Abi Talib) stood in front of him and shouted...

Abi Talib) stood in front of him and shouted: O enemy of God, you are the liar and your father and (the man) who appointed you and his father. O Ibn Murjana, you kill the sons of Prophets and take the place of men of truth on the pulpit. "Get him for me," ordered Ibn Ziyad. The soldiers seized him but he gave the battle cry of al-Azd. Seven hundred of them (quickly) gathered and took him away from the soldiers. At night Ibn Ziyad sent someone to get him out of his house.

He was executed and crucified in al-Sabkha, may God have mercy on him. The (next) morning Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad sent the head of al- Husayn, peace be on him, (to Yazid) after it had been taken through all the streets and tribes of Kufa. [It is reported from Zayd b. Arqam:] It was brought past; it was stuck on a spear and I was in a room in my (house). As it was opposite me I heard it recite: "Or do you think that the of the Cave and the inscription were among Our wonderful signs.

[ XVIII, 9 ]." My flesh shuddered and I called out, O son of the Apostle of God, your head is miraculous, miraculous. [ This account is not in Tabari ] When they had finished taking it around Kufa and had brought it back to the palace door, Ibn Ziyad gave it to Zahar b. Qays and he (also) gave him the heads of his companions. He despatched him to Yazid b. Muawiya and he sent with him Abu Burda b. 'Awf al-Azdi, and Tariq b.

Abi Zubyan al-Azdi together with a group of Kufans, to take them to Yazid b. Mu'awiya in Damascus. [ Abd Allah b. Rabiaa al-Himyari reported: ] I was with Yazid b. MuCawiya in Damascus when Zahar b. Qays brought the head to him. "Woe upon you! What is behind you? What have you got?" demanded Yazid. O Commander of the faithful, he replied, I bring good news of God's victory and support. Al-Husayn b. Ali, peace be on them, came against us with eighteen men of his House and sixty of his Shi'a.

We went out to meet them and we asked them to surrender and submit to the authority of the governor, 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad, or to fight . They chose to fight rather than to surrender. We attacked them as the sun rose and surrounded them on every side. Eventually (our) swords took their toll of the heads of the people and they began to flee without having any refuge (to go to). They (tried to) take refuge from us on the (open) hills and in the hollows, like the doves seek refuge from a hawk.

By God, Commander of the faithful, it was nothing but the slaughtering of animals for slaughter.