Bashir b. Amr al-Kindi
 Mausoleum of martyrs of Karbala, Karbala | |
| Companion of | Imam al-Husayn (a) |
|---|---|
| Religious Affiliation | Shi'a |
| Lineage | Kinda |
| Death/Martyrdom | 61/680 |
| Cause ofDeath/Martyrdom | Martyred in the Battle of Karbala |
| Burial Place | Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a), Karbalal |
Bashīr (Bushr) b. ʿAmr al-Ḥaḍramī al-Kindī (Arabic: بَشیر(بُشر) بن عَمرو الحَضرَمی الکِندی) was one of the Martyrs of Karbala.
Name and Lineage
In different sources, his name is mentioned as Bashir or Bushr, and his father’s name is mentioned as 'Amr or 'Umar.[1] He was from Hadhramaut from the Kinda tribe.[2]
In the Event of Karbala
He joined Imam al-Husayn (a) in Karbala together with one of his sons, Muhammad. According to some sources, Bashir was told on the Day of Ashura that another son of his was captivated on the Rey border. He responded: “I leave his affair to God. I do not like him to be captive and me to be alive”. When Imam al-Husayn (a) heard this, he told him: “May God have His mercy to you! You are free from my allegiance. Go and try to save your son.” Bashir replied: “May wild beasts eat me alive if I leave you alone while you have so few people on your side so that I would look for you in caravans. I will never do so”. The Imam (a) told him: “so give these clothes to your son, Muhammad, [who was accompanying Bashir in Karbala] to sell them in order to help free his brother”. Then the Imam (a) gave him his precious clothes that were worth 1000 dinars.[3]
Martyrdom
There are two different accounts of when he was martyred in the Event of Karbala: according to Abu Mikhnaf’s account, when Imam al-Husayn (a) decided to go to the battlefield to start fighting, only two of his companions were still alive:[4] Bashir b. 'Amr, and 'Amr b. Abi Muta' (or, on another account, Suwayd b. 'Amr al-Khath'ami). When Bashir found that the Imam (a) was preparing to go to the battlefield, he went to fight before the Imam (a) did. So he went to the battlefield and was martyred before Imam al-Husayn (a) was martyred.
However, in other sources, he is mentioned as one of the early martyrs in the event of Karbala.[5]
In Ziyaras
He is mentioned in al-Ziyara al-Rajabiyya of Imam al-Husayn (a): “Peace be upon Bashir b. 'Amr al-Hadrami”.[6] And in the less known version of Ziyara al-Nahiya al-Muqaddasa (non-famous), he is mentioned as follows: “Peace be upon Bishr b. 'Umar al-Hadrami. May God appreciates your words to Husayn when he permitted you to withdraw: may I be eaten by wild beasts if I leave you alone and ask you for vehicles and disgrace you with so few helpers. This is never going to happen.”[7]
Notes
References
- Ibn al-Mashhadī, Muḥammad. Al-Mazār al-kabīr. Qom: Qayyūm, 1419 AH.
- Muḥammadī Riyshahrī, Muḥammad. Dānishnāmah-yi Imām al-Ḥusayn (a). 2nd edition. Qom: Dār al-Ḥadīth, 1388 Sh.
- Samāwī, Muḥammad b. Ṭāhir al-. Ibṣār al-ʿayn fī anṣār al-Ḥusayn (a). Qom: Zamzam-i Hidāyat, 1384 Sh.
- Shahīd al-Awwal, Muḥammad b. Makkī. Al-Mazār. Qom: Muʾassisa Imām Hādī, 1410 AH.