#daylam

[anahida]

My recent CK3 fixation drove me to drawing Asfar ibn Shiruya who was like, a "villain" I loved in this book and made my main character in the game heh. I feel like I'll be drawing more of him and his comrades...

[tired-reader-writer]

Thinking about Wolfsong. I initially had Narsus only find out about the whole Gorgan fiasco after canon events start but recently, I've been kinda reconsidering it. Here is a dump of my thought process in no particular order:

So Narsus likely got the court position pretty soon after the whole Three Kingdoms Alliance thing

Shapur is likely involved in repelling said invasion because 1) Andragoras summoned pretty much almost anyone, and 2) it's coming from the east and his lands are in the northeast, Andragoras might want to mobilize the troops to... Peshawar, perhaps? Before the invading troops can penetrate too deep into the country. Many lords were called, yes, but someone like Shapur, whose domain borders Turk, could possibly be doubly expected to respond since this concerns his region. Just food for thought.

I'm not sure about Narsus' timeline in several parts. How long before the TKA was it that Teos died and Narsus became the new lord of Daylam? Was it then that he freed his slaves? Or was it after the TKA ordeal?

He pretty much self-exiled in Pars era 317, so at MOST he would've had two years. Did he live full-time in the capital? Did he ever return to Daylam, even if just briefly? The Daylami seemed pretty familiar with him.

Now that I think about it, Narsus and his mother (I need to name the lady) were kicked out by Teos' main wife and then were accepted back when the wife passed away some time before Teos' death, so maybe he got more time in Daylam than I thought. The problem is that I forgot when he and his mother were accepted back?

Anyways, this opportunity for an encounter between the two kinda offers me the opportunity to have them meet each other early. I am still contemplating what to do with it. Especially since a couple of the enslaved folk Narsus freed could end up in Gorgan's orbit.

There's no way the Gorgan folk could know about Narsus' abolitionist ideals until Narsus pulls that stunt of freeing all his slaves (I assume it happened in Daylam rather than the capital), I mean there's a small possibility that they might know vaguely but it's more likely that they straight up won't know until Narsus does the societal equivalent of kicking down the door and blasting a horn far and wide. There's also very little possibility of Narsus knowing unless Gorgan reaches out to him first— what with their operation being so hush-hush and crucially under wraps because of the Mardi's caution— and they wouldn't reach out before knowing that Narsus is trustworthy.

But after? Could Shapur possibly reach out? Maybe he would want his children to have an ally he knows can be trusted so they won't be so alone against the world. Would it even be Shapur who reaches out? Would it be Sadiq who advises Shapur to do so? Would it make sense for them to see a potential friend and ally and not take the opportunity, especially when Shapur has already cut ties with his relatives over the Isfan debacle and the region can't exactly trust other nobles willy-nilly. I don't know.

In the scenario that he does reach out and they do end up connecting with each other, what can I do with it? Narsus probably got the court position in 315, in my timeline I put down that Shapur becomes a marzban in 316 (age 32), after some ambiguous campaign that he was called to be part of, so he would have to go to the capital again. I did not find anything significant in the novel timeline in the year 316, so I wouldn't know what the occasion is. But in the hypothetical scenario that they're acquainted with each other by this point, what interesting thing can I do with how they view the capital? Does Narsus ever get to return to Daylam during his time as a court advisor of sorts? What could he do with this?

I have something vague pinned down for after when canon starts, where the Mardi folk (esp Khazān and Arslan? not sure yet) help Daylam defend against Lusitanians and encountering Irina and her crew + Kubard and Merlaine and things rolling from there— could that aid be rooted in a friendship established before that point?

Coordinating trade and stuff between the two regions could be pretty difficult if Narsus isn't there to manage the process, though. So I'm still not sure how it all works out.

In the scenario that there is a connection between Gorgan and Daylam, could Narsus possibly go back to Daylam after his exile instead of going to live on Mt. Bashur in isolation? Because even if somebody else warns him to be careful, I don't think it's possible for Narsus to stay quiet about the corruption and injustices in the capital and eventually he'd snap and get fed up and leave when his concerns go ignored.

I'm... still not sure what would happen after he goes back to Daylam (if he does) or why I'm contemplating this whole situation in the first place BUT here I am, pondering and contemplating anyways.

[eagleoftheninth]

Regret to announce that I went to the museum

Left: Helleno-Parthian statue of Herakles, from Hatra, Iraq, c. 1st-2nd century CE. Right: Drinking horn (rhyton) from Daylam (Iranian Caspian Sea coast), c. 7th century BCE.

Left: Hellenistic Buddha from Gandhara (modern Pakistan), c. 2nd-3rd century CE (Kushan Empire). Right: Ornamental pillar base from Kunduz, Afghanistan, also c. 2nd-3rd century CE (Kushan Empire).

Left, right: Shang bronze vessels for ritual wine, from the royal capital/tomb site at Anyang, Henan, c. 1200-1000 BCE.

Left: Western Zhou horse and chariot ornaments, c. 8th century BCE. Right: Qin casting mould for copper coins, c. 3rd century BCE.

Left, right: Warring States period bronze weapons, c. 5th-4th century BCE.

Tang wall scroll of a Buddhist sutra, from the Mogao Caves complex, Dunhuang, c. 9th century CE (note the Uyghur text to the sides).

Left: Tang tomb guardians, from Chang'an (modern Xi'an), c. 8th century CE. Right: Seljuq/Khwarazmian bowl from Iran, c. 12th century CE.

[innerchorus]

Okay yeah so this does seem to be a translation error. Let's also just ignore the double 'the', shall we?

Raw for comparison:

The relevant text: ダイラムへ抜ける北の山岳地帯までは追跡できたの��が・・・

Looks like it should be saying that Kharlan was able to track Arslan to the northern mountainous region that leads to Daylam.

For further confirmation, here's Kharlan's words from Chapter 13:

And here is that very road through the mountains, exactly where Narsus hoped to lure Kharlan and his troops:

[djprofessorl]

The Sassanian Military, at its peak, was one of the world’s most formidable. Under the command of the Ērān-Spahbad, the division of Ērānshahr’s armies was usually as follows:

1. Paygān: Light conscript infantry armed with wicker or leather shields and short spears. In times of struggle, conscripted farmers may have used agricultural tools such as pitchforks or sickles. Some conscripts came from far-flung provinces and brought their foreign military traditions with them, such as the Kurds, Anatolians, Armenians, and Arabs. The Daylamites, from the Caspian province of Daylam, were particularly famed for their prowess in hand-to-hand and close-quarters combat.

2. Foot Archers: Often conscripted, though instruction in archery required more training time, making these soldiers slightly more elite. For this reason, standing archers’ ranks were divided between Kamāndār-ī-Pāyahdag (conscripts) and Kamāndār-ī-Shahi (professionals or nobles)

3. Cavalry Archers (not pictured): Carrying over the tradition of their Arsacid predecessors, Sassanian armies often rode with a large contingent of light cavalry archers for their maneuverability and potential for ranged weakening of enemy forces. These archers would dress in lighter clothing than their heavy cavalry counterparts and were armed with the mighty composite bow, which could be drawn and fired quickly and while in motion.

4. Cataphracts: These heavily armored horsemen were the vanguard of every Sassanid force. Much of their ranks were comprised of elite warriors from the minor nobility, known as the Savaran. They donned full-body scale armor and full-coverage helmets, with their horses’ barding being of a similar construction. They carried many weapons, including the Kontos (an adapted version of the Greek Xyston), short and long swords, bludgeons such as maces and hammers, and even (according to one Roman source) a single-use crossbow that could discharge multiple arrows at medium range.

[rapalixi]

Ḥasan-e Ṣabbāḥ (died 1124, Daylam, Iran) was the leader, and believed to be the founder, of the Nizārī Ismāʿīliyyah, a Shiʿi Islamic sect that in the 12th and 13th centuries was commonly called the Assassins.

[bilge-al-balkhi]

And during the entire process there's the shadowy presence of Rayhan, Fuladh and the Alamut Brotherhood. Fuladh recruited Roshan, trained Basim, and welcomed Hytham when he returned from the north. And Rayhan was the mentor of the Brotherhood for the entire time. They did nothing.

The Magas Codex promised the Hidden One a "family" after they renounced every presence of their own in the real world and past life to join the Brotherhood. This promise failed dramatically as we saw in this cycle of trauma. It is possible that this is the very reasom Hytham collected and analyzed the Magas Codex. Yet his efforts did not prevent his mentor from leaving without a farewell.

But still, Hytham provides a good example for this so-called transition period from the Hidden Ones to the Assassins. He forged deep connections with the local community, which was different from what Alamut did in Daylam, and more similar to Al Mualim's Masyaf. He deserves credits in the canonic history of the brotherhood.

When Basim said to Roshan “You let me struggle alone”, when Basim let his past define him entirely by fear of loneliness, when Basim was terrified of ending up alone because he experienced total loss in his earlier life. When Roshan said to Basim “I am the daughter of no one”, when Roshan denies her past to define herself as an individual with no bound, when Roshan ends up leaving Basim behind despite loving him so much she almost gets killed trying to prevent him from losing himself. When Hytham said “Everyone is worthy of our love” to Eivor, when Hytham defines his life entirely on the Hidden Ones' creed and on Basim's teaching after losing his mother, when Hytham is left behind by Basim even though he was like a son to him. Roshan going on her own, leaving the Hidden Ones. Basim going through the ages, leaving everyone. Hytham staying in Ravensthorpe with a new family, never getting closure.

When Roshan taught Basim the leap of faith, when Basim taught Hytham the leap of faith, when Hytham taught Eivor the leap of faith. Roshan's “embrace the fear”, Basim's “you simply need to have faith”, Hytham's “my faith proved stronger than my fear”. Do you get it.

[anahida]

Following the last post, I drew the next, more important, actual King: Mardavij Ziyarid. 🌲

[ghousttm]

JUMPING IN PLACE HIIII IM THE MILO TRIPLETS NAME HEADCANON GUY!!!! 😁😁😁😁😁

Ok ok so

I imagined their names are all actually Milo or their middle names are all Milo

And they have a first/middle name that ppl usually use to call each of them!

pre!milo: (keyword: rabbit) Arley, Cony

m!milo: (keyword: cat) Ari, Leonard

v!milo: (keyword: dog) Kaleb

perfect!milo: (keyword: perfect) Daylam, Ashmal, Dyllis

These names i thought up like a week ago are based on animals tho (aside from perfect!milo) - but i can probably find names based on people who've a track record of being violent/manipulative when i feel motivated to

It'll be a whole lot different process of name finding tho bc instead of finding name meanings I'd have to find a list of controversial/(allegedly) horrible people instead of looking up a keyword on that one name website i like so much

(Ps there were other results for dog meaning names but i was deadset on Kaleb so u guys can try to find ur owns)

Slightly related to that - here's my headcanon user names and display names for each milo! (Except perfect!milo :p) (Display name in brackets !)

pre!milo: ConyCrochets (Milo 🐰 / Cony 🐰)

v!milo: kaleb23012024 (kaleb)

m!milo: Your_Leove_ (Leove ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ)

Hm... So I really like reading manga and manhua and one of the more popular themes right now is the whole player/dangueon/tower motive/theme. So I was wondering....

- if all 3 Milos were to be siblings (triplets), what would their other potential names be? The thought of Milo's parents using the same name for all their 3 sons makes me giggle. But yeah, pre! Milo would still be Milo but what about the other versions? Or any nicknames to distinguish the Milos?

- What kind of powers would they have? Any elemental powers? Psychological?

- Preferred weapon?

- Impulsive, tactical or too cautious and careful?

- What's their class?

And a very random question:

- What would each Milos' and your head sound like? It could be a song or a sound that is used to describe it. Like my brain switches between calm weaves hitting the shore and alternative metal tbh

Thank you, have a picture of two of my cats!

Waah such cute cats!

Hard to say. I think there was someone who made names for the three of them as headcannons. I think it would be neat if the two of them were named after either someone who is manipulative and violent or named after their animals of choice. The animal nicknames might be more prominent. I'm not good with names I could barely come up with Milo's name lol.

PreMilo I think would have some sort of healing or support powers. He seems like he would be more on the support rather than the offensive. For a weapon I'd imagine he'd have more of a shield or maybe some sort of lesser weapon since I don't think he's the type to fight. Definitely on the careful side since he doesn't want to get hurt or have others get hurt. Some sort of healer or buff class (and sacrifices his own health to help others type deal). Hmm, in terms of sound, I guess something cute but shy. I don't really have a song to it. Maybe something to the tone of Yr the best (though not quite the contents of it).

Manipulation Milo would definitely have some sort of psychic powers either things like mind reading or like delusions or something along those lines. His weapon is probably something simple like a dagger or I think it would be hilarious if he had some sort of gun as well. He is for sure very tactical since he likes to analyze the enemy's weaknesses and play around with them if possible. Class wise maybe some sort of thief or magic user. In terms of song, I can imagine something that starts out slow and becomes more deranged as the song goes on.

Violence Milo has some sort of physical based power whether it be super strength or turning his body into metal or something like that. I can imagine he has some sort of heavy weapon, like a hammer, but he would have some sort of blunt weapon, so a bat might be best. Very impulsive and will attack without warning if you're not careful. Classwise probably like a barbarian or a fighter. Song wise I think some sort of heavy metal or heavy rock.

Perfect Milo must be some sort of super boss...

[tired-reader-writer]

Writing is not an option for me right now so I've decided to brainstorm about random shit instead.

SO. ABOUT DAYLAM AND SHAPUR'S CASTLE.

They're located in the same general northeastern part of Pars (contrary to irl Iran's geography, btw! but we'll get to that in a bit) and also I plan to plunk Manuchurh in the same area so that he may guard the fucking border, so there's. Three of them floating around in relatively close distance. (I put Shapur's castle in the same location as the city of Gorgan since I didn't want to deal w the headache but now I'm wondering......)

So it's. Fuck. How do I put it. I was originally planning to only have Narsus get involved after the Battle of Atropatene, but the sudden epiphany about the geographical proximity is making me reconsider. How much could he know, how much could he find out? Also, if he knows, what about Manuchurh? Daylam and Shapur's castle are so close??? I guess Pars is a little lumpier than Iran so there's wiggle room there, I could punt the Wall of Gorgan equivalent nearer to the border, uhhhhhhhh??????????

Punt the wall a little further north? I GUESS???????? As we can see here they're rather. Uh. Close™.

Irl Daylam, on the other hand, is located much further to the west. Likely a similar location to where Narsus' lil hut on Mt. Bashur was put in canon?

(I still remember my rant from back then.)

I'm not coherent since I'm so tired but ?????? HELP?????

[habibi-holseti]

My Almyra Oc’s Birthdays and Khalid and Shahid’s

Disclaimer: I am khara (shit) at math so if any ages are wrong forgive me lol. Plus for the “Almyran Calendar” I am basically just using the Jalali Calendar.  (The Jalali colander is under the moon names.)

I hc the calendar was used all throughout eastern almyra, but was put into  fruition by the eastern Almyran king across the whole continent after the Alliance attacked and took Western Almyra’s vital lands and kingdom borders making them unify under the Eastern Kingdoms for protection. 

Khalid info- birthday: Jul 24, 1162 blue sea moon Mordad 2, 541 pre timeskip: 17/18 post timeskip: 23/24 From : Khalmanu Almyra's Captial

Shahid's info- Birthday: July 1st, 1156 Blue Sea moon Tir 10, 535 pre timeskip: 23/24 post timeskip: 29/30 From: Tirazis, Eastern Almyra

Farahzad's Info- Birthday: May 17th, 1152 Hartstring Moon Ordibehesht 27, 531 Pre timeskip: 28/29 Post Timeskip: 33/34 From: Tirazis, Eastern Almyra

Nureddine's info- Birthday: April 12th, 1159 Great tree moon Farvardin 22, 538 Pre timeskip: 20/21 Post Timeskip: 26/27 Form: Damas (Western Almyra) and Khalmanu

Mumtaz info- Birthday: November 16, 1174 Red wolf moon Aban 25, 553 pre timeskip: 6/7 post timeskip: 12/13 From: Khalmanu

Elias Info- Birthday: Dec 22nd, 1163 Eternal Moon Azar 30, 542 pre timeskip: 16/17 post timeskip: 22/23 Form: Jbeil, Western Almyra

Pari info- birthday: June 9th, 1161 Garland Moon Khordad 19, 540 Pre Timeskip: 18/19 Post Timeskip: 24/25 Form: Daylam, Eastern Almyra

Yasmine info- Birthday: September 29th,1160 Horsebow Moon Mehr 7th, 539 pre timeskip: 19/20 post timeskip: 25/26 From: Beit-Khubz, Western Almyra

(my arabic is crap I am trying to say house of bread here.) 

[daryunaru]

Chapitre 1 (en français)

An 303 du calendrier Parse. Le jeune Narsus fera une rencontre qui changera sa destinée, loin des quartiers populaires de Ecbâtana, la capitale du prestigieux royaume de Parse.

- Lève ton pinceau Narsus, demanda-t-elle puis se pencha sur la fraîche toile en laissant un rideau de cheveux clairs se déverser depuis son épaule. - Comment la trouvez-vous mère ? s'enquit le garçon en cherchant le regard de sa mère. - Beaucoup mieux. Cependant, il subsiste des défauts, nuança-t-elle. Tu es encore trop nerveux. Regarde, lui montra-t-elle en le réconfortant avec une bise sur la tempe. Tes traits sont encore irréguliers, mais ça va se dissiper avec de la pratique. N'oublie pas que tu as toute ta vie pour te perfectionner, le consola-t-elle. - Mais mère ! C'est tellement frustrant ! Peut-être serais-je meilleur dans d'autres domaines ? - Avec un tel raisonnement, tu te caches dans un manque de volonté... Bon, arrêtons pour aujourd'hui, il est bientôt l'heure de dîner. - Bien mère.

Des serviteurs approchèrent du chevalet abandonné avec hâte par le jeune maître et sous l'air songeur de la maîtresse de maison. Son Narsus ressemblait un peu plus chaque jour à son père. La seule chose qui subsistait d'elle était ses yeux améthystes. Ce portrait grandissant du Marzbähn Teos rendait le cœur de la mère flétris. Voilà bien longtemps qu'il n'était point venu se réchauffer dans son lit. Pourtant, elle restait consciente qu'elle demeurait et resterait qu'une concubine aux yeux de son Marzbähn. Parfois, elle s'aimait imaginer, tel un beau conte juvénile, que son amant délaisserait sa piteuse femme pour elle. Hélas, elle se devait se résigner avant qu'on ne le fasse pour elle...

- Madame ? Le marzbähn Teos vous attend dans le hashti.

Après une séance de peinture ardue, le jeune garçon courra rejoindre ses amis quand un noble s'avançait au hashti avec quelques gardes de Daylam

- Hé Nars' ! Tu es enfin libéré ! S'exclama un garçon un peu plus âgé que lui. - Oui ! On peut enfin jouer ! - Enfin, pas trop longtemps à ce que je vois... Ton père revient enfin ? - Ne dis pas n'importe quoi Kiyam ! Ce n'est pas mon père ! - À tous les coups, ils viennent pour toi, taquina-t-il. Aller, viens !

Il se saisit du poignet de Narsus et l'entraîna dans les ruelles. L'aîné cria à Narsus de se cacher de son côté. Pris par le jeu, le garçon exécuta l'ordre en suivant l'ombre d'une maison. Quand il se retourna, il n'avait plus personne. Le calme reprit le quartier. Devrait-il retourner sur ses pas ?

Narsus quitta un instant l'ombre avant d'y retourner. Le noble et ses gardes se tenaient au bout de la rue. Pourquoi n'attendaient-ils pas à la porte ?

Il s'accroupit entre deux pots en argiles et attendit un moment en portant à ses lèvres le médaillon qui ornait son cou. Mère n'aime pas que je fasse ��a... suite à cette pensée, il relâcha avec précaution la pierre et le laissa pendre sur son cou. Kiyam ne devrait pas tarder à le trouver... Enfin... Si il ne restait pas lui aussi cacher. En tout cas, il aurait entendu si son ami avait été pris. Narsus prit son courage et longea le mur jusqu'à voir la rue et se permit de soupirer. Les hommes n'étaient plus là. Il guetta encore, se replongeant entre derrière de grosses caisses quand le noble appela les serviteurs de sa mère. Ils sortaient en hâte, et firent sortir sa mère devant l'homme et ses gardes.

Narsus s'en voulut de laisser sa mère seule avec ces hommes. Elle avait besoin de lui ! Il quitta sa cachette et se dirigea vers la maison sous le soleil d'avril. La surprise prit le garçon. La maîtresse de maison affichait à ces inconnus un sourire radiant. Narsus était encore trop loin pour entendre, mais il les vit se précipiter dans la maison.

Il s'approcha de la porte. Les domestiques semblaient être tous occupés, même Sinan n’était pas visible. Pourtant, il est rare qu’il ne soit pas en train de veiller… Et si maman avait besoin de lui ? Narsus leva la main vers la poignée avant d'hésiter. Une discussion se déroulait sous la douce voix de sa mère, puis la voix suave de l'homme inconnu, puis leur rire mêlé.

L'idée que cet homme, noble ou non, soit son père lui parut absurde. Pourquoi revenir maintenant ? Était-ce vraiment lui ? Narsus n'eut pas le temps de s'esquiver quand la porte s'ouvra sur lui. Le rire de sa mère se transforma en faible cri.

- Voyons Narsus ! Interpella-t-elle. Qu'attendais-tu pour entrer ? Messire, veuillez excuser l'impudence de mon fils, s'excusa-t-elle en baissant sa tête vers le sol. - Je suis sûr qu'il ne recommencera pas, Fizaa, assura l'homme en posant ses doigts sous le menton de sa mère et le redressa.

Le regard de cet homme sur sa mère glaça le sang du jeune Narsus et il ne put retenir un frisson quand il le vit sourire. Sa mère le lui rendit et joignit ses doigts aux siens.

- Narsus, je te présente l'honorable marzbähn Teos, ton père, présenta Fizaa en faisant avancer Narsus vers son géniteur.

Impossible ! Depuis toujours la question de son père était évitée avec soin par sa mère. Il avait jadis entendu des rumeurs sans trop les comprendre. Pourquoi les avoir laissés à l'écart depuis tout ce temps ? Sa mère et lui avaient réussi à faire leur vie sans lui !

Narsus savait qu'il ne porterait jamais une once d'amour pour cet homme. Il était le parfait opposé de sa mère. Son sourire amenait le froid alors que celui de sa mère était un rayon de Soleil. Cependant, il était impossible pour lui de nier... En défigurant du regard un peu plus cet homme, Narsus retrouvait des similitudes dans ses traits... Faites que je ne lui ressemble pas d'avantage plus tard !

Le marzbähn Teos se mit à la hauteur de son fils pour lui offrir quelque chose. Un bonbon ? Il essaie de m'attendrir là ? Loin de là... Narsus sentait la fraîcheur de l'anneau orné d'un saphir. Que devait-il en faire ? La porter ? Ses doigts étaient encore trop fin pour la porter ! Il y accorda toute son attention avant de lever ses yeux vers sa mère.

Son regard se balayait sur lui et sur le marzbähn. Narsus comprit le message. Il remercia du présent. Cependant, ce n'était pas uniquement les pensées de sa mère. Elle pâlit. Elle semblait avoir compris la raison de sa visite.

- Mère ? s'inquiéta Narsus quand elle posa ses mains sur ses épaules. - J'ai une proposition pour toi et ta mère, annonça le père en ébouriffant les cheveux de son fils et se redressa pour regarder par la fenêtre la course folle du Soleil se terminer. Tout d'abord, je voudrais en connaître plus sur toi. - Teos... supplia Fizaa en rapprochant Narsus à elle. - Je veux mon héritier Fizaa ! Exigea le seigneur Teos, perdant tout le charme artificiel qu’il s’efforçait à montrer. - Ta femme n'a pas su t'en offrir ? cracha-t-elle.

Narsus regarda le visage de sa mère. Ses yeux brillaient.

- Teos ! cria-t-elle face au silence. Tu ne peux pas le séparer de moi ! - Fizaa... amadoua Teos en s'approchant d'eux. Nous avons déjà eu cette conversation...

Narsus recula. Où compte-t-il m'emmener ? Les craintes ne fuirent pas malgré que les bras protecteurs de sa mère l'entouraient.

- Tu dois décider Teos... Emmène-le et tu ne me reverras plus jamais, annonça sa mère en tremblant. - Mère ?

Qu'entent-elle par là ? Je ne veux pas la quitter, moi !

- Je suis désolé, mais il le faut.

Les gardes séparèrent la mère et l'enfant malgré leurs protestations et leurs larmes.

- Je ne veux pas quitter maman ! cria Narsus en se débattant de toutes ses forces. - Le destin en a décidé autrement mon garçon... Estime-toi heureux. Tu vas connaître un grand avenir, lâcha son père et quitta la maison sous les pleurs de sa mère. - Maman ! pleura à son tour Narsus. Je t'aime et jamais, jamais je ne pourrais t'oublier !

Peu importe ses efforts, peu importe ses pleurs, son père l'avait emmené loin de cette douce maison, de sa tendre mère...

C'était le début de sa nouvelle et brillante destinée.

[innerchorus]

I am currently having Saam feels and I just need to express them somehow!! He's gonna have a better time in Wolfpack than he does in canon— not only is his love Kharlan alive, Hilmes is proving to be a worthy leader, they're not stuck between a rock and a hard place, etc etc, and I like to think he and Shapur might feel a shared connection of them both having changed their allegiances from Andragoras to Hilmes (though for very different reasons)... Things are really looking up for both his country and liege, and he's got a tiny healer aggressively pushing him to take better care of himself. And... And... Fuck, my head's all jumbled. Maybe Hilmes would confide in him with his insecurities, all the complicated and intense emotions and grief and everything regarding the history of Kaykhusraw and the clan, the truth of his lineage, his uncertainties, his resolve to build a better Pars, everything, the sheer trust of it all (unlike a certain someone...*side-eyes chapter 115 Hilmes*), and he gets to witness Hilmes grow!! He'd be so proud! I do wonder what he'd think of all the clan history stuff though, he'd be Shook for sure. I think he'd really encourage the idea of the ceremony for the Temple of Truth, it just feels right for him. And he'd bond with Arslan over wanting Hilmes to grow... He's gonna have so many bonds with so many people! Including various clan folk— chaos aside Kazai is a caring person once you get to know him after all. He doesn't get to be isolated anymore.

I don't imagine Kubard would like to serve Hilmes, though— he might end up joining the clan, he might just strike out on his own to be a wanderer who occasionally keeps in touch with everyone else. He might first encounter the clan in Daylam or something, or somewhere near, maybe when the clan is rounding up rural areas to help around or fortify them or just responding to the Lusitanians (by striking them down), and maybe they could've fought alongside each other and think “oy this guy's fun!”

I think I've posted about the mages integrating themselves into the local folks' day-to-day lives by helping manage grain storage and helping repel pests and healing people and stuff like that, so what if they expand a little, extend their services to areas outside of Shapur's lands? And that's how they probably ended up somewhere around Daylam?

I don't know how to end this so uh, have this mental image of Eihon whacking Hilmes and/or Saam and/or Zandeh with her trusty stick. I don't know how this got into my head but it's stuck there and I'm about to make it your problem.

I once saw a fanart of a very worried Zandeh piling a mountain of blankets on a sick Saam with Hilmes sitting by his bedside, haven't tracked down the source but it was very cute.

Oh so many Sam feels... These are good ones though! It's nice to have something to counteract his canon position a little, and imagine him loved, surrounded by comrades, with the kind of social support that I think he really needs and has been sorely missing. Someone like Kubard is happy with his own company for a time but I can't help but think Sam feels best when he has people he is close to nearby.

This does sound like a big improvement on his canon situation right now. I cannot express how much I want to see Sam's pride at seeing Hilmes grow into the person he hoped he would, the ruler he felt he had the potential to be. 😭

And yeah it totally feels like Kubard would fight alongside the clan in a situation like that; it's a little like him teaming up with Merlaine, or killing off Lusitanians bandits causing trouble.

Also the idea of Eihon whacking Zandeh with a stick is absolutely comedic and I love it and he probably deserved it but I imagine he'd be a bit crestfallen nonetheless ...like a puppy that's just been disciplined lmao

[harajukumasked]

THE QUR’AN CAN PROTECT YOU FROM THE HARM OF THE DISBELIEVERS

“And when you recite the Qur’an, We put an invisible veil between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter.” [al-Isra’; 45]

A group of the Mufassirin explained this verse to mean that the aversion to and heedlessness of the Qur’an and Islam on the part of the disbelievers is the result of a barrier that was placed on their hearts by Allah, making them unable to comprehend or realize any of the wisdom contained therein. This was the explanation of Qatadah, as well as al-Hasan al-Basri.However, various narrated incidents show that the verse carries an interpretation and meaning that is more literal to its wording; i.e., that one of the means by which Allah prevents his righteous servants from being thrown into the clutches of the disbelievers and being exposed to their harm is through the protection attained by the recitation of the Qur’an itself.

The following is collected from al-Qurtubi’s commentary on the above verse:

1 – Asma’ bint Abi Bakr may Allah be pleased with her said:

“When the chapter ‘al-Masad’ was revealed, al-’Awra’ Umm Jamil bint Harb came looking for the Prophet with a stick in her hands while the Prophet was sitting in the courtyard of the mosque with Abu Bakr. So, when Abu Bakr saw her, he said to the Prophet: “She is coming, and I fear that she will see you!” So, the Messenger of Allah said: “She will not be able to see me,” and he recited the Qur’an, seeking a firm handhold by it. He recited: “And when you recite the Qur’an, We put an invisible veil between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter.”

So, she stood in front of Abu Bakr, and did not see the Messenger of Allah. She said: “O Abu Bakr! I have been informed that your companion has insulted me!” He said: “No, by the Lord of this House, he has not insulted you.”

So, she turned and walked away, saying: “Quraysh knows that I am the daughter of its most noble man!””

2 – Sa’id bin Jubayr may Allah be pleased with him said:

“When the verse “May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, and may he perish!” was revealed, the wife of Abu Lahab came to the Prophet while he was with Abu Bakr. So, Abu Bakr said: “Move away, so that you will not hear from her that which would hurt you, as she is a harsh woman!” So, the Prophet said: “A protection will be put for me from her,” and she was unable to see him. She said: “O Abu Bakr! Your companion has insulted me!” He said: “By Allah, he does not say poetry.” She said: “So, you believe in him?” and angrily walked away.

So, Abu Bakr said: “O Messenger of Allah! Did she not see you?”

The Prophet replied: “An Angel was standing between she and I, shielding me from her, until she went away.”

⬇️⬇️

3 – Ka’b bin Malik may Allah be pleased with him said:

“The Prophet used to shield himself from the disbelievers using three verses:

“Truly, We have set veils over their hearts so that they do not understand this (Qur’an), and deafness in their ears…” [al-Kahf; 57]

“They are those upon whose hearts, hearing, and sight Allah has set a seal.” [an-Nahl; 108]

“Have you seen he who takes his own lust as his god, and Allah, knowing him as such, has left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight?” [al-Jathiyah; 23]

So, when the Prophet would recite them, he would be shielded from the polytheists.

I informed a man from Sham of this. He travelled to the lands of the Romans and was kept there for some time as a prisoner. After a while, he escaped from the Romans, and they went out to hunt him and bring him back as a captive. He recited these verses, and, although they were with him on the same road, they were never able to find him.”

4 – ath-Tha’labi may Allah be pleased with him said:

“I relayed the same information (regarding these three verses) to a man from the people of Ray. One time, he was imprisoned in Daylam, where he stayed there for some time before escaping. They went out searching for him, so, he recited these verses. When they finally caught up to where he was, and his clothing was touching their clothing, they were still unable to see him.”

5 – al-Qurtubi may Allah be pleased with him, himself said:

“And a similar thing happened to me in our land of Andalusia, in Qurtubah (Cordova, Spain). I had escaped from in front of the enemy, rushing to a corner of his castle fortress where I could not be detected. So, two knights were sent out to search for me, while I was simply squatting on the ground with no protection of barrier between they and I. So, I began reciting: “And We have put a barrier before them, and a barrier behind them, and We have covered them up, so, they cannot see.” [Ya Sin; 9] and other verses from the Qur’an. The two knights approached me, looked around, and returned back from where they had came, with one of them saying to the other: “This man is a demon!”

So, Allah – the Mighty and Exalted – blinded them from seeing me, and all praise is due to Allah for this.”

[Taken from al-Qurtubi's 'al-Jami' li Ahkam al-Qur'an'; 10/116-117]

[thehierophage]

Why I celebrate the Qiyamat

by Osman El Malik Khan

“On the 17th day of Ramadan, the anniversary of the murder of Ali, in the year 559 [8.August, 1164], under the ascendancy of Virgo and when the sun was in Cancer, Hasan ordered the erection of a pulpit in the courtyard of Alamut, facing towards the west, with four great banners of four colours, white, red, yellow, and green, at the four corners. The people from the different regions, whom he had previously summoned to Alamut, were assembled in the courtyard— those from the East on the right side, those from the West on the left side, and those from the North, from Rudbar and Daylam, in front, facing the pulpit. As the pulpit faced west the congregants had their backs towards Mecca. ‘Then, says an Isma’ili tract, ’ towards noon, the Lord [Hasan], on his mention be peace, wearing a white garment and a white turban, came down from the castle, approached the pulpit from the right side, and in the most perfect manner ascended it. Three times he uttered greetings, first to the Daylamis, then to those on the right, then to those on the left. In a moment he sat down, and then rose up again and, holding his sword, spoke in a loud voice.’ Addressing himself to ‘the inhabitants of the worlds, jinn, men, and angels,’ he announced that a message had come to him from the hidden Imam, with new guidance. ‘The Imam of our time has sent you his blessing and his compassion, and has called you his special chosen servants. He has freed you from the burden of the rules of Holy Law, and has brought you to the Resurrection.’ ���When he had completed his address, Hasan stepped down from the pulpit , and performed two prostrations of the festival prayer. Then, a table having been laid, he invited them to break their fast, join in a banquet, and make merry. Messengers were sent to carry the glad tidings to east and west. In Quhistan, the chief of the fortress of Mu’minabad repeated the ceremony of Alamut, and proclaimed himself as the vicar of Hasan, from a pulpit facing the wrong way;’ [and an anti-Isma’ili source records that] ‘that day on which these ignominies were divulged and these evils proclaimed [sic!] in that nest of heretics, Mu’minabad, that assembly played harp and rebeck and openly drank wine upon the very steps of that pulpit and within its precincts.’ In Syria [at Aleppo] too the word was received, and the faithful celebrated the end of the law.” (Bernard Lewis, The Assassins . pp 72,73)

Lewis’ account is one of the more concise available, although he deems not to comment on the significance of the event, or its practical interpretations.

Qiyamat means, literally, “Resurrection.” And in Lewis’ account, he uses the word Resurrection. But what is it a Resurrection of? I can put it only briefly and clumsily. Like the rest of the Creation, The Truth exists in several different levels. In the matter of the Qiyamat, this begins to unfold first as the levels of exoteric and esoteric— the outer and the inner Truths. “The Law,” revealed and expounded upon openly in the messages of Prophets, is the basis of the exoteric, “outer” Truth. Within these same revelations and text, however, is a second, “hidden” current. (This is hardly the place in which to outline any of the inner truths outside of Qiyamat, however.) The Imam— the manifestation in the flesh of the Word and Will of Allah— of the time was hidden, whether in a physical sense or in a hyper-physical sense, as in occultation; and Hasan II (pbuh) was, in turn, the communicant for the word and will of the Imam.

The declaration of Qiyamat from the Imam, via Hasan II (pbuh), was that the exoteric, the rule of “Law”, had run its course. It can be debated via epistemology, ontology, or a few other -ologies, whether the declaration was a creation— a lifting of the Law then and there— or a revelation— a pointing to an eternal Truth. I tend toward the latter, but no matter. In any case, it was a revelation in the sense that it uncovered a new understanding of Truth. No longer was faithfulness bound into the physical realm, no longer was the experience of the Truth of Allah mediated. The scholar Henry Corbin has dealt with the Truth of Qiyamat perhaps more than any other scholar of our time. He uses the term and concept “Imam-of-ones’-own-being” to describe the praxis of the abrogation of Law revealed by Qiyamat. In effect, the mediation between common people, religious leaders, the Imam, and Allah is removed. The Law and other physical, exoteric expressions no longer separate man from Allah. Each person exists as his or her own Imam, his or her own messenger and manifestation of the Word and Will of Allah.

The impact of these events is multifold. For the Nizari Isma’ilis of the time, who witnessed this declaration of a spiritual millennium, it further enforced their belief that they were the true Fedayeen, the true warriors of the Faith. It also, in praxis, served and serves to disintegrate various divisions that are supposed to exist between “separate” faiths or applications of faiths. The laws and regulations and responsibilities that religions place on followers, naming themselves and their laws the hand of god, are no longer of any importance beyond the symbolic, since every human, through Qiyamat, actively becomes his or her own representative of Truth And Qiyamat is the unveiling of a great passion, the recognition of the Beloved very near at hand. Incidentally Hasan II (pbuh), Lord of the Assassins, was himself assassinated by his brother-in-law, who refused the gift of the Qiyamat. Eventually, the Qiyamat was pushed further and further aside, until it became merely a symbolic principle.

But in the Holy Koran of the Moorish Science Temple of America, commonly called the Circle Seven Koran, the Truth of the Qiyamat lives on, itself resurrected and revived in this time. In Chapter One, the Noble Prophet Drew Ali writes, “Man is a thought of Allah;” affirming that man is not merely a creation or construction, but a manifestation of the Word and Will of Allah. In Chapter Ten, the relevance of outward law and ritual, beyond merely a symbolic practice to aid in the attainment of wisdom is negated: “When man sees Allah as one with him, as Father Allah, he needs no middle man, no priest to intercede. He goes straight up to Him and says: ‘My Father God, Allah!’ And then he lays his hands in Allah’s own hand, and all is well. And this is Allah. You are, each one, a priest, just for yourself; and sacrifice of blood Allah does not want.”(vv.22-24) And in Chapter Seven, Jesus tells his friend Lamaas that “Allah and man are one,” (v.23); and he later goes on to say that “Salvation is a ladder reaching from the heart of men to the heart of Allah. It has three steps: Belief is first, and this is what man thinks, perhaps, is truth. And faith is next, and this is what man knows is truth. Fruition is the last, and this is man himself, the truth. Belief is lost in faith; and in fruition faith is lost; and man is saved when he has reached deific life; when he and Allah are one.” (vv.27-31) The realization of Qiyamat, not only by the intellect or the heart, but by and in and through the core, eternal essence of the human, is the reunification of the human with Allah. “Then every man of earth will read the words of life in language of his native land, and men will see the light, and walk in the light and be the light. And man again will be at one with Allah.” (Chapter Two, vv.27 & 28) The Beloved is no longer even to be viewed as the causeless cause of things other than the individual; but rather the Beloved can now be observed and adored even and especially within each person. Qiyamat is the end of Forgetfulness. It is the Remembering and the Resurrection of the True Self.

These are the words that bolster my belief in Qiyamat, found in the world of Medieval Islam and in the writings of the turn-of-the-century Prophet of Moorish Science. But they are themselves only physical manifestations, temporal and temporary. The center of my belief is that Creation is Perfect. Not in dialectical contrast to imperfection, but rather that its existence— all of existence— is most purely In-Itself, that every state is In-Itself perfected and True; and all dialectical impositions by the human brain are— while still existing perfectly— inconsequential, or at least of no more consequence than anything else, all existing as equally perfect. Wholenesses and Divisions all are perfect and True, perfect all times and none. The Wholeness of Creation is perfect, as are the Divisions of it. The Beloved is of course also Perfect in Its Wholeness, and as such inescapably unified and pervasive beyond any possible definitions. It is from this perfect Wholeness that my belief in Qiyamat sprouts. Qiyamat is the Rememberance of Perfection.

[loverandservantoftheahlulbayt]

🍂🥀🍂 Brief account of the last days of Imam Hussain (as) 🍂🥀🍂

🥀 Brief account of the last days of Imam Husayn, upon arriving in Karbala to the day of Ashura

🥀 2nd Muharram: 🥀

Imam Hussain (as) arrives in Karbala Ninawa

Imam Hussain (as) stopped at Ninawa and dismounted His Horse. A rider suddenly appeared from the direction of Kufa carrying arms and a bow hanging over his shoulder. Everyone came to a stop and looked in the direction of the rider. As he approached them, he greeted Hurr (as) and his followers but did not do so to Imam Hussain (as) or His companions. He gave Hurr (as) a letter from Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (la) which said, "Upon receiving my letter, immediately stop the journey of Imam Husayn (asws). Force Him to stop in an area which is open with no protective enclosure or supply of water. I have instructed my messenger to remain with you and not to leave you until you have implemented my orders. Peace be with you."

After reading the letter, Hurr (as) said to Imam Hussain (as) and His followers, "This is a letter from the governor Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (la) ordering me to stop You in a place which is unprotected. This is his messenger whom he has ordered not to leave my side until I have carried out his orders." Abu Shatha glanced at the messenger of Ibn Ziyad (la) and asked, "Are you Nusair Baddi from the Kinda tribe?" He replied, "Yes."

Upon hearing his reply, Abu Shatha said to him, "May your mother be deprived of you. What kind of message have you brought?" The messenger replied, "What is it that I have brought? I have submitted to my imam and have fulfilled my pledge of allegiance to him." Ibn Muhasir replied, "And in the process of doing so, you have disobeyed Allah and have followed an "imam" which will only lead you towards destruction. You have embraced evil and hellfire. Allah, Almighty and Glorious says,

"We have made them imams, who invite people to hell/ire and on the Day of Judgment they will not be helped." (28:41)

This is an appropriate description for your ‘imam’. "

Hurr (as) began to implement the order and forced the people to stop at a place which was away from the village and with no water supply. Imam Husayn (asws)'s companions would say, "Allow us to stop here (Ninawa) or at Ghadiriyyah or Shahfayyah. Upon hearing the choices of the companions of Imam Husayn (asws), Hurr replied, "No, by Allah, I cannot do this. This man has been sent as a spy to watch over me."

At this point, Zuhair ibn Qayn said to Imam Husayn (asws), "O' Son of Rasool Allah (saw), fighting against these people now, shall be easier than trying to fight against the reinforcements which will join them. By my life, a military force will come which we will be unable to confront." Imam Husayn (asws) replied, "I will not be the one to initiate the fighting against them."

Zuhair said to Imam Husayn (asws), "Come with us to that village and stop there because it is well protected and is near the bank of the Euphrates. If they try to stop us from going there, we can overtake them, for it is far easier to fight them than to overtake those who will soon join them." Imam Husayn (asws) asked for the name of this village and was told that it was called 'Aqr (also known as Karbala). He then said, "O' Allah I seek refuge in You from 'Aqr" and then He proceeded to stop there. This was on Thursday, 2nd Muharram, 61 AH.

🥀 From 3rd Muharram 🥀

🥀 until 7th Muharram 🥀

Arrival of the army of ibn Sa'ad (la)

The next day (3rd Muharram), Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) arrived from Kufa with 4000 soldiers. This cavalry of soldiers had originally been sent by Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (la) to subdue the people of Daylam in Dastaba. By then, ibn Ziyad (la) had appointed Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) as governor of Raye (present day Bahrain). However, with Imam Husayn (asws) heading towards Kufa, ibn Ziyad (la) changed ibn Sa’ad (la)'s assignment. His instructions to ibn Sa’ad (la) were "Go to Imam Husayn (asws). When you complete this, you may return back to your governorate." Umar Ibn Sa’ad (la) replied, "If you can relieve me of this mission, please do so. May Allah have mercy on you." Ubaydullah (la) replied, "Yes, if you leave the position of governor of Raye." Ibn Sa'ad (la) requested a day to think over the matter.

Ibn Sa'ad (la) asked the advice of his closest friends. Everyone advised him to not undertake this mission. Hamzah ibn Mughirah, his nephew, said to him, "Uncle, I beg you in the name of Allah to not move against Imam Husayn (asws) for it will be a grave sin in the sight of your Lord and violates the bond of kinship. By Allah it would be better to give up all of your worldly wealth and your governorate than to meet Allah burdened with the responsibility of having spilled the blood of Imam Husayn (asws)." Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) replied, "Indeed, I shall take your advice, inshaAllah."

Hisham reports that he went to see Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) after he had been instructed to march against Imam Husayn (asws). Ibn Sa'ad (la) said to him, "The governor has ordered me to move against Imam Husayn (asws) and I refused to do so." Hisham said to him, "May Allah guide you to what is proper and right. Do not accept this mission of war against Imam Husayn (asws)." Then Hisham left him. Someone came to Hisham and said, "This Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) is inciting people against Imam Husayn (asws)." Hisham went to Umar ibn Sa’ad (la). When ibn Sa’ad (la) saw Hisham, he turned his face away from him. Upon seeing the gesture of ibn Sa’ad (la), Hisham understood he had decided to march against Imam Husayn (asws).

Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) went to ibn Ziyad (la) and said, "May Allah make you prosperous. You have entrusted me with the governorship of Raye and the mission against Imam Husayn (asws). People have already been informed of my appointment. If you still consider me suitable, then do this. Otherwise, dispatch an army from the eminent leaders of Kufa. I am not the best candidate to fight on your behalf." Then he proposed some names.

Ibn Ziyad (la) replied, "Do not try to tell me who are the eminent leaders of Kufa. I am not seeking your advice on who I should send. Either you set out against Imam Husayn (asws) with your soldiers or hand over your governorate." After hearing these words from Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (la), ibn Sa’ad (la) agreed to march against Imam Husayn (asws) with 4000 soldiers. They arrived at Ninawa the next day, 3rd Muharram.

Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) instructed Azrah ibn Qays to go to Imam Husayn (asws) and ask Imam Husayn (asws) why He has come here and what His intentions are. Azrah was one of those who had sent a written invitation to Imam Husayn (asws) and was embarrassed to go to him. Others had also written Imam Husayn (asws) and now faced the same situation, so they refused to go meet Imam Husayn (asws).

In the meanwhile, Kathir ibn Abdullah Shaabi said, "I will go to Him. By Allah if you wish, I will kill Him." Umar (la) replied, "I do not want you to kill Him. Go and ask Him why He came here." Abu Thumamah Saidi spotted Kathir on his way to the camp of Imam Husayn (as). Abu Thumamah said to Imam Husayn (asws), "May Allah make you prosperous, O' Abu Abdullah (asws). The most wicked person on Earth, who has spilled much blood and killed many people, is coming towards You."

Abu Thumamah approached him and said, "Lay down your sword." The man replied, "By Allah, no. There is no cause for that. I am only a messenger. If you will hear what I have to say, I shall tell you. If you refuse, I shall go back." Abu Thumamah said, "I shall hold the hilt of your sword. Then you may convey your message." Kathir replied, "No by Allah you will not hold on to it." Abu Thumamah said, "In that case, give me the message and I shall convey it to Imam Husayn (asws) on your behalf. I will not allow you to go near Him for you are a treacherous man." They exchanged words. Then Kathir returned to Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) and informed him of what had transpired.

Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) called Qurrah ibn Qays Hanzali and said to him, "Shame on you, Qurrah. Go to Imam Husayn (asws) and ask Him what has brought Him here and what He wants." Qurrah began to walk towards the camp of Imam Husayn (asws). When Imam Husayn (asws) saw him approaching, He asked, "Does anyone know him?" Habib ibn Muzahir replied, "Yes. He is from the Hanzalah tribe of Tamim and the son of our sister. I used to know him as a man of intelligence and would not have imagined him being present on the other side."

Qurrah entered and greeted Imam Husayn (asws). Then he conveyed Umar ibn Sa’ad (la)'s message to Imam (asws). Imam Husayn (asws) replied, "The people of your town wrote to Me asking Me to come. If they now do not wish for Me to be here, I shall leave them and go." Qurrah returned to Ibn Sa’ad (la) to inform him of what was said. Ibn Sa'ad said, "I hope that Allah will exempt me from having to declare war on Him."

Letter of Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) to ibn Ziyad (la)

Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) wrote a letter to Ibn Ziyad (la). "In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

When I reached Imam Husayn (asws), I sent my messenger to Him and asked Him what was His purpose for coming here and what He wanted. He responded "The people of this town wrote to Me and asked Me to come to their aid. Therefore, I have come to them. Since they are displeased with My presence here and their views differ from what their messengers brought to me, I am prepared to return back."

When this letter was read to ibn Ziyad (la) he said, "Now that we have seized Him in our grasp, He seeks a way out, but now there is no escape."

Response of ibn Ziyad (la) to Umar ibn Sa’ad (la)'s letter

Ibn ziyad (la) wrote the following the Umar ibn Sa’ad (la): "In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

I have received your letter and fully understand its meaning. Offer Imam Husayn (as) and His companions the opportunity to pledge allegiance to Yazid (la) ibn Mua’wiyah (la). If They do, then we will determine our decree. Peace."

Upon reading the letter, ibn Sa’ad said, "I had a feeling that ibn Ziyad (la) will not accept a conciliatory posture."

🥀 7th Muharram: 🥀

Imam Husayn (asws) and His followers denied water

Another letter came from Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (la) addressed to Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) "Prevent Imam Husayn (asws) and His companions from reaching the water supply. They should not be allowed to taste a single drop of it - as was done with the righteous, pious, and oppressed caliph, Uthman ibn Affan (la)." As a result, Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) stationed Amr ibn Hajjaj (la) with 500 horsemen along the river to prevent Imam Husayn (as) and His companions from being able to obtain a single drop of water. This was done three days before the battle against Imam Husayn (asws).

🥀 8th Muharram: 🥀

Meeting of Ibn Sa’ad (la) with Imam Husayn (asws)

Imam Husayn (asws) sent Amr ibn Qarazah ibn Ka'b Ansari to Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) to arrange a meeting at night between the two camps. Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) came out with about 20 horsemen and Imam Husayn (asws) a similar number. When they drew near to each other, Imam Husayn (asws) instructed His followers to withdraw and Ibn Sa’ad (la) did likewise. They spoke for most of the night and then each returned to His own camp along with His followers.

People speculated greatly on what had been discussed between Imam Husayn (asws) and ibn Sa’ad (la). The people said Imam Husayn (asws) made the following proposal to Umar ibn Sa’ad (la), "Let Us go to Yazid (la) ibn Mua’wiyah (la) and leave the two armies." Umar (la) replied, "Then my house will be destroyed." Imam Husayn (asws) replied, "I will rebuild it for you." Umar (la) said, "My properties will be taken." Imam Husayn (asws) said, "I will give you even better properties in the HIjaz." Umar (la) repeated this to Him. Speculation over their conversation was tantamount, but no one had any actual knowledge of what was said between the two.

Second letter of Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) to ibn Ziyad (la)

Umar Ibn Sa’ad (la) wrote the following to Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (la):

"Allah has wiped out mutual hostilities. He has united with us and reformed the affairs of the community. He has agreed to return to where He came from or we can send Him to one of the border areas where He will be treated like any other Muslim with the same rights and obligations, or we send Him to Yazid (la) to offer His pledge of allegiance to him and resolve their differences. This approach will be satisfactory to you - it will be for the betterment of the community."

When Ubaydullah (la) read the letter, he said, "This is a letter from someone who is sincere with the governor and is concerned about the welfare of his community. Yes, I accept his proposal." Shimr ibn Dhi’ Jawshan (la) stood and said, "Will you accept this from someone who has halted nearby on your land. By Allah if you allow Him to leave without obtaining His allegiance, He will be considered strong and powerful, and you will be viewed as weak. Do not give up your position for it will be a sign of compromise. Instead, let Them submit to your judgement and then you can either punish Them or forgive Them, as you have full discretion. By Allah, I have been told that Imam Husayn (asws) and Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) sat between the military camps in discussion throughout the night." Ibn ziyad (la) responded, "Yes, you are correct."

Second Letter of ibn Ziyad (la) to Umar ibn Sa’ad (la)

Then Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (la) wrote the following to Umar ibn Sa’ad (la):

"I did not send you to Imam Husayn (asws) to delay confrontation with Him, to give Him ease, to extend Him an offering of peace and life, or to intercede on His behalf with me. Take note that if Imam Husayn (asws) and His followers submit to my authority and surrender, then send them to me. However, if they refuse, then kill them and destroy their dead bodies for this is what They are deserving of (maazAllah). If Imam Husayn (asws) is killed, let the horses trample back and forth on His chest, for He is a treacherous rebel (maazAllah) who has divided the community. This will not do any harm to Him after death, but I have sworn that I would do this should He be killed. If you execute our order then we will reward you appropriately as one who is obedient. If you refuse, then give up our authority and army and hand over the command to Shimr ibn Dhi’ Jawshan (la). We have given our authority to him. Salam."

Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (la) summoned Shimr (la) and said, "Go with this letter to Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) and instruct him to advise Imam Husayn (asws) and His followers to submit to my authority. If They do, then send Them to me. If They do not, then he must wage war against Them. If Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) does this, listen, and obey him. If he should refuse to fight, then you are appointed as the commander of the people. Seize Umar (la), sever his head, and send it to me here."

When this order was handed to Shimr (la), he stood with Abdullah ibn Abi Muhill (la) who said, "May Allah make the governor prosperous. The sons of our sister are in the side of Imam Husayn (asws). If you are in agreement, write them a letter guaranteeing their security." Ibn Ziyad (la) replied in the affirmative and instructed his secretary to write such a letter. It was sent by Abdullah ibn Abi Muhill (la) with his mawla Kuzman.

Shimr (la) arrives with the letter of Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (la)

Shimr (la) handed over the letter of Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (la) to Umar ibn Sa’ad (la). When he read the letter, he said, "Woe unto you. May Allah deprive you of His mercy and make what you have brought unaccepted. By Allah, I believe you have influenced ibn Ziyad (la) against accepting my proposal and as a result, have spoiled our efforts to correct this situation. Imam Husayn (asws) will never submit." Shimr (la) asked, "Tell me what you plan to do. Will you execute the governor's order and do battle with his enemy? If not, withdraw and hand over the command of the army to me." Umar (la) replied, "No, you will not benefit by exploiting this situation. I will execute the order and you will lead the men."

Guarantee of security offered to Abbas (asws) and His brothers

Shimr (la) approached the camp of Imam Husayn (asws) and said, “Where are the sons of our sister?” Abbas (asws), Jafar, Abdullah, and Uthman came out and asked him what he wanted. He replied that he had come to offer them a guarantee of safety and security. The youths replied, "May Allah curse you and your guarantee. What sort of an uncle are you who offers us security while the Son of Rasool Allah (saw) has no guarantee of safety?"

When Kuzman, mawla of Abdullah ibn Abi Muhill (la) arrived, he called out to them and said, "This is the letter guaranteeing your safety that your uncle has sent to you." The youths replied, "Convey our greetings to our uncle and tell him that we are in no need of your guarantee of safety, for the guarantee of Allah is better than the guarantee of a corrupt and evil person."

Umar Ibn Sa’ad (la) marches towards Imam Husayn (asws)

After completing afternoon prayer, Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) called out "O' horsemen of Allah, climb onto your horses." He rode along with them until they approached the camp of Imam Husayn (asws). They saw Imam Husayn (asws) seated in front of His tent. His sister, Syeda Zainab (sa), heard the army approaching. She went to Her Brother and said "My Brother, do You hear the sound of the army marching towards Us?" Imam Husayn (asws) said "I just saw Rasool Allah (saw) and He was saying to Me, "You are coming towards Us."

Hazrat Abbas ibn Ali (as) exclaimed "My Brother, the people are coming towards us." Imam Husayn (asws) stood up and said, "O' Abbas (asws), I would sacrifice Myself for You. Mount Your horse and go to meet them. Ask them what the purpose of their advance is and what has changed that they now are marching towards Us." Hazrat Abbas (as) along with 20 horsemen, moved forward towards the advancing army. Among those with Him were Zuhayr ibn Qayn and Habibi ibn Muzahir.

Hazrat Abbas (asws) asked them, "Why have you come to Us and what are your intentions?" They answered, "An order has been issued by the governor that we should offer You the choice between submission to his authority or engage you in battle." Hazrat Abbas (asws) said, "Do not rush into anything before I have had a chance to notify Abu Abdullah (asws) of your position." Upon hearing the words of Hazrat Abbas (asws), the advancing group stopped and said, "Go and notify Him. Then come and tell us what He says."

Hazrat Abbas (asws) rushed back to Imam Husayn (asws) to inform Him of what they had said. Habib ibn Muzahir said to Zuhayr ibn Qayn, "Either you address the people or I will. It is your choice." Zuhayr asked Habib to begin the address. Habib told them, "By Allah, how evil will those people be in the sight of Allah tomorrow- those who will be in His presence after killing the Grandson of Rasool Allah (saw) and His Family (asws)."

Azrah ibn Qays replied, "You claim great purity for yourself." Zuhayr said to him, "O' Azrah, surely it is Allah who has purified and guided Them. Be aware, for I am a sincere advisor. Azrah, I implore you in the name of Allah not to be among those who help the misguided ones in slaughtering these Pure Souls." He replied, "Zuhayr, in our view you were not from among the Shia of this Family. You were a supporter of the party of Uthman (la)."

Zuhayr said, "Are you not presumptuous about my affiliations? By Allah, I was not among those who ever wrote to Him letters of support or sent messengers with promises of help. It was only by coincidence that our paths crossed. When I saw Him, He caused me to remember Rasool Allah (saw) and His relationship with Him. I knew well His enemies and your party. Then I reflected and realized that I should help Him and become a member of His party, lay down my life to safeguard His- to preserve the abandoned message of the truth of Allah and Rasool Allah (saw).

When Hazrat Abbas (asws) brought the ultimatum from Umar ibn Sa’ad (la), Imam Husayn (asws) said, "Go to them and if possible cause them to postpone until tomorrow morning so that We may spend the night in supplication to Our Lord. "

Hazrat Abbas (asws) conveyed this message to Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) who asked Shimr (la), "What do you think of this proposal of Imam Husayn (asws)?" Shimr (la) replied, "Make your own decision for you are the governor and the decision rests with you." Umar (la) said, "If only I did not have to decide." Then he approached the people and asked them for their opinion. Amr ibn Hajjaj ibn Salamah (la) responded, "Glory be to Allah. Even if they were from Daylam and had requested a short reprieve, you would be duty-bound to grant their request." Qays ibn Ashaath (la) replied, "Grant Their request. By my life it is better to commence fighting in the morning." Umar (la) said, "By Allah, if I knew They would engage in battle, I would not delay it till morning."

Imam Ali (asws) ibn Husayn (asws) reports that a messenger sent by Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) came to Them. He stood at a place from where his voice could be heard and said, "We will give you reprieve till morning. Then, if You submit, we will hand You over to our governor Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad (la). If You refuse, we will pursue you to the end."

🥀 Events of the Eve of Ashura 🥀

🥀 9th Muharram 🥀

Imam Ali (asws) ibn Husayn (asws) narrates that Imam Husayn (asws) gathered His followers after Umar ibn Sa’ad (la) returned to his camp.

Imam Husayn (asws) said the following:

“All praises and glory be to Allah the Most High. I believe tomorrow will be Our last day in this world. I absolve you of any obligation to Me. You are free to leave. Use this cover of night to escape. These people pursue only Me and once they capture Me, they will not pursue anyone else."

Response of the Hashimites

Hazrat Abbas (asws) was the first to respond. "How is it possible that we should remain alive after You? May Allah never allow this to happen." Then his brothers, His sons, sons of Imam Hasan (asws), and sons of Abdullah ibn Jafar, (Aun and Muhammad) all spoke similar words.

Imam Husayn (asws) then said, "O' sons of Aqeel (as), your family has sacrificed much with the martyrdom of Hazrat Muslim (as). I grant you permission to go." They replied, "What would the people say about us if we were to do such a thing? They would say that we had abandoned our Imam, our Master, our Cousin, and the best of Uncles; that we shot no arrows, thrust no spears, lifted no swords in His defense. No, by Allah we will never leave You. We will give our lives, wealth, and family to ensure Your safety. We will fight alongside You until we attain our goal. Life would be so distasteful after You."

Response of the companions

Muslim ibn Awsajah stood and said, "How is it possible that we leave You and then before Allah say that we have fulfilled Your rights. By Allah, not until I have thrust my spear into their hearts and wielded my sword until only its hilt shall remain in my hand, I will not leave You. If I have no weapon with which to fight, I shall throw stones at them to secure Your safety until my death."

Saeed ibn Abdullah Hanafi said, "By Allah, we will never leave You until Allah knows that we protected the Honor of Rasool Allah (saw). By Allah, if I knew that I will be killed and brought back to life then burnt alive and my ashes scattered, I would not abandon You even if this process were repeated 70 times. How then, could I not sacrifice myself for Your safety when I know that there is only one death with honor which can never be thrown aside."

Zuhair ibn Qayn said, "By Allah, I would love that I be killed, then revived, then killed a thousand times in this manner if it keeps You with the young ones from Your Family."

The other companions of Imam Husayn (asws) all spoke in similar fashion saying "By Allah, we will not leave You. It is better our life and all our being is offered for Your protection. If we are killed, we will have faithfully carried out our oaths."

Imam Husayn (asws) on the eve of Ashura

Imam Ali (asws) ibn Husayn (asws) ibn Ali (asws) narrates:

I was sitting with My Aunt Syeda Zainab (sa) on the eve before My Father was to be martyred. My Father returned to His tent along with Huwayy, the mawla of Abu Zarr Ghaffari (ra) who was preparing My Father's sword. My Father was reciting:

“Time, you are a shameful partner for a friend with the passage of dawn and sunset. How many companions and supporters will be a corpse but time will not be content with any substitute. The final affair rest with the Majestic One for every living being returns back to Him."

He repeated it 2 or 3 times. Upon hearing the words of Imam Husayn (asws), Syeda Zainab (sa) went to Him and said, 'I am an orphan. My Mother has left this world and so has My Father and My Brother and now I am going to be deprived of You My Brother." Then Syeda (sa) said, “O' Abu Abdullah (as), You are preparing for death. Your life will be brutally taken from You." Upon hearing the words of Syeda (sa) Imam Husayn (asws) went out to His companions and instructed them to bring their tents close together. This way the enemy could only attack them from one direction.

Imam Husayn (asws) brought cane and firewood to the ditch which the companions had dug during the night. Imam Husayn (asws) said, 'When they march against Us, set the wood on fire, so that they will not be able to attack Us from the rear."

Imam Husayn (asws) and His companions on the eve of Ashura

Imam Husayn (asws) and His companions spent the entire night in prayers and supplicating to Allah. Dahhak ibn Abdullah narrates:

Some from the enemy camp passed by to keep an eye on Us. Imam Husayn (asws) said, "And let not those who disbelieve think that Our granting them respite is better for their souls; We grant them respite only that they may add to their sins; and they shall have a disgraceful chastisement. On no account will Allah leave the believers in the condition which you are in until He separates the evil from the good (3:178-179)".

One of those passing by heard the words of Imam Husayn (asws) and said, "By the Lord of the Kaabah, we are the righteous ones." I realized who he was and asked Burair ibn Hudair whether he also recognized that man. He replied "No." I told him "He is Abu Harb Sabee. He is known as a brutal fighter who was imprisoned at the time of Saeed ibn Qays for criminal activities." Burair exclaimed, "O' grave sinner! Would Allah make you one of the righteous?" He replied, "Who are you?" Burair said, "I am Burair ibn Hudair." Abu Harb said, "We are from Allah. Although it pains me to see you killed, but killed you will be." Burair replied, "Abu Harb, will you not repent to Allah for your grave sins? By Allah, we are the righteous ones and you are the wicked. I am witness to this." I (Dahhak) said, "Woe unto you. Have you no knowledge?" Abu Harb replied sarcastically, "May I sacrifice my life for the one who use to be a drinking companion of Yazid ibn Udhrah (la)." Burair said, "May Allah be displeased with you always. You are truly ignorant." Then Abu Harb left.

🥀 Morning of Ashura 🥀

Umar Ibn Sa’ad (la) offered morning prayers on Ashura and came out with his followers. Amr ibn Hajjaj (la) was given command over the right wing and Shimr (la) over the left. Azrah ibn Qays (la) was given command of the horsemen, Shabath ibn Ribee (la) was given command of the foot soldiers. The standard was given to Dhuwayd (la).

When the Yazidi army (la) began advancing towards Imam Husayn (asws), He raised His hands and supplicated to Allah:

“O Allah, I put My trust in You on all occasions. You are My hope in every difficulty. You are My trust and provider in all affairs.”

They came near Our tents and saw We had lit firewood in a ditch to prevent the enemy from attacking from the rear.

Suddenly a man, riding a horse and well-equipped with ammunition, advanced towards us and without uttering a word inspected the tents. Then he retreated and called out, "O’ Imam Husayn (asws)! You have hastened towards the hellfire in this world before the day of Qiyamah (Allah's refuge)." Imam (asws) asked, "Is he Shimr bin Di’ Jawshan (la)"? The companions replied in the affirmative. Imam Husayn (asws) said, "O son of a goat-herderess woman! You are more worthy of it." Muslim bin Awsaja attempted to shoot an arrow at him but Imam Husayn (asws) stopped him from doing so. Muslim said, "Please let me shoot at him, for this wretched man is one of the great oppressors and Allah has made it possible for me to kill him." Imam Husayn (asws) replied, "Do not shoot your arrow, I do not desire that the battle may begin from my side."

🥀 Imam Husayn (asws)'s last sermon on Ashura 🥀

Imam Husain (asws) possessed a horse named Lahiq, which he had given to his son Hazrat Ali Akbar (as) to ride. When the infantry advanced closer, Imam Husayn (asws) called for his horse and mounted it while calling out in a loud voice:

"O people! Listen to what I say and do not make haste, so that I may fulfill the responsibility which rests upon Me and that I may submit My plea regarding My arrival towards you. Then if you accept My plea and believe My words while giving Me justice, then you shall be fortunate and there will be no excuse for you to fight with Me. And if you do not accept my word and deal unjustly with me, then muster therefore your designs and gather your accomplices, then let not your designs be dubious, then execute on me and give no respite (to me). And verily, my Protector is Allah Who sent down the Book (Qur'an) and He guards the virtuous ones.” When His sisters heard His words, They started weeping and wailing, along with his daughters. Imam Husayn (asws) sent his brother Abbas bin Ali (asws) along with his son Hazrat Ali Akbar (asws) to console them.

Then he said, "By my life! They still have a lot more to weep." Then Imam Husayn (asws) said,

"Am I not the Son of the Daughter of Your Prophet? The Son of the Trustee of the Prophet and His cousin. The first one to believe in Allah and embrace what Rasool Allah (saw) brought from His Lord? Is Hamzah (as), lord of the martyrs, not My uncle? Is Ja'far (as), who flies with wings in heavens, not my uncle? Do you not recall the statement of Rasool Allah (saw) regarding Me and My Brother; 'These two are the Lords of the Youths of Paradise’. Then if you agree to what I say, and verily what I have said is nothing but the truth, then it is better, for by Allah, I have never ever spoken a lie. If you do not believe Me, then ask those who are amongst you. They will tell you about Me. Ask Jabir ibn Abdullah Ansari, Abu Saeed Khudri, Sahl ibn Saad Saeedi, Zaid ibn Arqam, and Anas ibn Malik. They will confirm that they heard this statement from Rasool Allah (saw). Is this not sufficient to stop you from shedding My blood?"

Shimr (la) interrupted Imam Husayn (as) and said, "I worship Allah only by my tongue and do not understand what You are saying." Habib ibn Muzahir said, "By Allah, I see you worshipping on seventy different kinds of doubt. You cannot comprehend what Imam Husayn (asws) is saying because Allah has sealed your heart."

Then Imam Husayn (asws) continued, "If you doubt these words of Rasool Allah (saw), do you also doubt that I am the Son of the Daughter of Rasool Allah (saw)? By Allah, there is no such person as Me. Tell Me, do you seek revenge for someone amongst You that I have killed, for property that I usurped, or for an injury that I had inflicted upon you?"

No one replied to Imam Husayn (asws). Then He said, "Shabath ibn Ribee, Hajjar ibn Abjar, Qays ibn Ashaat, Yazid ibn Harith, did you all not write to Me saying, "The fruit has ripened; the dates have grown green; come to an army that is ready?" They replied and said they had not written any such letter. Imam Husayn (asws) replied, "Glory be to Allah. By Allah, you most certainly have. O people since you are displeased with My presence here, allow Me to leave for any other place of security."

Qays ibn Ashaath asked, "Will You not surrender to the authority of your kinsfolk, for they will treat You as You prefer and no mistreatment will come to You from them."

Imam Husayn (asws) said, "You are the brother of Muhammad ibn Ashaath. Do you want Banu Hashim to seek retribution from you for more than the blood of Hazrat Muslim ibn Aqeel (as)? By Allah! I shall not give my hands in yours like a base man, nor shall I flee away like a slave." Then he called upon his Lord: “These are a guilty people. Surely, I take refuge with my Lord and-- your Lord from every proud one who does not believe in the day of reckoning.

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🥀Imam al-Husayn and Karbala 🥀

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