The Murder of Muhassin: The Prophet's Third Grandson

The martyrdom of the Prophet's third grandson, al-Muhassin son of Ali (peace be upon them both), is a day to remember every year. On this day, we commemorate the tragic death of this stillborn foetus due to the savage attack Umar ibn al-Khattab waged on the house of Sayeda Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her); the only daughter remained after the martyrdom of the holy Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his pure family). It was only five days after Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his pure family) had returned to His lord, when Umar ibn al-Khattab along with an association of malefactors broke into the house to take the legitimate Commander of the Faithfuls, Amir al-Mu'minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him and his father), by means of terror and absolute force to pledge allegiance to the illegitimately appointed Abu Bakr son of Abu Quhafah. The Day of the attack is considered to be the most grievous, tragic, atrocious and irremediable calamity to ever befall the pure household of the Prophet (peace be upon them). It is in fact more agonising than the day of Ashura on which the Master of Martyrs, al-Hussain son of Ali (peace be upon them both), was brutally slaughtered on the plains of Karbala. It has been reported that Imam Jaffar al-Saddiq (peace be upon him) had said: "There is no tragedy like ours at Karbala, even though the day of Saqifah and the day on which the door was burnt on Amir al-Mu'minin, Fatimah, al-Hassan, al-Hussain, Zainab, Um Kulthoom and Fidah; on which al-Muhassin was killed by the kick is greater and worse because it is the origin of the Day of Torment."