Habib b. Muzahir: Difference between revisions

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'''Ḥabīb b. Muẓāhir al-Asadī''' (Arabic:{{iarabic| حبیب بن مُظاهر الاسدي}}) was one of [[Imam 'Ali (a)|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 al-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 al-Husayn (a), he left Kufa, joined Imam, and was martyred at the age of 75 while fighting in Imam al-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'laba b. Dudan b. Asad al-Asadi al-Kindi al-Faq'asi.

His father's name appears in the early sources in different ways. It is sometimes Muzahir, sometimes Muzahhar and sometimes, Mutahhar. Based on what is common between people and in some Ziyara scriptures, [[al-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 al-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 (s)]], if we are alive and the son of the Prophet is oppressed and killed."

It is not clear whether Habib was one of the [[Sahaba|Prophet's (s) companions]] or [[Tabi'un]] (those who saw the companions, but not the [[Prophet (s)]]). Some, like [[Ibn al-Kalbi]] and [[Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani]] stated that he had been in the presence of the Prophet (s).

[[Al-Shaykh al-Tusi]] has listed him among the companions of [[Imam 'Ali (a)]], [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] and [[Imam al-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 fi ma'refat al-ashab|al-Isti'ab]]'' and ''[[Usd al-ghaba]]'' did not count him as a companion of the Prophet (s).

==During Imam 'Ali's Life==

Habib went to [[Kufa]] with [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] and fought alongside him in all of his combats. He was considered one of Imam's special companions and bearer of his knowledge. [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] bestowed upon him 'Ilm al-Balaya wa al-Manaya (the knowledge of calamities and [time of] deaths). His conversation with [[Maytham al-Tammar]], years before [['Ashura']], about how they will be martyred is one instant of this knowledge that they were bestowed by Imam 'Ali (a).

He was a member of the special group called [[Shurtat al-Khamis]].

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

When [[Muslim b. 'Aqil]] came to Kufa as the Imam's representative, they rushed to support him. People of Kufa secretly pledged allegiance to Habib and [[Muslim b. 'Awsaja]] as the representative of Muslim b. 'Aqil. They did all they could in this regard.

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 al-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 al-Husyan's camp in [[Karbala]] on [[Muharram]] 7th 61(October 7th 680).

Upon reaching [[Karbala]], Habib repeats his expression of loyalty to Imam al-Husayn (a). As soon as he observed the great number of Imam's enemies and small number of his companions, Habib asked Imam al-Huasyn (a) to go to a nearby tribe of [[Banu Asad]] and to ask them to join Imam (a). With the permission of Imam, Habib hurried to the tribe and started preaching them and encouraging them to join the Imam. However, [['Umar b. Sa'd]] stopped the tribe from joining Imam (a) by sending an army to them.

The day before [['Ashura']], Habib preached to the person who brought a letter from [['Umar b. Sa'd]] for [[Imam al-Husayn (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 al-Husayn (a), and warned them about starting a war by talking about the merits of the Imam (a) and his companions.

'''Eve of 'Ashura''''

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

'''Day of 'Ashura''''

In the morning of 'Ashura', [[Imam al-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.

Habib said, "I swear to God that I see you worship Him with 70 doubts and [layers of] uncertainty. I witness that you are right and have no idea what Imam is talking about. Your heart is dark and sealed against any truth."

At noon of 'Ashura', when [[Abu Thumama]] reminded Imam of the time of the prayer, Imam told his companions to ask the enemy to stop the war so that they can pray. [[Husayn b. Numayr]] (Husayn b. Tamim) said, "Your prayers won't be accepted by God."

"You think that the prayer of Prophet's household will not be accepted" replied Habib, "Your prayers will not be accepted, you drunk (donkey)!" Then Habib attacked him and hit his horse on the face with the sword. He fell to the ground and his friends came to help and rescued him from Habib's attack.

While [[Muslim b. 'Awsaja]] covered in his own blood was breathing his last breaths, [[Imam al-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 al-Husayn (a) and told Habib, "My will is to stay with Imam al-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."

Our reason and argumentation is superior and clear and we are more pious and accepted [by God] than you."

Despite being very old, Habib fought like a hero and killed 62 people of the enemy. Just then, Budayl b. Maryam 'Aqfani attacked him and hit him on the head with his sword. Another enemy hit him with a spear, causing him to fall off the horse and down to the ground. Then, Budayl b. Maryam beheaded him. Habib had an underage son named Qasim, who killed Budayl after he came of age.

[[Imam al-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 al-Husayn]]'s (a) tomb. Later, his tomb was included in Imam al-Husayn's (a) shrine and was located in the southern porch.

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

* The material for this article is mainly taken from {{ia|[http://fa.wikishia.net/%D8%AD%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%A8_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D9%85%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%B1 حبیب ابن مظاهر]}} in Farsi Wikishia.