Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Illustrations vii
4. Note on Conventions viii
5. Note on the Cover Image x
6. Preface and Acknowledgements xi
7. Genealogy of the Imams xiv
8. Map of the Region xvi
9. 1 Introduction: The Karbala Story and Shiʿite Identity 1
10. 2 Studying the Karbala Story as Myth 22
11. PART I THE KARBALA STORY
12. 3 Three Times Karbala: Early Accounts of the Killing of al-Ḥusayn 41
13. 4 Karbala and Covenant according to Abū Mikhnaf 79
14. PART II REVENGE OR MARTYRDOM: THE STORY OF THE TAWWĀBŪN (THE ‘PENITENTS’)
15. 5 Introducing the Story of the Tawwābūn 119
16. 6 Betrayal and Guilt in the Tawwābūn’s Speeches and Letters 124
17. 7 The Visit to al-Ḥusayn’s Grave 138
18. 8 The Story of the Tawwābūn: Date and Concluding Remarks 163
19. PART III FROM SKIRMISH TO COSMIC BATTLE
20. 9 Al-Mukhtār and the Mahdi 173
21. 10 The Contest over the Imams in Early Shiʿism 186
22. 11 Al-Ḥusayn among the Imams 207
23. 12 Conclusion: Mythmaking and Identity in Early Shiʿism 233
24. Bibliography 237
25. Index 256