The Karbala incident, in which the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Hz. Hussein and 72 of his companions were martyred, is known as a tragedy remembered in the Islamic world for many years. This incident took place on 10 Muharram 61 according to the Islamic calendar (10 October 680 according to the Gregorian calendar) during the rule of Yazid ibn Muawiyah, the second caliph of the Umayyad State. This painful event for Hz. Hussein is remembered on the Day of Ashura, which is considered a day of deep mourning and grief among Muslims.
Karbala, It is a city located approximately 100 km southwest of Baghdad. Its importance in Islamic history stems from the martyrdom of Hz. Hussein and his family by the Umayyads and the fact that their graves are located here. For these reasons, Karbala is an important place of visit and worship in the Islamic world. Hz. Hussein’s struggle and sacrifices also hold a special place among the virtues of Islam.
Shrine of Imam Hazrat Husayn or in other words Imam Hussein Mosqueis located in the city of Kerbala in Iraq. This tomb and mosque are built according to the Shiite belief. Twelve ImamsIt contains the tomb of Hz. Hussein, the third of the ‘Imams’. This place, which is considered a holy place by the Shiites, is celebrated on the anniversary of the death of Hz. Hussein bin Ali. Ashura Dayin It is visited by millions of Shiites.
The Events in Karbala and the Martyrdom of Hazrat Hussein
The Karbala Incident, Near the city of Kufa in Iraq Kerbala DesertIt took place in 1382 and had a deep impact on the believers who loved the family of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The martyrdom of Prophet Hussein and his family by Yazid 1382 years ago is a painful example of the long-term effects of political ambition and oppression.
He took over the caliphate in 661 Muawiyahtried to turn the caliphate into a sultanate for his son Yazid. However, Hazrat Hussein did not accept this situation. After Muawiyah’s death in 680, Yazid, who succeeded him, first Hazrat HusseinHe tried to obtain the allegiance of Hazrat Hussein. When the pressure for allegiance increased, Hazrat Hussein realized that the situation would get worse and he set off towards Mecca with his family in May 680.
Going to Mecca People of KufaInviting Hazrat Hussein to their city, UmayyadsThey offered to form a union against . However, remembering their past betrayals, Hz. Hussein sent his relative Muslim ibn Akil as an envoy to Kufa to evaluate the situation. In Kufa, nearly 20 thousand people swore allegiance to Hz. Hussein in front of Muslim, but later the people of Kufa betrayed him by killing Muslim. Hz. Hussein and his family, unaware of these developments, set off for Kufa. News of Muslim’s martyrdom came during the journey. Although Hz. Hussein wanted to return to protect his family, he continued on his way due to Muslim’s children’s desire for revenge.
The Governor of Kufa sent Hurr bin Yazid with an army of a thousand men to block the way of Imam Hussain and asked them to stay in an area between Kufa and Medina. Imam Hussain stopped near the Desert of Caravans and met with Umar bin Sad. Euphrates RiverAfter the convoy reached the Kerbela Desert on the edge of the mountain, the governor of Kufa, Ubaydullah, ordered Omar bin Sa’d to take allegiance from Hazrat Hussein on behalf of Yazid or the water supply would be cut off. Rejecting the offer of allegiance, Hazrat Hussein and his companions decided not to bow to pressure and, if necessary, to become martyrs in the path of God and began preparations for war.
Hazrat Husseindecided not to bow down to tyranny and to die in the way of Allah. Together with him, 32 horsemen and 40 infantrymen prepared for war in their tents. On October 10, 680, Hz. Hussein and his entourage came face to face with Yazid’s army in Karbala and a great battle began. During the battle, many people were killed by Hz. Hussein and no one was left except the Ahl al-Bayt.
Hazrat Hussein’s son, 19 years old Ali al-Akbarleft his tent with the permission of his father and was martyred by the people of Kufa. Similarly, his other children Jafar and Abdullah He was martyred by the people of Kufa.
The people of Kufa, knowing that they could not confront Hazrat Hussein alone, gathered together and attacked him. Hazrat Hussein fought heroically and defeated everyone he encountered. However, he fell from his horse and fell to the ground due to the arrow and spear blows he received. The attackers cut off Hazrat Hussein’s head and crushed his body under the horses’ feet. The severed heads of Hazrat Hussein and his companions were sent to Yazid, and their bodies were buried in a place known as Hair by the villagers of Al-Ghadiriyah, who belonged to the Beni Asad tribe.
Developments After the Karbala Disaster
After the tragedy of Karbala, except for Hz. Hussein’s two sons, no other men survived. The survivors were Zeynelabidin and his four-year-old son Omar. The women of the Hashimids were waiting, hoping for the return of Imam Hussein.
According to what Ethem of Kufa narrated, When Hazrat Hussein was killed, a thick cloud of dust filled the air and the world was plunged into darkness..People are aware of this sign of the apocalypse They began to pray for forgiveness, thinking that it was Hazrat Hussein. As the dust clouds rose upwards, Hz. Hussein’s horse headed towards the tent with its mane stained with blood. When the women of the Ahl al-Bayt saw that the horse’s mane was bloody and that Hz. Hussein was not on it, they began to lament and weep bitterly.
After the murder of her brother, Hazrat Zaynab cried out:
“Oh Muhammad! Oh father! Oh Ali! Oh Jafar! Oh Hamza! This is Husayn, left alone in the vast open space. The ground in Karbala has collapsed, he is alone. If only the sky had collapsed on the earth! If only the mountains had been shattered into pieces and scattered across the plains!” (Maktelu’l Hüseyn, Mukarrem, p. 346)
Hazrat Zeynep made the following prayer for her brother: “O Allah! Accept this sacrifice.” (Hayatu’l İmami’l Hüseyn, v. 3, p. 304)
Where was the head of Hazrat Hussein buried?
After the martyrdom of Hz. Hussein and about seventy warriors with him, the Umayyad army took his severed head and the captive harem members DamascusHe set out to go to. The bodies of the martyrs left in the open were taken by the villagers of Ghadiriyah, who belong to the Beni Esed tribe. Hâir He was buried in the place named after him.
It is not known for sure where the head of Hz. Hussein was buried after it was presented to Caliph Yazid I. There are various narrations on this subject, the strongest possibility is believed to be the Baqi Cemetery in Medina. The Hāir location, where the headless body of Imam Hussein was buried, quickly became a place of pilgrimage, and his family members visited it on their way back from Damascus to Medina.
According to the story, the leader of those who invited Hz. Hussein on behalf of the people of Kufa, Sulayman b. Surad al-Khuzai, came here with his men and stayed at the grave for a day and a night in shame of leaving Hz. Hussein helpless against the Umayyads.
The narrations from Zeynelâbidîn, Muhammed al-Baqir and Ja’far al-Sadiq have drawn attention to the legitimacy and virtue of visiting the tomb of Imam Hussain, which has led to an increase in the visits of the Shia. The Shia’s devotion to the tomb of Imam Hussain has reached extreme levels over time, and Karbala has been considered a holy site, and visiting it has come to be compared to the hajj.
In his work “el-Bidaye ve’n-Nihaye”, Ebu’l Fida İbn-i Kesir lists various narrations regarding the place where the head of Hz. Hussein was buried as follows:
The head of Hz. Hussein was sent to Yazid by Ibn Ziyad, and from Yazid to the Governor of Medina, Amr b. Said. This head was sent to Baqi Cemetery in MedinaHe was buried next to his mother.
The head of Hz. Hussein was kept in the palace until the death of Yazid and after the death of Yazid it was shrouded and taken to Damascus. “Babul-Feradis“He was buried in the ground.
The head of Hz. Hussein was preserved in the palace’s weapons depot until the Umayyad caliph Suleiman b. Abdul Malik, and was washed and shrouded by this person, and after performing the prayer, it was buried. To the Islamic cemetery in Damascus was buried.
The Fatimids claimed that the head of Hz. Hussein was transported to Egypt and there “Taj al-Husayn” They had a mashhad built in Cairo. It is still in Cairo. “Hz. Hussein Mosque” This is the place known as the “Imam Hussein”. Those who put forward this claim claim that the head of Hz. Hussein is in Palestine. AskalanThey state that he was buried in and later transported to Egypt.
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