He took the head in his hands and said...

He took the head in his hands and said, “What delight has manifested in between my hands, with the red cheeks turned into purple color”. Then he hurled the head towards the grave of the Prophet (S) and said, “O Muhammad (S)! This day is in lieu of the day of Badr”. These words should have been taken from the couplet exemplified by Yazid bin Mu’awiyah the day the head of Imam Husayn (a.s.) reached him, while this couplet was compiled by Ibn Zab’aree.

Our master, Shaikh Abu Ja’far (Al-Tusi), relates as above (which is an error), while the correct is that during that period, Marwan was not the governor of Madinah, while it was ‘Amr bin Sa’eed. And the head of Imam Husayn (a.s.) was not taken to Madinah, but Ubaydullah dispatched a letter to Madinah and informed him of the death of Imam Husayn (a.s.).

‘Amr read his letter upon the pulpit and recited the above-mentioned couplets, and then he pointed with his hands towards the blessed grave (of the Prophet) and said, “This day is in lieu of the day of Badr”. A group of Ansar despised his words, while this issue has been dealt with by Abu Ubaidah in his book named Masalib. Here ends that which is quoted by Ibn Abil Hadeed.

Tabari relates from Abi Makhnaf, who relates from Sulayman bin Abi Rashid, that Abdul Rahman bin Ubayd Abil Kanood says that when news reached Abdullah bin Ja’far that his two sons were martyred along with Imam Husayn (a.s.), people came to him to offer their condolences. One of his retainers, and I presume it was Abul Lislas, came to him and said, “This affliction is what we got from Husayn”. Abdullah was enraged and hurled a sandal at him saying, “O son of an adulteress woman!

How dare you say something like that about Husayn (a.s.)? By Allah! Had I been with him, I would not have liked to part with him except being killed defending him. In my heart I had granted both of them (my sons) to Imam Husayn (a.s.), while their separation consoles me, for both of them were martyred in his defense, together with my brother as well as my cousin”. Then he turned towards those in his presence and said, “Praise to Allah!

But what consoles me upon the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (a.s.) is that although I could not defend him with my life, both my sons have done so”.