Safar 11

• • Laylat al-Harir in the Battle of Siffin 37/657

Laylat al-Harir

Laylat al-Harir was a rough night during the battle of Siffin. The armies of Imam Ali (a) and Mu’waiya fought in that night and many soldiers of both sides were killed. According to al-Minqari, in that night, there was no sound heard except the sound of hitting the swords which was more terrifying in the hearts of men than the sound of thunder or horrifying fall of mountains. Ibn Miskawayh described that night, “They fought in that night, so hard that spears broke, and no arrow was left in quivers and then they began fighting with swords.” In Laylat al-Harir, the soldiers of Imam Ali (a) were close to victory, until Ash’ath rose among al-Kindis, gave a sermon and with a peace-making tone, asked for stopping more bloodshed. According to hadiths, as soon as Mu’awiya was informed about the sermon of Ash’ath, ordered to put the copies of the Qur’an on the spears.

Safar 12

• Demise of Harun b. ‘Imran, the brother of the Prophet Moses (a)

Harun b. ‘Imran

Aaron the son of Imran, was the brother, successor, and companion of Moses (a) to whose eloquence Moses (a) refers as quoted in the Qur’an. According to a hadith from the Prophet Muhammad (s), the place of Imam Ali (a) to him was like that of Aaron (a) to Moses (a). The hadith is cited in Shiite and Sunni sources, and came to be known as Hadith al-Manzila. When Moses (a) went to Mount Sinai to receive Tablets from God, he appointed Aaron (a) as his successor. In the meanwhile, a person called Samiri made a golden calf and invited the Children of Israel to worship it, and Aaron (a) failed to stop them. Aaron died in Mount Sinai. There is a mausoleum in Mount Hor in Jordan, which is known as Jabal Harun (Mount Aaron) and is attributed to Aaron (a).

Demise and Mausoleum

According to al-Ya’qubi, Aaron (a) died at the age of 123 during the lifetime of Prophet Moses (a). On other accounts, he lived for 133 years. According to a hadith, Moses (a) took Aaron (a) to Mount Sinai, where his life was taken by the angel of death. On this hadith, Moses (a) and Aaron (a) went to Mount Sinai where they saw a chamber in which two clothes were hung on a tree. Moses (a) told Aaron (a): “take off your clothes and put on these two clothes and lay on the bed in the chamber.” When Aaron (a) lied on the bed, the time of his death arrived. Moses (a) went back to the Children of Israel and gave them the news of Aaron’s death. The Children of Israel denied the news and told Moses (a) that he had killed Aaron (a). God commanded the angels to present Aaron’s corpse on a bed up in the air. Thus, the Children of Israel learned that he had died. According to al-Ya’qubi, Lazarus, the son of Aaron (a), accompanied Moses (a) during the death of his father. In western Jordan, there is a mausoleum on top of Mount Hor, which is attributed to Aaron (a).[32] It is also known as Mount Petra and Jabal Haroun (Mount Aaron). The construction of the mausoleum dates back to the eighth/fourteenth century. There is also another mausoleum attributed to Aaron (a) in the tourist village of St. Catherine in Jordan—on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba—on a small hill.

Safar 14

• Martyrdom of Muhammad b. Abi Bakr 38/658

Martyrdom and Burial Site

There are different viewpoints as to how Muhammad b. Abi Bakr was martyred. Most sources maintain that when his army was defeated by the Syrian army, his companions left him and fled. Muhammad alone sought refuge in a ruined place, where he was found and killed by Mu’awiya b. Hudayj, one of the chiefs of the Deserters, and his body was burned by him. Some have said that he was killed by Mu’awiya b. Hudayj during the battle. It is also said that ‘Amr b. al-‘As captivated and killed him. The date of his martyrdom is reported to have been Safar, 38/July 658. When the news of his martyrdom reached Imam ‘Ali (a), the Imam wept and said, “He was a righteous servant for Allah and a righteous son for us.”It is also reported that after Muhammad’s martyrdom, his sister Aisha would constantly curse Mu’awiya, ‘Amr b. al-‘As, and Mu’awiya b. Hudayj. Muhammad’s mother, Asma’, is also reported to have dies as a result of grieving for his son. Regarding the burial place of Muhammad, it is reported that he was buried outside Fustat in a mosque called Zimam, but some believe that only his head was buried there.