He therefore issued the emphatic decision that al-Walid...

He therefore issued the emphatic decision that al-Walid, the governor of Medina, must coerce these two persons to pledge themselves as submissive to the leadership of Yazid, but if they, or any other individual, refuse to pay homage to the new caliph, the governor must behead them.[^169] When he received these resounding instructions al-Walid panicked because it was not easy to behead such personalities.[^170] Even Mu’awiyah who enjoyed terrible diplomatic capabilities could not dare assassinate Imam al-Husain (a.s.).

How is it then possible for an ordinary governor like al-Wafid to do it? Al-Walid then sought the opinion of Marwan ibn al-Hakam, the chief of the Umayyad family, who suggested that those two personalities would be compulsorily summoned at that very moment and asked to show compliance with the new leadership of Yazid otherwise they would be beheaded.[^171] This opinion did not appeal to al-Walid, but he had to respond to Marwan.[^172] Refusal of Yazid’s Leadership It was midnight when al-Walid ordered Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Usmaan to summon Imam al-Husain (a.s.) and Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr.

The Messenger found them both in the Prophet’s Masjid and asked them to attend at the governor. They answered affirmatively. Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr turned his face to Imam al-Husain (a.s.) and wondered, “What do you think the matter for which he summoned us in such time”[^173] The Imam (a.s.) answered, “I think that their tyrant ruler i.e.

Mu’awiyah died and they summoned us to pay homage to the new one before the spread of the news.” [^174] The Imam (a.s.) then gathered his companions and directed towards the governor’s center. He first asked why he was summoned in such time. He was answered that he should pay homage to the leadership of Yazid. Asking for postponement, the Imam (a.s.) said, “I do not pay homage secretly.

When you ask all people to pay homage, you then may ask me so that people and I will share the same situation.” This means that the Imam (a.s.) intended to declare his refusal of swearing allegiance to the leadership of Yazid openly, but Marwan understood it. He therefore shouted at al-Walid, “If he leaves you at this instant without paying homage, you will never be able to oblige him to pay it at any other time unless many victims from both sides will numerously fall. Detain him now.

He must pay homage or be beheaded.” The Imam (a.s.) turned to Marwan and shouted in his face, “Son of al-Zarqa, is it you or he who will kill me?