Some followers of Yazeed try to prove that Yazeed told Imam Zainul Aabideen (a.s.): “By Allah, I never intended to kill your father.1 Curse on the son of Marjana (Ibn Ziyad). I did not command him to kill Husayn.”

All this is okay, but the Tarikh of Abul Hasan Madayani, Seerat Hisham Kalbi, and Ibn Athir, writer of Tarikh Kamil and Abu Ja’far Tabari and Abi Makhnaf, Abu Ishaq Isfayarani show that Yazeed had openly sent the following message to Walid, the governor of Medina: “If Husayn refuses to give allegiance, kill him and send me his severed head.” It is not hidden that the denial of Yazeed was to save himself from the criticism of Syrians and that there might not be civil disturbance in the country, resulting in his dethroning. Otherwise, his correspondence with Walid is still present in history books.

The report of Abi Makhnaf shows that when Yazeed feared the censure and criticism of the people of Syria, he began to ask each of his commanders whether he had killed Husayn. All the accursed ones denied. Even Shimr and Khuli denied having killed Husayn.

At last, Qays said to Yazeed: “You have killed Husayn.” This made Yazeed ashamed and from that moment, Yazeed used to slap his own face. Then he also apologized to the prisoners of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.). The friends of Yazeed can say that this regret of Yazeed had got his sins forgiven. But such people should know that when he was drowning, Firon had also said: “I believe in the Lord of Moosa and Haroon.” Can this statement be a proof of Firon’s faith? A shaky action cannot be considered firm and cannot be accepted.

I ask the friends of Yazeed why they are so much aggrieved on the martyrdom of Husayn? Why do they not say in support of Yazeed that Husayn was a traitor to the Caliph? If he was killed, the Caliph cannot be blamed. The friends of Yazeed have the right to claim thus, because according to the principles of their faith, Yazeed was a rightful Caliph and Husayn was a traitor. Though there are not many Muslims having such a belief, yet they are not against the principles of their religion.

What is the need to say that Yazeed did not desire the killing of Husayn (a.s.), etc.? What is the need to present this excuse? If the principles of Caliphate had been against Yazeed, it would have been another matter. Not only one principle, many rules were in favor of Yazeed. The fact is that following one falsehood, compels us to thousands of deviations. One affair of Saqifah has misguided people in a thousand ways.

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1.Ref. Tarikh Tabari, Pg. 176