When Muawiya (l.a) died, a wicked man called Yazeed (l.a) sent orders to Waleed (l.a) (the governor of Madina) to immediately demand the oath of allegiance for him from everyone, especially from Imam Hussain (a.s). Yazeed had no faith in Islam and openly disobeyed the rules of the Holy Quran.
So, Yazeed tried to force Imam Hussain (a.s), the grandson of Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) to do his ‘bayat’ (pledge allegiance). Paying allegiance would mean agreeing to all of his sinful actions and accepting them as lawful.
Imam Hussain’s (a.s) refusal and strong protest came in his answer: Yazeed was corrupt, habitually drunk, killer of innocents and notorious for his vices. Imam said : “A person like me can never agree to take the oath of allegiance to such a immoral and debased person like Yazeed.”
Bayat to Yazeed was death to Islam. It was to sell one’s religion to a tyrant. The Imam (a.s) considered Death with honour better than a life of disgrace. The mission of the Imam was to save the treasure of Islam from Yazeed’s clutches. So, Imam decided to leave his hometown Madina.
Imam Hussain (a.s) bade farewell to the grave of his grandfather, Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) and with tears in his eyes he said:
“My salam on you, O Prophet of Allah. I am Hussain son of Fatima, your grandson and the son of your daughter. I love the good and hate the forbidden.”
He then went to Jannat-ul-Baqi,the graveyard in Madina,to say goodbye to his mother, Bibi Fatima (s.a) and his brother Imam Hasan (a.s).
News spread in Madina that the Imam had refused to do bayat of Yazid and was leaving Madina taking his family, even the ladies & children, with him.
To his brother Muhammad Hanafiya, Imam left his last will and testament saying : “I have risen up to reform the followers of my grandfather. I intend to call for the good and prohibit the wrong and to act like my grandfather and my father Ali ibn Abu Talib (a.s).’
Hazrat Abbas (a.s) was in charge of getting the camels & water for the long journey through the desert. All of Imam Hussain’s family were going with him, even the Hz Ali Asghar (a.s),who was only 2 weeks old. Only his daughter, Bibi Sughra (s.a),who was too sick to travel, was left behind.
The people of Madina were very sad to see the Imam and his family leave. They all came to say goodbye. When the time came for the ladies of the Ahlebait, the Prophet’s family to climb on camels backs, the streets were cleared. No one was allowed to go on the roofs of the houses.
Hazrat Ali Akbar (a.s) helped his mother Umme Laila (s.a). Hazrat Qasim (a.s) helped his mother, Umme Farwa (s.a). Hazrat Abbas (a.s) helped his sister Umme Kulsoom (s.a). When it was the turn of Bibi Zainab (s.a),Imam Hussain (a.s) himself stepped forward to help her climb on the camel’s back.
Imam Hussain (a.s) and his family left Madina on 28th Rajab 60 A.H and took the main road, travelled 210 miles and reached Makkah in five days.
The Imam stayed in Makkah until the month of Zil-hijj, the time for Hajj.