Aban 11, 1394 APThe Wicked and Enemies of Ahlul Bayt Banu Umayya Characters

Examining Mu'awiya's Plan to Have Imam Husayn Killed by the People of Kufa

When Sayyid al-Shuhada Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib was martyred, God's wrath upon the people of the earth intensified (1). On the day Imam Husayn was martyred, the sun was eclipsed and the sky became so dark that the stars appeared, such that it was thought the Day of Resurrection had begun (2). In Jerusalem, no stone was lifted from the ground without fresh blood appearing beneath it (3). Undoubtedly, God's wrath is upon the killers of Sayyid al-Shuhada, and whoever approves of the killing of Aba Abdillah is subject to the Lord's wrath. All those who had even the smallest role in Imam Husayn's martyrdom are tormented by divine punishment.

Among the killers of Sayyid al-Shuhada, Mu'awiya was the principal planner of the killing of Aba Abdillah. Mu'awiya, whose throne was rooted in Saqifa and whose rule rested on usurping the right of the Household of God, falsely called himself the successor of the Messenger of God. All his rancor was directed at the Household of the Messenger, to the point that he unjustly shed the blood of many righteous people and friends of God. He did not refrain even from the killing of Ali ibn Abi Talib and his son, the Prophet's grandson, Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba. Finally, in the last years of his life, Mu'awiya planned the killing of Sayyid al-Shuhada, and his disobedient son Yazid carried out that sinister plan.

What preceded examined the secret and reason behind Marwan's removal from the governorship of Medina and the appointment of Walid ibn Utba in his place to execute the plan to kill Aba Abdillah al-Husayn, as well as Mu'awiya's testament to Yazid and the correspondence of Walid ibn Utba's conduct with that testament.

We now examine further evidence and arguments that make Mu'awiya's plan to kill Imam Husayn clearer. It must be recalled that Mu'awiya told Yazid in his testament: “The people of Iraq will invite him, will not remain faithful to their covenant, and will kill Husayn just as they killed his father and his brother.”

The Kufans' Invitation to Imam Husayn During Mu'awiya's Life

If Mu'awiya's testament and the letters of the people of Kufa to Imam Husayn are considered together, the secret of changing the governor of Medina becomes still clearer. There is a highly important and even strange point in the Kufans' invitation to Imam Husayn: contrary to what is commonly known, the Kufans invited Imam Husayn to come to Kufa while Mu'awiya was alive and in power.

Ibn Kathir writes: “When Mu'awiya took allegiance from the people for Yazid and Husayn did not pledge allegiance to him, the people of Kufa wrote to Husayn and invited him to rise, but Sayyid al-Shuhada paid them no attention. Then a group of Kufans came to him to invite him in person, but he did not answer them. They therefore went to Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya so that he might intercede and persuade Imam Husayn to go with them to Kufa. Sayyid al-Shuhada said to his brother: ‘إن القوم إنما یریدون أن یأکلوا بنا ویستطیلوا بنا ویستنبطوا دماء الناس ودماءنا’ (4): These people only wish to attain leadership through us and will shed our blood.”

The circumstances of those who wrote to Sayyid al-Shuhada should be examined independently so that Mu'awiya's wicked conspiracy may become more evident. Here, however, a statement by the oppressed Imam Husayn is mentioned, perhaps helping us reach the hidden realities of Ashura. Throughout the route to Karbala, he repeatedly reminded people: “Those who wrote letters to me will themselves kill me.”

He also said: “ما کتب إلی من کتب إلا مکیدة لی وتقرباً إلی ابن معاویة” (5): No one wrote to me except as a deception against me and to draw near to the son of Mu'awiya, Yazid. He was asked why he was taking his family with him. He replied: “ما أری الخروج بالأهل والولد” (6): I see no path before me except to depart with my family and children.

It would be extremely naive to suppose that the deception of those who wrote to Imam Husayn happened accidentally, that they initially had sincere intentions, and suddenly failed to keep their covenant because of fear or greed for gold and silver. Undoubtedly, they wrote to Sayyid al-Shuhada while their hearts were filled with love for Mu'awiya and Yazid. This is among the مظلومیت of Sayyid al-Shuhada: he was placed in circumstances in which he had no choice but to move toward Karbala.

The Kufans' Main Aim Was to Kill Imam Husayn

Imam Husayn repeatedly said: “They want to kill me.” Who were they? The people of Kufa. A closer examination of Kufa and of those who wrote to Sayyid al-Shuhada makes Mu'awiya's intrigue in Kufa to bring about Aba Abdillah's martyrdom still more apparent. It is clear so far that the invitees called Imam Husayn to Kufa intending to kill him; Imam Husayn knew this well, and Mu'awiya likewise emphasized it in his testament to Yazid, even advising Yazid not to interfere with Husayn.

At a time when Ali was cursed from pulpits under Mu'awiya, and when the life and property of anyone accused of loving Ali or being Shi'a were not safe, how could many people invite Imam Husayn to rise against the Umayyads? Did Mu'awiya possess knowledge of the unseen when he told Yazid that the people of Iraq would kill him?

Mu'awiya's line of cunning and conspiracy can be clearly seen. As Ibn Abbas wrote to Yazid, they compelled Imam Husayn to leave the Hijaz through a particular policy, and they had already designed the conspiracy for his martyrdom in Iraq. Mu'awiya's testament to Yazid and the Kufans' invitation to Aba Abdillah al-Husayn alone disclose unspoken truths of Ashura; if one adds Marwan's removal and Yazid's speech upon coming to power, no doubt remains about Mu'awiya's planning of Imam Husayn's killing.

Yazid Knows the Unseen!

In his first sermon in Syria, Yazid announced a war that would soon occur with the people of Iraq and in which victory would be achieved through Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad. Did Yazid know the unseen? Before Imam Husayn had even set out for Kufa, and while Kufa's governor was someone other than Ibn Ziyad, how could Yazid know of this war, its location, and its commander unless a design and conspiracy had already existed?

The secret of Marwan's replacement as governor of Medina has now become clear. Since Mu'awiya's policy was that Imam Husayn should not be killed in Medina or Mecca, Marwan had to be removed from Medina. Yet the crucial point is that the Umayyads had made a definite decision to martyr Imam Husayn, and all these policies were intended to ensure that the ruling apparatus would suffer the least damage from killing Aba Abdillah al-Husayn.

Yazid's Directive

Yazid's directive to the governor of Medina and his manner of dealing with him leave no doubt that this change—Marwan's removal and Walid's appointment—was connected with Ashura and that Walid had a special mission regarding Imam Husayn. In his first letter to Walid, governor of Medina, after Mu'awiya's death, he wrote: “Take allegiance for me from all people, especially from Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr and Husayn ibn Ali.”

Walid summoned Imam Husayn and requested allegiance for Yazid. The Imam replied: Give me time to think. Walid then said: “فانصرف علی اسم الله” (7), “Go in God's protection; go safely.” Imam Husayn left Walid safely. Al-Dhahabi adds: “لم یشدد علی الحسین” (8), “Walid did not press Husayn.” Marwan was present at that meeting despite holding no official post, and said to Walid: “I told you to kill him here; why did you not do it? By God, you will never again have power over Husayn or be able to arrest him.”

Can the secret of Marwan's removal and Walid's appointment not be understood from Walid's conduct and Marwan's words? Walid replied: “What is this that you say? Should I do something that brings worldly and otherworldly ruin? Even if I were given the whole world to kill Husayn, I would not accept. Glory be to God! Should I kill Husayn merely because he says he will not pledge allegiance? Before God, his killer's record is empty.” Walid was by no means a lover of Sayyid al-Shuhada or a pious person; his disbelief and immorality are sufficiently shown by the fact that he was Medina's governor on behalf of Mu'awiya and Yazid. In truth, his ascetic appearance served the execution of Mu'awiya's plan.

The Governor of Medina Foretells the Future

In a report transmitted by al-Baladhuri, after Walid summoned Imam Husayn and told him, “Go safely,” he turned to him and said: “لو علمت ما یکون بعدنا لأحببتنا کما أبغضتنا” (9): If you knew what you would see from others after us, you would love us as much as you now dislike us.

There was harmony between Walid ibn Utba's conduct and Mu'awiya's testament to Yazid concerning their confrontation with Imam Husayn and Ibn al-Zubayr. Thus, Mu'awiya's instructions and Walid's conduct did not arise from affection for Imam Husayn; they conformed to a plan.

The Governor of Medina's Double Standard

Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr left Medina for Mecca at night by a side route. Walid ibn Utba sent a force to arrest him. Yet when news came that Imam Husayn had departed Medina for Mecca, Walid said: “Praise be to God!”

If Walid had been ordered either to obtain allegiance from the Imam or to kill him, it makes no sense for him to say “Praise be to God” after the Imam had left Medina, because that mission had not been fulfilled and he should have been censured and called to account.

But this never occurred. No sign is found of Walid being censured or punished for the freedom and choice he gave Sayyid al-Shuhada. If there was any reproach, it concerned the escape of Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, whom he had been ordered to cut to pieces but had failed to capture. Walid ibn Utba was not censured; he was even Amir al-Hajj in the year 62. Moreover, when Mu'awiya, Yazid's son, refused rule after his father's death and was poisoned, Walid himself prayed over his body.

He was therefore not called to account because he had carried out the order. Even after the death of Mu'awiya, Yazid's son, the people of Syria asked him to become caliph, but he did not accept the proposal (10).

Accordingly, Walid ibn Utba was among the oppressive and bloodthirsty Umayyads, and his leniency toward Imam Husayn was not due to fear of God; it was solely the execution of Mu'awiya's plan. Al-Dhahabi writes: “وقد کان الولید أغلظ للحسین، فشتمه حسین وأخذ بعمامته فنزعها. فقال الولید: إن هجنا إلا أسداً”; Husayn insulted Walid and pulled his turban from his head. Walid said: We provoked him, not knowing that we were rousing a lion. Marwan then told Walid to kill him. Walid replied: “إن ذاک لدم مصون” (11): This is blood that I have been ordered to protect.

The important point in this report is Walid's manner of conduct. Reflecting on his conduct toward Imam Husayn and on Marwan's words makes clear why Mu'awiya removed Marwan and shows that these events had been designed by Mu'awiya. Unfortunately, historians opposed to Shi'ism never explicitly disclose these facts in their histories.

The next part will examine the conduct of Mecca's governor toward Sayyid al-Shuhada and Mu'awiya's conspiracy in Mecca to pursue Imam Husayn toward Karbala, so that another veil may be lifted from Mu'awiya's crimes and wickedness.