YA ABALFAZL

Looking at the lofty peaks of faith, courage and fidelity, we find a great and unique virtuous man, named Abbas, the brave son of Amiralmomenin (a.s.), who is a prominent example of virtue, perfection, chivalry, generosity, devotion, strength and support, and in general of any good trait and attribute of merit concerned with human benevolence.

Amiralmomenin called his brave child, Abbas, because he attacked bravely like a lion in the battlefields. Like an angry lion, he caused fear in the enemy’s heart, and his epic screams caused the body of opponents to shake.

His nickname was Abalfazl (father of Fazl), both because he was the father of Fazl, and was the father of virtue (Fazl). Virtue and goodness originated from his pure nature.

He was also called Abolqarbeh (father of water bag) for carrying the water bag on his shoulder. He was water-carrier among Hashemites from the childhood. Saqqa (Water-carrier) was the other nickname of this great man. He provided water for the thirsty and children.

He is also known with Babol Havaej (Gate to the people’s needs). His holy shrine is the focus of needs, and recourse to him, fulfills needs of the needy and involved.

HE was Symbol of bravery and fidelity



Neither bravery without fidelity is worthy, nor fidelity without bravery is working. The path of truth calls for the strong, tireless, trustworthy and loyal people. In the battle fields, knighthood and bravery mixed with fidelity to the path of truth, high cause and infallible leader are required, and all of these features existed in son of Ali (a.s.). Abbas was from the tribe of the courage and skilled in warfare from mother side, and also had the spirit of Ali in himself. He had both inborn bravery and lineal bravery as a result of the situation of life and where he was trained as well as the faith and belief on the purpose.



Ali (a.s.) was father of Abbas. The great man who had given new concepts to the bravery. Abalfazl Abbas was the son of this father, and was cultured in a school the example of which was Ali (a.s.). His family had grown in the battlefields of warfare, with sword and accustomed to fighting and martyrdom.
Ashura was the most appropriate battlefield for display of bravery and fidelity of Abbas. His fidelity appeared in the highest possible level and in the most beautiful form. However, due to the important responsibilities undertaken by him for finding tactics, bearing the standard of host, carrying water to the tents, guarding the caravan of martyrdom, Abbas could not display his bravery as he deserved. He could not display his spirit in the field of Karbala through suppressing those rancorous, vile and unfaithful persons.
However, the few scenes narrated about his epics in Karbala, indicate his peerless valor. Loyalty of Abbas appeared at utmost thirst and oppressed state to let the epic of loyalty to be registered on the waves of Euphrates and in the river of Alqameh.
Abbas did not abandon even for one moment from his brother and Imam all through his life, and did not spare any effort for obedience and service. In the human history, no brother could be found to be as honest, dedicated, devoted, obedient and submissive as Abbas for his brother Sayedoshohada. His loyalty, decency and courtesy have become a saying in the history. He never sat before Imam Hossein (a.s.) unless asking for permission. Abbas for Hossein was the same as Ali for Prophet. He always addressed Hossein Ebne Ali (a.s.) with the titles like “O Sayedi”, “O Aba Abdellah” and “O Ebne Rassoulallah”.

AT Ashura



On Ashura noon Imam Hossein sent Abbas to provide water for thirsty children.



Abalfazl headed for Kufa host, preached and warned them against God’s wrath, and addressed Ebne Sa’d:



O, son of Sa’d, here is Hossein, son of Prophet’s daughter. You killed his companions and relatives. His family and children are thirsty. Let them to have some water as they are dying of thirst, …



Abbas utterance made them to think. Some of them felt pity and their eyes filled with tear. But Shemr shouted: O son of Ali, if the land is full of water, and under our control, we will never give a drop of it to you, unless you accept to pay homage to Yazid.
What Abbas could say or do against such a lot of vileness, meanness and indecency? He returned to his brother and informed him about their obstinacy. He heard again the voice of children: water, water, ….



Abbas found that with these dry lips, pale faces and weak eyes, they are subject to death. He could not imagine that Abbas is alive, and children of Imam to be in such condition? He mounted on the horse. Put a water bag on his shoulder, and took the sword and raid toward Euphrates. He rushed so vigorously that tore their encirclement and reached water. Filled the water bag to bring it to the waterless tents and dry lips.



His heart was burning of thirst, and the cool and pleasant water of Euphrates was waving before him. He wanted to take some water with his hands and drink, but surf of humanitarian feeling and a wave of fidelity welled in his mind, and remembered the thirsty lips of Imam Hossein and his children. Shall he drink or not? It was the trial of fidelity and struggle of intellect and love.
Abbas and Hossein’s life was related. They were one spirit in two bodies. How the faithful Abbas could drink from the pleasant water of Euphrates, while Hossein’s lips are dried of thirst? Never, a faithful brother shall not do so. He addressed himself:



O my self! You shall not be alive after Hossein! Hossein is subject to death and martyrdom, and do you want to drink cool water? By God, this is not my creed.



He poured water into Euphrates, and did not drink water remembering Hossein’s thirst to receive martyrdom thirsty like his brother, and thereby to be the real teacher of fidelity.
He put the leather bag on his shoulder and moved towards the tents. Guards of Euphrates River blocked his way. Abbas had no alternative save fighting with them. The combat started between the water-carrier of Karbala and those vile men.



His hands were cut in the way of honor and chivalry to let the pen of history to write these virtues for him on the bank of the ever-running stream of goodness. The hand raised for support of truth and helping Hossein, from which issued bounty and grandeur, and had gone to bring water, was cut, but his path was not cut. His faith was firm, and his goal, eternal. Abbas had sworn to support religion and Imam forever. He was too interested to provide water for the tent and quench the thirsty men to care for protecting his life.



Once Abalfazl roared to terrify the assailants, and once he ranted. The roars of Abbas in the battle field was the extract of all shouts of truth seekers chocked back. Abbas continued his combat having sword at his left hand. One of the forces of enemy, called Hakim Ebne Tofail, waiting in an ambush behind a palm tree, struck Abalfazl’s left hand, and it was cut. But Abbas did not lose his hope, and ranted so: O, my self! Don’t fear the unbelievers! God’s mercy along with his appointed Prophet, will upon you. They cut my left hand unjustly. O God, let them taste the fire of hell.



Then, an arrow was shot to his water bag, and its water along with his hope poured on the earth.
They shot an arrow to his breast, and one used the chance and smashed an irony staff on his head. Abbas fell into the ground and was martyred after the strikes of assailants, while he was 34 years old.



In this way, the bright life finished at bloody end of martyrdom, and Abbas died beside water, after a great warfare and epic struggle, and his bloody body, split head and cut hands in the bank of Euphrates became a proof for his fidelity.



When Hossein Ebne Ali (a.s.) came beside Abbas, and found his standard-bearer in blood and killed, said: Now, I lost my support, and my wisdom became ineffective.



The lifeless body of Abbas remained in the field, and Imam returned to the tents, with a lot of grief in his heart for martyrdom of his brother. He returned to make ready himself for meeting Lord, and for the last farewell with his family.



Now, by lapse of more than one thousand three hundred years from such a lot of sacrifice, courtesy, chivalry and fidelity, still the history is alive with the bounties of Abbas Ebne Ali (a.s.), and his name is accompanied with fidelity, courtesy and chivalry.



The devoted warlord went to Euphrates with a thirsty lip and burned heart, but his chivalry and fidelity did not let him to drink water, while Imam, his household and children were thirsty. He came back thirsty from Euphrates to bring water for the children.



He did not drink water and left Euphrates thirsty, but the hand of thirst of Euphrates did never reach the fidelity of Abbas. Where we can find such sacrifice, and is it possible to express and include such devotion in the words?



Abalfazl’s (a.s.) hands were cut, and his hands became a banner for the free men throughout the world, and Abbas became the peerless teacher of generosity and virility.