When was the body of Imam al-Husayn (peace be upon him) buried?

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When was the body of Imam al-Husayn (peace be upon him) buried?

There are three main opinions regarding the date of Imam al-Husayn’s (peace be upon him) burial. Some scholars believe he was buried on the 11th of Muharram, others on the 12th, and still others on the 13th, with the last being the most widely accepted view.

Detailed Explanation:

Historians have differed regarding the day of his burial, and three views have emerged:

1. The 11th of Muharram

This is the view held by a number of historians, including Ibn Shahr Ashub, al-Mas'udi, al-Baladhuri, Ibn Kathir, al-Tabari, and Ibn al-Athir. This opinion also seems to be that of Shaykh al-Mufid in his book al-Irshad, and those who follow his view, as will be explained in the second point.
He wrote:

“Ibn Sa'd remained the rest of the day (i.e., the 10th) and the following day (i.e., the 11th) until midday. Then he called the people to depart, and he headed toward Kufa with the daughters of al-Husayn, his sisters, and the women and children with him. Among them was 'Ali ibn al-Husayn, who was seriously ill.”

This is also mentioned by al-‘Allama al-Tabarsi in I‘lam al-Wara bi-A‘lam al-Huda.
It is commonly reported that the tribe of Banu Asad buried the martyrs on the day Ibn Sa'd departed with the family of the Prophet, which was the 11th of Muharram.

2. The 12th of Muharram

This is the opinion chosen by Ibn Tawus.

3. The 13th of Muharram

This is the opinion of Sayyid al-Muqarram (d. 1391 AH) in his book Maqtal al-Husayn. He did not cite a source or mention who supported this view. He stated:

“On the 13th of Muharram, Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin came to bury his martyred father, for only an Imam can bury another Imam.”

Shaykh Abbas al-Qummi commented:

“It is well-known that the pure bodies remained on the battlefield, unburied, for three days. Some sources mention that they were buried the day after ‘Ashura (i.e., on the 11th), but this is unlikely, since ‘Umar ibn Sa'd was still busy burying his own army’s dead on that day. Moreover, the people of Ghadiriyya had fled the Euphrates area out of fear of Ibn Sa'd and would not have dared return so quickly.”

Shaykh al-Tabasi in his book Ma‘a al-Rakb al-Husayni rejected the possibility that the burial occurred on the 11th, arguing that it involved a miraculous journey by Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin from Kufa to Karbala. He supported this by referencing the debate between the Waqifiyya (those who stopped at Imam Musa al-Kazim) and Imam al-Ridha.

He said:

“Therefore, his departure to Karbala by divine miracle was certainly not on the 11th, because he did not even enter the court (in Kufa) until the 12th. ‘Umar ibn Sa'd and the captives also did not enter Kufa until daytime on the 12th, as we mentioned earlier in the events.”

These days, the most commonly accepted opinion is the third one, that the burial occurred on the 13th of Muharram. Shaykh al-Tabasi also stated in Ma‘a al-Rakb al-Husayni:

“Some reports suggest that the burial of the sacred bodies took place on the 13th of Muharram…”

Conclusion:

The widely accepted view among scholars—due to the absence of clear, definitive texts regarding the exact date of Imam al-Husayn’s (peace be upon him) burial—is that he was buried on the 13th of Muharram, three days after his martyrdom.

Sources: Adapted from the article “The Burial of Imam al-Husayn… Between Early Reports and Later Beliefs” by Shaykh Abbas al-Mousawi (with modifications). Full references to historical sources are included in the original text.

المصدر: منتدى محبي أهل البيت عليهم السلام - من قسم: منتدى اللغات واللهجات

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When was the body of Imam al-Husayn (peace be upon him) buried? al-husayn imam when