The battle of Karbala was fought on 10 October 680 (10 Muharram in the year 61 AH of the Islamic calendar) between the army of the second Umayyad dynastic ruler Yazid I (680–683) and a small group led by Imam Hussain ibn Ali (A.S) the grandson of the last Islamic prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) at Karbala, Sawad (modern-day southern Iraq). The Battle of Karbala occurred from the crisis of unjust succession of Yazid I as (caliph), When Imam Ali (A.S) was assassinated by Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam, a Kharijite, in 661, his eldest son Imam Hasan (A.S) succeeded him but soon signed a peace treaty with Mu’awiya to avoid further bloodshed. In the treaty, Imam Hasan (A.S) was to hand over power to Mu’awiya on the condition that Mu’awiya be a just ruler and that he would not establish a dynasty.
After the death of Imam Hasan (A.S) in 670, his younger brother Imam Hussain (A.S) became the head of the Banu Hashim which the prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) also headed & belonged too. In 676, Mu’awiya (661–680) nominated his son Yazid as successor, a move labelled by the historian Wilferd Madelung as breach of the Hasan–Muawiya treaty. With no precedence in Islamic history, hereditary succession aroused opposition from several quarters. Yazid’s nomination was contested by the sons of a few prominent companions of prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) including Imam Hussain (A.S) son of the fourth caliph Imam Ali (A.S) and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, Abd Allah ibn Umar and Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr. Mu’awiya summoned a shura, or consultative assembly, in Damascus and persuaded representatives from many provinces to agree to his plan by diplomacy and bribes. He then ordered Marwan ibn al-Hakam, then the governor of Medina, where Imam Hussain and several other influential Muslims resided, to announce the decision, Marwan faced resistance to this announcement. Mu’awiya went to Medina and pressed the four dissenters to accede, threatened some of them with death, but they still refused to support him. Nonetheless, Mu’awiya lied & convinced the people of Mecca that the four had pledged their allegiance and received allegiance from them for Yazid.
According to the historians Fitzpatrick and Walker, Yazid’s succession, which was considered as an “anomaly in Islamic history”, transformed the government from a “consultative” form to a monarchy. Upon Mu’awiya’s death in 680, Yazid demanded allegiance from Imam Hussain (A.S) and other dissidents. Imam Hussain (A.S) did not give allegiance and traveled to Mecca. Imam Hussain (A.S) had considerable support in Kufa, which had been the caliphate capital during the reigns of his father and brother, Imam Ali (A.S) and Imam Hassan (A.S) respectively. While in Mecca, Imam Hussain (A.S) received letters from pro-Alids in Kufa informing him that they were tired of the Umayyad rule, which they considered to be oppressive, and that they had no rightful leader.
They asked him to lead them in revolt against Yazid, promising to remove the Umayyad governor if Imam Hussain (A.S) would consent to aid them. Imam Hussain (A.S) wrote back affirmatively that a rightful leader is the one who acts according to the Qur’an and promised to lead them with the right guidance. Then he sent his cousin Hazrat Muslim ibn Aqil to assess the situation in Kufa. Ibn Aqil attracted widespread support and informed Imam Hussain (A.S) of the situation, suggesting that he join them there. Yazid removed Nu’man ibn Bashir al-Ansari as governor of Kufa and installed Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, then governor of Basra, in his place. As a result of Ibn Ziyad’s suppression and political maneuvering, Ibn Aqil’s following began to dissipate and he was forced to declare the revolt prematurely. It was defeated and Ibn Aqil was martyred . Imam Hussain (A.S) was unaware of the change of political circumstances in Kufa and decided to depart. Abd Allah ibn Abbas and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr advised him not to move to Iraq & stay in Makkah Imam Hussain (A.S) refused this, citing his abhorrence of bloodshed in the sanctuary, holy city of Makkah and decided to go ahead with his plan. Imam Hussain (A.S) departed Makkah with his family members (Ahl-e-bait) and around 50 male companions, moving northwards on 9 September 680 (8 Dhu al-Hijjah 60 AH), a day before annual hajj pilgrimage.
He took the northerly route through the Arabian Desert. Further on the way, at a place called Tha’labiyya, the small caravan received the news of the execution of Hazrat Muslim Ibn Aqil and the indifference of the people of Kufa. Later, at Zubala, Imam Hussain (A.S) learned of the capture and execution of his messenger Qays ibn Musahir al-Saydawi, whom he had sent from the Hejaz (western Arabia) to Kufa to announce his arrival. He informed his followers of the situation and asked them to leave, his companions from Mecca decided to stay with him. Ibn Ziyad had stationed troops on the routes into Kufa. Imam Hussain (A.S) and his followers were intercepted by the vanguard of Yazid’s army, about 1,000 men led by al-Hurr ibn Yazid al-Tamimi, south of Kufa near Qadisiyya. He was forced to head north and encamp on 2 October 680 (2 Muharram 61 AH), at Karbala, a desert plain 70 kilometers (43 mi) north of Kufa, where a larger Umayyad army of 4,000 arrived soon afterwards. Negotiations failed after the Umayyad governor Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad refused Imam Hussain (A.S) safe passage without submitting to his authority & pledging support to yazid as caliph , a condition declined by Imam Hussain (A.S). To force Imam Hussain (A.S) and his followers into submission, the Umayyads blocked access to the Euphrates River with 500 cavalry troops. A party did manage to fetch some water, but it was no more than 20 waterskins, that water ended before nightfall on 7 Muharram.
Both sides prepared for battle on 9 October, Imam offered his men the option to slip out of the camp under the cover of dusk, but they were not willing to desert him. Imam Hussain (A.S) and his followers then spent the rest of the night praying. After the morning prayer on 10 October, both parties took up battle positions. Imam Hussain (A.S) appointed Hazrat Zuhayr ibn Qayn to command the right flank of his army, Hazrat Habib ibn Muzahir to command the left flank, and his half-brother Hazrat Abbas (A.S) as the standard bearer. Imam Hussain (A.S) then delivered a speech to his opponents reminding them of his status as prophet Hazrat Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussain’s speech moved Hazrat Al-Hurr ibn Yazid Al-Tamimi to defect to his side. The Husaynids tied their tents together and dug a defensive ditch behind this line of tents, The combatants then stationed themselves in front of the tents, with the ditch and the tents securing all sides but the front. Imam Hussain (A.S) side comprised of 40 infantry and 32 cavalry soldiers, the thousands of Umayyad troops vastly outnumbered the Husaynid force in hand-to-hand combat, the resolve of Imam Hussain (A.S) is beyond all doubts, as historian John Joseph Saunders notes: Though the odds against him were overwhelming, Imam Hussain (A.S) was determined to die fighting. Ibn Sa’d’s army fired several volleys of arrows.
This was followed by duels in which several of Imam Husain’s companions were slain. The right wing of the Kufans, led by Amr ibn al-Hajjaj, attacked Imam Hussain’s force, but was repulsed. Hand-to-hand fighting paused and further volleys of arrows were exchanged. Shemr, who commanded the left wing of the Umayyad army, launched an attack, but after losses on both sides he was repulsed. This was followed by cavalry attacks. Imam Hussain’s cavalry resisted fiercely and Ibn Sa’d brought in armoured cavalry and five hundred archers. After their horses were wounded by arrows, Imam Hussain’s cavalrymen dismounted and fought on foot since Umayyad forces could approach Imam Hussain’s army from the front only, Ibn Sa’d ordered the tents to be burned, hoping that with the tents burned to the ground, their flanks would be exposed to attack, allowing an encirclement.
The plan backfired and flames hindered the Umayyad advance for a while. Though steadfast, Imam Hussain’s forces soon began to wither. Sometime after noon prayers, Imam Hussain’s companions were surrounded and martyred, seventy-two people died on Imam Hussain’s side, Imam Hussain’s relatives, joined the battle and all of them were martyred, of whom about twenty were descendants of Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S) the father of Imam Ali (A.S), This included two of Imam Hussain’s sons, six of his paternal brothers, three sons of Imam Hasan ibn Ali (A.S), three sons of Jafar ibn Abi Talib, and three sons and three grandsons of Aqil ibn Abi Talib, after the men had died many non-combatants rushed to their aid; these were young lads, barely at the cusp of manhood, but were not spared, his nephew, son of Imam Hasan (A.S) Hazrat Kasim (A.S) a boy of 13, martyred in his arms; two of his sons also martyred Hazrat Ali Akbar (A.S) and Hazrat Ali Asghar (A.S) aged 18 years & 6 months respectively. The Umayyad soldiers attacked Imam Hussain (A.S) he was surrounded and struck on the head by Malik ibn Nusayr. The blow cut through his hooded cloak, He put a cap on his head and wrapped a turban around it to staunch the bleeding, Ibn Nusayr seized the bloodied cloak and retreated. Shemr advanced with a group of foot soldiers towards Imam Hussain (A.S) he killed many of his attackers.
They were, however, still unwilling to kill him and each of them wanted to leave this to somebody else. Eventually Shemr shouted: “Shame on you! Why are you waiting for the man? Kill him, may your mothers be deprived of you!” The Umayyad soldiers then rushed Imam Hussain and wounded him on his hand and shoulder. He fell on the ground and an attacker named Sinan ibn Anas stabbed and then decapitated him. There are reports of more than sixty wounds on Imam Hussain’s body, which was then trampled with horses as previously instructed by Ibn Ziyad. The bodies of Imam Hussain’s companions were also decapitated. There were eighty-eight dead in Ibn Sa’d’s army, who were buried before he left, however this opportunity was not provided to the other side, the family of the last prophet of Islam Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). After Ibn Sa’d’s departure from the area, members of the Banu Asad tribe, from the nearby village of Ghadiriya, buried the headless bodies of Imam Hussain’s companions. Imam Hussain’s family, along with the heads of the martyred, were sent to Ibn Ziyad. He poked Imam Hussain’s mouth with a stick. The heads and the family of last prophet of Islam Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) were then sent to Yazid, who also poked Imam Hussain’s mouth with a stick. Following the battle, Imam Hussain’s clothes were stripped, and his sword, shoes and baggage were taken.
The women’s cloaks were also seized. Based on an official report sent to Yazid, which describes the battle very briefly, stating that it lasted for no longer than a siesta, Laura Veccia Vaglieri, who says that all of the contemporary accounts together form a coherent and credible narrative. Similarly, Madelung and Wellhausen assert that the battle lasted from sunrise to sunset and that the overall account of the battle is reliable. He argues that if killing Imam Hussain’s was a crime its responsibility lay with Yazid and not just with Ibn Ziyad, who was only performing his duty & acting on orders of Yazid. The event has had an emotional impact on Sunnis, who remember the event as a tragic incident and those killed in the company of Imam Hussain (A.S) as martyrs.
The impact on Shi’a Islam has been much deeper, It has a central place in Shi’a history, tradition, and theology, and has frequently been recounted in Shi’a literature. For the Shi’a, Imam Hussain’s suffering and death at Karbala became a symbol of sacrifice in the struggle for right against wrong, and for justice and truth against injustice and falsehood, to prevent the corruption of Islam by tyrannical dynastic rulers and to protect its ideology. According to Abdulaziz Sachedina, it is seen by Shi’as the climax of suffering and oppression, Imam Hussain (A.S) was fully aware of his fate and the outcome of his revolt, which was divinely ordained. He is thus remembered as the prince of martyrs (Sayyed al-Shuhada). The soil of Karbala is considered to have miraculous healing effects. Shi’a Muslims consider pilgrimages to Imam Hussain’s tomb to be a source of divine blessings and rewards. According to Shi’a tradition the first such visit was performed by Imam Hussain ‘s son Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin (A.S) and the surviving family members of the last prophet of Islam Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) during their return from Syria to Medina. Another visit was by Sulayman ibn Surad and the Penitents going to Imam Hussain’s grave before their departure to Syria.
They are reported to have lamented and beaten their chests (self-flagellation) and to have spent a night by the tomb. Buyids and Safavids also encouraged this practice. The battle is commemorated during an annual ten-day period during the Islamic month of Muharram by Shi’a, culminating on tenth day of the month, known as the Day of Ashura. On this day, Shi’a Muslims mourn, hold public processions, organize religious gathering, beat their chests (self-flagellation) and 40 days, after the anniversary of Imam Hussain’s martyrdom chehlum ,is Arba’een Pilgrimage. The historian G. R. Hawting describes the Battle of Karbala as a “supreme” example of “suffering and martyrdom”.