He just meant to quench somebody's thirst.

Hazret Abul fadhl al Abbas, is the ideal representation of unfulfilled longings and unfulfilled desires. In what way?
He was probably the only one who had most of his desires and longings left unfulfilled.
He wanted to go fight with the enemies of Islam and the enemies of humanity, the party of Yazid ibn Muawiya, but was declined permission from his brother, Imam Husain alayhis salaam. He was a brave and valient man, young and full of zeal to fight oppression and to protect his family. All he wanted to do was fight for his brother. But that was not to be.


Then, the least he thought he could do was fetch water for his thirsty family and little nephews and nieces. Can you imagine what it is like to be near the river of Eupharates after days of being thirsty, and holding the water in one's hand, just inches away from your tongue and just moments away from quenching you thirst in the blazing desert sands, and then... just letting it drop bringing to mind his brother's thirst and reciting to himself, 

"How can I drink the drink of life, while my brother drinks the drink of death."

Wasn't he just human after all? Just thirsty from days, deprived of water by the camp of the inhuman enemies? The world would have understood even if he had taken a sip or two before taking the water to his camp.

But the longing of quenching his thirst still didn't compare to his longing for quenching the thirst of the children. To see his little nieces, Sakeena and Ruqaya, thirsty hurt his heart, and all his heart longed for was to see them and the other little thirsty children with a little water, so that their tiny selves could survive. But alas, even that was not to be. His body was attacked by arrows from the camp of Yazid ibn Muawiya who did not let his water bag or him survive. That led to his martyrdom.

Martyrdom. You know when somebody goes forth to embrace his martyrdom, he bids goodbye to his loved ones. Abal Fadhl was married, had a child. But he didn't get to say goodbye to his wife or give a last hug to his son. Another unfulfilled desire.

But all of these longings, these wishes, these desires were given up on...for the sake of Allah. Because Abal fadhl desired the hereafter more. Longed more for the hereafter. Wished more for the hereafter. So even if these were left unfulfilled, he knew he would fulfill them in a more complete and absolute way in the hereafter. So all of these desires, in all of its intensity, didn't compare to what he felt for Allah; didn't compare to the intensity of his Emaan; didn't compare to the profundity of his love for his brother.

Aren't we all here just for that? For being thirsty...for His love