[8] Ashura Maqtal - Ali al-Akbar

This is a series of maqatil (martyrdom narratives - devotional recitations recounting the suffering and sacrifice of the Ahl al-Bayt, the family of Prophet Muhammad). These are for Ashura 2025/1447

In His Name, the Most High

بِسْمِ ٱللّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَالَمِينَ وَصَلَّى ٱللّٰهُ عَلَىٰ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ ٱلطَّيِّبِينَ ٱلطَّاهِرِينَ ٱلْمَعْصُومِينَ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to God, the Lord of all worlds, and may blessings be upon our Master Muhammad and upon his pure, purified, and infallible household. As for what follows:
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of God, and His blessings.

Video of the Maqtal (Eulogy)

Audio of the Maqtal (Eulogy)

Ali al-Akbar

Birth and Resemblance to the Prophet

Hazrat Ali Akbar (AS) was born in Medina, the son of Imam Hussain (AS) and Layla Binte Abi Murra, who was a lady from the Banu Thaqif tribe. Before Hazrat Ali Akbar (AS) was born, Imam Hussain (AS) had prayed to Allah (SWT) to grant him a son who resembled his grandfather the Holy Prophet (SAAW). Hazrat Ali Akbar (AS) resembled his great grandfather the Holy Prophet (SAAW) in every way, not only in his facial features, but also his speech, mannerisms and walking.

The people who remembered the Prophet (SAAW), would often come to visit Hazrat Ali Akbar (AS). Ali Akbar was a student of his Uncle Abbas, who taught him the battlefield skills of archery, horse riding and sword fighting.

Farewell to Sister Fatima Sughra

Upon leaving Medina with his father, Ali Akbar bade farewell to sister Fatima Sughra who did not travel to Karbala. Fatima Sughra told Ali Akbar

“O my beloved brother, when will I see you again. I cannot bear to be separated from you”.

Ali Akbar replies to his sister,

“O my dearest sister. Make dua that I return soon inshallah”.

The Dream on the Journey to Karbala

On the way to Karbala, a dialogue occurs between Imam Hussain (AS) and Hazrat Ali Akbar (AS). Imam Hussain (AS) wakes up from a dream where he sees his companions being slaughtered and loudly exclaims

“Verily, we are from Allah and unto him we shall return” (Holy Quran 2:156) All praise belongs to Allah the Lord of the Worlds.”

Ali Akbar was surprised and asked his father,

“O my father, why did you recite this verse”.

Imam Hussain (AS) replies

“O my son, I fell asleep and in my dream I heard a horseman saying that ‘This Caravan moves on and death is following them’, so I have learnt that death would come”.

Ali Akbar then replies

“O my father, are we not on the truth ?”

Imam Hussain replies

“My son, if we are not on the truth, then who else would be on truth.”

Ali Akbar then says finally

“If we are upon truth, then it matters not whether death come to us or we travel towards death”.

Ali Akbar’s Adhan on Ashura

On the day of Ashura, at the time of Fajr, Imam Hussain (AS) sends Ali Akbar to recite the Adhan. When the enemies heard this some of them became confused, believing this was the voice of the Prophet and this created some disquiet in the enemy ranks.

Umar Saad tells his men

“This is not the Prophet, it is Ali the son of Hussain”.

The sound of crying was audible from camp of Imam Hussain (AS), knowing that this would be the last time they would hear Ali Akbar’s adhan.

Requesting Permission to Fight

While the companions were fighting, Ali Akbar along with his Uncle Abbas and his cousins, defended the camp of Imam Hussain (AS) from enemy attacks.

Following the martyrdom of all the companions, it was finally time for the family members of Imam Hussain (AS) to enter the battle.

Ali Akbar approaches Imam Hussain (AS) and asks him

“Father I am requesting your permission to go and fight the enemies of Islam”.

Imam Hussain (AS) looks lovingly at his son and tells him,

“Akbar you have my permission. May Allah be with you! But before you go, you must say farewell to the ladies especially to your Aunt Zainab”.

When the ladies saw Akbar they all wept bitterly and begin to grab hold of his cloak. Sayeda Zainab (AS) looks at the face of Akbar and says

“Akbar are you really leaving us”.

Ali Akbar replies

“O my aunt, I must go and defend my father and the religion of my grandfather from these enemies”.

Farewell to the Family

Hussain ibn Ali helped his youthful son to mount the horse. As Ali Akbar began to the ride towards the battlefield, he heard foot steps behind. He looked back and saw his father.

He said,

"Father, we have said good-bye. Why are you walking behind me?"

Hussain ibn Ali replied,

"My son, had you been a father of a son like me, you would surely have understood!"

Imam Hussain’s Lament and Supplication

Imam al-Husayn (a) was watching the fight of Ali al-Akbar (a) and shouted,

"O son of Sa'd! May God block your generation the way you blocked mine and did not respect my relationship with the Prophet (s); May Allah assign someone to rule over you who beheads you in your bed."

He then continued,

"O Allah! I hold You witness upon these people. Against them, a man has gone to fight who is the most alike among people in appearance, manner, and speech to Your Messenger Mohammad. O Allah ! when we loved to see Your Prophet (SAAW), we looked at him (Ali Akbar (AS)).

Then the Imam utters the following words:

"O Allah! Prohibit the blessings of the earth from them and make disunity among them, and severely tear them apart and place them in different factions; do not make statesmen and rulers happy with them; they actually invited us to support us, but then they became our enemy and began fighting us while they themselves invited us."

Ali Akbar Rejects Amnesty

When Hazrat Ali Akbar (AS) enters the battlefield, he is recognised by the enemy as his mother Layla was a maternal cousin of Yazid.

A man from the enemy side offers him amnesty on account of his relationship with Yazid, however Ali Akbar (AS) tells him:

“Only my relationship with the Prophet (SAAW) and his family is to be valued”.

Ali Akbar after rejecting the amnesty from Umar ibn Saad reciting the following epitaph

"I am Ali son of Hussain the son of Ali. By the house of Allah (Ka'ba), I swear we are the closest to the Prophet (SAAW); By Allah, this son of adultery cannot rule over us. I will kill you by the sword and support my father, a blow of sword by a young Hashemite from Quraysh."

First Battle and Return to the Tent

In his first fight, Ali al-Akbar (a) attacked the army of Kufa in the left and right and the centre. None of them managed to resist him. They say he dropped 120 horsemen in his attacks while thirst had taken away his strength.

Ali Akbar (AS) returns to the tent and asks his father for water. His father cries out as he no water to offer Akbar, however he tells him,

“My son suck on my tongue, perhaps you will get some moisture from it”.

Ali Akbar sucks on the tongue of Imam Hussain (AS), but immediately removes it from his mouth, telling his father

“O Father, your tongue is even drier than mine”.

Final Battle and Martyrdom

Ali Akbar (AS) returns to the battlefield for a second time and resumes his jihad, killing a further 200 from the enemy ranks. Murrah bin Munqidh, calls out

“I accept responsibility for the sins of the Arabs if I do not make his father mournful for his death”.

He strikes Hazrat Ali Akbar (AS) on the head, making him disorientated. Another from the enemy army Haseen bin Nameer, creeps up on Ali Akbar (AS) and launches a spear at him with such ferocity, that it pierces his chest and lodges in his liver.

Ali Akbar (AS) falls from his horse and calls out,

“O my father, my final farewell to you”.

As he hits the ground the spear breaks, but remains lodged in his chest.

Imam Hussain’s Farewell to Ali Akbar

Upon hearing the cry of his son, Imam Hussain (AS) rushes to battlefield. He reaches Ali Akbar (AS) with the spear lodged in his chest, about to attain martyrdom.

Ali Akbar (AS) tells his father.

“O father, I now see the Prophet (SAAW), he has brought me a drink of water”.

Imam Hussain (AS) tries to pull the broken spear from Akbar’s chest.

As Imam Hussain (AS) pulled the spear, it rips the liver of Ali Akbar, and he attains martyrdom.

Returning the Body to the Tents

Imam Hussain (a), threw himself on the body of Ali Akbar, and put his cheek on his son's cheek. Imam al-Husayn (a) cursed the enemies:

"May Allah kill the people who killed you."

He then said,

"O my son! How rude and shameful these people are, and they disrespect the holiness of the Prophet (s)." and continued, "After you, O my son! Woe be to this world!"

Imam (a) then took a handful of Ali's (a) blood and threw it towards the sky. And not a drop of that spilled on the ground.

Imam Hussain (AS) and the youths of Bani Hashim move the body of Hazrat Ali Akbar (AS) back to the tents. Sayeda Zainab (AS) and the other ladies weep and fall on to the body of Ali Akbar (AS).

Peace be upon you, O son of the Messenger of Allah

Peace be upon you, O son of the Prophet of Allah

Peace be upon you, O son of the Commander of the Faithful

Peace be upon you, O son of Hussain the Martyr

Peace be upon you, O Martyr

Peace be upon you, O Oppressed and the son of an Oppressed

Curse of Allah be on those who persecuted you

Curse of Allah be on those who heard about this and were satisfied

وَسَيَعْلَمُ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ أَىَّ مُنقَلَبٍۢ يَنقَلِبُونَ

And those who have wronged, will come to know to what [evil] return, they will be returning.

- Quran, Surah ash-Shu’ara (the Chapter of the Poets) #26, Verse 227

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

Indeed, we belong to God, and indeed to Him we shall return.

- Quran, Surah al-Baqarah (the Chapter of the Cow) #2, Verse 156