Not long after the death of Muhammad, the Islamic Empire had fallen back into old habits. Imam Hussain (a.s.) saw his grandfathers teachings eroded by the caliph Yazid. Slowly the moral fabric of society began to decay as Yazid ruled with his own interests in mind.
Imam Hussain (a.s.) was highly respected within society, and his endorsement would carry great weight. Yazid needed a man like Imam Hussain (a.s.) to follow his rule in order to provide legitimacy to his corrupt government. But Imam Hussain (a.s.) was a man of morals and strived for social justice. Imam Hussain (a.s.) could not sit and endorse Yazid and spoke out against him, despite it being a risk to his life.
Imam Hussain (a.s.) chose to make the ultimate stand for social justice. He chose to leave his hometown along with his family and a few companions. When word reached Yazid of Hussains stand, he sent an army of 30,000 to force Hussain to obey his rule.
Yazid knew full well that Imam Hussain (a.s.) had a great amount of influence, and that what started as a small stand with his family and companions could become a stand of tens of thousands of people. Thus, Yazid gave Imam Hussain (a.s.) an ultimatum. Either obey him or die.
Imam Hussain (a.s.) did not want any violence and did not want anyone to die, however he knew he could not sit and obey Yazid, he chose instead to stick to his principles. Having refused to obey him, Yazid ordered his men to kill Imam Hussain (a.s.) on the 10th day of the first month of the Islamic calendar (Muharram).
This day is known as The Day of Ashura.
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