The Tragedy of Karbala:

Before we start...
The tragedy of Karbala is one of the most painful events ever happened on the face of earth. Considering the criticality of this event for Muslims and its place in Islamic history, it is important to understand the fact that over a period of time, a number of fabrications have made into the history of this event. In order to segregate real facts from suchfiction, in my opinion, we need to take following sequential approach:

1. Level 1: 
Read books of authentic scholars who have written history based on authentic chain of narrations. This has to be done in conjunction with guidance from authentic Islamic scholars to ensure correct understanding. 

2. Level 2: 
The second stage in exploring this historical event correctly is to understand the correct methodology of writing and studying Islamic History (Usool at-Tarikh), which is a very close relative of Usool Al-hadith (science of interpreting hadith and its classifications). In this science, we study the authenticity of narrations in terms of:
  • Who is presenting the narration (Detailed biographies of narrators are available in books of Ilm ul Rijal enlisting their contributions and if they are reliable or not) and 
  • The acceptability of chain of narrations (i.e. if there are any gaps in chain, any missing narrators, any narrators in sequence who did not have an opportunity to meet the proceeding narrator etc. - Ilm ul Asnad). 

Islamic methodology (Usool) for interpreting the hadith and history are our great treasures. Most misconceptions come up ONLY when we do not assess things in the light of this critical branch of knowledge and base it on certain sectarian or emotional beliefs. With even a basic background in Usool-Al-Hadith, seekers of knowledge start seeing things in a much brighter light and many confusions get clarified. I would strongly recommend going through some books from our bookshelf on the topic of Usool al hadith. 

Urdu Readers can make use of a scholarly critique made available to us by مستند اسلامی تاریخ: Click here to read. This review presents critical analysis of books of history and has a section dedicated to history of Karbala.


Jazakallah.
Audios on the tragedy of Karbala:

English - A detailed historical analysis by Dr. Yasir Qadhi - Listen: Part1, Part2

Urdu - Imam Hussain AS ki Shahadat - Sahih Hadees Ki Roshni Mein - Maulana Ishaq - Audio
Urdu - Saneha e Karbala - Dr. Israr Ahmed - Watch
Urdu - Shahadath E Hussain RA by Shk Tauseef Ur Rehman - Audio
Urdu - Waqia e Karbala ki Haqeeqat - Mufti Tariq Masood - Audio 
Urdu
Shaheed e Karbala
By Mufti Muhammad Shafi
Read / Download
ENGLISH
The Tragedy of Karbala
By Dr. Israr Ahmed
Read / Download
Urdu
Shaheed e Karbala aur Mah e Muharram
Read / Download
Urdu
Saniha e Karbala
By Dr. Israr Ahmed
Read / Download
Urdu
Yazeed ki Shakhsiat
Abdur Rasheed Nomani
Read / Download
Read Review
Urdu
شہیدِ کربلا اور یزید
مولانا محمد طیب
Read / Download
Urdu
حادثہِ کربلا کا پس منظر
ڈاکٹر محسن ندوی
Read / Download
Urdu
اکابر صحابہ اور شہدائے کربلا پر افترا
مولانا عبد الرشید نعمانی
Read / Download
Urdu
شہادتِ امام حسین
سید ابوالاعلی مودودی
Read / Download
Urdu
شہادتِ حسین
مولانا عبدالستار
Read / Download
Urdu
شہادتِ حسین اور کردارِ یزید
مولانا قاسم نانوتوی
Read / Download
Urdu
واقعہِ کربلا کا پس منظر
ًمولانا عتیق الرحمن سنبھلی
Read / Download
Urdu
Naasbiyyat By Shaykh Abdur Rasheed Nomani (r.a)
Read / Download
Urdu
ہمیں حسین رضی اللہ عنہ سے محبت کیوں ہے
Read / Download
Urdu
سیرتِ حسین مع سانحہِ کربلا

Read / Download
Urdu
شانِ حسن و حسین

Read / Download
Urdu
Imam Hussain Aur Waqia Karbala
Read / Download
Urdu
Munkirat il Muharram

Read / Download
Urdu
محرم اور عاشورہ کے فضائل و مسائل

Read / Download
Urdu
Hadsa e Karbala aur sabai sazish
Read / Download
Urdu
Rasoomat e Muharram ul Haram aur saniha e Karbala
Read / Download
Urdu
Waqia Karbala aur Yazeed ka Kirdar - Sheikh Mubashir Nazeer - Very useful book
Read / Download
Urdu
Hussain R.A. wa Yazeed
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah
Download
More Books:

About the history of Karbala:
  • English - Karbala - A bloody conspiracy and the secrets behind it - Abu Muhammad Dawood Qadhi - Read / Download
  • English - The most unreliable book on the history of Karbala that has caused division in the Ummah (the shia resort to this account by Abu Mikhnaf mainly and the narrations from him through  Hisham ibn al-Kalbi; Sunnis consider both of them to be extremely unreliable in their narrations) - Book name: The Events of Taff; Author: Abu Mikhnaf - Download / Alternate version: Read / Download
  • English - Imam Hussain (short novel) - Attiya Rashid (UK) - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Ahd e Hazir main Waqia e Karbala ki Ma'anwiyyat - واقعہ کربلا کی معنویت از مولانا عبدالمبین نعمانی قادری,مصباحی - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Imam Hussain aur Waqia e Karbala: Quran Wa Hadith ki Roshni main - Hafiz Zafarullah Shafiq - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Imam Zain ul Abideen - By Ghullam Rassool (Maslak Brelviyyah) - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Karbala se Balakot tak - Suleiman Farrukhpoori - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Khutbat E Muharram - Mufti Jalal Uddin Amjadi (Maslak Brelviyyah) - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Qatileen e Hussain ki Khana Talashi - By Tahir Al-Makki - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Roodad e Karbala - Zafar Jabbar Chishtie (Maslak Brelviyyah) - ​Read / Download
  • Urdu - Sirr Ash-Shahadatain - Shah Abdul Aziz Dahelvi (Additional stuff is included in this version from the editor that was not present in the original book) - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Shahadat e Hussain - Maulana Abul Kalam Azad - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Shahadat Nawasa E Sayyid Ul Abrar - Maulana Abdus Salam Qadri Rizvi (Maslak Brelviyyah) - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Shaheed e Karbala ki Shahadat per aik nazar e baseerat - Maulana Abul Kalam Azad - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Shaheed Ibn Shaheed - Maulana Saim Chishti - (Maslka Brelviyyah) - Vol1: Read / Download; Vol2: Read / Download
  • Urdu - Sham e Karbala - Muhammad Shafi Okarvi (Maslak Brelviyyah) - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Swaneh Karbala - Syed Muhammad Naeem Muradabadi - (Maslak Brelviyyah) - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Syeduna Imam Hussain Aur Marka E Haq Wa Batil - By Syed Muhammad Amjad Muneer Al Azhari سیدنا امام حسین علیہ السلام اور معرکہٗ حق و باطل از سید امجد منیر الازہری - (Maslak Brelviyyah) - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Tazkira Imam Hussain R.A. - Maulana Ghulam Rasool (Maslak Brelviyyah) - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Uswa e Hussain - Mufti Muhammad Shafi - Read / Download; Alternate print: Read / Download
  • Urdu - Waqia e Karbala aur Uss ka Pas Manzar - Maulana Attique ur Rahman Sanbhali - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Waqia e Karbala aur Uss ka Pas Manzar - Maulana Attique ur Rahman Sanbhali - CRITIQUE OF THE BOOK - Read / Download
  • Sindhi - Seerat ul-Hasnain (Sindhi) by Allama Muhammad Idrees Dahiri - Read / Download
  • Chinese - 正u说乐园中青年的领袖、殉教者  - 侯赛因传 (Imam Husain's Martyr) - Download

About Yazid:

Yazid is one of the very contested personalities. Most of the scholars of the Sunni traditions (such as Imam Ahmed Ibn Hanbal and others) consider him a partner in the crime of the assassination of Hussain R.A., however, there were numerous other partners too. Imam Ahmed also forbade his son to curse him by name. However, there are others who disagree and consider him free of blame as he did not know what was happening on-ground in Karabala and Kufa; Ibn Ziyad was the governor there. There opinion of him being free of blame is based on a hadith regarding the army that would attack on Qustuntunia and wuold be forgiven. However, other scholars explain that the interpretation of these scholars that the hadith in question is about Yazid is a flawed understanding as there were other attacks before him.

Our perosnal opinion is what Imam Ahmed directed his son towards. Yazid is to be blamed for being partner in the brutalities against the grandson of the Prophe. However, because of various factors, cursing by name is not the way. And Allah knows best.

We have collected a few books below that talk for or against Yazid. We are collecting hwre for reference only.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

It is to be noted that these books do not just deal with the personality of Yazid but also reflect upon the incidents and histroy of Karbala. They also highlight for us the fact that history books, unlike hadith books, never went through a rigorous authentication studies. They are therefore a mixed bag of things causing a lot of division in the ummah. 

Pro-Yazid:
  • Urdu - Hayat e Yazeed - Azeem ud Din Siddiqui - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Manhaj e Ahl e Hadith aur Yazeed - by Umar Siddiq - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Qustuntuniya Aur Yazeed - by Kifayatullah Sanabli - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Waqia Karbala aur Us ka Pasmanzer - Attaullah Bandialvi - Read / Download​
  • Urdu - Yazid bin Muawiyah ke daur main mukhalf tehreekain - Dr. Muhammad Ibn Razzaq Al-Shaybani - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Yazid Ibn Muawiyyah per Ilzamat ki Tahqeeq - Kifayat ullah Sanabhali - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Zarb e Shadeed Bar Muzamat e Yazeed - Abdul Wadood Siddiqui Salafi - Read / Download

Anti-Yazid:
  • Arabic - Ar-Rad Ala Mutasib Al-Aneed - Allama Ibn Al-Jawzi - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Azmat E Imam Hussain Aur Hadsa E Karbal Ka Haqeeqi Pasmanzar - By Muhammad Ismaeel Naqshbandi (Maslak Brelviyyah) - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Maqam Syeduna Hussain Aur Kirdar Yazeed - y Pir Inam Ul Haq Qadri (Maslak Brelviyyah) - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Maqam e Hussain wa Yazeed - Maulana Habeeb ullah Alwi - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Rasool Allah ki Hadith ko Badalnay wala: Yazeed - Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Shahadat e Imam Hussain aur Kirdar e Yazeed - Maulana Qasim Nanootvi R.A. - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Sharah Hadees Qustuntunia - By Faiz Ahamd Owaisi (maslak Brelviyyah) - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Shaheed e Karbala aur Yazeed - Qari Muhammad Tayyab - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Saee Us Saeed Fi Mawazina Syeduna Hussain Wa Yazeed - (Maslak Brelviyyah) - By Mufti Muhammad Ameen Naqshbandi R.a./ سعی السیعد فی موازنۃ سیدنا حسین و یزید از مفتی محمد امین رح - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Tabsira Bar Shaheed i Karbala Wa Yazeed By Abul Maasir Maulana Habib ur Rahman Azmi - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Yazeed Ibn Muawiyyah aur Jaish Maghfoor Lahum - Dr. Abu Jabir Abdullah - (Published by Abu Jabir Salafi Library) - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Yazeed Ki Shakhsiyat Allama Ibne Jaozi Ki Nazar Mein (یزید کی شخصیت علامہ ابن جوزی رحمتہ اللہ علیہ کی نظر میں) - Translation of Ar-Rad Ala Mutasib Al-Aneed - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Yazeed: Ibn Taymiyyah ki Nazar main - Sheikh Abdullah Danish - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Yazeed per Lanat ka Jawaz - Allama Ibn Al-Jawzi - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Yazeed Baydeed By Professor Ahmad Raza/ یزید حدیث و تاریخ کے آئینے میں از پروفیسر احمد رضا - Read / Download
  • Urdu - Yazeed - Ikabireen e Deoband ki Nazar main - Read / Download
  • Sindhi - At-Tardeed Al-Qawi Man Yuhibbu Yazeed Al Ghawee - Maulana Idris Naqshbandi - Read / Download