Imam Hussain a.s was not killed by his real Shia. He was killed by the Nasibi-minded Umayyad army — people who carried hatred for Imam Ali a.s and Ahl al-Bayt.
The first proof is their own answer to Imam Hussain a.s.
Al-Qunduzi al-Hanafi reports in Yanabi‘ al-Mawaddah:
ثم دنا من القوم وقال:
«يا ويلكم أ تقتلوني على سنّة بدّلتها؟ أم على شريعة غيّرتها؟ أم على جرم فعلته؟ أم على حقّ تركته؟»
فقالوا له:
«إنا نقتلك بغضا لأبيك»
Translation:
Then Imam Hussain a.s came near the people and said:
“Woe to you! Are you killing me because of a Sunnah that I changed? Or a Shariah that I altered? Or a crime that I committed? Or a right that I abandoned?”
They replied:
“We are killing you out of hatred for your father.”
Reference:
Al-Qunduzi al-Hanafi, Yanabi‘ al-Mawaddah li-Dhawi al-Qurba, vol. 3, p. 80.
Now ask a simple question:
If they said, “We are killing you out of hatred for your father,” and his father is Imam Ali a.s, then how can these people be Shia of Ali?
A Shia of Ali loves Ali.
A Nasibi hates Ali.
Sahih Muslim records from Imam Ali a.s:
لاَ يُحِبَّنِي إِلاَّ مُؤْمِنٌ وَلاَ يُبْغِضَنِي إِلاَّ مُنَافِقٌ
Translation:
“None loves me except a believer, and none hates me except a hypocrite.”
Reference:
Sahih Muslim 78, Kitab al-Iman.
So according to Sahih Muslim, hatred of Imam Ali a.s is a sign of hypocrisy. Therefore, those who killed Imam Hussain a.s because of hatred for Imam Ali a.s were not Shia. They were Nasibi-minded enemies of Ahl al-Bayt.
Now look at Sunni history.
Al-Tabari records that after Muawiya died, the Shia gathered in the house of Sulayman bin Surad. Sulayman said:
وأنتم شيعته وشيعة أبيه فإن كنتم تعلمون أنكم ناصروه ومجاهدو عدوه فاكتبوا إليه
Translation:
“You are his Shia and the Shia of his father. If you know that you will support him and fight his enemy, then write to him.”
Reference:
Al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk, events of 60 AH.
Then the letter to Imam Hussain a.s was written:
لحسين بن علي من سليمان بن صرد والمسيب بن نجبة ورفاعة بن شداد وحبيب بن مظاهر وشيعته من المؤمنين والمسلمين من أهل الكوفة
Translation:
“To Hussain bin Ali, from Sulayman bin Surad, al-Musayyib bin Najabah, Rifa‘ah bin Shaddad, Habib bin Mazahir, and his Shia from the believing Muslims of Kufa.”
Reference:
Al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk.
Notice the name: Habib bin Mazahir.
Habib bin Mazahir did not betray Imam Hussain a.s. He remained firm, reached Karbala, stood with Imam Hussain a.s, and was martyred with him.
Ibn Kathir records that Imam Hussain a.s arranged his small army and placed Habib bin Mazahir on the left side:
فجعل على ميمنته زهير بن القين، وعلى الميسرة حبيب بن مظهر، وأعطى رايته العباس بن علي أخاه
Translation:
“He placed Zuhayr bin al-Qayn on his right wing, Habib bin Mazahir on the left wing, and gave his banner to his brother Abbas bin Ali.”
Reference:
Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Maqtal al-Hussain.
So the real Shia were not the killers. The real Shia were people like Habib bin Mazahir, Muslim bin Awsajah, and the loyal companions who stood with Imam Hussain a.s in Karbala.
Then what happened in Kufa?
The Umayyad state crushed the support movement.
Yazid appointed Ubayd Allah bin Ziyad over Kufa. Ibn Ziyad sent spies, threatened people, arrested Hani bin Urwah, killed Muslim bin Aqil, and made it almost impossible for the supporters of Imam Hussain a.s to reach him.
Even the messenger of Imam Hussain a.s, Qays bin Musahhar, was captured. Ibn Ziyad ordered him to curse Imam Hussain a.s. Instead, Qays praised Imam Hussain a.s and cursed Ibn Ziyad and his father, so Ibn Ziyad had him killed.
This was not a free public choice. This was state terror.
And the army that came against Imam Hussain a.s was not “the Shia army.”
Ibn Kathir writes:
وجاء القوم وهم ألف فارس مع الحر بن يزيد التميمي، وهم مقدمة الجيش الذين بعثهم ابن زياد
Translation:
“The people came, one thousand horsemen with al-Hurr bin Yazid al-Tamimi, and they were the vanguard of the army sent by Ibn Ziyad.”
Reference:
Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Maqtal al-Hussain.
Then Umar bin Sa‘d came with thousands more under Ibn Ziyad’s command. Commanders included Shمر bin Dhil-Jawshan, Amr bin al-Hajjaj, Shabath bin Rib‘i, and others.
This was Ibn Ziyad’s state army.
This was Yazid’s political army.
This was the Umayyad/Nasibi camp.
Now look at the strongest point from Sunni sources:
Ibn al-Athir records that after the killing of Imam Hussain a.s, Ibn Ziyad climbed the pulpit and said:
ونصر أمير المؤمنين يزيد وحزبه، وقتل الكذاب ابن الكذاب الحسين بن علي وشيعته
Translation:
“Allah supported the Commander of the Believers Yazid and his party, and killed Hussain bin Ali and his Shia.”
Reference:
Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, events of 61 AH.
Even Ibn Ziyad did not say: “The Shia killed Hussain.”
He said: “Hussain bin Ali and his Shia were killed.”
Meaning:
Victims: Imam Hussain a.s and his Shia.
Killers: Yazid’s party and Ibn Ziyad’s army.
And when the report of Karbala was taken to Yazid, Sunni history records this wording:
ورد علينا الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب وثمانية عشر من أهل بيته، وستون رجلا من شيعته
Translation:
“Hussain bin Ali bin Abi Talib came upon us with eighteen from his Ahl al-Bayt and sixty men from his Shia.”
Reference:
Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Maqtal al-Hussain.
Also reported in Sunni historical works such as al-Tabari / Ibn al-Athir in the events of Karbala.
So according to Sunni history itself, those martyred with Imam Hussain a.s included his Ahl al-Bayt and his Shia.
Final answer:
The real Shia of Imam Hussain a.s wrote to him, gave bay‘ah to his representative, tried to support him, and those who remained firm reached Karbala and were martyred with him.
The killers were not Shia of Ali.
The killers said:
إنا نقتلك بغضا لأبيك
“We are killing you out of hatred for your father.”
And Sahih Muslim says hatred of Ali is a sign of hypocrisy.
So stop saying “Shia killed Hussain.”
Say the truth:
Imam Hussain a.s was killed by the Umayyad army of Ibn Ziyad and Umar bin Sa‘d, by people carrying hatred against Imam Ali a.s and Ahl al-Bayt.
His real Shia were martyred with him.
Loading comments...