Imam Hussein (a.s.) is the son of Imam Ali (a.s.) and Fatima (a.s.) the daughter of the holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.). He was the second grandson of the prophet Muhammad (s.a.). Like his father and brother, he was the Imam of the people. Imam Hussein (a.s.) is the father of the nine Imams who followed him in succession.
On the third day of the blessed month of Sha’ban, the fourth year after Hijra (624 CE), the Messenger of Allah was given news of the birth of Imam Hussein (a.s.). He hurried to the house of Imam Ali and Fatima al-Zahra.
Safia bint Abdul Muttalib, Asma bint Umais, and Um Salama were present when Imam Hussain was born.
When the Prophet asked Safia (his aunt) to bring him the newborn child, she said: "We have not cleaned him yet." When the Prophet heard this, he said: "You clean him? Surely Allah the Exalted has cleaned and purified him"
Asma took the newborn child to him. The infant was wrapped in a piece of cloth. The face of the Messenger of Allah lit up upon seeing his grandson. He took him in his arms. He recited the Adhan into his right ear, and the Iqama in his left ear. He, then, placed the baby in his lap and wept.
"May my father and mother be your sacrifice," Asma asked him, "why are you crying?"
"Because of my son," he replied.
"He is a newborn baby," she said.
"O Asma," he said, "After me, the transgressing party will kill him. May Allah never grant them my intercession."
After Hussein was born, Gabriel descended to the Prophet and revealed to him to give the new baby the name Hussain. Hussain is the Arabic version of the old Hebrew name Shabir, which was Haroun’s second son’s name. When Gabriel descended to the Prophet, scores of angels accompanied him to congratulate and console the Prophet for Hussain’s birth and expected martyrdom.
On the day of Ashura, while suffering from extreme thirst, Imam Hussein (a.s.) was brutally killed and his head severed by the swords of the army of Yazid ibn Muawiyah on Saturday the tenth of Muharram in the year 61 after Hijra (around 681 CE) in Karbala, Iraq.