Karbala — Rawzat

The Road to Karbala

The background: After the martyrdom of Imam ‘Ali (40 AH / 661 CE), his son Imam Hasan became the second Imam. Under pressure from Mu’awiya ibn Abi Sufyan’s army and the threat of civil war, Imam Hasan made a treaty relinquishing political power — a decision of strategic wisdom that Ismaili scholarship recognizes as the Imam’s choice to preserve the believing community rather than expose them to slaughter. Imam Hasan died in 50 AH (669 CE) — some traditions hold he was poisoned.

Mu’awiya and Yazid: Mu’awiya ruled as Caliph until 60 AH / 680 CE. His most consequential act was designating his son Yazid as successor — transforming the Islamic caliphate from a consultative institution into hereditary kingship. Yazid was known for dissolute behavior and lack of Islamic character.

Husayn’s position: When Yazid demanded bay’a (allegiance) from Imam Husayn, Husayn refused — not out of political ambition, but on principle: “A man like me does not give bay’a to a man like Yazid.” This was not merely political opposition; it was a statement that the divine’s Imam cannot legitimize a ruler whose life contradicts Islam’s foundations.

The Letters from Kufa

The people of Kufa (Iraq) — who had been ‘Ali’s supporters and carried historical guilt for having abandoned him — sent thousands of letters to Imam Husayn in Mecca, pledging support and begging him to come to Kufa and lead them.

Imam Husayn sent his cousin Muslim ibn ‘Aqil to Kufa to assess the situation. Muslim’s initial report was positive: “The people of Kufa are with you.” But when Yazid’s governor ‘Ubaydallah ibn Ziyad arrived and cracked down, the Kufans abandoned Muslim. Muslim ibn ‘Aqil was captured and executed in Kufa — his dying prayer was: “O Allah, judge between us and those who deceived us.”

Despite receiving news of Muslim’s death — and knowing the Kufan support had evaporated — Imam Husayn continued his journey. He knew what was coming.

Karbala: The Ten Days of Muharram

Imam Husayn’s caravan of approximately seventy-two men, women, and children was intercepted by Yazid’s army of thousands at the plain of Karbala.

The stand-off: For the first ten days of Muharram 61 AH, Imam Husayn and his companions faced the enemy army. The army cut off their water supply — the Euphrates was nearby but the Husayni camp was denied access. The children were crying from thirst for days.

The Imam’s words: On the night of 9 Muharram (the night before Ashura), Imam Husayn gathered his companions and said: “These people want no one but me. Each of you who wants to leave may do so in the darkness of this night. You are free.” Not a single companion left.

The day of Ashura (10 Muharram): The battle began in the morning. One by one, the companions of Imam Husayn went out and were martyred. His half-brother ‘Abbas ibn ‘Ali — whose title is al-‘Abbas al-Qamar Bani Hashim (Moon of the Banu Hashim) — was martyred at the Euphrates trying to bring water for the children.

The Imam’s final stand: After all his companions were martyred, Imam Husayn stood alone. He prayed and went out. He was struck by arrows, then fell from his horse. The Imam was killed by multiple arrows and spear wounds. His head was severed.

After the battle: The enemy burned the tents, looted the camp, and led the women and children captive — including the Imam’s sister Sayyidatna Zaynab bint ‘Ali and his son the surviving Imam ‘Ali ibn Husayn (Zayn al-‘Abidin, the fourth Imam) who was too ill to fight. Sayyidatna Zaynab’s courage and oratory in captivity — before Yazid’s court in Damascus — became the moral counter-testimony that told the world what had happened at Karbala.

See also: Fatima Al Zahra, Ahl Al Bayt

The Significance of Karbala

The theological question: Why did Imam Husayn go to Karbala knowing the likely outcome? Islamic scholarship offers several answers:

Witnessing against injustice: The Imam’s presence and his death was itself a shahada (testimony) — making the contrast between Yazid’s corruption and Islamic principle irrefutable for history
The responsibility of the Imam: An Imam cannot remain silent when the divine’s deen is being corrupted at its center
The preservation of the Shi’i/Ismaili imamate: Husayn’s death, and the survival of his son ‘Ali ibn Husayn, ensured the continuation of the Imam’s line. Had Husayn submitted to Yazid, the imamate itself might have been extinguished
The model of sacrifice: Karbala demonstrates the outer limit of walayah — the Imam and his companions gave their lives for their principles. This becomes the supreme paradigm for the meaning of commitment to the Imam

Sayyidatna Zaynab: The role of Zaynab (sister of Husayn) in captivity is celebrated as the preservation of Karbala’s message. Her speeches before Ibn Ziyad in Kufa and before Yazid in Damascus were acts of extraordinary courage — she transformed the prisoners’ procession into a triumph of moral testimony.

‘Ashura and Its Observance

The day of Ashura: 10 Muharram is observed differently across the Muslim world:

Shi’i and Ismaili communities: Major commemoration, gatherings, mourning, recitation of Husayn’s story
Sunni communities: Voluntary fast (the Prophet fasted on this day, associated with Musa’s crossing of the sea — Bukhari)

In the Dawoodi Bohra tradition: Muharram is observed with great intensity. The first ten days include daily majalis (gatherings for religious learning and commemoration). The recitation of marthiya (elegies) and the sitting in aza (mourning) for Imam Husayn is a central feature of Bohra religious life.

The Ismaili Ta’wil of Karbala

In the Ismaili tradition, Karbala is not merely a historical tragedy but a cosmic event:

Husayn as the Imam of his time: The Imam is the divine’s proof (hujja) in every age. Yazid’s attempt to eliminate Imam Husayn was an attempt to eliminate the divine’s authority on earth — it was not just political murder but a cosmic battle between the forces of guidance (huda) and misguidance (dalal).

The zahir and batin of Karbala: The zahir is the historical martyrdom. The batin is the eternal principle: the Imam always stands at the frontier between divine truth and worldly corruption, and the true believer must stand with the Imam regardless of cost.

The preservation of the Imamate: The survival of ‘Ali ibn Husayn (Zayn al-‘Abidin) — and thus the continuation of the Imam’s line — is seen in the Ismaili tradition as a divine protection. The Imam’s line could not be broken; Karbala was the most extreme test, and the divine preserved the Imam’s progeny through it.

Karbala — The Martyrdom of Imam Husayn and Its Eternal Significance