The Caravan, Part 2

The Second Stage

Beginning of the Movements in Medina

THE FIRST EVENT: Immediately after Muawiah’s death _some have related after 10 days_  Yazid wrote a letter to the ruler of Medina in which he stated, “Muawiah was one of the servant of God whom his Lord gave respect among people and bestowed caliphate and authority. He lived in a destined period and passed away at the appointed time. May his Lord bless him, he lived a peaceful life and he was pious.” Then he wrote in a small paper _as small as a mouse ear_ “Make Husain, Abdullah ibn Umar and Abdullah ibn Zubayr swear allegiance severely and non-stop.” ²⁸

Some have written that the messenger had been Abd ibn Amr ibn Uwais ibn Saad ibn Abi Sarah ²⁹ and some have related he had been Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Uwais al-Ameri. ³⁰

THE SECOND EVENT: Yazid assigned Ubaydallah ibn Ziyad to Basrah’s government, Walid ibn Atabah instead of Marwan ibn Hakam to Medina’s government, Nu’man ibn Bashir to Kufa’s government and Amr ibn Saeed ibn al-Aas as the ruler of Mecca. ³¹

THE THIRD EVENT: The letter of Yazid was delivered to Walid at night. Walid asked for Marwan and told him the subject of the letter. Marwan said, “Don’t be worried about Abdullah ibn Umar and Abdurrahman ibn Abi Bakr (he wasn’t alive that time). But don’t feel safe from Husain ibn Ali and Abdullah ibn Zubayr. Ask for them at the moment and if they refuse to swear allegiance, cut off their heads before the news of Muawiah’s death is betrayed.” ³²

THE FOURTH EVENT: Walid sent a teenage boy named Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Uthman ibn Affan to invite the Imam to the mansion. Aba Abdullah al-Husain (PBUH) was in the mosque that time. Abdullah ibn Zubayr was also there simultaneously. The messenger of Walid, Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Uthman invited the Imam and Abdullah ibn Zubayr to the mansion. They both said, “You go; we will come after you.” Abdullah ibn Zubayr asked the Imam, “In your opinion, why has he invited us at this time?”

The Imam said, “I suppose that Muawiah has died and we are invited for swearing allegiance.”

“I suppose so.” said Abdullah ibn Zubayr. Then they backed to their homes. ³³

THE FIFTH EVENT: Aba Abdullah al-Husain (PBUH) invited some of his close relatives and stated, “Take your weapons!” the number of the armed people is written to be thirty persons. The Imam recommended, “I am worried that Walid force me to do what I cannot accept and since there isn’t any safety, accompany me and wait for me at the door of the mansion. If you hear my voice, come in and defend me.”

Before going to the mansion and speaking to the close relatives, the Imam asked for water and performed ablution. Then he changed his clothes, he said a two-rak’ah prayers and prayed to God. ³⁴

THE SIXTH EVENT: Imam Husain (PBUH) and his armed companions went towards the mansion. The Imam was wearing a piece of saffron-white clothes. When he entered, he saw Marwan ibn Hakam who was there. Walid announced Muawiah’s death (Some have written that he had read Yazid’s letter.) and asked for swearing allegiance. The Imam said, “It’s not useful to swear allegiance secretly. Tomorrow, when you invite people for doing that, invite us, too” (Some have related, the Imam said, “We’ll think about it and answer tomorrow.”) Walid accepted but Marwan ibn Hakam said, “Walid! If he leaves here without swearing allegiance, you can never reach for him. Imprison him till he swears for allegiance or take his head off or else it will result in a severe fight.”

The Imam stood up and said, “O, son of the black-eyed woman! You will kill me or he? By God, you said unjust and went astray.” (In some sources have been related that he threw an iron chair towards Marwan. Marwan escaped and the chair hit the wall.) The armed companions of the Imam came in and under their surrounding the Imam returned home. ³⁵

THE SEVENTH EVENT: Marwan ibn Hakam’s complaint against Walid ibn Atabah in which he said, “Why didn’t you fulfill my order?” Walid said in response, “Swear to God, I don’t want to be the murderer of Husain even if I own the wealth and belongings of the East and West. I suppose what accompanies killing Hussein can’t be a simple thing in front of God and it won’t be without punishments in the resurrection day.” ³⁶

THE EIGHTH EVENT: Walid ibn Atabah sent a messenger to Abdullah ibn Zubayr and invited him to swear allegiance. Abdullah delayed to answer. Other messengers invited him to accept allegiance one after the other. Jaafar ibn Zubayr _the brother of Abdullah_ sent a message to Walid in which he said, “Wait for a while.” At night, Abdullah and his brother _Jaafar_ went to Mecca from detour.

When Walid found out about the news, he sent Habib ibn Kudayn with eighty persons after them but they couldn’t find any signs from Jaafar and Abdullah, so they returned. ³⁷

THE NINTH EVENT: Abdullah ibn Umar _with a little delay_ and Abdullah ibn Abbas came to Mecca from Medina and swore allegiance in the meeting with Walid. ³⁸

THE TENTH EVENT: Walid wrote a letter to Yazid and reported Husain ibn Ali and Abdullah ibn Zubayr’s refusal (from swearing allegiance). When Yazid read the letter, he looked cross-eyed because of anger. (Whenever he got furious, his eyes went crossed.) He wrote in response, “Introduce everyone who has swore allegiance or hasn’t swore allegiance; send the head of Husain ibn Ali with the letter and if you do that, you will get benefits and rewards.”

When Walid receive the letter, he said, “I won’t do that even if I am given the entire world.” ³⁹

THE ELEVENTH EVENT: After rejecting to swear allegiance at that night by Aba Abdullah al-Husain (PBUH), Marwan saw the Imam in the next morning in one of the alleys of Medina and said, “Aba Abdullah! I wish you good will. Accept what I say in order to be relax.” The Imam stated, “What is your good will? Tell me about it, and then I will say my idea.” Marwan said, “Swear allegiance to Yazid since this is to the benefit of the religion and the world.” Imam Husain (PBUH) stated, “Surely we belong to Allah and we’ll return to Him. (انّا لله و انّا اليه راجعون) We must say farewell to Islam if Yazid gets the leader of Muslims since I heard from the Prophet that it is forbidden for Abi Sufyan offspring to be caliphs; whenever find Muawiah ascending the pulpit, tear his belly. But the people of Medina saw this and did nothing, so they got involved in cruel Yazid.” Marwan left him furiously. ⁴⁰

THE TWELFTH EVENT: Walid summoned the Imam several times to swear allegiance and the Imam answered, “Wait till the morning comes.” Walid accepted it. On Saturday evening, the agents visited the Imam in the house. ⁴¹

THE THIRTEENTH EVENT: The meeting of Umar ibn Ali (PBUH) with Imam Husain (PBUH) and asking about a hadith of the Prophet based on Aba Abdullah’s martyrdom and nearness of his grave with the Imam Ali’s grave; And the approval of Imam Husain (PBUH) about this hadith. ⁴²

THE FOURTEENTH EVENT: Aba Abdullah‘s Farewell (PBUH) to the Prophet’s grave in the night before Rajab 27^th, 60 A.H. (Saturday night); saying prayers and worshiping the Lord. He saw the Prophet in his dream and told about it to his family. (In some books, it is said that the pilgrimage and the dream has occurred in two consecutive nights.); and saying farewell to the grave of his mother, Lady Fatima (PBUH), and his brother’s, Imam Hasan (PBUH). ⁴³

THE FIFTEENTH EVENT: Imam Husain (PBUH) gave his will to his brother, Muhammad Hanafiyyah. In this will, the Imam determined and explained the purposes of his movement as it comes below:

1) This movement is neither frivolously and proudly nor feloniously and tyrannically.

2) My main purpose is to reform and reconstruct my grandfather’s nation (Ummah).

3) Commanding to goodness and refraining from evil are of the main aims.

4) Guiding the behavior of the society based on the Prophet and Imam Ali’s behavioral method and life style.

Muhammad Hanafiyyah advised the Imam sympathetically, “It’s better to avoid from fighting with Yazid and not to travel to the cities that are his allies then invite people to swear allegiance to you. You’d better to go to Mecca and stay there but if you don’t find the situation suitable, harbor to the mounts and deserts to find out what to do!” Imam Husain (PBUH) admired him and considered his words as peaceful talks. ⁴⁴

THE SIXTEENTH EVENT: Saying farewell to Umm-i Salamah, the only remained wife of the Prophet, Hashimi Women, and Abd-ul-Muttallib’s wives especially his aunt, Umm-i Hani. ⁴⁵

 

Translated by,

Fatima Serajinejad

 

References:

28. Ibn A’tham: Al-Futuh (Vol. 5, pp. 10-11); Al-Balatkari: Jamal men Ansab al-Ashraf (Vol. 11, p. 20); History of Yaqubi (Vol. 2, p. 215); Kharazmi: Maqtal al-Husain (Vol. 1, pp. 179-180); Bahr-ul-Ulum: Maqtal al-Husain (P. 126)

29. Al-Balatkari: Jamal men Ansab al-Ashraf (Vol. 11, p. 20)

30. Ibn Kathir: Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah (Vol. 8, p. 162)

31.  Ibn Khaldun: The History (Vol. 3, p. 19)

32. Abu Hanifa al-Dunevari: Akhbar al-Tawal (Pp. 228-229); Ibn Qutaibah al-Dinawari: Al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah (Vol. 1, p. 175); Kharazmi: Maqtal al-Husain (Vol. 1, pp. 180-181)

33. Abu Hanifa al-Dunevari: Akhbar al-Tawal (P. 229); History of Tabari (Vol. 5, p. 347); Ibn Athir: Al-Kamil (Complete book) (Vol. 3, p. 164)

34. Ibn A’tham: Al-Futuh (Vol. 5, p. 13); Bihar Al-Anwar (Vol. 44, p. 324); Akhbar al-Tawal (P. 229); Ibn al-Sabbagh al-Maliki:  Al-Fusul al-Muhimmah (P.182)

35. History of Tabari (Vol. 5, p. 339); Jawahir al-Matalib (Vol. 2, p. 263); Tahzib al-Tahzib (Vol. 2, p. 349); Ibn Athir: Al-Kamil (Vol. 3, p. 264); Baha’ei: Kamil (Vol. 2, p. 271)

36. Tazkirat al-Khawas (P. 135); Mathir al-Ahzan (P. 10); Kharazmi: Maqtal al-Husain (Vol. 1, p. 184)

37. History of Tabari (Vol. 5, pp. 340-341); Abu Mikhnaf: Maqtal (Pp. 13-14); Ibn Athir: Al-Kamil (Vol. 3, p. 264)

38. Ibn Athir: Al-Kamil (Vol. 3, p. 265); Nihayat al-Arab (Vol. 20, p. 382); History of Tabari (Vol. 5, pp. 342-343)

39.  Ibn A’tham: Al-Futuh (Vol. 5, pp. 25-26); Bihar Al-Anwar (Vol. 44, p. 312); Kharazmi: Maqtal al-Husain (Vol. 1, pp. 185-186)

40. A’yan al-Shiah (Vol. 1, p. 588); Ibn A’tham: Al-Futuh (Vol. 5, pp. 23-25); Nafasul Mahmum (P. 70)

41. Nafasul Mahmum (P. 71); Bihar al-Anwar (Vol. 44, p. 326); History of Tabari (Vol. 5, p. 341)

42. Muqarram: Maqtal al-Husain (P. 148); Luhuf (Pp. 26-27)

43. Nafasul Mahmum (P. 73); Al-Futuh (Vol. 5, p. 29); Kharazmi: Maqtal al-Husain (Vol. 1, pp. 17-186); Bihar al-Anwar (Vol. 44, pp. 312-313); Bahr-ul-Ulum: Maqtal al-Husain (Pp. 132-134)

44. Nafasul Mahmum, (Pp. 71-72); Al-Futuh (Vol. 5, pp. 29-34); History of Tabari (Vol. 5, p. 41); Ibn Athir: Al-Kamil (Vol. 3, p. 265); Bihar al-Anwar (Vol. 44, pp. 329-330)

45. Bihar al-Anwar (Vol. 44, pp. 321-332); Nafasul Mahmum (P. 76); Al-Muntakhab (P. 436)