Ali Akbar ibn Husayn
Encyclopedia
Ali al-Akbar ibn Husayn (Eleventh of Sha'aban
42 AH 662
- Tenth of Muharram
61 AH / October 10 680
) was the son of the third Shi'ah Imam
, Husayn ibn Ali
, and Umm Layla
.
, Husayn ibn Ali's younger sister, raised Ali Al-Akbar. His other two brothers were also named Ali: Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn and Zayn al-Abidin. Abbas ibn Ali
, Ali Akbar's uncle taught him fencing and archery. He so much resembled Muhammad
that Husayn ibn Ali often said, "whenever I remember my maternal grandfather I look at Akbar." Ali Akbar was killed by Murrah ibn Munqad in the Battle of Karbala
.
Ali Akbar stood in front of Husayn ibn Ali after Zuhr prayers and said, "Father I request for permission to go and fight the enemies of Islam." His father gave him permission and said, "May Allah be with you! But Akbar, you know how much your mother, sisters, and aunts love you. Go and say farewell to them." Ali Akbar went into the tent of his mother. Every time he wanted to come out of the tent his mother, aunts, and sisters would pull his cloak and say, "O Akbar, How will we live without you?" Husayn ibn Ali had to plead with all to let Ali Akbar go.
Husayn ibn Ali helped his son mount his horse. As Akbar began to ride towards the battlefield he heard footsteps behind him. He looked back and saw his father. He said, "Father, we have said good-bye. Why are you walking behind me?" Husayn ibn Ali replied, "My son, if you had a son like yourself then you would have surely understood!"
He killed many well-known warriors. No one dared to come close to him in a single combat. Umar Sa'ad ordered his soldiers to kill him, saying, "When he dies, Husayn will not want to live! Ali Akbar is the life of Husayn." While a few soldiers attacked Ali Akbar, Murrah ibn Munqad threw a spear through Ali Akbar’s chest. Murrah ibn Munqad then broke the wooden part of the spear and left the blade inside Ali Akbar's chest, to cause him more pain. As Ali Akbar fell from his horse, he said, "O Father, my last salaams to you! Here is my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah, giving me my water. He says yours is here waiting for you". The reason he said this was because after Ali Akbar killed significant members of the enemy forces, he went to Husayn and said he is too thirsty to fight. Husayn was very sad and told his son: 'Do not worry, Akbar. After you are martyred your grandfather, the Messenger of Allah, will give you water that is so sweet, that you will never forget the taste'.
When Husayn ibn Ali heard Akbar's salaam he looked at Furaat where Abbas ibn Ali's body was laying and asked, "Abbas, now that this brother of your needs you the most, where have you gone?" Husayn ibn Ali walked towards the battlefield.
When Husayn ibn Ali went to Akbar, Akbar placed his right hand on his wounded chest and his left arm over the shoulder of his father. Husayn ibn Ali asked, "Akbar, why do you embrace me with only one arm?" Akbar did not reply. Husayn ibn Ali tried to move Akbar's right hand, but Akbar resisted. Husayn ibn Ali forcefully moved the hand. Then he saw the blade of the spear. Husayn ibn Ali laid Ali Akbar on the ground and sat on his knees, he placed both of his hands on the blade of the spear. He looked at Najaf
, and said, "Father, I too have come to my Khaybar
!" He pulled out the blade. Ali Akbar sighed and died.
Sha'aban
Sha'aban is the eighth month of the Islamic calendar.This is the month of ‘separation’, so called because the pagan Arabs used to disperse in search of water...
42 AH 662
662
Year 662 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 662 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* The regent Grimuald usurps the kingship of...
- Tenth of Muharram
Muharram
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited...
61 AH / October 10 680
680
Year 680 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 680 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* The Bulgars subjugate the country of...
) was the son of the third Shi'ah Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
, Husayn ibn Ali
Husayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
, and Umm Layla
Layla bint Abi Murrah al-Thaqafi
Laylā bint Abi Murrah bin ‘Urwah bin Mas‘ud al-Thaqafi was a wife of Husayn ibn ‘Alī and the mother of ‘Alī al-Akbar, Fatimah Kubra bint Hussain ,and Fatimah Sughra bint Hussain . Her grandfather ‘Urwah bin Mas‘ud was considered by Muhammad as one of the four chiefs of Islām....
.
Life
Zaynab bint AliZaynab bint Ali
Zaynab bint Ali was the daughter of the Rashid Caliph and first Shi'i Imam, Ali and granddaughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah....
, Husayn ibn Ali's younger sister, raised Ali Al-Akbar. His other two brothers were also named Ali: Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn and Zayn al-Abidin. Abbas ibn Ali
Abbas ibn Ali
Al-‘Abbās ibn ‘Ali was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib and fourth Rashidun Caliph) and Fātimah bint Hizam al-Kilabiyyah .Al-‘Abbās is revered by Muslims for his loyalty to his half-brother Husayn ibn ‘Alī, his respect for the...
, Ali Akbar's uncle taught him fencing and archery. He so much resembled Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
that Husayn ibn Ali often said, "whenever I remember my maternal grandfather I look at Akbar." Ali Akbar was killed by Murrah ibn Munqad in the Battle of Karbala
Battle of Karbala
The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...
.
A Traditional Account of His Martyrdom at the Battle of Karbala
He had a loud and beautiful voice, on the morning of the day of Ashura, Husayn ibn Ali asked Ali Akbar to call out the azaan. Husayn ibn Ali, and many women in their tents, began to weep when Ali Akbar began calling out the Azaan, knowing that it maybe the last time they are hearing Ali Akbar’s azaan.Ali Akbar stood in front of Husayn ibn Ali after Zuhr prayers and said, "Father I request for permission to go and fight the enemies of Islam." His father gave him permission and said, "May Allah be with you! But Akbar, you know how much your mother, sisters, and aunts love you. Go and say farewell to them." Ali Akbar went into the tent of his mother. Every time he wanted to come out of the tent his mother, aunts, and sisters would pull his cloak and say, "O Akbar, How will we live without you?" Husayn ibn Ali had to plead with all to let Ali Akbar go.
Husayn ibn Ali helped his son mount his horse. As Akbar began to ride towards the battlefield he heard footsteps behind him. He looked back and saw his father. He said, "Father, we have said good-bye. Why are you walking behind me?" Husayn ibn Ali replied, "My son, if you had a son like yourself then you would have surely understood!"
He killed many well-known warriors. No one dared to come close to him in a single combat. Umar Sa'ad ordered his soldiers to kill him, saying, "When he dies, Husayn will not want to live! Ali Akbar is the life of Husayn." While a few soldiers attacked Ali Akbar, Murrah ibn Munqad threw a spear through Ali Akbar’s chest. Murrah ibn Munqad then broke the wooden part of the spear and left the blade inside Ali Akbar's chest, to cause him more pain. As Ali Akbar fell from his horse, he said, "O Father, my last salaams to you! Here is my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah, giving me my water. He says yours is here waiting for you". The reason he said this was because after Ali Akbar killed significant members of the enemy forces, he went to Husayn and said he is too thirsty to fight. Husayn was very sad and told his son: 'Do not worry, Akbar. After you are martyred your grandfather, the Messenger of Allah, will give you water that is so sweet, that you will never forget the taste'.
When Husayn ibn Ali heard Akbar's salaam he looked at Furaat where Abbas ibn Ali's body was laying and asked, "Abbas, now that this brother of your needs you the most, where have you gone?" Husayn ibn Ali walked towards the battlefield.
When Husayn ibn Ali went to Akbar, Akbar placed his right hand on his wounded chest and his left arm over the shoulder of his father. Husayn ibn Ali asked, "Akbar, why do you embrace me with only one arm?" Akbar did not reply. Husayn ibn Ali tried to move Akbar's right hand, but Akbar resisted. Husayn ibn Ali forcefully moved the hand. Then he saw the blade of the spear. Husayn ibn Ali laid Ali Akbar on the ground and sat on his knees, he placed both of his hands on the blade of the spear. He looked at Najaf
Najaf
Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...
, and said, "Father, I too have come to my Khaybar
Khaybar
Khaybar is the name of an oasis some 153 km to the north of Medina , Saudi Arabia. It was inhabited by Jews before the rise of Islam, and was conquered by Muhammad in 629 AD.-Pre-Islamic Khaybar:...
!" He pulled out the blade. Ali Akbar sighed and died.
See also
- Islamic Prophet MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
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- Husayn ibn AliHusayn ibn AliHussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
- Ali ibn Husayn
- Muhammad al-BaqirMuhammad al-BaqirMuḥammad ibn ‘Alī al-Bāqir was the Fifth Imām to the Twelver Shi‘a and Fourth Imām to the Ismā‘īlī Shī‘a. His father was the previous Imām, ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn, and his mother was Fatimah bint al-Hasan...
- Ja'far al-SadiqJa'far al-SadiqJaʿfar ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq was a descendant of Muhammad and a prominent Muslim jurist. He is revered as an Imam by the adherents of Shi'a Islam and as a renowned Islamic scholar and personality by Sunni Muslims. The Shi'a Muslims consider him to be the sixth Imam or leader and spiritual...
- Musa al-Kazim
- Ali al-RidaAli al-Rida‘Alī ibn Mūsā al-Rizā was the seventh descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the eighth of the Twelve Imams, according to Shia sect of Islam...
- Muhammad al-TaqiMuhammad al-TaqiMuhammad al-Taqī or Muhammad al-Jawād was the ninth of the Twelve Imams of Twelver Shi'ism. His given name was Muhammad ibn ‘Alī ibn Mūsā, and among his titles, al-Taqī and al-Jawād are the most renowned...
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- Abbas ibn AliAbbas ibn AliAl-‘Abbās ibn ‘Ali was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib and fourth Rashidun Caliph) and Fātimah bint Hizam al-Kilabiyyah .Al-‘Abbās is revered by Muslims for his loyalty to his half-brother Husayn ibn ‘Alī, his respect for the...
- Qasim ibn Hasan
- Muhammad ibn al-HanafiyyahMuhammad ibn al-HanafiyyahMuhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah surnamed Abu'l-Qasim was an early Muslim leader. He was a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Shi'ite Imam and the fourth Sunni Caliph.-Biography:...
- Shi'a IslamShi'a IslamShia Islam is the second largest denomination of Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī , meaning "followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".Like other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is...
- Battle of KarbalaBattle of KarbalaThe Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...
- Sakinah(Fatema Kubra) bint Husayn
- Sakina bint Hussain