Twenty-Fourth Assembly (Khwan-Pur-Nemat)

A discussion arose about the descendants of Muhammad. The Helpless One asked: Is 'Honour my children who are good, for God's sake, but not the evil, for my sake,' a tradition of the Prophet, and have you noticed it in collections of Traditions? The Venerable Master replied: It has not come to my attention in collections of Traditions, but it is said to be a tradition.

Again, the Helpless One enquired: Was Yazid among the descendants of the Prophet? He replied: He was a descendant of the companions of the Prophet, being the son of Mu'awiya.

Again, he asked: What is meant by saying that Yazid should not be cursed? He replied: The reason is that an inferior should not curse anyone who is superior to him. Yazid was one of the companions-or at least one of the succeeding generations. Hence, it is not proper. Again, it is related that the Prophet said: 'I had requested pardon of God for whatever has transpired among my companions.' Hence, they have been for- given. For this reason, also Yazid should not be cursed. Again, it could have happened that Yazid himself became repentant after his opposition. Thus, since he could have repented, curses and imprecations should not be directed against him. We should be content to say, 'We are lovers of those who love the Prophet's family and at enmity with its enemies. This is a good compromise.

At this stage the conversation turned to Yazid's enmity to- wards the Commander of the Faithful, Husain. He said: Just as there was enmity between the fathers so too it arose between the sons. Firstly, Mu'awiya separated himself from the Commander of the Faithful, Ali. After Ali's death Yazid, Mu'awiya's son, showed his animosity towards the Commander of the Faithful, Husain.

Afterwards he related this story: When Mu'awiya died Yazid became the chief man and was extracting an oath of allegiance from each person. Everybody was coming to him and pledging fealty to him. At last, the turn of the Commander of the Faithful, Husain, came. A person was sent to him in order to secure his oath. He disclosed two or three things to him saying, 'Anyone who has these two or three things is not fit for leadership. I do not find them in you, nor shall I act against the Law. If, however, your enmity towards me is on account of Medina, then I shall leave Medina. He left Medina and went to Mecca. Yazid came to Medina, along with his army. Husain said: 'Since he has come to Medina, he will want Mecca as well. Thus, he left Mecca and headed towards Kufa. Yazid sent messages to Kufa ordering the capture of the Commander of the Faithful. Afterwards he ordered the closure of the roads to Kufa via the desert of Karbala. He planned to go on to Syria. The desert of Karbala was close to Kufa. After he reached it, the very army of Yazid appeared in front of him. In that same place he was killed.

The Helpless One asked: Where does the name 'Karbala' come from? He said: The name of the desert was 'Karbala'. In that country each desert has its own distinctive name.' Afterwards he related this story: It is related that the mother of the Faithful, 'Aisha, along with two of the 'ten who received good news', had gone to Mu'awiya. The orthodox scholars of the Muslim community say here that, if the mother of the Faithful, 'Aisha, and the two companions from the 'ten' who had gone to Mu'awiya, then-God protect me it cannot be said that they had abandoned the real leader (i.e. Ali) and befriend- ed the victorious one (i.e. Mu'awiya). Rather, they had gone for the sake of peace, trying to establish peace between the two of them.

Afterwards he said: That was the first occasion on which the sword passed through the midst of Muslims.'

Some of those present in the assembly cried out in amazement, 'Did such a thing come from Mu'awiya, who was a recorder of the Revelation and one of the most generous of the companions? The Venerable Master-may God exalt him-at

this point said: From the very beginning a command was issued that so many things were to come into existence through him. It could never have been otherwise.

Afterwards he added: In some places it is written that,

because Mu'awiya used the sword against Ali, a third of the commands of Islam have benefited from this. For example, the commands about rebellion, booty and the slain. What is the command about rebels and about the slain followers of the true leader, and the Friday gathering, and the sermon and the things which are fittingly connected with them so that it can be said that a third of the commands of Islam benefited therefrom? Now, in one sin of his, behold! the secret of this must be that God knows what the secrets are.

Every good or evil action which occurs, upon inspection, yields guidance for the future.

Afterwards he said: It has been related that one day the

Commanders of the Faithful, Hasan and Husain, were playing in front of the Apostle. He grew very happy. At that moment Gabriel descended and said: 'How can you be happy when it has been decreed that one will be given poison and the other will be killed in the desert of Karbala?

Your life cannot be saved from this end, O Sa'di: You are a thirsty traveler, and are offered poisoned sherbet.

Later on, he said: It is said that Yazid wanted a pledge of allegiance but those who went to do battle with him killed him of their own accord, for Yazid executed those who had killed Husain.8

A discussion arose about the descendants of Muhammad. The Helpless One asked: Is 'Honour my children who are good, for God's sake, but not the evil, for my sake,' a tradition of the Prophet, and have you noticed it in collections of Traditions? The Venerable Master replied: It has not come to my attention in collections of Traditions, but it is said to be a tradition.

Again, the Helpless One enquired: Was Yazid among the descendants of the Prophet? He replied: He was a descendant of the companions of the Prophet, being the son of Mu'awiya.

Again, he asked: What is meant by saying that Yazid should not be cursed? He replied: The reason is that an inferior should not curse anyone who is superior to him. Yazid was one of the companions-or at least one of the succeeding generations. Hence, it is not proper. Again, it is related that the Prophet said: 'I had requested pardon of God for whatever has transpired among my companions.' Hence, they have been for- given. For this reason, also Yazid should not be cursed. Again, it could have happened that Yazid himself became repentant after his opposition. Thus, since he could have repented, curses and imprecations should not be directed against him. We should be content to say, 'We are lovers of those who love the Prophet's family and at enmity with its enemies. This is a good compromise.

At this stage the conversation turned to Yazid's enmity to- wards the Commander of the Faithful, Husain. He said: Just as there was enmity between the fathers so too it arose between the sons. Firstly, Mu'awiya separated himself from the Commander of the Faithful, Ali. After Ali's death Yazid, Mu'awiya's son, showed his animosity towards the Commander of the Faithful, Husain.

Afterwards he related this story: When Mu'awiya died Yazid became the chief man and was extracting an oath of allegiance from each person. Everybody was coming to him and pledging fealty to him. At last, the turn of the Commander of the Faithful, Husain, came. A person was sent to him in order to secure his oath. He disclosed two or three things to him saying, 'Anyone who has these two or three things is not fit for leadership. I do not find them in you, nor shall I act against the Law. If, however, your enmity towards me is on account of Medina, then I shall leave Medina. He left Medina and went to Mecca. Yazid came to Medina, along with his army. Husain said: 'Since he has come to Medina, he will want Mecca as well. Thus, he left Mecca and headed towards Kufa. Yazid sent messages to Kufa ordering the capture of the Commander of the Faithful. Afterwards he ordered the closure of the roads to Kufa via the desert of Karbala. He planned to go on to Syria. The desert of Karbala was close to Kufa. After he reached it, the very army of Yazid appeared in front of him. In that same place he was killed.

The Helpless One asked: Where does the name 'Karbala' come from? He said: The name of the desert was 'Karbala'. In that country each desert has its own distinctive name.' Afterwards he related this story: It is related that the mother of the Faithful, 'Aisha, along with two of the 'ten who received good news', had gone to Mu'awiya. The orthodox scholars of the Muslim community say here that, if the mother of the Faithful, 'Aisha, and the two companions from the 'ten' who had gone to Mu'awiya, then-God protect me it cannot be said that they had abandoned the real leader (i.e. Ali) and befriend- ed the victorious one (i.e. Mu'awiya). Rather, they had gone for the sake of peace, trying to establish peace between the two of them.

Afterwards he said: That was the first occasion on which the sword passed through the midst of Muslims.'

Some of those present in the assembly cried out in amazement, 'Did such a thing come from Mu'awiya, who was a recorder of the Revelation and one of the most generous of the companions? The Venerable Master-may God exalt him-at

this point said: From the very beginning a command was issued that so many things were to come into existence through him. It could never have been otherwise.

Afterwards he added: In some places it is written that,

because Mu'awiya used the sword against Ali, a third of the commands of Islam have benefited from this. For example, the commands about rebellion, booty and the slain. What is the command about rebels and about the slain followers of the true leader, and the Friday gathering, and the sermon and the things which are fittingly connected with them so that it can be said that a third of the commands of Islam benefited therefrom? Now, in one sin of his, behold! the secret of this must be that God knows what the secrets are.

Every good or evil action which occurs, upon inspection, yields guidance for the future.

Afterwards he said: It has been related that one day the

Commanders of the Faithful, Hasan and Husain, were playing in front of the Apostle. He grew very happy. At that moment Gabriel descended and said: 'How can you be happy when it has been decreed that one will be given poison and the other will be killed in the desert of Karbala?

Your life cannot be saved from this end, O Sa'di: You are a thirsty traveler, and are offered poisoned sherbet.

Later on, he said: It is said that Yazid wanted a pledge of allegiance but those who went to do battle with him killed him of their own accord, for Yazid executed those who had killed Husain.8