VoL Desk, July 28: Thousands of mourners in Kargil honored the memory of Abbas ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Standard bearer of the soldiers of Imam Hussain, on the ninth of the Islamic month of Moharram. Mourning processions were held at district, sub-division, tehsil, and village levels throughout Kargil on Friday.

The largest procession took place in Kargil town, organized by the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT) and Jamiat Ulema Isna Ashriya Kargil (JUIAK). Village-level processions commenced from Bus-Stand and Jama Masjid, passing through Kargil market, and concluded at Hussaini Park and Islamia School premises.

During the processions, the mourners recited elegies in praise and expressed their grief for Hazrat Abul Fazl Abass.

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Another significant gathering took place at Sub-Division Sankoo, where two influential religious organizations, namely Anjuman Sahib Zaman and Markaz Tableeghat Imam Reza, joined together in a joint procession. This collaboration was the result of an agreement signed at the onset of Moharram.

Abbas ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib, also known as Abu al-Fadl (‘father of virtue’), was born on 15th May 647 and met his demise on 10th October 680 CE. He was the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatima bint Hizam, commonly known as Umm al-Banin (‘mother of the sons’).

Abbas played a crucial role as the standard-bearer for his half-brother, Husayn ibn Ali, during the Battle of Karbala on 10th Muharram 61 AH (10th October 680) against the army of the Umayyad caliph, Yazid ibn Mu’awiya (r. 680–683). Tragically, he lost his life while bravely attempting to bring water from the Euphrates river to quench the thirst of the besieged family of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Known for his boldness and bravery, Abbas inherited these traits from his father, Ali ibn Abi Talib, and was renowned for carrying the victorious standard on the battlefield. He was celebrated as shir-i ghazi (‘the warrior-lion’) and shir-i awzhan (‘the valiant lion’) in Persian language, as well as Alam-d’ar (‘standard-bearer’) for his pivotal role in the Battle of Karbala, and al-Saqqa’ (‘the water carrier’) for his selfless act of attempting to fetch water for the besieged family.

The mourners in Kargil paid tribute to the heroic legacy of Abbas ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib during these solemn processions, commemorating his sacrifice and devotion to justice and righteousness.