The Mahdi Times December Issue | Page 47

STRAIGHTPATHMONTHLY December 2011 Imam Zainul Abideen pbuh would have died of grief. He turned a pale yellow.  Zainab pbuh consoled her nephew, "Be patient! What am I witnessing? You are the Imam of the time." She reminded him of the tradition of Holy Prophet pbuhahf to Umm-e-Aiman which had explained the divine covenant. At the front of the caravan the guards carried spears with the heads of Imam Hussain pbuh and his loved ones. The guards beat the prisoners, if they complained of anything. They did not even spare the youngest.  Some children died along the way, and their bodies were left in the desert.  By the time they reached Kufa they were bruised all over their bodies. When Zainab pbuh saw Kufa, she remembered the period of her father. The caravan reached the court of Ubayd Allah son of Ziyad on the 12th of Muharram 61 Hijra. Ubayd Allah son of Ziyad, the governor of Kufa ordered the streets to be decorated, while there was a huge crowd on the streets of Kufa, jeering and making fun of the prisoners. There was commotion in the court of Kufa due to the oration of Zainab pbuh. The speeches of Zainab pbuh where she commented on the faithlessness and cowardice of the Kufees made them cover their faces in their clothes in shame and misery. But when some of the people saw the head of Imam Hussain pbuh on the spear they turned their heads and started to cry. They felt guilty that they allowed this to happen to Imam Hussain pbuh when this same Imam was ready to help them when they needed him. It was noon and the sun was blazing hot. The