Lady Fatimah’s (PBUH) instruction to a Sunni Hanafi scholar
In different sources of Sunni sect, mourning and reading dirge for Imam Hussein (PBUH) is something that has been emphasized by scholars of this sect. Meanwhile, some of these hadiths and narrations or revelations that are attributed to Lady Fatimah (PBUH) are of particular importance because of her significant position for Muslims. In this article, we will mention two narrations quoted from Sunni brothers’ books of revelations wherein Lady Fatimah (PBUH) recommends mourning for her martyred son.
In a part of the book, Nashwar al-Muhazereh and Akhbar al-Muzakereh, is written:
… My father narrated to me that one day Abu al-Hassan (Karakhi), the writer, came to me and asked: “Do you know a man whose name is Ibn Asdagh in Baghdad?” No one knew him except me in that meeting, I said: “I know him, why are you looking for him?” Abu al-Hassan asked: “What does Ibn Asdagh do for living?” I said: “He recites dirge for Imam Hussain (PBUH).” At the moment Abu al-Hassan Karakhi wept and said: “An old woman lives with me who has raised me since I was a kid, she is from Karakh Jadan and she’s not able to speak Arabic. And she can’t speak a single word in Arabic, let alone writing a poem…
She woke up in the middle of the night, her bedchamber is close to mine. She yelled: “O Abu al-Hassan! Come to me.” I said: “What happened?” I came to her and found her trembling. I asked: “What happened to you?” She said: “I saw in a dream as I was standing at a gate of Karakh, a clean room with white-reddish walls, the door was opened and women were standing by the door. I asked them: “Who has passed away? What’s going on?” They pointed to the inside of the room, I entered and saw a glamorous room and a young lady, who I haven’t seen prettier and nicer than her, was sitting in the middle of it. She was wearing a long beautiful white dress and an extremely white robe over that dress. A severed bleeding head was over her lap.”
I said: “Who are you?” She said: “I don’t have anything to do with you, I’m Fatimah, daughter of the messenger of Allah, and this is my son’s head, Hussain (PBUH); tell Ibn Asdagh on behalf of me to recite this poem (for my Hussain) as dirge: My son wasn’t sick (he didn’t die of disease). Ask this and he wasn’t sick before this event either.””
Abu al-Hassan told me: “O Abu al-Qasim, now that you know Ibn Asdagh, be honest and inform Ibn Asdagh of this incident.” I said: “For the sake of the superior of ladies, I do it with great pleasure.” Abu al-Qasim Tanukhi continues: “This event occurred in the month of Sha’aban. People were being hurt severely by Sunni Hanbalis whenever they wanted to goon pilgrimage to Imam Hussain’s shrine. I tried so hard to reach al-Ha’ir al-Hussaini (the Zarih of Imam Hussain (PBUH) and its surrounding area) on the night of 15th Sha’aban. I looked for Ibn Asdagh and finally I met him. I told him: “Lady Fatimah (PBUH) has ordered you to read dirge for Imam Hussain (PBUH) using the elegy with the mentioned couplet.”
I told Ibn Asdagh: “I didn’t know this elegy before.” Ibn Asdagh was touched. I told him and everyone in the meeting about the dream, they all cried and read this elegy as dirge all night long. The first couplet of the elegy is:
“O two eyes, shed tears/ and cry intensely and don’t dry up.”
Ibn al-Adim writes:
“Abu al-Hassan Karakhi is among the great companions of Abu Hanifah.” (1)
After reading this narration it is interesting to read the following narration from Yaqut Hamawi:
Khale’a said: “I was a kid in 346 when my father took me to a meeting held by Kabuzi, the narrator, in a mosque located between book stores and jewelry stores. The meeting was full, suddenly a man came in; he was wearing a worn out cloak, holding a water skin and a sack of food in one hand and a cane in his other hand. He greeted loudly and said: “I’m messenger of Lady Fatimah (PBUH).” People said: “you are welcome.” And they honored him. He said: “Could you introduce Ahmad Mazuq, the elegist, to me?” They said: “Yes, he is the one sitting here.” He said: “I saw my Lady, Fatimah (PBUH), in a dream, she said: “Go to Baghdad and find Ahmad and tell him to read dirge for my son (Hussain (PBUH)) using the elegy written by (Ali ibn Abd-Allah ibn Wasif) Nashi””
Where he says:
“O offspring of Ahmad (PBUH)! My heart was torn into shreds by your grief\ what occurred to me because of this grief, has never been heard before from no one else.”
Nashi was present in the meeting, he slapped himself on the face severely and Ahmad Mazuq and others did the same and they wept. The person who was touched the most was Nashi and Mazuq was touched more than others. They read dirge using this elegy till noon and then the meeting was over and people scattered. They insisted him (the one who has arrived the meeting) to accept a gift but he refused. He said: “I swear to God I wouldn’t take all of the world if it was offered to me. I don’t consider it right to be the messenger of Lady Fatimah (PBUH) and take money in exchange.” The messenger of Lady Fatimah (PBUH) went and didn’t take anything. (2)
It is interesting that the writer of the book Mu’ajam al-Udaba is Yaqut Hamawi, who is known to have enmity and opposition toward Imam Ali (PBUH) because of association with Khawarij (a group of Muslims who rioted against Imam Ali (PBUH)) and Nawasib (those who hate Imam Ali (PBUH) or Ahl al-Bayt).
Finally, it should be mentioned that we, regardless of our ideology, shed tears of blood over severed head of thirsty oppressed Imam Hussain (PBUH) and we take up the cudgels for our Sunni brothers against Wahhabis and we won’t let them take the blessing of crying and mourning for Imam Hussain (PBUH) from them, since crying and mourning for the oppressed grandchild of the messenger of Allah (PBUH) is not just for human beings; and all creatures are mournful in this grief.
Sources:
1- Nashwar al-Muhazereh and Akhbar al-Muzakereh, vol. 1; Bughyat al-Talab fi Tarikh Halab, vol. 6
2- Mu’ajam al-Udaba, vol. 4