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Following in the Footsteps of Husayn (peace be upon him) by Dr. Ahmad Rassem Al-Nafis
Virtue is among us, and the seal of the prophets is with us, and among us are the leaders of Islam, and among us are the bearers of the Book. Indeed, we call you to Allah and His Messenger, to struggle against His enemy, and to be steadfast in His cause, seeking His pleasure, establishing prayer, giving zakat, performing Hajj, fasting Ramadan, and distributing spoils to the people. Truly, one of the greatest wonders is that Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, the Umayyad, and Amr ibn al-As, the Sahmi, incite people under the pretense of seeking religion. And you know that I never opposed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), nor disobeyed him in any matter. I protected him with my own life in moments when heroes faltered, and obligations trembled, with the support Allah honored me with. Praise be to Him. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) passed away, his head was on my lap. I washed him with my own hands alone, while the angels near me attended. By Allah, no nation ever differed after their prophet except that the people of falsehood appeared over the people of truth, except as Allah willed. (1)
It is also worth turning to the camp of slander and falsehood to hear the remarkable dialogue narrated by Nasr ibn Muzahim, transmitted by Ibn Abi al-Hadid:
“Muawiya asked Amr ibn al-As to arrange the ranks of the people of Syria. Amr replied: ‘On the condition that I have authority if Allah kills the son of Abi Talib and I secure the land for you.’ Muawiya asked: ‘Isn’t your rule in Egypt?’ Amr replied: ‘Is Egypt a substitute for Paradise, and the killing of the son of Abi Talib a price for the punishment of the Fire which they [the wrongdoers] will not escape from?’”
Muawiya said: “You will have your rule, Abu Abdullah. If the son of Abi Talib is killed, the people of Syria will hardly listen to you.” Then Amr stood and said: “People of Syria, arrange your ranks, trim your mustaches, and expose your skulls for an hour. The truth has reached its destination; now only oppressor and oppressed remain.” (1)
Returning to the camp of truth, we hear the illuminating words of Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tihani, one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), organizing the ranks of the people of Iraq:
“O people of Iraq, there is but an hour of daylight between you and victory in this world, and Paradise in the Hereafter. So plant your feet, arrange your ranks, offer your skulls for your Lord, seek help from Allah, struggle against the enemy of Allah and your enemy, kill them as Allah has decreed, and be patient, for the earth belongs to Allah and He grants it to whomever He wills among His servants, and the end is for the righteous.” (2)
Regarding the position of Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) in the ranks of the Imam, his status is supreme. We can see this through the narration:
“Asma’ ibn Hakim al-Fazari said: I was with two rows alongside Ali, under the banner of Ammar ibn Yasir, at sunrise, shaded by a red cloak, when a man approached to stabilize the ranks until he reached us. He asked: ‘Which of you is Ammar ibn Yasir?’ Ammar replied: ‘I am Ammar.’ The man asked: ‘Abu al-Yaqzan?’ Ammar replied: ‘Yes.’ The man said: ‘I have a need with you; should I speak it secretly or openly?’ Ammar said: ‘Choose whichever you wish.’ The man said: ‘Openly.’ Ammar said: Speak. The man said: ‘I left my family seeking the truth that we are upon. I do not doubt the misguidance of these people, and they are upon falsehood, yet I remained aware of this until last night. In my dream, a caller came forth, proclaimed that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family). He called to prayer, and their caller did likewise, then we prayed a single prayer and recited a single book, and invoked a single supplication. Doubt reached me that night, a night known only to Allah, until morning. I came to the Commander of the Faithful and related it to him. He asked: ‘Have you met Ammar ibn Yasir?’ I said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘Then meet him and see what he tells you and follow it; I sent you for that.’”
Ammar replied: “Do you see the black banner opposite me? It is the banner of Amr ibn al-As. I fought him with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) three times; this is the fourth. It is neither better nor purer than before; it is worse and more corrupt. Its positions today correspond to the positions of the Messenger of Allah’s banners on the days of Badr, Uhud, and Hunayn, while theirs correspond to the positions of the polytheists of the confederates. Do you see this army and those within it? By Allah, I wish all those who came with Muawiya intending to fight us were distinct from what we are upon—they are all one in nature, cut off and slaughtered. By Allah, their blood is more permissible than the blood of a sparrow. Do you think the blood of a sparrow is forbidden? He said: ‘No, it is permissible.’ I said: ‘So they are permissible as well. Do you understand?’ He said: ‘Yes, I understand.’ Then the man departed. Ammar called him and said: ‘They will strike you with their swords.’”
References:
Sharh Nahj al-Balagha by Ibn Abi al-Hadid, ed. Muhammad Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim, Vol. 5, pp. 181, First Edition, Dar al-Jeel – Beirut, 1987.
Ibid., Vol. 5, pp. 190.
