When we reached al-Husayn (as)...

When we reached al-Husayn (as), a man from the [army of Ibn Sa‘d] called Ibn Hawzah came forward and said: “Is al-Husayn amidst you?” Al-Husayn (as) kept silent. He said that for a second time, but al-Husayn did not reply. When he said it the third time, al-Husayn (as) said: “Tell him: yes, al-Husayn is here. What do you want?” The man said: “O Husayn! Know that you are going to enter the hell [fire]!” [Al-Husayn (as)] retorted: “You are lying.

I am advancing to a forgiving Lord and an intercessor who is listened to. Who are you?” He replied: “Ibn Hawzah.” Al-Husayn (as) then raised both his hands -such that we could see the whiteness of his armpits through his clothes- and prayed: “O Allah, take him away from us and throw him into the hell fire.” Ibn Hawzah became angry and wanted to attack [al-Husayn (as)] with his horse. A brook ran between them. [As he was mounting his horse] his leg got stuck in the stirrups.

The horse started moving and he [was upset by that] and fell to the ground. His foot, calf and thigh were severed and were left hanging on the stirrups. ‘Abd al-Jabbar bin Wa’il al-Hadhrami narrates: “Masruq left the cavalry behind him and came back. So I asked him what had happened and he said: ‘Indeed, I have seen from the people of this House [i.e.

of the Prophet (S)] something that I will never fight them!’[^6] The Malediction of Burair and His Martyrdom Yazid bin Ma’qil came forward from the army of ‘Umar bin Sa‘d and said: “Burair bin Hudhair! Do you not see what Allah has done to you?!” He replied: “By Allah, He has done good to me and evil to you!” [Ibn Ma’qil] said: “You are lying. You were not a liar before this!

Do you remember –[one day] as I was walking with you in the area of Banu Laudhan– you were saying: ‘‘Uthman bin ‘Affan was indeed extravagant, and that Mu’awiyah bin Abi Sufyan was a person who went astray ( dhall ) and misled others ( mudhill ), and that the leader of the truth and guidance was ‘Ali bin Abi Talib?!” Burair said to him: “I testify that this is my opinion and my statement!” Yazid bin Ma’qil said: “I bear witness that you are among those who have gone astray.” So Burair bin Hudhair said to him: “Are you ready for invoking a curse [upon the the one who is on the wrong among us]?

Let us pray to Allah to curse the liar and that the one [who is] on the falsehood should be killed.