Letters of the Kufans to Imam al-Husayn (a): Difference between revisions

Letters of the people of Kufa to Imam al-Husayn (a) refer to the letters which people of Kufa wrote to Imam al-Husayn (a) in order to invite him and give allegiance to him. These letters were written shortly after the death of Mu’awiyah, and after Imam al-Husayn’s (a) refusal to give allegiance to Yazid, when he (a) was in Mecca. Letters of the people of Kufa made Imam (a) move towards Kufa; but when ‘Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad became the governor of Kufa and suppressed people there, they did opposite to what they had written and abandoned Imam al-Husayn (a) in the tragedy of ‘Ashura. Among the writers of the letters, the names of some chiefs and famous figures of Shia such as Sulayman b. Surad Khuza’i, Habib b. Mazahir and Rufa’a b. Shaddad can be seen.

When the people Kufa received the news of the death of Mu’awiya, they doubted about the caliphate of Yazid and felt the threat. At that time, they were informed that Imam al-Husayn (a) had refused to give allegiance to Yazid and had gone to Mecca. Therefore, Shia of Kufa made a meeting in the house of Sulayman b. Surad Khuza’i and spoke about the death of Mu’awiya and praised to God for that. Then, Sulayman b. Surad said that, “Mu’awiya is dead and Husayn b. Ali (a) has not given allegiance to his son Yazid and has gone to Mecca. If you intend to help him, inform him and if you doubt to help him, do not deceive him and do not put him in danger.” People insisted that they wanted to help him and wrote a letter to Imam al-Husayn (a) saying,