IMAM HUSAYN�S JOURNEY FROM MAKKAH TO KARBALA.. -

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 Imam Husayn left Makkah on the 8th of Zilhajja 60 A.H. (September 10, 680 AD)  with 50 of his family members and companions. Ibn Abbas, his uncle, tried to dissuade him from the journey. He and Husayn�s half-brother, Mohaamd Hanafiyyah came to say farewell to him and wondered why he was leaving Makkah so close to Hajj. Husayn left his last will with Muhammad Hanafiyyah in which he explained why he was leaving . He said � I have not come out to stir emotions, to play with discontentment, to provoke dissention or spread discord and oppression. I want to bring the Ummah back to the path of Amr Bil Maroof and Nahi Anil Munkar. I want to lead them to the path of my grandfather, the Prophet of Islam and that of my father, Ali Ibn Abi Talib. He stops in many places on the way to Koofah and makes speeches as follows:

 

  1. SAFFAH  - Here Husayn meets Farazdaq, the famous poet, who tells him that the hearts of the Koofans are with Husayn but their swords are with Banu Umayya. To this, Husayn replies. �Allah does what He wishes, I leave it to Him who proposes the just cause. �

 

  1. ZAT-AL-IRQ  - Husayn�s cousin, Abdullah Ibn Jafar meets him here and brings two of his sons, Awn and Muhammad and leaves them with their mother Zaynab, to help Husayn in whatever situation may develop. He tries to persuade Husayn to return to Madinah. Husayn, once again, says � My destiny is in the hands of Allah.�

 

  1. BATN-AR-RUMMA � Husayn sends a letter to the Koofans by Qays Ibn Mas-hir, in reply to their numerous letters. He also meets Abdullah Ibn Mutee here, who tries to stop him from going to Koofah�..

 

  1. Zurud � Here Zuhayr Ibn Qayn joins Husayn. Zuhayr was not a follower of the house of Ali but when he hears Husayn�s speeches he gives all his possessions to his wife and tells her to go home while he continues with Husayn to Karbala.

 

  1. ZUBALA � Husayn receives the news of Muslim Ibn Aqeel�s and Hani Ibn Urwa�s killings here. He tells his companions about the change of the political scene in Koofah and tells his companions to go away and save their lives. Wahab Kalbi joins Husayn�s party here�.

 

  1. BATN-E-AQEEQ   A man from the tribe of  Akramah, who was returning from Koofah, tells Husayn that Koofa is no more a friendly place and it is completely subdued by Yazeed�s army, no one can get in or out safely.

 

  1. SURAT � Husayn and his party spend the night at this place and early morning they start again. Husayn orders his companions to take as much water as they can from here�.

 

  1. SHARAF � While the caravan was moving, one of Husayn�s companions calls out  that he can see the signs of an approaching cavalry brigade. Husayn orders his party to cover themselves from the back by a montain. A guide takes them to the nearest mountain�.

 

  1. ZU HASM � Hurr meets Husayn with his cavalry brigade here. They are on the verge of dying of thirst. Husayn orders his men to give water to them and their horses. Husayn establishes Dhuhr prayers, Hurr and his party join the prayer behind Husayn. Hurr then explains to Husayn that his orders are to stop Husayn from entering Koofa and he leads Husayn into karbala�.

 

  1. BAYDHA  - Husayn arrives here the next day and delivers one of his most famous sermons: �O People, the Prophet of Islam has said that if a man sees a tyrannical ruler transgressing against Allah and the Prophet and oppressing people but does nothing by word and /or action to change the situation then it will be just for Allah to place him where he deservingly belongs. Do you not see to what low levels the affairs have come down? Do you not notice that truth is not being adhered to and that falsehood has no limits. And as for me, I took upon death as but a means to attain martyrdom and I consider life among transgressors as nothing but an agony and affliction .

 

  1.  UZAYB-AL-HAJANAT  - Here Husayn meets Tirimmah Ibn Adi who offers him the safety and sanctuary among the mountains occupied by his tribe. Tirimmah explains to Husayn that he has 20,000 armed men at his command if only he could come to the montains. But Husayn proceeds showing that he has something else in mind.

 

  1. QASR-E-BANI MAQATIL  - At this point it becomes quite apparent that Koofa is no more his destination because, instead of turning right to Koofa he continues straight and Hurr keeps following him. Riding he exclaims, �We are for Allah and to Him we shall return �. His son Ali Akbar asks for the reason of the exclaimation, Husayn explains that he has just seen somebody in his dreams saying :� This caravan is moving to its death . � Ali Adbar asks: � Father, are we not on the right path?.� Husayn says: � Yes my son, of course, we are on the right path. � Ali Akbar contentedly says: �Then I am not concerned�. The caravan moves on. �

 

  1.  NAYNAWAH � At this point a messenger from Ibn Ziyad delivers a new order to Hurr that he should not leave Husayn at all. The caravan passes through the village of GHAZARIYYA and arrives at a barren desert plain.

 

  1. KARABALA � Husayn asks the locals about the name of that place. When he is told that it is Karbala, he orders his tents to be pitched by a tributary of the river Eupheretes. The date is 2nd of Muharram 61 A.H. (October 3, 680 AD).

 Please Note:  This map was originally published by Mohammadi Trust of U.K. in 1984, but the Trust for some reason, ommited the name of the cartographer from its publications.

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