Wahb b. Wahb: Difference between revisions

'''Wahb b. Wahb''' (Arabic: وهب بن وهب) or '''Wahb b. 'Abd Allah b. Hubab al-Kalbi''' (Arabic: وهب بن عبدالله بن حباب الکلبی) was among companions of [[Hussain ibn Ali|Imam al-Hussain]] who was martyred at the Battle of [[Karbala]]. Wahb was a young Christian who converted to Islam by the guidance of Imam al-Hussain. He accompanied Imam in his journey to Karbala and was finally martyred on the Day of [[Ashura]].

He was among those who were listed among martyrs of Karbala by the majority of sources. However, there are some disagreements over his lineage. Some writers also doubted that a person called Wahb existed. Some sources only mentioned one person with this name in Karbala. However, more recent researches approved the existence of the mentioned Wahb as well as another person with a similar name (Wahb b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Umayr).

Some writers recognize two martyrs of Karbala who had the name of Wahb: Wahb b. Wahb and Wahb b. 'Abd Allah al-Kalbi.<ref>Majlisī, ''Biḥār al-anwār'', vol. 45, p. 16; vol. 44, p. 320.</ref> However, some sources consider all the above-mentioned names one person.<ref>Mūsawī Zanjānī, ''Wasīlat al-dārayn'', p. 203.</ref>

Some argue that all the above-mentioned names emerged as a result of innovation and mistake and believe that such a person did not participate in the battle of 'Karbala.<ref>''Maqtal-i jāmiʿ-i Sayyid al-shuhadāʾ'', vol. 1, p. 76.</ref> According to them, this person with all his different names was actually [[ʿAbd Allah b. ʿUmayr al-Kalbi|'Abd Allah b. 'Umayr al-Kalbi]] who was among the martyrs of Karbala and was considered among the old companions of [[Ali ibn Abi Talib|Imam Ali]] and Imam al-Hussain; and his name is mentioned in [[Ziyarah al-Shuhada]]' and Al-Ziyarah al-Rajabiyya li-l-Imam al-Hussain|al-Ziyarah al-Rajabiyya.<ref>Shūshtarī, ''Qāmūs al-rijāl'', vol. 10, p. 448.</ref>

Although there are some similarities between the events related to Wahb and [[Abd Allah b. 'Umayr al-Kalbi|'Abd Allah b. 'Umayr]], many sources believe the existence of the two person with a similar profile possible due to many differences in the events reported about them. The most important difference between the two is that sources introduced Wahb Christian who became Muslim by the guidance of Imam al-Hussain; while, they mentioned that 'Abd Allah b. 'Umayr was among the old companions of Imam al-Hussain.<ref>Muḥammadī Riyshahrī, ''Dānishnāma-yi Imām Ḥusayn'', vol. 6, p. 381.</ref>

Umm Wahb was the daughter of 'Abd from the family of Namir b. Qasit and the wife of 'Abd Allah b. 'Umayr Kalbi was among the martyrs of the event of Karbala. Some sources considered her, the mother of Wahb b. Wahb;<ref>Shams al-Dīn, ''Yārān-i  Ḥusayn (a)'', p. 112.</ref> however, studying different sources and comparing reports of the martyrs on the day of 'Ashura show that mother of Wahb was another person and does not have any relation with Umm Wahb, daughter of 'Abd Allah.<ref>Nāẓimzāda-yi Qummī, ''Aṣḥāb-i Imām Ḥusayn'', p. 597.</ref>

It is reported that Wahb went to the battlefield after Burayr b. Khudayr,<ref>Ibn Ṭāwūs, ''al-Luhūf'', p. 105; Ibn Aʿtham, ''al-Futūḥ'', vol. 5, p. 104; Ibn Shahrāshūb, ''Manāqib Āl Abī Ṭālib'', vol. 4, p. 101.</ref> or Ziyad b. Muhajir al-Kindi<ref>Ṣadūq, ''al-Amālī'', p. 161.</ref> and before 'Amr b. Khalid al-Azdi, or Muslim b. 'Awsaja al-Asadi,<ref>Ibn Ṭāwūs, ''al-Luhūf'', p. 105.</ref> or Hilal b. al-Hajjaj.<ref>Ṣadūq, ''al-Amālī'', p. 161.</ref> There are different reports about his fight. It is said that he returned to his mother and wife in the middle of the fight and asked his mother if she was satisfied with him? His mother answered that she would be satisfied with him when he is killed in the way of Imam al-Hussain."<ref>Khwārizmī, ''Maqtal al-Ḥusayn'', vol. 2, p. 16; Qummī, ''Nafas al-mahmūm'', p. 258-259.</ref> Also, there are reports about his conversation with his wife then.<ref>Khwārizmī, ''Maqtal al-Ḥusayn'', vol. 2, p. 16.</ref>

The way Wahb was martyred is also subject to some disagreements. <ref>See: Ṣadūq, ''al-Amālī'', p. 161; Khwārizmī, ''Maqtal al-Ḥusayn'', vol. 2, p. 16.</ref> It seems that some reports are mixed with the events related to the [[Martyrdom]] of 'Abd Allah b. 'Umayr al-Kalbi. Moreover, others mentioned his wife went to the battlefield, grasped his clothes and said that, "I would not return until I am killed with you", and Imam al-Hussain returned her to the tent with the promise of receiving good rewards in the hereafter; so, she returned to other women.<ref>Ibn Ṭāwūs, ''al-Luhūf'', p. 106.</ref> It is said that Wahb killed twelve footsoldiers and nineteen horsemen of the army of [[Omar Ibn Sa’d|Ibn Sa'd]].<ref>Qummī, ''Nafas al-mahmūm'', p. 259.</ref> Then, he was taken captive and was beheaded by the order of 'Umar b. Sa'd. Then, they threw his head toward the army of Imam al-Hussain.<ref>Ṣadūq, ''al-Amālī'', p. 161; Khwārizmī, ''Maqtal al-Ḥusayn'', vol. 2, p. 15.</ref>

The story of Wahb was shown in the 17th episode of [[Mukhtar-nameh]] TV series in 22 minutes. In this episode, Hamid Mirbaqiri acted as Wahb. Mukhtar-nameh was a TV series directed by Dawud Mirbaqiri and dealt with the life and uprising of [[al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi]] after the Event of 'Ashura. It was broadcasted from channel One of the IRIB in 2010.