Bula le karbala maula (Nauha)-- By Taha Mehdi

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Every day is Ashura, and every land is karbala. Everyday you have to deal with tyrant satans and your own internal demons. Every moment you are faced with two choices, pick faith or pick hell. Sometimes in faith, you lose your life, your friends, your family, your chador, your homes, your food... but you remain faithful and steadfast.

Bula lay karbala Maula

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Just keep doing good deeds. God saves the memory of good doers who visit the earth, in many ways, for generations to come.

Sada rahay ga Hussain (as) ka ghum..
Woh qabr e asghar bana ke utha
Jafaon ka dil hila ke utha..

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Sometimes, my heart lives in karbala. It's a drink, very intoxicating.

Ya Rab koi masooma zindan mein na tanha ho-- by Hasan Sadiq

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Lady Sakina was the four year old daughter of Imam Hussain (as). She endured all the atrocities of karbala. There was no food and no water for three days. She lost her uncle, father, brothers in bloody fights with yazid army. She used to sleep on her father's chest since birth. When her father was slaughtered on 10th moharram, she could not sleep at all. The militants of yazid slapped her many times with their rough hands. They pulled her earrings in a way that her ears got injured badly. Her clothes were set on fire. After all the men of Hussain's caravan were killed, the women and children (and Imam Sajjad) were held hostage in dark jails, little oxygen, heavy chains, and scorching heat of Syria. Lady sakina used to cry and mourn alot. So yazid ordered to keep her in separate jail away from everybody. This four year old child of Imam Hussain spent many days in deep and dark jail all alone. Yazid finally sent the head of her father, she placed her face on her father's face and drank the drink of shahadat.

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Hz. Abbas was the brother of Imam Hussain (as). His father was Ali (as), but his mother was not Lady Fatima. Ali married a lady Umul Baneen, who belonged to a warrior tribe, and had many sons from her. Although Abbas was not from the bloodline of Prophet Mohammed (saw), he was always treated as Ahl e bayt (family) by All the family members. Fatima loved Abbas dearly, and always treated him like her own blood. Imam Hussain told Abbas, you are my brother and we are qual in faith. But Abbas always said, I am not your brother, I am your ghulam. Abbas was very sincere and faithful to the family of Ali. He looked upto Imam Hussain. He made all his decisions after consulting with Hussain. The loyalty, bravery, and brotherhood of Abbas has no parallels.

Abbas was a very fine warrior. He was invincible in wars. In karbala, Imam Hussain appointed him to protect the tents and women and children. Abbas embraced martyrdom in a very unique and special way.

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Mujhe Abbas (as) kehte hain..

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Abbas (as) was a marvellous warrior with unmatched fighting skills. He was the commander and flag bearer of Hussain's army. But Imam Hussain had requested him to stay close to the tents and safeguard all the women and children from vicious militants of yazid.

When yazid restricted the water of Hussain' s tribe, the children got extrmely thirsty. Lady sakina asked her uncle Abbas if he could arrange some water. Abbas could not bear the sight of crying children because of extreme thirst. Abbas picked up the water carrier and headed towards euphrates river. Sakina gathered all the children, and informed them that Uncle Abbas is bringing some water for us.

Abbas picked up his Alam and water carrier, and went towards river. Abbas and his horse were thirsty too, as there was no water for 3 days. Abbas picked up some water in his hand, but then he thought, Hussain is thirsty, sakina is thirsty, little asghar is thirsty.. how can I drink the water before them. Then he looked at his horse and said, I am not drinking water but you are the master of your will .. you can erase your thirst. The horse nodded his head and did not drink any water.

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Mauj e kausar sar utha ker dekhti hi reh gayi
itni oonchai pe rakh di tashnagi Abbas ne

Saja rakhi thi darya per ajab baraat pani ki
Boht kerte they ashrar e yazidi baat pani ki

Magar darya pe pohnache thokrain maari chale aaye
Bata di Hazrat e Abbas ne auqat pani ki

Katay bazu, chidi mashkiza, bachi reh gai pyaasi
Zameen per khoon ban ker ho gai barsaat pani ki.

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Tod ke Sahil samne Darya ajata
Aap agar kerte jo Ishara ya Abbas

Ya Abbas, har dil ne pukara, ya Abbas
ya Abbas, har dil ka sahara, ya Abbas

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Yazid was fighting for Islamic leadership, but he broke all the rules of warship. These rules were put together by combined efforts of Prophet Mohammad (saw) and Imam Ali (as):

Rule number one: Water and food supply of opposite forces cannot be restricted.
yazid completely restricted the water and food supply of Hussain's army, including infants and children

Rule number two: if you win the war, you cannot harm the women and children of the opponents in any way.

Yazid burned down the tents, pulled away their veils, and walked them through the streets of Kufa and Syria without their chadars.. while people hurled stones at them. And locked them up in dark and suffocating jails.

Rule number three: it's not allowed to harm the dead bodies of the opponent army:

Yazid badly mutilated the dead bodies of Hussain's army. He made horses run over the dead bodies and badly mutilated the bodies. And raised the cut-off heads on swords. He didn't allow to bury the bodies.

Rule number 4: In one on one duals, only two people fight, other people cannot jump in.

In yaziId's army, when in duals their man started losing. They would all jump in, and attack from all sides with all kinds of weapons.

Rule number 5: one can only fight in defense and not initiate the war.

Yazid broke this rule too, Hz. Abbas was not fighting. Imam Hussain had told him to not pull out his sword, until his approval. He died but did not pull out his sword.

Yazid broke many more rules ..

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By the time of Asr, on 10th moharram, all the men got martyred, other than the 4th imam. After that, Zainab (the sister if Imam Hussain) took the leadership of the remamining tribe. They were chained and made to walk through the crowded streets and darbars of tyrants... Even in that situation, Zainab gave sermons wherever possible. Zainab's bravery, determination, and strength cannot be found elsewhere.

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So Abbas arrived at the river bank. He quickly filled up the water carrier. He was excited to have arranged water for Sakina and her clan. But as he turned back, he saw yazid's army. They were closing in like a pack of wolves. Abbas was an impeccable warrior, he thought about slicing them all. But then he thought Aqa Hussain has commanded him to not pick up sword.

Abbas tried to flee towards tents. He was not worried about losing his life, his intention was to deliver the water and fulfill his promise to quench the thirst of Sakina. Yazid's army attacked Abbas with all sorts of heavy artillery. One man chopped off the right arm of Abbas. Abbas held the water carrier in left arm. He wanted to protect the water carrier at all costs. He thought he could still make it to the tent. Another man chopped off his left arm. And then one arrow penetrated the water carrier and all the water got spilled. When this happened, Abbas lost all his will power, and fell on the ground. Before water carrier was destroyed, Abbas and his horse were running towards the tent. But after the water got spilled, Abbas was running away from the tent. Yazid army attacked him like honey bees with spears, arrows, knifes, and swords.

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This Marsia is written by Mir Monis, the younger brother of famous poet Mir Anees

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When the news came to Imam Hussain that Abbas is taking his last breaths, next to the river bank, his backbone lost its strength. His back became weak. Abbas was the backbone of Imam Hussain. Imam ran towards Abbas. Abbas's whole body was bloody and injured.
Imam placed the head of Abbas in his lap. Abbas said, Aqa I have two wishes before I die. My first wish is that you clean the blood in my eyes, so I can see your face one last time. My second wish is that you dont take my dead body to the tents. I disappointed Sakina.
Imam cleaned the eyes of Abbas and said, I also have one request for you... you always address me as Aqa, I want you to call me akhi (bhai), before you leave this body and enter paradise. Abbas looked at Imam Hussain, called him Bhai and closed his eyes.

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Who was Ali Asghar?

Ali Asghar was the son of Imam Hussain and the youngest shaheed of the battle of karbala. When Imam decided to leave Madina and to travel towards Karbala, Ali Asghar was 18 days old. By the time they arrived at Karbala, Asghar was 6 months old.

In the morning of 10th Moharram. Imam asked his wife Rubab to bring Asghar to him. Imam told Rubab, Asghar is extremely thirsty, I will take him to yazids forces, maybe they will give him some water. Rubab cleaned up asghar and dressed him in a nice attire.

Imam took Asghar to the battlefield. Imam said to the army, I am not bowing to yazid, I am your enemy and fugitive, but this baby has not done you any wrong.. why dont you give him some water. Upon this, yazid feared anarchy. He ordered his finest warrior Hurmala to shed the blood of asghar as soon as possible. Hurmala picked out the heaviest arrow. That arrow was used to bring down rebellious horses. The arrow was so heavy that hurmala couldn't shoot it while standing. Hurmala got on his knees and targeted the neck of Ali Asghar. The arrow penetrated the neck of asghar, and blood gushed out of his neck.