Zarud
Zarud is a station on the way between Mecca and Kufa where Imam Hussain sent a messenger to Zuhayr b. Qayn and asked him for a meeting. Zuhayr was first reluctant to meet the Imam, but when his wife, Daylam or Dalham, encouraged him to do so, he went to Imam Hussain. The meeting changed the course of his life. After the meeting, he happily went back to his family and friends, and had his camp and stuff moved near Imam Hussain's camp. At this station, Imam was also informed from martyrdom of Muslim b. Aqil.
Location
In Mu’jam al-Buldan, Zarud is described as sand dunes between al-Tha’labiya and al-Khuzaymiya on a pilgrim's way coming from Kufa, and it lies one mile from al-Khuzaymiyya[1] . There is a lake in it, and it is the site of the Battle of Zarud.
Events
When Al-Hussain reached Zarud, Zuhayr B. al-Qayn al-Bajali[2] , who did not support him and even hated to be near him, alighted near him. Water gathered them somehow at the same place. As Zuhayr and his group were eating, a messenger sent by Al-Hussain came to them inviting Zuhayr to meet his master Abu Abdullah. Zuhayr was first reluctant to meet the Imam, but when his wife, Daylam or Dalham, the daughter of Amr, encouraged him to do so, he went to Imam Hussain[3] . The meeting changed the course of his life.
Zuhayr ordered all is belongings to be packed. He also ordered everyone to go to the Master of the Youths of Paradise. He said to his wife, “Go to your family, for I hate to see you receiving any harm on my account.”
Then he said to those around him, “Whoever among you loves to support the son of the Messenger of Allah, let him join us; otherwise, this should be the last time I see you.”
Then he narrated to them what Salman al-Farsi had foretold him with regard to the imminent battle. Zuhayr said, “We invaded Ballinger[4] and we were victorious, so we acquired a great deal of booty and we, therefore, were very glad. When Salman al-Farsi[5] saw how excited we all were, he said, ‘If you ever meet the Master of the Youths from the Progeny of Muhammad, peace of Allah and blessings be upon him and his progeny, you should then be more elated for fighting on his side than you now are elated on account of your booty; as for me, I now bid you farewell.[6]”
Zuhayr's wife said, “Allah has chosen this honour for you, and I request you to remember me on the Day of Judgment and say a good word on my behalf to al-Hussain's grandfather, peace be upon him.”
At Zarud, the Imam was informed of how Muslim b. Aqil and Hani b. ‘Urwah were killed, so he kept repeating: Inna lillah wa inna ilayhi rajia’un (We belong to Allah, and to Him shall we return), as he wept, pleading to Allah to have mercy on them[7] .
With him the Hashemites wept and there was a great deal of wailing coming from the women’s quarters, so much so that the whole place was shaken because of Muslim b. Aqil being killed. Tears poured profusely.[8]
Abdullah B. Salim and al-Munthir B. al-Mashma’il, both from the tribe of Asad, said to the Imam, “We plead to you in the Name of Allah, O son of the Messenger of Allah, to go away, for you will not find any supporter in Mecca.”
Aqil's offspring stood up and said, “We shall not leave before seeking revenge or taste of what our brother has tasted.” Al-Hussain looked at them and said, “There is nothing good in life after these folks.”[9]
Source
References
- ↑ Mu’jam al-Buldan, p. 327, Vol. 4
- ↑ Having discussed the Bajali tribes, Ibn Hazm, on p. 365 of his book Jamharat Ansab al-’Arab, says, “[His full name is:] Zuhayr Ibn al-Qayn Ibn al-Harith Ibn Amir Ibn Sa’d Ibn Malik Ibn Zuhayr Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Yashkur Ibn ‘Ali Ibn Malik Ibn Sa’d Ibn Tuzayn Ibn Qasr Ibn ‘Abqar Ibn Anmar Ibn Arash Ibn ‘Amr Ibn al-Ghawth Ibn Nabt Ibn Malik Ibn Zayd Ibn Kaylan Ibn Saba'.” On p. 310, the author traces the lineage of Saba' [known to Westerners as Sheba] thus: “Saba' Ibn Ya’rub Ibn Qahtan (Joktan).”
- ↑ Ibn Tawus, Al-Luhuf, p. 40
- ↑ According to both Mu’jam al-Buldan and Al-Mu’jam fi ma Ista’jam [Concordance of what is non-Arab], it is one of the cities of the Khazar conquered in 33 A.H./653 A.D. by Salman Ibn Rabi’ah al-Bahili. I could not find any reference in either of these books to any other city bearing the same name, but Ibn Hajar al-’Asqalani, on p. 274, Vol. 3, of his book Al-Isaba, details the biography of Qays Ibn Farwah Ibn Zurarah Ibn al-Arqam adding, “He participated in the conquests of Iraq and was martyred at Ballinger, Iraq.” He placed the accent marks on the word then added saying that Salman Ibn Rabi’ah was the commander of the army.
- ↑ The statement by Salman is cited in Al-Irshad by the mentor al-Mufid and also by al-Fattal on p. 153 of his book Rawat al-Wa’izin, by Ibn Nama on p. 23 of his book Muthir al-Ahzan, by al-Khawarizmi on p. 225, chapter 11, Vol. 1, of his book Maqtal al-Husayn, by Ibn al-Athir on p. 17, Vol. 4, of his book Al-Kamil, and by al-Bakri on p. 376, Vol. 1, of his concordance Al-Mu’jam fima Ista’jam. This is supported by what al-Tabari states on p. 77, Vol. 5, of his Tarikh, and by Ibn al-Athir as he states so on p. 50, Vol. 3, of his book Al-Kamil. Both authors testify that Salman participated in that invasion.
- ↑ al-Tabari, Tarikh, Vol. 6, p. 224. al-Khawarizmi, Maqtal al-Hussain, Vol. 1, p. 222.
- ↑ al-Tabari, Tarikh, Vol. 6, p. 995. Ibn Kathir, on p. 168, Vol. 8, of his book Al-Bidaya, says that he did so repeatedly.
- ↑ Ibn Tawus, Al-Luhuf, p. 41. But I could not find even one reliable reference stating that al-Hussain took Muslim's daughter Hamida by the head, so she sensed that something terrible must have happened.
- ↑ Ibn al-Athir, Al-Kamil, Vol. 4, p. 17. al-Thahabi, Siyar A’lam al-Nubala’, Vol. 3, p. 208