After leaving Kufah...

After leaving Kufah, the tawabun proceeded toward Karbala’, rushing toward the grave of Imam Husayn ( ‘a ) for ziyarah and at the beginning of their movement, they thus said: O God! We did not assist the son of the Prophet (S). Forgive our past sins and accept our repentance { tawbah }. Shower mercy { rahmah } upon the soul of Husayn ( ‘a ) and his righteous and martyred votaries. We bear witness that we believe in the things for which Husayn ( ‘a ) was killed. O God!

If You would not forgive our sins and reckon us under the scale of mercy and clemency, we will be doomed to perdition and wretchedness.[^9] After the arrival of Muslim ibn ‘Aqil in Kufah Mukhtar was collaborating with him. But because of this collaboration, he was apprehended and imprisoned by ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad. After the event of ‘Ashura’ he was freed through the mediation and petition of ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar, his brother-in-law (his sister’s husband).

He arrived in Kufah in 64 AH and after the tawwabun movement, he started his movement and by using the slogan, “ Ya litharat al-Husayn ” {O helpers of Husayn!} he was able to gather the Shi‘ah, the non-Arabs in particular, around him.

With these forces, he succeeded in punishing the murderers of Imam al-Husayn ( ‘a ) for what they had done, such that in one day he was able to kill 280 of these criminals and destroy the houses of those who escaped such as that of Muhammad ibn Ash‘ath, and on the contrary, he mended Hujr ibn ‘Addi’s house, a loyal supporter of ‘Ali ( ‘a ), which was destroyed by Mu‘awiyah.[^10] Contradictory views have been expressed about Mukhtar.

Some have regarded him as a true Shi‘ah while others have said that he was a liar. Ibn Dawud thus says about Mukhtar in his book on rijal : Mukhtar is son of Abu ‘Abid ath-Thaqafi. Some Shi‘ah ‘ulama’ have accused him of Kaysaniyyah and in this regard, they have cited Imam as-Sajjad’s ( ‘a ) refusal of his gift.

But this cannot be a reason for rejecting him because Imam al-Baqir ( ‘a ) thus said about him: “Do not speak ill of Mukhtar because he killed our murderers, did not allow our spilled blood to be disregarded, gave our daughters in marriage, and at the time of difficulty he distributed properties among us. When Abu’l-Hakam, son of Mukhtar, came to Imam al-Baqir ( ‘a ), the Imam ( ‘a ) showed him a great deal of respect.