The Battle of Karbala

In 680 CE, the arid plains of Karbala became the site of a defining moment in Islamic history. This detailed account chronicles the confrontation between Husayn ibn Ali-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad-and the vastly superior forces of the Umayyad caliph Yazid I.

With only a small group of companions and family members, including women and children, Husayn stood in stark contrast to the 40,000-strong army arrayed against him. The resulting massacre and the subsequent captivity of his surviv...