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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Maqtal al-Husayn Al-Shimr’s Oppressiveness Having read Ibn Sa’d's letter, Ibn Ziyad said, “This is a letter of someone who advises his people and who is compassionate towards them.” He was about to respond to it when al-Shimr[^1] stood up as he said, “Do you really accept such an offer from him after his having settled in your land? By Allah!

If he ever departs from your land without making an agreement with you, he will get even stronger, while you will get weaker.” Ibn Ziyad found his statement to be the wisest, so he wrote Ibn Sa’d saying, “I did not dispatch you to al-Husayn so that you would spare him, nor to negotiate with him, nor to give him any glimpse of hope of security, nor did I dispatch you so that you would intercede on his behalf with me.

See if Husayn and his company surrender to my authority; if so, send them to me safely; if not, attack them and kill them and mutilate their bodies, for they surely deserve it. If al-Husayn is killed, let the horses trample over his chest and back. I do not think that this will hurt him after his death, but this is in fulfillment of a promise that I had made to do just that.

If you carry out our order, we shall reward you as someone who listens to us and who obeys, but if you refuse, then remove yourself from our business and our troops, and let Shimr Ibn Thul-Jawshan take charge of the army, for we have granted him authority to do so.”[^2] When Shimr brought this letter, Ibn Sa’d said to him, “Woe unto you! May Allah never make your home near, and may He reveal the ugliness of what you have done!

I believe you are the one who discouraged him from doing it and thus foiled our hopeful attempt to bring about reconciliation. By Allah! Husayn shall never surrender, for there is an honourable soul within him.” Al-Shimr said to him, “Tell me what you are going to do: Are you going to carry out your prince's order or not?

If not, let me take charge of the army.” ‘Umar Ibn Sa’d answered him by saying, “I shall do it, and no thanks to you; but you should be in charge of the infantry.”[^3] [^1]: Ibn Kathir, on p. 188, Vol. 8, says, “Al-Husayn (‘a) used to narrate to his companions at Karbala’ what his grandfather (S) used to tell him, which was: ‘It is as if I see a spotted dog licking the blood of my (‘a).' When he saw that al-Shimr was leprous, he immediately said, ‘He is the one who shall kill me!'” On p.