Description of Pendant containing Imam Husayn's Turbah Soil of Karbala (تربة کربلاء) and Dried Flower Garden
‘Husayn is from me, and I am from Husayn. May Allah love those who love Husayn.’
(Sunan ibn-Majah; I-I-144)
This beautiful gold-plated pendant measures 32mm x 9mm and contains the soil from Karbala where the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Sayidna Husayn (AS), was martyred and is buried. It also carries carefully selected and hand-pressed dried flowers to commemorate his beloved memory since the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has expressed in a hadith: ‘‘Indeed Hassan and Husayn – they are my two fragrant flowers in the world’ (Jami` at-Tirmidhi, I-XLVI-3770).
Symbolically, the pendant serves as a reminder to let our spirit blossom like flowers over the lowly ego through truth, freedom, sacrifice, humility, love, faith, and goodness.
In a hadith cited by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and Imam al-Suyuti, it is recorded that Umm Salama (AS) once saw Husayn, as a child, sitting on the lap of his grandfather ﷺ. In his hand, the Prophet held soil which he kissed while weeping. Umm Salama inquired about the soil and the Messenger of God ﷺ responded: ‘Gabriel has informed me that my son, this Husayn, will be murdered in Iraq. He has brought this earth for me from that land. I am weeping for the suffering that will befall my Husayn.’ The Prophet ﷺ then handed the soil to Umm Salama and said to her: ‘When you see this soil turn into blood, you will know that my Husayn has been slaughtered.’ Umm Salama kept the soil in a bottle and watched over it until she saw on the day of Ashura, 10th of Muharram 61 AH, that it turned to blood; She knew then that Husayn bin Ali had been martyred.
The brutal massacre after starvation and thirst of Imam Husayn (AS), along with eighteen members of his household and sixty companions, by an army of 4000 in Karbala, is a story that resonates deeply and painfully across the Islamic world. Imam Husayn’s bravery, chivalry, courage, and martyrdom are a model to be emulated, but this goes without saying.
What the great Islamic mystics and thinkers have brought to light, and what is truly noteworthy about Imam Husayn’s (AS) life, was his victory in the Greater Holy War; only by virtue of his spiritual greatness do the events that led to his physical martyrdom have meaning.
Sana'i (QAS) says in his Diwan:
Religion is your Husayn, while desires and hopes are pigs and dogs yet you kill the first through thirst and feed these two. How can you keep on cursing the wicked Yazid and Shimr? You are a Shimr and a Yazid for your own Husayn!
(Sahih Muslim, 27: 5601)
With these verses, Sana’i compares Imam Husayn, Yazid, and Shimr to contrary forces working within our souls. Our ego sinks below our spiritual potential to such low states that we live only for selfish purposes and desires, while our religion and spirit are left without nourishment, withering away just as Imam Husayn and the martyrs of Karbala' did in thirst and blood.
According to the example of Imam Husayn, we must perform the Greater Jihad and martyr our ego so we may live in alignment with the spirit in the way of God. As Rumi says in his Divan-i Shams-i Tabrizi:
Night died and came to life, for there is life after death: O heartache, kill me! For I am Husayn, you are Yazid.
Details of Karbala Soil and Garden Pendant
The Karbala turbah (soil) and garden pendant include the following:
۩ A round gold-plated pendant, measuring 32mm x 9mm (41mm in height, including the hook), with clay from the ground of Karbala and dried flowers. The flowers and soil are encased in protective resin.
۩ Included is a Rumi's Garden in-house certificate explaining the significance of the pendant and soil.
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Please note that Rumi's Garden is now based in Spain. After Brexit, orders to the UK are no longer charged a 20% VAT tax. However, the UK government may deduct an import tax via the courier service.
