Tragedy of Karbala as reported by the Sunnis (Part I)

In this series we provide the history of the events of Karbala as recorded
by the Sunnis. Although dampened, and sometimes inaccurate on the favor of
the tyrants, such Sunni documents are the lasting testimony for the
undeniable horrible massacre of the household of the Prophet (PBUH&HF). The
information, unless otherwise specified, are from the History of al-Tabari.
Few remarks on the History of Al-Tabari by the Sunni scholars. Shibli
Numani wrote:
Among books of historical character, an authentic and very
comprehensive book is that of the Imam al Tabari, known was Tarikh
Kabir. Al Tabari is a writer whose scholarly attain- ments and whose
sure and extensive knowledge are unanimiuosly recognised by the
traditionists. His commentary by far is the best of the commentaries.
The well known traditionist, Ibn Khuzaima, says that he knew no man
learned than al Tabari. Al -Tabari died in the year 310 A.H - 921 C.E.
Some traditionists, al Sulaimani in particular, have remarked that al
Tabari coined traditions for the Shia. Regarding this charge against
al Tabari, Allama Al- Dhahabi, in his Mizan Al-I'tidal says:
This is an allegation based on false misgivings. The fact is that
Ibn Jarir is one of the most trust worthy Imam.
l-Dhahabi has further remarked:
All the authentic and comprehensive books of history, such as
Tarikh Al-Kamil and those written by Ibn al Athir, Ibn Khuldun,
Abual Fida etc, are based on his work and abridged Tarikh of al-
Tabari.
Sunni reference: Sirah al-Nabi -- The Life of the Prophet, by Shibli
Numani, English version, v1, p25
The Martrydom foretold
On the death of Muawiya, when Imam Hussain (as) refused to
pledge his allegiance to Yazeed, he went to the tomb of his
grandfather, Prophet Muhammad (saw, pbuh&hf). He worshipped
there for the most of the night, and also slept there for
a while, in his dream he saw the Messenger of Allah, May
Allah bless him and his cleansed progeny, surronded by angels.
The Prophet (saw, pbuh&hf) embraced him and said:
My beloved Hussain, I foresee you when you
will be, in the very near future, covered with
your blood, slain at the land of Karballa, while
thirsty, being deprived of water. This will be done
to you by people who claim that they are from my
followers.
Imam Hussain (as) in his dream looked at his grandfather and
said:
My grandfather, I ask you to admit me into your grave.
I do not desire to go back to the earthly world.
The Messenger of Allah (saw, pbuh&hf) answered him:
My beloved Hussain, there are degrees which you will not
acquire except through martyrdom.
Before he departed to Iraq, he uttered the following words:
I am as eager to join my ancestors as Jacob was eager
to join Yousef. I visualize my body being dismembered
by the wolves of the desert which shall fill from my
flesh their empty abdomens and hungry stomachs. The
pleasure of God is our pleasure. We are patient at His
trial and he gives us the reward of the patient. (Men
from) the flesh of the Messenger of God will never part
with him. They will join him on the Day of Judgement,
and he will be very pleased by the re-union.
Yazid's efforts for allegiance
According to Hisham b. Muhammad (al Kalbi) - Abu Mikhnaf: Yazid
succeeded at the beginning of the month of Rajab in the year 60
(April 8, 680). Al Walid b. Utbah b. Abi Sufyan was governor of
Medina, al Numan b. Bashir al Ansari of al Kufah, Ubaydallah b.
Ziyad of al Basrah, and Amr b. Said b. al as of Mecca. Yazid's
only concern, when he assumed power, was to receive the oath of
allegiance from the individuals who had refused to agree with
Muawiyah's demand for this oath of allegiance from Yazid. Muawiyah
had summoned the people to give an oath of allegiance to him that
Yazid would be his heir. Yazid's concern was to bring their attitude
to an end.
When he wrote to al Walid, he wrote to him on a patchment as small as
a rat's ear :
Seize Husayn, Abdallah b. Umar, and Abdallah b. al Zubayr
to give the oath of allegiance. Act so fiercely that they
have no chance to do anything before giving the oath of
allegiance. Peace be with you.
Therefore, al Walid sent in the night for al Husayn, peace be on him,
and summoned him (to attend). Al Husayn, peace be upon him, was aware
of what he wanted and so he called a group of his retainers and ordered
them to carry arms.
Imam Hussain, peace be upon him, said:
Al Walid has summoned me (to come to him) at this time (of
night). I cannot be sure that he might not burden me with
a matter I may be unwilling to respond, he is unpredictable
man, so remain with me. When I go to him, sit at the door.
If you hear my voice raised, come in to prevent him from
(doing anything to) me.
Al Husayn, peace be upon him, went to al Walid, and Marwan b. al Hakam
was with him. Al Walid gave him news of the death of Muawiya and al
Husayn replied with the formula:
We belong to God and to Him we will return.
Then al Walid read out Yazid's letter and his order to get the pledge of
allegiance from him. Then al Husayn said to al Walid:
I do not see that my pledge of allegiance to Yazid in private
would be sufficient. Wouldn't you prefer me to give it in
public so that people are aware ?
Indeed, said al Walid
So see what you think about that in the morning, suggested al
Husayn, peace be on him.
Go, then, in the name of God but come to us when the people
gather, said al Walid.
By God, interrupted Marwan, if al Husayn leaves you now without
giving the pledge of allegiance, you will never have the same
power over him untill there is a great number of slain men
between you and him. Imprison the man and don't let him leave
you untill he has paid homage (to Yazid), or you have executed
him.
At that al Husayn said:
O son of a foreign woman, would you or he kill me? By God you
are a liar.
With that he went out and walked away accompanied by his retainers
untill he reached his house.
You disobeyed me, Marwan told al-Walid, No by God he will
never give you the same opportunity over his life.
Then blame someone other than yourself, said Marwan
Replied al Walid: Indeed, you had chosen for me something which
would have involved the destruction of my own faith. By God, I
would not want all the worldy wealth and dominion which the sun
rises and sets over, (if it involved) killing al Husayn. Glory
be to God, should I kill al Husayn because he said 'I will not
swear allegiance" By God, I do not think that on the Day of
Resurrection a man who is (responsible) for the blood of al
Husayn (will weigh) little in the scale of God."
Al Husayn, peace be upon him, spent that night at his house. It was the
night of Saturday when there were three days left on the month of Rajab
in the year 680. Al Walid b. Utba was occupied with sending to Ibn al
Zubayr about the pledge of allegiance to Yazid, and with his refusal to
come to them. Ibn al Zubayr left Medina at night heading for Mecca. In
the morning al Walid sent men after him, he sent a party of eighty horse
men under the command of a retainer of the Banu Umayya. They pursued him
but did not catch up with him, so they returned.
Towards the end of Saturday he sent men to al Husayn, peace be upon him,
to bring him to pledge allegiance to al Walid on behalf of Yazid b.
Muawiya. Al Husayn peace be upon him, said to them:
Come in the morning. Then you will have time to consider the
situation and so shall we.
They left him that night without insisting upon him. He, peace be upon
him, left under the cover of the night, it was the night of Saturday
night with two days left in the month of Rajab, and he headed towards
Mecca accompanied by his sons, his brother's (al Hasan's) sons and his
brothers. There was most of the House except for Muhammad b. al Hanafiyya.
Al Husayn, peace be upon him, left for Mecca reciting:
Then he left it out of fear while he kept on the lookout. He
said: My Lord, save me from the unjust people. [ XXVIII 21 ]
He kept to the high road and the members of the house suggested:
If you had avoided the high road like Ibn al Zubayr did, the
search party could not follow you.
No by God, he replied, I will not leave untill God judges what
He will judge.
When al Husyan, peace be upon him, entered Mecca, his entry occured on
the night of Friday (i.e Thursday), 3rd of the month of Shaban. As he
entered, he recited:
And when he set out towards Madyan, he said: Perhaps my Lord
will guide me in the right path. [ XXVIII 22 ]
Then he stayed there and its inhabitants began to visit him frequently, as
did those who had some to make the lesser pilgrimage and other people from
far and wide. Ibn al Zubayr had settled himself there, near the Ka'ba,
where he used to stand in prayer and perform the circumbulation. He came
to visit al Husayn, peace be upon him, with the others who came to visit
him. He used to come to him at intervals of two consecutive days, and
sometimes between the two day interval. He was the most troublesome of
God's creatures to Ibn al Zubayr, who realized that the people of Hijaz
would not pledge allegiance to him as long as al Husayn, peace be upon him,
was in the land. He was more capable of commanding the people's obedience
than him, and was more respected.
Muslim b. Aqil is sent to Kufa
In response to the messages that Imam Hussain received from the people
of Iraq, asking him to come to them and pledging their full support and
promise to die in his defense, that goes as follows
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
To al Husayn b. Ali, peace be upon them
From Sulayman b. Surad, al Musayyib b. Najaba
Rifa'a b. Shaddad al bajali, Habib b. Muzahir and the
believers and Muslims of his Shia among the Kufans.
Greetings, we praise God before you, other than Whom
there is no deity. Praise be to God Who has broken
your enemy, the obstinate tyrant who had leapt upon
this community, stripped it of its authority , plundered
its fay and seized control of it without its consent.
Then he had killed the choice members of it and had
preserved the wicked members of it. He made the property
of God a state (divided) among its tyrants and wealthy.
He was destroyed as Thamud were destroyed. (Now) there is
no Imam over us. Therefore come; through you, may your God
unite us under truth. Al Numan b. Bashir is in the governers
palace and we do not gather with him for the Friday (service).
Nor do we accopmany him (out of the mosque) for the Festival
service. If we learn that you will come to us, we will drive
him away untill we pursue him to Syria, if God the Exalted,
wills.
Imam Hussain's (as) reply was as follows
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
From al Husayn b. Ali,
To the leaders of the believers and the Muslims
Hani and Said have brought me your letters; they are the last
two of your messengers who have come to me. I have understood
everything which you have described and mentioned. The (main)
statement of your great men is: "There is no Imam over us.
Therefore come; through you, may God unite us under truth and
Guidance." I am sending you my brother, Muslim b. Aqil, who is
my cousin and my trusthworthy (representative) from my House.
If he writes to me that the opinions of your leaders and the
men of wisdom and merit among you is united in the same way as
the messengers who have come to me have described and as I
have read in your letters, I will come to you speedily, God
willing. For by my life, what is the Imam except who judges
by the Book, one who upholds justice, one who professes the
religion of truth, and one who dedicates himself to the
essence of God.
Greetings.

Tragedy of Karbala as reported by
the Sunnis (Part II)
The events that transpired with Muslim b. Aqil
Al Husayn, peace be upon him, summoned Muslim b. Aqil and
despatched him with Qays b. Mushir al Saydawi and Umara b. Abd
Allah al Saluli, and Abd Allah and Abd al Rahman, sons of
Shaddad al Arhabi. He enjoined him to be pious before God and to
conceal his affair, and to act in a kindly way. If he saw that the
people were united and had commited themselves to an agreement, he
should speedily inform him of that.
Muslim, the mercy of God be on him, departed until he came to
Medina. There he prayed in the mosque of the Apostle of God, may
God bless him and his family, and said farewell to the dearest
members of his family. Then he hired two guides. These two set out
with him, but they missed the way and got lost. Both were struck by
severe thirst and were unable to continue their journey. They indicated
the path to him after it again appeared clear to them. Muslim carried
on along the path and the two guides died of thrist. Muslim b. Aqil,
the mercy of God be with them both, wrote a letter from the place
known as al Madiq and sent it with Qays b. Mushir:
I set out from Medina with two guides and they missed the way
and got lost. Both were overcome by thirst and soon died. But
we kept going until we came to water. We were only saved at the
last moment of our lives. That water is in a place called al-
Madiq in a low valley. I have taken this as a bad omen for my
mission. If you consider it so, you could relieve me and send
another in my place.
Greetings.
Al-Husayn, peace be upon him, wrote (back):
I am afraid that your urging me in the letter to relieve you from
the task which I sent you on is only cowardice. Therefore go on
with your task which I gave you.
Greetings.
Muslim read the letter, he said: "It is not for myself that I am
afraid." So he continued (once more) until he came to a well
belonging to (the tribe of) Tayyi'. He stayed there (the night) then as
he rode off (he saw) a man hunting. He saw him shoot a fawn as it
came into his sight, and kill it. Muslim said: "(Thus), will we kill our
enemies, God willing."
He went on until he entered Kufa. There he stayed in the house of
al-Mukhtar b. Abi Ubayda, which is called today the house of
Muslim b. al-Musayyib. The Shia began to come regularly to (see)
him. Whenever a group of them gathered together with him, he would
read the letter of al-Husayn, peace be upon him, and they would
weep. The people pledged allegiance to him (on behalf of al-Husayn)
to the extent that eighteen thousand men made such a pledge to him.
Therefore Muslim wrote to al-Husayn, peace be upon him, informing
him of the pledge of allegiance to him of the eighteen thousand and
urging him to come.
The Shia began to visit Muslim b. Aqil so frequently that his place
(of residence) became well-known. Al-Numan b. Bashlr, who had
been Muawiya's governor of Kufa and had been confirmed in office
by Yazid, knew of his where abouts. He went up on the the pulpit and
after praising God said: "Servants of God, fear God and do not rush
into rebellion and discord. For in that men will be destroyed, blood
will be shed, and property will be plundered. I do not combat anyone
who does not combat me, nor do I disturb those of you who remain
quiet. I do not oppose you, nor do I apprehend (you merely) on
grounds of suspicion, accusation or hearsay. However, if you turn
your faces away from me, violate your pledge of allegiance and
oppose your Imam, by God, other than Whom there is no deity, I will
strike you with my sword as long as its hilt remains in my hand, even
though I do not have any of you to help me. Yet I hope that those
among you who know the truth are more numerous than those whom
falsehood will destroy."
Abd Allah b. Muslim b. Rabi'al al-Hadrami, an ally of the Banu
Umayya stood before him and said: "O governor, what you see can
only be adequately dealt with by violence; for the view which you
hold about what (should be done) between you and your enemy is
that of the weak."
"I would prefer to be one of the weak (while remaining) in
obedience to God than to be one of the mighty (while at the same time
being) in rebellion against Go