Imam hussain as biography of rory

Husayn ibn Ali

Grandson of Muhammad and the 3rd Imam (–)

For people with similar names, see Husayn ibn Ali (disambiguation).

Husayn ibn Ali (Arabic: الحسين بن علي, romanized:&#;al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī; 11 January – 10 October ) was a social, political and religious head.

The grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Muhammad's daughter Fatima, as well as a younger brother of Hasan ibn Ali,^[9] Husayn is regarded as the third Imam (leader) in Shia Islam after his brother, Hasan, and before his son, Ali al-Sajjad.

Being the grandson of the prophet, he is also a prominent member of the Ahl al-Bayt. He is also considered to be a member of the Ahl al-Kisa, and a participant in the event of the mubahala. Muhammad described him and his brother, Hasan, as the leaders of the youth of Paradise.^[10]

During the caliphate of Ali, Husayn accompanied him in wars.

After the assassination of Ali, he obeyed his brother in recognizing the Hasan–Mu'awiya treaty, despite it being suggested to do otherwise. In the nine-year period between Hasan's abdication in AH 41 ( CE) and his death in AH 49 or 50 ( or CE), Hasan and Husayn retreated to Medina, trying to keep detached from political involvement for or against Mu'awiya.^[12]^[13] After the death of Hasan, when Iraqis turned to Husayn, concerning an uprising, Husayn instructed them to hang around as long as Mu'awiya was alive due to Hasan's accord treaty with him.^[12] Prior to his death, Mu'awiya appointed his son Yazid as his successor, contrary to the Hasan–Mu'awiya treaty.

When Mu'awiya died in , Yazid demanded that Husayn pledge allegiance to him. Husayn refused to do so. As a consequence, he left Medina, his hometown, to take refuge in Mecca in AH 60 ( CE).^[14] There, the people of Kufa sent letters to him, invited him to Kufa and asked him to be their Imam and pledged their allegiance to him.

On Husayn's way to Kufa with a retinue of about 72 men, his caravan was intercepted by a 1,strong army of the caliph at some distance from Kufa. He was forced to leader north and encamp in the plain of Karbala on 2 October, where a larger Umayyad army of some 4, or 30, arrived soon afterwards.

Negotiations failed after the Umayyad governor Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad refused Husayn safe passage without submitting to his authority, a condition declined by Husayn. Battle ensued on 10 October during which Husayn was martyred along with most of his relatives and companions, while his surviving family members were taken prisoner.

The battle was followed by the Second Fitna, during which the Iraqis organized two separate campaigns to avenge the martyrdom of Husayn; the first one by the Tawwabin and the other one by Mukhtar al-Thaqafi and his supporters.

The Battle of Karbala galvanized the development of the pro-Alid^[a] party (Shi'at Ali) into a unique religious sect with its own rituals and collective memory. It has a central place in the Shi'a history, tradition, and theology, and has frequently been recounted in Shi'a literature.

For the Shi'a, Husayn's suffering and martyrdom became a symbol of sacrifice in the struggle for right against wrong, and for justice and truth against injustice and falsehood. It also provides the members of the Shi'a faith with a catalog of heroic norms.

The battle is commemorated during an annual ten-day period during the Islamic month of Muharram by many Muslims especially Shi'a, culminating on tenth day of the month, known as the day of Ashura. On this day, Shi'a Muslims mourn, carry public processions, organize religious gathering, beat their chests and in some cases self-flagellate.

Sunni Muslims likewise regard the incident as a historical tragedy; Husayn and his companions are widely regarded as martyrs by both Sunni and Shi'a Muslims.^{[citation needed]}

Early life

Further information: Verse of purification and Verse of Mawadda

According to majority of narrations, Husayn was born on the 3rd of Sha'ban 4 AH (11 January CE) in Medina and was still a child when his grandfather, Muhammad, died.^[18] He was the younger son of Ali, the cousin of Muhammad, and Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad, both from the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe.^[19] Both Hasan and Husayn were named by Muhammad, although Ali had other names such as "Harb" in mind.

To celebrate Husayn's birth, Muhammad sacrificed a ram, and Fatima shaved his brain and donated the same weight of his hair in silver as alms. According to Islamic traditions, Husayn is mentioned in the Torah as "Shubayr" and in the Gospels as "Tab". Aaron, Moses' brother, gave the same names to his sons after learning the names God had chosen for Ali's children.

Husayn was brought up in the household of Muhammad at first.

The family formed from the marriage of Ali and Fatima was praised many times by Muhammad. In events such as Mubahala and the hadith of the Ahl al-Kisa, Muhammad referred to this family as the ahl al-bayt. In the Qur'an, in many cases, such as the verse of purification, the ahl al-bayt has been praised.^[22] According to Madelung, there are numerous narrations showing Muhammad's passion for Hasan and Husayn, such as carrying them on his shoulders, or putting them on his chest and kissing them on the belly.

Madelung believes that some of these reports may imply a little favor of Muhammad for Hasan over Husayn, or pointing out that Hasan was more similar to his grandfather. Other Hadiths of this kind are: "whoever loves them loves me and whoever hates them hates me", and "al-Hasan and al-Husayn are the sayyids [masters] of the youth of Paradise".

The recent one is used by Shia to prove the right of Imamate for the descendants of Muhammad. Sayyid shabab al-djanna^[b] is an epithet used by Shias to refer to each of Muhammad's grandsons.^[18] It is also narrated that Muhammad took Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn under his cloak and called them ahl al-bayt and stated that they are free from any sin and pollution.^[23] Muhammad reported the Karbala incident on several occasions; For example, he gave a small bottle of soil to Umm Salama and told her that the soil inside the bottle would turn into blood after Husayn was killed.

Event of Mubahala

See also: Event of Mubahala and Ahl al-Kisa

In the year 10 AH (–) a Christian envoy from Najran (now in northern Yemen) came to Muhammad to argue which of the two parties erred in its doctrine concerning Jesus.

After likening Jesus' miraculous birth to Adam's creation —who was born to neither a mother nor a father— and when the Christians did not accept the Islamic doctrine about Jesus, Muhammad reportedly received a revelation instructing him to call them to Mubahala, where each party should ask God to destroy the false party and their families:^[25]^[26]^[27]

If anyone dispute with you in this matter [concerning Jesus] after the knowledge which has show up to you, say: Come grant us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then let us swear an oath and place the curse of God on those who lie.(Qur'an )^[25]

In Shia perspective, in the verse of Mubahala, the phrase "our sons" would allude to Hasan and Husayn, "our women" refers to Fatima, and "ourselves" refers to Ali.

Most of the Sunni narrations quoted by al-Tabari do not label the participants. Other Sunni historians mention Muhammad, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn as having participated in the Mubahala, and some approve with the Shia tradition that Ali was among them.^[28]^[26]^[27] The verse "God wishes only to remove taint from you, people of the Household, and to make you utterly pure" is also attributed to this event,^[c] during which Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn stood under Muhammad's cloak.^[26] Thus the title, the Family of the Cloak, is related sometimes to the Event of Mubahala.^[d]^[29]

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr and Umar, Husayn was give at some events such as testifying about the story of Fadak.^[30] According to a narration, Husayn, while the second caliph was sitting on the pulpit of Muhammad and giving a speech, objected to him for sitting on the pulpit of Muhammad, and Umar also stopped his sermon and came down from the pulpit.^[31] During the time of Uthman, he defended Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, who had preached against some of the actions of the tyrants and was to be exiled from Medina.^[32]

According to several narrations, Ali asked Hasan and Husayn to defend the third Caliph during the Siege of Uthman and carry water to him.

Husayn ibn Ali (Arabic: الحسين بن علي, romanized: al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī; 11 January – 10 October ) was a social, political and religious leader.

According to Vaglieri, when Hasan entered Uthman's house, Uthman was already assassinated.^[33] Another report says that Uthman asked Ali's help. The latter send Husayn in response. Then Uthman asked Husayn if he was able to defend himself against rebels.

Husayn demurred, so Uthman sent him back. It is also narrated that Uthman's cousin, Marwan ibn Hakam, acquire said Husayn: "Leave us, your father incites the people against us, and you are here with us!" Haeri writes in the Encyclopedia of the Islamic World: According to some narrations, Husayn or Hasan were wounded in the case of defending Uthman.^[31]

During the caliphate of Ali and Hasan

During the Caliphate of Ali, Husayn, along with his brothers Hasan and Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya, and his cousin, Abdullah ibn Ja'far were among closest allies of Ali.

He remained alongside him, accompanying him in the battlefields.^[18] According to a report by Tabari, Husayn was among Ali's major supporters who were cursed in public by the order of Mu'awiya.

After the assassination of Ali people gave allegiance to Hasan.

Mu'awiya who did not want go offer allegiance to him, prepared to fight. To avoid the agonies of the civil war, Hasan signed a treaty with Mu'awiya, according to which Mu'awiya would not name a successor during his reign, and let the Islamic community (ummah) choose his successor.

Madelung believes that Husayn did not recognize this treaty at first, but pressed by Hasan, accepted it. Later on when several Shia leaders suggested him to conduct a surprise attack on Mu'awiya's camp nearby Kufa, he refused, saying that as long as Mu'awiya was alive, he would abide by the terms of the accord treaty, however, after Mu'awiya's death, he will reconsider it.

After signing the peace treaty, Mu'awiyah delivered a sermon in Kufa in which he declared that he had violated all the provisions of the treaty and also insulted Ali ibn Abi Talib. Husayn wanted to respond, but Hasan refused to undertake so, and Hasan delivered a sermon in response.

Husayn adhered to the terms of the treaty even after Hassan's death.^[35] Husayn then left Kufa for Medina along with Hasan and Abdullah ibn Ja'far. He adhered to the terms of the treaty even after Hasan's death.

During the caliphate of Mu'awiya

According to the Shi'a, Husayn was the third Imam for a period of ten years after the death of his brother Hasan in AD.

All of this time except the last six months coincided with the caliphate of Mu'awiya.^[36] In the nine-year period between Hasan's abdication in AH 41 ( AD) and his death in AH 49 ( AD), Hasan and Husayn retreated to Medina, trying to keep aloof from political involvement for or against Mu'awiya.^[12]^[13] Sentiments in favor of the govern of Ahl al-Bayt occasionally emerged in the form of miniature groups, mostly from Kufa, visiting Hasan and Husayn asking them to be their leaders – a request to which they declined to respond.^[37] When Hasan was poisoned, he refused to tell Husayn the name of his suspect, probably Mu'awiya, in fear of provoking bloodshed.

The burial of Hasan's body nearby that of Muhammad, was another problem which could have led to bloodshed, as Marwan ibn Hakam swore that he would not permit Hasan to be buried near Muhammad with Abu Bakr and Umar, while Uthman was buried in the cemetery of al-Baqi.^[38] After the death of Hasan, when Iraqis turned to Husayn, concerning an uprising, Husayn instructed them to remain as long as Mu'awiya was alive due to Hasan's harmony treaty with him.^[12]^[18] Meanwhile, Marwan reported to Mu'awiya the frequent visits of Shias to Husayn.

Mu'awiya instructed Marwan not to clash with Husayn, in the same time he wrote a letter to Husayn in which he "mingled generous promises with the advice not to provoke him." Later on, when Mu'awiya was taking allegiance for his son, Yazid, Husayn was among the five prominent persons who did not give his allegiance,^[18] as appointing a successor was in violation of Hasan's accord treaty with Mu'awiya.

Before his death in April , Mu'awiya cautioned Yazid that Husayn and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr might challenge his rule and instructed him to defeat them if they did. Yazid was further advised to treat Husayn with caution and not to spill his blood, since he was the grandson of Muhammad.

Uprising

Refusal to deliver allegiance to Yazid

Immediately after Mu'awiya's death on 15th of Rajab 60 AH (22 April AD), Yazid charged the governor of Medina, Walid ibn Utba ibn Abu Sufyan, to secure allegiance from Husayn with force if necessary.

Yazid's goal was to take control of the situation in the city before the people became aware of Mu'awiya's death. Yazid's concern was especially about his two rivals in the caliphate; Husayn and Abdullah ibn Zubayr who had previously renounced allegiance.^[42] Husayn answered the summons but declined to pledge allegiance in the secretive environment of the meeting, suggesting it should be done in public.^[18] Marwan ibn Hakam told Walid to imprison or behead him, but due to Husayn's kinship with Muhammad, Walid was unwilling to take any action against him.

A few days later, Husayn left for Mecca without acknowledging Yazid. He arrived in Mecca at the beginning of May , and stayed there until the beginning of September. He was accompanied by his wives, children and brothers, as well as Hasan's sons.

Invitations from Kufa

Husayn had considerable support in Kufa, which had been the caliphal capital during the reigns of his father and brother.

The Kufans had fought the Umayyads and their Syrian allies during the First Fitna, the five-year civil war which had established the Umayyad Caliphate. They were dissatisfied with Hasan's abdication and strongly resented Umayyad dictate.

While in Mecca, Husayn received letters from pro-Alids in Kufa informing him that they were tired of the Umayyad control, which they considered to be oppressive, and that they had no rightful leader. They asked him to lead them in revolt against Yazid, promising to remove the Umayyad governor if Husayn would consent to aid them.

Husayn wrote back affirmatively that a rightful leader is the one who acts according to the Qur'an and promised to lead them with the right guidance. Then he sent his cousin Muslim ibn Aqil to assess the situation in Kufa.

The Tragedy – A Narration of the Saga of Karbala – A Handbook ...: Imam Hussain (a.s.), a 7th century revolutionary leader, was the grandson and the righteous descendent of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) the Messenger of God and founder of Islam. Imam Hussain is revered as a great martyr and his life continues to be an example for his leadership, bravery, generosity and humility.

Ibn Aqil attracted widespread back and informed Husayn of the situation, suggesting that he unite them there. Yazid removed Nu'man ibn Bashir al-Ansari as governor of Kufa due to his inaction, and installed Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, then governor of Basra, in his place.

As a result of Ibn Ziyad's suppression and political maneuvering, Ibn Aqil's following began to dissipate and he was forced to declare the revolt prematurely. It was defeated and Ibn Aqil was killed. Husayn had also sent a messenger to Basra, another garrison town in Iraq, but the messenger could not attract any following and was quickly apprehended and executed.

Updated: Aug 16, Imam Hussain a. Imam Hussain is revered as a great martyr and his life continues to be an example for his leadership, bravery, generosity and humility. The Imam took a brave stand against injustice and corruption when he refused to give allegiance to a tyrannical ruler named Yazid, resulting in the Battle of Karbala.

Husayn was unaware of the change of political circumstances in Kufa and decided to depart. Abd Allah ibn Abbas and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr advised him not to action to Iraq, or, if he was determined, not to grab women and children with him.^[e] Nevertheless, he offered Husayn sustain if he would stay in Mecca and lead the contradiction to Yazid from there.

Husayn refused this, citing his abhorrence of bloodshed in the sanctuary, and decided to go ahead with his plan.

Journey towards Kufa

Despite the advice of Muhammad ibn Hanafiyya, Abdullah ibn Umar, and the constant insistence of Abd Allah ibn Abbas in Mecca, Husayn did not back down from his decision to depart to Kufa.^[18] Ibn 'Abbas pointed out that the Kufis had left both his father Ali and his brother Hasan alone, and suggested that Husayn move to Yemen instead of Kufa, or at least not obtain women and children with him if he were to proceed to Iraq.^[42] Husayn insisted on his decision and wrote about his motives and goals in a famous letter or will that he gave to Muhammad ibn al Hanafiyyah

"I did not go out for pleasurable and selfishness and for corruption and oppression; Rather, my aim is to correct the corruptions that have occurred in the nation of my ancestors.

I want to command the excellent and forbid the bad, and follow the tradition of my grandfather and the way of my father Ali ibn Abi Talib. So, whoever accepts this truth (and follows me) has accepted the way of God and whoever rejects (and does not follow me) I will walk (my way) with patience and perseverance so that God may be the judge between me and this nation and he is the best judge."^[50]

Then, Husayn, who had not yet received the letters of the new events of Kufa, prepared to leave for Kufa on the 8th or 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah 60 AH / 10 or 12 September AD.

Instead of performing Hajj, he performed Umrah, and in the absence of the Governor of Mecca, Amr ibn Sa'id ibn As, who was performing Hajj on the outskirts of the city, secretly left the municipality with his companions and family. Fifty men from Husayn's relatives and friends – who could fight if needed – accompanied Husayn, including women and children.

He took the northerly map through the Arabian Desert. On persuasion of Husayn's cousin Abd Allah ibn Ja'far, the governor of Mecca Amr ibn Sa'id sent his brother and Ibn Ja'far after Husayn in instruct to assure him safety in Mecca and bring him support.

Husayn refused to return, relating that Muhammad had ordered him in a dream to travel forward irrespective of the consequences. Further on the way, he received the news of the execution of Ibn Aqil and the indifference of the people of Kufa.^[f] He informed his followers of the situation and asked them to leave.

Most of the people who had joined him on the way left, while his companions from Mecca decided to stay with him.

On the way, Husayn encountered various people. In response to Husayn's question about the situation in Iraq, the poet Farzadaq explicitly told him that the hearts of the Iraqi people are with you, but their swords are in the service of the Umayyads.

But Husayn's decision was unwavering, and in response to those who tried to dissuade him, he said that things were in God's hands and that God wanted the best for His servants and would not be hostile to anyone who was right.

The news of the murder of Muslim ibn Aqeel and Hani ibn Arwa was reported by some travellers, for the first time in Thalabiyah.^[18]

When Husayn reached the area of Zabalah, he found out that his messenger, Qais ibn Mushar Sa'idawi – or his brother-in-law, Abdullah ibn Yaqtar – who had been sent from Hejaz to Kufa to inform the people of Husayn's imminent arrival, was exposed and killed by falling from the roof of Kufa Palace.

Upon hearing this, Husayn allowed his supporters to leave the caravan due to the depressing issues such as the betrayal of the Kufis. A number of those who had joined him on the way, parted away. But those who had come with Husayn from Hejaz did not exit him.

The news from Kufa showed that the situation there had completely changed from what Muslim had reported. The political assessments made it clear to Husayn that going to Kufa was no longer apt.^[55]

In the area of Sharaf or Zuhsam, armies emerged from Kufa under the leadership of Hurr ibn Yazid.

With the weather entity hot there, Husayn ordered moisture to be given to them and then announced his motives to the army and said:

"You did not have an Imam and I became the means of uniting the ummah. Our family is more deserving of government than anyone else, and those in power undertake not deserve it and govern unjustly.

Author: S. Mir Ahmad Ali Publisher: www. Hussain's Martyrdom Prophesied in the Old Testamnet A small Book of about twenty-five pages 'The King of Martyrs' was published in and since then, it was reproduced four times and every occasion in several thousands and yet he demand for it had been on the increase, and this is the Fifth enlarged edition.

If you support me, I will go to Kufa. But if you do not want me anymore, I will return to my first place."

Ibn Ziyad had stationed troops on the routes into Kufa. Husayn and his followers were intercepted by the vanguard of Yazid's army, about 1, men led by Hurr ibn Yazid al-Tamimi, south of Kufa near Qadisiyya.

Husayn said to them:

I did not come to you until your letters were brought to me, and your messengers came to me saying, 'Come to us, for we have no imam.' Therefore, if you give me what you guaranteed in your covenants and sworn testimonies, I will show up to your town.

If you will not and are averse to my coming, I will leave you for the place from which I came to you.

He then showed them the letters he had received from the Kufans, including some in Hurr's force. Hurr denied any knowledge of the letters and stated that Husayn must go with him to Ibn Ziyad, which Husayn refused to do.

Hurr responded that he would not allow Husayn to either enter Kufa or move back to Medina, but that he was free to move anywhere else he wished. Nevertheless, he did not prevent four Kufans from joining Husayn. Husayn's caravan started to move towards Qadisiyya, and Hurr followed them.

At Naynawa, Hurr received orders from Ibn Ziyad to drive Husayn's caravan to halt in a desolate place without fortifications or water. One of Husayn's companions suggested that they charge Hurr and move to the fortified village of al-Aqr. Husayn refused, stating that he did not want to start the hostilities.

According to Valiri, Hurr ordered his army to take Husayn and his companions to Ibn Ziyad without fighting and intended to persuade Husayn to act so.

But when he saw that Husayn was moving his caravan, he did not dare to follow it. However, Madlung and Bahramian write that when Husayn was ready to depart, Hurr blocked his way and said that if Husayn did not accept the order given by Ibn Ziyad, Hurr would not allow him to travel to Medina or Kufa.

Being the grandson of the prophet, he is also a prominent member of the Ahl al-Bayt. He is also considered to be a member of the Ahl al-Kisaand a participant in the event of the mubahala. Muhammad described him and his brother, Hasan, as the leaders of the youth of Paradise. During the caliphate of Ali, Husayn accompanied him in wars.

He suggested to Husayn to neither go to Kufa nor to Medina, rather write a letter to Yazid or Ibn Ziyad and wait for their orders, hoping to avoid this difficult situation by receiving an answer. But Husayn did not heed to his advice and continued to Azad or Qadisiyah.

Hurr informed Husayn that he was doing this for Husayn and that if there would be a war, Husayn would be killed. Husayn, however, was not afraid of death and stopped in an area called Karbala, on the outskirts of Kufa.^[10]

In one place, Husayn recited a sermon and said: "I do not see death except as martyrdom and living with the oppressors except as hardship." In another place, he explained the reason for his contradiction to the government while recalling the bitterness of breaking the allegiance of the people of Kufa with his father and brother, saying, "These people acquire submitted to the obedience of Satan and have left the obedience of God the Merciful." On the way, he refused to accept the offer to go to the tribe of Tayy by pointing to his pact with Hurr about not returning.^[57] Later, a messenger from Ibn Ziad came to Hur and, without greeting Husayn, gave a letter to Hur in which Ibn Ziad had ordered him to not to cease in a place where Husayn can have easy access to water.

With this letter, Obaidullah wanted to force Husayn to fight. Zuhair ibn Qayn suggested to Husayn to attack the small army of Hur and capture the fortified village of Akr. But Husayn did not accept; Because he did not want to start a war.^[10]

On 2 October (2 Muharram 61 AH), Husayn arrived at Karbala, a desert plain 70 kilometers (43&#;mi) north of Kufa, and set up camp.

On the monitoring day, a 4,strong Kufan army arrived under the command of Umar ibn Sa'd.

He had been appointed governor of Rayy to suppress a local rebellion, but then recalled to confront Husayn. Initially, he was unwilling to fight Husayn, but complied following Ibn Ziyad's threat to revoke his governorship. After negotiations with Husayn, Ibn Sa'd wrote to Ibn Ziyad that Husayn was willing to return.

Ibn Ziyad replied that Husayn must surrender or he should be subdued by force, and that to compel him, he and his companions should be denied access to the Euphrates river. Ibn Sa'd stationed horsemen on the route leading to the river.

Husayn and his companions remained without water for three days before a group of fifty men led by his half-brother Abbas was able to access the river. They could only fill twenty water-skins.

Husayn and Ibn Sa'd met during the night to negotiate a settlement; it was rumored that Husayn made three proposals: either he be allowed to return to Medina, submit to Yazid directly, or be sent to a border post where he would fight alongside the Muslim armies.

According to Madelung, these reports are probably untrue as Husayn at this stage is unlikely to have considered submitting to Yazid. A mawla of Husayn's wife later claimed that Husayn had suggested that he be allowed to leave, so that all parties could allow the fluid political situation to clarify.

Ibn Sa'd sent the invitation, whatever it was, to Ibn Ziyad, who is reported to have accepted but then persuaded otherwise by Shemr ibn Ziljawshan. Shemr argued that Husayn was in his domain and letting him go would be to demonstrate weakness. Ibn Ziyad then sent Shemr with orders to ask Husayn for his allegiance once more and to ambush, kill and disfigure him if he was to refuse, as "a rebel, a seditious person, a brigand, an oppressor and he was to do no further harm after his death".

If Ibn Sa'd was unwilling to carry out the charge, he was instructed to hand over command to Shemr. Ibn Sa'd cursed Shemr and accused him of foiling his efforts to reach a peaceful settlement but agreed to carry out the orders.

He remarked that Husayn would not submit because there was "a proud essence in him".

The army advanced toward Husayn's camp on the evening of 9 October. Husayn sent Abbas to ask Ibn Sa'd to wait until the next morning, so that they could consider the matter.

Ibn Sa'd agreed to this respite. Husayn told his men that they were all free to quit, with his family, under the cover of night, since their opponents only wanted him. Very few availed themselves of this opportunity. Defense arrangements were made: tents were brought together and tied to one another and a ditch was dug behind the tents and filled with wood ready to be arrange alight in case of strike.

Husayn and his followers then spent the rest of the night praying.

Battle of Karbala

After the morning prayer on 10 October, both parties took up battle positions. Husayn appointed Zuhayr ibn Qayn to command the right flank of his army, Habib ibn Muzahir to command the left flank, and his half-brother Abbas as the standard bearer.

Husayn's companions, according to most accounts, numbered thirty-two horsemen and forty infantrymen.^[g] Ibn Sa'd's army totaled 4,^[h] The ditch containing wood were set alight.

Husayn then delivered a speech to his opponents reminding them of his status as Muhammad's grandson and reproaching them for inviting and then abandoning him. He asked to be allowed to leave. He was told that first he had to submit to Yazid's authority, which he refused to do.

Husayn's speech moved Hurr to defect to his side.

After Husayn's speech, Zuhayr ibn Qayn attempted to dissuade Ibn Sa'd's soldiers from killing Husayn, but in vain. Ibn Sa'd's army fired several volleys of arrows.

This was followed by duels in which several of Husayn's companions were slain. The right wing of the Kufans, led by Amr ibn al-Hajjaj, attacked Husayn's force, but was repulsed. Hand-to-hand fighting paused and further volleys of arrows were exchanged.

Shemr, who commanded the left wing of the Umayyad army, launched an strike, but after losses on both sides he was repulsed. This was followed by cavalry attacks. Husayn's cavalry resisted fiercely and Ibn Sa'd brought in armoured cavalry and five hundred archers.

After their horses were wounded by arrows, Husayn's cavalrymen dismounted and fought on foot.

Since Umayyad forces could approach Husayn's army from the front only, Ibn Sa'd ordered the tents to be burned. All except the one which Husayn and his family were using were place on fire.

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Shemr wanted to burn that one too, but was prevented by his companions. The plan backfired and flames hindered the Umayyad advance for a while. After noon prayers, Husayn's companions were encircled, and almost all of them were killed.

Husayn's relatives, who had not taken part in the fighting so far, joined the battle. Husayn's son Ali Akbar was killed; then Husayn's half-brothers, including Abbas, and the sons of Aqil ibn Abi Talib, Jafar ibn Abi Talib and Hasan ibn Ali were slain.

The account of Abbas' death is not given in the primary sources, al-Tabari and Baladhuri, but a prominent Shi'a theologian Shaykh Al-Mufid states in his account in Kitab al-Irshad that Abbas went to the river together with Husayn but became separated, was surrounded, and killed.

At some point, a juvenile child of Husayn's, who was sitting on his lap, was hit by an arrow and died.

Death

During the Battle of Karbala the Umayyad soldiers hesitated to initiate a direct attack on Husayn; however, he was struck in the mouth by an arrow as he went to the river to drink.

He collected his blood in a cupped hand and cast towards the sky, complaining to God of his suffering. Later, he was surrounded and struck on the head by Malik ibn Nusayr. The blow cut through his hooded cloak, which Husayn removed while cursing his attacker.

He put a cap on his head and wrapped a turban around it to staunch the bleeding. Ibn Nusayr seized the bloodied cloak and retreated.

Shemr advanced with a group of foot soldiers towards Husayn, who was now prepared to combat as few people were left on his side.

A new boy from Husayn's camp escaped from the tents, ran to him, tried to defend him from a sword stroke and had his arm cut off. Ibn Sa'd approached the tents and Husayn's sister Zaynab complained to him: "'Umar b. Sa'd, will Abu 'Abd Allah (the kunya of Husayn) be killed while you stand and watch?" Ibn Sa'd wept but did nothing.

Husayn is said to have killed many of his attackers. The Umayyad forces however were still unwilling to execute him and each of them wanted to leave this to somebody else. Eventually Shemr shouted: "Shame on you! Why are you waiting for the man? Kill him, may your mothers be deprived of you!" The Umayyad soldiers then rushed Husayn and wounded him on his hand and shoulder.

He fell on the ground face-down and an attacker named Sinan ibn Anas stabbed and beheaded him.

Aftermath

Seventy or seventy-two people died on Husayn's side, of whom about twenty were descendants of Abu Talib, the father of Ali.

This included two of Husayn's sons, six of his paternal brothers, three sons of Hasan ibn Ali, three sons of Jafar ibn Abi Talib and three sons and three grandsons of Aqil ibn Abi Talib. Following the battle, Husayn's clothes were stripped, and his sword, shoes and baggage were taken.

The women's jewelry and cloaks were also seized. Shemr wanted to kill Husayn's only surviving son Ali al-Sajjad, who had not taken part in the fighting because of illness, but was prevented by Ibn Sa'd. There are reports of more than sixty wounds on Husayn's body, which was then trampled with horses as previously instructed by Ibn Ziyad.

The bodies of Husayn's companions were decapitated. There were eighty-eight dead in Ibn Sa'd's army, who were buried before he left. After his departure, members of the Banu Asad tribe, from the nearby village of Ghadiriya, buried the headless bodies of Husayn's companions.

Husayn's family, along with the heads of the dead, were sent to Ibn Ziyad.

He poked Husayn's mouth with a stick and intended to slay Ali al-Sajjad, but spared him after the pleas of Husayn's sister Zaynab. The heads and the family were then sent to Yazid, who also poked Husayn's mouth with a stick. The historian Henri Lammens has suggested that this is a duplication of the report regarding Ibn Ziyad.

No one was compassionate towards the women and Ali al-Sajjad, One of his courtiers asked for the hand of a captive woman from Husayn's family in marriage, which resulted in heated altercation between Yazid and Zaynab. The women of Yazid's household joined the captive women in their lamentation for the dead.

After a few years, the women were compensated for their belongings looted in Karbala and were sent back to Medina.

The killing of the grandson of Muhammad shocked the Muslim community. The image of Yazid suffered and gave rise to sentiment that he was impious.

Prior to the Battle of Karbala, the Muslim community was divided into two political factions. Nonetheless, a religious sect with distinct theological doctrines and specific set of rituals had not developed. Karbala gave this early political party of pro-Alids a distinct religious individuality and helped transform it into a distinct religious sect.

Heinz Halm writes: "There was no religious aspect to Shi'ism prior to The death of the third imam and his followers marked the 'big bang' that created the rapidly expanding universe of Shi'ism and brought it into motion."

Related uprisings

A few prominent Alid supporters in Kufa felt guilty for abandoning Husayn after having invited him to revolt.

To atone for what they perceived as their sin, they began a movement known as Tawwabin uprising, under Sulayman ibn Surad, a companion of Muhammad, to fight the Umayyads, and attracted large-scale support. The armies met in January at Battle of Ayn al-Warda; which resulted killing most of them including Ibn Surad.

The defeat of the Tawwabin left the direction of the Kufan pro-Alids in the hand of Mukhtar al-Thaqafi. In October , Mukhtar and his supporters seized Kufa. His control extended to most of Iraq and parts of northwestern Iran. Mukhtar executed Kufans emotionally attached in the killing of Husayn, including Ibn Sa'd and Shemr, while thousands of people fled to Basra.

He then sent his general Ibrahim ibn al-Ashtar to fight an approaching Umayyad army, led by Ibn Ziyad, which had been sent to reconquer the province. The Umayyad army was routed at the Battle of Khazir in August and Ibn Ziyad was slain. Later on, in April , Mukhtar was killed.

Historical analysis

Based on an official report sent to caliph Yazid, which describes the battle of Karbala very briefly, stating that it lasted for no longer than a siesta, Lammens concludes that there was no battle at all but a quick massacre that was over in an hour; he suggests that the detailed accounts found in the primary sources are Iraqi fabrications, since their writers were dissatisfied with their hero being killed without putting up a fight.

This is countered by the historian Laura Veccia Vaglieri, who argues that despite there being some fabricated accounts, all of the contemporary accounts together form "a coherent and credible narrative". She criticizes Lammens' hypothesis as being based on a single isolated describe and being devoid of critical analysis.

Similarly, Madelung and Wellhausen assert that the battle lasted from sunrise to sunset and that the overall account of the battle is reliable. Vaglieri and Madelung explain the length of the battle despite the numerical disparity between the conflicting camps as Ibn Sa'd's seek to prolong the fight and pressure Husayn into submission instead of attempting to quickly overwhelm and kill him.

According to Wellhausen, the compassion that Yazid showed to the family of Husayn, and his cursing of Ibn Ziyad was only for display.

He argues that if killing Husayn was a crime its responsibility lay with Yazid and not Ibn Ziyad, who was only performing his duty. Madelung holds a similar view; according to him, early accounts place the responsibility for Husayn's death on Ibn Ziyad instead of Yazid.

Yazid, Madelung argues, wanted to end Husayn's opposition, but as a caliph of Islam could not afford to be seen as publicly responsible and so diverted blame onto Ibn Ziyad by hypocritically cursing him. According to Howard, some traditional sources have a tendency to exonerate Yazid at the value of Ibn Ziyad and bring down authorities.