The Falcon

الصَّقْر

The Falcon

By Sayyid Mohsen Rizvi

I would fall on you like an angry Falcon dives on the sparrows in midair.

لوقعتُ عليكم كالصقر الغضبان على عصافير الطيران

It was the eighth of Dhil-HIjjah, 60AH when Imam Hussain (as) decided to abruptly leave Mecca before the Hajj. This sudden move shocked everyone;however, the pilgrims were aware that Yazid (la) has sent Amr ibn Sa’eed with an army to Mecca. His orders were to ignore the sanctity of holy Kaaba and assassinate Imam Hussain (as) during the holy pilgrimage.  All the pilgrims were aware that Muawiya (la) crippled the treaty of Imam Hasan (as) and appointed Yazidas the next ruler of the Muslim world and forced all the tribes to give allegiance to Yazid (la). Majority of the Muslims at that time accepted Yazid (la) as their ruler, and no one showed any interest in standing up against Yazid in support of Imam Hussain (as) in any way. The pilgrims demonstrated their outward religiosity by preoccupying themselves in the rituals of Hajj and ignored the call of Imam Hussain (as). Some might argue that not all the pilgrims may have been aware of the departure of Imam Hussain (as) from Mecca in the middle of the pilgrimage, but Allah (swt) did not leave any possibility of a pretext for the Muslims.It is narrated that Ibn Abbas saw Imam Husain (as) before heading to Iraq, was standing at the door of Kaaba, and the hand of Imam Husain (as) was in the hand of arch angel Jibra’eel who was calling out saying “Hasten to offer allegiance on the hand of Allah – the mighty, the glorified”. 

١٠١٨/ ٧١- ابن شهرآشوب: من كتاب التخريج، عن العامري بالاسناد عن هبيرة بن بريم‏ (٢)، عن ابن عباس، قال: رأيت الحسين- (عليه السلام)- قبل أن يتوجه إلى العراق على باب الكعبة، و كف جبرائيل في كفّه- (عليهما السلام)-، و جبرائيل ينادي: هلموا إلى بيعة اللّه عزّ و جلّ.

 Reference[1]

The fact that the pilgrims were told to come and give allegiance to Imam Hussain (as) in Mecca during the holy pilgrimage, shows that the plight of Muslims within fifty years after the Prophet’s death was such that they considered external rituals of worship as the religion of Islam, and Yazid (la) as the rightful caliph of the Muslims, and Imam Hussain (as) as a person from Bani Hashim. Apparently, they ignored the call of Imam Husain (as) and rejected the rights of the Imam of the time and accepted the rule of Yazid (la), and thus continued with their rituals of Hajj.

It is said that when no pilgrim gave heed to the call of Jibra’eel and the pilgrims indifferently continued their rituals of hajj, then Abul Fadl al-Abbas (as) took the permission of Imam Husain (as) and climbed to the roof of the Kaaba.The courtyard of Kaaba at that time was filled with pilgrims.Abul Fadl al-Abbas (as) addressed the crowd like a roaring Lion. The chain of narrators of this sermon can be found in the book “Manaqib as-Sadaat al-Keraam”, there are only few copies of this book available in the Shia libraries and there is no alternate chain of narrations either, hence some consider this event as doubtful. Whatever the case  may be regarding the judgment of the scholars, we leave that upon Allah (swt).However, in this writeup we will try to investigate if the messagein this sermon coincides with other realities mentioned in the holy Quranand authentic narrations.

 

Abul Fadl al-Abbas (as) begins by the praise of Allah (swt) -

الحمد لله الذي شرّف هذا بقدوم أبيه مَن كان بالأمس بيتاً أصبح قبلة

All praise be to Allah (swt) who has bestowed sanctity to this (pointing to Kaaba) by the appearance (birth) of His father (pointing to Imam Husain A.S.), (the Kaaba) not too long ago was just a structure that was recently became the Qibla.

Abul Fadl al-Abbas (as) is reminding the pilgrims who the true bearer of the sanctity is. Kaaba became a Qibla after the birth and manifestation of Imam Ali (as)[2]. It was Imam Ali (as) who dismantled the idols by following the footsteps of his grandfather Prophet Ibrahim (as). Kaaba otherwise was just a structure around which the pagans circumambulated without any clothes.It is not a coincidence that Imam Ali (as) was born in Kaaba, nor is it a coincidence that the Kaaba became the Qibla after the birth of Imam Ali (as). In the past the houses of Musa and Harun (as) became the Qibla, as the Quran says –

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَأَخِيهِ أَن تَبَوَّآ لِقَوْمِكُمَا بِمِصْرَ بُيُوتًا وَاجْعَلُوا بُيُوتَكُمْ قِبْلَةً وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

And We inspired Moses and his brother, (saying): build houses for your people in Egypt and make your houses as QIBLA and establish worship. And give good news to the believers. (10:87)

Abul Fadl al-Abbas (as) continues …

أيّها الكفرة الفجرة!أتصدّون طريق البيت لإمام البررة

O the unbelieving wicked ones!

Would you turn away from the path of (holy household) of the Imam of the most righteous?

This is the distinction that Abul Fadl Al-Abbas (as) made between pious believers and the wicked unbelievers. It does not matter whether you have submitted to the idea of divine unity (Tawhid) of Allah (swt)or have accepted the Prophethood of the last messenger. It does not matter whether you perform your daily obligatory prayers, fast every dayortravel to perform Hajj.If you do not recognize the Imam of your time and his rights, then you have fallen in the category of ignorance (Jahiliyya). If you purposely ignore the rights of the Imam and accept an unjust unbelieving person like Yazid (la) as your ruler and caliph over the divine leader, then you yourself are an unbelieving wicked human being, let alone a Muslim.These words of Abul Fadl Al-Abbas (as) reveal the circumstances prior to the heart wrenching calamity of Karbala: “Would you turn away from the path of the righteous Imam”.

It means that the Muslim population have turned away from the path of Imam Hussain (as) – who is the manifestation of the straight path! The seeds of misguidance turned into a tree that gave a false sense of righteousness to the Muslims. Otherwise, there is no Islam without a guide, nor a book without a teacher.The despicable pilgrims of the Muslim nation considered themselves as worshippers after abandoning and isolating Imam Hussain (as). Accepting and submitting to the authority of the Imam (as) is the axis of faith on which everything else depends.

 

Abul Fadl al-Abbas (as) continues …

من هو أحقّ به من سائر البريّة؟

Is there anyone who has more right than him. Is there anyone who is more righteous than him?

This is a rhetorical question that does not need any answer or evidence from the audience. It is a clear evidence that there will never be anyone among the creation better than the Imam of the time, this is a fundamental merit of the divine leader over the creation. The right of the Imam on the believers is greater than the right which the believers have on their own selves.As the Imam is the successor of the Prophet (as) and possess the same rights as the Prophet, the following rule of Quran applies to the Imam of the time –

النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ

The Prophet has a greater right on the faithful than they have on their own selves

Those who were performing Hajjin the year 60 Hijra, were actually trampling the rights of Imam Husain (as) while circumambulating around the Kaaba. Imam Husain (as) was exercising his right and calling Muslims to recognize him and follow him for their success in this world and the hereafter. Out of the whole Muslim nation, only seventy people ended up standing with Imam Husain (as) against the tyrant and unjust Yazid (la).

 

Abul Fadl al-Abbas (as) continues …

ولولا حكم الله الجليّة وأسراره العليّة واختباره البريّة لطار البيت إليه قبل ان يمشي لديه .

If it not the decree of Allah the Exalted, and His lofty secrets, and His test of the righteous, the house (Kaaba) would have flown to him (Imam Husain) before he (Imam Husain) walked towards it.

The reality of the Divine leader is a guarded secret, and those who are tested with severe trials of faith are only able to scratch its surface. Those who are aware of the authority of the fourteen infallibles (as) will not be surprised reading the words of Abul Fadl al-Abbas (as) that the Kaaba would have flown towards Imam Husain (as) out of reverence and obedience had it not been a trial of the Muslim nation by Allah (swt). This is not the first-time an immobile object flew towards the infallible (as) in obedience. It is mentioned in Nahj Ul Balagha, sermon 192, that Imam Ali (as) said –

قَالَ: «يَا أَيَّتُهَا الشَّجَرَةُ إِنْ كُنْتِ تُؤمِنِينَ بِاللهِ وَاليَوْمِ الاْخِرِ، وَتَعْلَمِينَ أَنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ، فَانْقَلِعِي بعُرُوقِكِ حَتَّى تَقِفِي بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ». فَوَالَّذِي بَعَثَهُ بِالْحَقِّ نَبِيّاً لاَنْقَلَعَتْ بِعُرُوقِهَا، وَجَاءَتْ وَلَهَا دَوِيٌّ شَدِيدٌ، وَقَصْفٌ كَقَصْفِ أَجْنِحَةِ الطَّيْرِ، حَتَّى وَقَفَتْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُولِ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) مُرَفْرِفَةً، وَأَلْقَتْ بِغُصْنِهَا الاْعْلَى عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله)، وَبِبَعْضِ أَغْصَانِهَا عَلَى مَنْكِبِي، وَكُنْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ(عليه السلام.

The Holy Prophet said: "O tree, if you do believe in Allah and the Day of Judgement, and know that I am the Prophet of Allah, come up with your roots and stand before me with the permission of Allah." By Him who deputed the Prophet with truth, the tree did remove itself with its root and came with a great humming sound and a flapping like the flapping of the wings of birds, till it stopped before the Messenger of Allah and cast its higher branches over the Prophet, while some of its branches came down onto my shoulders, and I was on the right side of the Holy Prophet.

Abul Fadl (as) continues …

قد استلم الناس الحجر والحجر يستلم يديه ولو لم تكن مشيّةُ مولاي مجبولة من مشية الرحمن ، لوقعتُ عليكم كالصقر الغضبان على عصافير الطيران،

You people may have touched the (sacred black) stone, and the (sacred black) stone (may have) have accepted your hands. But if not for my master’s will that is kneaded with the will of the merciful (Allah), I would have fallen on you like an angry Falcon dives on the sparrows in midair.          

The act of complete submission to the Will of the Master (Wali) is the essence of faith. The Will of the Imam is the Will of Allah (swt) as Allah is the Master (Wali), the Prophet (saw) and the Imam of the time (as) are also the Master (Wali) (Quran 5:55). The Will of the Imam (as) is amalgamated with the Will of Allah (swt), and Abul Fadl (as) is in absolute submission to that Will. Had the Imam (as) not stopped, then Abul Fadl (as) says that I would have attacked the enemies of Imam Husain (as) like an angry falcon attacking the sparrows in midair. In other words, Abul Fadl (as) says that I am a falcon sitting on hand of the Imam (as) waiting for the permission to attack, and the enemies of Imam Husain (as) are like sparrows in front of him. In this specific statement, Abul Fadl (as) is emulating the path of his father – Imam Ali (as) when epitomizing his bravery.One can draw a strong parallel in these words with the words of Imam Ali (as), and it will confirm the reason that these words cannot be the words of any regular human being.In delivering the point that the right of Caliphate belongs to him, Imam Ali (as) addressed Abu Bakr in the following words[3]:

Learn Oh Abi Bakr and don't be ignorant,

That Ali is the best one whether barefoot or with footwear(equating caliphate with footwear)

And that the Messenger of Allah has given a will about his right of leadership

And he has confirmed his words by narrating Ali's merits and virtues

Then Imam Ali (as) say about his bravery –

 

أَنَا الصَّقْرُ الَّذِي حُدِّثْتُ عَنْهُ (2) ‏ I am the falcon whom you were told about	عِتَاقُ الطَّيْرِ تَنْجَذِلُ انْجِذَالًا (1) Handling the birds becomes the engagement at hand (an effortless act)
وَ قَاسَيْتُ الْحُرُوبَ أَنَا ابْنُ سَبْعٍ‏ (4) I suffered from wars, and I am the son of predator	فَلَمَّا شَبْتُ أَفْنَيْتُ الرِّجَالا (3) As I became young, I destroyed the men.
فَلَمْ تُدْعَ السُّيُوفُ لَنَا عَدُوّاً (6) The swords did not leave for us an enemy	وَ لَمْ يُدْعَ السَّخَاءُ لَدَيَّ مَالًا (5) And generosity did not leave me money

 

Abul Fadl al-Abbas (as) continues …  

 أتخوّفون قوماً يلعب بالموت في الطفوليّة فكيف كان في الرجوليّة ولفديت بالحامّات لسيّد البريّات دون الحيوانات .

Are you trying to scare those people who played with death while they were infants? How will it not that in their manhood they shall ransom their last breath on the master of the ……  

The spectators then may have not understood the depth of this claim until the tragic Day of Ashura dawned upon Ahlul Bayt (as). The world came to know that from an infant like Ali Al-Asghar (as) to a noble and brave men like Abul Fadl al-Abbas (as), all of them ransomed their lives for Imam Husain (as). The famous words of Qasim ibn al-Hasan (as) when asked how you see death? The reply was “death to me is sweater than honey”. The age of Qasim (as) was fourteen years old yet he had a burning desire to ransom his life for his uncle Imam Husain (as).

هيهات وانتم وقعتم في الغلطة التي قد وقعت فيها قريش لأنّهم ارادوا قتل رسول الله (صلى الله عليه واله) وانتم تريدون قتل ابن بنت نبيّكم

Far fetch it is! You (all) made a mistake that which the Quraysh made when they decided to kill the Prophet (saw), and you have decided to kill the son of the daughter of the Prophet (saw).  

The accountability of the murder of Imam Husain (as) in the year 60 AH by the armies of Yazid (la) rests on all the Muslims of the nation who heard the call of Imam Husain (as) and yet they ignored and went their own ways. This preemptive burden of accountability of the killing of the son of the daughter of the Prophet (saw) is manifested in the parallel drawn by Abul Fadl (as) to the proactive conspiracies of the Quraysh to kill the Prophet (saw).  When it comes to the call of the Imam of the time, using your reasoning, or pretext to stay on the sideline surmounts to opposing the religion of Islam.

ولا يمكن لهم مادام أمير المؤمنين صلى الله عليه واله حيّاً وكيف يمكن لكم قتل ابي عبدالله الحسين عليه السلام مادمتُ حيّاً سليلاً ؟

As itwas not possible (to kill the Prophet) as long as Amir ul Momineen (as) was alive, (similarly) it is not possible to kill Abi Abdallah al-Husain (as) as long as his (Ali’s) offspring are alive.

After the event of Mubahila (Quran 3:61), Imam Hasan (as) & Imam Husain (as) were known as the sons of the Prophet (saw). Hence, every member of Ahlul Bayt (as) considered all the sons of Imam Ali (as) as his sons except for Imam Hasan & Imam Husain – who were considered as the sons of the Prophet (saw). As an historical fact, it was Imam Ali (as) who protected the Prophet (saw) with his sword from childhood to the time Prophet (saw) died. Similarly, all the children and grandchildren of Imam Ali (as) led by Abul Fadl Al-Abbas became a shield to Imam Husain (as). Hence, when the news of the tragic martyrdom of Imam Husain (as) reached Medina, the mother of Abul Fadl (as) asked the announcer “Was my son Abul Fadl alive when Husain was killed?”, indicating that it was not possible for any human being to hurt Imam Husain (as) in the life of Abul Fadl (as).

The martyrs of Karbala, who ransom their lives for Imam Husain (as) followed the true tenets of the religion of Islam and kept their hearts away from corruption. The crux of this article is to remind the followers of Islam that if these tenets are not followed then irrelevant of the magnitude of your servitude, there is no benefit in the hereafter. This is the true declaration of faith -

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ*

أَمْسَيْتُ وَ أَصْبَحْتُ بِاللَّهِ مُؤْمِناً عَلَى دِينِ مُحَمَّدٍ ص وَ سُنَّتِهِ وَ عَلَى دِينِ عَلِيٍّ ع وَ سُنَّتِهِ وَ عَلَى دِينِ‏فَاطِمَةَع وَ سُنَّتِهَا وَ عَلَى دِينِ الْأَوْصِيَاءِ ع وَ سُنَّتِهِمْ آمَنْتُ بِسِرِّهِمْ وَ عَلَانِيَتِهِمْ وَ بِغَيْبِهِمْ وَ شَهَادَتِهِمْ وَ أَسْتَعِيذُ بِاللَّهِ فِي لَيْلَتِي هَذِهِ وَ يَوْمِي هَذَا مِمَّا اسْتَعَاذَ مِنْهُ مُحَمَّدٌ وَ عَلِيٌّ وَ فَاطِمَةُ وَ الْأَوْصِيَاءُ ص وَ أَرْغَبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ فِيمَا رَغِبُوا فِيهِ وَ لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّه‏

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent the Merciful.

I end this night and beginning this morning in the name of Allah as a believer on the religion of Muhammad (sa) and His traditions, and on the religion of Ali and his traditions, and on the religion of Fatima and her traditions, and on the religion of the Infallible successors and their traditions. I believe in their hidden and their apparent, their occultation and their presence. I seek refuge in Allah on this very night and this morning from all that which Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, and Infallible successors sought refuge, and I seek from Allah that which they sought. There is no power or strength but Allah.

اللهم صلي على محمد وأل محمد