Hazrat Zainab (s.a.) said farewell to her husband and went with her brother accompanied by her sons Muhammad and Aun. They reached Mecca in 61 Hijra year.
Imam Hussain (a.s.) was informed that some agents of the ruler of that time had come to Mecca to assassinate him while circumambulating the Holy Ka"bah. Imam Hussain (a.s.) deemed it advisable to move to Kufa and let people know of his secret mission.
They arrived at Karbala on the 2nd Muharram. Zainab had heard from her grandfather and father that Karbala would be the place where Imam Hussain (a.s.) would be martyred.