The accursed Yazid...
The accursed Yazid, who was looking for an opportunity that some one raised his voice to give a justification for his harassing the people with an iron fist. Abdullah bin Zubair gave him this opportunity by claiming control over the Hijaz. Yazid then sent Muslim bin Uqba and Haseen bin Namīr with a huge force towards Hijaz and asked them to go via Madina al-Munawwara and make a general massacre there to the maximum possible extent.
Imam Zayn Al-’Abidin and a Saintly Personality On one hand there was the scheming of Ibn Zubair and on the other Yazid’s hordes. It was only after a few days of the tragic events of Karbala that Sayyid as-Sajjad (a.s.) had returned home to Madina. He was very worried of the developments and expressed his fears to Abu Hamza on the matter in the following words: “I emerged out of my home and reclined on this wall (p erhaps, by wall he means the ramparts of the city of Madina ).
Suddenly I noticed a person clad in two pieces of white cloth that stood in front of me and said: “‘Ali bin al-Husayn! What is the reason that you look worried? Are you worried because of worldly difficulties? If such is the case, you should not worry because Allah is the sustainer and gives livelihood to all.” I replied, “I don’t have any care for the world!” The man asked, “Then, are you worried for the Hereafter? Then this matter too is not to worry about!
Allah’s promise is true and He will support you!” “I am not concerned about the Hereafter either!” I replied. “Then why do you look worried?” the man asked. I said, “I am worried about the intrigues of Ibn Zubair.” The Imam (a.s.) was worried because of the machinations of that sworn enemy of the (a.s.) and the attack of the hordes of Yazid. The third fear, which was not unfounded, was the attack by Hajjaj on the orders of Abdul Malik.
The person laughed and said, ‘Have you seen anyone who trusted Allah, and Allah has not helped him? Have you ever seen a person who has spread his hand to Allah for help and Allah has sent him disappointed?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “No!” And the person disappeared from the view!
About this event Allama Majlisi says, “It was either a saintly personality, an angel or Hadrat Khidr (a.s.)” Speaking for the Tranquility of the Heart Allama Majlisi says that such conversations are in no way a remark on the high status of the Imams (a.s.) but are manifestations of Tadhakkur and spiritual reminder of Allah (S.w.T.)’s Wish to put the Imam (a.s.)’s heart at ease.