Al-Abbas ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (, 15 May 647 10 October 680 CE), also known as Abu al-Fadl (), was a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph in Sunni Islam and the first imam in Shia Islam. His mother was Fatima bint Hizam, commonly known as Umm al-Banin (). Abbas fought as the standard-bearer of his half-brother Husayn ibn Ali in the Battle of Karbala on 10 Muharram 61 AH (10 October 680) against the army of the Umayyad caliph Yazid ibn Mu'awiya (). He was killed in a desperate attempt to bring water from the Euphrates river to quench the unbearable thirst of the besieged family of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Abbas is said to have inherited Ali's boldness and bravery, and was praised by Shia imams for his faith and fortitude in defending Husayn. Abbas is regarded by Shia Muslims as an ultimate paragon of courage and self-sacrifice. The shrine of Abbas and the nearby mausoleum of Husayn in Karbala are destinations for pilgrimage.
Titles
The of Abbas was Abu al-Fadl (). Another epithet of him was Qamar Bani Hashim (), and he is often described as tall and handsome. Abbas is said to have inherited the boldness and bravery of his father Ali ibn Abi Talib, always carrying the victorious standard on the battlefield. Abbas is indeed celebrated as () and () in Persian language. He is also known as Alam-d'ar () for his role in the Battle of Karbala, and as al-Saqqa' () and Abu al-Qirba ( means 'a water-skin') for his desperate attempt on the evening of Ashura to bring water from the Euphrates river to quench the unbearable thirst of the besieged Ahl al-Bayt. The Islamicist J. Calmard draws a parallel between Abbas and Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya, an elder son of Ali and his standard-bearer, saying that Abbas fulfilled the same warrior functions near Husayn.
Birth and early life
Abbas was born in Medina to Ali and Fatima bint Hizam ibn Khalid ibn Rabi'a, a woman from the Banu Kilab tribe. Abbas had three full brothers, named Abd Allah, Ja'far and Uthman. Their mother Fatima thus became known as Umm al-Banin (). Abbas' brothers were all killed in the Battle of Karbala just before him. Some sources refer to him as al-Abbas al-Akbar () to distinguish him from another son of Ali, named al-Abbas al-Asghar (). Abbas' date of birth is disputed. According to the Sunni historian Ibn Sa'd (), he had not yet reached puberty when Ali was assassinated in 661, whereas some others have written that Abbas was thirty-four at that time. The Shia scholar Bahr al-Ulum () reports 4 Shaban 26 (15 May 647) as the birthdate of Abbas. Naturally, much of what exists in sources about Abbas is in connection to the Battle of Karbala.
Battle of Karbala and death (680)
Accession of Yazid
In an appointment that violated earlier agreements with Ali's eldest son Hasan, the Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya () designated his son Yazid () as his successor in 676. Yazid is often presented by Muslim historians as a debaucher who openly violated the Islamic norms, and his nomination was indeed met with resistance at the time from sons of some prominent companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, including Husayn ibn Ali. On Mu'awiya's death and Yazid's accession in 680, the latter instructed the governor of Medina to secure Husayn's pledge of allegiance by force, and Husayn immediately left for Mecca to avoid recognizing Yazid as the caliph. He was accompanied by some relatives, including Abbas.
Journey to Karbala
After receiving letters of support from Kufans, whose intentions were confirmed by his cousin Muslim ibn Aqil, Husayn left Mecca for Kufa on 8 or 10 Dhu al-Hijja (10 or 12 September 680), accompanied by few relatives and supporters. A tradition attributed to Husayn identifies his intention as fighting the tyranny of Yazid, even though it would cost his life, as reported in , a biographical work by the prominent Shia scholar al-Mufid (). Husayn similarly wrote in his will for his brother Ibn Hanafiyya that he had not set out to seek "corruption or oppression" but rather to "enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong." At any rate, on their way to Kufa, Husayn's small caravan was intercepted by Yazid's army and forced to camp in the desert land of Karbala on 2 Muharram 61 (2 October 680) away from water and fortifications. The promised Kufan support did not materialize as the new governor of Kufa, Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad (), killed the envoy of Husayn and intimidated Kufan tribal chiefs.