On hearing the voice of Hilal bin Nafi’...

On hearing the voice of Hilal bin Nafi’, who was his cousin, al-Hajjaj permitted him to go to the river to drink. Hilal said, “ When the Holy Prophet’s grandson and small children and ladies in his camp are not allowed to drink water, it is a shame that you allow me to drink it .” He then asked his companions to charge forward and collect as much water as possible in the leather bags.

However, al-Hajjaj and his soldiers unsuccessfully fought with Abbas (a.s.) and his companions who succeeded in bringing a few leather bags of water, which was not sufficient even to quench the thirst of the children.[^4] The thirsty children rushed to take water, and in the melee, the vessel was upturned and water flowed out on the ground. The elder members of Imam Husayn’s entourage did not get any water to drink since the seventh of Muharram.

Ibnul Atheer, a well-known Sunni historian, writes in al-Kamil, “ A vile soldier, called Abdullah bin Hussayn al-Azdi standing at the banks of the Euphrates, taunted al-Husayn by saying:‘Don’t you see the crystal water, as pure and transparent as the sky above? By God, you will not be allowed to taste a drop until your death.’ On hearing this, al-Husayn lifted his hands toward the sky and prayed that the wretch might taste the severity of thirst before his death.

Thereupon, the said Abdullah was seized by a burning thirst that to quench it he went on gulping water from the river, vomiting it and gulping again and again, until at last his stomach became bloated and he fell and died in the river within a short time .”[^5] Though several such incidents should have been seen as a warning, the wicked forces of Yazid remained unmoved.

Umar bin Sa’d was greatly enraged to learn that the brave companions of Imam Husayn (a.s.) could face such a large platoon and succeed in getting water, however meager, to Imam Husayn’s camp. He ordered that the riverbank should be barricaded more vigilantly and not a drop should reach Imam Husayn’s camp. Umar also tightened the circle around Imam Husayn’s tents and planned to attack them with his enormous army.

On knowing this, Imam Husayn (a.s.) came out of his tent accompanied by twenty of his companions and asked Umar ibn Sa’d to come out for a discussion. Umar came with twenty of his companions. The Imam (a.s.) asked his companions to stay back. Umar also left his companions and met the Imam (a.s.) alone.