The eighth year of the Hijra.
And a small child, eight years old.. the first child to be born in Medina after the Hijra to it, sitting with the Prophet himself, peace and blessings be upon him.. while the Prophet was performing cupping on himself.. he then hands the bowl of blood to the small child, and asks him to bury it in a far-off spot.. burying blood is important in an environment like the deserts and the forests, because its smell attracts snakes and predators.
The boy took the bowl of blood and disappeared for two minutes, then came back with the bowl empty.. of course he had neither managed to bury it nor even to throw it far away.. so the Prophet asks him, and where is the blood? And he says to him: "In a place no one can reach."
So he asks him: "Perhaps you drank it?".. and he replies that "Yes."
So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, falls silent for a few moments, then pats his head and says to him: "Woe to the people from you.. and woe to you from the people."
That boy is "Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr".. the son of "Asma bint Abi Bakr al-Siddiq" and "al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam".. and the fiercest and most ferocious of the opponents of "Yazid ibn Muawiya". And "Muawiya" himself had instructed "Yazid" that if "al-Zubayr" should fall into his hands, he must tear him limb from limb.
And at the same time, a new group arises, deciding to revolt against "Yazid".. upon the very same principle by which the partisans of "Uthman" had revolted before, when he died.. "the blood of Uthman".. only this time it is "the blood of al-Husayn".. this group is called "the Penitents".. because they said that they were guilty of a great sin.. because they had not risen to the aid of our master "al-Husayn".. and therefore they must repent.. and revolt against his killer, after his death.
And after the appearance of the "partisans of Uthman", and after them the "partisans of Ali", a new sect appears.. the partisans of "al-Husayn".
And in the year 65 AH, this sect begins a revolution called "the Revolution of the Penitents".. and their revolution started from Iraq.. led by "Sulayman ibn Surad al-Khuza'i", and many of the partisans of Imam "Ali" joined them..
And this was the first of the problems that faced "Yazid".. who was taken by surprise by the revolution itself.. because the Penitents had formed secret cells operating in the dark.. far from the eyes of "Yazid's" men and his intelligence services.. which were spying on everything and had tightened their grip on everything.
And their aims at that time were.. to remove the Umayyad state from power.. and to begin a new phase.. of Shia rule.. and then to exact retribution from the killers of "al-Husayn", may God be pleased with him.. and they believed that the seeking of repentance had to come through the sacrifice of one's own life.
And gradually the movement takes shape and gains supporters and followers. And their number reaches nearly 4,000 men.. who visit the grave of our master "al-Husayn" and renew their repentance and their remorse.. and then they move towards the Levant, to fight "Yazid" and depose him and kill him in retribution.. they reach Anbar, and from there to al-Qayyara, then to Qarqisiya — a town at the mouth of the Khabur River on the Euphrates — and after it the district of Ayn al-Warda.
And at Ayn al-Warda, they meet the forces of "Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad", who underestimated them.. and sent against them 8,000 soldiers.. consequently.. the Penitents very nearly won.. had not "ibn Ziyad" saved himself.. and sent reinforcements of another 20,000 men.. who surrounded the Penitents from every side.. on the twenty-second of Jumada al-Ula, in the year 65 AH.. and the leader of the Penitents, "Sulayman ibn Surad", realises that they are doomed beyond doubt.. so he orders his men to break their swords.. and they gather awaiting death.. considering that this is part of their repentance.. and indeed, the forces of "Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad" prove true to their word.. and annihilate them root and branch.. except for one of them who fled with his battalion.. his name is "Rifaa ibn Shaddad".. and he withdrew intending to gather other men.. and resume the fighting later.
And at the same time.. the political atmosphere in Medina was tense, inflamed and unstable.. because the allegiance to "Yazid" made them feel that the Rashidun era, built on consultation, had ended, and delegations from Medina go to "Yazid ibn Muawiya" and hold talks with him.. and they return unanimous on deposing him, even if the matter were to be settled by force.. and accordingly.. they gather at the Prophet's Mosque and declare "Yazid" deposed from power.
And the news reaches "Yazid ibn Muawiya".. and this group had grown and turned into nearly 2,000 men.. and they took up arms.. and besieged the Umayyads in the "house of Marwan ibn al-Hakam".. so he sends to his strongman "ibn Ziyad" asking him to advance with the army to there.. but "Ziyad" says.. is it not enough that I killed "al-Husayn?? "Shall I kill the son of the Messenger of God and invade the Kaaba?" So he sends back excusing himself with the problems in Iraq.. so "Yazid" sends them another army led by "Muslim ibn Uqba al-Murri", which reaches Medina from the direction of "al-Harra".. and he gives its people three days.. to lay down their weapons and declare obedience to "Yazid".. and when the people of Medina refuse.. he storms it and gives it over to plunder for three days.. and seizes every good thing in its houses and kills whoever resists.. to the point that very many of the Companions died in this battle, which was named "the Battle of al-Harra".
And at the same time, "Yazid" was trying to get rid of "Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr".. who had taken advantage of the battles of al-Harra.. and began to muster his men to fight "Yazid".. so his brother "Amr ibn al-Zubayr" comes forward.. and asks "Yazid" to appoint him commander of the soldiers.. and he would defeat his brother "Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr".. so he agrees.. and he leads the soldiers to Medina along with "Anis ibn Amr al-Aslami".. and he gives it over to plunder likewise.. and he meets his brother "Abdullah".. and asks him to surrender himself and submit to "Yazid".. but "Abdullah" refuses.. and he attacks "Anis ibn Amr al-Aslami" and his men.. and succeeds in killing the latter.
And after fierce fighting and persistence on the part of "Amr ibn al-Zubayr".. "Abdullah" sends against him one of his men, "Musab ibn Abd al-Rahman".. who manages to prevail.. and defeats "Amr's" men.. so "Amr ibn al-Zubayr" flees to the house of their third brother "Ubayda ibn al-Zubayr" and asks him for protection and refuge, and he agrees.. and he protects him and takes him to their brother "Abdullah", to make peace between them.. but "Abdullah" insists on punishing "Amr" for what he did to the people of Medina.. so he sentences him to be flogged.. and "Amr" dies under the whips while the sentence is being carried out.
And after the affair of al-Harra.. "Yazid's" army under the command of "Muslim ibn Uqba" advances further.. to crush the rebellion of Medina and finish off the opponents.. and it reaches al-Mushallal.. and there "Muslim" dies.. and "al-Husayn ibn al-Numayr" takes over command of the army.. and it reaches Mecca and besieges it.. and he controls almost all of it except the Sacred Mosque.. in which "Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr" and his men take shelter.. so "al-Husayn ibn al-Numayr" sets up the catapults.. and keeps besieging them.. but suddenly a fire breaks out in his camp.. it was said to be from a thunderbolt.. and it was said to be for unknown reasons.. and the flames spread and the winds carry them to "ibn al-Zubayr's" camp and burn his tents.. and both sides are struck with amazement.. and the fire takes hold in their forces together.. and then the winds carry it and drive it further.. so the flames reach the noble Kaaba.. and it is set ablaze.
And at the moment of this burning of the Kaaba, "Yazid" himself had died five days earlier.. but the news had not yet arrived.. on 20 Rabi al-Awwal of the year 64 AH, corresponding to 16 November 683.
"Yazid" ruled for only four years, all of them problems, wars and turmoil.. and after him his son "Muawiya ibn Yazid ibn Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan" took over.. or "Muawiya II", as some historians like to call him.. and his caliphate lasted no more than 40 days according to one account.. or 90 days according to another.
And what is reported of him is that this man was dignified and just.. to the point that some experts decided to add him to the list of the "Rightly Guided".. despite the brevity of his rule.
And this story would take long to tell...
And there remains more to be said.
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The previous posts are in the first comment.
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