Accordingly Tabari fills up this gap by bringing in the...

Accordingly Tabari fills up this gap by bringing in the report of ‘Awanah bin al-Hakam which we have no choice but to mention it here in order to create a link between the reports .] Hisham says: “‘Awanah bin al-Hakam related to me on the authority of ‘Ammar bin ‘Abdullah bin Yasar al-Juhani from his father who said: “I went to see ‘Umar bin Sa‘d after he had been ordered to go to al-Husayn (as).

So he told me: ‘The governor has ordered me to go to al-Husayn but I refused him.’ So I said to him: “May Allah guide you and show you the right path. Do not accept. Do not do that and do not go to him!” [‘Abdullah bin Yasar] says: “I left his presence [and as I came out] a man came to me and said: ‘‘Umar bin Sa‘d is inviting people to [go to war with] al-Husayn.” [‘Abdullah] says: “I went to him [again] and saw him sitting. When he saw me, he turned his face away.

So I understood that he is determined to set out against [al-Husayn]. So I left his presence.” He says: “‘Umar bin Sa‘d then went to Ibn Ziyad and said: ‘May Allah guide you! You have entrusted me with this task and have written for me the [letter of] appointment, about which the people [also] have come to know. [He meant his appointment over Rayy].

If you are [still] of the opinion to enforce it for me, then do so, and send to al-Husayn, with this army, someone from the noblemen of Kufah, who I am not more brave and powerful than him in warfare.’ Then he proposed some names to him. Ibn Ziyad said to him: ‘Do not teach me of the noblemen of Kufah! I have not commissioned you to advise me who I should send.

If you go with our army [then that is it], otherwise give us [back] the [letter of your] appointment!’ ‘I will go’, he said, when he saw how obstinate he was.” Ibn Sa‘d’s Arrival in Karbala’ [‘Abdullah] says: “He set out with [an army of] four thousand[^5] men until he reached where al-Husayn [had camped], on the following day of his arrival in Nainawa.” He says: “Umar bin Sa‘d asked ‘Azarah bin Qais al-Ahmasi[^6] to go to al-Husayn (as).