Mukhtar a Biograghy

Chapter 2 - Mukhtar's First Imprisonment When Muslim Aqeel arrives in Kufa in 60 AH, sent by Imam Husein (as) from Mecca, Muslim stays at Mukhtar's house; Mukhtar is the first person to pay homage to Muslim Aqeel.

Mukhtar goes out of Kufa to raise, from the followers of his tribe, an army of supporters for Muslim Aqeel, who is representing Imam Husein (as).

After Ubaydallah Ziyad's arrival in Kufa and the trouble which ensues, Muslim Aqeel goes to Hani Urwa's house where he is finally tracked down and then publicly executed by the order of Ubaydallah Ziyad.

Mukhtar is out of Kufa at the time when Muslim Aqeel is murdered by Ubaydallah Ziyad; Mukhtar returns to Kufa with his men and on the way in, hears about unrest in Kufa.

He meets with travellers and hears about Muslim's murder; he also fights and kills some of the road interceptors sent by Ubaydallah Ziyad.

Mukhtar disperses his assembled army, disarms and makes a diplomatic move to join the group of Omar Haris (a government officer), stationed just outside the Kufa boundary, offering amnesty to people who initially supported Muslim Aqeel but would now not oppose Ubaydallah Ziyad.

Chiefs of Kufa are summoned to the court of Ubaydallah Ziyad and Mukhtar is one of them; one source says Mukhtar does not salute Ubaydallah Ziyad and is hit by bodyguards to have one eye badly bruised, whereas another report says Mukhtar salutes Ubaydallah Ziyad but is snubbed by not getting a reply.

Mukhtar is questioned by Ubaydallah Ziyad about his allegiance to and motives of Muslim Aqeel staying with him initially; he is also queried about the dispersal of his followers after hearing of Muslim's murder; Omar Haris vouches for him as having surrendered alone without any supporters.

Widows' of the road interceptors killed by Mukhtar arrive in the court; Mukhtar is questioned why he killed, not only one but about twenty to thirty soldiers of Ubaydallah Ziyad, if his intention was friendly; Ubaydallah Ziyad orders to imprison Mukhtar for the killings of his soldiers and for supporting and hosting Muslim Aqeel.

Mukhtar is jailed in a dungeon together with other four thousand to five thousand Shias already there; (it was the intention of Muslim Aqeel to try for the release of these prisoners); the dungeon is about seventy five feet below ground level; Mukhtar's hands and waist are chained, his legs are chained to a heavy cannon-ball requiring about twenty people to lift; the dungeon is very dark underground with no sunlight and very little air; Mukhtar is ordered to be kept at an extreme corner so as even to deny him any fresh air from the opening of a door; his diet is malnourished food; the dungeon is always patrolled by about forty guards at a time working in shifts.

Ashura day massacre occurs whilst Mukhtar is in prison in Kufa, but he is brought out from the dungeon to witness the arrival of the heads of Martyrs and survivors in the court of Ubaydallah Ziyad. Here, he makes a vow to himself that he will not rest until he has avenged the perpetrators of Kerbala.

In prison, Mukhtar meets Maythame Tammar, a close companion of Imam Ali (as) who taught Maythame Tammar "ulumul balaya wal manaya": "knowledge of dream interpretation and of predicting some future events";

Maythame Tammar informs Mukhtar of his coming release and his fulfilment of the wish to avenge Imam Husein's (as) killers and enemies.