Letters of the Kufans to Imam al-Husayn (a): Difference between revisions

'''Letters of the people of Kufa to Imam al-Husayn (a)''' refer to the letters which people of Kufa wrote to Imam al-Husayn (a) in order to invite him and give allegiance to him. These letters were written shortly after the death of Mu’awiyah, and after Imam al-Husayn’s (a) refusal to give allegiance to Yazid, when he (a) was in Mecca. Letters of the people of Kufa made Imam (a) move towards Kufa; but when ‘Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad became the governor of Kufa and suppressed people there, they did opposite to what they had written and abandoned Imam al-Husayn (a) in the tragedy of ‘Ashura. Among the writers of the letters, the names of some chiefs and famous figures of Shia such as Sulayman b. Surad Khuza’i, Habib b. Mazahir and Rufa’a b. Shaddad can be seen.

== Number of Letters ==

== Message of some of the Letters ==

When the people Kufa received the news of the death of Mu’awiya, they doubted about the caliphate of Yazid and felt the threat. At that time, they were informed that Imam al-Husayn (a) had refused to give allegiance to Yazid and had gone to Mecca. Therefore, Shia of Kufa made a meeting in the house of Sulayman b. Surad Khuza’i and spoke about the death of Mu’awiya and praised to God for that. Then, Sulayman b. Surad said that, “Mu’awiya is dead and Husayn b. Ali (a) has not given allegiance to his son Yazid and has gone to Mecca. If you intend to help him, inform him and if you doubt to help him, do not deceive him and do not put him in danger.” People insisted that they wanted to help him and wrote a letter to Imam al-Husayn (a) saying,

“In the Name of God the All Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Peace be upon you and we praise with you for God, there is no God but Him alone.

But then, praise be to God who defeated your oppressing and rebellious enemy, the one who attacked this Umma, confiscated the caliphate and the treasure of the people and took their caliphate without their consent. Then, he killed the good and remained the evil and shared the treasure of God among the oppressors and the wealthy. So, may the curse of God be upon him the way the people of Thamud were inflicted by the curse of God.

Indeed, we do not have any leader, so come to us, may God unite us through you. Nu’man b. Bashir is in the palace of the governorship and we neither pray with him on Fridays, not do we go out with him on the days of Eid; and when we know you have come to us, we will throw him out of the city to Sham. God Willing.”

The elders of Kufa sent the letter by Abd Allah b. Musamma’ Hamadani and Abd Allah b. Wa’il and asked them to deliver it to Imam (a) as soon as they can. The letter was delivered to Imam (a) in Mecca on Ramadan 10.

Two days after sending the first letter, people of Kufa sent Qeys b. Musahhar Saydawi, ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Abd Allah Arhabi and ‘Amara b. ‘Abd Saluli with 150 letters to Imam al-Husayn (a). The author of some of these letters were two or four people.

Two days later, the people of Kufa sent Hani b. Hani Sabi’i and Sa’id b. Abd Allah Hanafi to Imam al-Husayn (a) and gave them a letter to give Imam (a). It was written in that letter that,

“In the Name of God the All Compassionate, the Most Merciful

This is a letter to Husayn b. Ali (a) from his followers and Muslims. But then, rush!; for people are waiting for you and all agree upon you, so rush, rush! And rush and rush again! The end.”

=== The Fourth Letter ===

== The Answer of Imam al-Husayn (a) to People of Kufa ==

All of the messengers gathered before Imam (a) and Imam (a) read the letters and asked the messengers for the situation of people. Then, he (a) wrote a letter and sent it with Hani b. Hani Sabi’i and Sa’id b. ‘Abd Allah Hanafi who were the last messengers. The text of the letters was as below:

From Husayn b. Ali to all the Muslims and believers

But then, Hani and Sa’id came to me with your letters and they were your last messengers who came to me, and I found what you mentioned and most of you stressed that, ‘we do not have an imam; so, come to us; may God unite us over the guidance and truth through you.’ Now, I send my brother, my cousin and a reliable person in my relatives to you. If he writes that the opinions of most of you and your wise and elder ones is in agreement with what your messengers inform about and I read in your letters, I will soon come to you by the will of God; for I swear by my soul that Imam (a) is not anyone but one who rules according to the Book of God, rises to justice, observes the religion of truth and commits himself to what God has said and ordered. The end.”

=== Sending Muslim b. ‘Aqil to Kufa ===

Imam al-Husayn (a) called Muslim b. ‘Aqil b. Abi Talib and sents him with Qeys b. Musahhar Saydawi, ‘Amara b. ‘Abd Saluli and Abd al-Rahman b. Abd Allah Arhabi and ordered Muslim to observe piety, conceals his duty and treats with people kindly and if he sees that people are sufficiently unanimous and united informs Imam (a) quickly.

[[tr:Kufelilerin İmam Hüseyin’e (a.s) Mektupları]]