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Yazid I
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Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (July 23645 - 683) was the second Caliph of the Umayyad dynasty and ruled for 3 years from 680 CE until his death in 683 CE. His reign is notorious for fighting and killing Husayn ibn Ali (who was the beloved grandson of Prophet Muhammad) and his companions, following a rift over the succession to Caliphate. Another event of his era is Ibn al-Zubair's revolt. He is object of animosity to a large fraction of Muslims, most notably the Shias but also the vast majority of Sunnis; the Shia reject him an open enemy to Islam and condemn his role in the Battle of Karbala which resulted in the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali.
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Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (July 23645 - 683) was the second Caliph of the Umayyad dynasty and ruled for 3 years from 680 CE until his death in 683 CE. His reign is notorious for fighting and killing Husayn ibn Ali (who was the beloved grandson of Prophet Muhammad) and his companions, following a rift over the succession to Caliphate. Another event of his era is Ibn al-Zubair's revolt. He is object of animosity to a large fraction of Muslims, most notably the Shias but also the vast majority of Sunnis; the Shia reject him an open enemy to Islam and condemn his role in the Battle of Karbala which resulted in the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali. The Sunnis condemn his actions but typically do not excommunicate him.
Husayn ibn Ali did not give his oath of allegiance to Yazid considering him not suitable as Caliph of Islam for being Fasiq-o-Fajir. Husayn was living in Madina with his family, but Yazid considered him a threat to his rule and ordered his governor either to take oath from Husayn by any mean or execute him. Husayn ibn Ali refused this demand and hence was pushed to a limit that he finally decided to leave Madina. He first went to Makkah with an intention to perform Haj. But even at this holy place he couldn't do it with peace as Yazid conspired to kill him in Kaaba during Haj. So Husayn had to cut short his plan and performed Umrah instead of Haj.
Kufa, a garrison town in what is now Iraq, had been Caliph ‘Ali's capital and many of his supporters lived there. Husayn ibn Ali received many letters from the Kufans expressing their offer of support if he claimed the caliphate. They were also trying to restore Kufa's power against Damascus, the Umayyad capital.
Abd-Allah ibn Abbas and Abdullah ibn Zubayr held a meeting with Husayn in Mecca to advise him to refuse to travel to Iraq. Meanwhile, Husayn corresponded with nobles of Basrah and asked them to support him. Major tribes of Basrah gathered and prepared for the fight against Yazid I.
At the same time Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad, governor of Basrah, executed one of Husayn's messengers and then addressed the people and warned them to avoid the insurgency. Husayn departed towards Kufa despite many warnings and mid-way, he and many members of his family were killed or captured at the Battle of Karbala.
The complications of Yazid's accession to the Caliphate didn't end there. Many Sahaba and fellow Muslims refused to give their oath of allegiance to Yazid simply because they saw it as usurpation of power and not the proper way of choosing a Caliph by the Shura or Council. The most prominent among these resistors was Abdullah ibn Zubayr.
Abdullah ibn Zubayr and Abdullah ibn Umar opposed Yazid's position as Caliph. Abdullah launched an insurgency in the Hejaz, the heartland of Islam, where Mecca and Medina are. Yazid sent armies against him in 683. After the Battle of al-Harrah, Medina was recaptured and Mecca was also besieged. During the siege, the Ka‘bah was damaged. The siege ended when Yazid died suddenly in 683 CE.
He was briefly succeeded by his son, Mu‘awiyah II.
Sunni View of Yazid
The Sunni views differ in two ways.Some muslim scholars denied the reports against him some scholars accept that Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih) did not follow the Islamic principles
Ahmad ibn Hanbal was reputedly asked by his son about Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih), and he is said to have replied with a reference to the Qur'an and said it was in reference to the murder of Husayn:}}
- Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari records under the year 49 Hijri (or 669-670 CE) during the reign of Muawiyah I, a number of forces, including one under Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih) attacked Constantinople. However Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih) was not in the first army that attacked constantinople and it was the 7th attack in which Yazid participated, the first attack being in 42 Hijri. This First Arab siege of Constantinople was a naval assault lasting through the years 670-677. Abu Ayyub al-Ansari was also among the notables accompanying Yazid. This journey marks an important event in the life of young Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih) (27 at that time).
Whilst most of the Sunni and Shia scholars consider Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih) to be a villain of Islamic history on account of his hatred towards the household of Muhammad, some hard line scholars are of the view that Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih) should not be cursed. This however remains quite a small group of Muslim scholars.
- Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi Maliki another scholar did not hold permissible the cursing and abusing of Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih) nor declaring him to be a disbeliever.
- Abdul Mughith Hanbali has the unique distinction of being one of the earliest known biographers of Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih). Ibn Kathir said about Abdul Mughith that, “He was from the righteous Hanbali’s who the common folk referred to.” Abdul Mugheeth was also not in favor of cursing Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih) or declaring him to be a disbeliever, rather he authored a biography of Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih) with the titles Fadhal Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih) and Fadhal Yazid bin Muawiyah (Lanat Ullah Alaih).
- Ibn Kathir reported on Allamah Abu l-Khayr Qazwini:
- Ibn Salah was also not in favor of cursing Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih) or saying he was a disbeliever. Ibn Hajr the Meccan writes, - (as-Sawaa’iq al-Meharqah (pg.222).
- Ibn Taymiyyah was neither in favor of cursing Yazid (Lanat Ullah Alaih) nor declaring him to be a disbeliever. He says, - (ref books: Minhaaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah Fee Naqdh Kalaam ash-Shee’ah Wal-Qadariyyah (2/252), al-Muntaqa Minhaaj al-Ei’tidaal Fee Naqdh Kalaam ar-Rafdh Wal-Ei’tizaal (pg.290).
Shi'a view of Yazid
For Shi'a Muslims, Yazid is considered the worst most evil, corrupt, viscious, vindictive tyrant, who will always be remembered for his persecution and brutal murder of Imam Husayn A.S., the grandson of Muhammad, and his family. The Shia view about the household of Muhammad stems from a Quranic verse that has declared the Prophet's family as completely purified by God Himself. . The Prophet has himself commanded the Muslim community to have intense love (Al-Muwadata) and kindness for them- Al-Qurba (Ref: Quran chapter 42, verse 23).
Shi'a scholars, while very vocal in their views towards Yazid, also quote Sunni Scholars / historians to prove their histroically correct point:
- Ibn Taymiyyah, a Sunni scholar stated the following concerning the nature of Yazid's position: - (ref book: Minhaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah )
- Shaykh al-hadith Muhammad Zakaria, an Indian Sunni scholar, has stated the following regarding the manner in which Yazid came to power: - (ref book: Au Khanar al Masalik vol.3 pg.450).
- Ibn Kathir a famously renowned Sunni Islamic scholar, himself reports on the character of Yazid: - (ref book: al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah vol.8 pg.1169)
- Ibn Sa'd, another Sunni scholar, writes in his book, “Tabaqat Al-Kubra” regarding the nature of Yazid: - (ref book: Tabaqat Al-Kubra vol.5 pg.66)
- After Yazid's death, when Muawiyah II (Yazid's son) was made to be the caliph, he stated the following in his inaugural address with regards to his father and his grandfather (Muawiyah I), as recorded by Ibn Hajr al-Haythami another scholar of the Ahl us-Sunnah: - (ref book: Sawaiq al Muhriqa pg.134)
- Although many Sunni Muslims are against the cursing of Yazid, Yazid is cursed even according to the definitions of Muhammad, as recorded by Ibn Kathir: - (ref book: al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah vol.8 pg.1147)
The events at Karbala figure as fundamental in Shi'a thought, and many Islamist movements liken their causes to Husayn ibn Ali's struggle against Yazid. Leaders of the 1979 Iranian Revolution that overthrew the Pahlavi government frequently drew such comparisons.
The 10th of Muharram (also known as Ashura), is the Islamic calendar date on which the Battle of Karbala occurred and is commemorated as a day of mourning by Muslims around the world. Rituals on Ashura' usually involve public processions during which the Shi'as reject Yazid's caliphate and recite poems commemorating Husayn ibn Ali and his death. Shi'as around the world refer to Yazid as "the tyrant."
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