The Holy Prophet declared, “Husayn is part of me and I am part of him,” “May Allah love him who loves Husayn,” and “Husayn is one of the chiefs.”

Sahih al-Tirmidhi, vol. 2, page 307, Chapter: Virtues of al-Hasan and Hussain:

Through his chain of authority, al-Tirmidhi reported Ya‛la ibn Murrah to have said: The Apostle of Allah (s) said, “Husayn is part of me and I am part of him. May Allah love him who loves Husayn! Husayn is one of the chiefs.”

في قول النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله): حسين مني وأنا من حسين. أحب الله من أحب حسيناً. حسين سبط من الأسباط

صحيح الترمذي ج2 ص307 في مناقب الحسن والحسين (عليهما السلام)

روى بسنده عن يعلى بن مرة قال: قال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله): حسين مني وأنا من حسين، أحب الله من أحب حسيناً حسين سبط من الأسباط

Sahih Ibn Majah, Chapter: Virtues of the Companions of Allah’s Apostle:

Through his chain of authority, Ibn Majah reported Ya‛la ibn Murrah as saying: One day, we went with the Prophet (s) to attend a banquet to which we had been invited. On our way, we found Husayn, the little child, playing in the street. Immediately, the Prophet (s), in front of the others, went towards him and opened his hand so that the boy would play before him, while the Prophet (s) was making his laugh. Then, the Prophet (s) took him, put one of his hands under the little boy’s chin and the other on the top of his head and started kissing him. He then declared, “Husayn is part of me and I am part of him. May Allah love him who loves Husayn! Husayn is one of the chiefs.”

Comment: The same narration is quoted by al-Bukhari in his book: al-Adab al-Mufrad, Section: Embracing the little boys. He wrote, “The Prophet (s) said: Husayn is part of me and I am part of him. May Allah love him who loves Husayn! Al-Hasan and Hussain are chiefs among other chiefs.”

Al-Hakim, too, cited the same narration in al-Mustadrak ‛ala al-Sahihayn (vol. 3, page 177) in this form: “The Prophet put one of his hands under the back of Hussain, put the other under his chin, put his mouth on his mouth and went on kissing him. He then declared, ‘Husayn is part of me and I am part of him…”

As for Ahmad ibn Hanbal, he cited the same narration in Musnad Ahmad (vol. 4, page 172) and so did Ibn al-Athir in Usd al-Ghabah (vol. 2, page 19 and vol. 5, page 130).

The same narration is also quoted by many other master scholars of narrations and Prophetic traditions.

صحيح ابن ماجة في باب من فضائل أصحاب رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله)

روى بسنده عن يعلى بن مرة أنهم خرجوا مع النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) إلى طعام دعوا له فإذا حسين يلعب في السكة قال: فتقدم النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) أمام القوم وبسط يديه فجعل الغلام يفر هاهنا وهاهنا ويضاحكه النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) حتى أخذه فجعل إحدى يديه تحت ذقنه والأخرى في فأس رأسه فقبّله وقال: حسين مني وأنا من حسين أحب الله من أحب حسيناً حسين سبط من الأسباط

أقول: ورواه البخاري أيضاً في الأدب المفرد في باب معانقة الصبي وقال: قال النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله): حسين مني وأنا منه، أحب الله من أحبه، الحسن والحسين سبطان من الأسباط، ورواه الحاكم أيضاً في مستدرك الصحيحين (ج3 ص177) وقال: فوضع إحدى يديه تحت قفاه والاُخرى تحت ذقنه فوضع فاه علي فيه يقبّله فقال: حسين مني وأنا من حسين… إلى آخره ـ

ورواه أحمد بن حنبل أيضاً في مسنده ج4 ص172 وابن الأثير أيضاً في أسد الغابة ج2 ص19 وج5 ص130ورواه جمع آخرون أيضاً من أئمة الحديث وأرباب السنن

Kanz al-‛Ummal, vol. 6, page 221:

Al-Muttaqi wrote: Ibn ‛Asakir mentioned that Abu-Ramthah quoted the Prophet (s) as saying: “Husayn is part of me and I am part of him. He is one of the chiefs. May Allah love him who loves Husayn! Verily, al-Hasan and Hussain are the chiefs of the youths of Paradise.”

كنز العمال ج6 ص221

قال: أخرج ابن عساكر عن أبي رمثة حسين مني وأنا منه، هو سبط من الأسباط أحب الله من أحب حسيناً إن الحسن والحسين سيدا شباب أهل الجنة

Kanz al-‛Ummal, vol. 7, page 107:

Al-Muttaqi also wrote: Jabir is reported to have said: We were once with Allah’s Apostle (s) when we were invited to a banquet. While we were on our way, we saw Hussain playing with other children. In front of the others, the Prophet (s) hurried towards Hussain and stretched his hand so that the little boy would play between his hands, going here and there, while the Apostle of Allah (s) was making his laugh. Finally, the Prophet (s) took him, put one of his hands under his chin and the other between his ears, hugged and kissed him, and then declared, “Husayn is part of me and I am part of him. May Allah love him who loves Husayn! Al-Hasan and Hussain are chiefs among other chiefs.”

Al-Tabarani cited this narration.

Comment: The Holy Prophet’s words, “Husayn is part of me and I am part of him,” have been reported by a great number of master scholars from the different sects of Islam; therefore, this Prophetic tradition is beyond doubt. Explaining this tradition, scholars hold that the Holy Prophet (s), by saying these words, meant to show perfect love and complete affection for his grandson Hussain ibn ‛Ali whom he had introduced as his flower. The expression of being part of someone is usually used by Arabs, especially, the eloquent ones, to express union, intimacy, affinity, and love for someone. Similarly, when they want to express the opposite, they use the expression of not being part of someone. This style has been used in Arabic poetry and in many religious texts. For instance, a narration reads that Allah the Almighty says, “The envious and malicious are neither part of Me nor am I part of them.” The Holy Quran also uses the same expression to express the same idea.

Accordingly, we must understand the Holy Prophet’s words: “Husayn is part of me and I am part of him,” to mean that the passionate love, firm affinity, and perfect association between the Holy Prophet (s) and Imam Hussain (‛a) made the two parts of each other inseparably. In this way, the Prophetic tradition is understood to have been metaphoric, although it may also be understood to be literal if we take into consideration the fact that Imam Hussain (‛a), through his self-sacrifice for the religion and through his martyrdom, kept the religion of Islam glorious and revived the efforts of his grandfather the Holy Prophet (s). Thus, the Holy Prophet’s wording, “Husayn is part of me,” is material, while the other part of his words: i.e. “I am part of Husayn,” is spiritual.

كنز العمال أيضاً ج7 ص107

قال: عن جابر كنا مع رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) فدعينا إلى طعام فإذا الحسين (عليه السلام)يلعب في الطريق مع الصبيان فأسرع النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) أمام القوم ثم بسط يده فجعل حسين يفر هاهنا وهاهنا فيضاحكه رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) حتى أخذه فجعل إحدى يديه في ذقنه والأخرى بين أذنيه ثم اعتنقه وقبله ثم قال: حسين مني وأنا منه، أحب الله من أحبه، الحسن والحسين سبطان من الأسباط

قال: أخرجه الطبراني

أقول: حديث حسين مني وأنا من حسين أو بلفظ آخر حسين مني وأنا منه، رواه كثير من محدثي الطوائف الإسلامية لا يشك فيه أحد، وذكر أرباب العلم في معناه أن قصده (صلى الله عليه وآله) إظهار كمال الحب وتمام الإلفة بسبطه وريحانته الحسين (عليه السلام) فإن البلغاء من العرب إذا أرادوا أن يظهروا الاتحاد والإلفة وشدة الاتصال والمحبة بأحد منهم يقولون: (فلان منا ونحن منه) كما أنهم إذا أرادوا.
إظهار النفرة وشدة القطيعة من رجل قالوا فيه: إننا لسنا منه وليس هو منا قال شاعرهم:

أيها السائل عنهم وعني *** لست من قيس ولا قيس مني

وجاء في الحديث القدسي في الحاسد الحاقد إنه ليس مني ولست أنا منه وقريب من هذا الأسلوب ما في القرآن الكريم: فمن شرب منه فليس مني.

وعلى الأول جرى الحديث النبوي حسين مني وأنا من حسين أي إن المحبة الشديدة والصلة الأكيدة والعلاقة التامة بيني وبين الحسين جعلته كجزء مني وجعلتني كجزء منه من شدة الاتصال وعدم الانفكاك، فالحديث محمول على الكناية، وقد يستشعر منه الإشارة إلى ما قام به الحسين (عليه السلام) من التضحية في سبيل إثبات دين جده وإحياء شعائر مجده بشهادته، فيفسر قوله (صلى الله عليه وآله): (حسين مني) بالجهة المادية، وقوله: (أنا من حسين) بالجهة المعنوية، فاغتنم ذلك

Hussain on the chest of the Holy Prophet who encourages him by saying, “Mount, O you whose eyes are as small as a mosquito’s!”

Al-Istiʽab, vol. 1, page 144:

Ibn ‛Abd al-Barr wrote: Asad ibn Hatam ibn Isma‛il reported Mu‛awiyah ibn Abi-Mazrad to have quoted his father as saying: I heard Abu-Hurayrah say: I saw with my two eyes and heard with my two ears the Apostle of Allah (s) holding Husayn from the two hands while Husayn’s feet were on the feet of Allah’s Apostle (s) who chanted to him, “Mount! Mount! O you whose eyes are as small as a mosquito’s eyes.” Thus, Husayn, the small child, put his feet on the Prophet’s chest. Then, the Prophet (s) said to him, “Open your mouth!” As the little child did, the Prophet (s) kissed him and prayed, “O Allah! Please love him, for I do love him.”

إن الحسين (عليه السلام) يرقى صدر النبي والنبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) يقول له: ترق ترق عين بقة

الاستيعاب لابن عبد البر ج1 ص144

قال: وذكر أسد عن حاتم بن اسماعيل عن معاوية بن أبي مزرد عن أبيه قال: سمعت أبا هريرة يقول: أبصرت عيناي هاتان وسمعت أذناي رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله)وهو آخذ بكفي حسين وقدماه على قدمي رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) وهو يقول: (ترق ترق عين بقة) فرقى الغلام حتى وضع قدميه على صدر رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله)ثم قال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله): إفتح فاك ثم قبله ثم قال: اللهم أحبه فإني أحبه

Al-Adab al-Mufrad, Chapter: Association with people:

Through his chain of authority, al-Bukhari reported Mu‛awiyah ibn Abi-Mazrad to have quoted his father as saying: I heard Abu-Hurayrah say: I heard with my two ears and saw with my two eyes the Apostle of Allah (s) holding al-Hasan, or Hussain, from the two hands while his feet were on the feet of Allah’s Apostle (s) who chanted to him, “Go up!” So, the little child went up until he put his feet on the Prophet’s chest. Then, the Prophet (s) said to him, “Open your mouth!” As the little child did, the Prophet (s) kissed him and prayed, “O Allah! Please love him, for I do love him.”

Comment: Al-Bukhari rewrote the same narration in the same book, Chapter: Joking with Little Children, yet, in a brief form.

Ibn Hajar, too, cited the same narration in al-Isabah (vol. 2, page 11) and then commented, “Al-Tabarani quoted this narration through a complete chain of authority.”

As for al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, he also cited the narration in Kanz al-‛Ummal (vol. 7, page 104) and commented that Ibn ‛Asakir quoted the narration, and then cited it again on page 109 and commented, “Ibn Abi-Shaybah quoted this narration.”

The same narration is quoted by other master scholars of Prophetic traditions.

الأدب المفرد للبخاري في باب الانبساط إلى للناس

روى بسنده عن معاوية بن أبي مزرد عن أبيه قال: سمعت أبا هريرة يقول: سمع أذناي هاتان وبصر عيناي هاتان رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) أخذ بيديه جميعاً بكفي الحسن أو الحسين وقدماه على قدم رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) ورسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله)يقول: إرق فرقى الغلام حتى وضع قدميه على صدر رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله)ثم قال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله): إفتح فاك ثم قبله ثم قال: اللهم أَحِبَّهُ فإني أُحِبُّهُ

أقول: ورواه في باب المزاح مع الصبي أيضاً باختصار، وذكره ابن حجر أيضاً في إصابته ج2 ص11 وقال: رواه الطبراني وذكر السند وذكره المتقي أيضاً في كنز العمال ج7 ص104 وقال: أخرجه ابن عساكر وفي ص109 وقال: أخرجه ابن أبي شيبة، وذكره غير هؤلاء أيضاً من أئمة الحديث

Kunuz al-Haqa’iq, page 59:

Al-Mannawi wrote: It is reported that the Prophet (s) used to play with Hussain and chant to him, “Go up! Mount! O you whose eyes are as small as a mosquito’s eyes.”

Al-Tabarani quoted this narration.

كنوز الحقائق للمناوي ص59 في مداعبته (صلى الله عليه وآله) مع الحسين (عليه السلام)ولفظه: تنق وترق عين بقة، قال: للطبراني

Kunuz al-Haqa’iq, page 63:

Al-Mannawi wrote: It is reported that the Prophet (s) used to play with Hussain and chant to him, “O tiny one! O tiny one! Go up! Your eye is as same as a mosquito’s.”

Ibn ‛Asakir quoted this narration.

كنوز الحقائق أيضاً ص63 في مداعبته (صلى الله عليه وآله) مع الحسين(عليه السلام) حزقة حزقة ترق عين بقة

قال: لابن عساكر