oppressors,insurgents and breakers of covenants defy the truth and
Imam Ali (as), the supporter of the truth and justice had to quell
their revolts. Finally,an evil hand gave Imam Ali (as) a stroke from a
poisoned sword on his head in the mosque of Kufa. After Imam Ali (as),
his son Imam Hassan (as) became the Caliph. Imam Hassan (as) was also
greatly oppressed until atlast he signed a peace treaty with the ruler
of that time, Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufyan and moved toKufa in the company
of Zainab, her husband, andhis own companions. Imam Hassan (as) was
poisoned by his treacherous wife Ja'da bint al-Ash'ath ibn Qays, by
the order of the ruler of that time. After Imam Hassan (as), Imam
Hussein (as) became the Imam, but the ruler of Syria Muawiyah ibn Abu
Sufyan violated the peace treaty and appointed his son Yazid as his
successor and insisted that Imam Hussein (as) should pledge allegiance
to him.Imam Hussein (as) refused to pledge allegiance and made up his
mind to move to Makkah.
Sayyeda Zainab (sa) said farewell to her husband, Abdullah Ibn Ja'far
Tayyarand went with her brother accompanied by her sons Muhammad and
Aun. They reached Makkah in 61 Hijrah year.
Imam Hussein (as) was informed that some agents of the ruler of that
time had come to Makkah to assassinate him while circumambulating the
Holy Ka'bah. Imam Hussein (as) deemed it advisable to move to Kufa and
let people knowof his secret mission. They arrived at Karbala on the
2nd Muharram. Sayyeda Zainab (sa) had heard from her grandfather and
father that Karbala would be the place where Imam Hussein (as) would
be martyred.
Sayyeda Zainab (sa) in Karbala
Sayyeda Zainab (sa) is theshining sun in the historyof Islam and of
humanity.Her brother's name and Karbala associate the idea of freedom,
justice, humanity, virtue, fighting against despotism, with the
realization of the sovereignty of Allah (SWT). The history of Karbala
is based on two pillars: the rising of ImamHussein (as) and the rising
of Sayyeda Zainab (sa). She was an outstanding figure in thehistory of
Karbala endowed with divine steadfastness and fortitude. She
sacrificed her two sons and one should not say anything if one devoted
his life forthe cause of Allah (SWT). After the martyrdom of her
brother and her two sons, she said: "O my Lord! Accept our humble
sacrifice to You."
When Zainab reached Kufa, she addressed people with fury words:"Praise
to Allah, and may the blessing of Allah be upon Muhammad and
hisprogeny. 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 spiteand ill will. By Allah (SWT)! You deserve
lasting sorrow instead of joy. Shames on you, your hands are imbrued
with the blood of the son of Prophet Muhammad (saw), the one who was
your sole refuge in case of adversity. By your evil act and
disloyalty, you incurred the wrath of Allah (SWT) against you. Woe
betides you! No one will intercede with Allah (SWT) for you." Her
furious words provoked people of Kufa to avenge Imam Hussein's
martyrdom. This frightened Ubaidullah ibn Ziyad and his cruel agents.
She also delivered a furious sermon in the court of the caliph that
made his authority and despotic rule feel undermined. She said: "I
fear no one but Allah (SWT). Make whatever evil plot you can. Blazes
are waiting for you in the hereafter. You'll he accountable to Allah
(SWT) for your atrocities."
The Foundation of Mourning (Majalis-E-Aza) of Imam Hussein (as)
Another unique feature of Sayyeda Zainab's (sa) character was her
establishment of mourning ceremonies . This tradition which has lived
in the memories and hearts of millions of Muslims to this day, has
kept the sacrifices of Imam Hussein (as) alive, and brought dynamism
to every movement that aimed at removing injustices on earth.
After every Majlis, the women would offer theircondolences to Sayyeda
Zainab (sa) and the men to Imam Zainul Abedeen (as). These majales
made quite a stir in the cities, and the sound of crying and beating
of chests and heads affected the minds of the inhabitants, and made
them sadder and wiser to the events of Karbala.
In the end...
As it is said, "the word is mightier than the sword", this should stay
in the minds of all Muslims, particularly the women. They should
realize that they could always make a difference. They can always
reach for the better. Also, they can make their Ummah (Community) look
better.
The Muslim women should read more about the hardships which faced the
great women of Islam understand and practice the patience
thatcharacterized the life of Sayyeda Zainab (sa), and teach their
children the value of these acts.
The men alone cannot win independence and prosperity, neither can the
women. Together, and under the banner of Islam, they can achieve
success.
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