Some Muslims pledged their allegiance to Yazid in order to avoid any disorder or division amongst the Muslims. In 60 AH, Hazrat Amir Mu’awiyah passed away.
The Holy Prophet’s (sa) noble companions deemed this to be a highly contentious act In their view, Islamic principles dictated that leadership could not simply be inherited rather, the people had the right to choose their leader. At this time, Hazrat Amir Mu’awiyah (ra) claimed to be the leader of the Muslims after Hazrat Ali (ra) and in 56 AH (after Hijrah, the Holy Prophet’s (sa) migration from Makkah and the start of the Islamic calendar) proclaimed that his son, Yazid, would be his successor after him. Upon the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali (ra), this era – that of the Khilafat-e-Rashidah or the Rightly Guided Caliphate – came to an end, as had been prophesied by the Holy Prophet (sa). This episode was a turning point in Islamic history because they offered the ultimate sacrifice to uphold the Qur’anic principles of absolute justice.īut first, some background: When the Holy Prophet (sa) passed away, his first four successors – Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Uthman (ra), and Hazrat Ali (ra) – led the Muslims for the next few decades.
While the new year is generally welcomed with much celebration, Muslims across the world are also reminded of a grave tragedy that befell the noble family of the Holy Prophet (sa) in the plains of Karbala, in present-day Iraq, when the beloved grandson of the Holy Prophet (sa) and his family members were mercilessly martyred. The month of Muharram marks the first month of the Islamic calendar.