A Hussayni monk

It is narrated by Sulayman Ibn Mahran al-A’mash that he met one of the members of the army of Umar Ibn Sa’d carrying the heads of the martyrs of Ashura and taking the captives of their families to Yazeed, and that person told him that whenever they (the bearers of heads) downloaded their equipment, they removed the blessed head from the trunk and raised it upon a lance. They would guard the entire night until the morning, and at the time of proceeding they would put it back into the trunk and proceed further.

During one of their halts they came near the monastery of a monk. As usual they raised the head upon the lance and guarded it while leaning the lance against the wall of the monastery. At midnight, the monk saw a wave of light emanating from the head and reaching the heavens. He looked at them from above the monastery and asked, “Who are you?”

They replied, “We are associates of Ibn Ziyad”. He asked, “Whose head is this?” and they replied, “It is of Hussayn, the son of Ali bin Abi Taleb and Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet of Allah”. He asked, “You mean your Prophet?” and they replied in the affirmative. Hearing this he said, “You are among the worst of men. If Maseeh (Prophet Isa [Jesus]) would have had a son, we would have placed him upon our eyes (we would have honored him greatly)”.

He continued, “Do you desire anything, and could you do me a favor?” They asked as to what was it, and he replied, “I have ten thousand Ashrafi with me, you may take it and give me the head. Let it remain with me until the dawn, and when you proceed further, take it back from me”. They replied, “We are at no loss due to this”, saying this they handed the head over to him and he gave them the Ashrafis in return.

The monk washed the head, perfumed it and kept it upon his thigh and wept profusely until it dawned. And when it dawned he said, “O head! I do not have authority upon anything except myself. I bear witness that there is no Deity except Allah and that your Grandfather is the Prophet of Allah! You bear witness that I am your friend and a slave”. Then he renounced the monastery and all that was therein, and entered the ranks of the slaves of Ahl al Bayt (peace be upon them).

When they left that place, they looked at the money the monk had given them and saw this verse inscribed on it: "And those who oppressed shall come to find how evil their end shall be" (Qur’an, 26:227)