ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books A Probe into the History of Ashura' Chapter 38: Martyrs of Ale Abi Talib in Karbala In the year 61 A.H. Imam Husayn went from Madina to Makkah and from there he reached near Kufa. At all these places he invited the people to assist him and to defend truth and reality, and delivered various speeches. This campaign lasted for more than six months but as it is well-known he did not find more than seventy two sincere supporters.

Out of them seventeen belonged to his own family. Two of them were his own sons namely Ali Akbar and Ali Asghar -the suckling child of the Imam. There were the sons of his brother Imam Hasan viz. Qasim, Abdullah and Abu Bakr. There were also five brothers of the Imam namely Abbas, Abdullah, Ja'far and Uthman, sons of Ummul Baneen, and Muhammad bin Ali. There were also two sons of Abdullah bin Ja'far named Awn and Muhammad. Besides them there were five descendants of Aqil viz.

Ja'far bin Aqil, Abdur Rahman bin Aqil, Abdullah and Muhammad sons of Muslim bin Aqil and Muhammad bin Abi Sa'id bin Aqil. The names of these seventeen persons have been mentioned in Ziyarat-i Nahiya . As regards others not more than fifty five accompanied the Imam. Even if some more persons have accompanied him in the beginning they deserted him when they became aware of the political conditions in Kufa and Iraq.

However, if the supporters of the Imam in these days are counted they will be found to be innumerable. The question, therefore, arises: Were the people in those days very bad and do those belonging to the present age excel them in the matter of recognition of the Imam and self-sacrifice? No. That is not so. During those days also until the people were put to test and Muslim and Hani were hanged, there were innumerable devotees of Imam Husayn and he was greeted vociferously from all sides.

In fact it may be said that it was a very good time because by means of his eloquence, personality and the antecedents peculiar to him, Imam Husayn was able to find, during the period of his six month's journey from Madina to Makkah and then to Iraq, seventy two enlightened and sincere supporters and he did not really need any more. He had not gone with the object of conquest so that he might have needed a larger army.

For the purpose of achievement of the object which the Imam had in view these seventy two great and honorable men and children were sufficient.