Karbla, Chain of Events [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Highlights
of Karbala

Who
Was Mu'awiya?

Jamal
Confrontation

Battle
of Saffin

After
Siffin

Peace
Agreement between Imam Al-Hasan & Mu'awiya

Mu'awiya's
Plot To Poison Imam Hasan (a.s.)

Mu'awiya
Designates Yazid As Successor

Mu'awiya
Dies

Yazid
Becomes Ruler

On
The Way to Karbala

Karbala

Ashuraa

The
Battle

Al-Husain
& His Baby

Al-Husain
By Himself

Lessons
>From The Tragedy Of Karbala

HIGHLIGHTS OF KARBALA:

The events of Karbala reflect the
collision of the good versus the evil, the virtuous versus the wicked,
the collision of Imam Husain (the head of virtue) versus Yazid
(the head of impiety). Al-Husain was a revolutionary person, a righteous
man, the religious authority, the Imam of Muslim Ummah. As the representative
of his grandfather Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Imam Husain's main concern
was to safeguard and protect Islam and guide fellow Muslims. On the other
hand, the staying power of the rulers (Mu'awiya and his son Yazid) depended
solely on the might of the sword. They used brute force to rule over the
Muslim empire even by all possible illicit means.

Imam Husain as head of Ahlul Bayt
(a.s.) never recognized Mu'awiya nor his followers. Before him Imam
Ali (a.s.) had fought battles against Mu'awiya because Mu'awiya continuously
violated the Islamic principles. Imam Al-Hasan (a.s.) had to swallow
the bitter pill of making a peace agreement with Mu'awiya, in order to
safeguard the security of the Ummah which was at stake. When Yazid son
of Mu'awiya declared himself as a ruler over the Ummah, he demanded Imam
Al-Husain's (a.s.) allegiance of loyalty. Imam Husain on his part flatly
rejected Yazid's rule and behavior, for there was no way Yazid could represent
Islam, it would be blasphemy. But Yazid, the tyrant ruler over the Ummah,
was adamant in his demand, and tension between the two parties increased
day by day.

Imam Husain was quick to realize
that giving allegiance of loyalty to Yazid would serve no purpose but to
jeopardize the survival of Islam. To safeguard and protect Islam, therefore,
the Imam had no choice but to confront and collide with Yazid's rulership
irrespective of consequences. Since Yazid had ordered his commanders to
seize the Imam's allegiance of loyalty at any cost, even by brutal force,
the commanders had to assemble a relatively large army, surrounding Imam
Husain's camp in a desert called Karbala. Then they cut off the
basic necessities to the camp, including access to water. The camp consisted
of Imam Husain, his family, friends, and companions, all of whom stood
fast and firmly with him. These braves would rather face death for the
noble cause of Islam, than submit to the outrageous tyranny and the un-Islamic
ways of Yazid.

Thus, Karbala proved to be a clash
involving Islamic truths versus falsehood, right versus wrong, belief versus
disbelief, the oppressed versus the oppressor, faith against brute force.
Karbala was about standing in the face of oppression, regardless no matter
the cost. Thus, in Karbala, Al-Husain the 57 year old grandson of Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh), sacrificed his totality and all he had, for one goal.
This goal was to let the truth triumph over falsehood eventually,
and he did that brilliantly. His goal was to foil the plan that Mu'awiya
had expertly developed for his son, Yazid, which was to establish a permanent
Benu Umayya rulership over the Muslim Ummah (even by sacrificing the Islamic
principles), but doing it in the name of Islam. Brilliantly, Imam Husain
succeeded in foiling this plan and he exposed the disreputable nature of
Benu Umayya though this was at the expense of his life.

WHO
WAS MU'AWIYA?

Mu'awiya was son of Abu Sufyan,
a leader of Benu Umayya clan which was one of the clans of Quraish
tribes. Mu'awiya grew up in a family known to be cunning, worldly, materialistic,
and power hungry. Mu'awiya became Muslim only when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
triumphed over Mecca. Those who became Muslim in this manner were called
Tulaqaa', (a term scornfully used for the disbelievers who
became Muslims to save their lives). Mu'awiya, his father Abu Sufyan, his
mother Hind, and his brother Yazid son of Abu Sufyan were all Tulaqaa';
Mu'awiya never forgot this stigma for the rest of his life; he could never
shake it from his mind, thus a feeling of malicious vengeance always existed
in his heart. Mu'awiya's character and aspirations were entirely opposite
to that of his sister, Umm Habiba, who was one of the wives of the
Holy Prophet (pbuh). Unlike Mu'awiya, Umm Habiba was a sincere believer
and a pious person.

Omar, the second Khalifa, appointed
Mu'awiya's brother, Yazid son of Abu Sufyan, as the Governor of
Syria when the Muslims captured that territory from the Byzantines. Within
a few years, Yazid son of Abu Sufyan died of a disease, and Omar appointed
Mu'awiya in his brother's place as the Governor. Upon coming to power,
Mu'awiya took advantage of the rich public treasury of Syria using it personally
to buy favors and influence people. Thus he built a large base of support
among some tribes, almost to the fanatic level. He used this to his advantage
in later years to form a network of informants (spies) against Ahlul
Bayt (a.s.) and their devotees.

JAMAL
CONFRONTATION:

When Imam Ali (a.s.) became
Khalifa, he decided to remove Mu'awiya immediately, notwithstanding Mu'awiya's
strong base of support. At that time, Mu'awiya had been the governor of
Syria, Palestine, and Jordan for 17 years. Mu'awiya became defiant, he
refused to obey Ali's orders. Brazen and unabashed, he even declined to
recognize Ali or give allegiance of loyalty to him. Also in defiance, Mu'awiya
established a parallel government in Greater Syria, and started a campaign
of treacherous accusations and malicious rumors against Imam Ali (a.s.).
He falsely blamed Imam Ali for the killing of Uthman, the third Khalifa,
and urged people to take up arms against the Imam. He spread these notorious
accusations constantly to incite an uprising against Ali (a.s.).

At the same time A'isha, the
Prophet's widow, became highly vocal against Imam Ali (a.s.). She called
for taking revenge for the blood of Uthman. As a result, a party of 3,000
insurgents supported by Sahaaba (Companions) such as Talha and Zubair,
along with A'isha headed toward Basrah. The insurgents upon reaching Basrah
clashed with the local authorities and finally occupied a portion of Basrah.
Soon after the occupation these insurgents spread a reign of terror among
the people, killing no less than 600 local Muslims, pilfering the treasury
and stealing the arms supplies of the armory.

As a Khalifa in charge, Imam Ali
(a.s.) could not ignore the situation, he had to act and restore peace
and order. He ordered his forces to proceed to Basrah. As the Imam's forces
reached near Basrah, Imam Ali (a.s.) tried to persuade the insurgents led
by A'isha, Zubair and Talha to change their minds and avoid confrontation,
but he did not succeed. A battle broke out though Zubair elected not to
fight. Talha was wounded then bled to death. Thousands of people lost their
lives. A'isha fell down from the camel after it was disabled; but luckily
she was not hurt. Imam Ali asked Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr, (A'isha's
brother), to take A'isha to Basrah for a few days, and from there to escort
her to Medina with full honor and dignity. Upon leaving Basrah Al-Hasan
(a.s.) and Al-Husain (a.s.) accompanied the Prophet's widow for some distance
before bidding her farewell. Imam Ali (a.s.) stayed in Basrah for a few
weeks to restore law and order. He compensated for the dead, and decided
to forgive and absolve all who fought against him, exactly as the Prophet
(pbuh) had done when he triumphed over Mecca 40 years earlier.

BATTLE
OF SIFFIN:

Upon returning to Kufa, Imam Ali
(a.s.) immediately prepared for the anticipated clash with Mu'awiya. The
defying Mu'awiya continued to violate the Islamic principles by personally
using the public treasury for espionage and buying peoples' loyalty. The
people of Syria fully believed him and the in false picture he presented.
Ultimately this resulted in a confrontation called Battle of Siffin
when the troops of the two sides met at Siffin. The battle saw ferocious
fighting for nine days when Mu'awiya's forces were near collapse. His troops
were fleeing and in disarray, and their retreat was in massive disorder,
running helter skelter. Mu'awiya, alarmed, tense, and frightened, preparing
to run away, when he learned of a clever trick. The trick was indecent
and unbecoming, it was to make the Holy Quran as an instrument and exploit
it, to use it as a tool to his advantage. Mu'awiya seized on this immediately
and commanded his fighters to raise 500 Holy Qurans on tips of spears,
in order to stun the troops of Imam Ali. As jolting as it was, this maneuver
did break the onslaught and the momentum of Ali's fighters, for they were
very pious men. But Imam Ali was quick to recognize this deceit, he knew
how deceptive Mu'awiya was, and now that being near collapse, Mu'awiya
wanted to save his neck at the expense of the Quran itself.

With that in mind, Ali (a.s.) urged
his generals not to halt, but to keep fighting since victory was almost
at hand. Alas, Ali's generals and fighters were in shock, for the sight
of the Holy Quran high on spear heads was startling to say the least. They
could not take it. Not willing to fight, they wanted to accept Mu'awiya's
offer to halt the fighting and negotiate instead. The termination of the
battle in this manner and the consequences thereof proved to be disastrous
to say the least, especially for Ahlul Bayt and Islam.

It is said that there was a conspiracy
between Amr Ibnil Aas of Mu'awiya's side, and Ash'ath Ibn Qais,
a General in Imam Ali's camp, who was working as a spy against Ali, secretly
working as an agent for Mu'awiya. In this battle 45,000 men lost their
lives in Mu'awiya's camp, and about 25,000 in Ali's (a.s.) camp. Many men
of high caliber from both sides died, especially Ammar Ibn Yasir,
the great Companion of the Prophet (pbuh), who was 90 years old and fought
on Imam Ali's side against Mu'awiya.

AFTER
SIFFIN:

Imam Ali's (a.s.) generals, who stopped
the battle to negotiate with Mu'awiya, did not pick the right person for
the negotiation. They unyieldingly refused to accept Imam Ali's choice,
instead they picked Kufa's Governor, Abu-Musa Ash'ari, an
incompetent Governor who had been previously dismissed from office by Imam
Ali. Mu'awiya appointed Amr Ibnil Aas, a shrewd and cunning
man, to be his representative in the negotiation. Negotiation between the
two sides did not take place for about one year.

When the two negotiators came face
to face, it was clear that Ash'ari's capability was no match for his opponent
Ibnil Aas. In the negotiations, Ash'ari proposed that, both Mu'awiya and
Imam Ali (a.s.) were to abdicate and to let the people hold election for
the Khilaafah. Amr Ibnil Aas, a deceptive man at best, quickly agreed to
Ash'ari's proposal and asked Ash'ari to first announce the agreement. Ash'ari
stood up and announced, "O people, we have agreed not to consider Ali or
Mu'awiya for Khilaafah. You may choose or elect whomever you think is fit."
The cunning Amr Ibnil Aas stood up next to say, "O people! I won't consider
Ali for the Khilaafah. But Mu'awiya, in my opinion, is the person for that
office!" Upon hearing this (and feeling deceived), the people screamed
disapprovingly, an uproar was the result. Imam Ali's (a.s.) camp was in
shock, they were double-crossed, deceived and lied to, they felt deeply
cut. Amr's double crossing and deception was simply beyond their imagination.
They left the place bewildered and utterly disappointed. Because of this
a large group of Imam Ali's supporters defected to form a separate group
called Kharijies, meaning the Outsiders.

The Khariji became fanatically opposed
to Imam Ali and Mu'awiya. Some of their members met secretly in Mecca and
drew a plan to assassinate Ali (a.s.) in Kufa, Mu'awiya in Syria, and Amr
Ibnil Aas in Egypt. Three fanatics took the responsibility, they were to
attack their victims in the morning, the same day, as the would-be victims
were going to the mosque to lead the morning salat. Ibn Muljim
attacked and fatally wounded Imam Ali (a.s.), whereas Mu'awiya escaped
with a light wound of his buttock. Amr Ibnil Aas was ill that day and his
replacement was killed by the Khariji. Imam Ali (a.s.), in wounded condition,
conferred the Imamah and the reign of the Islamic nation to his 37 years
old son Al-Hasan.

PEACE
AGREEMENT BETWEEN IMAM AL-HASAN AND MU'AWIYA:

Imam Hasan (a.s.) faced extremely
difficult conditions from the start. He observed that fear, anxiety and
much distress were ever present in Kufa, Basrah, Medina and other towns.
The anxiety, uncertainty and insecurity were caused by Mu'awiya's ill dealing
of sincere Muslims. Mu'awiya had spread secret agents all over to defame
Ahlul Bayt. Imam Hasan knew that his father Imam Ali (a.s.) had stood like
a lion in all difficulties and fought battles against Mu'awiya, but these
confrontations had resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. A mass scale
family devastation was visible everywhere. Considering all circumstances,
Imam Hasan (a.s.) discussed the matter with his brother Husain (a.s.) and
other relatives. He revealed to them that in order to end the bloodshed
and to provide a reasonable safety and security to the Ummah, he would
make a peace agreement with Mu'awiya and abdicate until after Mu'awiya's
death. After a few days of careful consideration, Imam Hasan (a.s.) accepted
an agreement as per the terms dictated by the Imam and agreed to by Mu'awiya.
Four noteworthy terms of this agreement were:

People of Syria, Iraq, Hijaz, Yemen
and other places shall enjoy amnesty against persecution,

Friends and companions of Imam Ali (a.s.)
and all their women and children shall be protected from all dangers,

Mu'awiya is to immediately stop the
use of abusive language with reference to Ahlul Bayt (cursing Imam Ali)
after Salat of Jumu'a), and

Mu'awiya shall not appoint anyone as
his successor.

Once the treaty was signed, Imam Hasan
(a.s.) and brother Husain (a.s.) moved out of Kufa and settled in Medina.
Over there both Imams lost no time in holding nightly meetings for Islamic
discussions. The nightly meetings proved very successful and gained tremendous
popularity. More people started to attend, to hear the Imams give of their
fountain of knowledge on Islam and humanity. The reputation of these meetings
began to fly to far away places. People from as far away as Egypt, Iraq,
Yemen, and other distant areas travelled to Medina to learn about the Islamic
values. As years passed, the knowledge thus given started to bear fruits.
The number of Islamic scholars multiplied and increased considerably.

In the meantime Mu'awiya, unabashedly
elected to disregard the terms of his treaty with Imam Al-Hasan. a) He
sent secret agents to terrorize, kidnap, or even kill innocent people specially
those who were loyal to Ahlul Bayt (a.s.). b) Instead of helping the needy
with the public treasury, Mu'awiya's governors and their surrogates used
the public treasury for personal use, freely and excessively as they wished.
c) Freedom suddenly died, and dictatorship took its place. d) Mu'awiya
gathered a very large number of collaborators who unabashedly would do
any thing for money.

MU'AWIYA'S
PLOT TO POISON IMAM HASAN (a.s.):

It was Mu'awiya's ardent desire to
impose his son Yazid (who had been named after his uncle) upon the
Muslims by making him the succeeding Khalifa, despite the fact that Yazid
was the playboy of the time, with many evil habits including gambling,
heavy drinking, and indulgence in the pleasures of the flesh. But the peace
agreement would not permit Mu'awiya to appoint Yazid as his successor,
(According to the agreement Imam Hasan would immediately become Khalifa
upon Mu'awiya's death). Therefore, it was obvious to Mu'awiya that,
if Al-Hasan did not outlive him, Mu'awiya could do as he pleased. Thus
Mu'awiya planned to kill Imam Al-Hasan in order to pave the way for his
son Yazid to be his successor.

Mu'awiya sent one of his agents to
contact Imam Al-Hasan's wife Joda who was the daughter of Al-Ash'ath
(once a secret agent for Mu'awiya against Imam Ali in the Battle of Siffin).
Joda was asked a small favor, i.e., to put a little poison in Al-Hasan's
food, and in return Mu'awiya would give her a large sum of money and also
make her wife of his son Yazid. She found the offer too attractive to ignore,
and foolishly agreed to accept it. A few days later, she mixed poison in
honey and gave it to the Imam. As soon as the Imam took the poisoned honey
he became seriously ill. Sensing that his death was imminent, the Imam
designated his brother Al-Husain (a.s.) to be the third Imam. Although
Imam Al-Hasan knew he was poisoned, he did not reveal that to anyone but
to his brother Al-Husain.

One thing Al-Hasan had wished was
to have his burial by the side of his grandfather, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Imam Husain made all the arrangements to fulfill that wish but Mu'awiya's
governor over Medina did not let that happen and used military force to
stop it. Imam Al-Hasan was 47 year old when he died of poisoning.

Medina was never the same without
Imam Hasan (a.s.). Everyone missed him dearly. People at first did not
believe Mu'awiya poisoned Imam Al-Hasan, but soon found out the truth.

When Husain (a.s.) was designated
as the 3rd Imam he was 46 years old. Imam Husain (a.s.) carried on with
his mission of teaching Islam as before. A large number of people kept
coming to see him and to learn from him. This process continued for several
years when people began to hear an ugly rumor that Mu'awiya wanted his
son, Yazid, to succeed him.

MU'AWIYA
DESIGNATES YAZID AS SUCCESSOR:

Mu'awiya began a campaign to introduce
Monarchy into the structure of Islam. To have Monarchy, by force or otherwise
is alien to Islam, an innovation in religion, simply not acceptable. Everyone
knew that, for Islam does not subscribe to any form of Royalty through
inheritance or Monarchy. In Islam it is supposed to be Shura.

Nevertheless, Mu'awiya sent his agents
to the prominent members of the communities to obtain allegiance of loyalty
to his son Yazid. But Yazid was evil, of the drinking type, incompetent,
contemptible, and a pleasure-seeking person. People knew that. So the people
protested vigorously. There was anger everywhere. Emotions went sky high.
To calm people down, at least temporarily, Mu'awiya decided to send his
son Yazid to Mecca for the pilgrimage. Yes, Yazid did go to Mecca but only
after taking alcohol with him as well as a chorus of girls for his entertainment.

MU'AWIYA
DIES :

Mu'awiya was getting older day by
day. At the age of 75, he became seriously ill. He was nearing death. He
lay weak and lifeless as if something was choking and strangling him. He
felt tortured and tormented, and continuously cried for mercy. He was in
terrible pain. He wanted to die but death would not come close to him.
His conscience tormented him for the calamities that he brought upon the
Islamic Ummah specially Ahlul Bayt. Mu'awiya suffered in agony for many
many days. His suffering continued until he breathed his last. At the time
of his death, the 30 year old Yazid was nowhere near him, he had gone for
fun on a hunting trip.

(Please note that Mu'awiya's brother
was by the name of Yazid, and he had named his son after his brother.)

YAZID
BECOMES RULER:

Upon Mu'awiya's death, Yazid, 30
years old, managed to impose himself on the people and become the Khalifa.
At first people refused to accept him as a representative of the Prophet
(pbuh) and Islamic Ummah, but Yazid approached people in mosques for their
favors. Like his father Mu'awiya, Yazid used all possible means like bribery,
coercion, pressure, threats, and force to receive the people's acceptance
of him as the legitimate ruler. Many people were worried, threats to their
lives and livelihood was too menacing, so they grudgingly and reluctantly
gave in. But, Imam Husain (a.s.) and his family (who practiced Islam in
its true sense), did not give in. As the true representative of Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh), Al-Husain flatly refused accepting Yazid either as a Khalifa
or a leader of Islam. Despite Yazid's intimidating military power the Imam
stood firm in his resolve and chose to challenge Benu Umayya's authorities.

Yazid commissioned Waleed Ibn
Ut'ba, his Governor over Medina, to ask for Imam Husain's allegiance
of loyalty or else upon refusal, his head. Waleed invited Al-Husain
to a meeting for the purpose. Imam Husain did not give his word at the
meeting and decided to leave Medina along with his family to proceed to
Mecca. When Al-Husain reached Mecca he received 12,000 letters from Kufa
urging him to go to Kufa to be their leader, and be the Khalifa. Imam sent
an emissary, his cousin Muslim Ibn Aqeel, to Kufa to ascertain first-hand
information about the situation in Iraq. In the mean time Yazid spread
a network of informants and secret agents in Mecca to assassinate the Imam
during pilgrimage. Imam learned about the spies, and carefully evaluated
the situation in Mecca. Imam Husain knew that Yazid son of Mu'awiya had
no regard for Islamic values and teachings, that he would do anything to
enforce his tyrannical rule. Imam Husain also knew that giving allegiance
of loyalty to an imposter like Yazid would certainly place Islam at great
jeopardy. Therefore he decided to leave Mecca for Kufa to prepare for a
confrontation with Yazid and his forces.

Many friends and relatives urged
Imam Husain not to go to Kufa, but he insisted on going. Imam Husain, along
with family, friends, and companions began the journey toward Kufa (1,100
miles) in a long caravan in the blistering heat of summer.

ON
THE WAY TO KARBALA:

During the early phase of the journey
the caravan met Al-Farazdaq (a famous poet) at a place called
al-Sifah. Al-Farazdaq advised the Imam not to go to Kufa because though
people's hearts were with him (Imam), their swords would be against him.
But the Imam continued with the journey, and he received the first letter
from his emissary Muslim Ibn Aqeel with good news. The letter indicated
that the people were more than ready to welcome the Imam in Kufa and were
looking forward to his leadership. Imam Husain decided to send another
emissary to Kufa with a message. The caravan kept proceeding toward Kufa.
Many days passed but the Imam did not receive any more responses from Muslim
Ibn Aqeel.

In Kufa Muslim Bin Aqeel with the
help of Mukhtar Al-Thaqafi and Hani Ibn Urwah continued to
hold secret meetings with the supporters of the Imam. Within a short time
the gatherings started to gain momentum. Yazid through his spies and informants
learned about Muslim's successes in Kufa. He appointed the tyrant Ubaidullah
Ibn Ziyad to replace al-Nu'man Ibn al-Basheer as Governor
of Kufa.

Meanwhile, as Al-Husain's caravan
got closer to its destination (Kufa), coming to a place called Zubalah,
Imam Husain unexpectedly received shocking news. The shocking news was
about Muslim Ibn Aqeel and the person who provided him shelter, Hani's
Ibn Urwah, both of whom were arrested and beheaded by the Governor Ibn
Ziyad. Mukhtar was also arrested and imprisoned and tortured by Ibn Ziyad.

Imam Husain gathered his companions
and disclosed to them about the bad news, and said, "Our Shi'a have deserted
us, those of you who prefer to leave us may do so freely and without guilt."
Becoming scared, some companions left the caravan. Imam Husain continued
with the journey along with close companions and family members until he
was face to face with 1,000 horsemen led by Hur al-Riyahi representing
the enemy. The enemy army blocked the camps of Imam Husain (a.s.) from
advancing. Tension started to rise between the two. The Imam addressed
the enemy explaining to them his motives for going to Kufa, that it was
in response to the invitation of the people. He even showed them a bagful
of letters he received from Kufa. Hur said that he and his men were not
the writers of those letters. Imam told them that if they did not like
him to advance with the journey, he was prepared to return to Hijaz. Hur
replied, "We are commissioned to follow you until we take you to Governor
Ibn Ziyad, and suggested to the Imam to go towards a station which is neither
Kufa nor Medina." Imam Husain found the proposal fair and turned the caravan
away from Kufa. Hur and his army marched parallel to the Imam. The two
sides reached a village called Nainawa where Ibn Ziyad's messenger (Yazid's
governor over Kufa) delivered a message to Hur. The message read, " ...force
Husain to a halt. But let him stop in an open space, without vegetation
or water." Hur conveyed the contents of the letter to Imam Husain. The
Imam, his family and companions defiantly resumed their journey and reached
a place where another enemy force blocked their move and forced them to
stop. When Imam Husain learned that the place was called Karbala,
he felt he reached the destination and ordered his camp to be setup. That
day was 2nd of Muharram, Hijri 61.

KARBALA:

Upon learning that his army had succeeded
to lay a siege around the Imam's camp, Governor Ibn Ziyad sent additional
military units to Karbala and appointed Umar Ibn Sa'ad in charge.
Imam Husain (a.s.) opened a dialogue with Umar Ibn Sa'ad and convinced
him to lift the siege so that the Imam with his family and companions could
leave Iraq. Umar Ibn Sa'ad liked the Imam's proposal and sent a message
to Governor Ibn Ziyad notifying him about the results of the talks with
Imam Husain (a.s.). Ibn Ziyad also found the Imam's proposal acceptable.
However before agreeing to it officially, Shimr Bin Dhil-Jawshan,
opposed it strongly. As a result Ziyad wrote a letter to Umar Ibn Sa'ad
commanding him to either go to war with Imam Husain (a.s.) or be relieved
of his duties as commander of the army and Shimr would not only replace
him but despatch Ibn Sa'ad's head to Kufa.

Umar Ibn bin Sa'ad got the letter.
After pondering over the consequences he decided to fight Imam Husain (a.s.).
On the 7th day of Muharram he moved his troops closer to the camp and began
to surround the Husaini camp. Ibn Sa'ad laid a blockade around the camp
to cut it off from access to the river Euphrates, to deprive it of water
in a move to force them to surrender.

Two days later, (on the 9th of Muharram),
the enemy's military forces closed in on the camp of Imam Husain (a.s.).
Imam asked his brother, Abbas, to talk to Ibn Sa'ad and request a delay
of the aggression by one night. Umar Ibn Sa'ad agreed to the demand. He
ordered his troops to delay the aggression till next morning. Imam Husain
and his pious companions spent that night in prayers. During the night
the Imam told the companions, " ....the enemy is interested in none but
me, me alone. I'll be most delighted to permit each and every one of you
to go back, and I urge you to do so...." All companions screamed in response,
"By Allah, never, never! We will either live with you or die together with
you."

ASHURAA:

Finally, the day of Ashuraa dawned
upon the soil of Karbala. It was the day when Jihad would be in full bloom,
blood would be shed, 72 innocent lives would be sacrificed, and a decisive
battle would be won to save Islam and the Ummah.

It had been a few days since the
water supply was cut off by the enemy. Children were crying for water,
the women were desperate for water, Zainul-Abideen, the son of Imam Husain
(a.s.) was sick with fever. The suffering from the thirst was too painful
to bear. And despite this, not a single person in the camp made any complaints
or even questioned the mission of Imam Husain. Each member supported the
Imam wholeheartedly and enthusiastically.

Next morning Imam Husain (a.s.) went
out of the camp and saw Umar Ibn Sa'ad mobilizing his troops to start the
hostility. He stared at the intimidating army, and as large as it was Imam
Husain showed no signs of compromise. Imam Husain raised his hands in prayer:

"O Allah! It is Thee in whom I trust
amid all grief. You are my hope amid all violence. Thou are my refuge and
provision in everything that happens to me. How many grievances weaken
the heart, leaving me with no means to handle them, during which friend
deserts me, and enemy rejoices in it. I lay it before Thee and complain
of it to Thee, because of my desire in Thee, Thee alone. You relieve me
of it and remove it from me. Thou are the Master of all Grace, the Essence
of Goodness, and the Ultimate Resort of all Desire."

Before the actual engagement was to
take place, Hur, the previous commander of the enemy force, felt his conscience
violently stirring, he was in turmoil. Upon realizing the gravity of the
situation, he suddenly broke away from Umar Ibn Sa'ad's camp (along with
two others). They rushed toward Imam Husain (a.s.) to join his camp. Hur's
heart was jumping with joy, his mind relieved of an agonizing tension.
Hur's defection worried Umar Ibn Sa'ad very much, lest others do the same
and defect. So Umar Ibn Sa'ad threw an arrow in the air to indicate the
start of the battle. This was the outset of a catastrophe and a tragic
event that Mu'awiya had once conceived to happen.

THE BATTLE:

Imam Husain's supporters insisted
on being the first to fight. Therefore, they took the brunt of the enemy
attack. The battle was ferocious. Within a short time the Imam's supporters
slay a large number of the enemy fighters, they were on the offensive and
the enemy on the defensive. This caused apprehension and confusion in the
enemy military, the 72 of Husain's against the 5,000 of the enemy (some
say 30,000) being on the defensive. So worried and nervous, the enemy commander-in-chief
ordered his army not only to set fire to the Imam's tents (which were occupied
mostly by frightened females and children), but at the same time reinforced
his fighters with more troops.

The heroes began to fall, they were
men of valor welcoming martyrdom, they fell one after another, for the
enemy was overwhelming in number. By noon time the Imam stopped the fight
to perform the Salat. By this time those left were mainly his family and
a few supporters. They performed the Salat together. Two supporters were
guarding the performers of Salat. The enemy was standing still, watching!!
When Salat was finished one of the guards fell dead; there were 17 arrows
in his back.

Ali Akbar, Husain's son obtained
permission to fight and dashed toward the enemy. He engaged them in fierce
fighting, falling on them like thunder, slaying numerous fighters. He continued
to move forward, deep inside the enemy. The enemy was overpowering in number,
it overwhelmed him cutting him with swords and spears, and his body became
nothing but wounds gushing blood, until he died. Imam Husain (a.s.) rushed
to the area and picked up the wounded limp body and brought it to the appalled
camp. His sister and others in the camp were horrified and shocked at the
scene.

Abbas and five other brothers of
Imam Husain went to fight. They also engaged the enemy in a fierce fighting,
almost doing the impossible. Abbas went toward the river to bring some
water for the thirsty children. While he was returning on his horse with
the water, he was attacked by a large horde of the enemy, overwhelming
and severely wounding him. As much as he tried Abbas could not save the
water, he fell from his horse to breath his last.

Next to the battle field went the
sons of Imam Al-Hasan and Zainab and their cousins (about 17 of them).
They were all in their teens but each stood bravely, believing in the mission,
facing a formidable enemy, and showed no less enthusiasm in their quest
to embrace the martyrdom.
]

AL-HUSAIN AND HIS BABY:

By the afternoon 70 brave persons
had sacrificed their lives in Karbala to save Islam. All had fought under
nerve racking conditions, severe thirst, dehydration, exhaustion, and agonizing
feeling of what would happen to the family of the Prophet (pbuh) afterwards.
Husain endured all that and more, for he saw all his beloved ones brutally
cut to pieces, including children. Remaining the only one, Imam Husain
was to face the enemy head on. Precisely at that moment Imam Husain heard
his baby crying incessantly, agonizing because of the thirst. Imam Husain's
love for his family was unbound, especially for a suffering baby. He held
the six months old baby, his youngest son (Ali Asghar) in his arms, and
appealed to the enemy fighters for some water for the baby. Imam wanted
to awaken their conscience and stir their human feelings but the stone-hearted
enemy, instead of giving water, zoomed an arrow toward the agonizing baby
and killed him instantly. Imam Husain was shocked. He felt an unbearable
wave of pain. The sight of the limp baby in his arms was agonizingly painful.
He filled his palm with the blood of the baby, and threw it upwards toward
the sky, complaining to Allah (swt),
"O' Allah, O' my Lord! My consolation
is the fact that Thou in Thine Majesty are witnessing what I am going through."

AL-HUSAIN BY HIMSELF:

Imam Husain (a.s.) was alone, one
man against thousands. He took them on, fighting them bravely, and kept
fighting, receiving many wounds in the process. Thousands of enemy fighters
were surrounding him but none dared to move toward him. The silence was
broken when Shimr screamed for an attack, then screamed again, threatening,
and in response they attacked collectively, and one sword fell on Imam
Husain's left wrist and deeply cut his left hand. The blood gushed like
a fountain. Another sword was soon to follow and it hit his upper back.
Imam Husain (a.s.) felt numb as he fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.
He was near the point of shock, even though staggering he tried to stand
by leaning on his sword. Then he received the fatal blow.

It was at this point, that Shimr
whose mother was a disbeliever, came forward and severed Imam Husain's
noble head from the body, the noble head kissed often by the Prophet (pbuh)!
Shimr and others had the audacity to carry it on the tip of a spear to
Yazid, 600 miles away!

Umar Ibn Sa'ad ordered the horsemen
to trample upon the supine bodies of Imam Husain and all others killed,
to disfigure them even further, as if the wounds, the bloodied bodies,
and the headless forms were not enough.

For three days the exposed bodies
of the martyrs were left lying in the desert of Karbala. Afterwards, the
people of the tribe of Bani-Asad, who were not far away from the battle
field, helped bury them.

Umar Ibn Sa'ad and his forces (representing
Benu Umayya) took the women and children as prisoners in shackles, put
them on camels, and proceeded in a caravan from Karbala to Kufa. At the
forefront of the procession were the heads of Imam Husain (a.s.) and his
followers on the tip of spears. The scene was both grotesque and pathetic.
This was the leftover of the beloved family of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh),
in such a deplorable unimaginable condition, all caused by people who called
themselves Muslims!

LESSONS FROM THE TRAGEDY Of KARBALA:

Karbala is the cruelest tragedy humanity
has ever seen. Yet, the startling (though appalling) events in Karbala
proved like a powerful volcano that shook the very foundation of Muslims,
it stirred their consciousness, ignorant or learned alike. For sincere
Muslims, Karbala turned into a triumph. The tragic event became the very
beacon of light to always remind Muslims to practice Islam honestly and
sincerely, to do what is right irrespective of consequences, and fear no
one except Allah (swt).

On the other hand, Yazid never achieved
what he and his father had planned to achieve, for within three years,
Allah's wrath fell upon him, causing him to die at the age of 33 years.
And within a few decades the rule of Benu Umayya crumbled and came to an
end. The tragedy of Karbala taught humanity a lesson that standing for
the truth and fighting unto death for it is more honorable and valuable
than submitting to the wrongful, especially when the survival of Islam
is at stake.

Prepared by:
Ramzan Sabir