Where is the head of the Prophet’s grandson, Imam Husain? Is it really in Cairo? Six views examined

The question of where the head of Husain ibn Ali rests has remained one of the most enduring controversies in Islamic history. Some traditions place it in Cairo, while other communities identify different locations across the Muslim world.

Dr Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi writes that the disagreement grew partly because several sites came to be regarded as shrines containing Husain’s head. These sites were generally built during periods when religious thought and understanding had declined, he says. Each location then became associated with its own claim, and different groups defended the tradition they believed.

To examine the issue, the account follows the head’s reported journey after the Battle of Karbala. Strong reports state that it was taken to Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad. The head was placed on a tray, and Ibn Ziyad struck it with the stick in his hand.

Anas ibn Malik, who witnessed the scene, stood and said, “He was the one among them who most closely resembled the Messenger of God.” After that episode, accounts about what happened to Husain’s head multiplied and diverged sharply. One question at the center of the debate is whether Ibn Ziyad sent it to Yazid ibn Muawiya, a claim described through several different versions.

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He was the one among them who most closely resembled the Messenger of God.