Martyrs of Karbala

Burial Place of most of the martyrs of Karbala, near the holy grave of Imam al-Husayn (a) in Karbala

Mourning of Muharram
Events
Battle of 'Ashura' Captives of Karbala Timeline of the Battle of 'Ashura Day of 'Ashura' Statistics
Figures
Imam al-Husayn b. 'Ali (a) Imam al-Sajjad (a) 'Ali al-Akbar (a) 'Ali al-Asghar Al-'Abbas b. 'Ali (a) Lady Zaynab (a) Sukayna bt. al-Husayn Ruqayya bt. al-Husayn Fatima bt. al-Husayn Muslim b. 'Aqil Martyrs of Karbala
Places
Holy Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a) al-Ha'ir al-Husayni Holy Shrine of 'Abbas b. 'Ali (a) Husayniyya Museum of Muharram Tekyeh
Occasions
Tasu'a 'Ashura' Arba'in
Rituals
Marthiyya Nawha Ta'ziya Rawda Procession of Arba'in Coffin Carrying

Martyrs of Karbala (Arabic: شهداء كربلاء) are those who were martyred on Muharram 10th ('Ashura'), 61/680, in Karbala by 'Umar b. Sa'd's army. Martyrs of Karbala include Imam al-Husayn (a), some members of Banu Hashim (Hashemites) and some of his companions. The exact number of martyrs of Karbala is unknown; however according to what is reported by majority of historians they were 72. Some martyrs are mentioned in all of the books, in which the event of Karbala is narrated, but some are only mentioned in some sources. 18 martyrs are from Banu Hashim (Hashimites) and the rest are Imam al-Husayn's companions. 'Abbas b. Ali and 'Ali al-Akbar, Imam al-Husayn's son, are the best known martyrs of Banu Hashim and Hurr b. Yazid al-Riyahi, Habib b. Muzahir and Muslim b. 'Awsaja al-Asadi are the famous martyrs among Imam's companions. Except for Hurr b. Yazid, all the martyrs were buried in Karbala.

Number of Martyrs

There are different reports about the number of the martyrs of Karbala in sources. However, in most of them they were counted 72, 18 of which were from Banu Hashim (Hashemites) and the rest were from other tribes. They were divided into 34 cavalry and 40 infantry. In al-Irsahd, al-Shaykh al-Mufid reported that the heads of martyrs of Karbala were 72. Reporting the same number of heads, Baladhuri added that Abu Mikhnaf narrated the number of heads which was brought by each tribe to 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad: 13 heads were brought by the tribe of Kinda led by Qays b. Ash'ath, 20 heads by Hawazin led by Shimr b. Dhi l-Jawshan, 17 heads by Banu Tamim, 16 heads by Banu Asad, 7 heads by Madhhij and 9 heads by Qays (totally 82 heads).

Some other sources have reported different numbers:

• Mas'udi: All people who were killed along with Husayn (a) on the day of 'Ashura' in Karbala were 87.
• Some reported that the martyrs on that day were 61. However, it is possible that the narrator had not added the number of the martyrs of Banu Hashim. By adding the number of martyrs of Banu Hashim the result would be the same as the next report.
• Al-Sayyid b. Tawus: it is narrated that the companions of Imam al-Husayn (a) were 78 people, 79 with Imam (a).
• Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi has narrated from Muhammad b. Abi Talib that they were 82.
• It is also reported from Imam al-Baqir (a) that the martyrs of Karbala were 45 cavalry and 100 infantry.

Martyrs of Babu Hashim

According to the authentic sources, 18 individuals from Banu Hashim were martyred with Imam al-Husayn (a) in Karbala.

Children of Imam 'Ali (a)

1. 'Abbas
2. 'Abd Allah
3. 'Uthman
4. Ja'far
5. Abu Bakr
6. Muhammad

Children of Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a)

1. Qasim
2. Abu Bakr
3. 'Abd Allah

Children of Imam al-Husayn (a)

1. 'Ali known as Ali al-Akbar
2. 'Abd Allah known as Ali al-Asghar

Others

1. Ja'far b. 'Aqil
2. 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Aqil
3. 'Abd Allah b. 'Aqil
4. Muhammad b. Abi Sa'id b. 'Aqil
5. 'Abd Allah b. Muslim b. 'Aqil
6. Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far
7. 'Awn b. 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far

Rare Reports

The name of 42 members of Banu Hashim was mentioned just in some of references:

• Ibrahim b. 'Ali
• 'Abbas Asghar b. 'Ali
• Ja'far b. 'Ali
• 'Abd Allah Akbar b. 'Ali
• 'Abd Allah Asghar b. 'Ali
• 'Ubayd Allah b. 'Ali
• 'Umar b. 'Ali
• 'Atiq b. 'Ali
• Qasim b. 'Ali
• Bishr b. al-Hasan
• 'Umar b. al-Hasan
• Abu Bakr b. al-Husayn
• Abu Bakr b. Qasim b. al-Husayn
• Ibrahim b. al-Husayn
• Ja'far b. al-Husayn
• Hamza b. al-Husayn
• Zayd b. al-Husayn
• Qasim b. al-Husayn
• Muhammad b. al-Husayn
• 'Umar b. al-Husayn
• Muhammad b. 'Aqil
• Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Aqil
• Hamza b. 'Aqil
• 'Ali b. 'Aqil
• 'Awn b. 'Aqil
• Ja'far b. Muhammad b. 'Aqil
• Abu Sa'id b. 'Aqil
• Ibrahim b. Muslim b. 'Aqil
• Muhammad b. Muslim b. 'Aqil
• 'Abd al-Rahman b. Muslim b. 'Aqil
• 'Ubayd Allah b. Muslim b. 'Aqil
• Abu 'Abd Allah b. Muslim b. 'Aqil
• 'Ali b. Muslim b. 'Aqil
• Ibrahim b. Ja'far
• Muhammad b. Ja'far
• 'Awn b. Ja'far b. Ja'far
• Abu Bakr b. 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far
• 'Awn Asghar b. 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far
• Husayn b. 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far
• 'Ubayd Allah b. 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far
• Muhammad b. 'Abbas
• Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Hashimi

Martyrs of Companions

Imam al-Husayn (a):

I do not know any companion better and more loyal than my companions ...

Al-Shaykh al-Mufid, al-Irshad, vol.2 p.91

Companions of Imam al-Husayn from Sahaba

• Anas b. Harith
• 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Abd Rabb al-Ansari
• Muslim b. 'Awsaja al-Asadi

Companions of Imam al-Husayn from Companions of Imam 'Ali

• Abu Thumama al-Sa'idi
• Habib b. Muzahir
• Zahir, 'Amr b. Hamiq's slave
• 'Ammar b. Abi Salama al-Dalani
• Sa'd b. Harith al-Khuza'i
• 'Abd Allah b. 'Umayr al-Kalbi
• Kardus b. Zuhayr
• Nafi' b. Hilal al-Bajali

Companions of Imam al-Husayn

1. Ibrahim b. Husayn al-Asadi
2. Hudhayfa b. Asid al-Ghifari's nephew (the son of his brother)
3. Abu Hayaj
4. Adham b. Umayya
5. Anis b. Ma'qil al-Asbahi
6. Burayr b. Khudayr al-Hamdani
7. Bashir b. 'Amr al-Hadrami
8. Jabir b. Hajjaj
9. Jabala b. 'Ali al-Shaybani
10. Junada b. Harith
11. Jundab b. Hujayr
12. Jawn b. Huway (Abu Dhar's slave)
13. Juwayn b. Malik
14. Harith b. Imra' al-Qays
15. Harith b. Nahban
16. Hamza b. 'Abd al-Muttalib's slave
17. Hatuf b. Harith
18. Hajjaj b. Zayd
19. Hajjaj b. Masruq
20. Al-Hurr b. Yazid al-Riyahi
21. Hallas b. 'Amr
22. Nu'man b. 'Amr
23. Hanzala b. As'ad
24. Rafi'
25. Rumayth b. 'Amr
26. Zuhayr b. Bishr al-Khath'ami
27. Zuhayr b. Sulaym al-Azdi
28. Zuhayr b. Qayn al-Bajali
29. Zayd b. Ma'qal
30. Salim
31. Sa'd b. Hanzala al-Tamimi
32. Sa'd b. 'Abd Allah al-Hanafi
33. Sa'id b. Kardam
34. Sulayman (Imam al-Husayn's slave)
35. Sulayman b. Rabi'a
36. Sawwar b. Abi Himyar
37. Suwayd b. 'Amr b. Abi Muta'
38. Sayf b. Harith al-Jabiri
39. Shabib b. 'Abd Allah al-Nahshali
40. Sayf b. Malik
41. Darghama b. Malik
42. Shawdhab
43. Dubab b. 'Amir
44. 'Abis b. Abi Shabib al-Shakiri
45. 'Amir b. Muslim
46. Salim ('Amir b. Muslim's slave)
47. 'Ubbad b. Abi Muhajir
48. 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Abd Allah al-Arhabi
49. 'Abd Allah b. Qays al-Ghifari
50. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Qays al-Ghifari
51. 'Uqba b. Salt
52. 'Ammar b. Hassan al-Ta'i
53. 'Umran b. Ka'b
54. 'Umar b. Ahduth al-Hadrami
55. 'Amr b. Khalid al-Saydawi
56. Sa'd b. 'Abd Allah al-Kufi, ('Amr b. Khalid al-Saydawi's slave)
57. 'Amr b. Khalid al-Azdi
58. Khalid b. 'Amr al-Azdi
59. 'Amr b. Dabi'a
60. 'Amr b. 'Abd Allah al-Junda'i
61. 'Amr b. Qarza al-Ansari
62. Imam al-Husayn's turk slave
63. Qarib (Imam al-Husayn's slave)
64. Qasim b. Habib al-Azdi
65. Qa'nab b. 'Amr al-Namiri
66. Kinana b. 'Atiq
67. Malik b. 'Abd b. Sari' al-Jabiri
68. Mujamma' b. Ziyad
69. Mujamma' b. 'Abd Allah al-'A'idhi
70. Mujamma' b. 'Abd Allah al-'A'idhi's son
71. Mas'ud b. Hajjaj
72. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Mas'ud
73. Muslim (Aslam) b. Kathir
74. Munjih (Imam al-Husayn's slave)
75. Na'im b. 'Ajlan
76. Hafhaf b. Muhannad al-Rasibi
77. Hammam b. Salama al-Qanisi
78. Wahb b. Wahb
79. Yahya b. Sulaym al-Mazini
80. Abu Sha'sha'a, Yazid b. Ziyad b. Muhasir
81. Yazid b. Nabit al-'Abdi
82. 'Abd Allah b. Nabit al-'Abdi
83. 'Ubayd Allah b. Nabit al-'Abdi

See Also

• The Event of Karbala
• Day of 'Ashura (events)
• Imam al-Husayn (a)
• The Captives of Karbala
• The Event of Karbala (statistics)

References

• The material for writing this article is mainly taken from شهدای کربلا in Farsi WikiShia.