[3] News of Ahle Bayt’s Return to Medina Arrives The news of...

[3] News of Ahle Bayt’s Return to Medina Arrives The news of the great tragedy reached Medina before the arrival of the hostages. This information was conveyed to Medina by Abdul Malik bin Harith Salmi under the orders of Ibn Ziyad. He hastened on his journey till he reached Medina exhausted and tired. He went to Ashdaq, the governor of Medina.

A man saw him and was afraid of his worrisome condition, so he asked, “What is the news?” [1] Abdullah, Maqtal al-Husain Awalim 17/444-445 [2] Ibne Athir, Tarikh 4/87 [3] Jauharatul Kalaam Fi Madhis Saadaatil A’laam, Pg. 128 “The news is with the governor.” That person realized the seriousness of the matter and remarked, “We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return! By Allah, Husain has been killed.

Umme Salma was right when she informed about it!” [1] Ibn Ziyad’s messenger conveyed the news of the killing of His Eminence, Husain (‘a) to the governor who was absolutely delighted by it and he exclaimed, “A calamity in reprisal of the tragedy of Uthman!” [2] Ashdaq ordered that the news be publicized. People were shocked and they began to weep and rushed to the Prophet’s mosque to learn the details of this terrible report.

Ashdaq’s Speech The oppressor, Amr bin Saeed Ashdaq mounted the pulpit pleased at the killing of Imam (‘a) and rocking his legs in joy. Then he expressed his hatred and malice, saying: “O people! This is an encounter in response to a strike, how numerous are the sermons in front of one discourse: “Consummate wisdom – but warnings do not avail.” [3] He spoke ill of us and we praised him. He distanced from us and we reached him. Just like our habit and his habit.

But what we could have done for the one who pulled out his sword against us and wanted to kill us except that we drive him away from us!” Abdullah bin Saeb interrupted his talk in which he was expressing his ridicule at the killing of the blessed grandson of the Messenger of Allah (s), and he said: “If Her Eminence, Fatima were alive and had seen the decapitated head of His Eminence, Husain (‘a) she would wept for him.” The objection was the beginning of a condemnation that the governor of Medina faced when he was delivering his speech.

This matter distressed him greatly, so he shouted back at him: “We are more deserving than you to Fatima. Her father was our uncle, her husband was our brother and her mother was our daughter.