Habib b. Muzahir: Difference between revisions

'''Ḥabīb b. Muẓāhir al-Asadi''' (Arabic: حبیب بن مُظاهر الاسدی) was one of [[Imam Ali]]'s (a) special companions. He was from [[Banu Asad]] tribe, and lived in [[Kufa]]. He was one of the people of Kufa who sent letters to [[Imam Husayn (a)]] and invited him to Kufa, after Mu'awiya's death. However, when he saw that people of Kufa have broken their allegiance to Imam Husayn (a), he left Kufa, joind Imam, and was martyred at the age of 75 while fighting in Imam Husayn's army.

Habib b. Muzahhar (or Muzahir) b. Ri'ab b. Ashtar b. Hajwan b. Faq'as b. Tarif b. 'Amr b. Qays b. Harith b. Tha'labat b. Dudan b. Asad al-Asadi al-Kandi al-Faq'asi.

His father's name appears in the early sources in different ways. It is sometimes Muzahir, sometimes Muzahhar and sometimes, Mutahhir. Based on what is common between people and in some Ziyara scriptures, [[Mamaqani]] chooses Muzahir as the correct record. On the other hand, [[Sayyid Muhsin Amin]] writes, "In most of the manuscripts of ancient historical and non-historical books, it is recorded as Muzahhar, and this is the correct form. However, "Muzahir", which appears in newly written books, is not in accordance with early records.

Habib was a devout and pious man. He practiced virtues and observed the divine rules carefully. He had the Holy [[Qur'an]] in memory completely, and spent every night in worship and supplication to God. According to Imam Husayn (a) he recited the whole Qur'an every night. He lived a simple and clean life. He was so uninterested in material world and so pious that no matter how much money and security offers he received, he rejected them all and said, "we will have no excuse to make to the Prophet of God, if we are alive and the son of the Prophet is oppressed and killed."

[[Al-Shaykh al-Tusi]] has listed him among the companions of [[Imam 'Ali (a)]], [[Imam Hasan (a)]] and [[Imam Husayn (a)]], but he does not mention his name among the companions of the Prophet (s). This implies that Habib was not a companion of the Prophet (s). Also, the writers of ''[[al-Isti'ab]]'' and ''[[Usd al-ghaba]]'' did not count him as a companion of the Prophet (s).

==During Imam Husayn's Life==

After the death of [[Mu'awiya]] (60/680), Habib and some of the heads of Shi'a communities in Kufa, like [[Sulayman b. Surad]], [[Musayyib b. Najaba]] and [[Rufa'at b. Shaddad al-Bajali]], refused to swear [[allegiance]] to [[Yazid]], and send letters to [[Imam Husayn (a)]] inviting him to lead [[Kufa]] in her uprising against [[Umayyad Dynasty]].

When [['Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad]] came to Kufa, he threatened people and launched crackdown against allegiance to Muslim b. 'Aqil; so people abandoned their allegiance to Muslim b. 'Aqil and lift him alone. The tribe of Banu Asad hid Habib and Muslim b. 'Awsaja to protect them against Ibn Ziyad's agents. Habib and Muslim b. 'Awsaja left Kufa to join Imam Husayn (a). They hid themselves from 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad's spies and agents, so they moved at nights and hid during days. Eventually, they joined Imam Husyan's camp in [[Karbala]] on [[Muharram]] 7th 61(October 7th 680).

The day before [['Ashura']], Habib preached to the person who brought a letter from [['Umar b. Sa'd]] for [[Imam Huasyn (a)]] and asked the messenger not to go back to the tyrants. In the evening of [[Tasu'a']], Habib spoke to enemy's army, which was about to attack the camp of Imam Husayn (a), and warned them about starting a war by talking about the merits of the Imam (a) and his companions.

In the eve of 'Ashura, [[Hilal b. Nafi']] informed Habib of the concerns of [[Lady Zaynab]], the daughter of [[Imam Ali (a)]], about the loyalty of the companions of Imam. Hilal and Habib gathered the companions of [[Imam Husayn (a)]] and together went to Imam Husayn (a) and informed him that they will support the family of the Prophet (s) to the last drop of their blood.

In the morning of 'Ashura', [[Imam Husayn (a)]] appointed Habib b. Muzahir as the commander of the left wing. He put [[Zuhayr b. Qayn]] on the right wing and [['Abbas b. 'Ali (a)]] on the center of the army.

In his speech to the enemy's army, Imam Husayn (a) mentioned his lineage, ancestry, merits and the narration of the Prophet (s) saying "These two (Hasan (a) and Husayn (a)) are the masters of paradise's youth." He even said that there are people among you who have heard the narration from the Prophet (s) himself. Just then, [[Shimr]] cut Imam's speech and said, "May all of my worship for God be in doubt and uncertainty if I knew what you are talking about."

At the beginning of the battle when a warrior from 'Umar b. Sa'd's army was asking for someone to fight, Habib and Burayr hurried to fight him but Imam Husayn (a) stopped them.

While [[Muslim b. 'Awsaja]] covered in his own blood was breathing his last breaths, [[Imam Husayn (a)]] and Habib came to him and Imam prayed to God to bless his soul. Then Imam read the verse of Qur'an which says, "Among the faithful are men who fulfill what they have pledged to Allah. Of them are some who have fulfilled their pledge, and of them are some who still wait,
 and they have not changed in the least." (33:23) Then Habib told him, "Your death is very hard for me, but I give you the good news of Paradise." Muslim b. 'Awsaja in return said with a weak voice, "May God give you good news." Habib said, "If my martyrdom were not close, I would have liked you to tell me your will [so that I executed for you] and by that I have fulfilled my tribal and religious duty toward you." Muslim b. 'Awsaja pointed to Imam Husayn (a) and told Habib, "My will is to stay with Imam Husayn (a). May God bless you, keep defending him as long as you are alive, and do not stop supporting him until you are killed." Habib said, "I will execute your will and I will make you happy."

[[Imam Husayn (a)]] came to him and said: "I expect from God [the reward of] myself and my supportive companions." According to some [[Maqtal]]s, Imam (a) said, "O Habib! You were a virtuous person who recited the whole Qur'an in one night."

When the tribe of [[Banu Asad]] were burying [[the martyrs of Karbala]], they buried Habib b. Muzahir, who was one of their elders and trustees, separately and with a distance of 10 meters from [[Imam Husayn]]'s (a) tomb. Later, his tomb was included in Imam Husayn's (a) shrine and was located in the southern porch.

Habib's name is mentioned in the [[scripture of ziyara]] of [[Imam Husayn (a)]] in [[the middle of Sha'ban]] and other scriptures of ziyara of Imam Husayn (a).