Husayn ibn Ali

Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib ()‎ (626 – 680) was the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. His mother was Muhammad's daughter Fatima Zahra and his father was Muhammad's cousin, Ali ibn Abu Talib. Husayn is revered as the Third Imam by most Shi'as and the Second Imam by some Shi'a sects. He is also respected by Sunnis because he belonged to the household of Muhammad, the Ahl al-Bayt.

He was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. The anniversary of his death is called Ashura and it is a day of mourning and religious observance for Shi'a Muslims.

Family life

Husayn was the second son of Ali and Fatima. He and his brother, Hassan ibn Ali, are said to have been greatly loved by their grandfather Muhammad.

Husayn and Hasan's mother, Fatima, died while they were still young. Husayn was raised by his stepmothers, amidst a crowd of half-siblings. He came of age in tumultuous times, when the Muslim realm was expanding over the Middle East and his father Ali ibn Abu Talib was deeply involved in the politics of the expanding empire.

Ali's caliphate and the claims of his sons

Husayn's father, Ali, was caliph from 656 to 661 CE. He faced continual challenges to his rule, and died, killed by an assassin, in the city of Kufa. Ali's followers proclaimed his eldest son Hassan as caliph. Muawiyah, the governor of Syria, had fought Ali for the leadership of the empire and now prepared to fight Hassan. After a few inconclusive skirmishes between the armies of Hassan and Muawiyah, Hassan decided to spare his followers, and the Islamic empire, the agonies of another civil war. He signed a treaty with Muawiyah and retired to private life in Medina.

This could have been a temporary reverse for the Alids and their supporters. When Muawiyah died, the caliphate would be open again, and Hassan and Husayn, as grandsons of Muhammad and the sons of a caliph, would have a good claim to leadership. Hassan died in 669, while Muawiyah was still alive, leaving Husayn as the head of the Alids. However, Muawiyah chose to proclaim his son Yazid his heir while he was still alive, thus attempting to turn the caliphate from an elective into an inherited position, and removing Husayn from consideration as the next caliph.

Muawiyah died in 680 CE. In Damascus, Muawiyah's capital and the heart of his power, Yazid was acclaimed as caliph. However, other parts of the Islamic empire were less willing to acknowledge Yazid. Citizens of Kufa, in what is now Iraq, invited Husayn, Ali's eldest surviving son, to come lead them in a revolt against Yazid. Husayn was then in Mecca, having fled Medina to evade the forces of Yazid. He gathered his wives and children, and the few warriors who would commit to him, and marched towards Kufa.

Battle of Karbala

Yazid had heard of the incipient rebellion in Kufa and sent a force to suppress the insurgents. Before Husayn even neared Kufa, his supporters had been crushed. A force of about 3000 surrounded Husayn and cut off his camp from their water supply. After a long and hard-fought battle, Husayn and his warriors (said to number only seventy-two) were killed. Even his six-month-old son Ali Asghar was not spared. The surviving women and children were taken captive and delivered to Yazid in Damascus, along with the severed heads of Husayn and those of his close companions. Yazid enslaved Husayn's surviving family members and companions and confiscated their property.

Burial

Husayn's body is said to have been buried in Karbala, near the site of his death. Most accounts say that his head was later retrieved and interred with his body. However there are also sources that claim the Imam's head along with the martyrs are in Syria. The Imam Husayn Shrine was later built over his grave; it is now a holy site of pilgrimage for Shi'a Muslims.

Legacy

He had a wife named Umm Ishaq bint Talhah, whom was Hasan's widow. Husayn and Umm Ishaq had a daughter, Fatimah bint Husayn.http://www.islam4theworld.com/Sahabah/talhah_bn_ubaydullah_R.htm

Shi'a views of Husayn

All Shi'as regard Husayn as an Imam and a martyr. Most accounts state that he knew that his efforts were doomed, but set out on his path towards martyrdom in order to save Islam and the Ummah from annihilation at the hands of Yazid. According to Shi'a belief he was a willing sacrifice to religious necessity. Shi'a view Husayn as a positive role-model of courage and resistance against tyranny. Ashura, a day of mourning, is held in honor of his sacrifice.

Maxims attributed to Husayn

1. O Allah, what did he find who lost you, and what did he lose who found you?

2. Some people worship Allah for the purpose of gaining His gifts. This is the worship of the merchants. Some worship Him for the purpose of avoiding His punishment. This is the worship of the slaves. Some worship Him as showing gratitude to Him. This is the worship of the genuine ones. It is the best worship.

Source: [1], edited for grammar