Imam al-Husayn b. Ali (a.s) is the second son of Imam Ali (a.s) and Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (a.s), as well as the grandson of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w). He plays a particularly unique role in the religion of Islam as he is the Third Holy Imam, as well as the “Reviver of the Faith” through whom the religion was preserved.
The Imam was born in the 4th year after Hijrah, and was shown particular care and sympathy by his family, including the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), who had been warned by the Angel Gabriel about the tragedy that would eventually befall Imam Husayn (a.s) in the land of Karbala.
Amongst the more well known merits given to Imam Husayn (a.s) by the Holy Prophet is the title “Sayyed al-Shabab Ahl al-Jannah” (The Leader of the Youths of the People of Paradise), a title he shared with his older brother and predecessor, Imam al-Hassan (a.s).
Imam al-Husayn (a.s), much like his brother, possessed many qualities and merits which were exclusive to members of the Holy Household. The most notable of these include Imam al-Husayn’s (a.s) inclusion in the Kisa’a of the verse of Purification (Al-Qur’an 33:33), as well has his inclusion in the Mubahila challenge as a ”son” of the Holy Prophet.
Imam al-Husayn (a.s), more so than any other member of the Ahlulbayt, has become a symbol of patience, suffering and the struggle in the path of God. As an individual, Imam al-Husayn (a.s) had to physically and psychologically endure witnessing the tragedies that befell every single one of the Holy Household preceding him.
After the death of Imam al-Hassan, Imam al-Husayn patiently observed the treaty his brother had signed with Mu’awiya. The treaty stipulated the return of caliphate to him after Mu’awiya’s death, but the treaty was violated and Mu’awiya’s son Yazid b. Mu’awiya was forcibly instated to power by his father prior to his death.
Islamic values had deteriorated considerably, al-Husayn refused to stand back and watch while the sanctity of Islam was being destroyed. Imam al-Husayn initially received a pledge of allegiance from the Kufan people requesting him to lead them against Yazid, however Yazid forced the Kufan army to renege on their pledge, which resulted in Imam al-Husayn leading a small group of only 72 against an army of 30,000 of Yazid’s men to fight for the survival of Islam.
In the Year 61 A.H, Al-Husayn after watching all of his companions and many family members being killed one by one, he was murdered by Yazid’s army. However through his great sacrifice, Islam as a religion was awakened and the Umayyad state encountered stiffer opposition which was ignited by al-Husayn’s sacrifice.
Imam al-Husayn b. Ali al-Husayn (a.s) was the Third Imam of the Muslims and is seen as being a figure of great importance in shaping a distinct Shi’a identity. The Imam was born in the year 4 A.H and was the second son of Imam Ali (a.s) and Fatimah al-Zahra (a.s), making him a grandson of the Prophet (s.a.w).
Like his elder brother al-Hassan, al-Husayn enjoyed a privileged position in which he spent much time with his grandfather, Prophet Muhammad. Imam al-Husayn is described, according to numerous traditions, as resembling the Prophet in his courage as well as generosity. The Imam, alongside his brother al-Hassan, was given the unique tribute of being the “Leader of the Youth from amongst the people in Paradise”.
Another interesting tradition from the Holy Prophet states:
“Husayn is from me and I am from Husayn.”
Which suggests a harmony and unity in mission and purpose.
Al-Husayn also shares alongside the other Ahl al-Kisa’ the honour of having numerous Qur’an verses revealed in their name, for example, the verse of Purification and the verse of Mubahala.
Imam al-Husayn’s life after the Prophet’s death in the year 11 A.H was filled with tragedies. He witnessed his father’s right of as the temporal successor to the prophet being usurped mother’s inheritance being confiscated followed by her martyrdom, he then took part in three civil wars that raged during the period in which his father, Imam ’Ali assumed the Caliphate.
After the martyrdom of his father, Imam Husayn then witnessed the betrayal of his brother’s army and the peace treaty signed between al-Hassan and Mu’awiya. To add insult to injury, he went on to witness Mu’awiya's abandonment of each and every condition that had been agreed upon by the two in the treaty.
After the martyrdom of his brother, Imam al-Husayn inherited the Imamah. He was responsible for the funeral of his brother, and whilst preparing to bury him in the House of the Prophet next to his grandfather; the Imam was interrupted by the wife of the Prophet, A’isha, who prevented him from burying his brother there.
Imam al-Husayn’s greatest achievement in Islamic history was seen during his uprising against the tyrant Yazid b. Mu’awiya, in which the Imam led his small group, consisting primarily of women and children and 72 men, to rise up against the army of Yazid.
Originally, the Imam was meant to have the support of the inhabitants of Kufa on his side, however the rebellion was crushed leaving the Imam to lead his extremely small faction against Yazid’s army of thousands.
After witnessing all his companions and every family member who’d gone in to battle being massacred before his eyes, the Imam himself was martyred. After having his head severed, the horses of Yazid’s army trampled al-Husayn’s body until it was completely crushed. Then the army took the remaining survivors as captives for to the Caliph Yazid.
The sacrifice of Imam al-Husayn is viewed by many Muslims as a deliberate attempt which succeeded in reviving the spirit of Islam by challenging a tyrant who was ruling in the name of Islam, and challenging his authority by displaying the immorality of such an individual.
Bibliography and Further Reading
- Al-Mufid, Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Muhammad, al-Irshad fi Ma‘rifat Hujaj Allah ‘ala al-‘Ibad, Mu’asasat Al al-Bayt li Ihya’ al-Turath.
- Al-Qarashi, Baqir Sharif, Mawsu‘at Sirat Ahl al-Bayt, Dar al-Ma‘ruf, Qum, 2009.
The Third Imam of the Muslims, namely Husayn b. Ali (a.s), is without a doubt one of the most significant historical figures in shaping a distinct Shi’a identity.
The Imam was born in the month of Sha’ban on the 4th Hijri year, his mother was Fatimah al-Zahra (a.s) and his father Imam Ali b. Abi Talib (a.s), his elder brother was Imam al-Hassan (a.s) and his grandfather was Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w).
Imam al-Husayn’s lineage ensured that he was always viewed as an extraordinary figure in the history of Islam. As the youngest grandson of the Prophet, he and his elder brother had the fortune of playing with their grandfather and riding on his back as children. Being contemporaries of the Prophet, they both (Hassan and Husayn) carry the unique favour of having numerous prophetic sayings and prophecies referring to their individual merits.
One such merit is that the two are “the leader of the youths of the people of paradise”. Another tradition states that the two are both Imams whether sitting or standing.
Husayn also had the fortune of having numerous Qur’anic verses revealed on his behalf, particularly his inclusion in the verse of purification, the verse of Mubahala, and also the verses 8-12 in Surah al-Dahr which detail the amazing sacrifice that Imam al-Hassan and al-Husayn gave when they were children and would sacrifice their food in order to feed others:
“They fulfill vows and fear a day the evil of which shall be spreading far and wide. And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive: We only feed you for Allah's sake; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks: Surely we fear from our Lord a stern, distressful day. Therefore Allah will guard them from the evil of that day and cause them to meet with ease and happiness; And reward them, because they were patient, with garden and silk”
(Qur’an 76:8-12)
Imam al-Husayn therefore was not viewed by the Muslims as anybody ordinary; rather he enjoyed a very privileged rank amongst the believers, despite his young age prior to the Prophet’s death.
Imam al-Husayn lived to witness much of the hardships which afflicted the family of the Prophet after Muhammad’s death, his father’s right as the temporal successor to the prophet being usurped, his mother’s inheritance being confiscated followed by her martyrdom and then subsequently the years of the Caliphs until his father Imam ‘Ali was given the Caliphate. After the death of Imam ‘Ali, the Imam also lived and witnessed the betrayal of his brother’s army which resulted in the peace treaty which occurred between his brother al-Hassan and Mu’awiya.
The Imamate of al-Husayn
In the year 50 A.H after the martyrdom of Imam Hassan (a.s), Imam al-Husayn (a.s) took the mantle of Imamate.
Due to the treaty signed between Imam al-Hassan (a.s) and Mu’awiya, Husayn (a.s) was forced to observe patiently until the death of Mu’awiya, after which the power was supposed to be handed back to Bani Hashim.
Mu’awiya, however, had other plans and in year 60, just prior to his death, he ordered many of the scholars as well as surviving companions of the Prophet to come out and give the pledge of allegiance to his son Yazid. This pledge was secured by the threat of the sword and hence the people were compelled into pledging allegiance.
Despite having been warned by his father Mu’awiya not to demand the pledge of allegiance from al-Husayn (a.s), Yazid pressured his governor Walid in Madinah to take the pledge of allegiance from Imam al-Husayn (a.s) by force after his father's death. Two days after attempting to convince Husayn (a.s) to pledge allegiance to Yazid, Husayn (a.s) realized that it was crucial for him to migrate to Makkah. For approximately four months, he remained in the sacred city of Makkah.
During this time in Makkah, many messages had begun coming to Husayn (a.s) from the people of Kufa pledging their support for Husayn (a.s) and requesting his assistance in leading them in an armed struggle against Yazid. Husayn (a.s) therefore dispatched his cousin Muslim b. ‘Aqeel to assess the situation in Kufa, which at the time had seemed rather favorable.
In one of Yazid’s strategic moves to crush any dissent, Ubaydullah b. Ziyad was installed as a new governor in Kufa and immediately had Muslim b. ‘Aqeel , as well as Muslim’s host, executed as a means of repelling any opposition.
Sensing that things were becoming extremely dangerous, Imam al-Husayn (a.s) ended his Hajj early and began on his journey to Kufa, fearing that Yazid, who had no concerns with the laws of Islam, would violate the sanctity of the Ka’aba and shed his blood there.
Prior to the Imam’s departure from Makkah, several of the companions of the Prophet pleaded with the Imam nor to go to Kufa, knowing full well that the event had been prophesized previously by the Holy Prophet. Still, al-Husayn (a.s) remained determined that it was his duty to go and stand up against Yazid. The Imam departed with a group of his loyal followers, as well as a largely civilian non-combatant group comprising of many of the women of the Ahlulbayt.
On route to Kufa, the Imam received news about the killing of his cousin and of the brutal regime change in the garrison town which inevitably meant that the Kufan resistance had now turned their backs on their original pledge.
Even so, the Imam still felt the need to continue with his mission, having given his pledge to fight the injustice and tyranny of Yazid.
Prior to reaching Kufa, however, the Imam’s camp was intercepted by a battalion of Yazid’s army, comprising of roughly 1,000 men led by Hurr b. Yazid al-Riyahi, which forced the Imam to pitch his camp at Karbala.
Ubaydullah b. Ziyad, the new Governor of Kufa, dispatched ‘Umar b. Sa’ad as the leader of an army comprising of roughly 30,000 men to march towards Husayn’s (a.s) camp. They arrived on the second of Muharram to encounter al-Husayn’s (a.s) group of followers. One of the army's main objectives was to prevent al-Husayn’s (a.s) camp from having any access to water from the Euphrates river, so that they would be forced to surrender. This led to a blockade by thousands of men preventing the camp of Husayn (a.s) from reaching any water during the massacre which would take place over the next few days.
On the morning of the 10th of Ashura, the battle began immediately after the morning prayers were completed and al-Husayn’s (a.s) small loyal battalion comprising of only 72 individuals immediately began combat with the armies of Yazid. This battle became known as "The Battle of Karbala." Al-Husayn (a.s) made multiple pleas during this time for any devout Muslim amongst Yazid’s armies to repent and come and serve the banner of Islam by fighting alongside his small group. Very few responded, the most notable defector to the camp of al-Husayn was Hurr b. Yazid al-Riyahi.
It is not the purpose of this brief entry to recount an entire account of how each and every individual of the camp of al-Husayn (a.s) were killed. In summary, everyone inside the camp of Imam al-Husayn (a.s) was slaughtered, save the Imam himself. The Imam collapsed amidst the battlefield, drained of energy and psychologically distraught after witnessing the bloody massacre in which numerous of his brothers, children and companions were killed.
The Imam was beheaded and breathed his last breaths prior to an even more tragic fate in which the armies of Yazid were commanded by their leader Umar b. Sa'ad to trample over the Imam’s dead body with their horses leaving the camp filled with the women of the Ahlulbayt and Imam al-Sajjad (a.s), the Imam’s successor, to watch in horror.
The Legacy of al-Husayn
History remembers Imam al-Husayn (a.s) as a man of integrity who fought for his beliefs despite knowing that the odds were against him and knowing that his small army was incapable of defeating an army the size of Yazid’s. Many questions remain as to why the Imam would have engaged in the battle with Yazid, having known the odds were against him. Yet many Shi’a historians believe that al-Husayn (a.s) achieved much by refusing to pledge allegiance to an open-sinner like Yazid ,who had no concern for the sanctity of Islam nor any real desire to live up to the role that he was meant to as the “Vicegerent of Allah” (Caliph).
Imam al-Husayn’s (a.s) sacrifice inspired a whole series of popular revolts against the Umayyads, with many attacks carried out purely in the name of avenging what happened to al-Husayn (a.s). Yet for many Shi’a today, the example of al-Husayn (a.s) serves as an embodiment of how a believer should never tacitly turn a blind eye to oppression and should be willing to give one's own life to provide hope to the oppressed.
Numerous forms of devotional literature survive from Imam al-Husayn (a.s), which also serve as a means of understanding the spirituality and devotion of the Imam.
In particular, the Imam’s du’a of ‘Arafah, in which the Imam offers a unique supplication whereby the believer comes to understand the thought process occurring in the mind of the Imam and serves as a template of the manner in which a servant converses with his Creator.
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Bibliography and Further Reading
- Al-Mufid, Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Muhammad, al-Irshad fi Ma‘rifat Hujaj Allah ‘ala al-‘Ibad, Mu’asasat Al al-Bayt li Ihya’ al-Turath.
- Al-Qarashi, Baqir Sharif, Mawsu‘at Sirat Ahl al-Bayt, Dar al-Ma‘ruf, Qum, 2009.