The entourage of Umar Jaru with Ubaydallah Ziyad has about a...

The entourage of Umar Jaru with Ubaydallah Ziyad has about a hundred camels carrying people, luggage and water; many of the camels were water carriers stocking for the long journey ahead; and so Ubaydallah Ziyad sets out for Damascus. Sulayman Surad Khuzai and the Tawwabun (numbering about four and a half thousand), who are now just outside Kufa, hear of Ubaydallah Ziyad entourage going to Damascus; the Tawwabun therefore position themselves at the crossroad from Basra to Damascus.

Umar Jaru's group were experienced and professional guides, and an advance party was always sent to watch out for any ambush etc; they report that a huge force of people are blocking their way to Damascus, and are carrying a banner "Ya ala siratil Husein" (those who are in the path of Husein). They report back to Umar Jaru, who in turn questions Ubaydallah Ziyad: why is there such a force blocking our way?

Ubaydallah Ziyad now has to confess of Yazeed's death, and that his visit to Damascus is to influence the question of succession to Yazeed, and that the force ahead is of the Tawwabun who are after him; Ubaydallah Ziyad now promises Umar Jaru an even bigger fee if he (Ubaydallah Ziyad) could reach Damascus alive.

Umar Jaru comes up with a plan, which Ubaydallah Ziyad first refuses, but later has to accept in order to save himself; the plan is to tie Ubaydallah Ziyad completely under the belly of a camel, and then cover him with the hanging water carriers all around the camel; this way, with so many camels having water carriers around them, Ubaydallah Ziyad's chance of being spotted would be very small.

Sulayman Surad Khuzai and the Tawwabun arrive; Sulayman tells Umar Jaru that they are not interested in robbing him of his belongings etc, as they are just after Ubaydallah Ziyad, whom Umar Jaru was escorting to Damascus; Umar Jaru naturally denies, saying he is just transporting luggage and Ubaydallah Ziyad is not with them; Umar Jaru gives permission for a search for Ubaydallah Ziyad.

The Tawwabun search but do not for one moment think of looking low under a camel's belly, although they did spread the water carriers of some of the camels; Sulayman Surad Khuzai and his men therefore go back towards Kufa thinking Ubaydallah Ziyad played a trick of decoy and managed to escape them. After some distance, Ubaydallah Ziyad is untied and he finally reaches Damascus unchallenged Previous…