Martyrdom anniversary of Muslim ibn Aqil

Martyrdom anniversary of Muslim ibn Aqil ‎

Muslim ibn Aqil ibn Abi Talib was the cousin of Imam al-Husayn and his representative in ‎Kufah before the Battle of Karbala and was from the tribe of Abi Talib. Muslim was present ‎in some of the conquests of the Muslims as well as the Battle of Siffin. He went to Kufah as ‎a representative of Imam al-Husayn in order to provide the Imam with a status report of the ‎city and to make sure that people of Kufah are persistent on and truthful in their invitation of ‎the Imam. In a report to the Imam, he wrote that Kufans were prepared for the Imam’s ‎arrival.‎

However, after that ‘Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad was appointed as the governor of Kufah and ‎because people were afraid of him, they suddenly left Muslim alone. Thus, he was arrested ‎and martyred on the day of Arafah (Dhu al-Hijjah 9), 60 (September 10, 680). The story of ‎Muslim being left alone and his martyrdom in Kufah is the theme of a well-known lament ‎recited by the Shi’ahs. The lament is recited on the day of ‘Arafah and sometimes on ‎Muharram 1.‎