The Mahdi Times December Issue | Page 46

STRAIGHTPATHMONTHLY December 2011 46 SHAAM-E-GHAREEBAN, THE NIGHT OF HOMELESS By: Akil Kanani  It was after Asr on the day of Ashura.  Imam Hussain (pbuh) lay dead.  The earth had trembled! Furaat had broken its banks! From the camp of the family of the Holy Prophet (pbuhahf) such lamentation arose as had never been heard before! 'Umar son of Saad' received a letter from 'Ubayd Allah son of Ziyad'.  The Governor of Kufa instructed that they should not be satisfied with the death of Imam Hussain (pbuh). His body must be subjected to the ultimate insult of being trampled by the hooves of horses.  And this was done to the Grandson of the Holy Prophet (pbuhahf)! As the sun was setting in the horizon, the soldiers rushed to the camp of Imam Hussain pbuh in search of booty. They looted every tent.  Every lady and every girl was stripped of her veil. The daughters of Fatima a.s were left bareheaded. The ear-rings that were given to Sakina a.s that were given to her from her father, were pulled from her ears, splitting her ear lobes. When the little girl pleaded for her veil to be left untouched, she was slapped.   Surely they would stop now? But they did not. They set fire to all the tents. Zainab pbuh was very distressed. She turned to Imam Zainul Abideen pbuh and said "You are our Imam now. Tell us what we should do now, should we stay in our tents and burn, or go out without our veils?" Imam Zainul Abideen pbuh told her that it was their religious duty to try and save their lives. Zaina