Since most people are unaware of the significance of #Muharram or the sacrifice of Hussain please bear with me as I recite the history of #Karbala every day

#twittermajlis
Karb ( anguish) and Bala ( calamity) were the name given to the land of Nainawa where Imam Hussain and the male members of his family ( excluding an ill son) were martyred along with his companions. The ladies were imprisoned & taken to Syria
#Muharrum #Karbala #twittermajlis
When Yazid son of Mu'awiya declared himself as a ruler over the Ummah, he demanded Imam Hussain 's allegiance . Imam
flatly refused
Yezid floured the tenets of Islam as taught by the Prophet and #Hussain said,
"Someone like me, does not pledge allegiance to someone like him”.
As the representative of his grandfather Prophet Muhammad (S), Imam Husain's main concern was to safeguard and protect Islam and guide fellow Muslims.
He left for Mecca to avoid bloodshed

#Muharrum #karbala #twittermajlis
When Imam #Hussain reached Mecca he received 12,000 letters from Kufa in Iraq calling him there. Imam sent an emissary, his cousin Muslim Ibn Aqeel, to Kufa to ascertain the situation there
#Muharrum #Karbala #twittermajlis
Yezid appointed Ubaidullah Ibn Ziyad as governor of Kufa to control the activities of Muslim bin Aqeel & ultimately Muslim & his sons were martyred in the city of Kufa
#Muharrum #Karbala #twittermajlis
When confrontation seemed inevitable in Mecca, Hussain left with his wives, children, sisters, sons, brothers, nephews, nieces etc for Kufa without completing his haj.
He wanted to avoid bloodshed in the holy city of Mecca

#Muharrum #Karbala
#twittermajlis
On the way to Kufa at a place called Zubalah, Hussain received the news that Muslim had been killed by Ibn Ziyad.
Hussain relayed the news to his companions & family.
They decided to continue their journey to Kufa
#Muharrum #Karbala
#twittermajlis
Imam Hussain continued with the journey along with close companions and family members until he was face to face with a regiment of Yezid's army of 1,000 horsemen led by Hurr al-Riyahi

#Muharrum #Karbala #twittermajlis
That day when Hurr stopped Imam Hussain 's army it was 1st Muharram 61 Hijri or 680 AD

Hurr's army and animals had marched a long way in the desert. Hussain ordered water to be given to all from their supply.
#Muharrum #Karbala
#twittermajlis
Hurr prevented the Imam's caravan from moving towards Kufa as per his orders.
Hussain turned the caravan away from Kufa. Hurr and his army marched parallel to the Imam. The two sides reached a village called Nainawa where the Imam pitched tents
#Muharrum #Karbala
#twittermajlis
2nd #Muharram 61 Hijri
Hurr whose army had been following #Hussain 's caravan received orders to stop the caravan near a arid land.
Hussain, wanted no confrontation so he, family and companions pitched their tents 3 miles from river #Euphrates
#Karbala #twittermajlis
Before leaving Medina #Hussain had made a will:
" I did not march out exultingly, nor recklessly, nor seeking to make corruption in the land, nor to oppress anyone. Rather, I marched out seeking to reform my grandfather's nation..."
Cont'd
"I desire to enjoin what is right and to forbid what is wrong and to follow the Sunnah of my
grandfather and of my father Ali ibn Abu Talib"

#twittermajlis
On 2nd #Muharram 680 AD #Hussain reached the dusty plains of Ninewah.
The name Karbala was later used for Ninewah
Karb(anguish)o Bala(calamity)
Land of anguish & calamity.
He bought the land where his grave now stands from the Banu Asad tribe for 60,000 dirhams.
#twittermajlis
#Hussain then turned and gave it back to them as charity on one condition: they lead people to his grave-site and host whoever visited it for three days.
To date this custom is followed and I along with other ziareen enjoyed a simple meal at the rauza of Hazrat Abbas
#karbala
The land that #Hussain
bought, was 4miles long by 4 miles wide.
Hussain knew of his martyrdom.
Once Hussain was camped there he wrote to Ibn al-Hanafiyya
saying, “It is as if this life has never been, and as if the hereafter has always been, and peace be with you"
#Muharram
On 2nd #Muharram Imam Hussain reached #Karbala and having bought the land put up his camps next to the river Euphrates
#twittermajlis
The journey that took Imam Hussain from Mecca to Karbala
On #3Muharram, Hur commander of Yezid's forces messaged
Ibn Ziyad the Umayyad governor of Kufa telling him that al-Husain was camping at Karbala

#twittermajlis
IbnZiyad wrote back threatening that till he submitted to Yazid's authority he wouldn't be left in peace.
Having read this letter, Husain
threw it away saying, “They shall never succeed those who buy the pleasure of the creatures with the price of the Creator's Wrath.”
#Karbala
Ibn Ziyad asked ibn Sa`d to march ag Hussain with 4000 men, and al-Hurr and everyone with him joined his forces.
#Hussain had only 100 people with him who were his family and friends. He had No army.
He wanted to avoid confrontation & offered to go to another city
#Karbala
The battle of #Karbala was betw Hussain grandson of the Prophet & Yazid's army. On 10 #Muharram Hussain was martyred.
Later Hussain 's son was asked
"Who won?”
“When it is time for the prayers, call the athan & iqama, and it is then that you will know who the winner is.”
4th #Muharram #Karbala
At every step #Hussain avoided confrontation.
His was a battle of right over evil.
He didn't want it to be construed as a rebellion ag a ruler.
He had pitched his tents away from the river as Yezid's commander wanted.
He agreed to their demands.
#sabr
Ibn Ziyad had a stationary army in Kufa.
Hussain didn't go to Kufa incase it's alleged that he was challenging them.
He stopped in <Karbala
By sending his army ag #Hussain Ibn Ziyad showed who was the aggressor
#Muharrum #twittermajlis
#Hussain kept doors of negotiations open.
He sent letters to the people who had invited him.
“Those who do not stand up to a tyrant and transgressor of the faith will suffer in this life and the life to come."
#Karbala #Muharrum #twittermajlis
#Hussain gathered his small group of companions and said to them
“The course which affairs have taken is manifest to you. The world has changed its colours; virtue has almost vanished. This is the age of Wrong and the followers of Right have passed away."
#twittermajlis #Karbala
#Hussain gave his followers and companions a chance to leave him as Yezid was after him personally but the steadfast band always reaffirmed their faith in the Imam.
The lesson of Karbala is:
Good over evil
Right over might
#4thMuharrum #Karbala
Abu Makhnaf, the chronicler records, in the course of two days, between the third and the fourth of Muharram, the plains of Karbala were filled with over a hundred and forty thousand warriors from Syria, Iraq, Iran and other countries to oppose #Hussain #Muharrum #twittermajlis
On 4 #Muharram, Umar bin Sa’d wanted Urwa bin Qais a prominent figure from Kufa who had repeatedly written to #Hussain inviting him to come to Kufa to ask why he had come.
an embarrassed and ashamed Urwa made excuses
#Karbala #Muharrum
Finally one Kufi agreed to meet #Hussain
Hussain said he had been invited by the people of Kufa to come & guide them in religious matters and as an Imam it was his duty to do so.
He added he was willing to return if they had changed their minds
#Karbala #Muharrum
It's important to understand #Hussain not just for those who mourn him but for others.
Hussain was about right.
Hussain was about standing against tyranny against zulm
About non violent opposition to oppression
#Karbala #Muharrum
“The most merciful person is the one who forgives when he is able to revenge”
#ImamHussain
#Karbala
"In order to keep alive justice and truth, instead of an army or weapons, success can be achieved by sacrificing lives, exactly what Imam Hussain did."
“Imam Hussain is the leader of humanity.”
“Imam Hussain will warm the coldest heart.”
#Tagore
Antoine Bara (Lebanese writer)
“No battle in the modern and past history of mankind has earned more sympathy and admiration as well as provided more lessons than the martyrdomof Husayn in the battle of Karbala.”
Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar
“Qatl-e-Hussain asl main marg-e-Yazid hai,
Islam zindaa hota hai har Karbala ke baad”

#Karbala #Muharrum
And since it's one of the biggest tragedies the word mubarak is never used with #Muharrum as it implies happiness
Mubarak : auspicious, happy, sacred etc.
Important to remember the lessons of #Karbala
Good over evil
Right over might
5th #Muharrum
Tho everyone was martyred on 10th of Muharram known as ashoora, different days have been designated to honour the sacrifices
5th is the day of 10 year old Aun & 12year old Mohammad sons of #Zainab( sister of #Hussain)
They had not accompanied Zainab when she left Madina with Imam Hussain.
Their father Abdullah bin Jafar brought them at Mecca & asked Hussain to let them be his representatives in this fight of good over evil.

#twittermajlis #muharram #Karbala
"O Imam, since you have decided to go and will not allow me to come with you, please take my two sons with you. Aun will represent his maternal grandfather [Imām] Ali and [Prophet] Mohammad will represent his paternal grandfather Hazrat Jaffer-e-Tayyār ". Said Abdullah
#karbala
He then went to his wife Janab Zainab and said:
"I have brought to you our two sons to go with you. In the time of difficulty on our Maula Hussain, give one son as sadqa from your side and the other one as sadqa from my side".
On 10th #Muharrum when Yezid's forces attacked #Hussain 's camp Hussain was very reluctant to let these two boys fight.
He kept refusing permission till Zainab & the boys overcame him
"Our grand fathers were warriors whose fame will always be remembered. Do you think we can possibly shame them? More over we are the pupils of Uncle Abbas."
#Hussain reluctantly gave permission to go to war and certain death against Yezid's army to these young boys
#twittermajlis
As they left they told their mother
"All we want from you is a promise that you will never weep for us. Or souls will never rest in peace if you grieve for us after we are gone".

Tears of joy and pride flowed down Zainab's eyes as she embraced her two boys.
Initially the boys didn't get permission for single combat as was the norm then.
Finally their pleadings were effective
"Go," said #Hussain , "Go & show the world how those as young as you can fight the injustice and oppression of Yazid!"
#twittermajlis #Karbala
The two boys rode out into the battlefield. They were pupils of Abbas.
They fought bravely. At one point Umar ibn-e-Sa'ad asked:
"Who are these two youngsters? They fight like I have seen Ali ibn Abi Talib fight."
#karbala #twittermajlis
When he was told who they were he ordered his soldiers to give up single combats and surround and kill the boys. Aun and Muhammad were attacked from all sides. Soon they were over-powered and brutally killed.
#5thMuharram #karbala #twittermajlis
When Imam Hussain & Hazrat Abbas carried the corpses of the two boys into the camp they found #Zainab in sijdah praying:

"O Allah, I thank you for accepting my sacrifice. My heart is filled with pride because my two sons have given their lives for your religion."
#karbala
The joint taboot of Aun o Muhammad from Shikarpur near Bulandshar
Aun o Muhammad ke haal par marsiya
6th #Muharrum #Karbala
#TwitterMajlis
75 year old Habib ibn Muzahhar arrived in Karbala.
He practiced virtues and observed the divine rules carefully. He had the Holy Qur'an in memory completely, and spent every night in worship and supplication to Allah.
Habib was a companion of Hazrat Ali and felt it was his duty to side with the grandson of the Prophet in this fight of good over evil.
#Hussain was on the side of truth.
Hussain was Haq ( truth)
Yezid was bail ( falsehood)
Hussain was sabr ( patience)
Yezid was jabr ( oppression
Despite being very old, Habib fought like a hero and killed 62 soldiers of Yezid's army
Truth has a great way of giving strength to frail bodies.

Just then, Buzayl bin Maryam 'Aqfani attacked him and hit him on the head with his sword.
#Karbala #Hussain #Muharrum
Another enemy hit Habib with a spear, causing him to fall off the horse and down to the ground. Then, Buzayl bin Maryam beheaded him. Habib had an underage son named Qasim, who killed Buzayl after he came of age.
#Karbala #Muharrum #Hussain
Imam #Hussain (a) came to him and said: , "O Habib! You were a virtuous person who recited the whole Qur'an in one night."
#Muharrum #Karbala
Meanwhile
On the nights of 4th &5th #Muharram, Umar bin Sa’d wanted to meet #Hussain Arrangements were made in an open space between Imam camp and Umar’s army when a long conversation ensued during which #Hussain showed hundreds of letters written by the people of Kufa
Umar bin Sa’d wrote to Ibn Ziyad, “By God’s grace, an inevitable conflict and unnecessary bloodshed has been avoided in my dialogue with al-Husayn."
This angered Ibn Ziyad who called for Shimr bin Thil Joushan to whom he gave a letter to be delivered to Umar ibn Sa’d
#Karbala
Letter said not to show mildness to #Hussain
"Now as soon as this reaches you and you read it, see that no drop of water is carried to Husayn’s camp, if you mind your own welfare. Post your men between the Euphrates and Husayn’s soldiers. Attack and destroy them."
#Karbala
The possibility of losing his command of the army as well as the riches promised by ibn Ziyad, was enough to, once again, blind Umar ibn Sa’d from the reality placed before him by Imam #Hussain during the preceding nights.
He ordered sealing of water from the Imam's camp
#Karbala
He forthwith ordered the closure of the banks of the Euphrates by posting several battalions under the command of Amr bin al-Hajjaj, and Hussayn ibn Numair with strict instructions not to allow anyone from Imam #Hussain camp to come near the river and take any water
#Karbala
7th #Muharrum #Karbala
The seventh day of Muharram is usually reserved to mourn the martyrdom of the 14 year old Qasim, the son of Imam Hasan, the elder brother of Imam Husain.
#Hussain wasn't ready to let Qasim go to war and kept refusing. When Qasim insisted he asked: "Qasim! What do you think about 'death'?"
Qasim instantly retorted "Uncle I find it sweeter than honey!"
#Karbala #7thMuharrum
7th #Muharrum the day designated to mourn Qasim
is also marked by processions of mehndi.
#Hussain 's daughter attained puberty on way to #Karbala in those days an unmarried girl could be enslaved.
Zainab, Hussain & Abbas arranged a Nikah with Qasim for widows r not enslaved
This proved true for when the family of the Prophet was brought in chains into Darbar e Yezid in Damascus, a Syrian asked for the daughter of Imam Hussain, Janab Zainab drew herself up & reminded Yezid that not only were they Rasool zaadis but also the girls was widowed.
So in memory of two children who got married just in name and a child who got widowed on the morn we fir them mourn on 7th #muharram
Mehndi being readied in Delhi 's Panja Sharif imambara
#twittermajlis
( photo from last year)
On the day of Ashura, time and again Qasim went to Husain to seek permission to go to the battlefield but Husain kept on refusing. It was only when Qasim showed the will of his late father asking him to represent him at #Karbala.
#Muharrum
It was then that Husain granted permission.
Qasim went &fought and was ultimately surrounded by the foes. He called out to his uncle for help. When Husain reached the martyr he found the corpse trampled by horses and in pieces, which he collected with great difficulty!
#Karbala
7th #Muharrum had sounds of crying children
The water stored in Imam #Hussain's camp was exhausted by the night of the sixth of #Muharram and in the extreme heat of the desert; the whole seventh day and the following night were spent by the children in crying for water
8th #Muharram is the day designated to recite about #Abbas
Abbas son of Hazrat Ali and Ummul Banin bint Hizam bin Khalid bin Rabi’a.
Abbas greatly loved #Hussain & considered himself his slave
His brothers Utsman, Ja’far and Abdullah had already attained martyrdom in #Karbala
Abbas son of Hazrat Ali and Ummul Banin bint Hizam bin Khalid bin Rabi’a.
Abbas greatly loved #Hussain & considered himself his slave
His brothers Utsman, Ja’far and Abdullah had already attained martyrdom in #Karbala #twittermajlis
In a one on one ( the norm those days) no one could have defeated #Abbas.
Yezid's army knew that
#Hussain knew that.
But Hussain was not here to wage war. He was here to prove the power of truth Haq & sacrifice
Hussain refused to give Abbas permission to fight
#Karbala
#Abbas was very attached to his niece 4 year old Sakina.
Children had been crying from thirst as Yezid's army had stopped water for past 3 days.
#Hussain didn't allow him to go to war but permitted Abbas to fetch water from the river Euphrates to quench the thirst of the kids
Abbas came out of the camp and addressed the enemy soldiers saying:

“What sin have these children committed that you seek to kill them? How do you justify denying water to children and women?"
#twittermajlis #karbala
Hearing these words, the enemy attacked Abbas from all sides. Abbas repelled the onslaught and the enemy soldiers took to their heels.

#twittermajlis #karbala #HazratAbbas
Scattering the enemy with his sword #Abbas reached the banks of the Euphrates Abbas then raised a handful of water to show to the world that he had command over the river then. He filled the leather bag with water and started towards Imam #Hussain 's camp
#twittermajlis
Fearing that water might, after all, reach #Hussain 's camp, the enemy rallied. Since they couldn't defeat him with sword the archers were called in.
While Abbas was busy avoiding the arrows, one of the soldiers came from behind and severed his right arm.

#twittermajlis
Abbas caught the leather bag by his left hand. Another vile soldier of Yazid slunk behind and cut his left hand. Abbas caught the leather bag by teeth, intent on saving the bag of water. An arrow then pierced the leather bag and water flowed out.
#twittermajlis #karbala
At that moment, an arrow struck Abbas in the eye, blinding him completely, & at same time he was clubbed from behind. Finding that his object of procuring water to Imam #Hussain 's children failed, a frustrated Abbas had no desire to live, and he fell down from his horse.
When #Hussain managed to reach his stricken brother, #Abbas pleased with him not to take his body to the camp as he could not bear to face the children whom he had failed to take water for
He was buried there on the bank of the river
#twittermajlis #karbala
That is why there is a separate Rauza for Hazrat Abbas in #Karbala
The rest of the martyrs are buried in the main Rauza of Imam #Hussain
Abbas or Chote Hazrat as he is called is lso known as Bab ul Hawaij doorway to granting of wishes for none of his were granted.
He wasn't allowed to wage war against Yezid's army
& he couldn't take water for the children
#twittermajlis
When I visited #Karbala I saw the two memorials made in places where he lost his arms & his Rauza. A big distance between all 3.
Abbas continued his fight for ages without arms. Holding mashq with his teeth
Lost hope and died only when water oozed out of the mashq
#Karbala
You can follow @iamrana.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled: