the first pilgrim of Karbala

Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari

Sheikh al-Tusi writes in his book Misbah al-Mutahajjid that the 20th of Safar is the day when Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, a companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), came from Medina to visit the grave of Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) in Karbala. He was the first to visit the Imam (peace be upon him), and visiting Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) on this day is recommended. This day of visitation is known as Arba’een. Sheikh al-Tusi’s text suggests that Jabir left Medina specifically to visit and arrived in Karbala on the 20th of Safar, which indicates that his arrival was not a coincidence occurring forty days after the martyrdom of the Imam (peace be upon him). This is indeed plausible.

After the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) arrived in Kufa, Ibn Ziyad immediately sent Abdul Malik ibn Abi al-Harith al-Salmi from Iraq to Hijaz to reach Medina as quickly as possible and inform the governor of Medina, Umar ibn Sa’id ibn al-As, of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein and his companions. Abdul Malik took the route to Medina and arrived a few days later, officially informing the governor of Medina about the martyrdom of Imam (peace be upon him). It is possible that Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, having learned of the tragic martyrdom of Imam (peace be upon him), the family, and the companions, might have set out from Medina to visit the Imam (peace be upon him) and his martyred companions, even though, according to some accounts, he was blind by that time. He might have arrived in Karbala on the 20th of Safar, precisely forty days after the martyrdom, thus establishing the tradition of visiting the Imam on the Arba’een.

Attiyya, Jabir’s Travel Companion

Jabir was not alone on this journey; he was accompanied by a younger and highly knowledgeable companion, a prominent scholar and commentator. Attiyya ibn Sa’id ibn Janadah al-Aufi was one of the great scholars of the Islamic tradition and was with Jabir. However, his character has been distorted in many religious circles, like many other facts. Attiyya was a prominent Tabi’i, someone who did not see the Prophet (peace be upon him) but did see the Prophet’s companions. Although Attiyya was not a companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him), he learned from many companions, including Abdullah ibn Abbas.

The historian al-Tabari writes in his book Mukhtasar al-Madhil that Attiyya ibn Sa’id ibn Janadah al-Aufi was from the Jadhila tribe and from the Qais clan, and his nickname was Abu al-Hasan. He recounts a story in which Attiyya’s father, Sa’id ibn Janadah, came to Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) in Kufa and said, “O Amir al-Mu’minin! God has given me a son. Please name him.” Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) replied, “This is ‘Attiyya of God,” meaning a gift from God, and thus he named him Attiyya.

Al-Tabari continues that in the year 81 AH, Attiyya joined Abdul Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn al-Ash’ath in a rebellion against Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi, a tyrant of Iraq. After Abdul Rahman died in 85 AH, Attiyya traveled to Fars. Al-Hajjaj wrote to Muhammad ibn Qasim al-Thaqafi, the governor of Fars, to bring Attiyya and demand that he curse Ali (peace be upon him) or face 400 lashes and have his head and beard shaved. Muhammad al-Thaqafi summoned Attiyya and read al-Hajjaj’s letter to him, giving him the choice of two options. Attiyya refused to curse Ali (peace be upon him) and refused to insult the Amir al-Mu’minin, so he was subjected to 400 lashes and had his head and beard shaved.

When Qutayba ibn Muslim became the governor of Khorasan, Attiyya went there and lived in Khorasan until Umar ibn Hubayra became the governor of Iraq. Attiyya wrote to him, requesting permission to return to Iraq, and Umar granted it. Attiyya then went to Kufa, where he lived until his death in 111 AH.

Al-Tabari also notes that Attiyya was a frequent narrator and trustworthy.

Besides being a narrator and Islamic warrior, Attiyya was also one of the greatest scholars of Qur’anic exegesis and wrote his own commentary on the Qur’an. According to the Balaghāt al-Nisā (Women’s Eloquence), he narrated the sermon of Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) regarding Fadak from Abdullah al-Mahd, the son of Hasan al-Muthanna (son of Imam Hasan (peace be upon him)) and Fatimah, daughter of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him).

Attiyya was a student of Abdullah ibn Abbas for some time and attended his exegesis lessons, saying that he completed three cycles of Qur’anic exegesis and seventy cycles of Qur’anic recitation with Ibn Abbas. This indicates that Ibn Abbas taught both Qur’anic exegesis and recitation, and Attiyya attended three cycles of the exegesis and seventy of the recitation.

From this narrative, we can see the great importance that the companions and Tabi’un placed on understanding and reciting the Qur’an and their success in acquiring knowledge of exegesis and recitation.