History Books

Both Ibn Qawlawayh and al-Mas’udi1 have said that when it was the tenth of Muharram, al-Husayn (‘a) led the morning prayers for his band then stood up to deliver a sermon. He praised Allah and glorified Him then said, “Allah Almighty has permitted yo...

Both Ibn Qawlawayh and al-Mas’udi1 have said that ...

The chief of the faithfuls Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) says, “One day I and Fatima paid a visit to Holy Prophet (as) who began crying. I asked, “O Messenger of God (as) may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, what is the reason for your crying?” ...

The chief of the faithfuls Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) ...

The Piercing Arrows The monsters that fought Imam Hussein in Karbala had no mercy whatsoever. They did not respect the family of the Prophet. However, it is one thing to ignore the voice of righteousness and the voice of God embodied in Imam Hussein...

The Piercing Arrows The monsters that fought Imam...

The sacred blood of Imam Hussein, his family, and his companions (peace be upon them all) was spilled on the plains of Karbala on the 10th of Muharram. Their mutilated bodies lay on the sand with their heads raised on spears. Women, children, and the...

The sacred blood of Imam Hussein, his family, and ...

The map shows the Route that Imam Hussein (A.S) took when he left Makkah for Iraq. The date was 8th Zilhijja 60 Hijri (10.9.680 AD). With him there were about 50 people including women and children of his family and friends. His uncle Ibne Abbas and ...

The map shows the Route that Imam Hussein (A.S) to...

It is important to note that a pilgrim who performs Hajj without recognizing Karbala to be its true essence does not gain the real fruits of his/her pilgrimage. In the words of Dr. Ali Shariati: "Imam Hussein did not complete his Hajj in order to te...

It is important to note that a pilgrim who perform...

We learn from Imam Hussein that there was a more important goal for him to accomplish than completing the rituals of Hajj and risking bloodshed in the Haram. Actually, it would be an erroneous statement to say that the Imam skipped or cancelled his H...

We learn from Imam Hussein that there was a more i...

The month of Dhil Hijjah has just passed and the sorrowful month of Muharram has emerged, bringing along with it all its grief, sadness, and mourning as the New Year commences. It was in the year 60 A.H. when Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) and his ...

The month of Dhil Hijjah has just passed and the s...

In order to understand the phenomenon itself, first of all, and in order to understand its historical significance, we maintain the following: In remembering al-Husayn we come before a historical problem which we read about and listen to. In the lig...

In order to understand the phenomenon itself, firs...

Very many texts have been reported from the Imams of the Holy Family from the time of Imam Zayn al-Abidin 'Ali ibn al-Husayn up to the awaited Imam, the Mahdi, which urge weeping for the fate of Imam al-Husayn. Whoever is unable to weep should preten...

Very many texts have been reported from the Imams ...

The phenomenon of weeping gives rise to much criticism. Despite the fact that it is not a phenomenon which is separate from the rites of remembrance for al-Husayn, I was influenced to devote a special study to it in a section which would be separate ...

The phenomenon of weeping gives rise to much criti...

If we considered the poetry of lament for al-Husayn as an artistic work, we would come to a judgment about it which would differ from our judgment of it if we were considering it for its educational value. The artistic value of the lamentation poetr...

If we considered the poetry of lament for al-Husay...

We find this phenomenon in the poetry in praise and in lamentation for the Holy Family from the first century of the hijra and it has continued to appear on the tongues of the poets until the beginnings of the modern period. It reflects the atmospher...

We find this phenomenon in the poetry in praise an...

The martyrs who were killed at Karbala' with Imam al-Husayn are given special honour in lamentation poetry. Hardly any poem is without some mention and praise of them, sometimes for their religious conscience and at other times for their loyalty to t...

The martyrs who were killed at Karbala' with Imam ...

The poet of lamentation frequently asks the Umayyads directly, or he asks the killers (the Umayyad army), or he asks the umma (the helpers of the Umayyads): How will you meet the Apostle of God, 'Ali and Fatima on the Day of Resurrection? What will y...

The poet of lamentation frequently asks the Umayya...

From the first century of the hijra, the poet of lamentation poetry for al-Husayn regarded the killing of al-Husayn and his family and followers as a humiliation of Islam and Muslims. On rare occasions the poet considers that the killing of al-Husayn...

From the first century of the hijra, the poet of l...

Every ode of lamentation mentions Karbala ' or the Bank of the Euphrates. The name Karbala ' is associated in lamentation poetry with grief (karb) and misfortune (bala'). The poets frequently repeat this idea. It appears that in the early poetry Kar...

Every ode of lamentation mentions Karbala ' or the...

Thirst is one of the basic themes of the poetry of lament for al-Husayn. The poets have given expression to it in several ways. They picture the sufferings from thirst of al-Husayn, the women, the children and the rest of the men. They turn their att...

Thirst is one of the basic themes of the poetry of...

The poets usually describe the battle which took place at Karbala ' in a general way but in some cases in great detail. In the poetry of some of the later poets of lamentation, the story is presented in the form of a dialogue which the poet recounts:...

The poets usually describe the battle which took p...

The children of the Holy Family are seldom mentioned as an independent theme in the poetry, and even less frequently than that are the names of the children given. The exception is 'Abd Allah, the baby who was slaughtered, as he was in the lap of thi...

The children of the Holy Family are seldom mention...

Another theme of the lamentation poetry are the women of the Holy Family. The Lady Fatima, the fair, is frequently mentioned and consoled for the death of al-Husayn when the dreadful events are described. Zaynab is mentioned: her state on the journe...

Another theme of the lamentation poetry are the wo...