Battle of Karbala

123355

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

Imam Hussain (AS) knew definitely that he will be martyred in Karbala and went for his martyrdom because it was the only way to save Islam from deviation and Muslim Ummah from doing astray.

No doubt, Imam Hussain was informed by his grandfather, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), his mother (SA) , his father (AS) and his brother Imam Hasan (AS) about details of what will happen in Karbala. Allah (SWT) grants His best servants from His knowledge of the Unseen.

Wassalam.

103309

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

Imam Hussain (AS) knew that he will be martyred in Karbala and went all the way to Karbala to save Islam in his martyrdom as no way was possible to save Islam from the deviation but his martyrdom. Imam Husain's aim was not his personal safety but saving Islam even if the cost was his martyrdom.

He kept telling his family members and companions that he will be martyred.

Wassalam.

97453

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

There are many authentic sources about Karbala tragedy which can be found in the authentic narrations from Ahlul Bayt (AS) in our books of Hadeeth like Al-Kaafi, Al-Tahtheeb, Al-Estibsaar, al-Faqeeh, Jaami' al-Ziyaraat,etc.

Wassalam.

121483

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

Yes. We have authentic Hadeeths that weeping for tragedies of Ahlul Bayt (AS). Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (AS) said: Any believer who weeps on our sufferings from our enemies till his tears flow on his cheek, Allah will grant him a place in Paradise. Kaamil al-Ziyarat by Ibn Qawlawayh , page 100.

Wassalam.

112817

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

According to Amaali al-Shaikh al-Sadouq, Janab e Muslim ibn Aqeel (AS) had two sons martyred in the day of Ashura with Imam Husain (AS) and another two sons who ran away from Karbala after the martyrdom of imam Husain (AS). These two sons where martyred later on after Karbala and were buried near Musayyab in Iraq. أمالي الشيخ الصدوق

Wassalam.

112237

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

Hazrat Abbas (AS) was the chief commander of the army of imam Husain (AS) and he had to remain till the end of the battle.

Wassalam.

112238

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 2 years ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Please take a look at this video and hopefully it will answer your question.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLFxsMkKGVs

May you always be successful 

116693

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

We know that 18 of the sons of Imam Ali (AS) were martyred in Karbala. They are Imam Husain (AS), Abul Fadhl Al-Abbas (AS) and another 16 sons.

Muhammad ibn Al-Hanafiyyah was not well and could not join the caravan of imam Husain in Karbala.

Wassalam.

116094

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 2 years ago

Mecca, Medina, and Karbala are all considered holy sites in Shi'i narrations and tradition. 

It is not really useful to try to rank them. Mostly people ask this for sectarian reasons, i.e. to try to show whether or not Shi'is have the "correct" belief for a Muslim, or to judge whether individual Shi'is have the "correct" belief.

Each of these sites has its own role in the history of Islam and also has its own spiritual character. 

Furthermore, individual Shi'is vary in their personal views or personal perceptions of spiritual matters, such as their experience of a place. 

However, Mecca is central because it is the place for the required hajj, the direction of prayer, the homeland of the Prophet where he began his mission, and the sacred haram which is visited by the angels and sanctified in the Qur'an. It is also the birthplace of Imam 'Ali and is said to be the place where  Adam and Eve first came to earth.

Medina is also important as the site of the first Muslim community, the site of the final resting place of the Prophet, and the residence of some of the Imams.

According to Shi'i law, it is necessary (wajib) to perform pilgrimage to Mecca, and according to Shi'i narrations, one should also visit the Prophet's final resting place in Medina. It is considered highly recommended but not shari'ah-wajib to visit Karbala. So this gives some ranking.

It is also narrated from Imam al-Sadiq that every evening, seventy thousand angels descend, circle the Ka'bah, then go to visit the graves of Imam 'Ali and Imam Husayn, and then return to the heavens. So this also gives some idea of ranking.

Karbala is also emphasized in the Shi'i tradition, both for its spiritual merits, and also because the martyrdom of Imam Husayn is seen as central to the survival of Islam. 

There are a handful of narrations in which, on a creational or supra-worldly level, Karbala is treated as higher than Mecca. However, there are also narrations from the Shi'i Imams that say things like "Allah has preferred Mecca over all other cities" and "one prayer in the Prophet's Mosque [in Medina] is equal to a thousand prayers prayed elsewhere." 

So, from this, perhaps we can understand that the intent in these narrations is not to rank sacred sites, but just to indicate that certain places have a special sanctity.

Today, some Shi'is individually may say that, for them, visiting Karbala was a more spiritual experience than performing the hajj. This is likely due to the regrettable materialism that has overtaken Mecca (the clock tower, McDonald's, luxury hotels and meals for those who can afford it, etc), the demolition or alteration of sacred sites (such as the jamarat or Jannat al-Baqi'), mismanagement, the crowds, and the hostility towards Shi'is in today's Saudi, including from the minbar and by the religious police.

In any case, Shi'is worldwide are dedicated to performing the hajj, visiting Medina, and also visting Karbala. 
 

114730

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 2 years ago

I am not aware of any classical sources that specifically identify Za'far the jinn as coming to Karbala, although this story became popularized later. However, there are narrations which indicate that some of the jinn sympathized with or sought to aid Imam Husayn (A), and so the story of Za'far the jinn can be seen as reflective of that general idea. 

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

Yes, this has been mentioned in many books.

His name in Arabic us زعفر Za'far.
'Wassalam.

114266

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

Books of History mention that Hazrat Abul Fazl Al-Abbas (a.s.) had 5 sons;

1. Obaydullah, 
    2.    Al Fazl, 
    3.    3. Al Hasan, 
    4.    4. Al Qasim and 
    5.    5. Muhammad. 
    6.    History also mentioned that he had 2 daughters. Mohammad Ibn Al-Abbas is mentioned as one of the Martyrs in Karbala. 
Obaydullah son of Al-Abbas Ibn Ameerul Momeneen (a.s.) is been mentioned as the son who left children. All  the grandchildren of Al-Abbas (a.s.) were from the sons of Obaydullah. The grand and great grand children of Al-Abbas (a.s.) are many and they include many Scholars and very pious Momeneen and very respected Personalities in the history of Muslims. Of the well-known personalities from the great grandchildren of Al-Abbas is Al-Hamza who is buried in Al-Midhatiyyah near Al-Hilla and the whole area is now is called after him as Al-Hamza.     
Wassalam.