There is no doubt that one of the defining characteristics of the Shia is their immense love for al-Husayn b. Ali (AS) and their deep sorrow over his martyrdom. Every year, during the month of Muharram, the Shia commemorate the martyrdom of al-Husayn, holding gatherings, listening to sermons, and engaging in acts of charity in the name of al-Husayn (AS), much to the chagrin of their adversaries. Many ask: why talk about Karbala over and over again, and why don’t the Shia mov

It is the popular belief of the Shi’a that Imam al-Husayn (AS) was aware of his death due to having been informed by his grandfather Rasulullah (SAW) and his father Amir al-Mu’mineen (AS). For this reason, people make the contention that the Imam committed “suicide” because he knowingly brought himself to his death. What is the response to this accusation?

Yazid was born during the caliphate of Uthman b. Affan, in what is now modern-day Syria. His mother, Maysun bt. Bahdal was a Christian woman with whom Yazid spent much of his early life. It is perhaps because of this Christian influence on Yazid that he saw no issue with immoral or sinful behavior as a ruler, as he would have read in the Bible about the actions of prophets like David and Solomon, who are attributed with serious faults and transgressions. Perhaps, in Yazid’s m