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Martyrdom of Ali al-Abed Ibn Hassan al-Musallas
Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz
On 26th of the Islamic month of Moharram in 146 AH, Ali al-Abed Ibn Hassan al-Musallas, passed away at the age of 45 in the dungeon of the tyrant Mansur Dawaniqi, who masqueraded as the 2nd caliph of the usurper Abbasid regime. His grandparents were Hassan al-Muthanna, the son of the Prophet’s elder grandson Imam Hasan Mujtaba (AS), and Fatema, the daughter of the Prophet’s younger grandson Imam Husain (AS), the Martyr of Karbala. He was unsurpassed in his patience, worship and remembrance of God.
He was imprisoned with other descendants of Imam Hasan (AS), because of the Abbasid fears of the progeny of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) to whose leadership Mansur had sworn allegiance during their persecuted days under Omayyad rule. On becoming the caliph, Mansur put several descendants of Imam Hasan (AS) in a dark dungeon where the day could not be differentiated from the night, except by means of the recitations and acts of worship of Ali al-Abed.
These disciplined, orderly and continuous acts used to make the others aware of the time for prayers. One day, due to the hardships of captivity and the weight of his fetters, his uncle, Abdullah Mahadh (father of Nafs Zakiyya and Ibrahim – who were martyred in battle in 145 AH), lost patience and told him in a state of great agitation: Do you not witness our misfortunes and adversities? Do you not pray to God to grant us relief from this suffering? Ali al-Abed remained silent for a while and then said, “O’ uncle! There exists for us a (lofty) rank in Paradise, which we can never achieve except through patience over these or even more severe adversities, and there exists for Mansur a dreadful place in Hell, which he shall never reach except by subjecting us to such persecution. If we are patient, we shall soon find ourselves in ease and comfort, for death is not very far from us. But if you wish I shall pray for our deliverance.”
Abdullah replied: We shall be patient. Three days later, Ali al-Abed passed away while in prostration to God. Abdullah thought him to be asleep and when he tried to wake up his nephew, he realized that the soul had already flown to the ethereal heavens. Soon, the bloodthirsty caliph ordered the killing of all the imprisoned descendants of the Prophet by felling the roof of the dungeon upon their heads. In 148 AH, Mansur martyred through poisoning the Prophet’s 6th Infallible Heir, Imam Ja’far as-Sadeq (AS).
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