(Irshad) Ali Akbar (a.

(Irshad) Ali Akbar (a.s.), whose mother was Layla, the daughter of Abi Murrah bin Urwah bin Mas’ood Saqafi, stepped into the battlefield.

Regarding Urwah bin Mas’ood, the maternal (great) grandfather of Ali Akbar (a.s.) Urwah bin Mas’ood was one of the four noblemen of the Islamic world and one of the two chiefs who has been quoted by the Qur’an, among the infidels of Quraysh, as saying that, “Why was not this Qur’an sent down to a man in the two cities, (who is) great?” (Surah az-Zukhruf, 43:31.) He is the one who was sent by the Quraysh to enter into a peace treaty at Hudaybiyah between them and the Prophet (S), when until that time he was yet an infidel.

In the ninth year of Migration (Hijrah), when the Prophet returned from the battle of Taef, he accepted Islam and asked permission to return to his hometown to invite the people towards Islam. He returned back and invited them towards Islam, and when he was reciting the Azan for the Prayers, one of his tribesmen shot an arrow at him and he died.

When the Prophet of Allah (S) received the news of his martyrdom, he said, “The similitude of Urwah is that of the believer of Yasin, [^1] who invited his tribe towards worship of Allah and they killed him”. And it is quoted similarly in Sharhe Shamaele Muhammadiyah in interpretation of the saying of the Prophet that, “If one beholds Isa bin Maryam (a.s.), he will find him to resemble the most to Urwah bin Mas’ood”.

Jazari relates from Ibn Abbas in Asadul Ghabah, that (S) said, “There are four Chiefs in Islam, Bushr bin Bilal Abadi, Adi bin Hatim, Suraqah bin Malik Madalji, and Urwah bin Mas’ood Saqafi”. (Malhoof) Ali bin Husayn was the most handsome and elegant among all men. He then asked permission from his father for battle. Imam (a.s.) gave him permission and then looked at him with dejection, while tears flowed from his eyes and he wept.

(Tasliyatul Majalis) It is related that he lifted his beard towards the heavens and said, “O Allah! Be a witness upon these men, that the youth who resembles your Prophet the most in character and speech is proceeding towards them. Whenever we desired beholding the face of your Prophet, we would look at him. O Allah! Withhold away the bounties of the earth from them and cause dissention among them and scatter them.

Disparage their policy and do not make them earn the pleasure of their chiefs, for they invited us so as to assist us, then they leapt upon us and fought us”.