Hadith No: 1

Narrated Muhammad:

Anas bin Malik said, "The head of Al-Husain (as) was brought to 'Ubaidullah bin Ziyad and was put in a tray, and then Ibn Ziyad started playing with a stick at the nose and mouth of Al-Husain's (as) head and saying something about his handsome features." Anas then said (to him), "Al-Husain (as) resembled the Prophet more than the others did." Anas added, "His (i.e. Al-Husain's (as)) hair was dyed with Wasma (i.e. a kind of plant used as a dye).

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Reference: Saheeh al-Bukhari Book 62 Tradition No. 3748

Hadith No: 2
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani - Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari
Book of the Virtues of the Companions - Chapter on the Merits of al-Hasan and al-Husayn (peace be upon them)
Volume: (7) - Page Number: (75)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- His statement: (Obaidullah ibn Ziyad was brought): he is mentioned in diminutive form, and Ziyad is the one referred to as Ibn Abi Sufyan. He was the governor of Kufa on behalf of Yazid ibn Muawiya and was in power when Husayn was killed, as mentioned earlier. So he was brought with Husayn's head.
- His statement: (And he began to poke): There is a narration in al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban via the route of Hafsa bint Sirin from Anas that says he began to speak with a stick he had in Husayn's nose. And al-Tabarani has a report from the hadith of Zayd ibn Arqam: that he had a stick in his hand, poking it in Husayn's eye and nose. I said, "Lower your stick, for I have seen the mouth of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) in its place."

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Reference: Fath al-Baari fi Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhari Book 7

Hadith No: 3
Ibn Kathir - Al-Bidaya wa'l-Nihaya - Year Sixty of the Prophetic Hijra
The reign of Yazid ibn Muawiya and the events and tribulations that occurred during his days
Volume: (11) - Page Number: (467)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... So he wrote to the Deputy of the City, Al-Walid ibn Utbah: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, from Yazid, Commander of the Faithful, to Al-Walid ibn Utbah. Peace be upon you. .... He wrote to him in a document that was like a mouse’s permission: “As for what follows, take Hussein, Abdullah ibn Umar, and Abdullah ibn al-Zubair with a firm oath of allegiance, showing no leniency until they pledge allegiance. And peace be upon you.” When the news of the death of Muawiya reached him, he was struck with awe and it weighed heavily on him, so he sent for Marwan, who came and read the letter to him and consulted him about these men. Marwan said: "I think you should call them before they learn of Muawiya's death to pledge allegiance, and if they refuse, strike off their heads.”

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Reference: Al-Bidaayah wa al-Nihaayah Book 11

Hadith No: 4
Ibn Kathir - Al-Bidaya wa'l-Nihaya
Then the year 61 AH began - The Martyrdom of al-Husayn ibn Ali (peace be upon him)
The account of his (peace be upon him) martyrdom is derived from the words of the Imams of this matter, and not as claimed by the people of Tashayyu' (Shiism).
Volume: (11) - Page Number: (562)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Abu Makhnuf narrated: from al-Harith ibn Kabir, from Fatimah, the daughter of Ali, who said: When we were seated before Yazid, he felt pity for us and ordered that we be given something and treated kindly. Then a red-haired man from the people of Sham stood up and said to Yazid: O Commander of the Faithful, grant me this one - meaning me - and I was a fair and delicate girl. I trembled in alarm at his words and thought that this was permissible for them, so I clutched the clothes of my sister Zaynab, who was older and more sensible than me and knew that this was not permissible. She said to that man: "By God, you are lying and acting shamefully; this is neither permissible for you nor for him." Yazid became angry and said to her: "You are lying by God; what I want is permissible!" Fatimah replied: "No, by God, Allah has not made this permissible for you except to leave our faith and embrace a religion other than ours." Then Yazid became angry and his face flushed, and he said: "Is this how you confront me? Only your father and brother have left the faith." Zaynab said: "I am guided by the religion of Allah, the religion of my father, the religion of my brother, and my grandfather." You are mistaken, O enemy of Allah," she said. Yazid replied: "You are the Commander of the Faithful, empowered to insult the unjust and subdue them with your authority." She said: "By God, it was as if he felt ashamed and fell silent." Then that man stood up and said: "O Commander of the Faithful, grant me this one." Yazid said to him: "Be silent, and may Allah grant you an inevitable demise." Then Yazid ordered al-Nu'man ibn Bashir to send with them to Medina a trustworthy man along with men and horses, and Ali ibn al-Husayn would be with them.

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Reference: Al-Bidaayah wa al-Nihaayah Book 11

Hadith No: 5
Ibn Kathir - Al-Bidaya wa'l-Nihaya - Then the year 63 began
Volume: (11) - Page Number: (627)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... And Yazid made an egregious mistake in telling Muslim ibn Uqbah to permit the sacking of Medina for three days, and this is a significant and grave error, along with the additional act of killing a multitude of the Companions and their children. It has already been mentioned that he killed Hussein and his companions at the hands of Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad.

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Reference: Al-Bidaayah wa al-Nihaayah Book 11

Hadith No: 6
Ibn Kathir - al-Bidaya wa'l-Nihaya - Then the year 64 entered - Biography of Yazid ibn Muawiya
Volume: (11) - Page Number: (651)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Then he will say: "May God curse Ibn Murjanah, for he embarrassed and forced him. Although he could have easily let him go, or he could have come to me, or been at one of the fortresses of the Muslims until God took him, he did not do so. Instead, he refused and killed him. He has turned me against Muslims with his death and sowed animosity in their hearts towards me. Both the righteous and the wicked hate me for what people deem excessive, my killing of Hussain." What do I have to do with Ibn Murjanah? May God curse him and be angry with him."

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Reference: Al-Bidaayah wa al-Nihaayah Book 11

Hadith No: 7
Al-Dhahabi - Siyar A'lam al-Nubalā' - And Among the Minor Companions - Al-Husayn the Martyr
Volume: (3) - Page Number: (305)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... al-Zubair: narrated to us: Muhammad ibn al-Duhhak from his father, who said: Al-Husayn went out, and Yazid wrote to Ibn Ziyad, his deputy: "Al-Husayn is heading to Kufa, and you have been tested with him in your time among the times, and in your land among the lands, and you are in a position among the governors. There, he will either be freed or return to being a slave," so Ibn Ziyad killed him and sent his head to Yazid."

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Reference: Seyar A'laam al-Nobalaa Book 3

Hadith No: 8
Al-Dhahabi - Siyar A'lam al-Nubalā' - And from the Minor Companions - Al-Husayn al-Shahīd
Volume: (3) - Page Number: (317)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Muhammad ibn Jarir narrated: I was told by Abu Ubaydah that Yunus ibn Habib said: When Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad killed al-Husayn and his family, he sent their heads to Yazid, and Yazid was initially pleased with their killing. However, he did not remain long before he regretted their deaths and would say: "What harm would it have done me if I had endured some inconvenience and brought al-Husayn with me, granting him authority over what he wanted, even if it would have shown weakness on my part, all to preserve the Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) dignity and to safeguard his rights? May Allah curse Ibn Murjanah," referring to Ubayd Allah, "for he has cornered and forced me. He had asked to be allowed to return from where he came or to come to me and place his hand in mine, or to join a frontier from the frontiers, but I refused him that and killed him. Thus, the Muslims will hate me for killing him, and enmity will be sown in their hearts against me."

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Reference: Seyar A'laam al-Nobalaa Book 3

Hadith No: 9
Al-Suyuti - Tarikh al-Khulafa (History of the Caliphs) - Era of the Sons of Umayyah - Yazid ibn Muawiyah Abu Khalid al-Umavi
Volume: (1) - Page Number: (157/158)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... And the people of Iraq sent to Hussein with messengers and letters inviting him to them, so he left Mecca for Iraq on the tenth of Dhul-Hijjah, accompanied by a group from his family, both men and women and children. Yazid wrote to his governor in Iraq, Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, to fight him, so he sent an army of four thousand men under the command of Umar ibn Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas to them. The people of Kufa deserted him, as was their way with his father before him. When he was overwhelmed by weapons, he was offered surrender and return, or to go to Yazid and place his hand in his. But they refused anything except for his death, so he was killed, and his head was brought in a basin until it was placed before Ibn Ziyad. May God curse his killer, and Ibn Ziyad was with him and Yazid also.
- .... And when Hussein and the sons of his father were killed, Ibn Ziyad sent their heads to Yazid, and he initially rejoiced at their deaths. Then he regretted it when the Muslims condemned him for that, and people hated him, and it was right for them to hate him.

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Reference: Tarikh al Khulafah Book 1

Hadith No: 10
Al-Tabari - History of al-Tabari - Year Sixty - Caliphate of Yazid ibn Muawiya
Volume: (5) - Page Number: (338/339)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... And he wrote to him in a letter that seemed like a permission, saying: "As for what follows, take Husayn and Abdullah ibn Umar and Abdullah ibn az-Zubair with a strict demand for allegiance, one that allows for no leniency, until they pledge allegiance." And peace be upon you. So when the news of Muawiya's death reached him, he was dismayed and it weighed heavily on him. He sent for Marwan ibn al-Hakam and summoned him to him. Al-Walid was in the city when he came, having arrived reluctantly. When al-Walid saw this from him, he insulted him in front of his companions, and this reached Marwan. He estranged himself from him and cut off ties with him. He continued to do so until the news of Muawiya's death came to al-Walid. When the demise of Muawiya and the command to take these men with an oath of allegiance became significant to al-Walid, he then feared and turned to Marwan, calling for him. When he read Yazid's letter to him, he uttered a sigh of grief, prayed for him, and al-Walid consulted him on the matter, saying: "What do you think we should do?" He replied: "I believe you should send for these men at once and invite them to pledge allegiance and enter into obedience. If they agree, accept it from them and refrain from interfering. If they refuse, present them before you and strike off their necks," before they know of Muawiya's death.

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Reference: Taarikh al-Tabari Book 5

Hadith No: 11
Al-Tabari - Tarikh al-Tabari - Year 61 - The Martyrdom of Hussein, may Allah be pleased with him
Volume: (5) - Page Number: (461/462)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Abu Mukhnaf said: From al-Harith ibn Kabir, from Fatimah, daughter of Ali, who said: When we were seated before Yazid ibn Muawiya, he became compassionate towards us and ordered that we be given something, and he was gentle with us. She said: Then a man from the people of Sham, red-faced, stood up to Yazid and said: O Commander of the Faithful, give me this one, meaning me, for I was a young girl, beautiful in form. I trembled and became frightened, and I thought that this was permissible for them, and I clutched the clothes of my sister Zainab. She said that my sister Zainab was older than me and more sensible, and she knew that this could not happen. She said: You are lying by God and acting wickedly; that is neither for you nor for him. Yazid became angry and said: You lie by God; that is possible for me, and if I wished to do it, I would do it. She said: No, by God, Allah has not made that permissible for you except that you leave our religion and adhere to a faith other than ours. She said: Then Yazid became furious and his anger flared. Then he said: Is it me you confront with this? Only your father and brother have left the faith. Zainab said: I am guided by the religion of Allah, the religion of my father, the religion of my brother, and my grandfather. You and your father and your grandfather are not. He said: You lie, enemy of Allah. She replied: You are a powerful ruler, insulting the oppressed and overpowering with your authority. She said: By Allah, it was as if he felt ashamed, so he fell silent. Then the man from Sham returned and said: O Commander of the Faithful, give me this girl. He said: Go away, and may Allah grant you a certain doom. She said: Then Yazid ibn Muawiya said: O Nu'man ibn Bashir, prepare them with what is suitable for them and send with them a trustworthy, righteous man from the people of Sham, and send them with horses and provisions. He will travel with them to Medina. Then he commanded that the women be housed in a separate home with them what would be sufficient for them, and their brother, Ali ibn al-Hussein, would be with them.

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Reference: Taarikh al-Tabari Book 5

Hadith No: 12
Al-Tabari - Tarikh al-Tabari - Year 64
Mention of the report regarding the matter of Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and the situation of the people of Basra with him after the death of Yazid
Volume: (5) - Page Number: (506)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Abu Ja'far said: Abu Ubaydah Mu'mar ibn al-Muthanna narrated to me that Yunus ibn Habib al-Jarmi narrated to him, saying: When Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad killed Al-Husayn ibn Ali (peace be upon them) and the sons of his father, he sent their heads to Yazid ibn Muawiyah, who was initially pleased with their deaths, and Ubayd Allah's standing with him improved because of this. However, it was not long before he regretted the killing of Al-Husayn and would say: "What would it have mattered to me if I had borne with the Uzdi and taken him into my home, ruling over him as he wished, even if it were at my own expense, with a show of restraint and weakness in my authority, in order to protect the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) and to respect his rights and relatives?" May Allah curse the son of Marjanah, for he forced him out and compelled him. There were those who would have let him go free and return, but they did not do so, or place their hands in my hands, or have him join a front of the Muslims where Allah, the Almighty, could take his soul. But he refused that and rebuffed it, responding to me instead, and killed him. This turned Ubayd Allah's act into a source of animosity for me among the Muslims and planted enmity in their hearts, causing both the righteous and the wicked to harbor resentment toward me for what the people found intolerable about the killing of my son, Al-Husayn. What is it to me and to the son of Marjanah, may Allah curse him and be angry with him?

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Reference: Taarikh al-Tabari Book 5

Hadith No: 13
Ibn Asakir - Tarikh Damishq (History of Damascus) - Letter Alif - 853: Ayyub ibn Humran
Volume: (10) - Page Number: (94)
- Ayyub ibn Humran, the client of Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad, came to Damascus during the Umayyads. I read to Abu al-Wafa Hafaz ibn al-Hasan al-Ghassani, who said: Abdul Wahhab al-Maydani narrated to me, Abu Sulayman ibn Zubair narrated to me, Abdullah ibn Ahmad al-Farghani narrated to me, and Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari narrated to me, saying: I heard from Abu Ubaida Mu'mar ibn al-Muthanna that Yunus ibn Habib al-Jurmi narrated to him that when Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad killed al-Husayn ibn Ali and the sons of his father, he sent their heads to Yazid ibn Muawiya, and he was initially pleased with their killing. This elevated Ubaydullah's status with him. However, it was not long before he regretted the killing of al-Husayn and would say: "What would it have cost me if I had endured the harm, taken him in, and settled him with me in my house, and governed him in what he wanted, even if there was some reluctance and weakness in my authority in doing so, in order to preserve the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) and safeguard his way? He could have returned from where he came or come to me, placing his hand in mine, or joined a front among the frontiers of the Muslims until Allah took his life." But he refused this, rejected it, and was killed, making me hated in the eyes of the Muslims because of his death, sowing enmity against me in their hearts, and causing both the righteous and the wicked to abhor me for what people found outrageous—the killing of my son al-Husayn. What do I have to do with Ibn Murjanah, may Allah curse him, and be angry with him?

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Reference: Tarikh e Damishq Book 10

Hadith No: 14
Ibn Asakir - Tarikh Damishq (History of Damascus)
Letter: H - Al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib ...
Volume: (14) - Page Number: (214)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- Abu Ghaleeb also narrated to us, as did Abu al-Ghana'im ibn al-Ma'mun, from Ubaydullah ibn Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from Abdullah ibn Muhammad, who said: My uncle, az-Zubair narrated to me that Muhammad ibn adh-Dhahak narrated to him from his father, who said: Al-Husayn ibn Ali went out to Kufa, dissatisfied with the rule of Yazid. Yazid wrote to Ibn Ziyad, who was in charge of him and governing Iraq, "It has reached me that Husayn has arrived in Kufa, and you are being tested with him during this time more than any other, and in this place more than any other. You are also being tested with him among the governors. You may either set him free or reduce him to a servant, as servants are reduced." Ibn Ziyad killed him and sent his head to Yazid.

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Reference: Tarikh e Damishq Book 14

Hadith No: 15
Ibn Asakir - Tarikh al-Imam al-Husayn (peace be upon him)
Volume: (1) - Page Number: (303)
- Ubaydullah ibn Muhammad ibn Ishaq narrated to us, saying: Abdullah ibn Muhammad narrated to me, my uncle narrated to us, and al-Zubayr narrated to me, mentioning that Muhammad ibn al-Duhhak narrated to him from his father, who said: Al-Husayn ibn Ali went out to Kufa, displeased with the allegiance to Yazid. Yazid wrote to ibn Ziyad, who was the governor over Iraq at the time: "It has reached me that Husayn has gone to Kufa, and you are tested with him in your time, among the times, and in your city, among the cities. You are tested with him, among the governors, and there you will either be freed or revert to being a slave, just as the slaves are treated." Ibn Ziyad killed him and sent his head to Yazid.

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Reference: Tarjimah al-Imam al-Husain (a.s.) Book 1