If you do not want to go, you will not be the governor of Ray.

If you do not want to go, you will not be the governor of Ray.” But, ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d did not want to give up his chance to be governor of the rich city of Ray, so he accepted to go and fight Imam Husayn with 4,000 men. In Karbāla’ , ‘Umar asked Azra Ibn Qays to go and meet the Imam and ask him why he is in Karbāla’ . Azra refused, because he was one of those who asked the Imam to come to Kufah.

Kathir Ibn ′Abdullah al-Shu’bi said, “I am going to meet the Imam and if you want me to kill him right away, I will.” ‘Umar said, “No, just go and ask him why he is coming here.” Kathir went towards the Imam’s camp but Abu Thumamah al‑Sa′idi stopped him on his way.

Kathir said, “I have a message for the Imam.” Sa′idi said to him, “You give up your sword and you can go to see the Imam.” He refused, and when he tried continuing towards the Imam’s camp, Sa′idi would not let him pass, and Kathir decided to go back. Then ‘Umar sent Qurra Ibn Qays al‑Hanbali. When he conveyed the message to the Imam, the Imam said, “Your people have written to me; therefore, I came.

If you have changed your mind, I am going to leave.” Qurra went back to ‘Umar and ‘Umar wrote to Ibn Ziyad telling him what Imam Husayn said. Ibn Ziyad wrote a reply saying, “Tell Husayn and his followers to pay allegiance to Yazid. If he does so, we will think about what to do with him.” Then, Ibn Ziyad announced a public meeting in the main Masjid of Kufah and made a speech. He said, “O people!

You know the people of Abi Sufyan and you know how they have served you, and you know this leader of the faithful Yazid. You know how helpful he is to his people. He serves them and gives them what they need; all of the roads are safe under his leadership as they were during his father’s rule. His son, Yazid, honors people. He makes them rich! He has increased your salaries by a hundred times, and he has ordered me to increase them even more if you go to fight his enemy Husayn.

Listen to him and obey him.” He immediately distributed money among the soldiers and then went to Nukhaylah. He camped there, and ordered Ibn Namr al‑Tamimi and Hajjaj Ibn Abjar and Shimr Ibn Dhil‑Jawshan and Shibth Ibn Rab’i to go and join ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d. Shibth (one of those who wrote letters inviting the Imam) announced that he was sick. Ibn Ziyad called him and told him, “You want to play a double trick. If we succeed, you will tell us you were sick and could not help us.

To Husayn’s people you will say you helped them.