The Fate of the Killers of Imam Hussain

Hazrat Aamir bin Sa’ad RadiyAllahu Anhu narrates, ‘After Imam Hussain left this mundane world, I saw RasoolAllah Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam in my dream. He said, ‘O Amir! Go to my companion Baraa’ bin Aazib and convey my Salams and inform him that whosoever killed my son Hussain will go to Hell.’ Thus I went to Hazrat Baraa’ RadiyAllahu Anhu and informed him on what I had seen.’ [Sa’adatul Kaunain]

Hakim narrates on the authority of Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas RadiyAllahu Anhuma
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’Allah Ta’ala conveyed through revelation to RasoolAllah Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam that He perished 70,000 in revenge of the killing of Yahya bin Zakariya Alaihimus Salam, but for your grandson Hussain, He will destroy double that number.’ [Khasais ul Kubra]

Ibne Jauzi reports that no assassin of Imam Hussain RadiyAllahu Anhu was spared punishment. Some were killed, some became blind and those who were at high positions could not stay there for a long time.

Allama Ibne Katheer testifies that most of the narrations about the fate of the killers of Imam Hussain RadiyAllahu Anhu as reported in history are correct. [Al-Hussain]

In the reign of Abdul Malik, when Mukhtar bin Abu Ubaid Saqfi became the governer of Kufa, he became the first person to organise the revenge of the massacre of Imam Hussain RadiyAllahu Anhu and his family. He enquired about the killers and then got them killed.

The Fate of Yazeed

In Damascus, in the court of Yazeed, an oppressed member of Ahle Bait cried out, ‘The very throne for which you killed Imam Hussain RadiyAllahu Anhu, even your own children will never be able to sit upon it.’

And this is exactly what happened. Very soon he fell prey to a dreadful disease. He used to cry due to unbearable aches in the stomach and intestines. When he was certain of his death, he called for his son Muawiyah to hand over the rule to him. But as soon as he started to speak, he was humiliatingly interrupted by his son who shouted, ‘I can never accept the throne which has the stains of the blood of the grandson of RasoolAllah Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam on it. May it be destroyed.’

The words of his son made his condition even worse. He kept shouting like a swine. He used to cry for water but to swallow any drop of water would also make him cry. Ultimately he died a degrading and shameful death. His body emitted such stench that nobody could go near or touch him. He did not even receive a dignified burial, he was just thrown in a pit and covered. [Naqshe Karbala]
The Fate of Ubaidullah bin Ziyad

As you have already read, Ubaidullah bin Ziyad was the treacherous soul who was appointed by Yazeed. On his orders Imam Muslim and his two little sons were martyred. And it was he who sent the army to fight Imam Hussain RadiyAllahu Anhu.

Mukhtar vowed to take revenge with the killers of Imam Hussain RadiyAllahu Anhu. So he sent an army to fight Ubaidullah. Ubaidullah also prepared for a war and went into the battlefield with 30,000 soldiers. Both the armies met near Mosul. There was heavy fighting from sunrise to sunset. But just as Ubaidullah was about to be defeated, the coward tried to escape. But eventually he was captured and killed. Ironically the date when he was killed was 10th of Muharram 67 Hijri. His head was cut off and sent to Mukhtar in Kufa. When Mukhtar received the news he decorated the Governor House and invited all the Kufans and placed the head of Ubaidullah at the same spot where the blessed head of Imam Hussain RadiyAllahu Anhu was kept.

Mukhtar then addressed the crowd, ‘O Kufans! Look how the tables have turned. It is the same day, same month and the same place. Six years after Imam Hussain RadiyAllahu Anhu was wrongly and mercilessly killed, the head of his killer lies here in the most humiliating way.’ He then ordered them to celebrate.[Iedha]

It is recorded in Tirmizi Sharif, that when the heads of Ubaidullah and his accomplices were lying in the court of Mukhtar, a snake appeared from nowhere and went over all the heads. When it reached the head of Ubaidullah, it entered through one of his nostrils, stayed in for a while and exited from the mouth. It repeated this three times before it disappeared.
Killers of Hussain RadiyAllahu Anhu in the Wrath of Allah

Hazrat Abu Shaikh narrates that in a gathering people were discussing how all those who were in any way involved in the killing of Imam Hussain were caught up in the Wrath of Allah. An old man stood up and said, ‘I too helped in his killing but look nothing has happened to me.’ Just then he stood up to attend the lamp when he was caught up in flames and burned to his death. A similar incident is narrated by Imam Sa’ad. [Tareekh e Karbala]

Sabt bin Jauzi narrates on the authority of Waqdi that an old man who was involved in the killing of Imam Hussain RadiyAllahu Anhu became blind. When people enquired how he became blind, he replied, ‘I saw RasoolAllah Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam in my dream. He had a blood stained sword in his hand and some killers of Imam Hussain were lying dead on the ground. When he saw me, he cursed me and rubbed a blood-stained stick in my eye. From that day I have become blind.’ [Iedha]

Allama Ibne Hajar Makki writes that one of the soldiers from the army of Yazeed who hanged the blessed head of Imam Hussain RadiyAllahu Anhu on his horse suddenly became very dark and ugly. People enquired, ‘You were very white and beautiful. How did you turn like this?’ He replied, ‘Ever since the incident of Karbala, two people enter my house every night and they take me to a place where a fire is lit. They hang me into the fire then pull me out. This has caused my appearance to change.’ Later he too died a degrading death.

In the same way it is narrated that one old joiner too became blind. He says, ‘I saw RasoolAllah Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam with a bowl filled with blood. People came to him and he applied the blood in their eyes. I too was sent to him. I said, ‘Ya RasoolAllah Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, I was not present at the battlefield in Karbala.’ RasoolAllah Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam replied, ‘But you wished that he be killed.’ Then he pulled his finger towards me and I became blind.’ [Iedha]

Allama Barzi narrates on the authority of Hazrat Mansoor, they saw a man in Syria whose face was like a swine. When he was enquired about the reason, he replied, ‘Every day I used to curse Ameer ul Mu’mineen Hazrat Ali RadiyAllahu Anhu and his children. Then one night I saw a dream in which Imam Hasan complained to RasoolAllah Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam about me cursing them. RasoolAllah Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam cursed me and spat on me. Since then I have become a sign for people.’ [iedha]

The End of Mukhtar, the Liar
On one side Mukhtar did a commendable job by taking the revenge of Imam Hussain and by killing the killers, but on the other hand, he declared himself as a prophet, thus becoming a infidel. Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair RadiyAllahu Anhuma sent an army in 67 Hijri and destroyed him. [Tareekh e Karbala]