The Night of Loyalty
The Companions of Hussain – The Seventy-Two Souls
"Indeed, God has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for Paradise. They fight in the way of God, so they kill and are killed…"
(Surah At-Tawbah, verse 111)
It was a night of loyalty…
The final night… for tomorrow was Ashura. The stars had gathered around the sun and the moon…
And not far away was a noble lady — the Aqilah (Lady Zaynab) — who found comfort in knowing her brother was not alone.
The praise and glorification of Aba Abdillah Ḥusayn (PBUH) rose to the highest heavens… And then, the time came to take the final covenant.
It was time to become one heart and one path.
"I know of no companions more righteous than you, and no family more virtuous than mine..."
Darkness set in...
"So let the night be your steed and disperse in its cover. Leave me to face the enemy, for they seek none but me."
A moment of silence pierced the night... A heart trembled from afar, and the curtain of a tent was gripped more tightly… but then…
The scorched hearts of the companions of Ḥusayn surged and roared with unmatched passion! The unique embodiment of loyalty stood up, and light radiated from his noble face to his master…
Alawi honor boiled and turned into speech: "How can I desire life without you? I will defend the family of God until the last drop of my blood!"
And the heart of the sister was soothed…
by the voice of her Abbas…
Then, one after another, they pledged allegiance, as if reliving another Ghadir…
They followed Abbas, each offering their hands in loyalty to their Master:
"O my Master, may our souls be sacrificed for you. We will guard you with our own hands until we are martyred and fulfill our covenant with our Lord..."
And today… it is our turn to be loyal to the covenant.
The night is dark… It is us and our own souls. Will we pledge allegiance to the Master whose mornings and evenings are spent in mourning for his grandfather?
Life is a unique stage of loyal covenant Everyone is known by how true they are— and then they leave the stage... Oh, if only we, too, could be like the companions of Ḥusayn…
The companions of our awaited Imam…
Asḥāb al-Mahdi.
