Upon entering Iraq a cloud of dust was noticed from a distance, and Al-Husain soon saw numerous trotting horses rushing toward him.  This force of 1,000 led by Al-Hur was to intercept Husain's group.  Once face to face with Imam Husain the two sides talked, each explaining his mission.  Tension and a heavy unhappy feeling was in the air.  When time for Salat was due Imam Husain lead the Salat, not only for his camp of 72 but also for the foe of 1,000.  He did that not once but on two occasions.

   Al-Hur's orders from the Kufa Governor were to bring Imam Husain to the Governor himself, but Imam Husain refused.  While Al-Hur was waiting for further orders Imam Husain's camp kept moving on northwards.  They were closely followed and watched by the nervous and guilt-ridden Hur Force.  Within a few days another large force of 4,000 fighters (Some say 30,000 or more) came to the area, and they asked Imam Husain (a.s.) to stop where he was.  It was a place with no water or vegetation.

   Al-Husain camped then and there, and each side was absorbed in its own thoughts, each knowing it would not be too long.  There was a gloom, an eerie feeling in the air for the desolate, strange, and weird place looked odd to Husain yet somehow familiar.  The soil was hard, not that sandy, yet it was slightly on the red side.  Al-Husain's heart was seized with a heavy feeling of sort, and he bit on his molars:

   "What place is this?" Imam Husain asked.  "It is called Karbala," someone answered.  Upon hearing that, Husain's face became gray and he said:

   Imam Husain remembered that it was his father Imam Ali 20 years before who had said those words.  Ali had said it on the way to Siffin.  Karbala, then, was the spot the Prophet (pbuh) had talked about 56 years earlier when he had said, "Their blood will be shed, the blood of Imam Husain and others with him."  It was the fate they were destined to, it was that fate which pushed them in such a magnetic, unseen manner, it was toward Karbala!

   Karbala, it was you and toward you they came!  Karbala, you, such a dismal place, a place of sorrow, it was to be you!  The predictions will soon become facts, it seems that what the Prophet said will soon become fact.

AT KARBALA   

   The enemy's reinforcement was extremely large.  It consisted of 4,000 fighters (some say about 30,000 or more), under the leadership of Omar Ibn Sa'ad, a man who strangely enough was a relative of Imam Husain!!  Omar hesitated to take the hateful task of being against Husain, but when he learned he would lose his job, he changed his mind.  Strange as it may be, to him his job seemed of greater value than murdering the Imam and the Prophet's Designate in cold blood!  He knew well that Imam Husain was the highest Muslim figure and noblest authority of the time, the one who was in the place of the Prophet (pbuh) for the Ummah.

   It is also absurd to compare numbers, Imam Husain camp of 72 against a foe of 5,000, when you add the 1,000 under Hur, (some say the total was 30,000 or even more!!).  This enemy saw to it that 500 fighters were put on the Euphrates river just to prevent Husain's small band from the water, mind you even their children were to be without water!!

   When the need for water became desperate, Al-Abbas who was Imam Husain's brother, along with fifty men, forced their way to the river after having broken the resistance, and got some water, but it was hardly sufficient.

   For a few days Omar ibn Sa'ad and Imam Husain (a.s.) negotiated and they seemed to reach a good compromise.  The compromise however was not accepted by the Governor, who instead sent a man by the name of Shimr to give a new order to Omar ibn Sa'ad; the order was:

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!

   Benu Umayya, Mu'awiya, Yazid, and Ibn Ziyad were of the same substance, of the same nature.  Such had become the government of the Islamic nation, the tyranny of the time, and such was the sad situation.  But will the Jahiliya prevail or will Husain affirm Islam and triumph over, and if so, will it be by sacrificing himself?!

   There was a feeling of an impending disaster.  The guilt ridden foe, feeling at odds with themselves, was uneasy to say the least.  They knew they were doing a great wrong.  Days passed and the 9th day of the month of Muharram came to be.  The foe was preparing to annihilate a mere 72 and to simply compare numbers the enemy must have ridiculed themselves in shame.  The 72 were the noblest and the most eminent people of the Islamic world, among whom was Imam Al-Husain himself, the man who was loved by Muhammad (pbuh) and about whom Prophet Muhammad declared many times:

and it was Al-Husain about whom the Prophet (pbuh) often said:

   This made it obvious that any hurt a man inflicts on Imam Husain was a hurt inflicted on Muhammad (pbuh) and on Islam.

   One wonders how the people coming to annihilate Husain would face the Almighty!

   Imam Husain (a.s.) asked Ibn Sa'ad, the leader of the enemy, to postpone the engagement until the next day since he liked to do extra night prayers.  The request was granted immediately.

AT NIGHT:   

   In both camps, each and everyone was compulsively absorbed.  They were absorbed with the gravity of the situation.  A large force intending to do the evil of evils (yet, oddly enough they called themselves Muslims) was face to face to destroy the highest nobility on earth.  Both sides were aware of it.

   The ones on the side of Omar ibn Sa'ad were gripped with a heavy and worrisome feeling, their hearts were in knots and their minds full of questions.  Each tried to look for an excuse to relieve himself of a burning guilt, but there was none.  The promise of a job or money reward did not make them feel better.

   And strange as it may seem, they performed their Salat saying: "O' Allah, endow your grace upon Muhammad and Aali Muhammad" yet not reflecting about the phrase Aali Muhammad.  It is Al-Husain who is one of "Aali Muhammad," and therefore ask Allah's blessings for him in their Salat and at the same time intend to kill him!  Such is the case when worship becomes merely a lip-service, words and rituals with little substance!

   As to the Governor of Kufa, Ibn Ziyad, the blood thirsty man, he could hardly sleep.  Ibn Ziyad's feelings were turbulent, it was a turbulence of mind and soul.  He knew he had to force many people to fight Al-Husain, decapitating many innocent people for the sake of scaring others, and he knew that it was he who cut off the road to and from Kufa to Imam Husain.  If he had ever prayed, it must have been the mockery of the first degree.  It was power that was his god, and for it he committed the worst crime in the world.  It was the crime of crimes!  Power meant everything in his eyes and to retain it he had to Kowtow to Yazid and do his utmost to gain his love, as if Yazid the wicked was transformed into a god-like figure!

SAME NIGHT AT HUSAIN'S CAMP   

   The members of Husain's camp were preoccupied with a feeling of exhilaration and expectation.  It was a wonderful feeling, it was about how to meet their loved ones in Heaven, and how to converse with them and what to say.

   They sat in the tent in silence, looking at their hero, their beloved hero, Imam Husain.  When it became quiet and still Imam Husain addressed them lovingly, saying:

   Al-Husain urged them gently to save their lives and escape, since it was he who was to have the consequences of his decisions and no one else.  He loved them very much and he wished them safety, the safety for their lives.

   Imam Husain's belief in his mission was without question to him and he would never fall short of it.  The responsibility was strictly his.  That was why he was so concerned about the ones with him, thus showing his noble character.

   Do you know what their answer was?  They all screamed, once Al-Husain was finished, they screamed the way a lion does, "By Allah, never, never!  We will either live with you or die together with you!"  It was unanimous, all in unison!

   Many speeches of enthusiasm followed.  His son Ali, Al-Qayin, Asdi or others delivered speeches of affirmation, determination, and full support for him and the cause.  Be it teenager, an older man, a friend, or relative, they all spoke in the same affirmative way.  It was their sacred principle, that of Islam, to face an enemy of self-serving hypocrites, who had Islam on their tongues but not in their hearts.

   They spent the night in prayer and supplication.

THE WATER SUPPLY   

   It had been a few days since the water supply was consumed.  To provide enough water for 72 people a good amount is needed, especially during blistering hot summer when people are sweating profusely, and tongues become parched and dry.  They had a faint feeling in the stomach along with light-headedness.  To conserve water, they had to do Tayammum.  They needed water for cooking and for the horses.  The situation was desperate, it was critical.

   Husain's camp was seized with suffering.  Children were crying for water, the women were desperate for water, Zainul Abideen, the son of Al-Husain, was sick with fever.  The suffering from thirst was too painful to see.  Despite this, not a single word was raised, no complaining, criticizing or even questioning the mission.  This attitude was beyond belief, but such was the deep faith of Imam Husain's camp, and such was their stand, the stand to defend the Truth.

THE HOLOCAUST, 10TH OF MUHARRAM   

   Husain's camp consisting of 72 men and teenagers performed their morning Salat in congregation.  They were thirsty, very thirsty, but willingly facing the battle of destiny.  Later the rays of the morning sun shined bright red, as if grieving the martyrs to be.

   They had only 32 horses at hand, therefore 40 were on foot.

► How disgraced and embarrassed the opposition should have felt, for 5,000 (some say 30,000 or more) of them were to fall on only 72!  What a ridiculous sense of proportion it was, how terrible!  Of these 72 eight were highly respected Companions of the Prophet, and 20 were close Companions of Imam Ali.  They were the highest nobility.

► The aim of the 72 was so vastly different from that of the foe, and the difference of quality was even greater than the difference in number.  How can you compare the godly with the satanic?!

► Before the engagement was to take place, Al-Hur of the enemy was greatly agitated, and he finally broke away all of a sudden.  You remember it was Al-Hur who was the Leader of 1,000 cavalry men to stop Husain.  Al-Hur's conscience was stirring violently, he was in turmoil, and he felt the gravity of the whole matter.  He sensed how heinous the crime was going to be and how certain the outcome would be.

HEAVEN VERSUS HELL   

   Al-Hur broke away from his camp along with two others and rushed toward Imam Husain, the spine of Islam.  Hur's heart was jumping with joy, his head relieved of a tremendous tension, and he asked Imam Husain whether he would be accepted in his camp.  He asked if Allah would forgive him.  Quietly Imam Husain answered, "Yes, Allah will forgive you."  Soon after, another man came rushing, having the same feeling as that of Hur, and he too was welcomed.

   Omar Ibn Sa'ad, the leader of the enemy, threw an arrow in the air to indicate the start of the battle.  Many fighters from the enemy's side came out to challenge and show off.  From Husain's group an equal number took the challenge, and in a short time every challenger from the enemy was killed.  Seeing this, the enemy was jolted, they were taken aback.  Their officers screamed and shouted for an attack, and the battle began.

   Husain's supporters insisted on being the first to fight, thus being the first to martyrdom.  Therefore, they took the brunt of the enemy's charge.  The battle was ferocious, the tiny band were against the innumerable bad, they kept on and on.  To the surprise of all, in an hour or so, this tiny band of Imam Husain's camp, very thirsty but brave, were on the offensive not the defensive, attacking the enemy!  Just imagine!  There was fear and confusion in the heart of this enemy, notwithstanding their large number!  The enemy became so much on the run that they even went behind Husain's camp to put fire to the tents, so that Husain's tiny force in front of them would be weakened and busied with the fire!  But as terrible as this was, it didn't deter them.  Seeing this, Husain (a.s.) commanded to let the fire constitute the back defense.

   Husain (a.s.) was charging like a lion, and by seeing him, his supporters became ever more spirited.  They kept on the offensive, and the relatively large force of their enemy was on the run, running away!!  It was amazing, it was surprising.  And because of that the enemy called for reinforcement.

   The enemy received immediate reinforcement.  It came as fighters on foot and those with spears and arrows.  They came rushing.  It seemed as if there was an endless sea of them, one could see nothing but spears and arrows in the air, and a thick sea of smelly humanity was facing without embarrassment such a small band.

   The heroes from Imam Husain's camp began to fall, one after another.  Some fell with arrows piercing their hearts, the lungs or stomachs, yet others with severe bleeding from many wounds.

   Because many of Husain's supporters were still on horses fighting, the enemy incapacitated the horses by hitting the horses or cutting their legs.  Husain's fighters were then forced to fight on foot, and each seemed to face thousands of swords against his own!  The odds were very overwhelming.  One after another fell martyred, their hearts joyous to meet their Lord.

   It was noontime, and in spite of all the attacks, Imam Husain who was asked about the Salat, was carefully watching the sun.  He loved his Salat and would miss it for nothing.  When Salat time was due, he called for stopping the fight to perform the Salat.  Those left with him by now were mainly his family and a few supporters.

   They performed Salat together, like a group of heavenly angels, in congregation.  The enemy was standing still, watching!!  One must wonder about what everyone was thinking of, and how hard the enemy must have forced itself to accept their awful action.  Two supporters were guarding the ones in Salat with their bodies and cloaks.  When Salat was finished one of the guards fell dead; there were 17 arrows in his back!  The enemy continued to be hostile even at the praying people.

   After that the first to die was the son of Husain, a handsome brave young man, Ali Al-Akbar.  Having taken permission from his father he dashed toward the enemy with a poem just the way his grandfather Imam Ali (a.s.) used to do.  He engaged in a fierce fighting, slaying the first, the second, the third, and on and on he went.  But the enemy was like a roaring sea of people.  He was hit with a spear, and before he could pull it out someone hit him on the back, fatally wounding him, just to be followed by numerous other hits.  His body became nothing but wounds and blood.  Husain rushed to the area, and with a heavy, heavy feeling he carried the limp body, covered with blood, to their tent, leaving him with his sister and aunts, who were in shock, aghast at the scene.

   Next went six of Imam Husain's brothers, Al-Abbas among them.  They did nearly the impossible, engaging the enemy in a most fierce fighting, falling on this one or that, chasing some all the while taking many hits.  Their wounds became numerous, their loss of blood was to the extreme and the overwhelming number of the enemy was the main odds against them. One by one they fell to the ground, having lost their lives for Islam.

   They were followed by the sons of Al-Husain and Al-Hasan, who were joined by their cousins.  Yes these were a handful of teenagers not yet out of their adolescence.  They were in their teens but each stood like a thousand brave men, believing in the mission, facing an army, facing death, and anxious to meet their Lord.  Won't the enemy feel ashamed, won't it feel embarrassed to face just a handful of teenagers?!

   They fought bravely and courageously until one by one they were cut to pieces.  They sagged to the ground, fully knowing they had done for Islam what was needed.

   Imam Husain was defended by the lives of supporters, brothers and family.  Whenever he charged they charged with him, whenever he was in danger they rushed to defend him, each wanting to meet his Lord ahead of him, knowing they never would be able to see Imam Husain (a.s.) killed while they were still alive!  How deep their love and veneration was for him!

   Just before the last stand, it is worth mentioning that Abd Allah, a few month old baby of Imam Husain's was crying incessantly because of the pain of hunger, thirst, and all the commotion.  Husain's love for his family was unbound, especially a suffering baby.  He held the baby in his arms, trying to see if he could relieve the baby's distress, even at the expense of appealing for water to the ugly enemy for this baby.  To his horror, Imam Husain was shocked to see an arrow zooming toward its target, the target was this suffering baby, just a baby!!  The baby stopped crying immediately, laying limp, lifeless with an arrow in him.

HUSAIN (a.s.) BY HIMSELF:   

   By this time Imam Husain (a.s) remained the only one, the last one.  It was late afternoon, the atrocious battle with its unbelievable cruelty and its added burden of unquenchable thirst revealed that his friends, supporters, 6 brothers, 4 children, cousins, nephews and even his baby, had been slaughtered.  The burden was beyond belief, only the very exceptional can stand it.

   Imam Husain (a.s.) was one man against a whole army.  One lion, surrounded by thousands, of despicable blood thirsty cruel fighters.  But the enemy didn't dare to move against Husain.  It was as if there was an invisible wall separating the two sides.  It was the glory of the Imamah, Husain was the one, the very hero.  Yes, the enemy for a moment was motionless, stunned, frightened.  There was silence, a silence of introspection.  The silence was shattered when they heard Shimr screaming for an attack, to attack.

   Imam Husain (a.s.) had a few wounds by then, the worst one was caused by an arrow in his mouth as he tried to take a sip of water from the nearby river.  Now the final round!  Imam Husain's sword against hundreds.  He kept on and on but a sword wounded his head.  Blood gushed out, it gushed profusely and Imam Husain hurriedly put a dressing on it, then engaged the enemy once again.  He was wounded all over, and just about every spot of his body was bleeding.

   It was at this point when a frightened son of Al-Hasan was watching from inside the tent, and seeing his uncle so badly wounded, he got out and screamed in the enemy's face, "O son of the wicked, is it in this manner that you want to slay my uncle?"  Being so humiliated, one of the enemy fighters struck the child, who had put up his hand to defend the blow of the sword.  The hand was cut off and the child yelled in shock with pain as he bled profusely, then they trampled upon him with their horses.  Al-Husain (a.s.), even though cut all over, rushed to the dead child, carried him in his arms, and said with a hoarse pained voice, "O my loved one, it deeply hurts me that you call me and I cannot be of much help..." (K. M. Khalid, Ab'naa' Al-Rasool in Karbala, Page 175.)

   Then, Imam Husain supplicated:

   And once more Al-Husain confronted the hordes.  No one dared to carry the burden of his blood.  They heard him say:

   Shimr screamed once more at the fighters, threatening and threatening and in response they attacked collectively, and one sword fell on Imam Husain's left wrist and severed his left hand.  The blood gushed like a fountain.  Another sword was soon to follow and it hit his upper back.  Imam Husain (a.s.) felt numb as he fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.  He was near the point of shock, even though staggering he tried to stand by leaning on his sword.  Then he received the fatal blow.

   It was at this point, that Shimr whose mother was a disbeliever, who came forward and severed Imam Husain's head from the body, that noble head!  He and others had the audacity to carry it on the tip of a spear to Yazid!

   The battle field was full of bodies, all covered with blood, the blood of the loved ones who were the decent, devout, blessed, immaculate, virtuous and sanctified.  They lay as bodies anymore, no more, no less.  The enemy, sadistic and brutal, severed the heads from each body.  Not only that, but their lowliness was even worse.  They even trampled on all the bodies with their horses, disfiguring them even more!

WITH THAT, A SUDDEN LOUD THUNDER WAS HEARD AS IF IT WAS

FROM FAR, HIGH ABOVE.

(Khalid Muhammad Khalid, Ab'naa' Al-Rasool in Karbala, Page 181.)

   It was loud thunder but without any clouds!!  Was it, then, that heaven was celebrating the welcome of the hero, the Prince, Imam Husain and his valiant company!?  Only Allah knows.

THOSE LEFT   

   A few females were left, along with the very sick son of Imam Husain whose name was Imam Zainul Abideen, for he was too sick to fight.  Also spared was his child, Al-Baaqir, a three year old boy.

   They were in a gripping devastating shock, something that makes anyone go berserk or have a mental breakdown.  They were put in chains, and then taken to the Governor Ibn Ziyad.  They were in a devastated condition, thirsty, dusty, and distressed beyond belief.

   They were brought face to face with the Governor, an ugly hunk of humanity.  He 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, and had to accept the cutting reply in silence.  He turned back to the sick Zainul Abideen, and did the same.  Zainul Abideen's answer was also extremely powerful, cutting, and sharp, and he did it by quoting the Holy Quran.

   As prisoners they were then taken to Damascus, about 800 miles away, all seated on animal backs, just imagine, a handful of females!  Not only that but grotesquely in front of them were 72 severed heads of the loved ones on the tips of spears!  It was the heads of Imam Husain, his brothers, the teenagers, and the supporters.  Yes, it was the head of the man who was the Prophet's representation, Imam Husain, whose lips had been kissed by the Prophet.  It was about him that the Prophet said, "The one who loved Al-Husain will have loved me, and the one who hurt Al-Husain will have hurt me".  It was this head which diligently taught the Holy Quran, the Tafseer of the Quran, the Hadith, and the Ah'kaam.  It was this head that dedicated itself to Allah Most High, and the defense of Islam against the inroads of Jahiliya, the Jahiliya which Benu Umayya and their supporters wanted to bring back—but under cover of Islam.

AT YAZID   

   The evil 30 year old Yazid was sitting in his castle like the Byzantines used to do.  Power, and only power counted in his eyes, it was force, and only brutal force that mattered.  He was the fruit of Mu'awiya and Abu Sufyan, so what else can you expect?  Seated in a high chair, surrounded by the like staff, Yazid was waiting.

   Seventy two severed heads with the horrible mask of death on them, were brought forward.  It was a grotesque scene, startling to say the least.  The women along with Zainul Abideen were in chains.  The two sides assessed each other, but what can anyone say?  What happened to humane Islamic Directives, to virtue, to righteousness!!

   Yazid even had the audacity to play with the lips of Al-Husain (a.s.) with the end of his stick!!  These were the lips that represented Muhammad (pbuh) and taught Islam.  Yes, it was these very lips too that were kissed by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) 57 years ago, and it was these lips that constantly taught Islam and uttered nothing but the goodness of the Truth

WHAT KIND OF AWAKENING?  O' KARBALA   

   On the surface Karbala was the worst tragedy, but its substance and consequences were that of glory.  Karbala was the cruelest tragedy humanity had ever seen, but for those with superficial minds will consider the tragedy mainly as a tragedy in its physical sense.  But when one looks deep into it, Karbala is a glorious event, a very glorious one, and it was the greatest Islamic triumph the world ever had!

   Early in Islam some power-hungry men through the play of politics had managed to become the rulers in the name of Islam.  Such rulers as Mu'awiya, Yazid and others, were evil and too wayward and unrighteous to represent Islam.  They became rulers through deception, intrigue and repression, and once in power, they became the greatest danger to the integrity of Islam and Islamic Directives.  They imposed themselves by the sword, their repression and terrorist campaigns were utilized fully to their advantage.  They annihilated many people wholesale, and liquidated many others publicly or otherwise.

► People all over became gripped with fear which was the exact aim of the rulers—who wanted to hold onto power at any cost and to rule by force, no matter what Islam says.

► At the same time the general public became complacent, and even accommodating to the new but bitter reality.  They preferred to do little if anything, mainly due to the dangerous repercussions from the government!

► Having this prevailing complacency along with such an evil government in power, a startling shocking clash was very much needed.  This clash was to act like a booster in the arm of Islam.  Something drastic was to take place, to awaken the conscience of the Muslims all over, to keep them vigil and on their toes.

► That shock, that startling but needed event, was brilliantly accomplished in Karbala, the heroes were Imam Husain (a.s.), his family, and the few supporters with him.  The men in infamy were Yazid, Benu Umayya, and their supporters.

► This startling but shocking event was like a powerful volcano, it shook the very foundation of complacency of the Muslims.  Karbala became the blackest spot in their history, the darkest point.  At the same time, Karbala became the very beacon of light to always remind Muslims to stand in the face of evil and fight against it relentlessly.  Even at the present time, Karbala fully reminds us of the great struggle we are to take for Islam.  It is to remind us always of the performance of our Jihad, to fight evil and support the good.

► Karbala is a triumph for every sincere Muslim.

► Karbala is a defeat for every false Muslim.

► Karbala saw the end of Ahlul Bayt, and the beginning of the explicit descendants of Ahlul Bayt, the rest of the Divinely Designated Imams, whose teachings carried on the bright torch of Islam ever so high.  This became possible once Imam Husain tilted the scale in favor of Islam and made its feet stand on firmer grounds.

BACK HOME   

   After a long, long trip, Zainul Abideen and the rest arrived home, in Medina.  For the ensuing months, no matter how exhausted they were, they could not sleep well.  How could they, they had nightmares, since the image of Imam Al-Husain kept flashing in front of them, and the extreme agony of seeing him wounded and butchered was too much to bear.  Or perhaps it was the nightmares about others too, the baby with an arrow through him, or his brother cut to pieces, or others who had a similar fate.  Or perhaps it was the nightmare of traveling behind the spears that held the heads of the beloved ones.

   Occasionally their nightmares gave them a gripping, choking sensation, or a sensation as if things were falling on them, or the ground sinking from under them, and that would awaken them with a devastating frightful feeling.

   The son of Zainul Abideen whose nick-name was to be Muhammad Al-Baaqir, was only 3 years old at the time, and his suffering was probably as much as any other.

   It was mainly Zainab and Umm Kulthoom the sisters of Imam Al-Husain, and Ali Zainul Abideen, his sick son, who repeatedly told the shocking story of Karbala to the multitude of Muslims.  There was outrage, and the shock was most painful to everyone.  People kept talking about it no matter how Yazid and his government tried to cover the matter.  It was to no avail.  You cannot fool the people all the time.  The power of Islam prevails, it will triumph.

   Within only a three year period, the 33 year old Yazid was gripped with a dreadful disease making him suffer for days on end, leading to his death.  It was a welcome loss, Islam got rid of one of the worst of humans.  Yazid's son who took his place but soon abdicated, admitted the illegal seizure of power by his father Yazid and grandfather Mu'awiya, and expiated himself from their dreadful actions.  He was soon poisoned by Umayya members.

   Right away after Karbala the people who had fought Al-Husain discovered how terrible it felt to live in hell while alive, since each of them found his conscience in turmoil, tormenting and torturing him day and night.  Many of the ones who fought Al-Husain lost their minds, or had nervous breakdowns.

   Not only that, but soon a successful uprising in Iraq by the Mukhtar took place.  They hunted down everyone who fought Imam Husain.  The evil Governor Ibn Ziyad was killed, so was Omar Ibn Sa'ad, the Commander in Chief against Imam Husain.  And every single person who fought Al-Husain was discovered no matter where he hid, and they were all killed, one by one.     As to Shimr, he was hunted everywhere, and was chased like a rat by the hound dogs.  He was seized with fear and fright and he had jumping moments of panic at the slightest noise, making a nervous wreck out of him.  He could not enjoy his food, or his drink, and the passing of time was of no help.  His psychological condition deteriorated as the Mukhtar fighters kept hunting for him.  He had sneakily escaped to south of Iraq, where even the noise of the frogs sounded like an impending disaster.  The marshes were full of leeches, mosquitoes, and other insects, and each mosquito bite felt like a spear penetrating his heart.  The leeches had a bonanza sucking his blood.  His body gave a terrible stench.  He couldn't sleep for days, his head was tight in knots, often beating hard with pain.

   Finally Shimr was discovered, unable to go anywhere, he became paralyzed with fear and he had a tight gripping choking feeling, as if an unseen hand was obstructing and squeezing him.  Seeing death beaming in his face, his fright was such that he even soiled himself involuntarily.

   When he was killed, his body was given to the wild dogs.  Remarkably the dogs became even more wild, tearing Shimr's flesh to pieces, and within a short time Shimr's corpse became an unsightly skeleton, the remains of which were left to the vultures.

QUESTIONS

1. How old was Al-Husain when he was designated to be the Imam?

2. Explain the people's reaction when they heard that Mu'awiya wanted to impose Yazid on the Ummah to be the Khalifa.

3. Name two things Yazid took with him to Haj.

4. Describe the death of Mu'awiya.

5. Describe Yazid.

6. How did people accept Yazid's Khilaafah?

7. Imam Husain at the age of 57 was the Imam of the Islamic Ummah.  What did the Governor of Medina do to take allegiance from him for Yazid?

8. Explain what Imam Husain did after being non-committal to the Governor of Medina.

9. How did Kufa people request Imam Husain to lead them against Yazid?

10. Why didn't Imam Husain perform the Haj but instead speeded toward Kufa?

11. Why did Imam Husain take his closest family with him?

12. What did Al-Farazdaq say to Imam Husain?

13. Describe the experience of Ibn Aqeel in Kufa.

14. Describe a) the purpose of the Hur force, b) the dealing between him and Imam Husain.

15. What became more vivid in Imam Husain's mind when they reached Karbala?

16. What was the number of the enemy facing the camp of Imam Husain of 72?

17. What orders came to Omar Ibn Sa'ad by Shimr?

18. Who is Omar Ibn Sa'ad?

19. Who is Shimr?

20. Describe the water supply of the camp of Imam Husain.

21. Describe the night before the mass slaughter of camp Husain.

22. What was the reply of the participants when Imam Husain urged them to leave at night?

23. Who defected to Imam Husain's side just before the fight on the 10th of Muharram?

24. Describe the fighting engagements of the 10th of Muharram in the morning.

25. Describe the fighting engagements of the 10th of Muharram in the afternoon.

26. Who burned the tents of the camp of Imam Husain?

27. Who was sick and could not fight?

28. They stopped the fight mid-day, why?

29. How was the baby of Imam Husain killed?

30. Describe the fight of Imam Husain himself.

31. Who cut off the head of Imam Husain?

32. What did the enemy do to the severed heads of the martyrs of Karbala?

33. How many brothers of Imam Husain were killed in Karbala?

34. What did people hear when Imam Husain was killed?

35. Describe the meeting between Zainab and the Governor of Kufa, Ibn Ziyad.

36. What was the answer of Zainul Abideen to Ibn Ziyad?

37. Describe the condition in which the women were taken to Damascus to face Yazid.

38. What was on the tip of spears for almost 700 miles?

39. Describe the meeting at Yazid's court.

40. Explain the value of Karbala.