In 680 AD, Al-Hussein ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was killed in the Battle of Karbala along with his small group of loyal followers.
This tragic event occurred as they were en route to Kufa, when they were intercepted and surrounded by an army sent by Yazid, the Umayyad caliph.
Despite being vastly outnumbered and deprived of water for days, Al-Hussein and his companions chose to fight valiantly rather than submit to Yazid's rule.
Their martyrdom at Karbala has since become a symbol of resistance against tyranny and is commemorated annually by millions of Muslims worldwide, particularly during the observance of Ashura.