The question addresses whether Imam Zain al-Abidin participated in the battle of Karbala before he became ill.
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you.
It is well-known among historians, both Sunni and Shia, that our master Zain al-Abidin (peace be upon him) did not participate in fighting the enemies on the day of Karbala due to the affliction that befell him. It was the will of the Lord of the heavens that Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him) was ill on the day of Ashura. Scholars have mentioned several reasons for this, including that he should not be killed and to ensure that the earth does not remain devoid of a proof of Allah (the Almighty), so that he could assume the Imamate after his father, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him).
Thus, the obligation to defend his Imam was lifted from him. If he had been healthy and heard his father's cries for help (peace be upon him), he would have been required to assist him and defend him. However, it was God's will that the Imam be saved from death, as the enemies intended to kill him, but he was ill. When Shimmer entered the tent where Imam Zain al-Abidin was lying on his bed suffering from illness, he said: 'Kill this one.'
A man from his companions replied: 'Glory be to Allah! Would you kill a sick young man who did not fight?!'
We have many narrations supporting this, and we will mention a few:
Among them is what Ibn Shahr Ashub mentioned in his book 'Manaqib Ahl al-Bayt': 'Zain al-Abidin (peace be upon him) was not killed because his father did not permit him to fight and he was ill.' Also, Al-Qadi al-Nu'man in 'Sharh al-Akhbar' stated: 'Ali ibn Hussein (peace be upon him) was with his father Hussein (peace be upon him) on the day of Taff, and he was his successor. On that day, Ali ibn Hussein (peace be upon him) was severely ill and could not fight, and he was with the women who were nursing him.'
(Manaqib Ahl al-Bayt - Ibn Shahr Ashub - Vol. 3, p. 260; Sharh al-Akhbar - Al-Qadi al-Nu'man al-Maghribi - Vol. 3, p. 250.)
Al-Hafiz al-Khwarizmi also stated in his book 'Maqtal al-Hussein (peace be upon him)': 'Ali ibn Hussein (peace be upon him) came out while he was Zain al-Abidin and was ill, unable to carry his sword, and Umm Kulthum was calling behind him: 'O my son, return!' He replied: 'O my aunt, let me fight before the grandson of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).' Hussein (peace be upon him) said: 'O Umm Kulthum, take him back so that the earth does not remain devoid of the progeny of Muhammad (peace be upon him).'
(Maqtal al-Hussein (peace be upon him) - Al-Khwarizmi - Vol. 2, p. 32.)
In 'Bihar al-Anwar' by Allama Majlisi, it is stated: 'Ali ibn Hussein Zain al-Abidin (peace be upon him) came out while he was ill and unable to lift his sword, and Umm Kulthum was calling behind him... Hussein (peace be upon him) said: 'Take him back so that the earth does not remain devoid of the progeny of Ahl al-Bayt.'
- Bihar al-Anwar - Majlisi - Vol. 45, p. 46.
This is the well-known and famous account.
On the other hand, some researchers claim that the Imam participated in the battle, relying on historical texts indicating that Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him) fought on Ashura until he was wounded. In 'The Struggle of Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him)' by Sayyid Muhammad Reza al-Jalali - p. 42, there are clear indications of this, and we will suffice with quoting the first text.
The first text comes from the earliest recorded account of the Ahl al-Bayt, mentioning the names of those who were present with Hussein (peace be upon him) in the book 'Naming Those Who Were Killed with Hussein (peace be upon him) from His Family, Brothers, and Followers,' compiled by the Zaydi scholar Al-Fadl ibn al-Zubair al-Rassan al-Kufi, a companion of the Imams al-Baqir and al-Sadiq (peace be upon them). It states: 'Ali ibn Hussein was ill and was wounded that day, and he was present for some of the fighting, but Allah protected him, and he was taken with the women.' The clarity of this text regarding the fighting of Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him) in Karbala is evident, as the term 'wounded' indicates that he was carried from the battlefield after fighting and was severely injured, as linguists have stated.
Sheikh Muhammad Sanqour discussed this previous article, stating: 'We have not found any text in history or any narration from the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) that explicitly states this except what is attributed to Al-Fadl ibn al-Zubair al-Rassan al-Kufi, who said: 'Ali ibn Hussein (peace be upon him) was ill and wounded that day, and he was present for some of the fighting, but Allah protected him and he was taken with the women.' He then gathered evidence indicating the lack of participation.
And praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
May you be successful in all good.