Hussein

Imam Hussein ibn Ali (626–680 CE) was the supposed grandson of the Muhammad, the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, and the third Imam in Shia Islam. He is revered across the Muslim world as a symbol of courage, justice, and resistance against tyranny.

In 680 CE, the Umayyad ruler Mu'awiyah died and appointed his son Yazid as Caliph. Yazid demanded a pledge of allegiance (baya) to legitimize his rule. Hussein refused, stating that giving allegiance to a tyrant would compromise the core moral principles of Islam. Upon receiving letters of support from the city of Kufah, Hussein set out from Mecca with a small band of roughly 72 family members and companions. They were intercepted in the desert of Karbala (modern-day Iraq) by a massive Umayyad army of thousands. Cut off from water for days, Hussein and his companions chose to fight rather than submit. On October 10, 680 CE (10th of Muharram, 61 AH), Hussein and almost all his male followers were massacred, and his family was taken captive. His murder lead to big hatred and animosity between Shia and Sunni Muslims to this day. Shiites mourn his death at The 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram every year.