. The people of Kufa, being disgusted at his conduct, sent
messengers to Husain, the remaining son of 'Ali, with the request that he
would assume the Khalifate. In vain the friends of Husain tried to persuade
him to let the people of Kufa first revolt, and thus show the reality of
their wishes by their deeds. In an evil hour Husain started with a small
band of forty horsemen and one hundred foot-soldiers. On the plain of
Karbala he found his way barred by a force of three thousand men. "We are
few in number," said Husain, "and the enemy is in force. I am resolved to
die. But you--I release you from your oath of allegiance; let all those who
wish to do so leave me." "O Son of the Apostle of God!" was the reply,
"what excuse could we give to thy grandfather on the day of resurrection
did we abandon thee to the hands of thine enemies?" One by one these brave
men fell beneath the swords of the enemy, until Husain and his infant son
alone were left. Weary and thirsty, Husain sat upon the ground. The enemy
drew near, but no one dared to kill the grandson of the Prophet. An arrow
pierced the ear of the little boy and he died. "We came from God, and we
return to him," were the pathetic words of Husain, as with a sorrowful
heart he laid the dead body of his son on the sand. He then stooped down to
drink some water from the river Euphrates. Seeing him thus stooping, the
enemy discharged a flight of arrows, one of which wounded him in the mouth.
He fought bravely for a while, but at last fell covered with many wounds.
The schism between the Sunni and the Shia'h was now complete. {75}

The ceremonies celebrated during the annual fast of Muharram refer to these
historical facts, and help to keep alive a bitter feud; but to suppose that
the only difference between the Shia'h and the Sunni is a mere dispute as
to the proper order of the early Khalifs would be a mistake. Starting off
with a political quarrel, the Shia'hs have travelled into a very distinct
religious position of their own. The fundamental tenet of the Shia'h sect
is the "divine right" of 'Ali the Chosen and his descendants. From this it
follows that the chief duty of religion consists in devotion to the Imam
(or Pontiff); from which position some curious dogmas issue. The whole
question of the Imamat is a very important one. The word Imam comes from an
Arabic word meaning to aim at, to follow after. The term Imam then becomes
equal to the word leader or exemplar. It is app