Section 4: Last Will and Testament

Oppression had become widespread. Yazid, the son of Muwaviyyah, the son of Abu Sufyan, had boldly assumed the throne, wielding an unholy power over the Muslim nation. Muwaviyyah, had been installed as the governor in the Western provinces (current day Syria and Lebanon) of the early Islamic nation by Othman, the third usurper of the right of leadership over the Muslims. Muwaviyyah, like his father Abu Sufiyan was an enemy of Islam and used cunning and trickery to turn the people against the true Imams of the time: Imam Ali, peace be upon him, and following his martyrdom, Imam Hasan, peace be upon him.
After conniving in the murder of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, Muwaviyyah forged a treacherous peace with Imam Hasan. In this, he agreed among other things, to no longer malign the name of Ali, peace be upon him. Muwaviyyah also agreed that he would not appoint his son as his successor. No sooner than the peace treaty was agreed upon, Muwaviyyah broke each and every statute in it. He conspired to have Imam Hasan poisoned. Yazid, son of Muwaviyyah was named as Muwaviyyah's successor.
However ungodly he was, Muwaviyyah was clever and knew how to keep up a pretense of being a Muslim. His son, Yazid, however, was a profligate and drunkard who didn't make the slightest effort to keep up appearances. His ungodliness was known far and wide. The news of his unworthiness to hold the leadership of Islam, of his oppression and disregard for the rights of the Muslim nation had spread even to the far away province of Kufa in contemporary Iraq.
At the same time that Imam Husain, peace be upon him, was concerned about the ongoing disregard for Islam, the people of Kufa sent him letters, asking them to come to help throw off the yoke of the oppressor and restore Islam in their land.
With a large bag of letters and entreaties from the people of Kufa in hand, Imam Husain, peace be upon him, decided to leave Medina, and respond to the call of the people of Kufa. First, he would go to Mecca for the Hajj, and then proceed to the East. When leaving Medina, he composed his last will and testament and passed it to his half-brother, Muhammad, known as Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah.