With the defeat of the Tawwabin, Mokhtar found the opportunity suitable to initiate his uprising. He introduced himself as the representative of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, and was able to gather around 17,000 allegiances. The survivors of the Tawwabin also joined his uprising. Mokhtar defeated Ibn Zubayr’s governor in Kufa in a civil war and took control of the city.About five years after the tragedy of Karbala, Mokhtar took revenge from the Kufans who had been responsible for the tragedy. He sent his troops to fight against Abdul-Malik’s army, which was under the leadership of Ibn Ziyad. In the Battle of al-Khazir, Mokhtar’s troops defeated and killed Ibn Ziyad on the day of Ashura, exactly six years after the tragedy of Karbala. Mokhtar had a brief government of about one-and-a-half years, and was eventually suppressed by Mus’ab, the brother of Abdullah ibn Zubayr, and his governor in Basrah, Iraq. Upon his victory, Mus’ab ordered the beheadings of around 7,000 of Mokhtar’s troops, who had surrendered and left Mokhtar without support. This incident showed the cruelty of Ibn Zubayr’s caliphate against Shias, and also highlighted that the Shias of Kufa were not fully dedicated to their faith and were still untrustworthy. Due to the political circumstances, the Imam did not directly endorse Mokhtar’s movement. However, there are historical records that show his consent for the revenge for the blood of Imam Hossein. When a group of Shia followers from Kufa came to Imam Sajjad in Medina to inquire about the legitimacy of Mokhtar’s uprising, the Imam said, “Even if a slave stands up for us, the Ahlul-Bayt, the people must support him.” The Imam then appointed his uncle, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, to guide them on political matters. Also, when Mokhtar sent the head of Ibn Ziyad to Imam Sajjad, he fell into prostration and prayed for him. He then donated a large amount in charity to thank God for this event. After six long years, Imam Sajjad requested the ladies of the Banu Hashim, who had been mourning for Karbala, to change out of their black dresses and to come out of grief.
