Battle of Karbala
Karbala, Iraq
What happened
Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, led a small group of family and followers against an army sent by the Umayyad caliph Yazid I, commanded by Umar ibn Sa'd on the orders of the governor Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad. Supporters in the city of Kufa invited Husayn to come and lead them, and he set out from Mecca with his family and a small band of followers. Umayyad soldiers stopped him near Karbala, west of the Euphrates River, and cut his camp off from the river's water. On 10 October 680 his group of about 72 people faced an army of about 4,000, and Husayn and nearly all his companions fell.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The battle helped secure the power of the Umayyad dynasty for a time. It also became a central event in Shia Islam, helping to shape a separate Shia religious identity.
What came next
Husayn's sister Zaynab and his son Ali Zayn al-Abidin survived and were taken to Kufa and Damascus, and the women were later sent home to Medina. Shia Muslims mourn Husayn every year on Ashura, the 10th day of the month of Muharram, and millions visit his tomb at Karbala.
Timeline
- 9 September 680Husayn leaves Mecca with his family and about fifty men.
- 2 October 680Husayn's group reaches Karbala after being turned away from Kufa.
- 10 October 680Husayn and nearly all his companions are killed at Karbala.
- After October 680The surviving women and children are taken to Kufa and Damascus, then sent back to Medina.