The Crimes of al-Mutawakkil al-ʿAbbāsī Against Him

جنايات متوكل عباسي در حق آن حضرت

و بعد از آن از هر جانب شيعيان بزيارت مي‌آمدند در زمان بني‌اميه، و ايشان منع مي‌كردند، و مي‌كشتند، و بر دار مي‌كردند، و دست و پا مي‌بريدند، فائده نمي‌كرد، تا اينكه نوبت به متوكل عباسي رسيد، و آن ملعون ناصبي بود، و عداوت بسيار با حضرت فاطمه (سلام الله عليها) داشت، پس منع شديد از زيارت آن جناب نمود، و چون ديد ثمري [ صفحه 328] ندارد، امر كرد كه قبر مبارك را خراب كنند، و اثرش را محو نمايند، و شخم كنند، و آب بر آن بندند، و از خصائص آن حضرت آن است كه همين ملعون، عاقبت امر به تعمير قبر مطهر نمود، و منادي گذاشت كه هر كس به زيارت رود، مرخص است، و تفصيل اين قضيه [چنان است] كه در اخبار مأثور است كه متوكل از خلفاي بني‌عباس، بسيار عداوت و بغض نسبت به اهل بيت رسالت داشت، پس امر نمود كه قبر مطهر را خراب كنند، و آب از نهر علقمه بر او جاري نمايند، تا اثري از آن نماند، و تهديد شديد نمود بر كساني كه به زيارت روند، و اشخاصي را معين كرد بر سر راهها، و امر كرد كه هر كس را بيابند، كه به قصد زيارت مي‌رود، او را بكشند، تا اينكه نور خدا را مگر خاموش نمايد، و اين خبر رسيد به شخصي از اهل خير و صلاح، كه او را زيد مجنون مي‌گفتند، و لكن مردي بود، باعقل و زيرك، و دانا، او را مجنون مي‌خواندند [زيرا]، در مقام محاجه بر همه كس غالب مي‌شد، و هميشه مخالفين را الزام مي‌كرد، و از جواب عاجز نمي‌شد، از اين جهت او را مجنون خواندند، چون شنيد كه قبر آن حضرت را شخم كردند، بسيار بر او گران آمد، و مصيبتش تازه شد، و در آن وقت در مصر مسكن داشت، پس متحيرانه از مصر روانه شد، و به كوفه آمد.و در آن وقت بهلول در كوفه بود، روزي مجنون او را ملاقات كرد، و بر او سلام كرد، بهلول پرسيد كه از كجا مرا شناختي و حال، اينكه نديده بودي؟ گفت عالم ارواح را ارتباطي است، بهلول گفت: اي زيد به چه خيال از وطن حركت كرده‌اي و به اين ديار آمده‌اي؟ گفت: شنيدم اين ملعون امر كرده است به شخم كردن قبر حسين (عليه‌السلام)، و قتل زوارش، پس عيش من مكدر شد، و از شدت حزن و الم بي‌اختيار بيرون آمدم، بهلول گفت: من نيز به اين احوالم، پس بيا برويم به كربلا، تا ببينيم چه مي‌كنند؟ پس دست يكديگر را گرفته و روانه شدند، چون به قبر حضرت رسيدند، ديدند بحال خود باقي است، هر چند بنيان آن را خراب كرده‌اند، و ليكن هر چه مي‌خواهند، آب بر او جاري كنند، آب متحير مي‌شود بدور قبر به قدرت خدا، و يك قطره به قبر شريف نمي‌رسد، و چون آب بنزديك قبر مي‌رسد، زمين قبر بلند مي‌شود به اذن خدا، پس [ صفحه 329] تعجب نمود زيد، و گفت: اي بهلول ببين، كه مي‌خواهند نور خدا را خاموش كنند و خدا البته نور خود را تمام خواهد نمود هر چند مشركين كراهت داشته باشند. [983] .

The Crimes of al-Mutawakkil al-ʿAbbāsī Against Him

After that, the Shias continued coming from every direction to visit him during the rule of Banī Umayyah. They would prevent them, kill them, crucify them, and cut off their hands and feet, yet it was of no benefit.

Then the turn of al-Mutawakkil al-ʿAbbāsī came. That accursed man was a Nāṣibī and harbored intense enmity toward Lady Fāṭimah (a.s.). Therefore, he imposed a severe prohibition on the visitation of that noble one (a.s.).

When he saw that this produced no result,

[ صفحه 328]

he ordered that the blessed grave be demolished, its traces erased, the land ploughed, and water diverted over it.

Among the special characteristics of Imam Husain (a.s.) is that this very accursed man eventually ordered the reconstruction of the holy grave and proclaimed through a public caller that whoever wished to visit it was free to do so.

The details of this incident are as follows:

It is narrated in the transmitted reports that al-Mutawakkil, one of the caliphs of Banī al-ʿAbbās, possessed great hatred and enmity toward the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.).

He therefore ordered that the holy grave be destroyed and that water from the Alqamah canal be directed over it so that no trace of it would remain.

He also issued severe threats against those who visited it and stationed agents on the roads, commanding them that if they found anyone traveling with the intention of visitation, they should kill him, seeking thereby to extinguish the light of Allah.

This news reached a righteous and virtuous man known as Zayd al-Majnūn. However, he was actually an intelligent, wise, and knowledgeable man.

People called him “Majnūn” because in debates he would overcome everyone, compel his opponents with decisive arguments, and was never unable to answer them. For this reason they nicknamed him “Majnūn.”

When he heard that the grave of Imam Husain (a.s.) had been ploughed over, it weighed heavily upon him and renewed his grief and sorrow.

At that time he was residing in Egypt. Distressed and bewildered, he departed from Egypt and came to Kufa.

At that time Bahlool was in Kufa.

One day Zayd met him and greeted him with salām.

Bahlool asked, “How did you recognize me although you have never seen me before?”

He replied, “The world of spirits possesses a connection.”

Bahlool then asked, “O Zayd, what has caused you to leave your homeland and come to this region?”

He replied, “I heard that this accursed man ordered the grave of Imam Husain (a.s.) to be ploughed and his visitors to be killed. My peace of mind was disturbed, and because of the intensity of my grief and pain, I left involuntarily.”

Bahlool said, “I too am in the same state. Come, let us go to Karbala and see what they are doing.”

So they took each other by the hand and set out.

When they reached the grave of Imam Husain (a.s.), they found it still intact. Although its structure had been demolished, whenever they attempted to direct water over it, the water would become confused and circle around the grave by the power of Allah, and not a single drop would reach the sacred grave.

Whenever the water approached the grave, the ground around the grave would rise by Allah’s permission.

Zayd was astonished and said:

“ O Bahlool, look! They wish to extinguish the light of Allah, but Allah will surely perfect His light, even though the polytheists dislike it.”

«وَيَأْبَى اللَّهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ»

“But Allah refuses except to perfect His light, even though the disbelievers dislike it.” (Surah al-Tawbah 9:32) [983] .

[ صفحه 329]