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At the head, leading the Imam's(as) caravan was his faithful brother and general Abul Fadel Al-Abbass(as). Imam Hussain(as), faced with no other choice, henceforth decided to depart with his family and thousands of followers and supporters, out of Mecca to the city of Kufa, in Iraq on the very day the Hajj pilgrims from all over the world gathered to prepare for the pilgrimage rituals that lay ahead.
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News of the murder of his cousin Muslim Ibin Agheel(as)
When the Imam(as) arrived at a place called Zarood a messenger from Kufa met them and told them of the news of the brutal public murder of his cousin Muslim Al-Agheel in the streets of Kufa, by the Governor Ubaidullah Bin Zaid.
This sadden the holy Imam(as) greatly, and he mourned his cousin and wept conversely.
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His destiny:
Some of the travells with him were stunned with fear and debated on the wisdom of proceeding on with their journey to Kufa.
"Maybe Yazeed hasn't heard of our departure from Mecca yet, even if he had he might pardon us.
After all this is a feud between Hussain and Yazeed!"
However, the Imam(as) only replied that his own destiny was to continue and they were of course they not at all obligated to follow him. Some returned and some continued to accompany the Imam(as) on his journey to Kufa.
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Yazeed forces harasses the Imam(as):
Now nearing the city of Kufa the Imam(as) was suddenly confronted by a large heavily armed contingent of horsemen of Yazeed's army, headed by a commander who was then a very famous Arab general and a
chieftain, his name Hur. The contingent positioned itself menacingly before their path.
Never the less, the Imam Hussain(as) quickly took the initiative and rode out alone from his caravan and began addressing Yazeed's armed soldiers. Who became openingly nervous and were caught by
surprise at the Imam's sudden courageous appearance. They were even astonished that he was unarmed and stood alone before them apparently without fear.
"O people! It is pleasing to God that you hold Him in awe and recognize the rights of the
rightful. We are from the Ahlul-Bayt, the Family of The Holy Prophet. We have against the claims of these pretenders a clear right to the Caliphate. These men have no right whatsoever, are ruling over you with oppression and tyranny. Yet if you do not like us and do not
recognize our rights and your views are now different from what you had expressed in your letters that are conveyed through your messengers. Then I am delightfully prepared to go back."
General Hur was impressed and even more surprised by the Imam's(as) address, regretted his ignorance of the any letters sent to him.
"I know not of any letters sent to thee?"
The Imam(as) quickly then ordered his men to bring forward two sacks bulging with letters to the astonished Hur to see for himself. Hur only replied,
"We have orders that we should only pursue you, until you have presented yourself before Ubaidullah Bin Zaid, the Governor of Kufa.
But the Imam(as) defiantly quickly replied,
"By God. I shall not go their, with you!"
Hur then replied,
"So be it. Then I will never refrain from pursuing you. As the order that I have is not that I fight with you. However if do not agree to go to the Governor. Then you may choose a trail that leads you neither to the cities of Kufa nor to Al-Medina. God may, thus provide me with the means of escaping the ordeal of your case!"
The Imam agreed and ordered his caravan forward without defining any specified direction. But was shadow closely by Hur's army and blocked the Imam's(as) turn towards Kufa and Al-Medina.
In the evening both groups camped along side each other. The Imam(as) started to address the people of both camps gathered before him, the soldiers of Yazeed and his
faithful followers.
"O people! The Prophet has said, that he who sees a ruler exercise tyranny, infringes the divine law, violates the
covenant of God, goes against the ways of The Prophet's life and rules over the people cruelly and sinfully, but does not oppose such a ruler either by word or deed, shall not be blessed by God with a goodly abode. Look at these men! They have rebelled against God, The Beneficent and become followers of the devil. The evil is manifest, the divine laws are set aside. The public property is illegally seized. What God has permitted is prohibited, and what He has prohibited is permitted. Such being the state of affairs I am best entitled to replace their reign of revolt by that of
truth and justice. I look forward to dying the death of a martyr, than to live in the midst of that which is wicked, for it is in itself
truly a crime!"
On the next morning a messenger from the Governor in Kufa arrived and handed a letter to Hur
deliberately and rudely ignoring the presence of Imam Hussain(as). Hur solemly read the message and then turned to the holy man besides him and read it out to him.
"See to it that Hussain does not establish himself at no place, and stops no where except on open ground. This messenger of mine will remain with you and watch to what extent my orders will be executed by you!"
The general sighed heavily, and said to the Imam(as).
"Now I am but compelled to let you but stay only on open, barren and unsheltered ground."
Hur turned to his men ordering them to break camp and cease from mixing with the Imam(as) followers.
Here one of his faithful devoted followers Zuhair Bin Ghain, realizing the seriousness of the developed situation whispered to the Imam(as),
"Now to give fight to these people is far easier than to face a huge army that is surely coming."
The Imam(as), completely agreed but declined to take the initiative in the fight.
"I agree, but I do detest wars. I will not be the one to start a fight!"
On 2nd month of Muharram, 61AH at a place near to the river banks of the Euphrates. The Imam Hussain(as) enquired the name of the place that they had arrived at. The place some replied is called Karbala.
Again more and more of the thousands who started out of with the Imam(as) from Mecca, began to desert. With their Islamic faith being shaken with fear of losing their lives. Others who chose to stay by the Imam(as) side tried to force the deserts to stay but the Imam Hussain(as) stopped them stating that each person was free to chose between staying or leaving with any duress.
The moment the Imam(as) heard the name of Karbala, he smiled and halted the caravan, and prayed and gave praise to Allah(swt).
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