[^6] Khalid ibn Ma‘dan...

[^6] Khalid ibn Ma‘dan, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amru, Abu’r-Ramih al-Khaza‘i, Sulayman ibn Quttah al-‘Adawi, ‘Awf ibn ‘Abd Allah Ahmar al-Azdi, and ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Hurr were among the elegists of the first century AH who have recited poetry about the tribulation of Imam al-Husayn ( ‘a ).

It has been narrated that when Khalid ibn Ma‘dan saw in Sham the Imam’s head on top of the spear, he recited this poem: جاؤا برأسك يا ابن بنت محمد مترملاً بدمائه ترميلا و كانّما بك يا ابن بنت محمد قتلوا جهاراً عامدين رسولاً قتلوك عطشاناً و لم يترقبوا في قتلك التنـزيل و التأويلا و يكبرون بان قتلت و أنّما قتلوا بك التكبير و التهليلا O son of the daughter of Muhammad! They have made your head weltering in blood. O son of the daughter of Muhammad!

By overtly killing you, as if they wanted to take revenge from the Prophet! They have killed you while thirsty and they have not observed the interpretation and injunction of the Qur’an about killing. And that they have killed you, they are uttering “Allahu akbar” {Allah is the greatest} while uttering “Allahu akbar,” they have also killed your companions!

[^7] Among the first poets to have recited poetry in lamentation for Imam al-Husayn ( ‘a ) is ‘Ubayd Allah in Hurr whose ode starts with the following couplet: يقول امر غادر اى غادر ألاكنت قاتلت الشهيد بن فاطمه The treacherous chief, son of a traitor asks {me}: “Did you not fight against the martyr, the son of Fatimah?” When Ibn Ziyad heard this poem, he chased ‘Ubayd Allah who immediately rode on a horse and escaped, thus saving his life.[^8] Sulayman ibn Quttah al-‘Adawi has been one of the most prominent elegists for the tribulation of Imam al-Husayn ( ‘a ).

The following poem is attributed to him: مررتُ على أبيات آل محمّد فلم أرها كعهدها يوم حُلَّتِ و كانوا رجاءً ثم صاروا رزيَّةً و قد عظمت تلك الرزايا و جَلَّت ألم تر أن الشمس اضحت مريضة لفقد حسين و البلاد اقشعرت و قد اعولت تبكي السماء لفقدة و انجمها ناحت عليه و صلَّت I roamed around the house of Muhammad’s progeny and I saw them not fully occupied as before. They were the House of hope and later became the House of tribulation—grave and serious tribulations.

Can you not see that due to the loss of Husayn the sun turned lackluster and the cities melancholic?! Can you not see that owing to the loss of Husayn the sky has wept and wailed and its stars lamented and invoked salutations?