1. Al-Husain: To Karbala
By A.S. Hashim. MD

2. Al-Husain at Age 37 Al-Hasan, being sick with the poison:
vomiting blood material
Jaundiced and feeling very weak
Al-Hasan designates Al-Husain as the 3rd Imam
Wants to be buried by the Prophet if possible
Al-Husain’s Imamah starts

3. Al-Husain as the Imam Sees Ali being damned in every Jumu’ah Prayer
Al-Husain is in pain about the Ummah
Sees Ali being damned in every Jumu’ah Prayer
Numerous charlatans and opportunists playing havoc with Islam
Worried about the course Muslims taking for 10 years
Mu’awiya and his intrigue to install yazid, his son

4. Al-Husain Continues
Al-Husain continues to conduct his discourses at the Masjid Al-Nabawi
Is busy at home with family
Helps the poor and disadvantaged
Thinks about the future course of the Ummah with alarm

5. Mu’awiya sends Yazid for Haj
Yazid agrees to go for Haj
Yazid takes supply of liquor with him and singers to entertain him
Takes girls of ill-repute for company
The show was a disgrace, and the people see for themselves

6. To Install Yazid for Khilaafah
Mu’awiya sends to the Ummah:
Government workers
Secret Agents (spies)
Collaborators
To bribe and reward people who accept Yazid
To punish people with losing jobs or even being killed, if they oppose Yazid

7. Mu’awiya dies At age 75 Mu’awiya dies
At the time, Yazid was entertaining himself, hunting
Yazid was 30 years old by then
Mu’awiya ruled for 40 years and:
Introduced Monarchy
Lived Caesar like
Used the Public treasury as if it was his own
Hadith fabrication became common

8. Yazid and the People Majority of people refuse Yazid
People look for Husain’s leadership
Gloomy and resentful feeling prevails
High emotions in Iraq
12,000 letters reach Al-Husain from Iraq urging him to lead them

9. In Medina
Governor of Medina (Waleed ibn Ut’ba) calls on Al-Husain for interview
Atmosphere: somber and tense
Asks Al-Husain to give Allegiance to Yazid
Al-Husain answers: Tomorrow I’ll announce it to the People
Next morning Al-Husain leaves Medina for Mecca

10. Al-Husain and family in Mecca
It was Haj time, Husain was advised by many not to go to Iraq
Al-Husain sends his cousin (Muslim ibn Aqeel) to Kufa to ask for full support
Gives a very stirring Du’aa at Jabal Arafat
Leaves Mecca with family to Iraq before performing Haj

11. On the Way to Kufa Husain goes with family and close associates.
Sees Farazdaq (the poet) who says: Iraqis’ hearts are with him but their swords are against him
They hear that Aqeel was doing well in Iraq
Al-Husain is intercepted by Al-Hur and 1000 troops

12. Meanwhile in Kufa
At first Muslim ibn Aqeel was supported by 18,000 enthusiastic people in Kufa
The new Governor (Ibn Ziyad) induced an atmosphere of terror
Betrayal at its worst, people run away leaving ibn Aqeel to fend for himself
Alone, Muslim ibn Aqeel had to take refuge in a house

13. Muslim ibn Aqeel Killed
Muslim was overwhelmed by the troops
Was taken as a captive to Ibn Ziyad
Was promised by Al-Ash’ath to send a message to Al-Husain, but did not do it
Was killed and body thrown from top of building to the street
Same thing happened to Hani ibn Ur’wa

14. The Interception
Al-Hur did not allow Al-Husain except to go north, waiting for orders
Ibn Ziyad sent a force of 4000 under Omar ibn Sa’ad
The force stopped at Karbala
Al-Husain was intercepted, and the enemy swelled to 5000 (some say 30,000) fighters
Al-Husain’s group consisted of 72

15. Karbala It was during Summer, the heat was blazing
Al-Husain was aware of Karbala and what the Prophet had said about it.
Al-Husain was also aware of what Ali had said about Karbala
Al-Husain knew Karbala was the place for confrontation

16. Mecca to Karbala Distance about 1000 miles 18 overnight stops
Distance between overnight stops varies from 35 to 55 miles
The route is across the desert
Trip is arduous to say the least
Karbala

17. Al-Husain Remembers Ali Saying:
On the way to confront Mu’awiya, they passed by a dreary place
Ali asked about the name of the place
The answer was Karbala
Ali’s face showed profound grief and he said:
هنا محطُّ رِحالهم   ومهراق دمائهم
"IT IS HERE WHERE THEY WILL BE STOPPED
AND IT IS HERE WILL BE THE BLOOD-SHED."

18. With Al-Husain 72 persons were at Husain’s camp
3 year old Al-Baaqir was with them
8 were old Sahaaba (one was older than 90)
20 were Companions of Ali
Al-Husain’s family (total of 44)
All knew they were facing imminent death
They faced an enemy of 5,000 (some say 30,000)

19. The Negotiation
Al-Husain and Omar ibn Sa’ad negotiated about the direction to take
Commands came from Kufa by Ibn Ziyad as follows:
EITHER HAVE HUSAIN SURRENDER OR ANNIHILATE THE GROUP.
IF YOU DON'T CARRY OUT THE ORDER, SHIMR WILL REPLACE YOU
AND IMMEDIATELY CUT OFF YOUR HEAD!

20. Water was cut off by the seventh day
For 3 days water was cut off
Children were crying of devastating thirst
No water for cooking
No water for horses
Much Suffering and misery because of thirst
Conditions were desperate by the 10th day

21. The 9th day is Spent in Prayer
Al-Husain gives a speech to all to leave him alone and go for safety
They adamantly refuse
Night spent in intensive Prayer in anticipation to meet their Lord
Women preparing for the eventuality ahead

22. Al-Husain’s Speech on the 9th: #1
BE IT IN COMFORT OR TROUBLE, THE PRAISE IS FOR ALLAH, AND I ALWAYS THANK HIM.  I THANK HIM FOR HAVING HONORED OUR HOUSEHOLD WITH THE PROPHETHOOD.  HE GRANTED US THE FAVOR OF UNDERSTANDING OUR FAITH AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE QURAN.  O' LORD!  MAKE US THY GRATEFUL SERVANTS.
NEVER HAVE I KNOWN BETTER AND MORE FAITHFUL COMPANIONS THAN THESE MY OWN, AND NEVER HAVE I KNOWN BETTER AND MORE LOVING RELATIVES THAN THESE MY OWN.  MAY YOU, O' ALLAH, REWARD THEM PLENTIFULLY!

23. Al-Husain’s Speech on the 9th #2
BE IT IN COMFORT OR TROUBLE, THE PRAISE IS FOR ALLAH, AND I ALWAYS THANK HIM.  I THANK HIM FOR HAVING HONORED OUR HOUSEHOLD WITH THE PROPHETHOOD.  HE GRANTED US THE FAVOR OF UNDERSTANDING OUR FAITH AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE QURAN.  O' LORD!  MAKE US THY GRATEFUL SERVANTS.
NEVER HAVE I KNOWN BETTER AND MORE FAITHFUL COMPANIONS THAN THESE MY OWN, AND NEVER HAVE I KNOWN BETTER AND MORE LOVING RELATIVES THAN THESE MY OWN.  MAY YOU, O' ALLAH, REWARD THEM PLENTIFULLY!

24. Facing each other on the 10th
72 of Al-Husain’s facing thousands of the enemy
Many of the enemy were those who previously urged Al-Husain to join them against Yazid
They were Arabs, Muslims, Iraqi: Bound and determined to kill
To kill the very family of the Prophet and desecrate it

25. The confrontation

26. Al-Hur breaks away
Seeing the malice ahead, Al-Hur breaks away to join Al-Husain’s camp
Al-Hur asks forgiveness and is granted
Omar ibn Sa’ad throws an arrow to start the fight
Al-Hur was one of the firsts to face the enemy to fight till death
Al-Husain’s side had only 32 on horses

27. The Fight Al-Husain’s fighters were on the offensive
Enemy had to ask for reinforcement
They burned the tents in the back
The companions started to fall one after the other
By noon they stopped for Dhuhr Prayer
Ibn Mudhahir protected Al-Husain with his body, and fell of his wounds dead as the Prayer was finished

28. In the afternoon Left were the family consisting of:
Son Ali, about 19 Yrs old
Son, Zainul Abideen who was sick with fever
Al-Abbas with 4 of his brothers
17 Nephews all teenagers
Women and other young children

29. Al-Abbas Al-Abbas was the Commander and the flag bearer
Went to get water for the parched mouths
On way back fought an overwhelming enemy and was killed, arms cut, an arrow in his eye
He was preceded by all 4 brothers in fighting the enemy. All by then killed
Al-Husain in great grief at the loss

30. The Fighting in the Afternoon
Ali ibn Al-Husain fights bravely and ferociously, but is eventually overwhelmed by the enemy
Women and children watch in horror and anxiety, have very heavy feeling
17 Teenagers go out for the fight, get killed one after the other
A crying baby a few months old is hit with an arrow as Al-Husain was pleading for a drink of water for him

31. Al-Husain supplicates facing the enemy
O' LORD!  MAY I ASK YOU TO TAKE AWAY YOUR BOUNTY FROM THESE PEOPLE!  AND IF YOU, LORD, ALLOW THEM A RESPITE, MAY I ASK YOU TO SOW DIFFERENCE AMONG THEM AND LET THEM BE DIVIDED!

32. At another time Al-Husain said:
IT IS MY BLOOD THAT YOU WANT, BUT I ASK ALLAH ALMIGHTY TO HAVE ME HONORED BY DISGRACING YOU AND HUMILIATING YOU, AND IN WAYS YOU CANNOT IMAGINE, TAKE A FULL RETRIBUTION FROM YOU. 

33. Al-Husain bids farewell
Al-Husain bid his family good-bye
Saw to it to confer Zainul Abideen the Imamah
The heavy burden, emotional, physical, and thirst was unbearable
Goes to fight off the enemy in the service of Islam

34. Gets Severely Wounded Cut in many places and severely bleeding
Al-Husain becomes weak and falls from his horse
No one dared to finish him off
Shimr screamed at them, but they refuse
Then Shimr himself finished him off
Shimr’s mother was a disbeliever (Majoosi)

35. And with that: Was the Heavens welcoming Al-Husain, its Hero!
Or: Was the Heavens giving a notice to the atrocities committed!!!
WITH THAT, A SUDDEN LOUD THUNDER WAS HEARD AS IF IT WAS FROM FAR, HIGH ABOVE.

36. The horror to see
Flabbergasted women in anguish watched Al-Husain’s head severed
The heads of everyone else were severed
The horses trampling on the slain holy bodies
Cloths were stripped of the bodies
Zainul Abideen while sick was in great anguish, as well as others

37. The Enemy The enemy stole the women’s jewelry
Desecrated the family of the Prophet
Took all of them as captives to Ibn Ziyad in Kufa
Food and water was finally allowed

38. They face Ibn Ziyad
Ibn Ziyad tried to intimidate them, thinking he had shattered them beyond repair. 
Husain's sister, Zainab, answered him so sharply and in such a cutting manner he was taken aback
He turned back to the sick Zainul Abideen, and did the same.  Zainul Abideen's answer was just as sharp as his aunt’s, but through quoting the Holy Quran.
A few days later they were taken to Damascus

39. To Damascus
A trip of 800 miles, on camel’s back, taking many weeks to arrive
In front of them were 72 heads on the tip of spears
People in Syria were under the fabricated propaganda that Al-Husain was simply a rebel
On finding who he was, feelings changed dramatically
Processions were pathetic, to see how haggard and how humiliated the family of the Prophet was!

40. Face to face with Yazid
The evil 30 year old Yazid was sitting like the Byzantines. He was the fruit of Mu'awiya and Abu Sufyan
Seventy two severed heads with the horrible mask of death on them, were brought forward.
The women along with Zainul Abideen were in fetters.
Yazid had the audacity to play with the lips of Al-Husain with the end of his stick!!
These lips represented Muhammad (pbuh) and taught Islam.
It was these very lips that were kissed by Muhammad (pbuh) 57 years back

41. The Exchange A powerful exchange took place between the two sides
Yazid was rebuffed by Zainul Abideen through quotes from the Quran, and so did Zainab
They put the women and children in special quarters where the first Majlis took place, done by Zainab
Zainul Abideen gave a stirring speech at the Mosque
There was fear of uprising against the 30 Yr old Yazid

42. They return Given the choice to return to Medina or stay in Damascus:
They chose to return
Accompanied by a contingency of guards, they headed towards Medina
Zainab and Zainul Abideen worked incessantly to expose the disgrace that befell the Ummah at the hands of Benu Umayya

43. We Owe our Totality to Imam Husain
About the End:
A N D
   Such comes an end, to give birth to a beginning, since the end of Imam Husain was the beginning, the beginning of awakening.  It was the beginning of the Islamic awakening all over the world, it was almost the REBIRTH OF ISLAM.
We Owe our Totality to Imam Husain

44. Husain for whom the Quran Says
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
(Surah  33:  Ayah  33.  According to A'isha, Ayah of Tat'heer (Purification) was revealed on behalf of Fatima, Ali, Al-Hasan, and Al-Husain, see Sahih Muslim Vol. 3, Page 130.)
VERILY, ALLAH HAS DECREED TO PURIFY YOU, O' AHLUL BAYT, AND SANCTIFY YOU IN A PERFECT WAY

45. Husain for whom the Prophet Says
 الحسـن والحسـين سـيدا شـباب اهل الجنه
مََنٍ أحبَّ الحسـنَ والحسـين  فقد أحبَّنِي ومَنٍ أبغَضَـهُما  فقد أبغَضَني
أنا سِلمٌ لِمَن سالمـتم،   وحربٌُ لِمَن حاربتُم
AL-HASAN AND AL-HUSAIN ARE EACH A PRINCE OVER THE YOUTHFUL IN HEAVEN".
THE ONE WHO LOVES HASAN AND HUSAIN WILL ALSO HAVE LOVED ME, AND HE WHO DETESTS THEM,WILL HAVE DETESTED ME.
"IN PEACE I AM WITH HIM WHOM YOU ARE IN PEACE WITH AND IN BATTLE I AM WITH HIM WHOM YOU ARE IN BATTLE WITH

46. THE TRIUMPH OF VIRTUE OVER VICE
THE TRIUMPH OF VIRTUE OVER VICE 
VIRTUE
over
VICE
BENU HASHIM
 BENU UMAYYA
MUHAMMAD (pbuh)
Abu Sufyan fought Muhammad and Islam.
 ABU SUFYAN
ALI (a.s.)
Mu'awiya fought Ali, used deception.
 MU'AWIYA
AL-HASAN (a.s.)
Mu'awiya used deception with Al-Hasan then poisoned him.
AL-HUSAIN (a.s.)
Yazid killed Al-Husain in the worst manner.
YAZID

47. Ziyarah (Visitation) of Al-Husain
اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ‏
السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا خِيَرَةَ اللَّهِ وَابْنَ خِيَرَتِه
السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَابْنَ سَيِّدِ الْوَصِيِّينَ‏
السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ فَاطِمَةَ سَيِّدَةِ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ‏
السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ثَارَ اللَّهِ وَابْنَ ثَارِهِ وَالْوِتْرَ الْمَوْتُورَ

48. Ziyarah (Visitation) of Al-Husain
Peace be on you, O Aba Abdillah! Peace be on you, O son of the Messenger of Allah!
Peace be upon, O the Finest of God’s Creatures and the son of the Finest of God’s Creatures!
Peace be on you, O son of the Commander of the Faithful and the forebear of the Prophet's successors!
Peace be on you, O son of Fatima, the choicest among the women of the worlds!
Peace be on you, who was martyred while fighting in the cause of Allah, and the son of Allah's fearless warrior, who was attacked with a vengeance!

49. Shrine of Imam Al-Husain

50. Thank you and may God bless you
Be in Allah’s Care A.S. Hashim MD