Wahhabi sack of Karbala

The Wahhabi sack of Karbala occurred in 21st of April 1802 (1216 Hijri), under the rule of Abdul-Aziz bin Muhammad the second ruler of the First Saudi State, killing above 5000 of the inhabitants and plundered the tomb of Husayn ibn Ali (grandson of Muhammad and son of Ali bin Abu Talib (the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad)) which was destroyed.^[1]

According to a Wahhabi chronicler `Uthman b. `Abdullah b. Bishr: "The Muslims" — as the Wahhabis referred to themselves, not feeling the need to distinguish themselves from other Muslims, since they did not believe them to be Muslims —

scaled the walls, entered the city ... and killed the majority of its people in the markets and in their homes. [They] destroyed the dome placed over the grave of al-Husayn [and took] whatever they found inside the dome and its surroundings ... the grille surrounding the tomb which was encrusted with emeralds, rubies, and other jewels ... different types of property, weapons, clothing, carpets, gold, silver, precious copies of the Qur'an."^[2]

See also

• First Saudi State
• Second Saudi State
• Saudi Arabia

References