The Karbala Story and Early Shi'ite Identity - Torsten Hylen

In 680 CE al-?usayn ibn ?Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Mu?ammad, was killed in a battle at Karbala. Ancient accounts describe this event as a minor skirmish, similar to the numerous battles that were waged in the early history of Islam. Among Shi?ites, however, the story of the event soon developed into a narrative about a cosmic battle between the powers of universe, with al-?usayn personifying good and life-giving powers. The story came to epitomise the trauma that is at the heart of the Shi?ite... Zobrazit více