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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Maqtal al-Husayn Ibn Ziyad Meets Al-Husayn Al-Hurr sent a message to Ibn Ziyad telling him that al-Husayn (‘a) was camping at Karbala’, whereupon Ibn Ziyad wrote al-Husayn (‘a) saying, “O Husayn! It has come to my knowledge that you have camped at Karbala’.

The commander of the faithful, Yazid, had already written me ordering me not to sleep on any soft bed nor drink enough wine till I send you to the Munificent One, the all-Knowing, unless you submit to my authority and to that of Yazid, Wassalam .” Having read this letter, al-Husayn (‘a) threw it away saying, “ Those who buy the pleasure of the creatures with the price of the Creator's Wrath shall never succeed ”.

The messenger asked him to respond to the letter, but the Imam (‘a) said to him, “ I have no answer for him because he has already been condemned with the torment. ” She saw him riding one of two, As the war gnawed its teeth: Either he surrenders or Death is to be faced By a soul whose surrender honours refused; So he said to her: Seek refuge with destiny, For honour is a dignified man's decoration. If you find no attire other than humiliation, Then through death will the body be dismantled.

He saw firmness till death as the mark of honourable men, A cause of pride, an ornament; He got ready for the battle Wherein knights were subdued by death, To the depth of the heavens did he ignite it, Red in blaze, burning in heat. He stood though the ground beneath him did shake Under the warriors' feet like an earthquake...[^1] The same messenger informed Ibn Ziyad of what Abu ‘Abdullah (‘a) had said. His rage intensified[^2] and he ordered ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d to march out to Karbala’.

The latter had been camping at Hammam A’yan with four thousand men who were being dispatched to Dustaba where the people of Daylam had declared mutiny[^3]. Ibn Ziyad had written him a promise to place him in charge of governing Rey, Dustaba's fortified border, as well as Daylam[^4]. Ibn Sa’d asked him to relieve him of such a task, so Ibn Ziyad required him to return his written promise to him, giving him one night's respite to reconsider.

‘Umar Ibn Sa’d gathered his advisers who advised him not to march to fight al-Husayn (‘a). His sister's son, Hamzah Ibn al-Mughirah Ibn Shu’bah, said to him, “I plead to you in the Name of Allah not to march to fight al-Husayn and thus cut off your offspring and commit a sin against your Lord! By Allah!