Sa'd b. al-Harth al-Ansari

Sa'd b. al-Harth al-Ansari
Full Name	Sa'd b. Harath (Harith) b. Salama al-Ansari al-'Ajlani al-Kufi
Companion of	Imam al-Hussain
Lineage	Khazraj
Wellknown Relatives	Abu l-Hutuf b. al-Harth al-Ansari (brother)
Place(s) of Residence	Kufa
Death/Martyrdom	61/680
Cause of Death/Martyrdom	Martyred in the Battle of Karbala
Burial Place	Karbala
Activities	Being one of Khawarij and participating in the Battle of Nahrawan

Sa'd b. al-Harth al-Ansari (Arabic:سَعد بن الحَرث (الحارِث) الأنصاری) (martyrdom 61/680) was martyred in the Battle of Karbala. On the day of Ashura, Sa'd was in the army of 'Umar b. Sa'd, when he heard Imam Hussian's call of help. He then turned against the Army of Kufa and began to defend Imam Hussain.

Battle of Karbala

In the Army of Kufa

Sa'd was born into a family from Khazraj tribe. It is reported that Sa'd and his brother, Abu al-Hutuf b. al-Harth al-Ansari, were among the Khawarij in Battle of Nahrawan and had come from Kufa with the army of 'Umar b. Sa'd to fight with Imam Hussain.

Helping Imam Hussain

The turning point of Sa'd's story occurred in the afternoon of Ashura. When all companions of Imam were martyred and the army of Kufa had besieged Imam, Hussain called "O, Isn't there any helper to help us? O Isn't there any defender to defend the family of the Prophet?" Women and children of the tents of Imam Hussain heard the call of Imam and began crying.

Hearing cries over the tents of women and children, Sa'd and his brother, Abu l-Hutuf, shouted the slogan of Khawarij: "No rule, but God's and no obedience to the one who has disobeyed Him" and then declared that Hussain was son of the daughter of the Prophet, the intercession of whom for ourselves we wish on the Day of Judgment; so, how can we fight him while he is in such a state and has no helper and alone in the desert of Karbala, he asks for help?

Turning against the Army of Kufa, they unsheathed their swords and attacked the army of Umayyads and killed many of them until they were martyred in the same place.

However, another source narrates the story in a slightly different manner. It is said that after the martyrdom of Imam Hussain and when they heard cries of women, they attacked the army of 'Umar b. Sa'd and were martyred.

Debates Over the Authenticity of the Report

Muhaqqiq Shushtari raised doubts about the authenticity of this report. In his view, given the negative attitude of Khawarij about helping governments and also the famous slogan of "No rule, but God's", it is improbable that they have helped Imam Hussain.

On the contrary, some argue that probably they were forced to accompany the army of Kufa. However, witnessing the cruelty of the army of 'Umar b. Sa'd toward the family of the Prophet and how Imam and his family were oppressed turned their hearts toward Imam Hussain like Hurr b. Yazid al-Riyahi.

References

• WikiShia, An online encyclopedia of the school of Ahl al-Bayt