Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) is the leader of the great uprising of Ashura and belongs to a lineage that, generation after generation, includes the prophets and divine saints. The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) described this family by saying, “We, the Ahlul Bayt (Household), are created from divine light. Prophethood has continued in our lineage, its branches and leaves have spread in our family, and its fruits and outcomes have come to fruition. By the grace of Allah, no impurity or contamination has reached this lineage.” Furthermore, nine of the divine proofs (Hujjat) also belong to the lineage of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), with the last among them being the Savior of humanity who will establish justice and righteousness in the world.

The honorable mother of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him)

The honorable mother of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) is Lady Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her), the daughter of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). Her noble father described her as follows: “Fatimah is the leader of the women of the world, the exemplar of a perfect woman, and the model and example for the women of my nation.” This noble lady was born on the early morning of Friday, the 20th of Jamadi al-Thani, in the fifth year after the Prophet’s mission in the blessed city of Mecca. She got married to Imam Ali (peace be upon him) in the second year after Hijra and attained martyrdom in the eleventh year after Hijra in the city of Medina. Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) had reached such heights of perfection that Allah, the Exalted, made her the link between Imamate and Prophethood and honored her with the motherhood of eleven infallible Imams. Considering her various dimensions of existence, sublime virtues, and lofty perfections, she has been given numerous titles and names, including Siddiqah, Tahira, Zakiyah, Muhaddathah, Mubarakah, Zahra, and Marziyyah.

The birth of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him)

Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) was born on a Friday, the third of Sha’ban, in the fourth year after Hijra in the city of Medina. After years of nurturing in the school of Prophethood and Imamate, he laid the foundation for the great revolution of Ashura in the year 61 AH. Sumayyah bint Amr narrates, “After the birth of the second child of Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her), the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) came to the house of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and said to me, ‘Bring my son to me.’ I immediately took the child to the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). He recited the call to prayer (Adhan) in his right ear and the call to establish prayer (Iqamah) in his left ear, then took the infant in his arms and showered him with affection. Suddenly, tears started flowing from the eyes of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). When I asked him about the reason for his tears, he said, ‘I am reminded of the hardships that will befall this child after me. He will be martyred by a group of oppressors while defending Islam.'”

The naming of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him)

In Islamic culture, special attention has been given to the issue of choosing a name for a child due to its

 spiritual effects and its significant role in shaping the individual’s character. One of the honors of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them) is that some of their names and titles have been chosen by Allah and the Prophet. It is narrated that on the very days of the birth of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), the Angel Gabriel came to the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and said, “Allah the Almighty sends His greetings to you and says: Since Ali (peace be upon him) is like Aaron to you, just as Aaron was to Moses (peace be upon them), it is appropriate to name this child after the young son of Aaron, who is called Hussain in Arabic.” Following this divine message, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) went to the house of Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) and asked, “Have you chosen a name for this child?” Imam Ali (peace be upon him) replied, “We never precede you in this matter.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) then said, “Name him Hussain.”

Titles of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him)

Due to the various dimensions of the personality of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), he has been given numerous titles, including Rashid, Tayyib, Wafi, Zaki, Sa’id, and Sayyid. The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) often referred to Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) with the title “Sayyidu Shababi Ahl al-Jannah,” which means the Master of the Youth of Paradise, and Imam Ali (peace be upon him) referred to him as “Sayyid al-Shuhada,” the Master of Martyrs. Throughout history, around 313 names and titles have been mentioned in books on his biography, each of which signifies one of his virtues. Some other titles and epithets of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) include Aba Abdullah, Abu al-A’imma, Al-Sibt al-Thani, Al-Imam al-Thalith, Al-Tabi’ li-Mardat Allah, and Mubarak.

Imamate of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him)

After the martyrdom of his noble brother, Imam Hasan Mujtaba (peace be upon him), Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) assumed the leadership of the Islamic nation. The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) had explicitly mentioned the issue of Imamate for Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) during his lifetime. On one occasion, while referring to Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) in the presence of a group of people, he said, “This son of mine is an Imam, the son of an Imam, the brother of an Imam, and the father of Imams for the Shi’a. He is the ninth Imam among them, bearing the same name and epithet as mine. After the earth is filled with oppression, he will establish justice.” Similarly, when the time of Imam Hasan’s martyrdom approached, Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) said in the presence of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them), “My brother, Hussain, I have appointed you as my successor, and this is the covenant that has come to us from our father, and he received it from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and he, in turn, received it from Allah.”

Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) in the school of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him)

Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) spent about six years and a few months of his life in the radiant presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). During this time, he constantly received the attention and boundless affection of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), learning the first lessons of life and the most valuable ethical virtues from him. The highest and most intimate spiritual and celestial relationship between the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) can be seen in the following divine saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): “Hussain is from me, and I am from Hussain.”

Imam Hussain (AS) during his father’s reign

During the period of Ali’s (AS) rule, which lasted approximately four years and nine months, Imam Hussain (AS) faced various bitter incidents, including three major internal wars: Jamal, Siffin, and Nahrawan. Imam Hussain (AS) stood alongside the supporters of Ali (AS) in all these events and made efforts to address the political, social, and military issues of the nascent government of the Alawites. For example, at the beginning of the Battle of Siffin, when Muawiyah’s army took control of the Shari’ah Canal and prevented Ali’s (AS) forces from accessing water, Imam Hussain’s (AS) forces launched several attacks to open the passage for Ali’s (AS) soldiers but were not successful. Imam Hussain (AS), upon seeing the signs of grief on his father’s face, attacked Muawiyah’s army with a group of horsemen and reclaimed the Shari’ah Canal, relieving his father’s distress.

Imam Hussain (AS) during the Imamate of Imam Hasan (AS)

After the martyrdom of Ali (AS) in the 40th year of the Hijra, Imam Hasan (AS) assumed the Imamate for a period of ten years. During this time, Imam Hussain (AS) faithfully served as a devoted companion and loyal soldier to his brother and stood by him in all circumstances. Imam Sadiq (AS) states: “Imam Hussain (AS) never walked ahead of his brother Imam Hasan (AS) in order to respect and honor his position, and he never spoke before him.”

The period of Imamate of Imam Hussain (AS)

Following the martyrdom of Imam Hasan (AS) in the 50th year of the Hijra, the period of Imamate of Imam Hussain (AS) began and continued until the year 61 AH. The Islamic community was plagued by tyrannical rulers who aimed to dismantle the foundations of the Islamic society and divine laws. Imam Hussain (AS), whenever he had the opportunity, criticized the actions of the rulers and instilled hope in the people for a better future. He endured numerous shortcomings and remained patient, all for the preservation of the foundations of the Islamic government and the prevention of the disunity among Muslims. However, when it was Yazid’s turn to assume power and the issue of allegiance to him arose, Imam Hussain (AS) refused to accept his rule due to his knowledge of Yazid’s character. He rose against him and ultimately attained martyrdom on this path.

Imam Hussain (AS) and Ashura

The movement of Ashura, like a great revolution, took place in the year 61 AH under the leadership of Hussain ibn Ali (AS) with the aim of reviving the religious principles and removing various religious and political deviations. When Imam Hussain (AS) saw the foundations of Islam in danger, he rose up with his few but faithful companions to confront Yazid and his heartless army. On the tenth day of Muharram in the year 61 AH, Karbala became the scene of the struggle between truth and falsehood, a day of sacrifice and selflessness in the path of religion and belief. Its impact extended to eternity and left such a profound impression in the hearts that every year, the lovers of truth commemorate the decade of Muharram, especially the day of Ashura, as a day to express their admiration for the exemplar of jihad, freedom, and martyrdom. They honor and commemorate the memory of this significant event in human history.