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Part 3 - The Build-up to Karbala |
Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and our salamas be unto him and his holy progeny) passed away in the 11th year of Hijra. Husayn was only seven years old at that time.
Abu Bakr became the first Khaleefa after Muhammad amid some confusion, disagreements and political manoeuvering. He lived for only 3 years as Khaleefa. He is reported to have nominated ‘Umar as his successor on his death-bed. Husayn was now ten years old.
‘Umar appointed the elder son of Abu Sufyan, Yazeed, as the governor of Syria. Yazeed did not live very long and soon after his death the Khaleefa appointed his younger brother Mu’awiyah to that same post. Mu’awiyah turned out to be a shrewd politician who would use any means to get what he wanted. He used terror to subdue those who were foolhardy enough to raise a voice of dissention and money to buy those off who were greedy.
Husayn attained manhood during ‘Umar's reign. ‘Umar remained as Khaleefa for ten years. During this period Mu’awiyah had really become a monarch. When ‘Umar visited Damascus, he saw all this. But he also saw that Mu’awiyah had become so strong militarily as well politically that if he was checked now, he would revolt.
After ‘Umar's assassination, ‘Uthman, a prominent member of the clan Banu Umayya, became Khaleefa. This removed all obstacles from Mu’awiyah's path. cUthman himself had no scruples when it came to favors for his relatives. He misused the treasury. He had two prominent Companions of the Prophet beaten up when they questioned him. This was sufficient evidence for Mu’awiyah to pursue his own ambitious plans, which he did.
While Mu’awiyah was busy paving the way for his own son Yazeed's succession to the throne of Damascus, the excesses by ‘Uthman reached to such an extent that people from the provinces gathered in Madinah first, as delegations with genuine complaints, and then they turned into a lynching mob which eventually killed ‘Uthman. The rioters then forced ‘Ali to accept the position of Khaleefa. Husayn was now thirty-two years old. Iran was conquered by the Muslim armies during ‘Umar's reign. At that time the family of the defeated king, Yazdigard, went into hiding. During ‘Ali's reign they reappeared and were sent to ‘Ali by his governor in the Eastern provinces. The daughters of the Iranian king, Yazdigard, were brought to Koofa and presented to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib. One of them known as Shahr Banoo, was later married to Husayn and bore him his eldest son, ‘Ali Zaynul ‘Abideen.
Ali ibn Abi Talib was a man of a different temperament and principles. He was the closest to the Prophet and his teachings. He immediately put radical reforms in action. He removed all those governors in the provinces who were appointed by ‘Uthman and were reported to have oppressed the people unjustly and plundering the treasury. This obviously hurt the Banu Umayya in general because, ‘Uthman had distributed these lucrative positions to his clansmen. Mu’awiyah refused to give up his post and accept ‘Ali as Khaleefa. There was a battle at the banks of the river Euphrates in Iraq, which ended in utter confusion and without result, mainly because of treachery of some and the lack of wit among some other people who were representing ‘Ali during negotiations.
Ali was assassinated during prayers in the mosque of Koofa in Iraq in the 40th year of Hijra. Mu’awiyah was now free to do anything he wanted. ‘Ali's followers in Koofa elected Hasan to become the Khaleefa. Hasan was eventually accepted by the people of Makkah and Madinah as well in that position. Hasan saw the dwindling support in his camp and decided that it was futile to fight Mu’awiyah. He was more concerned about safety and security of the remaining few of his followers.
He thought it prudent under the circumstances, to come to terms with Mu’awiyah. Together they signed a treaty. Hasan gave up any claim to temporal power but secured the promise that his followers will not be harassed or molested, and that the succession after Mu’awiyah will be left to general consensus among the Muslims. Mu’awiyah agreed in principle to these conditions. But, in practice he did what he wanted. Hasan died mysteriously of poisoning, in the 50th year of Hijra. Many well known Companions of the Prophet who were known as the Qurra (those who had learnt Qur'an by heart), were killed, their properties plundered and their families harassed into silence or submission. Money was used for the purpose of fabricating Hadeeth. People like Abu Hurayra, a mere beggar on the streets, became so rich in the process that his inheritance, a mound of gold, had to be chiseled with axes to be distributed among his next of kin, after his death.
Mu’awiyah did not stop here. He went on to appoint his debauch son Yazeed as his successor and asked the governors in the provinces to promise him that they would support Yazeed after his death. Husayn at this time was forty-six years old.
Husayn being a man of principles, kept a quiet watch on the course of events. He was bound by his own convictions to respect and honor the treaty signed by his brother, although the other party was a defaulter all the way.
Mu’awiyah died in the month of Rajab, in the 60th year of Hijra (April 680 A.D.). Husayn had now reached the mature age of 57.
Soon after Mu’awiyah's death Yazeed succeeded to the throne of Damascus. One of the first things he did was to order Waleed the governor of Madinah to summon Husayn to his presence and ask him to swear allegiance to Yazeed. Waleed did this. Husayn came to his presence with his brothers and nephews. Waleed stated the purpose of the meeting. Husayn very diplomatically refused to oblige.
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