A tent was set up, a spear was planted, a sword hung, and a horse was tethered, visible from a distance. Shortly thereafter, a messenger separated from the caravan to deliver the Imam’s message to the owner of the tent. The messenger went and returned, but Ubaidullah, who had seen the inclinations of the people of the city toward worldly matters, had refused Imam’s invitation to meet and said that he had not come out of Kufa except out of fear that perhaps Husayn would reach Kufa and seek help.
However, Husayn is the ark of salvation and the symbol of happiness. This time, the Imam himself, along with a few companions, set out for Ubaidullah’s tent. When Ubaidullah saw the Imam standing at his tent, he became embarrassed. He stood up, showed great respect for the Imam, and explained the events of the city. The Imam listened and then began speaking, bringing up the invitation of the people and directing his words to Ubaidullah, calling him to assist him, hoping that through this, Allah would accept his repentance and grant him the intercession of the Ahl al-Bayt.
The Imam’s suggestion once again placed Ubaidullah at a crossroads. The world would not release him, and his reasoning factory never paused for a moment.
Ubaidullah thought for a moment and then turned to the Imam and said: “There is no supporter for you in Kufa, and everyone, out of fear, has hidden inside their homes. I swear to God, do not ask me for help, but whatever other help you require, I will provide. This horse and sword, both unparalleled, are yours.”
It seemed as if Ubaidullah wished to ease his conscience a little. When the Imam heard his words and oath, he responded:
“I did not come for the horse or the sword. I came to seek your help. Now that you withhold your life from me, I have no need for your possessions. I am not one to seek help from the misguided. But you should not remain here, for the Prophet said: ‘Whoever hears the cry of the Ahl al-Bayt asking for help and does not assist them, Allah will throw him face-first into the fire of Hell.'”
Ubaidullah heard these final words of the Imam and, with a sigh, withdrew to his home to protect himself from the turmoil.
Another was an adherent of the Ottoman school of thought and, because of this, had no fondness for the Ahl al-Bayt. Throughout the journey from Mecca to Kufa, he tried to avoid being anywhere near the Imam and always kept his distance. But trial and tribulation are an inevitable part of creation, and existence always revolves around the axis of testing. Zuhayr, too, could not escape this trial.
At an unintended rest stop, the two caravans camped near each other. During this time, a messenger from Husayn arrived while Zuhayr was sitting with his family and companions at the dinner table. The messenger said: “Husayn has sent me to you to request a meeting.”
Everyone stopped eating, and Zuhayr, upset at the prospect of what he had been trying to avoid, was more stunned than anyone else. Silence filled the tent, and everyone was waiting for Zuhayr’s reaction. As his hesitation stretched on, his wife, from behind the curtain, admonished him, saying: “Why do you reject the invitation of the grandson of the Messenger of God? What harm will there be in going and listening to him?” Zuhayr then decided to go, heard the Imam’s words, and shortly returned—not as bewildered and disturbed as he had been, but with joy and cheer. A new spirit had been breathed into his face, and his gaze now gleamed with a special light. The alchemy of Husayn had touched Zuhayr’s soul.
He ordered that his tent be taken down and erected beside the tent of Husayn. He told his companions that he had resolved to assist Husayn, and anyone who wished to join him could do so, otherwise, this would be their last meeting. He sent his wife, along with some wealth and provisions, back to her family. As they parted, his wife wept and asked him not to forget her on the Day of Judgment. Zuhayr turned his back on security and comfort to stand with the truth in battle. It is said that Zuhayr was one of the few who stood before the Imam so that he and the others could perform their prayer. Now, Zuhayr had become a shield for the Imam, a shield that protected him from arrows with his own body.