Tragedy of Karbala as reported by
the Sunnis (Part II)
The events that transpired with Muslim b. Aqil
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 Go