Weeping of the Heavens and the Earth over the Killing of Ĥusain (a.s.) and Yaĥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.)

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said: The heavens and the earth wept over the killing of Ḥusain (a.s.) and they turned red. They have never wept over anyone except for Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.) and Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.). The above Ḥadīth has also been narrated to me through the following chain: My father, from Sa’d ibn ‘Abdillāh, from Muḥammad ibn Ḥusain, from Wuhayb ibn Ḥafs Al-Naḥḥās, from Abī Basīr, from Abī ‘Abdillāh (a.s.).

I heard Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) say: The heavens wept over Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) and Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.) and they have never wept over anyone other than them. I asked, “How did the heavens weep?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “The heavens became red for forty days like the sun at the time of sunrise and sunset.” I asked, “Is that how the heavens weep?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “Yes.”

My grandmother told me that she was alive at the time of the killing of Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.). She said, “The heavens turned red like blood after the killing of Ḥusain (a.s.) for one year and nine months, and we could not (even) see the sun.”

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) explained the verse, “Neither did the heavens weep over them, nor the earth, nor were they granted respite” (44:29). He (the Imam (a.s.)) said, “The heavens never wept over anyone after the killing of Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.) until Ḥusain (a.s.) was killed. And when he was killed, the heavens wept over him (also).”

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said: The heavens turned red for one year when Ḥusain (a.s.) was killed. The same thing happened when Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.) was killed. The redness of the heavens is how it weeps.

I heard Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) say: “We have not given that name to anyone before (him)” (19:7). Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali’s name was not given to anyone before him and Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā’s name was also not given to anyone before him. And the heavens have never wept over anyone for forty days except for the two of them. I asked, “How did the heavens weep?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “The heavens became red at the time of sunrise and sunset.”

Abū Ja’far (Imam Bāqir (a.s.)) said: The heavens never wept over anyone after Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.) until Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) was killed. And when he (Ḥusain (a.s.)) was killed, the heavens wept over him for forty days.

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said: The heavens have never wept over anyone other than Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) and Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.).

When Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) was killed, the heavens rained red dust.

‘Ali ibn Ḥusain (Imam Sajjād (a.s.)) said, “The heavens have never wept over anyone since the day they were created except for Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.) and Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.).” I asked, “How did the heavens weep?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “If you would have faced (the wind) with a garment, you would have seen something similar to a red mist of blood on it.”

I asked Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)), “What do you say about (the reward for) the Ziyārah of the grave of Abī ‘Abdillāh Al-Ḥusain (a.s.)? Some people have informed us that it is equal to one Hajj and one ‘Umrah.” Imam (a.s.) replied: Do not be surprised by all of these rewards. Rather, go to his Ziyārah and do not abandon him, for verily he is the Master of the Martyrs and he is the Master of the Youth of Paradise. Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.) is similar to Ḥusain (a.s.) and the heavens and the earth wept (only) over the two of them. The above Ḥadīth has also been narrated to me through the following chains: A) My father, and Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan ibn Walīd, both from Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan Al-Saffār, from ‘Abdil Samad ibn Muḥammad, from Ḥanān ibn Sadīr, from Abī ‘Abdillāh (a.s.). B) My father, and all of my scholars, from Sa’d ibn ‘Abdillāh, from Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ‘Isā, from Muḥammad ibn Ismā’īl ibn Bazī’, from Ḥanān ibn Sadīr, from Abī ‘Abdillāh (a.s.).

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said: The killer of Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.) was conceived illegitimately and the killer of Ḥusain (a.s.) was (also) conceived illegitimately. The heavens have never wept over anyone other than them. I asked, “How did the heavens weep?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “The heavens became red at the time of sunrise and sunset.” The above Ḥadīth has also been narrated to me through the following chain: Muḥammad ibn Ja’far Al-Qurashi, from Muḥammad ibn Ḥusain, from Ja’far ibn Bashīr, from Ḥammād, from ‘Āmir ibn Mi’qal, from Ḥasan ibn Ziyād, from Abī ‘Abdillāh (a.s.).

I heard Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) say: The heavens wept over Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) and Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.) but they did not weep over anyone other than them. I asked, “How did the heavens weep?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “The heavens became red for forty days at the time of sunrise and sunset.” I asked, “Is that how the heavens weep?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “Yes.”

Ja’far ibn Muḥammad (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said: The heavens have never wept over anyone other than Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.) and Ḥusain (a.s.).

When Ḥusain (a.s.) was killed, the heavens rained blood and no stone was removed in Bayt Al-Maqdis without (one) seeing fresh blood under it.

I heard Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) say: The killer of Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) was conceived illegitimately and the killer of Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.) was (also) conceived illegitimately. When Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) was killed, the heavens turned red for one year. The heavens and the earth have (only) wept over Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) and Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.), and the heavens weep by becoming red.