Karbala: The Story of Imam Husain (A.S.), from Beginning to End

The news from Jibrail: the Prophet weeps for Husain (A.S.)

جبرئیلؑ کی خبر

Imam Husain (A.S.) was born in Madinah on the 3rd of Sha'ban, 4 AH. He was the second son of Imam Ali and Lady Fatima (A.S.), and the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) loved him deeply. He carried him on his shoulders, played with him and kissed him, and he told the people how much Allah loves Husain.

Jibrail brings the news

One day, while little Husain was playing in front of his grandfather, the angel Jibrail came to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.). He told him that, after him, people of his own Ummah would kill this child. The Prophet was deeply grieved. Jibrail asked: “Shall I show you the land on which he will be killed?” Allah brought that faraway land close in the blink of an eye, Jibrail took a little of its soil and gave it to the Prophet, and the land returned to its place. The Prophet held the soil and said:

The soil with Umm Salama

In another report, this happened in the house of Umm Salama, one of the wives of the Prophet. Jibrail took a handful of the soil, and it was red. The Prophet gave it to Umm Salama, and she kept it with her for the rest of her life (Kamil al-Ziyarat, chapter 17, hadiths 2 and 3). Other Shia books add that the Prophet told her to keep it in a bottle: on the day it turned to blood, she would know that Husain had been martyred. On the day of Ashura, Umm Salama saw the soil turn red as blood, and she cried out that Husain had been killed.

What the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) did

The Prophet did not hide his tears. Imam Ali (A.S.) narrated that one day, after the Prophet ate with them, he stood to pray in a corner of the house and wept for a long time in sajdah. Little Husain climbed onto his lap and asked why he was crying. The Prophet said that Jibrail had told him they would be martyred and buried in different places. Husain asked: “What will be for those who visit our graves?” The Prophet answered that groups of his Ummah would visit them seeking blessing, and that he would come to them on the Day of Judgement and save them from its fears (Kamil al-Ziyarat, chapter 16, hadith 6).

When the Prophet told Lady Fatima (S.A.), she was full of grief, until he told her that the Imams would come from Husain's children (Kamil al-Ziyarat, chapter 16, hadiths 3 to 5). Allah sent a message to the Prophet and Imam Ali: “Be patient” (chapter 16, hadith 1).

Imam Ali (A.S.), Mu'awiya and the Battle of Siffin

امام علیؑ اور معاویہ

To understand Karbala, we have to go back about twenty years. In 35 AH, after the death of the third caliph, the people of Madinah came to Imam Ali (A.S.) in huge numbers and pledged allegiance to him as their leader.

Mu'awiya, the son of Abu Sufyan, had been governor of Sham (Syria) for many years. He refused to accept Imam Ali. He used the death of the third caliph as an excuse, demanding “revenge” for him, but his real aim was to keep power for himself.

Please note: Mu'awiya never removed Imam Ali (A.S.) from the caliphate. Imam Ali was the leader chosen by the people (and, for us, appointed by Allah), while Mu'awiya ruled Sham by force and fought against him. He took the caliphate only after Imam Ali's martyrdom, through the peace treaty with Imam Hasan (A.S.) told in the next chapter.

The Battle of Siffin, 37 AH

The two armies met at Siffin, by the Euphrates. Among the companions fighting with Imam Ali was Ammar ibn Yasir, then over ninety years old. The Holy Prophet had said long before that Ammar would be killed by “the rebellious group”. When Ammar was martyred by Mu'awiya's army, many people saw clearly which side was wrong.

When Imam Ali's army was close to victory, Amr ibn al-As advised Mu'awiya to raise pages of the Quran on spears and call for “the judgement of the Quran”. Imam Ali warned that this was a trick, but a group in his own army forced him to stop fighting and accept arbitration. The arbitration was used to deceive the people. Later, some of those same men turned against Imam Ali and became the Khawarij.

Mu'awiya kept sending raiders to attack towns loyal to Imam Ali. On the 19th of Ramadan, 40 AH, Imam Ali (A.S.) was struck by a Khariji while in sajdah in the mosque of Kufa, and he was martyred on the 21st.

Imam Hasan (A.S.) and the peace treaty that Mu'awiya broke

امام حسنؑ اور صلح

After the martyrdom of Imam Ali (A.S.), the people of Kufa pledged allegiance to his son, Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (A.S.). Mu'awiya at once marched towards Iraq with a large army.

Betrayal in the army

Imam Hasan sent an army ahead under Ubaydullah ibn Abbas. Mu'awiya sent him a large bribe, and he went over to Mu'awiya at night with many soldiers. Near al-Mada'in, a group in the Imam's own camp attacked him, and he was badly wounded in the thigh. Many tribal leaders of Kufa secretly wrote to Mu'awiya, promising to hand the Imam over to him (al-Irshad, al-Mufid). Imam Hasan saw that a war now would only end with the killing of the few sincere believers and the loss of the true message of Islam.

The peace treaty, 41 AH

So Imam Hasan (A.S.) agreed to a peace treaty with conditions. Shia books record these conditions, among others:

1. Mu'awiya must rule by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.
2. Mu'awiya must not appoint anyone as his successor. After him, the rule returns to Imam Hasan, and if anything happens to him, to Imam Husain.
3. The cursing of Imam Ali (A.S.) from the pulpits must stop.
4. All people, and especially the followers of Imam Ali, must be safe: no one is to be harmed for what happened before.

“Every condition is under my feet”

Soon after the treaty, Mu'awiya came to al-Nukhayla near Kufa and spoke to the people. He said that he had not fought them so that they would pray, fast or go to Hajj, but to rule over them, and that every promise he had given to Hasan was under his feet and he would keep none of them (al-Irshad, al-Mufid).

When some of his followers asked Imam Hasan (A.S.) why he had made peace, he explained that if he had not done so, none of his Shia would have been left alive on the earth (Ilal al-Shara'i, al-Saduq).

Mu'awiya makes Yazid his successor

یزید کی ولی عہدی

Breaking the second condition of the treaty, Mu'awiya began, around 56 AH, to take pledges of allegiance for his son Yazid, using gifts for some and threats for others. Yazid was known for openly sinful behaviour: drinking wine, wasting his time with dogs and monkeys, and making fun of religion. For the first time, the leadership of the Muslims was being handed from father to son like a kingdom.

Some leading men refused to accept Yazid: Imam Husain (A.S.), Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr and Abdullah ibn Umar. Some reports also name Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr.

Mu'awiya's will to Yazid

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) described what happened when Mu'awiya was dying. He called Yazid, sat him in front of him and said that he had made the lands obedient for him and handed him the kingdom. Then he warned him about three men who might stand against him: Abdullah ibn Umar, Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr and Husain ibn Ali. He told Yazid that Ibn Umar was already on his side, that he should defeat Ibn al-Zubayr, and he spoke of Husain, saying he was from the flesh and blood of the Messenger of Allah, and that the people of Iraq would call him and then betray him (al-Amali, al-Saduq, Majlis 30).

Yazid's letter to Madinah

Mu'awiya died in Rajab, 60 AH. Yazid immediately wrote to the governor of Madinah, al-Walid ibn Utbah: take the pledge of allegiance from Husain, Abdullah ibn Umar and Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, firmly and without delay (al-Irshad, al-Mufid). In the report of al-Saduq, Yazid's reply to his governor even demanded Husain's head if he refused (al-Amali, Majlis 30).

“One like me does not pledge allegiance to one like him”

مدینہ سے روانگی

Al-Walid called Imam Husain (A.S.) to his palace at night. Marwan ibn al-Hakam was sitting with him. The Imam went, with young men of Bani Hashim waiting at the door in case of danger. When al-Walid asked for the pledge, the Imam spoke clearly:

Farewell to his grandfather

Before leaving, the Imam went at night to the grave of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) to say goodbye. He prayed there for a long time, and in a dream he saw the Prophet hold him close and tell him, with tears, that there were ranks in Paradise for him that could only be reached through martyrdom (al-Amali, al-Saduq, Majlis 30).

Why he rose: his will to Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah

His brother Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah stayed in Madinah. The Imam left him a written will that explained to the whole world why he was leaving:

On the 28th of Rajab, 60 AH, the Imam left Madinah with his family: his sisters including Lady Zainab (S.A.), his brothers including Hazrat Abbas, his sons Ali Akbar and Imam Zain al-Abideen, his nephew Qasim, and the women and children. He took the main road, not hiding, and reached Makkah on the 3rd of Sha'ban.

Makkah, the letters of Kufa, and Muslim ibn Aqil (A.S.)

کوفہ کے خطوط اور حضرت مسلمؑ

Imam Husain (A.S.) stayed in Makkah for about four months: Sha'ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhu al-Qa'dah and the first days of Dhu al-Hijjah. People came to him from everywhere.

The letters of Kufa

When the people of Kufa heard that Mu'awiya had died and that the Imam had refused Yazid, they began to write to him. Letter after letter arrived, saying: “We have no Imam. Come to us, and perhaps Allah will unite us on the truth through you.” One messenger came with about 150 letters at once (al-Irshad). Sayyid Ibn Tawus reports that in the end some 12,000 letters reached him (al-Luhuf).

The Imam replied that he would send his cousin, brother and trusted one, Muslim ibn Aqil, to see whether their words were true. He wrote that an Imam is only one who judges by the Book of Allah, establishes justice and follows the religion of truth (al-Irshad).

Muslim ibn Aqil (A.S.) in Kufa

Muslim reached Kufa in Shawwal and stayed in the house of al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd. Thousands came to pledge allegiance; al-Mufid records 18,000 (al-Irshad). Muslim wrote to the Imam that the people were with him.

Then Yazid sent the cruel Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad to rule Kufa. Ibn Ziyad used spies, threats and bribes. He arrested Hani ibn Urwa, an elderly chief who was hiding Muslim in his house. When Muslim rose with his supporters, the tribal leaders frightened the people, and by night Muslim was alone in the streets of Kufa. A pious woman named Tau'a gave him shelter, but her son revealed where he was. Muslim fought bravely and was captured. On the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah he was martyred at the top of the palace, and Hani was martyred too. Before his death, Muslim asked that a message be sent to the Imam telling him not to come (al-Irshad).

Leaving Makkah on 8 Dhu al-Hijjah

At the same time, Yazid's men planned to kill the Imam in Makkah, even during Hajj. So that the sanctity of the Haram would not be broken by his blood, the Imam completed an Umrah and left Makkah on the 8th of Dhu al-Hijjah, the day before the pilgrims went to Arafat. He told the people:

The journey to Iraq: Hurr blocks the way

سفرِ کربلا

On the road, the poet al-Farazdaq met the Imam coming from Kufa. The Imam asked him about the people there. He answered: “Their hearts are with you, and their swords are against you” (al-Irshad).

At a place called Zarud, a man named Zuhayr ibn al-Qayn was camping nearby. At first he did not want to meet the Imam, but his wife encouraged him to go. He came back with his face shining, moved his tent next to the Imam's, and became one of his most loyal companions.

On the way, the sad news arrived that Muslim ibn Aqil and Hani had been martyred. The Imam said: “إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ”, and he told the people travelling with him that whoever wished could leave. Many who had joined hoping for wealth or easy victory left. Only the sincere remained.

Hurr ibn Yazid al-Riyahi

Near a place called Sharaf, an army of about a thousand horsemen appeared, led by Hurr ibn Yazid al-Riyahi. They were exhausted and thirsty in the heat. The Imam ordered his young men to give water to all of them, and even to their horses (al-Irshad). When the time for Zuhr came, the Imam led the prayer, and Hurr and his soldiers prayed behind him.

Hurr's orders were to bring the Imam to Ibn Ziyad in Kufa. The Imam refused. They agreed on a road that led neither to Kufa nor back to Madinah, and Hurr's army followed alongside.

Karbala, 2 Muharram 61 AH

On the 2nd of Muharram, the Imam's horse would not go any further. He asked the name of the place. They said: “Karbala.” The Imam said this was a land of karb (sorrow) and bala (trial), where their blood would be shed (al-Amali, al-Saduq). He ordered the tents to be pitched.

The days before Ashura and the night of loyalty

عاشور سے پہلے کے دن

On the 3rd of Muharram, Umar ibn Sa'd arrived with four thousand soldiers. Ibn Ziyad had promised to make him governor of Rayy if he fought the Imam. More and more soldiers came every day, until the Imam's small group of family and companions was surrounded by many thousands. The reports differ on the exact numbers.

The water is cut off: 7 Muharram

Ibn Ziyad ordered that the Euphrates be blocked so that no water reached the Imam's camp. Hazrat Abbas (A.S.) once led a group to the river at night and brought back some waterskins (al-Irshad), but after that the children, women and men suffered terrible thirst.

Tasu'a: 9 Muharram

On the 9th, Shimr ibn Dhi al-Jawshan arrived with harsh orders. Because the mother of Hazrat Abbas, Umm al-Banin, was from Shimr's tribe, Shimr offered “safety” to Abbas and his brothers. Abbas replied: “May Allah curse you and your offer! You offer us safety while the son of the Messenger of Allah has no safety?” (al-Irshad).

That evening the army moved to attack. The Imam sent Hazrat Abbas to ask them for one more night, so that he could spend it in prayer, dua, seeking forgiveness and reciting the Quran.

The night of Ashura

The Imam gathered his companions and said:

Then he told them that the enemy wanted only him: they were free to leave in the darkness of the night. Hazrat Abbas spoke first: “Should we leave you so that we can live after you? May Allah never show us that day!” Muslim ibn Awsaja said he would fight with his spear and his sword, and even with stones, until he died. Zuhayr said he wished he could be killed a thousand times to protect the Imam and his family (al-Irshad; al-Amali, al-Saduq). Not one of them left.

All night, the sound of their prayers and Quran rose from the tents “like the humming of bees” (al-Luhuf).

Hurr returns to Imam Husain (A.S.) on the morning of Ashura

حُرؑ کی توبہ

On the morning of Ashura, the Imam spoke to the enemy army. He asked them: “Do you know that my grandfather is the Messenger of Allah? That my mother is Fatima, his daughter? That my father is Ali ibn Abi Talib? That this is the sword and turban of the Messenger of Allah?” They answered: “Yes.” “Then why do you make my blood lawful?” (al-Amali, al-Saduq, Majlis 30).

Hurr was standing in the enemy ranks. He went to Umar ibn Sa'd and asked: “Will you really fight this man?” Umar ibn Sa'd said: “Yes, a fight in which heads and hands will fall.” Hurr began to tremble. A man next to him was surprised, and said he had always thought Hurr was the bravest man in Kufa. Hurr answered:

He rode his horse slowly towards the Imam's camp, his head lowered in shame. He said: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, I am the one who stopped you from returning and forced you to this place. I did not think they would go this far. I have come to you repenting to Allah. Is there repentance for me?” The Imam said: “Yes, Allah accepts your repentance and forgives you.”

Hurr asked permission to be the first to fight, because he had been the first to block the Imam's way. He fought bravely and was martyred. The Imam came to him, wiped his face and said:

The companions of Imam Husain (A.S.)

اصحابِ حسینؑ

The Imam's companions were few: about seventy-two, though the reports differ. They came from different tribes and backgrounds: old and young, Arab and non-Arab, freeman and former slave. One by one, they asked the Imam's permission and went out to defend him.

Habib ibn Mazahir al-Asadi

Habib was an old man, a companion of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) and of Imam Ali (A.S.), and one of the most respected believers of Kufa. When the Imam wrote to him, he left Kufa secretly to join him. On Ashura the Imam gave him command of the left side of his small army. He fought with great courage despite his age and was martyred around the time of Zuhr. His martyrdom deeply grieved the Imam.

Muslim ibn Awsaja

Muslim ibn Awsaja was one of the first companions to fall. As he lay dying, Habib came to him and asked if he had any last wish. Muslim pointed to the Imam and said: “I advise you about this man: give your life for him” (al-Irshad).

Prayer in the battlefield

At noon a companion, Abu Thumama al-Saidi, reminded the Imam that it was time for Zuhr. The Imam looked at the sky and said: “You have remembered the prayer; may Allah make you one of those who pray.” He prayed with his companions while two of them, including Sa'id ibn Abdullah al-Hanafi, stood in front of him as shields until Sa'id fell (al-Luhuf).

Others who shone

• Zuhayr ibn al-Qayn, who had once avoided the Imam, fought at his side to the end.
• Burayr ibn Khudayr, a great reciter of the Quran in Kufa, called the enemy to the truth before he fought.
• Jawn, a freed slave of the companion Abu Dharr, asked to stay. The Imam honoured him, and after his martyrdom the Imam prayed for him (al-Luhuf).
• Wahb, a young man who had been a Christian, accepted Islam through the Imam with his mother. He was martyred, and the Imam told his mother that her son was with the Prophet in Paradise (al-Amali, al-Saduq).

The family: Ali Akbar, Qasim, Awn and Muhammad, and Hazrat Abbas (A.S.)

اہلِ بیتِ حسینؑ

When all the companions had been martyred, the men of Bani Hashim, the Imam's own family, went out one after another.

Hazrat Ali Akbar (A.S.)

The first of the family to go was the Imam's son Ali Akbar, a young man who looked, walked and spoke more like the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) than anyone. As he rode out, the Imam raised his eyes to the sky and said: “O Allah, be witness: a young man has gone out to them who is the most like Your Messenger in appearance, character and speech” (al-Luhuf; al-Amali, al-Saduq). Ali Akbar fought with great bravery, came back once tired and thirsty, and the Imam comforted him that his grandfather would give him water to drink. He returned to the field and was martyred.

Awn and Muhammad

Lady Zainab (S.A.) had brought her young sons with her. Awn and Muhammad, sons of Abdullah ibn Ja'far, went out bravely and were martyred. Al-Mufid records that Awn's mother was Lady Zainab (al-Irshad), and many reports say both were her sons.

Hazrat Qasim ibn al-Hasan (A.S.)

Qasim, the son of Imam Hasan (A.S.), was a boy who had not yet reached adulthood. A narrator described his face as shining like the moon (al-Irshad). He asked his uncle's permission again and again, until the Imam allowed him. He went out on foot and fought until he fell. The Imam ran to him and carried him back to the tents in his arms.

The brothers of Abbas

Hazrat Abbas sent his three younger brothers, Abdullah, Ja'far and Uthman, the sons of Umm al-Banin, before him. They were all martyred defending the Imam (al-Irshad).

Hazrat Abbas (A.S.), the standard-bearer

Hazrat Abbas carried the banner of the Imam. The children were crying from thirst, and Lady Sakina's voice could be heard. Abbas asked permission to bring water. He broke through the enemy, reached the Euphrates and filled the waterskin. The books of maqtal report that he took some water in his hand, remembered the thirst of his brother, and threw it back without drinking. On the way back, enemies hidden behind palm trees attacked him; they struck his arms, and an arrow pierced the waterskin. He fell near the river and was martyred there. When the Imam reached him, he said: “Now my back is broken.”

Some details about Hazrat Abbas (not drinking the water, and the Imam's words “my back is broken”) come from later books of maqtal, collected in Bihar al-Anwar, volume 45. They are widely narrated in majalis. The main event, his martyrdom by the river while trying to bring water, is in al-Irshad.

Imam Husain (A.S.) alone: the afternoon of Ashura

روزِ عاشور

Now the Imam stood almost alone. He called out to the army: “Is there anyone who will help us?” (al-Luhuf). His call is still answered by believers today in every majlis and every Ziyarah.

Hazrat Ali Asghar

The Imam's baby son, Abdullah, known as Ali Asghar, was suffering terribly from thirst. The Imam carried him in his arms towards the army and asked for a little water for the child. In answer, Hurmala ibn Kahil shot an arrow, and the baby was martyred in his father's arms. The Imam said:

The last farewell

The Imam said farewell to the women and children and to his sister Lady Zainab (S.A.). His son Ali ibn al-Husain, Imam Zain al-Abideen (A.S.), was very ill and could not fight. Through him, Allah protected the line of the Imams.

Then the Imam faced the whole army. A narrator who was there said he had never seen a man whose sons, family and companions had all been killed, who stood more firmly or fought more bravely (al-Irshad). The Imam had said earlier that day:

He was struck by many arrows, spears and swords, and he fell from his horse onto the ground of Karbala. In the late afternoon of the 10th of Muharram, 61 AH, he was martyred, at the age of fifty-seven. Shimr and his men cut his blessed head and sent it to Ibn Ziyad. His horse returned to the tents without its rider, and the women and children knew that the Imam had been martyred (al-Amali, al-Saduq).

For the full story of that day hour by hour, written for children, read our article what happened on Ashura, a timeline for children.

After Ashura: the captives in Kufa and Damascus

اسیرانِ کربلا

On the evening of Ashura, the enemy attacked the tents, took everything and set them on fire. Lady Zainab (S.A.) gathered the frightened children and protected her ill nephew, Imam Zain al-Abideen (A.S.). That night is remembered as Sham-e-Ghariban, the night of the strangers.

Kufa

On the 11th of Muharram, the women and children of the Prophet's family were put on camels without covers and taken to Kufa, along with the heads of the martyrs on spears. In the market of Kufa, Lady Zainab silenced the crowd and spoke, reminding the people of Kufa how they had invited and then betrayed the grandson of their Prophet. People began to weep (al-Luhuf; al-Ihtijaj).

In the palace, Ibn Ziyad mocked her: “How did you see what Allah did to your brother and your family?” Lady Zainab answered:

She explained that they were people for whom Allah had written martyrdom, and that Ibn Ziyad would face them before Allah. When Ibn Ziyad ordered that Imam Zain al-Abideen be killed, Lady Zainab held him and said that they would have to kill her with him, and Ibn Ziyad let him go (al-Irshad).

Damascus, the court of Yazid

The captives were then taken on the long road to Damascus. Many reports say they arrived on the 1st of Safar, when the city had been decorated in celebration. In his palace, Yazid sat in front of the head of the Imam and struck his lips with a stick, reciting poems boasting of revenge for his ancestors killed at Badr.

Lady Zainab stood and gave a powerful sermon in front of him. She recited the Quran and told him that the Ahlulbayt would remain and he would be disgraced:

In the great mosque of Damascus, Imam Zain al-Abideen (A.S.) asked to speak. He introduced himself: “I am the son of Makkah and Mina, I am the son of Zamzam and Safa, I am the son of Muhammad al-Mustafa…”, until the people wept and Yazid ordered the adhan to be called to stop him. When the caller said “Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah”, the Imam turned to Yazid and asked: “Is Muhammad your grandfather or mine?” (al-Manaqib, Ibn Shahrashub; Bihar al-Anwar, volume 45).

The return

As people learned the truth, Yazid became afraid of their anger and blamed Ibn Ziyad. He released the family. They returned to Madinah, and reports say they passed by Karbala on the way. In Madinah, Imam Zain al-Abideen (A.S.) wept for his father for the rest of his life.

We have kept to events narrated in the main Shia books here. Some details that are often recited in majalis, for example about Lady Ruqayyah (S.A.) in Damascus, come from later sources, so they are not included in this book.

Arba'een: the fortieth day

اربعین

The 20th of Safar is Arba'een, the fortieth day after Ashura.

Jabir, the first visitor

On the first Arba'een, the old companion of the Prophet, Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, came to Karbala from Madinah with his student Atiyya al-Awfi. Jabir had become blind. He performed ghusl in the Euphrates, put on clean clothes, and walked towards the grave slowly, remembering Allah. When Atiyya placed his hand on the grave, Jabir fainted, then called “Ya Husain” three times and sent salaam on the Imam and the martyrs. He became the first person to perform the Ziyarah of Imam Husain (A.S.) on Arba'een (Bisharat al-Mustafa, al-Tabari al-Shi'i; Bihar al-Anwar, volume 98).

Some reports say the family of the Imam also reached Karbala on the way back from Damascus and met Jabir there. Scholars differ on whether this happened in the same year.

A sign of a believer

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) taught his companion Safwan al-Jammal a special Ziyarat al-Arba'een to be recited on this day (Misbah al-Mutahajjid, Shaykh al-Tusi). It is found in Mafatih al-Jinan.

Arba'een today

Today, millions of believers from all over the world walk to Karbala for Arba'een, many from Najaf, a journey of about eighty kilometres. Along the road, local families serve the pilgrims free food, water and a place to rest, in the name of Imam Husain (A.S.). It is one of the largest gatherings on earth. Families planning the journey can read our complete guide to Arba'een.

Mukhtar al-Thaqafi and the punishment of the killers

مختار ثقفی

Allah does not let oppression last forever. Yazid himself died in 64 AH, about three years after Karbala. In Kufa, many people deeply regretted that they had not helped the Imam. In 65 AH a group called the Tawwabun (the repenters), led by Sulayman ibn Surad, went to fight the Umayyad army and were martyred at Ayn al-Warda.

Who was Mukhtar?

Al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd al-Thaqafi was the man in whose house Muslim ibn Aqil had first stayed in Kufa. Ibn Ziyad put him in prison, so he could not be at Karbala. In 66 AH, with the brave Ibrahim ibn Malik al-Ashtar (the son of Imam Ali's famous companion Malik al-Ashtar), he took control of Kufa and announced that he would bring the killers of Imam Husain (A.S.) to justice.

What happened to the killers

Thousands of others who took part were punished, while many fled. The reports give different names and numbers.

The Imams and Mukhtar

When the head of Ibn Ziyad was brought to Imam Zain al-Abideen (A.S.), he fell into sajdah, thanked Allah who had taken revenge for him from his enemies, and prayed that Allah reward Mukhtar with good (Rijal al-Kashshi). Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (A.S.) said: “Do not speak ill of al-Mukhtar, for he killed our killers, sought revenge for our blood, and gave money to the widows of our family in times of hardship” (Rijal al-Kashshi).

Mukhtar was later killed in 67 AH, in a war with Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr.

Our scholars have different views about Mukhtar's own beliefs and actions, and some reports about him are weak. What is agreed is that he punished many of the killers of Karbala, and that the Imams spoke of that with approval. The final and complete justice for Karbala is with Allah, and with Imam al-Mahdi (A.T.F.S.) when he reappears.

The Ziyarah of Imam Husain (A.S.) and its reward

زیارتِ امام حسینؑ

The Imams (A.S.) encouraged their Shia again and again to visit the grave of Imam Husain (A.S.) in Karbala, and to send salaam to him from wherever they are. Here are some of their sayings from Kamil al-Ziyarat of Ibn Qulawayh, one of the oldest and most respected Shia books on Ziyarah.

Scholars explain hadiths like this as a very strong encouragement for those who are able. For the rulings, follow your Marja, such as Ayatullah Sistani.

If you live far away

What you can do, wherever you live

• After your Namaz, face towards Karbala and say: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ, “Peace be upon you, O Aba Abdillah.”
• Recite Ziyarat Ashura, especially in Muharram, from Mafatih al-Jinan.
• When you drink water, remember the thirst of the Imam and his family and send salaam on them.
• Attend majalis, and help with serving water and food in his name.
• Make an intention, and pray, that Allah lets you and your family visit Karbala one day.

To learn the Ziyarat of the Ahlulbayt (A.S.) with a teacher, see our Ziaraat and Ahlulbayt course.