so get up.”

He replied, “I am Muslim ibn ʿAqīl—have you a place of refuge for me?”

“Yes,” she said, and brought him inside. Her son, however, was a client of Muḥammad ibn al-Ashʿath; he hurried to his patron and informed him. ʿUbayd Allah sent the police after Muslim. Muslim came out, drew his sword, and fought, whereupon Ibn al-Ashʿath granted him safe-conduct. Muslim surrendered, was taken to ʿUbayd Allah, who had him beheaded and cast his body before the people, then put Hāniʾ to death as well. The poet said (1):

If you do not know what death is, then gaze
upon Hāniʾ in the market and Ibn ʿAqīl.
The emir’s decree struck them, and they became
the talk of every traveller on every road.
Shall Asmāʾ ride in stately litters unafraid
while Madhḥij still seeks him for blood-revenge?

—meaning Asmāʾ ibn Khārija.

He continued: Ḥusayn set out, trusting in Muslim’s letter. When he was but an hour from al-Qādisiyyah, a man met him and said, “Turn back; I have left nothing good behind me for you.” Ḥusayn thought of returning, but Muslim’s brothers said, “By Allah, we will not turn back until we take vengeance or are killed.” He answered, “There is no good in life after you.”

He moved on, and the cavalry of ʿUbayd Allah confronted him. He turned aside to Karbalāʾ and placed his back to the sand-dunes of Quṣamiyyā so that he could be attacked only from one direction. With him were forty-five horsemen and roughly one hundred foot soldiers.

ʿUmar ibn Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ arrived—ʿUbayd Allah ibn Ziyād had put him in command of the army—and asked ʿUbayd Allah to excuse him, but he refused.

Ḥusayn said, “Choose one of three: either let me proceed to the frontier posts; or allow me to go to Yazīd; or send me back to Madīnah.” ʿUmar accepted and wrote to ʿUbayd Allah, who replied, “No, and no honor, until he places his hand in mine.” Ḥusayn declared, “No, by Allah!”

Battle was joined; his companions were slain, among them a dozen young men from his own household.