The Torment that Imam Hussain’s Murderers Faced

The Scholars state that not one of the killers of Sayyiduna Imam Hussain was saved from punishment. Some of them were viciously killed, others were blinded or afflicted with with leprosy whilst others were struck with various types of calamities.

Sayyiduna Abu-sh-Shaykh states that some people were discussing in a gathering how every one who had played a role in the murder of Imam Hussain was somehow tormented in this world before he died. An old man, who was present in this gathering, said that he had assisted the murderers when they were murdering Imam Hussain but he had not been punished in any way. After saying this, the old man arose in order to sort out the lamp when he was set light by the fire of the candles of the lamp. The entire body of the old man was ablaze and he was screaming, “Fire, Fire!” The old man jumped into the Euphrates but the fire was still not extinguished and he died in the Euphrates whilst he was still burning. Imam as-Sadi mentions a similar story and he says, “By Allah, I saw him looking like he was lava.” [as-Sawaa’iq al-Muharraqah pg.120]

Imam al-Waaqidi states that a man who was in the army of Yazeed but did not kill anyone was blinded after the events of Karbala. He was asked about the reason for his loss of sight. The man replied that he saw the Messenger of Allah [sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam] in a dream in such a condition that his sleeves were folded and a sword was in his hand. In front of the Holy Prophet [sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam], skin was spread out and 10 murderers of Imam Hussain were placed there after having been slaughtered. When the Beloved of Allah [sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam] looked towards this man, he cursed him and rebuked him. After dipping a needle into blood, the Holy Prophet [sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam] passed it over to the man’s eyes and since that time, this man remained blind. [as-Sawaa’iq al-Muharraqah pg.120]

Allamah Ibn Hajar Makki writes that the face of a soldier from the Yazeedi army became dark due to the fact that he had hung the the blessed head of Sayyiduna Imam Hussain on his horse’s neck. Someone asked him why his face which used to be extremely enlightened and bright was now so dark. The man replied that ever since the day when he hung the head of Sayyiduna Imam Hussain on his horse’s neck, every night he was taken by two people to a place where there is a lot of fire and they placed him in the fire (face first) and then they took him out again. Thus the face of the man became very dark. It is the statement of the narrator that this man died a horrible death. [as-Sawaa’iq al-Muharraqah pg.120]

Extracted from “Madinah to Karbala” – Translation of the work “Khutbaat e Muharram” by Mufti Jalaluddin Ahmed Amjadi. Translated by Mawlana Omar Khan.

aĥle bayt paak se gusthākiyāN bay-bakiyāN,
la’natullahi ‘alaykum dushmanān-e aĥle bayt
[Ustad e Zaman, Mawlana Hassan Rida Khan]