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The Journey to Damascus

Ibn Ziyad sent a messenger to Yazid telling him of the events and waiting for his orders. Then he wrote a letter, tied it to a rock, and threw it into the place where the people of the House of the Prophet were imprisoned. It said, "A messenger has been sent to Yazid and he will be back on such and such a day. When he comes back and you hear 'Allahu Akbar, write your will. If you do not hear it, you have your life." The messenger came back with Yazid's reply that Ibn Ziyad should immediately send the prisoners and the heads to Damascus.

Ibn Ziyad sent the heads with some of his troops, ordering them to put the heads on spears and parade them in front of the caravan, and he ordered them to pass through the cities on the way, and humiliate the family of the Prophet in every city they pass through. On their way they saw some writing painted on a wall, saying, "Is it possible for a nation that killed Husayn to have the intercession of his grandfather on the Day of Judgment?"

On their way, they stopped and a drop of blood fell from the head of the Imam onto a rock and that place is known as Mashhad al-Nuqtah (Place of the drop of blood) near Hamah.

Also near Aleppo, there is another place called Mashhad al-Sayrah, because Imam Husayn's wife was pregnant and when they reached that spot, the baby miscarried. He was named Muhsin.

When they came near Damascus, Shimr was leading the caravan. Umm Kulthum asked him not to go from the main road, so people do not look at them with evil eyes. Shimr did exactly the opposite, ordering the caravan to march through the city from the main road, and for all of the heads to be in the middle of the caravan.

Adapted from the book: "Karbala & Ashura" by: "Ali Hussain Jalali"

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