Imam al-Husayn's (a) Sermon in Mina: Difference between revisions

Imam al-Husayn (a) delivered the sermon in 58 A.H. (677), two years before Mu'awiya's death, in Mina. Mu'awiya had escalated his pressures on [[Shiites]] and oppressed his political opponents. In order to uncover Imam al-Husayn (a)'s motivation for delivering the sermon and the circumstances under which it was delivered, Sulaym b. Qays refers to the consequences of four official letters of Mu'awiya to his agents and staff.

According to Sulaym b. Qays, in the first letter Mu'awiya announced that he would not support people who cite the virtues of [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] and his household. He also ordered that testimonies of Shiites should not be accepted and to give allowances to anyone who cites the virtues of [['Uthman]]. In the second letter, Mu'awiya ordered people to cite [[hadiths]] concerning the virtues of the [[Sahaba]] and the first two [[caliphs]], [[Abu Bakr b. Abi Qahafa]] and [['Umar b. Khattab]] similar to the [[virtues of Imam 'Ali (a)]]. He said that this would delight him and humiliate Imam 'Ali (a).

In the third letter, Mu'awiya told people to find whoever showed a little advocacy of Imam 'Ali (a) and his household, remove them from the book of salaries and allowances, and cut their shares from the Treasury ([[bayt al-mal]]). And in the fourth letter, he told people to put advocates of Imam 'Ali (a) under a lot of pressure and destroy their houses.