Yazid, in Shi’i Hadith

 The topic of Yazid ibn Muawiyah - the 2nd Umayyad ruler - is one of unanimity and consensus in the popular Shi’i conscience and that of Muslim laity as a whole:


He is the killer of Imam Husayn


Despite the overwhelming opinion that point to Yazid’s culpability in Shi’i talk points,


The evidence often used to incriminate him has some visible deficiencies.


It is not because Yazid did not kill Imam Husayn - Yazid’s responsibility is proven, to me, beyond reproach.


Rather, the evidence is faulty because commoners and scholars alike typically narrate Sunni maqatil(martyrological chronologies of Imam Husayn’s death) to recall the Battle of Karbala.


And in these accounts, the figure who ordered the death of Imam Husayn is either made (purposely) vague or is hinted to be Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad - the Kufan governor appointed by Yazid. 


Ubayd Allah’s significance is accentuated, while Yazid put into the sidelines.


Imam Husayn is portrayed as someone so eager to perform bay’ah (pledge of allegiance) to Yazid, but Ubayd Allah unjustly prevented him by ordering the murder of the Imam. 


In the account of Abu Mikhnaf (a Zaydi historian), the earliest surviving and most famous maqtal, as recalled in the Sunni historia Tarikh al-Tabari (the oldest recollection of Abu Mikhnaf’s maqtal):


(Tarikh al-Tabari)


Abu Mikhnaf said:


“Umar ibn Sa'd (commander of Yazid’s army in Karbala) wrote to Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad: 


"To proceed, God has extinguished the conflict, united the word, and set right the affairs of the nation. 


This is Husayn ibn Ali, who has offered me that:


  • he return to the place from which he came, or 
  • that we send him as a soldier to whichever frontier post of the Muslim frontiers we wish, so that he becomes one of the Muslim soldiers with the same rights and duties as them, or 
  • that he come to Yazid, Commander of the Faithful, and place his hand in his hand in allegiance, so that Yazid may decide between them as he sees fit. In this there is satisfaction, and for the nation there is good."


He said: When Ubaydullah read the letter, he said: "This is the letter of a man who is sincere to his commander, compassionate toward his people. Yes, I accept."


He said: Then Shimr ibn Dhi al-Jawshan (note: a commander in Yazid’s army and person who beheaded Imam Husayn) went to him and said: 


"Will you accept this from him, when he has encamped on your land, right beside you? By God, if he departs from your country without placing his hand in your hand, he will certainly be the one left with strength and might, while you will be the one left with weakness and helplessness. So do not grant him this status, for it is a sign of weakness. Rather, let him and his companions submit to your judgment. If you punish, then you are the one with authority over punishment, and if you forgive, that will be of your own doing. By God, it has reached me that Husayn and Umar ibn Sa'd sit together in the two camps and converse for most of the night."


Ibn Ziyad said to him: "Your view is excellent. My opinion is your opinion (i.e, kill Husayn).”


قال ابي مخنف:


فكتب عمر بن سعد إلى عبيد الله بن زياد: إما بعد، فان الله أطفأ النائرة، وجمع الكلمة، وأصلح أمر الأمة، هذا الحسين بن علي قد أعطاني أن يرجع إلى المكان الذي منه أتى، أو أنْ نسيره إلى أيّ ثغر من ثغور المسلمين شئنا، فيكون رجلاً من المسلمين له ما لهم وعليه ما عليهم، أو يأتي يزيد أميرا لمؤمنين فيضع يده في يده، فيرى فيما بينه وبينه رأيه، وفي هذا رضا، وللأمة صلاح، قال: فلمّا قرأ عبيد الله الكتاب، قال: هذا كتاب رجل ناصح لأميره، مشفق على قومه، نعم قبلت، قال: فقال إليه الشمر بن ذي الجوشن، فقال: أتقبل هذا منه، وقد نزل في أرضك إلى جنبك، والله لئن رحل من بلدك، ولم يضع يده في يدك، ليكونّن أولى بالقوة والعزّة، وتكونّن أولى بالضعف والعجز، فلا تعطه هذه المنزلة، فأنها من الوهن، ولكن لينزل على حكمك هو وأصحابه، فان عاقبت فأنت ولي العقوبة، وان غفرت كان ذلك منك، والله لقد بلغني إن حسيناً وعمر بن سعد يجلسان في العسكريين فيتحدثان عامّة الليل، فقال له ابن زياد : نِعمَ ما رأيت، الرأي رأيك


Evidently,


This is a nonsensical and biased account. 


The very fact that Ubayd Allah remained in his position as Governor of Kufa and Basra until Yazid’s death, 


Is proof that Yazid at the very least approved of his action of killing Imam Husayn.


When Shi’i clerics, mullahs, and laymen alike recite the maqtal of Abu Mikhnaf on the Muharram pulpits - 


They do so selectively.


They cite the passages that match the Shi’i historical memory, and leave aside the portions that do not. 


Eventually, people have come to accept the whole account of Abu Mikhnaf as correct,


Because many reputable books by Shi’i authors have been published that cite the Abu Mikhnaf maqtal as an authority on Imam Husayn’s martyrdom. 


This has ultimately led to Sunni polemicists to even boldly argue that:


“Yazid did not order the killing of Husayn. This is established in the books of both the Sunnis and the Shia alike... And we also affirm with certainty that what must be established, even according to the Shia, is that Yazid is not counted among the killers of Husayn.”


أولاً: يزيد لم يأمر بقتل الحسين. وهذا ثابت في كتب السنة والشيعة على السواء ... ونقطع أيضًا بأن الذي يجب تقريره عند الشيعة أن يزيد لا يعد من قتلة الحسين 


Yazid is the murderer of Imam Husayn.


However, such a definitive conclusion cannot be made simply by resorting to Sunni works.


It can only be made by going back to the ahadith of our Imams, in the Shi’i books of hadith. 


So what do our Imams say about Yazid?


— 


  • Imam Husayn escapes Yazid’s assassination in Mecca


(Asl Ahmad ibn Dawud al-Qummi)


“Imam al-Sadiq said:


Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah came to Husayn, peace be upon him, on the night before the morning on which Husayn intended to depart from Mecca, and said to him: "O my brother, you know well the treachery of the people of Kufa toward your father and your brother, and I fear that your situation will be like the situation of those who came before. If you see fit to stay, you are the mightiest and most protected of those in the sanctuary."


He said: "O my brother, I fear that Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah may assassinate me within the sanctuary of Mecca, and so I would become the one through whom the sanctity of this House is violated."


ورويت بالإسناد، عن أحمد بن داود القمي، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: جاء محمد ابن الحنفية إلى الحسين عليه السلام في الليلة التي أراد الحسين الخروج في صبيحتها عن مكة فقال له: يا أخي إن أهل الكوفة قد عرفت غدرهم بأبيك وأخيك، وقد خفت أن يكون حالك كحال من مضى، فان رأيت أن تقيم فإنك أعز من بالحرم وأمنعه، فقال: يا أخي قد خفت أن يغتالني يزيد بن معاوية بالحرم، فأكون الذي يستباح به حرمة هذا البيت،


  • Yazid is the one who fought Imam Husayn, not Ubayd Allah independently


The following report shows that Ubayd Allah’s battle against Imam Husyan, only happened under direct orders from Yazid:


(Ma’ani al-Akhbar by Shaykh al-Saduq)


Imam al-Sadiq said:


 "We and the family of Abu Sufyan are two households who have shown enmity to one another for God's sake. We said: God has spoken the truth, and they said: God has lied. Abu Sufyan fought the Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his family; Mu'awiyah fought Ali ibn Abi Talib; Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah fought Husayn ibn Ali, peace be upon him; and the Sufyani will fight the Qa'im, peace be upon him."


3 - معاني الأخبار: ابن الوليد عن محمد العطار وأحمد بن إدريس معا عن الأشعري عن السياري عن الحكم بن سالم عمن حدثه عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إنا وآل أبي سفيان أهل بيتين تعادينا في الله قلنا: صدق الله وقالوا:

كذب الله قاتل أبو سفيان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وقاتل معاوية علي بن أبي طالب وقاتل يزيد بن معاوية الحسين بن علي عليه السلام والسفياني يقاتل القائم عليه السلام


  • Imam Husayn & his companions will kill Yazid & his companions - in the same way the latter killed the former


During Raj’a (end of times where the Imams, their allies, and enemies will come to life),


Imam Husayn will kill Yazid in Raj’a the exact same way Yazid killed Imam Husayn in Karbala


And the companions of Imam Husayn will do the same to Yazid’s companions


(Tafsir al-Ayyashi)


Imam al-Sadiq said: 


“The first to return to this world will be Husayn ibn Ali, peace be upon them both, and his companions, and Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah and his companions, and he (Husayn & his companions) will kill them precisely, measure for measure, just as one arrow-shaft matches another."


Then Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: 


This is the meaning of the verse


"Then We gave you back your turn against them, and We aided you with wealth and sons, and made you greater in number." 


(1) 78 - تفسير العياشي: عن رفاعة بن موسى قال: قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام إن أول من يكر إلى الدنيا الحسين بن علي عليهما السلام وأصحابه، ويزيد بن معاوية وأصحابه فيقتلهم حذو القذة بالقذة، ثم قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام " ثم رددنا لكم الكرة عليهم وأمددناكم بأموال وبنين وجعلناكم أكثر نفيرا " (2)


  • Hellfire will punish Yazid & Ubayd Allah equally for killing Imam Husayn


(Kamil al-Ziyarat)


Imam al-Sadiq said:


“When the souls of Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad and Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah departed earth,


Hell let out a shriek such that, had God not restrained it through its keepers, it would have burned everyone on the face of the earth in that very instant. 


Had it been given permission, nothing would have remained but it would have swallowed it. But it is held under command, shackled. It has indeed rebelled against its keepers more than once, until Gabriel came to it and struck it with his wing, and it grew still. And it weeps for him and mourns him, and it blazes in fury against his killer. And were it not for those upon the earth who are the proofs of God, the earth would have been overturned and cast down with all that is upon it.


ولقد خرجت نفس عبيد الله بن زياد ويزيد بن معاوية فشهقت جهنم شهقة لولا أن الله حبسها بخزانها لأحرقت من على ظهر الارض من فورها, ولو يؤذن لها ما بقي شيء الا ابتلعته, ولكنها مأمورة مصفودة, ولقد عتت على الخزان غير مرة حتى أتاها جبرئيل فضربها بجناحه فسكنت, وإنها لتبكيه وتندبه وانها لتتلظى على قاتله, ولولا من على الارض من حجج الله لنقضت الارض وأكفئت بما عليها.


—


CONCLUSION


It is healthy to recall the different narratives of the Battle of Karbala, for perspective - if not for anything.


It would be interesting for me, for example, to read an account of prophet Muhammad from the viewpoint of Abu Jahl or Abu Lahab.


But I would not take their perspectives as fact, nor basis on which I would judge prophet Muhammad. 


In any historical event, there are different perspectives. Different biases. 


Yet, the objective and all-encompassing objective truth would still exist:


With God alone.


Thus,


When we (as Shi’a) attempt to ascertain disputed points about the Battle of Karbala.


The only objective truth we can find is through God’s mouth piece, 


The Imam.


Moreover,


Our Imams have consistently warned us from deriving our religion from the Mukhalifeen (non-Shi’a), because of the latters’ fabrications against the Imams.


The words of the Mukhalifeen can only be used secondarily, to prove existing Shi’i viewpoints in debates.


But not as primary sources to derive our understanding of religious personalities.


Hence:


Yazid killed Imam Husayn, because that is what our Imams told their Shi’a, as shown in our ahadith.


Wa Allahu A’lam

John Andaluso