After Imam Husain’s arrival in Mecca...

After Imam Husain’s arrival in Mecca, the Shia of Iraq learned of Muʿāwiya’s death and that both Imam (PBUH) and ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr had refused to pledge allegiance to Yazīd. In response, they gathered and composed a letter inviting the Imam (PBUH) to come to Kūfa [15] . Two days after dispatching the initial letter, the people of Kūfa sent around 150 additional letters to Imam Husain (PBUH), each signed by between one and four individuals.

The central message in all these letters was an appeal for the Imam (PBUH) to come to Kūfa. At first, the Imam (PBUH) did not respond to any of the letters. However, when their number grew significantly, he decided to send a reply [16] . Thereafter, Imam Husain (PBUH) sent his cousin Muslim ibn ʿAqīl to Iraq and examined the situation [17] . He began gathering pledges of allegiance to Imam Husain (PBUH) [18] .

In Kūfa, the number of those who pledged allegiance varied according to different reports—some mention 12,000 [19] , others 18,000 [20] , and some even more than 30,000 [21] . Muslim ibn ʿAqīl then wrote to the Imam (PBUH), informing him of the overwhelming support and urging him to come to Kūfa [22] . Imam Husain (PBUH) left Mecca towards Kufa with 82 people [23] , 60 of whom were Shi’a from Kufa [24] .

Despite warnings and betrayals along the way, Imam Husain’s (PBUH) mission remained firm, leading to his arrival at Karbala, where the final phase of the event of Karbala would unfold. The Day of ʿĀshūrāʾ: Key Events and Martyrdom The event of Karbala reached its tragic and climactic peak on the 10th of Muḥarram, known as the Day of ʿĀshūrāʾ, in the year 61 AH (680 CE).

On this fateful day, Imam Husain (PBUH), along with his small group of loyal family members and companions—totaling no more than 72—faced the massive army of Yazid, numbering in the thousands. The event of Karbala unfolded with immense spiritual significance and emotional gravity as the forces of injustice surrounded and cut off access to water from the camp of Imam Husain for three days.

Despite the extreme thirst, exhaustion, and emotional agony, Husain’s camp stood firm in their resolve and commitment to divine principles. On the Day of ʿĀshūrāʾ, one after another, the companions and family members of the Imam were martyred, including his six-month-old son, ʿAlī al-Aṣghar, in a heartbreaking scene that epitomizes the human cost of the Karbala.