There was a dispute over who should rule following the death of Muawiyyah. Muawiyyah had named Yazid I as his successor but Mohammad's grandson Husain claimed to be the next caliph. Husain would not accept Yazid I as caliph and he believed that since he was a relative of the prophet Mohammed he should be first in line for succession. Husain and some of his supporters set out on a march into the heart of the new Muslim Empire to claim Husain as the rightful ruler. While on the march the Ummayyads learned of Husain’s intentions and slaughtered his followers and murdered Husain last. Husain’s murder angered many Muslims who viewed his death as another injustice against Islam. Those people who believed Husain should have been the next caliph were known as Shiah I-Ali, the Shii believe that Mohammed’s descendents should be the next rulers of the Muslim Empire. Yazid I was the next caliph after Muawiyyah but ruled for only three years, (680-683). Yazid I died unexpectedly and another civil war broke out in the Muslim Empire. The Kharajites and the Shiis rose up in rebellion against the Umayyads. Go Back to Islam Home
By Alex Boyce