The Sermon of Imām al-Ḥusayn of Fakhkh Before Battle

The Battle of Fakhkh (169 AH / 786 CE) was among the most defining uprisings of the descendants of the Prophet ﷺ against the oppression of the ʿAbbāsid state. At its head stood al-Imām al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī b. al-Ḥasan b. al-Ḥasan b. al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib ❪؏❫, a noble descendant of Imām al-Ḥasan al-Mujtabā ❪؏❫.

Before engaging the ʿAbbāsid forces at Fakhkh, al-Ḥusayn delivered a sermon to his followers while mounted upon a mule belonging to his uncle, Idrīs b. ʿAbdullāh. His words, preserved in history, reflect both his righteous cause and his unshakable faith:

The Sermon

After praising Allāh and sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ, he addressed his companions and supporters, saying:

“O People of the Qurʾān, by Allāh, these are two noble possibilities that only the heavens are above:

The first is if Allāh preserves you and grants you victory. We shall act in accordance with the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of His Prophet. The widow and the orphan will no longer go hungry, those whom Allāh has glorified will receive their glory, and those whom the truth has humiliated will be humiliated. We will exact justice from His enemies.

If it is the second possibility, then you will follow in the footsteps of your righteous predecessors. You will meet them as those who called for them: the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, Ḥamza, ʿAlī, Jaʿfar, al-Ḥasan, al-Ḥusayn, Zayd b. ʿAlī, Yaḥyā b. Zayd, ʿAbdullāh b. al-Ḥasan, Muḥammad (al-Nafs al-Zakīyya), and Ibrāhīm (al-Nafs al-Raḍīyya), the sons of ʿAbdullāh.

So from which of these two possibilities do you grow weary?

By Allāh, even if I find no one but myself, I will stand in their way until I am sent back to my Salaf!”

The Meaning of His Words

This sermon captures the essence of the Ahl al-Bayt’s struggle: a fight not for power or wealth, but for justice, dignity, and the protection of the weak. Al-Ḥusayn of Fakhkh framed the battle not as a gamble but as a win–win outcome:

• Victory would establish justice according to the Qurʾān and Sunnah, restoring rights to the oppressed.
• Martyrdom would mean joining the line of righteous forefathers — the martyrs of Badr, Uḥud, Karbalāʾ, and the earlier ʿAlid uprisings.

His words reveal his absolute resolve: even if abandoned by all, he would fight until reunited with his noble ancestors in the afterlife.

Legacy

The Battle of Fakhkh ended in bloodshed, with al-Ḥusayn of Fakhkh and many of his loyal supporters martyred. Yet his sermon remains a beacon of faith and courage, embodying the Ahl al-Bayt’s refusal to bow to injustice and their willingness to sacrifice everything for truth.

The Prophet ﷺ himself is reported to have foretold the martyrdom at Fakhkh, declaring it to be the “second best battlefield” after Karbalāʾ. Through his sacrifice, Imām al-Ḥusayn of Fakhkh joined the eternal chain of martyrs who carried forward the banner of justice in Islam.