Husayn ibn Ali

Who is Husayn ibn Ali?

Al-Ḥusayn ibn `Alî ibn Abî Ṭâlib, sometimes spelled Hussein, was the son of Ali ibn Abi Ṭalib and Fatimah Zahra and the younger brother of Hasan ibn Ali. Hussein is an important figure in Islam, as he is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa, as well as being the third Shia Imam.

Hussein is highly regarded by Shia Muslims because he refused to pledge allegiance to Yazid I, the Umayyad caliph because he considered the rules of the Umayyads unjust. As a consequence, he left Medina, his home town, and traveled to Mecca. There, the people of Kufa sent letters to him, asking his help and pledging their allegiance to him. So he traveled to Kufa. There, his caravan was intercepted by Yazid's army. He was killed and beheaded in the Battle of Karbala in 680 by Shimr Ibn Thil-Jawshan, along with most of his family and companions. The annual memorial for him, his family, his children and his As'haab is called Ashura and is a day of mourning for Shia Muslims.