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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Portraits of Youths in Quran and the History of Islam Abul Fazl Al-abbas The Most Luminous Personality Of The Youths Of Bani Hashim Abul Fazl Abbas was the most prominent young man of the Bani Hashim. He was the standard bearer of the Imam’s force. He is the epitome of loyalty and his name would signify devotion for all the days to come. His mother was Fatima, Ummul Baneen who was from a tribe famed for its valor and bravery.

This noble lady had four sons of whom Abbas was the eldest. On the day of Ashura they laid down their lives in such an exemplary manner that even today their blood is gushing with fervor on the sands of Kerbala and their names are engraved in the history of Islam. Abbas in the Arabic language means an awful lion. That is a lion, which commands intense awe. Thus he was true to his name in awe-inspiring demeanor. He had a very elegant countenance and a tall physique.

When he mounted a horse his knees came very close to the ears of the animal. In addition to a well-built stature he possessed unsurpassed physical strength and great spirituality. He was considered second only to his brother Imam Husain (a.s) among the youths of Bani Hashim. Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s) says, “My uncle, Abbas was a man of enlightened conscience whose faith was very strong.

He performed Jihad in the way of Allah along with Abu Abdillah (Imam Husain) and passed the divine test with flying colors.” The fourth Imam has said, “May Allah have mercy on my uncle Abbas who sacrificed his life for the sake of his brother in such a manner that both his arms were severed. The Almighty Allah bestowed him with a pair of wings with the help of which he glides in Paradise with the angels in the same way as Allah bestowed Ja'far Ibn Abi Talib.

Abbas is a martyr at whom on the Day of Judgment the assembly of all the martyrs would vie that if only they all had been like him. Abbas had the honor of being trained under three Imams; that is his respected father, Amirul Momineen Ali (a.s) and his honorable brothers Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (a.s). His countenance shone like a full moon and he had unsurpassed elegance.

That is why, on the basis of his collective merits he was given the honorific of “Moon of the Hashimites” (Qamar-e-Bani Hashim). In Kerbala the age of Abbas was thirty-four years.