I suppose your intention is that I do so publicly [4] .

I suppose your intention is that I do so publicly [4] .” Walīd replied, “That is indeed what I have in mind.” The Imam then responded, “In that case, grant me respite until tomorrow, and I will give you my answer [5] .” The evening of the next day, the governor of Medina sent his agents to the house of Imam (PBUH) to receive the answer of Imam (PBUH) [6] . Imam (PBUH) asked for the time of night, and Walid accepted [7] .

Imam (a) decided to leave Medina [8] .] Imam Husain refused to legitimize a ruler known for his impiety and corruption, citing his responsibility to uphold the moral and spiritual legacy of the (PBUHH). This principled stance set the stage for Karbala, which happened on the 10th of Muḥarram, 61 AH (680 CE).

The event of Karbala thus became a watershed moment that exposed the moral decay of the Umayyad rule and solidified the spiritual resistance of Imam Husain (PBUH) in the collective memory of the Muslim world. The Journey from Medina to Mecca Imam Husain (PBUH) departed from Medina toward Mecca, accompanied by 84 members of his family and companions [9] .

According to some accounts, before his departure, he visited the graves of his mother (ʿa.s) and brother (ʿa.s), offered prayers there, bade them farewell, and returned home by morning [10] . Apart from Muḥammad b. al-Ḥanafiyya, the majority of the Imam’s relatives—including his children, brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces—joined him on this journey. Alongside members of Banū Hāshim, 21 of his companions also accompanied him [11] .

Upon learning of the Imam’s departure, his brother Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥanafiyya came to bid him farewell. At that time, Imam Husain (PBUH) entrusted him with a written will in which he stated: “I did not rise up to ingratitude, seeking excess, making mischief or exercising oppression; but I seek reformation of the Umma of my grandfather (the Prophet (PBUHH)). I want to enjoin the good and forbid evil and behave according to the conduct of my grandfather and my father, Ali b.

Abi Talib (‘a.s)” [12] After five days of travel, the Imam (PBUH) arrived in Mecca on the 3rd of Shaʿbān, 60 AH (May 9, 680 CE) [13] , where he was warmly welcomed by the people of Mecca and the pilgrims who had gathered for the ḥajj [14] . The Journey from Mecca to Karbala For more than four months, from Sha’ban 3 until Dhu al-Hijjah 8, Imam Husain (PBUH) stayed in Mecca.