He reported the following...

He reported the following: Ibn Ziyad’s letter to Ibn Sa‘d, instructing him to prevent al-Husayn (as) and his companions from getting water; the endeavour of ‘Abbas (as) to get water on the seventh night [of Muharram] (5:412); the dispatch of Shamir to Karbala’ (5:414); the beginning of the battle (5:429); [al-Husayn’s] words to Shamir when he [intended to] attack the tents just before the martyrdom of al-Husayn (as); the noon prayers; the martyrdom of Habib bin MuZahir al-Asadi (5:439); the words of the Imam (as) at the martyrdom of his son ‘Ali (as); the coming out of [Lady] Zainab at the martyrdom of al-Husayn; the martyrdom of Qasim bin al-Husayn (as); the martyrdom of ‘Abdullah bin al-Husayn (as) in [al-Husayn’s] lap (5:446-448); the state of al-Husayn (as) after the martyrdom of his companions till his own martyrdom (5:451&452); the difference [of opinion] within the [enemy’s] camp after [al-Husayn’s] martyrdom regarding killing his son ‘Ali (as); the story of ‘Uqbah bin Sim’an and his release; the trampling of the horses on the body of al-Husayn (as); the carrying of the head of the Imam (as) to Ibn Ziyad by [Humaid] and Khauliyy bin Yazid al-Asbahi (5:455); ‘Umar bin Sa‘d’s sending of [Humaid] to his family members to inform them that he was in safety; the prisoners in the court of Ibn Ziyad and his hitting al-Husayn’s lips with a cane; the incident of Zayd bin Arqam narrating to him the tradition of the Messenger of Allah (S) and the reply of Ibn Ziyadh to him; the remarks of Zayd about Ibn Ziyad; Zainab’s entering the court of Ibn Ziyad, his words to her and her answer; Ibn Ziyad’s attempt to beat her and the comments of ‘Amru bin Huraith; the words of Ibn Ziyad to Imam Zain al-‘Abidin (as) and his reply; the attempt to kill him and his aunt’s clinging to him; and [finally] Ibn Ziyad’s sermon in the mosque and Ibn ‘Afif’s reply to him and his murder ( al-Tabari :5:456-459).

The person from whom Humaid narrated these reports was Sulaiman bin Abi Rashid. It is noticed that Abu Mikhnaf brings in incomplete reports [from Humaid] and narrates [only] those parts which are relevant to the occasion in hand. It is also evident that [Humaid’s] reports begin with the dispatch of Shamir to Karbala’ and end with reports about [what transpired in] the court of Ibn Ziyad and the murder of Ibn ‘Afif al-Azdi.