Imam Husain's Offer To Pledge Allegiance to Yazid

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

سبوحٌ قدوسٌ

Holy Holy

Those misguided people who argue that revolution and armed uprising against the government is allowed in Islam most frequently cite as evidence for their position the martyrdom of Imam Husain, may Allah be pleased with him, at Karbala.

According to this narrative, Imam Husain, may Allah be pleased with him, launched an armed revolt against the government of Yazid bin Mu’awiyah, and was subsequently killed by the forces of Yazid which intercepted him at Karbala.

However, the truth is that Imam Husain, may Allah be pleased with him, refused to pledge allegiance to Yazid, due to the corrupt and wicked character of the latter, at the time when Yazid’s establishment over the throne was still incomplete or uncertain.

But when Imam Husain, may Allah be pleased with him, reached Iraq and witnessed for himself that the people of Kufah had betrayed him and had been won over to Yazid, he had a change of heart.

Yazid’s governor in Iraq, the cursed Ibn Ziyad, dispatched Umar bin Sa’d to fight Imam Husain, may Allah be pleased with him.

But Umar bin Sa’d was a somewhat reasonable man who was willing to negotiate with Imam Husain, whom he was reluctant to fight due to his status as a great Imam and the Prophet’s grandson.

It was during those negotiations that Imam Husain, may Allah be pleased with him, made the following offer:

اختاروا مني خصالا ثلاثا إما أن أرجع إِلَى المكان الَّذِي أقبلت مِنْهُ وإما أن أضع يدي فِي يد يَزِيد بن مُعَاوِيَة فيرى فِيمَا بيني وبينه رأيه وإما أن تسيروني إِلَى أي ثغر من ثغور الْمُسْلِمِينَ شئتم فأكون رجلا من أهله لي مَا لَهُمْ وعلي مَا عَلَيْهِم

“Choose one of three options for me: either I return to the place from which I came [Mecca], or I place my hand in the hand of Yazid bin Mu’awiyah and he decides what is between us, or you send me to any of the frontier posts of the Muslims you wish, and I will be one of its people, with the same rights and obligations as them.” (Tarikh al-Tabari, Dar al-Mu’arif, v.5, pp.413-414)

Umar bin Sa’d conveyed Imam Husain’s offer to Ibn Ziyad in a letter, but Ibn Ziyad, counseled by the cursed Shimr bin Dhi il-Jawshan, rejected the proposal. These damned criminals were thirsty for the blood of Imam Husain and were committed to killing him at all costs.

Yet, the offer of Imam Husain, may Allah be pleased with him, disproves the narrative of those who sanction rebellion against a corrupt or tyrannical government.

Once Imam Husain, may Allah be pleased with him, realized that the people had gathered upon Yazid and accepted him as their ruler, he abandoned any intention of establishing his own Imamate in Kufah, to avoid dissension and bloodshed. 

Along with the options of peacefully returning back to Mecca, or accepting exile to one of the far off frontiers of the empire, Imam Husain even offered to pledge allegiance to Yazid!

This fact totally demolishes the narrative of those misguided groups and individuals, especially the Shi’ites, that Imam Husain was committed to a political revolution against the central government in Damascus.

And Allah and His Apostle know best!