. ‘Uthman.
4. Ja‘far.
5. ‘Abdullah.
6. Ibrahim.
7. ‘Umar. (His case is doubtful.)
8. Muhammad al-Asghar. (Another tradition says that he was sick and was not martyred.)
B) Children of Imam Hasan (a.s.)
1. Ahmad (Abu Bakr).
2. ‘Abdullah.
3. Qasim.
4. Hasan Muthanna was seriously wounded but later recovered.
C) Children of Imam Husayn (a.s.)
1. ‘Ali al-Akbar.
2. ‘Ali al-Asghar (‘Abdullah ar-Radhi’).
D) Children and grandchildren of ‘Aqil
1. Muslim Ibn ‘Aqil (martyred at Kufa).
2. Ja‘far Ibn ‘Aqil.
3. ‘Abdu ’r-Rahman Ibn ‘Aqil.
4. Muhammad (or Abu ‘Ubaydullah) Ibn Muslim Ibn ‘Aqil.
5. ‘Abullah Ibn Muslim.
6. Ja‘far Ibn Muhammad Ibn ‘Aqil.
7. Muhammad Ibn Abi Sa‘id Ibn ‘Aqil.
Other two children of Muslim Ibn ‘Aqil were martyred at Kufa one year after Karbala; and no one remained alive from the progeny of ‘Aqil.
E) Grandchildren of Ja‘far at- Tayyar
1. ‘Awn Ibn ‘Abdullah Ibn Ja‘far.
2. Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdullah Ibn Ja‘far.
3. ‘Ubaydullah Ibn ‘Abdullah Ibn Ja‘far. (His case is doubtful.)
Sahabah
Five companions (sahabah) of the Holy Prophet sacrificed their lives to help Imam Husayn (a.s.). They are:
1. Anas Ibn Harth al-Kahili.
2. Habib Ibn Muzahir.
3. Muslim Ibn ‘Awsajah.
4. Hani Ibn ‘Urwah al-Muradi, (age: more than 80 years; martyred at Kufa).
5. ‘Abdullah Ibn Yaqtur, (a foster-brother of Imam Husayn; martyred at Kufa).
Slaves
Sixteen slaves or ex-slaves attained the glory of martyrdom with Imam Husayn (a.s.). Their names are:
1. Nasr Ibn Abi Naizar (ex-slave of Imam ‘Ali).
2. Sa‘d Ibn Harth (ex-slave of Imam ‘Ali).
3. Munjih Ibn Sahm (ex-slave of Imam Hasan).
4. Aslam Ibn ‘Amr (ex-slave of Imam Husayn).
5. Qarib Ibn ‘Abdullah Du‘ali (ex-slave of Imam Husayn).
6. Harth Ibn Nabhan (ex-slave of Hamzah).
7. John Ibn Huwai (ex-slave of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari).
8. Sa‘id or Sa‘d (slave of ‘Umar Ibn Khalid as-Saidawi).
9. Nafi‘ or Rafi‘ (slave of Muslim Azdi).
10. Salim (slave of Bani Madaniyyah al-Kalbi).
11. Salim (slave of ‘Amir al-‘Abdi).
12. Shawdhab (ex-slave of Shabib ash-Shakiri).
13. Shabib (slave of Harth Jabiri).
14. Wadhih (slave of Harth Salmami).
15. Sulayman (ex-slave of Imam Husayn. He was martyred in Basrah.)
16. Zahir Ibn ‘Amr (ex-slave of ‘Amr Ibn al-Humuq al-Khuza‘i).
Martyred After Imam Husayn
Four persons were martyred in Karbala after the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (a.s.). They were:
1. Suwayd Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Abi ’l-Muta‘
He was unconscious having been fatally wounded at Karbala. When the din of jubilations of Yazid’s army, mingled with the cries of the family of Imam Husayn reached his ears, he regained consciousness. He had hidden a knife in his socks. With it he attacked the enemy and was killed.
2. Muhammad Ibn Abi Sa‘id Ibn ‘Aqil
This innocent child was a nephew of Muslim Ibn ‘Aqil. After the martyrdom of Imam Husayn when he saw the the women crying, he took a stick in his hand and came out of the tent, looking to right and left nervously. Laqit al-Juhani mercilessly killed him then and there. His name has already been mentioned in I.
3 & 4. Sa‘D Ibn Harth And His Brother ‘Abdu ’L-Hatuff
They were in the army of Yazid. When the Imam was beheaded and they heard the anguished cries of the family of the Imam, suddenly the spark of faith came to life in their hearts and they attacked their own army. They faught bravely and were killed.
Wounded And Died Afterwards
Three helpers of the Imam were seriously wounded and afterwards succumbed to death. They were:
1. Sawwar Ibn Mun‘im Abi ‘Umayr an-Nahm.
He was seriously wounded in the first attack and died as a result of those wounds within six months.
2. Muwaqqa‘ Ibn Thamamah
He was also wounded seriously and then arrested. He died by end of the year.
3. ‘Amr Ibn ‘Abdullah al-Hamadani al-Jundu‘iy
He fell on the ground seriously wounded, again was struck on head by a sword. His tribemen took him away but he could not recover and died by end of the year.
With Family
Apart from the Banu Hashim, only three companions of Imam Husayn had come to Karbala with their families:
1. Junadah Ibn Harth Salmani
He and his family remained with the Imam. When he was martyred, his widow told her child, ‘Amr, to go and sacrifice his life for the Imam. The Imam refused to allow him to fight, saying: “His father has just been killed in this battle; his mother, perhaps, would not like to part with her son also.” The child answered: “But it is my mother who has sent me to fight.” In the end, he also laid his life in the way of Allah.
2. Wahab Ibn ‘Abdullah al-Kalbi
He had accompanied the Imam from Bi‘r Jud. His mother and wife were with him. When he was fighting, his mother was there to exhort him to do his best. When he was killed, his wife went to his side and she was also killed. She was the only woman martyr of Karbala.
3. Muslim Ibn ‘Awsajah
He also came to the Imam with his family. When he was martyred, his maid rushed out from the tent, crying “Oh Muslim!” (See II)
Fathers And Sons
Five martyrs were killed in Karbala together with their sons:-
1. Imam Husayn (a.s.) with his sons, ‘Ali al-Akbar and ‘Ali al-Asghar (‘Abdullah). (See I)
2. Junadah Ibn Harth Salmani with his son, ‘Amr. (See VI)
3. Zayd (or Yazid) Ibn Thubayt al-Qaysi al-Basri, with his sons, ‘Abdullah and ‘Ubaydullah.
4. ‘Abdullah al-‘A’idhi with his son, Mujamma‘.
5. Mas‘ud Ibn Hajjaj with his son, ‘Abdu ’r-Rahman.
6. ‘Amr Ibn Khalid as-Saydawi with his son, Khalid.
There was one martyr whose father had sacrificed his life helping the father of Imam Husayn. He was ‘Ammar son of Hasan Ibn Shurayh at- Ta‘i. His father was among the martyr of Siffin.
There were also two martyrs whose father was martyred in Kufa in the cause of Imam Husayn. They were ‘Abdullah and Muhammad, sons of Muslim Ibn ‘Aqil. (Muslim’s two other sons were arrested after Karbala and were killed one year later.)
Brothers
There were many martyrs in Karbala who were killed with their brothers:
1-7. Imam Husayn and his six brothers: ‘Abbas, ‘Uthman, Ja‘far, ‘Abdullah al-Akbar, Muhammad (who is known as Abu Bakr) and Ibrahim.
8-9. ‘Ali al-Akbar and ‘Ali al-Asghar (‘Abdullah), sons of Imam Husayn.
10-12. Qasim and his two brothers, Ahmad (Abu Bakr) and ‘Abdullah, sons of Imam Hasan.
13-15. Muslim and his two brothers, ‘Abdu ’r-Rahman and Ja‘far, sons of ‘Aqil.
16-17. ‘Awn and Muhammad, sons of ‘Abdullah Ibn Ja‘far. (All the above names were mentioned in I.)
18-20. Qasit, Kurdus (or Karsh) and Muqsit, sons of Zahir (or Zuhayr) at-Taghlibi.
21-22. ‘Abdullah and ‘Ubaydullah, sons Zayd (or Yazid) Ibn Thubayt al-Qaysi. (See VII)
23-24. ‘Abdullah and ‘Abdu ’r-Rahman, sons of ‘Urwah Ibn Hiraq al-Ghifari.
25-26. Nu‘man and Julas (or Hulas), sons of ‘Amr ar-Rasibi.
27-28. Sa‘d and his brother ‘Abdu ’l-Hatuff, sons of Harth al-Ansari. (See IV)
29-30. Malik and Sayf Jabiri. (There were half-brothers.)
Other Martyrs
So far, names of about eighty martyrs have been enumerated. Now, the names of remaining martyrs are given in order of the Arabic alphabets. This list is based on Ziyarat an-Nahiyah and other traditions:
1. Aslam Ibn Kuthayr al-Azdi.
2. Bishr Ibn ‘Umar al-Hadhrami.
3. Jabalah Ibn ‘Ali ash-Shaybani.
4. Jundab Ibn Hijr al-Khawlani.
5. Hubab Ibn Harith as-Salmani al-Azdi.
6. Hajjaj Ibn Masruq al-Ju‘fi.
7. Hajjaj Ibn Zayd Sa‘di.
8. Hurr Ibn Yazid ar-Riyahi.
9. Handhalah Ibn Sa‘d (or As‘ad) ash-Shabami (or ash-Shaybani).
10. Huwai Ibn Malik adh-Dhabu‘i.
11. Zuhayr Ibn Bishr al-Khath‘ami.
12. Zuhayr Ibn Sulaym al-Azdi.
13. Zuhayr Ibn Qayn al-Bajalli.
14. Zayd Ibn Ma‘qil al-Ju‘fi.
15. Sa‘d Ibn ‘Abdullah al-Hanafi.
16. Sayf Ibn ‘Abdullah Ibn Malik.
17. Shabib Ibn al-Harith Ibn Sari’.
18. Shabib Ibn ‘Abdullah an-Nahshali.
19. Dirghamah Ibn Malik.
20. ‘Abis Ibn Abi Shabib ash-Shakiri.
21. ‘Amir Ibn Muslim.
22. ‘Abdu ’r-Rahman Ibn ‘Abdullah Ibn al-Kudar al-Arhabi.
23. ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umayr al-Kalbi.
24. ‘Ammar Ibn Abi Salamah al-Hamdani.
25. ‘Ammar Ibn Hasan Ibn Shurayh at- Ta‘i.
26. ‘Amr Ibn Dhubai‘ah Dhubu’i.
27. ‘Amr Ibn Qarazah al-Ansari.
28. ‘Amr Ibn Khalid as-Saydawi.
29. ‘Umar Ibn Jundab al-Hadhrami.
30. (Abu Thamamah) ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abdullah as-Sa’idi (as-Saydawi).
31. ‘Imran Ibn Ka’b Ibn Harith al-Ashja‘i.
32. Qasim Ibn Habib al-Azdi.
33. Qa‘nab Ibn ‘Amr at-Tamri.
34. Qays Ibn Mushir as-Saydawi (martyred at Basrah).
35. Kananah Ibn ‘Atiq.
36. Malik Ibn ‘Abd Ibn Sari’.
37. Nafi‘ Ibn Hilal Ibn Nafi‘ al-Bajalli (or al-Jamali).
38. Nu‘man Ibn ‘Ajlan al-Ansari.
39. Yazid Ibn Hasin al-Hamdani.
40. Yazid Ibn Ziyad Ibn Muhasir al-Kindi.
41. Adham Ibn Umayyah.
42. Umayyah Ibn Sa‘d at- Ta‘i.
43. Bakr Ibn Hai at-Taymi.
44. Hajjaj Ibn Badr Basri.
45. Sayf Ibn ‘Abdullah al-‘Abdi.
46. ‘Abdullah Ibn Bishr.
In this way we get a golden roll of about 120 martyrs who sacrificed their lives “in the way of Allah”, in the battle of Karbala or shortly before or after that supreme encounter between Iman and kufr.
Their sacrifice is unique in the history; their devotion to Islam and their loyalty to Imam Husayn (a.s.) were unparalleled. Our words cannot do justice to their pristine faith and sincere deeds. It was left to Imam Husayn to appreciate their faith and loyalty in these words: “By Allah, I do not find a family of any prophet or his successor having more filial piety than my family-members; nor companions of any prophet or his successor more loyal than my companions.”
With humility and reverence, we salute them, as we have been taught by our Imams:
Peace be upon you, O saints of Allah and His beloved ones; Peace be upon you, O chosen ones of Allah, and His dear ones; Peace be upon you, O helpers of the religion of Allah;
Peace be upon you, O helpers of the Messenger of Allah; Peace be upon you, O helpers of the Commander of the faithfuls; Peace be upon you, O helpers of Fatimah az-Zahra’, the lady of the woman of the worlds;
Peace be upon you, O helpers of Abu Muhammad, Hasan Ibn ‘Ali, the friend of Allah, the pure, the sincere;
Peace be upon you, O helpers of Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Husayn); May my father and mother be your ransom;
Pure and clean were you, and pure and clean became the earth wherein you are buried;
You achieved the great success;
Would Allah I had been with you to share the success with you.
Now we would like to mention two things which may be of interest to our readers.
The Martyrs Of The First Attack
The following companions of Imam Husayn (a.s.) were martyred when the army of Yazid, sometime after the encounter had begun, attacked with full force, abandoning the Arab custom of individual encounters: -
1. Adham Ibn Umayyah.
2. Aslam Ibn ‘Amr.
3. Umayyah Ibn Sa‘d at- Ta‘i.
4. Bishr Ibn ‘Umar al-Hadhrami.
5. Bakr Ibn Hai at-Taymi.
6. Jabalah Ibn ‘Ali ash-Shaybani.
7. Julas (or Hulas) Ibn ‘Amr ar-Rasibi.
8. Junadah Ibn Ka‘b (see VI)
9. Jundab Ibn Hijr (or Hujayr) al-Khawlani.
10. Juwayn Ibn Malik at-Taymi (or Dhabu‘i?).
11. Habab Ibn ‘Amir at-Taymi (?).
12. Hajjaj Ibn Badr Basri.
13. Hubab Ibn Harith
14. Handhalah Ibn ‘Amr (or Sa‘d) ash-Shabami.
15. Zahir Ibn ‘Amr.
16. Zahir, slave of ‘Amr Ibn al-Humuq al-Khuza‘i.
17. Zuhayr Ibn Bishr (or Bashir) al-Khath‘ami.
18. Zuhayr Ibn Sulaym.
19. Salim Ibn ‘Amr.
20. Sa‘d Ibn Harth.
21. Sayf Ibn ‘Abdullah al-‘Abdi.
22. Sulayman.
23. Sawwar Ibn Abi ‘Umayr an-Nahmi; (according to other traditions he was wounded and died withith six months). See V.
24. Sayf Ibn Malik an-Namiri.
25. Dhirghamah Ibn Malik at-Taghlabi.
26. ‘Amir Ibn Muslim al-‘Abdi.
27. ‘Abdu ’r-Rahman al-Arhabi.
28. ‘Abdullah Ibn Zayd (or Yazid) al-Basri.
29. ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Urwah al-Ghifari.
30. ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umayr.
31. ‘Ayidh Ibn Mujamma’ Ibn ‘Abdullah al-‘Ayidhi (doubtful).
32. ‘Abdu ’r-Rahman Ibn Mas‘ud Ibn Hajjaj at-Taymi.
33. ‘Abdullah Ibn Bishr.
34. ‘Amr Ibn Dhubi‘a Ibn Qays Dhubu’i.
35. ‘Ubaydullah Ibn Zayd (or Yazid) al-Basri.
36. ‘Ammar Ibn Abi Salmah ad-Dalani.
37. ‘Ammar Ibn Hasan Ibn Shurayh at- Ta‘i.
38. ‘Amr Junda‘i.
39. ‘Amr Ibn Mushi‘a.
40. ‘Imran Ibn Ka‘b Ibn Harith Ashja‘i.
41. Qarib Ibn ‘Abdullah.
42. Qasim Ibn Habib al-Azdi.
43. Qa‘nab Ibn ‘Amr an-Namri.
44. Qasit Ibn Zahir (or Zuhayr).
45. Kananah Ibn ‘Atiq at-Taghlibi.
46. Mujamma’ ‘A’idhi.
47. Mas‘ud Ibn Hajjaj.
48. Muslim Ibn Kathir.
49. Munjih Ibn Sahm.
50. Muqist Ibn Zuhayr at-Taghlabi.
51. Nasr Ibn Abi Naizar.
52. Nu’man Ibn ‘Amr ar-Rasibi.
53. Nu’aym Ibn ‘Ajlan al-Ansari.
54. Yazid Ibn Thubayt.
55. (Abu ‘Amr) Ziyad Ibn Gharib al-Hanzali.
56-61. Six slaves of Imam Husayn (a.s.).
Heads Of The Martyrs
‘Umar Ibn Sa‘d, the commander of Yazid’s army, sent the head of Imam Husayn (a.s.) to Kufa the day of ‘Ashurah with Khawli and Hamid Ibn Muslim. Then other martyrs were beheaded and the heads were sent with Shimr Ibn Dhi ’1-Jawshan.
According to Muhammad Ibn Abi Talib, the heads were divided among various tribes in the army of Yazid, so that they might get rewards and appreciation from Ibn Ziyad and Yazid. So far as it is known, the following tribes got the heads as follows: Kinda (13); Hawazin (12 or 20); Tamim (17 or 19); Asad (16 or 9); Madhhij (7); other tribes (13).
The author of Ibsaru ’l- ‘Ain says that heads of all the martyrs were severed, except the head of the infant child of the Imam, because the Imam had buried him in a grave dug by his sword; also, the body of Hurr was not beheaded because his tribemen (Banu Tamim) objected and removed his body far from other martyrs.
The heads of Muslim Ibn ‘Aqil and Hani Ibn ‘Urwah were sent to Syria before the heads of the martyrs of Karbala reached Kufa.
