Compiled By Tabassum Ali , New York

The Prophet (S.A.W.) was walking with a companion called Mazahir when he Stopped and sat on the ground. He called Mazahir’s young son Habib to him and Hugged and kissed him. Mazahir said:

“O Prophet! What good deed has my son done to deserve such affection?”

With tears in his eyes the Prophet (S.A.W.) replied:

“O Mazahir! Whilst we were walking I happened to look at Habib. He was walking Behind my grandson Husayn and wherever Husayn stepped he lifted the dust From under Husayn’s feet and put it to his eyes in respect” O Mazahir! This Habib will come to my Husayn’s aid one day”

In Kerbala Imam called no-one for help except Habib. He wrote a letter to his childhood friend Habib who was in Kufa. He wrote that by the time Habib receives the letter Imam would be surrounded by the army of Yazid.  Habib received the letter just as he was sitting down to have a meal with his wife. When he saw the letter his eyes were filled with tears. His wife asked him what the matter was. He said he had received a letter from Imam asking him to go to Kerbala.

To test his wife he said he was wondering what to do because he was worried about her. Habib’s wife got up and got her hijab. She told him to wear the hijab and stay at home and she would go to help the son of Fatima (A.S.)

She told him:

“Fatima’s son is calling you and you are wondering about me!!!!”

Habib said he was testing her and prepared to leave for Kerbala.

Kufa was surrounded by the troops of Ibn Ziyad. Habib sent his servant out of the city first and then managed to sneak out himself. When he reached the spot where his servant was waiting he heard the servant say to the horse :

“If my master does not come I will go to the aid of the son of Fatima”

His slave asked him if he too could accompany him to Kerbala. Habib freed him and they both rode towards Kerbala as fast as they could.

In Kerbala, Imam Husayn (A.S.) was distributing the weapons to all the Mujahids. There was one spear left when someone asked : ‘O son of the Prophet ! who is the last spear for?”

Imam replied:

“This one is for my childhood friend Habib.”

Just then Habib could be seen walking towards the camp. Imam ran forward to greet him. Bibi Zaynab (A.S.) would ask Fizza to find out who had arrived when there was the sound of horses. Everytime, Fizza would announce the arrival of more enemy troops. Suddenly, she said to Bibi Zaynab (A.S.) Our guest has arrived”.

Bibi Zaynab (A.S.) sent Fizza to Habib to convey her salaams.

Habib fought bravely on the day of Ashura. When he fell from his horse he cried out :

“O my master Husayn ! Help me!!”

When the caravan of the prisoners reached Kufa the soldier form Yazid’s army who had the head of Habib round his horse saw that a young boy was following him wherever he went. He asked the young boy what he wanted.

The young boy replied :

“You have the head of my father round your neck! Please give it to me!!!!!”

Hazrat Fatima binte Hazam bin Khalid Ibn-e-Rabi’e Ibn-e-Amer Kalbi belonged to the clan of Banu Kilab, which was one the noblest families amongst the Hashimites and famous for the bravery and valor of its warriors.

Some years after the martyrdom of Hazrat Fatima Zahra (s.a.), Imam Ali (a.s.) expressed his desire to his brother Aqil bin Abu Talib (a.s.) to marry a women of a brave tribe. Hazrat Aqeel was a very knowledgeable in tribe genealogy and he immediately proposed the name of Hazrat Fatima binte Hazam bin Khalid and the marriage took place soon after.

Much earlier during 8 A.H., Imam Ali (a.s.) had been given the prophecy by Prophet
Mohammad(pbuh&hf) of a brave son who would be martyred alongside with his brother Imam Hussain(a.s.) on the day of Ashura. Eversince then, Imam Ali(a.s.) had been waiting for the birth of that son which came in the person of Hazrat Abbas(a.s.).

Hazrat Umm-ul-Baneen came to the house of Imam Ali (a.s.) knowing very well that before her the chief of the women of paradise, Hazrat Fatima Zahra(s.a.) was living in that house. She served Imam Ali (a.s.) in the same manner as Hazrat Umm-e-Salma had served the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf) after the demise of Hazrat Khadija (a.s.). Immediately stepping in the house, she vowed herself to act as a slave of the children of Hazrat Fatima (s.a.). Her sincerity was much respected by the children of Hazrat Fatima (s.a.) that they always gave her a high status and respect.

Fatima Binte Hazam was an accomplished and cultured lady, and bore Hazrat Ali’s four sons: Abbas, Abdullah, Jafer and Usman. The meaning of ‘Ummul Baneen’ is ‘Mother of Sons’. All of her sons were martyred along with Imam Husain. After their martyrdom, she requested people not to call her ‘Ummul Baneen’ ever again. When Imam Husain (A.S.) was leaving Madinah for Iraq Hadrat Ummul Baneen asked her four sons, Hadrat Abbas (A.S.), Abdulla, Ja’far and Usman to sacrifice their lives in the sacred cause of Imam Husain (A.S.).

On 10th Muharram 61 A.H.,the day of martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.) and his 72 faithful companions at the battlefield of Karbala when Hadrat Umme Salamah witnessed that the earth in the bottle given to her by the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf) had turned into blood she raised the cry of “Ya Husain” Ya Husain” and declared that Imam Husain (a.s.) has been martyred according to the prophecy foretold to her by the Holy Prophet (phuh&hf) about the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.).

Ummul Baneen conducted first ever Majlis after Imam Husain (a.s.) martyrdom:

Then Ummul Baneen gathered women of Madinah in her house and all cried for the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.).This was the first ever Majlis conducted after the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.). Ummul Baneen had such sincerity toward the Holy Prophet’s progeny that she loved Imam Hussain (a.s.) more than her own children. A feeling which was from the bottom of her heart – It was to the extent that when she received the news stating the martyrdom of her four children, she said: “Tell me about Hussain (A.S.)” and when she received the news of Imam Hussain (A.S.)’s martyrdom she said: “All of the arteries of my heart are torn. May all of my children and what ever that exists under this azure heaven be sacrificed for the sake of Imam Hussain (a.s.).

The First Noha Recitor of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (a.s.):

After the arrival of Imam Sajjad (a.s.) and Hazrat Zainab (s.a.) in Madinah Hadrat Ummul Baneen used to gather women in her house and used to narrate them how Imam Husain (a.s.) and his companions were martyred by Yazidi forces.

Hadrat Ummul Baneen was a great poetess and she is considered as the first Noha (lamentation poetry) reciter for the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.).She used to visit regularly the famous Jannat ul-Baqi cemetery in Madinah and recite her Nohas in a very sad and pathetic voice that everybody present there used to weep bitterly.

She transformed the Jannat ul-Baqi cemetery in Madinah as “the Centre of Azadari of Imam Husain (a.s.)”. The Nohas recited by Hadrat Ummul Baneen for the martyrdom of Imam Husian (a.s.) are recorded in history and are considered as masterpieces in Arabic literature.

Ummul Baneen died:

It is recorded in historical accounts that Hadrat Ummul Baneen died on 13th Jamadi us-Sani 64 A.H. and was buried in the Jannat ul-Baqi cemetery in the holy city of Madinah.