HISTORY OF ISLAM IN THE MIDDLE EAST ASSIGNMENT 1

HST 241

BY :
FATEN EL MAWLA 202003981
MOHAMMAD RAMADAN 202000186
YOUSSEF AIDIBI 202000601

PRESENTED TO:
DOCTOR MICHEL EL HKAYEM

SPRING 2024
Yazid I, born c. 645 in Arabia, the father of three children, held the position of the second Umayyad
Caliph from 680 to 683. His most notable action was quelling a rebellion by Husayn, the son of Ali,
which peaked in the battle of Karbala in 680 and subsequently deepened the division between Shiite and
Sunni factions in Islam. In his youth, Yazid led the Arab army sent by his father, Muawiyah, to besiege
Constantinople. When Mu’awiya sensed that his end was near, he feared that the caliphate would revert
back to the younger brother of Imam Hasan after his death as was specified in the terms of the peace
treaty. Thus, he started taking the oath of allegiance for his son, securing the caliphate in his own family.
Upon Mu’awiya's death, Yazid assumed the governorship of Syria and claimed to be the successor of the
Islamic State. Upon becoming caliph, he faced rebellion from those previously restrained by his father,
but despite varied portrayals of his rule, he actively pursued the continuation of Muawiyah’s policies.
Immediately after coming to power, he started demanding the oath of allegiance (bay’ah) from one and all
by means of force, including the grandson of the Prophet Imam Husayn. Almost all of the Muslim
Community had pledged the oath of allegiance, some under influence of wealth, while others under
pressure. But Husayn’s response was a firm “No”. This response mattered as it would have been a
confirmation of Yazid’s actions in addition for him being the grandson of the Holy Prophet who was
more entitled to succeeding his grandfather than Yazid himself. Thus, Husayn’s reply was “Death with
honor is better than a life of degradation”. Appointing his kin as governors, including his cousin al-
Waleed in Medina, Yazid aimed to secure allegiance. Fearful of Husayn, Yazid ordered al-Waleed to
obtain oaths from him and others, with instructions to kill dissenters. Al-Waleed, hesitant to harm,
arranged a public meeting, but Husayn proposed a public opinion poll so tensions eased. Yazid's
animosity persisted, leading Husayn to depart from Medina to Mecca, avoiding bloodshed. Then, Yazid
formed a substantial force of all accessible troops and estimates of Umayyad forces on this occasion vary
from 4,000 to 30,000. Yazid himself did not participate in this engagement, consistent with his absence
from all military expeditions during his rule, perhaps to avoid accountability for whatever events were
unfolding. On this particular occasion, he delegated command to his cousin, Ubaidullah ibn Ziyad (d. 686
CE). The martyrdom of the grandson of the Prophet prompted the anger of the Muslim community.
Yazid’s rule faced rebellion from Ibn al-Zubayr who called for a Shura to elect a new caliph. Yazid sent
him various gifts to get his allegiance, but he steadfastly refused. Ibn al-Zubayr’s influence to oppose
Yazid’s government spread to Medina. The resistance of the people against Yazid’s government was also
motivated by their disappointment with the performance of the Umayyad rule. Yazid, who was aware of
the uprising, invited notables of Medina to come to Damascus and tried to persuade them with gifts but
they were not convinced. Instead, they recounted Yazid’s lavish lifestyle upon their return to Medina. The
people of Medina, led by Abdullah ibn Hanzala then gave up their allegiance to Yazid, and even expelled
his cousin the governor. Yazid then sent as many as 12,000 troops led by Umar Ibn Saad to reconquer
Medina. The battle between the people of Medina and Yazid’s troops under the command of Muslim Ibn
Uqba erupted in 683, known as the Battle of Harra where people of Medina were defeated. Yazid’s troops
then sacked Medina and his army forced the rest of the rebels to renew their allegiance. Then, the army
headed to Makkah to subdue Ibn al-Zubayr, who in fact, had already established himself as the leader of
the region. Yazid’s army then besieged and attacked Makkah for weeks and the cloth covering the
Kaabah caught fire. Not too long after the tragedy of Harrah, on 17th of Safar of the same year, about 20
days later, Yazid died, having remained on the throne for no more than three or four years. His rule faced
opposition due to his tyrannical nature, evidenced by the killing of Imam Husayn, desecration of the
Kaaba, and mistreatment of Medina. Renowned scholars have criticized Yazid's character and actions,
affirming his unworthiness of ruling.
 References

https://www.al-islam.org/printpdf/book/export/html/20909

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yazid-I

https://www.al-islam.org/hidden-truth-about-karbala-ak-ahmed-bsc-bl/chapter-14-yazid-bin-
muawiya-bin-abu-sufyan

https://www.al-islam.org/hidden-truth-about-karbala-ak-ahmed-bsc-bl/chapter-14-yazid-bin-
muawiya-bin-abu-sufyan

https://theislamicinformation.com/blogs/what-happened-to-yazid-after-the-battle-of-karbala/

https://www.al-islam.org/battle-harrah-muhammad-ali-chenarani/death-yaz%C4%ABd-b-mu
%C4%81wiyah