STRAIGHTPATHMONTHLY December 2011
48
Zainab a.s The Symbol of a Patient
Woman in Karbala
By Fekrenoo
To see the trees of truth bloom and the world be rid of
gloom, If there is one thing the entire universe shares It is the
life of Zainab a.s to read and care. Dreams and hopes will
come true When Zainab and her goals a.s are understood.
Inside us is the warmth of the love of Allah swt when we think
of Zainab a.s "The Patient Princess" That is why the Ahlul
Bayt a.s of RasulAllah are the light of saviors here and after
this life. The history of Karbala is based on two pillars: The
rising of Imam al Hussain a.s and the rising of Zainab a.s. She
was an outstanding figure in the history of Karbala, endowed
with divine steadfastness and fortitude. She sacrificed her two
sons Aun a.s and Muhammad a.s while fighting against
despotism and upholding the importance of justice, freedom,
humanity and virtues in human society. After the martyrdom of
her beloved brother and her two sons, she knelt down before
the Master of the Universe, on the soil of Karbala and said,
"O my Lord! Accept our humble sacrifice to You".
After the demise of the Holy Prophet s.a.w there came the
period of distress and hardship in the life of Zainab a.s. She
stood by her mother as far as the question of supreme mandate
of her father was concerned. When her mother delivered the
Fadak sermon, she was only 4 years old, but narrated the
sermon so lucidly and expressively that the people of Banu
Hashim remembered it by heart. Later, it is recorded in Shia
history and that is why she is known as Zaynab, the narrator of
traditions. After the martyrdom of her mother, Zainab a.s
suffered many calamities. She saw the evildoers, oppressors,
insurgents and breakers of covenants defy the truth during the
reign of her father. Finally, Imam Ali (a.s) was struck with a
sword on his head in the mosque of Kufa, which took his life.
Then she saw her brother al-Hassan a.s being forced to sign a
peace treaty and eventually poisoned by his treacherous wife by
the order of Mu'awiyah. After al-Hassan (a.s), al-Hussain (a.s)
became the Imam, but the ruler of Syria violated the peace
treaty and appointed his son Yazeed as his successor who
insisted Imam al-Hussain a.s to swear an oath of allegiance to
him. When Imam a.s refused, this led to the tragedy of
Karbala where Imam al-Hussain a.s together with the
members of his family and companions was brutally killed. His
womenfolk and children were taken as captives and paraded on
the streets of Kufa and Damascus and finally imprisoned for a
year. Zainab a.s was part of this episode and all the time
endured the hardships and difficulties. More so, she vowed to
continue with the mission of her brother and spoke eloquently
against the despotic regime of Yazeed wherever she found an
opportunity to address the Muslims.
HER SERMON IN KUFA
When Zainab a.s reached Kufa, she addressed people with
fury words:
"Praise to Allah, and may the blessing of Allah be
upon Muhammad and his progeny. O people of Kufa!
You are hypocrites and deceitful. You feign to be sorry for
the death of my brother and his companions. May you
always shed tears. I find nothing in you but flattery, evil
acts and thoughts, pride and spite and ill will. By Allah!
You deserve lasting sorrow instead of joy. Shame on you,
your hands is imbrued with the blood of the son of the
Holy Prophet, the one who was your sole refuge in case
of adversity. By your evil act and disloyalty, you
incurred the wrath of Allah against you. Woe betides you!
No one will intercede with Allah for you".
Her furious words provoked people of Kufa to avenge the
martyrdom of Imam al-Hussain a.s, which frightened Ib