The Thirst Factor in Karbala

The sounds of Al-Atash! Al-Atash! from young children in the camp of Imam Husain AS are narrated in the annals of Karbala. The enemy had blocked access to the River Euphrates since the 7^th Muharram and Al-Abbas AS, the Saqqaa, pushed back the occupying forces to reach the River and show the enemies that the Imam AS’ camp could take water to the tents at will, but submitted to the Test that Allah SWT had intended for them (2: 156). He threw the water away he had scooped and his loyal horse also refused to drink. No one can tell when the thirst of the survivors in the camp of the Imam AS ever ended after Ashuraa. Narrations tell of the cruel Shimr throwing away excess water at one of the stops en route to Kufa, refusing to give Sakina AS any. During the journey to Kufa and Damascus, the Yezidi soldiers cooled their horses’ hooves with water, but did not deem it fit to give to The Prophet SAWW’s family! The enemy used water politics, as it were, to fight against the Imam AS, besides, of course, warfare with arms.

Water, says The Qur’an, is the origin of life. In Suratul Anbiyaa, verse 30, Allah SWT says: (‘waja’lna minal maai kulla shayin hay; afalaa yuminun’) “And We have made of water every living thing; will they then not believe?”

This verse seems to tell the Yazidites that they are unbelievers for they were in Karbala as anti-life forces, just as their forebears under Mu’awiyah were at Siffin. By denying water to any living being, one takes away 90% of that being’s life as life comprises 90% water and 10% solids. So, by causing thirst in the intense heat of the desert plains of Karbala, Yazidites killed not only those whom they slew, but also those whom they denied water. At Kauthar on the Day of Judgment, they too will be denied water and then they will realize the full extent of their crimes (26:227) (‘wa say’alamu lladhina dhalamu ayya munqalabin yanqalibun’: “ And the wrongdoers will soon know where they will end up at.”)

Water, besides giving and sustaining life, is the be all and end all of all things in the world. Once the Roman Emperor sent to Mua’wiyah-who had declared himself Caliph and ensconced himself in Shaam, an empty vial and asked him to fill it with everything in the world. Mu’awiyah was puzzled and did not know how to respond, nor could his henchmen, courtiers and hangers-on help. All of a sudden, Mua’wiyah had a flash of inspiration, and he sent the question to the disciple of Imam Ali ibni Abi Talib AS, Abdullah ibni Abbas. The disciple remembered the teachings of his master Imam Ali AS and sent back Mu'awiyah’s emissary with the solution: to fill the vial with water. When Imam Ja’far Al-Sadiq AS was asked about the taste of water, he replied: “Water has the taste of life”.

It was the wont of Bani Umayyah to deny their opponents water to squeeze life out of them. At Siffin, when momentary victory came to Mu’awiyah’s army, he ordered the River to be blocked and access refused to Imam Ali AS’ army. A while later, when Imam Ali’s brave men captured the River, they wanted to block access to water and Imam Ali AS rejected the plan. Imam AS allowed free access to the River to Mu’awiyah’s men, saying “Water is Allah SWT’s gift and no one should be barred from drinking it, be it a friend or foe.” This was the confrontation between the “Shajaratin Ttayyibbatin”(14:24) to which Banu Hashim, i.e. The Prophet SAWW and his kinsmen belonged and “Shajaratin Khabithatin or Shajaratin Mal’unatin (14:26)to which Abu Sufyan and his lineage belonged. In the confrontation between fathers, the magnanimous Banu Hashim, represented by Imam Ali AS upheld human and Islamic values, whereas the representative of the wicked Banu Umayyah, Mua’wiyah did the opposite.

Twenty five years later. Imam Husain AS showed the nobility of Banu Hashim when he could have taken advantage of the enemies’ weakness and triumphed in battle over Yazidites. At one of the stopping places, Sorat, along his route that ended at Karbala, the Imam AS instructed his men to fill as much water as they could for the rest of the journey. As the Imam AS’ caravan was proceeding towards Iraq, a contingent of 1000 men of Yazid’s army led by Hurr surrounded the Imam AS at Dhu Hasm. This was a barren place and Hurr had instructions from Ibn Ziyad to surround Imam Husain AS at a place where there was neither greenery nor water. Hurr’s army had exhausted all its water supply and was weary and thirsty from the journey, in no condition to fight. The Imam AS’ men were refreshed and able to defend themselves and defeat the enemy there. So, some of them suggested to Imam Husain AS to take advantage of Hurr’s army and finish them off. The son of The Prophet SAWW refused to fight and ordered his men to give water to Hurr and his men and their horses. The Imam AS himself participated in satiating the thirst of Hurr’s men and horses. A new lease of life was given to Hurr’s army by the Imam AS, a favor they did not reciprocate at Karbala for they were the followers of Banu Umayyah whose wile, guile and cruelty (tughyan) were well-known. The Imam AS led Dhuhr prayers and told Hurr of the many letters he had received from Kufans to come to their rescue. Hurr serving under Ibn Ziyad’sorders barred the Imam AS’ way to Kufa and led him to Karbala.

At Karbala, on fourth of Muharram 61 AH, the Yazidites removed Imam Husain AS’ camps from the banks of the River Euphrateswhere the Imam AS had arrived earlier on second of Muharram. The Imam AS complied. On the seventh the Yazidites blockaded access to The River, cutting off the supply to Imam AS’ camp. What was the purpose of denying water to the Imam AS?

First, Ibn Ziyad’s instructions to Umar Al-Sa’d was to cut off water supply to Imam Husain AS, but allow everyone else access. Second, lack of water would intensify the thirst of the men, women and children of Imam Husain AS’ camp. Besides, the men of Imam Husain’s army were toiling under the sun being wounded and bleeding. Thus, their thirst increased by the minute. Imam AS had to go the battlefield at each companion, and kinsmen’s side and that exertion, anxiety and sorrow must have made his thirst unbearable. That was the plan, to weaken the resolve of the Imam AS and his men by denying them water. Perhaps, they thought that the children’s anguished cries of Al-Atash would weaken the Imam AS’ resolve and that he would submit to the tyrannical Yazid’s demand. Yazidites had not reckoned that Imam Husain AS was the grandson of The Prophet SAWW who had refused to give up his mission despite all the threats, harassments and boycotts he faced from The Qureish. Third, the enemy feared that Imam Husain AS would use the waterways to seek reinforcement from Kufa. They did not want anyone to go or come over the River Euphrates to help Imam Husain AS. Fourth, the enemy thought that thirst would weaken the Imam AS’ brave men so much that they would not be able to put up a fight and hence very few men of Yazid would be lost and the battle won easily. Here again, they did not reckon that they were fighting the son of “Asadullahil Ghalib, Ali ibni Abi Talib AS”. Each of the brave men who went into the battlefield fought valiantly and sent the Yazidites helter skelter. The enemy had to regroup and surround that individual brave warrior to kill him. The young, the adults, the elderly and the old did not give up their lives easily.Awn and Muhammad, the son’s of ZaynabAS, Qassim, the son of Imam Hassan AS, Ali Al-Akbar AS, Al-Abbas AS and the Imam AS himself, besides Hurr, Habib and Johncharged into the enemies and sent them crashing against the walls of Kufa, despite their intense thirst. Fifth, Ibn Sa’d thought that by blockading the water supply, there would be no battle and the Imam AS would surrender without fighting. Imam AS was not from the cowards who had run away from Uhud and Hunayn. He was the son of Ali AS who had stood by the Prophet SAWW in the thick of the battle. Sixth, Ibn Sa’d hoped that the children’s thirst would drive the Imam AS towards surrender. But, despite Al-Atash coming from the mouths of the young children, none of them went to the Imam AS to even suggest that the Imam AS give up and submit to the Yazidites. These were the sons and daughters from the household of The Prophet SAWW, nurtured on hardships that were imposed at the beginning of Al-Islam when the Qureish boycotted Banu Hashim and forced them to live on leaves and grass for three years in Shi’bi Abu Talib, outside Makkah. The hardship took its toll and Khadija AS and Abu Talib AS died soon after. Yet, the rest of Banu Hashim stayed with The Prophet SAWW to propagate his mission. Seventh, such was the enmity of Ibn Sa’d against The Prophet SAWW and loyalty towards the profligate Yazid and the lure of governorship of Ray, that he imposed the blockade and shot the first arrow at Imam AS’ camp on the morning of Ashuraa. Eighth, Ibn Sa’d and Yazidites wanted to extract the revenge of the thirst of Uthman bin Affan who was killed by his own incompetence and corruption at the instigation of Mua’wiyah and Ayesha. So, they blockaded the River and killed the thirsty Imam AS, his kinsmen and companions on the lapping shores of the Euphrates.

Imam Zainul Abideen AS remembered the thirst of Karbala for forty years and wept each time water was brought in front of him. Sometimes he would be overcome with grief so much at the sight of water that he would decline to drink it or at times water had to be taken away because it would be mixed with the profuse tears that would drop from his eyes. Sakina took the jar of water to the battlefield on the night after Ashuraa to give to her six-month old brother who was slain by Harmala’s arrow as he moved his tiny parched tongue against his chapped lips to tell the cruel Yazidites how thirsty he was. Yet, as he gasped for life in his father’s hands, he smiled the smile of victory. Ali Asgher must have seen his grandfather Imam Ali AS welcoming him with a cold pitcher of water from Kauthar. Imam Husain’s thirst was indeed so great that Ali Akbar AS pulled his tongue out from Imam AS’ mouth saying “O father, you are thirstier than I am”.

The veracity of an event is proven by the reaction that follows it. For example, The Prophet SAWW said in Hadith Thaqalayn that he was leaving two weighty things behind him: The Book of Allah and his Itrah, The Ahlul Bayt and whosoever adhered to them both would never go astray. When at his death-bed he asked for pen and paper to write something that would ensure none would ever go astray, he was denied these instruments by Umar Al-Khattab. No one can oppose any writing unless he knows in advance what was to be written. The Prophet SAWW said he would write down something that would ensure none would ever go astray. These are the words that he used when he pronounced the Hadith Thaqalayn. So, Umar Al-Khattab knew that The Prophet SAWW was going to write something about adhering to his Itrah. That is why Umar interjected with “The Qur’an is sufficient for us” to forestall mention of Itrah in writing. Saying that The Qur’an is sufficient is indicative of Umar’s intention to forestall the Itrah. An amendment can come only after the proposal is stated. Here, Umar must have known the proposal to suggest an amendment. So, the event of Qirtas is the reaction to Hadith Thaqalayn.

Similarly, had thirst not been a factor in Karbala, reaction that followed the event of Karbala would have been different. The speed with which this reaction occurred proves that thirst was a major factor in Karbala. The news of thirst spread first and later did the captives of Karbala appear in people’s view. The captives of Karbala were taken to Damascus through various settlements. One such was a fortress town of Kafr. The people of the twon closed the gates of the fortress and denied entry to Yazidite army. Khuli, the leader of the caravan of captives sought water from the fortress where they were denied entry and the people of the fortress denied them water too sayin that they had killed Imam Husain AS and his people thirsty in karbala. Therefore, they did not deserve to be given water either. (Quoted by Nasikhu Ttawarikh, vol.6, p. 245, Maqtal Ibn Mikhnaf,page 112, Shahide A’dham, vol.2, p.242. A companion of The Prophet SAWW, Sahl Shahruzi recited the following poem when he saw the captives in the bazaar of Kufa:

“Husain was killed thirsty and was not given even a drop of water by Yazidi army. Instead, his body was quenched by the repeated stabs of spears.” Thus, the news of the thirst spread faster and wider and aroused anger and sympathy.

In Kufa, there was a famous Shi’a of Amirul Mumineen As by the name of Umair bin Amir Hamadani who used to teach Qur’an to the children. One of his pupils was the son of Sinan ibni Namir, one of the killer of Imam Husain As in Karbala.One day Umair quenched the thirst of a person in his school. That person cursed those who had denied Imam Husain AS water in Karbala. Sinan was the slave of Yazid and the hangman. Sinan’s son asked Umair if he knew who he was. Umair sked him to state his purpose and the child asked if Umair agreed with the curse pronounced by the man. Umair said he agreed. So, this vicious son of a wretched father, tore off his clothes, inflicted wounds o his face and came running to his father accusing Umair of beating him up when he objected to the cursing. Umair was imprisoned on the orders of Ibn Ziyad with Mukhtar. Umair was instrumental in securing Mukhtar’s freedom from prison after he was freed himself after Yazid had gone to Hell. This means that Umair was released two years after Karbala and this goes to show that the thirst factor of Karbala had become the major talking point and that devotees of the Imam AS would drink water and send curses upon his murderers and those that denied him water. There can be no more veritable proof of the thirst factor in Karbala.

Our Aimmah AS have instructed us to send salawaat to Imam Husain AS and curse his enemies after drinking water. Imam Al- Asr AS (AFS), in Ziyarah of Nahiyah Muqaddasah remembers, among other calamities inflicted upon Imam Husain AS, the thirst of Karbala and weeps tears of blood day and night. The Imam AS laments:

“Fala andubanna alayka sabahan wa masaan Wala abkiyanna alayka badala ddumu’i daman”

(I lament over you morn and eve and weep over you with tears of blood)