I would not desire to remain alive after him.

I would not desire to remain alive after him.” When Imam al-Husayn (as) heard this, he said, “May Allah have mercy on you. You are free from any obligation to me. Go and strive hard to free your child.

You are not obliged to me at all.” He answered, “May the wild beasts tear me to pieces alive if I should leave you.” Imam al-Husayn (as) gave him some clothes and said, “Give these clothes to your son so that he may exert himself to free his brother.” The value of those clothes was one thousand dinar s. ^2 Imam al-Husayn (as) came out of the tents in the heart of the night to examine the pits and holes which were in the desert. Nafi‘ ibn Bilal followed the Holy Imam (as).

Imam al-Husayn (as) asked him, “Where are you going?” Nafi‘ ibn Bilal answered, “O son of Allah’s Prophet! Your movement towards this rebellious army has aroused my fears.” The Holy Imam (as) said, “I came out of my tent in order to examine the highs and lows of this desert so as to be able to distinguish the enemy’s military strategic position.” Imam al-Husayn (as) took Nafi‘ ibn Bilal’s hand into his hands and said, “Verily, it is exactly as I have already predicted. I swear upon Allah!

The promise cannot be abrogated.” After this he said, “Are you not going to take advantage of the darkness and pass through these two hills in the heart of the night in order to save yourself?” Nafi‘ ibn Bilal fell at Imam al-Husayn’s (as) feet and started kissing them. He said, “May my mother mourn for me! My sword is worth a thousand dinar s and my horse is worth a hundred dinar s. I swear upon Allah who holds me indebted for the favor of your presence!

I will never leave you.” ^3 The reality of permission and consent The question which is put forward at this juncture is this: Does this permission mean that Imam al-Husayn (as) gave his companions clearance from duty and acquittal from the obligation of fighting? Does it imply that they were free from any obligation if they left him alone in those dangerous circumstances? Does it denote that no sin and requital would be recorded for them if they left their Imam unaided?

Or is there a deep secret lying beneath this permission? We believe that Imam al-Husayn (as) had a number of aims in mind when he gave his permission: When Imam al-Husayn (as) made his sermon of giving permission, he wanted to allow the ones who still harboured doubts about his uprising to leave and not get involved in a war they did not fully believe in.