“Give me something to drink.” Muslim lost his nerve and refrained from killing him. A slave-girl came out with a jug of water, but when she found Muslim in the inner room she felt shy and went back with the water—she did this three times.
He then repeated, “Give me something to drink, even if it costs me my life.” Mihrān sensed the treachery; he pinched his master, who immediately stood up and left.
Sharīk called out, “O governor, I wish to give you some advice.” He replied, “I shall return.” His servant escorted him outside, mounted him, and hurried him away.
As they rode, the servant kept saying, “They wanted to kill you.” He answered, “Woe to you! I have always dealt kindly with them—what has happened to them?”
Sharīk then said to Muslim, “What stopped you from coming out and killing him?” Muslim replied, “I have heard a report from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): ‘Faith is a fetter (1) against treacherous killing; a believer does not assassinate in secret.’ (2) I also disliked killing him in your house.”
Sharīk said, “Had you killed him and then occupied the palace, no one would have resisted you; you would certainly have taken care of the palace (3)—or he said, ‘I would have taken care of the palace for you.’ Had you killed him, you would have killed a wicked tyrant.” Sharīk died three days later.
When Ibn Ziyād reached the palace gate with his face veiled, al-Nuʿmān ibn Bashīr thought he was al-Ḥusayn. He therefore shut the gate and said, “I shall not surrender my charge to you.” ʿUbayd Allah answered, “Open it, or may you never open it again!” He opened, still thinking it was al-Ḥusayn; when he realised it was ʿUbayd Allah he was dismayed. ʿUbayd Allah entered the governor’s palace, ordered a crier to announce, “The congregational prayer is about to begin,” and the people gathered. He came out, praised Allah and extolled Him, then said:
“To proceed: the Commander of the Faithful has placed me in charge of your affairs, your frontier, and your booty. He has ordered me to give justice to your oppressed, to provide for your deprived, to show kindness to those who hear and obey, and to be harsh with those who are suspect and disobedient. I shall carry out among you his commands and execute his charge.” He then stepped down.
He ordered the ʿurafāʾ (district overseers) to record the names of those among them who belonged to the al-zuriyyah (4) and of everyone suspected of sedition, dissent, or schism. Any overseer who failed to inform us of such people would be crucified or banished, and his position would be erased from the register.
Hānīʾ was one of the great nobles, and he had not greeted ʿUbayd Allah since the latter’s arrival, pleading illness. ʿUbayd Allah asked about him, saying, “Why has Hānīʾ not come to me with the other leaders?” They replied, “O governor, he is unwell.” He said, “Yet I am told he sits at the door of his house.”
Some reported that he had visited him earlier—before calling on Sharīk ibn al-Aʿwar—and that Muslim ibn ʿAqīl was with him. They had intended to kill him, but Hānīʾ would not allow it because it was his house. The chiefs therefore went to Hānīʾ ibn ʿUrwah and persisted until they brought him in to ʿUbayd Allah ibn Ziyād. Ibn Ziyād then turned to the judge Shurayḥ and, quoting a poet, said: