They became a symbol of loyalty and endless struggle against the despotic colonialist forces of Saddam. - On Saturday, 5th April, at around 8.30pm, the chief security in Najaf and his workers, came to the house of Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, saying, âOur responsibility is to take you to Baghdad to meet with Saddam.â Ayatollah al-Sadr replied, âIf youâre commanded to arrest me, then yes, I will come with you wherever you wish.â The Chief responded, âYes, it is an arrest.â To this, Ayatollah al-Sadr responded, âWait for me a while so that I can perform my ghusl (cleansing of the body), change my clothes and bid farewell to my family.â He was told, âThereâs no need for this; either today or tomorrow, you will return.â . He insisted, âAnd will you punish me if I bid farewell to my family?â The Chief gave in, saying, âThereâs no need for that, but go ahead as you please.â Ayatollah al-Sadr entered the room and performed the ghusl of martyrdom, changed his clothes and performed a two-unit prayer. He then came to his daughter who was clearly distressed and distraught by the situation; he took her by the hand to his chest and caressed her. Then he turned to his mother and pleaded for her pleasure and supplications for him and requested her permission to depart. Then he embraces all the members of the house collectively and kissed them goodbye and so they knew from his actions that this was to be the final farewell. However, when he went to embrace his second daughter, who was 15 years old at the time, she was unable to cope - unable to carry the burden - and she started to lament and began to slap her face and cry bitterly. Ayatollah al-Sadr addressed her, saying, âO my sweetheart, my daughter. Indeed, every human dies and for death there are numerous reasons. So it is possible that a person dies due to illness or in his bed or for any other reason; but death in the way of Allah is the best and much more honourable. So if I would not be killed at the hands of Saddam and his group them I would die of illness or for other reasons. Certainly the companions of Prophet Isa (as) spread their message and were hung upon wooden crosses and they were firm in death for the sake of their obedience to Allah. So do not lament too much, O my small daughter, because every one of us shall die today or tomorrow and the best of deaths is martyrdom. And so, my two daughters, I am pleased with what befalls me. So if this martyrdom will bear fruits even after 20 years, I am content with that.â And when the time came for the farewell to his wife, Sayyidah Fatimah, he stood before her, embodying his previous farewell so that she too knew what was about to happen. The blood ran cold in her veins and her eyes fixated upon him in that state. He addressed her, âO sister of Musa! Yesterday it was your brother, and today it is me, O my garden of paradise! Bear patiently. Certainly this is the allegiance of Allah. We gave Him allegiance with that which cannot be taken back and He bought it from us. O the estranged from your family and homeland! You have carried a heavy burden and ahead of you is a steep path. I ask for you a solution! For indeed, those who are as dark as the livers are at your door, waiting. There is no escape; I am going. We will meet again at the place of the Mighty Sovereign. Wait here for three days and if I donât return, then go with my mother and our children to my brothersâ house in Kadhimayn.â She faced him, ready for his departure and his sister, Aminah bint al-Huda, was there too; she held the Qurâan in her hands and Ayatollah al-Sadr walked under it, kissed it and then departed for the last time. After the departure of Ayatollah al-Sadr and the security forces, Ayatollah al-Sadrâs mother who was 80 years old, went to the roof of the house. She refreshed her ablution and began to complain to Allah about what had befallen them; she would do this every time her son was imprisoned. She sat on her knees and recited the 'Supplication of a Mother to Take Away Tribulations from Her Son,â from Mafatih al-Jinan, seeking her sonâs return and begging Allah for her supplication to be fruitful as previous supplications had been. She then went into prostration and cried, âO Allah! You have given him [my son] and You have granted me him. Therefore, O Allah, renew your bounty for me today. Indeed you are Mighty, Capable.â The story of Sayyid al-Sadr and Aminah al-Sadrâs martyrdom is narrated by one of Saddamâs soldiers, an intelligence officer and newspaper reports: âThe guards brought Sayyid al-Sadr to the Intelligence Department building chained in iron fetters. Then Saddam came in and said mockingly, âWhat are you doing, Muhammad Baqir? Do you intend to make a government?â Saddam started to poke him with a stick aggressively, saying, âYouâre an alien, a foreigner to the land!â Sayyid al-Sadr replied, âI leave the government to you.â And an argument ensued on this topic and about the Islamic revolution of Iran. Saddam became very angry and told his soldiers to torture al-Sadr and make him undergo severe persecution. The torture lasted for three days. Amongst other abuses, Saddam ordered Sayyid al-Sadrâs beard to be set alight and burnt, for him to undergo electrocution and suffer a nail driven into him. The elder brother of Saddam brought Aminah al-Sadr to Saddamâs palace. She was severely beaten and blood was gushing from her head and face. I heard her reciting this verse, âWhatever mercy Allah opens for people, there is none to hold it back and whatever He withholds of it, there is none to get it after this. And He is the Mighty, the Wise.â [Qurâan, 35:2] Then Saddam entered and she recited more verses, enraging Saddam, and so he beat her. Aminah al-Sadr was then brought into the room where her brother was. They brought her whilst she was unconscious, dragging her in. When Sayyid al-Sadr saw her, he became very angry and wept bitterly. He called out to Saddam, âIf youâre a man, untie me!â Saddam then took a whip and started lashing Aminah al-Sadr himself whilst she was unconscious. Then he commanded something to be cut from her body which enraged and broke al-Sadr further. âIf youâre a man, leave me face to face with you and leave my sister. But you are a coward and you are around your soldiers!â al-Sadr cried. Saddam held a gun to Sayyid al-Sadr, saying. âMake a fatwah to prohibit people from joining Hezb al-Daâwah and make a fatwah to permit people to oin Hezb al-Baâath; if not I will tear off your head and cut your lineage.â Sayyid al-Sadr refused. Saddam yelled at Sayyid al-Sadr, âWhat kind of death do you want?â He replied, âI should be slaughtered like Husain (as) was slaughtered.â Saddam commanded him to be shot. Sayyid al-Sadr removed his turban, ready to be executed and Saddam shot both of them and left the room whilst abusing them.â On the night of April 9, 1980, the Ba'athist regime cut off the electricity from the holy city of Najaf and sent a security force to the home of their cousin Sayyid Muhammad al-Sadr. Sayyid Muhammad al-Sadr went with security force back to their headquarters, where they showed him the bodies of Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr and Bintul Huda. Bathed in blood, the signs of torture were all over their bodies. Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr and Bintul Huda were buried in the Wadi as-Salam graveyard in the holy city of Najaf that same night. Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr and Bintul Huda saw oppression and injustice around them, and they spoke up against it. They were true followers of Imam Husain and Lady Zainab (peace be upon them). Indeed, when Saddam was asked to spare Bintul Huda's life, he instantly remarked, "Kill the brother and spare the sister? You want me to make the same mistake as Yazid?!" And yet, Saddam failed to learn from the mistakes of his predecessor. By assassinating Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr and Bintul Huda, he helped give fresh blood to the Islamic revolutionary movements in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan, and around the Muslim world. In their martyrdom, the two have become icons of the revolutionary spirit.
