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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Event of Taff, The Earliest Historical Account of the Tragedy of Karbala’ The Events From The 3rd To The 8th Of Muharram The Coming Out of Ibn Sa‘d Against al-Husayn (as) The reason why Ibn Sa‘d came against al-Husayn (as) was that ‘Ubaidullah bin Ziyad had dispatched him with four thousand men from Kufah to Dastbay.[^1] This was at a time when the people of Dailam had attacked Dastbay and seized control of it.

So Ibn Ziyad wrote [a letter of] appointment to him, appointing him over Rayy, and ordered him to set out [to that place]. Ibn Sa‘d left Kufah and assembled his army [outside the city] at [a point called] Hammam A’yan.[^2] [But] when the issue of al-Husayn (as) came up and he set out for Kufah, Ibn Ziyad summoned ‘Umar bin Sa‘d and said: “Go to al-Husayn.

You can continue with your mission after we have settled the matter between us and him.” ‘Umar bin Sa‘d said: “If you deem it right to exempt me from this task, then do so. May Allah have mercy on you.” ‘Ubaidullah said to him: “Yes! With the condition that you return to us the [letter of your] appointment.” When he told him that, ‘Umar bin Sa‘d said: “Give me a day so that I may consider [the matter].” ‘Umar bin Sa‘d left [the court] and began taking counsel from his advisers.

There was none he took advice from except that he stopped him [from accepting the mission]. Hamzah bin Mughirah bin Shu’bah[^3], [Ibn Sa‘d’s] nephew from his sister’s side, came to him and said: “I implore you by Allah -O my uncle- not to advance against al-Husayn lest you disobey your Lord and sever relations with your near ones! By Allah!

If you were to leave the [riches of the] world and the kingdom of the earth -if you had ever possessed them, [then] that would be better for you than meeting Allah with the blood of al-Husayn [on your hands]!” ‘Umar bin Sa‘d said to him: “I will do so, if Allah wills.”[^4] [ According to what has been recorded in al-Tabari, there is some discontinuity here in the report of Abu Mikhnaf as he leaves off here and picks up again at Ibn Sa‘d’s arrival in Karbala’.