Foundation for the Killing of Imam Husain (as)
عنه، عن علي بن الحسين، عن علي بن أبي حمزة، عن أبي بصير، عن أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام) في قول الله عز وجل: " ما يكون من نجوى ثلاثة إلا هو رابعهم ولا خمسة إلا هو سادسهم ولا أدنى من ذلك ولا أكثر إلا هو معهم أينما كانوا ثم ينبئهم بما عملوا يوم القيامة إن الله بكل شئ عليم " قال: نزلت هذه الآية في فلان وفلان وأبي عبيدة الجراح و عبد الرحمن بن عوف وسالم مولى أبي حذيفة والمغيرة بن شعبة حيث كتبوا الكتاب بينهم وتعاهدوا وتوافقوا: لئن مضى محمد لا تكون الخلافة في بني هاشم ولا النبوة أبدا، فأنزل الله عز وجل فيهم هذه الآية، قال: قلت: قوله عز وجل: " أم أبرموا أمرا فإنا مبرمون * أم يحسبون أنا لا نسمع سرهم ونجواهم بلى ورسلنا لديهم يكتبون [1] " قال: وهاتان الآيتان نزلتا فيهم ذلك اليوم، قال أبو عبد الله (عليه السلام): لعلك ترى أنه كان يوم يشبه يوم كتب الكتاب إلا يوم قتل الحسين (عليه السلام) وهكذا كان في سابق علم الله عز وجل الذي أعلمه رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) أن إذا كتب الكتاب قتل الحسين وخرج الملك من بني هاشم فقد كان ذلك كله
Narrated by Abu Basir from Abu Abdillah Imam Sadiq (عليه السلام) about the saying of Allah (عز وجل),
"Nowhere is there a secret counsel between three persons but He is the fourth of them, nor (between) five but He is the sixth of them, nor less than that nor more but He is with them wheresoever they are; then He will inform them of what they did on the day of resurrection: surely Allah is aware of all things". (58:7)
Imam (عليه السلام) said, "This was Revealed regarding Fulan and Fulan (i.e. Abu Bakr and Umar), and Abu Ubeyda Ibn Al-Jarrah, and Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf, and Saalim Mawla Abu Huzeyfa, and Al-Mugheira Bin Sho’ba, when they wrote the agreement in between them and took a pledge and agreed that if Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله) were to pass away, they would not let the Caliphate to be in the Clan of Hashim, nor the Prophet-hood ever, So Allah (عز وجل) Revealed this Verse with regards to them".
I (Abu Basir) said, about the saying of Allah (عز وجل), "Or have they settled an affair? Then surely, we are the settlers. Or do they think that We do not hear what they conceal and their secret discourses? Indeed (We do), and Our messengers are by them, to record" (43:79-80).
Imam (عليه السلام) said, "And these two Verse were Revealed regarding them (i.e who wrote the agreement as mentioned above) on that day".
Imam (عليه السلام) further said, "Perhaps you think that there is a day resembling the day of the writing of the agreement? (No) Except for the day Al-Husain (عليه السلام) was killed, and thus it had preceded in the Knowledge of Allah (عز وجل) which He Made known to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله) that when the agreement was written down, Al-Husain (عليه السلام) was Killed*, and the kingdom would exit from the Clan of Hashim and indeed all of that did take place."
[Source: al-Kafi, Vol. 8, Pg. 179, Hadith. 202]
*Note: This indicates that the foundation for the killing of Imam Husain (عليه السلام) was laid when the agreement was written to prevent Imam Ali (عليه السلام) from becoming the Caliph after the Prophet. The reference to this agreement can be found even in the Prophets (ص) sermon of Ghadeer
Note: As per chain of narrators, hadith is classified as Reliable (موثق) by Allama Majlisi in Mir’aat al-Uqool, Vol, 27, Pg. 68
Below is another narration which talks about the gathering of people and writing the contract to prevent the Khilafat going to the AhluBayt (عليهم السلام):
عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْجَرِيرِيِّ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْحَصِيرَةِ الأَسَدِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ كُنْتُ دَخَلْتُ مَعَ أَبِي الْكَعْبَةَ فَصَلَّى عَلَى الرُّخَامَةِ الْحَمْرَاءِ بَيْنَ الْعَمُودَيْنِ فَقَالَ فِي هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ تَعَاقَدَ الْقَوْمُ إِنْ مَاتَ رَسُولُ الله (صلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَوْ قُتِلَ أَلاَّ يَرُدُّوا هَذَا الأَمْرَ فِي أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ أَبَداً قَالَ قُلْتُ وَمَنْ كَانَ قَالَ كَانَ الأَوَّلُ وَالثَّانِي وَأَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ وَسَالِمُ بْنُ الْحَبِيبَةِ
Narrated that Abu Jafar Imam Baqir (عليه السلام) said,
"I had gone with my Father (i.e. Ali ibn Husain (عليه السلام) to the Ka'bah and He prayed at red marble between the 2 columns and then said:
"In this place the people made a contract, that if the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله) died or was killed, they would never ever let the command (i.e. Khilafat) return to anyone from His AhlulBayt (عليهم السلام)"
I (i.e. Imam Baqir (عليه السلام) asked, "And Who were those people?"
Imam Ali ibn Husain (عليه السلام) said, "The first one (Abu Bakr), the second one (Umar), Abu Ubaydah bin al-Jarrah and Salim bin al-Habebah."
[Source: al-Kafi, Vol. 4, Pg. 545]