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Battle of Karbala

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For the battles in the Iraq War, see Battle of Karbala (2003) and Battle of Karbala (2007).
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Battle of Karbala

Abbas Al-Musavi's Battle of Karbala, Brooklyn Museum


Date
Location
Result

10 Muharram 61, October 10, 680 AD


Karbala
Umayyad military victory

Incident is mourned
by Shia Muslims to date

Belligerents

The Umayyads

Hussain of Banu Hashim

Commanders and leaders

Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad

Hussein ibn Ali

Umar ibn Sa'ad

Al-Abbas ibn Ali

Shimr ibn Thil-Jawshan

Habib ibn Muzahir

Al-Hurr ibn Yazid al

Zuhayr ibn Qayn

Tamimi (left his army and


joined Hussein during the
battle) A

Strength

4,000[1] or 5,000[2] (at least) -

70-150 (general consensus

30,000[2] or 100,000[3][4] (at

110; including six-month-old

most)

baby).[5][6]The common number


'72' comes from the number of
heads severed.

Casualties and losses

88 killed, plus some wounded. 72 casualties of Hussain's army


[7]

^A Hurr was originally one of the commanders of Ibn Ziyad's army


but changed allegiance to Hussein along with his son, slave and
brother on 10 Muharram 61 AH, October 10, 680 AD

[show]

Second Islamic Civil War

The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 AH of the Islamic
calendar (October 10, 680 AD) in Karbala, situated in present day Iraq. The battle was between a
small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Hussein ibn Ali, and a much larger
military detachment from the forces of Yazid I, theUmayyad caliph, to whom Hussein had refused to
give an oath of allegiance. Hussein and all his supporters were killed, including Hussein's six-monthold infant son, Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn, with the women and children taken as prisoners. The dead
are regarded as martyrs by both Sunni and Shia Muslims, and the battle has a central place in
Shia history and tradition, and has frequently been recounted in Shia Islamic literature.
[1]

[8][9]

[10]

The Battle of Karbala is commemorated during an annual 10-day period held every Muharram by
Shia, andAlevi culminating on its tenth day, known as the Day of Ashura. Shia Muslims
commemorate these events bymourning, holding public processions, organizing majlis, striking the
chest and in some cases self-flagellation.
[10]

Contents
[hide]

1 Political background

2 Muhammad's prophecy

3 Events before the battle

4 The events of the battle


o

4.1 The day of the battle

4.2 Husayn's Sermon on this Day

4.3 The battle begins

4.4 Death of Al-Abbas ibn Ali

4.5 Death of Hussein ibn Ali

5 Aftermath

6 Sermons during the journey from Karbala to Damascus


o

6.1 Sermon of Zaynab bint Ali in Kufa

6.2 Sermon of Ali ibn Hossein in Kufa

6.3 Sermon of Zaynab bint Ali in Yazid's Court

6.4 Sermon of Ali ibn Hussein in Yazid's Court

7 Historiography of the battle of Karbala


o

7.1 Primary sources

7.2 Secondary sources

7.3 Shia writings

7.4 History distortion

8 Impact on literature
o

8.1 Persian literature

8.2 Azeri and Turkish literature

8.3 Sindhi literature

8.4 Urdu literature

8.5 Bengali literature

9 Shia observances

10 See also

11 Footnotes

12 References

13 Bibliography

14 External links
o

14.1 Sunni links

14.2 Shia links

Political background[edit]
See also: Succession to Muhammad
The rule of the third Caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, concluded with a violent uprising. This uprising ended
with the assassination of Uthman and for many days rebels seized and occupied the city of Medina.
Under the overwhelming pressure of the Ummah, Ali (Ali ibn Abu Talib) was elected as the fourth
caliph with massive numbers of people swearing their allegiance to him. His immediate steps were
to ensure the unity of Muslims. He issued the orders of not attacking the rebels until order was
restored. The governor of Syria, Muawiyah, kinsman to the murdered caliph Uthman, refused
allegiance to Ali and revolted against him, using his cousin's unpunished murder as a pretext. This
resulted in armed confrontations between the Islamic Caliph Ali ibn Abu Talib and Muawiyah.
Practically, the Muslim world became divided. At the death of Ali ibn Abu Talib, his elder son Hasan
ibn Ali succeeded him but soon signed a treaty with Muawiyah to avoid further bloodshed.
[11]

One of Muawiyah's most controversial and enduring legacies was his decision to designate his son
Yazid as his successor.
The appointment of Yazid was unpopular in Medina.
According to Sahih Al Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 352, narrated by Yusuf bin Mahak:
Marwan had been appointed as the governor of Hijaz by Muawiya. He delivered a sermon and
mentioned Yazid bin Muawiya so that the people might take the oath of allegiance to him as the
successor of his father (Muawiya). Then 'Abdur Rahman bin Abu Bakr told him something
whereupon marwan ordered that he be arrested. But 'Abdur-Rahman entered 'Aisha's house and
they could not arrest him. marwan said, "It is he ('AbdurRahman) about whom Allah revealed this
Verse: 'And the one who says to his parents: 'Fie on you! Do you hold out the promise to me..?'" On
that, 'Aisha said from behind a screen, "Allah did not reveal anything from the Qur'an about us
except what was connected with the declaration of my innocence (of the slander)."
Ibn Katheer wrote in his book the Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah that "in the year 56 AH Muawiyah
called on the people including those within the outlying territories to pledge allegiance to his son,
Yazeed, to be his heir to the Caliphate after him. Almost all the subjects offered their allegiance, with
the exception of Abdur Rahman bin Abu Bakr (the son of Abu Bakr), Abdullah ibn Umar (the son of
Umar), al-Husain bin Ali (the son of Ali), Abdullah bin Az-Zubair (The grandson of Abu Bakr) and
Abdullah ibn Abbas (Ali's cousin). Because of this Muawiyah passed through al-Madinah on his way
back from Makkah upon completion of his Umrah Pilgrimage where he summoned each one of the
five aforementioned individuals and threatened them. The speaker who addressed Muawiyah
sharply with the greatest firmness amongst them was Abdurrahman bin Abu Bakr, while Abdullah bin
Umar bin was the most soft spoken amongst them.
[12]

Abdur Rahman bin Abu Bakr and Abdullah ibn Umar were mid level Muslim commanders at
the Battle of Yarmouk that took Syria. Abdur Rahman bin Abu Bakr's sister Asm' bint Abu Bakr also
fought in the Battle of Yarmouk and was opposed to Yazid. Abdur Rahman bin Abu Bakr had been
[13]

one of the first to duel in that battle, after taking a sword to hand over to a Qays bin Hubayrah who
had lost his sword, while in a duel with the Roman Army's best horseman. Two more Roman
horsemen then came forward saying "We see no justice when two of you come against one of us."
Abdur Rahman bin Abu Bakr replied: "I only came to give my companion a sword and then return.
Were 100 of you to come out against one of us we would not be worried. You are now three men. I
am enough to take on all three of you." After which he took down the Roman horsemen on his own.
After seeing this, Bannes the Roman general said "Caesar really knew these people best. I now
know that a difficult situation is to come on you. If you do not attack them with great numbers, you
will have no chance". Abdullah ibn Umar had also been a mid level commander in the Battle of
Yarmouk. Some Roman soldiers went to the house of Abu al-Jaid a local Christian in az-Zura ah and
after eating all the food, raped his wife and killed his son. His wife complained to the Roman
general and he ignored her. Abu al-Jaid then went to the Muslims and told them that he knows the
local area and if the Muslims exempt him and his descendants from taxes for ever he will help them
defeat the Roman army. He then took horsemen led by Abdullah ibn Umar to the Roman camp at
night and attacked them and then ran away. The Romans chased them and in the dark tens of
thousands of them fell down a cliff at the an-Naqusah Creek into a river. Abdullah bin Az-Zubair
had also been a commander in various battles including in North Africa and was also involved in
the siege of Constantinople.
[14]

[15]

[15]

[16]

Muawiyah then delivered a sermon, having stood these five men below the pulpit in full view of the
people after which the people pledged allegiance to Yazeed as they stood in silence without
displaying their disagreement or opposition for fear of being humiliated. Saeed bin Uthman bin Affan,
the son of Uthman also criticized Muawiyah for putting forward Yazeed.". They tolerated Muawiyah
but did not like Yazeed.
[12]

In his written instructions to Yazid, Muawiyah suggested specific strategies for each one of them.
Muawiyah warned Yazid specifically about Hussein ibn Ali, since he was the only blood relative of
Muhammad. `Abd Allah ibn `Abbas and Abdullah ibn Umar did not want to start another civil war
and wanted to wait. Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr challenged them and went to Mecca with Hussein.
Some people claim that Hussein ibn Ali rejected the appointment of Yazid as the heir of
the Caliphateas he was a tyrant and would destroy Islam. Therefore, he resolved to confront Yazid.
[17]

[18]

Muhammad's prophecy[edit]
According to the hadith book complied by the Sunni scholar Al-Tabarani, Muhammad told his
wife Umm Salama Hind bint Abi Umayya:
Gabriel informed me that my grandson Hussain-ibne-Ali will be killed after me in the land of al-Taff
and brought me this Turbah (mud/soil) and informed me that this is the soil of the place he will be
martyred.
[19]

Another version similar to the above hadith reported by Salmaa: She went to Umm Salama and
found her weeping. She asked her what made her weep. She said: I saw Allah's Messenger in my
dream. There was dust on his head and beard. I asked him, what is wrong with you, O Messenger of
Allah?. He said: I have just witnessed Husain murder.
[8]

Events before the battle[edit]

Before the battle near Karbala. Ottoman miniature

Muawiyah I died on Rajab 22, 60 AH (680 AD). In violation of Islamic tradition and his own written
agreement with Hasan ibn Ali,
Muawiyah I appointed his son Yazid as his successor,
converting the caliphate into a dynasty. Few notables of the Islamic community were crucial to
lending some legitimacy to this conversion of the caliphate into a dynasty,
even people like Said
ibn Uthman and Ahnaf ibn Qais denounced his caliphate. Hussein ibn Ali was the most
significant threat to this dynastic rule, since he was the only living grandson of the Islamic
prophet Muhammad. Yazid instructed his Governor Walid in Medina to force Hussein ibn Ali to
pledge allegiance to Yazid. Hussein refused it and said that "Anyone akin to me will never accept
anyone akin to Yazid as a ruler." Hussein departed Medina on Rajab 28, 60 AH (680 AD), two days
after Walid's attempt to force him to submit to Yazid I's rule. He stayed in Mecca from the beginnings
of the month of Sha'aban and all of the months of Ramadan, Shawwal, as well as Dhu al-Qi'dah.
[citation needed]

[20][21]

[20]

[21]

[17]

It is mainly during his stay in Mecca that he received many letters from Kufa assuring him their
support and asking him to come over there and guide them. He answered their calls and
sent Muslim ibn Aqeel, his cousin, to Kufa as his representative in an attempt to consider the exact
situation and public opinion.
Hussein's representative to Kufa, Muslim ibn Aqeel was welcomed by the people of Kufa, and most
of them swore allegiance to him. After this initial observation, Muslim ibn Aqeel wrote to Hussein ibn
Ali that the situation in Kufa was favorable. However, after the arrival of the new Governor of
Kufa, Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, the scenario changed. Muslim ibn Aqeel and his host, Hani ibn Urwa,
were executed on Dhu al-Hijjah 9, 60 AH (September 10, 680 AD) without any real resistance of the
people. This shifted the loyalties of the people of Kufa, in favor of Yazid and against Hussein ibn Ali.
Hussein ibn Ali also discovered that Yazid had appointed `Amr ibn Sa`ad ibn al Aas as the head of
an army, ordering him to take charge of the pilgrimage caravans and to kill al Hussein ibn Ali
wherever he could find him during Hajj, and hence decided to leave Mecca on 8th Dhu al-Hijjah 60
AH (9 September 680 AD), just a day before Hajj and was contented with Umrah, due to his concern
about potential violation of the sanctity of the Kaaba.
[22]

[23][24]

[25][26]

He delivered a sermon at the Kaaba highlighting his reasons to leave, that he didn't want the sanctity
of the Kaaba to be violated, since his opponents had crossed any norm of decency and were willing
to violate all tenets of Islam.
When Hussein ibn Ali was making up his mind to leave for Kufa, `Abd Allah ibn `Abbas and Abd Allah
ibn al-Zubayr held a meeting with him and advised him not to move to Iraq, or, if he was determined

to move, not to take women and children with him in this dangerous journey. Hussein ibn Ali,
however, had resolved to go ahead with his plan. He gave a speech to people the day before his
departure and said:
"... The death is a certainty for mankind, just like the trace of necklace on the neck of young girls.
And I am enamored of my ancestors like eagerness ofJacob to Joseph ... Everyone, who is going to
devote his blood for our sake and is prepared to meet Allah, must depart with us..."
[27]

On their way to Kufa, the small caravan received the news of the execution of Muslim ibn Aqeel and
the indifference of the people of Kufa.
Instead of turning back, Hussein decided to continue the
journey and sent Qays ibn Musahir Al Saidawi as messenger to talk to the nobles of Kufa. The
messenger was captured in the vicinity of Kufa but managed to tear the letter to pieces to hide
names of its recipients. Just like Muslim ibn Aqeel, Qays ibn Musahir Al Saidawi was executed.
[28][29][30]

The events of the battle[edit]

Battle of Karbala, Iranian painting, oil on canvas, 19th century from theTropenmuseum Amsterdam

Hussein and his followers were two days away from Kufa when they were intercepted by the
vanguard of Yazid's army; about 1,000 men led by Hurr ibn Riahy. Hussein asked the army, "With us
or against us?" They replied: "Of course against you, oh Aba Abd Allah!" Husain ibn Ali said: "If you
are different from what I received from your letters and from your messengers then I will return to
where I came from." Their leader, Hurr, refused Hussein's request to let him return to Medina. The
caravan of Muhammad's family arrived at Karbala on Muharram 2, 61 AH (October 2, 680 AD).
They were forced to pitch a camp on the dry, bare land and Hurr stationed his army nearby.
[31]

Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad appointed Umar ibn Sa'ad to command the battle against Hussein ibn Ali. At
first Umar ibn Sa'ad rejected the leadership of the army but accepted after Ibn Ziyad threatened to
take away the governorship of Rey city and put Shimr ibn Thil-Jawshan in his place. Ibn Ziyad also
urged Umar ibn Sa'ad to initiate the battle on the sixth day of Muharram. Umar ibn Sa'ad moved
towards the battlefield with an army and arrived at Karbala on Muharram 3, 61 AH (October 3, 680
AD).
[32]

[33]

Ibn Ziyad sent a brief letter to Umar ibn Sa'd that commanded, "Prevent Husain and his followers
from accessing water and do not allow them to drink a drop [of water]. Ibn Sa'ad followed the orders,
and 5,000 horsemen blockaded the Euphrates. One of Hussein's followers met Umar ibn Sa'ad and
tried to negotiate some sort of access to water, but was denied. The water blockade continued up to
the end of the battle on Muharram 10th (October 10, 680 AD).
[34]

Umar ibn Sa'ad received an order from Ibn Ziyad to start the battle immediately and not to postpone
it further. The army started advancing toward Hussein's camp on the afternoon of Muharram 9th. At
this point Hussein sent Al-Abbas ibn Ali to ask Ibn Sa'ad to wait until the next morning, so that he
and his men could spend the night praying. Ibn Sa'ad agreed to the respite.
[32][35][36]

On the night before the battle, Hussein gathered his men and told them that they were all free to
leave the camp in the middle of the night, under cover of darkness, rather than face certain death if
they stayed with him. None of Hussein's men defected and they all remained with him. Hussein and
his followers held a vigil and prayed all night.
[37]

The day of the battle[edit]


On Muharram 10th, also called Ashura, Hussein ibn Ali completed the morning prayers with his
companions. He appointed Zuhayr ibn Qayn to command the right flank of his army, Habib ibn
Muzahir to command the left flank and his half-brother Al-Abbas ibn Ali as the standard bearer.
Hussein ibn Ali's companions numbered 32 horsemen and 40 infantrymen. Hussein rode on his
horse Zuljanah.
[38]

Hussein ibn Ali called the people around him to join him for the sake of God and to defend
Muhammad's family. His speech affected Hurr, the commander of theTamim and Hamdan tribes who
had stopped Hussein from his journey. He abandoned Umar ibn Sa'ad and joined Hussein's small
band of followers.
[39]

On the other side, Yazid had sent Shimr ibn Thil-Jawshan (his chief commander) to replace Umar
ibn Sa'ad as the commander.
[39][40][41]

There is controversy regarding the date for the day of Ashura in the Christian calendar. Such
discrepancies may arise because a source may be using a date in the tabular Islamic calendar,
which is not necessarily the date if the month begins with the first visibility of the crescent. One
source may be using the Julian calendar, another the Gregorian calendar. The day of the week may
be miscalculated. The dates in this article are all Julian. According to the book Maqtal al-Husayn,
Muharram 9th was a Thursday (i.e. October 11, 680); if that source is correct Muharram 10th was
Friday October 12, 680 AD.

Husayn's Sermon on this Day[edit]


Before the fire of the battle broke out, Husayn mounted his horse, and took the Quran and laid it
before him, and, coming up to the people, invited them to the performances of their duty adding, O
God, thou are my confidence in every trouble, and my hope in all adversity! He continued People,
indeed Allah, the Most High, created this world and made it the abode of annihilation and vanishing.
It changes its inhabitants from state to state, so the conceited one is he whom it deludes, and the
miserable one is he whom it charms. So let not this world delude you because it cuts off the hope of
him who has confidence in it and despairs the greediness of him who desires for it. I see that you
have unanimously agreed on an affair through which you have made Allah angry with you... Satan
has wholly engaged you, so he has made you forget the remembrance of Allah, the Almighty. So
woe to you and to what you want! To Allah we belong and to Him is our return. These are people
who have disbelieved after their belief. So away with the oppressive people! He next reminded them
of his excellency, the nobility of his birth, saying Am I not the son of the daughter of your Prophet, of
his testamentary trustee and his cousin, the first of the believers in Allah? Was not Hamza, the lord
of the martyrs, my uncle? Was not Jafar, the one who flies in Heaven, my uncle? Have you not
heard the words of the Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, concerning myself and my
brother: These are the two lords of the youths of the inhabitants of heaven? If you will believe me,
what I say is true, for by God, I never told a lie in earnest since I had my understanding; for God
hates a lie. If you do not believe me, ask the companions of the apostle of God [here he named
them], and they will tell you the same They asked, What hindered him from being ruled by the rest
of his relations. He answered, God forbid that I should set my hand to the resignation of my right
after a slavish manner. I have recourse to God from every tyrant that doth not believe in the day of
account.
[42][43]

The battle begins[edit]


The Battle of Karbala

Umar ibn Sa'ad advanced and fired an arrow at Hussein ibn Ali's army, saying: "Give evidence
before the governor that I was the first thrower." Ibn Sa'ad's army started showering Hussein's army
with arrows.
Hardly any men from Hussein ibn Ali's army escaped from being shot by an arrow.
[44][45]

[45]

Both sides began fighting. Successive assaults resulted in the death of a group of Hussein ibn Ali's
companions.
[46]

[45][47]

The first skirmish was between the right flank of Hussein's army and the left of the Syrian army. A
couple of dozen men under the command of Zuhayr ibn Qayn repulsed the initial infantry attack and
destroyed the left flank of the Syrian army which in disarray collided with the middle of the army. The
Syrian army retreated and broke the pre-war verbal agreement of not using arrows and lances. This
agreement was made in view of the small number of Hussein ibn Ali's companions. Umar ibn Sa'ad
on advice of 'Amr ibn al Hajjaj ordered his army not to come out for any duel and to attack Hussein
ibn Ali's army together.
[48][49]

`Amr ibn al-Hajjaj attacked Hussein ibn Ali's right wing, but the men were able to maintain their
ground, kneeling down as they planted their lances. They were thus able to frighten the enemy's
horses. When the horsemen came back to charge at them again, Hussein's men met them with their
arrows, killing some of them and wounding others.
`Amr ibn al-Hajjaj kept saying the following to
his men, "Fight those who abandoned their creed and who deserted the jam`a!" Hearing him say so,
Hussein ibn Ali said to him, "Woe unto you, O `Amr! Are you really instigating people to fight me?!
Are we really the ones who abandoned their creed while you yourself uphold it?! As soon as our
souls part from our bodies, you will find out who is most worthy of entering the fire!
[49][50]

[49][51]

In order to prevent random and indiscriminate showering of arrows on Hussein ibn Ali's camp which
had women and children in it, Hussein's followers went out to single combats. Men like Burayr ibn
Khudhayr, Muslim ibn Awsaja
and Habib ibn Muzahir
were slain in the fighting. They were
attempting to save Hussein's life by shielding him. Every casualty had a considerable effect on their
military strength since they were vastly outnumbered by Yazid I's army. Hussein's companions were
coming, one by one, to say goodbye to him, even in the midst of battle. Almost all of Hussein's
companions were killed by the onslaught of arrows or lances.
[52]

[48][53]

[54][55]

After almost all of Hussein's companions were killed, his relatives asked his permission to fight. The
men of Banu Hashim, the clan of Muhammad and Ali, went out one by one. Ali al-Akbar ibn Husayn,
the middle son of Hussein ibn Ali, was the first one of the Hashemite who received permission from
his father.
[54][56][57]

Casualties from Banu Hashim were sons of Ali ibn Abi Talib, sons of Hasan ibn Ali, a son of Hussein
ibn Ali, a son of Abdullah ibn Ja'far ibn Abi-Talib and Zaynab bint Ali, sons of Aqeel ibn Abi Talib, as
well as a son of Muslim ibn Aqeel. There were seventy-two Hashemites dead in all (including
Hussein ibn Ali).
[58]

Death of Al-Abbas ibn Ali[edit]

The Al Abbas Mosque in Karbala

Al-Abbas ibn Ali advanced towards a branch of the Euphrates along a dyke. Al-Abbas ibn Ali
continued his advance into the heart of ibn Sa'ad's army. He was under a heavy shower of arrows
but was able to penetrate them and get to the branch leaving heavy casualties from the enemy. He
immediately started filling the water skin. In a remarkable and immortal gesture of loyalty to his
brother and Muhammad's grandson he did not drink any water despite being extremely thirsty. He
put the water skin on his right shoulder and started riding back toward their tents. Umar ibn Sa'ad
[59]

ordered an outright assault on Al-Abbas ibn Ali saying that if Al-Abbas ibn Ali succeeded in taking
water back to his camp, they would not be able to defeat them till the end of time. A massive enemy
army blocked his way and surrounded him. He was ambushed from behind a bush and his right arm
was cut off. Al-Abbas ibn Ali put the water skin on his left shoulder and continued on his way but his
left arm was also cut off. Al-Abbas ibn Ali now held the water skin with his teeth. The army of ibn
Sa'ad started shooting arrows at him, one arrow hit the water skin and water poured out of it, now he
turned his horse back towards the army and charged towards them but one arrow hit his eyes and
someone hit a gurz on his head and he fell off the horse. In his last moments when Al-Abbas ibn Ali
was wiping the blood in his eyes to enable him to see Hussein's face,
Al-Abbas ibn Ali said not
to take his body back to the camps because he had promised to bring back water but could not and
so could not face Bibi Sakinah, the daughter of Hussein ibn Ali. Then he called Hussein "brother" for
the first time in his life. Before the death of Abbas, Hussein ibn Ali said: "Abbas your death is like the
breaking of my back".
[citation needed]

[citation needed]

Death of Hussein ibn Ali[edit]

Shrine to those killed at the battle of Karbala

Hussein ibn Ali told Yazid's army to offer him single battle, and they gave him his request. He killed
everybody that fought him in single battles. He frequently forced his enemy into retreat, killing a
great number of opponents. Hussein and earlier his son Ali al-Akbar ibn Husayn were the two
warriors who penetrated and dispersed the core of ibn Sa'ad's army, a sign of extreme chaos in
traditional warfare.
[60]

Hussein advanced very deep in the back ranks of the Syrian army. When the enemies stood
between him and the tents he shouted:
"Woe betide you oh followers of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb's dynasty! If no religion has ever been
accepted by you and you have not been fearing the resurrection day then be noble in your world,
that's if you were Arabs as you claim."
[61]

Then his enemies invaded back toward him. They continuously attacked each other, until his
numerous injuries caused him to stay a moment. At this time he was hit on his forehead with a stone.
He was cleaning blood from his face while he was hit on the heart with an arrow and he said: "In the
name of Allah, and by Allah, and on the religion of the messenger of Allah." Then he raised his head
up and said: "Oh my God! You know that they are killing a man that there is son of daughter of a
prophet on the earth except him." He then grasped and pulled the arrow out of his chest, which
caused heavy bleeding.
[62]

[63]

He became very weak and stopped fighting. The soldiers approaching him gave up confrontation,
seeing his position. One soldier, however, walked up to Hussein and hit him on his head with his
sword.
The enemies hesitated to fight Hussein, but they decided to surround him. At this time Abdullah ibn
Hasan, an underage boy, escaped from the tents and ran to Hussein. When a soldier intended to
slay Hussein, Abdullah ibn Hasan defended his uncle with his arm, which was cut off. Hussein
hugged Abd-Allah, but the boy was already hit by an arrow.
[64]

Hussein got on his horse and tried to leave, but Yazid's army continued pursuit. According to Shia
tradition, a voice came from the skies stating: "We are satisfied with your deeds and sacrifices."
Hussein then sheathed his sword and tried to get down from the horse but was tremendously
injured and so the horse let him down. He then sat against a tree.

[citation

needed]

[65]

Umar ibn Sa'ad ordered a man to dismount and to finish the job. Khowali ibn Yazid al-Asbahiy
preceded the man but became afraid and did not do it. Then Shimr ibn Dhiljawshan dismounted from
his horse and cut Hussein's throat with his sword whilst Hussein was prostrating to God. Just before
his throat was about to be cut, Hussein asked Shimr ibn Dhiljawshan, "Have you done your prayers
today?" and this shocked Shimr because he did not expect anyone in the position of Hussein to ask
such a question. Then Imam Hussain asked for the permission to do Asr prayers (because it was the
time of 3rd prayer). Shimir gave the permission to say the prayers and Imam Hussain started prayer
and when he went into Sajda. Shimr ibn Dhiljawshan betrayed and said: "I swear by God that I am
cutting your head while I know that you are grandson of the messenger of Allah and the best of the
people by father and mother." He cut off the head of Hussein ibn Ali with his sword and raised the
head. Then ibn Sa'ad's men looted all the valuables from Hussein's body.
[66]

Aftermath[edit]
Umar ibn Sa'ad sent Hussein's head to ibn Ziyad on Ashura afternoon and ordered the army to sever
the heads of his comrades and to send them to Kufa. The heads were distributed to various tribes
enabling them to gain the favor of ibn Ziyad. Ibn Sa'ad remained in Karbala until the next noon.
[67]

After ibn Sa'ad's army went out of Karbala, some people from Banu Asad tribe came there and
buried their dead, but did not mark any of the graves, with the exception of Hussain's which was
marked with a simple plant. Later Ali ibn Hussain returned to Karbala to identify the grave sites. Hurr
was buried by his tribe a distance away from the battlefield. The prisoners were held in Damascus
for a year. During this year, some prisoners died of grief, most notably Sukayna bint Husayn. The
people of Damascus began to frequent the prison, and Zaynab and Ali ibn al-Husayn used that as an
opportunity to further propagate the message of Hussein and explain to the people the reason for
Hussein's uprising. As public opinion against Yazid began to foment in Syria and parts of Iraq, Yazid
ordered their release and return to Medina, where they continued to tell the world of Hussein's
cause.
[68]

Following the Battle of Karbala, Hussein's second cousin Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr then confronted
Yazid. Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr was the son of a al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam a cousin of Ali and
Muhammad and the son of Asma bint Abu Bakr, Abu Bakr's daughter.
Asmas son, Abdullah, and his cousin, Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr, were both grandsons of
Abu Bakr and nephews of Aisha. When Hussein ibn Ali was killed in Karbala, Abdullah, who had
been Husseins friend, collected the people of Mecca and made the following speech:
O people! No other people are worse than Iraqis and among the Iraqis, the people of Kufa
are the worst. They repeatedly wrote letters and called Imam Hussein to them and
took bayat (allegiance) for his caliphate. But when Ibn Zeyad arrived in Kufa, they rallied
around him and killed Imam Hussein who was pious, observed the fast, read the Quran and
deserved the caliphate in all respects.
[69]

After his speech, the people of Mecca also joined Abdullah to take on Yazid. When he heard
about this, Yazid had a silver chain made and sent to Mecca with the intention of having Walid
ibn Utbah arrest Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr with it. In Mecca and Medina Husseins family had a
strong support base, and the people were willing to stand up for them. Husseins remaining
family moved back to Madina. Eventually Abdullah consolidated his power by sending a
governor to Kufa. Soon Abdullah established his power in Iraq, southern Arabia, the greater part
of Syria and parts of Egypt.
[69]

Yazid tried to end Abdullahs rebellion by invading the Hejaz, and he took Medina after the
bloody Battle of al-Harrah followed by the siege of Mecca. But his sudden death ended the
campaign and threw the Umayyads into disarray, with civil war eventually breaking out. This
essentially split the Islamic empire into two spheres. After the Umayyad civil war ended,
Abdullah lost Egypt and whatever he had of Syria to Marwan I. This, coupled with
the Kharijite rebellions in Iraq, reduced his domain to only the Hejaz.
Following the sudden death of Yazid and his son Mu'awiya II took over and then abdicated and
died in 683, Ibn al-Zubayr expelled Yazid's forces from most of Arabia. In Syria Marwan ibn
Hakim, a cousin of Mu'awiya I, was then declared caliph. Marwan had a short reign dying in 685
but he was succeeded by his able sonAbd al-Malik. The Kharijite in Iraq weakened Abd Allah ibn
al-Zubayr and after a battle with the Umayyads in Syria, he was isolated in the Tihamah and the
Hejaz regions the Kharijite rebels then established an independent state in central Arabia in
684.
[70]

Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr was finally defeated by Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, who sent Al-Hajjaj ibn
Yusuf. Hajjaj was from Taif, as were those who had killed Hussein. In his last hour, Abdullah
asked his mother Asma what he should do. Asma replied to her son:
[71]

You know better in your own self that if you are upon the truth and you are calling towards
the truth go forth, for people more honourable than you were killed and have been killed, and
if you are not upon the truth, then what an evil son you are, you have destroyed yourself and
those who are with you. If you say what you say, that you are upon the truth and you will be
killed at the hands of others then you will not truly be free, for this is not the statement of
someone who is free... How long will you live in this world, death is more beloved to me than
this state you are on, this state of weakness.
Then Abdullah said to his mother after she had told him to go forth and fight: I am afraid I
will be mutilated by the people of Sham. I am afraid that they will cut up my body after they
have killed me. She said: After someone has died, it wont make any difference what they
do to you if you have been killed. Abdullah said to his mother:
I did not come to you except to increase myself in knowledge. Look and pay attention to this
day, for verily, I am a dead man. Your son never drank wine, nor was he fornicator, nor did he
wrong any Muslim or non-Muslim, nor was he unjust. I am not saying this to you to show off
or show how pure I am but rather as an honour to you.
Abdullah then left by himself on his horse to take on Hajjaj. Hajjajs army defeated
Abdullah on the battlefield in 692. He beheaded him and crucified his body. He said, No
one must take down his body except Asma. She must come to me and ask my
permission, and only then will his body be taken down. Asma refused to go and ask
permission to take down her son's body. It was said to her, "If you dont go, his body will
remain like that. She said, Then let it be. Eventually Hajjaj came to her and asked,
"What do you say about this matter? She replied, Verily, you have destroyed him and
you have ruined his life, and with that you have ruined your hereafter.
The defeat of Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr re-established Umayyad control over the Empire.
A few years later the people of Kufa called Zayd ibn Ali, the grandson of Hussein, over
to Kufa. Zaydis believe that in Zayds last hour, he was also betrayed by the people of
Kufa, who said to him: May God have mercy on you! What do you have to say on the
matter of Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab? Zayd ibn Ali said, I have not heard
anyone in my family renouncing either of them, nor saying anything but good about
them... When they were entrusted with government, they behaved justly with the people
and acted according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
[72][73][74][75]

Sermons during the journey from Karbala to


Damascus[edit]
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During the journey from Karbala to Kufa, and from Kufa to Damascus, Hussein's sister
Zaynab bint Ali and Umm Kulthum bint Ali, and son Ali ibn al-Husayn gave various
speeches about Yazid and told the Muslim world of the various atrocities committed in
Karbala.

Sermon of Zaynab bint Ali in Kufa[edit]


On Muharram 11 (October 11, 680 AD), all captives including all women and children
were then loaded onto camels with neither saddle nor shade and were moved toward
Kufa. As they approached Kufa, its people gathered to see them. Some women of Kufa
gathered veils for them after learning that they were relatives of Muhammad. Among the
captives were Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-'Abidin, who was gravely ill, as well as Hassan
ibn Hassan al-Muthanna, who was seriously injured in the battle of Karbala.
[76]

Zaynab bint Ali pointed at the people to be quiet. Then she addressed the people of
Kufa:
"The praise is exclusively attributed to Allah. And greetings to my father (grand
father), Muhammad, and to his pure and benevolent family. And then, Oh people
of Kufa! Oh deceitful and reneger people! Do you weep? So let tears not be
dried and let groans not be finished. ... Beware, such a bad preparation you
have made for yourself that Allah became furious of you and you will be at
punishment forever. Do you weep and cry? Yes, by Allah, do weep numerously
and do laugh less! Since you brought its shame and fault on yourself and you
will not be able to cleanse it forever. ..."
[77]

Sermon of Ali ibn Hossein in Kufa[edit]


When the prisoners were brought into Kufa, Ali ibn Hussein delivered a sermon
addressing the people of Kufa. He began by praising and glorifying Allah and saluted
the Prophet. Thereafter, he said:
O people! Whoever recognizes me knows me and whoever does not, let me tell
him that I'm Ali son of Hussein son of Ali bin Abi Talib. I'm the son of the man
whose sanctity was violated, whose wealth was plundered and whose children
have been seized. I'm the son of the one who was slaughtered by the Euphrates
in worst manner. This suffices me to be proud.
Did you not write to my father to invite to Kufa and then deceive him? Did you
not swear an oath of allegiance to him and then fought him? May you be ruined.
How will you face the messenger of Allah when he tells you: You killed my
progeny, violated my sanctity, so you do not belong to my nation
The effect of this sermon was such that the people of Kufa began to cry loudly and said
to each other, You are perished yet you are not aware of it.
[78]

Sermon of Zaynab bint Ali in Yazid's Court[edit]

After being brought to Yazid's court, Zaynab denounced Yazid's claim to the caliphate
and eulogized Hussein's uprising. When Yazid recited the poem about his victory,
Zaynab rose and after praising God and blaming Yazid for his poem said:
" O Yazid! Do you think that we have become humble and despicable owing to
the martyrdom and captivity? Do you think that by killing the godly persons you
have become great and respectable and the Almighty looks at you with special
grace and kindness? No this is wrong. You have, however, forgotten what Allah
says:
The disbelievers must not think that our respite is for their good We only give
them time to let them increase their sins. For them there will be a humiliating
torment." (Surah Ale Imran, 3: 178)"
Then she addressed Yazid Son of freed in conquest of Mecca and blamed his for
desecration women of Ahl al-Bayt. Zaynab continued her speech by cursing Yazid. Then
added:
" Not happy for killing Hossein and his fellowships because Allah says: Do not
think of those who are slain for the cause of Allah as dead. They are alive with
their Lord and receive sustenance from Him. (Surah Ale Imran, 3: 169)
. In the end of her speech she warned Yazid about his fate in hereafter and finally she
praised Allah and finished her speech.
[79]

Sermon of Ali ibn Hussein in Yazid's Court[edit]


When Zaynab's sermon finished and she exchanged words with Yazid, Yazid asked an
orator to ascend the pulpit and ordered him to rebuke Husayn ibn Ali and Ali ibn Abli
talib and report their tasks in front of the men. After praising Allah, he prolonged praising
Muawiyah and Yazid. Meanwhile, Ali ibn Husayn interrupted the speech and asked
Yazid to let him have a lecture. Although Yazid was not content to let Ali ibn Husayn
speak, he gave the permission due to the insistence of the people. He initiated his
speech and after due praise and glorification of the Almighty said: O people! The one
who knew me has known. As for the one who did not recognize me I am introducing
myself to them. I am Ali, son of Husain, son of Ali, son of Abi Talib (a). I am the son of
the one who has been slaughtered by river Euphrates though he never asked for blood
or inheritance from the killers. I am the son of those honorable ladies of the harem who
have been disrespected, whose wealth and bounty has been plundered, and whose
children have been arrested. I am the son of the one who was caught and killed and this
is enough for me to be proud of.
[79][80][81]

Historiography of the battle of Karbala[edit]


See also: Maqtal al-Husayn

Primary sources[edit]
The first historian to systematically collect the reports of eyewitnesses of this event
was Abu Mikhnaf (died in 157 AH/774 AD) in a work titled Kitab Maqtal Al-Husayn. Abi
Mikhnaf's original seems to have been lost and that which has reached today has been
transmitted through his student Hisham Ibn Al-Kalbi (died in 204 AH) There are four
manuscripts of the Maqtal, located at Gotha (No. 1836), Berlin (Sprenger, Nos. 159
160), Leiden (No. 792), and Saint Petersburg (Am No. 78) libraries.
[82]

[83]

Rasul Jafarian has counted five primary sources that are now available. Among the
original works on maqtil (pl. of maqtal or place of death / martyrdom and hence used
for books narrating the incident of Karbala) the ones that could be relied upon for

reviewing the Karbala happenings are five in number. All these five maqtals belong to
the period between the 2nd century AH (8th century AD) and the early 4th century AH
(10th century AD). These five sources are the Maqtal al-Husayn of Abu Mikhnaf; the
Maqtal al-Husayn of Ibn Sa'd al-Baghdadi, Sunni historian; the Maqtal al-Husayn of AlBaladhuri, Sunni Historian; the Maqtal al-Husayn of Ab Hanfa Dnawar, and the
Maqtal al-Husayn of Ahmad ibn A'zham.
[84]

However, some other historians have recognized some of these as secondary sources.
For example Laura Veccia Vaglieri has found that Al-Baladhuri (died 279 AH/892-893
AD) like Tabari has used Abu Mikhnaf but has not mentioned his name. On the basis of
the article of "Abi Mikhnaf" in "Great Islamic Encyclopedia" Ahmad ibn A'zham has
mentioned Abu Mikhnaf in "Al-Futuh" thus he should be recognized as a secondary
source.
[85]

[86]

Secondary sources[edit]
Then latter Muslim historians have written their histories on the basis of the former ones
especially Maqtal Al-Husayn of Abu Mikhnaf. However they have added some narrations
through their own sources which were not reported by former historians.
Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari narrated this story on the basis of Abu Mikhnaf's report
through Hisham Ibn Al-Kalbi in his history, History of the Prophets and Kings. Also
there is a fabricated version of Abu Mekhnaf's book in Iran and Iraq. Then other Sunni
Muslim historians including Al-Baladhuri and Ibn Kathirnarrated the events of Karbala
from Abu Mikhnaf. Also among Shia Al-Shaykh Al-Mufid used it in Irshad. However,
followers of Ali later to be known as Shia Muslims attached a much greater
importance to the battle and have compiled many accounts known as Maqtal Al-Husayn.
[87]

[82]

[88]

Shia writings[edit]
Salwa Al-Amd has classified Shia writings in three groups:

[89]

1. The legendary character of this category associates the chronological history of


Hussein ibn Ali with notions relating to the origin of life and the Universe, that
have preoccupied the human mind since the beginning of creation, and in which
Al-Husayn is eternally present. This category of writing holds that a person's
stance toward Hussein ibn Ali and Ahl al- Bayt is a criterion for reward and
punishment in the afterlife. It also transforms the historical boundaries of
Hussein ibn Ali's birth in 4 AH and his martyrdom in 61 AH to an eternal
presence embracing the boundaries of history and legend.
2. This category comprises the literary works common in rituals and lamentations
(poetic and prose) and is characterized by its melodramatic style, which aims to
arouse pity and passion for Ahl al- Bayt's misfortunes, and charge feelings
during tempestuous political circumstances on the memory of Ashura.
3. This category is the nearest to Sunni writings because it fully cherishes the
historical personality of Hussein ibn Ali and regards the Karbala incident as a
revolt against oppression; dismissing the legendary treatment, while using the
language of revolt against tyranny and despotic sovereignty. A model writer of
this category is Mohamed Mahdi Shams Al-Din.

History distortion[edit]
As Jafarian says "The holding of mourning ceremonies for Hussein ibn Ali was very
much in vogue in the eastern parts of Iran before the Safavids came to power. Kashefi

wrote the "Rawzah al-Shuhada" for the predominantly Sunni regions


of Herat and Khurasan at a time when the Safavid state was being established in
western Iran and had no sway in the east."
[90]

After the conversion of Sunni Iran to the Shia faith, many Iranian authors composed
poems and plays commemorating the battle. Most of these compositions are only
loosely based upon the known history of the event.
[91]

[90]

Some 20th-century Shia scholars have protested the conversion of history into
mythology. Prominent critics include:

Morteza Motahhari

Abbas Qomi, author of Nafas al-Mahmoum

Sayyid Abd-al-Razzaq Al-Muqarram, author of Maqtalul-Husayn

[92][93][94]

[95]

[96]

Also several books have been written in the Persian language about political
backgrounds and aspects of the battle of Karbala.
[97]

Impact on literature[edit]
Mourning of Muharram

Events

Battle of Karbala
Figures

Imam Husayn

Ali Akbar ibn Husayn

Ali Asghar ibn Husayn

al-Abbas ibn Ali

Zaynab bint Ali

Sukayna bint Husayn

Muslim ibn Aqeel


Places

Imam Husayn Shrine

Hussainia
Times

Day of Ashura

Arba'een
Customs

Majlis-e-Aza

Marsia

Noha

Soaz

Ta'zieh

Tabuik

Hosay

Chup Tazia

The theme of suffering and martyrdom occupies a central role in the history of religion
from the earliest time. Sacrifices are a means for reaching higher and loftier stages of
life; to give away parts of one's fortune or to sacrifice members of one's family enhances
one's religious standing. Taking into account the importance of sacrifice and suffering for
the development of man, Shia literature has given a central place to the death on the
battlefield of Muhammed's grandson Hussein ibn Ali.
The development of the
whole genre of marsia poetry and ta'zieh theatre in the Persian and Indo-Persian world,
or in the popular Turkish tradition is in this way.
[citation needed]

[citation needed]

Persian literature[edit]
The name of Hussein ibn Ali appears several times in the work of the first
great Sufi Persian poet, Sanai. Here, the name of the martyred hero can be found now
and then in connection with bravery and selflessness, and Sanai sees him as the
prototype of theshahid (martyr), higher and more important than all the other martyrs
who are and have been in the world.
[98]

[99]

The tendency to see Hussein ibn Ali as the model of martyrdom and bravery continues
in the poetry written in the Divan of Attar.
When Shiism became the official religion of Iran in the 15th century, Safavid rulers such
as Shah Tahmasp I, patronized poets who wrote about the tragedy of Karbala, and the
genre of marsia, according to Persian scholar Wheeler Thackston, "was particularly
cultivated by the Safavids."
[100]

The most well-known 15th-century Persian marsiya writer was Mohtasham Kaashaani,
whose works consequently became a source of elegy emulation for Iranians.
[101]

Azeri and Turkish literature[edit]


Turkish tradition, especially in the later Bektashi Order, is deeply indebted to Shia Islam.
But it seems that already in some of the earliest popular Sufi songs in Turkey, those
composed by Yunus Emre in the late 13th or early 14th century, Muhammed's
grandsons played a special role.
[102]

Sindhi literature[edit]
As in many other fields of Sindhi poetry, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai of Bhitshah (1689
1752) is the first to express ideas which were later taken up by other poets. He devoted
"Sur Kedaro" in his Shah Jo Risalo to the martyrdom of the grandson of Muhammed,
and saw the event of Karbala as embedded in the whole mystical tradition of Islam.
A number of poets in Sindh have also composed elegies on Karbala. The most famous
of them is Sayed Sabit Ali Shah (17401810), whose specialty was the genre of
"suwari". This genre, as well as the more common forms, persists in Sindhi
poetry throughout the whole of the 18th and 19th centuries, and even into our own
times. Sachal Sarmast, Bedil, Mir Hassan, Shah Naser, Mirza Baddhal Beg, Mirza
Kalich Beg their devotion to Hussein ibn Ali is well known and deeply embedded in their
Sufi teachings.
[99]

Urdu literature[edit]
The most famous corpus of Urdu poetry on Karbala was produced by two poets
of Lucknow named Mir Babar Ali Anis and Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer. Both these poets
lived in the 19th century and they were the contemporaries of the Delhi based
poet Mirza Ghalib. The genre of poetry that those two poets produced is known
as Marsiya. Professor David Matthews of the School of Oriental and African Studies,
London, has translated a full length (197 stanzas of six lines each) Marsiya of Anis into
English verse. This was published by Rupa and Co., New Delhi, India.
[103]

The legacy of Urdu Marsiya has lasted to this day and many poets are still writing that
kind of poetry. Both Josh Malihabadi and Muhammad Iqbal followed the genre of six-line
stanza and have produced great poetry.
But there was also another way to understand the role of Hussein ibn Ali in the history of
the Islamic people, and importantly, the way was shown by Muhammad Iqbal, who was
a Sunni poet and philosopher.
The Adil Shahi and Qutb Shahi dynasties of South India (Deccan),
predominantly Twelver Shia in religious persuasion, patronized Dakhini (an early South
Indian dialect of Urdu) marsia. Although Persian marsia of Muhtasham Kashani were
still recited, the Adil Shahi and Qutb Shahi rulers felt the need to render the Karbala
tragedy in the language of ordinary Muslims. In the Adil Shahi and Qutb Shahi kingdom
of Deccan, marsia flourished, especially under the patronage of Ali Adil
Shahand Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, marsia writers themselves, and poets such as

Ashraf Biyabani. Urdu marsia written during this period are still popular in South Indian
villages.
[104]

Ghalib described the "King of Martyrs", Hussein ibn Ali, by using metaphors, similar to
the ones he used in his odes. Ghalib used regal imagery to underscore the virtues of
Hussein ibn Ali. The marsia of Mir Taqi Mir and Mirza Rafi Sauda are similar to those of
Ghalib in that they perform their panegyric function for the martyrs of Karbala; but these
poets also wrote marsia in which the narration of the Karbala tragedy was saturated with
cultural and ceremonial imagery of North India.
[104]

Josh Malihabadi renowned as "Shair-i inqilab", or the poet of revolution, used the
medium of marsia as a means to propagate the view that Karbala is not a pathos-laden
event of a bygone era, but a prototype for contemporary revolutionary struggles. Josh's
writings during the late 1930s and the early 1940s, when nationalist feelings were
running high in South Asia, had a momentous impact upon his generation. Josh
attempted to galvanize the youth of his day by intertwining their contemporary struggle
of liberation from colonization with Hussein ibn Ali's battle:
"O Josh, call out to the Prince of Karbala [Husain],
cast a glance at this twentieth century,
look at this tumult, chaos, and the earthquake.
At this moment there are numerous Yazids, and yesterday there was only one.
From village to village might has assumed the role of truth,
Once again, Human feet are in chains"
[104]

Vahid Akhtar, formerly Professor and Chairman, Dept. of


Philosophy at Aligarh Muslim University, has been crucial in
keeping the tradition of marsia dynamic in present-day South
Asia. His marsia rely on the images, metaphors, and nuances
inherited from 19th century masters, and on the values
invested in this genre by socio-religious reformers like Josh
Malihabadi. On the back cover of his recently
published
marsia anthology, for example, is the Arabic saying: "Every
place is Karbala; every day is Ashura." By positing a similarity
between Hussein ibn Ali's historic battle and the present day
struggle of human kind against renewed forms of Yazidian
oppression, Akhtar deflects the interpretation of the martyrs of
Karbala as mere insignia of Islamic history; they are instead
posed as the sinews for the revival of an ideal Islamic state of
being.
[105]

[when?]

[106]

Bengali literature[edit]
Mir Mosharraf Hossain wrote the novel Bishad
Shindhu and Kazi Nazrul Islam wrote many poems on this
incident. Marsias are still sung on 10th Muharram.
[citation needed]

Shia observances[edit]

The Imam Husayn Shrine duringArba'een

Tabuik, in Indonesia.

Shia Muslims commemorate the Battle of Karbala every year in


the Islamic month of Muharram. The mourning of
Muharram begins on the first day of the Islamic calendar and
then reaches its climax on Muharram 10, the day of the battle,
known as Ashurah. It is a day of Majlis, public processions, and
great grief. In the Indian sub-continent Muharram in the context
of remembrance of the events of Karbala means the period of
two months & eight days i.e. 68 days starting from the evening
of 29 Zill-Hijjah and ending on the evening of 8 Rabi-al-Awwal.
Men and women chant and weep, mourning Hussein ibn Ali,
his family, and his followers. Speeches emphasize the
importance of the values the sacrifices Hussein ibn Ali made for
Islam. Shia mourners in countries with a significant
majority self-flagellate with chains or whips, which in extreme
cases may causing bleeding. This mainly takes place in
countries such as Iraq, Iran, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Most Shias show grievances, however, through weeping and
beating their chests with their hands in a process
called Lattum/Matam while one recites a Latmyah/Nauha.
Forty days after Ashurah, Shias mourn the death of Hussein
ibn Ali in a commemoration called Arba'een.
[107]

[108]

[109]

[110]

In South Asia, the Battle of Karbala has inspired a number of


literary and non-musical genres, such as the marsia, noha,
and soaz. In Indonesia, the Battle of Karbala is remembered in
the Tabuik ceremony.

See also[edit]

Al-Mukhtar

Persecution of Shia Muslims

Sahabah

wikisource:The Sermon of Ali ibn Husayn in Damascus

Mokhtarnameh

The Hussaini Encyclopedia

Footnotes[edit]
1.

^ Jump up to:a b "Battle of Karbala' (Islamic history)". Encyclopedia


Britannica.

2.

^ Jump up to:a b "Karbala, the Chain of Events". Al-Islam.org.

3.

Jump up^ Hamish Tathkirat al Khawass.

4.

Jump up^ Maqtal al Husain - The Hosts. p. 160.

5.

Jump up^ Datoo, Mahmood. "At Karbala". Karbala: The Complete


Picture. p. 167.

6.

Jump up^ Karbala: The Complete Picture - Chapter 8.3

7.

Jump up^ Tabari, The History of al-Tabari, volume 19, translated by IKA
Howard, pub State University of New York Press, p163.

8.

^ Jump up to:a b Administrator. "Martyrdom of Imam al-Hussain


(R.A)". Ahlus Sunnah.

9.

Jump up^ fazeela (2013-11-15). "The Excellences of the Imam Husayn


in Sunni Hadith Tradition - Islam Guidance". Sibtayn.com.
Retrieved 2014-08-21.

10. ^ Jump up to:a b "Battle of Karbala". New World Encyclopedia.


Retrieved 2014-08-21.
11. Jump up^ "Karbala: Chain of events Section - Peace Agreement
between Imam Al-Hasan and Mu'awiya". Al-Islam.org. Retrieved 201211-20.
12. ^ Jump up to:a b The Caliphate of Banu Umayyah the first Phase, Ibn
Katheer, Taken from Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah by Ibn Katheer, Ismail Ibn
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References[edit]

Al-Tabari, Muhammad ibn Jarir (1990). History of the


Prophets and Kings, translation and commentary issued
iby I. K. A. Howard. SUNY Press. ISBN 0-395-652375. (volume XIX.)

Bibliography[edit]

al-Tabari, Muhammad ibn Jarir, History of the Prophets and


Kings; Volume XIX The Caliphate of Yazid b. Muawiyah,
translated by I.K.A Howard, SUNY Press, 1991, ISBN 07914-0040-9.

Kennedy, Hugh, The Armies of the Caliphs: Military and


Society in the Early Islamic State, Routledge, 2001.

al-Muqarram, Abd al Razzaq, Maqtal al-Husayn,


Martyrdom Epic of Imam al-Husayn, translated by Yasin T.
Al-Jibouri, pub Al-Kharsan Foundation for Publications,
originally published Qum, circa 1990. (al-Muqarram was
born in 1899 and died in 1971 - author's biography. This is
a 20th Century book - seeIslamic Historiography, by Chase
F. Robinson, p35.)

External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Battle of
Karbala.

What is Muharram?

A Probe Into the History of Ashura by Dr. Ibrahim Ayati

Battle of Karbal, Britannica

List of the casualties of Karbla

Sunni links[edit]

Karbala A Lesson For Mankind

Shia links[edit]

Events of Karbala

Ashura.com

Poetryofislam.com, poetry on Kerbala by Mahmood Abu


Shahbaaz Londoni

Sacred-texts.com, Battle of Karbala (English)

Battle of Karbala

Battle of Uhud
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Battle of Uhud

Part of the MuslimQuraish Wars


Date
Location
Result

March 19, 625 AD (3 Shawwal, 3 AH)


Valley by Mount Uhud
Failure of siege; Meccans retreated

Belligerents

Muslims of Medina

Quraish of Mecca

Commanders and leaders

Muhammad

Abu Sufyan

Umar ibn al-Khattab

Khalid ibn al-Walid

Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib

'Amr ibn al-'As

Musab ibn Umayr

Strength

700 infantry; 50 archers, 4

3,000 infantry; 3,000 camels,

cavalry

200 cavalry

Casualties and losses

70-75 killed

Light

[show]

List of battles of Muhammad

The Battle of Uhud (Arabic: azwat Uh ud) was fought on Saturday, March 19, 625
(3 Shawwal 3 AH in the Islamic calendar) at the valley located in front of Mount Uhud, in what is now
northwestern Arabia. It occurred between a force from the Muslim community of Medina led by
the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and a force led by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb from Mecca, the town from
which many of the Muslims had previously emigrated. The Battle of Uhud was the second military
encounter between the Meccans and the Muslims, preceded by the Battle of Badr in 624, where a
small Muslim army had defeated a larger Meccan army.
[1]

Marching out from Mecca towards Medina on March 11, 625 AD, the Meccans desired to avenge
their losses at Badr and strike back at Muhammad and his followers. The Muslims readied for war
soon afterwards and the two armies fought on the slopes and plains of Mount Uhud.
Whilst outnumbered, the Muslims gained the early initiative and forced the Meccan lines back, thus
leaving much of the Meccan camp unprotected. When the battle looked to be only one step away
from a decisive Muslim victory, a serious mistake was committed by a part of the Muslim army, which
altered the outcome of the battle. A breach of Muhammad's orders by the Muslim archers, who left
their assigned posts to despoil the Meccan camp, allowed a surprise attack from the
Meccan cavalry, led by Meccan war veteran Khalid ibn al-Walid, which brought chaos to the Muslim
ranks. Many Muslims were killed, and even Muhammad himself was badly injured. The Muslims had
to withdraw up the slopes of Uhud. The Meccans did not pursue the Muslims further, but marched
back to Mecca declaring victory.
For the Muslims, the battle was a significant setback: although they had been close to routing the
Meccans a second time, their breach of Muhammad's orders in favor of collecting Meccan spoils

reaped severe consequences. The two armies would meet again in 627 AD at the Battle of the
Trench.
[2]

Contents
[hide]

1 Background
1.1 Reason for battle

2 Meccan force sets out

3 Encounter at Uhud

4 Aftermath
o

4.1 Muslim reaction

4.2 Further conflict

5 Islamic primary sources


o

5.1 Quran

5.2 Hadith

5.3 Biographical literature

6 Battle of Uhud in warfare

7 Modern references

8 See also

9 Notes

10 References

11 External links

Background[edit]
Muhammad had preached the religion of Islam in Mecca from 613 to 622. He had attracted a small
community of followers, but also drew staunch opposition from the rest of the Quraysh, the tribe that
ruled Mecca and to which he belonged. The Muslims fled Mecca in 622 after years of persecution
and established themselves at Medina (formerly known as Yathrib; Medina means City). The
Quraysh had seized the properties and families of Muslims in Mecca and dispatched caravans
toDamascus which the Muslims intercepted and raided. The Meccans sent out a small army to
punish the Muslims and stop their raiding. At the Battle of Badr in 624, a small Muslim force defeated
the much larger Meccan army.
[3]

Many Muslims considered this unexpected victory a proof that they had been favored by God and
believed they were assured such victories in the future. A number of the leading tribesmen of
[4]

Quraysh had been killed at Badr and so leadership passed to Abu Sufyan. He forbade the mourning
of the losses at Badr, for he was eager to exact revenge upon Muhammad, vowing to conduct a
retaliatory raid on the city of Medina. Several months later, Abu Sufyan accompanied a party of 200
men to the city, obtaining temporary residence with the chief of the Jewish tribe Banu Nadir and
learning more of the current situation in Medina. He and his party then left Medina, burning down two
houses and laying waste to some fields in fulfillment of his vow. Further skirmishes between the
Meccans and the Muslims would occur thereafter.
[5]

Reason for battle[edit]


The reason for the battle was to get back at the Muslims for the battle of badar

[6]

Meccan force sets out[edit]

Ravine of Mount Uhud (bifurcated mount just seen below in line of tower structure) where Muhammed was taken for rest after injury

The following year on March 11, 625, with Abu Sufyan at the helm, the Meccansanxious to avenge
their defeat at Badrraised another force numbering 3,000 and set out for the Muslim base in
Medina. Rather than attacking Medina itself, which was populated by numerous strongholds that
would have required long sieges to overcome, they camped on the pastures north of the city, hoping
that the Muslims would come out to meet them. According to the early Muslim historian Ibn Ishaq,
a number of Meccan women are said to have accompanied Abu Sufyan's army to provide vocal
support, includingHind bint Utbah, his wife.
[7][8]

[9]

A scout alerted Muhammad of the Meccan army's presence and numbers late on Thursday March
21. The next morning, a Muslim conference of war convened, and there was dispute over how best
to repel the Meccans. Muhammad and many of the senior figures suggested that it would be safer to
fight within Medina and take advantage of its heavily fortified strongholds. Younger Muslims argued
that the Meccans were destroying their crops, and that huddling in the strongholds would destroy
Muslim prestige. Muhammad eventually conceded to the wishes of the latter, and readied the Muslim
force for battle.

Encounter at Uhud[edit]

Map of the battle, showing the Muslim and Meccan lines respectively.

A group of approximately 1,000 Muslim men set out on late Friday from Medina and managed to
circle around the Meccan forces. Early the next morning, they took a position on the lower slopes of
the hill of Uhud. Shortly before the battle commenced, 'Abd-Allah ibn Ubayy (the chief of
the Khazraj tribe) and his followers withdrew their support for Muhammad and returned to Medina,
with reports suggesting Ibn Ubayy's discontent with the plan to march out from Medina to meet the
Meccans. Ibn Ubayy and his followers would later receive censure in the Qur'an for this act.
[10]

What ye suffered on the day the two armies Met, was with the leave of Allah, in order that He might
test the believers,And the Hypocrites also. These were told: "Come, fight in the way of Allah, or (at least) drive (The
foe from your city)." They said: "Had we known how to fight, we should certainly have followed you."
They were that day nearer to Unbelief than to Faith, saying with their lips what was not in their hearts
but Allah hath full knowledge of all they conceal.
(They are) the ones that say, (of their brethren slain), while they themselves sit (at ease): "If only
they had listened to us they would not have been slain." Say: "Avert death from your own selves, if
ye speak the truth."
Qur'an, sura 3 (Al-i-Imran), ayat 166-168

[11]

The Muslim force, now numbering around 700, was stationed on the slopes of Uhud, facing Medina
with the rear being protected by the towering mount itself. Before the battle, Muhammad had
assigned 50 archers on a nearby rocky hill at the West side of the Muslim camp. This was a strategic
decision in order to shield the vulnerable flanks of the outnumbered Muslim army; the archers on the
hill were to protect the left flank, while the right flank was to be protected by the Mount of Uhud
situated on the east side of the Muslim camp. Protecting the flanks of the Muslim army meant that
the Meccan army would not be able to turn around the Muslim camp, and thus the Muslim army
wouldn't be surrounded or encircled by the Meccan cavalry, keeping in mind that the Meccan cavalry
outnumbered the Muslim cavalry with a 50:1 ratio.
Muhammad ordered the Muslim archers to never under any circumstances leave their positions on
the hill unless ordered to do so by him only, he made this order very clear by uttering these words to
the archers, "If you saw us prevail and start to take spoils, do not come to assist us. And if you saw
us get vanquished and birds eat from our heads, do not come to assist us."
[12]

The Meccan army positioned itself facing the Muslim lines, with the main body led by Abu Sufyan,
and the left and right flanks commanded by Ikrimah ibn Abi-Jahland Khalid ibn al-Walid
respectively. 'Amr ibn al-'As was named the commander of cavalry and his task was to coordinate
attack between the cavalry wings.
[13][14]

The Meccans attacked with their initial charge led by the Medinan exile Abu Amir. Thwarted by a
shower of stones from the Muslims, Abu Amir and his men were forced to retire and tend to the
camps behind the Meccan lines. The Meccan standard-bearer, Talhah ibn Abi Talhah al-Abdari,
advanced and challenged the enemy to a duel. Ali (Ali ibn Abi Talib), the young cousin of
Muhammad, rushed forth and struck Talhah down in a single blow. Talhah's brother, `Uthman, ran
forward to pick up the fallen banner the Meccan women willing him on with songs and the loud
beating of timbrels. Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib emerged from the Muslim ranks, bringing him to a
similar fate as Talhah. It was their family that was responsible for the Meccan army's standardbearing, and thus one by one, Talhah's brothers and sons went to retrieve the Meccan banner and
fight unsuccessfully, until they all eventually perished.
[15]

Following the duels, general engagement between the two armies commenced. Meccan confidence
quickly began to dissolve as the Muslims swept through their ranks. The Meccan army was pushed
back, and repeated attempts by its cavalry to overrun the left Muslim flank were negated by the
Muslim archers. Enjoying the best of these early encounters, the Muslims pierced through the
Meccan lines, with victory appearing certain. However, it was the detachment of the Muslim archers,
disobeying Muhammad's strict orders to remain stationary, that would shift the outcome of the battle,
as they ran downhill to join in the advance and despoil the Meccan camp, leaving the flank
vulnerable.
[16]

[7][14]

Grave of Hamza, Mount Uhud, Medina

At this critical juncture, the Meccan cavalry led by Khalid ibn al-Walid exploited this move and
attacked the remaining minority of Muslim archers who refused to disobey Muhammad's orders and
were still positioned on the hill. From there, the Meccans were then able to target and overrun the
Muslim flank and rear. Confusion ensued, and numerous Muslims were killed. Most notably was
Hamza, who had been thrown down in a surprise attack by the javelin of the Ethiopian slave of
Hind, Wahshi ibn Harb. While the Meccan riposte strengthened, rumors circulated that Muhammad
too had perished. It emerged, however, that Muhammad had only been woundeddue to missiles of
stone which resulted in a gash on his forehead and lip. It is recorded that Ali ibn Abi Talib alone
remained, fending off the assaults of Khalid's cavalrymen. According to Ibn Atheer, "The Prophet
became the object of the attack of various units of the army of Quraish from all sides. Ali attacked, in
compliance with Muhammad's orders, every unit that made an attack upon him and dispersed them
or killed some of them, and this thing took place a number of times in Uhud."
[7][14]

[17]

Muslim archers positioned on a hill during the Battle of Uhud, as depicted in Moustapha Akkad's 1976 film The Message

After fierce hand-to-hand combat, most of the Muslims managed to withdraw and regroup higher up
on the slopes of Uhud. A small faction was cut off and tried to make its way back to Medina, though
many of these were killed. The Meccans' chief offensive arm, its cavalry, was unable to ascend the
slopes of Uhud in pursuit of the Muslims, and so the fighting ceased. Hind and her companions are
said to have mutilated the Muslim corpses, cutting off their ears and noses and making the relics into
anklets. Hind is reported to have cut open the corpse of Hamza, taking out his liver which she then
attempted to eat. Abu Sufyan, after some brief verbal exchanges with Muhammad's
companion, Umar (Umar ibn al-Khattab), decided to return to Mecca without pressing his
advantage.
[18]

[19]

[7][14]

The battle is generally believed by scholars to be a defeat for the Muslims, as they had incurred
greater losses than the Meccans. Chase F. Robinson, writing in the Encyclopaedia of Islam, states
the notion that "the Muslims suffered a disheartening defeat is clear enough." Other scholars such
as William Montgomery Watt disagree, noting that while the Muslims did not win, the Meccans had
failed to achieve their strategic aim of destroying Muhammad and his followers; and that the
Meccans' untimely withdrawal indicated weakness on their part. The battle is also noted for the
emergence of the military leadership and tactical military genius of Khalid ibn al-Walid, who would
later become the most famous of all Arab generals during the Islamic expansion era, in conquering
the Sassanid Empire and Byzantine held Syria.
[7]

[20]

[21]

Aftermath[edit]
Muhammad and the Muslims buried the dead on the battlefield, returning home that evening. The
Meccans retired for the evening at a place called Hamra al-Asad, a few miles away from Medina.
The next morning, Muhammad sent out a small force to harry the Meccan army on their way home.
According to Watt, this was because Muhammad realized that a show of force was required to speed
the Meccans away from Medinan territory. The Meccans, not wanting to be perceived as being
chased away, remained nearby for a few days before leaving.
[22]

Muslim reaction[edit]
For the Muslims, the battle held a religious dimension as well as a military one. They had expected
another victory like at Badr, which was considered a sign of God's favor upon them. At Uhud,
however, they had barely held off the invaders and had lost a great many men. A verse of the Qur'an
revealed soon after the battle cited the Muslims' disobedience and desire for loot as the cause for
this setback:
[2][23]

Allah did indeed fulfil His promise to you when ye with His permission Were about to annihilate your
enemy,-until ye flinched and fell to disputing about the order, and disobeyed it after He brought you
in sight (of the booty) which ye covet. Among you are some that hanker after this world and some
that desire the Hereafter. Then did He divert you from your foes in order to test you but He forgave
you: For Allah is full of grace to those who believe.
Qur'an, sura 3 (Al-i-Imran), ayah 152

[24]

According to the Qur'an, then, the misfortunes at Uhud largely the result of the rear guard
abandoning their position in order to seek booty were partly a punishment and partly a test for

steadfastness. Firestone observes that such verses provided inspiration and hope to the Muslims,
sacralizing future battles that they would experience. He adds that rather than demoralizing the
Muslims, the battle seemed to reinforce the solidarity between them.
[23]

[25]

Further conflict[edit]
Abu Sufyan, whose position as leader was no longer undisputed, set about forging alliances with
surrounding nomadic tribes in order to build up strength for another advance on Medina. The
success of the Meccans' rousing of tribes against Muhammad reaped disastrous consequences for
him and the Muslims with two main losses: one was where a Muslim party had been invited by a
chieftain of the Ma'unah tribe, who were then killed as they approached by the tribe of Sulaym; while
the other was when the Muslims had sent out instructors to a tribe which stated it wanted to convert
to Islam the instructors had been led into an ambush by the guides of the would-be Muslim tribe,
and were subsequently killed. Soon thereafter, Muhammad became convinced that the Jewish
tribe Banu Nadir harbored enmity towards him and were plotting to kill him. The Banu Nadir were
expelled from Medina after a fifteen-day siege, with some relocating to the oasis of Khaybarand
others to Syria. Abu Sufyan, along with the allied confederate tribes, would attack Medina in the
Battle of the Trench, two years after the events at Uhud (in 627).
[26]

[27]

[2]

Islamic primary sources[edit]


Quran[edit]
The event is mentioned in the Quran verse
Mubarakpuri, as well as
,
.
[28]

[Quran 3:122]

[Quran 8:36]

according to the Muslim scholar Safiur Rahman

[Quran 3:167] [29]

The Muslim Mufassir Ibn Kathir's commentary on this verse in his book Tafsir ibn Kathir is as follows:

Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Az-Zuhri, Muhammad bin Yahya bin Hibban, `Asim bin `Umar bi
bin Ishaq said, "This Ayah was revealed about them, according to Ibn `Abbas,

(Verily, those who disbelieve spend their wealth...) until,

(they who are the losers. ) Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hakam bin `Uyaynah, Qatadah, As-Suddi an
hate it. He will give aid to His religion, make His Word dominant, and His religion will prevail above

Hadith[edit]
Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri mentions that this incident is also mentioned in the Sunni Hadith
collection Sahih al-Bukhari. Sahih al-Bukhari, 4:52:276 mentions:
[31]

The Prophet appointed 'Abdullah bin Jubair as the commander of the infantry men (archers) who were
(i.e. the enemy) and collect our share from the war booty." But when they went to them, they were for

It is also mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari, 3:30:108 that Quran verse


event:

[Quran 4:88]

was revealed about this

When the Prophet went out for (the battle of) Uhud, some of his companions (hypocrites) returned (ho

The event is also mention in Sahih Muslim, 4:2050

Biographical literature[edit]
This event is mentioned in Ibn Ishaq's biography of Muhammad. Most of the information available
about the events is derived from the siramaghazi traditions (biographical narratives and
documentation of military campaigns) of the early centuries of Islam. The general sequence of the
events gained consensus early on, as demonstrated in the text of Ibn Ishaq, an early biographer of
Muhammad. Accounts of the battle are derived mainly from descendants of the participants. Much of
the basic narrative and chronology, according to Robinson, is reasonably authentic, although some
of the more elaborate details such as the exact scale of the Muslim defeat may be doubtful or
difficult to ascertain.
[30]

[7]

Battle of Uhud in warfare[edit]


Though strategically indecisive, the conduct of the battle was sufficient proof of the military
awareness of the Arabs even before their campaigns in Persia and Syria. The basic assumption that
Arabs were generally raiders and learned warfare from the Persians and Syrians is proved wrong
here. Abu Sufyan made full use of his cavalry by deploying them as two mobile wings. The infantry
based centre provided the base upon which the cavalry would operate. He intended to pull the
celebrated "Double Envelopment" maneuver. He deployed his forces in the same manner as a
Persian or Byzantine general would have done.
Muhammad on the other hand showed his ability as a general by choosing the battlefield of Uhud.
He decided according to the will of Muslims to fight in open country but he was aware of the superior
mobility of the Meccans. He knew an encounter in open country would expose the infantry wings to
envelopment, so to neutralize the Meccan mobility factor, he decided to hold high ground with Mount
Uhud in their rear, which provided security from any attack from the rear. Moreover as the front was
of approximately of 800 to 900 yd (730 to 820 m) and on one flank he rested Mount Einein and on
other flank were the defiles of Mount Uhud so in military language he refused both wings to the
Meccan cavalry. The only approach from which they could be taken from the rear was protected by
the deployment of archers. This battle is a specimen of how an infantry based entity should fight
against a cavalry dominated arm. The comparison of this battle with the Battle of Guadalete fought
by Tariq ibn Ziyad against the Visigothic Kingdom is indeed striking.
[32]

Modern references[edit]
The battle of Uhud is the second of the two main battles featured in Moustapha Akkad's 1976 film
centering on the life of Muhammad, Mohammad, Messenger of God. The other battle featured is the
battle of Badr. The battle of Uhud is also depicted in the 2004 animated film, Muhammad: The Last
Prophet, directed byRichard Rich, and in the 2012 TV series Farouk Omar. The cave in Mount
Uhud where Muhammad rested temporarily during the battle has also received recent media
attention in the light of proposals by some Islamic scholars for it to be destroyed.
[33]

[34]

[35]

See also[edit]

Battle of Badr

Abu Dujana

Umm Hakim

Hammanah bint Jahsh

Nusaybah bint Ka'ab

List of Sahaba

List of battles of Muhammad

Umm Ayman (Barakah) the woman who was present at the Battle of Uhud

Notes[edit]
1.

Jump up^ Watt (1974) p. 136

2.

^ Jump up to:a b c Cambridge History of Islam 1A (1977) pp. 47-48

3.

Jump up^ Peters (1994) pp. 211214

4.

Jump up^ Watt (1974) pp. 142143

5.

Jump up^ Watt (1974) pp. 132135

6.

Jump up^ Mubarakpuri, The Sealed Nectar, p. 181. (online)

7.

^ Jump up to:a b c d e f "Uhud", Encyclopedia of Islam Online

8.

Jump up^ Watt (1974) p. 135

9.

Jump up^ Guillaume 813

10.

Jump up^ Watt (1974) p. 137

11.

Jump up^ Quran 3:166168

12.

Jump up^ Review: The lesson of Uhud defeat (in Arabic)

13.

Jump up^ Muir; Weir (1912) p. 258

14.

^ Jump up to:a b c d Watt (1974) pp. 138139

15.

Jump up^ Muir; Weir (1912) p. 259

16.

Jump up^ Muir; Weir (1912) p. 260

17.

Jump up^ Reasons for the battle of Uhud

18.

Jump up^ Ibn Ishaq (1955) 380388, cited in Peters (1994) p. 218

19.

Jump up^ Ibn Ishaq records this exchange as follows:


When (the Quraysh leader) Abu Sufyan wanted to leave, he went to the top of the mountain and shouted loudly, saying,
"You have done a fine work. Victory in war goes by turns: today is in exchange for the day of Badr. Show your superiority,
Hubal", that is, vindicate your religion. The Messenger told Umar to go up and answer him and say, "God is most high
and most glorious. We are not equal: our dead are in paradise, yours are in hell." At this answer Abu Sufyan said to
Umar, "Come up here to me." The Messenger told him to go and see what Abu Sufyan was up to. When he came Abu
Sufyan said, "I adjure you by God, Umar, have we killed Muhammad?""By God, you have not, he is listening to what you
are saying right now", Umar replied. Abu Sufyan said, "I regard you as more truthful and reliable than Ibn Qami'a",
referring to the latter's claim that he had killed Muhammad.

cf. Ibn Ishaq (1955) 380388, cited in Peters (1994) p. 219


20.

Jump up^ See:

Cambridge History of Islam 1A (1977) pp. 4748

Firestone (1999) p.132

21.

Jump up^ See:

Andrae; Menzel (1960) p. 150;

Nafziger; Walton (2000) pp. 16-18;

Watt (1974) p. 200

22.

Jump up^ See:

Watt (1981) p. 432;

An early Muslim historian, al-Waqidi, records 'Amr ibn al-'As (a Meccan commander) as saying:
When we renewed the attack against them, we smote a certain number of them, and they scattered in every
direction, but later a party of them rallied. Quraysh then took counsel together and said, The victory is ours, let us
depart. For we had heard that Ibn Ubayy had retired with a third of the force, and some of the Awsand
the Khazraj had stayed away from the battle, and we were not sure that they would not attack us. Moreover we had
a number of wounded, and all our horses had been wounded by the arrows. So they set off. We had not reached arRawha until a number of them came against us and we continued on our way.

cited in Peters (1994) p. 219.


23.

^ Jump up to:a b Watt(1974) p. 144

24.

Jump up^ Quran 3:152

25.

Jump up^ Firestone (1999) p. 132

26.

Jump up^ Watt (1974) pp. 147148

27.

Jump up^ Nadir, Banu-l. Encyclopedia of Islam Online

28.

Jump up^ Mubarakpuri, The sealed nectar: biography of the Noble Prophet , p. 292.

29.

Jump up^ Mubarakpuri, The sealed nectar: biography of the Noble Prophet , pp. 299-300.

30.

^ Jump up to:a b Muhammad Saed Abdul-Rahman, Tafsir Ibn Kathir Juz' 9 (Part 9): Al-A'Raf 88 to Al-Anfal 40, p.
226, MSA Publication Limited, 2009, ISBN 1861795750. (online)

31.

Jump up^ Mubarakpuri, The sealed nectar: biography of the Noble Prophet , p. 296 (footnote 2).

32.

Jump up^ Akram, Agha Ibrahim (2004), Khalid bin al-Waleed - His Life and Campaigns, Oxford University
Press: Pakistan, ISBN 0-19-597714-9

33.

Jump up^ Review: The Message. Mark Campbell, 24 April 2004.

34.

Jump up^ "Muhammad The Last Prophet": A Movie Below Expectations. Islamonline.net.

35.

Jump up^ Call to destroy Uhud cave rejected. 23 January 2006, ArabNews . Retrieved 2007-06-07.

References[edit]
Books and journals

Andrae, Tor; Menzel, Theophil (1960). Mohammed: The Man and His Faith. New York: Harper Torchbook. OCLC 871364.

Firestone, Rueven (1999). Jihad: The Origin of Holy War in Islam. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-512580-0.

Holt, P. M.; Bernard Lewis (1977a). Cambridge History of Islam, Vol. 1A. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-291364.

I. Ishaq and A. Guillaume (October 2002). The Life of Muhammad. Oxford University Press, USA; New Impression
edition. ISBN 0-19-636033-1.

Muir, William; Weir, T. H. (1912). The Life of Mohammad. Edinburgh: John Grant. OCLC 5754953.

Nafziger, George F.; Walton, Mark W. (2003). Islam at War: a history. Westport, CT: Praeger. ISBN 0-275-98101-0.

Peters, F.E (1994). Muhammad and the Origins of Islam. Albany: SUNY Press. ISBN 0-7914-1875-8.

Watt, W. Montgomery (1974). Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19881078-4.
Watt, W. Montgomery (1981). Muhammad at Medina. Oxford University Press; New edition. ISBN 0-19-577307-1.

Encyclopedias

Robinson, C. F. "Uhud". In P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Encyclopaedia
of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573-3912.

Vacca, V. "Nadir, Banu-l". In P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P.
Heinrichs. Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573-3912.

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