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Tragedy of Karbala as reported by the Sunnis (Part I)
In this series we provide the history of the events of
Karbala as recorded
by the Sunnis.

Although dampened, and sometimes
inaccurate on the favor of
the tyrants, such Sunni documents are the lasting testimony
for the
undeniable horrible massacre of the household of the Prophet
(PBUH&HF).

The
information, unless otherwise specified, are from the History
of al-Tabari.

Few remarks on the History of al-Tabari by the Sunni
scholars.

Shibli Numani wrote:
Among books of historical character,
an authentic and very
comprehensive book is that of the
Imam al Tabari, known was Tarikh
Kabir.

Al Tabari is a
writer whose scholarly attain- ments and whose
sure and extensive knowledge are
unanimiuosly recognised by the
traditionists.

His
commentary by far is the best of the commentaries.
The well known traditionist, Ibn
Khuzaima, says that he knew no man
learned than al Tabari.
Al
Tabari died in the year 310 A.
H - 921 C.
E.

Some traditionists, al Sulaimani in
particular, have remarked that al
Tabari coined traditions for the
Shia.

Regarding this charge against
al Tabari, Allama al Dhahabi, in his
Mizan al-I'tidal says:
This
is an allegation based on false misgivings.

The
fact is that
Ibn
Jarir is one of the most trust worthy Imam.

al-Dhahabi has further remarked:

All
the authentic and comprehensive books of history, such as
Tarikh
al Kamil and those written by Ibn al Athir, Ibn Khuldun,
Abual
Fida etc, are based on his work and abridged Tarikh of al-
Tabari.

Sunni reference: Sirah al-Nabi -- The Life of the Prophet, by
Shibli Numani, English version, v1, p25 The Martrydom foretold
On the death of Muawiya, when Imam Hussain (as) refused to
pledge his allegiance to Yazeed, he went to the tomb of his
grandfather, Prophet Muhammad (saw, pbuh&hf).

He
worshipped
there for the most of the night, and also slept there for
a while, in his dream he saw the Messenger of Allah, May
Allah bless him and his cleansed progeny, surronded by
angels.
The Prophet (saw, pbuh&hf) embraced him and said:
My
beloved Hussain, I
foresee you when you
will be, in
the very near future, covered
with
your blood, slain
at the land of Karballa, while
thirsty, being
deprived of water.

This will be done
to you by people
who claim that they are from my
followers.

Imam Hussain (as) in his dream looked at his grandfather and
said:
My grandfather, I
ask you to admit me into your grave.
I do
not desire to go back to the
earthly world.

The Messenger of Allah (saw, pbuh&hf) answered him:
My beloved Hussain,
there are degrees which you will not
acquire except
through martyrdom.

Before he departed to Iraq, he uttered the following words:
I am as eager to
join my ancestors as Jacob was eager
to join Yousef.

I
visualize my body being dismembered
by the wolves of
the desert which shall fill from my
flesh their empty
abdomens and hungry stomachs.

The
pleasure of God is
our pleasure.

We are patient at His
trial and he gives
us the reward of the patient.
(Men
from) the flesh of
the Messenger of God will never part
with him.

They
will join him on the Day of Judgement,
and he will be
very pleased by the re-union.

Yazid's efforts for allegiance
According to Hisham b.

Muhammad (al Kalbi) - Abu
Mikhnaf: Yazid
succeeded at the beginning of the month of Rajab in the year
60
(April 8, 680).

Al Walid b.
Utbah b.
Abi
Sufyan was governor of
Medina, al Numan b.

Bashir al Ansari of al Kufah,
Ubaydallah b.
Ziyad of al Basrah, and Amr b.
Said b.
al
as of Mecca.
Yazid's
only concern, when he assumed power, was to receive the oath
of
allegiance from the individuals who had refused to agree with
Muawiyah's demand for this oath of allegiance from Yazid.

Muawiyah
had summoned the people to give an oath of allegiance to him
that
Yazid would be his heir.
Yazid's concern was to
bring their attitude
to an end.

When he wrote to al Walid, he wrote to him on a patchment as
small as
a rat's ear :
Seize Husayn,
Abdallah b.

Umar, and Abdallah
b.

al Zubayr
to give the oath
of allegiance.
Act so
fiercely that they
have no
chance to do anything before giving
the oath of
allegiance.

Peace
be with you.
Therefore, al Walid sent in the night for al Husayn, peace be
on him,
and summoned him (to attend).

Al Husayn, peace be
upon him, was aware
of what he wanted and so he called a group of his retainers
and ordered
them to carry arms.

Imam Hussain, peace be upon him, said:
Al Walid has
summoned me (to come to him) at this
time (of
night).

I
cannot be sure that he might not
burden me with
a matter I may
be unwilling to respond, he is
unpredictable
man,
so remain with me.

When I go to him,
sit at the door.
If you
hear my voice raised, come in
to prevent him from
(doing anything
to) me.

Al Husayn, peace be upon him, went to al Walid, and Marwan b.

al
Hakam
was with him.

Al Walid gave him news of the death
of Muawiya and al
Husayn replied with the formula:
We belong to God and to Him we will return.

Then al Walid read out Yazid's letter and his order to get
the pledge of
allegiance from him.

Then al Husayn said to al
Walid:
I do not see that
my pledge of allegiance to Yazid in private
would be
sufficient.

Wouldn't you prefer
me to give it in
public so that
people are aware ?
Indeed, said al
Walid
So see what you
think about that in the morning, suggested al
Husayn, peace be
on him.

Go, then, in the
name of God but come to us when the people
gather, said al
Walid.

By God,
interrupted Marwan, if al Husayn leaves you now without
giving the
pledge of allegiance, you will never have the
same
power over
him untill there is a
great number of slain men
between you and
him.

Imprison the man and don't
let him leave
you untill
he has paid homage (to Yazid), or you have executed
him.

At that al Husayn said:
O son of a foreign
woman, would you or he kill me? By God you
are a liar.
With that he went out and walked away accompanied by his
retainers
untill he reached his house.

You disobeyed me,
Marwan told al-Walid, No by God he will
never give you the
same opportunity over his life.

Then blame someone
other than yourself, said Marwan
Replied al Walid:
Indeed, you had chosen for me something which
would have
involved the destruction of my own faith.

By
God, I
would not want all
the worldy wealth and dominion which the sun
rises and sets
over, (if it involved) killing al Husayn.

Glory
be to God, should
I kill al Husayn because he said 'I will not
swear
allegiance By God, I do not think that
on the Day of
Resurrection a
man who is (responsible) for the
blood of al
Husayn (will
weigh) little in the scale of God.

Al Husayn, peace be upon him, spent that night at his house.

It
was the
night of Saturday when there were three days left on the
month of Rajab
in the year 680.

Al Walid b.
Utba was
occupied with sending to Ibn al
Zubayr about the pledge of allegiance to Yazid, and with his
refusal to
come to them.

Ibn al Zubayr left Medina at night
heading for Mecca.

In
the morning al Walid sent men after him, he sent a party of
eighty horse
men under the command of a retainer of the Banu Umayya.

They
pursued him
but did not catch up with him, so they returned.

Towards the end of Saturday he sent men to al Husayn, peace
be upon him,
to bring him to pledge allegiance to al Walid on behalf of
Yazid b.
Muawiya.

Al Husayn peace be upon him, said to them:
Come in the
morning.
Then you will have time to consider
the
situation and so
shall we.

They left him that night without insisting upon him.
He,
peace be upon
him, left under the cover of the night, it was the night of
Saturday
night with two days left in the month of Rajab, and he headed
towards
Mecca accompanied by his sons, his brother's (al Hasan's)
sons and his
brothers.

There was most of the House except for
Muhammad b.
al Hanafiyya.
Al Husayn, peace be upon him, left for Mecca reciting:
Then he left it
out of fear while he kept on the lookout.
He
said: My Lord,
save me from the unjust people.

[ XXVIII 21 ]
He kept to the high road and the members of the house
suggested:
If you had avoided
the high road like Ibn al Zubayr did, the
search party could
not follow you.
No by God, he
replied, I will not leave untill God judges what
He will judge.

When al Husyan, peace be upon him, entered Mecca, his entry
occured on
the night of Friday (i.
e Thursday), 3rd of the month of
Shaban.
As he
entered, he recited:
And when he set
out towards Madyan, he said: Perhaps my Lord
will guide me in
the right path.
[ XXVIII 22 ]
Then he stayed there and its inhabitants began to visit him
frequently, as
did those who had some to make the lesser pilgrimage and
other people from
far and wide.

Ibn al Zubayr had settled himself
there, near the Ka'ba,
where he used to stand in prayer and perform the
circumbulation.

He came
to visit al Husayn, peace be upon him, with the others who
came to visit
him.

He used to come to him at intervals of two
consecutive days, and
sometimes between the two day interval.

He was the
most troublesome of
God's creatures to Ibn al Zubayr, who realized that the
people of Hijaz
would not pledge allegiance to him as long as al Husayn,
peace be upon him,
was in the land.
He was more capable of commanding
the people's obedience
than him, and was more respected.

Muslim b.
Aqil is sent to Kufa
In response to the messages that Imam Hussain received from
the people
of Iraq, asking him to come to them and pledging their full
support and
promise to die in his defense, that goes as follows
In the name of
God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
To al Husayn b.

Ali,
peace be upon them
From Sulayman b.
Surad,
al Musayyib b.
Najaba
Rifa'a b.
Shaddad
al bajali, Habib b.
Muzahir and the believers and
Muslims of his Shia among the Kufans.
Greetings, we praise
God before you, other than Whom
there is
no deity.
Praise be to
God Who has broken
your
enemy, the obstinate
tyrant who had leapt upon
this
community, stripped it of its
authority , plundered
its fay
and seized control of it
without its consent.
Then
he had killed the choice
members of it and had
preserved
the wicked members of it.

He
made the property
of God
a state (divided) among its tyrants
and wealthy.
He was
destroyed as Thamud were destroyed.

(Now) there is
no Imam over us.

Therefore come; through you, may your God
unite us
under truth.

Al Numan b.

Bashir is in
the governers
palace and we do
not gather with him for the Friday (service).
Nor do we
accopmany him (out of the mosque) for the
Festival
service.
If
we learn that you will come to us, we will drive
him away untill
we pursue him to Syria, if God the Exalted,
wills.

Imam Hussain's (as) reply was as follows
In the name of
God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
From al Husayn b.

Ali,
To the leaders of
the believers and the Muslims
Hani and Said have
brought me your letters; they are the last
two of your
messengers who have come to me.

I have
understood
everything which
you have described and mentioned.

The (main)
statement of your
great men is: There is no Imam
over us.
Therefore come;
through you, may God unite us under truth and
Guidance.

I am sending you my brother, Muslim b.

Aqil, who is
my cousin and my
trusthworthy (representative) from my House.
If he writes to me
that the opinions of your leaders and the
men of wisdom and
merit among you is united in the same way as
the messengers who
have come to me have described and as
I
have read in your
letters, I will come to you speedily, God
willing.

For
by my life, what is the Imam except who
judges
by the Book, one
who upholds justice, one who professes the
religion
of truth, and one who
dedicates himself to the
essence of God.

Greetings.