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BIBI ZAYNAB (SA)'S JOURNEY OF COURAGE
It is said that, next day after
the blood-bath of the Progeny of
the Holy Prophet (SAWS), the
caravan of the imprisoned
daughters of the Prophet and the
chained Imam Ali, Zaynul Abedin
(AS) was heading towards Kufa.
The ladies were made to sit on
the unsaddled camels. Their
hands were tide at their backs.
The camels were deliberately
routed through the battle-field
where the slaughtered head-less
bodies lay open without cover.
It was the height of barbarism
and cruelty committed by the so
called Muslims!
Kufa was being decorated and
people were told that a rebel
group was coming whose males
were killed and their women were
made captive. As soon as the
prisoners entered the city, Bibi
Zaynab(SA) stood on the camel
looking at the crowd in anger,
she said in a loud and clear
voice, “Praise be to Allah and
blessings on my grandfather
Muhammad, His beloved Prophet.
Woe unto you, O people of Kufa.
Do you know whom you have
killed?
Do you know what pledge you have
broken? Do you know whose blood
you have shed? Do you know whose
honor you have defiled?
There was a stunned silence. A
gentle sound of crying was
heard. There was a blind old man
who was the companion of Imam
Ali (AS). When he heard Bibi
Zaynab’s voice, he thought that
Imam Ali had come back. The
sound of crying grew louder.
Bibi Zaynab(SA) continued, “And
well may you weep, O people of
Kufa! The crime which you have
committed against your Prophet
is so great that the skies
shook, earth trembled, and
mountains crumbled down. You
have killed your Imam, and by
doing so lost your shelter
against hardship, evil and kufr!
His blood stains your souls.
Nothing can protect you from the
anger of Allah for having killed
the son of the last of his
Prophets! People could no longer
control their wailing. Umar
Sa’ad was frightened and quickly
led the prisoners in the
governor’s palace. Ibne Ziad was
sitting on the throne and was
poking his cane on Imam Husayn
(AS)’s face. There was an old
companion of the Holy Prophet
(SAWS), Zaid Bin Arqam, who
cried out saying, “Take away
your cane from those lips!
By Allah, I have seen the lips
of the Apostle of Allah on those
lips.”
Ibne Ziad pointing towards Imam
Zainul Abedin said, “Who is this
young man?” “He is Ali ibnul
Husayn”. Ibne Ziad ordered that
the Imam be killed. Bibi Zaynab
rushed forward and planted
herself in front of the Imam and
said, “You have to kill me
first” She said looking at ibne
Ziad with such defiance,
determination and anger that
ibne Ziad got up and walked away
ordering that the prisoners be
locked up.
Bibi Zaynab (SA)’s speeches had
stirred Kufa and there was lot
of unrest. Hence sensing
trouble, he promptly dispatched
the prisoners to Damascus (Shaam).
Unlike the journey to Kufa, this
one was kept secret and the
prisoners were sent at night.
This journey was very long and
painful in the scorching heat of
the desert. It took twenty days
to reach Damascus.
Imam Zainul Abedin (AS) was made
to walk and if he slows down
they would flog him and on Bibi
Zaynab (SA)’s intervention would
stop the flogging.
Yazid’s court was filled with
dignitaries and he was
uncovering the Bani Umaiyyah’s
strategy in apparently accepting
Islam while keeping their hatred
in their hearts. He recited some
couplets whose meaning was, “If
my venerable ancestors, who fell
at Badr fighting Muhammad, had
witnessed how supporters of
Muhammad’s faith were thrown
into confusion with thrusts
given by my spears, they would
be blessing me today. The Banu
Hashim played a trick to win
power. There was never any wahi
to them nor did they receive any
revelation.” He also misquoted
an ayat of Noble Qur’an, “Allah
grants honor to whom He pleases
and brings disgrace upon whom He
pleases.”
Bibi Zaynab (SA) could not stand
any more. She was filled with
wrath and anger. In a loud and
clear voice she addressed Yazid,
“O Yazid, do you think that it
is Allah who has caused you to
commit all these foul deeds? Do
you blame Rahman and Raheem for
the oppression we have suffered?
Do you blame Allah for the death
of the beloved grandson of His
most beloved Prophet? How dare
you make these false accusations
against the Almighty? No, Yazid,
it was not Allah. It is you with
your insatiable ambition and
greed for wealth and power, who
are the only cause of the
suffering inflicted not only on
the Household of the Holy
Prophet but on Islam itself”!
Do not forget what Allah has
said in Holy Book, “Let not the
unbelievers take it that the
respite We give them would do
them any good. We allow them
time in order that they might
continue to indulge in sins to
their heart’s content. Indeed a
humiliating punishment has been
kept ready for them.
Do you think by killing the
grandson of the Holy Prophet and
bringing us to your palace as
prisoners, you have scored a
victory against Islam? No, Yazid
no, Husayn with his blood has
made sure that tyrants like you
will not be able to use Islam as
a toy to carry out their evil
designs. The victory is not
yours. The victory is of Husayn!
The victory is of Islam! Yazid
was stunned. The people who were
sitting there could not believe
their ears. They were moved by
this courageous lady. The lady
who had seen and experienced
great sufferings dared defy the
very man who was responsible for
it. They asked one another as to
who the lady was. When they were
told that she was the grand
daughter of the Holy Prophet
(SAWS), they admired her
courage!
At another occasion, Bibi Zaynab
(SA) referring to his
grandfather Abu Sufiyan and
other Umaiyyah clan were set
free at the time of Conquest of
Makkah, she said, “O son of the
freed ones! Is it justice that
you keep your women and
slave-girls in seclusion but
have made the helpless daughters
of the Holy Prophet ride on
swift camels and given them in
the hands of their enemies so
that they can take them from one
city to another?
You shall go before Allah soon.
You shall meet your ancestors.
At that time you will wish that
you have been blind and dumb and
had not said that it was a day
of rejoicing for your
ancestors.” |
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