Part One : Yazid orders the killing of Imam al-Husayn
Part Two: Yazid’s Delight Upon Seeing the Head of Imam al-Husayn
Part Three: Scholarly Attestations That Yazid Was Responsible for the Events of Karbala
Welcome to our blog! This article examines the position found in renowned Sunni historical and scholarly sources regarding Yazid ibn Mu’awiyah’s role in the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn and his companions. We will present evidence that Yazid was held directly responsible for the killing, that he ordered it, and that he later expressed satisfaction over the event.
Part One : Yazid orders the killing of Imam al-Husayn
1) Abu al-Qasim al-Tabarani narrated :
«حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، ثنا الزُّبَيْرُ بْنُ بَكَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الضَّحَّاكِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ الْحِزَامِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ،
Ali Ibn Abd al-Aziz narrated from al-Zubayr Ibn Bakkar who narrated from Muhammad Ibn al-Dahhak al-Hizami that his father al-Dahhak Ibn Uthman al-Hizami said :
قَالَ: خَرَجَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ سَاخِطًا لِوِلَايَةِ يَزِيدَ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَكَتَبَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ إِلَى عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَهُوَ وَالِيهِ عَلَى الْعِرَاقِ: إِنَّهُ قَدْ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ حُسَيْنًا قَدْ سَارَ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ، وَقَدِ ابْتُلِيَ بِهِ زَمَانُكَ مِنْ بَيْنِ الْأَزْمانِ، وَبَلَدُكَ مِنْ بَيْنِ الْبُلْدَانِ، وابْتُلِيتَ بِهِ مِنْ بَيْنِ الْعُمَّالِ، وَعِنْدَهَا يُعْتَقُ أَوْ يَعُودُ عَبْدًا كَمَا يُعْتَبَدُ الْعَبِيدُ “. فَقَتَلَهُ عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ زِيَادٍ، وَبَعَثَ بِرَأْسِهِ إِلَيْهِ،»
When al-Husayn Ibn Ali set out for Kufa. Yazid Ibn Mu’awiyyah wrote to Ubayd-Allah Ibn Ziyad, his governor in Iraq, saying : ‘News has reached me that al-Husayn is reaching Kufa. You and your land have been tested. It is now up to you: either be free or be in shackles as a slave.’
After reading this, Ubayd-Allah killed al-Husayn and sent his head to Yazid.
~al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer lil-Tabarani vol 3:123
2) Hafidh Ibn Kathir mentioned :
وكتب إليه بصحيفة كأنها أُذن الفأرة: “أمَّا بعد، فخذ حسينًا، وعبد اللَّه بن عمر، وعبد اللَّه بن الزُّبَير بالبَيْعة أخذًا شديدًا ليس فيه رخصة حتى يبايعوا، والسلام”. فلما أتاه نَعْيُ معاوية فَظُعَ به وكبُرَ عليه، فبعث إلى مروان، فقرأ عليه الكتاب واستشاره في أمر هؤلاء النفر، فقال: أرى أن تدعوَهم قبل أن يعلموا بموت معاوية إلى البيعة، فإن أبَوْا ضربتَ أعناقهم.»
Yazid wrote a letter to Walid Ibn Utba: ‘Seek Bayah from al-Husayn, Ibn Umar & Ibn al-Zubayr and be firm and show no exception until they pledge allegiance.’
When the news of Mu’awiyyah’s death reached Walid, he was deeply distressed, and he asked Marwan to read the letter and sought his advice. Marwan replied : ‘I advise you to seek allegiance from them before they learn about Mu’awiyyah’s death; if they refuse, then strike off their heads.’
~al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah vol 8:213
3) Ibn Athir al-Jazari mentioned :
«قَالَ: أَمَّا قَتْلِي الْحُسَيْنَ فَإِنَّهُ أَشَارَ إِلَيَّ يَزِيدُ بِقَتْلِهِ أَوْ قَتْلِي فَاخْتَرْتُ قَتْلَهُ،»
Ubayd-Allah Ibn Ziyad said ‘As for my killing of al-Husayn. It was Yazid who told me to either kill al-Husayn or be killed myself, so I chose to kill him.’
~al-Kamil fee al-Taarikh vol 3:234
4) Abu Hanifa al-Dinawari wrote :
«قلت: ندمت على قتلك الحسين بن على، قال عبيد: ما اصبت يا أخا بنى يشكر شيئا مما كنت مفكرا فيه، اما قتلى الحسين فانه خرج على امام وأمه مجتمعه، وكتب الى الامام يأمرني بقتله، فان كان ذلك خطا كان لازما ليزيد،»
A man from Bani Yashkur said to Ubayd-Allah Ibn Ziyad ‘You regret killing al-Husayn Ibn Ali.’
He replied : ‘As for my killing of al-Husayn, he rose up against an Imam to whom the community pledged allegiance; the Imam (Yazid) wrote to me commanding me to kill him. If that was a mistake, the responsibility for it lies with Yazid.’
~al-Akhbar al-Tiwal page 284
Part Two: Yazid’s Delight Upon Seeing the Head of Imam al-Husayn
1) Abu Faraj Ibn al-Jawzi wrote :
عن مجاهد قَالَ: جيء برأس الحسين بن علي، فوضع بين يدي يزيد بن معاوية، فتمثل بهذين البيتين، يقول: ليت أشياخي ببدر شهدوا … جزع الخزرج من وقع الأسل فأهلوا واستهلوا فرحا … ثم قالوا لي: بقيت لأتمثل قَالَ مجاهد: نافق فيها،
Mujahid narrated, “The head of al-Husayn was placed before Yazid, and he recited the poetry, ‘If my elders who witnessed Badr had seen the anguish of Khazraj at the bow of the spears, they would’ve been happy and said to me ‘May you live long!'”
Mujahid said, “Yazid revealed his Nifaq in that moment.”
~al-Muntazzam fee Taarikh al-Muluk wa al-Ummam vol 5:343
2) Allamah al-Sama’ani wrote :
وقال جعفر بن محمد الصادق: ولم يبق من أولاد الحسين ذكر إلا غلام مريض وهو علي بن الحسين يقال له: زين العابدين. ولما حملت الرؤوس إلى يزيد بن معاوية وضع رأس الحسين بين يديه وأنشأ يزيد يقول بقضيب على فمه: نفلق هاماً من رجال أعزه … علينا، وهم كانوا أعق وأظلما
Ja’far al-Sadiq said : “No son of al-Husayn remained alive except for the young Ali Ibn al-Husayn, Zayn al-Abideen. When the heads were placed before Yazid, he struck the head of al-Husayn with a stick and recited :
‘We cleave the skulls of men who were dear to us, but they were unjust to us.'”
~al-Ansab vol 3:476
3) Hafidh Ibn Kathir mentioned :
عن عمّار الدهني، عن جعفر قال: لما وضع رأس الحسين بين يدي يزيد وعنده أبو بَرْزة وجعل ينكت بالقضيب، فقال له: “ارفع قضيبَك، فلقد رأيت رسول اللَّه ﷺ يلثمُه»
Ammar al-Duhni narrated from Ja’far al-Sadiq, who said :
When the head of al-Husayn was placed before Yazid, he was striking al-Husayn’s face with a stick. Abu Barzah, who was standing there, said to him, ‘Lift your stick, for I have seen Rasul-Allah ﷺ kissing it.’
~al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah vol 8:271
4) Abu al-Arab al-Tamimi mentioned :
عَنْ حَرَامِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ قَالَ أُتِيَ بِرَأْسِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ فَأُلْقِيَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ فَجَعَلَ يَضْرِبُ وَجْهَهُ بِقَضِيبٍ وَيُدْخِلُهُ فِي فَمِهِ وَعَيْنَيْهِ فَقَالَ زَيْدُ بْنُ أَرقم إرفع قَضِيبَكَ عَنْ مَكَانِهِ فَقَالَ يَزِيدُ وَلِمَ قَالَ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ فَمَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَكَانَهُ فَقَالَ يَزِيدُ إِنَّكَ شَيْخٌ قَدْ خَرِفْتَ قَالَ حَرَامُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ حَدَّثْتُ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ بِالْعِرَاقِ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ وَغَيْرُهُ أَنَّهُمْ حَضَرُوا ذَلِكَ حِينَ قَالَهُ زَيْدُ بْنُ أَرْقَمَ لِيَزِيدَ»
Haram Ibn Uthman narrated : The head of al-Husayn was placed before Yazid, and he began striking his face with a stick, poking his mouth and eyes.
Zayd Ibn Arqam said, ‘Remove your stick from that spot because I have been Rasul-Allah ﷺ kissing the very place.’ Yazid replied, ‘You are an old, useless man.’
Haram Ibn Uthman added : ‘I narrated this in Iraq and when I arrived in Madinah, Sa’eed Ibn Muadh and others narrated the same thing to me and that they were present when Zayd Ibn Arqam said that to Yazid.’
~al-Mihan page 136-137
5) Abu Farj Ibn al-Jawzi narrated :
قال الحسن جعل يزيد بن معاوية يطعن بالقصيب موضع في رسول الله ﷺ واذلاه
al-Hasan al-Basri said ‘Yazid Ibn Mu’awiyyah was poking the face of Imam al-Husayn, which was often kissed by Rasul-Allah ﷺ, How shameful!’
~al-Raddh ala al-Muta’sib al-Anid al-Mani min Dhamm Yazid page 58
6) Ibn Asakir mentioned :
«دخل بعض بني أمية على يزيد فقال أبشر يا أمير المؤمنين فقد أمكنك الله من عدو الله وعدوك يعني الحسين بن علي قد قتل ووجه برأسه إليك فلم يلبث إلا أياما حتى جئ برأس الحسين فوضع بين يدي يزيد في طشت فأمر الغلام فرفغ الثوب الذي كان عليه فحين رآه خمر وجهه بكمه كأنه يشم منه رائحة وقال الحمد لله الذي كفانا المؤنة بغير مؤنة ” كل ما أوقدوا نارا للحرب أطفأها الله “»
Some from the Bani Umayyah visited Yazid and said ‘Rejoice, O Emir al-Mu’meenin! Allah has granted you victory over the enemy of Allah and your enemy—al-Husayn Ibn Ali—for he has been killed and his head has been sent to you.’
When the head of al-Husayn was placed before Yazid, he covered his face with his sleeve—as if repulsed by an odor—and said, ‘Praise be to Allah, who spared us the trouble without any effort. Whenever they kindled a fire for war, Allah extinguished it.’
~Taarikh Damishq vol 69:159
7) Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari wrote :
«فَقَالَتْ فَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ الْحُسَيْنِ، وَكَانَتْ أَكْبَرَ مِنْ سُكَيْنَةَ: أَبَنَاتُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ سَبَايَا يَا يَزِيدُ؟ فَقَالَ: يَا ابْنَةَ أَخِي أَنَا لِهَذَا كُنْتُ أَكْرَهُ. فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ فَقَالَ: هَبْ لِي هَذِهِ، يَعْنِي فَاطِمَةَ، فَأَخَذَتْ بِثِيَابِ أُخْتِهَا زَيْنَبَ، وَكَانَتْ أَكْبَرَ مِنْهَا، فَقَالَتْ زَيْنَبُ: كَذَبْتَ وَلَؤُمْتَ، مَا ذَلِكَ لَكَ وَلَا لَهُ. فَغَضِبَ يَزِيدُ وَقَالَ: كَذَبْتِ وَاللَّهِ، إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لِي وَلَوْ شِئْتُ أَنْ أَفْعَلَهُ لَفَعَلْتُهُ. قَالَتْ كَلَّا وَاللَّهِ، مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَكَ ذَلِكَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَخْرُجَ مِنْ مِلَّتِنَا وَتَدِينَ بِغَيْرِ دِينِنَا. فَغَضَبَ يَزِيدُ وَاسْتَطَارَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِيَّايَ تَسْتَقْبِلِينَ بِهَذَا؟ إِنَّمَا خَرَجَ مِنَ الدِّينِ أَبُوكِ وَأَخُوكِ! قَالَتْ زَيْنَبُ: بِدِينِ اللَّهِ وَدِينِ أَبِي وَأَخِي وَجَدِّي اهْتَدَيْتَ أَنْتَ وَأَبُوكَ وَجَدُّكَ.
Fatimah Bint al-Husayn—who was older than Sukainah—said to Yazid, ‘Are the daughters of Rasul-Allah to be held as captive?’
Yazid replied, ‘O daughter of my brother, this is what I wished to avoid.’
Then a Syrian stood up and said, ‘Give her to me (as a slave).’ She clutched to the garments of Zaynab, and Zaynab said ‘You have lied; neither you nor Yazid has any right to do that.’
Hearing that, Yazid got angry and said ‘By Allah, you are the one who lies, and it is within my powers, and if I wish to do it, I would do it.’
Zaynab replied, ‘By no means, Allah has not granted you such a right, unless you were to depart from our faith and embrace a religion other than ours.’
Yazid, in anger, said ‘Do you talk to me in this manner? It was your father and your brother who left this faith.’
Zaynab said ‘It is through the religion of Allah and the religion of my father, my brother and my grandfather- that you, your father and your grandfather were guided.’
~al-Kamil fee al-Taarikh vol 3:189
8) Allamah adh-Dhabhi mentioned :
«محمد بن جرير: حدثت عن أبي عبيدة، حدثنا يونس بن حبيب، قال: لما قتل عبيد الله الحسين وأهله، بعث برؤوسهم إلى يزيد، فسر بقتلهم أولا؛ ثم لم يلبث حتى ندم على قتلهم،»
Yunus Ibn Habib said that when Ubayd-Allah killed al-Husayn and his family, he sent their heads to Yazid. Initially, Yazid rejoiced in their killing, but it wasn’t long before he regretted it.
~Siyar Alam an-Nubala vol 3:317
Part Three: Scholarly Attestations That Yazid Was Responsible for the Events of Karbala
1) Allamah al-Alusi wrote :
والطامة الكبرى ما فعله بأهل البيت ورضاه بقتل الحسين على جده وعليه الصلاة والسلام واستبشاره بذلك وإهانته لأهل بيته مما تواتر معناه
The greatest calamity was what Yazid did to the household of the Prophet ﷺ, he approved the killing of al-Husayn, and he rejoiced in his killing, and he humiliated them, and this is proven by Mutawattir reports.
~Tafsir Ruh al-Ma’ani vol 13:227-228
2) Allamah adh-Dhabhi said :
ولما فَعَلَ يَزِيدُ بِأَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَا فَعَلَ، وَقُتِلَ الْحُسَيْنُ وَإِخْوَتُهُ وَآلُهُ،
And Yazid did what he did to the Ahl al-Madinah, and al-Husayn, his brothers, and his family were killed.
~Taarikh al-Islam vol 5:30
3) Allamah al-Manawi wrote :
«قال التفتازاني: الحق أن رضى يزيد بقتل الحسين وإهانته أهل البيت مما تواتر»
al-Taftazani said, “The truth is that Yazid’s approval of the killing of al-Husayn and humiliation of the Ahl al-Bayt is proven by Mutawattir reports.”
~Fayd al-Qadeer vol 3:109
4) Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi wrote :
وَوَجَدْنَا يَزِيدَ بْنَ مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَالْفَاسِقَ الْحَجَّاجَ قَدْ قَتَلَا فِيهِ النُّفُوسَ الْمُحَرَّمَةَ
We found that Yazid Ibn Mu’awiyyah and the Fasiq Hajjaj had killed those who were forbidden to kill.
~al-Muhalla bil-Athar vol 11:147
5) Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi wrote :
حكى لي بعض اشياخنا عن ذلك اليوم: ان جماعة سألوا جدي عن يزيد فقال ما تقولون في رجل ولّي ثلاث سنين في السنة الأولى قتل الحسين في الثانية أخاف المدينة و اباحها و في الثالثة رمى الكعبة بالمجانيق و هدمها، فقالوا نلعن فقال فالعنوه.
Ibn al-Jawzi was asked about Yazid, who was a man who killed al-Husayn, attacked Madinah & demolished the Kaaba. Can we curse him? He replied : ‘Yes, we curse him.’
~Tadhkirat al-Khawwas 291-292
6) Ibn Khaldoon wrote :
فلا يجوز قتال الحسين مع يزيد ولا ليزيد بل هي من فعلاته المؤكّدة لفسقه والحسين فيها شهيد
“It is not permissible to fight alongside Yazid against al-Husayn, nor on Yazid’s behalf; rather, this act is one of the deeds that confirm Yazid’s wickedness, and al-Husayn is a martyr in this regard.”
~Taarikh Ibn Khaldoon vol 1:271
7) Hafidh Jalal ad-Deen al-Suyuti wrote :
ﻟﻌﻦ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻗﺎﺗﻠﻪ ﻭاﺑﻦ ﺯﻳﺎﺩ ﻣﻌﻪ ﻭﻳﺰﻳﺪ ﺃﻳﻀﺎ
May Allah curse the killer of al-Husayn and curse Ibn Ziyad, who was with them & Yazid.
~Taarikh al-Khulafa vol 1:341
Thank you for reading! Double the Salawat upon al-Imamayn al-Hasan wa al-Husayn and double the La’anah upon Mu’awiyyah and his son Yazid.
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