المجالس العاشورية في المآتم الحسينية

With kindness, he emphasized the necessity of obeying him, and with misconduct, the sin of disobeying him and departing from his authority. Then he said: O people of Kufa, indeed, the Commander of the Faithful, Yazid, has appointed me over your land, placed me in charge of your country, and commanded me to distribute your wealth among you, ensure justice for those wronged, take the rights from the strong for the weak, show kindness to the obedient listener, and be strict with the suspect. Convey my message to this Hashemite man to avoid my anger. He then descended, referring to the Hashemite as Muslim bin Aqeel (peace be upon him).

Sheikh Al-Mufid, may he be blessed, said: Ibn Ziyad came to Kufa accompanied by Muslim ibn Amr al-Bahili, and Sharik ibn al-A‘war al-Harithi, along with his entourage and family, until he entered Kufa wearing a black turban and covering his face. The people had heard of Husayn (peace be upon him) approaching them, and were eagerly awaiting his arrival. When they saw Ubayd Allah, they thought he was Husayn (peace be upon him), so he didn't pass by any group of people without them greeting him, saying: "Welcome, O son of the Messenger of Allah, you have come wisely." When Muslim ibn Amr saw how happy they were about Husayn (peace be upon him), Ubayd Allah became displeased. Muslim ibn Amr then spoke when the greetings increased: "Step back, this is the prince Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad."

He traveled until he reached the palace at night, accompanied by a group of people who were convinced that he was Al-Hussein (peace be upon him). Al-Nu'man ibn Bashir closed the palace upon himself and his inner circle. Some of those with him called out to open the door for them, but Al-Nu'man, thinking it was Al-Hussein (peace be upon him), said, "I beseech you, by Allah, to leave. By Allah, I am not going to relinquish my trust to you, nor do I have any interest in fighting you." However, he remained silent. Then he approached, and Al-Nu'man leaned out from the palace balcony, speaking to them. He said, "Open up or may you never open, for the night is long." Someone behind him overheard and retreated to the group from Kufa who had followed them thinking he was Al-Hussein (peace be upon him). He said, "O people! It is Ibn Marjanah, and there is no god but Him." Al-Nu'man then opened the door for him to enter, and they shut the gate in people's faces, who then dispersed.

He called out to the people: "The congregational prayer is being held," and the people gathered, so he went out to them.

He praised Allah and extolled Him, then said: "As for what follows, the Commander of the Faithful, Yazid, has entrusted me with your land, your frontier, and your revenue. He has ordered me to ensure that the oppressed among you receive justice, that those deprived among you are given their due, and to show kindness to those who listen and obey, as a benevolent father would. My whip and my sword will be against anyone who disregards my orders or breaches my covenant. So each person should consider whether they are truly honest, and let them relinquish any fear of threats. Then he descended and sternly questioned the leaders and the people, saying: 'Write to me, you leaders, about who among you are the followers of the Commander of the Faithful and who among you are from the Harurites and the doubters whose nature is discord, hypocrisy, and division. He who comes to us with this information is free of blame. But he who does not report anyone to us must guarantee that no one in his charge opposes us or revolts against us. He who fails to do so is released from protection, and we may lawfully seize his blood and property. Any leader who is found to have within his group an enemy of the Commander of the Faithful and does not report him will be crucified at the entrance of his home, and his stipend will be revoked."

When Muslim bin Aqeel (peace be upon him) heard about Ubaydullah coming to Kufa and the words he spoke, as well as his actions with the leaders and the people, he left the house of Mukhtar and went to the house of Hani bin Urwa and entered it. The Shia began to visit him in Hani's house, discreetly and in hiding from Ubaydullah, urging each other to maintain secrecy.

Ibn Ziyad called upon a servant of his named Ma'qil and said to him: "Take three thousand dirhams and seek out Muslim ibn Aqil and his companions. If you find one of them or a group of them, give them these three thousand dirhams and tell them: 'Use this to aid you in waging war against your enemy.' Make them believe that you are one of them. Once you have given them the money, they will feel reassured and trust you, and they will not hide anything from you regarding their matters and news. Then, go to them and investigate until you know the whereabouts of Muslim ibn Aqil and enter his presence."

He did so, and went until he sat next to Muslim ibn Ausaja al-Asadi in the Grand Mosque while he was praying. He heard people saying, "This is the man who pledges allegiance to Hussain (peace be upon him)", so he came and sat down.

Beside him, until he completed his prayer, he said: "O Abdullah, I am a man from the people of Sham, whom God has blessed with the love for the family of the Prophet (peace be upon them) and the love for those who love them." He then cried and said: "I have three thousand dirhams with me that I intended to deliver to a man among them. I had heard that he arrived in Kufa to pledge allegiance to a son of the daughter of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family). I wanted to meet him but couldn't find anyone to guide me to him, nor do I know his whereabouts. As I was sitting in the mosque just now, I heard a group of believers say that this man has knowledge of the family of this house. I have come to you to give you this money, and for you to introduce me to your master, for I am one of your brothers and trustworthy with you, and if you wish, I will pledge allegiance to him even before meeting him."

Ibn Awsajah said, "Praise be to God for bringing you to me, as this has pleased me. May you achieve what you desire, and may God support you in aiding the family of His Prophet, peace be upon him and his family. It worried me that people became aware of this matter before it was completed due to fear of the tyrant and his power." Maaruf replied, "It will only lead to good. Take my oath of allegiance!" So he gave his pledge and took solemn promises from him to be sincere and to keep it secret, to which he agreed.

He then said, "Visit me at my house for a few days, as I will seek permission for you to see your master." He would go among the people to request permission for him, which was granted. Muslim ibn Aqil took his oath of allegiance and instructed Abu Thumama al-Saidi to collect the funds, as he was responsible for receiving their money and what they would use to support one another. He would purchase weapons for them, being knowledgeable and a skilled warrior among the Arab knights and prominent among the Shia.

The man would go to them frequently and was the first to enter and the last to leave, until Ibn Ziyad understood what he needed to know about them. He would report to him from time to time.

Ibn Shahr Ashub, may Allah have mercy on him, said: When Muslim entered Kufa, he stayed in a house of Salim ibn al-Musayyib, where twelve thousand men pledged allegiance to him. When Ibn Ziyad entered the city, Muslim moved from Salim's house to the house of Hani' in the middle of the night and entered under his protection, and the people continued to pledge allegiance to him until he was pledged.

Twenty-five thousand men, he decided to go out, but Hani said: "Do not hasten." Sharik ibn al-A'war al-Hamdani had come from Basra with Ubaidullah ibn Ziyad and fell ill, staying at Hani's house for a few days. Then he said to Muslim: "Ubaidullah visits me, and I will engage him in conversation. Go out to him with your sword and kill him, and our signal will be when I say: 'Give me water to drink.'" But Hani forbade him from doing so.

When Ubayd Allah entered to see Sharik and asked him about his ailment, he lingered on his question and saw that no one was leaving, fearing that something might slip away from him, so he began to say:

Regarding the Battles of the Alawites:

The cup of death hastened to be served to them (1), and Ibn Ziyad became suspicious and left. When he entered the palace, he was met by a man from the Banu Rabi'ah al-Tamimi tribe with a letter he had taken from the hand of Abdullah ibn Yaqtar. In it, there was a message for Al-Husayn bin Ali (peace be upon him), stating: After greetings, I inform you that so and so from the people of Kufa have pledged allegiance to you. If this letter reaches you, then hurry, hurry, for all the people are with you, and they have no opinion or inclination towards Yazid. Ibn Ziyad then ordered his execution (2).

Ibn Numa Al-Hilli, may he rest in peace, said: "When Ibn Ziyad left, Muslim entered with the sword in his hand. Sharik asked him: 'What prevented you from taking action?' Muslim replied: 'I intended to leave, but a woman seized me, saying, 'I implore you by Allah, do not kill Ibn Ziyad in our house,' and she cried in my face. So, I threw down the sword and sat down.' Hani said: 'Woe to her, she has killed me and herself, and what I tried to escape from, I have fallen into.'"

Abu al-Faraj mentioned in "Al-Maqatil": Hani said to Muslim, "I do not wish for him to be killed in my house." When Muslim left, Sharik said to him, "What prevented you from killing him?" He replied, "Two reasons:"

As for one of them, it was my aversion to killing him in his own home. As for the other, it was a saying reported to me by people about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that faith constrains assassination, so a believer does not assassinate. Han'i then said to him: By God, if you had killed him, you would have killed a wicked, depraved disbeliever.

Sheikh Al-Mufid, may mercy be upon him, said: Hani ibn Urwa feared Ubayd Allah for his life, so he stopped attending his gatherings and pretended to be ill. Ibn Ziyad said to his companions: Why do I not see Hani? They said: He is unwell. Then he said: If I knew of his illness, I would have visited him. Ibn Ziyad summoned Muhammad ibn Al-Ash'ath, Asma' ibn Kharijah, and Amr ibn Al-Hajjaj Al-Zubaydi, whose daughter Roohiha was married to Hani ibn Urwa, and she was the mother of Yahya, the son of Hani. Ibn Ziyad said to them: What prevents Hani ibn Urwa from coming to us? They said: We do not know, it has been said that he is unwell, and he responded: I have heard that he has recovered and he is sitting at the door of his house. Meet him and tell him not to neglect his obligations towards us, for I would not like such a notable Arab as him to create discord among us.

They went to him and found him sitting by his door one evening. They said to him, "What prevents you from meeting the prince? He has mentioned you and said, 'If I knew he was ready, I would bring him.'" He replied, "It is my grievances that hold me back." They said, "He has heard that you sit every evening by your gate and is disappointed with your delay, which might appear as discourtesy, something the Sultan cannot tolerate. We swear upon you, you must come with us." So, he called for his clothes, put them on, and then called for his mule and rode it. As he approached the palace, he seemed to sense some of what had transpired. He said to Hassan bin Asma bin Kharija, "O nephew, by God, I fear this man. What do you think?" Hassan replied, "Uncle, I swear upon God, I fear nothing for you. You have not opened a way against yourself, and I do not know for what reason Ubaidullah summoned you."

Hani came in and entered upon Ubaidullah bin Ziyad while the people were with him. Upon seeing this, he said:

Ubayd Allah: When he approached Ibn Ziyad, with the judge Shurayh present, he turned towards him and said:

When Hani ibn Urwah first arrived, he was treated with courtesy and kindness. Ibn Ziyad said to him, "Congratulations, O Hani." Hani replied, "And what is that, O Emir?" Ibn Ziyad said, "Oh Hani ibn Urwah, what are these matters that you are plotting in your house against the leader of the believers and the general Muslims? You brought Muslim ibn Aqeel into your home, gathered the crowds, and collected weapons and men in the vicinity of your house. Did you think that this would remain hidden from me?"

Hani protested, "I did not do such a thing, and Muslim is not with me." Ibn Ziyad insisted, "Yes, you did." After much back and forth, with Hani continuing to deny and reject the accusation, Ibn Ziyad summoned Muqil, the informant. Muqil came and stood before them. Ibn Ziyad asked Hani, "Do you recognize this man?" Hani replied, "Yes," and realized at that moment that Muqil had been a spy on them and had reported their actions. Hani was stunned and helpless for a while.

Then he reconsidered himself and said, "Listen to me and believe what I say, for by God, I have not lied, nor did I invite him to my home, nor did I know anything about him until he came to me asking for a place to stay. I was too shy to refuse him, and I felt a sense of duty as his host and gave him shelter. You know the situation as it has been communicated to you. If you wish, I will now give you a solemn pledge that I do not intend you any harm or treachery, and I will not come to you until I put my guest in your hands. If you prefer, I will give you a pawn as collateral that will remain with you until I come to you. I will go to him and instruct him to leave my house and go wherever he wishes, thus freeing myself from the responsibility of hosting him."

Ibn Ziyad said to him: "By Allah, you will never leave me until you bring him to me." He replied: "By Allah, I will never bring him to you. How can I bring you my guest so you can kill him?" Ibn Ziyad insisted: "By Allah, you will bring him to me." The man replied again: "By Allah, I will not bring him to you." As the conversation went on between them, Muslim ibn Amr al-Bahili, who was the only one in Kufa neither from Sham nor Basra, stood up and said: "May Allah grant the prince righteousness, let me speak to him." So he got up and conversed with him privately.

In the vicinity of Ibn Ziyad, and they were close enough to each other that they could see each other, and if they raised their voices, they could hear what was being said.

Then Muslim said to Hani: "I implore you by Allah, do not cause your own death, and do not bring calamity upon your clan. By Allah, I do not wish for your death. This is the son of your people's cousin, and they are neither his killers nor his harmers. Hand him over to them, for in doing so, there is no disgrace or diminution for you; you are merely delivering him to the authorities."

Hani said, "By God, I would indeed feel shame and disgrace to surrender my neighbor and guest while I am alive, healthy, able to listen and see, strong of arm, and with many allies. By God, even if I had only one supporter, I would not hand him over until I died defending him." Then we took to urging him, but he said, "By God, I will never hand him over to him."

When Ibn Ziyad, may Allah curse him, heard that, he said, "Bring them closer to me." So they were brought closer to him, and he said, "By Allah, you must bring him to me, or I will strike your neck." Hani then replied, "By Allah, if you do, there will be flashes of swords around your house." Ibn Ziyad said, "Woe to you! Do you scare me with your tribe?" assuming that his tribe would protect him. Then he said, "Bring him closer to me," and he brought him near. He struck his face with a staff, continuously hitting his nose, forehead, and cheeks until he broke his nose, and blood flowed over his face and beard. The flesh from his forehead and cheeks was thrown onto his beard until the staff broke. Hani placed his hand on the hilt of the guardsman's sword, grappling with the man and restraining him.

Ubaidullah said, "Is he a Kharijite to be killed today? His blood is now permissible; drag him." So they dragged him and threw him into one of the rooms of the house and locked the door on him. He ordered, "Set guards upon him," which was done. Then Hassan ibn Asmaa approached and said, "Is the messenger in disgrace today? You ordered us to bring you the man, and when we brought him, you broke his nose and face, causing his blood to flow on his beard, and now you claim you will kill him?"

Ubayd Allah said to him: "Are you here?" So he ordered him to be lifted and brought with hesitation, and he was seated to the side, and then he said:

Muhammad bin Al-Ash'ath said: "We are satisfied with what the prince has decided, whether it is in our favor or against us; the prince is, after all, our mentor."

When Amr bin Al-Hajjaj learned that Hani had been killed, he advanced with the tribe of Madhhij until they surrounded the palace, accompanied by a large group. He declared, “I am Amr bin Al-Hajjaj, and these are the knights and leaders of Madhhij. We have not abandoned our allegiance nor left the community, but it has reached them that their leader has been killed, which they considered a grave matter.”

It was reported to Ubayd Allah bin Ziyad: “These are the knights of Madhhij at the gate!”

Judge Shurayh was told: "Go in to see their master and then come out to inform them that he is alive and has not been killed." So Shurayh entered to look at him, and when Hanai saw Shurayh, he exclaimed, "O Allah, O Muslims, has my tribe been destroyed? Where are the people of religion? Where are the people of the land?" Blood was flowing on his beard as he heard the clamor at the palace gate. He said, "I believe those are the voices of Madhhij and my supporters among the Muslims. If ten men can enter to me, they will save me."

When Shuraih heard what was said, he went out to them and told them: "When the leader was informed of your words and what you said about your companion, he instructed me to enter him, so I went to him and looked at him. He ordered me to meet you and inform you that he is alive and that the news you received about his killing is false." Amr ibn Al-Hajjaj and his companions said: "If he has not been killed, then praise be to God." Then they departed.

Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad ascended the pulpit, accompanied by the notable figures, his officers, and attendants. He said: "As for what follows, O people, hold fast to obedience to God and your leaders, and do not divide, lest you perish, be humiliated, killed, become estranged, and be deprived. Indeed, your brother is the one who tells you the truth, and forewarning is a form of acquittal. And peace be upon you."

Then they hurried down the pulpit and entered the mosque's gallery through the practice gate, shouting that Ibn Aqil had arrived. Ubaidullah entered the palace hastily and closed its doors. Abdullah ibn Hazim said, "By God, I am the messenger of Ibn Aqil to the palace to see what they did to Hani," and after when Hani was struck and imprisoned, I mounted my horse and was the first to enter the house.

When the news reached Muslim ibn Aqil, and when the women of the Murad tribe gathered, they cried out: "Oh, what a tragedy, oh, what a loss!" Then I went to Muslim and informed him of the news, and he ordered me to call out to his companions, who had filled the houses around him, numbering four thousand men. He then said: "Announce: O Mansur, bring death." So I called out, and the people of Kufa responded and gathered around him.

Muslim, may God have mercy on him, advanced towards the leaders of the factions: Kinda, Madh'haj, Tamim, Asad, Mudhar, and Hamdan. People began to gather, and before long, the mosque and the marketplace were filled with people. They continued their gathering until evening, causing a disturbance for Ubayd Allah. His primary role was to guard the palace gate, accompanied by only thirty guards and twenty men from the nobility, his household, and close associates. Dignitaries who were distant from them started converging on the gate near the house of the two Romans. Those with Ibn Ziyad in the palace observed them from above, watching as they were pelted with stones and cursed by the crowd.

And for the sage Al-Shafeini, may mercy be upon him, as he says:

In one of the visits to the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), it is said: "Have the hardships affected anyone but you, my masters? And have the calamities afflicted anyone but you? And have the tragedies been specific to anyone but you? And have the tribulations befallen anyone but you? May the blessings of Allah be upon you, upon your souls, and your bodies, and may the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you. May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O family of Mustafa. We have nothing but to circumambulate around your resting places and offer our condolences to your souls for these great misfortunes that have struck your surroundings, and the significant calamities that have descended upon your abode. They have engraved wounds in the hearts of your followers and left scars in their livers, planting grievances in their chests. We bear witness before Allah that we have shared with your allies and supporters."

The advanced individuals, in shedding the blood of those who reneged, deviated, and rebelled, and the killers of Abu Abdullah, the master of the youth of Paradise, on the day of Karbala, with intentions and hearts, regretting missing those positions, which they witnessed and your support, and may God convey my greetings to you.

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that Ali (peace be upon him) said to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family): "O Messenger of Allah, do you truly love Aqil?" The Prophet replied: "By Allah, I love him for two reasons: a personal love for him, and a love for the sake of the love Abu Talib had for him. And verily, his offspring shall be killed out of love for your child, so the eyes of the believers shall weep for him, and the close angels shall pray over him." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) wept until his tears flowed onto his chest, and said: "To Allah, I complain of what my family will face after me."

The narrator mentioned concerning the matter of Muslim ibn Aqil (peace be upon him) in Kufa: Ibn Ziyad summoned Kathir ibn Shihab and commanded him to go out with those who obeyed him from the tribe of Madh'hij. He was to move around Kufa, discouraging the people from supporting Ibn Aqil (peace be upon him), warning them about war, and cautioning them about the ruler's punishment. He instructed Muhammad ibn Al-Ash'ath to go out with those who obeyed him from the tribes of Kinda and Hadramawt, and to raise a banner of security for those who came from the people. He gave similar instructions to Qa'qa' Al-Duhli, Shabath ibn Rib'i Al-Tamimi, Hajar ibn Abjar Al-Sulami, and Shamar ibn Dhi al-Jawshan Al-Amiri. He restrained the remaining prominent figures by having them gathered around him to reflect their weakened numbers.

Many people, led by Ibn Shihab, went out to dissuade the populace from joining Muslim. Muhammad ibn al-Ash'ath went out too and stopped near the houses of Banu Amara. Ibn Aqil sent Abdul Rahman ibn Shurayh al-Shaybani to Muhammad ibn al-Ash'ath. However, when Ibn al-Ash'ath saw the large number of people coming to him, he retreated from his position. Subsequently, Muhammad ibn al-Ash'ath, Ibn Shihab, al-Qa'qa' ibn Thawr al-Dahili, and Shibth ibn Rib'i began to turn people away from joining Muslim, warning them about the power of the authorities, to the extent that a large number gathered around them.

Many from their group and others went to Ibn Ziyad from the side of the Roman house, and people entered with them.

Kuthair bin Shihab said: "May God set the affairs of the commander right! You have within the palace many noble individuals, your guards, your household, and your allies. Let us go out to them." However, Ubayd Allah refused and assigned a standard to Shabath bin Rib'i, sending him out while the people remained with Ibn Aqil until the evening, their situation severe.

Ubayd Allah then summoned the nobles and gathered them together. They addressed the people, promising rewards and honor to those who showed allegiance, while threatening deprivation and punishment to those who defied. They also informed them that reinforcements from Syria were on their way.

He spoke much to Ibn Shihab until the sun nearly set, and then said: "O people, return to your families, do not rush towards evil, and do not expose yourselves to death. Indeed, the troops of the Commander of the Faithful, Yazid, have arrived. The emir has made a covenant with God that if you persist in waging war against him and do not withdraw by evening, he will deny your descendants any rewards and disperse your warriors in the fields of Syria. He will hold the innocent among you accountable for the guilty, and the present for the absent, until not a remnant of the people of disobedience remains without having tasted the consequences of their deeds." The nobles spoke in a similar manner.

When the people heard their words, they began to disperse. A woman would come to her son or brother and say, "Leave! The people will suffice," and a man would come to his son or brother and say, "Tomorrow the people of Sham will come to you, so what will you do with war and evil? Leave!" Then he would take him away, and he would leave. They continued to disperse until Ibn Aqil was left, and he performed the Maghrib prayer with only thirty people in the mosque.

When he realized that evening had come and he was left with only a few of those people, he set out heading towards the gates of Kinda. He had barely reached the gates when he found himself with just ten of them. Then he exited through the gate, and there was no one with him to guide him. He turned around to see that there was no one to show him the way or direct him to his home.

He could not find solace within himself when faced with an enemy, so he wandered aimlessly through the alleys of Kufa, not knowing where to go. Eventually, he reached the neighborhood of the houses of Banu Jabla from the Kindah tribe. He continued until he arrived at the door of a woman named Tawa'a, a former servant of Al-Ash'ath ibn Qays who had freed her. She was married to Usayd Al-Hadhrami, with whom she had a son named Bilal. Bilal had gone out with the people, while his mother stood waiting for him.

Ibn Aqil greeted her with peace, and she returned the greeting. He said to her, "O servant of Allah, give me some water." She gave him water, and he sat down. She went inside and then came out again, saying, "O servant of Allah, have you not drunk?" He replied, "Yes, I have." She said, "Then go to your family." He remained silent. She repeated this again, and he remained silent. On the third occasion she said, "Glory be to Allah! O servant of Allah, may Allah guide you to your family, for it is not appropriate for you to sit at my door, and I do not permit it for you."

He then stood and said, "O servant of Allah, I have no family or kin in this town. Would you offer me hospitality and good deeds, and I will reward you for it after this day?" She asked, "O servant of Allah, and what might that be?" He replied, "I am Muslim ibn Aqil. These people have deceived me and driven me out." She asked, "Are you Muslim?" He said, "Yes." She said, "Then come in."

He entered her house, which was different from the one she normally stayed in, and she laid out a bed for him and offered him dinner, but he did not eat. Soon after, her son arrived and noticed her frequent entering and leaving the house that evening, and said to her, "By God, your frequent going in and out of this house tonight makes me suspicious. You must have some concern." She replied, "My son, mind your own business." He insisted, "By God, you must tell me." She said, "Focus on your matters and don't ask me about anything." However, he persisted, so she said, "My son, do not tell anyone what I am about to reveal to you." He agreed, and she made him swear an oath, which he did, and then she told him. He lay down and remained silent.

When the people dispersed from around Muslim ibn Aqil (peace be upon him), Ibn Ziyad came out and no longer heard the sounds of Ibn Aqil's companions as he did before. He said to his men: "Look and see if you find any of them?" They looked and found no one, then he said: "Look again, perhaps they are..."

Under the shadow, they secretly slipped away into the alley, removing their rings at the mosque and began lowering firebrands in their hands to look around. Sometimes the flames would illuminate for them, and at other times they wouldn't light as they wished. So, they lowered the lanterns with long poles to which costly oils were applied, letting the flames descend until they touched the ground. They repeated this process in the farthest, nearest, and central shadows, doing the same under the canopy where the pulpit was located. When they found nothing, they informed Ibn Ziyad of the people's dispersal.

He opened the door of the pulpit in the mosque, then went out and ascended the pulpit, and his companions went out with him. He ordered them to sit down just before the night prayer and ordered Umar ibn Nafi' to announce: "Let any officer, chiefs, or soldiers who do not perform the night prayer in the mosque be absolved of their responsibility." It was only a matter of time until the mosque was full of people. Then he commanded his caller to establish the prayer and stationed the guards behind him, instructing them to guard against anyone who might enter to assassinate him, and he led the people in prayer.

Then he ascended the pulpit, praised Allah and glorified Him, then said: "To proceed, Ibn Aqeel, the foolish and ignorant, has committed acts of discord and division, as you have seen. The responsibility of Allah is absolved from anyone we find in his home, and whoever brings him forth will receive his reward. Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, adhere to obedience and your pledge, and do not give yourselves a reason for downfall."

Ya Hussain bin Numair! May your mother be bereaved of you if Abbas' rites are lost in Kufa, and this man has left, and you have not brought him to me. I have given you authority over the dwellings of the people of Kufa. Send spies to monitor the people of Kufa and their homes. Be vigilant tomorrow, and inspect the homes thoroughly to bring this man to me. Hussain bin Numair was in charge of security, and he was from the Banu Tamim. Then Ibn Ziyad entered the palace, assigned Amr bin Hurayth a banner, and appointed him over the people.

When morning came, he sat in his council and gave permission for people to enter, and they came to him. Muhammad bin al-Ash'ath approached, and he said: "Welcome to one who is neither deceptive nor accused," and then he seated him beside him. The daughter of the old woman also set out to see Abdulrahman bin Muhammad bin al-Ash'ath and informed him of Muslim bin ...

Aqeel was with his mother when Abdulrahman approached his father, who was with Ibn Ziyad, and whispered to him. Ibn Ziyad recognized the secret, so he tapped him with the stick on his side and said, "Go bring him to me immediately." He stood up and sent some men with him because he knew that all his people disliked someone like Muslim bin Aqeel being harmed among them.

So he sent with him 'Ubayd Allah ibn 'Abbas al-Salmi along with seventy men from Qais until they reached the house where Muslim ibn Aqil (peace be upon him) was. When he heard the sound of horses' hooves and the voices of men, he realized that they had arrived.

In one narration, he hurried his supplication that he was occupied with after the morning prayer, then prayed for his safety and said to Ta'wa: "You have fulfilled your duty of kindness and have taken your share of the intercession of the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). Last night, I saw my uncle, the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), in a dream, and he said to me: 'You are with me in Paradise.'"

He then went out to them with his sword drawn as they stormed into the house. He charged at them, striking them with his sword until he drove them out of the house. Ibn Shah Ashub, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Muslim attacked them while saying:

And they killed forty-one men.

Muhammad ibn Abi Talib said: When Muslim [ibn Aqil] killed many from among them, and this reached Ibn Ziyad, he sent a message to Muhammad ibn al-Ash'ath saying: "We sent you to a single man, and you were meant to bring him to us. Instead, a significant breach has occurred among your men. How would it be if we had sent you against others?" Ibn al-Ash'ath replied: "O emir, do you think that you sent me to a vegetable seller from the sellers of Kufa, or to a Germaqani from the Geramaqans?"