On the day of Aashoora, when all the helpers and friends of Imam Husain (a.s.) had laid their lives, none remained except the Bani Hashim, their youngsters and children included. This article will mention some such martyrs of Bani Hashim who were still in their childhood. Though Jihad was not obligatory on them, they, like their elders, sacrificed their lives for the Imam of their time, participating in Jihad with equal intensity and fervor.
(1)Janabe Aun Ibne Abdullah Ibne Jafar-e-Tayyar
The elder son of Janabe Zainab (a.s.) and Janabe Abdullah Ibne Jafar-e-Tayyar. When Imam Husain (a.s.) left for Iraq from Mecca, Janabe Abdullah dispatched a letter to him from Medina dissuading him from traveling to Iraq because the people of Kufa had always proved unfaithful. It was Aun and Mohammed who carried the letter to Imam Husain (a.s.). Janabe Abdullah had obtained a written amnesty from the ruler of Medina but Imam Husain (a.s.) declined to return.
Since Abdullah was ailing at the time, he sent both his sons with Imam (a.s.) and instructed them to sacrifice their lives for Imam (a.s.). The sons followed their father’s instruction and achieved martyrdom in Karbala . When Aun came in the battlefield, he recited a eulogy saying ‘I am the grandson of Jafar-e-Tayyar who was granted special wings by Allah to fly in heaven.’ Then he attacked the army of Yazid. Despite his young age and unbearable thirst, he killed thirty horsemen and eighteen soldiers. Abdullah Ibne Taie killed him.
(Abu Mikhnaf)
When Abdullah Ibne Jafar heard of his martyrdom, he thanked Allah and remarked that my sacrifice has been accepted by God.
(2) Janabe Muhammad Ibne Abdullah Ibne Jafar
The younger brother of Aun. He was the son of Abdullah and Khus’sa bint Hafsa bin Saqif. His mother belonged to the tribe of Bani Bakr bin Wael. On the day of Aashoora, he came in the battlefield after Abdur Rehman bin Aqeel or according to another version, after his brother Aun. Though, he was very young and thirst-struck, he displayed exemplary courage and eliminated more than ten adversaries. Finally, he was surrounded by the enemies and was martyred at the hands of Aamir Ibne Nahsal Tamimi.
(3) Janabe Qasim Ibne Hasan
Qasim was the son of Imam Hasan (a.s.) and the nephew of Imam Husain (a.s.). His mother’s name was Ramla. Qasim was so handsome and good looking that when he reached the battlefield, the enemies were left gaping at his looks. When the companions and relatives of Imam Husain (a.s.) were falling one after the other, even Qasim sought permission to go to the battlefield. When he saw his uncle’s reluctance, he placed his face on the hands of Imam Husain (a.s.) and wept. Nevertheless, Imam (a.s.) was unwilling to accede to his request. When Qasim came in the battlefield, he neither had armor on his body nor sandals in his feet. He fought gallantly and shattered the morale of the rank and file of the enemy. With only a sword in the hand, but full of inspiration, he emerged victorious in every combat even with known warriors. A fighter like Arzaqe Shami was killed by him so dexterously that the amazement of the onlookers knew no bounds. He was martyred by Umar Ibne Saad Nafil Azdi, although others discouraged him to do so. When Qasim was surrounded from all the sides, Umar struck a sword on his head. Qasim lost his balance and fell on his face. The moment he reached the ground, he called his uncle. Imam Husain (a.s.) immediately rushed to the battlefield. Imam Husain’s (a.s.) arrival with such alacrity sent waves of panic in the hordes of the enemy and in the resultant rush and stampede, the body of Qasim was badly mutilated while he was still alive.
According to another version, when Imam Husain (a.s.) reached near Qasim, Umar was present there. Imam (a.s.) chopped his hand from the elbow. The Syrian contingent rushed to his rescue but in the melee that ensued he was crushed under the hooves of the horses and got killed instead. In the meanwhile, when Imam Husain (a.s.) reached the mutilated corpse of Qasim, he said: “It is
very painful for your uncle that you called him and he could not come to your rescue; and when he reached, he could not help you.”
After this Imam (a.s.) started making efforts to carry the corpse of Qasim to his camp. It is mentioned in a tradition that Imam Husain (a.s.) lifted Qasim in such a m anner that Qasim’s chest was clasped to Imam Husain’s (a.s.) chest and his legs dragged on earth with the movements of Imam (a.s.).
(4) Janabe Abdullah Ibne Hasan
Abdullah was the younger son of Imam Hasan (a.s.) and Majeda bin Sulail bin Abdullah Bajli. At the time of his martyrdom, he was hardly nine years old. According to historians, when he arrived in the battlefield, he fought a pitched battle and killed fourteen of his adversaries. He was killed by Hani bin Sheeth (may Allah curse him).
According to another version, the incident of his martyrdom is different. When he saw that Imam Husain (a.s.) was surrounded from all sides and the enemies were
closing in, he decided to help his uncle. He uprooted a rod from a tent and ran towards the battlefield. When he reached there, he saw that an accursed person was about to hit Imam (a.s.) with his sword. In a bid to thwart the assault on Imam Husain (a.s.) the child stretched both his hands and tried to stop the moving sword. But the accursed man chopped off both the hands of Abdullah and killed him. According to a tradition the accursed man was Ibn Ka’ab.
(5) Janabe Muhammad Ibne Abi Saeed Ibne Aqeel
He was the grandson of Aqeel Ibne Abi Talib. After the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali Akbar (a.s.), when he saw the loneliness of Imam Husain (a.s.), he moved towards the battlefield. He had an uprooted peg in his hand for a weapon. Historians have written that he was desperately running towards Imam Husain (a.s.) and his earrings were shaking. Before he could reach Imam Husain (a.s.), Laqeet bin Yaseer smote a sword on his head. The child could not bear the assault and he slumped to the ground and breathed his last.According to another narrative, an arrow pierced his forehead and he was artyred.
(6) Janabe Ali bin Husain (a.s) (famous as Ali Asghar)
He was the youngest of the children of Imam Husain (a.s.). He was born on the first day of Rajab, 60 A.H. in Medina . His mother’s name was Rabab bint Amr
Al Qais. After the martyrdom of his companions and even of his kith and kin, Imam (a.s.) raised a call for help. The enemies thought that he is finished with all the sacrifices. Little did they know that Imam Husain (a.s.) still has one such soldier whose entry in the battlefield will force the heartless creatures to weep.
When Ali Asghar heard the distress call of Imam Husain (a.s.), he fell off from the cradle. This response of Ali Asghar stirred the emotions of the womenfolk who
all started weeping and wailing at the top of their voices. At this Imam Husain (a.s.) was perturbed and inquired from Zainab (s.a.) about the cause of the commotion. When Zainab (s.a.) informed him about the incident Husain (a.s.) took the infant in his arms and brought him in the open.
Then Imam (a.s.) turned towards the army of Umar Ibne Sa’ad and raised the infant in his hands. When the army looked at the parched lips and thirst-stricken infant, they were moved at the sight. Umar Ibne Sa’ad was shaken, he immediately summoned Hurmula Ibne Kahil Asadi and ordered him to put the child to death.
Hurmula targeted the delicate and tiny neck of Ali Asghar and shot an arrow at him. The moment the arrow pierced his neck the child overturned in the hands of his father and was martyred. Whoever hears of the martyrdom of this innocent child, will undoubtedly agree that the army of Yazid was not of humans.
The oppression on Ali Asghar did not end with this. According to a tradition when Umar Ibne Sa’ad observed that the heads of the slain followers of Imam Husain (a.s.) should be raised on spearheads somebody started searching for the grave of Ali Asghar. When the grave was found, the infant’s body was exhumed, his tiny head separated and finally raised on a spear.
