In our view...

In our view, the following factors compelled the Imam to leave Mecca in haste: Safety of the Sanctuary Imam feared that the sanctified House of Allah, where all those who enter it are granted immunity from harm. This was so because Bani Umayyad did not [1] Dhahabi, Tarikh Islam 5/11, Ibne Kathir, Tarikh 8/169, Tadhib at-Tahdhib 1/56, Ibne Asakir, Tarikh 14/216, Ad Durrun Nadheem , Pg. 547 [2] Kamil az-Ziyaraat, Pg. 157, Dalailul Imamah , Pg. 177-178, H.

107 [3] Ibne Asakir, Tarikh 14/211 recognize any of its sanctity and Yazid had ordered Amr bin Saeed Ashdaq to fight the Holy Imam and if he could not do so, he must have him assassinated. And Ashdaq had arrived in Mecca with a large number of mercenaries. When the Imam was informed about this he set out from there**[1]** and he did not take refuge in the sanctified house so that he may protect its sanctities.

His Eminence (‘a) said, “Even if I am killed one hand span outside Mecca, it is more preferable to me.” His Eminence (‘a) himself said to Ibn Zubair, “If I am killed at such and such place, it is more preferable to me than that the sanctity of this place (Mecca) be defiled.” [2] The succeeding days showed that Bani Umayyads had no regard for the holiness of this Great House, because during their battle against Ibn Zubair they fired burning logs of wood and stones with the help of catapults on the Kaaba, just as before that they had defiled the sanctity of Medina… Fear of being Killed Imam (‘a) resorted to extreme precaution that it should not be that he is killed in Mecca or that he becomes an easy prey for the Umayyads, because Yazid had dispatched assailants to eliminate His Eminence.

Abdullah bin Abbas in his letter to Yazid wrote: “And whatever I may forget I will not forget that you forced Husain bin Ali from the sanctuary of the Messenger of Allah (s) towards the sanctuary of Allah and after that sent your agents to assassinate him and he had to leave the sanctuary of Allah to go to Iraq in a condition of trepidation and in a precautionary manner.

While he was and still is the most liked person in the land of valleys (Hijaz) and among the people of the two towns he is the most obeyed if he had stayed there and considered hostilities in these places lawful.