Editing Muslim b. Awsaja al-Asadi

{{Infobox companion of Imam (a)
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 | image =Martyrs of Karbala.jpg 
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 | Full name = Muslim b. Awsaja al-Asadi
 | Companion of = [[Prophet Muhammad]], [[Imam Ali]], [[Hussain ibn Ali|Imam al-Hussain]]
 | Kunya =Abu Hajal 
 | Epithet = 
 | Well Known As = 
 | Religious Affiliation =[[Shi'a]] 
 | Lineage = Banu Asad
 | Well known relatives = 
 | Birth = 
 | Place of Birth = 
 | Place of Residence = 
 | Death/martyrdom=  61/680
 | Cause of Death/martyrdom = [[Martyrdom]] in the Battle of Karbala
 | Burial place = Holy shrine of [[Imam Hussain]], [[Karbala]], [[Iraq]]
 | Professors = 
 | Students =  
 | Works = 
 | Activities = Being one of sahaba and narrating hadith from the [[Prophet]], participating in the [[Battle of Karbala]]
|Native name=ابوحَجَل مسلم بن عوسجه الأسدی}}'''Muslim b. Awsaja al-Asadi''' was a sincere friend of [[ahl al-bayt]] and the first one among the companions of [[Imam Hussain]] to attain [[martyrdom]] on the day of [[Ashura]]. He was also a companion of [[Prophet]] and [[Imam Ali]].

==Lineage==
Abu Hajal, Muslim b. Awsaja b. Sa'd was from the tribe of Banu Asad, [[Kufa]].<ref>Ḥusaynī Tehrānī, ''Maʿādshināsī, vol. 2, p. 319.''</ref> He was a companion of [[Prophet Muhammad]] who met the Prophet in his life time and narrated [[hadith]] form him<ref>Abī Mikhnaf, ''Maqtal al-Ḥusayn'', p. 136-138.</ref>  and also a companion of [[Ali ibn Abi Talib|Imam Ali]]<ref>Maḥallātī, ''Fursān al-hayjāʾ'', vol. 2, p. 155.</ref> and [[Imam Hussain]].

==In Kufa==
According to some sources, the first place where [[Muslim b. Aqil b. Abi Talib|Muslim b. Aqil]] resided upon his arrival in [[Kufa]] was the house of Muslim b. Awsaja's house.<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ''al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya'', vol. 8, p. 152.</ref> People gathered there to take oath of allegiance.<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ''al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya'', vol. 8, p. 163.</ref> They swore to Allah they would defend Imam Hussain to their last breath. They sent letters to Imam Hussain about the allegiance of people. Then Imam Hussain left Mecca to Kufa. 

The spy of [[Obayd-Allah Ibn Ziad|Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad]], Ma'qil, met Muslim ibn Awsaja al-Asadi in the mosque. Ma'qil told Muslim ibn Awsaja that he was a friend and follower of the Ahl al-Bayt and that having heard that Muslim b. Aqil was in Kufa as the Ambassador of Imam Hussain, he was desirous of meeting and paying his allegiance to Imam Hussain at the hands of Muslim ibn Aqil. Ma'qil told Muslim ibn Awsaja that he was carrying three thousand Dirhams to be given to Imam Hussain through Muslim ibn Aqil. The ruse worked and Muslim Ibn Awsaja, after extracting promises of secrecy, took Ma'qil to [[Hani]]’s house. Ma'qil met Muslim ibn Aqil and handed over the bag of coins to his (Muslim) treasurer Abu Thumama. Ma'qil then returned to the palace to inform Ibn Ziyad that Muslim was staying with Hani. After [[Haniʾ b. ʿUrwa al-Muradi|Hani b. Urwa]] was arrested, Muslim b. Aqil chose commanders for his army in order to organize the soldiers; he assigned Muslim b. Awsaja as the commander of Banu Asad and Madhhij.<ref>Qarashī, ''Mawsūʿat sīrat Ahl al-Bayt'', vol. 13, p. 380.</ref>

Following the arrest and martyrdom of Hani b. Urwa and Muslim b. Aqil, Muslim b. Awsaja decided to hide in a safe house. Then after the arrival of Imam Hussain, he joined Imam's army with his family in [[Karbala]]. <ref>Samāwī, ''Ibṣār al-ʿayn'', p. 137.</ref>

==In Karbala==
Muslim b. Awsaja's wife and children attended the [[Battle of Karbala]]. 

At the night before Ashura, when Imam Hussain told his soldiers: "you are allowed to leave Karbala and your promises and oath of allegiance have served well so far, you are not obligated to stay for the battle." Then, some companions declared their loyalty to Imam Hussain  over again. After the descendants of Banu Hashim, Muslim b. Awsaja was the first one who said:

"Oh, Abu Abd Allah! We would never leave you alone. How is it possible to bring excuses to Allah? O, by Allah, never! We will never leave you alone; I will never give up; I will slay the enemies with my spear and sword until it drops on the ground; then I stone them. By Allah, I would never leave you alone until I fulfill my duties to Allah and defend the descendants of Prophet Muhammad. O, by Allah, if I am perished, I would reborn, and then if I am burnt and turned into ashes, I would reborn; and if it happens seventy times I would reborn and fight for you until I am martyred for you. I would never leave you as I know I will be perished once. Consequently, eternal prosperity and dignity would be mine."<ref>Muḥammadī Rayshahrī, ''Dānishnāma-yi Imām Ḥusayn bar pāya-yi Qurʾān wa ḥadīth'', vol. 6, p. 20.</ref>

Imam Hussain   expressed gratitude to each one of them and returned his tent.

===The Day of Ashura===
Imam Hussain and his soldiers dug a trench around the rear part of their tent and set fire inside it. After seeing the flaming fire, [[Shimr b. Dhi l-Jawshan]] shouted: "O Hussain! You are preparing fire of this world for yourself before the judgment day?! "

Imam Hussain  replied: "Who is that man? Is he Shimr b. Dhi l-Jawshan?" 

Then Imam referred to Sura Maryam, verse 70 and said: "O goatherd boy! You deserve flames of Hell! "

Then Muslim b. Awsaja was ready to kill Shimr with an arrow and asked for Imam Hussain's permission; however Imam rejected his request and said: "I do not want to commence the battle."<ref>Mufīd, ''al-Irshād'', p. 449.</ref>

==Martyrdom==
Muslim fought valiantly in the battle of Karbala, while reciting the following Rajaz: “If you inquire about me, (know that) I am a male Lion, (I am) from the chiefs and notables of the branch of Bani Asad, thus the one who oppresses us has deviated from the Right Path and from the Religion of the Self Sufficient, Omnipotent (Lord).”
Muslim b. Awsaja had numerous injuries and he was bleeding heavily, then he fell on the ground. Imam Hussain and [[Habib b. Muzahir]] came by his side. Imam said: "May God have mercy on your soul". 

Then he recited the verse: "some have completed their vow to (the extreme) and some still wait, but they have never changed (their determination) in the past."<ref>''Qurʾan 33:23.''</ref>

Then Habib b. Muzahir said to him: "your loss is hardly tolerable to me, but I give glad tidings to you on Paradise". 

Muslim b. Awsaja replied with difficulties: "May God send his blessing on you." 

Habib replied: "I wish I could carry out what you desire as your will." 

Muslim replied: "I advise you to defend him (Imam Hussain ) to your last breath and never give up trying". 

And Habib replied: "I accomplish what you desire and I will make you delighted."<ref>Sayyid b. Ṭāwūs, ''al-Luhūf fī qatlā l-ṭufūf'', p. 133.</ref>

According to [[Ziarat al-Shuhada]], Muslim b. Awsaja was the first one who was martyred in the Battle of Karbala.<ref>Abī Mikhnaf, ''Waqʿat al-Ṭaff'', p. 225.</ref> And Imam Hussain   promised him salvation by the name of Allah. While those who participated in the martyrdom of Muslim b. Awsaja are cursed by Imam Hussain .<ref>Ibn Ṭāwūs, ''Iqbāl al-aʿmāl'', p. 50.</ref>

The murderers of Muslim bin Awsaja were [[Muslim bin Abdullah Zababi]] and [[Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Khushkara al-Bajali]].

==Source==

*[https://en.wikishia.net/view/Muslim_b._%27Awsaja_al-Asadi WikiShia, An online encyclopedia of the school of Ahl al-Bayt]

==References==
[[Category:Individuals]]
[[Category:Historical Characters]]
[[Category:Imam Hussain’s Companions]]
[[Category:Martyrs of Karbala]]
[[fa:مسلم بن عوسجه]]
<references />{{Companions of Imam al-Hussain}}