Mukhtar defends Allah’s House
Abdullah bin al-Zubair appointed himself caliph. The people paid him homage. Some people liked him. Some disliked the Umayyads.
Mukhtar knew that Abdullah bin al-Zubair was ambitious. Anyhow, he paid him homage because he hated the Umayyads.
Yazid bin Mu'awiyah had killed Imam Hussein and captured his family. So, the people of al-Medina al-Munawwara, the majority of the Prophet's companions were with them, revolted against him.
Muslim bin Akkaba, whom the people called Mujrim bin Akkaba, headed the Shamian Army. He attacked al-Medina al-Munawwara and the Prophet's Holy Shrine. He committed massacre. The number of the killed was more than fifteen thousand people. He violated the women. Then he put them in markets for sale.
After that massacre, Yazid's Army headed for Mecca to occupy it.
Mujrim bin Akkaba headed the Shamian Army. On the way to Mecca, a scorpion stung him. He died. So, Hussein bin Numair, who took part in the Karbala massacre, headed the army.
The Shamian Army besieged Holy Mecca. The soldiers occupied the nearby hills and mountains.
The soldiers placed their Majaneeq (machines used in ancient times for throwing fire in war).
Al-Hussein bin Numair ordered his soldiers to attack kaba:
Throw fire at them!
Throw fire at the Kaba!
The soldiers did. The fire dropped on the houses and the mosques. The walls of the Kaba caught fire.
After the heavy fires, al-Hussein bin Numair ordered the horsemen to break into Mecca. He also ordered them to kill the passers-by.
The infantry, heavily armed, followed the horsemen. They advanced towards Mecca.
Violent fights took place in the Kaba. Mukhtar was bravely defending Allah's House against the invaders. He forced them to retreat.
A horseman came from Damascus while the violent fights were going on.
The horseman met al-Hussein bin Numair. He said to him:
I've sad news.
Say!
Caliph Yazid bin Mu'awiyah has died!
What?
Al-Hussein bin Numair was surprised to hear the news. He asked the horseman to keep silent.
But the news quickly spread among the Shamian soldiers, who were tired of the siege. They were displeased with attacking the Kaba, Allah's House, because they turned their faces towards it when they said their prayers.
Taken from Mukhtar al-Thaqafy by Kamal al-seyyed
Other links:
Mukhtar al-Thaqafy, The First who paid homage to Imam Hussein (A.S)
