Such persons cannot be recognized to be the successors of the Holy Prophet...

Such persons cannot be recognized to be the successors of the Holy Prophet, Imams of the Muslims, defenders of the sacred religion of Islam and the protectors of the Holy Qur'an".

Hurr bin Yazid Riyahi said in reply to the remarks of the Imam: "I swear by Allah that I am not aware of the letters and the messengers." The Imam asked Uqbah bin Saman (who was made captive on the day of Ashura but was set free later) to place the letters of the Kufians before Hurr and his men." However, Hurr said again: "We have not written any letter and we shall not leave you until we take you before Ibn Ziyad". The Imam said: "This is not possible before death".

The Imam and Hurr mounted along with their respective companions and adopted a route that led neither to Madina nor to Kufa. In the meantime Hurr said to the Imam by way of sympathy and advice: "I entreat you in the name of Allah not to fight, because if you fight you will be killed". The Imam got excited and said: "Do you threaten me with death? Will you be comforted by killing me?

My reply is the same which the man from Aws tribe gave when he wanted to support the Holy Prophet, but his cousin warned him of being killed and said: "Where are you going? You will be killed".

That Awsi man replied: "I have selected my path and for a brave man, whose intentions are good, who does not lose the spirit of Islam in the path of jihad and does not care for his life in assisting the good people, keeps aloof from the ignoble persons, and does not accompany the wicked, it is not a matter of shame to die honorably. If I live I will not have to regret and in case I lay down my life in this path I shall not be reproached.

The baseness of man lies in the fact that he should live an ignominious and shameful life." Imam Husayn and Hurr accompanied by their respective companions reached a halting place called Bayza. Here also the Imam spoke to those people and made it clearer than before that at that time he was under an obligation to perform a duty. The contents of this speech of his are as follows: "Yazid is a tyrannical and oppressive caliph, who considers lawful the things declared by Allah to be unlawful.

He breaks Divine covenants, opposes the path of the Prophet and oppresses the people.