Description

LINEAGE

Hazrat Ali al-Akbar (R.A) was born in Medina, in 655 AD. He was the son of Imam Hussain ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (R.A). His father was the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). His grandfather was Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (R.A) who was the cousin of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

The mother of Ali al-Akbar was Layla (R.A), daughter of Abu Murrah, who was the son of Urwa ibn Mas’ud, a companion of Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) from the Banu Thaqif tribe. The maternal grandmother of Ali al-Akbar (R.A), Maymuna, was the daughter of Abu Sufyan, chief of the Banu Umayya tribe. For this reason, the Umayyad caliph Muawiyah (r. 661–680) apparently praised Ali al-Akbar (R.A) as the worthiest of the caliphate, as he combined “the courage of the Banu Hashim, the generosity of the Banu Umayya, and the pride of the Banu Thaqif.

LIFE

Aged between eighteen and twenty-five, Ali al-Akbar (R.A) was martyrdom at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, alongside his father and some seventy-two relatives and supporters, who fought against the army of the Umayyad caliph Yazid ibn Muawiyah.

Ali al-Akbar (R.A) is said to have charged multiple times at the enemy lines. After one of his charges, he returned from the battlefield, injured, and parched with thirst, and complained of thirst. Imam Hussain (R.A) consoled him that his thirst would soon be quenched at the hands of his great-grandfather Hazrat Muhammad (SAW). Ali al-Akbar (R.A) then returned to fight and was finally felled by Murra ibn Sa’d, who is said to have struck Ali al-Akbar (R.A) from behind. He fell and was surrounded by Umayyad soldiers who “cut him to pieces.” In most reports, his killer is named Murra ibn Munqidh al-Abdi.

A devastated Imam Hussain (R.A) wept over the body of his dead son. Imam Hussain’s (R.A) sister Bibi Zaynab (R.A) rushed there too and Imam Hussain (R.A) finally returned to the camp with her inconsolable sister. He then asked other young men to carry the body of Ali al-Akbar (R.A) back to the camp.

The battle ended when the lone-standing Imam Hussain (R.A) was killed in the afternoon. The severed heads of Ali al-Akbar (R.A) and others were afterward taken to Ibn Ziyad in Kufa and then to Yazid in Damascus, where his head was likely buried in the Bab al-Saghir cemetery. The women and children, taken captive after the battle, were marched alongside to Kufa and then Damascus.

The fallen supporters of Imam Hussain (R.A) were buried by some men of the Banu Asad tribe from the al-Ghadiriyya village. Ali al-Akbar (R.A) was buried next to his father. Today, the two tombs are located under the central dome of the shrine of Imam Hussain (R.A) in the city of Karbala, in present-day Iraq. The city developed around the shrine and has become a destination for pilgrimage and a center for religious learning. There are also passages devoted to Ali al-Akbar (R.A) in the supplications recited by pilgrims. He left no descendants.

LEGACY

The legacy of Ali al-Akbar ibn Hussain (R.A) is deeply intertwined with his bravery, piety, and sacrifice, which exemplify the values of Islam. Ali al-Akbar (R.A) is remembered for his remarkable courage on the battlefield.

During the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, despite being just 18 or 20 years old (accounts vary), he displayed unmatched valor in combat. Despite the overwhelming odds, he fearlessly faced the enemy forces of the Umayyad caliph Yazid I, demonstrating unwavering dedication to the cause of righteousness and justice. He was known for his kindness, compassion, and devotion to God. His exemplary conduct serves as a model for Muslims, illustrating the importance of embodying noble virtues in the face of adversity.

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