The traditions recorded regarding the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.) reveal that his death was a profound, cosmic tragedy mourned by the entirety of Allah’s creation. According to the teachings of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), it was not only humans who wept for him, but also the heavens, the earth, the Jinns, birds, beasts, and the angels. The texts vividly describe how the skies rained blood and turned red for forty days, and how Hell itself roared in anger against his killers. Furthermore, tens of thousands of angels remain stationed at his holy grave, weeping endlessly until the Day of Judgment, welcoming and blessing those who come for his Ziyarat. The profound sorrow of the universe demonstrates that all of creation was deeply affected by the afflictions of the Chief of Martyrs.
Traditions on the Entire Creation Crying for Imam Husain (a.s.)
Imam Baqir (a.s.) said:
Humans, Jinns, birds and beasts; all shed tears on Husain bin Ali (a.s.).
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 26, Tradition no. 1
Imam Ali (a.s.) said:
Husain will be slain on the outskirts of Kufa. By Allah, as if I can see different wild animals stretching their necks on his grave, crying and weeping over him throughout night till daybreak. When this happens, beware of oppressing him (by not visiting his grave).
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 26, Tradition no. 2
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said:
When Imam Husain (a.s.) was martyred, the seven heavens, seven earths, everything within them, everything between them and all beings and creatures on them, Paradise, Hell and everything that our Lord created, that are visible and invisible, all wept over His Eminence (a.s.) except three things. “May I be sacrificed on you! What are those?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “Basra, Damascus and the progeny of Usman bin Affan.”
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 26, Tradition no. 5
I (Narrator) heard Imam Sadiq (a.s.) say:
The heavens wept over Husain bin Ali (a.s.) and Yahya bin Zakariya (a.s.) and they have never wept over anyone other than them. I asked, “How was the weeping of the heavens?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “The heavens became red for forty days, like the sun at the time of sunrise and sunset.”
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 28, Tradition no. 4
Imam Sajjad (a.s.) said,
“Heavens have not wept over anyone since the day they were created, except for Yahya bin Zakariya (a.s.) and Husain bin Ali (a.s.).” I asked, “What was the weeping of the heavens?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “If you had put a cloth in the wind, you’d have seen something like red mist of blood on it.”
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 28, Tradition no. 12
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said:
O Zurarah! The sky rained blood for forty days and the earth became dark for forty days and the sun was eclipsed and turned red for forty days; the mountains were torn into pieces and dispersed and the seas gushed out and the angels wept for forty days over His Eminence (a.s.). And none of our ladies of Ahle Bait (a.s.) dyed their hair, applied oil or Surma and combed their hair until the head of Ubaidullah bin Ziyad was sent to us; and even after that we continued to weep over him. Whenever my grandfather remembered Imam Husain (a.s.), he would weep so much that his tears moistened his beard and everyone around him also began weeping. Angels near the grave of Imam Husain (a.s.) cry over him so much that every angel in the sky and in heavens cries in sympathy. When the soul of Imam Husain (a.s.) left his body, Hell protested in such a way that the earth almost split apart. When the filthy souls of Ubaidullah bin Ziyad and Yazid bin Muawiyah left their bodies, Hell roared so intensely that but for Allah containing it, using its dedicated keepers, it would have burnt everyone on earth with its outburst. And if hellfire were permitted, it would not have left anything without swallowing it. But it is restrained by shackles and controlled by orders. Hell became violent and uncontrollable more than once, until Jibraeel went to it and pacified it with his wings. The Hell cries and laments over Husain (a.s.) and its fire blazes on his killers. If it was not for the presence of Divine Proofs of Allah on the earth, it would have destroyed the earth and overturned everything on it. But earthquakes will increase only when Qiyamat is near.
There are no eyes and tears loved more by Allah than the eyes of those who cry and shed tears over Imam Husain (a.s.). And there is none who cries but that his crying reaches Lady Fatemah (s.a.) and he supports her in her lamentation, and his crying also reaches the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and in this way he fulfills our rights. On Judgment Day all will be raised crying except those who cried over my grandfather, Imam Husain (a.s.). Those who have cried over him will receive glad tidings when they are resurrected. They will be delighted and happiness will be apparent from their faces. People will be fearful and restless but they will feel safe from grief and hardships. People will be separate and dispersed and worried but they will be sitting with Imam Husain (a.s.) under the shade of the Arsh, conversing with him, fearless of the trials of Judgment Day. They will be told: Enter Paradise; but they will refuse, choosing to sit with Imam Husain (a.s.) and listen to him. Then Houries will summon them saying, “Indeed we and the ‘ youths never altering in age,’ (Surah Waqiyyah (56): 17) are waiting for you.” But they will not even turn to the Houries due to the joy and honor they feel in their gathering. Their enemies will be divided into two groups: A: Some will be pulled by their forelocks to Hell and B: Those who will cry out, “So we have no intercessors, nor a true friend;” (Shurah Shuara (26):100-101). Their enemies will see their position but will not be able to reach them or come near them. Angels will bring messages sent by their spouses and servants, informing them of the blessings prepared for them in Paradise. But they will reply, “We will join you, if Allah wills.” Angels will inform their spouses of their reply. When their spouses learn how they are being honored and their closeness to Imam Husain (a.s.), they will yearn for them even more. Those who cried on Imam Husain (a.s.) will go on chanting: “Praise be to Allah Who protected us from the great terror and trials of Judgment Day and saved us from that which we feared.” Then some precious saddled mounts will be brought for them which they will ride to their abodes, praising and glorifying Allah and invoking blessings on Muhammad and Aale Muhammad (a.s.).
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 26, Tradition no. 6
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) asked, “Has anyone of you ever seen it (the owl) in day time?” It was said, “No, it never appears during the day. It only appears at night.” Imam (a.s.) said:
The owls previously dwelled in only developed structures but when Imam Husain (a.s.) was martyred, they refused to stay in developed structures and refused to take anything but ruins as abodes. Indeed, the owls fast during the day and are aggrieved until nightfall. At night they lament on Imam Husain (a.s.) till the morning.
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 31, Tradition no. 1
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said:
Four thousand angels came down to fight for Imam Husain (a.s.) but he did not permit them. When they came down again to seek permission, Imam Husain (a.s.) had already been martyred. So they remain at his grave, disheveled and covered with dust, crying over him until Judgment Day. Their leader is an angel called Mansur.
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 27, Tradition no. 2
Imam Baqir (a.s.) said:
Four thousand disheveled angels, covered with dust cry over Imam Husain (a.s.) until Judgment Day. No one who comes to his Ziyarat but that they welcome him. No visitor of Imam Husain (a.s.) becomes ill, but that they visit them and none of them dies, but that they are present near him.
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 27, Tradition no. 10
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said:
Allah has appointed four thousand disheveled angles, covered with dust, at the grave of Imam Husain (a.s.) to cry on him from sunrise to midday. At midday they are replaced with another four thousand who cry over him till sunrise.
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 27, Tradition no. 11
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said:
Allah has appointed seventy thousand angels to the grave of Imam Husain (a.s.) who are disheveled and covered with dust to cry over him until Judgment Day. They pray at his grave and each of their prayers equals a thousand prayers of human beings and the rewards of their prayers is for one who performs the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s.).
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 27, Tradition no. 14
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said:
When you go for the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s.), maintain silence and except for good do not say anything, because angels of the night and day who are the guards and keepers, go to the angels who are in the holy shrine and shake hands with them. But the angels of the holy shrine do not speak to them, because they are crying so intensely. So they wait from them until noon or sunrise and then speak to them about some affairs of the heavens. The angels of the holy shrine abstain from speaking between these sunrise and noon and their crying and supplicating does not subside. Indeed the Keepers do not distract the angels of the holy shrine between these two times….Imam (a.s.) continued: If the visitor of Imam Husain (a.s.) and the people knew the blessings of the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s.), they would have fought one another with swords and they would have sold their belongings to go to his Ziyarat. When Hazrat Fatemah (s.a.) who is accompanied by one thousand prophets, a thousand truthful, a thousand martyrs and a million Karubiyyin who all support her in crying [over Husain (a.s.)] looks at those who perform the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s.), she lets out a whoop in such a way that no angel remains in the heavens who does not cry, sympathizing with her cry… Hazrat Fatemah (s.a.) looks at those of you who are present at the grave of Imam Husain (a.s.) and she asks Allah to shower you with all of the blessings. Imam (a.s.) continued, “Do not abstain from the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s.). Indeed the blessings of going to his Ziyarat are much greater than that which can be counted.”
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 27, Tradition no. 16
Janabe Umme Salma, wife of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said:
I did not hear the lamentation of Jinns since the night Allah took the life of His Prophet (s.a.w.a.) until tonight and did not see them till when I was afflicted by the killing of my son, Husain (a.s.). Umme Salma says: I heard a Jinn recite the following: These two eyes of mine shed abundant tears. Because after me who will weep over the martyrs? Weep upon over a group who are being led towards their death by a tyrant from the progeny of a slave.
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 29, Tradition no. 1
Imam Baqir (a.s.) said:
When Imam Husain (a.s.) was about to leave Medina, the ladies of Bani Abdul Muttalib gathered and began lamentation…..
May we be sacrificed on you, we adjure you in the name of Allah, to be your ransom to keep death away from you. Then one of his aunts came forth crying and said: O Husain! I bear witness that I heard the Jinn lament over you and recite the following:
Indeed the slain one from the family of Hashim lowered the necks of Quraish and disgraced them. He was the beloved of Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.a.) and not an immoderate person. Your tragedy is the greatest and it has aggrieved all.
Imam Baqir (a.s.) said:
Jinns also recited the following: Weep over Husain (a.s.), the master, the one whose death turned the hairs gray.
You are afflicted with earthquakes and the moon had eclipsed because of his martyrdom.
And the horizons turn red at sunrise and sunset.
And the sun is covered with dust and earths with darkness.
He is the son of Fatemah (s.a.) and all the creation is afflicted by his tragedy.
We have lost our glory and inherited humiliation.
Kaameluz Ziaraat, Chap. 29, Tradition no. 8
In conclusion, the traditions within this chapter powerfully illustrate that the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.) was not just a human loss, but a cosmic tragedy felt across all dimensions of existence. This unparalleled grief is reflected in the heavens raining blood and turning red for forty days, the fierce roaring of Hell against his oppressors, and the sorrowful elegies recited by the Jinns. Furthermore, the devotion of thousands of angels who remain stationed at his holy grave weeping and covered in dust until the Day of Judgment alongside the mourning of wild beasts and birds, serves as a profound awakening for humanity. If the entirety of Allah’s creation, both visible and invisible, continuously weeps for the afflictions of the Chief of Martyrs, it stands as a timeless reminder for believers to perpetually honor his sacrifice and keep the sorrow of Karbala alive in their hearts.