Encyclopedia of Islam

Further reading: Haifa Alangari, The Struggle for Power 

in Arabia: Ibn Saud, Hussein and Great Britain, 1914–1924

(New York: Ithaca Press, 1998); William L. Cleveland, A 

History of the Modern Middle East (Boulder, Colo.: West-

K  318  

Husayn ibn Ali, Sharif of Mecca

---

view Press, 2000); David Fromkin, A Peace to End All 

Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of 

the Modern Middle East (New York: Henry Holt, 1989).

Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib

 

(also 

Husain and Hussein)

 

(626–680)  grandson of 

the prophet Muhammad and third imam of the Shia, 

martyred at Karbala

m

Uhammad

, the 

prophet

 of Islam, left no sons and 

only two grandsons, Hasan and Husayn, who were 

born of his daughter F

atima

 (d. 633) and his trusted 

cousin  a

li

 

ibn

  a

bi

  t

alib

. Muhammad is remem-

bered to have been remarkably affectionate toward 

his grandsons, especially the younger, Husayn, who 

was six years old when his grandfather died.

Husayn was born in m

edina

 in 626. Along 

with his brother, he accompanied his father, Ali, 

on military campaigns. After the death of Ali 

(the fourth 

caliph

, though his followers thought 

he should have been the first) in 661, Hasan 

claimed the 

caliphate

 but soon renounced his 

claim under pressure from Muawiya, who had 

gathered military support in order to take over 

the caliphate for himself. Obedient to his brother, 

Husayn also acknowledged Muawiya as caliph 

and continued to do so even after Hasan’s death in 

669. He refused, however, to recognize Muawiya’s 

son Yazid (r. 680–683), who was known as an 

immoral tyrant, as heir apparent.

When Muawiya died in 680, the governor of 

Medina attempted to force Husayn to pay hom-

age to Yazid, but Husayn fled to m

ecca

. There he 

received word from citizens of Kufa in Iraq, who 

were sought to oppose the U

mayyad

 c

aliphate

 with 

Husayn as their leader. Despite warnings of the 

dangers of such a revolt, Husayn left Mecca with a 

small group of family and supporters to meet with 

his followers in Kufa. On the way, he was con-

fronted by Umayyad forces, and attempts at nego-

tiation failed. Husayn’s party eventually camped at 

a site in the desert known as k

arbala

. Husayn had 

learned that his followers in Kufa had abandoned 

him, and, being trapped in the desert and cut off 

from water, he gave his supporters the opportu-

nity to flee during the night, but they remained 

by his side, knowing that they were greatly out-

numbered and had little chance of surviving. On 

10 Muharram (a

shUra

), Husayn again refused to 

surrender, and fighting began. Though they fought 

courageously, the men of Husayn’s party were mas-

sacred, and Husayn too was killed. His head was 

cut off and sent to Yazid in Damascus along with 

the 

Women

 and 

children

 of his party, including his 

sister z

aynab

 and his son Ali, who would become 

the fourth i

mam

, Zayn al-Abidin (d. 713).

The spilling of the blood of the Prophet’s last 

grandson was an emotional event that touched all 

Muslims, but for the Shia it was a tragedy that dra-

matically symbolized injustice and oppression. With 

this event, 

martyrdom

 became a distinctive charac-

teristic of s

hiism

 and Husayn the archetypal martyr. 

His death at Karbala has been recounted in count-

less books and poems and is reenacted every year 

on 10 Muharram in emotional theatrical dramatiza-

tions often accompanied by mourners beating and 

slashing their bodies with razors to commemorate 

the shedding of the blood of Husayn.

See also 

ahl

 

al

-

bayt

; t

Welve

-i

mam

 s

hiism

.

Mark Soileau