Kufa after Karbala incident

The Sermon of Lady Zainab (Peace Be Upon Her) in Kufa

When the heads of the martyrs and the captives of Karbala were brought into Kufa, the people of the city gathered to witness them, weeping as they did so. Seeing their tears and wailing, Lady Zainab (Peace Be Upon Her) delivered a historic speech to the people of Kufa:

“O people of Kufa, deceitful and unfaithful people, let not your tears dry nor your wails cease. You are like a woman who unravels a tightly woven thread. You have turned your oaths into a means of corruption. What do you have but boasting, arrogance, envy, lies, sycophancy, and gossip, like weeds growing on filthy ground and ornaments on graves—appearing beautiful but with a rotten interior?

You have sent forward a miserable provision that has provoked the anger of God and has led you to eternal torment. You weep? Yes, weep, for you are deserving of tears. Weep a lot and laugh little, for disgrace has befallen you—a disgrace that you will never be able to wash away. How can you cleanse yourselves of this shame when you killed the progeny of the Seal of the Prophets, the repository of the message, and the master of the youth of Paradise? The one who was your sanctuary and refuge in times of hardship and whom you turned to in battles.

Indeed, what a wretched provision you have sent ahead, and what a heavy burden of sin you bear for the Day of Resurrection. O people of Kufa, may you be destroyed so that no trace of you remains. You have bought the wrath of God and have subjected yourselves to humiliation, disgrace, and helplessness.

Do you know what heart you have pierced from the Messenger of God (Peace Be Upon Him) and what covenant you have broken? You have stripped him of his honor and shed his blood. What an astonishing crime you have committed that the heavens might split and the earth might quake and the mountains might crumble and fall! Your actions are a painful, devastating atrocity that has covered the heavens and the earth with disgrace.

Will you be astonished if blood were to rain from the heavens? Know that the punishment of the Hereafter is far more degrading and there will be no helper. Do not let the delay in your punishment make you heedless, for God is free from haste and is not afraid of avenging unjustly shed blood, and He is watching the wrongdoers.”

Then she recited these verses:

“What will you say when the Messenger of God (Peace Be Upon Him) says to you: ‘You, who are the last of the nations, what have you done to my family and children, some of whom are captives and some are drenched in blood? My reward for being well-wishing to you was not that you would treat my relatives this way after me. I fear that a punishment will come upon you like the punishment that destroyed the people of ‘Aad.’”

The Sermon of Imam Zain al-Abidin (Peace Be Upon Him) in Kufa

Imam Zain al-Abidin (Peace Be Upon Him) then turned away from the people of Kufa. He stood up and, after praising God and sending blessings upon the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), said:

“O people! Whoever knows me, knows me. And whoever does not, should know that I am Ali, the son of Hussein, who was killed beside the Euphrates without his killers being held accountable or seeking retribution. I am the son of the one whose honor was violated, whose belongings were plundered, and whose women and children were taken captive. I am the son of the one who was killed while he was weeping, and this is enough of an honor for us.

O people! I swear by God, do you remember when you wrote to my father and deceived him, made a covenant with him, and then fought him and left him without allies? Woe to you! What a wretched provision you have sent for your Resurrection, may your deeds be destroyed! With what eyes will you face the Messenger of God (Peace Be Upon Him) when he says: ‘You killed my family and violated my honor. You are not of my nation.’”
Upon hearing these words, the cries and lamentations of the people of Kufa increased, and they said to each other, “We have been destroyed and we did not realize.”

The Promise of Support from the People of Kufa to Imam Zain al-Abidin (Peace Be Upon Him) and His Response

Imam Zain al-Abidin (Peace Be Upon Him) said: “May God have mercy on anyone who accepts my advice and preserves it for the sake of God, the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), and his family, for there is a good way to follow the Prophet’s example.”

The people replied: “O son of the Prophet of God, we are obedient and will uphold your pledge. Our hearts are with you, and your desire is in our minds. May God have mercy on you. Tell us what to do, and we will fight those who come to battle you and make peace with those you make peace with, and we will seek retribution for your blood from those who wronged you and us.”

Imam Zain al-Abidin (Peace Be Upon Him) responded: “No, no! O treacherous and unfaithful people, may you never find success. Do you wish to support me as you supported my ancestors? Never, by God! The wound from the killing of my father and his family has not yet healed. The grief of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has not been forgotten, and the loss of my father and the children of my grandfather has turned my beard white and filled my throat with bitterness and sorrow. I ask you not to be with us nor with our enemies.”

Ibadiyyah ibn Ziyad’s Celebration in Kufa

Ibadiyyah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa, held a public celebration to commemorate his victory. He called the people of Kufa to his gathering and brought the heads of the martyrs and captives of Karbala to his assembly.

Ibadiyyah ibn Ziyad’s Insulting Behavior

In the presence of the people of Kufa who had invited Imam Hussein (Peace Be Upon Him) to their city, ibn Ziyad used a stick to strike the lips and teeth of the Imam, continuing this act without anyone speaking up.

Zaid ibn Arqam, a well-known companion and scribe present in the assembly, saw that ibn Ziyad did not stop this act. He said: “By God, I saw the Messenger of God (Peace Be Upon Him) kiss these lips and weep.”

Ibn Ziyad, enraged, said: “May God cause you to weep. If you weren’t an old man whose senses have abandoned him, I would have struck your neck.”

Zaid ibn Arqam left, and the people heard him say something upon exiting that could have led to his death had ibn Ziyad heard it. Zaid said: “The Umayyads have gone too far. O Arab people! You have killed Fatima and made the son of Marjanah your ruler, who kills the righteous and makes the servants of God his own slaves. You have accepted this disgrace and humiliation. Death to those who accept such degradation.”

Fear and Terror of Death from Ibn Ziyad

The people of Kufa were so terrified by ibn Ziyad and his actions that they had lost the courage and opportunity to act, even verbally. Despite inviting Imam Hussein (Peace Be Upon Him), they not only failed to support him but also opposed him and witnessed his martyrdom without showing any reaction.

Only Zaid ibn Arqam, one of the few remaining companions and an elderly scribe, spoke out. His words, though truthful and stirring, were delivered in a manner that did not directly challenge ibn Ziyad.

The Sermon of Ibn Ziyad and the Insult to Imam Hussein and Amir al-Mu’minin

In front of the people of Kufa, ibn Ziyad continued to insult Lady Zainab (Peace Be Upon Her) and Imam Zain al-Abidin (Peace Be Upon Him), attempting to increase their suffering and even threatening the life of the Imam. He then ordered everyone to gather in the Grand Mosque, went up to the pulpit, and said: “Praise be to God who has granted victory to the truth and its people, supported Amir al-Mu’minin Yazid ibn Muawiya and his followers, and killed the liar, the son of the liar…”

The Dispute Between Abdullah ibn Afif al-Azd and Ibn Ziyad

As ibn Ziyad continued, Abdullah ibn Afif al-Azd, a distinguished and renowned Shia figure from Kufa, rose to speak. Abdullah ibn Afif, who had lost both his left eye in the Battle of Jamal and his right eye in the Battle of Siffin, said: “O son of Marjanah, you are a liar and your father and the one who appointed you here (Muawiya and Yazid) are also liars. O enemy of God, you kill the children of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and speak these words on the pulpit of the Muslims?”

Ibn Ziyad, enraged, asked: “Who spoke?” Abdullah ibn Afif responded: “I did, O enemy of God! You kill the pure descendants of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), whom God has purified in His Book, and you think you still belong to Islam? Where are the descendants of the Emigrants and the Ansar who should avenge the Prophet’s family from this accursed, cursed son of an
The Arrest of Abdullah ibn Afif

Ibn Ziyad became extremely angry and ordered that Abdullah ibn Afif be arrested and brought to him. The leaders of the Azd tribe, who were his relatives, intervened and managed to rescue him from the agents of Ibn Ziyad, taking him to his home.

Ibn Ziyad then instructed his officers to capture Abdullah, calling him a “blind Azdi whose heart is as blind as his eyes,” and demanded his immediate arrest. He descended from the pulpit and went to his palace, where the leaders of Kufa soon visited him.

Ibn Ziyad questioned them about the situation, and they reported that the tribe of Azd had taken Abdullah away. Ibn Ziyad ordered that the wives of the tribe be seized and threatened not to release them until Abdullah ibn Afif was handed over. He then summoned Amr ibn Hajjaj al-Zubaydi, Muhammad ibn Ash’ath, Shabath ibn Rab’i, and other supporters to capture Abdullah.

The Battle Between the Azd Tribe and Ibn Ziyad’s Forces

When the tribe of Azd learned of the situation, they gathered with other Yemeni tribes to prevent Abdullah’s arrest. Ibn Ziyad assembled the Mudar tribes and sent Muhammad ibn Ash’ath to confront the Azdis. A fierce battle ensued, resulting in casualties on both sides. Ibn Ziyad’s forces managed to reach Abdullah ibn Afif’s house, break down the door, and invade his home.

The Resistance of Abdullah ibn Afif

Abdullah’s daughter handed him a sword, and despite being blind, he fought valiantly, singing verses of defiance as he defended himself. His daughter guided him, calling out directions as attackers came from all sides. Eventually, he was overwhelmed, captured, and taken to Ibn Ziyad.

The Martyrdom of Abdullah ibn Afif

After a heated verbal confrontation during which Abdullah bravely responded to Ibn Ziyad’s provocations, Ibn Ziyad ordered his execution. Abdullah ibn Afif said: “Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, that before your mother bore you, I had sought martyrdom from God. I had hoped for martyrdom even when I became blind, and now I thank God that He granted me martyrdom after my despair, showing that my prayer was answered.”

This account captures the tension and resistance during a period of severe repression and highlights the courage of individuals like Abdullah ibn Afif who stood against the oppressive regime of Ibn Ziyad despite overwhelming odds.