THE STORY OF KARBALA - PART 8/02

THE MARTYRDOM OF AWN AND MUHAMMAD (ZAYNAB.s TWO SONS) AND OF QASIM IBN HASAN

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Qasim was overjoyed. He had been granted the wish of his heart. He ran to his uncle with the writing. Husayn read it. He had seen his brother's hand-writing after ten years. Husayn remembered his brother and wept. Now he had to let Qasim go. He took Qasim to his own tent. Put on his brother's cloak over him. Armed him and prepared Qasim for the battlefield with his own hands. Qasim's widowed mother watched this quietly. Husayn helped Qasim mount the horse and came halfway to the battlefield to see him off to fight.

Humayd Ibn Muslim, the official battlefield report has recorded as follows:

'I saw a youth coming to the battlefield. His face was glowing like a full moon. I can never forget that he was not wearing armour and that the lace of his left shoe was untied. He came with his sword in hand and called out for a dual. Several soldiers came to fight and were killed one after the other. Amr Ibn Sceed Azdi was standing next to me, he said "I am going to kill this lad." I said: "He is only a kid, why do you want to kill him." Amr said:" O! yes, I will definitely kill him." When the troops surrounded the lad from all directions, Amr came and hit him over the head with his sword. The boy fell from his horse and called for his uncle. I saw that Husayn rushed to his side like an eagle dives on to its prey, and struck Amr with his sword.

Amr tried to ward off the blow with his arm, his arm was cut from the elbow. He screamed with pain and called for help. But Husayn killed him while the Umayyad soldiers tried to save him. There was a lot of confusion. When the dust settled I saw Husayn standing by the side of the dying youth. Husayn then picked him up in his arms. He walked towards his camp holding the youth close to him. His chest was against Husayn's chest and his legs were brushing the ground as Husayn carried him and laid him next to his son Ali Akbar. I was told that this youth was Qasim Ibn Hasan.'

Soon afterwards, one by one, all Husayn's relatives were killed in action.

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