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Sayyid al-Shuhada Hadhrat Imam al-Husayn (A.S.)
Compiled by: Ahmad Ahmadi Birjandi
Imam al-Husayn (as), second child of ‘Ali (as), whose mother was Fatimah (as) daughter of the Holy Prophet (S), was born on the third of Sha‘ban in the year 4 AH (January 8, 626). After martyrdom of his honorable brother, Imam al-Hasan (as), he attained Imamate by the command of Allah and his brother's last will.
As pointed out in the life account of the fourth Infallible, Imam al-Hasan (as) was forced to accept Mu‘awiya's peace proposal due to hypocrisy of many of his troops; the escape of ‘Ubayd Allah b. ‘Abass, his chief of army to Mu‘awiya’s military headquarters; deception of a large number of his troops which, by historical evidences, included two thirds of his whole army; apostasy of the rest of his troops; intrigue of the Khawarij; and the culmination of slanders and false charges against him.
By signing the peace agreement, Mu‘awiya conceded that: companions of ‘Ali (as) and his followers and the Shi‘ites in all cities be secure and protected from aggression, no trickery or deception be made against them, and nobody be appointed as Mu‘awiya's successor after him.
Shortly after peace agreement, however, he showed that he is truly disloyal to his pledge.
Imam al-Hasan (as) had accepted Mu‘awiya's peace treaty proposal for the interests of Islam and the unfavorable circumstances for the household of ‘Ali (as) and prevention of fratricide, and Mu‘awiya had apparently agreed on all items of the peace treaty but he actually did not believe in Islam, and like his father Abu Sufyan, had accepted the outward of Islam out of fear or for the sake of worldly pleasures, gradually revealing his plan which was gaining power and taking over the rule and thus exposing the falsity of his faith.
After making peace with Imam al-Hasan, Mu‘awiya was the absolute ruler of Sham (Syria), ten years of which being during the life of Imam al-Hasan (as), and ten years during the Imamate of Imam al-Husayn (as).
Because of the popularity and influence of Imam al-Hasan (as) and his own peace treaty, Mu‘awiya had to restrict his rebellion and aggression – although ostensibly – and at times procure some friends for himself through fraudulence and compromise.
And since he viewed Imam al-Hasan (as) as in a way opposed to many of his anti-Islamic and ambitious goals, he plotted the murder of the Holy Imam (as) with the help of Ja‘da, the wife of Imam al-Hasan (as) and martyred the grandson of the Holy Prophet (S) in the final days of Safar, 50 A.H (March, 670 CE). Upon the martyrdom of Imam al-Hasan (as), Mu‘awiya found it more convenient to carry out his ominous intentions.
First of all he commenced a series of persecutions, tortures, and murdering of the Shi‘ites and followers of Imam ‘Ali (as). This horrific era coincided with the Imamate of Imam al-Husayn (as), who was an Imam for ten years. All his Imamate period – except his last six months of life – was spent during the caliphate of Mu‘awiya.
The circumstances then were of an extremely adverse nature and toughest strangulation. Among the elements which prompted the great uprising of Imam al-Husayn (as) were: reappearance of the paganism (jahiliyya); increasing spread of monarchy and royal luxury; wasting and embezzling of public treasury of the Muslims; unduly liberality; oppressions and cruelties done in the name of Islam; deprivation of the followers of ‘Ali (as)'s household of their undeniable rights in the public treasury and granting them to the sycophant of the court; and above all, invalidation of religious rules and the Islamic laws and violation of divine precepts and indifference to commands and prohibitions of Allah and of the Messenger of Allah (S).
Mu‘awiya and his cronies made great efforts to force Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) into seclusion, eradicate the Shi‘ites by any means, and obliterate the name of ‘Ali (as) and his progeny. When they uttered his name, they did it with curse and abuse. At the same time the propaganda system (of Sham) was to convince people that cursing such a great man as ‘Ali (a.s.) was regarded as worship and would be rewarded in the next world!
With his vile and crafty plans, Mu‘awiya intended to gradually establish the foundations of the rule and kingship of his lewd, nasty, and drunkard son, Yazid. When gradually Mu‘awiya's intention about his son, who was notorious as a despicable and lewd person, was revealed, a group of Muslims were unhappy about it and began to express their dissidence. Mu‘awiya, however, proceeded with new crackdown and severities to prevent the widespread dissidence.
Imam al-Husayn (as) was well aware that the Abu Sufyan's clan basically opposed Islam and the name of Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah (S) and had done their best to extinguish the light of Islam. This vile intention was most of all pursued by Mu‘awiya. To understand this we quote a hadith related in reliable sources: “... Mutrif b. Mughayra said: “My father and I were guests to Mu‘awiya in Sham. My father used to frequent Mu‘awiya's court. One night when he returned from Mu‘awiya's palace I found him very disappointed and upset. I asked him about the cause of his sadness. He said: 'this man, i.e., Mu‘awiya is an evil-doer and the filthiest man of all times'. 'What has happened'? I asked him.
He replied, 'I suggested Mu‘awiya now that his wishes had been fulfilled and he had taken over the Islamic caliphate, he had better treat the people with justice and not to mistreat the Bani Hashim so harshly, as they are also your kindred and nothing much is left with them to scare you of revolting against you.' Mu‘awiya replied: 'Alas! Abu Bakr practiced caliphate and spread justice and nothing happened except that he died and his name also faded out as well as ‘Umar and ‘Uthman who died similarly, even though they were benevolent and well-behaved toward the people.
However, they left but a name and passed away. But the name of this Hashemite man (i.e., the Hoy Prophet (S) is called out five times a day from atop the minarets of the world of Islam: ‘Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasul Allah’ (I profess that Muhammd (S) is the Messenger of God).
Now that the caliphs' names have died and Muhammad's name lives on, nothing is left to be done but the name 'Muhammad' to be buried and obliterated.” (Barrasi-yi Tarikh-i ‘Ashura, p. 17).
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