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Tragedy of Karbala as reported by the Sunnis (Part II)
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The events that transpired with Muslim b. Aqil
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Al Husayn, peace be upon him, summoned Muslim b. Aqil and
despatched him with Qays b. Mushir al Saydawi and Umara b. Abd
Allah al Saluli, and Abd Allah and Abd al Rahman, sons of
Shaddad al Arhabi. He enjoined him to be pious before God and to
conceal his affair, and to act in a kindly way. If he saw that the
people were united and had commited themselves to an agreement, he
should speedily inform him of that.
Muslim, the mercy of God be on him, departed until he came to
Medina. There he prayed in the mosque of the Apostle of God, may
God bless him and his family, and said farewell to the dearest
members of his family. Then he hired two guides. These two set out
with him, but they missed the way and got lost. Both were struck by
severe thirst and were unable to continue their journey. They indicated
the path to him after it again appeared clear to them. Muslim carried
on along the path and the two guides died of thrist. Muslim b. Aqil,
the mercy of God be with them both, wrote a letter from the place
known as al Madiq and sent it with Qays b. Mushir:
I set out from Medina with two guides and they missed the way
and got lost. Both were overcome by thirst and soon died. But
we kept going until we came to water. We were only saved at the
last moment of our lives. That water is in a place called al-
Madiq in a low valley. I have taken this as a bad omen for my
mission. If you consider it so, you could relieve me and send
another in my place.
Greetings.
Al-Husayn, peace be upon him, wrote (back):
I am afraid that your urging me in the letter to relieve you from
the task which I sent you on is only cowardice. Therefore go on
with your task which I gave you.
Greetings.
Muslim read the letter, he said: "It is not for myself that I am
afraid." So he continued (once more) until he came to a well
belonging to (the tribe of) Tayyi'. He stayed there (the night) then as
he rode off (he saw) a man hunting. He saw him shoot a fawn as it
came into his sight, and kill it. Muslim said: "(Thus), will we kill our
enemies, God willing."
He went on until he entered Kufa. There he stayed in the house of
al-Mukhtar b. Abi Ubayda, which is called today the house of
Muslim b. al-Musayyib. The Shia began to come regularly to (see)
him. Whenever a group of them gathered together with him, he would
read the letter of al-Husayn, peace be upon him, and they would
weep. The people pledged allegiance to him (on behalf of al-Husayn)
to the extent that eighteen thousand men made such a pledge to him.
Therefore Muslim wrote to al-Husayn, peace be upon him, informing
him of the pledge of allegiance to him of the eighteen thousand and
urging him to come.
The Shia began to visit Muslim b. Aqil so frequently that his place
(of residence) became well-known. Al-Numan b. Bashlr, who had
been Muawiya's governor of Kufa and had been confirmed in office
by Yazid, knew of his where abouts. He went up on the the pulpit and
after praising God said: "Servants of God, fear God and do not rush
into rebellion and discord. For in that men will be destroyed, blood
will be shed, and property will be plundered. I do not combat anyone
who does not combat me, nor do I disturb those of you who remain
quiet. I do not oppose you, nor do I apprehend (you merely) on
grounds of suspicion, accusation or hearsay. However, if you turn
your faces away from me, violate your pledge of allegiance and
oppose your Imam, by God, other than Whom there is no deity, I will
strike you with my sword as long as its hilt remains in my hand, even
though I do not have any of you to help me. Yet I hope that those
among you who know the truth are more numerous than those whom
falsehood will destroy."
Abd Allah b. Muslim b. Rabi'al al-Hadrami, an ally of the Banu
Umayya stood before him and said: "O governor, what you see can
only be adequately dealt with by violence; for the view which you
hold about what (should be done) between you and your enemy is
that of the weak."
"I would prefer to be one of the weak (while remaining) in
obedience to God than to be one of the mighty (while at the same time
being) in rebellion against God," answered al-Nu'man. Then he went
down (from the pulpit).
Abd Allah b. Muslim went out and wrote the (following) letter to
Yazid b. Mu'awiya:
Muslim b. Aqil has come to Kufa and Shia have pledged
allegiance to him on behalf of al-Husayn b. Abi Talib,
peace be on them. If you have any need for Kufa, then send it a
strong man, who will carry out your orders and act in the same
way as you would against your enemy. Al-Nu'man b. Bashir is a
weak man, or he is acting like a weak man.
Umara b. Uqba wrote to him in a similar vein, as did Umar b.
Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas. When the letters reached Yazid, he summoned
Sarjun, a retainer (mawla) of Muawiya and asked (him): "What is
your view (of the fact) that Husayn has sent Muslim b. Aqil to Kufa
to receive pledges of homage on his behalf? I have (also) learnt that
Numan is weak,and had other bad reports of him. Who do you think
that I should appoint as governor of Kufa?"
Now Yazid was angry with 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad so Sarjun
answered him, "Do you think, if Muawiya was alive and advising
you, that you would take his advice?"
"Yes," he answered.
Sarjun produced a (letter of) appointment for 'Ubayd Allah b.
Ziyad (as governor) of Kufa, and said: "This is the advice of
Mu'awiya, which he ordered before he died. So join the two cities of
Basra and Kufa (under the authority) of Ubayd Allah."
"I'll do that," replied Yazid. "I'll send the letter of authority
(which my father wrote) for 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad to him."
After this he summoned Muslim b. 'Amr al-Bahili and he sent him
to 'Ubayd Allah with the following (letter):
My Shia among the people of Kufa have informed me that Ibn
'Aqil is there gathering units in order to spread rebellion among
the Muslims. Therefore, when you read this letter of mine, go to
Kufa and search for Ibn Aqil as if you were looking for a bead
until you find him. Then bind him (in chains), kill him or expel
him.
Greetings.
In this way he gave him authority over Kufa. Muslim b. 'Amr went
to Ubayd Allah at Basra and brought him the authorization and the
letter. 'Ubayd Allah ordered that preparations should be made
immediately and that the departure for Kufa would take place on the
next day. He himself left Basra after he had made his brother,
'Uthman, his deputy. He took with him Muslim b. Amr, Sharik b. al-
A'war al-Harithi, together with his entourage and household.
When he reached Kufa, he was wearing a black turban and he was
veiled. News of al Husayn's departure had reached the people and
they were expecting his arrival. When they saw Ubayd Allah, they
thought that he was al-Husayn. He (i.e. Ubayd Allah) did not pass a
group of people without them greeting him. They were saying:
"Welcome, son of the Apostle of God, your arrival is a happy
(event)."
He saw in their welcoming of al Husayn something which (greatly)
troubled him. Muslim b. Amr said, when their number had become
so great (that) they were delaying them: "This is the governor 'Ubayd
Allah b. Ziyad."
He went on so that he was approaching the (governor's) palace at
night. With him was (still) a great crowd who had gathered round him
and who did not doubt that he was al-Husayn. Al-Numan b. Bashir
had (the palace) bolted against him and against his entourage. One of
those with him called on him to open the door to them. But
al-Numan, still thinking that he was al-Husayn, went up to the
balcony and called down: "I invoke God before you, unless you
withdraw (from me), by God, I will not hand over my of fice (amana)
to you but I have no wish to fight you."
(Ibn Ziyad) did not answer him. But he went closer while al-
Nu'man was hanging over the balcony of the palace. Then he began
to say to him: "Open, you have not opened yet and you have already
had a long night (in which you have slept instead of governing).
A man behind him heard this and withdrew to the people from
Kufa who had followed (Ibn Ziyad) (believing) him to be al-Husayn.
He said: "O people, it is Ibn Murjana, by Him other than Whom
there is no deity." Al-Numan opened the door for him and he
entered. They slammed the door in the faces of the people and they
dispersed.
In the morning the call was made among the people: "Al Salat
jamia (the prayer is a general prayer which all should gather for)."
The people gathered and he went out to them. He praised and
glorified God and said: "The Commander of the faithful (Yazid) has
appointed me to be in charge of your town and your frontier-station
and the distribution of your booty (fay). He has ordered me to give
justice to the oppressed among you, to be generous to those of you
who are deprived, and to treat the obedient among you with
generosity like a good father, but to use the whip and the sword
against those who abandon my commanus and oppose my
appointment. Let each man protect himself. True belief (sidq) should
declare itself on your behalf, not the threat of punishment (wadis)."
Then he went down, he took the group leaders (arifs) and (some
of) the people forcibly and he said: "Write to me about the strangers,
those among you who supported the Commander of the faithful (i.e.
'Ali b. Abi Talib), those among you who support the Haruriyya (i.e.
Kharijites), and the trouble-makers whose concern is discord and
turmoil. Whosoever of you makes these lists for us will be free from
harm. But those of you who do not write anyone, will have to
guarantee that there is no opponent in his group (irifa) who will
oppose us, and no wrongdoer who will try to wrong us. Anyone who
does not do so, will be denied protection and his blood and his
property will be permitted to us. Any group leader (arif) in whose
group is found anyone with partisanship for the Commander of the
faithful, who has not been reported to us, will be crucified at the door
of his house, and I wil abolish the pay (atal) of that group (irafa)"
When Muslim b. Aqil heard of the coming of Ubayd Allah to
Kufa, of the speech he had made and his treatment of the arifs and
(other) people, he left the house of al-Mukhtar and went to the house
of Hani' b. Urwa and went in (to stay) there. The Shia began to visit
Hani's house secretly to keep it hidden from Ubayd Allah and they
enjoined that it should be kept secret.
Ibn Ziyad summoned a retainer (mawla) of his called Maqil.
"Take three thousand dirhams," he told him, "and look for Muslim
b. 'Aqil and search out his followers. If you get hold of one or a group
of them, give them these three thousand dirhams. Tell them to use it
to help in the war against your enemy. Let them know that you are
one of them. For if you give them it, they will be sure of you and have
confidence in you, and they will not keep any of their information
from you. So go (looking) for them and continue until you find where
Muslim b. 'Aqll is staying and you have met him."
He did that. He came (to a place where) he sat near Muslim b.
Awsaja al-Asad; in the great mosque. The latter was praying, and he
(Maeqil) heard some people saying that this (was one of those who)
had pledged allegiance to al-Husayn. He went up and sat right next to
him until he had finished praying.
"O servant of God," he said, "I am a Syrian whom God has blessed
with love for the House and love for those who love them."
He pretended to weep (in front of) him. Then he continued: "I have
three thousand dirhams with which I want to meet a man from them
(the House) whom I have learnt has come to Kufa to receive pledges
of allegiance on behalf of the son of the daughter of the Apostle of
God, may God bless him and his family. I have been wanting to meet
him but I have not found anyone who will direct me to him and I
don't know the place (where he is staying). While I was sitting (here), I
heard a group of the faithful saying that this is a man (i.e. Muslim b.
Awsaja) who is acquainted with this House. Therefore I have come
to you so that you may take this money from me and introduce me to
your leader (sahib); for I am one of your brethren and someone you
can trust. If you wish, you may receive my pledge of allegiance to him
before my meeting him."
"I thank God for you meeting me," replied (Muslim) b. 'Awsaja,
"and it gives me great joy to get (you) what you desire, and that God
should help the House of His Prophet, peace be on them, through
you. Yet the people's knowledge of my (connection) with this affair
before it is finished troubles me, because of (my) fear of this tyrant
and his severity."
"It would be better (if) you took the pledge of allegiance from me
(now)," Maqil told him. So he took his pledge of allegiance and
testaments heavily supported by oaths that he would be sincere and
keep the matter concealed. He (Maqil) gave him whatever would
make him content in that way.
"(Some to visit me at my house for (a few) days," said (Muslim b.
'Awsaja), "for I will seek permission for you (to visit) your master."
He began to go to visit him frequently with the people (i.e. the other
members of the Shia) and sought permission for him (to visit).
Permission was given and Muslim b. Aqil received (Maqils) pledge
of allegiance. He told Abu Thumama al Saidi to take the money
from him. The latter was the one who collected money from them and
what could be used to help each other, and he used to buy their arms.
He was a perceptive man and one of the knights (faris) of the Arabs
and one of the notables of the Shi'a.
That man (i.e. Ma'qil) began to visit them regularly. He was the
first to enter and the last to leave, in order to become acquainted with
(everything of ) their affairs which Ibn Ziyad wanted. He used to keep
him informed about that at regular intervals.
Hani' b. Urwa began to fear for himself and he stopped attending
Ibn Ziyad's assembly (majlis). He pretended to be sick. Ibn Ziyad
asked those who did attend, "Why is it I don't see Hani'?"
"He is sick." they replied.
"If I had been informed of his illness, I would have paid him a sick
visit," said Ibn Ziyad. Then he summoned Muhammad b. al-Ashath,
Asma' b. Kharija and 'Amr b. al-Hajjaj al Zubaydi. Ruwayha,
daughter of 'Amr was married to Hani' b. Urwa, she was the mother
of Yahya b. Hani'.
"What prevents Hani' from coming to visit us?" he asked them.
"We don't know," they replied, "but it is said that he is sick."
"I have learnt," replied (Ibn Ziyad), "that he is better and that he
sits at the door of his house. Go and tell him that he should not
abandon his duty towards us. For I do not like one of the Arab nobles
like him to ill-treat me."
They went until they stood before his (house) in the evening. He
was sitting at his door.
"What is stopping you from seeing the governor?" they asked.
"For he has mentioned you and said that if he had been told you were
ill, he would have paid you a sick-visit."
"An illness has stopped me," he answered.
"He has been informed," they said, "that you sit at the door of
your house every evening. He finds you tardy and tardiness and
churlish behaviour are things which the authorities will not tolerate.
We adjure you to ride with us."
He called for his clothes and got dressed. Then he called for a mule
and rode (with them). When he got near the palace, he began to feel
some apprehension. He said to Hassan b. Asma' b. Kharija,
"Nephew, by God,l fear this man. What do you think?"
"Uncle, by God, I do not fear anything for you. why do you invent
a reason (for blame) against yourself?" he answered, for Hassan did
not know why Ubayd Allah had sent for him. (So) Hani' went on
until he came to 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad. With him was a group (of
people).
When he looked up, 'Ubayd Allah said (to himself): "The fool's
legs have brought him to you." Then, when Hani' had drawn near Ibn
Ziyad who had the qadi Shurayh, with him, Ibn Ziyad turned
towards him and recited:
I want his friendship but he wants my death.
The one who makes excuses to you is one of your own bosom
friends from the tribe of Murad.
He was referring to his earlier kindness and gentleness to him
(Hani').
"What is that, governor?" asked Hani'.
"Yes, Hani', what are these matters which you have been plotting
in your house against the Commander of the faithful and the general
community of the Muslims?" asked Ibn Ziyad. "You have brought
Muslim b. Aqil and taken him into your house. You have gathered
arms and men for him in houses around you. You thought that was
hidden from me."
"I have not done that and Muslim is not with me," he replied.
"Oh yes (you have)," was the answer.
After the argument between them had gone on for some time and
Hani' persisted in contradicting and denying (the accusations), Ibn
Ziyad summoned that spy, Maqil. He came and stood before him.
"Do you know this man?" (Ibn Ziyad) asked him.
"Yes," he replied.
At that (moment) Hani' realised that he had been a spy against
them and had brought (Ibn Ziyad) all their information. For a
moment he was bewildered, and then his spirit returned to him.
"Listen to me," he said, "and believe what I say. I swear by God
that I do not lie. By God, I did not summon him to my house. I did not
know anything about his business until he came to me asking to stay
with me. I was too ashamed to refuse him. As a result of that, the duty
of giving (him) protection fell upon me. Therefore I gave him lodging
and refuge. Then his affair developed as you have been informed. If
you wish,I will give you strongly sworn testaments that I will not do
you any harm and danger, and I will come to you and put my hand in
your hand. If you wish, I will give you a guarantee which will be in
your hand until I return to you. Then I will go to him and order him to
leave my house for wherever in the land he wants to go. Then he will
leave his right of protection."
"You will never leave me unless you bring him," answered Ibn
Ziyad.
"No, by God, I will not bring him to you," (the other) declared.
After the argument between them had gone on for some time,
Muslim b. 'Amr al-Bahih rose (to speak). There was no other Syrian
or Basran in Kufa except him.
"May God make you prosper, governor," he interjected, "(please)
leave me with him (for a time) so that I can speak to him." He arose
and took him (Hani') aside from Ibn Ziyad. They were (standing)
where he could see them and when they raised their voices, he could
hear what they were saying.
"I adjure you before God, Hani'," said Muslim, "you are killing
yourself and bringing tribulation on your clan. By God, I hold you
too precious to be killed. This man is the cousin of (your) tribe so they
will not fight against him, nor harm him. Therefore give him (i.e.
Muslim b. Aqil) to them (the authorities). There will be no shame
and failure for you by that for you would only be handing him over to
the authorities."
"By God, indeed there would be shame and disgrace for me,"
answered Hani', "were I to hand over one who has come under my
protection and is my guest, while I am still alive and sound. I can hear;
I see well; I have a strong arm and many helpers. By God, if I was the
only one without any helper, I would not hand him over until I had
died on his behalf."
He began to shout at him saying: "By God, I will never hand him
over to him."
Ibn Ziyad heard that. "Bring him to me," he said. They brought
him. "Either bring him to me or I will have your head cut off,"
demanded Ibn Ziyad.
"Then there will be much flashing (of swords) around your house,"
replied Hani, thinking that his clan would prevent him (from being
killed).
"Come near me,"demanded (Ibn Ziyad). He came nearer and Ibn
Ziyad struck his face with his cane and went on beating at his nose,
forehead and cheeks so that he broke his nose and the blood flowed
from it on to his face anal heard and the flesh of his forehead and
cheeks was sprinkled over his beard. Eventually the cane broke.
Hani' stretched out his hand towards the hilt of the sword of one of
the armed attendants but the man pulled it away and prevented him.
"You have been behaving like one of the, Haruri (i.e. Kharijites) all
day long!" yelled Ibn Ziyad, "so your blood is permitted to us. Take
him away!"
They took him and threw him into one of the rooms in the building.
They locked the doors on him. He had told them to put guards on him
and that (also) was done. However Hassan b. Asma' arose and said:
"Are (we) messengers of treachery now? For you told us to bring the
man to you. yet when we brought him to you, you smashed his nose
and face, and his blood flowed on his beard. Then you claimed that
you would kill him."
"You will be for it here (and now)," cried 'Ubayd Allah and he
ordered him to be struck, shaken, and pushed aside.
"We are satisfied with the governor's attitude on our behalf and
against (those of ) us (who are wrong); the governor is only punishing
(those who are wrong)," declared Muhammad b. al Ashath.
However when it was reported to Amr b. al-Hajjaj and he learnt
that Hani' had been killed, he advanced with Madhhij and
surrounded the palace. He had a great crowd with him.
"I am 'Amr b. al-Hajjaj," he called out, "and these are the knights
of Madhhij, and their leading men. We have not broken away from
obedience, nor have we separated from the community."
It had been reported to them that their colleague had been killed,
and they regarded that as a great crime. Ubayd Allah was told that
Madhhij were at the gate. He told the qadi Shurayh: "Go in to their
colleague, look at him and then go out and inform them that he is still
alive and has not been killed."
Shurayh went in and looked at him. When Hani' saw Shurayh, he
said, with blood flowing down his beard: "Oh what a God! Oh what
Muslims! Has my clan been destroyed? Where are the people of
religion? Where are the people of the town?" When he heard the
tumult at the door of the palace he said: "I think those are the voices
of Madhhij and my group of the Muslims. If ten of them got in, they
would be able to rescue me."
After Shurayh had listened to what he had to say, he went out to
them and told them: "When the governor learnt about your attitude
and your statements concerning your collegue, he ordered me to go
and see him. I went and I saw him. Then he ordered me to meet you
and inform you that he is still alive and that the report that he had
been killed was false."
"Praise be to God since he has not been killed," answered CAmr b.
al-Hajjaj and his colleagues. Then they went away.
Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad went out and went up on the pulpit. (He had
brought) with him the nobles of the people, his bodyguard (shurat)
and his entourage. He said: "O people, seek refuge in obedience to
God and your Imams. Do not cause division, for you will be
destroyed, humiliated, killed or harshly treated and deprived. Your
brother is he who speaks the truth to you. He who warns is excused."
After he had finished, he was about to go down but had not gone
from the pulpit, when the look-outs at the date-sellers' gate of the
mosque rushed in yelling: "Muslim b. Aqil has come!"
Ubayd Allah quickly went into the palace and locked the gates.
Abd Allah b. Hazim reported:
By God, I was Ibn 'Aqil's messenger at the palace to see what was
done to Hani'. When he was beaten and imprisoned I mounted my
horse and was the first to enter the house to bring information of him
to Muslim b. Aqil. There the women of Murad had gathered and
they were crying out: "O tears of grief for him! O bereavement of
him!"
I went in to see Muslim and gave him the news of him (Hani'). He
ordered me to summon his supporters. The houses around him were
full of them; there were four thousand men there. He told his
messengers to cry out: "O victorious, kill!" so I cried out: "O
victorious, kill!" Then the Kufans gathered and assembled before
him. Muslim, may God have mercy on him, appointed leaders over
the quarters, over the tribes of Kinda, Madhhij, Tamlm, Asad,
Mudar and Hamdan. The people had answered the call and gathered,
except for a few who had delayed so that the mosque and the market
place were full of people. They were full of enthusiasm until the
evening. Ubayd Allah's situation was grim. All his energy was
concentrated on holding the door, for he only had thirty members of
his bodyguard with him in the palace, twenty nobles of the people,
and his family and entourage. The nobles who had not been with him
began to come to him through the door which adjoined the building
of the Romans. Then those of the nobles who were with Ibn Ziyad
began to look down on them (the people outside). (These) were
looking at them, while they hurled stones at them and cursed them
and abused 'Ubayd Allah and his father. Ibn Ziyad summoned
Kathir b. Shihab and ordered him to go out among those of Madhhij
who obeyed him and to go round Kufa and make the people desert
Ibn Aqil; he should make them afraid of (the possibility of) war and
threaten them with the punishment of the authorities. Then he
ordered Muhammad b. al-Ashath to go out among those of Kinda
and Hadramawt who obeyed him; he should raise a standard which
would guarantee security to those people who came to him. He gave
similar instructions to al-Qa'qa al-Dhuhli, Shabath b. Rib'i al-
Tamimi, Hajjar b. Abjar al-'Ijli and Shamir b. Dhi al-Jawshan al-
Amin. He kept the rest of the nobles of the people with him, not
wishing to be without them because of the small number of people
who were with him. Kathir b. Shihab went out (and began) making
the people desert Muslim. Muhammad b. al-Ashath went out until
he reached the houses of the Bana Umara. Ibn 'Aqil sent 'Abd al-
Rahman b. Shurayh al-Shibami to Muhammad b. al-Ashath from
the mosque. When Muhammad b. al-Ashath saw the great number
of those who had come to him (Muslim), he lingered where he was
(i.e. he did not carry out Ibn Ziyad's instructions). Then he-
Muhammad b. al-Ashath- Kathir b. Shihab, al-Qaqa b. Shawr al-
Dhuhli, and Shabath b. Ribi began to make the people withdraw
from their close adherence to Muslim for they made them afraid of
the authorities so that a great number of their tribesmen and others
gathered to them and they went to Ibn Ziyad through the house of the
Romans. The tribesmen went in with them.
"May God make the governor prosperous," said Kathir b. Shihab,
"you have many of the nobles of the people with you, (as well as) your
bodyguard, family and servants. Let us go out against them."
Ubayd Allah refused but he gave Shabath b. Ribi a standard and
he sent him out. The people with Ibn Aqil remained numerous until
evening.
Their situation became strong. 'Ubayd Allah sent for the nobles
and he assembled them. They (went up to the roof to) look down on
the people. They offered additional (money) and kind treatment to
those who would obey and they terrified the disobedient with (threats
of) dispossession and (dire) punishment. They told them that the
army from Syria was coming against them. Kathir b. Shihab spoke
until the sun was about to set. He said: "O people, stay with your
families. Do not hurry into evil actions. Do not expose yourselves to
death. These are the soldiers of the Commander of the faithful Yazid,
who are approaching. The governor has given God a promise that if
you persist in fighting him and do not go away by nightfall, he will
deprive your children of their (right to a) state allotment of money
fate') and he will scatter your soldiers in Syrian campaigns. He will
make the healthy among you responsible for the sick and those
present responsible for those who are absent until none of those
rebellious people will remain who has not tasted the evil
consequences of what their hands have earned."
The (other) nobles spoke in a similar vein. After the people had
heard what they had to say, they began to disperse. Women began to
come to their sons and brothers (saying): "Go, the people will be
enough (without) you." Men were going to their sons and brothers
and saying: "Tomorrow, the Syrians will come against you. What are
you doing, causing war and evil? Come away." Thus (a man) would
be taken away or would leave. They continued to disperse so that by
the time evening came and Muslim b. Aq'il prayed the evening
prayer, he had only thirty men with him in the mosque. When he saw
that it was evening and he only had that group with him, he left the
mosque and headed for the gates of Kinda. He reached the gates with
only ten of them (left) with him. When he left the gate, there was no
one with him to guide him. He looked around but could see no one to
guide him along the road, to show him to his house and to give him
personal support if an enemy appeared before him.
He wandered amid the lanes of Kufa without knowing where he
was going until he came to the houses of the Banu Jabala of Kinda.
He went on until he came to a door (at which was) a woman called
Tawa. She had been a slave-wife (umm walad) of al-Ashath b. Qays
and he had freed her. She had, then, married Usayd al-Hadrami and
had borne him (a son called) Bilal. Bilal had gone out with the people
and his mother was standing at the door waiting for him.
Ibn 'Aqil greeted her and she returned the greeting.
"Servant of God, give me water to drink," he asked her. she gave
him a drink and he sat down. she took the vessel inside and then came
out again.
"Servant of God, haven't you had your drink?" she asked.
"Yes," was the answer
"Then go to your people," she said. But he was silent. She repeated
it but he was still silent. A third time she said: "Glory be to God,
servant of God, get up - may God give you health - (and go) to your
people. For it is not right for you to sit at my door and I will not
permit you to do it."
(At this) he got up and said: "Servant of God, I have neither house
nor clan in this town. Would you (show) me some generosity and
kindness? Perhaps I will be able to repay it later on."
"What is it, servant of God?" she asked.
"I am Muslim b. Aqil," he replied. "These people have lied to me,
incited me (to action) and then abandoned me."
"You are Muslim," she repeated.
"Yes," he answered.
"Come in," she said and he was taken into a room in her house but
not the room she used. She spread out a carpet for him and offered
him supper but he could not eat.
Soon her son returned. He saw her going frequently to and fro
between the rooms and exclaimed: "By God, the number of times
which you have gone into and come out of that room this evening,
makes me suspect that you have something important (there)."
"My little son, forget about this," she answered.
"By God, tell me," he replied.
"Get on with your own business and don't ask me about
anything," she retorted. However he persisted until she said: "My
little son, don't tell any of the people anything about what I am going
to tell you."
"Indeed," he answered and she made him take an oath. When he
swore (not to do) that, she told him. He went to bed without saying
anything.
After the people had deserted Muslim b. 'Aqil, a long time passed
for Ibn Ziyad without him hearing the voices of the supporters of Ibn
Aqil as he had heard them before. He told his followers to look down
at them and see whether they could see any of them. They looked
down and did not see anyone. Then he told them to see whether they
were in the shadows and were lying in ambush for them. They
removed the (bamboo) roof covers of the mosque and began to lower
the torches of fire in their hands, and to look. Sometimes the torches
gave light for them and sometimes they did not give (as much) light
for them as they would have wished. They let down the torches and
sticks of cane tied with rope on which was fire. They were let down
until they reached the ground. They did this in (places in which was)
the deepest darkness, (as well as) those parts which were closer and
those which were in between. They (also) did that in the darkness
around the pulpit. When they saw that there was nothing, they
informed Ibn Ziyad that the people had dispersed. Then he opened
the gateway which (went) into the mosque. He came out and went up
on the pulpit. His followers had come out with him. He told them to
sit for a little while before the night prayer. He ordered 'Amr b. Nafi
to call out that there would be no guarantees of security for any man
of the bodyguard, the arifs, the supporters and the fighters who
prayed the night prayer (anywhere) except in the mosque. Not an
hour passed before the mosque was full of people. After ordering his
caller (to call for prayer), he rose for the prayer. His guard rose
behind him but told them to guard him against anyone coming in
(to try) to assassinate him. After praying with the people, he went up
on the pulpit, When he had praised and glorified God ,he said:
Ibn 'Aqil, stupid and ignorant (man as he is) has attempted the
opposition and rebellion which you have seen. There will be no
security from God for a man in whose house we find him. Whoever
brings him, will have the reward for his blood. Fear God, you
servants of God, and keep to obedience and your pledge of allegiance.
Do not do (anything which will be) against yourselves. Husayn b.
Numayr, your mother will lose you, if any of the gates of the lanes of
Kufa is open or this man gets away, and you do not bring him to me. I
give you authority over the houses of the inhabitants of Kufa. Send
lookouts (to inspect) people on the roads. Tomorrow morning clear
out (the people from) the houses and search them thoroughly so that
you bring me this man."
Al-Husayn b. Numayr was in charge of the bodyguard and was of
the Banu Tamim. After this, Ibn Ziyad went back into the palace. He
gave Amr b. Hurayth his standard and put him in charge of the
people. In the morning he held an assembly and gave permission for
the people to come to him. Muhammad b. al-Ash'ath approached.
"Welcome to one of those whose loyalty is above suspicion," he
said to him and sat him by his side.
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