Before the actual engagement was to take place, Imam Husain (AS) approached the forces of Yazid (LA) and brought to their attention his position in Islam. Hur, the previous commander of the enemy force, felt his conscience violently stirring, he was in turmoil. Upon realizing the gravity of the situation, he suddenly broke away from Umar Ibn Sa'ad's camp and rushed toward Imam Husain (AS) to join his camp. Hur's heart was jumping with joy, his mind relieved of an agonizing tension. Hur's defection worried Umar Ibn Sa'ad (LA) very much, lest others do the same and defect. So Umar Ibn Sa'ad threw an arrow in the air to indicate the start of the battle. This was the outset of a catastrophe and a tragic event that Mu'awiya (LA) had once conceived to happen.
Imam Husain's supporters insisted on being the first to fight. Therefore, they took the brunt of the enemy attack. The battle was ferocious. Within a short time the Imam's supporters slay a large number of the enemy fighters, they were on the offensive and the enemy on the defensive. This caused apprehension and confusion in the enemy military, the 72 of Husain's against the 5,000 of the enemy (some say 30,000) being on the defensive. So worried and nervous, the enemy commander-in-chief ordered his army not only to set fire to the Imam's tents (which were occupied mostly by females and children), but at the same time reinforced his fighters with more troops.
The heroes began to fall, they were men of valor welcoming martyrdom, they fell one after another, for the enemy was overwhelming in number. By noon time the Imam stopped the fight to perform the Salat. By this time those left were mainly his family and a few supporters. They performed the Salat al-Khawf together. Two supporters were guarding the performers of Salat. The enemy was standing still, watching!! When Salat was finished one of the guards fell dead; there were 17 arrows in his back.
Abbas (AS) and five other brothers of Imam Husain went to fight. They also engaged the enemy in a fierce fighting, almost doing the impossible. With the permission of Imam Husain (as) and upon the request of Sakina, Abbas (as) went toward the river bank of Alqama to bring some water for the thirsty children. While he was returning on his horse with the water, he was attacked by a large horde of the enemy, overwhelming and severely wounding him. Arrows cut his limbs and as much as he tried Abbas could not save the water as an arrow struck the waterbag, he fell from his horse to breath his last. Husain (AS) rushed to the site as an eagle to its pray. He held his brothers body in grief and declared, "Brother Abbas ! You where the backbone of Husain (AS) which the enemies have injured."
Ali Akbar (AS), Husain's son obtained permission to fight and dashed toward the enemy. He engaged them in fierce fighting, falling on them like thunder, slaying numerous fighters. He continued to move forward, deep inside the enemy. Suddenly thirst overcame the young soul as he rushed towards his father. Husain Imam (AS) was in vain that he could not offer a glass of water to his child. At last he offered him a ring of Rasulallah (AS) to keep in the mouth and the thirst disappeared with its grace. Again the great warrior threw himself among the enemies, laying down their bodies as a sign of immense bravery. The enemy was overpowering in number, it overwhelmed him cutting him with swords and spears, suddenly a spear struck his heart and the valiant was down on earth, it was no sooner when Husain Imam (AS) was besides him to show him a view of the hereafter. He picked up the wounded limp body and brought it to the appalled camp. His sister and others in the camp were horrified and shocked at the scene.
Next to the battle field went the sons of Imam Hasan (as), as Qasim fell for martyrdom came Abdullah to ask permit from the Imam. The Imam (as) soon realized the last will of his brother Hasan to wed his daughter Sakina to Abdullah and bravely did the same, displaying the most unique of characters. It was no longer that the groom had sunk in blood and grief had widowed the little Sakina.
It was no longer that Zainab (AS) came to Husain seeking permission for her sons for Jihad. Husain could not help himself against the urge of a mother. They were in their teens but each stood bravely, believing in the mission, facing a formidable enemy, and showed no less enthusiasm in their quest to embrace the martyrdom.
By the afternoon 70 brave persons had sacrificed their lives in Karbala to save Islam. All had fought under nerve racking conditions, severe thirst, hunger for almost 3 days, dehydration, exhaustion, and agonizing feeling of what would happen to the family of the Prophet (AS) afterwards. Husain (AS) endured all that and more, for he saw all his beloved ones brutally cut to pieces, including children. Remaining the only one, Imam Husain was to face the enemy head on. Precisely at that moment Imam Husain heard his baby crying incessantly, agonizing because of the thirst. Imam Husain's love for his family was unbound, especially for a suffering baby. He held the six months old baby, his youngest son (Ali Asgar) in his arms, and appealed to the enemy fighters for some water for the baby. Imam Husain wanted to awaken their conscience and stir their human feelings but the stone-hearted enemy, instead of giving water, one of them named Hurmalah (LA) zoomed an arrow toward the agonizing baby and killed him instantly. Imam Husain (AS) was shocked. He felt an unbearable wave of pain. The sight of the limp baby in his arms was agonizingly painful. He filled his palm with the blood of the baby, and threw it upwards toward the sky, complaining to Allah, not a single drop fell to earth showing the great position and lofty status of Ali Asgar before Allah. It was no longer that the Imam (AS) had buried the little body in the soil of Karbala.
Imam Husain (AS) was alone, one man against thousands. He took them on, fighting them bravely, and kept fighting, receiving many wounds in the process. As the hour of Shahadat grew nearer Husain (AS) unmounted and rested in peace. Thousands of enemy fighters were surrounding him but none dared to move toward him. The silence was broken when Shimr La'een did the drastic act towards the grandson of the prophet of Islam and the Imam of his Ummat which no mumin will ever forget. The Imam's last act was to offer his supplications to Allah in Sajdah when he remembered mumineen/muminat his loved ones. Zainab (AS), the sister of Imam Husain was standing in the horizon to witness this horrifying event, when grief covered the face of the human race. The shadat of Imam Husain (AS) and the event of Karbala marked the end of all sacrifices.
Umar Ibn Sa'ad ordered the horsemen to trample upon the supine bodies of Imam Husain and all others killed, to disfigure them even further, as if the wounds, the bloodied bodies, and the headless forms were not enough.
For three days the exposed bodies of the martyrs were left lying in the desert of Karbala. Afterwards, the people of the tribe of Bani Asad, who were not far away from the battle field, helped bury them.
Umar Ibn Sa'ad and his forces (representing Banu Umayyah) took the women and children (the Haram of Rasulaaah) as prisoners in shackles, put them on camels, and proceeded in a caravan from Karbala to Kufa. At the forefront of the procession were the heads of Imam Husain (AS) and his followers on the tip of spears. The scene was both grotesque and pathetic. This was the leftover of the beloved family of Rasulallah (SA), in such a deplorable unimaginable condition, all caused by people who called themselves Muslims!
The son of Imam Husain (AS), Mowlana Ali Zainul Abideen (AS) the witness to the tragic moments carried on the mision of Rasulallah (SA) and brought to live before the world the incident. Aqa Moula Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin (TUS) narrates to us this grieving memory of the day of Ashura to awaken in us the feeling of gratitude towards the sacrifice of Imam Husain, the savior of Islam. This feeling in turn stops us from wrong doings and guides us towards deeds of kindness and Ibadat of Allah. The tears shed remind us of our own sins and an urge of never returning to it again.
May Allah Subhanahu grant our beloved Moula and Dai of Imam Husain a long life in the pink of health and happiness. May Allah keep us under the shade of the Dua of Aqa Moua (TUS) when he says "Allah keep you all happy and away from all sorrows accept for the grief of Imam Husain (AS)". Ameen