top of page
Search

Karbala Series Part 9: The Real Traitors of Karbala

  • Writer: Al-Najafi
    Al-Najafi
  • Oct 12
  • 25 min read

« Previous Part: Did the Shi'a Betray Husayn? »

Now we turn to who truly betrayed al-Husayn. We have already refuted the false claim that the Shias were his betrayers. So then, who were they? Many of those who penned letters to Imam al-Husayn (AS) are counted by Ahl al-Sunnah themselves as reliable transmitters of hadith. How strange that their own narrators deceived Husayn, yet the blame is shifted onto the Shias! If treachery is to be condemned, then let it be condemned where it belongs.

The Nawasib who wrote to al-Husayn

It must be mentioned that many of the groups if not most of those who wrote to Husayn (AS) were actually nawasib that consisted of Uthman Shi’as or Khawarij. Many of them were under the service of the Umayyads themselves, yet wrote to Husayn (AS) pretending to be Shi’a.

This was admitted by Ibn Ziyad himself in fact. When he was informed by Yazid as being the new governor of Kufa, he entered Kufa with a cloak on and people thought he was al-Husayn (AS). Eventually, he noticed many of those who believed he was Husayn and pretended to support him, were in fact his very enemies that wanted to kill him! 

As for Īsā b. Yazid al-Kinānī, according to 'Umar b. Shabbah - Harun b. Muslim - Ali b. Şalih - (Isă b. Yazid al-Kinānī): 

'Ubaydallah stopped and took out clothes made of Yemeni cloth and put on a Yemeni band. He mounted his mule and traveled on by himself. As he passed the guard post, the guards, whenever they saw him, had no doubt that he was al-Husayn. "Welcome, son of the Apostle of God," they said. But he did not speak to them. 

The people began to come out to him from their houses. Al-Nu'man b. Bashir heard them and locked the door on him and his entourage. 'Ubaydallah came toward him, and al-Nu'man (the former governor of Kufa) did not doubt that he was al-Husayn, for around him was a crowd of people making a great noise. 

He called out, "I ask you in the name of God withdraw from me..., for I will not hand over my office (amanah) to you, and I have no wish to kill you."

Ubaydallah did not answer him but he went closer while the other man was hanging over the balcony. Then he began to say to him, "Open; you may not be able to, for you have been slumbering for a long time." A man behind him heard this and withdrew to the people. 

He said, "O people, it is Ibn Marjanah, by Him other than Whom there is no deity." They replied, "Shame on you! It is none other than al-Husayn." Then al-Nu'man opened the door for him, and he entered. They slammed the door in the face of the people, who dispersed.

In the morning, Ubaydallah sat on the pulpit. He said, "People, I am aware that the men who marched with me and showed obedience to me are enemies of al-Husayn, even though they thought that al-Husayn had come into the land and gained ascendancy in the town. But, by God, I did not recognize any of you." Then he came down from the pulpit.

ree

This report shows that many of those who allegedly supported Husayn (AS) were in fact his enemies that wanted to kill him. Perhaps this explains the words, “their tongues are with you, but their swords are against you.” The people who invited Husayn (AS) wanted to kill him, and only pretended to be his Shi’a, while in reality they were his enemies!

We do not have the names of all the individuals that wrote to Husayn (AS), but we have one group of names that appear to us in Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 19, pg. 25 - 26 [Arabic]:

According to Abū Mikhnaf, from al-Hajjaj b. 'Ali, from Muhammad b. Bishr al-Hamdani:

Shabath b. Ribʿi, Hajar b. Abjar, Yazid b. al-Harith, Azrah b. Qays, Amr b. al-Hajjaj al-Zubaydi, and Muhammad b. Humayr al-Tamimi were among those who wrote to al-Husayn inviting him to come to Kufa.

ree

This report tells us that there were 6 individuals who wrote to al-Husayn (AS) requesting that he come to al-Kufa. 

These same people would later on to be on the enemy side of Imam al-Husayn (AS) and be from his killers, denying to have ever said these letters as we see later on in Tarikh of Tabari Vol. 19, pg. 122 - 125: 

Then he (al-Husayn) called, "Shabath b. Rib'i, Hajjar b. Abjar, Qays b. al-Ash'ath, Yazid b. al-Harith, didn't you write:

'The fruit has ripened; the Janāb has grown green, the waters have overflowed; you will come to an army which has been gathered for you, come'?"

They said that they had not, and he declared, "Glory be to God! By God! Indeed, you did…”

ree

Here we see another individual included: Qays b. al-Ash’ath- the brother of Muhammad b. al-Ash’ath. 

Shabbath b. Rib’i

Shabbath b. Rib’i was a truly despicable man whose disloyalty and cowardice are legendary. We read his bio in Taqrib al-Tahdhib pg. 265, Bio # 2735:

Shabath b. Rib‘i al-Tamimi al-Yarbui, Abu Abd al-Quddus al-Kufi. He was a mukhadram (who lived in both pre-Islamic and Islamic times). He was the muezzin of Sajah, then he accepted Islam. He was among those who aided in (the killing of) Uthman, then he accompanied Ali, then he became one of the Kharijites against him.

Later he repented and was present at the killing of Husayn. Then he was among those who sought vengeance for Husayn’s blood with al-Mukhtar. After that he was appointed over the police of Kufa. He was also present at the killing of al-Mukhtar. He died in Kufa around the year eighty. [D, S]

ree

This Khariji man was amongst the most despicable criminals we have seen, yet how unsurprising it is that some scholars not only authenticate him, but also narrate Hadith from him. 

This includes Ibn Hibban who included him in his Kitab al-Thiqat, vol. 2, pg. 230, Bio # 1808, and al-’Ijli in his own Tarikjh al-Thiqat pg. 214 Bio # 652.

His hadith can be found Sunan Abi Dawud 5064:

Abbas al-Anbari narrated to us, Abd al-Malik b. Amr narrated to us, Abd al-Aziz b. Muhammad narrated to us, from Yazid b. al-Had, from Muhammad b. Kaab al-Qurazi, from Shabath b. Rib‘i, from Ali, peace be upon him, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with this report.

He said in it: Ali said, “I have not abandoned them since I heard them from the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, except on the night of Siffin. For I remembered them at the end of the night, so I recited them.”

Even in this horrible man’s own admission, he admits to being upon misguidance in Tarikh al-Tabari Vol 19 pg. 139:

According to Abu Zuhayr al-Absi (al-Nadr b. Salih): During the governorship of Musab b. al-Zubayr, I heard Shabath saying:

"God will neither grant the people of this town any good nor direct them toward true guidance. Are you not amazed that we fought for Ali b. Abi Talib, and then for his son after him, against the clan of Abu Sufyan for five years—and now we make war on his other son, fighting for the clan of Muawiyah and the son of Sumayyah, the harlot, against the best man on earth? Error! O what error!"

ree

We the Shia are in no way partial to Shabbath, as he is condemned and cursed is cursed in our corpus, his masjid is forbidden to pray in as per Imam al-Baqir (AS) in al-Kafi Vol 3, Chapter 101, Hadith # 2: 

“Four mosques in Kufa were renovated out of joy for the killing of Husayn, (AS): the mosque of al-Ashath, the mosque of Jarir, the mosque of Simak, and the mosque of Shabath b. Rib‘i.”

In the next hadith we read:

“Indeed, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) forbade in Kufa the prayer in five mosques: the mosque of al-Ashath b. Qays, the mosque of Jarir b. Abd Allah al-Bajali, the mosque of Simak b. Makhrama, the mosque of Shabath b. Rib‘i, and the mosque of Taym.

Hajjar b. Abjar

As for Hajjar b. Abjar (LA), al-Baladhuri recorded in Ansab al-Ashraf Vol 3 pg. 387:

He (‘Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad) also sent against Husayn Hajjar b. Abjar al-Ajli with one thousand (men).

ree

This man was likewise another soldier of Ibn Ziyad! He even participated in the killing of Muslim b. ‘Aqil (AS)! This was mentioned in Tarikh al-Tabari Vol. 19, pg. 49: 

He (Ibn ziyad) gave similar instructions to al-Qaqa' b. Shawr al-Dhuhli, Shabath b. Rib'i al-Tamimi, Hajjar b. Abjar al-Ijlī' and Shamir b. Dhī al-Jawshan al-'Amiri.

ree

Ibn Hibban included Hajjar b. Abjar al-Kufi in his Kitab al-Thiqat, vol. 2, pg. 111, Hadith # 852, and al-Bukhari mentions him in Tarikh al-Kabir, Vol. 3, pg. 525, Hadith # 3317 without any criticism. 

We can find his hadiths in multiple Sunni hadith books. We read in Tarikh Dimashq Vol 12 pg. 206:

…Sharik informed us, from Simak, from Hajjar b. Abjar, who said:

“I was with Muawiya when two men came to him disputing over a garment. One of them said: ‘This is my garment,’ and he produced evidence.

The other said: ‘It is my garment, I bought it from a man I do not know.’ Muawiya said: ‘If only Ibn Abi Talib were here!’

I said: ‘I witnessed him in a case just like this.’ He said: ‘How did he judge?’ I said: ‘He gave the garment to the one who produced the evidence.’

The other man said: ‘Then you have lost your property.’”

ree

Mussannaf 'Abd al-Razzaq Vol. 4, pg. 382 and Mussannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah Vol. 12, pg. 460, Hadith. # 242671, both transmitted a shorter version of this hadith on the authority of Hajjar b. Abjar.

Others 

As for the other individuals, they’re all authenticated by Ibn Hibban:

As for Amr b. al-Hajjaj al-Zubaydi, we will mention him later.

Did Husayn trust them?

It may be asked: Why would the Imam claim to march towards Kufa because of the letters if he knows that these nawasib will fight against him? 

There are two answers to this question:

Firstly, he knows these people will betray him. This is not something that would be hard to figure out knowing the reputation of these people. Hence the Imam writes in Ansab al-Ashraf Vol. 3, pg. 393:

Al-Ḥusayn proposed to his family and those with him that they disperse and use the night to their advantage. He said: “They seek only me, and they have found me. And the letters sent to me, as I suspect, were nothing but a plot against me and an attempt to ingratiate themselves with Ibn Muʿāwiyah.” They replied: “May Allah curse life after you.” 

ree

Abi Mikhnaf - 'Uqbah b. Abi al-Ayzār: Al-Husayn preached, “Your letters were brought to me, and your messengers came to me with your oath of allegiance that you would not hand me over or desert me. If you fulfill your pledge, you will arrive at true guidance, for I am al-Husayn b. Ali, the son of Fățimah, daughter of the Apostle of God. My life is with your lives, my family is with your families. In me you have an ideal model (uswah). 

However, if you will not act, but you break your covenant and renounce your responsibility for the oath of allegiance that you have given, then, by my life, it is not a thing that is unknown of you. You have done that to my father, my brother and my cousin, Muslim. Anyone who was deceived by you would be gullible. Thus have you mistaken your fortune and lost your destiny. For whoever violates his word only violates his own soul. God will enable me to do without you. Peace be with you and the mercy and blessings of God."

ree

So the Imam (AS) is going there not because he trusts, but because it is the duty of the Imam to establish the Hujjah against the people, and he acts by what is apparent and not by what is suspected. Hence Rasulullah (SAW) says in al-Kafi, Vol. 14, pg. 656: 

Ali b. Ibrahim from his father and Muhammad b. Isma’il from al-Fadl b. Shadhan both from Ibn Abi Umayr from Sa’d and Hisham b. al-Hakam from Imam al Sadiq who said:

The Messenger of Allah said: I judge between you based on evidence and oaths. Some of you may be more eloquent in presenting their case than others. So if I rule in favor of someone, granting him a portion of his brother’s property, then I have only granted him a portion of the Fire.

ree

Even though the Prophet (SAW) has divine knowledge given to him by God, he does not request it for settling disputes between people, as that is not his mission to do. He is only there to act by what is apparent to the people. Since they claimed they wanted him to come so that they could rise against the Umayyads, the Imam came to fulfill their request. Hence, when he saw they were on the opposing side, he brought out the letters to establish the Hujjah against them.

According to Abū Mikhnaf – al-Hajjāj b. Ali – Muhammad b. Bishr al-Hamdani: [...]

I will come to you speedily, God willing, for, by my life, what is the imam except one who acts according to the Book, one who upholds justice, one who professes the truth, and one who dedicates himself to (the essence of) God? Peace be with you.

ree

They wanted an Imam over them, so Husayn (AS) set up to fulfill his responsibility. This is why he took out his letters when he came to Karbala, so that no one could excuse themselves as supporters of Husayn (AS), but rather the Hujjah was established against them. No one from other territories in the Islamic world wrote letters to Husayn (AS). 

The Nawasib that killed Husayn

If someone today claims to be a Shiʿi while insulting any of the Imams, it is the consensus of scholars that such a person has left Islam altogether. There is no way to believe in the Imamate of al-Ḥusayn (AS) while simultaneously fighting, killing, or insulting him. Yet we see that this was precisely the behavior of the Umayyad army: they insulted al-Ḥusayn AS) to such an extent that there is no room to doubt their hypocrisy.

For example in Ibn Asakir’s Tarikh Dimashq, Vol. 14, pg. 220, one of the soldiers say:

فقال له : أبشر بالنار، فقال : بل ـ إن شاء الله ـ برحمة ربي عز وجل، وشفاعة نبي ﷺ.

Someone [from the army of Ibn Sa'ad] said: 'Congratulations for [going to] hell-fire'. So he (Husayn) said: 'Rather - by the Will of God, His Mercy, my Lord (azwj) and the intercession of the Prophet (s) [I will not go there]'. 

ree

Subhanallah, does a Shi’i believe his own Imam will go to hell? We see this form of language used by many soldiers like in the Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 19, pg. 131:

Abdullah Ibn Hawza said, “Do you expect Hell-fire!” 

ree

We of course can’t forget the words of Shimr (LA) on pg. 122 where he says:

‘Al-Husayn, are you hurrying towards Hell-fire in this world?’ 

ree

Other soldiers used to call him a ‘son of a liar’ such as on pg. 135, where Ali b. Qurazah Ibn Ka’b - a brother of one of the companions of Husayn (AS) - says: 

‘Oh Husayn, you lying son of a liar! You have led my brother astray and tempted him so that he has been killed.’

ree

Yet despite all this, some of them believed they were still on truthhood as read on pg. 119:

‘One of those horsemen, who was keeping watch over us, heard Husayn. He cried out, ‘By the Lord of the Ka’bah! We are good, we have been distinguished from you!’. 

ree

[All Arabic references]

It is very clear that the Shi’a of Ali (AS) were killed with al-Husayn, and those that fought against him were the Shi’a of Aale Umayya. For this reason, Yazid even says in Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 19, pg. 31: [Arabic]

“My followers (Shi’a) among the people of Kufa have written to me to inform me that Ibn Aqil is in al-Kufah gathering units in order to spread the rebellion among the Muslims…”.

ree

In another report Imam al-Husayn (AS) says this in al-Khwarazmi’s Maqtal al-Husayn, vol. 2, p. 38:

ويحكم يا شيعة آل أبي سفيان! إن لم یکن لکم دین، وکنتم لا تخافون المعاد، فکونوا أحراراً في دنياکم

Woe upon you, O Shi’a of Aale (family) of Abu Sufyan! If you lack religion and do not fear the Day of Resurrection, then at least be free in your world.

ree

A similar thing can also be found in Saduq’s Iqab al-A’mal, pg. 50 - 51.

ree

In one of the prophecies given by Imam Ali (AS), he says to Ibn Abbas in Maqtal al-Khawarizimi, pg. 236:

وذكر شيخ الإسلام الحاكم الجشمي : أن أمير المؤمنين لما سار إلى «صفين» نزل بكربلاء»، وقال لابن عباس : «أتدري ما هذه البقعة»؟ قال: لا، قال: «لو عرفتها لبكيت بكائي»، ثم بكى بكاءاً شديداً، ثم قال : مالي ولآل أبي سفيان»؟ ثم التفت الى - الحسين ، وقال : «صبراً يابني ! فقد لقي أبوك منهم مثل الذي تلقى بعده

And Shaykh al-Islām al-Ḥākim al-Jushmī mentioned: When the Commander of the Faithful (ʿAlī) marched to Ṣiffīn, he stopped at Karbalāʾ and said to Ibn ʿAbbās: 

“Do you know what this place is?” He replied: “No.” He said: “If you knew it, you would weep as I weep,” then he wept intensely. 

Then he said: “What concern do I have with the followers of Abū Sufyān?” Then he turned to al-Ḥusayn and said: “Be patient, my son! Your father faced from them what you will face after him.”

ree

The Sahaba that abandoned Husayn

Sunnis love to argue that the Shi’a killed al-Husayn (AS) because they abandoned and betrayed him. We have refuted this claim and showed how the Shi’a were the only ones at Karbala, but Sunnis have unironically attacked their own companions by taking such a position. This is because many of the companions of the Prophet (SAW) had abandoned al-Husayn (AS) to die alone in Karbala, and this is not considering those who had valid excuses (such as Ibn ‘Abbas, who was a blind man). 

Anas b. Malik

One of the most horrific details of Karbala is the decapitation of al-Husayn’s head and it being displayed as a trophy. One of the people that narrated this was Anas b. Malik in Sahih al-Bukhari 3748:

Anas bin Malik said: "The head of Al-Husain was brought to 'Ubaidullah bin Ziyad and was put in a tray, and then Ibn Ziyad started playing with a stick at the nose and mouth of Al-Husain's head and saying something about his handsome features." Anas then said (to him), "Al-Husain resembled the Prophet more than the others did." 

While Anas watches the head of al-Husayn (AS) being poked and the dead being mutilated, he remains quiet and focuses on the appearance of al-Husayn instead. Why is it that while the Shia of Husayn (AS) put their lives on the line and were killed with him on Karbala, the Sahabi Anas b. Malik, who they revere so much, could only muster the courage to comment on al-Husayn’s appearance in silence to himself? Why did Anas not at very least condemn Ibn Ziyad or raise his mouth like other companions did? 

According to Hisham (b. Muhammad al-Kalbi) - Abū Mikhnaf - Abū Hamzah al-Thumālī - Abdallah al-Thumālī - al-Qasim b. Bukhayt: 

In Yazid's hand there was a cane and he was poking it into al-Husayn's mouth. He said, "This man and our family were like al-Husayn b. al-Humām al-Murri. Then he said:

[Swords] split the skulls of men who are dear to us, but they were more disobedient and oppressive.

One of the Companions of the Apostle of God called Abū Barzah al-Aslami, cried out, "Are you poking the mouth of al-Husayn with your cane? Take your cane away from his mouth. How often have I seen the Apostle of God kiss it! As for you, Yazīd, you will come forward on the Day of Resurrection, and Ibn Ziyād will be your advocate. But this man will come forward on the Day of Resurrection, and Muhammad will be his advocate." Then he got up and turned away.

ree

This was the true reaction of a Shi’a, Abu Barza al-Aslami (RA) was a companion of Imam Ali (AS) in Jamal and Siffen, and when he saw Yazid do the same thing, he openly challenged this action of his! In contrast, Anas b. Malik was a cowardly puppet in the court of Ibn Ziyad who was supporting the Umayyads. Why else was he in Ibn Ziyad’s court-yard? 

Regarding this tradition, even Sibt b. al-Jawzi commented in Mir’at al-Zaman Vol. 8 pg. 150:

Did not the Messenger of God (SAW) have rights upon Anas—that he should denounce Ibn Ziyad’s deed and condemn him for striking the teeth of Husayn with the staff? But the stalwart was Zayd b. Arqam, for he did indeed denounce him.

ree

Ibn Umar 

While al-Husayn (AS) was standing up to tyranny and injustice, Ibn Umar was calling people to the Umayyad government after having been bribed by Mu’awiyah to support Yazid. When the people of Medina rejected the caliphate of Yazid, Ibn Umar tries to discourage them by saying the following in Sahih Muslim 1851a:

One who withdraws his band from obedience (to the Amir) will find no argument (in his defence) when he stands before Allah on the Day of Judgment, and one who dies without having bound himself by an oath of allegiance (to an Amir) will die the death of one belonging to the days of Jahillyya.

In another report he says in Sahih al-Bukhari 7111: 

We have given the oath of allegiance to this person (Yazid) in accordance with the conditions enjoined by Allah and His Apostle and I do not know of anything more faithless than fighting a person who has been given the oath of allegiance in accordance with the conditions enjoined by Allah and His Apostle, and if ever I learn that any person among you has agreed to dethrone Yazid, by giving the oath of allegiance (to somebody else) then there will be separation between him and me."

This cowardly puppet of the Umayyads tried to stop al-Husayn (AS) from going to Kufa by fabricating a hadith on Rasulullah (SAW), which we have explained before, and tried to discourage others from fighting his beloved caliph, Yazid, by claiming dissociation from them. Does Ibn Umar not think to dissociate from Yazid for his injustices and killing for al-Husayn? Clearly not, since he agreed with the killing of Husayn (AS) and would blame only al-Husayn for his death. 

Ibn Zubayr & his followers

Abdullah b. Zubayr b. al-’Awwam was a famous companion of the Prophet (SAW) that the Sunnis so greatly revere. He had opposed the Umayyads, especially Yazid, because he believed he had more right to the caliphate than Yazid did. While from a Sunni lens this justification may make sense, it falls apart when Ibn Zubayr claimed a greater right to caliphate than al-Husayn (AS). This doesn’t make any sense, for by no measure was Ibn Zubayr greater or more entitled than al-Husayn for rule. When al-Husayn headed out for Kufa, Ibn Zubayr was boasting in celebration because he knew Husayn would be a competitor to him for power. Ibn Zubayr also used Husayn’s death as a rally cry to push people against Yazid, even though he himself wanted Husayn to die because he wanted power for himself. 

These encounters can be read in Tarikh al-Tabari Vol. 19, pg. 66 - 68:

According to Abū Mikhnaf - al-Harith b. Ka'b al-Walibi- 'Uqbah b. Sim'an: 

Then Ibn al-Zubayr came and talked to him for a time. He said, "I don't know why we have left things to these people and stood idly by. We are the sons of the Muhajirün (emigrants) and should be the ones in control of this government rather than they. Tell me what you are intending to do." Al-Husayn replied, "By God! I have reflected about going to al-Kūfah. My Shi’ah there and the nobles of these people have written to me. I am leaving the choice to God." 

Ibn al-Zubayr said, "If I had the same sort of followers as you there, I would not seek any alternative other than them." Then he feared that al-Husayn might suspect his motive so he added, "However, if you remain in the Hijaz, you could pursue this matter here without meeting any opposition, God willing." 

He rose and left him, and al-Husayn said, "Nothing in the world would please him more than my leaving the Hijaz for Iraq. Не realizes that he has no share in this matter while I am present, for the people will never consider him equal to me. Therefore, he would love me to go away from here so that he can have a free hand."

Then Ibn 'Abbās went on to say, "You would thrill Ibn al-Zubayr by your leaving him alone in the Hijaz, and by your departure from it. For now no one pays attention to him, as you are here. But by God other than Whom there is no deity! I would catch hold of your hair and your forelock until the people had gathered around you and me if I thought it would make you obey me." 

Ibn 'Abbās left him and he passed 'Abdallah b. al-Zubayr, he said to him, "May you be happy, Ibn al-Zubayr." 

ree

Even Ibn ‘Abbas knew that Ibn al-Zubayr rejoiced at al-Husayn leaving and wanted nothing further than that. The followers of Ibn Zubayr, such as Ma’qil b. Sinan, Abdullah b. Handhala, Mundhir b. al-Zubayr etc… many of them were companions of the Prophet (SAW) that supported Ibn Zubayr instead of al-Husayn (AS). 

When Sunnis claim Shi’a betrayed Husayn, remind them that their Sahaba abandoned al-Husayn and let him die because they were power-hungry for themselves.

‘Amr b. Hurayth al-Makhzumi 

This nasibi was one of the governors of Ziyad in Kufa, who were massacring the followers of Ali (AS). When it came to Karbala, he did no less in continuing to follow orders that carried out injustices. 

When Muslim b. ‘Aqil (AS) was deserted alone in Kufa, a woman by the name of Lady Taw’ah (RA) took him in. She hid him for a few days until her son ratted him out to Ibn Ziyad who sent ‘Amr to take Muslim. This narrative was recorded on the authority of Imam al-Baqir (AS) from Ammar al-Duhnni in Tarikh al-Tabari Vol. 19, pg. 16 - 21: 

When Muslim saw that he had been left alone, he began to wander through the streets. He came to a door and stopped. A woman came out to him; he asked her to give him a drink. She gave him a drink and then returned inside her house. She delayed for as long as God decreed and then came back out to find him still at the door. She said, "Servant of God, your staying here is suspicious. Go away." He replied, "I am Muslim b. Aqil. Will you shelter me?" She told him to enter.

Her son was a mawla of Muhammad b. al-Ash'ath. When the boy recognized him, he went to Muhammad and told him. Muhammad went to 'Ubaydallah and told him. 'Ubaydallah sent 'Amr b. Hurayth, the commander of his police, to get him. With him went 'Abd al-Rahman b. Muhammad b. al-Ash'ath.95 Muslim was not aware of what was happening until the house was surrounded. When he realized, he went out against them with his sword and fought them. Abd al-Rahman gave him a guarantee of safe-conduct and thus got him into his power. He brought him to Ubaydallah. 

The latter ordered that he should be taken up to the top of the palace and executed. Then his body was thrown down to the people. He then ordered Hani' to be dragged to al-Kunāsah, and there he was crucified. Their poet said: 

If you do not know what death is, then look at Hani' and Ibn 'Aqil in the marketplace.

ree

Ibn Kathir confirms this fact without objection in al-Bidayah Wal-Nihayah, Vol. 11, pg. 487. 

ree

This ‘Amr was sahabi, as indicated by al-Dhahabi in Siyar A'lam Al-Nubala. Vol. 3 pg. 417 - 418:

He is Amr b. Amr b. Uthman b. Abd Allah b. Umar b. Makhzum, al-Makhzumi, the brother of Saʿid b. Hurayth. Amr was among the remnants of the Companions of the Messenger of God (saw) who had settled in Kufa. He was born shortly before the Hijra.

ree

Amr b. Hurayth b. Amr b. Uthman b. Abd Allah b. Umar b. Makhzum al-Qurashi al-Makhzumi, kunya Abu Said. He amassed great wealth and was among the richest people of Kufa. He held authority there on behalf of the Umayyads, who inclined toward him, trusted him, and his inclinations were with them.

ree

Masha’Allah, what a great companion, one who allies with the Umayyads and enjoys the riches they give him while the Bani Hashim are being massacred! 

 ‘Amr b. al-Hajjaj al-Zubaydi

As for Amr b. al-Hajjaj al-Zubaydi, who wrote a letter to al-Husayn (AS) and then later killing him, he is attributed as being a companion of the Prophet in some sources, and his biography was mentioned by al-Ru'ayni in his Jami', vol. 1, pg, 199:

He had merit in his Islam and his leadership. He was one of those who forbade his people from apostatizing when news of the Prophet’s ﷺ death reached them, as ʿAmr b. Maʿdīkarib had called them to apostasy. This was stated by Wathīmah, citing Ibn Isḥāq. Al-Ṭabarī and al-ʿUthmānī mentioned ʿAmr b. al-Ḥajjāj al-Zubaydī among the Companions without adding further detail. As far as I see, it is this very man, and Allah knows best.

ree

Ibn al-Athir quotes the quotation of Ibn Ishaq in his Usd al-Ghaba, vol. 4, pg. 200. 

ree

This man in particular was one of the main generals in the army that attacked al-Husayn (AS), and his words are particular vile, for he says in Ansab al-Ashraf Vol 3, pg. 390:

And it is said that Amr b. al-Hajjaj said: “O Husayn, this Euphrates—dogs lap from it, and donkeys and pigs drink from it. By God, you shall not taste from it a single sip until you taste boiling water in the Fire of Hell.”

ree

Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-’Aas

Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-’Aas was another companion of the Prophet (SAW) that refused to go support al-Husayn (AS) and left him to die. In fact, he used to tell the nasibi tyrant, ‘Amr al-Ashdaq (LA), that Yazid’s rule would be successful as we read in Tarikh al-Tabari Vol. 19, pg. 71 - 72:

According to Hisham (b. Yūsuf)-Khalid b. Sa'id -his father, Sa'id b. Amr b. Sa'id: 

When Amr b. Sa'id saw that the people looked up to Ibn al-Zubayr and were anxious to su port him, he thought that these matters would end in his favor.  He sent to 'Abdallah b. Amr b. al-'Aş, who was a companion of his; he had been with his father in Egypt. There he had read the books of Daniel. At that time, Quraysh regarded him as a scholar. 

'Amr b. Sa'id asked him, "Tell me about this man. Do you see his ambitions being successful for him? Tell me about my leader (i.e., Yazid). How do you see that his situation will work out for him?" 

He answered, "I can only see that your leader is one of those kings whose affairs are successful for them until they die while they are still kings." From that time 'Amr b. Sa'id increased in vehemence against Ibn al-Zubayr and his followers despite the appearance of kindness and friendliness toward them.

ree

This of course turned out to be a lie because Yazid never experienced any success under his short reign. He killed al-Husayn (AS), but at a terrible expense, and hence he regretted it. He killed many companions in Medina, but he would not successfully kill Ibn al-Zubayr. 

Later, on pg. 101 - 102 we read:

According to Hisham (b. Muhammad al-Kalbi)- Awānah b. al- Hakam - Labatah b. al-Farazdaq b. Ghalib - his father:

I went on, and there was a large well-equipped tent pitched in the sanctuary. I went to it, and there was 'Abdallah b. Amr b. al-'Aas. He questioned me and I told him about meeting al-Husayn b. 'Alī. He said to me, "Woe on you! Why don't you follow him? By God! He will be victorious, and no weapon will affect him or his followers."

By God! Then I was anxious to follow him, and his words went deep into my heart. But I remembered the prophets and how they were killed. That stopped me from following them. So I went to my people at 'Usfan. By God! I was with them when a camel train that had brought provisions from al-Kūfah approached.

When I heard them, I went out after them until, after shouting at them and being unable to overtake them, I shouted to them, "What happened to al-Husayn b. Ali?" They said that he had been killed. Then I went back cursing 'Abdallah b. Amr b. al-As. The people at that time had all been like him, mentioning that "thing" and waiting for its fulfillment both day and night. Abdallah b. Amr had been saying, "Neither tree nor palm nor child will grow before it is announced" (i.e., the victory of al-Husayn). 

I said to him, "What stops you from selling the What?" He replied, "God curse so-and-so-meaning Mu'awiyah-and you." I answered, "No, rather God curse you." He increased his cursing of me, and none of his coterie were around him, so I was spared their evil. I left without his recognizing me. The Waht was a grove belonging to Abdallah b. Amr in al-Ta'if. Mu'awiyah had negotiated a deal with Abdallah b. 'Amr for it and had given him a lot of money for the grove. But then 'Abdallah had refused to sell it for anything.

ree

Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. al-’Aas knew al-Husayn (AS) was going to Kufa and even told others to go there, but he himself refused to support al-Husayn. Why didn’t he go and join him? He only told Farazdaq to join al-Husayn because he wanted him to be killed, hence he would later curse him. 

Sunni Hadith narrators at Karbala

As we have examined, there was no Shi’a in the army of Ibn Sa’ad that participated in the killing of al-Husayn (AS). Being in the army of Ali (AS) previously does not make someone a Shi’a, by that measure the Khawarij are Shias since they were once in his army. It is clear however that the killers of al-Husayn (AS) were closer to the doctrines of Ahlus Sunnah than the companions of al-Husayn (AS) as we examined earlier on. 

This is why the killers of Husayn go to Ibn Umar for fiqh questions, as noted in Sahih al-Bukhari 5994, yet we know that the Shi’a have no respect for Ibn Umar, so how could it be that they are referring to Ibn Umar for fiqh questions? 

We will present further evidence from the ones we have already mentioned (such as of Shabbath, Hajjar and others) for the examples where the killers of al-Husayn (AS) were authenticated or narrated from by Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jam’a, 

Ibn Sa’ad: His case of authentication is famous and accepted by Sunni scholars. Refer to our article here on him. 

Shimr: He was the khariji present in the battle of Nahrawan that called for the killing of al-Husayn (AS). While Sunnis do not authenticate him, it is shocking to find that he narrates in their main books, such as in Sunan Abi Dawud 2786. Although it says his father (Dhi’l-Jawshan) here, Shu’ayb al-Arna'ut in his tahqiq of Sunan Abi Dawud, vol. 3, pg. 412 have confirmed that this is a scribal error and that it is actually Shimr (his son) who is narrating.

Muhammad b. al-Ash’ath: We mentioned earlier under ‘Amr b. Hurayth that he was commanded by Ibn Ziyad to collect Muslim b. ‘Aqil (AS), and then he was killed after. An associate of this murder was Muhammad b. al-Asha’th, the head of the Umayyad police force. He is- without surprise an accepted and praised narrator in the Sunni corpus. Al-Dhahabi counted him among the narrators in the six main Sunni books in al-Kashif Vol 2 pg. 158, Bio # 4731, and Ibn Hajar affirmed that he is an acceptable (maqbul) narrator in Taqrib al-Tahdhib pg. 525, Bio # 5742.

Abdullah b. ‘Ammar al-Bariqi: This man was once from the army of Ali (AS), but then would later apostate by joining the army of Ibn Sa’ad. He is a reliable narrator as shown by al-Albani’s authentication of a report in Sunan Abi Dawud 1295 with him in the chain. There is a report which even suggests that he is a companion recorded by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in al-Isaba, vol. 5, pg, 154 and Ibn Abd al-Barr in Isti'ab, pg. 428. The report indicating he’s a sahabi is mursal, hence it is questioned. Nonetheless, he is a reliable narrator. When it comes to Karbala, he himself admitted to attacking al-Husayn (AS) with a spear in Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 19, pg. 159 [Arabic]. 

Yahya b. Hani b. ‘Urwa al-Muradi: He narrated the martyrdom of Nafi’ b. Hilal in Tarikh al-Tabari Vol. 19, pg. 136 - 137, which shows he was present in Karbala in the army of Ibn Sa’ad. His mother was Raw’ah bt. al-Hajjaj al-Zubaydi, the sister of Amr b. al-Hajjaj al-Zubaydi. So both Yahya and his uncle were present in Karbala. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani records that al-Nasa’i, Ibn Ma’in, Abu Hatim, Daraqutni, Ibn Hibban and many more authenticated him in Tahdhib Vol. 6, pg. 117. 

Many more names could be mentioned through further research, as several of the killers of al-Ḥusayn (AS) are present within the Sunni corpus and have transmitted hadiths for them. However, for the sake of brevity, we will suffice this section with these examples.

« Previous Part: Did the Shi'a Betray Husayn? »

bottom of page