Asma’ bint ‘Umays says...

Asma’ bint ‘Umays says, “I was Fatimah al-Zahra’s attendant after the birth of Imam al-Husayn (as). One day the Holy Prophet (S) came and said, ‘O Asma’! Bring my child to me.’ I wrapped a piece of cloth around al-Husayn (as) and took him to the Noble Prophet (S).

The Prophet put him on his lap and started reciting the call to prayer [ adhan ] in his right ear and the prelude to prayer [ iqamah ] in his left ear.” She adds, “Then, the Noble Prophet started crying and said, ‘Verily, soon it must be that a horrible event must come to pass for you. O Lord!

Curse his killer!’ Then, the Prophet turned to me and said, ‘Do not inform Fatimah about this’.” Asma’ recounts, “On the seventh day after the birth of Imam al-Husayn, the Holy Prophet (S) came and sacrificed a sheep for the blessed newborn. He performed all the Islamic ceremonial acts according to Allah’s laws such as naming the child and reciting supplications that are supposed to be recited for newborns on the seventh day.

Then the Noble Prophet (S) put the newborn on his lap and said, ‘O Aba ‘Abd Allah! It is very hard and unbearable for me.’ Then, he cried. I said, ‘My father and mother be your ransom! Why are you crying on this first important day of celebration after the birth of a child?’ He answered, ‘I am crying for this child of mine because a group of oppressors from the tribe of Bani Umayyah and other unbelievers [ kuffar ] will kill him.

Allah will not permit me to intercede for these people on the Day of Resurrection’.”[^2] Ibn ‘Abbas says, “One day, Imam al-Husayn (as) was on the Prophet’s lap. The Archangel Gabriel said, ‘Do you love him?’ The Noble Prophet (S) said, ‘How can I not love him when he is the fruit of my heart?’ Gabriel said, ‘Verily, your ummah (nation) will kill him.

Do you want me to show you the site of his martyrdom and grave?’ Then, Gabriel brought out a fist full of soil full of blood and showed it to the Holy Prophet.”[^3] It has been directly reported in various hadith s that Imam al-Husayn (as) knew about his martyrdom at Karbala. Although the chains of transmission for some of these hadith s have problems, some sections of these chains are authentic.

We will now refer to some of these hadith s: Imam al-Husayn (as) said, “There is no believer who sheds tears for my martyrdom unless it serves as a lesson.”[^4] One day, when Imam al-Husayn (as) was leaving the Ka‘bah, ‘Abd Allah ibn Zubayr came to escort Imam al-Husayn (as) and see him off.