retribution you desire from me? When no one answered him, he called out in a loud voice: O Shabas Bin Rab’ee! O Hajjaar Bin Abjar! O Qays Bin Ash’as!      O Zayd Bin Haaris! Have you not written letters to me? They replied that they had not written any such letters. Sayyiduna Imam Husayn رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ said: Glory be to Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! Yes by Allah, you had written it.

Then he رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ continued: O people! Then now if you do not like my arrival, then leave me so that I may go away to a place of refuge. Qays Bin Ash’as said, ‘We do not know what you say. Then submit yourselves to your cousins (Banu Umayyah), they shall deal with you in a manner which you like.’ Sayyiduna Imam Husayn رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ replied: By Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! I shall not give my pledge of allegiance to him, nor shall I flee like a slave.

Then he رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ called out in a loud voice: O servants of Allah! And verily, I take refuge with my Rab and yours, lest you stone me (to death) and I take refuge with my Rab and yours, from every arrogant one who does not believe in the Day of Reckoning. (Al-Kamil fit-Tareekh, vol. 3, pp. 418-419)

Cruelty upon cruel people

Alas! Driven by the sheer temptation and greed of power and wealth they had plunged into the darkness of ignorance, their hearts were harder than rocks, they were completely overpowered by Satan and its evils, therefore, the sincere words of warnings fell on the deaf ears of these bloodthirsty beasts who only wanted to shed blood.

The Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was already aware of the battle of Karbala and he صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knew that people who recite the Kalimah testifying to me will shed the blood of my Ahl-e-Bayt, therefore, before his apparent demise, he صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had related to Sayyiduna    ‘Ali, Sayyidah Fatimah and Hasanayn Karimayn رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُم in advance that  ‘اَنَا سِلۡمٌ لِمَنۡ سَالَمۡتُمۡ، وَحَرۡبٌ لِمَنۡ حَارَبۡتُمۡ’ i.e., Whoever befriends you, I befriend him, one who wages war on you, I will wage war on him.

(Sunan Ibn Majah, vol. 1, pp. 97, Hadees 145)