- Date:
- October 10, 680
- Location:
- Euphrates River
- Iraq
- Karbala
- Participants:
- Umayyad dynasty
- YazÄŤdÄŤ
- Context:
- civil war
- Key People:
- al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlč
- YazÄŤd I
Battle of Karbala
What was the Battle of Karbala?
When and where did the Battle of Karbala take place?
Who were the main figures involved in the Battle of Karbala?
Why did the Battle of Karbala happen?
What happened during the Battle of Karbala and what was its outcome?
How is the Battle of Karbala remembered and why is it important in Islamic history?
Battle of Karbala, (October 10, 680 [10th of Muharram, ah 61]), brief military engagement in which a small party led by al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlč, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and son of ʿAlč, the fourth caliph, was defeated and massacred by an army sent by the Umayyad caliph Yazčd I. The battle helped secure the position of the Umayyad dynasty, but among Shiʿi Muslims (followers of Ḥusayn) the 10th of Muharram (or Ashura) became an annual holy day of public mourning.
YazÄŤd I succeeded his father, MuĘżÄwiyah I, to the caliphate in the spring of 680. In the city of KĹŤfah (in modern-day Iraq), those who maintained that the leadership of the Muslim community (ummah) rightly belonged to Muhammadâs cousin and son-in-law ĘżAlÄŤ ibn AbÄŤ ᚏÄlib and his descendants invited Ḥusayn to take refuge with them, promising to have him proclaimed caliph there. When YazÄŤd learned of the rebellious attitude of the ShiĘżah in KĹŤfah, he sent ĘżUbayd AllÄh, governor of Basra, to restore order. The latter did so, summoning the chiefs of the tribes, making them responsible for the conduct of their people, and threatening reprisal. Ḥusayn nevertheless set out from Mecca with his family and retainers expecting to be received with enthusiasm by the citizens of KĹŤfah.
However, on his arrival at Karbala, west of the Euphrates River, on October 10, he was confronted by a large army of perhaps 4,000 men sent by ĘżUbayd AllÄh and under the command of ĘżUmar ibn SaĘżd, son of the founder of KĹŤfah. Ḥusayn, whose retinue mustered perhaps 72 fighting men, nevertheless gave battle, vainly relying on the promised aid from KĹŤfah. He and almost all his family and followers were killed. The bodies of the dead, including that of Ḥusayn, were then mutilated, only adding to the consternation of later generations of the ShiĘżah.
The women who had accompanied Ḥusayn, including at least one of his wives, his sister Zaynab, and his surviving children, were taken first to KĹŤfah and then across the desert to YazÄŤd in Damascus. ShiĘżi tradition has it that Zaynab, among others, in KĹŤfah formally rebuked ĘżUbayd AllÄh and in Damascus challenged YazÄŤd and rejected his claim to the caliphate. She died in 681. The ShiĘżah maintain that she was buried in Damascus, and her supposed tomb is an important site of pilgrimage for the ShiĘżah. Sunni tradition has it that she was buried in Cairo.
ĘżUmar, ĘżUbayd AllÄh, and YazÄŤd came to be regarded by ĘżAlÄŤâs supporters as murderers, and their names have since been reviled by the ShiĘżah. ShiĘżi Muslims across the world observe the 10th of MuḼarram as a day of public mourning; some perform dramas (called taĘżziyyah in Arabic), similar to Christian passion plays, which commemorate the events at Karbala. Some also practice self-flagellation (matam). The tomb of Ḥusayn at Karbala is a very holy site for the ShiĘżah.