Al-Qāsim ibn al-Ḥasan () (Sha'ban 7, 47 AH / October 4, 667 CE in

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

– Muharram 10, 61 AH / October 10, 680 CE in

Karbala Karbala is a major city in central Iraq. It is the capital of Karbala Governorate. With an estimated population of 691,100 people in 2024, Karbala is the second largest city in central Iraq, after Baghdad. The city is located about southwest ...

) was the son of

Hasan ibn Ali Hasan ibn Ali (; 2 April 670) was an Alids, Alid political and religious leader. The eldest son of Ali and Fatima and a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Hasan briefly ruled as Rashidun caliphate, Rashidun caliph from January 661 unt ...

. He supported his uncle

Husayn ibn Ali Husayn ibn Ali (; 11 January 626 – 10 October 680 Common Era, CE) was a social, political and religious leader in early medieval Arabia. The grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and an Alids, Alid (the son of Ali ibn Abu Talib ibn Abd a ...

in fighting off the

Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a membe ...

forces during the

Battle of Karbala The Battle of Karbala () was fought on 10 October 680 (10 Muharram in the year 61 Hijri year, AH of the Islamic calendar) between the army of the second Umayyad Caliphate, Umayyad caliph Yazid I () and a small army led by Husayn ibn Ali, th ...

where he was killed at the age of 13.

Early life

Qasim was born the son of

, the second

Imam Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...

, and his wife Umm Farwa. His father was the elder son of

Ali ibn Abi Talib Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until Assassination of Ali, his assassination in 661, as well as the first imamate in Shia doctrine, Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muha ...

and

Fatima Fatima bint Muhammad (; 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fatima al-Zahra' (), was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija. Fatima's husband was Ali, the fourth of the Rashidun caliphs and the first Shia imam. ...

. Qasim was thus a great-grandson of the

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

ic prophet

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

, who was the father of

Death of Hasan ibn Ali

Hasan ibn Ali, Qasim's father died on the 28th Safar 50 AH (2 April 670 CE) by

Mu'awiya I Mu'awiya I (–April 680) was the founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, ruling from 661 until his death. He became caliph less than thirty years after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and immediately after the four Rashid ...

due to poisoning. Qasim was only three years old when his father died. However he grew up in the company of his paternal family. Like his cousins, Awn and

, the sons of his paternal aunt

Zaynab bint Ali Zaynab bint Ali (, ), was the eldest daughter of Fatima and Ali, Ali ibn Abi Talib. The former was a daughter of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the latter was his cousin. Ali is also recognized as the fourth ...

, Qasim was taught fencing by his uncle

Abbas ibn Ali Al-Abbas ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (, 15 May 647 10 October 680 CE), also known by the kunya Abu al-Fadl (), was a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Rashid caliph in Sunni Islam and the first Imam in Shia Islam. His mother was Fatima bint ...

and cousin Ali al-Akbar ibn Husayn. When Hasan's brother

prepared to leave

in 680, Qasim's mother Umm Farwa asked Husayn to take her and the young Qasim with him.

Battle of Karbala

Prior to his death, the Umayyad ruler Mu'awiya I appointed his son,

Yazid I Yazid ibn Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan (; 11 November 683), commonly known as Yazid I, was the second caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, ruling from April 680 until his death in November 683. His appointment by his father Mu'awiya I () was the first ...

as his successor. Yazid tried to desire religious authority by obtaining the allegiance of Husayn ibn Ali, but Husayn would not give up his principles. After the people of

Kufa Kufa ( ), also spelled Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates, Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000. Along with Samarra, Karbala, Kadhimiya ...

sent letters to Husayn and asking his help and pledging their allegiance to him, Husayn and his family members (including Qasim) and his companions traveled from

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

to Kufa in Iraq but were forced to camp in the plains of

by Yazid's army of 30,000 men. Husayn and most of his family and companions, including Qasim ibn Hasan, were killed and then beheaded in the Battle of Karbala on 10 October 680 (10 Muharram 61 AH) by Yazid, and the women and children were taken as prisoners.

Battle

Qasim asked his uncle, "Will I also be among the martyrs?" Husayn ibn Ali replied: "How do you see death?" Qasim said, "O uncle, death to me is sweeter than honey."

Ashura

On the day of ''Ashura'', Qasim, like other cousins before him, went to his uncle to ask for permission. Husayn would not permit him to fight because he was too young and Husayn could not bear the thought of anything happening to him. Qasim asked many times before going to his mother. When his mother saw that her son was upset, she gave him a letter that Qasim's father had written before he died. The letter stated: Qasim read the letter and gave to his uncle. After reading the letter Husayn said, He went to the battlefield and killed many fighters. A man came from behind and struck Qasim on the head. He fell to the ground, bleeding heavily. He called out for his uncle. Husayn and Abbas rushed over. The army of Yazid got scared thinking they were coming to attack them, creating confusion. Horses began running from one side to another, trampling and killing Qasim. Husayn and Abbas called out for him, but no reply came. When they found his body Husayn as took off his abaa and with Abbas collected his remains.

Burial

On 10 October 680 (Muharram 10, 61 AH), the day of Ashura, Qasim ibn Hasan was killed near the

Euphrates The Euphrates ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of West Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originati ...

, where Husayn and his followers were not allowed to get water. All the 72 companions of Husayn, including Qasim ibn Hasan were buried in a mass grave. The mass grave is located at the foot of Husayn's grave.

Impact

Not only did Husayn's suffering and death become a symbol of sacrifice in the struggle for right against wrong, and for justice and truth against injustice and deception in the Islamic world, especially the

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

view, but his stand also became a symbol of resistance, inspiring future uprisings against oppressors and injustice. Throughout history, many notable personalities, such as

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...

and

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

, have cited Husayn's stand against oppression as an example for their own fights against injustice. The death of Husayn and his companions at Karbala is believed by both Shias and the Sunnis to be a sacrifice made to prevent the corruption of Islam by tyrannical rulers and to protect its ideology.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Qasim Ibn Hasan 667 births 680 deaths People killed at the Battle of Karbala Hasanids Sons of caliphs