Islamic History Podcast

In September 2014, the Houthis captured the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. A few months later, Saudi Arabia launched a campaign to remove the Houthis and reinstall President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi to power. The Saudi-led coalition has pummeled Yemen with airstrikes, leading to thousands of deaths. Many people blame Saudi Arabia for the high death toll in Yemen, but what role did the Houthis play? Who are the Houthis in the first place? And how did they rise to power in Yemen? This episode explores the history of Yemen and how it came to be a nation torn into many pieces.  After the show is over, be sure to visit the Show Notes page. The Show Notes are available at IslamicLearningMaterials.com/Yemen Here's some of what you'll find: The transcript of this episode Follow the podcast on social media Links to other related resources You can support the Islamic History Podcast by doing one (or more) of the following: Give a monthly pledge on Patreon Subscribe on iTunes Share with your friends and family You can do it all and more on the Show Notes page: IslamicLearningMaterials.com/Yemen

Aisha, the Prophet's wife, is the victim of salacious gossip and rumors. With no one else to help her, she realizes she can only rely on Allah. Meanwhile, Prophet Muhammad must work hard to keep his small community together. Even though the leader of the hypocrites, Abdullah ibn Ubayy, will do everything to make him fail. After the show is over, be sure to visit the Show Notes page. The Show Notes are available at: IslamicLearningMaterials.com/Ifk Here's some of what you'll find: The transcript for this episode Download of my recent Khutbah, Family and Faith Links to other related resources You can support the Islamic History Podcast by doing one (or more) of the following: Give a monthly pledge on Patreon Subscribe on iTunes Share with your friends and family You can do it all and more at the Show Notes page: IslamicLearningMaterials.com/Ifk

Instead of bringing peace, the Umayyad victory at Karbala brings even more instability to the Empire. Now the Muslims of Mecca and Medina are more determined than ever to shake off the Umayyad yoke. In Mecca, Abdullah ibn Zubayr is quietly building his support. He refuses to openly oppose Banu Umayyah, but everyone knows he's up to something. In Medina, Yazid is quickly losing his grip. Everything he does turns the Muslims of Medina against him even more.

A brief overview of the similarities and differences between Sunni and Shia.

Husayn and his group are trapped at Karbala. He tries to negotiate with Banu Umayyah, but it goes nowhere. This episode explores one of the most tragic and pivotal events in Islamic history. With this episode, the political faction known as Shi'atu Ali become the Shia religious sect.

Husayn is unaware of the fate of his cousin, Muslim ibn Aqeel, in Kufah. The last thing Husayn knew, the Shia in Kufah were waiting for him. With this knowledge, Husayn leaves Mecca with several members of his family, including women and children. But things are not good in Kufah. Ubaydullah, the governor of Kufah, is ready for Husayn and has sent Umar ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas with an army of 4000 men to greet him.

Husayn sends his cousin, Muslim ibn Aqil, to see if he really does have support in Kufah. However, Yazid ibn Muawiyyah also sent his ruthless governor, Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad. The two men struggle for the heart and soul of this troubled city.

Muawiyyah dies and as planned, his son Yazid succeeds him as Caliph. But there are many people in the Muslim Empire who do not agree with this. Two of them are Husayn ibn Ali and Abdullah ibn Zubayr. They refuse to give Yazid the pledge and flee to Mecca. Ibn Zubayr begins to build alliances there while Husayn is being courted by the people of Kufah.

Muawiyyah and his administration have subdued the Muslim Empire. Most of Iraq has settled down and his detractors have fell silent. But Muawiyyah is concerned about the future. What's going to happen when he's gone? The Caliph conspires with his governors to turn the Caliphate to a monarchy. Muawiyyah does not believe the old ways of choosing the next Caliph works. He believes it needs to become a family affair.

The Umayyads had the practice of cursing Ali during their sermons. Many of the party of Ali did not like that. One of these men was Hujr ibn Adi, a companion and commander in Ali's army. When he heard the Umayyads cursing Ali, he would shout at them and to make them stop. But Ziyad ibn Abihi, the governor of Kufah and Basra, would not tolerate such defiance. He decided to find Hujr and make an example of him for others This episode chronicles the story of Hujr ibn Adi and one of the early incidents that led to the split between Sunnis and Shiites.