Suni Hadiths on the Event of Karbala

Shaykh G F Haddad writes:

AL-HUSAYN IBN `ALI - ALLAH BE WELL-PLEASED WITH HIM

Al-Hâkim and al-Bayhaqî narrated from Umm al-Fad.l bint al-Hârith (? who said: "I went in to see the Prophet one day, carrying al-Husayn, whom I placed in his lap. Then when I turned to look at him again, lo! I saw the eyes of the Messenger of Allâh brimming with tears. He said: 'Gibrîl just came and told me that my Community would kill this son of mine, and he brought me a handful of his resting-ground - red earth.'"41

Ibn Râhûyah, al-Bayhaqî, and Abû Nu`aym narrated from Umm Salama - Allâh be well-pleased with her that the Messenger of Allâh lay down one day and woke up sluggish, holding a handful of read earth in his hand and turning it this way and that I said: "What is this earth, O Messenger of Allâh?" He replied: "Gibrîl informed me that this one - meaning al-Husayn - would be killed in the land of Iraq, and this is his resting-ground."42

Abû Nu`aym narrated from Umm Salama (ra) who said: "Al-Hasan and al-Husayn were playing in my house when Gibrîl descended and said, 'O Muhammad, verily your Community shall kill this son of yours,' signaling to al-Husayn and bringing him [some of] his resting-ground; he smelled it and said, 'It smells of hardship (karb) and affliction (balâ').' Then he said, 'If this soil turns to blood, know that my son has been killed.' So I kept it in a jar."43

Ibn `Asâkir narrated from Muhammad ibn `Amr44 ibn Hasan who said: "We were with al-Husayn at the river of Karbalâ'45 when he looked at Shimr ibn Dhî al-Jawshan and said, 'Allâh and His Messenger were right! The Messenger of Allâh said: "I can see a spotted dog drooling over the blood of the people of my House."' Shimr was a leper."46

Ibn al-Sakan, al-Baghawî, and Abû Nu`aym narrated from Anas ibn al-Hârith who said, "I heard the Messenger of Allâh say: 'Truly this son of mine' - meaning al-Husayn - shall be killed in a land called Karbalâ'. Whoever among you is present then, help him!' Hence, Anas ibn al-Hârith went to Karbalâ' and was killed there with al-Husayn."47

Al-Tabarânî narrated from `A'isha - Allâh be well-pleased with her that the Prophet said: "Gibrîl told me that my son, al-Husayn, would be killed after me in the land of al-Taff [between Syria and Iraq], and he brought me this earth and told me that in it would be his resting-place."48 Ahmad and Ibn Sa`d narrated it from `Alî in the wording: "We feel he shall be killed on the shore of the Euphrates."49

Al-Baghawî narrated in his Mu`jam as reported from Anas ibn Mâlik who said: "The Angel of rain asked permission of his Lord to visit the Prophet and he obtained it. He came to visit him during the day he usually spent with Umm Salama. The Prophet said: "Umm Salama, keep the door closed and let no-one disturb us." As she reached the door, al-Husayn darted in and ran to the Prophet who began to hugh him and kiss him. The angel said to him, "Do you love him?" He said yes. The angel continued: "Truly, your Community shall kill him and, if you wish, I shall show you the place where he shall be killed." He showed it to him and brought him some reddish earth [from it], which Umm Salama took and put in her robe. Thâbit al-Bunânî - its narrator from Anas - said: "We considered that it was Karbalâ'."50

In the narration of Mullâ al-Mawsilî Umm Salama says, "The Prophet handed me a handful of red earth, saying: 'This is from the ground on which he [al-Husayn] shall be killed. When it turns to blood, know that he has been killed.'" Umm Salama said that she placed it "in a jar that I had, and I used to apprehend the terrible day when it would turn to blood."51 Al-Husayn was martyred as he had said, in Karbalâ', in Iraq, near al-Kûfa, in a place also known as al-Taff. This hadîth contains another stunning miracle of his , namely, the disclosure that Umm Salama would live beyond the time when al-Husayn would be killed, as took place.

Wa Sallallahu `ala Sayyidina Muhammadin wa Alihi wa Sallama Taslima

FOOTNOTES

41 Narrated from Umm al-Fadl by al-Hâkim (3:176-177=1990 ed 3:194) who said it is sound by the criteria of al-Bukhârî and Muslim but al-Dhahabî said: "Rather, it is da`îf munqati`, Shaddâd did not meet Umm al-Fadl while Muhammad ibn Mus`ab [al-Qirqisânî] is weak." However, al-Dhahabî cited a similar report in the Siyar (al-Arna'ût ed 3:289) and said its chain was fair.

42 Narrated from Umm Salama by Ibn Abî `Asim in al-Ahâd wa al-Mathânî (1:310 #429), al-Tabarânî in al-Kabîr (3:109, 23:308), and al-Hâkim (1990 ed 4:440) with a fair chain because of Mûsâ ibn Ya`qûb al-Zam`î; and from `A'isha by al-Tabarânî in al-Kabîr (3:107 #2815). Also narrated from "`A'isha or Umm Salama" by Ahmad in the Musnad and Fadâ'il al-Sahâba but with a very weak chain.

43 Narrated by al-Tabarânî in al-Kabîr (3:108 #2817), al-Mizzî in Tahdhîb al-Kamâl (6:409), and Ibn Hajar in Tahdhîb al-Tahdhîb (2:300-301) through the Râfidî `Amr ibn Thâbit ibn Hurmuz al-Bakrî who is weak or discarded Cf. al-Haythamî (9:189).

44 `Umar in al-Nabahânî's text, corrected from Târîkh Dimashq and Kanz al-`Ummâl.

45 Twenty-four miles North-West of al-Kûfa.

46 Narrated by Ibn `Asâkir in Târîkh Dimashq (23:190), cf. Kanz (#37717) and al-Bidâya.

47 Narrated from Suhaym, from Anas ibn Mâlik by Abû Nu`aym in the Dalâ'il (p. 554 #493) and al-Baghawî and Ibn al-Sakan in their Companion-compendiums. Cf. Ibn Hajar, Isâba (1:121); al-Bukhârî, al-Târîkh al-Kabîr (2:30 #1583); al-Istî`âb (1:112); al-Khasâ'is al-Kubrâ (2:451).

48 Narrated from `A'isha by al-Tabarânî in al-Kabîr (3:107 #2814) and al-Awsat (6:249 #6316) with weak chains per al-Haythamî (8:288, 9:188), cf. al-Suyûtî, Ziyâdat al-Jâmi` al-Saghîr (#147) and Kanz (#34299). It is overall fair since it and Umm Salama's narration are mutually reinforced

49 Narrated from `Alî by Ahmad, Abû Ya`lâ (#363), Ibn Abî `Asim in al-Ahâd wa al-Mathânî (1:308 #427), Ibn Abî Shayba (7:487 #37367), al-Bazzâr (3:101 #884), al-Tabarânî in al-Kabîr (3:105 #2811), al-Mizzî in Tahdhîb al-Kamâl (6:407), and Ibn Hajar in Tahdhîb al-Tahdhîb (2:300), all with a weak chain - because of `Abd Allâh ibn Nujayy al-Hadramî and his father - as per al-Arna'ût in the Musnad (2:77-78 #648) and al-Munâwî (1:204-205) as opposed to al-Haythamî (9:187) and al-Maqdisî in al-Mukhtâra (2:375 #758) while al-Dhahabî adduces a second weak chain that reinforces the first This report contains `Alî's call to his son in absentia, "Sabran Abâ `Abd Allâh!" Cf. Ibn Taymiyya, Minhâj (Qurtuba ed 3:367-368) and al-Dhahabî, Siyar (Risala ed 3:288=Fikr ed 4:407-408).

50 Narrated from Anas by Ahmad, Abû Ya`lâ (6:129 #3402), al-Bazzâr (#2642), al-Tabarânî in al-Kabîr (3:106 #2813), Ibn Hibbân (15:142 #6742 hadîth hasan), Abû Nu`aym in the Dalâ'il (p. 553 #492), al-Bayhaqî in the Dalâ'il (6:469), and al-Mizzî in Tahdhîb al-Kamâl (6:408) cf. Kanz (#37672), al-Haythamî (9:187-190), al-Dhahabî, Siyar (3:288-289=Fikr ed 4:408), and al-Suyûtî's Khasâ'is (2:450).

51 Narrated by al-Tabarânî in al-Kabîr (3:108 #2817), al-Mizzî in Tahdhîb al-Kamâl (6:409), and Ibn Hajar in Tahdhîb al-Tahdhîb (2:300-301) through the Râfidî `Amr ibn Thâbit ibn Hurmuz al-Bakrî who is weak or discarded. Cf. al-Haythamî (9:189).

SOURCE: http://livingislam.org/n/pku_e.html.