1. Birth & Early Life
Imam Husayn (Sayyidu’sh-Shuhadā’, “the lord among martyrs”), the
secondchildof‘AlīandFātimah,wasbornintheyear 4 A.H.;andafter
the martyrdom of his brother, Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba,became Imam
through Divine command and his brother’s will.
Imam Husayn was always with his brother during the life of the
ProphetandImam‘Ali; hesharedinthemostimportanteventsofthat
era.Hestoodbyhisbrotherduringthedifficulttimesofthelatter’sim-
amat.Hisownimamatwasforaperiodoften years,allbutthelastsix
months coinciding with the caliphate of Mu’āwiyah.