Qasim b. al-Hasan

Qasim b. al-Hasan, who accompanied Imam Hussain from Mecca to Karbala and was eventually martyred in the Battle of Karbala, is the son of Imam al-Hasan.

Qasim b. al-Hasan
Native name	قاسم بن الحسن
Full Name	Qasim b. al-Ḥasan
Companion of	Imam al-Hussain
Lineage	Banu Hashim
Wellknown Relatives	Imam Hasan (Father)
Place(s) of Residence	Medina
Death/Martyrdom	61/680
Cause of Death/Martyrdom	Martyrdom in the Battle of Karbala
Burial Place	Holy Shrine of Imam Hussain, Karbala

Biography

It is stated in Tasleeyatul Majalis that his mother was a slave. There is no more information about his life prior to the Battle of Karbala. However, it is said in ''Maqtal al-Khwarazmi'' that he had not reached puberty when he was martyred. Lubab al-ansab wrote that he was 16.

Martyrdom

It is quoted in Manaqib, that he was reciting the following Rajaz: “Verily I am Qasim from the progeny of Ali, by the Lord of the House! We possess superiority while being related to the Prophet than Shimr and the son of an illegitimate one”. It is stated in the Amali of Shaikh Saduq that after Ali bin Hussain, Qasim bin Hasan stepped into the battlefield saying, “Do not be uneasy O my self for everyone shall perish, for today you shall meet the dwellers of Paradise”. He killed three men and they threw him from his horse upon the ground. Fattal Naishapuri too quotes similarly. But Abul Faraj, Shaikh Mufid and Tabari relate from Abu Mikhnaf, who relates from Sulayman bin Abi Rashid, from Hameed bin Muslim, who says that a youth, similar to ‘the first Splinter of the New Moon’, stepped into the battlefield. He held a sword in his hand and wore a cloak and shirt. He wore shoes in his feet, the strap of one of which was broken, and if I remember well it was the left one. Umar bin Sa’ad bin Nufayl Azdi said, “I desire to attack him”. I said, “Glory be to Allah! Why so? This army which has surrounded him from all sides will surely kill him”. He said, “By Allah! I shall attack him”. He attacked him and before he could turn his face towards him, he dealt a blow upon his head with his sword and slit it. The child fell down on his face upon the ground and called out, “Alas! O dear uncle! Come to my aid”. Imam Hussain leapt into the battlefield like a wild falcon and attacked like a furious Lion. He attacked Umar with his sword and he put his hand against it, which got severed from the elbow and hung attached to it. It is stated in Irshad, then he yelled aloud, which was heard by the entire army, and Imam Hussain lifted his hands off him. Then the Kufan army laid siege to rescue Umar. It is narrated in Tasleeyatul Majalis, when the army attacked, the chest of their horses hit Umar and they started taking rounds until they trampled him and he died. When the sand rested, I saw Hussain standing at the head of Qasim, who was stretching his feet upon the ground. Imam Hussain said, “Far be the nation who have killed you, while their enemy on the day of Qiyamah shall be your grandfather (the Prophet)”. Then he said, “By Allah! It is hard upon your uncle that he could not come to your aid when you called him, or he answered but it could not benefit you”. (May Allah’s Mercy and Blessings be upon him). According to Malhoof, Imam said, “By Allah! Here he has numerous murderers while his aides are quite less”. Then he pressed him to his chest and took him in a state that his legs were drawing upon the ground. Tabari narrates that Imam Hussain pressed his chest to that of Qasim. I said to myself, “What does he intend doing to him?” Then he brought him and placed him near his son Ali bin Hussain (al Akbar) and other martyrs of his family. I asked, “Who is this child?” And I was told, “He is Qasim bin Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib”. It is related that Imam Hussain said, “O Lord! Reduce their quantity, kill each one of them, abandon every one of them, and never forgive them. Forbear O dear cousins! Forbear! O my household! After today you shall never ever see humiliation”. Here the author quotes an elegy by Sayyid Haider in praise of Hazrat Qasim, which we forgo. In a lengthy salutation quoted by Sayyid Murtaďa Alamul Huda (the Standard of Guidance) it is stated that: “Peace be upon Qasim, the son of Hasan, the son of Ali, and Mercy of Allah and His Blessings! Peace be upon you O the son of the beloved of Allah! Peace be upon you O son of the sweet basil of the Prophet of Allah! Peace be upon you O whose desires were left unfulfilled by the world! The one who could not cure his heart through the enemies of Allah until death hastened towards him and his desire died felicitations to you O beloved of the Prophet of Allah’s beloved! How felicitous is your striving, and how eminent is your honor, and how splendid is your place of return”.

In his book, al-Luhuf, Sayyid b. Tawus reported his fight and martyrdom scene as following: "… at that moment a youngster whose face was [bright] like moon came to the battlefield and started fighting. Ibn Fudayl al-Azdi hit him on the head. His head was split and he fell on his face and shouted "O, my uncle!" Hussain came to him very fast and attacked the enemies like a lion. He attacked Ibn Fudayl and cut his hand from elbow as Ibn Fudayl had raised it to protect himself from the sword strike. Ibn Fudayl shouted and all the army heard him. They came to help him but trampled him to death.

Narrator says that when the dust cleared, I saw Hussain standing at the youngster's body and the boy was kicking his legs.

Al-Hussain said, "God may curse the people who killed you. Your father and your grandfather will avenge you on the Day of resurrection. By God! it is difficult for your uncle to call him but he does not answer you and if he does, it would not benefit you. By God! Today is a day that your uncle's enemies are many and his companions are few.

Then he cuddled the youngster and put him next to other martyrs of Banu Hashim."

source

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