ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Uprising of Ashura and Responses to Doubts Ibn Taymiyyah’s defence of Yazid Driven by undisguised hostility against the (as), Ibn Taymiyyah rose in defence of Yazid. He endeavored by all means to exonerate Yazid of all corruption and unscrupulousness including his guilt in the killing of Imam al-Husayn (as). He has done so by shamelessly resorting to guile and deceit to justify Yazid’s actions.

Ibn Taymiyyah writes, “Yazid was not pleased with the killing of al-Husayn. He even expressed his displeasure at this action.”[^1] He also repudiates the truth of the events in which the Sham army carried the head of Imam al-Husayn (as) on a lance to Sham.[^2] At one point, he even denies that Imam al-Husayn’s (as) Household, the (as), were taken into captivity by Yazid’s soldiers.[^3] At another juncture, Ibn Taymiyyah says, “Yazid did not issue orders to kill al-Husayn.

Yazid’s soldiers did not bring the heads of those killed at Karbala on lances to Sham to be presented to Yazid. Yazid did not hit the teeth of al-Husayn with his stick. In fact, it was ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad who did all these actions.”[^4] In this section, evidence will be cited to substantiate the fact that when Ibn Ziyad killed Imam al-Husayn (as), he was acting under strict and direct orders issued by Yazid ibn Mu‘awiyah.

Yazid appointed Ibn Ziyad governor of Kufah Upon examination of historical evidence, it is apparent that it was Yazid that appointed ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad to the post of governor of Kufah. Before then, ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad was the governor of Basrah. This appointment sheds light upon the view that Yazid intended to confront Imam al-Husayn (as).

Appointing Ibn Ziyad to the position of governor of Kufah was a premeditated plan because he was the only person Yazid deemed capable of carrying out the duty of killing al-Husayn (as). It is worth noting that Yazid did not, previous to that time, have a good relationship with ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad. He had even considered dismissing him from the governorship of Basrah.

However, because he did not deem Nu‘man ibn Bashir, who was the incumbent governor of Kufah, capable of confronting Muslim ibn ‘Aqil and Imam al-Husayn (as), Yazid ibn Mu‘awiyah was left with no option but to appeal to ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad for help. He not only expressed his sudden pleasure with Ibn Ziyad, but also appointed him to the governorship of both Kufah and Basrah as well.