the Ka‘bah, where the spark caught on its curtains and wooden beams; the whole structure burned, the Corner turned black, and it cracked in three separate spots.

The siege continued until the first of Rabiʿ al-Akhir. Word then reached the people of Yazid ibn Muʿawiyah’s death: he had died fourteen nights into Rabiʿ al-Awwal of the year 64 AH, at the age of thirty-five—or thirty-eight, or thirty-nine—years. His reign had lasted three years and six—or eight—months. The Syrians were therefore overcome and withdrew in humiliation, and the war subsided, the fire of sedition extinguished.

It is also said that they kept Ibn al-Zubayr under siege for about forty nights after Yazid’s death. Another report relates that Ibn al-Zubayr learned of the death before the Syrians did, so he called out to them: “People of Syria! Allah has destroyed your tyrant. Whoever of you wishes to join what the rest of the Muslims have accepted, let him do so; and whoever prefers to return to Syria, let him return.” The Syrians did not believe the Meccans until Thabit ibn Qays ibn al-Qayqaʿ (1) arrived with certain news.

It is further related that Ḥuṣayn ibn Numayr invited Ibn al-Zubayr to confer between the two lines. They met until their horses’ heads were level, but Ḥuṣayn’s horse kept shying and he restrained it. Ibn al-Zubayr asked, “What is the matter?” He replied, “The pigeons of the Sanctuary are under my horse’s feet eating droppings; I dislike trampling the pigeons of the Sacred Precinct.” Ibn al-Zubayr said, “You scruple at that while you are killing Muslims!” Ḥuṣayn answered, “Then give us permission to circumambulate the Kaʿbah and afterwards we will return to our land.” Ibn al-Zubayr granted them leave, and they performed the circumambulation.

Ibn Jarir (2) reports that Ḥuṣayn and Ibn al-Zubayr agreed one night to meet and did so outside Mecca. Ḥuṣayn said, “If that man has indeed died, you are the most entitled of all people to authority after him. Come, travel with me to Syria; by Allah, not two men there will differ about you.” It is said that Ibn al-Zubayr did not trust him and spoke to him harshly. Ibn Numayr recoiled, saying, “I invite him to the caliphate and he speaks harshly to me?!” He then turned back with the army toward Syria, exclaiming, “I promise him the throne and he threatens me with death?!”

Later Ibn al-Zubayr regretted his roughness and sent word: “I will not come to Syria, but take the pledge of allegiance for me from those who are there; I guarantee your safety and will treat you justly.” Ḥuṣayn replied, “Many from this house in Syria are already seeking us.”

He then set off, passing through Madinah. Its inhabitants coveted his force and treated them with great indignity, while ʿAli ibn al-Ḥusayn (Zayn al-ʿAbidin) honored them and presented Ḥuṣayn ibn Numayr with qat (green fodder) (3) and other feed. The Umayyads travelled on with the army to Syria and found that Muʿawiyah ibn Yazid ibn Muʿawiyah had been installed in his father’s place in Damascus, in accordance with his father’s testament. Allah, exalted is He, knows best.