Shahadah of Hazrat Muslim bin Aqeel (a.s)
 
On this 9^th Zul Hijjah, World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League (WABIL) offers sincere condolences to Imam Mahdi (atfs), the Ahlul Bayt (as), righteous scholars and all believers on the martyrdom of Muslim bin Aqeel (a.s), the cousin and ambassador of Imam Hussain (a.s), who was killed by Ibn Ziyad, Yazeed’s governor in Kufa in 61 AH.
 
Muslim was the son of Aqeel (a.s), who was the son of Abu Talib (as). He was a loyal and devoted follower of his cousin Imam Husain (a.s). When Imam Husain (as) received thousands of letters from the people of Kufa inviting him to go and rule over them, Imam sent Muslim bin Aqeel as his emissary to go and assess the situation and report to him. However, to show that he was going in peace, Imam Husain (a.s) told Muslim bin Aqeel to go with his two very young children, Muhammad (10) and Ibrahim (8). He did just that, and seeing that the atmosphere was very amicable and inviting, with around 30,000 Kufans pledging support, he wrote to Imam advising him to proceed to Kufa. Imam complied and left Makkah on 8^th Zul Hijjah.
 
However, Yazid was cunning: he deposed his current governor of Kufa and replaced him with the ruthless Ibn Ziyad, who entered the city surreptitiously, threatened the people with execution if they harboured Muslim bin Aqeel, and spread terror in the hearts of the silent, disloyal and unprincipled Kufans. Muslim bin Aqeel tried to leave to warn Imam Husain (as) not to come to Kufa, but he was eventually arrested on 9^th Zul Hijjah, fighting like a lion till the last moments of his life. He was beheaded at the top of Ibn Ziyad’s palace and thrown from the rooftop, along with Hani ibn Urwah, who gave him shelter. Muslim’s head was sent to Yazid, while his body was dragged through the streets of Kufa then crucified. His two children were also later captured and killed.
 
Such a horrific brutal death is almost hard to imagine, and yet today we see ISIS perpetrating exactly the same kind of horrors in the name of Islam. However, the real Muslims are those like Muslim bin Aqeel who pledged allegiance to the Imam of the time, and through utter love and loyalty, served the Imam till death. Muslim bin Aqeel laid down a great sacrifice for Islam, and taught us how to never falter, never fear, but remain firm and steadfast.
 
While we perform our rituals of Arafah Day, we cast our minds back to the year when Muslim bin Aqeel should also have been performing his rituals, but instead laid down his life.  May Allah’s peace and salutations descend on Muslim bin Aqeel, his sons, and Hani ibn Urwah.
 
Sayed Mohammad Al-Musawi
World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League (WABIL)
London, UK

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