The Sands of Karbala – The Epic Saga of Imam Husayn's Stand for Truth

The Sands of Karbala presents, in English, the account of Imam Husayn's uprising and martyrdom recorded by the classical historian Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 310/923) in his Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l-Muluk (The History of Prophets and Kings). Much of the narrative reaches al-Tabari from Abu Mikhnaf, so this is close to the earliest surviving maqtal.

The excerpt runs from Yazid's accession in 60 AH and the demand for allegiance in Medina, through the mission and killing of Muslim ibn 'Aqil and Hani ibn 'Urwa in Kufa, the journey to Iraq, the stand-off with 'Umar ibn Sa'd and the denial of water, and Imam Husayn's final speeches and battle, to Sayyida Zaynab's rebuke of Ibn Ziyad, the captives at Yazid's court and a list of the slain companions.

Framed for Sunni readers, it opens with a foreword by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani urging Muslims to remember Ashura, and offers readers of any school direct access to a primary source. Published by ISCA, Fenton, Michigan, 2025.