“Emulate & compete each other in achieving the human value and rush and hasten to get the spiritual treasures.”

“Best of wealth is that with which one protects his fame and dignity.”

-- Imam Hussain

Imam Hussain was the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). His mother was Fatima, the Prophet's daughter, and his father was Ali, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law. Hussain grew up with a tremendous sense of responsibility for the good of humankind. The faith and truth from his grand father, justice and courage from his father, and conviction and steadfastness from his mother were apparent in his personality.

During the caliphate of Umar ibn Khattab, Muawiyah was appointed as the governor of the province which today comprises of Syria. Muawiyah, a shrewd politician, was ready to employ any means to get what he wanted, terrorizing the voices of dissent and bribing the greedy. After the assassination of the third caliph, Hussain's father, Ali accepted the position of caliphate upon people's insistence. Ali, a man of principles, immediately dismissed the corrupt governors of the several provinces.

Muawiyah, who by this time had become the monarch of Syria, refused to give up his post. Soon after, Ali was assassinated during morning prayers in the mosque of Kufa. Hassan, Ali's elder son, assumed the leadership of the community after him. However, after a series of battles, Muawiyah took over the caliphate and nominated his son Yazid as his successor. After Muawiyah's death, Yazid assumed power and asked Hussain to pay allegiance to him or be killed. Yazid was an inept ruler and an embodiment of corruption and treachery. He openly defied the principles of fair treatment and justice and had no respect for Islamic teachings. Hussain, the guardian of his grandfather's message, could not let Yazid ruin the ideals of Islam. Hussain refused to pay allegiance to Yazid saying, “A person like me can never pay allegiance to a person like Yazid.” It is important to notice here that Hussain did not say, “I will not pay the oath of allegiance to Yazid.” Rather he said anyone like me can never pay allegiance to anyone like Yazid. Hussain thus proclaimed a universal message, a message to all people for all times and places to remain steadfast in the face of oppression and never submit to falsehood and tyranny.

Hussain, along with his family and few friends, fled his home in Medina and headed toward Mecca. There he got the news that Yazid had sent his men disguised as pilgrims to capture or kill Hussain. Hussain immediately decided to leave Mecca to avoid any bloodshed and keep the sanctity of the holy place (where even the killing of a pest is not permissible). He then headed toward Kufa. He had previously received letters of support and appeal from the people of Kufa, who were tired of the oppression of Yazid and his predecessors. However, Yazid's army blocked Hussain from entering Kufa, and instead, directed him to the desert plains of Karbala, in Iraq.

Hussain and his followers reached Karbala on the 2nd of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. There they camped at the banks of the river Euphrates. For the next few days, Yazid sent troops in thousands to intimidate the small band of Hussain and his followers. On the 7th day of Muharram, the enemy troops took over the river and cut all water supplies to Hussain's camps.

On the 9 th of Muharram, Yazid's generals gave Hussain a final ultimatum to pledge to Yazid. Hussain, steadfast on his principles, refused to give in. He, however, asked the troops to spare them one night that they could spend in remembering God.

The next day, on 10th of Muharram, before the battle began, Hussain rode toward the enemy camps several times and gave sermons appealing to the conscience of Yazid's soldiers regarding who he was, his close relation to the Prophet Mohammad whom they claimed to follow, and his mission to defend the true Islam. He asked them to be independent in their judgment and make the right choice as free humans. But Yazid's commanders continued to insist that Hussain pledge allegiance to Yazid and accept him as the caliph. Hussain refused to surrender.

The battle began; Hussain and more than 70 of his relatives and friends, one by one, fought courageously against Yazid's forces. Hussain and his companions embraced martyrdom for the principles of truth and justice. The women and children of Hussain's family and those of his companions were taken from place to place throughout Yazid's kingdom as prisoners. They were humiliated in public. In the face of all these tragedies, Hussain's sister, Zainab, and other ladies of the house, following Hussain's path, delivered eloquent sermons, touching the audiences as they told them about the injustices of Yazid and the true story behind Hussain's martyrdom. When the women and children were finally released from Yazid's prison after a few months, they continued to spread the message of Hussain.

Imam Hussain’s revolt was the first one of its kind in the Islamic history. It marked a clear distinction between the true Islam and falsehood, and inspired many movements in the later generations against the Umayyads and Abbasids and other tribal dynasties. Imam Hussain’s revolt became the conscience of Islam that challenged any fatalistic justifications for the tyranny of Yazid and his likes for all times and places. The apparent victors were disgraced and their example so remains in the pages of history while Hussain's message still prevails.

Karbala today is a bustling town in southern Iraq, where thousands of pilgrims convene each year to visit Hussain's glorious tomb to remember him for his great sacrifice. His martyrdom is observed with solemn reverence all over the world every year during the first ten days of Muharram.

“The best lesson which we get from the tragedy of Cerebella [Karbala] is that Husain and his companions were rigid believers in God. They illustrated that the numerical superiority does not count when it comes to the truth and the falsehood. The victory of Husain, despite his minority, marvels me!” - Thomas Carlyle

“Imam Husain uprooted despotism forever, till the Day of Resurrection. He watered the dry gardens of freedom with a surging wave of his blood, and indeed he awakened the sleeping Muslim nation. If Imam Husain had aimed at acquiring the worldly empire, he would not have traveled the way he did. Husain weltered in blood and dust for the sake of truth. Verily, therefore, he becomes the foundation of the Muslim creed ‘La Ilaha Il-lallah,’ meaning, there is no deity but Allah (God).” - Sir Allama Mohammad Iqbal

For more information on the topic, please consult the following:

Dr. Ibrahim Ayati. “A Probe into the History of Ashura.” Islamic Seminary Publications: Karachi, Pakistan. Available Online http://al-islam.org/ashura

Yusuf Ali, Abdullah. “Imam Hussain and his Martyrdom.” Available Online. http://al-islam.org/short/martyrdom/index.htm

This brochure has been prepared by the Society for Islamic Awareness to promote a better understanding of Islam. For questions regarding the content of the brochure, please email us at sia@www.utexas.edu

Disclaimer: “Imam Hussain in Islam” is published by Society for Islamic Awareness, a registered student organization. “ Imam Hussain in Islam ” is not an official publication of the University of Texas at Austin and does not represent the views of the university or its officers.