In the House of the Holy Prophet S.A.W, which presented the best image of both the worlds – the heaven and the earth- a child who benefited humanity as if he was a Divine Impression reflecting the earth, was born on one of the nights of the month of Sha’ban. His father was Imam ‘Ali A.S, the best model of kindness towards his friends and the bravest against the enemies of Islam, and his mother was Hazrat Fatimah S.A, the only daughter and child of the Holy Prophet, who had as universally acknowledged, inherited the qualities of her father.

On the very day when Imam Hussein A.S was born, Allah S.W.A ordered angel Jibriel to descend and congratulate the Holy Prophet A.S on His Behalf and on his own. While descending, Jibriel passed over an island where the angel Futrus had been banished due to his delay in executing a commission assigned by Allah S.W.A. He was deprived of his wings and expelled to the island where he remained for several years praying and worshipping Allah S.W.A and asking for His forgiveness. “When the angel Futrus saw Jibriel, he called out, ‘ Where are you going, O Jibriel?’ To this he replied, ‘ Hussein, the grandson of Muhammad S.A.W is born, and for this very reason Allah S.W.A has commanded me to convey His congratulations to His Apostle.’ Thereupon, the angel said, ‘ Can you carry me also along with you? May Muhammad S.A.W recommend my case to Allah S.W.A.’ Jibriel took the angel along with him, came to the Holy Prophet S.A.W, offered congratulations to him on behalf of Allah S.W.A and himself and referred the case of the angel to him. The Holy Prophet S.A.W said to Jibriel, ‘Ask the angel to touch the body of the newly-born child and return to his place in Heaven.’ On doing this, the angle re-obtained his wings instantly and praising the Holy Prophet (S A) and his newly- born grandson, ascended towards the Heaven.

Some sayings of the Holy Prophet (S A) During his Lifetime with Reference to Imam Hussein A.S:

1. Hasan and Hussein are the Leaders of the Youths of Paradise.

2. Hussein is from me and I am from Hussein, Allah befriends those who befriend Hussein and He is the enemy of those who bear enmity to him.

3. Whosoever wishes to see such a person who lives on earth but whose dignity is honoured by the Heaven- dwellers, should see my grandson Hussein. My son! thy flesh is my flesh and thy blood is my blood; thou art a leader, the son of a leader and the brother of a leader; thou art a spiritual guide, the son of a spiritual guide and the brother of a spiritual guide; thou art an Apostolical Imam, the son of an Apostolical Imam and the brother of an Apostolical Imam; thou art the father of nine Imams, the ninth of whom would be the Qa’im (the last infallible spiritual guide).

4. The punishment inflicted on the murderer of Hussein in Hell would be equal to half of the total punishment to be imposed on the entire sinners of the world.

5. When the Holy Prophet S.A.W informed Hadrat Fatimah S.A of the martyrdom in store for his grandson, she burst into tears and asked, “O my father ! when would my son be martyred?” “In such a critical moment,” replied the Holy Prophet S.A.W, “When neither I nor you, nor ‘ALI would be alive.” This accentuated her grief and she inquired again, “Who then, O my father, would commemorate Hussein’s martyrdom? ” The Holy Prophet S.A.W said, “The men and the women of a particular sect of my followers, who will befriend my Ahlul-Bayt, will mourn for Hussein and commemorate his martyrdom each year in every century.”

Khwaja Mu’inu ‘d-Din Chishti says:

He gave his head, but did not put his hand into the hands of Yazid. Verily, Hussein is the foundation of la ila ha illa Allah. Hussein is lord and the lord of lords. Hussein himself is Islam and the shield of Islam. Though he gave his head (for Islam) but never pledged Yazid. Truly Hussein is the founder of “There is no Deity except Allah.” Brown in his A Literary History of Persia writes: As a reminder, the blood-stained field of Karbala’ where the grandson of the Apostle of God fell at length, tortured by thirst and surrounded by the bodies of his murdered kinsmen, has been at any time since then sufficient to evoke, even in the most lukewarm and heedless, the deepest emotion, the most frantic grief and the exaltation of spirit before which pain, danger, and death shrink to unconsidered trifles. Yearly, on the tenth day of Muharram, the tragedy is rehearsed in Persia, in India, in Turkey, in Egypt, wherever a Shi’ite community or colony exists; . . . As I write it all comes back; the wailing chant, the sobbing multitudes, the white raiment red with blood from self inflicted wounds, the intoxication of grief and sympathy.

Miracle at Birth of Imam Hussein

Imam Hussein (A.S.) was born in Medina on the 3rd of Sha’ban 4 A.H.

On the day he was born, Allah told the angel Jibraail to go and congratulate the Prophet (S.A.W.), Imam Ali (A.S.) and Sayyida Fatima Az-Zahra (A.S.).

On the way down from the heavens, Jibraail passed an island where the angel Fitrus was banished to (as a punishment for taking too long in doing something Allah had ordered him to do). His wings had also been taken away. “Where are you going, Jibraail?” Fitrus asked. Jibraail told him he was going to congratulate the Prophet (S.A.W.) and his family on the birth of Imam Hussein (A.S.) “Can I come with you?” Fitrus asked. With Allah’s permission, Jibraail took Fitrus with him. They congratulated the Prophet (S.A.W.). The Prophet (S.A.W.) asked Fitrus to touch the cradle of Imam Hussein (A.S.).

As soon as he touched the cradle, with the permission of Allah his wings were restored. He thanked the Prophet (S.A.W.) When Fitrus returned to the heavens; all the other angels asked him what perfume he had used because there was a fragrance coming from him. Fitrus replied:

“I am the lucky one who has touched the cradle of Imam Hussein (A.S.)