Imam Husayn’s Horse
Al-Husayn’s horse came circling around him, rubbing his head on his blood. It was then that Ibn Sa’d shouted, “The horse! Get the horse, for it is one of the horses of the Messenger of Allah!” Horsemen surrounded that horse which kept kicking with its front legs, killing forty riders and ten horses.
Ibn Sa’d then said, “Leave him and let us see what he does.” Once he felt secure, the horse went back to al-Husayn (ﻉ) to rub his head on the Imam’s blood as he sniffed him. He was neighing very loudly. Imam Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (ﻉ) used to say that that horse was repeating these words: “Retribution! Retribution against a nation that killed the son of its Prophet’s daughter!” The horse then went to the camp neighing likewise. When the women saw the horse without its rider and its saddle twisted, they went out, their hair spread out, beating their cheeks, their faces uncovered, screaming and wailing, feeling the humiliation after enjoying prestige, going in the direction of the place where al-Husayn (ﻉ) had been killed.
Umm Kulthum, Zainab the wise, cried out, “O Muhammad! O father! O Ali! O Ja’far! O Hamzah! Here is al-Husayn in the open slain in Karbala’’!” Then Zainab said, “I wish the heavens had fallen upon the earth! I wish the mountains had crushed the valley!” She was near al-Husayn (ﻉ) when Omer ibn Sa’d came close to her flanked by some of his men. Al-Husayn (ﻉ) was drawing his last breath. She cried out, “O Omer ! Should Abu Abdullah be killed as you look on?!”
He turned his face away. His tears were flooding his beard. She said, “Woe unto you! Is there any Muslim man among you?” None answered her. Then Omer Ibn Sa’d shouted at people, “Alight and put him to rest!” Ash-Shimr was the first to do so. He kicked the Imam with his foot then sat on his chest and took hold of his holy beard. He dealt him twelve sword strokes. He then severed his sacred head…