← Annalium map

Husayn ibn Ali

626 CE – 680 CE

Retrace Husayn ibn Ali's life across the map — 7 events in chronological order, from a cinematic flythrough to a full timeline.

Life journey

1. Battle of Badghis654 CE
   The Persian revolts against the Rashidun Caliphate were a series of uprisings and insurgencies across former Sasanian territories between 646 and 661 CE. Following the initial Muslim conquest of Persia, these rebellions represented a major challenge to the consolidation of Rashidun control over the territories of the former Sasanian Empire. The unrest was primarily driven by the marginalization of the Persian elite and economic discontent regarding the imposition of taxes such as the Jizya and Kharaj.
2. Battle of the Camel656 CE
   The Battle of the Camel, also known as the Battle of Basra took place in 656 CE outside of Basra in Iraq. It was fought between the partisans of Ali, commanded by the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali, against the rebelling Uthmaniyya led by Aisha, Talha, and Zubayr. Ali's loyalists consisted predominantly of Kufan and Medinan troops, while his opponents consisted of a coalition of Meccan and Basran forces. Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, while Aisha was a widow of Muhammad; Talha and Zubayr were both early converts to Islam and prominent companions. Ali emerged victorious from the battle; Talha was killed in the engagement, while Zubayr left the field before the fighting began and was later assassinated. Aisha was escorted back to Hejaz afterward. The triumvirate had revolted against Ali to avenge the assassination of the third Rashidun caliph Uthman, although Aisha and Talha are both known to have opposed him during his reign. The three also called for Ali's removal from office and for a Qurayshite council (shura), involving Talha and Zubayr, to appoint his successor.
3. Battle of Siffin657 CE
   The Battle of Siffin was fought in 657 CE between the Iraqi Arab forces of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Syrian Arab forces of the rebelling long-time governor of the Levant, Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan. The battle is named after its location Siffin on the banks of the Euphrates river. The fighting stopped after the Syrians called for arbitration when Ali's forces started to gain the upper hand, to which Ali reluctantly agreed under pressure from some of his troops. The arbitration process ended inconclusively in 658 though it strengthened the Syrians' support for Mu'awiya and his political position while weakening the authority of Ali and causing dissension among the Iraqis. The battle was part of the First Fitna and is considered a major step towards the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate.
4. Mu'awiya I's Southern Campaigns658 CE
   The First Fitna was the first civil war in the Islamic community. It led to the end of the Rashidun Caliphate and the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate. The civil war involved three main factions; the supporters of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali, the Uthmaniyya, and the Kharijites, a faction of radical secessionists who broke away from Ali's camp following the arbitration at Siffin.
5. Battle of Nahrawan659 CE
   The Battle of Nahrawan was fought between the largely Kufan forces of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali and the Kharijites in July 658 CE. The latter were a group of former allies of Ali during the First Fitna. They separated from him following the Battle of Siffin when Ali agreed to settle the conflict with Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, the long-time governor of the Levant, through arbitration, a move labeled by the group as against the Qur'an. After failed attempts to regain their loyalty and because of their rebellious and violent activities, Ali confronted the Kharijites near their headquarters by the Nahrawan Canal, near modern-day Baghdad. Of the 4,000 rebels, some 1,200 were won over with the promise of amnesty while the majority of the remaining 2,800 rebels were killed in the ensuing battle. Other sources put the casualties at 1500–1800.
6. Battle of Karbala680 CE
   The Battle of Karbala was fought on 10 October 680 between the army of the second Umayyad caliph Yazid I and a small army led by Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, at Karbala, Sawad.
7. Uprising of Mukhtar685 CE
   The Second Fitna was the second civil war in the Islamic community during the early Umayyad Caliphate. It followed the death of the first Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya I in 680, and lasted for about twelve years. The war involved three main challenges to the authority of the Umayyad dynasty; the first by Husayn ibn Ali, as well as his supporters including Sulayman ibn Surad and Mukhtar al-Thaqafi who rallied to avenge his death in Iraq, the second by Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr who proclaimed himself caliph in Mecca and was nominally recognized throughout most of the Caliphate, and the Kharijites who took over central Arabia and southern Iraq and Persia.

Event data from Wikipedia/Wikidata (CC-BY-SA). Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected].