9th Muharram : HAZRAT ALI AKBAR (a.s)
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
Tonight is the night of 9th Moharram.
It is the second night without water.
It is very hot in Karbala. Children cannot sleep.
How can they? They are very thirsty and hungry.
The sound of "AL-ATASH! AL-ATASH! AL-ATASH!" breaks Hussain(a.s)'s heart.
What can Hussain(a.s) do? He is patient.
For the sake of Allah, he is bearing it all.
More is to come. Hussain(a.s)'s patience and sacrifice will be tested further.
On Ashura day…….Hussain(a.s) sacrificed all his faithful friends but remained patient.
Auno - Mohammed were killled. Yet Hussain(a.s) remained patient.
Qasim was torn to pieces. Yet Hussain(a.s) remained patient.
Abbas' arms were severed. Yet Hussain(a.s) remained patient.
How much can Hussain(a.s) bear? How much more can he sacrifice?
My fellow Hussain(a.s)i for the sake of Islam, Hussain(a.s), our Imam, sacrificed the most precious thing in his life - HIS TEENAGE SON - HIS 18 YEAR OLD SON - ALl AKBER(AS)!
Tonight, my fellow Hussain(a.s)i, we will cry more and we will do more matam.
Bibi Fatima(s.a) will cry with us. Mawla Ali will join us. Hussain(a.s) will pray with us. Hussain(a.s) and Bibi Zainab(s.a) will cry with us.
Tonight, is the night of the teenage son of Hussain(a.s), the life of Hussain(a.s), the darling of Zainab and Umme Laila, the image of the Holy Prophet - Tonight is the night of Ali Akber!
The day of Ashura unfolded on the land of Karbala. It was Fajr time. Hussain(a.s) called his son, Ali Akber(AS).
"My son, Ali Akber, go and give the Adhan. Ali Akber I want to hear the voice of my grandfather. Ali Akber, you sound so much like your great grandfather, the Holy Prophet."
"ALLAHO-AKBER, ALLAHO-AKBER..….."
Ali Akber's Adhan echoed through the land of Karbala.
Ali Akber's last Adhan…….It was no ordinary Adhan……..
It was filled with emotion…
Hussain(a.s) began to cry. He remembered his grandfather.
All the ladies in the tents began to cry. Zainab(s.a) burst into tears.
Everyone prayed Fajr Namaaz.
Soon after, the battle of Karbala began.
One-by-one, Hussain(a.s)'s companions went to the battlefield and were martyred.
Auno - Mohammed went. They were martyred too.
Qasim went. He was torn to pieces.
Ali Akber and Abbas helped Hussain(a.s), carry the bodies to the tent.
Sakina was thirsty. Abbas went to get water. Abbas did not come back.
Hussain(a.s) is alone with Ali Akber.
Heartbroken. Full of grief! So many dead in one day.
How much can Hussain(a.s) take? Enough - enough - enough.
No, my fellow Hussain(a.s)i more is to come. The greatest sacrifice in history, is to come……..
Ali Akber - the life of Hussain(a.s) - the teenage son of Hussain(a.s) - the darling of Hussain(a.s) - came to his father and said:
"Father, may I now have permission to go for Jehad?"
Allaho Akber! My fellow Hussain(a.s)i, imagine the scene! Put your hand on your heart and think of what is happening?
A teenage son has come to his old father for permission to DIE! How does a father allow his teenage son - 18 years old - to die?
Poor Hussain(a.s)! What does he do now? How does he allow his teenage darling son to die?
Hussain(a.s) is helpless. His promise to Allah had to be honoured.
"My son, Ali Akber, go, you have my permission, but Akber, my darling, go and ask permission from your mother. Go and ask permission from Zainab(s.a), your auntie who has brought you up. Go, son, go."
Ali Akber took permission from his mother, Umme Laila.
Ali Akber then went to his auntie, Zainab(s.a).
"Auntie Zainab, tell me one thing. Whose life is more important? Your Ali Akber's, or Bibi Fatima(s.a)'s son, Hussain(a.s)'s?"
"My son, Ali Akber, I would sacrifice a thousand lives to save Bibi Fatemah's son - Hussain(a.s)'s life.
Then auntie, do not stop me. Grant me permission. No one is left to save Hussain(a.s). Let me go, auntie, let me go."
"Bismillah, my son. Go my Ali Akber, go."
Ali Akber mounted his horse.
Hussain(a.s) was crying. Umme Laila was crying. Bibi Kulthoom was crying. Zainab was crying.
"KHUDA - HAFIZ, mother. KHUDA - HAFIZ, father. KHUDA -HAFIZ, auntie Kulsoom. KHUDA - HAFIZ, auntie Zainab."
Ali Akber rode to the battlefield.
He heard footsteps following him. He stopped and looked back. What did he see?
His father Hussain(a.s), was following him.
With his hands on his back, Hussain(a.s) was running behind Ali Akber.
"Father, where are you going? Please father, go back to the tent."
"My son Ali Akber, I want to see you as long as I can. I will stop here, my son, but promise me, you will keep on looking back after every few steps. Akber, my darling, your old father wants to see you as long as he can."
Ali Akber continued……He looked back every few seconds. Hussain(a.s) was there watching him.
He reached the battlefield.
Ali Akber fought bravely. He killed many well-known warriors.
Ali Akber came back to his father.
"Father, did you see me fight? I wish uncle Abbas was here to see me. Father, a few drops of water……., father, I am very thirsty. If I could just have a little water, I would send the entire army of Yazid to Hell."
"My son. come near me. Touch my tongue. See if you can get some comfort from me."
Ali Akber touched Hussain(a.s)'s tongue.
"Father, your mouth is much drier than mine. Father, you must be more thirsty than myself."
Ali Akber returned to the battlefield.
Umar Saad ordered his soldiers to kill Ali Akber.
While a few soldiers together attacked Ali Akber, one crept up to him and thrust a spear into Ali Akber's chest.
Allaho Akber! The spear penetrated Akber's chest. The handle broke. A sharp blade stuck into Akber's heart. He felt faint.
Ali Akber fell off his horse. He cried out:
"O Father, accept my last salaam to you."
Ali Akber did not call his father to come to see him.
Hussain(a.s) was alone and Ali Akber did not want to bother his old father.
Hussain(a.s) rushed to the battlefield.
"My son, my darling, my Ali Akber, where are you? Speak to your father, my son. Akber..... Akber.... My darling… Where are you?"
Hussain(a.s) saw his son, Ali Akber. His son was lying on the sands of Karbala with both his hands on his chest.
Ali Akber was taking his last breaths.
Poor Hussain(a.s)! What shall Hussain(a.s) do now? A father facing his teenage son, dying!
He placed Ali Akber's head on his lap.
"My son, Ali Akber, my darling, Ali Akber, why are you covering your chest? My son, is your chest hurting? Let me look at it, my son."
"No, father, no! Don't remove my hands from my chest. You will not be able to bear it, father."
Hussain(a.s) gently moved Ali Akber's hands.
Allaho Akber, Allaho Akber! What did Hussain(a.s) see?
What did a father see?
The blade of the spear stuck deep into Ali Akber's chest. Ali Akber was in a lot of pain.
What shall Hussain(a.s) do now? What shall Hussain(a.s) do now?
Hussain(a.s) put both his hands on the blade and looked towards Najaf. He cried out loudly:
"BABA, YA MUSHKIL KHUSHA! HELP ME!… BABA! It was easy for you to pull out the gates of Khyber… BABA! It is difficult for me to pull out the blade from my son's chest…… BABA! Help me, Baba!"
With a cry of "YA ALl", Hussain(a.s) pulled the blade out.
Blood gushed out of Ali Akber's chest. Hussain(a.s) was covered with his son, Ali Akber's blood.
Ali Akber took his last breath.
What does Hussain(a.s) do now?
"Auno - Mohammed, help me carry your brother's body. Qasim, help me. Abbas, I need your help. Where are you, Abbas?"
Hussain(a.s) was alone. How does he carry Ali Akber's body?
Hussain(a.s) alone could not carry Ali Akber's body.
He put Ali Akber's hands around his neck…..
Hussain(a.s) carried his 18 year old son's body with great difficulty.
Ali Akber's feet dangled, touching the sand of Karbala.
Poor Hussain(a.s)! So much patience! So much sacrifice!
As he reached the tent……..he cried out:
"Z-A - I - N - A – B……..HELP ME, ZAINAB. TAKE YOUR ALl AKBER."
"U-M-M-E - L-A-l-L-A…….HELP ME. TAKE YOUR DARLING….
INNA LILLAHE WA INNA ELAIHI RAJEOON!
WE ARE FROM GOD AND TO GOD WE RETURN!
SYEDA ZAINAB ABBAS
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