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The Battle of Karbala or Battle of 'Ashura in which Imam al-Husayn's (a) fought against an army from Kufa on Muharram 10, 61/October 10, 680 who were mercenary soldiers of Yazid b. Mu'awiya, the second Umayyad caliph. The Battle of Karbala is the most sorrowful incident in the history of Islam, especially for the Shiites. hence they hold huge mourning ceremonies every year during the first (10) days of Muharram.
The movement of Imam al-Husayn (a) began from Medina towards Mecca after the death of Mu'awiya on the first days of Rajab 60/680; and it was the first action of Imam al-Husayn (a) to refrain from giving allegiance to Yazid b. Mu'awiya. On this journey, the family of Imam (a), some of Banu Hashim and some Shi'a accompanied him.
Imam al-Husayn (a) stayed in Mecca for about four months until Dhu l-Hijja 8/September 9. During his stay in Mecca, he received invitation letters sent by the people of Kufa. Because of the possibility of being killed in Mecca by the agents of Yazid and invitations by the people of Kufa, Imam (a) moved towards this city; however, before arriving to Kufa, he (a) was informed that the people of Kufa had broken their promise to support him and that Muslim b. 'Aqil, who was sent by Imam al-Husayn (a) to Kufa to investigate the situation, had been martyred . After Hurr b. Yazid al-Riyahi blocked the way of Imam (a), he (a) went toward Karbala and there he (a) encountered the army of 'Umar b. Sa'd who was appointed by 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad as the commander of the army.
Two armies engaged in battle on the 10th of Muharram, best known as the Day of 'Ashura'. In this battle, Imam al-Husayn (a), his brother, 'Abbas b. 'Ali (a), the two sons, 'Ali al-Akbar and 'Ali al-Asghar, 17 members of Banu Hashim, along with more than fifty companions of Imam al-Husayn (a) were martyred.....
Other featured articles: Karbala – Al-Tabligh Verse – Hadith al-Kisa'
- ... 'Amr b. al-Hajjaj al-Zubaydi, commander of the right wing of the army of 'Umar b. Sa'd, was one of the Kufians who had invited Imam al-Husayn (a) to Kufa, before the event of Karbala?
- ... Abu Thumama al-Sa'idi was the one who informed Imam al-Husayn (a) about the time of Prayer in the day of 'Ashura?
- ... in Ashqlan, occupied Palestine, there is a place known as the Maqam Ra's al-Husayn , which is believed to be the burial site of the blessed head of Imam al-Husayn (a)?
- Maqam Ra's al-Husayn (a) «A place of burial or preservation of the head of Imam al-Husayn (a). According to the well-known view of Shi'a scholars, the head of Imam al-Husayn (a) was reunited with his body in Karbala. However, there are also sites in Medina, Damascus, Raqqa, Cairo, and Asqalan that are known as Maqam Ra's al-Husayn (a).»
- Al-Luhuf ala qatla l-tufuf (book) «A maqtal (account of the martyrdom) of Imam al-Husayn (a) and the tragedy of Karbala, authored by Sayyid Ibn Tawus, a prominent Shi'a scholar of the 7th/13th century.»
- Imam al-Husayn b. Ali (a) «The third Shi'a Imam and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (s), who was martyred in the Battle of Karbala in 61/680 while standing against tyranny and injustice.»
- Chest-beating «A mourning ritual practiced by Shi'a Muslims, especially during Muharram, in which participants beat their chests to express grief over the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (a) and his companions.»
- Yahya (a) «A prophet mentioned in the Qur'an, known in the Bible as John the Baptist; revered in Islam for his piety, asceticism, and martyrdom. In Shi'a narrations, the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (a) is compared to the martyrdom of Yahya (a), and the childhood imamate of some Shi'a Imams is likened to his early prophethood.»
- Martyrs of Karbala «The companions and family members of Imam al-Husayn (a) who were martyred in the Battle of Karbala. Their number has been reported as 72, 78, 87, or 145 in different sources.»
- Al-Nafs al-Mutma'inna «A Qur'anic term meaning “the reassured soul,” mentioned in verse 89:27. It is a state of the human soul in which it reaches peace and certainty, no longer inclined toward sin.»
- Muslim b. Aqil «The cousin and envoy of Imam al-Husayn (a) to Kufa, who was martyred shortly before the Battle of Karbala after trying to prepare the ground for the Imam’s arrival.»
- Historical Anniversaries of Muharram «Significant religious and historical events in Shi'a Islam that occurred during the month of Muharram, including the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (a) and the Battle of Karbala.»
- Kindness to Parents
- Rahma li-l-'Alamin (title)
- Axis of Resistance
- Waty bi-l-shubha
- Visiting the sick
- Tajhiz al-Mayyit
- Ansar Allah Movement (Yemen)
- Marriage of a Muslim with a non-Muslim
- Muharram mourning
- Ghuluww
- 'Uthmaniyya
- Insulting sacred things
- Pishva-ye Sadeq (book)
- Sidana of the Kaaba
- Feeding on al-Ghadir (Ritual)
- Hadith of I'tila'
- Fast of silence
- Continuous fasting
- Prayer of the Night of Qadr (100 Rak'as)
- Laylat al-Qadr Prayer (Disambiguation)
Today Wednesday, 16 July, 2025 / 20 Muharram, 1447
- 869 CE - Death of al-Mu'tazz, 'Abbasid caliph (Sha'ban 2, 255)
- 1910 CE - Martyrdom of Sayyid 'Abd Allah Bihbahani, one of the leaders of Mashruta movement in Iran (Rajab 8, 1328)
- 1913 CE - Demise of Shaykh Muhammad Taqi Aqa Najafi (Sha'ban 11, 1331)
- 61 AH - Burial of Jawn, the servant of Abu Dhar al-Ghifari, in Karbala (October 20, 680)
