Without a doubt in connection with the son of your brother...

Without a doubt in connection with the son of your brother, al-Mughayrah is not worthier than you. Therefore, on receiving my letter, invite the people of your city to the same thing that al-Mughayrah has invited the people of Kufah, and receive allegiance from them for Yazid." Ziyad received the letter and, on learning of its content, summoned one of his friends whose wit and intelligence he trusted and said to him: "I want to entrust you with a secret; for, one cannot be sure that letters and written things can keep it.

Go to Mu'awiyah and say to him: O commander of the faithful! I have received your letter. What will the people say when I invite them for allegiance to Yazid, while he is a dog fancier and a monkey-fancier? He wears a garment of a different color every day, and is always drunk with wine. He does not abstain from music. Opposite him there are such men as al-Husayn ibn 'Ali 'Abd Allah ibn al-'Abbas, 'Abd Allah ibn az-Zubayr and 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar.

There is only one alternative left, namely that you order him for a year or two to conduct himself in the manner of his rivals and adopt their behaviour. It is then that we might succeed in deceiving people." The messenger went to Mu'awiyah and delivered his message. Mu'awiyah said: "Woe upon the son of 'Ubayd! By God!

I have heard that a minstrel has composed this line for him: 'After me Ziyad will be Emir!' By God I will send him back in his Lineage to mother Sumayyah and his slave father, 'Ubayd!"(223) at-Tabari and Jbn al-Athir narrates this story at a greater length but with a slight difference. They say: Ziyad's envoy said to Ziyad: "My opinion is that you do not charge Mu'awiyah's view with error in such a way, and do not rouse his anger against his son.

I will go to Yazid and inform him that the caliph has consulted Ziyad about the question of allegiance to him, and Ziyad fears people's opposition, since they have observed unseemly deeds from Yazid. Ziyad's opinion is that Yazid should abandon his improper conduct in order to make allegiance and caliphate possible for himself." Ziyad agreed to his envoy's suggestion. The envoy Left Basra and reached ash-Sham, and on meeting Yazid, informed him of Ziyad's view.

Yazid, on his part, accepted that suggestion and thenceforth temporarily gave up some of his unworthy deeds. Then the envoy delivered Ziyad's letter to Mu'awiyah.