The Imam (a.

The Imam (a.s.) asked him to come the next day. Huthaifa, who was illiterate, took with him his nephew who could read and write. The Imam (a.s.) took out a register. On perusing, the nephew found his name in the register and shouted joyfully that his name was there along with that of Huthaifa. This young man was later martyred in Karbala along with Imam Husayn (a.s.).[^5] Apart from this, those who escaped alive were nonetheless Shia of Imam Husayn (a.s.) though of a lower caliber.

They provided a vital link in the narration of events, though at times the trauma and the stress they suffered on seeing their beloved Imam (a.s.) and his companions being killed and their bodies trampled clouded their perception. As a result, some of their narrations are not in conformity with the narrations of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Ja’far and Muhammad bin al-Hanfiyya consoled themselves by saying that though they did not participate in the battle their representatives’ names were in the List of Martyrs.[^6] At-Tabari and Ibnul Athir relate that al-Muraqqa’ bin Thumamah had spread the quiver of arrows on the ground and kneeling down, he fought the enemy. Suddenly, a group of people appeared, took him under their protection, and took him away from the battlefield.

Umar bin Sa’d took him to Ubeidullah ibn Ziyad and related the incident. Ibn Ziyad banished bin Thumamah to az-Zarah.[^7] At-Tabari and ibnul Athir relate that Ad-Dhahhaak bin Abdullah al-Mashriqi and Malik bin an-Nadhr al-Arhabi met Imam Husayn (a.s.) before the…