The Journey of Imam Husain - Part 5

Taken from Kitab-al Irshad by Shaykh Al-Mufid

Part 5 (continued from Part 4)

[Humayd b. Muslim reported:]

         By God, later I visited him when he was ill. By God, other 
         than Whom there is no deity, I saw him drinking water without 
         being able to quench his thirst, and then vomiting. He would 
         cry out, "The thirst, the thirst!" Again he would drink water 
         without being able to quench his thirst, again he would vomit. 
         He would then burn with thirst. This went on until he died, 
         may God curse him.

When al-Husayn saw the extent of the number of troops encamped with 'Umar b. Sa'd, may God curse him, at Ninawa in order to do battle against him, he sent to 'Umar b. Sa'd that he wanted to meet him. The two men met at night and talked together for a long time. (When) 'Umar b. Sa'd went back to his camp, he wrote to Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad, may he be cursed.

         God has put out the fire of hatred, united (the people) 
         in one opinion (lit. word), and set right the affairs of 
         the community. This man, al-Husayn, has given me a promise 
         that he will return to the place which he came from, or he 
         will go to one of the border outposts - he will become 
         like any (other) of the Muslims, with the same rights and 
         duties as them; or he will go to Yazid, the Commander of 
         the faithful, and offer him his hand and see (if the 
         difference) between them (can be reconciled). In this (offer) 
         you have the consent (to what you have demanded) and the 
         community gains benefit.

When Ubayd Allah read the letter, he said: "This is the letter about a sincere man who is anxious for his people."

"Are you going vo accept this from him," demanded Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan, jumping up,

         When he has encamped on your land nearby? By God if he was 
         a man from your land and he would not put his hand in yours, 
         whether he was in a position of power and strength (or) whether 
         he was in a position of weakness and impotence you would not 
         give this concession, for it would be (a mark) of weakness. 
         Rather let him and his followers submit to your authority. 
         Then if you punish them, (it will be because) you are the (person) 
         most appropriate to punish, and if you forgive them, you have 
         the right (to do so)."

"What you have suggested is good," replied Ibn Ziyad. "Your view is the correct view. Take this message to 'Umar b. Sad and let him offer al-Husayn and his followers (the opportunity of) submitting to my authority. If they do that, let him send them to me in peace. If they refuse, he should fight them. If he ('Umar b. Sa'd) acts (according to) my instructions, then listen to him and obey him. However if he refuses to fight them then you are the commander of the army (lit. people), attack him, cut his head off and send it to me."

Then he wrote to Umar b. Sa'd:

         I did not send you to al-Husayn for you to restrain 
         yourself from (fighting) him, nor to idle the time 
         away with him, nor to promise him peace and preservation 
         (of his life), nor to make excuses for him, nor to be an 
         intercessor on his behalf with me. Therefore see that if 
         al-Husayn and his followers submit to my authority and 
         surrender, you send them to me in peace. If they refuse, 
         then march against them to fight them and to punish them; 
         for they deserve that. If al-Husayn is killed, make the 
         horses trample on his body, both front and back; for he is a 
         disobedient rebel, and I do not consider that this will be 
         in any way wrong after death. But it is my view that you 
         should do this to him if you kill him. If you carry out your 
         command concerning him, we will give you the reward due to 
         one who is attentive and obedient. If you refuse, then we 
         withdraw (the command of) our province and army from you and 
         leave the army to Shamir b. Dhl al-Jawshan. We have given him 
         our authority.

         Greetings.

Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan brought the letter to 'Umar b. Sad. After he had brought it and read it, 'Umar said to him:

         Shame upon you, what is this to you? May God never show 
         favour to your house. May God make abominable what you 
         have brought to me! By God, I did not think that you would 
         cause him to refuse what I had written to him, and ruin for 
         us a matter which we had hoped to set right. Al Husayn will 
         not surrender, for there is a spirit like (his) father's 
         in his body."

"Tell me what you are going to do," demanded Shamir. "Are you going to carry out the governor's command and fight his enemy or are you going to leave the command of the army to me?"

"No, (there is going to be) no advantage to you. I will carry that out instead of you. you take command of the foot-soldiers."

'Umar b. Sa'd prepared to (do battle with) al-Husayn, peace be on him, on the night of Thursday, 9th of the month of Muharram. (In the meantime) Shamir went out and stood in front of the followers of al- Husayn, peace be on him.

"Where are my sister's sons?" he demanded. Al Abbas,

Jafar, Abd Allah and Uthman, sons of Ali b. Abi Talib, peace be on him, came forward.

"What do you want?" they asked.

"Sons of my sister, you are guaranteed security," he said.

"God curse you and curse the security which you offer without offering itlto the son of the Apostle of God," the young men replied.

"Cavalry of God, mount and announce the news of Heaven (i.e. death)," Umar b. Sa'd called out and the people mounted and he approached (the supporters of al-Husayn) after the afternoon (asr) prayer.

Meanwhile, al-Husayn, peace be on him, was sitting in front of his tent dozing with his head on his knees. His sister heard the clamour (from the enemy's ranks). She came up to him and said, "My brother, don't you hear the sounds which are getting nearer?"

         I have just seen the Apostle of God, may God bless him 
         and grant him peace, in my sleep," said al-Husayn, peace 
         be on him, as he raised his head. "He said to me: 'You are 
         coming to us.'

His sister struck at her face and cried out in grief.

"You have no (reason) to lament, sister," al-Husayn, peace be on him, told her. "Be quiet, may God have mercy on you."

Then he turned to al-Abbas b. Ali "Brother, the enemy have come, so get ready; but first, al-Abbas, you, yourself, ride out to meet them, to talk to them about what they have (in mind) and what appears (appropriate) to them and to ask about what has brought them (against us)."

Al-Abbas went towards them with about twenty horsemen, among whom was Zuhayr b. al-Qayn.

"How do you see (the situation)?" he asked. "What do you want?'

"The command of the governor has arrived that we should offer you (the opportunity of) submitting to his authority, otherwise we (must) attack you," they answered.

"Do not hurry (to do anything) until I have gone back to Abu Abd Allah (al-Husayn) and told him what you have said, 'Abbas requested.

They stopped (where they were) and told him: "Go to him and inform him, and tell us what he says to you."

Al 'Abbas went galloping back to al Husayn, peace be on him, to give him the information. While his companions remained exchanging words with the enemy, trying to test them and dissuade them from fighting against al-Husayn, peace be on him, (al-'Abbas) told him what the enemy had said.

         Go back to them," he, peace be on him, said, "if you can, 
         delay them until the morning and (persuade) them to keep 
         from us during the evening. Then, perhaps, we may be able 
         to pray to our Lord during the night to call upon Him and 
         seek His forgiveness. He knows that I have always loved His 
         formal prayer, the recitation of His Book and (making) many 
         invocations to Him, seeking His forgiveness.

Al Abbas went back to the people, and returned (after) being with them, accompanied by a messenger on behalf of Umar b. Saed, who had said: "We will grant you a day until tomorrow. Then if you surrender, we will send you to our governor, Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad but if you refuse we will not leave you (any longer)."

(After) he departed, towards the evening al-Husayn gathered his followers around him.