If you depart from this world after having lost all your wealth and authority...

If you depart from this world after having lost all your wealth and authority, it will be much better for you than having to meet Allah stained with Husayn's blood.”[^5] Ibn Sa’d said, “If Allah so pleases, I will do so.” He spent his night contemplating upon his affairs. He was heard saying: Should I abandon the domains of Rey Though it is my ultimate desire? Or should I return in ignominy, Shamed for killing al-Husayn?

For killing him there is nothing but the fire One from which there is no shield though I See the domains of Rey as the apple of my eye![^6] In the morning, he met Ibn Ziyad and said to him, “You have put me in charge of a mission of which people have already heard; so, let me carry it out, and send to the battlefield those who are no less competent than I am.” He then named a number of Kufa's dignitaries.

Ibn Ziyad said, “I do not receive orders from you with regard to who I dispatch If you march, do so with our troops; otherwise, hand me over the covenant which I had written you.” When he saw how persistent Ibn Ziyad was, Ibn Sa’d agreed to march[^7]. He, therefore, went to face al-Husayn (‘a) with four thousand men, and al-Hurr and everyone with him joined his forces.

‘Umar Ibn Sa’d ordered ‘Izra Ibn Qays al-Ahmasi to meet al-Husayn (‘a) and to ask him about what had brought him here, but ‘Izra requested to be relieved of having to do so, saying that he was one of those who had written al-Husayn (‘a). He asked the other prominent chiefs with him, but they, too, asked to be excused for the same reason... Kathir Ibn ‘Ubaydullah al-Sha’bi stood up, and he was quite a daring man.

He leaned on his cane and said, “I can meet him, and if you wish, I shall kill him, too.” Ibn Sa’d said, “No, do not kill him but ask him about what had brought him there.” Kathir came to meet the Imam (‘a); he was recognized by Abu Thumama al-Sa’idi who stood up in his face and shouted at him to put his sword on the ground before entering the Imam's tent. He refused, so he was turned away. ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d called upon Qurrah Ibn Qays al-Hanzali to ask al-Husayn (‘a) the same question.

Qurrah delivered the message that he had brought from Ibn Sa’d to the Imam who responded by saying, “The people of your land wrote me asking me to go to them; so, if you now hate my presence, I shall go somewhere else.” The messenger went back and conveyed these words to Ibn Sa’d who, in turn, wrote Ibn Ziyad informing him of what al-Husayn (‘a) had said.