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Husayn ash-Shahīd Imams of Shi'a Islam
[]
Rank	Third Twelver/Zaydi/Musta‘lī Imām Second Nizārī Imām
Name	Husayn ibn ‘Alī
Kunya	Abu ‘Abdillāh 1
Birth	3rd2 or 5th3 Sha‘bān 4 AH4 ≈ Jan. 8, 626 C.E.
Death	10th Muharram 61 AH ≈ Oct. 10, 680 C.E.
Birthplace	Madīnah5
Buried	Imām Husayn Mosque, Karbalā
Life Duration	Before Imāmate: 46 years (4 - 50 AH) - 7 years with his grandfather [Muhammad] - 7 years with his mother Fātimah - 36 years with his father ‘Alī - 46 years with his brother Hasan Imāmate: 11 years (50 - 61 AH)
Titles	*ash-Shahīd6 (Arabic for The Martyr) *as-Sibt7 (Arabic for The Grandson) *Sayyidush Shabābi Ahlil Jannah8 (Arabic for Leader of the Youth of Paradise) *ar-Rashīd6 (Arabic for The Rightly Guided) *at-Tābi li Mardhātillāh9 (Arabic for The Follower of Gods Will) *al-Mubārak6 (Arabic for The Blessed) *at-Tayyib6 (Arabic for The Pure) *Sayyidush Shuhadā10 (Arabic for Master of the Martyrs) *al-Wafī6 (Arabic for The Loyal) *as-Sayyid6 (Arabic for The Master)
Spouse(s)	Shahrbānū bint Yazdgerd III Umm Rubāb Umm Laylā Umm Is'hāq bint Talha
Father	‘Alī
Mother	Fāṭimah
Children	‘Alī ibn Husayn, ‘Alī al-Akbar, ‘Alī al-Aṣghar, Sukayna bint Husayn, Fāṭimah Sughrá.
Ali · Hasan · Husayn al-Sajjad · al-Baqir · al-Sadiq Musa (Twelver) · Ismail (Ismaili)

Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (Arabic: حسين بن علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب‎)‎ (3rd Sha‘bān 4 AH - 10th Muharram 61 AH; 8th January 626 AD - 10th October 680 AD) was the grandson of Islamic prophet Muhammad and the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (final Caliph and first Shī‘ah Imām) and Fātimah Zahrā (daughter of Muhammad). Husayn is an important figure in Islām as he is a member of the Ahlul Bayt (the household of Muhammad) and Ahlul Kisā, as well as being a Shī‘ah Imām, and one of The Fourteen Infallibles of Twelvers.

Husayn ibn ‘Alī is revered as a martyr who fought tyranny, as he refused to pledge allegiance to Yazīd I¹¹, the Umayyad caliph. He rose up to create a regime that would reinstate a “true” Islāmic polity as opposed to what he considered the unjust rule of the Umayyads.¹¹ As a consequence, Husayn was killed and beheaded in the Battle of Karbalā in 680 (61AH) by Shimr Ibn Thil-Jawshan.¹² The anniversary of his martyrdom is called ‘Āshūrā ("tenth" day of Muharram) and is a day of mourning and religious observance for all Muslims. Revenge for Husayn's death was turned into a rallying cry that helped undermine the Umayyad caliphate, and gave impetus to the rise of a powerful Shī‘ah movement.¹¹

Early life

See also: Ahl al-Bayt and Hadith of the Cloak

According to the most reports, Imam Husayn ibn Ali was born on 3 Sha'aban 4 AH/10 January 626 CE. ¹³

He and his brother Imam Hassan were the only descendants of Prophet Muhammad who remained alive. Many of the accounts about Prophet Muhammad's treatment of his grandsons and his great love for them deal with them together and at times confuse them.¹³ Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said that "whoever loves them [his grandsons] loves me and whoever hates them hates me" and "al-Hasan and al-Husayn are the sayyids of the youth of Paradise". The latter saying has been particularly important for Shias who used it in support of for the right of Muhammad's descendants to the imamate. Muhammad, according to other traditions, is pictured with his grandsons on his knees, on his shoulders, or even on his back during the prayer at the moment of prostrating himself.¹⁴ According to Madelung, Muhammad loved them and declared them as his Ahl al-Bayt frequently. The Quran has accorded the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet an elevated position above the rest of the faithful.¹⁵

In addition to these traditions, a number of traditions also involve presence of angels. From a Muslim point of view, these traditions do not create any problem but to non-Muslims they as appear legends created under the Shi'i influence.¹⁴

The Incident of Mubahala

Main articles: Mubahala and Hadith of Mubahela

According to hadith collections, it is narrated that during the 9th - 10th year after hijra an Arab Christian envoy from Najran (currently in northern Yemen and partly in Saudi Arabia) came to Muhammad to argue which of the two parties erred in its doctrine concerning Jesus.¹⁶ After likening Jesus' miraculous birth to Adam's creation¹⁷, Muhammad called them to Mubahala (Cursing), where each party should ask God to destroy the lying party and their families. Muhammad, to prove to them that he is a prophet, brought his daughter Syedda Fatimah(Taiba,Tahira) and his surviving grandchildren, Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain ibn Ali, and Ali ibn Abi Talib and came back to the Christians and said this is my family (Ahl al-Bayt) and covered himself and his family with a cloak.¹⁸ The Christian envoy, the traditions add, declined to take part in Mubahala and chose instead to pay tribute.

Husayn and caliphate

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Ali's followers, Shia, proclaimed that his eldest son Hassan, who was the successor to Ali's Imamate should be the caliph and the Islamic tradition must not be discarded again. Muawiyah had fought Ali for the leadership of the empire and now prepared to fight Hassan. After a few inconclusive skirmishes between the armies of Hassan and Muawiyah, Hassan reminded his followers of Ali's position that Imamate is sufficient for successorship of the prophet and that leading the Muslim state was not a criterion. Thus, to avoid agonies of another civil war, he signed a treaty with Muawiyah and relinquished the control of what had turned into an Arabian kingdom; while not having pledged his allegiance to Muawiyah. Even after taking such a stance, Hassan was poisoned and killed in 669 by Muawiyah. This left Husayn as the head of the Alids, the successor to Hassan's Imamate.

Husayn and Rashidun

At the time of the siege of the caliph Uthman's residence in Medina by rebels from Egypt, when Uthman asked Ali to join the defender of his house, Ali sent Hassan and Husayn. When Uthman asked Husayn if he thought he would be able to defend himself against the rebels, he demurred, and Uthman sent him away. ¹³

During Ali's caliphate, the brothers Hassan, Husayn, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, and their cousin 'Abd Allah ibn J'afar appear as his closest assistants within his household. ¹⁹ Imam Husayn stayed in Madina until Muawiyah died in 680.

He lived under the most difficult outward conditions of suppression and persecution. This was due to the fact that, first of all, religious laws and regulations had lost much of their weight and credit, and the edicts of the Umayyad government had gained complete authority and power. Secondly, Mu'awiyah and his aides made use of every possible means to put aside and move out of the way the Household of the Prophet and the lovers of Imam Ali and his sons and thus obliterate the name of Ali and his family.²⁰ Muawiyah I ordered for public curses of 'Ali and his major supporters including Imam Husayn and his brother.¹³

According to Shia and Sunni belief Imam Husayn became the third Imam for a period of ten years after death of his brother Imam Hassan in 669. All of this time but the last six months coinciding with the caliphate of Mu'awiyah.²⁰

Yazid caliphate

Muawiyah designated his son, Yazid I, as his successor before his death in 680CE.²¹

The significance of Husayn's allegiance

When Yazid I became caliph he forced Husayn ibn Ali and Abd Allah ibn Zubayr to pledge alliance with him, but they refused and migrated from Madinah to Mecca in that year. ²²²³

Uprising

Husayn left Medina with his households, his sons, brothers, and the sons of Hasan. He traveled the main road to Mecca, refusing to avoid being pursued by taking a side road. In Mecca Husayn stayed in the house of `Abbas ibn `Abd al-Muttalib and remained there for four months.¹³

Husayn uprised against Yazid I and declared Umayyad rule was not only oppressive but also religiously misguided. In his view the integrity and survival of the Islamic community depended on the reestablishment of right guidance. ²⁴

When Husayn was in Mecca open revolt began in Kufa, due to the fact that succession of Yazid I was the first attempt to establish a hereditary dynasty. Religious attitude against Umayyad and Iraqi tendencies to recapture power inspired people alongside with those who believe that leadership of the Muslim community rightly belonged to the descendants of Ali to rose and invite Husayn to Kufa to establish his caliphate. ²⁵ They urged Husayn to join them, since they had no imam. They informed him that they did not attend the Friday prayer with governor of Kufa, No'man ibn Bashir and would drive him out of the town as soon as Husayn agreed to come to them. They sent him in short order seven messages with bags of letters of support by Kufan warriors and tribal leaders. Husayn wrote the Kufans that he understood from their letters that they had no imam and they wished him to come to unite them by right guidance. He informed them that he was sending his cousin Moslem ibn Aqil to report to him on the situation. If he found them united as their letters indicated he would speedily join them, for it was the duty of the imam to act in accordance with the Qoran, to uphold justice, to proclaim the truth, and to dedicate himself to the cause of God. The mission of Moslem was initially successful. The Kufan Shias visited him freely, and 18,000 men are said to have enlisted with him in support of Husayn. He wrote to Husayn, encouraging him to come swiftly to Kufa.¹³

Husayn was also visited by a Shia supporter with two of his sons from Basra, where Shia sentiment was otherwise limited. He then sent identical letters to the chiefs of the five divisions into which the Basran tribes were divided for administrative purposes. He wrote them that Muhammad's family were his legatees and heirs of his position. People had illegitimately claimed the right which belonged exclusively to the Prophet’s family. The family had consented to their action for the sake of the unity of the Ummah. Those who had seized the right of the Prophet’s family had set many things straight and had sought the truth. The contents of the letter closely reflected the guideline set by Ali, who had strongly upheld the sole right of the family of the Prophet to leadership of the Muslim community but had also praised the conduct of the first caliphs Abu Bakr and Omar. While most of the recipients of the letter kept it secret, one of them suspected that it was a ploy of the governor Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziad to test their loyalty and turned it over to him. Ubayd-Allah seized and beheaded Husayn’s messenger and addressed a stern warning to the people of Basra.¹³

In Kufa the situation changed radically when Yazid replaced Noman ibn Bashir by Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziad, ordering the latter to deal severely with Moslem ibn Aqil. Ubayd-Allah succeeded in intimidating the tribal chiefs. A revolt collapsed when the rebels failed to capture the governor’s palace. Moslem was found and delivered to Ubayd-Allah, who had him beheaded on the top of the palace and his body thrown down to the crowd. Yazid wrote to Ubayd-Allah, commending him highly for his decisive action and ordering him to set up watches for Husayn and his supporters and to arrest them but to kill only those who would fight him.¹³

On the other hand Yazid perceived Husayn's refusal to pledge allegiance as a danger to his throne. He plotted to kill the grandson of the prophet during the Hajj, in the precincts of the Holy Kaaba, thus defiling and desecrating it (killing a person in Mecca is prohibited in Islam). In order to avoid this sacrilege, Husayn took along his wives, children, a few friends and relatives and headed towards Kufa to fulfill the responsibility of the bearer of Imamate and to fulfill his destiny as was prophesied by his grandfather, Mohammad.

On his way, he was offered military support by the tribe of Banu Tayy as well as sanctuary in their hills from where he could (if he wanted to) safely lead a revolt and overthrow Yazid. But Husayn refused the offer and continued his journey with his few companions.^{citation needed}

Battle of Karbala

The Shrine of Imam Hussain ibn Ali in Karbala, Iraq

Main article: Battle of Karbala

See also: Maqtal Al-Husayn.

Husayn in his path toward Kufa encountered the army of Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa, led by al-Hurr al-Riyahi (a top commander in the Umayyad army who later changed sides).

At the Battle of Karbala it is recorded that seventy two people were martyred. ²⁶On his way toward Kufa, Husayn encountered the army of Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa, which was led by Hurr. When he clashed with them he said^{citation needed}:

"... Don't you see that the truth is not put into action and the false is not prohibited? The believer has got to be fond of meeting his God justly. So I do not consider the death but blessedness and living with the oppressors other than abjectness."

Part of his speech on Ashura^{citation needed}:

"... Lo and behold; an ignoble (i.e ibn Ziyad), son of other ignoble (i.e. Ziyad ibn Abihi), has entangled me in a bifurcation, between either unsheathing the swords or accepting abjectness. And far be it that we accept abjectness. Allah abominates that for us, plus his proph­et, believers, the chaste pure gentlewomen, those who do not accept oppression as well as the souls who do not submit to meanness abominate it. They disapprove that we prefer obedience of scrooges to the best sites of murder. Beware; I assault you together with this family while they are few and when the helpers deserted. ... "

On 10 October 680 (Muharram 10, 61 AH), he and his small group of his followers and family members, who were between 108 and 136 people of Husayn ibn Ali (the grandson of Muhammad). ²⁷²⁸, fought with a large army of perhaps 4000 men under the command of Umar ibn Sa'ad, son of the founder of Kufah. Husayn and all of his men were killed and beheaded. The bodies were left three days without burial and all the heads and whomever was left from Husain's family were taken as prisoners to al-Sham (Syria and Lebanon today) to Yazid.²³

Today, the death of Hussein ibn Ali is commemorated during every Muharram, with the most important of these days being its tenth day, Ashura.

Burial

Husayn's body is buried in Karbala, near the site of his death. His head is said to have been returned from Damasqus and interred with his body.²⁹

Husayn's grave became the most visited place of Ziarat for Sunni and Shias. The Imam Husayn Shrine was later built over his grave. In 850 Abbasid caliph, al-Mutawakil, destroyed his shrine in order to stop Shia pilgrimages. However, pilgrimages continued.³⁰ It is now a holy site of pilgrimage for Shia Muslims.

Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali

Main articles: Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali and day of Ashura

See also: Mourning of Muharram, Arba'een, and Husaynia

Day of Ashura is commemorated by the Shi‘a as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala. In some countries and regions such as Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Bahrain, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica Commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become a national holiday and all ethnic and religious communities participate in it.

It is especially mourn on the first ten days of Muharram, first month of the Islamic calendar, and ends by the 10th day. Although, the mourning continues through the whole month and well into Safar till eighth rabi-ul-awal, the third month in the Islamic calendar.

Sunni views of Husayn

Sunni regard Hussein as an Imam (lord of the spiritual kingdom) and a martyr. He is believed to be the third imam. He set out on his path in order to save Islam and the Ummah from annihilation at the hands of Yazid. According to Sunni belief he was a willing sacrifice to religious necessity, and Sunni view Hussein as an exemplar of courage and resistance against tyranny. Ashura, a day of mourning and self-reflection, is held in honor of his suffering.

The saying, "Every day is Ashura, every land is Karbala," is a reminder to live one's life as Hussein did on Ashura, with total sacrifice to Allah and for others. This saying also signifies "We must always remember, because there is suffering everywhere".

Sayings of Muhammad about Hussein ibn Ali in Sunni books

• "Al-Hasan and al-Hussein are the chiefs of the youth of Paradise and Fatimah is the chief of their women."³¹

• Muhammad said, " Hussein is from me and I am from him."³²

• Muhammad looked toward Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, and Hussein, and then said, "I am in war with those who will fight you, and in peace with those who are peaceful to you."³³

• Muhammad said, "He who loves al-Hasan and al-Hussein, has loved me, and he who makes them angry has made me angry."³⁴

Timeline

Husayn ibn Ali of the Ahl al-Bayt Banu Hashim Clan of the Banu Quraish Born: 3rd Sha‘bān 4 AH ≈ 8th January 626 CE Died: 10th Muharram 61 AH ≈ 10th October 680 CE
Shī‘a Islam titles
Preceded by Hasan ibn Ali Disputed by Nizari	3rd Imam of Shi'a Islam 669 – 680	Succeeded by Ali ibn Husayn

See also

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Imam Husayn

• Muhammad
• Ali ibn Abu Talib
• Hassan ibn Ali
• Abbas ibn Ali
• Zayn al-Abidin
• Muhammad al-Baqir
• Ja'far al-Sadiq
• Musa al-Kazim
• Ali al-Rida
• Muhammad al-Taqi
• Ali al-Hadi
• Hasan al-Askari
• Muhammad al-Mahdi
• Battle of Karbala
• Day of Ashura
• Imam Hussain Shrine
• Sayyid
• Ahl ul-Bayt
• Hussaini Brahmin
• Arba'een
• Zulfiqar
• Azadari
• Karbala
• Zuljenah

Notes

References

Books

• Al-Bukhari, Muhammad Ibn Ismail (1996). The English Translation of Sahih Al Bukhari With the Arabic Text, translated by Muhammad Muhsin Khan. Al-Saadawi Publications. ISBN 1881963594. 
• Dakake, Maria Massi (2007). The Charismatic Community: Shi'ite Identity in Early Islam. SUNY Press. ISBN 0791470334. 
• Gordon, Matthew (2005). The Rise Of Islam. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313325227. 
• Halm, Heinz; Janet Watson and Marian Hill (2004). Shi'Ism. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0748618880. 
• Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521646960. 
• Tabatabae, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn; Seyyed Hossein Nasr (translator) (1979). Shi'ite Islam. Suny press. ISBN 0-87395-272-3. 

Encyclopedia

• Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.. 
• Encyclopædia Iranica. Center for Iranian Studies, Columbia University. ISBN 1568590504. 
• Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an. Brill Publishers, Leiden. ISBN 90-04-14743-8. 
• Encyclopaedia of Islam. ISBN. 

External links

See the articles and books of Battle of Karbala, Day of Ashura, Mourning of Muharram and Maqtal Al-Husayn in the relevant articles.

• English Literature on Imam Al-Hussain
• Hussein ibn 'Ali an article of Encyclopædia Britannica.
• Hussein ibn 'Ali by Wilferd Madelung, an article of Encyclopædia Iranica.
• Hussein ibn 'Ali in popular Shiism by Jean Calmard, an article of Encyclopædia Iranica.
• Twelve Imams
• Imam Hussein in the eyes of non-Muslims
• The Third Imam
• Martyr Of Karbala
• An account of the martyrdom of the third Imam
• On Difference & Understanding: Al-Husayn: the Shiite Martyr, the Sunni Hero

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