‘Uthman ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Sufiyan...

‘Uthman ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Sufiyan, the governor of Medina, had sent a group of men consisting of Immigrants and Helpers to meet with the caliph in Damascus, so they could present their grievances to Yazid and so Yazid could bestow gifts upon them to silence them.[^5] During this meeting, not only did Yazid fail to win them over to his side, but his ignorant behavior proved his incompetence to them.[^6] When they returned to Medina, they explained what they had seen from Yazid.

They gathered in the Holy Prophet’s (S) Mosque and started shouting to the people, “We have come from meeting a person who is depraved of religion, drinks wine, plays the tambourine and spends the night with base men, slave girls and female singers and as a result has abandoned prayer.”[^7] The people asked ‘Abd Allah ibn Hanzalah what news he had brought from the caliph.

He replied, “I am coming from meeting a man whom, I swear by Allah, I would have fought if no one were present except my sons.” The people said, “We have heard that Yazid has given you money and gifts.” ‘Abd Allah answered, “It is true, but I accepted his money and gifts only for the purpose of using it to acquire and prepare an army against Yazid himself.” In this way, ‘Abd Allah started inciting and instigating the people against Yazid and the people responded positively to his calls for an uprising.

^8 Suyuti writes, “The reason for the uprising of the people of Medina was that Yazid had exceeded all bounds and every limit in committing sins.”[^9] Karbala and the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (as) Ibn Khaldun recounts, “When Yazid’s tyranny and the oppression by his deputies became widespread, and after he killed the Prophet’s (S) son, the people of Medina started a rebellion and uprising.”[^10] When Bashir ibn Jadhlam brought the news of the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (as) and the taking of captives, it seemed in Medina as though the trumpet had been blown announcing the Day of Resurrection.

The women of Medina came out of their homes and marched towards the city gates. Men, women and children, came out of their houses barefoot and shouting, “O Muhammad! Alas Muhammad! O al-Husayn! O al-Husayn! O al-Husayn!” It was very similar to the day the Holy Prophet (S) passed away.[^11] Imam al-Sajjad (as) made a sermon and his words had a strong effect on the people of Medina.