Maqtal-e- Abi Abdullah al-Hussain (Book)

The book Maqtal-e- Abi Abdullah al-Hussain (peace be upon him) is about the rise and martyrdom of Imam Hussain, written by Zuhair bin Ali Hakim.

About the book

This book, which its completion date is recorded on the third of Sha'ban 1425 AH, is a report about Imam Hussain's uprising and martyrdom. The contents of the book are included in three volumes and fourteen chapters. The first volume contains four chapters, the second volume contains two chapters, and the third volume contains eight chapters. The entire book, which is not free of typographical errors, quotes from various sources, and the author's introduction is less than one page. In the introduction, it is said that the content of the book is taken from ancient texts, which often agree with the Shia’s opinions. This book is not very comprehensive and accurate, and it is useful only because it reports the Maqtal of Sayyid al-Shuhada based on Sunni sources. The author has referred to several sources during many discussions. Among his sources, such as “Kitab al-Tabari” and “Maqtal al-Hussain” by Kharazmi and “Tarikh Madina Damashgh” and "al-Kamel", there are also non-authentic works such as Noor al-Ain by Esfrayini and "Maqtal" by Abu Mokhnaf. The author sometimes mentions the sources and sometimes criticizes and evaluates them in the footnotes.

Content of the book

The first volume contains the following topics:

• Some narrations regarding the Ahl al-Bayt and their followers’ dignity
• The occult narrations about the martyrdom of Imam Hussain
• The departure from Madinah to Mecca
• The martyrdom of Muslim Ibn Aqili
• The martyrdom of Imam Hussain and his family and companions

The second volume deals with the events of Kufa and Levant, the return of captives to Medina, and the killers of Imam Hussain. Regarding the recent issue, the author under the title “Fi Ghatla al-Imam al-Hussain”, (in 500 pages) seeks to prove that the killers of Imam Hussain were not Shias as some say, but Umayyad and their followers. A book titled Man Qatalal Imam Al Hussein AS? (Means “Who Martyred Imam Hussain AS?), has also been published by this author.

The third volume of the book contains the following topics:

• The spiritual reward of crying for Sayyid al-Shuhada (Imam Hussein)
• Transformations in the Creation System after his martyrdom
• Dreams related to the killing of Imam Hussain
• The adventures of Ra’s al-Hussein (the head of Imam Hussein)
• The shrine of Imam Hussain and its pilgrimage
• Husseini rituals
• Ashura fasting

• Some eulogies and lamentations about him

Sources

Ketabshenasi-e- Tarikhi-e- Emam Hussain  (Historical bibliography of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him)), Mohammad Esfandiari, pp. 235-236