Words of the Commander of the Believers and Imam Ĥusain (a.s.) about His Martyrdom

I went to the Commander of the Believers (a.s.) (one day) and found Ḥusain (a.s.) (sitting) beside him. He tapped the shoulder of Ḥusain (a.s.) and said, “He will be killed and no one will help him.” “O Commander of the Believers! I swear to Allāh that life would become miserable (if that happened),” I said. “Verily it will happen,” the Commander of the Believers (a.s.) replied. The above Ḥadīth has also been narrated to me through the following chain: My father, from Sa’d ibn ‘Abdillāh, ‘Abdillāh ibn Ja’far Al-Ḥimyari, and Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā Al-‘Aťťār, from Muḥammad ibn Ḥusain (ibn Abil Khaťťāb), from ‘Ali ibn Nu’mān, from ‘Abdil Raḥmān ibn Sayābah, from Abī Dāwūd Al-Sabī’i, from Abī ‘Abdillāh Al-Jadali, from the Commander of the Believers (a.s.).

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said: ‘Ali, (the Commander of the Believers (a.s.)), said to Ḥusain (a.s.), “O Abā ‘Abdillāh! It has been previously established that you will be the (leading) example.” “May I sacrifice myself for you. What is my status?” Ḥusain (a.s.) asked. “You have the knowledge of that which others do not, and those who are knowledgeable shall benefit from their knowledge,” the Commander of the Believers (a.s.) replied. Then the Commander of the Believers (a.s.) continued: O my son! Listen and envision this before it happens to you. I swear to He who has my life in His Hand, that the Banī Umayyah will spill your blood but they will not be able to deviate you from your religion nor will they be able to make you forget extolling your Lord. Ḥusain (a.s.) replied, “I swear to He who has my life in His Hand that this is sufficient for me. I submit to that which Allāh has revealed, I believe the words of the Messenger of Allāh (s.a.a.w.), and I do not belie the words of my father.” The above Ḥadīth has also been narrated to me through the following chain: My father, and a group (of my scholars), from Sa’d ibn ‘Abdillāh, and from Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā, from Muḥammad ibn Ḥusain, from Nasr ibn Muzāḥim, from ‘Amr ibn Sa’īd, from ‘Ali ibn Ḥammād, from ‘Amr ibn Shimr, from Jābir (Al-Ju’fi), from Abī ‘Abdillāh (a.s.).

‘Ali, (the Commander of the Believers (a.s.)), said: Verily Ḥusain (a.s.) will be killed (viciously). Verily I know the dust of the land on which he will be killed. (It is) the land which is close to the two rivers. 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 Nasr ibn Muzāḥim, from ‘Amr ibn Sa’īd, from Yazīd ibn Isḥāq, from Hāni ibn Hāni, from the Commander of the Believers (a.s.).

He said: I swear to He toward whom the Throne was ascended, (Allāh), that your father mentioned the companions of Ḥusain (a.s.) for me without one addition or reduction. This nation will assault the companions of Ḥusain (a.s.) just like the Banī Israel transgressed (the limits) on the Sabbath (the day of Saturday). The Day of ‘Āshūrā when Ḥusain (a.s.) was killed was (also) a Saturday.

(One day) while the Commander of the Believers (a.s.) was delivering a sermon to the people he said, “Ask me before you lose me! I swear to Allāh that I will answer (your questions about) anything you might ask that has happened in the past or will happen in the future.” So Sa’d ibn Abī Waqqās got up and asked, “O Commander of the Believers! Tell me about the number of hairs that I have on my head and in my beard?” The Commander of the Believers (a.s.) replied, “I swear to Allāh that my love, the Messenger of Allāh (s.a.a.w.), informed me that you would be asking me this question. There is a Shayťān rooted in every strand of hair on your head and in your beard and there is a baby sheep in your house who will kill my son, Ḥusain (a.s.).” (‘Abd Al-Samīn/Asbagh added), “’Umar ibn Sa’d (the killer of Imam Ḥusain (a.s.)) was a child then and he was playing in front of his father (Sa’d ibn Abī Waqqās).”