The tragedy of Karbala

⋞ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 4- ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴀʟ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋᴜꜰɪꜱ≽

Hussain Ibn Ali (a) left Medina for Mecca with his family and a few companions. He left two nights before the end of the month of Rajab. Before leaving Medina, he (a) went to visit the graves of his grandfather and mother and, prayed there and bid farewell to them and returned home in the morning. In many sources, it is mentioned that Imam (a) stayed for two nights near the grave of his grandfather.

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Important Figures that accompanied Hussain Ibn Ali (a)

Abass Ibn Ali (a) : He was the brother of Hussain (a) who proved his loyalty in the battle of Karbala. Abass (a) was famed for his valor and people used to fear him for his bravery.

Ali Akbar Ibn Hussain (a): Akbar (a) was the 18 yr old son of Hussain (a) and he sacrificed his life to save Islam and his father Hussain (a). 

Qasim Ibn Hassan (a): He was the orphan of Hussain Ibn Ali's brother Hasan (as) and he fulfilled the promise he made to his father about giving his life in the battle of Karbala.

Aun O Mohammad (a): They were the sons of Abdullah Ibn Jaffar e Tayyar. Aged 9-8 and they were also massacred in the battlegrounds of Karbala.

Ali Asghar Ibn Hussain (a): This suckling infant who wasn't even a year old also gave his life for the Holy mission of Karbala.

Zain -ul- Abideen (a): He was the son of Imam Hussain who was sick in Karbala and was the only man to survive.

Muslim Ibn Aqeel: The emissary and cousin of Hussain (as), although he wasn't martyed in Karbala but he's considered a martyr of Karbala.

Lady Zainab (sa): Daughter of Ali Ibne Abu Talib and the brave sister of Hussain Ibn Ali. She sacrificed her sons, Aun o Muhammad for Karbala and played a very significant role in the mission of Karbala. She's known as "Shareek a Tul Hussain" meaning  "Al Hussain's Partner"

Lady Layla (sa): Mother of Ali Akbar (a) and wife of Hussain Ibn Ali (a)

Lady Rubab (sa): Wife of Hussain Ibne Ali and mother of the youngest martyr of Karbala, Ali Asghar (as)

Lady Fizza (sa): She served Fatima Zahra and after her demise she served and raised her children and was very close to them. Former to this she was the Princess of Ethiopia.

Lady Farwa (sa): She was the widow of Imam Hassan (a) and the mother of Qasim (a)

Lady Kulsoom (sa): She didn't had a son of her own to sacrifice, so Abass (as) said to her that he will be her sacrifice. She was the sister of Hussain Ibn Ali (as) and Abass (as)

Lady Lubaba (sa): She was the wife of Hazrat Abass (as)

Lady Ruqaiya (sa): Muslim Ibn Aqeel, was the husband of Ruqaiya (sa) who later was a martryed in Kufah along with his two young sons; Ibrahim and Muhammad (a)

Lady Sakina (sa): The 3yr old accompanied her father Hussain to Karbala. She also died in prison after facing lots of oppression and cruelty from Yazid's side. She was the daughter of Lady Rubab (sa)

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Shortly after Hussain's(a) arrival to Mecca, Shiites of Iraq received the news of the death of Muawiyah and that Imam (a) and 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr refused to give allegiance to Yazid. Therefore, they gathered in the house of Suleman and wrote a letter to Hussain Ibn Ali (a), in which they invited him to Kufa. Two days after sending this letter, the people of Kufa sent 150 letters (each of which were signed by one to four people) to Hussain (a). The content of all these letters was asking Imam (a) to come to Kufa.