Can someone please give me a concise (CONCISE!!!) list of events that happened leading up to karbala. Who was allied with whom?
I have listented to these PTV-ARY-GEO type speeches on the matter. Frankly, I really don’t understand such intense high vocab urdu.
Re: Karbala
You must know the ppl known as khulfa-e-rashedeen in ISlamic history, i.e. Hz Abu Bakr, Umar, Osman, and Imam Ali.
After Imam Ali, Muawiya became the so-called Khalifa-e-Musleemeen. He nominated his son Yazid as his successor. Yazid tried all the means to get Imam Hussain, who was the heir of Prophet (saww), to publically accept (i.e. Bayat) Yazid's regime. And thus the journey to Karbala starts.
For more details refer to the history books. Islamic history makes a very sad reading.
Re: Karbala
You can try reading these links:
WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE IN KILLING OF KARBALÂ?
what is the REALITY OF MAATAM
Unmasking the other villains of Karbalâ
What is recommended for the Muslim on the day of 'Aashooraa.
If you are going to read about Karbala, might as well read about events before it… to better understand the situation:
The Khawarij
The very first sect to split away from the main body of the Muslims. They will remain in the Ummah till they fight alongside Dajjal against this Ummah.
And I pity these TV folks, they hardly show anything Islamic all year around and when Muharam comes… they are all tears. And that too isn’t so islamic (religiously speaking) nor does it reflect upon the lessons of Karbala… 90% of their viewers are not interested in such programming.
Re: Karbala
In various (almost all) matam events you get to see a HORSE (camel ?) with flowers and all the good stuff on it... what does that horse represent?
Re: Karbala
You may also check this link
A Probe Into the History of Ashura
In order to clarify the Propaganda by Naasibi websites defending the real killers of Imam Hussain (being their beloved) these link may also be helpful.
Re: Karbala
To reassure that it wasn't the political conflict but the war against good vs evil. Here are ome of the significant events occured in yazeed's tenure
1) marriage with mehram was allowed (marrying your sister becomes legal and islamic)
2) chicken declared haram
3) Gay marriages allowed
4) Assult on Madina Munawarah (no pyares in masjid-e-nabwi for 3 days)
5) thousands of sahaba, tabaeen (one how saw a sahabi in a lifetime) killed.
That proves he was corrupt and the stance of Iman hussain was nothing but just.
Re: Karbala
At the time of Hazrat Ali's caliphate, a psuedo state in the form of Syria became a contender for power led by Muawiya. War was fought which resulted in a kind of stalemate, while Hazrat Ali retained power, Muawiya didnt relinquish his.
After the death of Imam Ali, Imam Hassan and Muawiya negotiated a peace agreement, whereby the power would stay with Muawiya with two main provisions. 1. Muawiya rule according to the edicts of Quran and Sunnah. 2. After the death of Muawiya Khilafat will pass to Imam Hussain
When close to death Muawiya nominated Yazeed as his successor. While he violated the truce agreement, Yazeed was a legitimately chosen khalifa according to precendence. He had obtained the bayt of prominent arab leaders (the way the first caliph was chosen) and he had been nominated by a dying caliph (the way the 2nd or 3rd caliph was chosen)
Yazeed enforced his rule, extracting baits from any other contenders to power. His rule had already started subverting the religion, as ImranQ posted. People started getting antsy. In order to eliminate threats to his power Yazeed sent emissaries to force Imam Hussain to give him his allegiance
Imam Hussain refused to give allegiance to Yazeed. Seeing that they were intent on bloodshed if he didnt give his allegiance, Imam Hussain left medina with most of his family and friends. They headed to Mecca for safehaven, but seeing Yazeed's forces there he left Mecca.
The city of Kufa was promising safehaven to the Imam. Imam Hussain sent an emissary (Muslim ibn Aqeel) there to see if that was true. When he arrived they pledged to support him and Muslim sent word to the Imam to head towards Kufa. Imam Hussain headed towards Iraq.
Yazeed despatched a strongman dictator type to Kufa, Ibn Ziyad with orders to curtail it. He unleashed a brutal clampdown of the few people in Kufa who didnt immediately chicken out of their promises. And killed Muslim (who was the imam's cousin)
Yazeed sent an army numbering in the tens of thousands headed by Umer ibn Saad to force Imam Hussain to give his bait. The forward party of that army, headed by Hurr met Imam Hussains caravan and they informed him that Kufa had betrayed him. Imam Hussain changed his direction away from Kufa and stationed in Karbala (Hurr later defected from Yazeed's army and joined Imam Hussains)
Re: Karbala
Please refrain from attacking each others' beliefs. Either discuss things in an appropriate manner or stay away from it altogether. There's absolutely no need to bash anyone's beliefs. Feel free to share your views without indulging into any mudslinging or bashing others.
Re: Karbala
and yeah, please list your sources so that we know where you're coming from.
JaanLeva..that ghora is supposed to be Imam Hussein's ghora. [quit with the lame jokes]
Re: Karbala
Before this:
During Hazrat Usman RA’s caliphate, Hazrat Muwaiya was made the governor of Syria, where as he (Muwaiya) was banished (ousted from city/state, forgetting the reasons why it happened) by prior caliph (not sure if it was Hazrat Abu Bakr or Omar RA). Correct me if I’m wrong.
Re: Karbala
Why would a prior ruler banish muawiya?
Re: Karbala
JaanLeva..that ghora is supposed to be Imam Hussein's ghora.
Yet Imam Hussain doesn't come back to life? I would not respect such horse to this degree where it is decorated and sometimes worshipped... that it ran or didn't do anything for his rider.
Boy-Nice, what is the source of the "shia" side of the story? If you look at the events there are three sources: 1) the ones with Yazid or 2) the ones on Hussain's side and 3) The truth that those who killed Uthman, Ali (ra) were responsibile for killings in Karbala.... Since those on Hussain's side were killed that leaves the folks on yazid's side to tell the story or the truth.... which shias do not believe and that leaves us with a question: Where did the shias get their part of the story? edited: perhaps you should leave the answer for the educated ones]
Re: Karbala
Ravage can it asserted that its was a political struggle between Hazrat Ali and Ameer Muawiyah, which resulted in the Shahadat of Imam Hussain, and one of the parties involved later became a major religious sect?
Re: Karbala
Hazrat Hussain RA was martyred way after death of Muwaiyah, so how come it became a political struggle between Hazrat Ali RA and Muwayiya? 
Re: Karbala
captain1: I believe a number of Sunni scholars of that view, most significantly Moulana Moududi where this is the thesis of his Khilafat o Mulukiyat if Im not mistaken. I havent read that book though, so I cant comment on whether thats true or not. Certainly for shias the significance of Muawiya begins once he became ruler of Syria not before it.
Jaan leva: You need to speak more respectfully. As far as who recorded the events of Karbala, a number of Sunni historians have done so. Yazeed’s army had according to the custom of that time official narrators of the hostilities, and they form some of the core sources for both sunnis and shias. In addition there were the survivors of that incident, including the son of Hussain, whom Sunnis and Shias both hold in esteem. Should you wish to insinuate that these events were recorded in a cave, you’re also demonstrating how little regard you have for the Prophet’s family, something that all Sunnis do have.
Mini Me: You are correct to the extent that it was a politically motivated split into sects (not formation of a new sect 
which you understand would be hard to swallow for a shia), but it didnt arise at the time of Muawiya, although that was the first war Hazrat Ali fought over his right to power. The split began in the different interpretation of Sunnis and Shias of who should be Khalifa (or Imam in shia lingo) after the death of the Prophet. This much is agreed that at that time, there existed two parties, one who met at Saqifah to vote in Hazrat Abu Bakr, and the other who believed in the right of Hazrat Ali to power sourcing it to what the Prophet had said during his lifetime. The term “Rafidi” is from that time. While Hazrat Ali chose to acqueise (by no accounts easily) the same question of the process of appointment of Khalifa came into question between Muawiya and Hazrat Ali, Muawiya and Hazrat Hassan, and finally Yazeed and Imam Hussain, resulting finally in his shahadat.
These make interesting reading:
One significance of Imam Hussain’s shahadat is that until that event, the Haakim/Khalifa was also the religious leader and was a source for fatawa. There exist practices in Muslims sourced to Khalifas up until Yazeed (three divorces at once, taraweeh in congregation). Yazeed’s actions however delineated the line between what a ruler over Muslims can do and what is done and should be followed in the name of Islam, because nobody could stomach what he did as actions of an ameer ul momineen. I am not aware of any fatawa source to the Khalifatul waqt after Yazeed.
Re: Karbala
1) marriage with mehram was allowed (marrying your sister becomes legal and islamic)
2) chicken declared haram 3) Gay marriages allowed 4) Assult on Madina Munawarah (no pyares in masjid-e-nabwi for 3 days) 5) thousands of sahaba, tabaeen (one how saw a sahabi in a lifetime) killed.
That proves he was corrupt and the stance of Iman hussain was nothing but just.
You're kidding me right?
Re: Karbala
Maulana Moudoodi’s acocunt:
http://globalwebpost.com/farooqm/study_res/islam/history/rule-of-yazid.html
An article on Yazeed:
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/980323/1998032326.html
I cant find the sources for some of the other assertions online. Tareekh e Tabari is a good source. Most sunnis agree about the rampage of medina and the razing of Kaaba though.
Re: Karbala
...
Re: Karbala
first read about siffin then come to karbala and finally Harra
Political disputes started as mentioned at the Saqifa
but by the time of Siffin the nature of the dispute has become religious as the rebels were prepared to bend the rules of islam and resort to any illegal means to secure a political or military victory.
Re: Karbala
your oversimplified view does not do justice to this extremely complicated situation
first know the basics about the history in that time period and the origins of shiaism before passing such judgements