After the governor of Medina informed this demand to him...

After the governor of Medina informed this demand to him, Imam Husain asked for a delay to think about the matter, and moved with his family toward Mecca overnight. He sought refuge in the sanctuary of God in Mecca which is official place of refuge in Islam. This happened at the beginning of Shaban 60 AH. Imam Husain stayed in Mecca for nearly four month.

This news spread throughout the Islamic world, and many people who were tired of inequalities during Muawiyah reign and were even more disturbed when Yazid took over, corresponded with Imam Husain and expressed their sympathy for him. On the other hand, a flood of letters began to flow, specially from Iraq and particularly from the city of Kufah, inviting the Imam to go there and to build up a government. Naturally such situation was dangerous for Yazid.

The stay of Imam Husain in Mecca continued until the season of pilgrimage when Muslims from all over the Islamic world came to Mecca to perform Hajj. The Imam realized that some of the followers of Yazid had entered Mecca as pilgrims with the mission of killing Imam during the ceremonies of Hajj with the arms they carried under the special pilgrimage dress. In order to safeguard the great sanctuary of Mecca, Imam Husain decided to leave for Iraq before completing the ceremony of Hajj.

When he was asked the reason for the mysterious departure, Imam Husain said that he would perform this year's pilgrimage in the desert of Karbala, offering the sacrifice of not any animals, but himself and his family and friends. Giving a short speech in the vast crowd of people, he announced that he was setting for Iraq, and said he would be martyred. He asked people to join him in attaining the goal of offering their lives in the path of God.

Imam Husain was determined not to give his allegiance to Yazid and fully knew that he would be killed. But it was not the time to save the life. That moment was the right time to water the faded lawn of Islam by his blood. Some of outstanding people of Mecca stood in the way of Imam Husain and warned him the danger of the move he was making. But he answered that he refused to pay allegiance and to give his approval to a government of injustice and tyranny.

He added that wherever he would go, he would be killed, so he would leave Mecca in order to preserve the respect for the House of God, and not to allow this respect be destroyed by letting his blood spilled there.