Battle of Karbala

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After the killing of the third caliph Uthman ibn Affan, Ali ibn Abi Taleb became the fourth caliph. Since he abolished some privileges for some companions of Muhammad that the previous caliphs had introduced, and among other things dismissed Muawiya as governor of Damascus because of his corruption and tyranny, intra-Islamic wars were fought. For example, because Muawiya refused to give up his position, the Battle of Siffin occurred. After the assassination of Ali and his death a day or two later in 661, Muawiya continued to insist on the caliphate and would not cede it to Ali's son Hasan ibn Ali under any circumstances. Muawiya set out with his troops for Iraq to attack Hasan. Hasan gave orders to his army commanders to march, but he was joined by only a few and those who joined him had different interests. At the same time, the Byzantine rulers mobilized their troops because they saw a good opportunity to crush the rising Islam. Hasan prevented this and concluded a peace treaty with Muawiya. Muawiya bribed Hasan's wife so that she is said to have poisoned her husband and Hasan died as a result in 670. Hasan's brother Husain ibn Ali succeeded him and became the third Imam of the Shi'a. In 680, Muawiya died. Contrary to the agreement in the peace treaty, Muawiya introduced the hereditary monarchy and appointed his son Yazid I as his successor, thus founding the Umayyad dynasty.

As soon as Yazid became caliph, he sent a letter to the then governor of Medina asking him to demand the oath of allegiance from Husain. He is said to have done this so that no one could accuse him of having taken over the caliphate illegally. Husain, along with his companions, including women, children and the elderly, left the city for Mecca for pilgrimage to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. He is said to have refused allegiance to Yazid because it would have meant approval of his deeds and lifestyle and because it would have destroyed Islam. The people of Kufa had heard of what was happening in Medina and sent numerous letters to Husain inviting him to Kufa and promising him allegiance. Husain set out for Kufa with his caravan, wrote a letter to the citizens of Kufa and sent it in advance to Muslim ibn Aqil as his ambassador. Muslim ibn Aqil traveled with his two sons to emphasize his peaceful intentions and was received with great hospitality in Kufa. More than 18,000 Kufites are said to have sworn allegiance to Husain before Muslim ibn Aqil, and Muslim ibn Aqil notified Husain that the majority were behind him and that he should come to Kufa.

Course of the battle

In the autumn of 680, Hussein marched with a small army from Mecca towards Kufa in Mesopotamia, whereupon Yazid in Damascus also set out with an army. Hussein thought himself assured of the support of the Mesopotamian population; in Mecca numerous letters and messengers had reached him from Kufa reporting that the situation was favorable and that thousands of followers in Mesopotamia were ready to rise up against Yazid under his leadership. Hussein's cousin Muslim ibn Aqeel, whom he had then sent ahead to Kufa, had confirmed this assessment to him. Hussein therefore left Mecca in September, accompanied only by his family and a small band of followers, and set out for Mesopotamia.

By the time Hussein arrived there, however, the situation had changed. The Umayyad ruler there, Ubaid Allah ibn Ziyad, had entered Kufa and executed the leaders of the revolt, including Hussein's cousin Muslim ibn Aqeel. The hoped-for comrades-in-arms for Hussein's army were then in short supply.

Soon the Umayyad troops succeeded in cutting off Hussein's train from Kufa, leaving Hussein stranded at Karbala. Negotiations for a surrender failed, Hussein and his people were separated from the Euphrates by the Umayyad troops and suffered severe thirst for days.

One day before, Hussein ibn Ali told his remaining soldiers that it would be better if they left at midnight; they were free from him now. They would all die tomorrow and if they left today they would live on. But the soldiers, we are told, were not concerned with survival, but with loyalty and faith. They all stayed with him in the end. Even before the battle began, reports say, Hurr ibn Yazid, a leader of the Umayyad forces, came to Hussein and asked his forgiveness for cutting him off; Hussein forgave him.

On the 10th of Muharram 61 according to the Islamic calendar (October 10, 680 of the Julian calendar), the battle took place. In the battle, all of Hussein's followers were killed. The women and children were captured and taken to Damascus. The dead were buried on the spot where the shrines of Karbala stand today. Hussein, according to Shiite doctrine, plunged into a hopeless battle with the Koran in one hand and a sword in the other, in which he and all his comrades-in-arms were bloodily slaughtered. It is reported that Hussein's head was first brought to the ruler in Kufa and then buried in the Umayyad mosque in Damascus. According to another tradition, he was later brought from Ascalon to Cairo to safety.

Abū Michnaf († 774), who was from Kufa, was the first to collect and record the oral traditions of what happened.

Tropenmuseum Amsterdam, "Battle of Karbala", Iranian painting, oil on canvas, 19th century.