Then ʿUbayd Allah sent Shimr ibn Dhī al-Jawshan with the order: “Go. If al-Ḥusayn and those with him submit to my authority, so be it; otherwise, instruct ʿUmar ibn Saʿd to fight them. If he hesitates, strike off his head, and you will be the commander over the people.” He also wrote to ʿUmar ibn Saʿd, threatening him for his delay in confronting al-Ḥusayn and commanding him that, should al-Ḥusayn refuse to come, he must fight him and his followers, for they were rebels.

ʿUbayd Allah (1) ibn Abī al-Maḥall asked for safe-conduct on behalf of his maternal cousins—the sons of Umm al-Banīn bint Ḥizām (2) by ʿAlī—namely al-ʿAbbās, ʿAbd Allah, Jaʿfar, and ʿUthmān. Ibn Ziyād wrote them a letter of amnesty, and ʿUbayd Allah ibn Abī al-Maḥall sent it with a client of his named Karman (3).

When the letter reached them they said, “As for the guarantee of the son of Sumayyah, we want nothing of it; we look forward to a safety better than that offered by the son of Sumayyah.”

When Shimr ibn Dhī al-Jawshan arrived to ʿUmar ibn Saʿd with Ibn Ziyād’s letter, ʿUmar said, “May Allah distance your dwelling and curse what you have brought! By Allah, I think you are the one who turned him away from the three options I had proposed to al-Ḥusayn.”

Shimr replied, “Tell me what you intend to do: will you fight them or leave them alone?”

ʿUmar answered, “No—and there is no honor for you! I will see to it myself,” yet he appointed him over the infantry. They advanced against al-Ḥusayn on the evening of Thursday, the ninth of Muḥarram.

Shimr ibn Dhī al-Jawshan called out, “Where are our sister’s sons?” Al-ʿAbbās, ʿAbd Allah, Jaʿfar, and ʿUthmān—the sons of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib—stood up. He said, “You are safe.”

They replied, “Grant us safety together with the son of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—or we want no part of your guarantee.”

Then ʿUmar ibn Saʿd cried out to the army, “Mount, O cavalry of Allah, and rejoice!” They mounted and marched against al-Ḥusayn after the afternoon prayer, while al-Ḥusayn sat before his tent, leaning on his sword. Drowsiness overcame him and his head drooped; his sister heard the noise, came near, and awakened him.

He lifted his head and said, “I have just seen the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in a dream, and he said to me, ‘You will soon come to us.’”

She struck her face and exclaimed, “Alas, my woe!”

He said, “No woe to you, sister. Be calm—may the Most Merciful have mercy on you.”

His brother al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAlī said, “Brother, the people have arrived.” He answered, “Go to them and ask what has changed.”

Al-ʿAbbās went out with about twenty horsemen and said, “What is the matter with you?” They replied, “An order from the governor: either you submit to his authority or we will fight you.”

He said, “Stay where you are while I return to Abū ʿAbd Allah and inform him.” He withdrew, leaving his companions in place, and the two sides began trading words, reproaching one another. The men of al-Ḥusayn said, “How evil a people you are! You intend to kill the Prophet’s descendants and the best people of their time!”

Al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAlī returned from al-Ḥusayn and said, “Abū ʿAbd Allah says to you: withdraw for this evening so that he may consider his position tonight.”

ʿUmar ibn Saʿd said to Shimr ibn Dhī al-Jawshan, “What do you think?” He replied, “You are the commander; the decision is yours.”

ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥajjāj ibn Salamah al-Zubaydī said: