Stature and Position of Al Abbas

Text and Translation

Imam al-Sajjad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is reported to have said, “May Allah have mercy upon al-’Abbas. He preferred his brother to himself and sacrificed himself for him until his two hands were severed. So, Almighty Allah shall give him as compensation two wings to fly with the angels in Paradise in the same way as He shall do to Ja’far ibn Abi-Talib. Verily, al-’Abbas shall enjoy such a supreme position with Almighty Allah due to which all martyrs will hope to have its like on the Resurrection Day.”

It has been also reported that al-’Abbas, peace be upon him, was thirty-four years old when he was martyred. His mother, Ummu’l-Banin, used to go out to the al-Baqi’ Cemetery to elegize, weep, and mourn for al-’Abbas and his brothers. Whoever passed be her would not be able to stop weeping for her mournful style.

Actually, it is not strange to find a loyalist (to the Ahl al-Bayt) weeping for al-’Abbas when he listened to the mournful words of Lady Ummu’l-Banin, because even Marwan ibn al-Hakam, the bitterest enemy of the Ahl al-Bayt, could not help weeping when he heard the mournful words of this lady.

Elegizing al-’Abbas and her other sons, Ummu’l-Banin composed the following poetic verses:

يَا مَنْ رَاَى الْعَبَّاسَ كَرَّ عَلَى جَمَاهِيْرِ النَّقَدِ وَ وَرَاهُ مِنْ اَبْنَاۤءِ حَيْدَرَ كُلُّ لَيْثٍ ذِيْ لَبَدٍ اُنْبِئْتُ اَنَّ ابْنِيْ اُصِيْبَ بِرَاْسِهٖ مَقْطُوْعَ يَدٍ وَيْلِيْ عَلٰى شِبْلِيْ اَمَالَ بِرَاْسِهٖ ضَرْبُ الْعَمَدِ لَوْ كَانَ سَيْفُكَ فِيْ يَدَيْكَ لَمَا دَنَا مِنْهُ اَحَدٌ

YAA MAN RA-AL 'ABBAASA KARRA A'LAA JAMAAHEERIN NAQADI WA WARAAHU MIN ABNAA-I HAYDARA KULLU LAYSIN ZEE LABADIN UNBI'TU ANNABNEE USEEBA BIRA'SIHEE MAQTOO'A YADIN WAYLEE A'LAA SHIBLEE AMAALA BIRA'SIHEE ZARBUL 'AMADI LAW KAANA SAYFUKA FEE YADAYKA LAMAA DANAA MINHU AHAD

O he who saw al-'Abbas attacking the groups of the sheep-like enemies followed by the sons of Haydar, who were as courageous as lions. I have been told that my son was stricken on the head and had his hand cut! Woe me for my young lion! Did the stroke of the iron post bow his head? Had his sword been in his hand, none could have ever approached him.

She also composed the following verses:

لَا تَدْعُوَنِّيْ وَيْكِ اُمَّ الْبَنِيْنَ تُذَكِّرِيْنِيْ بِلُيُوْثِ الْعَرِيْنِ كَانَتْ بَنُوْنَ لِيْ اُدْعٰى بِهِمْ وَ الْيَوْمَ اَصْبَحْتُ وَ لَا مِنْ بَنِيْنَ اَرْبَعَةٌ مِثْلُ نُسُوْرِ الرُّبٰى قَدْ وَاصَلُوْا الْمَوْتَ بِقَطْعِ الْوَتِيْنِ تَنَازَعَ الْخِرْصَانُ اَشْلَاۤءَهُمْ فَكُلُّهُمْ اَمْسٰى صَرِيْعًا طَعِيْنًا يَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِيۤ اَ كَمَاۤ اَخْبَرُوْا بِاَنَّ عَبَّاسًا قَطِيْعُ الْيَمِيْنِ

LAA TAD'UWANNEE WAYKI UMMAL BANEENA TUZAKKIREENEE BILUYOOSIL 'AREENI KAANAT BANOONA LEE UD'AA BIHIM WAL YAWMA ASBAHTU WA LAA MIN BANEENA ARBA'ATUN MISLU NUSOORIR RUBAA QAD WAASALUL MAWTA BIQAT'IL WATEENI TANAAZA'AL KHIRSAANU ASHLAA-AHUM FAKULLUHUM AMSAA SAREE'AN TA'EENAN YAA LAYTA SHI'REE A KAMAA AKHBAROO BI-ANNA A'BBAASAN QATEE'UL YAMEEN

Do not call me Ummu'l-Banin (Mother of the sons). You will remind me of the lions of the lair. I had sons by whom I was called, but today, I have no single son! They were four; like eagles on heights. They faced death by having their aorta cut off The ravenous lances crowded on their bodies. So, all of them were pierced and stabbed. Great is my distress! Is it true what they have told that 'Abbas,s right hand was severed?