The Martyrdom of al-Hussain Ibn Ali (ra)

The Martyrdom of al-Hussain Ibn Ali (ra)

On this day, 10th Muharram 61AH, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), al-Hussain Ibn Ali (ra) was killed during the Battle of Karbala.

When the people of Iraq (Kufah) wrote to Imam Hussain, asking him to come out to them so that they could swear allegiance to him as their ruler, which happened after the death of Mu‘aawiyah (ra), and the accession of his son Yazid to the caliphate.

Then the people of Kufah turned against Imam Hussain after Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad was appointed as governor of the city by Yazid ibn Mu‘aawiyah and killed Muslim ibn ‘Uqayl, who was Imam Hussain’s envoy to them. The hearts of the people of Iraq were with Imam Hussain, but their swords were with ‘Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad.

Imam Hussain went out to them, not knowing of the killing of Muslim ibn ‘Uqayl, or of the people’s changed attitude towards him.

Wise men who loved him had advised him not to go out to Iraq, but he insisted on going out to them. Among those who gave him this advice were: Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Umar, Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri, Jabir ibn Abdullah, al-Miswar ibn Makhramah, and Abdullah ibn az-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them all).

So Hussain (ra) travelled to Iraq, and halted at Karbala, where he came to know that the people of Iraq had turned against him. So Hussain (ra) asked the army that came to fight him for one of three things: either to let him return to Makkah, or to let him go to Yazid ibn Mu‘aawiyah, or to let him go to the frontier to fight in Jihad for the sake of Allah.

But they insisted that he should surrender to them, and Hussain (ra) refused, so they fought him, and he was killed wrongfully as a martyr (may Allah be pleased with him).

Al-Bidalyah wa’n-Nihayah (11/473-520)