As regards Muslim bin Aqeel, Muhammad bin Ash’as took him to the palace of Ubaydullāh bin Ziyād. Muhammad entered therein alone and told him that he had arrested Muslim but had given him the promise of protection too. Ubaydullāh replied,

“You do not have the right to do so, rather I had sent you to bring him to me.”

Hearing this Muhammad became silent. When Muslim was seated at the gate of the palace, he saw a jug filled with cold water and asked for some. Muslim bin Umro Bāhili said,

“Do you see how cold this water is? By Allāh! You will not get even a single drop from this until (Allāh’s refuge) you drink the boiling water (Hameem) in hell.”

Muslim asked him as to who he was, to which he replied that,

“I am the one who has recognized the truth while you have abandoned it, I am the one who is a well-wisher of the nation and the Imām while you have desired evil for him, and am obedient to him whereas you have disobeyed him. I am Muslim bin Umro Bāhili.”

Muslim replied,

“May your mother weep over you! How cruel, unsympathetic and a harsh man are you. O son of Bahila! Verily you are more worthy than me to taste the boiling water (Hameem) and abide eternally in hell.”

Then Ammārah bin Atbah called for water to give it to him.

In Irshād and Kāmil of Ibn Aseer it is narrated, that Umro bin Hurays sent his retainer to fetch water. The retainer returned with a jar of water along with a napkin and a cup, and gave the water to Muslim to drink. (Kāmil) When Muslim took the cup to drink water, it became full with his blood thus he could not partake it. Thrice the cup was filled with water, and when water was filled for the third time, his front teeth fell in it. Muslim said,

“Praise be to Allāh! If this water would had been destined for me, I could have drank it.”

Muslim was then taken to the presence of Ubaydullāh bin Ziyād and he did not greet him. A guard told him, “Why do you not greet the commander”?

Muslim replied,

“Why should I greet him when he desires to kill me, and if he does not desire my death, then I have abundant greetings for him.”

Ubaydullāh said, “By my life! You shall surely die.” Muslim said, “So be it”? To which Ubaydullāh answered in the affirmative. Then Muslim said, “If this is the case then give me respite so that I may will to someone among my kinsmen”, to which Ubaydullāh agreed. Muslim turned towards Umar bin Sa’ad and said, “There exists kinship between us, I desire that I may relate to you something in confidence.” Umar refused to yield, to which Ubaydullāh said, “Do not refuse to fulfill the desire of your cousin”. Hearing this Umar stood up (Irshād) and sat with Muslim at a place where Ubaydullāh could see them. (Kāmil)

Muslim said,

“I have become indebted in Kufā for a sum of seven hundred dirhams, so please pay it off by selling the property of mine which is in Madinā.” (Kāmil) “And take my corpse after my death from Ubaydullāh and bury it. Besides send someone to Imām Husayn (a.s.) who would return him back.”

Umar went to Ubaydullāh and revealed whatever Muslim had told him. Ubaydullāh said,

“A trustworthy man does not commit treachery, but sometimes a traitor fulfils a trust. As regards his (Muslim’s) wealth, do whatever you desire to do with it. And as for Husayn, if he does intend towards us, we will not intend towards him. But if he challenges us, we shall not refrain ourselves from (harming) him. Regarding his corpse, we shall certainly not accept your intervention in that matter.”

While others quote him saying that,

“As regards his corpse, after we have killed him it is not our concern, you may do what you desire with it.”

Then he turned towards Muslim and said,

“O son of Aqeel! The people were unified and in accordance with one another, but you came and divided them and created discord.”

Muslim replied,

“It is not so, but the people of this town are of the opinion that your father (Ziyād) killed many of their virtuous men. He shed their blood and followed the footsteps of the Choesroes (the rulers of ancient Persia) and Caesers (the rulers of ancient Rome). We have come to enjoin justice and invite towards the Holy Book and Traditions (of the Prophet).”

Ubaydullāh said,

“O transgressor! What relation you hold with these? And why did you not do that among the people, while you were busy drinking wine (Allāh’s refuge) in Madinā”?

Muslim replied,

“Did I drink wine? By Allāh! He knows that you are not speaking the truth, nor am I similar to what you have ascribed to me. While drinking wine is a practice of those (referring to Ubaydullāh and his father Ziyād) who in rage and enmity spill the blood of the Muslims, and who rejoices and delights as if he has never ever committed any indecency (referred to Yazid).”

Ubaydullāh was infuriated and said,

“May Allāh kill me if I do not kill you in a manner as no one else has ever been killed in Islām.”

Muslim replied,

“It is befitting you that you introduce such innovations in Islām which have never taken place. You are an evil murderer, wicked chastiser, ill natured, and a degraded person than all those who preceded you.”

Then Ubaydullāh started abusing him, Imām Husayn (a.s.), Imām Ali (a.s.) and Hazrat Aqeel (a.s.) while Muslim did not speak to him.

-Martyrdom of Muslim bin Aqeel bin Abi Talib (a.s.)

Mas’oodi says that when their speech concluded and Muslim spoke harshly to Ubaydullāh, he ordered that Muslim should be taken to the roof of the palace and it was said to Bukayr bin Humrān Ahmari to behead him and take his revenge.

Jazari says that Muslim (a.s.) told Muhammad bin Ash’as,

“By Allāh! I would never have surrendered if you had not given me the promise of protec­tion. Then defend me with your sword for your promise has been broken.”

Then they took him on top of the palace when he was asking forgiveness from Allāh and praising and glorifying Him. Then they took him to the place overlooking the shoe-makers and severed his blessed head which fell down. (May Allāh’s Mercy and Blessings be upon him). His murderer was Bukayr bin Humrān, whom Muslim had previously wounded. Then his body too was thrown down. When Bukayr came down, Ubaydullāh asked him, “What was Muslim utter­ing when you took him to the roof”?.

He replied that,

“Muslim was glorifying Allāh and seeking His forgiveness.”

When I intended to kill him, I told him to come near and then I said:

“Praise be to Allāh who has given me an upper hand over you and thus I have taken the revenge from you.”

Then I struck a blow, which went waste. Then Muslim said:

“O slave! Haven’t you taken your revenge by inflicting this wound upon me”?

Ubaydullāh said,

“Such dignity even at the verge of death”?

Bukayr said,

“Then I struck him a second blow and killed him.”

Tabari says that Muslim was taken on the roof of the palace and his neck was severed and body thrown down to the people. An order was issued that his corpse be taken to that place where garbage is thrown and to be hanged there.

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References

Nafasul Mahmum, Relating to the heart rending tragedy of Karbala’, Sheikh Abbas Qummi, ISLAMIC STUDY CIRCLE, Mumbai, India