The
Disaster at Karbala
Obaidullah bin Zeyad named Amr bin
Sa'd bin Abi Waqas the governor of Rayy and gave him four thousand soldiers to
keep watch on all paths and roads into Kufa and to find out by which route
Husain bin Ali رضي الله عنه was coming and where
was he camping. He also gave Hur bin Yazid Tamimi one thousand soldiers and put
him on patrol. Amr bin Sa'd started collecting information of different sources
while he was camped at Qadisiya. Husain bin Ali رضي
الله عنه was in a dilemma and in that state, he reached Saraf. When he
moved forward, Hur blocked him with his one thousand soldiers. Imam Husain رضي الله عنه went forward and said to him, "I have
come here at your call. If you stick to your pledge, I will enter the city
otherwise I shall go the way by which I have come." Hur said, "I have
been ordered by Obaidullah bin Zeyad to stay with you and take you to him in
our custody." Husain رضي الله عنه
said, "It is impossible to bear the humiliation of going to him in
custody." He then wanted to go back. Hur, out of fear of Ibn Zeyad, wanted
to stop him and stood with his army on the way of his retreat. Imam Husain رضي الله عنه moved to north and reached Qadisiya. He
became aware that Amr bin Sa'd, along with a large army, was camping there. Hur
followed Husain bin Ali رضي الله عنه.
Following this discovery, Imam Husain رضي الله عنه
left Qadisiya and after covering ten miles halted at Karbala. Amr bin Sa'd was
informed of his arrival and set out with his army and following him arrived at
Karbala. After camping in same vicinity Amr bin Sa'd left his army and came
toward Imam Husain's camp and called for him. After exchanging greetings, Ibn
Sa'd said,
"Undoubtedly, you deserve the
caliphate more than Yazid does but it is not the intention of Allah to let both
prophethood and caliphate come into your family. You have seen the
circumstances and conditions of Ali bin Abi Talib رضي
الله عنه and Hasan bin Ali رضي الله عنه.
If you give up the thought of this sultanate and rule, you can easily become
free otherwise your life will be in jeopardy and we have been ordered to arrest
you."
Imam
Husain رضي الله عنه said,
"I put three alternatives
before you, you may choose any of them for me.
1. Let me go the way I came so that I
may remain absorbed in prayer in Makkah.
2. Let me move to any border so that I
may be martyred while fighting with the unbelievers.
3. Leave my way free and let me go to
Yazid in Damascus. For your satisfaction, you may follow me. I shall go to
Yazid and settle my affairs directly with him as my elder brother Imam Hasan رضي الله عنه did with Amir Muawiya."
Amr bin Sa'd was very pleased to
hear what he said and replied that he was not in a position to give him the
final reply in this matter. He further said that he would inform Obaidullah bin
Zeyad at once, and he was sure that he would agree to any of the three points.
Amr bin Sa'd was camped on the same plain he wrote to Ibn Zeyad a detailed
account of the meeting, this took place on Muharram 2, 61 A.H. Obaidullah bin
Zeyad was overjoyed reading Amr bin Sa'd's letter. He said, "Imam Husain رضي الله عنه has spoken in a way that will put a stop
to all evil disorders and by going to Yazid he will take ba'it (the oath of
allegiance), and then there will be no longer any danger." Shimr Dhul
Jaushan was present there at the time. He said, "O Amir! You have an
opportunity now. You may kill the Imam without hesitation. No one will blame
you. However, if he goes to Yazid, you will no longer be honored and respected
in comparison to him and he will be able to enjoy a greater status than
you." When Ibn Zeyad heard this, he wrote to Amr bin Sa'd.
"All these three alternatives
cannot be accepted. The one thing acceptable is: let Imam Husain رضي الله عنه surrender before me and take the oath of
allegiance for Yazid at my hands as his deputy and then I shall send him to
Yazid on my own."
On the receipt of this reply, Amr
bin Sa'd informed Imam Husain رضي الله عنه
that he was helpless and said that Ibn Zeyad first wanted ba'it at his hands
and did not agree to any other proposal. Imam Husain رضي
الله عنه replied that it was better for him to die than take bay'at on
Ibn Zeyad's hand.
Ibn Sa'd was trying his best to
avoid bloodshed. He wanted that either Imam Husain رضي
الله عنه should accept Ibn Zeyad's conditions or Ibn Zeyad should let
him go according to his wish. During the week long correspondences of refusal
and insistence both Imam Husain رضي الله عنه
and Ibn Sa'd along with their men, remained camped on the field of Karbala.
Imam Husain's men made their prayers with Ibn Sa'd's soldiers and Imam Husain رضي الله عنه used to straighten the Saf (the rows of
those praying). When Ibn Zeyad was informed of this, he became worried Ibn Sa'd
might conspire with Imam Husain رضي الله عنه.
He at once called in a herald named Jowira bin Tamimi and gave him a letter for
Ibn Sa'd:
"I ordered you to arrest Husain
bin Ali رضي الله عنه. It was your duty to
have arrested him and brought him to me. If you were unable to do so, you
should have brought his head to me. I did not order you to join his company and
promote friendly relations with him. Now it is better for you that immediately
after reading this letter and without any hesitation either bring Husain bin Ali
رضي الله عنه to me or fight with him, cut off his head
and send it to me. If you hesitate even a little, then the bearer of this
letter, who is a military officer, has been ordered to arrest you and bring you
to me while the army should remain camped there and wait for the next commander
whom I shall send in your place."
Taking the letter Jowira reached Ibn
Sa'd on Thursday Muharram 9, 61 A.H. Ibn Sa'd was sitting in his camp at that
time. As soon as he read the letter, he stood up, mounted on his horse and
ordered his army to get ready and said to Jowira, "Bear witness that as
soon as I have read the Amir's order, I have complied with it." Then he
set the rows of soldiers and taking Jowira along moved forward. He sent for
Imam Husain رضي الله عنه and acquainted him
with the contents of the letter and the herald. Imam Husain رضي الله عنه asked him to grant one days' time. Ibn
Sa'd looked towards Jowira who said that the next day was not far and that he
should be granted the time. Ibn Sa'd returned from the field and ordered the
soldiers to relax because there would not be any fighting on that day.
After sending his order through
Jowira, Obaidullah bin Zeyad thought that if Ibn Sa'd showed slackness and
Jowira made him captive the army would become bewildered and scattered without
their commander and just possibly they might join Imam Husain رضي الله عنه. In that case, it would be very a
difficult situation and Imam Husain رضي الله عنه
would have time to escape to Makkah and get out of their reach. He at once
called Shimr Dhul Jaushan to him and said I have sent Jowira with the order
that if Ibn Sa'd hesitated, he should be arrested and brought to me. I suspect
him to be a hypocrite. If Jowira arrests Ibn Sa'd, the army will be in the
field without a leader and may falter and be lost. I can't find anybody else
better than you for this task. Go to Karbala and if Ibn Sa'd is arrested, take
command of the army, fight with Imam Husain رضي الله
عنه and cut of his head and bring it to me. If Ibn Sa'd is not
arrested and is hesitant in fighting, go and start it and finish the work at
once." Shimr said to him, "I have a condition. You know that my
sister Umm Lambeen bint Haram was Ali's wife who bore him four sons named
Obaidullah, Jafar, Uthman, and Abbas. They are present on the plain of Karbala
along with their brother Husain رضي الله عنه.
Give me protection for their lives." Obaidullah bin Zeyad at once had a
paper brought to him and wrote Aman — pardon and safety, sealed it and gave it
to Shimr and sent him off.
Jowira left at night and early on
Thursday morning reached the army at Karbala. Shimr left in the morning and
reached at Asr time (late afternoon). He briefed him with all that occurred.
Shimr said, "I would not have granted him even a single moment. Either get
ready at once or hand over the army to me." Ibn Sa'd sat on the horse and
taking Shimr with him, went to Imam Husain رضي الله
عنه and told him that Obaidullah bin Zeyad had sent another
messenger and that he was not ready to grant him any delay in the battle. Imam
Husain رضي الله عنه said, "Subhan
Allah, What is the necessity of granting me time now? The sun is setting. Won't
you defer the fight to tomorrow?" Hearing that Shimr thought it proper to
wait until the next morning and both returned to their camps.
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