On reaching Mukhtar's house...

On reaching Mukhtar's house, they see him busy reciting Quran, and this influences Zaida into not wanting to see Mukhtar enticed into a trap; they pass on the false message of Abdulla Muti, but Zaida also talks about the wonders of Quran and recites a verse from a Sura clearly warning Mukhtar of the danger ahead; Zaida had to pass this coded message to protect himself from getting into trouble with Abdulla Muti if his partner Husein Abdulla reported him.

Mukhtar gets the message, feigns illness and tells them to tell Abdulla Muti that he is presently not well but will visit Abdulla Muti as soon as he gets better.

The two messengers leave, and Husein Abdulla tells Zaida Qudama: I understood the coded message you passed to Mukhtar, but I will not report you to Abdulla Muti; I have heard a story from people who heard the Prophet (saww) say that Mukhtar was to avenge the killers of Imam Husein (as), and I would rather be with Mukhtar than Abdulla Muti.

Mukhtar realises that it will not be long before Abdulla Muti makes another attempt to imprison him, and therefore has to hasten his planning; due to the urgency now, he also realises that the plan will only work if he can find a partner who is as firm in his conviction of avenging the Kerbala perpetrators as himself. Previous…