THE STORY OF KARBALA - PART 6/01

THE FIRST MASSIVE ATTACK, HABEEB BIN MUZAHIR AND ZUHR PRAYER

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The pressure in Husayn's camp was building up. The children were crying for water. As the Sun rose higher, the desert heat became more intense by the minute. The children's cries were now reaching the tents of Husayn's companions, who were although set on laying their lives for the Prophet's grandson and for the Islamic principles, they were also very angry at this inhuman behaviour of Yazeed's troops and were approaching Husayn to allow them to fight.

There were only thirty-two horsemen in Husayn's camp. However, at the end of the battle there were seventy-two heads raised on lances by Yazeed's troops. This means that at least forty more people fought on foot on Husayn's side.

Husayn was still reluctant to let his companions go and fight. Then all of a sudden the enemy attacked Husayn's camp in a great stampede. They wanted to take the small band by a storm. But the way Husayn had fortified his camp at Karbala could only be termed as a masterpiece of defensive strategy. He had pitched his camp in an area which was surrounded by a chain of hills on three sides, thus forming a half-moon.

This area is known as the haa-yer and can still be seen. Then he had his tents pitched so close to each other that their ropes were criss-crossing. On the back was dug a ditch and filled with dried wood. As soon as the stampede began a fire was started in the ditch. Thus the camp was protected from three sides. In the front the soldiers sat down on their knees and held their lances pointing outwards.

As the enemy cavalry rushed nearer, their horses, which were trained army steeds, saw the sunlight flashing against the shining blades, and naturally held back. Some action did take place. In fact, it was intense hand-to-hand combat which lasted for one full hour. It is amazing how a small band of seventy-two kept a well-armed force of several thousand at bay, for such a long duration. The enemy had to retire for the time.

But the losses were now showing in Husayn's camp. Among the prominent companions of Husayn who were killed in this attack were Muslim Ibn Awsaja, Abdullah Ibn Umayr Kalbi and Janadah Ibn K'ab of the Khazraj. In fact, all horsemen among Husayn's companions
were killed in this action. This happened an hour before the time of Zuhr prayer.

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