
A detailed account of the life of Imam Husayn (a) and his personality, the tragedy of Karbala and the sacrifice of the Imam (a) and his companions, and a detailed analysis of Shi’i behaviours, like mourning and crying to refute the doubts of being un-Islamic.
- The Uprising of Ashura and Responses to Doubts
- Foreword
- Imam al-Husayn’s Personality
- Imam al-Husayn (as) in Sunni Books
- Imam al-Husayn’s (as) birth
- Imam al-Husayn’s (as) acts of worship
- Imam al-Husayn’s (as) forbearance
- Imam al-Husayn’s (as) virtues in the words of the Prophet (S)
- Al-Husayn (as) as described by the Prophet’s (S) companions
- Imam al-Husayn (as) in the words of the tabi‘in
- Imam al-Husayn (as) from the viewpoint of Sunni scholars
- The martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn
- Imam al-Husayn (as), the Leader of the Youths of Paradise
- Hadith
- Stipulation of the correctness and authenticity of this hadith
- Alterations and Distortions
- The First Alteration: The exception of Jesus Christ (as) and John the Baptist (as)
- The Second alteration: distortion of the hadiths in favor of the Shaykhayn (Abu Bakr and ‘Umar)
- 1. The hadiths recounted by al-Tirmidhi
- 2. The hadith recounted by Ibn Majah
- 3. The hadith narrated by Haythami
- 4. The hadith recounted by Dulabi
- 5. The hadith recounted by ‘Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal
- 6. The hadiths recounted by Khatib Baghdadi
- The first chain of transmission
- The second chain of transmission
- The third chain of transmission
- The fourth chain of transmission
- The hadith recounted by Ibn Hajar
- The hadith recounted by Ibn al-Najjar
- The hadith recounted by Ibn ‘Asakir
- The hadith recounted by Ibn Abi Shaybah
- The hadith recounted by Tahawi
- The first chain of transmission
- The second chain of transmission
- The third chain of transmission
- The fourth chain of transmission
- The hadith recounted by Ibn Abi Hatam
- The hadith narrated by Tabarani
- The first chain of transmission
- The second chain of transmission
- The hadith narrated by Ibn Qutaybah
- Conclusion
- Yazid and His Household
- Abu Sufiyan, Yazid’s Grandfather
- Mu‘awiyah, Yazid’s Father
- Mu‘awiyah before accepting Islam
- Mu‘awiyah’s antagonism against Islam
- Mu‘awiyah and his great [kabirah] sins
- Mu‘awiyah dranked alcoholic beverages
- Mu‘awiyah engaged in usury
- Mu‘awiyah altered the practice of obligatory rituals
- Failure to recite the traveler’s prayer on journeys
- Friday Congregational Prayers done on Wednesday
- Mu‘awiyah provides verdict opposed to the Qur’an
- Innovations due to enmity with Imam ‘Ali (as)
- Mu‘awiyah and abandonment of divine limits
- Mu‘awiyah wore clothing that was prohibited
- Ziyad attributed to Abu Sufiyan
- Coercion used to get allegiance for Yazid
- Mu‘awiyah’s rebellion against the righteous leader
- Mu‘awiyah’s heinous crimes against the Shi‘ahs
- Mu‘awiyah’s crimes after the peace settlement
- Mu‘awiyah himself cursed Imam ‘Ali (as)
- Mu‘awiyah’s purpose for annihilating Bani Hashim
- The Holy Prophet (S) forbade the cursing ‘Ali (as)
- The judgment for anyone who curses Imam ‘Ali (as)
- The Illegitimacy of Yazid’s Caliphate
- Evidence regarding the illegitimacy of Yazid’s caliphate
- 1. The Imamate of Husayn ibn ‘Ali (as)
- 2. Imam al-Husayn’s (as) infallibility
- 3. Allah’s Prophet (S) is pleased with al-Husayn (as)
- 4. al-Husayn (as), the master of the youths of Paradise
- 5. The continuity and stability of the Prophet’s (S) mission depended heavily on al-Husayn’s (as) uprising
- 6. Peace treaty with Imam al-Hasan and the caliphate
- 7. Mu‘awiyah himself was not the legitimate caliph
- 8. The absence of allegiance for Yazid
- The supporters of Imam al-Husayn’s (as) uprising
- Yazid, Instigator of Imam al-Husayn’s (as) Death
- Ibn Taymiyyah’s defence of Yazid
- 1. Yazid appointed Ibn Ziyad governor of Kufah
- 2. Yazid and Ibn Ziyad were in constant contact
- 3. Yazid’s order: allegiance or death
- 4. Yazid’s second letter to Walid ibn ‘Aqabah
- 5. Exposing Imam al-Husayn (as) to death
- 6. While in Mecca, Imam al-Husayn (as) foretold that the enemies of Allah were planning to kill him
- 7. Yazid issued the order to put Imam al-Husayn (as) to death
- 8. Ibn Ziyad’s letter to Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 9. Ibn ‘Abbas’s letter to Yazid
- 10. Yazid publicly boasted about killing Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 11. Ibn Ziyad, highly regarded after killing al-Husayn (as)
- 12. Declaration of one present in Yazid’s court
- 13. Yazid was informed about everything
- 14. Yazid’s son admitted his father’s guilt
- 15. Ibn Ziyad was not censured for killing Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 16. Ibn Ziyad retained his high governmental post
- 17. Yazid sent rewards for ‘Ubayd Allah in Ziyad
- 18. Yazid protected ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad from criticism
- 19. ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad was Yazid’s courtier and advisor
- 20. Choosing one of two options
- 21. Imam al-Sajjad (as) made the truth clear
- 22. Yazid expressed pleasure at killing Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 23. Yazid’s actions correspond with his personality
- 24. Yazid in the viewpoint of Sunni scholars [‘ulama’]
- Responses to doubts
- Yazid ibn Mu‘awiyah and the Massacre of the People of Medina
- Mourning and Lamentation
- Mourning and Paying Homage to Allah’s Awliya’
- Different types of religious rites and ceremonies
- Reasons for the preference for holding ceremonies
- Implementation according to common sense and wisdom
- Responses to doubts
- 1. Only the Divine Legislator can originate laws
- 2. The necessity of delegation of auhtority by Allah
- 3. The halal (lawful) will be mistaken to be haram (unlawful) and vice versa
- 4. This amounts to playing with basic doctrines of shari‘ah
- 5. Extension of the concept to all instances
- 6. Desecration of fundamentals of Islam and pillars of the shari‘ah
- 7. Some rites and rituals are harmful
- 8. Ridiculing the shari‘ah
- Mourning from the Viewpoint of Reason
- Mourning as a Manifestation of Love and Hatred
- The Psychology of Mourning
- The stages of mourning
- Mourning ceremonies and depression
- The Religious Verdict Concerning Attending Mourning Ceremonies for the Awliya’ of Allah
- Holding Mourning Ceremonies in the Interest of Unity
- Beating the Chest to Mourn Imam al-Husayn (as)
- Examination of the reasoning of opponents
- Wearing Black Clothes
- Reciting Elegies
- Reciting Elegies in the Form of Prose
- A. Reciting mournful songs for the awliya’ of Allah
- B. Reciting elegies when mourning for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 1. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose for Imam al-Husayn (as) even before the birth of Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 2. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose for Imam al-Husayn (as) in the Mosque after the birth of Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 3. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose for Imam al-Husayn (as) in the house of Umm Salamah
- 4. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose in the house of ‘A’ishah
- 5. The Holy Prophet (S) recited elegies in the form of prose after the death of Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 6. Imam ‘Ali (as) recited elegies for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 7. Imam al-Sadiq (as) recited elegies in the form of prose
- 8. Umm al-Banin recited elegies in the form of prose
- 9. Zaynab (as) recited elegies in the form of prose
- 10. Ibn ‘Abbas recited elegies in the form of prose
- 11. Zayd ibn Arqam recited elegies in the form of prose
- 12. Hasan Basri recited elegies in the form of prose
- Reciting elegies in the form of poetry
- Reasoning regarding the recitation of poetic elegies
- 1. The precept of permissibility [ibahah]
- 2. Exalting and venerating the mottos [sha‘a’ir] of religion
- 3. The poetic elegies of Prophet Adam (as)
- 4. Poetic elegies recited for the Holy Prophet (S)
- A. Poetic elegies of Fatimah al-Zahra (as)
- B. Poetic elegies of the daughter of ‘Abd al-Muttalib
- C. Poetic elegies of Hassan ibn Thabit
- D. Poetic elegies of Abu Sufiyan ibn Harith
- E. Poetic elegies of Abi Dhu’ayb ibn Hadhali
- F. Poetic elegies of Abi al-Haytham ibn Tayyahan
- G. Poetic elegies of Umm Ra‘lah Qushayriyyah
- H. Poetic elegies of ‘Amir ibn Tufayl
- I. Poetic elegies of Suad ibn Qarib
- 5. Recitation of poetic elegies before the Holy Prophet (S)
- A. Poetic elegies for Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib
- B. Poetic elegies for ‘Ubaydah ibn Harith ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, one of the martyrs of the Battle of Badr
- C. Elegies for Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib and those Martyred with him
- D. Poetic elegies for those killed on the day of Raji‘
- E. Poetic elegies of Na‘am when grieving over her husband who was one of the martyrs of the Battle of Uhud
- F. Elegies for Sa‘d ibn Ma‘adh, wounded at Khandaq
- G. Elegies for the martyrs of the Well of Ma‘unah
- H. Poetic elegies for ‘Uthman ibn Maz‘un
- I. Poetic elegies for Walid ibn Walid ibn Mughayrah
- J. Elegies for Zayd ibn ‘Umar ibn Khattab
- K. Poetic elegies of Imam ‘Ali (as) grieving Fatimah (as)
- Poetic elegies recited for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- Reasoning regarding the recitation of poetic elegies
- Reciting Elegies in the Form of Prose
- Crying
- Crying from the Viewpoint of the Holy Qur’an and Traditions
- The Effects of Crying
- The Reasoning behind Crying about the Sufferings of the awliya’ of Allah
- A Historical View of Crying for the Sufferings of Allah’s Awliya’
- 1. Prophet Adam (as) cried for Abel
- 2. Jacob (as) cried due to separation from Joseph
- 3. The Holy Prophet (S) cried for Hamzah
- 4. The Noble Prophet (S) cried for his progeny
- 5. The Prophet (S) cried for his grandfather, ‘Abd al-Muttalib
- 6. The Prophet (S) cried for martyrs of the War of Mu’tah
- 7. The Holy Prophet (S) cried for Ja‘far
- 8. The Noble Prophet (S) cried for his mother
- 9. The Holy Prophet (S) cried for Fatimah bint Asad
- 10. The Noble Prophet (S) cried for ‘Uthman ibn Maz‘un
- 11. The Holy Prophet (S) cried for his child Ibrahim (as)
- 12. The Noble Prophet (S) gave permission to cry
- 13. Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (as) cried mourning Fatimah
- 14. Amir al-Mu’minin (as) cried mourning over ‘Ammar
- 15. Imam ‘Ali (as) cried mourning for Hashim ibn ‘Utbah
- 16. Imam ‘Ali (as) cried for Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr
- 17. Fatimah al-Zahra (as) cried for her father (as)
- 18. Fatimah al-Zahra (as) cried for her mother
- 19. Fatimah al-Zahra (as) cried for Ruqayyah
- 20. Fatimah al-Zahra (as) cried for Ja‘far
- 21. Al-Hasan (as) and people of Kufah cried for Imam ‘Ali (as)
- 22. Imam al-Husayn (as) cried for his brother ‘Abbas (as)
- 23. Imam al-Husayn (as) cried for Muslim ibn ‘Aqil
- 24. Imam al-Husayn (as) cried for his breastfeeding newborn
- 25. Imam al-Husayn (as) cried for Qays ibn Musahhar
- 26. Imam al-Husayn (as) cried for Hurr ibn Yazid Riyahi
- 27. The people of Medina cried mourning the Prophet (S)
- 28. The people of Medina cried for Imam al-Hasan (as)
- 29. Abu Hurayrah cried for Imam al-Hasan (as)
- 30. Sa‘id ibn ‘As cried while mourning Imam al-Hasan (as)
- 31. Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah cried for Imam al-Hasan (as)
- 32. People of Medina cried remembering the Prophet (S)
- Crying while Mourning for Imam al-Husayn
- 1. The Prophet (S) cried mourning for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 2. Imam ‘Ali (as) cried for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 3. Imam al-Sajjad (as) cried in mourning for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 4. Imam al-Sadiq (as) cried for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 5. Ibn ‘Abbas cried for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 6. Anas ibn Malik cried for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 7. Zayd ibn Arqam cried for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 8. Umm Salamah cried for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 9. Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan Basri cried for al-Husayn (as)
- 10. Rabi‘ ibn Khuthaym cried for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 11. The people of Kufah cried for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- 12. The generation that came after the Prophet’s companions cried for Imam al-Husayn (as)
- Examining Opposing Claims
- Pretending to Cry while Mourning for the Awliya’ of Allah
- The Effects of Ashura
- ‘Ashura from the Viewpoint of Great Thinkers of the World
- The English author and explorer, Freya Stark
- Proffessor Edward Granville Browne (1862-1926)
- Charles Dickens
- Thomas Masaryk
- Justice A. Russell
- Captain H. Niblet
- Gibbon, the English historian (1737-1794)
- Morris Duxbury
- Borris Salama
- Gabriel Dankiri
- George Jordaq
- Doctor Joseph
- Claudine Rulu
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Sawir Jiny Naid
- Irunick
- Al-Jamili
- The German researcher Martin
- Jurji Zaydan
- Nicholson
- ‘Ashura and Religious Transformation
- ‘Ashura from the Viewpoint of Great Thinkers of the World
- Prostration on the Soil of Karbala (The Land of Imam al-Husayn’s Martyrdom)
- Responses to Doubts
- Who Killed Imam al-Husayn (as)?
- The different aspects of the Shi‘ah Islam
- Who is a real Shi‘ah?
- The Shi‘ism of the people of Kufah
- The exile of religious and pious Shi‘ahs from Kufah
- The Shi‘ahs from Kufah joined Imam al-Husayn (as)
- Martyrs who carried messages
- The forerunners of martyrdom
- The presence of Khawarij in Kufah
- The presence of followers of Abu Sufiyan in Sa‘d’s army
- Did Imam al-Husayn (as) have Prior Information about his Martyrdom?
- Did Allah Leave Imam al-Husayn (as) Unaided?
- Why Did Imam al-Husayn (as) Bring his Family to Karbala?
- Why did Imam al-Husayn (as) give his Companions Permission to Leave?
- Why did Muslim ibn ‘Aqil not kill ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad in Hani’s House?
- Why Didn’t Abu al-Fadl Drink Water?
- Is Obeying a Tyranical Ruler Incumbent upon Muslims?
- Religious edicts [fatwas] issued by the Sunnis about obeying a corrupt and oppressive ruler
- Edicts regarding illegality of rising up against a tyrant
- Reasons put forward by the Sunnis
- Incongruities in this argument
- A. Response regarding traditions
- 1. Opposition with the explicit wording of the Holy Qur’an
- 2. These hadiths are opposed to Qur’anic verses which prove that it is forbidden to follow and obey sinners
- 3. These hadiths are opposed to the Qur’anic verses which prove that enjoining the good and forbidding the evil is incumbent upon Muslims
- 4. These hadiths are opposed to other hadiths narrated by the Sunnis themselves
- 5. These hadiths are opposed to hadiths of the Ahl al-Bayt (as)
- Who is Imam al-Husayn (as)?
- The reality behind hadiths that permit obeying a corrupt ruler
- B. Response to the false claim that it is binding upon all Muslims to preserve the system
- A. Response regarding traditions
- Why did Imam al-Hasan (as) Make Peace while Imam al-Husayn (as) Rose up in Arms?
- What is the Ruling Regarding the Fast of ‘Ashura?
- Enacting and enforcing the fast of ‘Ashura before the fast of the holy month of Ramadan
- Opinions put forth by Shi‘ah scholars
- The opinions of Sunni jurisprudents
- A critique of ‘Asqalani’s statements
- The verdict of fasting on the day of ‘Ashura
- Hadiths which prevent fasting on the day of ‘Ashura
- Preference for traditions which prevent fasting on ‘Ashura
- The aversion of fasting on the day of ‘Ashura
- ‘Ashura, a festival for Bani Umayyah
- Accounting for hadiths which oppose each other
- Who Killed Imam al-Husayn (as)?