HUR BIN YAZID RIYAHI
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Hur is one of the greatest martyrs
of Kerbala. He belonged to a noble family of Iraq and was considered as
one of the leaders of Koofa. He was asked by Ibne Ziad to lead an army
of one thousand soldiers to fight with Imam Hussain (A.S). It is written
that when Hur came out of the palace of Koofa with the orders of stopping
the caravan of Imam Hussain (A.S), Hur heard a sound,' Greetings of Heaven
for you, O Hur!'. At the place of 'Qasr-e-Bani Maqatil' or 'Sharaf', he
met the caravan of Imam (A.S) and stopped it from proceeding to Koofa.
Hur lead the caravan to Kerbala. When Hur came to know that war with the
Holy Imam (A.S) was imminent, he went out of the camps of Umar-e-Sa'ad
pretending to be going to bring water for his horse and joined the Holy
Imam (A.S). He went near the Holy Imam (A.S) and felt sorry for what he
had done. He asked for the permission to fight. He went to the battlefield
and made a speech in which he asked the enemy to refrain from fighting.
When his speech was beginning to effect the enemy's soldiers, Umar-e-Sa'ad
ordered to fire arrows at him. He returned back and then again went to
the battlefield and got martyred after fighting bravely. Imam (A.S) went
near his body and said,' You are free as your mother named you Hur (free)
and you are free in this world and the Hereafter.' Imam (A.S) tied his
head with a handkerchief. After the 10th of Moharram, Bani Tumaim buried
him at a distance of about 1 mile from the grave of Imam Hussain (A.S).
It is narrated that, King Ismaeel Safwi, once opened the grave of Hur and
found his body fresh. When he tried to untie the peice of cloth tied on
his head, it started bleeding. A tomb was then built on top of the grave.