Hurr
Encyclopedia
Al-Hurr ibn Yazid Al Riyahi was one of the Ummayad deserter commanders during the Battle of Karbala
.
’s regiment, he was the son of Yazid ibn Najiyah bin Qa'nab bin Yitab bin Hur in the lineage of Al-Yarbo'ir Riyahi.
He was the one who obstructed Hussain's way near Kufa
, and he spent all his time in repenting and feeling very guilty for having obstructed the way of the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and blamed himself for bringing the Imam Husayn ibn Ali
to Karbala.
The armies officers and soldiers were constantly wondering at the mysterious sorrowful silence and the serious pensive mood in which Hurr spent all his time since his arrival on the plain. A famous nobleman of Kufa, an experienced warrior specially selected by Ibne Ziad to command a contingent against Husayn.
The son of Hurr readily consented to accompany him and Hurr’s slave who was a faithful and trusted one of his master, was present in the tent and implored saying "Master! Take me away from this cursed side, along with you. Please don’t leave me for hell", and Hurr agreed. Hurr, with his son and a slave, dashed out of the enemy’s ranks.
After that, Hurr approached until he took a place ahead among the people then he started to approach Hussain ibn Ali little by little.
‘Al-Mouhajer ibn Awss’ asked him: What do you want to do? Do you want to join Hussain? Hurr began to tremble and Al-Mouhajer said: You arise my doubt; I swear by God that I have never seen you like this in any situation and if someone asked me about the most courageous man in Kufa, I would have never chosen anyone else other than you. But what happened to you today?
Hurr Replied: For God’s sake, I am choosing between heaven and hell and by God I’ll never choose but heaven even if I am to be cut into pieces and burnt. Hurr appeared before Imam Hussain ibn Ali, with tears in his eyes begging for his pardon for the wrong he had done. Hurr was received very warmly by Hussain and his companions as special guest. Hurr was amazed by the kindness of Hussain.
Hussain rushed to him and found him with a large cut on his head. Hussain took his scarf which had belonged to his mother, Fatima Zahra, the daughter of Muhammad, and bandaged his wound and cleaned his eyes from blood.
Hurr asked Hussain ibn Ali, “Did I do well, are you satisfied with me?”
The last thing Hurr heard before he died was Hussain telling him your mother made the right choice by naming you Hurr (Free), you are free in this life and the beyond.
Hurr was killed and his body was carried by his tribe and buried. A shrine has been built over his grave, in the city of Karbala.
Battle of Karbala
The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...
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Who was Al-Hurr ibn Yazid
Hurr ibn Yazid Al-Riyahi was the commander of Yazid IYazid I
Yazīd ibn Mu‘āwiya ibn Abī Sufyān , commonly known as Yazid I, was the second Caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate . He ruled for three years from 680 CE until his death in 683 CE. Many Muslims condemn Yazid's rule as contentious and unjust...
’s regiment, he was the son of Yazid ibn Najiyah bin Qa'nab bin Yitab bin Hur in the lineage of Al-Yarbo'ir Riyahi.
He was the one who obstructed Hussain's way near Kufa
Kufa
Kufa is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000....
, and he spent all his time in repenting and feeling very guilty for having obstructed the way of the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and blamed himself for bringing the Imam Husayn ibn Ali
Husayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
to Karbala.
The armies officers and soldiers were constantly wondering at the mysterious sorrowful silence and the serious pensive mood in which Hurr spent all his time since his arrival on the plain. A famous nobleman of Kufa, an experienced warrior specially selected by Ibne Ziad to command a contingent against Husayn.
On the morning of Ashura
Hurr called his son secretly in his tent and said: “We are doomed driven towards ‘hell’. There is yet time. I have decided to dash out of the ranks of Satan and join the side of Hussain ibn Ali and seek pardon of the grandson of the Messenger of God. Would you like to accompany me or stay where you are?”The son of Hurr readily consented to accompany him and Hurr’s slave who was a faithful and trusted one of his master, was present in the tent and implored saying "Master! Take me away from this cursed side, along with you. Please don’t leave me for hell", and Hurr agreed. Hurr, with his son and a slave, dashed out of the enemy’s ranks.
After that, Hurr approached until he took a place ahead among the people then he started to approach Hussain ibn Ali little by little.
‘Al-Mouhajer ibn Awss’ asked him: What do you want to do? Do you want to join Hussain? Hurr began to tremble and Al-Mouhajer said: You arise my doubt; I swear by God that I have never seen you like this in any situation and if someone asked me about the most courageous man in Kufa, I would have never chosen anyone else other than you. But what happened to you today?
Hurr Replied: For God’s sake, I am choosing between heaven and hell and by God I’ll never choose but heaven even if I am to be cut into pieces and burnt. Hurr appeared before Imam Hussain ibn Ali, with tears in his eyes begging for his pardon for the wrong he had done. Hurr was received very warmly by Hussain and his companions as special guest. Hurr was amazed by the kindness of Hussain.
In the battlefield
When the fight against Yazid's army began, Hurr was the first one who went into the field against the enemy and charged bravely and laid down his life, after killing more than 40 of his enemies. When his horse got wounded he fought them on foot and fell to the ground.Hussain rushed to him and found him with a large cut on his head. Hussain took his scarf which had belonged to his mother, Fatima Zahra, the daughter of Muhammad, and bandaged his wound and cleaned his eyes from blood.
Hurr asked Hussain ibn Ali, “Did I do well, are you satisfied with me?”
The last thing Hurr heard before he died was Hussain telling him your mother made the right choice by naming you Hurr (Free), you are free in this life and the beyond.
Hurr was killed and his body was carried by his tribe and buried. A shrine has been built over his grave, in the city of Karbala.