Qasim ibn Hassan
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Qasim ibn Hassan was the youngest son of the second Shia Imam Hasan and grandson of Ali ibn Abu Talib. He was born in 669, three years before the death his father.
When Hasan's brother Husain prepared to leave Medina in 670, Qasim's mother Umme-e-Farwa asked Husain to take her and Qasim with him. Husain agreed. Qasim, although only 13 years old, had, like his cousins Aun and Muhammad, learnt fencing from his uncles Abbas and his cousin Ali Akbar. Abbas ibn Ali was very fond of Qasim ibn Hassan.
[edit] At the Battle of Karbala
On the night before the Battle of Karbala, Husain was passing by Umm-e-Farwa's tent, he heard Qasim saying to his mother, "Mother, tomorrow Uncle Abbas, Ali Akbar and I will defend uncle Husain. Mother, if I get killed please do not weep for me." Umm-e-Farwa replied, "My son although I dearly love you, I shall not weep for you. Nothing will make me prouder than to see my son give his life for Islam". When Husain heard this conversation he prayed to Allah to bless Qasim and Umm-e-Farwa.
On the day of Ashura, when Aun and Muhammad had fallen in the battlefield, Qasim came to Husain and begged for permission to go and fight. Twice Husain refused saying "Qasim you are young and your mother's only son.", which disappointed Qasim very much.
According to Shi'a tradition, he went to his mother, who at this sight remembered that just before her husband Hassan had died, he had written a letter, giving it to Umm-e-Farwa saying, “If ever you find Qasim in difficulty then give him this letter." She gave Qasim the letter, which said: "My son Qasim, a day will come when my brother Husain will be facing an enemy army of tens of thousands. That will be the day when Islam will need to be saved by sacrifice. You must represent me on that day." Having read the letter, Quasim rushed to Husain and gave him the letter and Husain replied, "O my brother's son, how can I stop you from doing what your father wanted you to do?"
Husain tied Hassan's turban on the head of Qasim and helped him mount his horse. Qasim said, "O my uncle, please do not be upset. I don’t fear death. Death for Islam will be sweeter for me than honey." When Qasim came to the battle field, the enemy remarked "How can we kill someone whose face is shining like moon?", as Quasim was a very handsome boy.
In a loud and a clear voice Qasim introduced himself and cried out a challenge for single combat. He killed several famous warriors who came forward.
Every time he killed an enemy, Qasim would stand on his stirrups, look behind and wave to Abbas, just as a pupil would seek approval of his teacher on an assignment, ánd Abbas would proudly wave back. When the enemy saw his bravery and realized that they could not possibly over power him in single combats, they came from behind and Umar ibn Nafeel Azdee hit Qasim on the head with a sword.
Qasim tried to go on fighting but since he was so young and very thirsty, he couldn’t carry on fighting. After a while he fell from his horse crying out to Husain, "O uncle, Accept My Last Salaam." Husain and Abbas rode out. The soldiers tried to stop them, when finally they came to where Qasim had fallen they saw a dreadful sight. Quasim's body had been trampled by the horses of the soldiers who had tried to stop Husain and Abbas. Husain was extremely angry and shaken by this, he immediately took out his sword and struck Umar ibn Nafeel Azdee who had hit Qasim with a sword and caused him to fall to the ground. Husain's blow cut Umar ibn Nafeel Azdee in half from the middle and caused the rest of the enemy forces to flee.
It remains unclear whether Qasim's corpse was carried to the camp to his mother. It is reported, that Husain took off his abaa, spread it on to the ground, and gathered the pieces from the ground as one gathers flowers from a garden and took them back to the camps.
