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Imam al-Husayn's (a) Will to Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya
Calligraphy of part of Imam al-Husayn's (a) will to Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya in Intizar and Diwani scripts
Calligraphy of part of Imam al-Husayn's (a) will to Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya in Intizar and Diwani scripts
SubjectExplaining the goals of Imam al-Husayn's (a) uprising
Issued byImam al-Husayn (a)


Imam al-Ḥusayn's (a) Will to Muḥammad b. al-Ḥanafiyya refers to a written testament authored by Imam al-Husayn (a) and addressed to his brother, Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya, upon the Imam's final departure from Medina for Mecca. In this will, Imam al-Husayn (a) affirms the core Islamic tenets of Tawhid (Monotheism), Prophethood, and Ma'ad (Resurrection), while delineating the objectives of his uprising. He declares that his movement was not motivated by insolence, corruption, or oppression, but rather by a desire to seek reform within the Umma of the Prophet (s), to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and to adhere to the Sira of the Prophet (s) and the practice of Imam Ali (a).

The text has been recorded with textual variations and without a chain of transmission (Sanad) by scholars such as Ibn A'tham al-Kufi, Akhtab Khwarazm, and Muhammad b. Abi Talib al-Ha'iri. Additionally, 'Ali b. Mahdi Tabari Mamatiri and Ibn Shahrashub have narrated excerpts of this testament as an oral statement made by Imam al-Husayn (a) to Ibn 'Abbas.

Rasul Ja'fariyan has questioned the authenticity of the narrative found in Kitab al-Futuh due to the absence of a chain of transmission. Conversely, Ja'fariyan's methodology has drawn criticism, with scholars citing the historical repute of Kitab al-Futuh and the corroboration of the will's content by other traditions. The versions narrated by Ibn A'tham and Khwarazmi reference the conduct of the Rashidun Caliphs alongside the Sira of the Prophet (s) and the Sira of Imam Ali (a); however, Sayyid Murtada al-Askari regards this addition as a later distortion interpolated into Imam al-Husayn's (a) speech. Muhammad Hadi Yusufi Gharavi similarly deems Ibn A'tham's narration weak on these grounds, favoring the report of Ibn Shahrashub.

Importance of the Will

The will of Imam al-Husayn (a) to Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya is a document composed by the Imam for his brother during the final journey preceding his martyrdom.[1] In this testament, the Imam outlines the objectives of his uprising: the reformation of the Umma of the Prophet (s), the practice of Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, and adherence to the Sira of the Prophet (s) and Imam Ali (a).[2]

Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi asserts that Imam al-Husayn's (a) uprising was driven not by a quest for power, but by the pursuit of religious objectives.[3] Morteza Mutahhari likewise identifies the reformation of Islamic society and the revival of 'enjoining the good and forbidding the evil' as the primary goals of the uprising.[4] Salihi Najafabadi characterizes the movement as a reformative endeavor rooted in the spirit of Islam.[5] Drawing upon this will, Sayyid Ali Khamenei, the second Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, argues that Imam al-Husayn (a) rose to reform the Umma and to enjoin the good and forbid the evil after witnessing the degradation of Islamic society and its deviation from the Prophet's (s) path.[6]

Context, Text and Translation

According to the account in Tasliyat al-Majalis, Imam al-Husayn (a) met with his brother, Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya, on the morning of his departure from Medina to Mecca. Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya implored the Imam to avoid conflict to ensure his safety, proposing various strategies to avert war. Imam al-Husayn (a) responded that even if no sanctuary remained on earth, he would still refuse to pledge allegiance to Yazid.[7]

Upon hearing this, Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya wept, and Imam al-Husayn (a) wept with him. The Imam thanked his brother for his sincere counsel but affirmed his resolve to travel to Mecca accompanied by his family and Shi'a followers. He instructed Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya to remain in Medina to monitor affairs in the city. Finally, Imam al-Husayn (a) inscribed the following will addressed to his brother:[8]

Template:Twin Quote Collapsible According to 'Allama Majlisi, Imam al-Husayn (a) sealed the document, wrapped it, and entrusted it to his brother. He then bid him farewell and departed Medina in the middle of the night.[9]

Evaluation of Sanad and Content

The will of Imam al-Husayn (a) has been recorded with textual variations by Ibn A'tham al-Kufi (d. after 320/932) in Kitab al-Futuh[10], Akhtab Khwarazm (d. 567/1171-72) in Maqtal al-Husayn[11], and Muhammad b. Abi Talib al-Ha'iri (d. second half of 10th century AH) in Tasliyat al-Majalis[12]. 'Allama Majlisi relies on the report from *Tasliyat al-Majalis* as his source in Bihar.[13] 'Ali b. Mahdi Tabari Mamatiri[14] (d. 360/970-71) and Ibn Shahrashub[15] (d. 588/1192) have also narrated excerpts of this testament as an oral statement made by Imam al-Husayn (a) to Ibn 'Abbas.

According to Rasul Ja'fariyan (b. 1964), the primary source for this will is Ibn A'tham's *al-Futuh*, and the narrative lacks a sound (Ṣaḥīḥ) chain of transmission.[16] Critics of this view argue that *al-Futuh* is a reliable source, a fact acknowledged by Ja'fariyan himself in his other works. Furthermore, they maintain that a weak chain of transmission does not necessitate the rejection of the narration, particularly as the content of the will is corroborated by other traditions.[17]

The versions narrated by Ibn A'tham and Khwarazmi include a reference to the Sira of the Rashidun Caliphs alongside that of the Sira of the Prophet (s) and Imam Ali (a). However, Sayyid Murtada al-Askari contends that this inclusion is a distortion, interpolated into Imam al-Husayn's (a) words at a later date. Muhammad Hadi Yusufi Gharavi similarly regards Ibn A'tham's narration as weak on these grounds, lending greater weight to Ibn Shahrashub's report.

Notes

  1. ↑ Muṭahharī, Majmū'a-yi Āthār, 1384 Sh, vol. 17, p. 151.
  2. ↑ Dāwūdī and Rustam Nzhād, Āshūrā Rīshe-hā, Angīze-hā, Rūydād-hā wa Payāmad-hā, 1387 Sh, p. 330.
  3. ↑ Miṣbāḥ Yazdī, Ādharkhashī dīgar az āsmān-i Karbalā, 1382 Sh, p. 124.
  4. ↑ Muṭahharī, Majmū'a-yi Āthār-i Ustād Shahīd Muṭahharī (Ḥikmat-hā wa Andarz-hā 1 & 2), 1384 Sh, vol. 22, p. 292.
  5. ↑ Ṣāliḥī Najafābādī, Shahīd-i Jāvīd, 1387 Sh, pp. 288-289.
  6. ↑ Khamenei, "Bayānāt dar khuṭba-hā-yi namāz-i jum'a-yi Tehran", Daftar-i Ḥifẓ wa Nashr-i Āthār-i Ayatollah Khamenei.
  7. ↑ Ḥusaynī Mūsawī, Tasliyat al-Majālis, 1418 AH, vol. 2, pp. 156-158.
  8. ↑ Ḥusaynī Mūsawī, Tasliyat al-Majālis, 1418 AH, vol. 2, p. 160.
  9. ↑ Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, 1403 AH, vol. 44, p. 330.
  10. ↑ Ibn A'tham al-Kūfī, al-Futūḥ, 1411 AH, vol. 5, p. 21.
  11. ↑ Akhṭab Khwārazm, Maqtal al-Ḥusayn (a), 1381 Sh, vol. 1, p. 273.
  12. ↑ Ḥusaynī Mūsawī, Tasliyat al-Majālis, 1418 AH, vol. 2, pp. 160-161.
  13. ↑ Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, 1403 AH, vol. 44, pp. 327-330.
  14. ↑ Ṭabarī Māmaṭīrī, Nuzhat al-abṣār wa maḥāsin al-āthār, 1387 Sh, p. 40.
  15. ↑ Ibn Shahrāshūb Māzandarānī, Manāqib Āl Abī Ṭālib, 1379 AH, vol. 4, p. 89.
  16. ↑ Ja'fariyān, Taʾammulī dar nahḍat-i 'Āshūrā, 1386 Sh, p. 30; Ja'fariyān, "Waṣiyyat-i Imām Ḥusayn (a) bi Muḥammad Ḥanafiyya sanadiyyat nadārad", IQNA News Agency.
  17. ↑ Murūjjī Ṭabasī, "Naqdī bar sukhanān-i Rasūl Ja'fariyān darbāra-yi Waṣiyyat-nāma-yi Imām Ḥusayn (a) bi Muḥammad Ḥanafiyya", IQNA News Agency.

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