In this paper, I argue that there are two interacting ritual discourses in the al-?usayn episode. These discourses center around sacrifice and atonement, and both use symbols of hospitality and foodways. This approach functions both as a critique of Girard's theorization of sacrifice and the emphasis on violence in interpreting the murder of al-?usayn. René Girard's widely influential conception of sacrifice was one of sanctification through violence. While al-?usayn's martyrdom is often discussed as a violent sacrifice within various literatures, these discussions almost never reference theoretical explorations of sacrifice. Because of the source-critical approach to these narratives used by most historians, important concepts underpinning these examinations are often left unarticulated. Thus this paper, through an examination of al-?usayn's death, is an intervention in the scholarly discourses about both sacrifice and Arabic historiography. Through problematizing Girard's theory, with recourse both to the narratives about al-?usayn and refutations of Girard, I hope to show not only the problems of monothetic categorizations of sacrifice, but also the value of engaging with these theoretical conversations for studies of early Islamic history. Indeed, it is only through a broader, polythetic conception of sacrifice that the relationships between water, fasting, self-sacrifice, and hospitality, in both the accounts of al-?usayn's martyrdom and the reaction to his death, become apparent. My textual analysis is focused on the episode as presented in al-?abar?, because of the dual significance of this source for medieval and modern audiences, but I will also contrast this presentation with other accounts in different literatures. By understanding this form of martyrdom within the framework of sacrifice, we are able to better comprehend the memory of al-?usayn’s death within a broader context than just martyrdom or Arabic historiography. Moreover, it further emphasizes the social character of this narrative and its function.