Other martyred slaves

Nazar bin Ubay was also one of the servants of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), whose father, Abu Nazar, according to Ibn Hajar, was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and lived during his time. It has been said that Abu Nazar was of Ethiopian royal lineage.

Muhaddith Qummi states: Our teacher (Mirza Nuri) in Mustadrak, quoting from “Kamil Mubarrad,” mentions that Abu Nazar was from the royal family of Persia. However, in my opinion, it is correct that he was from the descendants of Najashi, the King of Ethiopia, who, as a child, was inclined towards Islam. He came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), embraced Islam, lived with him, and after the Prophet’s passing, lived with Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) and her children.

Abu Nazar said:

I was in charge of overseeing two farms, Abi Nazar and Bughibagha (located in Baqi’ — “Asaba”), on behalf of Imam Ali (peace be upon him). One day, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) came and asked if there was any food available. I replied that I had some food that I did not consider worthy for the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him); it was some squash from the farm that I had cooked with some bad-smelling oil. He said, “Bring it.” So, he washed his hands in water, ate some of the food, and then returned to the water, cleaned his hands with pebbles, cupped them together, drank some water, and said, “O Abu Nazar! Hands are the cleanest vessels.” He then rubbed his hands on his stomach and said, “Whoever is led by their stomach to Hell, may Allah distance them from His mercy.”

Then, he picked up a pickaxe and went down towards the spring, working away. He struck with the pickaxe for some time, but no water appeared. He then came out, took a breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and returned with the pickaxe to the spring, striking until the water began to gush forth like the neck of a camel. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) came out and said, “I bear witness to Allah that this farm is a charitable endowment.” He then said, “Bring me ink and paper.”

Abu Nazar said: I quickly brought the ink and paper, and Imam Ali (peace be upon him) wrote: “Ali has donated two farms, known as the Abi Nazar Spring and Bughibagha, for the poor of Medina and the needy travelers, so that Allah may protect his face from the fire of the Day of Judgment with these two charities. These farms shall not be sold or gifted until Allah inherits them, and Allah is the best of inheritors; unless one day Hassan and Hussein (peace be upon them) are in need of them, in which case they will have full ownership, and no one else shall have a claim on them.”

Muhammad bin Hisham said: “Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) became indebted, and Mu’awiya offered two hundred thousand dinars for the Abi Nazar Spring, but the Imam refused to sell it, saying: ‘My father made it a charity to protect his face from the fire, and I am not the one to sell it.'”

Nusayr bin Abi Nazar lived with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Imam Ali, Imam Hassan, and Imam Hussein (peace be upon them) until the day of Ashura, when, after his horse was crippled, he was martyred in the first attack.

• Harith bin Nabhan, the servant of Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib (peace be upon him), whose father Nabhan, according to Samawi, was Hamza’s servant and a brave warrior, passed away two years after Hamza’s martyrdom, according to “Dhakhirat al-Darayn.” Harith lived with the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) after his father’s death until he was martyred on the day of Ashura in the first attack.
• Sa’d, the servant of Amr bin Khalid al-Asadi.
• Shawdhab, the servant of Al-Shakir, who was either a resident or an ally of their tribe, not a servant or freedman of Abis, though Muhaddith Nuri speculates that Shawdhab’s rank may have been higher than Abis, as it has been said about him, “He was a leader among the Shia.”

Shawdhab, according to Samawi, was a Shia warrior and narrator of hadith, and the Shia would gather in his presence to learn the hadith of the Imams.

• Shabib, the servant of Harith bin Sari’.
• Wadhah Turki, the servant of Harith Madhhaji.
• John bin Huwai, the servant of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari.

“Peace be upon John bin Huwai, the servant of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari.”

He was a black servant who, after Abu Dharr’s passing, joined the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them). After Imam Hassan (peace be upon him), he remained with Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) until the day of Ashura, when he sought permission to enter the battlefield. Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) said, “I have freed you; do not entangle yourself in our hardships today.” John kissed the feet of the Imam and said, “O son of the Prophet! I have been with you during times of comfort and ease, and now, should I abandon you? My scent is foul, my lineage is low, and my complexion is dark. So please, allow me to enter Paradise so that my scent becomes pleasant, my lineage is honored, and my complexion is brightened. No, by Allah! I will not part from you until my black blood is mixed with your sacred blood.” With the Imam’s permission, he entered the battlefield, reciting:

“How do you see the blows of the black man upon the disbelievers, with the sword and the straightened spear, defending the family of the Prophet Ahmad?”

He then fought until he was martyred. Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) stood by his body and said:

“O Allah, whiten his face, sweeten his scent, gather him among the righteous, and make him familiar with Muhammad and the family of Muhammad (peace be upon them).”

It is narrated from Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) that “when they went to bury the martyrs, they found John’s body after ten days, emitting the fragrance of musk.”

• Salim bin Amr, the servant of Banu al-Madina.
• Rafi’ bin Abdullah al-Azdi, the servant of Muslim bin Kathir al-A’raj al-Azdi. Muslim came to Karbala with his servant, was martyred in the afternoon, and Muslim, who was a companion of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and had become lame in one of his battles, was martyred in the first attack.
• Salim, the servant of Amir bin Muslim al-Abdi al-Basri, who both came from Basra and were martyred in front of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him).
• The Turkish servant of Hurr bin Yazid al-Riyahi, who, according to Manaqib Ibn Shahrashub, is counted among the martyrs. Khwarazmi explicitly states that Hurr, when he repented, joined Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) with his Turkish servant. Hence, the possibility of a transcription error in the phrase “Barz Ghulam Turki Lil-Hurr” from the Manaqib is very unlikely.