8, Ibn Kathir says that his wife saw the light emanating...

8, Ibn Kathir says that his wife saw the light emanating from underneath the lid, and it was stretching to the heavens as white birds kept hovering around it. He adds saying that his other wife, Nuwar daughter of Malik, said to him, “Have you brought the head of the son of the Messenger of Allah, peace of Allah and His blessings upon him and his family, here?! I shall never share a bed with you henceforth.” She separated from him. [^5]: al-Balathiri, Ansab al-Ashraf, Vol. 5, p. 238.

[^6]: According to p. 133, Vol. 1, of al-Yafi’i's book Mir'at al-Jinan, Ibn Ziyad was very angry with him, so he killed him, but the author does not identify the name of the head bearer. On p. 213, Vol. 2, of Al-’Iqd al-Farid of Sayyid Muhammad Riďa al-Asterbadi al-Hilli, the head bearer is identified as “Khawli Ibn Yazid al-Asbahi who was killed by Ibn Ziyad.” Historians contend among themselves about who had brought the head and who had said the above verses.

According to Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, who indicates so on p. 261, Vol. 6, of his Tarikh, and Ibn al-Athir who states so on p. 33, Vol. 4, of his book Al-Kamil, the poet was Sinan Ibn Anas who recited them to ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d. On p. 144 of Tathkirat al-Khawass of Ibn al-Jawzi, the grandson, it is stated that ‘Umar said to him, “You are insane! Had Ibn Ziyad heard you, he would have killed you!” On p. 193, Vol. 1, of al-Sharishi's Maqamat, the author says that the poet recited them to Ibn Ziyad.

According to al-Irbili's Kashf al-Ghumma and al-Khawarizmi's p. 40, Vol. 2, of Maqtal al-Husayn, Bishr Ibn Malik recited them to Ibn Ziyad. On p. 76 of Ibn Talhah's Matalib al-Sa’ul, there is the addition of “... and whoever says his prayers in both Qiblas,” whereupon Ibn Ziyad became very angry with him and had him beheaded. On p. 437 of Riyad al-Masa'ib, it is stated that al-Shimr is the one who recited these verses.

Since you know that al-Shimr is al-Husayn's killer according to the text of the ziyarat of the sacred area and according to a host of historians, you likewise know that he must be the one who recited them. It is very unlikely that he kills him and lets someone else take the head and use it to seek favour with Ibn Ziyad. We have mentioned the story from Khawli only to follow in the footsteps of those who wrote about the Imam's martyrdom. Previous…