“Peace be upon you, O son of the Messenger of Allah!”—for they assumed he was Ḥusayn.

He then alighted at the palace, summoned a retainer, handed him three thousand dirhams, and said, “Go and find out who it is that the people of Kūfah are pledging allegiance to. Tell him, ‘I am a stranger who has brought this money to strengthen you.’ ”

The retainer went out, made his way politely to an elder in charge of the pledge, was taken in to Muslim, gave him the silver, swore allegiance to him, then returned and informed ʿUbayd Allah.

Muslim moved to the house of Hāniʾ ibn ʿUrwah al-Murādī. ʿUbayd Allah said, “Why has Hāniʾ not come to us?”

Muḥammad ibn al-Ashʿath and others went out to Hāniʾ and said, “The governor has mentioned you.”

He rode back with them and appeared before ʿUbayd Allah while Shurayḥ the judge was present. ʿUbayd Allah said, “A traitor has brought himself to you on his own two feet.(1)”

When the greetings were exchanged he asked, “Hāniʾ, where is Muslim?”

Hāniʾ replied, “I do not know.”

The man who had carried the dirhams stepped forward; when he saw him he pointed to him and said, “Governor, by Allah, I did not invite him to my house—he came and thrust himself upon me.”

“Bring him to me,” said ʿUbayd Allah.

Hāniʾ answered, “By Allah, even if he were under my very feet I would not lift them off him.”

So ʿUbayd Allah struck him with a staff, gashing his head. Hāniʾ reached for a guard’s sword to draw it, but the guard blocked him, saying, “Your blood is now lawful.”

He imprisoned him, and the news flew to the tribe of Madhḥij; a clamor arose at the palace gate. The news reached Muslim, who raised his rallying cry, and 40,000 men gathered around him. He formed them into ranks and marched toward the palace.

ʿUbayd Allah summoned the notables of Kūfah, assembled them around him, and instructed them. They showed themselves from the palace and spoke to their clansmen; the men began to slip away until Muslim was left with only 500. He had already written to Ḥusayn urging him to hasten, but when night fell those men departed, leaving Muslim alone, wandering through the streets.

He came to a house; a woman emerged and he said, “Give me some water.”

She gave him water, then went inside and stayed as long as Allah willed. When she came out again she found him still by the door and said, “Man, sitting here invites suspicion.”